Abandoned House Exploration (3)
"Hic… Hwaaaaaah!"
Mirinae collapsed to the floor, wailing, and the chat exploded with reactions from viewers who'd only heard her scream.
I picked up the round thing at my feet and sighed at Mirinae.
"Mirinae, calm down."
"Eek! Seorin! That's a face! The, the eyes! The eyes are staring at me…!"
"It's a ball."
"Staring right at meee… Huh?"
"Look closer."
As I patted her shoulder and spoke softly, the haze in Mirinae's eyes finally cleared. She must have finally registered the clear shape of the volleyball—with a crudely drawn human face on it—because her face suddenly flushed beet red, and she shrieked.
"Wh-what the hell is a face doing on a volleyball!? It's not like it's Wilson or something…!"
"Forgot? This used to be a kindergarten. The kids probably drew it for fun."
"Urk!"
The face was drawn so badly it perfectly screamed "drawn by a child." Aside from the flesh-colored skin and vaguely placed eyes, nose, and mouth, it barely resembled a human at all. She looked like she wanted to curse it out loud, but since it was kid art, she swallowed her words, visibly grinding her teeth inside.
I tossed the volleyball back inside the door and reached out to pull the slumped Mirinae to her feet.
"Th-thanks, Seorin."
"What would you have done without me? Good thing I came along. Without me, you probably wouldn't have even made it through the door."
"Not that bad! I-I'm a scaredy-cat, sure, but I'd have powered through with pro spirit! …Probably."
"Ugh, you guys! At times like this, you gotta side with your fave streamer!"
Mirinae fumed at the viewers. Deciding to ask the question that had been bugging me, I spoke up.
"But Mirinae, you're such a scaredy-cat—why'd you even do abandoned house streams? I saw the video, so I know it was some punishment thing."
"Sniff sniff… Oh, that's a deep and sad story."
Mirinae sniffled and continued. It all started four days ago. While doing Video of the Day content on the streaming platform 'Lightning'—reacting to viewer-submitted videos—she came across a streamer sobbing while playing a horror game.
Somehow, she got into a pissing contest with viewers and promised, "If I cry playing a horror game, I'll do whatever you guys want."
She lost.
The next day, when compiling viewer suggestions for the punishment roulette, some psycho suggested "abandoned house exploration."
The trolls voted yes because it sounded fun, so it got added.
And it got picked.
Leading to now.
"…"
"It's unfair! I wasn't crying from fear—I was startled, flailing around, stubbed my toe on the desk corner, and cried from the pain! Damn it, but the viewers wouldn't believe me…!"
"Quiet down, everyone! Hey, don't pin false charges on me!"
Mirinae snapped at the chat while glaring at it. Her tone made it clear she really felt wronged.
"Mirinae."
"Yeah, Seorin…? You'll take my side, right?"
"Sure. I'll believe you. You didn't cry because of the horror game—you stubbed your toe and cried from the pain."
"Seorin…!"
Her face lit up with emotion as she grabbed both my hands tight, eyes sparkling like, "Only you believe in me!"
I smiled softly back at her and continued.
"But the truth doesn't really matter, does it?"
"…Huh?"
"We're already here. Gotta keep the promise."
I seized her arms.
"C'mon, let's wrap this up quick and go home."
"W-wait! Seorin! Seoriiiiin!!"
"I have Korean homework."
I dragged her kicking and screaming deeper into the kindergarten.
"I'll show you! I'll show you my homework, so pleeeease stooop!!"
"No way. Your homework sucks."
"Why is she so strong!? Uwaaaaaah!!"
In the end, Mirinae was dragged into the kindergarten, gripped firmly in my hand.
Clunk.
"Hm… Nice vibe."
The interior was pitch black, not a speck of light penetrating. A chill seeped in like a ghost hug. Musty mold and dust assaulted my nose. Faintly, from my ears: creeeak—the rusty door swaying.
"Eek… S-Seorin… Don't you dare leave my side! Got it!? Huh!? Say you got it!"
"Got it, got it, so calm down."
Mirinae's face paled as she clung tighter, gripping my clothes. It was a bit uncomfortable, but whatever. That's friendship for you…
I led the way, Mirinae trailing behind, down the frigid kindergarten hallway.
Step. Step. Step.
Shining the flashlight around, I took in the rundown interior.
"Hic!"
"Don't freak. Just an old doll."
"Gasp!"
"Don't freak. Just a drawing."
"Urk!"
"Don't freak. Just a bug."
"Oh, phew… Eeeeeek! Bug!!"
Watching her react every ten seconds or so, I started to worry a bit. How was she gonna survive this harsh world being such a scaredy-cat…?
"B-but Seorin, aren't you scared?"
"Me? Nah."
"Seorin's got some guts…!"
The viewers, figuring it'd just be a standard ruin raid, started cooling off in chat.
"…"
I figured it'd stay boring too and pressed on without hesitation. Just one last classroom door to check.
A half-peeled sunflower sticker and a weathered nameplate reading Sunflower Class.
Maybe thinking "one more and we're done," Mirinae mustered some courage and reached for the door—when I grabbed her wrist.
"…Huh? Seorin, why?"
"Hold on."
I stared at the door and slowly opened it myself.
Creeeak— Darkness. Unlike the other rooms with faint light, this Sunflower Class room rejected even a sliver, oppressively black.
"U-ugh… Wh-what? Seorin? Feels colder than before…"
Mirinae hugged herself, rubbing her arms frantically while muttering. But instead of worrying about her, I focused all my senses on the classroom interior.
"Begone."
I took a step inside.
"Leave quietly, and I won't hold you."
Step. Step.
I walked toward the center.
"Seorin…?"
Mirinae swept the flashlight everywhere, but no human figure in sight. Yeah, no human figure.
"S-Seorin, why the sudden weirdness!? You're pranking… right? Right?"
"Shh. I'm talking right now."
I calmed Mirinae and stood in the center. Then, to her—visible only through my Spirit Eye—I continued.
"So, what's it gonna be? Back off, and I won't touch you. But if you insist on messing with us—"
That moment.
A sound no human throat could make.
"Eeeeeek!"
Mirinae thudded to the floor.
The chat flew by insanely fast.
"…Fine."
I sighed.
"That's how you wanna play it?"
From the darkness.
Bloody tears streaming— the woman's mouth tore open, no body below the neck, shrieking.
Shatter!! Clang!!
"Kyaaaaah!"
All the building's windows exploded at once, Mirinae collapsing with arms over her face.
Ah… this ghost bitch.
Crossed the line.
Whoosh!
I shot my hand out fast.
Target: the head-only woman ghost.
The ghost was giggling creepily. Enjoying Mirinae's terror?
Yeah, as an evil spirit, that tracks. Fear's the ultimate feast for them.
But.
She must not know what happens when you mess with a necromancer's friend?
Grab.
The moment I grabbed the ghost's head, the horrific noise stopped.
"Wh-what?"
As the sound cut off, Mirinae peeked out from under her arms. And saw me reaching out… and the evil spirit's head floating in my grip.
"…Kyaaaaah! G-ghost!"
She screamed at the ghost but—pro streamer instinct?—instantly aimed the phone screen at it.
Viewers split half in shock, half calling fake.
"I warned you?"
The ghost thrashed to escape but couldn't from my grip. I'd injected Death Qi to hold it forcibly.
"Not even worth enslaving."
"Just die."
Boom!!
The instant I squeezed, the woman's ghost head burst like a balloon.
"………………Holy shit."
The whole scene was captured on Mirinae's phone.