“Ah, the keychain you carry around.”
“My lucky friend. Would it be alright if I shared this friend’s abilities with you two? It’ll be our little secret.”
Both of them gave tired, skeptical smiles but nodded.
“Well… thanks, I guess.”
“Here’s hoping it actually brings some luck!”
Okay.
‘That should keep any rumors from surfacing later.’
“Huu.”
– Now, let’s get ready.
“They’re about to start.”
I looked at the old grandfather clock hanging in the entrance like everyone else.
Tick.
The second hand passed 8:59:56 AM.
– You’re now entering the studio.
– If you see cameras, don’t worry—think of them as starlight. Stay relaxed.
Tick.
57 seconds.
Oddly, I felt calm.
A certainty about my identity.
– Oh, I see you’re wearing your mask! Excellent. That mask is now who you are.
Tick.
58 seconds.
I raised my head.
My horns felt itchy—like wood, but not quite wood. Only I knew it was something else entirely, that it was ■■.
– And there are other animal friends! Two of them.
Tick.
59 seconds.
I turned my head and saw a badger and a falcon observing the surrounding humans.
And then…
– It seems no one here is stronger than you.
I know.
I blinked, perceiving the heat signatures of the humans around me, flushed with tension.
And then…
Tick.
9:00 AM.
The grandfather clock chimed loudly.
Bong……!!
I took in a sharp breath.
The dilapidated kindergarten building transformed into a pristine, modern space. It smelled of fresh construction, like a newly completed facility awaiting its first use.
And I was in a room filled with neatly arranged toys, standing alongside the falcon—or rather, Assistant Manager Eun Haje.
…We had entered the ghost story.
I slowly looked down at my neck.
Clean.
“Hah.”
I exhaled, letting the tension drain from my body.
‘I made it.’
The strange thickness I’d felt across my entire body, the tactile sensation of horns—all of it gradually faded away. The certainty in my identity dissipated too.
– Hm, and that concludes everyone’s brief role.
Thank you.
‘So that’s what the mask was.’
It was a bizarre experience, and I was glad it had been short-lived. Since I’d stretched Braun’s limits by having him mask three people at once, his voice sounded drained.
The fact that it held up even for a few seconds was impressive.
‘You did well.’
I reached into my pocket to gently pat Braun.
– No… Hold on. What… in the world is this?
Why did he sound alarmed?
I immediately pulled Braun out of my pocket.
Hanging around the neck of the plush doll was something that hadn’t been there before.
…A black noose hologram.
It was the mark of a sacrifice.
Did Braun just get selected as the sacrifice?
‘A ghost story resident himself?!’
I teetered on the brink of confusion, unsure whether this was an impossible fluke or something I should be alarmed about.
Then Braun started talking.
– Pardon? Participate in a teaching demonstration, you say… What are you talking about? I interview teachers—I’m not the one teaching children. Good gracious!
– Show business, for heaven’s sake! You people are so boring. Stuck in a rut, inflexible, and utterly lacking the charm the public craves.
– I’m opting out, thank you very much.
With that, Braun snapped his plush, cotton-filled fingers.
And then… miraculously, the noose around the stuffed doll’s neck disappeared!
– Trying to enforce rules to involve an uninvolved participant? What an unprofessional kindergarten this is!
‘So the tactic of being recognized as non-human… worked after all.’
It wasn’t quite how I envisioned it, but the outcome was clear enough.
Braun had been selected, but his participation in the ghost story was redirected to another participant because he refused to comply.
Wait a second.
‘Redirected?’
I quickly looked down at my neck.
Still clean.
‘Who did it pass to, then?’
While it was a relief that it wasn’t me, the idea of the ghost story transferring the noose to another target randomly because its first pick was declined… Was this how it worked?
“Roe.”
I turned to Assistant Manager Eun Haje, still processing what had just happened.
“Assistant Manager, just now, I think—”
When I looked at her…
“Don’t panic. Take a deep breath, slowly.”
She smiled at me.
“Now I’m going to ask you for a favor. If you think you can’t do it, feel free to decline.”
“Assistant Manager—”
“I’d handle it myself if I could, but that’s not an option.”
With a bitter smile, she lightly patted the noose now firmly secured around her own neck.
“Because I’m already locked in.”
========================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[Hungry Hangman]
: A ghost story featured in <Dark Exploration Records>
: Daydream Inc. identification code – Qterw-B-191
Based on the word-guessing game, this Darkness permits no exceptions to its rules.
Participants are unable to escape their assigned roles under any circumstances.
The psychological tension and fear that arise within are a hallmark of this ghost story.
The sacrificial ‘Hangman’ climbs the gallows as the other participants guess words related to them, ultimately resulting in their execution by hanging.
There are no exceptions.
========================
“Should I say I’m glad I at least get some time to leave a will? Guess that’s a small mercy.”
No. This can’t happen.
“Wait, wait, please just—”
“It’s fine.”
Assistant Manager Eun’s smile shifted into a wry grin.
“Look… I’m going to die anyway.”
“The real question is whether you all survive while I die, or everyone dies together.”
…She’s right.
If the word puzzle isn’t solved before the end of the game, all participants are executed, including the Hangman.
No exceptions.
God damn it.
“Alright, listen carefully. I have some automatic purchases queued in the Points Mall for when I die on the job.”
“Just make sure Squad Leader Lee reviews them properly. The guy’s surprisingly scatterbrained at times.”
It hit me then.
She had already fully accepted her fate.
Dzz zz zz zzzt—
“Stay sharp. It’s starting now.”
In the corner of the playroom, an old-fashioned TV screen flickered to life.
[Hello, English Kindergarten teachers of ■■! Today, we’ll be learning a fun game to play with your students!]
[It’s… Hangman!]
The noose around Assistant Manager Eun’s neck suddenly jerked taut.
The now-solid rope coiled tightly around her limbs, lifting her into the air.
[Today’s host will be our newest teacher, Eun Haje!]
On the TV screen, enormous blank spaces appeared.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Hangman! Let’s guess the word together!] fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
The execution had begun.