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I was suddenly being critiqued by Braun on the bath bomb made from 500 milliliters of my own blood.
“...You’re calling it unique?”
I was bewildered.
“Almost made me turn around and leave,” Braun quipped.
I steadied my head and asked, “What exactly do you mean by unique?”
“Exactly what I said! You see, bath bombs come in various types, don’t they? Salt, oil, foam... Yours, Soleum, has quite a few differences compared to that ginseng over there. Though there are similarities too.”
That...
Well, obviously. That thing’s a supernatural ginseng, and I’m a human.
“Isn’t it natural for there to be differences?” I thought.
“Of course! But why do you, Soleum, share similarities with that ginseng?”
“...!”
“Hm... Ah. I think I understand now,” Braun said, smacking his lips like he was tasting wine before delivering his verdict.
“Soleum, your bath bomb is... blended.”
Blended. The term typically refers to mixing various ingredients to create a new flavor, often used in coffee or cocktails.
“Exactly. Some ingredients akin to that ginseng are mixed in there,” Braun elaborated.
“...”
Was he talking about supernatural contamination? The thought of the security chief flashed in my mind. The image of a wolf-like creature ripping apart its human form and twisting into something monstrous was unsettling.
Could I be experiencing the same contamination and encroachment from these supernatural phenomena?
“Contamination? That’s such an extreme and negative term! Life is a process of change, isn’t it? Influences, give and take, that’s what makes things exciting!” Braun retorted cheerfully.
Damn it.
I instinctively checked my body. If there was any visible “influence” from the supernatural, it might stem from the tattoos.
“Do you think this ‘influence’ is caused by the tattoos?” I asked.
“Hm, it’s always tricky to trace the origin of something already mixed. Some wine connoisseurs claim they can pinpoint the vineyard with just a sip, but I’m not one to put on such airs!” Braun deflected with a laugh.
“...”
“Well, anyway, there’s no need to fear you’ll become a completely new person by next week! That’s not how it works,” Braun reassured me.
He wasn’t wrong in theory.
“Living and working here inevitably means getting a bit contaminated by ghost stories.”
It didn’t make sense to overreact.
The stronger and more diverse the supernatural abilities one could wield, the more encroached upon they’d become. The key was maintaining balance.
I didn’t think I had enough abilities yet to worry about balance, but still...
“I’ll need to manage this in the future,” I resolved. Fortunately, there was a facility for managing such things among those newly accessible to me as a supervisor. I’d check it out after surviving this ghost story.
“Hm. There seems to be something else unusual mixed in… Ah, it’s all dissolved now,” Braun said, sniffing the air as if trying to identify the bath bomb’s scent. He let out a long, satisfied sigh.
“I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly!”
I was glad someone had fun.
In the tub, neon lights flickered like changing TV channels. The plush toy sprawled leisurely against the tub wall, its shadow dancing vibrantly.
“Shall we head out?” Braun asked.
I walked over and picked him up. The plush toy felt a bit fancier, though its size hadn’t changed. Yet, Braun’s voice sounded crisper and more composed than before.
Covering the toy with a towel, I asked, “Feeling energized?”
“Absolutely!”
“Hmm, it’s like returning to the heightened state of my prime,” Braun mused.
While it wasn’t as dramatic as when he had the supernatural ginseng, Braun seemed rejuvenated.
Then, as I lifted the towel covering Braun, I noticed something I hadn’t seen earlier.
“...A tag?”
There was a scrap of fabric at the back of his neck, as if a tag had been cut off.
“Did there used to be a full tag here?” I wondered. It seemed like a part of him restored during the rejuvenation process.
“What a strange feeling,” I thought. I made a mental note to remember this detail.
“Ah, I feel so refreshed,” Braun sighed contentedly.
“Good for you.”
After drying him off, I placed him on the usual towel on the table.
“All set,” I said.
“By the way, I have a favor to ask.”
“Ah, I’ve already got a hunch about what it is! After all, how could I refuse a friend who went through the trouble of drawing my bath? You’d like me to lend my mask to someone else again, right?”
“That’s right.”
Now that Braun was revitalized, he should be able to use more powerful abilities.
“How many people?”
“Two.”
***
Two days later.
Following the official notice I received, I reported to a location other than the company’s headquarters—a closed-down private kindergarten. Inside, the company staff had already settled in.
“You’re here.”
“Soleum, you’re early!”
Standing near the untidy entrance of the kindergarten, I didn’t wait long before my team arrived.
“Please, let it be someone else who gets picked to die.”
“Please... just not us...”
“...”
Thanks for whispering, guys.
Not that it mattered much; everyone wore the same uneasy expression.
“Soleum, look over there. See that guy with the rabbit’s foot charm? It’s supposed to bring good luck.”
“Does it actually work?”
“Do you think it would? Someone brought a similar charm on the last expedition and still got killed instantly.”
“...”
“The deputy manager’s right. None of those charms work here. They say the selection process is completely ‘fair.’”
I glanced at the assistant manager, who was forcing a weak smile. His pale face betrayed how nervous he truly was, despite trying to act composed.
“Assistant Manager.”
“Yeah?”
“Would the company penalize me for trying something similar?”
“Oh, you mean looking for ways to avoid being the sacrifice?”
“Something like that.”
The assistant manager laughed and patted my back.
“Of course not, Soleum! Everyone tries it!”
“I’d bet my salary that every single one of these people has spent the past three days doing everything they can to avoid being chosen.”
Bold move, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je.
Eun chuckled softly. “How else would we know those tricks don’t work? Everyone who got picked as a sacrifice tried something, and it still didn’t save them.”
“...”
“So, you’re planning something too, Soleum?”
“Yes.”
After some hesitation, I reached into my pocket and pulled out Braun.
“Oh, that’s the keychain you always carry.”
“This is my lucky friend. Would it be alright if I lent its abilities to both of you? Secretly, of course.”
Both of them exchanged faintly amused looks before nodding.
“Well... thanks. Can’t hurt to try.”
“Let’s hope your luck rubs off on us!”
Good.
I had preemptively cleared any room for complaints later.
“Whew.”
“Alright, let’s get ready,” Braun said confidently.
“We’re entering soon.”
I looked at the old, worn-out grandfather clock in the entrance hall. It was the only thing hanging on the wall.
Tick.
The clock’s hand passed 8:59:56 a.m.
“You’re about to step into the studio,” a voice announced.
“If you see cameras, don’t be nervous. Think of them as starlight—it’ll help you feel at ease.”
Tick.
57 seconds.
Surprisingly, I felt calm. An odd certainty about my identity settled within me.
“Oh, you’re already wearing a mask! Excellent,” the voice continued.
“That mask is now your identity.”
Tick.
58 seconds.
I raised my head. My horns itched—a texture like wood, though I knew it wasn’t wood but something unnameable.
“There are other animal friends here! Two of them.”
Tick.
59 seconds.
Turning my head, I saw a badger and a falcon. They were observing the humans around them.
And then...
“No one here seems more powerful than you,” the voice noted.
I already knew.
I blinked, my vision shifting to detect heat. The warm human bodies, tense with fear, stood out vividly.
And then...
Tick.
9:00.
The grandfather clock rang loudly.
DONG...!!
“...!”
I inhaled sharply.
The dilapidated kindergarten transformed into a pristine, freshly constructed space, as though it were about to open for business.
I found myself standing in a room filled with neatly arranged toys, alongside the falcon—or rather, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je.
We had entered the ghost story.
“...”
I looked down at my neck, slowly.
Clean.
“Ha.”
I exhaled and released the tension in my body.
“I avoided it.”
The strange thickness that had enveloped my body, the sensation of horns, and that unsettling certainty of identity began to fade.
“Your brief role is now over,” the voice said.
Thank you.
“So that’s the mask,” I thought.
It was an odd experience, but I was relieved it had ended quickly. Braun, who had helped me stretch the rules to their limit, sounded noticeably fatigued. He had held out for those few critical seconds, which was no small feat.
“You did well,” I murmured, gently tapping the plush toy in my pocket—
“Wait… What is this?” Braun suddenly exclaimed.
“...?”
Why did he sound alarmed? I quickly pulled him out of my pocket.
Hanging around the plush toy’s neck was something that hadn’t been there before.
A black noose hologram.
The mark of a sacrifice.
“...?!”
Had Braun just been chosen as the sacrifice?
“A resident of the ghost story?!”
My mind spun, teetering on the edge of panic. This didn’t make sense. Was this a situation I should be worried about?
Braun interrupted my thoughts, his voice indignant.
“What? Participate in an educational demo? What nonsense! I’m an interviewer, not a teacher. Ridiculous!”
“And show business, my goodness! You people are so dull. You’re stuck in routines, inflexible, and utterly unappealing to the masses.”
“I’m out.”
He snapped his plush hand.
To my shock, the noose disappeared from Braun’s neck.
“...!!”
“Trying to force me in under the guise of rules? This kindergarten has no professionalism whatsoever,” Braun scoffed.
“...”
It worked. Braun wasn’t human, so the ghost story had rejected him. The effect of pretending not to be human had succeeded.
“...”
Wait.
“If it rejected him... then where did the noose go?”
I looked down at my neck in a hurry.
Still clean.
“Who got it?”
At least it wasn’t me. But if the ghost story had rejected Braun and passed the mark to someone else randomly, who had it gone to?
“Soleum.”
I turned to Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je in alarm.
“Assistant Manager, I think I just—”
“...”
“...”
In front of me, he grinned faintly.
“Don’t panic. Breathe. Slowly.”
“Assistant Manager...”
“I have a request. If you can’t do it, just say no.”
“Assistant Manager.”
“I wanted to handle it myself, but I can’t,” he said, still smiling.
His hand lightly tapped his own neck, where a black noose had appeared.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Dark Exploration Record / Ghost Story
[Hungry Hangman]
A ghost story listed in the Dark Exploration Record. Its identification code in Daydream Inc. is Qterw-B-191.
“Still, I guess it’s a relief we get a moment to leave last words, huh?”
No.
“Wait, just hold on a second—”
“It’s fine.”
The assistant manager’s bitter smile deepened.
“Hey... I’m going to die anyway.”
“...!”
“The only difference is whether you all live and I die, or we all die together.”
...He was right.
If the word isn’t guessed correctly by the end of the game, all participants are executed.
Including the Hangman.
No exceptions.
Damn it.
“Alright, listen carefully. I’ve set up some purchases in the points store to trigger automatically if I die in a workplace incident.”
“...”
“Just make sure the team leader double-checks everything, alright? The guy’s a bit scatterbrained sometimes.”
That’s when I realized.
He had completely accepted the situation.
Static—
“...!”
“Focus. It’s starting now.”
In the corner of the playroom, an old-fashioned TV flickered to life with a burst of static.
[Hello, teachers at ■■ English Kindergarten! Today, we’re going to learn a fun activity to play with your students!]
[It’s called… Hangman!]
The noose around the assistant manager’s neck suddenly tightened, jerking violently.
“...!”
The rope, now animated, began wrapping itself around his limbs, pulling him into the air.
[Today’s teacher, Assistant Manager Eun Ha-je, will lead the activity!]
The screen displayed a massive set of blank spaces.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Hangman! Let’s guess the word together!]
The execution had begun.
😭