Even if I fall into a ghost story, I still have to go to work
Chapter 62
[Everyone, what kind of game is ‘Hangman’?]
[That’s right! It’s an educational game where you guess the spelling of a word! If the alphabet you shout is included in the word, you’re right! If not, buzz!]
[And to make this game even easier for learning, we’re going to give you several hints.]
The Deputy Manager hung in the air.
In stark contrast to him, the pastel colors of the TV and the bright voice struck my ears.
[Shall we begin then?]
Hanging in mid-air, Deputy Manager Eun Haje broke into a cold sweat and gave a bitter smile.
“They already know everything, but the intro sure is long. Don’t you think?”
The reason this ghost story is B-rank lies in these hellish hours before death—the soul-crushing mental pressure and agony.
…It goes like this.
It’s true that the victim chosen as the Hangman is essentially handed a death sentence.
However, at the moment the ‘game’ is actually in progress, they are temporarily alive.
And this victim…
[This keyword is the one word that best describes Teacher Eun Haje!]
[Shall we all guess what kind of person Teacher Eun Haje is together?]
…is mercilessly exposed.
According to the Darkness Exploration Records, every attempt to hide the victim’s personal information during this process has failed.
It’s as if their entire life is being scrutinized and judged; major life events are lethally proclaimed to the public.
The Hangman game format was even modified for this very purpose.
[Everyone, this English word has 8 letters!]
I looked up and saw the blanks displayed on the TV screen.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
If you fill in all those letters correctly, an English word will appear.
Originally, the players would take turns shouting random letters, and if they matched, the blanks would be filled naturally.
That’s how you deduce the word.
But…
‘Here, every single letter is connected to the victim.’
[Here is the hint for the 8th letter!]
[What was Teacher Eun Haje’s profession four years ago?]
Like this.
It’s easier if you guess things related to the person’s identity. So, if you want this process to go more smoothly…
You need the victim’s cooperation.
You have to persuade or threaten a person who has been sentenced to death to speak.
“…….”
“…….”
Cold sweat dripped down my chin.
‘So, right now…’
What am I doing?
The stuffed doll in my hand, the old TV, Deputy Manager Eun Haje hanging in the air…
What can I do?
‘Run.’
I moved my feet.
“Roe Deer! Where are you going?!”
“There’s no time. I’ll explain later…”
“Are you looking for the gallows by any chance?”
“…!”
“It’s no use even if you break it, you know? You read the manual.”
“I won’t know until I try.”
I could call Section Chief Lee Jaheon like I did during the quiz show. Then, if I asked him to break the gallows again this time… Right, until it’s restored, I could buy time—
“Wait.”
There’s no time.
“Sit down for a second. Actually… there’s something I want to try at the very end.”
“…….”
“I’m not just saying that. So don’t go doing anything that stands out for no reason. I don’t want you racking up penalty counts unnecessarily.”
Penalty counts.
“You know, right?”
I knew.
This ghost story is based on the fear that comes from a stifling sense of being thoroughly constricted.
The movements and actions of the 12 ’new teachers’ are judged in real-time by the kindergarten via CCTV, and if they act ‘unlike a teacher,’ they receive a ‘penalty.’
[1 minute remaining. Teachers, please raise your hands and shout the alphabet!]
“Deputy Eun! Deputy Eun!”
Just then, the playroom door burst open and an employee rushed in.
His face was filled with frustration and frantic anxiety. He must have been looking for the victim, but since he couldn’t run, he had that expression.
In this kindergarten, running faster than a brisk walk is also forbidden.
Cursing is forbidden, damaging property is forbidden, and anything that goes against the rules of play is forbidden.
“F-f… phew. Why did it have to be the last room on the 3rd floor?!”
The employee screamed at Deputy Manager Eun Haje as if venting his anger. Even so, he seemed to be holding back his curses to follow the rules.
“Hey! You… Deputy Eun, what did you do four years ago?”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje smirked.
Because…
“Where the hell do you get off talking down to me, you piece of sh*t?”
“…!”
The Hangman is an exception to all these rules.
“Wha-what… why, suddenly…”
Because they’re going to die anyway.
“I only refrained from pointing it out so I wouldn’t get involved with you, you moron. I’m already in a foul mood because I’m going to kick the bucket without being able to collect all my points.”
“Uh, uh…”
“If you’ve already killed three rookies, get your head straight, you crazy troll.”
The employee’s face turned beet-red with rage.
“Do you feel wronged? Are you annoyed?”
“N-no…”
“You still have to endure it. You don’t want to be judged as having ’no contribution’ later because you couldn’t get a single letter right and get a penalty, do you?”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje spoke mockingly with a smirk.
“There are only eight slots, so behave yourself. Got it?”
“…….”
The employee kept his mouth shut.
If he had a brain, it was the obvious choice.
The fact that only one person dies in this ghost story is based on the best-case scenario from the manual; in reality, total annihilation occurs easily if things go wrong.
A ghost story where survival is only guaranteed if you follow the rules to the letter.
‘And in this Hangman game, if you don’t guess a single letter, you’ll be penalized during the final ‘evaluation’…’
It was then.
“Hey, Roe Deer. Come over here.”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje called me.
When I approached, he lowered his voice so only I could hear.
“My job four years ago was a reporter.”
“…….”
“Roe Deer, you guess it. Start by clearing the ’no contribution’ penalty.”
This is driving me crazy.
“Even if you say you don’t want to guess here, nothing changes. You know that, right?”
“It helps my mental state.”
“Think about the mental state of someone who might die soon. Please.”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje frowned.
“Just understand how sh*tty it would feel if that bastard beat you to it. Okay?”
Sigh…
I pressed my temples before finally heading toward the TV.
The eyes of the employee who had burst in widened.
“Wa-wait, you…”
“The last letter of the keyword is R. It’s the initial for Reporter.”
Static.
[That’s correct!]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_
The screen displayed the letter with a cheerful sound.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ R
And.
[Let’s draw the Hangman~]
“Guh.”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje’s body contorted.
From the Deputy Manager’s body hanging in the air, his left foot literally ‘disappeared.’
…One foot had ascended the gallows.
Every time the other explorers guess something about the victim designated as the Hangman, they ascend the gallows, and eventually…
They are hanged.
There are no exceptions.
I’m losing my mind.
“…It wasn’t cut off, so there’s no pain. Don’t worry.”
How could I not worry?
“At least it didn’t start with my neck. I guess we can keep talking for a bit.”
No.
No matter how I thought about it, his ’one last thing I want to try’ seemed like a bluff to keep me safely here.
‘I can’t just let time pass like this.’
Meanwhile, the TV continued the show.
[Here is the hint for the 5th letter!]
[What was the last mode of transportation Teacher Eun Haje used when he was a reporter?]
The employee hesitated, glancing at Deputy Manager Eun Haje and gritting his teeth.
“J-just tell me… Hey, we’re on the same team,”
“The same what?”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje looked at him with disbelief.
“Three rookies died because of you… God, you piece of sh*t. You should have been the one caught here.”
“S-shut up! You’re the one who’s dying!”
“Yeah~ so don’t listen to what the dying guy says.”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje tilted his head with a bored expression.
His face flushing red and purple, the employee pushed me aside and stepped in front of the TV.
“Transportation! Right, the odds are obvious! It’s either a bus or a subway! Right, uh, the initial for subway, S!”
[Oh dear, buzz!]
_ _ _ _
_
_ _ R
[As a penalty, please read the educational manual for 10 minutes!]
“Uh, uh-oh…”
With a twisting sound, a black booklet hologram appeared before the employee’s eyes and…
“Aaaaagh!”
It stuck to his face.
“Aaaagh! Argh!”
The black booklet that swallowed his face began to melt as if adhering to his skin. Even as he rolled on the floor, struggling to tear it off, nothing changed.
Beneath the melting booklet, a vivid brand could be seen on his forehead…
[Chick Class]
Deputy Manager Eun Haje clicked his tongue.
“You really got branded. Stupid bastard.”
“…….”
“Look closely, Roe Deer. If those accumulate, you’ll be educated here until you become a proper ‘kindergarten teacher.’ …Forever.”
That’s right.
If you don’t participate faithfully in the games here, you end up in a state worse than death.
“3 times. It’s over once you’ve been hit three times.”
Three penalties.
It means you become contaminated to the point where you are no longer judged as human.
Just like the Security Team.
‘But it’s a worse situation.’
If you aren’t rescued like the Security Team, you just get trapped and go missing in this ghost story.
“So don’t do anything useless.”
“…….”
“If you mess up, you won’t even be able to die.”
Cold sweat ran down my back.
‘I know.’
In this situation, I will certainly survive if I just follow the manual.
I’ve even cleared my penalty by guessing one letter.
Is there any need to take a risk?
‘Trying something might only make the situation worse.’
In this ghost story, there are countless records of people who tried to save the Hangman, only to be contaminated and never escape, spending eternity being educated as kindergarten teachers.
There are no exceptions.
Right, there’s no answer.
I know it too.
That there is no answer.
Here, no matter what, the game must be completed and the Hangman must die.
This wasn’t a ghost story you could enjoy by looking for anomalous exploration records.
‘Its nature is different.’
From the moment it was registered on the wiki, it was written as a theme that drives people mad because the rules cannot be broken!
It was a ghost story that maximized the fear of the weak, who must desperately censor themselves to fit those rules amidst the hopelessness and suffocation of being unable to break them.
Still, there was a tiny variable I had witnessed.
Brown, who had communicated with this ghost story and exited the game.
But because I had just blankly watched Brown talk, that opportunity had vanished too.
‘I should have jumped in.’
Somehow, by stalling for time and not handing over the rope immediately, if I had talked a bit more…
-Hmm?
Brown was shocked, as if he couldn’t believe it.
-My, I’d like to decline. To think I’d have to endure more of this tedious conversation with these characters!
-Roe Deer-ssi. Are you perhaps suggesting that I should have willingly mimicked being hanged in this outdated game? To me, your friend?
…….
Phew.
‘Brown. I could say the same.’
-Wait a moment?
‘When you declared you wouldn’t participate in this game, you must have known that someone else would be chosen to be the Hangman.’
Which means,
‘You did it without a second thought, knowing I could have a 1/12 chance of dying?’
-…!!
‘Did you not care if I was hanged?’
-No! Of course not… That is not the case. However, even this old-fashioned game must have its rules respected as a game… Ah, of course, my friend is more important than that.
…….
I felt a confusion in Brown’s tone that hadn’t been there before.
It seemed his role as a ‘Good Friend’ and his role as a moderator within the ghost story were clashing.
Let’s not forget, this fellow has the twisted mindset of a ghost story resident.
But at the same time…
He was a stuffed doll trying very hard to be my friend.
‘Right.’
Let’s stay centered. Even if I’m a coward, let’s not be an idiot.
I explained as calmly as possible.
‘What I meant was, I don’t think you should have been hanged either.’
It’s just… the anxiety is driving me crazy.
‘I meant that it would have been better if I had asked you to wait until we got more information before leaving. Since you seemed to be able to communicate with this ghost story.’
-Ah… I see. Unfortunately for you, Roe Deer-ssi, it seems they’ve decided to treat me as an outsider now, so I’m not getting a special interview connection.
-In any case, if that is your judgment, I can certainly understand!
‘Yeah.’
But vaguely… I had a feeling we both understood it differently.
Even as I thought that, I simply didn’t have the spare brain capacity to dwell on it.
‘I don’t have it.’
Even though I knew I didn’t, one part of my mind was desperately scouring the exploration records and manual information I possessed over and over, trying to find a loophole to save the Hangman.
But there was none.
No, it was only natural that there was none!
If there had been such a thing, it would have come to mind when I was racking my brain over the past two days!
‘There are no cases.’
No matter how much I searched my mind or reviewed the manual, it wasn’t there.
I already know…
Whether you break the gallows, try to swap the Hangman, or refuse to guess the word.
Only penalties will be added, and the Hangman will die.
There are no exceptions.
‘They’ll definitely die…? Definitely…’
Is there really nothing else?
I bit my lip.
How…
“Roe Deer!”
Just then, I heard a familiar voice.
Turning my head, I saw a second employee appearing at the open door…
“…Assistant Manager.”
“Are you okay… hah.”
Assistant Manager Park Minseong, who was entering the room, gasped when he saw Deputy Manager Eun Haje.
“You’re here?”
“…….”
“You already heard it on the TV, right? Get ready to guess.”
Assistant Manager Park Minseong’s face filled with an indescribable surge of emotion before it suddenly went cold.
“Don’t think about anything else and just guess quickly. You know you’ve already accumulated some, right?”
“…….”
Accumulated?
“Assistant Manager, what does that mean…”
The Assistant Manager whispered to me with a pained expression.
“Um. Actually, this is my second time coming here…”
“…!!”
“I came right after I joined the company, and now I’m back after two years. Haha… I don’t know if I’m lucky or unlucky.”
The Assistant Manager smiled bitterly.
“Before, I tried to pull down the person who was caught as the Hangman and received one penalty… So the contamination might have accumulated… I’m not sure. There haven’t been any cases until now.”
The Assistant Manager, who rambled on about how he had only carried one piece of specialized equipment at a time just in case, looked like his mental state had already collapsed.
I grabbed the Assistant Manager’s shoulder.
“…!”
“Assistant Manager.”
A direct witness.
The only person who would have the detailed information that I lacked!
“From now on, please answer my questions quickly and accurately.”
