Chapter 81
The tattoo stickers. It was something I got as freebies. Are there any designs related to courage or boldness—symbols of fearlessness? In response to that question, the tattoo artist recommended a design of a tomato tree... And that design was preserved as stickers. This is the tattoo I'm currently sticking on my neck.
"..."
To be honest, it had some of the effects I expected. It felt like the fear-processing part of my brain was paralyzed, making paranormal occurrences less frightening. Just like the D-squad... Right. ...Just like Assistant Manager Eun Haje and Supervisor Park Minseong before me. Their guts seemed so out of place it felt like their bravery bordered on recklessness as they fearlessly explored these supernatural horrors. But.
"...?"
Inside the locker, I blinked. 'It... doesn't seem to have much effect, does it?' I recalled the students who had chased me earlier. Absolutely terrifying. I thought about the crazy red bunny mascot I encountered in the theme park ghost story. It sent shivers down my spine. I thought about the ghost who pretended to be human, sobbing and knocking on the door in the changgwi ghost story. '...Terrifying!!' No matter what I thought of, it chilled me. 'C-Could this be a scam?' Or maybe I applied the sticker wrong? After all, I've never used a tattoo sticker before, so I wouldn't know. But either way, it wasn't something I could verify right now.
"..."
Shit. Either way, I still had to proceed as planned. Now that the 'teacher' had vanished from the fourth floor, this was my chance. 'They must have gone downstairs.' In the end, I swallowed hard and stepped out of the locker. ...Of course, the sight before me would be gruesome. The bloodstains and flesh chunks of the newly assigned D-squad supervisor —who had just died—would be scattered, so I braced myself as I stepped out...
...
"...?"
'Tomato?'
Wait a second. I quickly left the faculty office and headed up to the fifth floor. There... The very reason I avoided the fifth floor was laid bare before me.
AAAACK!