Mudoo - Chapter 21

Part 3: High School Ghost Stories

Every school has its share of ghost stories, but Munseong Girls’ High had a legend.

“Hey, did you hear? They say if you stay up all night studying in the annex study room, you’ll ace the college entrance exam.”

“Seriously? Should I try it? My GPA is a total disaster, and if I bomb the exam too, I’m done for.”

“They probably just mean you’ll do well if you study that hard. You’d be better off pulling an all-nighter at a study café or something.”

“Yeah. We’re about to be seniors. If we go hard for the next year, there’s still hope, right?”

Sitting at the front of the classroom, Go Bok-young turned around sharply, annoyed by the noisy chatter.

“Can you guys keep it down? Some of us are actually trying to study.”

“Oh, come on. You’re literally the only one studying. It’s break time—we’re not allowed to talk now?”

“Then maybe don’t sign up for extra classes if all you’re gonna do is talk.”

“What, is she the only one in 12th grade? God, she’s so extra.”

The group grumbled but dispersed to their seats, sneaking glances at Bok-young like scolded kids.

It was winter break before the final year of high school. After spending the past two years treating school like a playground, reality had finally hit most of the students. The academic panic had set in.

Bok-young was no different.

This was her one shot to make up for the time she’d wasted. One year of pain—just one year—and she swore she wouldn’t be stuck repeating the same test next year.

She buried her face in her workbook, trying to stay focused, but the gossip from earlier buzzed in her head.

If you stay up all night in the annex study room, you’ll ace the exam?

Yeah right. What a joke. Who even comes up with this crap?

It was 5 p.m.—the end of the extra class period, and students were heading home. Bok-young, however, stood in front of the annex study room door.

She’d just told people to shut up and focus, and now here she was, sneaking off to chase after some dumb rumor. If anyone saw her, they’d laugh her right out of school. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching.

Should I just go home? This feels stupid…

But since she was already here, she figured she might as well stay as long as she could.

Whether it was a study café or a reading room, studying was studying. Plus, she’d heard that switching up your environment could boost concentration.

Trying to justify her decision, she reached for the door—but then her phone buzzed in her skirt pocket.

“Ah! Jesus.”

Startled, she pulled it out and checked the message.

[Bok-young! We’re getting tteokbokki then hitting karaoke. Coming?]

Ugh, you guys still don’t get it, huh? We’re about to be seniors.

[Nope.]

She replied simply, then messaged her mom.

[Mom, I’m gonna study overnight at the reading room. Heeju and Kyung-eun are with me, so don’t worry.]

With that, Bok-young pushed open the door and stepped inside. She was secretly hoping it’d be locked, but the school, desperate to improve student performance, had left it open.

The inside wasn’t much different from a private study room—rows of cubicles filled the classroom.

What’s so special about this place anyway?

Unlike the main study room, this one was only for the top 30 students. Bok-young wasn’t even in the top 130, so during the school year, she wouldn’t have been allowed within ten feet of it.

Just in case a security guard came by at night, she dropped her bag at a spot tucked away in the corner, away from prying eyes.

Looking around to see if anyone else was there, she spotted a notice by the fire extinguisher and walked over to read it.

ANNEX STUDY ROOM RULES

Turn off or switch phones to airplane mode.

No loud talking or phone calls.

Sit only in your assigned seat.

Leave the room before midnight.

If you stay past midnight, do not leave until morning.

The last line didn’t make sense no matter how many times she read it.

“…Why?”

Still, no need to follow the rules that strictly. It was break time—no other students, no teachers around.

She pulled out a banana and a triangle kimbap, started snacking, and opened her workbook.

How long had it been?

Bok-young had dozed off on her desk. She checked her phone—it was already 1 a.m.

The room, once fully lit, was now dark except for the tiny lights attached to each desk. Maybe the janitor had done a round and turned the main lights off. If he came back, she’d just shut off her light and play dead.

Guess I can totally make it through the night, huh?

Still wide awake, she figured she’d scroll through her phone for a bit before diving back in. That’s when she saw the message from her mom.

[I ran into Heeju and Kyung-eun. They said they never went to the reading room. Where are you? Come home right now.]

“Oh… crap.”

Okay, think. What do I say? Will she believe I was studying at school?

She thought about ignoring it until morning, but the room felt colder now, eerier. And her bed—with its warm electric blanket—sounded too good to pass up.

Next time, she’d prepare a better alibi.

Yawning, she grabbed her bag and headed out. She trudged down the stairs.

“Wait… why am I still on the third floor?”

Was the study room on the fourth floor? Was she that groggy? She kept descending the stairs—

“…!”

But the hallway sign still said she was between the third and fourth floors.

“What the hell. What the actual hell. This is so messed up.”

Freaking out, Bok-young bolted down the stairs like a maniac, barely able to catch her breath.

“Mom…! What is this…!”

She ran and ran, but it was like she wasn’t getting anywhere.

That’s when she saw it—a flashlight beam sweeping across the floor below. The security guard!

“Sir! I’m up here! Please!”

She felt a wave of relief—until a cold, unseen hand shoved her from behind.

“Wha—!”

***

When Seula woke up, she wasn’t on the guestroom’s floor bedding anymore. She was in a soft bed.

She shot up, startled by the unfamiliar room. It had dark wooden decor, a bed, a wall-mounted shelf, and a single armchair.

“You’re awake?”

Kang Tae-shin appeared, towel-drying his wet hair in a bathrobe.

Seula, heart pounding, lifted the blanket and peeked under it. Thankfully, she was still wearing the same knit top and pants from last night.

She let out a tiny breath of relief, but Tae-shin, with his usual deadpan tone, muttered.

“I’ve already seen everything anyway.”

“What? What do you mean? What exactly did you see?”

“Well, who do you think cleaned you up and changed your clothes while you were passed out? Dong-gil?”

“You—you changed me without permission?!”

“Typical. Save someone from drowning, and they ask if you stole their wallet.”

Maybe she’d been too harsh. He had nursed her back to health and even moved her off the freezing wooden floor into a bed. The guilt crept in.

“You should’ve just let me sleep on the floor…”

“And let your lips freeze off? You’d complain about that too.”

“You could’ve at least tossed me into the guest room…”

“Too lazy to make the bed.”

“Wait… did you sleep here too? Did we—did we share the bed?”

Tae-shin stopped drying his hair and turned to her.

“What exactly are you asking right now?”

Realizing how her words could be taken, Seula shrank under the blanket, leaving only her eyes peeking out. Tae-shin looked her straight in the eye.

“You’re asking if we just slept or if we had s3x?”

Her dry lips twitched. She shook her head quickly.

“Obviously the first one! No way it was the second!”

“Why not? You know it only takes a spark.”

“Even so, not with you, Tae-shin.”

He looked vaguely offended.

“What’s wrong with me?”

His voice dropped low, almost threatening. Seula searched for something to say—anything.

“Well, you’re over 500 years old!”

Tae-shin let out a breathy laugh.

“So what, old men are off-limits?”

“It’s not like that! I just… I mean, I can go down to younger ages, but the upper limit is four years max. It’s not elder abuse, I swear.”

“What’s wrong with you, Seula?”

He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“I told you—I’m thirty-one now, remember?”

“…”

“I could even be twenty if you want. Interested?”

Changing his age like he was picking a shirt—Seula reminded herself this man was far from normal.

“…Then say it. Say ‘noona.’”