[C-rank Ghost Story - The Seven
Mysteries of School The Cursed Book]
It is said that the book with the classification number 444-4444 in the library on the first floor of the school's main building is not a book written by a human.
"...Hmm."
Inside the white envelope I had
impressively torn open in front of the
club members, as expected, there was a card with a C-rank ghost story written on it.
Last time, during the latex incident with Teacher Jang Hwaeun, the mirror ghost story also came out of a white envelope.
Just like Overwatch loot boxes, white was probably C-rank.
Blue was B-rank, purple was A-rank. And yellow was likely Legendary, S-rank.
"It's a C-rank ghost story. They say it's
in the library. Here. You all read what it
says."
I handed the card with the ghost story written on it to the club members and let them read it.
"Hmm, a cursed book..."
"Is there really such a thing in the library?"
The club members gathered in a small group to look at the small card.
Sunah suddenly paused while reading and lifted her head with a curious expression.
"If a human didn't write it, then who did..?"
"Don't be so naive. Of course, it must have been a ghost."
Jinhee chided her, but Gyeongwon shook his head.
"No. I don't think we know for sure. Among ghost stories involving cursed books, there are many cases where the author is a demon or an extraterrestrial entity."
"How can something that doesn't even
exist write a book?"
"Don't be so old-fashioned. Especially
when there's even a Demon King."
At my interjection, the club members nodded, and Gyeongwon adjusted his
glasses.
"That's right, Prez. They say the Codex
Gigas, the 'Bible of Hell' is actually written by the Devil, and is being kept at the Swedish National Library."
"That sounds like a lie..."
"It's not a lie!"
When Sunah glanced at him with a skeptical look, Gyeongwon snapped back and defended himself.
"It's not just a rumor, it's actually there.
They say you can even see it if you go
inside."
A massive book written overnight by a
medieval priest who sold his soul to the Devil.
He was saying it was not just a rumor,
and the actual book is being kept in Sweden.
'I wonder why such a book even exists
in real life.'
I nodded to myself and gathered the
attention of the club members.
"Well, I guess there are some large-scale ones like that among cursed books. Anyway, this is a C-rank ghost story, and since it's said to be in our school library, it's probably not that big of a deal. We haven't really found anything significant since the last CA session, right? So rather than just talking, I was thinking we could try directly dealing with a ghost story today. Sounds good?"
"Okay."
"Alright. Then let's head out right away."
***
We all left the clubroom, including the
Teacher, and headed down to the first
floor in a group.
"It's quiet."
"I know, right."
Since it was the 5th period CA time, the students were engaged in club activities inside their respective classrooms.
Thanks to that, we didn't run into anyone on the way, and even if we had, it wouldn't have been students.
Since we were moving with our supervising teacher, Jang Hwaeun, there was no need to worry about anyone giving us strange looks.
Creak-
Soon we arrived at the library, and when we opened the door and entered, the Library Club members, who had been having a discussion at a table set up in one corner, stopped talking and looked at us.
"Hello~"
As Teacher Jang Hwaeun entered first
with a smile, the librarian from the Library Club stood up and came over to greet her.
"Teacher Jang Hwaeun? What brings you here? Isn't it CA period right now....."
She had long hair, slender shoulders,
and large glasses.
The librarian had the impression of a gentle, typical bookworm type; she looked like an older sister in her late twenties, and since I rarely visited the library, she was someone I had no connection with.
Standing in front of the counter, the supervising teachers of the two clubs chatted with each other.
"Sorry for interrupting~ I came because we don't have the books we need for today's CA activity topic, so i was thinking of borrowing some. Would that be alright?"
"Ah~ If that's the case, just let me know when you take them out so I can scan the barcodes. Feel free to look around."
"Thank you, Teacher~ Sorry for suddenly barging in like this~"
"No problem, it's fine. Take your time
looking around."
The two teachers finished their conversation seemingly having reached an agreement. Teacher Jang Hwaeun smiled and gestured to us, who were waiting hesitantly in the Corner.
"Come on over, let's find the books and go upstairs!"
I walked toward Teacher Hwaeun, and at the same time, glanced at the librarian's slender back as she returned to her own Library Club
members.
I thought as I watched the librarian's slender back walking away.
'So she's the one who rejected Hayoon
in the interview.'
At the beginning of the semester, Hayoon applied to join the Library Club but was brutally rejected in the interview. After that, she got caught up in the Dreams Within Dreams ghost story and ended up joining our club.
of course, the librarian herself probably rejected her without knowing anything, but considering Hayoon's status within the school. it could definitely be called a bold move.
'She probably doesn't belong to the Void cult. She seems kind, too.'
I set aside my impression of the librarian and began looking around the bookshelves.
"Alright, let's look for it. 444... 444."
"Let's start from the 400s section, Prez."
"444-4444.. Let's see....".
As we all split up like that, looking around to see which bookshelf had the 400s books, Hayoon walked over to one bookshelf without a monment's hesitation and looked up.
"Here it is, Joon."
"Ah, yeah. Right."
Unlike me, who doesn't particularly like books, Hayoon seemed familiar with the layout of the library. perhaps because she had been here often, befitting a student who had once applied to the Library Club. (Though she didn't get into the Library Club,
hehe)
"Is there anything? What is it?"
As I asked, I went over to check, but Hayoon was just standing still.
I stood beside her and looked into the section with her.
"Here, 443. And.. 445. Huh?"
Feeling confused, I looked up and down the shelf again.
The shelf directly above, number 443, was for Astronomy, and the shelf below it, number 445, was for books related to Geology.
However, the section number 444 in between was completely skipped over and missing.
We needed to find book number 4444 inside section number 444, but far from finding the book, the section itself didn't even exist in the first place.
"...Why isn't it here?"
When I glanced over at Hayoon, she just stood there with her arms crossed, expressionless.
"Secion 444 was never here to begin with, Joon."
"..Is that so? Why?"
I tilted my head and looked at the classification sticker on the side of the
bookshelf.
Korean Decimal Classification (KDC)
- 400s
400 - Natural Sciences
410 - Mathematics
420 - Physics
430 - Chemistry
440 - Astronomy
450 - Geology
460 - Mineralogy
470 - Biology
480 - Botany
490 - Zoology
The Korean Decimal Classification I'd often seen even at public libraries.
"Now, here the 440s are Astronomy, so within that, number 444.."
440- Astronomy
440 - Astronomy
441 - Theoretical Astronomv
442 - Practical astronomy
443 - Applied astronomy
444 -
445 - Geology
446 - Geodesy
447 - Nautical Astronomy
448 - Navigation methods, Astrometry
449 - Calendars of various countries
"..It's not here?"
Wondering if I'd misread it, I checked the classification stickers on the other
bookshelves as well.
"..What the hell.'
I hadn't been mistaken.
400, 401, 402... even up to 499.
Every single number had a classification label attached, but only the listing for number 444 was left completely blank.
"...Is it normally like this? Or is it because of the ghost story?"
"It's always been like this, Joon."
Hayoon said with her arms crossed, watching to see how I'd react.
"Section 444 has always been left unused in the decimal classification. I don't know why."
"...Really?"
I stood beside her, stroking my chin with a thoughtful expression.
A Bible supposedly written by the Devil was conspicuously on display as a real artifact in a museum, but of all the book classification codes officially designated by the Korean government, only number 444 was left empty.
Somehow, this world was already full of strange things even without me going out to look for them.
Around that time, the other club members also started coming over to my side, each holding a book.
"Joon, there are comic books here too.... "
"Oi oi oi, you've gotta be kidding me. Light novels just sitting on the shelf? Owo~. So there's someone in the Library Club who's just like me for real for real-"
"Kids. shh! You need to be quiet!"
Teacher Jang Hwaeun also came over holding an essay book filled with motivational quotes and scolded the club members.
"Just do what you need to do quietly and then leave! Joon, did you find the book?"
"No, well.."
I explained the situation to the members who had arrived late.
Soon, the Teacher bent her knees slightly with a troubled expression.
"Then what are we supposed to do? Didn't you say it was definitely on the ghost story card the system gave us?"
"I know, right. But now that we've actually come, it's not here....."
"Should I ask them for you?"
Teacher Jang Hwaeun glanced sideways at the Library Club members and the librarian sitting at a table in the distance, engaged in discussion.
"You think they'll help if we tell them we're looking for a book in the 444 section?"
"No, that's a bit... I think that would be too much of a nuisance..."
I answered, glancing over at the Library Club in the distance as well.
I already felt bad enough for barging in on someone else's club activity time, so asking for a strange favor like that felt even more awkward.
'It's not like they'd be able to find it even if we asked.'
It wasn't a matter of not being able to find a book that existed; it wasa problem of having to find a book that, by the classification system, didn't exist at all.
While everyone was groaning in contemplation.
Hayoon, who had been wearing a thoughtful expression, suddenly spoke to me.
"Joon, show me the card again."
"Uh, sure. Here."
I took a card out of my pocket and handed it to Hayoon.
-To my beloved girl, In Hayoon-
Hi. My name is Jeon Youngtak, and I'm
the class president of Grade 1 Class 5.
We met at the school science competition last Monday, do you happen to remember?
"Is it that interesting?"
"Ah, no, that's not it.."
I snatched the letter back from Hayoon, who was looking at me expressionlessly, and tore it into shreds to ensure that there would be no more misunderstandings, then stuffed it in my pocket.
'But that f*cking bastard Jeon Youngtak is really..."
After that, when I handed her the real ghost story card, Hayoon read it carefully and then pointed to a spot on it with her finger.
"Here."
[C-rank Ghost Story-7 Mysteries of School O The Cursed Book]
It is said that the book with the classification number 444-4444 in the library on the first floor of the school's main building is not a book written by a human.
"It only says the classification codes are these, but it doesn't say it's kept here."
".I see."
I stepped aside and made room for the club members to listen along.
Hayoon didn't seem to mind and continued her explanation while looking down at the card.
"But looking at the first line, it's true that it's indeed inside the library. This way."
After saying that, Hayoon spun around
and headed toward a corner of the library.
We, understanding or not, hurriedly followed after.
It was fascinating to see Hayoon explaning someting to the club members for the first time, but as expected, unlike Gyeongwon or me, she was the type to say exactly what
needed to be said and then turned away.
As we moved to the corner, careful not
to draw the Library Club's attention, Hayoon was already pushing one of the bookshelves aside.
Creak-
"Wow, so this slides to the side."
"Whoa, there are tons of books here too. What kind of space is this?"
"Hmm, Club Prez. This is.."
When I glanced to the side, Gyeongwon had an intrigued look on his face.
"Books without any labels, just shoved in haphazardly... It looks like they keep new books here that haven't been barcoded yet, or maybe damaged books that are so old they need to be replaced."
"Looks like? Don't you read a lot of books too?"
I looked at Gyeongwon.
"I thought you came to the library often. Is this your first time seeing this place too?"
"...Was that the impression I gave?"
Gyeongwon lifted his chin with an awkward expression.
It seemed he didn't come to the library often either.
"...I do read a lot of things on the internet. I watch a lot of documentaries and things like that on YouTube. But as for paper books, I only read reference books and stuff like that..."
"So you lack any bookish knowledge."
That's why you got scammed by me. The guy joined the club because he was fooled by me.
Although both Hayoon and Gyeongwon were the intellectual members of our club, if Hayoon leaned toward a rather classical academic style, wearing glasses and sitting slightly askew while flipping through paper books every day, Gyeongwon was solely devoted to the internet and YouTube.
"Here, Joon."
Soon, Hayoon bent down and pointed to a red book at the very bottom of the hidden bookshelf.
"444-4444. Check it out."
"Ah, yeah. Thanks."
I also bent down to examine the book Hayoon was pointing to.
The book tucked away in the very bottom corner was entirely red and had no title, but looking at the dusty label underneath, the classification code 444-4444 was clearly written on it.
"The Seven Mysteries of School, the Third.'
The Cursed Book.
"S-s-stay back, everyone..."
As I took the stance to pull it out, Dukhun pushed the club members back.
"What if being too close affects us somehow..."
".Right. You guys step back and keep watch. I'm pulling it out now."
"Uh-huh."
The club members and the Teacher stepped back and, while keeping watch on the Library Club from a distance, nodded.
I took a deep breath for a moment, then pulled out the red book.
Swoosh-
"...."
"....."
"...Nothing unusual, right?"
"The otaku's belly suddenly got big!"
"It was always like this."
"Everything seems fine, Club Prez."
"Huu. Then let's take a look."
I brushed the dust off the red book and examined it from front to back.
It was a hardcover book, completely red on both sides, front and back, with neither the title nor the author written on it.
However, perhaps because the library had put it there a long time ago, a faded barcode sticker classified as 444-4444 was attached.
"Don't open it here. Let's go to the club room to check it out, Prez."
"That's what I plan to do."
I nodded and pushed the hidden bookshelf that Hayoon had opened, closing it again.
Then Sunah came over to me and asked with a worried expression.
"What are you going to do, Joon...? Are you going to hide it and take it away..?"
"No. I'll probably get some dirty looks, so I'm just going to borrow it openly."
"They hid it here so no one would take it, will that be okay...?"
"That's true, though. Personally, I'm curious about the title of this book."
I tapped the barcode sticker with my finger.
"All we know is that this is the cursed book mentioned in the ghost story card. But the fact that there's a barcode sticker on it means at least it's registered in the library database."
"Hmm. I suppose so."
"Then that means when we scan this, some information, like the title or the author, should come up. Even if just to check that, I'm going to openly scan it and borrow it."
"As expected of you, Prez. That's definitely a point we need to check."
Gyeongwon nodded, and the other members came over to me, handing me
the books they had chosen.
"Here. Hide it between these light novels. Let's hand it in together with the ordinary books and see how they react."
"joon. here's a comic book too…"
"Take your teacher's essay book too~"