[Repeat Exam Taker Ghost Story]
I connected Gyeongwon's laptop to the projector and displayed a news article on the screen.
"Read it. It's a news article from 2017."
"..Hmm."
The club members each murmured
to themselves as they read the newspaper.
"Random assault, a long-term civil service exam taker in his 50s arrested for attempted murder...."
Jinhee soon stopped reading and frowned.
"He's in his 50s and still studying for the civil service exam?"
"He studied for the judicial exam for a whopping 20 years. He never passed."
The club members looked speechless.
"At that point, why wouldn't he just find another path....."
"Well, according to the article, this person is diagnosed with schizophrenia. But it's unclear whether he studied for so long because of schizophrenia, or if he developed the illness from studying for so long. The key point is, this kind of case isn't just one or two, it happens more often than you'd think."
I showed them the pre-prepared presentation I made while waiting for Sunah.
Just as Gyeongwon, who was in charge of the competition, prepared the competition PPT, I also made a ghost story PPT in advance as the club president.
"Look at the graph. This is the current
percentage of long-term applicants on the civil service exam."
[Proportion of Repeat Civil Service Exam Takers]
First-time takers: 29%
Second-time takers: 26%
Three or more attempts: 45%
"The data is from 2017, but it's still similar today. Considering that those who have been preparing for more than three years are usually called 'long-term or repeat examinees,' it's a staggering conclusion that nearly half of all test-takers fall into this category."
"....."
"It's the same with this boarding house. The longer you stay, the more you become assimilated, and since the only ones staying long-term are the repeat exam takers, it was inevitable that everyone got entangled." I said
The reason this ghost story managed to survive for 20 years without being uncovered lay in the fact that it created a chilling synergy with this very reality.
"It was just luck that we ended up here. The owner happened to contact Detective Park Gangwoon, and that's how we got connected. Now, let's look at the next newS article."
I clicked the mouse to show the next news article.
[Study Room Thief in ShinLim Neighborhood Turns Out to Be 8-Time
Exam Failer]
"...ShinLim Neighborhood is where we live, Joon..."
At Sunah's murmur, I gave her a small nod.
"There are a lot of civil service exam takers in Noryangjin, but those in ShinLim Neighborhood mostly study for the judicial exam. In this person's case, he was preparing for the higher civil service exam. Go ahead, read it."
[In May 2017, Mr. Nam was under investigation for stealing a total of 60 exam prep books and several mobile phones, with at least 20 reported incidents across study lounges in the ShinLim Neighhorhood area ]
"So he took advantage of the fact that exam prep books are heavy, so most test takers tend to leave them on their desks rather than carrying them around....?"
Gyeongwon paused mid-reading and pushed his glasses.
"That's clever..."
"Soka. Failed eight times, broke, and resorted to stealing while preparing for the civil service exams. So this is the reality we live in."
Dukhun shook his head repeatedly.
"Why not just live a normal life instead of doing that..."
"Exactly. If he'd just worked night shifts at our store during that time, he could've saved over 100 million won in 8 years and even bought a house."
Jinhee replied while loudly chewing her gum.
After nodding to the two of them, I offered my conclusion on this news.
"This isn't the only case. A boarding house is supposed to be a place where people gather to study for the civil service exam, claiming they want to serve the public, and yet, theft is surprisingly common in these places. Is it a coincidence?"
I moved on to the next news articles.
[20s man in Noryangjin uses laxatives to catch boarding house communal fridge thief, both parties reporting each other to the police]
[Why Aspiring Police Officers Steal Each Other's Food While Studying]
(Boarding House Weapon Rampage on "Stop Stealing My Side Dishes!"]
"In boarding houses, fridge theft has become so common that people have started using all sorts of bizarre methods to prevent it, like leaving fake side dishes laced with laxatives as traps, or even locking their milk cartons with padlocks. It's a reality
that's hard to believe, especially coming from people who claim they want to become public officials or police officers."
"Do you think it's just a coincidence? That they're all just morally broken?"
After asking the question, I shook my head myself.
"No. I think part of it might be that they've been brainwashed by the ghost story."
Among us, no one had stealing habits, but the repeat-exam girl Subin, whom I'd been following around in the previous time slot.
Not only did she rob Hayoon's room, she also blatantly stole food from the refrigerator right in front of me while I was boiling ramen.
"Do vou see the common thread between the news I just showed you and the boarding house upstairs? An unusually high proportion of long-term exam talkers. And behaviors that just don't make sense."
"They're all the result of being entangled in the ghost story'. of course, the news examples focused on theft, but the way the phenomenon manifests differs from person to person. In my case, I was even invited to the largest 'sec-study' group in Noryangjin. Everyone here experiences a sudden surge of interest in the opposite sex while staying here. You probably noticed that too."
"...."
The club members quietly looked at me.
"Is that so, Joon?"
Hayoon asked in a gentle voice.
I quickly moved on to the next topic.
"The symptoms that manifest Can vary
from person to person. Some develop
kleptomania, others get hooked on games or lost in dramas. Especially in Gyeongwon's case..."
The strange behavior Gyeongwon showed, which was the root of our division.
It probably could be explained by the fact that he was in the study lounge.
In a way, we were also a study group gathered to prepare for a competition.
The leaders of Noryangjin 'sec-study' group, who only obsessed over their own desires, completely contrary to the original purpose of the gatherings.
Their actions closely resembled Gyeongwon's behavior when he briefly
held authority.
"You get it now, right? That's what it was. The manifestations differ for each person, but they all share one thing in common; the psychological traps that the civil service exam takers here in Noryangjin fall into. These things may just sound like petty rumours to outsiders, but here, they're all real phenomena. And once you understand that, it also explains why despite being caught in the same ghost story, it's only the manager who ends up dead."
I swiped the screen to show the next news article.
["The Cleaning Noise Was Too Loud" Man in His 30s Indicted for Murder of Boarding House Manager]
[20s Boarding House Murderer Sentenced to 25 Years "Claim of Diminished Capacity Rejected"]
[I was Ignored..... Man in 30s
Sentenced for Attempted Arson at
Boarding House]
"There are so many...."
The club members looked dumbfounded.
Even Hayoon narrowed her eyes at the
string of news articles.
"Long-term exam takers who don't even go to academies, completely cut off from social relationships and holed up in the boarding house. There's only one person they see face-to-face, and that's the manager of the boarding house. So, since they're the only person they see everyday, they should be glad to see them, right? No. The news tells
the exact opposite."
I pointed at the screen.
"After being locked in their rooms for so long, overwhelmed by anxiety, irritation, and deep depression, all their paranoid delusions ended up targeting the one person they see
face-to-face. A famous related case involved a boarding house manager who, consumed by the delusion that bugs were being put into his room, set the building on fire."
"Oh, you mean that one."
Our internet ghost, Dukhun, nodded.
"Wasn't that the case where the crime was predicted in a standup comedy beforehand? I remember it."
"Right. That's why in this ghost story, the one who always ends up dead is the manager."
I tapped the screen a few times.
"Even though they are all involved in ghost story and studying the same way, just because of the manager's position, he would inevitably be attacked as part of the story's structure."
It was fortunate for us.
Because at least their body was found, we were able to be contacted and come to this boarding house.
"..But Prez."
Suddenly, Gyeongwon raised his hand, as if something was bothering him.
"Does killing each other like that have any meaning from the perspective of the ghost story? I don't think it makes any sense...."
He said with a deeply thoughtful expression.
"In the end, it was because the manager died that the Detective was contacted, and that's why we came all the way here to exterminate it. Then from the ghost story's perspective, which brainwashed people into civil service exam candidates, isn't that
actually a loss...? The people it worked so hard to brainwash as civil service exam candidates end up killing each other, leaving behind evidence and drawing public attention..."
"You're right, Gyeongwon. I was thinking about that part too."
I nodded.
"The people at the boarding house killing the managers, it's simply part of this ghost story's structure, where the violent nature of long-term exam takers manifest. There's no meaning to it. Just as you thought, from the ghost story's perspective, it's nothing but a
loss."
"You also think it's a loss...?"
"Yeah."
I pointed again to the title I had given this urban legend.
[Repeat Exam Taker Ghost Story]
"This ghost story is the embodiment of all the social violence that civil service exam takers can reveal. The people who stayed and became assimilated are simply doing what they would naturally do within the structure of the story, there's no deeper meaning to them killing the manager. In a way, you could say that's a flaw in this ghost story. I'm planning to dig into that part."
"....."
"Everyone understand?"
The club members nodded slowly, but steadily.
Noticing that Sunah and Jinhee looked somewhat dazed, I pointed at Gyeongwon and told him to summarize it again.
"Gyeongwon, summarize it again in three lines."
"..So..."
He pushed up his glasses and frowned.
"This ghost story, once entangled, erases a person's identity and turns them into a civil service exam candidate. But this isn't just any candidate, it's the worst collective image woven from all the rumors of
Noryangjin... And those people who change like this disappear from society, vanish from the world, becoming invisible...."
"...Because they're socially invisible."
Gyeongwon frowned again at my
added comment.
"...still..... , I still don't understand. It feels like the Demon King isn't in control at all."
"That's true."
I nodded at Gyeongwon's sharp observation.
He was indeed a capable guy.
I couldn't help but be glad we could reunite.
"That's strange, Prez. In the previous human anatomy model and the apocalypse ghost stories, they meticulously attacked you, even resetting the checkpoints to completely take you down. Compared to that, this feels different. It's like there's no rationality....."
His brows furrowed even more.
"Even if social violence is the fundamental theme, did the ghost story really need to follow it 100%...? It could've just avoided killing. Avoided getting caught. It's not like the Demon King doesn't have that ability."
I nodded at Gyeongwon's insightful Soon, Dukhun next to him also crossed his arms as he muttered 'Sodesune'.
"Oh, that's definitely true. If I'd intervened as the Demon King, I would've just ordered them not to kill anyone. It would just leave evidence behind."
"Is it to lure us on purpose—"
"That's not it."
I pointed that part out to Gyeongwon.
"The incidents where the manager was killed. He didn't leave traces on purpose to lure us. If that were the case, he would've stopped leaving traces the moment I, the target, got involved."
But this time, even after I got involved and became part of the group, the ghost story didn't stop tormenting the managers and leaving traces.
I even once tried driving out the manager myself by stabbing him with a knife.
"Gyeongwon, what you said is exactly right. Even if I were the Demon King, I would have done the same. I would have ordered them to not harmn the managers, so as to avoid attracting unnecessary attention. From what
we've experienced so far, that sort of small degree of control is possible for him."
As a result of the ghost story's leniency, which even allowed me to play games at the internet café, I ended up leaving clues for the Detective and Jinhee, who had been searching for me outside.
But the Demon King just watched all of
it unfold.
Why didn't he intervene?
What did that mean?
It was almost as if...
"This ghost story. It seems to exist separately from the Demon King. I don't feel any of his influence."
"As expected, Prez. I was about to reach that conclusion, too."
Gyeongwon nodded, pushing up his glasses.
"As we've hypothesized before, it seems that he's unable to do anything right now because he forced out an S-class ghost story. This ghost story wasn't sent by the Demon King."
At those words, Sunah asked with a slightly frightened expression.
"T-then Joon...."
She hesitated.
"Could it be a member of the Void Cult....? Did they send it....."
"No. I don't think So."
"Then is it Clover?"
"...."
The members hurriedly asked one another.
After a moment of thought, I could only shake my head.
No. It's not."
"Not the Void Cult, not Clover. Neither
of them is connected."
"..Not connected?"
"Right."
I carefully recalled and answered.
"..I didn't explain in detail, but I was involved in it for quite a long time. Quite... a long time."
"But."
As I recalled the memories, I soon
shook my head with certainty.
"But neither the Void Cult, nor Clover.
I didn't sense any involvement from
any of the group. This just feels like something that was originally there."
"...It was here originally, Prez. It's been around for 20 years."
"hmm....."
Gyeongwon answered with a perplexed expression.
Jinhee, also wearing a similarly puzzled expression, asked.
"Then who is it? If it's neither of them, who brought it up?"
I pondered again, starting from the beginning.
This repeat examn taker ghost story faithfully followed its own narrative structure, stubbornly adhering even to its flaws.
It was, in every sense, a wild ghost story driven purely by instinct, taking orders from no one.
'First of all, it's a ghost story that's been
around since 20 years ago, before I was
even born, so let's rule out the Demon
King first.'
He wouldn't release ghost stories unless there was a Hero.
Next, if we rule out the Void cult and Clover as well....'
Then what's left?
I looked at Hayoon, her expression calm.
As our eyes met for a brief moment, her lips moved silently.
["Then that leaves the Demon King
again, Joon."]
I slowly closed my eyes and nodded at Hayoon, who was calmly watching me.
At that moment.
"Y-yeah. That's it, Prez!"
While I was organizing my thoughts, Gyeongwon suddenly stood up and chimed in belatedly.
"I-if he released ghost stories in advance, like.. twenty years ago...? AII over the country, ahead of time...."
he think deeply.
"To use them later or something..."
His voice trailed off, then he became dejected again and sat down.
"But that can't be it, right? The Demon King doesn't send out ghost stories unless there's a Hero... and like we concluded, he doesn't control them either...."
"That's right."
I nodded in acknowledgement.
That was not just something I've realized in my past life, but something I've felt countless times before.
"The Demon King doesn't send ghost stories unless there's a Hero.'
I realized that most clearly in my previous life, when I couldn't even complete the tutorial.
Back then, the Demon King didn't bother to hinder or kill me.
He just left me alone.
'How much more so when I'm not around.....'
Even when I was around, he gave up
and just let things be, so would he really waste his strength creating ghost stories when I was not even there?
Especially ghost stories that have existed for so long, they no longer follow his control and even leave traces in the world.
"..."
I thought for a moment, then pointed to Sunah.
"Yoon Sunah."
"Uh, yeah...?"
"What do you think?"
"w-what...."
"Why did this ghost story exist 20 years ago?"
Sunah shrank her shoulders.
Her frightened expression seemed to ask why I was asking her that now.
"The Demon King doesn't do anything without a Hero, sO why did this ghost
story exist?"
"It might have existed from then."
"Really?"
"....."
Sunah hesitantly looked at me.
I nodded absentmindedly and stayed silent for a moment, then suddenly froze and asked again.
"..What? What did you just say?"
"...."
Sunah hesitantly shrank back.
"Sorry, Joon.. I actually don't really know....."
A moment of silence fell in the room. It seemed Sunah just said it without knowing.
She was too unintelligent to say that.
But the atmosphere in the room turned different.
"..."
"....."
"..."
"..."
Sunah hunched her shoulders and glanced at me.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
And I quietly mulled over her answer.
'Sunah, I love you....'
Sometimes, the right answer comes from the person you'd least expect.
A competent person sets all the conditions and assumptions before deriving the right answer.
Sometimes, an answer blurted out by someone seemingly incompetent, ignoring all the assumptions and without any real thought, can end up being the right one.
"Sunah."
"Uh, yeah...?"
Sunah hunched her shoulders again and flinched slightly as she glanced at me.
I quietly nodded.
"Thank you."
"Oh.."
Sunah gave a small nod in return and glanced around.
The other club members also looked as if they had been struck by some deep realization, their faces momentarily frozen.
'..I see!'
I clasped my hands together and fell into thought.
The Demon King didn't come into existence just yesterday morning.
At least since before this school came
into existence.
No, he must have been buried there for a long time, even longer than that.
Then what about the Hero?
Was Lee Joon, who appeared just yesterday morning, the only Hero?
'Or maybe.....'
Maybe the battle between the Hero and the Demon King.
It was a pattern that had been repeated
itself time and again throughout the ages.