Fifth Ghost Story: The Endless 4th Period (7)

Phew, why is time dragging on like this?

Today was Friday. Once this fourth period ended, lunch would be followed by the moment I'd been waiting for—our first club activity, CA time!

I was fidgeting in the classroom, dying for the bell to ring. Our hanbok-wearing Korean history teacher was ranting about how universities were increasingly ignoring Korean history in admissions, dragging out the lesson.

Through the classroom door, I could see students from classes that had ended early sprinting toward the cafeteria, eyebrows furrowed in determination.

"And! Those Japanese bastards drove stakes into our land everywhere, sucking away all our vital energy—"

Fuck, just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠end it already.

Ding-dong~ dang-dong~ ♬

The bell rang, and a few impatient guys bolted out the door, joining the rush to the cafeteria. The teacher looked bummed, like she had more to say, but for the students, survival trumped history.

I dashed into the hallway too, with Seon-ah and Gyeong-won right on my heels.

"Hurry up and eat lunch so we can hit the club room and chill!"

"Heh, mind your dignity, President."

Gyeong-won adjusted his glasses as he replied, while Seon-ah smiled with flushed cheeks. I nodded playfully at her, and she giggled back.

We sat side by side and dug in, spotting delivery guys zipping by outside the cafeteria window.

Fifth and sixth periods were CA time—school-sanctioned free activity for clubs. Plenty of seniors skipped lunch altogether, ordering food straight to their club rooms.

Seon-ah stared enviously, pausing mid-bite.

"We'll order in next time too. Now that we've got a proper club room."

"...Yeah!"

As we left the cafeteria and headed for the main building, a message suddenly popped up in front of me.

?

The text appeared and vanished just as quick. I glanced around, but nothing seemed different, so I shrugged and headed inside.

"Whoa, what's with this line?"

A massive queue of students snaked through the hallway in the main building. What could draw such a crowd during lunch?

"Looks like they're all lining up for Library Club interviews," Gyeong-won said, pushing up his glasses.

Following the line led straight to the library. Unlike regular clubs, the Library Club had real power since it tied directly into library operations. Nail a deal with the librarian, and you could use it after hours. They handled the monthly budget for new books too, so members got first dibs on their favorites.

Hence the horde hoping to join—even now, right before CA time, interviews were ongoing.

"Those guys should've joined our Ghost Story Club instead."

I muttered self-deprecatingly, and the other two chuckled.

"We'll get famous eventually. No track record yet, so let's grow slow and steady, President."

Then, a burly guy midway in line spotted us and called out.

"Uh, hey... Lee Joon?"

"Yeah?"

A chubby dude—my desk mate, Oh Deok-hoon.

"That club you started... still got spots open?"

He glanced nervously at the people around him in line. Seon-ah and Gyeong-won eyed him curiously. I nodded.

"Yeah, spots open. What's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up?"

"C-Could I... join now, maybe?"

"Ghost Story Club?"

He nodded frantically.

"Didn't you say you'd go to the anime club?"

"W-Well..."

He fidgeted. Guess he got rejected. It seemed perfect for him. So now he was waiting for Library Club.

Sheesh.

I answered flatly.

"Of course. Wanna join?"

"Y-Yes! Awesome~!"

He whooped, drawing glares from the line. "I'll join, President~!"

"Drop the 'sir.' Sounds like a corporate boss."

Our club was brand new and needed every member to get rolling. No reason to turn him away.

"I'll put your name on the list for the teacher. Head to the fifth floor as soon as CA starts."

"Got it~! Wakatta~!"

Deok-hoon waddled happily out of line, about to dash off—when Ha-yoon emerged from the library, interview done.

Bam—!!

"Bwaaaah! Sumimasen—!!"

His hefty frame smothered her slender one. She toppled without a scream, buried under him.

That instant—

The books Ha-yoon held floated into the air.

"Wha—"

I lunged to catch one falling through the gap, my balance tipping forward.

Someone had mopped the floor extra well today—it was slick as hell.

"Whoa—whoa—argh!"

I slipped, my heel kicking backward into something.

"Gahk!"

Gyeong-won yelped. Thud. "Kyaa—!" He collided with Seon-ah's head, screams echoing down the hall.

"Hurk!" "Mmgh..." Thud. Thud. "Kyaa." Thud. Thud.

We four collapsed like a corny old slapstick routine, all exaggerated motions.

My head rang, consciousness fading—but Seon-ah's foot conveniently smothered my face, cutting off my air.

"Y-You okay?!"

Gyeong-won's mouth and nose were in his own sleeve. Ha-yoon's airways clogged with her hair. Against Deok-hoon's panicked bulk, my vision blurred.

* * *

Sheesh... I let out a hollow chuckle with my eyes closed.

Layer by layer, escaping dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream, consciousness surged upward. Memories flooded back simultaneously.

I remembered everything. This had happened in reality. Gyeong-won's "absurd" was spot on.

"Mm..."

I slowly opened my eyes to the school's dizzying ceiling pattern. Sitting up groggily, I heard groans nearby as someone else stirred.

"Ugh."

"Huh, where...?"

Gyeong-won and Seon-ah. Ha-yoon scanned around silently, brow furrowed.

This was... inside the school.

"The hallway."

"Yeah."

School hallway. Main building, first floor. Library ahead with its line of students. Deok-hoon sprinting off to fetch a teacher in the distance.

We exchanged glances, piecing it together quietly.

"No way."

Gyeong-won muttered in disbelief.

"We just collapsed?"

"Seems like it," Ha-yoon replied wearily.

Felt like we'd wandered forever, but not even ten seconds had passed. If we'd stayed trapped an hour asleep, we'd have emerged broken after months inside.

"Joon-ah..."

Seon-ah murmured at me. I nodded back.

"Nice to see you, Seon-ah."

"Hehe~ ㅎㅎ"

"This your club room?"

A young female teacher stood at the wrong door, calling out in a bright, chirpy voice.

"No, ma'am. Over here."

"Aha."

She turned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠toward our club room.

"What kinda weird spot is this? And was there even a room here?"

Familiar face. Entrance ceremony once. Bathroom incident once.

"Anyway, nice to meet you! I'm Jang Hwa-eun, your advisor from now on. Tell me if you need anything for activities—like if you wanna borrow my car for a field trip or whatever~ But a Ghost Story Club? Super unique!"

Jang Hwa-eun, early thirties, radiated healthy charm as she laughed and introduced herself.

Her title said spinster. For real?

Guess so.

"Huff, huff. The anime club was a trap. Delinquents just used the name to beat up anyone who showed."

"...Yeah, Deok-hoon. Looking forward to working with you."

Sweaty Oh Deok-hoon despite the mild weather. Beside him, a fierce-looking girl with yellow-dyed hair—Jin-hee—scowled, legs crossed.

"Jin-hee, right? You got roped in, but nice to have you."

"Yeah."

Short and curt. Ha-yoon, Library Club reject, sat primly with hands on knees. Seon-ah and Gyeong-won stood awkwardly by me since no extra chairs.

I faced the whiteboard reading Ghost Story Club's First CA: Introductions, surveying my six members.

Elite know-it-all An Gyeong-won. Low-self-esteem poor girl Yoon Seon-ah. In Ha-yoon, hiding something behind politeness. Absolute otaku tank Oh Deok-hoon. Fierce delinquent queen Lee Jin-hee. Stunning thirty-something student-harasser Jang Hwa-eun.

And me. Lee Joon, club president—adolescence dressed up as "two-faced," but really just good at petty schemes.

"Welcome to the Ghost Story Club."

Ghost Story Club