How a Veteran of the Urban Legend Gallery Survives – Chapter 18

The light pouring over the academy desk grew thicker. As if showing the passage of time, the sunlight slowly illuminated the workbook placed on my desk. The air inside the classroom, mixed with fluorescent and natural light, felt strangely dreamlike.

I was spending my time solving basic college math problems. Thanks to the green spray I had sprayed in the morning, my mind was clear, and my body felt light.

Amid the sound of pencils echoing in the classroom, I noticed the student sitting in front of me craning their neck to write their answers.

Outside the window, the peaceful daily life of Daechi-dong continued. The streets were filled with the unique hustle and bustle of the academy district. In the midst of it all, I was solving problems like an ordinary repeat student. No, I was pretending to be ordinary.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over my workbook. At the same time, a sweet perfume scent brushed past the tip of my nose. The sweetness, like freshly baked macarons, tickled my nose. Normally, I would have cringed at such artificial sweetness, but strangely, her scent felt natural.

“Oppa, can I borrow a pen?”

I looked up at the sweet voice that reached my ears. As expected, it was Narae. Her brown eyes were looking down at me.

The student in front turned around and clicked their tongue.

Silently, I took out a spare pen from my bag. As I handed it to Narae, her white fingers lightly brushed the back of my hand. It was a fleeting moment, but her body temperature was clearly transmitted.

“Thank you.”

Narae smiled sweetly. Just as she was about to return to her seat, she picked up her workbook and came back to my side.

“Can you take a look at this problem? I really don’t get it…”

It had been like this all morning. Borrowing a pen, an eraser, or asking about a problem. She always found an excuse to approach me.

I could feel the gazes of the male repeat students sitting far away piercing in our direction. Someone was grinding their teeth while gripping their pencil, and another couldn’t hold back their anger and turned their head away.

“Here. This integral problem is just…”

Narae, pretending not to notice, leaned slightly on my shoulder, tucked her hair behind her ear, and pointed at the problem. At that moment, the sweet scent of her shampoo brushed past my nose.

“Since it’s a definite integral, you do it like this…”

As I explained, Narae gradually moved closer. Her skirt lightly brushed against my leg, creating a strange tension.

“Ah, so that’s how you do it…”

Her breath tickled my ear. At the same time, the honey-like sweetness stimulated my nose.

“But what about here…?”

Every time her gaze moved toward my chest, she subtly adjusted her posture, revealing her cleavage. All her actions, seemingly coincidental, felt calculated.

“Ugh…”

The sound of male repeat students breaking their pencils or grinding their teeth could be heard. Someone ran out to the bathroom, and another buried their face in their desk, groaning.

“Ah, I think I get it now!”

Narae clapped her hands happily and leaned in. Her hair brushed against my cheek as if by accident.

‘Thank goodness. The golden branch brooch is here.’

Thanks to the brooch that protected me from the charms of the repeat witch, my mind was clear… but honestly, if I hadn’t sprayed the green spray in the morning, I would have fallen for her long ago.

The lecture continued. Every time the instructor explained a problem on the board, Narae would lean on me and whisper, “I don’t get this part.”

As lunchtime was coming to an end, Narae approached me with a swaying gait. Every movement of hers was as elegant as if she were dancing.

“Oppa, do you have time today?”

I looked up at her sweet voice. A mischievous smile, as if hiding something, lingered at the corner of her mouth.

“Huh?”

“There’s a dinner gathering for repeat students tonight…”

She leaned slightly on my desk and continued.

“I was wondering if you could come too. It should be fun…”

Narae whispered into my ear. Her sweet scent once again stimulated my nose.

“You’ll come, right?”

Her words made my mind flash. It was the perfect opportunity to capture the repeat witch. But at the same time, it was also a dangerous moment for me.

‘This is it.’

I fidgeted with the Zhiririt Gun in my pocket.

“Sure.”

When I accepted, Narae’s eyes sparkled like a cat that had found its prey.

“Really? Yay, that’s great!”

She clapped her hands happily and ran off. Watching her, the male repeat students around us ground their teeth again. Curses mixed with sighs erupted here and there.

* * *

Evening. A pork belly restaurant.

“Oppa, just one more glass, please!”

Narae held out a soju glass. It was already the seventh one.

“That’s enough…”

“Come on, just one more!”

Narae smiled sweetly and shook the glass. The atmosphere made it hard to refuse.

A bottle of soju was already empty. The alcohol I drank at Narae’s urging was gradually making my head dizzy. I went to the bathroom and sprayed the green spray, and my mind cleared.

“Our oppa is weak with alcohol, huh?”

When I returned from the bathroom, Narae teased me. She seemed to be getting tipsy, her cheeks flushed. Her usual elegance was nowhere to be seen, and she was leaning on me, giggling.

“Second round! Let’s go for the second round!”

At her shout, the people around us looked at each other in confusion. Someone shook their head, and another looked at their watch, saying they should probably go home.

“Hey, Narae. Aren’t you too drunk?”

“I’m fine~ I’m not drunk at all!”

Narae, perhaps because of the alcohol, was becoming more aggressive. She tried to lean on my shoulder or hold my hand. Each time, the gazes around us felt sharp.

“Um… Jeong Woo?”

One of Narae’s friends cautiously approached me. Her face was full of concern.

“Narae seems too drunk. Can you take her home? We’d like to, but…”

I nodded. Fidgeting with the Zhiririt Gun and the Handcuffs of Repentance in my pocket.

“Sure.”

“Really? That’s a relief. Narae’s address is…”

The friend whispered the address to me. Narae staggered to her feet.

“Oppa is taking me home?”

“Yeah, Jeong Woo is…”

“Yay~ That’s great!”

Narae immediately grabbed my arm. Her sweet scent tickled my nose again.

“Then, everyone, take care~”

On the way to the taxi stand, Narae suddenly stopped. Under the dim streetlight, I could feel her expression changing.

“Hey, oppa…”

Her voice had strangely lowered. Her eyes, which had been blurry from the alcohol, suddenly became clear.

“Can we… just smoke one cigarette before we go?”

We entered a dark alley with no CCTV. The alley, with its broken streetlight, was pitch black. Narae continued to lead the way.

‘She’s planning something here.’

As I expected.

When we reached the depths of the alley, Narae slowly turned around. In an instant, her appearance began to change.

Her black hair turned pink in an instant. Her brown eyes turned into the yellow eyes of a cat. Triangular ears sprouted from her head, and three fluffy tails appeared behind her.

Her appearance was like a mix between a fox and a human.

“Hmm…”

Narae grabbed my collar and pushed me against the wall, then held my face with both hands. Her yellow eyes met mine.

“You are now in a deep hypnotic state! Hiyah!”

I deliberately made my eyes lose focus.

Of course, the golden branch brooch kept my mind clear. But I pretended to be hypnotized for a simple reason.

The repeat witch, as a horror story, was classified as E to D level, relatively low in danger. Above all, it was to lure Narae into letting her guard down so I could subdue her in one go.

“Hmm… Our Jeong Woo oppa doesn’t even care when I come on to him like this…”

Narae wagged her tail and snorted.

“Is he gay?”

Gay?

I was clearly heterosexual.

The reason I didn’t respond to Lee Narae was purely because she was a horror story, and fear outweighed desire.

I wanted to laugh inside, but I kept a blank expression.

She flicked her fingers and commanded.

“You will now answer my questions honestly!”

Narae’s hand slowly moved up my chest. Her yellow eyes sparkled.

“Question, are you gay?”

“…No.”

I answered in a dazed voice, as if hypnotized. Then Narae asked again.

“Then why don’t you react to me at all?”

Lee Narae’s hand moved up my chest. I could feel her sharp nails brushing against my shirt.

After hesitating for a moment, I answered.

“You… seem like you’re from a different world than me…”

It wasn’t entirely wrong, given the difference between a horror story and a human.

But Narae puffed out her cheeks, seemingly dissatisfied.

“Hmm, from a different world, huh…”

Narae stroked my face and licked her lips. Her eyes were becoming more beast-like.

“Our Jeong Woo oppa, with his firm body and handsome face, is just my type…”

Suddenly, Narae’s eyes changed. She looked at me with eyes that flashed like a beast.

“Should I just make you my husband?”

At those words, my pupils shook involuntarily.

Wait, this is a completely different development from what I saw in the horror gallery!