Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: A Date for Three (3)
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The carousel was spinning round and round, proudly flaunting its vibrant, multicolored roof. I plopped down on a bench with a clear view of it, let out a deep sigh, and stretched my arms high.
Yu-jeong sunbae and Ichie were strolling over, each clutching a drink. The two of them were practically glued together, beaming at each other. It was so intense that I half-wondered if Yu-jeong sunbae might end up having a fling with Ichie.
"Kyaaaaah!"
Right behind where I was sitting, the Blue Dragon roller coaster roared past. The train plummeted down the steep drop, carrying screams on the wind. The ear-piercing shrieks faded away just as quickly as the gust.
Every time a scream rang out, I found myself instinctively snapping my head forward and jolting in place without meaning to.
"Su-hyeon, you okay? No motion sickness?"
"Yeah. I'm good now."
I'd thought becoming a Hunter would cure my motion sickness, but apparently not. After boldly hopping on the Viking ride and experiencing the world flipping upside down, my face had turned as yellow as the carousel's spots, then gone as blue as the backdrop of the Space Gun.
"Su-hyeon oppa. Drink this."
It was cola. After one sip, my stomach started to settle a bit. Clutching my dizzy head, we scanned for the next ride. Since I was prone to nausea, we decided on something less intense this time. Ichie, looking around, pointed to a wooden shack in the corner.
"The haunted house."
"Oh."
This amusement park's haunted house had a reputation for being especially realistic. They hired an illusion-casting Awakener to summon terrifying, gruesome ghosts that leaped out at you. Yu-jeong sunbae said,
"Sounds fun. Let's head there. Oh, but I'm not great with scary stuff..."
With that, Yu-jeong sunbae clung tightly to me. Ichie chimed in agreement and latched onto my other side.
"Me too. I'm already scared."
I played along with Ichie's words. Because I was scared too.
"If it's that scary, maybe we shouldn't..."
"Let's go."
"Better if we do."
But both of them cut me off at once. I shut my mouth like a mute drenched in honey. I could feel the silent pressure from the two of them gripping my arms like detectives with a suspect. Like a prisoner being led to the gallows, I was slowly marched into the haunted house. The ticket booth attendant gave me a deeply uncomfortable look.
"Yes. Three admissions."
He didn't even make eye contact, just checked our all-access wristbands and opened the door. A pitch-black corridor loomed ahead. Yu-jeong sunbae spoke up.
"Ichie, the hallway looks kinda narrow. How about you go behind us? Side by side might be too tight for three."
"I'm smaller than you, Yu-jeong unnie, so you should go last."
I chimed in.
"How about Ichie up front?"
I figured if I didn't look out for Yu-jeong sunbae now, she'd really get mad this time. Ichie shook her head at that and said,
"Then I'll go last. I don't like anyone behind me."
After that little back-and-forth, we finally stepped into the haunted house. The theme here was a ghost-infested abandoned mansion—the site of a gruesome murder long ago. We were explorers venturing through it.
No sooner had we crossed the threshold than eerie groans filled the room, mingled with crow caws and howling night winds. Yu-jeong sunbae gripped my arm tight and pressed right up against me. Flashing a smile, she said,
"Su-hyeon. I'm so scared."
I wrapped my arms around her without a word. Because I was genuinely terrified too. I could handle horror movies, but this was different. Glancing back, I saw Ichie's eyes glowing red. I barely stifled a scream and took a deep breath. Spotting it too, Yu-jeong sunbae said,
"Ichie, your eyes are glowing."
"Glow-in-the-dark."
She blinked once, and the light vanished.
"I can turn it off."
The tension melted away at that. Yu-jeong sunbae burst into laughter, and I let out an awkward chuckle, shaking my head. Now relaxed, we took in the room. An upside-down cross dangled from the ceiling, cockroach models littered the floor, and beyond the window loomed the shadow of dense black foliage. The shadows fluttered like the real thing.
"Sunbae. Look at this. The shadows seem so real..."
Before I could finish, a pale blue glow pierced the foliage shadow. It wasn't foliage at all. It was a person's head, glaring right at me. Its gleaming eyes and demonically twisted face bore hideous scars.
"Uwaaaah! Shit!"
I jumped in shock and collapsed to the floor. Yu-jeong sunbae stared at me with wide eyes. Ichie looked at me blankly too. Was I the only one freaked out? Yu-jeong sunbae belatedly clutched her chest and sank down beside me.
"Tch, that startled me. Right?"
She gave an awkward smile. I nodded. Straightening my clothes, I caught my breath. There was a key by the window for the next room. I fumbled it into the lock and opened the door. Another pitch-black corridor stretched beyond. A key drop box sat by the hall, so I placed it there.
And the next room. The moment I opened the door, a human head dropped from above.
"Uwaaaah! Aaaah! Uwaaah!"
"Su-hyeon. It's fine. Just a head."
"J-just a head, right? Yeah?"
Turning around, I saw Ichie staring at me with wide, dumbfounded eyes. Her gaze seemed to label me a scaredy-cat, so I clutched my chest and pretended to be okay. Yu-jeong sunbae hugged me tight and said,
"It's okay. I'm right here."
"Thanks."
Her encouragement helped me pull myself together. I couldn't collapse here as the Rookie King Tournament champion. Steel myself once more, I moved to the next room. The atmosphere was grim, with what looked like dried blood smeared on the ceiling. Mannequins stood here and there—no doubt they'd move to mess with me.
Fear comes from not knowing what'll jump out from the closet. Knowing the mannequins would move took away the terror. Bracing myself, I stepped forward. In the tense moment, I imagined this was a jungle inside a gate and calmly observed. Which one would move?
Tok.
Something brushed my back. My hairs stood on end. I slowly turned. Ichie was waving her hand. I relaxed my face and exhaled hard. Her hand had grazed my back. In the dark room, Yu-jeong sunbae had no idea what was going on.
She was writing letters on my back. Not Japanese, but clumsy Korean script. I slowly recited the letters she traced in the darkness.
Su
Hyeon
Oppa
I
Like
You
I whipped around in surprise. I shook my head slightly. A refusal. I was dating Yu-jeong sunbae. I couldn't accept Ichie's feelings. Her eyes glowed red as she tilted her head, then slowly wrote more.
Yu
Jeong
Un
Nie
"Su-hyeon?"
"Ah, yeah! Yeah!"
I jolted at Yu-jeong sunbae's call and turned. She said,
"What's up? You just stopped. If it's too scary, I can go first."
"N-no. I'm fine. I can go. Just thinking for a sec."
I shook my head casually. This wasn't the time or place to bring it up. A mannequin rattled right in front of us, but I couldn't focus on it. Gruesome, terrifying scenes flashed by nonstop, but I couldn't scream.
Little by little, we pressed on until we'd reached the final room.
Two chairs sat in the last room, positioned side by side. Before Yu-jeong sunbae could say anything, Ichie spoke.
"Yu-jeong unnie and Su-hyeon oppa. You two sit. I'm too scared."
Yu-jeong sunbae happily took a seat and patted the one next to her, urging me to hurry. I glanced at Ichie and said,
"Ichie. You sure?"
She nodded. I cautiously sat down. A sign on the wall read:
[For the exorcism ritual, sit in the chairs and recite the incantation. Proceed with the final rite from your seats.]
We took deep breaths and stared ahead. A small box and a cloth-draped chair sat before us. The chair, dressed like a Halloween prop, had bony fingers protruding from it. Was this recreating an ancient exorcism from some movie?
As we sat waiting, the chair shuddered, and the white cloth began thrashing wildly.
"Kieeeek!"
A demon's face burst through the cloth, shrieking. Yu-jeong sunbae watched, utterly absorbed, holding her breath. I stared too, face tense. My heart pounded.
Then a pale hand rose to my chest. Warm breath tickled my ear. I whipped around in shock.
Ichie was looking at me. She carefully traced my chest with her hand, then slid it down lightly over my waist. She fondled my firm abs and lean sides a few times before blowing softly in my ear and whispering,
"Su-hyeon oppa. I like you."
My heart raced. I couldn't think straight. The screaming ghost right in front didn't register. Her lips hovered by my ear. Her chest pressed against my shoulder. I could tell she was on tiptoes. Her hand wrapped around my neck, pulling me into a tight embrace. I shook my head firmly. Ichie said,
"I know. You two are dating."
The demon wailed. Her whisper cut through the screams crystal clear.
"But I like us three better."