Chapter 14: The White Day Murderer(3)
It was the Halloween kids.
Spotting me, they scurried over, thrusting out their baskets.
– Trick or Treat!
“In this situation…?”
I thought they’d vanished, maybe hiding from the janitor.
Kim Dodam and Yoo Kishin’s eyes widened.
“What are they? How’d they get here?”
“…No, it’s probably…”
Yoo Kishin’s hand passed through them.
No contact possible.
As shock spread, I sank into thought.
‘What are these kids, anyway?’
They must be tied to this realm.
If they’re murdered children, did the killer draw them here?
No, the order’s off.
The kids came first, luring the killer.
‘Then sending them back is the key.’
Something felt missing.
There had to be a simple solution…
Bang!
A chilling noise rang from the back door.
Our heads snapped toward it, breaths held.
“…”
A mistake, or it’d pass soon.
That hope crumbled with relentless impacts.
Bang! Crash! Bang!
The door shuddered, an eerie voice seeping through.
– Here you are, heeheehee!
“Block it!”
We piled chairs and junk against the door.
The barricade was solid for a human, but not for this thing.
As it shook with monstrous force, the impacts stopped.
“Did… did it go…?”
Kim Dodam’s murmur was cut by Yoo Kishin’s shout.
“The front door! Block it now!”
“…!”
Thud-thud-thud!
I grabbed the front door as it rattled.
Using a bit of strength.
Dragging desks, we propped them up.
Weaker than the back, it wouldn’t hold long.
The janitor’s red eyes peered through the cracks.
– Heeheehee!!
A glinting knife stabbed through, slashing wildly.
We scrambled back.
“What now?”
“It’s gonna break. We have to fight! Grab weapons!”
Fighting was a bad move.
How do you beat a slasher movie killer?
‘If only I’d bought more time. No choice.’
Even as a ghost, I had a human heart.
Watching friends get slaughtered was too much.
As I braced for the risk, the janitor’s eyes snapped backward.
He bolted off.
“…?”
Amid my confusion, strange noises followed.
Crashing, breaking, shouts—sounds of a clash.
Unlike before, it was a fight.
“What… someone’s helping?”
“Don’t go! Could be a trap.”
Sensing two spiritual energies, I focused.
Not ghostly—one was an exorcist’s.
‘Took you long enough.’
Why was I doing their job?
One energy was Hwaseo’s, familiar.
She’d been on guard, watching the ghost kids.
The other, likely…
‘Han Doryeong?’
An executioner exorcist, specializing in battling and banishing evil spirits.
For most phenomena, he’d handle it easily.
But this wasn’t ordinary.
Even he couldn’t guarantee victory.
‘Even if they win, the problem remains.’
This bought time.
I needed a solution.
– Trick or Treat!
“What now… huh?”
The kids approached again, baskets out.
A thought hit me—maybe I’d overcomplicated it.
Keep it simple.
I opened my locker, grabbing candy.
The kids stared at it, tucked it in their baskets, and shouted.
– Trick or Treat!!
“Not it.”
No worry—I had plenty.
Why’d I get so many despite doing nothing?
I tossed more into their baskets, but they repeated the chant.
Then, touching one candy…
– …
A different reaction.
It was distinctive.
The creepy, ghost-faced candy from Yoo Kishin.
I glared at him.
“Why… what?”
So into the occult—where’d he get this?
But no.
They examined his candy closely but shook their heads.
Then what…?
“…This?”
A seemingly ordinary red candy caught my eye.
Up close, it felt eerie.
Grabbing it, the kids reacted wildly.
– Trick or Treat!!!
Found it.
Annoyance hit before relief.
I yelled at the giver.
“Hey, Joo Kihyun!”
“W-What?!”
Yes, the timid, gloomy boy.
The one oddly with Pyo Jiseok, who gave me this candy.
“What’s this? Where’d you get it?”
“Uh, well…”
“Speak clearly. What’s your deal?”
“No! I-I didn’t mean anything bad! I just… wanted to get close to you…”
Pale and stammering, Kihyun explained.
“This candy has mystic power… give it on White Day, and you’ll get closer…”
“…What?”
My rising anger was drowned by outside commotion.
Bang! Crash!
Han Doryeong fought fiercely.
No time to waste.
“We’ll talk later.”
I gave the candy to the kids.
They paused.
– Thank You…
Their faces turned skeletal, fading.
The evil spirit weakened.
– No, no, no! I can’t disappear like this…!
“Shut up and go to hell!”
Han Doryeong’s shout rang as the world outside turned white.
At the last moment, I drew my silver hairpin.
The realm shattered.
I came to at the school gate.
We were back to just before entering.
‘The moment we stepped in, we fell into the other side.’
So subtle, I hadn’t noticed.
Without my mimicry, I might’ve.
“Ugh…”
“Where…?”
“We’re back safe.”
Kim Dodam and Yoo Kishin clutched their aching heads, looking around.
Realizing it was over, they savored survival.
Joo Kihyun stood grimly, and Pyo Jiseok lay fainted nearby.
The blood and screams felt like a dream.
“What’s this? Why’m I here…?”
“…Janitor.”
“Yup, first-year freshmen, right? Why’re you here so late? I was just patrolling…”
Confused, the janitor spoke as footsteps approached.
Kim Dodam turned.
“Class president…?”
Hwaseo and Doryeong watched us.
“You too? When’d you get here?”
“That’s not the issue. That wasn’t a dream.”
“Huh?”
“We experienced a real phenomenon. Proof ghosts exist!”
Yoo Kishin trembled with joy.
“I did something meaningful. Soon… I’ll meet her…!”
“…”
Doryeong glared coldly.
He nudged Hwaseo.
“Do it. The longer we wait, the harder it gets.”
“…I know.”
She approached Dodam, reaching out.
“What—ugh?!”
A faint mist rose, and he collapsed, unconscious.
Panic spread.
‘Memory erasure.’
A special agent exorcist’s skill.
A core Association technique to hide the other side.
It’s tricky, requiring skill, but can selectively erase related memories.
Kihyun and the janitor fell next, and Pyo Jiseok’s memories were taken.
Then…
“So that’s it…”
Yoo Kishin, grave, muttered.
“The other side was real.”
“…”
“Class president, who are you guys?”
“Sorry, can’t say.”
He collapsed too.
Hwaseo approached me, sad.
“Sorry, Haru.”
“…”
“I… wanted to be friends.”
What should I do?
As I pondered, she thought I was stunned, her face darkening.
‘Born in the Association but not wanting the exorcist’s path.’
Dreaming of a normal school life, erasing a friend’s memory must hurt.
Well, it won’t work on me.
“It’s okay.”
“…!”
I said it casually.
Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth, tearing up.
“You understand me…?”
“Haru, you’re really… thank you. Sniff… I’m sorry…”
Her hand reached out, and I timed my fake collapse.
As the others woke, I “stirred” naturally.
“Everyone up?”
Hwaseo was back to her usual self.