Abandoned Kindergarten Raid (2)
Under a night sky dyed as deep and dark as an abyss, Lee Ha-eun trudged along a deserted path, relying on her flashlight for guidance. Step. Step. Step.
"Ugh... This place gives me the creeps. Why the hell would anyone build a kindergarten here? No wonder it went under."
Lee Ha-eun muttered while rubbing her arms as if chilled to the bone.
"That's why I asked—why pick a spot like this? There are plenty of easier places to get to."
When I asked from behind her, she whipped her head around and yelled in a voice thick with terror.
"But the other places are way scarier!"
"And this one's not?"
"It was the least scary one! Plus, no owner means no legal issues! ...But now that I'm here, it's straight-up horrifying."
Watching her glance around anxiously was somehow fascinating. Outwardly, she looked tough enough to scoff, "Ghosts? As if those exist. Only wimps believe that crap."
"...Seorin, aren't you scared at all?"
"Me? Nah, not really."
"I had no idea until now, but you're seriously fearless... Not even blinking in this creepy vibe."
Lee Ha-eun sounded impressed, but honestly, I couldn't grasp what there was to fear. Maybe our sensibilities just didn't match. To her, ghosts were unpredictable threats that could strike anytime... But to me, they were nothing more than slaves I could command at will.
Why would a master fear their own slave?
...Though right now, that'd be tough.
I subtly checked the state of my soul lodged in this body. It was a patchwork of shattered fragments precariously stitched together like rags.
Tch, that hero bastard. Stabbing right into my soul's core.
Compared to my days as the Necromancer King, I was pathetically weak. Still, I could handle most Earth ghosts with ease, so it should be fine.
"Whoa..."
As we neared where the abandoned kindergarten came into view, Lee Ha-eun let out a gasp. Perched in the middle of the mountains, the dilapidated building felt utterly out of place. Like stepping into a horror game, maybe?
She snapped to attention and started the stream.
Within five minutes, viewers flooded in.
"Hey everyone, hi hi~ Hello! Hello! It's Mirinae~"
"Yep, this is an abandoned kindergarten building. Took a ton of digging to find it!"
Lee Ha-eun—no, Mirinae—tilted her phone to show off the kindergarten ruins.
"This one's called Sunshine Kindergarten. Word is, the director died in an accident two years ago. No family or relatives, so ownership's kinda floating. No one's claimed it, so exploring inside is legally fine!"
"Well, here's the thing... I dug it up online. The director believed kids grow healthier in nature, so she built it way out here on purpose."
While chatting with viewers about the kindergarten...
"Pfft~ You won't fool me! Trying to scare me again? Hehe, think I'm falling for that twice?"
Mirinae looked her usual cheery self, but the pro viewers had already clocked it. She was hamming it up big-time to hide her fear!
The audience, ever eager to troll streamers, flooded the chat with sinister grins.
"Wh-wha-what? N-no way, I'm not falling for it... Ah, ahahaha!"
"Mirinae."
"AAAHHH—!?"
I snuck up behind her and called out softly. She freaked, twisting away with a demonic screech.
In that instant, I caught her flying phone mid-air and grabbed her back as she toppled.
"Watch it."
"H-hiii... S-Seo-Seorin...?"
She sniffled, weakly pounding my chest.
"Y-you-you! Why sneak up like that?! Trying to scare me, huh!? Admit it!!"
"No joke. You were just chatting with viewers forever, so I was gonna ask how long I had to stand around. Wasn't trying to spook you."
"S-sob... For real...?"
"Yeah, for real. Totally."
Okay, half-true. I did kinda mean to tease her a bit. Didn't expect this level of jump-scare reaction, though. I'd clocked it when she dragged me along—she's a total scaredy-cat deep down.
Mirinae steadied herself and checked her phone. Viewers were losing it over the new girl on stream.
"Ahem, sorry, forgot to mention. Ta-da! Special guest today—my friend Seorin!"
"Hi, I'm Baek Seorin. Call me Seorin."
"Oh, she's my high school IRL friend, so don't expect reactions from her. Want reactions? Hit me—Mirinae—with those donations!"
As Mirinae refocused on her phone and the chat, I thought, Streaming's a tough gig, and turned to survey the ruins.
The abandoned building loomed in darkness. Windows shattered, walls cracked everywhere. Every gust of wind brought creaks from somewhere, amplifying the eerie mood.
Stepping closer, the cute animal characters on the front door—faded and smeared by time—had twisted into grotesque monsters. Like they might lunge any second and rip out my throat with jagged teeth.
"Hmm..."
"Seorin, try a reaction... Huh? Where'd she go?"
"Over there?"
"H-hey! Seorin, what are you doing!"
Mirinae bolted toward me like she was fleeing something. She grabbed my sleeve the second she arrived.
"Don't leave me alone! It's scary!"
"Just checking it out. Why not chat more? You seemed to be having fun with the viewers."
"No way! I want you next to me!"
She'd finally realized her own orientation or something.
"What kinda nonsense is this chat!!"
One hand bantering with viewers, the other clutching my sleeve like a lifeline—classic Mirinae.
"Let's head in, look around quick, and bounce. Get too late, and your folks'll worry."
I started toward the building entrance, towing her along.
Squeeze.
"..."
"...What? Let's go?"
But she gripped my sleeve tight, refusing to budge.
"Um, sh-shouldn't we, like, do more intros first? Viewers wanna know you...?"
"We can talk inside."
"N-no! Ruins raids mean focus on the ruins! Rule of the ruins streaming world: thorough intros before entering!! Industry standard!"
I narrowed my eyes, scanning her up and down. Trembling legs. Shaky pupils. Anxious face. Cold sweat beading on her forehead.
Conclusion reached.
"You don't mean...?"
"N-no! Who'd stall intros out of fear?! Never crossed my mind!!"
"...I didn't even say it yet."
Was about to, but you spilled it first. What am I supposed to do now, kid?
"You guys are the worst..."
Then—
Thud.
"..."
"..."
Silence fell.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"...Not hearing things, right?"
"Nope, heard it clear."
Thud!
Suddenly, a black shadow burst from inside the door, rolling across the ground.
Roll roll roll roll.
"..."
"..."
Something brushed our feet. Instinctively, Mirinae and I looked down.
And then.
"...KIIIYAAAAA!"
Our eyes met its eyes.