Exam Period (2)
The dark and eerie Central Entrance had grown familiar after seeing it day after day. Fear is much like magic. Both reach their peak impact when the audience is thrust into the unknown. Humans naturally acclimate to repeated exposure. Of course, there were exceptions that felt fresh every single time—like Kim Eat-Chil popping up in the hallway.
A humanoid youkai formed from viscous black mud. It sent a slight chill down my spine, especially contrasted against his ordinary male student appearance during the daytime.
"What are you doing here?"
Kim Eat-Chil grinned at me, his mouth splitting open in a grotesque gash. I'd seen him open it normally last time, so this had to be deliberate. He wanted me scared. No intention of indulging him there.
I treated the youkai as casually as I would any morning.
"Weird for a security guard to be in the guard room?"
"It's not work hours yet."
"It is. I'm monitoring the CCTV right here."
"You were just spacing out."
That's why I hate perceptive youkai. He was right—I hadn't been diligently watching the CCTV. I just needed a moment to think after what happened on the Gallery.
Me, raising a youkai's affinity? And now an exam period event because of it? I felt seriously wronged.
The only youkai I'd interacted with was Kim Eat-Chil. Not on purpose, but I'd named him and gotten two pieces of info in return, so I couldn't exactly deny it in good conscience.
Song Ha-yeon was another matter, but all we'd exchanged were brief greetings whenever we crossed paths at quitting time. Hard to imagine that boosted her affinity much.
The youkai at the Annex entrance and the high school girl were hostile toward me, and the infirmary teacher was a robot. In short, this whole mess pointed straight to Kim Eat-Chil.
"Eat-Chil. You got a crush on me or something?"
The words tumbled out along my stream of consciousness—a straight fastball. Even as I said it, I panicked, not quite grasping what I'd just uttered.
Kim Eat-Chil's mouth vanished from his featureless face, but somehow, I could read the expression.
"Ajusshi, you lost your mind or what?"
His voice carried real fluster. Still polite with the honorifics, though. Such a well-mannered youkai. And I was the human who'd rattled him. Not exactly brag-worthy.
"Humans usually call guys like you shotacon, gay, homo..."
"Gah! No!"
"No what?"
"I-I mean, not romantic love! Just affection!"
"That's still weird."
I felt bad for him, but couldn't deny the oddity. Debating affection between human and youkai? Of course it was strange. Not that I knew much about youkai.
"You're the first human to ask something like that."
Obviously. Who in their right mind quizzes a youkai on affinity? I wouldn't have either without the Gallery admin's tip.
Topic dead. Time to pivot.
"Anyway, why're you here? Didn't you say you were self-studying?"
"Break time."
"Ah..."
Were the youkai actually gathering to study? Break times and all—it was impressively realistic school life simulation. Maybe some powerful youkai envious of human existence had built this world. If so, why make it so ordinary yet drag people in to die?
Staying here just piled up unanswerable questions.
I checked the CCTV clock: 8:10. Like yesterday, Kim Eat-Chil didn't seem to have anything specific to say. He just stood there blankly in front of me, like a zoo visitor eyeing a caged animal. He reacted when I spoke, though, so maybe satisfy a little curiosity.
"What're you studying?"
He paused at my question, then his mouth reappeared with a grin.
"Curious?"
"Eh... not that curious."
"Follow me."
"Huh?"
I hadn't even agreed, but he was already in the hallway. My brain spun through dozens of scenarios—was following safe?
"You coming?"
Damn question sparked needless overthinking. I cleared my mind. Hadn't he said he couldn't harm me? Risky, sure, but his actions didn't scream trap. If roles mattered, this could be role-play: the good student resolving the guard's doubts.
Decision made, I stepped out of the guard room.
Something bizarre happened. I'd built up some tolerance after all the weirdness, but clearly not enough.
It unfolded while tailing Kim Eat-Chil. We climbed the left staircase to the third floor, his classroom level. The moment we entered the lit stairwell, he shifted—from mud youkai back to the normal boy from morning.
Shocked, but I played it cool.
"Surprised?"
"Nah."
"Liar."
He saw right through me and smirked smoothly. If he'd stayed mud form, it might've creeped me out, but that innocent look just made him seem like a mischievous kid. Appearance matters. Still, a youkai who could erase me in a blink—I kept my guard up.
Class 2-2's vibe was startling. No view through the windows into the room. Dim hallway light let you glimpse outlines before, but now, even with corridor brightness, inside was pitch black.
Same for 2-1 behind us, and 2-3 ahead. Kim Eat-Chil opened the door. The classroom repelled light like a boundary.
"Wait here. I'll grab it."
He slipped into the darkness. His footsteps vanished dead silent the instant he crossed the threshold. I'd die in there for sure. Self-study meant other youkai inside, staring right at me despite the blackout. Chilling thought.
He emerged quick, textbook in hand.
"Didn't run?"
"Why would I?"
"Looked scared enough to bolt."
He handed it over. Thicker than a standard textbook, cover scrawled with bizarre, unreadable script—like the tapes in the Broadcasting Room. Not a Necronomicon, right?
"Can I touch it?"
"This one's safe."
"This one?"
He shrugged. A textbook that could kill just from touching? I lifted it cautiously. Lighter than expected for the thickness.
"Can I open it?"
"Gonna ask permission for every little thing?"
"I'm cautious by nature."
Urban fantasy novels warn of books that drive you mad just from reading. This place was fantasy enough to suspect it. Weren't some dangerous even to touch?
Kim Eat-Chil giggled at my wariness.
"Aw... too bad. Opening it would've been fun."
This little psycho. Trap. Good thing I test bridges before crossing.
"You... said you couldn't harm me."
"Not harm. Just new knowledge."
Never imagined he'd loophole it like that. Could shove me in a pit and claim 'good intentions.' My wariness meter for him shot up. I shoved the book back.
"So what is it?"
"Open and see."
"Guess I'll die ignorant."
He beamed at me. In hindsight, pure impulse prank the second I asked. One more and I'd be out of lives. My fault for starting it, though.
"Break's almost over. Head down quick."
"Yeah."
He waved goodbye. That 'quick' part nagged me. What if I didn't? Time was fine for me outside. Tempted to ask, but predictable prank bait. I learn.
Instead, midway down the central stairs, I ducked to wait and watch. Better safe.
Soon, someone emerged on the third-floor hall: black pants, striped short-sleeve tee, balding middle-aged guy. Teacher, probably. Supervising self-study—school realism off the charts.
Confirmed. Time to head back. Then, second-floor hall: beige skirt, floral blouse, long-haired young woman. Instinct screamed: don't get spotted by teachers.
Realization hit. I was on third. Rules barred dropping two floors via central stairs. Had to pass second-floor hall undetected.
A cold tension crawled up my spine, breaking into clammy sweat.