I Became the Hidden Mastermind

010 – The Ajumma from Hell #3

010 – The Ajumma from Hell #3

“So, you see, I often have nightmares, and if I don’t drink like this, I can’t sleep. Usually, I drink alone, but with you, Yeongwon, it’s nice to have someone to talk to.”

Teacher Kang Haneul continued to pour liquid from the bottle labeled whiskey and drank continuously.

As he got more drunk, the pajamas he was wearing kept getting disheveled, so I didn’t know where to look.

“In the past, I tried things like sleeping pills, but I think I developed tolerance because I took too much. Alcohol is the best. Yeongwon, you’re a minor, so you shouldn’t drink. Have you ever tried alcohol?”

“No. I haven’t tried it.”

“Really? Surprising. When the teacher first saw Yeongwon, I thought you were a complete troublemaker, always carrying a dagger on your face. Bad-boy style? Have you had a few girlfriends? Tell me honestly. Were you popular originally?”

“I had a girlfriend, but we broke up.”

“Well, that’s not good. Yeongwon, let me tell you. When I see kids wasting their golden time, I honestly want to hit them. I’d rather trade places with them. They don’t know how good a time they’re missing…”

“…Hmm…”

“But these days, there’s so much talk about student rights and whatnot that I can’t even properly discipline the students. The other teachers are all lenient, and the students below won’t listen, and the parents are extreme.”

“….”

“Yeongwon, don’t you have any questions for me? I feel like I could answer anything right now if you’re curious… Anything you want to know… like final exam questions….”

Isn’t it a crime to tell me the final exam questions?

It was clearly a joke, but maybe because of the atmosphere, it didn’t sound like a joke.

“…You can ask more personal questions. Rude and private questions are also fine. Right now, if it’s a question from Yeongwon, I want to answer anything. Today, I’m in a lenient mood.”

The teacher’s voice was sticky like honey, and the air felt strangely hot and humid.

I decided to shake off the awkward atmosphere that was becoming burdensome by making a joke.

“Well then… What was your first love, Teacher? Any stories about past relationships….”

“I’ve been too focused on studying, so I didn’t have a boyfriend until this age. Well, then since I answered one question, I’ll ask you one too. Yeongwon, have you had s*x?”

“….”

No, this isn’t s*xual harassment, is it?

I was bewildered by what kind of conversation I had been listening to for the past five minutes.

So I just drank the milk that the teacher gave me, sipping it intermittently, but the milk ran out and only a few drops remained at the bottom of the cup.

Why am I so sleepy?

I was so sleepy.

“Huh…”

My body felt heavy like wet cotton, and my vision was blurry, making the teacher’s face appear multiple times. I could even see the teacher’s mouth tearing up to my ears.

“Yeongwon, are you sleepy? Sleepy, right? It’s a good thing I still have some sleeping pills left.”

I heard Teacher Kang Haneul’s voice in the fading consciousness ceremony.

Did the teacher give me a sleeping pill?

Crackle, crackle-.

Soon, the sound of thin fabrics falling to the ground was heard.

And the sound of smearing sticky lotion on his smooth skin was also heard.

Clunk, clunk-.

I was so sleepy that I couldn’t wake up and could only rest my head on the table, but somehow I was able to move my mouth.

“Tea… Teacher… what…”

I was scared.

I remembered the story from the beginning of the semester when a female student went missing and the school and the neighborhood were in an uproar.

The culprit could be someone from the school staff─ I heard such a story.

Since there was no trace of resistance found, it could be a planned crime.

No way─.

“Yeongwon, you’re becoming one with the teacher. You said that. It’s okay to go inside. Teacher Haneul will go inside Yeongwon. Don’t be nervous and relax. Teacher will take care of everything-.”

It was a sticky voice.

Because it was the first time I heard such a sticky and sinister voice, it sent chills down my spine.

Swoosh-.

The teacher soon turned my body over and laid me down on the floor.

Through my underwear, I could see his white skin and the teacher, who had applied a lot of smooth lotion, seemed to be finally opening my mouth… and then started pushing his hands and arms into my mouth!

Squelch, squelch-.

“Eternity’s embrace is narrow and warm. Eternity, is it tasty for you too, teacher?”

“Uwaaack!”

Tasty? It was nothing short of a taste of death for me!

The teacher, as if trying to turn me into a puppet, unmistakably turned the leather inside out to wear it!

“Uwack! Uweeeack!”

“Why is it so stiff? Was the gel a bit lacking? Since it’s already like this, I should make it a bit more moist. Normally, you learn about alcohol from adults.”

Glug-glug-glug-glug-.

The teacher poured whiskey into my mouth.

“Uwack! Uweeeack! Teacher, please stop! Save me, teacher! Please, teacher, save me!”

I pleaded on the threshold of death.

But the more I did, the more the teacher seemed excited, laughing with the corners of his mouth tearing up to his ears.

“You sleep so well during class, why aren’t you sleeping now? Do you have a resistance to sleeping pills? Just wait a moment.”

Swoosh-.

The teacher briefly left his seat.

I thought this was my chance!

If I stayed like this, I would be at the mercy of whether he was a virgin killer or a ghost! I can’t let myself face such a miserable death!

Was it because I desperately turned my head in the face of a desperate situation?

Like the story of a broken clock being right twice a day, a bright idea popped up in my head like a light bulb.

“aaargh! aaargh!”

I somehow squeezed out the strength to scream.

As expected, things unfolded just as I had anticipated.

Thud, thud, thud!

Someone was knocking on the apartment iron door.

Soon, the voice of an elderly woman echoed.

━ What nonsense is this late at night! Let’s get some sleep, you crazy woman! Are you inside? Did you bring a man with you!? You said you’d introduce my son! My son works at Oh Sung Electronics! He’s not even forty yet!

Just as I expected!

The stories about poor soundproofing in the apartment were true; the neighbor next door had come!

“Ah!”

━ A scream… Is something wrong?

“aaah!”

━ Should I call 112?

“aaargh!”

The police!

Upon hearing that story, I felt as if I had received a lifeline of salvation.

Korea’s justice was still alive!

The justice of the neighbor next door was still there! I won’t let those denying this off the hook!

━hehehehe… Three questions… You answered them…

However, outside the door, strange sounds were heard.

━Let’s switch. Switch with me. Switch with me. Switch with me. Switch with me. Switch with me. Switch with me. Switchwithmeswitchwithmeswitchwithmeswitchwithmeswitchwithme…

sh*t-.

It was terrifying enough to make one wet themselves.

But the intense fear was occasionally a way to fend off the ghostly presence!

As I barely managed to rise from my seat and sat back down, something appeared from the direction of the iron door, seeping through the thin gap.

“Let’s switch.”

It looked like our mom, and at the same time, like Teacher Kang Ha-neul, and vaguely resembled an unfamiliar middle-aged woman.

“Damn! Ghost of an old lady!”

“Let’s switch, let’s switch, let’s switch, let’s switch, let’s switch.”

The ghost of the old lady shook her arms from side to side, gradually approaching me.

There was a foul smell coming from the old lady ghost, like rotten apples or the smell of a chicken coop!

“Ew! Smells like a chicken coop!”

“….”

The old lady ghost stopped.

Could there be an effect?

Yeah, maybe she doesn’t like those words!

“Chicken coop smell! Old virgin! Menopause! Old lady! Old lady! Old lady!”

It would be nice if there were some better words!

Still, it wasn’t like there was no effect at all. The face of the old lady ghost changed so horribly that it was unrecognizable, and she soon twisted her arms and legs backward, like a bridge, heading towards the house with a shush-shush sound—disappeared.

It was as creepy as a giant cockroach.

“Oh, damn, she disappeared again… Wasn’t she supposed to be repelled by this….”

Tap-tap-tap-.

Someone knocked on the door.

━ Yeongwon, are you okay? I went out to buy milk for the teacher. I heard some commotion inside. Why is the door locked from the inside?

It was Teacher Kang Haneul’s voice!

I felt a sense of relief, as if I had taken a shower with cold water in the heat… Suddenly, a ominous premonition struck me.

━ Yeongwon, are you inside?

“……”

━ You’re not answering even when the teacher calls. Grew up without a father, a rude kid. Good instincts, huh?

It was truly a moment that seemed like tears would flow.

Once again, it wasn’t the teacher, but a ghost!

『Advice from the “Broken Clock”: Sometimes, silence is the answer.』

This advice was for this moment!

The problem is… tap-tap-tap- the sound of knocking on the wall began to echo all around.

# # #

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

Ceiling.

Door.

Wall.

Floor.

The sound of tapping echoed from all directions.

Ding-ding-ding-.

My phone rang.

━ Hey, are you Hayoungwon? I’m Class D’s homeroom leader, Jung Sojin. I like you. Will you go out with me? Answer. Answer. Answer. Answer. Answer. Answer. Answer. Answer. Answer-.

“What the hell! Your voice is so annoying!”

This ajumma ghost was throwing a fit just to ask me a question.

“Do I… Seriously have to live like this for the rest of my life?”

Should I not even answer the phone from now on?

Suddenly, my life took a turn for the worse.

But when a person is pushed to the extreme in a tight spot, there are moments when an impulse rises.

Even a cornered mouse will attack a cat. Right now, I felt like a damn mouse.

“Yeah, sure. Let’s see who wins. Ajumma! Come out! You want to take my body, right? That’s why you keep asking me questions?”

I summoned the ajumma ghost with a defiant attitude.

Then, swish, swish- the sound of joints creaking as Teacher Kang Haneul emerged from that dark restroom. It was still as terrifying as ever, not getting any more familiar.

To shake off the fear, I tightly closed my eyes. When I opened them, Teacher Kang Haneul spoke.

“That’s right. I like younger ones. The more you answer my questions, the more thrilling it gets…. After taking your body, I’ll take your life too. If you don’t give me your body, I’ll take this woman’s body!”

Reflecting on what had just happened, I realized that this strange ajumma ghost had indeed asked questions and even answered mine.

And the recent response was enough to make a decision and a lingering answer. If I fail to take over her body, I’ll take over Teacher Kang Haneul’s body.

What a nuisance!

All this trouble because of me.

Like a man, I decided to tie the knot!

I spread my arms towards the ajumma ghost.

“No one else can! Use my body! Come inside me!”

“Sure. Teacher, am I really going in? Relax~.”

Swoosh-.

As if Kang Ha-neul’s body was turning into dust, it began to enter through my nose and mouth.

It seemed to push out all the air from my lungs and occupy that space, causing me to gasp for breath.

If I hadn’t acquired the ability to “Hold Breath” at the store, I would have passed out from suffocation right now!

There’s nothing useless in this world- I thought that way and recalled the advice of the “Broken Clock.”

“Advice of the ‘Broken Clock’: ‘Curses’ are abnormalities that affect the body, soul, and mind. If you possess two or more curses, you die. Curses can be cured by unlocking the clinic at the store and spending 100P.”

The curse was an abnormality that affected the body, soul, and mind.

It was just like the ajumma ghost trying to take over my body!

“…Huff…Status Window.”

I squeezed out a breath from my expanded lung capacity and called up the status window.

“Name: Ha Young-won Lv.1

Abilities: ‘Broken Clock,’ ‘Hold Breath’

Curse: ‘Possessed by a Ghost’

Funds: 110 Points

Description: Once highly regarded, you now spend your days in a meaningless routine, killing time. But even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

“Curse ‘Possessed by a Ghost’ – Change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change it, change

『Open Treatment Center ◀ Click』

『Spending 100P to treat the barrier.』

『The barrier’s 《Ghost Possession》 has been healed.』

“…Done! I won!”

It turned out that saving the remaining points just in case was the right move.

If I hadn’t kept the treatment center closed, it would have been a disaster.

Ding ding ding dee ding dik-.

At that moment, the sound of unlocking the door echoed from the entrance.

Teacher Kang Haneul came in, holding a convenience store bag filled with something.

Upon closer inspection, I could see milk and snacks through the bag.

“Youngwon, what’s going on? Why is the house in such a mess! I went to the convenience store to buy milk, and on the way back, I met an English teacher and chatted for a while!”

“Teacher… do you happen to like younger people?”

“W-why are you suddenly saying that?”

I awkwardly sank into thought.

『Congratulations! You have defeated the “Curse of becoming a ghost if you answer three times”!』

『Starting the settlement for one person’s share of reincarnation.』

Ching-grang-.

100 points were added.

Even though I went through all the trouble and chaos, receiving the same value as the barrier treatment felt like a total loss.

For now, I’ll be satisfied with just surviving.

What on earth is this? The nightmare isn’t confined to that corridor alone.

Never thought I’d encounter ghosts in real life.

『Your accumulated experience points exceed the threshold, causing a level-up.』

『Certain traits undergo changes based on your level.』

『The likelihood of anomalies and observers tracking your existence increases.』

Oh, my level is rising?

I wondered what that level in my status window was, but it seems it does increase!

The fact that traits change with the level was an interesting story in itself.

However, what caught my attention more were the words that came next.

Anomalies and observers…?

As I pondered what that might be, a blaring siren sounded.

“Hello. We received a report that a student might have been kidnapped.”