I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game

Chapter 14

After the meal, Ha-rim discusses with the children for a while and then said that they will start playing games. What is it going to be?

Last time I laughed at it because it was so ridiculous, but I don't think playing with kids is fun.

This is the price for helping the Mystery Club, and for me it's just something to soothe my boredom, so in terms of fun, it's better than doing nothing.

However, in terms of interest, I'm curious in how kids play. Because I had no friends when I was this age.

The first time I made friends was when I first entered high school.

-Are you the guy who missed school because he was struck by lightning on that road?

Thanks to the nicknames from elementary and middle school that followed all the way to high school, I thought it was impossible to make friends.

So I was sitting quietly and reading a book, and a certain senior talked to me.

-What's up?

-Why are you so tense? You look interesting. Do you want to be friends?

Even if it looked like empty words, the senior was not a person with a normal personality. He also looked like a thug. He was a big guy, so to be honest, I was scared.

-What?¹

-It's okay to talk casually.

-For someone older than me, it's a little hard...

...Looking back on it now, he was a really reckless person.

"Ella! The game is ready!"

Ha-rim said to me who was reminiscing. This time, the game prepared was a quiz. It's normal this time. No matter how you think about it, playing house is quite weird.

Kyeong-min explains the rules as the moderator. First, sit on the chair brought from the club room. In my case, it's putting a mirror on a chair so that it doesn't fall over.

After that, we listen to the quiz given by him.

Then, by grabbing the recorder on the table and raising it, we get a chance to answer the quiz on a first-come, first-served basis.

You win if you get the most right answers. It's a simple rule.

"I will give this to whoever gets the most correct answers."

In Kyeong-min's hand, there was a huge candy advertised by a company in the past. It's a limited edition, and even at convenience stores, there only one.

It tastes good too, and they even announced that they would give you a game machine if your package had a special seal saying that you won.

It's so popular that people like me can't get it unless a miracle happens.

It looks like it was at the convenience store in front of the school.

Even I, who hated sweet things, would have purchased it if I had seen it.

If you don't get it now, you probably won't taste it for the rest of your life.

Still, it wasn't something I really cared. I don't really want to compete with kids just because I have a child's body.

I'm an adult after all, so there's no way I'm getting engrossed in a quiz game.

"Question one. What is the word for Internet politeness?"

At this time, Eun-jeong picked up the recorder.

"Answer! Netiquette!"²

Kim Eun-jeong, you bastard...!

Noticing the anger in my gaze, she trembled and turned her head away.

Should I pull the knife? No, bear with it, the Ella inside me.

I took my eyes off Eun-jeong and focused on the next question Kyeong-min gave. I hear a sigh of relief.

"Question two. Which of the following actions should not be taken on a friend? Number one, hugging. Number two, holding hands. Number three, raising a knife and stabbing. Number four, teach to study."

Suho picked the recorder.

"Answer one."

"Ding!"

"Un. For. Tu. Na. Te. Ly. You are wrong."

The difficulty level of the question seems odd, but it looks like it's a bonus problem! I raised the recorder while inside the mirror.

"...Answer three."

"Correct!"

That's good!

Hurry up and give us the next problem!

"Question three. What do you call the theory that the sun is the center of the universe and the planets revolve around it?"

Oh what the fuck. My memory is fuzzy.

Then Ha-rim picked the recorder.

"Answer! Heliocentric model!"

Ah! I knew it!

I felt betrayed that my answer was intercepted(?). Is even this good kid aiming for my candy?

"Question four. Which of the following does not fall under the category of play? Number one, causing bloodshed. Number two, word chain. Number three..."³

In this way the quiz proceeded. I lost many questions about what elementary school students should know. However, because I got through all the easy problems, I was ahead in the overall score.

Thanks to that, I proudly won the candy. Ah! This cute candy! Live in the mirror with me foreverforeverforever foreverforeverforeverforeverforeverforever.⁴

With this, the game is over.

Roughly satisfied, I tried to go back to the mirror after the game. However, Ha-rim asked if I could give her a moment. I nodded nonchalantly and asked to see her in the mirror in the women's bathroom.

As I waited in the mirror in the bathroom, Ha-rim hesitantly approached me and told me something.

"Hey. Ella, there are a few things I'd like to ask... Can I?"

"...I'm in a good mood right now, so I'll answer your questions."

After she was given permission, she relaxed and asked me.

"What does Ella think of us?"

It's a question that's oddly difficult to answer.

What do I think... Children destined with a tragic fate? That's what I'm thinking.

But suddenly asking this seems to be because of the built up trust thanks to the atmosphere of the meal and game that we just had.

The trust that I would not suddenly try to kill on a whim.

How should I respond so that I can be like Ella and get closer...

"Well, playmates?"

Was this too innocent? But the right words don't come to mind.

That's right, I've only had one friend all my life... And I even had none when I got older, so I died without living up to my name. In other words, I have no such thing as a conversational sense.⁵

"But Ella betted her legs for us... And gave amulets and helped us in many ways. Ah! I'm not saying Ella is lying! I just thought we would be closer. Haha..."

So what she wants to say is, we aren't as close as she thought? It was not persuasive to claim that they were friendly while acting so awkwardly.

It seems that she wants to hear through my mouth that I and the Mystery Club are friends.

She remembers that I lied at the mansion, but she seems to feel that my words are trustworthy because I have paid off my karma with the help I have faithfully done so far.

But you never know how much you can trust. I don't really need a playmate right now,I'm just helping you guys, so take care of yourself and follow me~! Can you believe it?

I had to make sure what Ha-rim wanted to hear from me. I asked with the smirk typical of Ella.

"What does Ha-rim want to hear from me~?"

"Well... Ella told we were friends. Does Ella really consider us one?"

If you ask me, no. Because I'm an adult. It's hard to form a bond between people with a big age difference, so we're not something I would call friends.

However, when making an agreement with Ha-rim, I inadvertently said that she was a friend, and since I need to be friendly, it would be better to pretend like that. There is no reason to refute.

"Yes. Friends. Let's call it playmates and friends."

"Then, since we're friends. You won't hurt us... will you?"

Is this your purpose?

"If you listen to me carefully, I won't kill you. Well. Don't worry, I'll watch it even if the game isn't fun."

Hearing that, Ha-rim was relieved. With this, you would have less to worry about dying every time you were with me.

If you fall into a world like this, and there's a bomb next to you that doesn't know when it will explode, you'll go crazy with stress.

I want to let people know that I'm harmless and stress them out as little as possible, but I have to get close and join them.

"By the way, Ella. Is that all we need to do?"

The topic that seemed to have been settled continues again. What are you saying all of a sudden?

"Hmm?"

"Ella risked her leg to help us in the tunnel. Are you okay with only playing?"

Pure. It's so innocent I don't know how to react, it's great when you get big gains for little. What are you trying to do?

Ha-rim wasn't saying things like "I don't understand why you're doing this" or "I can't believe that survival can be guaranteed under such favorable conditions."

It just she's feeling guilty. Because I did everything I could to help them, but they can't give anything back.

I returned the ghost's favor and fell asleep~!

I want to shout in her face that it would be better to worry about surviving by using anything before paying back.

For you to give something. After seeing the ending, there are so many things you guys will lose.

The unfortunate fate I'm talking about is not just the process of reaching an ending. Basically, this game is a horror one.

It's not that horror games don't have happy endings, but given the nature of the genre, I can't complain even if the true ending is a hopeless one, unless it's a really implausible garbage ending.

As the theme of this game is aimed at survival rather than defeating monsters.

No matter how hard she struggles, she can only survive in front of a giant being.

The moment you see the ending.

A gigantic existence born from this small world.

It's going to destroy the outside world.

I can't even openly talk about this in front of the kids who are trying to live.

...It makes me feel depressed.

The story should end like that.

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Huh?"

"If that bothers you, prepare a gift that Ella will like. I'll give a hint, it doesn't have to be precious. I'm going now, so don't hold on to me."

After speaking casually, I returned to the classroom mirror. Ah, I felt pretty good when I was enjoying the game, but... Let's fall asleep while making plans for tomorrow.

POV Switch - 3rd person

Ha-rim, who was left alone after Ella went back, was puzzled by her sudden change of attitude. She was not angry, and Ha-rim could even see sadness for a moment as she went back.

She wonders what Ella was grieving, as this is the first real emotion that she showed. Could it have been something to do with her past? How can she solve it?

Thinking about that, she went back to the children who were waiting for her.