The Sixth Ghost Story - CSAT Banned Song (7)
[It's buried under the floor of Waiting Room 3.]
The moment we grasped the meaning of those words, a chill raced up our spines, and the room fell deathly silent.
The club members exchanged uneasy glances. No one dared speak first. The ominous weight of that sentence left us all hesitating.
Surprisingly, it was Deok-hoon who broke the ice first.
"I got something that clicks, neun."
He nodded with an inviting look, fiddling with his double chin.
"Sadako... You guys know her?"
Deok-hoon asked, sweat beading on his forehead.
Sadako. The name rang a bell.
"That female ghost crawling out of the well in the TV?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
Deok-hoon nodded vigorously at my response. I wasn't sure about the original, but I'd seen parodies in commercials or online—TV screen showing a well, a woman crawling out from the depths, smashing through the glass into reality.
"I know her too. She's the ghost from the Japanese horror flick Ring," Gyeong-won chimed in.
Deok-hoon launched into a rapid explanation.
"Lemme explain for anyone who doesn't know, neun. The plot of Ring goes like this: There's this cursed video with ghosts that kills you if you watch it. People who see it spread it around like a contagious disease, and the curse spreads just like that...
Deok-hoon was, as expected, an expert on Japanese media.
Something clicked for me, and I turned to him. "A cursed video spreading like a plague. Swap 'video' for 'song,' and it's pretty much our situation right now."
"Exactly, neun! That's it!"
Most of us got it, but Seon-ah and Jin-hee still looked puzzled, so I summed it up again.
"This song that's the problem? I think it's a cursed song."
"A cursed... song?!"
"There's a ghost story that when a person gets possessed by a ghost, they start doing things backward. Matches exactly what the possessed people are doing."
And that backward chorus lyric in question. My guess: no human wrote it.
"Deok-hoon, in that horror movie Ring, do they stop the spreading curse in the end? What's the resolution?"
"Erm."
Deok-hoon scratched his chin, then recalled. "The source of the curse was this wronged female ghost buried under the well from the video. They found the real location, dug up the body, and that solved it, I think, neun."
"So, we find the 'Waiting Room 3' from the song, dig up whoever's buried there, and we're good?"
Of course, that "whoever" wouldn't be alive anymore.
Head to Waiting Room 3 and exhume the body buried beneath.
"Fits perfectly."
"It's unrealistic, sure, but logically sound within the story's flow."
"Waiting Room... 3..."
Everyone nodded at the conclusion I'd drawn from Deok-hoon's reasoning.
Sticking around here wouldn't accomplish anything anyway. We had to head to Waiting Room 3.
"But where the hell is that?"
"Korea's got more than a few places called Waiting Room 3."
The mood soured again, but I cut in decisively.
"We ask the ones who spread this song."
"Who?"
The members' eyes widened.
"Porinseu."
Right. Korea's rising idol girl group, Porinseu. The ones who sang this song. They might know something about this bizarre mess.
"Listen up. I don't know where Waiting Room 3 is, but I think I know where the culprits behind this phenomenon are right now."
"How would you..."
I brushed off the teacher's trailing question with a vague excuse.
"Saw a post from one of the members on SNS. They're performing live on a music show tonight. That dome-shaped broadcasting station building where the stage is. Porinseu's in the dressing rooms there."
"R-Really?"
Truth was, I'd learned it via Lip Reading, but no time to explain that.
"Everyone know what to do? Grab your stuff."
"W-What?!"
The members buzzed in confusion.
"Kitchen—grab anything that can be a weapon. Hurry."
"Wait, President! So suddenly..."
"We gotta move before things get worse! It's past 3 p.m. already—sunset's coming soon!"
The members murmured at the sudden plan to leave school, but we'd rested enough, and our goal was clear, so they fell in line quick.
"We're off to catch Porinseu."
A moment later.
Seon-ah swung a massive frying pan around experimentally. Ha-yoon compared two kitchen knives in her hands.
Soon, we'd each picked weapons from the kitchen: frying pans, pots, etc. Logically, blades would be best, but only Ha-yoon chose those. Normal people hesitate to stab someone, so most went for blunt instruments you could swing—frying pans, mops, pots.
"Teacher, you got the car keys? Everyone grab a weapon and head to the door."
At the locked iron door on the 4th-floor cafeteria, I briefed the members again.
"Girl group, song, broadcasting station, dressing room, Waiting Room 3, curse, body... All connected. So we're heading out to interrogate the culprits, Porinseu."
"Got it!"
"We're ready!"
The members nodded. Ready? Did they really grasp what they were up against?
I dropped a bombshell they might not handle.
"Only take in what you can handle from what I say next. I have the power to rewind time."
The members, steeling themselves to leave school, froze in shock.
"What?!"
"Huh?"
"The ones who went through the Dream within Dream ghost story with me before—remember how time rewound every time we died?"
Three heads nodded.
"I've experienced the exact same thing multiple times. Got it? Even if we leave school like this and uncover the truth, I have zero intention of resolving it right away."
I took a breath, then spat out my resolve, accepted or not.
"Once we reach the truth and confirm the solution, I'll rewind time back to right before this mess started. Then, while everything's still fine, I'll nip it in the bud ahead of time."
The teacher, Jin-hee, and Deok-hoon looked baffled. Gyeong-won and Seon-ah were flustered but nodding along.
With parents unreachable and the world gone mad, I'd already decided this. From my experience so far, solving one incident roughly sets a new Checkpoint.
If we solved it now, the reset point on death—that is, the Checkpoint—could lock to the present. Meaning my life would roll on from here: parents dead, society in chaos!
That's no victory. Like saving in a game after a bad choice.
"Understand? If not, fine. Just remember this: If someone gets left behind while running, we leave 'em. Never turn back to save anyone. If someone blocks our path, swing away—no holding back."
The teacher flinched, shuddering in dismay.
"I'll rewind time. Doesn't matter who dies. Focus only on reaching the goal full speed. We wrap this in under an hour. No stopping."
Even if they didn't get it, my grim intensity in the face of life and death overwhelmed them. They nodded slowly.
"When I'm done explaining, I'll open this iron door. We rush down the stairs to the 1st floor, hop in the teacher's car in the cafeteria-side lot, and blast out the main gate."
"Got it!"
"Sadly, the main gate's shut. We'll gun it across the playground, pause at the gate—someone opens it. That's hurdle one. Clear?"
Tense faces gripped weapons tighter.
"Anything could happen while pausing to open it. The opener might not make it back in time. We leave 'em anyway."
"Then straight to Cheongdam-dong Broadcasting Station through downtown. Park at the dome building, head to the dressing rooms. That's the plan. Ready?"
Gyeong-won's hand trembled on his frying pan.
"Opening the door. Get set."
I flung the iron door open without giving them time to hesitate.
Kreeeak—
The instant it swung wide, a delivery driver who'd failed to escape school—hauling cafeteria supplies—stood frozen by the stairwell window. He whipped his head around to us.
"@#..."
As he opened his mouth to belt out the melody—
"Raaah!"
I hurled the large glass bowl in my hand.
Crash!
It shattered against the driver's face. He crumpled mid-note, rolling on the floor from the impact.
Even if I'd rewind time, better to lead by example—no hesitation in roughing people up.
"Follow me!"
I bolted down the stairs ahead. The six behind moved fast too—too many to sneak past undetected.
3rd floor. 2nd floor. A few students wandered the cafeteria, but they didn't spot us rushing down.
1st floor. A familiar senior guy appeared.
"Hey, kids, emergency news—"
"Shut it!"
Jin-hee yelled from the stairs, leaping down and smashing her frying pan into his crown.
Thwack!
A solid thunk echoed as the senior tumbled.
"This way! Parked here!"
The teacher dashed to the cafeteria lot. We followed, scanning warily.
Students on the playground spotted us, charging from afar.
"Split up! Block the lot entrance!"
Fighters—me, Jin-hee, Deok-hoon—defended the entrance. The rest rushed inside with the teacher to find the car.
"Stop singing that song alreadyyy~ It's stuck in my heaaad~"
A male student charged first, suddenly whipping out a cutter from behind.
"Asshole."
Predictable miss. I sidestepped easily, kneeing his leg.
Thud—
"Kyaaak!"
Deok-hoon stomped the fallen guy's head with his full bulk.
"Ussaya gare~!"
Crunch.
Over 100kg crushed his skull; the student convulsed and stilled.
"Sisss! Listen to this sooong~"
A cute senior girl followed, blouse half-unbuttoned, phone blasting the chorus.
"Tch! Damn it."
Jin-hee grimaced, head ringing, then squared up.
"Sisss!"
As the girl rushed gleefully, Jin-hee stepped in, spun mid-air, and roundhouse-kicked.
Smack—
Her clean hit snapped the girl's jaw back with her momentum. She sprawled.
Thud.
Deok-hoon stomped her blaring phone silent.
Vroom, vroom—
Engine roared behind. Teacher's car rolled up slow, crazed teachers clinging to windows, pounding.
"Teacher Jang Hwa-eun! Listen to this sooong! It's the latest trend, come onnn!"
"Kyaa! Kyaaa!"
Screams from scared girls inside.
"If you knew trends like this, you'd get married too! Just listen!"
"Jin-hee!"
She nodded and charged the car.
"Teacher Jang Hwa-eun!"
"Kyaaak!"
Ha-yoon stabbed a knife into a teacher's hand on the rear window, then Jin-hee bashed their heads with her pan.
Thwack! Thunk!
"Graaah!"
"You brat! How old are you?!"
Teachers clutched hands or bled from noses, staggering. Me and Deok-hoon shoved them off with our weight.
Whump—
"Aak!"
As they tumbled, we yanked doors open and piled in.
"Damn! Not enough seats! Deok-hoon, front!"
"Y-Yes!"
Teacher in driver's seat, Deok-hoon shotgun. Back: Seon-ah, Gyeong-won, Ha-yoon, Jin-hee, and me—five crammed. Last in, I ended up sitting on Seon-ah by accident.
"Ugh, Joon..."
"Sorry, Seon-ah! We'll switch once we're out!"
I grabbed the front seat for stability as the teacher floored it.
"All in? Gunning for the gate!"
The car lurched forward, slamming us back.
"Kyaaa!"
"Uwaaa!"
Crash!
We smashed the lot barrier and tore across the playground, seven aboard.
"Hey! Listen to the song!"
Students and teachers chased from afar.
As the car accelerated, I glimpsed someone opening the main gate amid the chaos.
"Teacher! Main gate! Someone's opening it! We can go straight!"
"What? For real!"
She yanked the wheel for the gate, but inertia from speed made the angle wrong.
"Can't make the turn! One lap around, kids! Hold on!"
We shook off the zombie-like horde as the car kicked up dust, circling the playground.
"Ugh!"
"Kyaaak!"
Centrifugal force tumbled us at every corner.
"Seatbelts! Seatbelts!"
We'd piled in too fast to bother.
"Guhk!"
Gyeong-won headbutted the front seat.
Thud, thud!
"Kyaaaa!"
The teacher shrieked high-pitched, wrenching the wheel through turns. Staffers charging ahead got flung onto the roof.
Thud!
Thump, boom, thud.
Wham!
"Uwaaa!"
A crack spiderwebbed the windshield—but visibility held.
"Hit and run! Hit and ruuun! Listen to the song and you're forgiven!"
Chasers bellowed.
"Here we gooo! Hold tiiiight!"
The car powerslid 90 degrees before the principal's podium, then gunned straight for the gate.
Vrooom!
Vroooom—!
Bodies flung back again; Seon-ah wheezed under me.
"Gack, hack."
"Sorryyy!"
The security guard waved vigorously by the gate—he must've opened it. Probably holed up in his booth, saw the car, and swung it wide for our escape.
"Gooo!"
Eyes wild, the teacher punched the accelerator to breach.
Vrooooom—
Boom, thud.
We flew over speed bumps past the guard, airborne briefly.
Uwaaaaa!
Silence... then
Crash, bang!
Rough landing jolted us. We'd escaped school!
But the cityscape ahead was anything but normal. Trash whipped through streets, shattered windows smoked from shops. Seoul was trashed.
Vroom!
Brrrroom~!
The teacher gunned it down the road.
"T-Teacher! You know where you're going, right?!"
"Leave it to meeee!"
We're screwed. She's lost it.
"Kids, hold oooon!"
Kids' frantic screams mixed as we blasted through downtown. A group blasted new tracks from amps mid-road.
Crash! Bang! Boom!!
We pulverized the amp, dragging wires.
"You bastards, that was a ten-mil amp..." someone yelled out the window.
Sparks flying, we blew past Sinrim Station, through Seoul National University entrance.
"T-Teacher! Slow down a bit!"
"Kyaaaaaaa!"
Trash flew, people blurred by. Scenery whipped past.
"Ahead! Obstaacle!"
Someone yelled. Teacher swerved onto the sidewalk, smashing mailboxes and stands.
"Teacher! Ease off!"
"Kyaaaa!"
She floored it harder amid screams. The 34-year-old spinster had no brakes.
Boom, thud.
A few pedestrians on the sidewalk got hit, flung far.
"Teacher! Those looked normal!"
"Sidewalk's wider anywayyyy!"
"Ahaha, ahahaha."
Amid the madness, someone laughed. Ha-yoon.
"Teacher's hilarious, ahahaha."
She gripped the handle white-knuckled, face flushed red from laughing.
Seon-ah clung to me from behind, eyes shut, trembling. Deok-hoon whipped his head side to side, squeaking and clutching his belt. Even Jin-hee sweated, gripping the ceiling handle tensely. Gyeong-won was out cold, flopping limply.
The car rocketed past a cemetery, merging onto the Han River road.
"Huuuuh."
"Huff, huff."
Honk~
Thankfully, the river road was clear. Wide open, few obstacles. Joggers with radios and fleeing youths dotted the paths, but afternoon sun on the riverside let us catch our breath.
"Huff, huff."
The teacher calmed a bit, easing speed.
Screech—
Finally, Cheongdam-dong Broadcasting Station loomed.
Honk. Vroom.
The half-wrecked car sputtered to a stop before the dome building. No one moved.
We sat dazed. A 30-minute trip felt like 10. Hair wild, expressions blank. We'd been through hell.
The teacher, gripping the wheel, turned slowly.
"K-Kids... we're here."
I lifted my head weakly to the window. The massive dome building stood there.
Ghost Story Club