Chapter 10
“Why… I—I didn’t even make a wish!”
“Even if you didn’t make one yourself, you might have been connected to someone else’s wish. Like in the first case.”
“The first case… you mean Jang Hyun-woo?”
“Yeah.”
Considering he was bringing up a classmate’s fall, Dan Seo-hyuk’s tone was unnervingly calm. He nodded slightly and went on.
“I doubt a wish for better grades would cause someone to fall off a building. You said another student got hurt because of him, right?”
“Oh, that girl we saw earlier. She used to be top of our class, but this time the teacher said Hyun-woo scored higher in English.”
“Then she’s the culprit?”
Dan Seo-hyuk sounded suspicious of Yoo Chae-song. But no matter how sensitive Chae-song was about her grades, she wasn’t the type to hurt someone else.
When I shook my head firmly, Seo-hyuk crossed his arms.
“Was there anything different about her lately? You said the first person got injured.”
“Chae-song was fine! She wasn’t hurt at all—she was just lying down. Well… she did have a nosebleed, but still.”
Could that nosebleed have been the “price” she paid?
An uneasy feeling crept up on me as I looked up at him. Seo-hyuk just shrugged.
“We won’t know unless we ask them directly, so let’s leave that aside for now.”
“Leave it? Then… is there another way?”
“There’s usually no clear solution when you’re tangled up with an object possessed by an evil spirit.”
Seo-hyuk spoke calmly.
“Some say they burned it or returned it to where it originally was. Others say they got better after passing it on to someone else.”
“That last one isn’t really a solution.”
“‘As long as it’s not me.’ That’s what people think when they’re desperate.”
Suddenly, his voice turned cold.
Wow, what kind of protagonist talks like that?
He’d seemed kinder than the original, but now I could tell—after repeating regressions, he must’ve lost faith in people bit by bit.
Still, the fact that he came to find me again meant he still cared.
I bit back the words that almost escaped my throat; I didn’t want to say something harsh to someone who came to help me.
“Let’s figure out how to return it to its original place.”
See? Humanity’s not completely gone yet.
Since that was exactly what I wanted, I quickly nodded.
“How?”
“We’ll have to ask the person directly. I’m planning to visit the hospital to see that keyring for myself.”
“But the teacher said only family members are allowed to visit right now.”
“I’ll take care of that. You should rest.”
He said that and started to stand up.
Instinctively, I grabbed the hem of his school jacket. He looked down at me, puzzled.
“…Why?”
Cold-hearted jerk.
I slowly, hesitantly let go.
“It’s nothing.”
How could I say I was scared to be left alone? I’d made such a big deal about doing anything to find my little sister…
Seo-hyuk looked at me for a while, but left the infirmary without another word.
Silence filled the empty room. The eerie stillness made me curl up, rubbing my arms for warmth.
“How can he just check that I’m awake and leave…”
Still, it was probably Seo-hyuk who carried me here. I’d been helped by him again.
‘I didn’t even get to thank him… No, it’s his fault for walking off so fast.’
I tried to shake off the fear by sulking a little. It didn’t work.
Part of me was scared that the ghost might come after me too—but I was also worried about Yoo Chae-song.
‘Maybe I should’ve gone with him…’
But then I might have run into that terrifying keyring ghost again.
‘Ugh, I can’t even use spirit-calling spells like “Bunshinsaba” now. Why are there so many scary things in the world?’
Why couldn’t it just be filled with cute, pretty things instead!
I grumbled irritably.
“Bunshinsaba, Bunshinsaba. You rotten ghost, please just keep me safe, okay?”
There was no red pen in my hand, no notebook to spin it on. It was just an empty mutter born from frustration.
But then—
Flash!
The lights in the infirmary suddenly went out.
“Eek!”
I shrieked and yanked the blanket over my head, peeking around.
‘D-don’t tell me the keyring ghost is here?! Did something happen to Chae-song already?’
My whole body trembled. Even though it was daytime and not completely dark, it didn’t make me feel safer.
Just as I was debating whether to bolt out of the room—
Red letters began to appear on the white wall in front of me.
Do you want help?
It looked like something written in sticky, dripping blood—like someone whispering directly to me.
Any normal person would’ve fainted on the spot.
‘But… this doesn’t feel like the same ghost as before.’
Strangely, instead of dread, I felt something eerie yet oddly unfamiliar.
Still, I wasn’t not scared—I froze and stared at the wall.
The letters faded, then new ones appeared.
No payment required.
Was this some kind of trick to make me trust it?
I narrowed my eyes.
‘That red ghost said she’d help me find my mom if I helped her find Cho-hae. But this stranger says they’ll help me for free?’
Even without Seo-hyuk warning me, I knew this was suspicious. If it had asked for a price, I might’ve believed it!
“I… I don’t need it.”
Of course, deep down I did want to cling to any ghost that could help me—to ask where my sister was, or to free Yoo Chae-song from her curse.
But I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
Maybe because I refused, the wall stayed blank for a long while. I dared to hope it was over—until new words appeared.
Don’t return it.
The chill that ran through me was instant. It was like the thing knew Seo-hyuk planned to return the keyring to its original place.
Don’t burn it either.
“Then what the hell do you want me to do…?”
If I couldn’t burn it or return it, was I just supposed to sit there and get cursed?!
A bitter laugh escaped me. Of course ghosts wouldn’t tell you something actually helpful.
My eyes stung with frustration. The writing vanished, the lights flickered back on—
Thud.
Something dropped at the foot of my bed.
“…A sword?”
It was an old-looking dagger, but still neatly sheathed. I picked it up on reflex and drew it from its case.
The blade was spotless—no rust, no blood, gleaming sharp.
‘Why… did this suddenly appear?’
Judging by the timing, it must’ve been from the ghost that had written on the wall.
I examined it carefully, turning it in my hand. It didn’t feel cursed or cold or ominous.
‘Oh crap! After seeing that keyring ghost, I should know better than to touch weird stuff!’
I quickly looked around—nothing. I carefully set the dagger back down on the bed.
You weren’t supposed to handle strange objects. What if it brought another spirit with it?
Maybe the nurse would find it and take it away.
‘I didn’t see anything!’
I told myself that firmly and hurried out of the infirmary.
The hallway was quiet—it must’ve been class time. Afternoon sunlight poured through the windows, lighting the empty space.
The schoolyard outside was empty too. I lingered, not wanting to go back to class, and glanced out the window.
That’s when I saw it.
A reflection in the glass.
‘…Huh?’
It wasn’t the keyring ghost.
The figure standing behind me was tall—like an adult man. Maybe even taller than Dan Seo-hyuk.
He wore an old-fashioned military uniform, the kind ancient soldiers might wear, and a long sword hung at his side. Definitely not something you’d see at school—maybe in a movie or at a cosplay event.
His head was bowed, a military cap shadowing his face. But beneath it, I could see neatly combed blond hair and firmly closed lips.
Even with just that, I could tell he was handsome.
“W-who are you…?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them—speaking to someone I already knew wasn’t human.
My body was rigid with tension.
But strangely, this ghost didn’t feel threatening.
‘Why… am I not scared of him?’
It was odd. I felt tense, but not afraid.
The man slowly lifted his hand and pointed—not at me, but at the window I was looking through.
Take it.
And with that, he vanished.
When I turned around, the dagger I’d left in the infirmary was lying on the hallway floor.
