I Became the Hidden Mastermind

032 – Courage Test #1

032 – Courage Test #1

“No. So why is Yudahee here.”

Throughout the way back home, Yang Joohee was angry.

It was because she heard about Yudahee and Jungseok waiting in front of our house.

“Is this something only Yudahee, you, and Jungseok know? Did you tell Yudahee about all the current situations?”

“No. I didn’t.”

“Then what are you going to do? You said you were going to discuss this and plan things today. If Yudahee is here, talking about ghosts or elevator stories won’t be easy, right?”

Yang Joohee’s irritation stemmed from a somewhat reasonable question.

Today is the day when the chaotic atmosphere of the past few days settles, and the “Hayoungwon Pirate Crew” officially gathers.

It was a perfect day to reminisce about past events or plan for the future.

In reality, I was planning to tell everyone about “The Nightmare Corridor” today.

The timing was perfect, and the waiting time to enter the corridor was over.

Looking back now, the hardships I experienced on the “floor of death” in the elevator were actually quite beneficial to me… no, to us.

Because that place was so similar to the “nightmare corridor,” I was able to help explain the corridor to Jeongseok and Yang Ju-hee.

In a way, you could say I got a taste of the “nightmare corridor” on that floor.

Or you could say I got a preventive shot.

And I was also concerned about the English teacher.

I wanted to tell Jeongseok and Yang Ju-hee to be wary of Hong Mi-ri, the teacher.

Anyway.

Today, I had a lot to talk about, and I was looking forward to eating chicken together. But suddenly, Yoo Da-hee interrupted, and I felt a bit awkward.

As for Yang Ju-hee, who usually didn’t think highly of Yoo Da-hee, she was completely annoyed.

“Ah, seriously, Jeongseok can just tell Yoo Da-hee to buzz off. Why is he getting all worked up and held hostage? Is that so difficult? He said it was important to keep the secret with his own mouth. Ugh, this idiot.”

I could feel Yang Ju-hee’s evaluation of Jeongseok plummeting in an instant.

However, I understood Jeongseok’s feelings a little bit.

First-year high school boy.

During this period of being a mess of hormones, guys like him generally couldn’t resist the requests of girls.

I know it well.

Especially Jeongseok, who spent three years in a boys’ middle school just like me!

Those guys find it extremely difficult to refuse a “girl’s request”!

And if it’s a request from pretty girls like Yoo Da-hee, even more so!

Plus, Yoo Da-hee was strangely lacking in personal boundaries.

Like it came out of the blue, approaching me as if we were old acquaintances.

I had only seen him at the library as a fellow book committee member, but one day, out of nowhere, he came up to me, started a conversation, and even gave me his phone number.

Looking back now, it felt like being enchanted by some kind of fox.

It might have been just me, though…

Even with Jeongseok, approaching him shamelessly and saying, “Jeongseok, what are you doing there? Waiting for a friend? Yeongwon? Great. I’m also friends with Yeongwon. Let’s hang out together,” could he have rejected?

No.

The result is now.

“Hey, hello. Yo, Jeongseok. Is Yudahee there? If she is, switch with her. If you can’t handle it, I’ll tell her to buzz off.”

Eventually, Yang Juhee couldn’t hold back and called Jeongseok while walking down the street.

Indeed, she’s got some audacity, unmatched even among us.

The heat of 《Boiling Blood》 must have surely disappeared, but are these remnants still lingering?

“Hey, wait. Juhee, switch with me. Switch with me. Switch with me.”

“Oh, come on! Hey, drop the phone! Hey!”

I snatched the phone from Yang Juhee’s hand.

Perhaps because the phone had just been touched by Yang Juhee’s breath, it smelled like cherries.

Was it because Yang Juhee had been sucking on cherry-flavored candy?

“Hey, Jeongseok. It’s me, Yeongwon.”

━Oh, Yeongwon. What should I do? Should I just take responsibility and send her away? I and Yudahee were in the same class when we were in elementary school. I never expected to meet her today of all days…

That’s how it is.

Jeongseok and Yudahee are from the same elementary school.

I spoke towards Jungseok.

“Are you still by my side?”

━ No. I went to the convenience store for a moment.

“Then let’s just leave it for now.”

I made a decision as the leader.

This might be an unexpected opportunity.

An opportunity to reveal the secrets of the deep sleep and strange dreams I always fell into whenever I met Yudahee without hesitation.

I, Hah Youngwon.

A man who turned numerous crises into stepping stones of opportunity.

I can do it.

With the me now!

Thud-.

I hung up and handed my phone to Yang Juhee.

Yang Juhee opened her narrow eyes as she looked at me.

“What’s this? Not sending Yudahee?”

“When I saw her, she seemed a bit suspicious. I want to check it out today.”

“…”

“Don’t you think it’s better to have at least one female friend?”

During the few days I couldn’t go to school, I heard about Yang Juhee’s school life from Jungseok.

Yang Juhee was subtly being ostracized in our class, D.

There was no explicit torment, but the girls would often give glances of disdain from behind or chew on the side in a subtle manner.

Even during gym class, she would be the only one without a partner and had to play catch with the teacher.

If it were boys, it wouldn’t matter, but don’t girls prefer to stick together?

Just a group of three or four going around.

Originally, Yang Ju-hee was the 5th prettiest friend in the class and I had a slight crush on Im Hee-yeon and Gong Ye-rin, whom I would escort like maids… but now, she’s completely fallen from grace.

The trigger was when it was revealed that Yang Ju-hee’s family was actually very poor.

Anyway, Yang Ju-hee was being bullied.

Even though I have Jeong Seok-i, wouldn’t it be good to have at least one same-s*x friend?

Ever since I became close with Jeong Seok-i, life has become much easier.

We even play League of Legends together.

“What’s the big deal? Is it worrying for a nerd like you to see your sister making friends? Ha Yeong-won. Lately, you’ve been climbing up the ranks. You’ve really changed. You have your own world. Like a fish in water.”

That’s how it was.

Somehow, now that I’m meeting ghosts, I feel more fulfilled in life than before.

Suddenly, I became curious.

“Ju-hee, why do you hate Yu Da-hee so much? Did you both go to the same elementary school?”

“No. I just don’t like her.”

Swoosh-.

Yang Ju-hee turned her head to the side as if she had nothing more to say.

There’s definitely something going on.

…Girls, I tell you.

To me, who had spent three years in the southern region, ghosts and ghost stories were more complex beings than anything else.

# # #

“Hey, guys! Hello! The weather is really nice today!”

As we approached Taekwang Villa, Jeongseok and Yudahee were waiting for us.

Yudahee’s casual attire was similar to a school uniform, but the difference was that she was not wearing stockings and had sandals on.

Unlike Yang Juhee, who wore sweatpants or dolphin shorts, Yudahee was dressed more formally.

“Youngwon, you’re here. How’s your mother?”

Jeongseok held a convenience store bag filled with a 1.5-liter drink and snacks in his hand.

I answered briefly.

“My mom seems to be doing well. But what’s all this?”

“These are snacks and drinks that Dahee bought. We can share them later.”

Jeongseok looked at Yang Juhee with an awkward expression and tone.

This guy was also struggling in his own way in front of the villa.

“We’re going to play games together today, right? It’s going to be so much fun. League of Legends? Are we going to play LoL? I know what LoL is. You move with the mouse, right?”

Yudahee around 10 a.m. seemed more cheerful than I expected.

Just by appearance, she seemed cold and indifferent, but this gap without distance and pretense disarmed people’s hearts.

You know, when you find out that someone who looks really scary is actually fun and has a good personality, they seem even more likable for no reason.

Anyway.

We decided to go inside the house.

However… I was a little nervous about inviting Yudahee to my house for the first time.

My house is a complete mess because my mom hasn’t been home for a few days.

The dishes are piling up.

“Do we have to climb up to the 4th floor?”

Yudahee asked us as we were about to climb the stairs.

I, Jeongseok, and Yang Juhee all suddenly froze and became tense.

Déjà vu… Can you feel it?

“…Why?”

Jeongseok asked.

His voice sounded tense for some reason.

Soon, Yudahee burst into laughter.

“Because my leg hurts! I’ve been standing for a while.”

…I see.

That could happen.

Then Yang Juhee spoke up.

“If you don’t want to climb the stairs, you can go home.”

It was probably a joke, but it didn’t sound like a joke.

Suddenly, the word “home” reminded me of Yudahee’s story.

Didn’t she say that she couldn’t hang out with her friends properly and couldn’t talk to guys, especially?

“Dahee, can we hang out at my house today? Are you worried about anything at home?”

I asked Dahee as she climbed the stairs.

Then Dahee spoke.

“I think it’ll be okay now. We had a little fight at home yesterday. I’m not a kid anymore, so I should be able to decide where I want to go or what I want to do.”

Is that so…

Dit-dit, dit-didi-.

While I was talking with Yudahee, Yang Joohee, who had arrived on the fourth floor first, opened the door without permission.

Since I gave her the password when she was haunted by the copied ghost of her mother before, Yang Joohee always opened the door like that.

I guess it’s fascinating because Yang Joohee’s house is a structure that opens with a key without a door lock.

Anyway.

What would Yudahee’s reaction be when she came to our house for the first time?

“Wow.”

Yudahee slightly opened her mouth and looked around.

It was a similar attitude to Jeongseok when he first came to our house.

Do all well-off kids react like this?

At that moment, Yang Joohee, who had entered first and placed her bag and phone on the table, said.

“Oh, hey. Can’t you do the dishes in advance? That’s why cockroaches come out!”

Well…

I know, but I’ve been busy these past few days too…

Shhhhh-.

Yang Joohee turned on the water and started doing the dishes.

It was a fairly familiar attitude, and Yudahee, who saw it, said one word.

“Juhee must have come to play often.”

“No, not really. Well, not often. Hey, just leave it. I’ll do it.”

With that kind of feeling, the chaotic dishwashing and tidying up the atmosphere came to an end.

Maybe because the house was small, it felt like it was about to burst with the four of us inside.

I went into my room and turned on the computer.

Vrrr-.

That’s when Yudahee said,

“Oh, it’s a blanket. Can I lie down for a bit? My legs hurt from standing for so long.”

Plop-.

Yudahee lay down on the still unfolded blanket.

She didn’t care if her clothes got wrinkled or dirty.

But I was actually bothered!

A girl lying on my blanket!

When did I wash it?

I hope it doesn’t smell weird!

“Youngwon, can you log in with my ID for now? I already bought the game. The file size isn’t that big, so it’ll download quickly. Save it to the C drive.”

Shh-.

Jeongseok downloaded the game with a familiar attitude.

During the process, it seemed like he noticed my “Hidden Folder,” but he pretended not to see it.

He’s a guy who knows loyalty.

Received files.

When Jeongseok started the game, it wouldn’t be accurate to say it was enjoyable, but a fairly eerie graphic emerged.

“Abyss corridor”

The title is in English.

Yudahee, standing behind the chair and looking at the monitor, asked.

“Abyss corridor? Jeongseok. What kind of game is it?”

“Well… It’s a horror game where you escape from a corridor with ghosts. In the process, you uncover various secrets and play this horror game. Many internet broadcasters play it a lot, have you never seen it?”

“First time. Can we play together? Can’t games be played together?”

What I felt today was that Yudahee’s knowledge of games was almost nonexistent.

Did she just grow up reading books at home?

Jeongseok replied soon.

“We can’t play together. Basically, these horror games are for single players.”

“Single player. Then couples can’t play?”

Yang Juhee said.

It was a very cheesy joke. The temperature around me dropped by about 2 degrees, as if encountering a ghost.

Normally, she wouldn’t make such cheesy jokes.

Yang Juhee, you’ve died a lot. Being ostracized like this ruins people.

“Single player means it’s a game played alone. So, let’s begin. First, set the difficulty to normal. Also, before starting, the protagonist can choose one item to take in this corridor with ghosts. I’ll choose ‘Slippers’ for now.”

“Slippers: Eliminates noise when running.”

It’s a good item.

In my “Corridor of Nightmares,” having such items might come in handy.

Anyway.

In this kind of feeling, the playthrough of the abyssal corridor began.

And Yang Ju-hee screamed loudly.

“Hey! They’re chasing us! Hide! Hide! Quickly hide! Ku-yaak!”

Even though she didn’t fear real ghosts at all.

But when it came to game ghosts chasing her, Yang Ju-hee was practically having a seizure.

Jeongseok was inexperienced in games.

Every time ghosts appeared, he panicked and died. In reality, Jeongseok was scared and stumbled every time he encountered ghosts.

“Hey. It looks easy to watch, but it’s difficult. You’ll know once you try.”

At that moment, Yoo Da-hee asked.

“Can I try this? The game, I mean.”

Jeongseok looked at me with a face that seemed to say, “What should we do?”

I sensed that the time had come to see the true value of Yoo Da-hee.