Chapter 2
“An earthquake?”
“C-Construction?”
“Was there supposed to be some construction work at school today?”
The ground had only shaken once, so it was difficult to call it an earthquake.
Naturally, most people began leaning toward the idea that it had been caused by construction.
“Alright, everyone. Please calm down.”
“But Professor, shouldn’t we check if there was some kind of accident?”
Once one student asked that question, the murmuring in the classroom grew even louder.
In the end, even the professor gave up.
“I’ll go find out what happened. In the meantime, discuss the group assignment among yourselves. Just choose a topic based on what I’ve put up on the PPT.”
Click.
Seriously.
We couldn't even get a short break.
The classroom seemed to become quiet after the professor left, but it didn't last long.
Someone suddenly spoke up.
“Huh? Why isn’t the internet working?”
At those words, everyone pulled out their phones.
I did the same.
[Unable to connect to the network.]
[Please check your network connection.]
As I stared blankly at my phone screen, I heard someone mutter nearby.
“Could it be because of that shaking just now?”
“I don’t think so. Does a building even affect mobile data? It’s not like we’re underground. It works outside, so it’d be strange if it suddenly stopped working just because we’re inside.”
It sounded convincing enough that everyone seemed to agree.
“Well, since it’s like this, should we start talking about the assignment?”
As the commotion gradually died down, Han Siwoo casually brought it up.
That annoyingly diligent bastard.
I wasn't particularly interested, but it wasn't like I could refuse to do the assignment.
“Sure.”
“What do we start with?”
Since the internet was down, Lee Dohyun and Kang Woojin, who had been playing games earlier, also joined the conversation.
That was a relief.
“First, we should—”
“Kyaaaaaaa!”
Crash—!
At the sudden scream and loud crashing noise from the hallway, everyone's eyes turned toward the door.
“Why is it so noisy?”
Someone muttered into the silence.
My attention had been drawn to it for a moment, but I assumed everyone would soon return to the assignment.
I thought someone had simply been messing around in the hallway and fallen over.
Just another ordinary incident.
Something that happened in everyday life.
Apparently, I was wrong.
“...That’s strange.”
Han Siwoo, who had continued staring toward the hallway, muttered with a complicated expression.
“What’s strange?”
“Someone fell loudly enough to make that much noise, but I don’t hear them getting back up. And the hallway is way too quiet.”
“Really?”
Now that he mentioned it...
It probably wasn't someone who had fallen while running alone, and even if classes were going on, there was no way the hallway would be completely empty.
Yet the hallway was strangely silent.
There was no groaning.
No cursing from whoever had fallen.
Nothing.
A strange sense of unease crawled over me, and I swallowed.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one who felt something was wrong.
Only then did I realize that the classroom itself had become completely silent.
Even the quiet whispers that had continued until a moment ago had stopped.
Scrape.
Han Siwoo pushed back his chair and stood.
“Where are you going?”
Before I realized it, I had grabbed his wrist.
For some reason, I felt like I had to.
“I’m going to see what happened.”
“I’ll go with you.”
The words came out automatically.
“Suit yourself.”
“Oh? What’s this? Skipping class?”
Lee Dohyun mocked us as we got up.
I ignored him and headed toward the door.
Then I heard several footsteps following behind us.
“Why?”
When Lee Dohyun asked as if he'd done nothing wrong, I almost laughed.
If he was coming with us anyway, why had he mocked us in the first place?
“Nothing.”
Hold it in.
Just hold it in.
Arguing with him would only be my loss.
Shaking my head, I walked toward the classroom door.
Creak.
The hallway was silent.
There was no one there, as though the commotion we'd just heard had never happened.
I glanced around and stepped into the hallway.
Then my shoe landed on something wet and sticky.
Red...
Liquid?
What the hell is this?
A chill ran down my spine, and I instinctively rubbed the sole of my shoe against the hallway floor.
Han Siwoo looked at me.
“What are you doing?”
“T-This...”
“Ugh, what is that smell?”
Before I could finish, Kang Woojin stepped into the hallway and immediately frowned, covering his nose.
“Smell?”
“Now that you mention it... it smells kind of metallic.”
At Kang Woojin's words, everyone sniffed the air.
Now that he'd pointed it out, there really was a smell similar to rusty iron.
“Holy shit. What is that?!”
Kang Woojin pointed somewhere with a trembling hand.
The same red liquid I had stepped on was splattered across several places in the hallway.
That wasn't all of it beneath my shoe?
Goosebumps rose across my skin.
There was a lot of it.
Far too much.
“D-Don’t tell me that’s blood.”
“Hey. It’s obviously paint. What, are they filming some hidden-camera prank? Or maybe it’s some Halloween event.”
Lee Dohyun snorted at my frightened reaction.
“Halloween already passed.”
Han Siwoo crouched down and stared intently at the liquid on the floor.
After examining it for a moment, he nodded and stood back up.
“It looks like paint.”
“Phew.”
Kang Woojin sighed in relief.
Lee Dohyun smirked at him as though he'd known that all along.
“See? How many times have I told you not to overreact? You’re freaking everyone out for nothing.”
“No, I wasn't overreacting...!”
“Whatever. Why the hell is there nobody in the hallway? I can't even see the person who screamed earlier.”
Lee Dohyun naturally wrapped an arm around Kang Woojin's neck and looked around.
I also slowly walked farther down the creepy hallway, staring at the red paint splattered everywhere.
It was smeared all over the place.
