The Sixth Ghost Story - College Entrance Exam Banned Song (3)
"As you all know, this whole mess is definitely caused by that song. Remember the weird behavior from our music teacher last week?"
The club members nodded.
"And just now, that sensitive guy from our class and the creepy one. This is just my hunch, but it seems like people who are usually sensitive or have weak mental fortitude are affected the most. By any chance, is there anyone here who keeps hearing that song echoing in their ears?"
The fifth floor only had the club room, dance studio, and self-study rooms like the quiet reading room. School announcements usually skipped this floor unless it was something special. Even amid all this chaos, it was quiet here. If anyone could hear the song, that meant the addiction was progressing.
Lee Jin-hee raised her hand.
"That song is looping in your ears?"
"Yeah."
Jin-hee gave a curt reply.
"Do you usually listen to a lot of music?"
"At my part-time job."
Oh, right. Come to think of it, she'd mentioned working after school. At a fast-food joint, I think. I swallowed hard and responded.
"By any chance... do you feel like your mind's getting weird or anything?"
"Nope."
She answered bluntly.
"Like you wanna flip shit over or something."
"No."
"Or like you wanna belt out the song."
"No."
"Or dance to it."
"Hey, quit asking."
"Got it. Last one—do you feel like punching someone..."
Jin-hee raised her fist.
"Wanna find out?"
I flinched back a step.
"No, I'm good, Jin-hee. You don't have to hit me."
I emphasized again.
"You don't have to hit me. Promise you won't?"
"Yeah."
Seon-ah shot me a pitiful look. Ignoring her gaze, I drew my conclusion.
"Jin-hee's got a tough mentality, so she's fine. This place seems safe for now, so let's wait here until things calm down."
"Hoo, what the hell."
"Scary..."
The kids murmured anxiously.
"Sigh. This is why Korean pop music is a problem, man. Repetitive meaningless words, always yapping about love—mix in some dreams and hope like Mamorusu... Gulp."
Oh Deok-hoon clamped his mouth shut under Jin-hee's glare.
That's when it happened.
"Hey, guys! Emergency news! Emergency newwwws!"
Suddenly, a guy's shout echoed from the hallway beyond the club room door. I peeked out the window and saw a male senior holding his phone high, sprinting down the hall.
"Porinseu's new song dropped, and it's lit. Listen, quick!"
"Guys, hide where he can't see!"
I flicked off the club room lights and whispered. The members quickly plastered themselves against the wall by the door.
The senior dashed by like an Olympic torchbearer, holding his blaring phone aloft like a sacred relic. He reached right in front of our club room. We held our breath and flattened against the floor under the door.
His shadow peered through the window into our quiet club room.
"Huh, weird. Lights were on here earlier..."
We squished even flatter to stay out of sight.
Blasting tinny melody from the phone's low-quality speaker.
The senior poked around a bit longer, then headed down the stairs.
"Hey, guys! Emergency news! Emergency new—"
"Phew, everyone's lost their minds."
Once he was gone, we sighed in relief and stood up.
"Better keep the lights off. Deok-hoon, draw the curtains. And to be safe, block the entrance window with paper so no one can peek in."
At my suggestion, Seon-ah crumpled a page from her history textbook she'd brought for fourth period and jammed it into the window frame. A vision flashed of our history teacher screaming about how a nation forgetting its past has no future.
"What if... this is a dream..."
"It's real."
Gyeong-won tugged at his skin, covered his phone clock, uncovered it—repeating like he couldn't believe it.
"What the hell, man. Lunchtime's soon, how are we supposed to eat?"
Deok-hoon clutched his protruding belly, wiping sweat.
Seon-ah just glanced nervously at me. Ha-yoon and Jin-hee were the only ones who seemed okay. Ha-yoon stood calmly as ever; Jin-hee tapped her foot like everything annoyed her.
"Why'd we hide earlier? I could've just beat his ass."
The kids eyed her warily. On one hand, scary to have her on our side; on the other, tense as hell.
"Hey, Ha-yoon. What should we do?"
"...Huh?"
Ha-yoon narrowed her eyes at my sudden question.
"In this situation. What's the best move?"
"Haha, why ask me..."
She trailed off with a smile.
"You seem unfazed..."
Truth was, I had no clue how to lead these five through this shitshow. Hunkering down sounded great if it'd resolve itself, but past ghost stories never wrapped up that neatly. Everyone fled the chaos, ended up clustered here in the Ghost Story Club. Naturally, as president, I became the center.
Damn, why me... I'd kill for Ha-yoon's unflappable calm or Jin-hee's rough charisma to take charge instead.
"I'll go with whatever you say, Joon. You're the president."
But Ha-yoon dashed my hopes with a sweet smile, tossing the responsibility back.
I crossed my arms, pondered, then turned to Gyeong-won.
"Gyeong-won, any ghost stories come to mind for this?"
"11:20. What? What'd you say?"
Gyeong-won paused his reality-check to ask in shock.
"Ghost stories. Anything ring a bell?"
"G-Ghost... stories..."
He adjusted his glasses in fluster.
"So the president thinks that too. Like last time, another ghost story..."
"Yeah. Nothing else fits."
"R-Right. Makes sense..."
Deok-hoon and Jin-hee, new to this, probably had question marks over their heads, but Seon-ah, Ha-yoon, Gyeong-won, and I—we'd dug through the Dream within Dream together. This wasn't totally alien.
"Hmm... Uh..."
Gyeong-won fiddled with his glasses, racking his brain, then sighed.
"Sorry, president. Nothing comes up."
"But last time you went on about the college entrance exam banned song and all that."
"That wasn't a ghost story—just a scientific phenomenon. Earworm effect, where the brain's auditory cortex loops addictive melodies. It's just annoying; no added ghost story lore that I know of."
"Hmm, gotcha. Tricky then."
I tilted my head. If this know-it-all didn't know it, probably no such ghost story existed. Or maybe, like in that dream-within-a-dream, we were barking up the wrong tree.
"Anyway, if anyone's got any ghost stories about songs or music, speak up."
"Suddenly?"
Deok-hoon blinked. I explained patiently.
"Too dangerous to move till it calms down, so we're stuck here. Let's share scary stories. Might spark an idea. Doesn't make sense now, but it's our only play."
I met each pair of eyes. Originals like Seon-ah and Gyeong-won nodded okay. Jin-hee scowled in confusion. Deok-hoon looked hyped, surprisingly.
"No way, we're doing a hundred ghost stories~"
The piglet squealed in delight. Perfect timing—lights off, quiet space ready. Ideal for spooky tales.
In the dim 4-pyeong club room, pierced only by lunchtime sun through the curtains. We'd shoved desks and chairs to one corner, sitting cross-legged in a circle on the floor. Pitch-black room midday, curtains drawn, classmates swapping horrors. Definitely not normal school life.
We started sharing song-themed ghost stories.
Seon-ah went first, softly.
"They say if you see a ghost in a recording studio... that song goes mega-hit. That's why successful singers all have a ghost story or two."
"Sounds familiar."
Probably from some celebrity talk show. Super common tale.
"Someone sings along while recording..."
"I see."
"Yeah..."
Gyeong-won's turn.
"In 2003, Jang Nara's song 'Is That For Real?' has a ghost voice recorded in it. Midway, a totally different woman's voice suddenly says, 'Does your ear hurt?' You can still hear it clear as day in the official track."
"For real?"
I asked, stunned. The others gawked at him too.
"Yeah, real. We can check on my phone right now."
"L-Let's hear it, man!"
Deok-hoon whipped out his phone, excited.
"...Got data?"
"I'll do it."
Gyeong-won pulled out his phone, searched, and played it.
♬ Without a word, after I let you go, what if I regret it~ ♬
[Does your ear hurt?]
"Eek!"
Seon-ah let out a small scream. It was crystal clear—a woman's voice asking, "Does your ear hurt?"
"...This is on the official track, just like that?"
I asked, floored. Gyeong-won nodded.
"Agency claims it's guitar noise, but hey, I don't play guitar, so who knows."
One of those D-grade or C-grade phenomena? But 2003—16 years ago, way before this weird game system crashed my life. Ghost stories were closer to everyday than I thought.
"Wild."
Jin-hee muttered. Everyone froze for a sec, glancing at her. Tightened uniform skirt peeking through unapproved stockings. Sharp features, hair dye not fully faded. Fierce eyes, makeup just shy of expulsion. Classic badass delinquent vibe—intimidating as hell.
Her hanging with normies like us, listening to ghost stories? Her cool friends would laugh.
If she softened her expression, she'd be a total beauty. Or maybe those eyes are just naturally fierce.
Lee Jin-hee's Understanding has increased by 10.
"What."
Jin-hee snapped at the stares. Everyone whipped their heads away. Her charisma could probably exorcise ghosts—I felt oddly reassured.
"My turn next, man!"
Deok-hoon huffed excitedly, spittle flying.
"This happened when I went to see Muse theater version at the cinema."
"What's Muse?"
I cut in right away; he sighed dramatically.
"Jeez. Idol group from Love Live!, man."
Love Live? Whatever.
"Anyway, at the theater."
Deok-hoon cleared his throat and continued. His story dragged forever, mostly irrelevant movie crap. He had a talent for making listeners squirm.
"...Like that. Cheering at Kotori's chicken legs! Then whispering from behind!"
Finally, the ghost part.
"Yeah?"
"Movie theater manners, man! Whisper whisper. Two of 'em chatting nonstop! I nearly murdered them, but got lost in the country girls' tale..."
"Uh-huh."
"..."
"Finally, Honoka finishes her solo! Strike pose, everyone jumps! Suteki~~~ Subarashii desu ne~!"
"Yeah."
"But! Again! Again! Again!"
Deok-hoon slammed the floor.
"Whispering behind me again! I'm chill, but one more time and I'd ignore it and bash 'em, I vowed inwardly. Gotta save energy, y'know."
"Right."
"Then the epic climax! One~ Two~ Love Liveeeee!"
"But! Mata! Mata! Mata! Whisper whisper!"
"Haha, I endured, but you push it~ I grinned back, about to lay into 'em. 'Kuso kurae, eat shit.'"
"But! Butttt! Clearly two chatting! Turn around and wha—! Only one person there!"
"What the fuck! Who cares, you otaku piece of shit!"
Jin-hee finally snapped, pummeling Deok-hoon.
"Talking to himself, probably! You fucking otaku fuck!"
Thud, thud, smack, thud.
"S-Sorry! Gomennasaaa!"
"Die, fucker!"
The tense room exploded in laughter.
"Pffft~ Hahahahahahaha!"
"Ahaha, hahaha. Stop hitting him, Jin-hee. Haha."
"Queeee~! Queeee~!"
"You're killing him. Puhahaha."
I sprawled flat laughing; Gyeong-won too. Seon-ah pounded the floor, shoulders shaking. Even Ha-yoon covered her mouth, giggling.
"Ku... Kuso... Q Q Q >w<~~~~ Nandesu, ka—"
His padding made it look painless.
"Shut up, fuck!"
Thud- thud- thud-
"Puhahahaha."
"Ahahaha."
"Heh."
"Pfft."
We were all doubled over when—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Suddenly, someone rapped on the club room door.