Chapter 12
Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 012
Chapter Title: Boogey Boogey Boogey (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Kyaaaaaaa...!”
The faint but unmistakable scream pierced through the soundproofing straight into my ears, snapping my eyes wide open.
Splash—
I shot out of the bathtub in a hurry. I toweled off haphazardly, threw on some clothes, grabbed my Grimoire, and stepped out into the hall.
Something must've gone down.
I scanned the corridor, trying to pinpoint where the scream had come from.
Ellie must've heard it too—she was heading off in the same direction.
“Yohan! Did you hear that scream?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Sounds like it came from the kitchen.”
Ellie and I rushed to the kitchen, only to freeze at the sight before us.
“...!”
The fridge door hung wide open, spilling its contents. A priest and a shaman stood too terrified to approach, frantically waving crosses and bells.
“I-in the name of our Father in Heaven—begone!”
“Wicked evil spirit! This is no place for you!”
Ding-a-ling—ding-a-ling—ding-a-ling!
Smith had collapsed to the floor, and the new housekeeper's face was drained pale as a ghost.
And visible only to me—felt only by me.
Grizzly, huddled in the corner, peeking at me warily.
“Grrr...”
Open fridge. Freaked-out people. Grizzly.
I got the picture.
I rubbed my eyes and forehead with my hand.
Griiiiiizzzzzlyyyyyy!
“...”
No, forget it.
Calm settled into my gaze through the gaps in my fingers.
Water under the bridge.
I was the one who'd sent Grizzly scouting, and this place was crawling with spirits from the jump.
I eyed the kitchen chaos—the panicked mess everyone had made of it.
Whether this was poltergeist work or the Transparent Vampire's doing didn't matter to them.
...Yeah, this was all the evil spirits' fault.
Smith's slipped disk too!
The priest and shaman flailing those crosses and bells like their arms were gonna fall off!
Even me being an orphan!
Ah, so that's how it was.
My eyes narrowed.
It was all the work of the sinister spirits lurking in this house.
Those evil spirits... tricking innocent Grizzly with that big fridge to cause all this.
I won't let them get away with it!
Of course, I wasn't seriously peddling that nonsense. It was just easier to pin it on the spirits.
Grizzly'd get a proper scolding later.
“Hoo...”
I let out a quiet sigh and moved to sort things out.
“Ellie, could you look after Smith and... the housekeeper?”
“Ah! Sure thing.”
I left the two with her and stepped forward.
I slammed the open fridge door shut.
Bam!
The massive thud blanketed the room in stunned silence, even halting the frantic bell-ringing for a beat.
All eyes turned to me.
“Everyone, calm down. This is just a vile spirit's trick.”
I seized the moment, speaking in a steady voice.
“Evil spirits prey on weakened minds.”
I tossed out some half-remembered lines to take control.
“They create fearful situations, wear you down psychologically, make you distrust and fight each other. We can't fall into the traps they've laid for us.”
Seeing me try to take charge.
Pastor Go Juwon looked like I'd stolen his spotlight. To cover his earlier freakout, he raised his voice deliberately.
“Who the hell are you to act all high and mighty? Huh—did you go to seminary or what?!”
I exhaled softly and rolled my eyes halfway.
Typical know-it-all. Can't stand someone they see as lesser schooling them.
Still, better than being too panicked to think straight... or was it? Nah.
Whatever.
We weren't exactly a tight-knit group with bonds of trust. I didn't kid myself that a few words from me would snap everyone out of it.
That's why I went with something utterly ridiculous.
“If you must know who I am, I'm a professional...”
I soaked up their stares, deflating the tense, fear-frozen atmosphere.
“Ghostbuster.”
Dun-dun!
I said it dead serious to their faces. What the hell was I even doing...?
“Ha!”
“What the...”
Pastor Go Juwon and Kim Suhyun gawked at me in disbelief, sneering and staring like I was pathetic.
Smith and the housekeeper shook off their shock in a daze, getting helped up by Ellie.
But one person was already too far gone.
Ding-a-ling—
The bell rang out.
Ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling.
Shaman Park Minhee, who'd been wandering the mansion alone.
Her body shuddered violently, teeth chattering.
Not quite real enough to buy it, but her instincts were too sharp to dismiss as fake.
Unfortunately, she made perfect prey.
Terror piled up until the curse she'd brushed against the moment she entered overflowed.
Ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling, her terrified voice cried out amid the bells.
“Ahh... Ahhhh! Eyes! Eyes! Eyes everywhere! Long arms! Bony arms!”
Incomprehensible howls poured from her as reason slipped away.
“Boogey-boogey-boogey-boogey-boogey-boogey-boogey-boogey-boogey-boogey-boogey!”
Ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling.
Her body convulsed wildly, creaking and cracking, before she bolted out of the kitchen.
The stunned group chased after Park Minhee amid the unexpected chaos.
“Hey! Park Minhee!”
We reached the grand lobby with its ornate chandelier and central two-story staircase.
Ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling-ding-a-ling.
The chandelier swayed following the shaking bell.
Crash—crunch!
It plummeted right onto Park Minhee's head.
Shattered glass and blood pooling on the floor.
7:30 PM. Shaman Park Minhee, deceased.
“...”
In the shock of that horrific scene, everyone lost their words. Me too.
I brought a hand to my mouth, pondering.
This couldn't be... Grizzly stressing her out so bad she lost it, right?
No. Actual cause of death: chandelier impact.
No matter how I sliced it.
If we're assigning blame, Grizzly's fridge stunt was incident one, spirits took the out.
Chandeliers in mansions are just asking for trouble, anyway.
Either way, someone died in a shady accident.
Smith called the cops, but they never showed.
Whoooosh—!
Peering out the mansion windows, a blizzard raged.
While we were all distracted by the ghost crap, snow had piled up deep enough to block cars from getting in.
I furrowed my brow.
“...Snow, huh?”
I stared at the blizzard pouring down like a curtain between the mansion and the world in the darkness.
It was winter; snow was normal.
But the timing was impeccable. Or impeccably shitty.
Like a stage set by someone.
Then, the Grimoire in my hand trembled faintly, vibrating.
...Black magic, huh.
No spells listed, but the page detailed black magic info and countermeasures.
The central lobby staircase still had the chandelier wreckage mangling the corpse.
Step—step—
“Boogey~ boogey~ papa~ boogey-boogey~ night-night~ the Boogeyman's coming.”
I snapped the Grimoire shut at the pretty yet mocking song and looked up the stairs.
Not just me—everyone's eyes locked on.
Blonde girl Emily descended the second-floor stairs in thin white silk pajamas.
Her tiny bare feet taking each step deliberately.
Still pale, but smiling radiantly like she was thrilled, staring down at the body under the chandelier.
“Haha~ Looks like a burst raspberry pie.”
I narrowed my eyes and sighed.
...Perfect.
Chandelier fatality.
Mansion isolated by blizzard.
Blonde girl possessed by ghosts.
The opening of a B-grade classic horror flick.