Sixth Ghost Story - College Entrance Exam Banned Song (8)
“G-good… Let’s get off… Hurry.”
I stumbled out the car door first, my legs trembling. Somewhere, the stench of piss hung in the air.
Someone finally lost it, huh.
Was it me? I ducked my head slightly to check my pants—thankfully, they were fine.
I coaxed the dazed club members out of the car, but Gyeong-won wouldn’t budge.
“Gyeong-won? Gyeong-won-ah?”
His limp body and the stain on his pants reeking of piss. Gyeong-won had passed out.
“What do we do?”
Seon-ah asked with a worried look. I hesitated for a moment but decided to carry him on my back. In an emergency, I’d ditch him, but luckily things were still quiet.
Gyeong-won’s knowledge is useful in all sorts of ways. Better to bring him along.
I glanced at Deok-hoon. Unlike us crammed in the back seat tumbling around, he’d ridden comfortably up front. Catching my eye, he muttered something like “Kuht” and hauled Gyeong-won out of the car.
At 140kg, the big guy had some real muscle power despite the fat—he effortlessly piggybacked the scrawny Gyeong-won.
“Teacher’s not coming?”
The teacher was still gripping the steering wheel, trembling, as if her body had gone limp.
“T-teacher… will wait here…”
She’d already done her part, driving here and killing dozens along the way. I nodded quietly and led the club members onward.
The first floor of the broadcasting station building was a vast hall. A music broadcasting station. This was where Porinseu had debuted, and likely the center of the incident afterward.
I figured the source of the supernatural phenomenon being here meant it’d be the most crowded. But everyone had scattered to spread the song via the airwaves—only corpses and a few wandering staff visible in the distance.
Luckily, the hall was huge. We moved carefully to avoid them, dodging shattered glass shards and debris.
We headed toward a distant corner, searching for the elevator.
“Welcome to the broadcasting station!”
Turning the corner, two female staff spotted us and charged, twisting their ankles in high heels.
“Urk!”
Jin-hee stepped forward, striking the first woman’s solar plexus with a straight punch, then twisted to kick the second in the head.
Thud, smack. Crash!
“It’s dangerous! Step back!”
A suited bodyguard heard the commotion and rushed toward us from afar.
“Not listening to the song is dangerous!”
“Fuck!”
The bodyguard exploded forward at insane speed, tackling Jin-hee and rolling across the floor. Crash!
“Sh-shit, fuck!!”
We kicked at the man’s back from behind, but the muscle-bound guard didn’t even flinch.
“J-Jin-hee!”
“Get the fuck outta here, you worthless shits!”
Jin-hee yelled at us while grappling desperately.
“Sorry!”
We ditched Jin-hee and bolted. A few staff heard the noise and ran over, but thankfully toward her.
Panting, we rounded the corner, found the elevator, and dove inside.
“Deok-hoon, here.”
“Kuu.”
The elevator shuddered unstably, battered from the chaos.
> Get off, get off, get off…
The guidance voice was busted too, looping the same phrase. The lights flickered ominously over the cramped interior.
“Huff, huff.”
> Beep—Capacity exceeded, please exit later—later—minutes, please exit.
As Deok-hoon boarded with Gyeong-won on his back, the elevator blared a warning about overload.
“Damn it.”
Just five people. Normally fine, but the machine wasn’t in good shape.
I ignored it and hit close, but no response.
“What now?”
Kick one out or split up. But crossing the hall to here was a miracle already. Separating meant death.
As we exchanged glances, Ha-yoon suddenly stepped out.
> Doors closing.
“See you later, Joon-ah.”
Through the closing gap, Ha-yoon smiled faintly and waved.
“H-hey… wait…”
Jer k. The elevator shut abruptly, no time for goodbyes, and rattled upward unsteadily.
Seon-ah murmured toward the sealed doors.
“Thanks, Ha-yoon-ah…”
And shortly after.
“Hey, guys.”
“Hm?”
Finally catching our breath in the elevator filled only with mechanical hum, I asked quietly.
“Wait, what floor are we even going to?”
Everyone exchanged baffled looks.
“Someone must’ve pressed it for it to move, right?”
“Not me, dude.”
Gyeong-won was still out. Seon-ah shook her head too.
“Me neither… I was just standing…”
I looked up to check the floor number, but it was glitched mess. After standing like that a while, I asked again.
“Is this thing actually moving?”
“Uh, it went up earlier… hasn’t stopped…”
We’d felt the initial ascent gravity, no stop since, so still rising?
“What, it’s been like five minutes?”
“Huff, huff.”
Deok-hoon, struggling, set Gyeong-won down.
“Ugh, tiring dude… huff.”
He wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve. Seon-ah fidgeted, eyes darting anxiously.
“J-Joon-ah… look at that number.”
Above the doors, the messed-up display had frozen on one number.
[44th Floor]
“…Something’s off.”
“Yeah… scary…”
I soothed the shivering Seon-ah and waited another five minutes or so.
“Pao, hu… pao, hu…”
“Hahk, hahk.”
“Heuk… heuk… h-hey…”
We slumped one by one in the elevator corner, exhausted.
“Isn’t… breathing getting hard?”
They both nodded at my question. Gyeong-won still out.
Time passed again. I definitely felt the air thinning, like suffocating.
Are we dying this stupidly? After the teacher, Jin-hee, Ha-yoon sacrificed themselves?
We’re almost there! Just get out, find the dressing room!
“Heuk, heuk.”
I staggered up, trembling, and started kicking the doors.
Bang! Kwang!
“Open! Open up, fuck!”
The elevator shook unsteadily. But the thick steel doors wouldn’t budge.
“Heuk, heuk.”
I tried prying with fingers in the gap, but it was nothing like a regular apartment elevator. We were trapped in the station’s sealed box.
“Heuk, hahk.”
“Hahk, hahk.”
More time passed. Scarce oxygen squeezed my chest. I could inhale and exhale, but it was like sucking back my own breath through a balloon neck—stifling.
No oxygen left.
“Hahk, hahk.”
“Heuk heuk, nothing opening, Seon-ah?”
“N-no… sorry…”
Seon-ah, on my shoulders, pounded the ceiling futilely.
“Hweeeuk, hweeeuk.”
“Paoooo hu, paoooo hu.”
“Hahk, hak.”
More time. We three lay sprawled, clutching chests.
“Paoooo hu… paoooo hu…”
Deok-hoon heaved his massive frame, inhaling three people’s worth of air. Probably the main reason oxygen vanished so fast.
“Heuk, heuk.”
But no choice. He didn’t stop the elevator.
Just die fast or slow.
What the fuck, this stupid shit… so goddamn idiotic.
In fading consciousness, suffocation made me kick wildly.
“Hweeeuk, hweeeuk.”
“Hahk, hak.”
Suddenly, Seon-ah’s face came into view. Red-faced, clutching her chest, barely breathing.
“Hweuk, heuk.”
“Hahk, hak.”
But her redness seemed less from strain, more from rage. She trembled furiously.
“Paooooo, huuu… paooooo, huuuu…”
“Hahk, hak.”
Seon-ah’s eyes blazed.
Why’s she so pissed?
“J-Joon.”
Seon-ah gritted her teeth, trembling as she spoke.
“Joon-ah…”
She’s blaming me, huh. Can’t help it. I dragged them into this death trap. People hate the guy with the bad solution more than the problem.
That instant.
“Don’t steal the air Joon-ah needs, you faaaaatasssss!!!”
Seon-ah leaped up, mounted Deok-hoon, and throttled his neck with both hands.
“Kuuuk! Kuoooook…”
Veins bulged on Deok-hoon’s face amid his fat as he flailed desperately.
“Eeeeek! Eeeeeek!”
“Kuuk, kuook.”
Seon-ah’s eyes burned as she squeezed. How’d she get such monstrous strength—less than a third his weight, yet crushing his thick neck like a vice.
“Hhu… hweeeuk… S-Seon-ah… stoppp…”
I crawled weakly to pull her off, but her arms wouldn’t budge.
“Eek! Eeeeeek!!”
“Kuuk… uuk.”
Unimaginable from her usual timid self—Seon-ah ablaze with fury, demonic grip.
“Seon-ah… stooop…”
Deok-hoon’s thick flailing arm smacked Gyeong-won’s face. Thud.
“Uh…”
The noise finally roused him; Gyeong-won twitched.
“Wh-where… is this…”
“Hweeeuk… G-Gyeong-won-ah… hweeeuk…”
“P-President! What’s happening?”
“A-air… sealed… eleva… tor… hweuk… hweeeuk.”
“What, what?”
Seeing me crawl clutching my chest, Gyeong-won jumped up in shock.
“E-elevator! Of course! This is inside the broadcasting station!”
“Hweeeeeuk… hweeeuk.”
I couldn’t breathe anymore, staring up at him, pounding the floor.
Beside us, Seon-ah still strangled Deok-hoon amid the chaos. Everyone losing sanity from asphyxiation.
“Mi, myth… myth…”
“We’re suffocating! No way!”
“Hweeeeeeuk.”
In dimming awareness, I heard Gyeong-won shout.
“Elevators being airtight is a myth!”
I pounded my chest. What’s this guy saying? Breathing’s impossible. No air. Lungs crushing.
“Snap out of it, President! No modern urban elevator is airtight! Scientific fact!”
“Elevators circulate air in and out! Not sealed at all—get a grip!”
Suddenly, crash—something in my head shattered.
Flash—
C-grade Ghost Story - Elevator Asphyxiation survived.
Ghost Story Points acquired: 10
“Huuuuuuuuuuh!!”
Fresh oxygen flooded my chest.
“Hu, ha! Hu, ha! Hoo, ha!”
I gulped air, steadying my breath. The elevator jerked to a stop; 44 vanished, replaced by 3.
“Hoo, ha! Hoo, ha! Hoo, ha! Wh-what the hell happened?”
“Delusion ghost story, President! Like the one about freezing in a powerless freezer!”
“N-no way… Seon-ah! Seon-ah!!”
We turned, shaking Seon-ah and Deok-hoon slumped in the corner.
“Seon-ah! Wake up!”
Flipping her over, her face was cute like a baby bird, not the demon from before, eyes closed.
I pressed an ear to her lips.
“Sigh, sigh.”
Breathing, good.
“Seon-ah, Seon-ah!”
“J-Joon-ah…”
She opened her eyes quickly when shaken.
“Seon-ah, thank god.”
I rushed to Deok-hoon. He wasn’t breathing.
I desperately recalled CPR from school, pressed his blue face’s center with both hands—finally, he coughed.
“Cough, cough.”
“Deok-hoon! You okay?”
Breathing again, but eyes shut. Unconscious, probably.
“G-get up, Seon-ah. Can you walk? Let’s go, quick.”
“U-ung…”
I hurried out with Gyeong-won and Seon-ah. Dragged Deok-hoon to the entrance and laid him there.
Something’s wrong, no matter how I think about it.
This situation was blatantly off. Normally, you face one ghost story, resolve it, then the next. But inside this haunted song ghost story, we’d already hit two other D-grade ones.
It felt like… something deliberately targeting us.
“This way!”
“O-okay!”
Checking around, this was the 3rd floor. We dashed to the lounge ahead, scanned the huge floor guide—no “waiting room.”
I’d assumed the song’s waiting room was here, wanted to check if it existed…
“President, here!”
Gyeong-won pointed to a corner of the 3rd floor map.
[Dressing Room]
“Dressing room!”
The floor we’d gotten off on had the dressing rooms. In this morning’s Porinseu video, the maknae had lip-spoken they’d wait here—read via Lip Reading.
The culprits, girl group Porinseu. On our floor now.
“Dressing room, dressing room… around that corner.”
“Let’s go.”
We three crept along the walls, crouched low. At the hall’s end emergency exit, a few people handstand-walked oddly.
“Guys, go this way, avoid detection.”
“Okay.”
“Ah, miss! Heavens, wh-what brings you h-here…”
“S-sorry. Anyway, it’s dangerous around here… you should evacuate somewhere…”
“Th-then we’ll go first.”
The station president fled after those words, but soon got caught and dragged off by people.
Ghost Story Club