Chapter 0: Prologue
I love ghost stories.
“There’s no way ghosts exist.”
“Why do you believe in that stuff? Are you a kid?”
No matter how much people around me treated me like a fool, they couldn’t crush my curiosity.
Urban legends, games featuring ghosts, haunted house experiences, or courage tests.
If there was even a hint of the occult, I’d dive in headfirst, though I didn’t truly believe in ghosts.
It was just fun.
For someone like me, ghost stories—blindly hated by others—were my only hobby and escape.
Study, cram school, more study.
Even after graduation, self-improvement, job hunting, corporate life…
Under strict parents, I was controlled—not allowed to play or make friends.
At first, I rebelled, but all I got back were harsh words and one-sided demands.
I believed their mantra that it was all for my future and devoted myself to studying.
The only thing I cared about was the occult.
“Did you hear? There’s a weird sound coming from the school bathroom.”
“Some say they heard crying. There’s a rumor it’s a ghost…”
Even creepy rumors felt like a treasure to me.
One day, with fire in my eyes, I explored the school and finally heard the rumored sound.
–Smack… sob… munch munch… sniff…
At last, I’d encounter a ghost.
Filled with joy, I flung open the bathroom door, but inside was just a scrawny male student.
“W-Wait! It’s not what you think!”
“…”
“I’m eating alone here, not because I don’t have friends… Don’t look at me like that!”
BAM!
Though my first attempt ended in vain, my interest in ghost stories never died.
Spirit School Exorcism Saga.
I encountered the game, nicknamed “Spirit Exorcism,” right after graduating high school.
A story of ghosts and mediums set in a school.
It was like the game was made for me, and sinking years into it felt only natural.
[Spirit Exorcism’s Greatest Event Ever!]
[Send us your scariest spirit photo for a chance to win an amazing prize!]
One day, the developers announced an event.
Eyes gleaming, I packed my latest camera and various spiritual tools.
Taking spirit photos was one of my hobbies.
How could I miss this chance?
By then, I was living apart from my parents, free to join.
Despite devoting myself to studies without friends, I hadn’t succeeded.
My parents, tired of me, naturally lost interest.
To me, that was a relief.
“The best spirit spot around here is definitely that wild mountain.”
A gloomy mountain even local elders shuddered at, calling it full of dark energy.
Vowing to capture the ultimate photo, I stood at the crosswalk.
Rustle.
I sensed someone beside me but didn’t bother looking.
When the light turned green, the person next to me walked ahead.
It looked like a male student in a school uniform.
“Good times.”
I never enjoyed a proper youth, but school days still felt nostalgic.
As I stepped forward, a truck barreled toward us from the distance.
The truck didn’t slow down, charging straight at the student.
“Danger!”
I shouted, but it was no use.
CRASH! The student flew through the air.
A human body could twist like that, and contain so much blood—I hadn’t known.
No way they’d survive.
I felt it instinctively.
“Ah, ahh…”
Thud. I dropped my camera and staggered.
What do I do? Should I call 911?
As I trembled, something even more unbelievable happened.
The student, with that mangled body, slowly stood up.
Their body was covered in a pale, shimmering something.
Like a mirage.
Even in the chaos, I felt a surge of awe.
“Finally… Finally, it appeared! Finally, a ghost—”
My wish fulfilled.
Others might scoff at such a wish, but to me, it was everything I’d dreamed of.
My body moved on its own.
I grabbed my fallen camera and captured the glorious scene.
Click!
The greatest spirit photo in history.
So focused on it, I didn’t see the car speeding toward me.
SCREECH—!
The sky spun.
I realized too late I was flying.
‘Ah, I finally found a ghost…’
Did seeing what I shouldn’t have mean I had to die?
My body wouldn’t move, and my consciousness blurred.
My past flashed before me like a slideshow.
‘In my next life… I want to be someone who sees ghosts clearly.’
‘A psychic or medium… I want to try exorcism myself.’
‘I want to make friends. Why didn’t I realize how precious that was?’
‘A girlfriend… I want to enjoy youth.’
‘What kind of ghost was that just now?’
Unfulfilled wishes and regrets swirled like a vortex.
I could no longer tell what I was thinking.
With one final thought, my consciousness faded completely.
‘Ah, I need to submit that photo.’
I love ghost stories.
Any tale about ghosts, exploring spirit photos, or venturing into abandoned houses—I loved it all.
I even thought being a medium in my next life would be great.
But.
“…I didn’t want to become a ghost.”
Suddenly, I’d become a female ghost.
And in the world of a game featuring mediums, no less.