Giving the School Bully a Real Lesson (2)
"Hey, you hear about that?"
"Of course I did. What the hell is going on?"
Yoo Seyeon was deeply displeased with the current situation. When had it started? From the moment Park Sojin went berserk? Or when Lee Seola jumped off the rooftop? Or maybe both?
Damn it.
She glanced around sharply. Her eyes, shadowed by deep dark circles from sleepless nights, glared at the empty seats nearby.
Park Sojin hadn't shown up to school at all since that day. Three days ago, Choi Jieun had been whining about Lee Seola appearing in her dreams nonstop, so Yoo Seyeon told her to shut her damn mouth—and she hadn't come to school since then either.
"Kim Youngcheol... that's him, right? Kang Jaemin's lackey."
"Friends? More like his servant."
"How'd that even happen?"
"Word is... he got possessed by Lee Seola's ghost or something."
"Huh? But we were the ones who bullied Lee Seola—"
"Exactly, so that crazy shit Park Sojin pulled the other day was actually—"
BAM!!
Yoo Seyeon couldn't take it anymore. She clenched her fist hard and slammed it down on her desk.
"Hey, you fucking assholes. Stop ruining the classroom vibe and shut your mouths!"
"Whoa, what the...?"
"Come on, let's just go."
In the old days, a single word from her would have silenced them in fear. But now, her authority had plummeted. They shut up, sure, but not without muttering complaints and shooting her dirty looks.
She ground her teeth.
Sharp as she was, Yoo Seyeon could feel it all too well.
Damn it.
Then someone tapped her shoulder. She flinched and whipped her head around reflexively. Standing there was a male student with dark circles almost as bad as hers.
"Hey."
"...Kang Jaemin?"
"We need to talk."
"...Yeah, I was just about to say the same to you."
Yoo Seyeon followed behind Kang Jaemin. Before long, they reached a secluded spot near the school's recycling bins—a place she often used as a hideout to torment the weak kids, the so-called "losers." Once he confirmed no one was around, she immediately demanded answers.
"What happened to that bastard Kim Youngcheol?"
"You already heard."
Kang Jaemin let out a heavy sigh.
"Fell from the fourth floor of his apartment. Climbed out the window himself. Got caught on a tree on the way down, so he didn't die... but."
"How the hell is that even possible?! No one's that crazy—what the fuck!? Did he feel guilty about Lee Seola dying and try to kill himself or something?"
Yoo Seyeon's crew had tormented Lee Seola the worst. But Kang Jaemin and Kim Youngcheol hadn't held back either, especially in hidden spots. They were teenage boys at that horny age, after all. Kim Youngcheol targeted her because she was the girl Kang Jaemin confessed to; Kang Jaemin held back only out of pride—but they'd done plenty of disgusting shit that would make any normal person sick.
So hearing Kim Youngcheol got possessed by Lee Seola's ghost and fell from his apartment? It seemed entirely plausible.
"Sigh... I don't know. I don't know!"
Kang Jaemin recalled visiting Kim Youngcheol in the hospital yesterday.
'Hey, Kim Youngcheol.'
'...'
'Answer me properly. What happened?'
'...'
'Is it really guilt? Over Lee Seola?'
'...Lee Seola?'
'Yeah, Lee Seola. You kept saying you had nightmares about her.'
'Lee Seola, Lee Seola... Ah, ahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHA!!'
'...Youngcheol?'
'Finally, finally free! Finally!!'
'Hey, hey! What the hell are you—'
'Seola, this means you forgive me, right? You said it—you said if I fell off the rooftop like you, you'd forgive me! So I did it! Please, please just stop now! Let me sleep in peace! Aaahhh!!'
'...'
"He kept begging me. Said every time he fell asleep, he dreamed of someone pushing him off the rooftop. Hadn't slept properly in five days."
"..."
"What about you? You having nightmares too?"
"...Fuck."
Nightmares? Of course she was. Not the rooftop fall kind, though. In a way, that might have been better.
The dream where I become Lee Seola.
The moment she fell asleep, she turned into Lee Seola, reliving every horrific torment Lee Seola had endured—but inflicted on her. Beaten black and blue by Park Sojin. Mocked by Choi Jieun. And from the Lee Seola who now sat in her seat... whispered degradations that stripped away every shred of humanity.
Each time, it felt like plummeting from human to beast. She could barely breathe.
"Whether I'm having nightmares or not isn't the point right now."
She refused to voice it aloud, so she changed the subject.
"Fine, say Lee Seola's ghost is real. What now?"
"...What now?"
"Ask your dad to call a shaman or a priest for an exorcism! Or are you just gonna sit there until you end up like Kim Youngcheol!?"
"—Shut your mouth!!"
Suddenly, Kang Jaemin's face twisted in rage as he bellowed.
"What the—why are you yelling!?"
"Dad already chewed me out over that suicide bullshit last time. You want me to bring it up again? Why the hell should I cover for your screw-ups!?"
"Ha?"
Your screw-ups?
That set her off. Yoo Seyeon grabbed his collar.
"Our screw-ups? Bullshit! This is your fault! Why the hell is it ours!? None of this would have happened if you hadn't asked us to bully Lee Seola in the first place, got it!?"
"When did I say bully her to death? I said make her regret rejecting my confession—just enough! I never said kill her!!"
Kang Jaemin grabbed her collar right back and snarled.
"Funny. Anyone listening would think you never laid a hand on her. Want me to list every shitty thing you and Kim Youngcheol did to her?"
"Th-that was just pranks! You went way too far! That's why she killed herself! It's all your fault! I'm innocent!!"
"You trash—"
Yoo Seyeon and Kang Jaemin glared daggers, veins bulging in their necks as they spat venom at each other. Already stressed from nightmares, realizing the source of their pain was right in front of them... killing intent began to flicker in their eyes.
Right then.
Ding♪ Ring ring♪
A phone bell rang out abruptly. It was Yoo Seyeon's.
The sudden interruption snapped her focus. She irritably yanked it from her pocket.
『Choi Jieun』
Her face hardened. She answered hurriedly.
"Choi Jieun?"
[...Seyeon-ah.]
"Where the hell are you? Skipping school—what are you doing? You didn't fall from an apartment like Kim Youngcheol, did you?"
[No, not that. I'm with Sojin right now.]
"With Park Sojin?"
The unexpected name widened both Yoo Seyeon's and Kang Jaemin's eyes.
[Seyeon-ah, let's just stop this.]
"...What are you talking about?"
[I really tried, you know? Told my parents the truth, went to shamans, temples—everywhere I could. But they all said the same thing. They can't handle it. It's a grudge spirit too vicious for them. Everyone said it.]
"Hey! Choi Jieun!!"
[Then Sojin came to me. Said there's a way to get Seola's forgiveness.]
"What?"
[The exorcist said if we confess our sins publicly where everyone can see and turn ourselves in to the police, we'll be forgiven.]
"...Confess? Turn ourselves in?"
[Seyeon-ah, you need forgiveness too, right?]
Yoo Seyeon couldn't comprehend a word Choi Jieun was saying. It was just too absurd.
[Sending you the address. If you want forgiveness, come here.]
Click. The call ended.
"..."
Soon, Choi Jieun sent a link via KakaoTalk. Yoo Seyeon clicked it on reflex—and it connected to a streamer's broadcast.
And the moment she heard that streamer's voice.
Yoo Seyeon and Kang Jaemin's faces froze.
※ Meanwhile, Mirinae stared at the broadcast screen with a slightly grim expression. Behind her was a green chroma key screen, the kind internet streamers used for apology videos.
The stream had just started, but viewers were flooding in. Especially since she'd posted in advance: 'Second exorcism stream with Seorin today!' In less than ten minutes, the count was nearing 1,000.
More would come soon.
Anonymous Donor: 1,000 won
"Ahem, everyone. Hello? It's been a while."
"Oh come on, calm down! Sorry about yesterday's hiatus. It was unavoidable! The exorcism schedule came up so suddenly today... Ahem. And when I said 'it's been a while,' I meant it's been a while since an actual exorcism stream."
"Seorin's still prepping. Ahem, let me explain today's exorcism stream first."
Mirinae cleared her throat and continued.
"Today's exorcism is a bit special. It's... an exorcism for school bullies getting their karmic payback."
The moment those words dropped.
The chat exploded.