Chapter 40
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Cunning
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Cunning
“…Stop it.”
Thanks to my prior experience, my mind was in a daze. I ran away from Dayeon as she sidled up to me.
“Where are you going?”
“I want to be alone, so give me some space for a bit…”
Dayeon obediently did as I said. She sat at a desk and started doodling.
Finally, I can breathe.
I took a break, catching my ragged breath.
What just happened to me?
I was as dumbfounded as if I'd been assassinated.
While I was catching my breath, a message I'd set aside appeared.
['Jin Dayeon' has been registered as a party member.]
Having fulfilled the condition of a three-second handshake, Dayeon had joined my party.
I opened the party window to see if anything had changed.
【Party Window】
1. Lee Hyeon
2. Jin Dayeon
There wasn't any particular difference. Dayeon's name had simply been added.
So, what's so great about being in a party?
I tapped the window absentmindedly. Soon, I pressed Dayeon's name, and the screen changed.
‘This is?’
It seemed to be Dayeon's status window.
Does being registered as a party member mean I can freely check their status window?
It felt like I was secretly peeking at something. I glanced nervously at Dayeon as I checked the status window.
[Status Window]
Name: Jin Dayeon
Age: 17?
Title: High School Girl Ghost
Trait: [*Click to view]
Special Ability: None
It was a little different from mine.
First, her age was strange.
If she's 17, shouldn't it just say 17?
Why is there a question mark at the end? I called out to Dayeon, who was playing by herself in the corner.
“How old are you?”
Dayeon clenched and unclenched her fingers, counting. Then she formed a 7 with her hands and held them out to me.
“Seventeen?”
“Yeah…”
Anyway, age wasn't that important, so I moved on. The problem was her title. The system had designated her as 'High School Girl Ghost'.
So Dayeon was definitely a ghost. A being created by the school at dawn.
In that case, would she know something about this school? I asked another question.
“Then do you know the secret of this school?”
“What secret?”
“How the school ended up like this.”
“Well, I don't know the details. But I know a little.”
Dayeon's gaze grew somber. She seemed to be preparing to say something serious.
“Do you want to know?”
“I'm itching with curiosity.”
“Alright, I'll tell you. Try not to be too surprised.”
I stood rooted to the spot and listened intently.
Finally, I could learn the secret of this school.
As I steeled myself, Dayeon began her long-awaited story.
“This school was actually a cemetery.”
“…What?”
“About 100 years ago, the entire school grounds were used as a public cemetery. It was written in the Sacrifice's Diary, remember?”
Come to think of it, I think I vaguely read that in the early part of the Sacrifice's Diary.
“I just thought it was a load of crap.”
“Nope, unfortunately, it's true.”
“So is that the whole secret of the school?”
“Of course not.”
Dayeon held up a finger and wagged it from side to side.
I wondered what that gesture meant, but she seemed to be enjoying it, so I let her be.
“Something else was buried in the cemetery besides bodies. Do you know what it was?”
“How would I know unless you tell me?”
“Think carefully. You've met them before.”
Met them before? Have I encountered anyone else in this school besides Dayeon?
I thought for a moment, then it hit me. With a sense of dread, I carefully made a guess.
“The fake?”
“Correct. To be precise, it has another name besides 'the fake'.”
“That's—
Just as I was about to say something, Dayeon suddenly covered my mouth. She raised a finger to her lips in a 'shushing' pose.
“Even if you know what it is, don't say it. Just think it. You can't speak its name.”
“Even if I wanted to, I couldn't, because I don't know who it is.”
“That's a relief, then.”
Only then did Dayeon take a step back. Her warning just now had felt quite threatening.
A name that shouldn't even be mentioned.
I didn't know who it was, but the fact that it was dangerous was clearly imprinted in my mind.
“So that nameless fake is the secret of this school?”
“That's right. It's the one responsible for making the school at dawn this way.”
“…Really?”
“Really.”
What she just said was quite shocking.
The true mastermind of this school. Its identity was none other than the fake. It was a far more terrifying entity than I'd thought.
“That thing is the cause of this whole incident?”
“Yeah. Me, the security guard, the other ghosts—we're all just minions. Puppets moving on command.”
From the moment I first woke up in the classroom, I was already in the palm of the fake's hand.
The security guard chasing me, the ghosts trying to kill me, even Dayeon accompanying me—it was all part of the fake's scheme.
“So I have to catch that thing to escape the school, right?”
Dayeon nodded. The situation had become much bigger than I'd anticipated.
It wasn't something that would end by simply cutting the chains with bolt cutters and escaping.
Wasn't that what happened in the last playthrough?
As expected, even the bolt cutters were a trick by the fake.
If I truly wanted to escape this school, I had to catch and crush the fake.
“Anyway, do you know how to get rid of it?”
“I don't know.”
“Of course you don't…”
“But it's not like there's no way.”
Dayeon rummaged inside her clothes. She handed me a very crumpled red diary.
“Here.”
“What's this?”
“You'll know when you see it.”
I hesitantly took the object. I thought it might be trash, but surprisingly, it was an item.
[You have acquired Jin Dayeon's Diary.]
“Why are you giving me your diary?”
“Aren't you curious about my private life?”
“Not really.”
I wasn't particularly keen on it, but I opened the diary, wondering if something useful was written inside.
【March 1st.
I read a book today.
It was really fun.
I want to read again next time.
March 2nd.
I read a book today.
It was really fun.
I want to read again next time.
March 3rd.
I read a book today.
It was really fun.
I want to read again next time.
March 4th.
I read a book today.
It was really fun.
I want to read again next time.
.
.
.】
My mind went blank as I read the diary. What on earth was this supposed to mean?
Is there some kind of hidden code?
I flipped through the pages. But there was no unexpected change as I'd hoped.
The next page, and the page after that.
They all abruptly contained the same content.
“…Is this your overdue summer vacation homework?”
I glanced at Dayeon. She just tilted her head as if to ask what was wrong.
“What's wrong? Read it more carefully. Take a look at the last page, too.”
“If it's just the same as the front, I swear…”
I barely managed to calm my burning frustration and turned to the last page with little expectation.
【March 21st
I went to the basement today.
The old books are in the underground archives.
But it was strange.
Three spots on the bookshelf were empty.
Was it always like this?】
It was different from the meaningless diary entries before.
It was certainly a meaningful entry.
“Three books are missing from the underground archives?”
“Yeah. Where could they have gone?”
“How should I know?”
Three books.
It felt strangely familiar.
As I pondered, I remembered an item I'd acquired in the last playthrough.
‘The Blue Books?’
Come to think of it, there were exactly three Blue Books I got from the secret archives.
It could be a coincidence, but it lined up too perfectly to ignore.
If I place the Blue Books in the empty spots on the bookshelf, will a new path open?
I wasn't completely sure. Still, it was worth checking out.
It was better to try something than to just sit here twiddling my thumbs.
I quickly got my things in order and prepared to leave.
“Let's go to the library.”
“Okay.”
And so, we left the classroom. Dayeon led the way, gripping the axe tightly in her hand.
“Isn't that heavy?”
“It's manageable.”
“Give it here, I'll carry it.”
“It's dangerous, you'll get hurt.”
Dayeon pushed my hand away and hugged the axe tightly. As if it were her lover.
“You just be careful not to get hurt.”
“Don't worry.”
Before we knew it, we arrived at the library.
Fortunately, there was no one around.
We entered the library, wary of our surroundings.
“Huh.”
The library looked quite different from before.
Just a moment ago, it had been a complete mess due to the security guard's attack, but somehow the library had returned to its original state.
“That's strange.”
“It's just your imagination.”
I wondered if the secret archives had changed too, but that wasn't the case. When I opened the door and went inside, the same symmetrical layout appeared.
“Brings back memories.”
“Not really.”
There was no time to get sentimental. I quickly grabbed the books from the shelf.
[You have acquired Blue Book (1).]
[You have acquired Blue Book (2).]
[You have acquired Blue Book (3).]
The Blue Books.
Exactly three of them.
Just as Dayeon's diary mentioned, it was a perfect match for the empty spots on the bookshelf.
I guess I just need to put them there.
I secured them in my inventory so I wouldn't lose them and turned to leave. Then, I suddenly spotted someone at the library entrance.
…It was the security guard. He was staring at us intently, his eyes wide and glaring.
“Dammit.”
I slowly backed away. I wanted to run, but the security guard was blocking the exit.
On top of that, there was nowhere to hide.
We were well and truly cornered.
What should I do?
As I hesitated, Dayeon trudged towards the security guard.
“Jin Dayeon?”
“Wait a minute.”
I nearly fainted at the sight. Dayeon, on the other hand, was perfectly calm.
She looked steadily into the security guard's eyes and attempted to speak in a soft tone.
“Please, let us pass.”
Dayeon tried to persuade him with words that had no chance of working. The sight was absurd.
The number of times the security guard had tried to kill me was countless.
No matter how you looked at it, he wasn't the type to obediently step aside just because she asked.
I watched from a distance, my heart pounding. Soon, the security guard slowly began to move, taking a step back.
…What the.
Dayeon waved her hands enthusiastically with a proud look in her eyes. It was a gesture for me to come over.
“He said we can pass.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and he gave me a present.”
Dayeon waved a flashlight.
It was the one the security guard had been carrying.
Which meant Dayeon had successfully persuaded him. I wasn't just surprised; I was completely dumbfounded.
How is this possible?
I cautiously glanced at the security guard by the entrance.
I felt his gaze on me and quickly looked away.
What on earth did she do to persuade that person—no, that ghost?
I was just curious. Wondering if this was part of her ability, I pulled up Dayeon's status window.
[Status Window]
Name: Jin Dayeon
Age: 17?
Title: High School Girl Ghost
Trait: [*Click to view]
Special Ability: None
I hadn't noticed it before, but the 'Trait' line stood out. Did it mean I had to click it to see what it was?
A trait is a kind of quirk.
It's a simple expression of a character's personality based on their tendencies or values.
Just like how my trait is 'Calmness'.
So what could Dayeon's trait be? I couldn't even guess what kind of quirk it was. I decided to check it now and tapped the status window.
[View 'Jin Dayeon's' trait?]
[Yes/No]
I carefully pressed the 'Yes' button. The screen changed, and a message appeared.
【She possesses an abundance of talent for bewitching people.
However, she pays no mind to anyone who doesn't catch her fancy, treating them with complete indifference.
If someone does manage to catch her eye, they will surely suffer for it.
This personality of hers can sometimes cause confusion, but it shows its true worth in unexpected moments.
It is no exaggeration to say that any man weaker than her is completely under her thumb.】
[Jin Dayeon's trait is 'Cunning'.]
…After reading the message, I suddenly looked at the security guard.
What a complete pushover.