[Everyone, what kind of game is ‘Hangman’?]
[That’s right! It’s an educational game where you guess the spelling of a word! If the letter you shout is part of the word, correct! If not, wrong!]
[And to make it easier for learning, we’ll be giving you some hints!]
A figure dangling in midair.
The pastel tones of the TV and its cheerful voice sharply contrast with the scene, cutting into my ears.
[Shall we get started?]
The dangling figure, Assistant Manager Eun Haje, breaks into a wry smile, cold sweat dripping down.
“Everyone already knows the answer, but the intro is unnecessarily long, don’t you think?”
This B-class ghost story thrived on mental strain, nerve-wracking psychological pressure, and the excruciating pain that would drag a victim to the brink of death.
…It’s that kind of ghost story.
It’s true that a victim chosen for Hangman was effectively sentenced to death.
But during the actual ‘game’, they could temporarily hold onto their life.
And this particular victim is…
[Today’s word is one that best represents Teacher Eun Haje! Let’s all figure out what kind of person Teacher Eun Haje is!]
Ruthlessly exposed.
According to the <Dark Exploration Records>, every attempt to conceal the victim’s identity would fail during this process.
It’s as if their life was being meticulously scrutinized and judged, with every significant event glaringly announced.
Even the classic hangman game itself has been altered to serve this purpose.
[Everyone, the word has 8 letters!]
I looked up at the blank spaces displayed on the TV screen.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
If you correctly fill in all the blanks, it forms a single word.
Normally, participants take turns guessing random letters, and the blanks are filled in as the guesses align with the word.
That’s how the word is deduced.
But…
‘Here, every letter is directly tied to the victim.’
[Here’s a hint for the 8th letter!]
[What was Teacher Eun Haje’s job four years ago?]
Like this.
Guessing something related to the victim’s personal history makes it easier.
To make this process smoother…
The victim’s cooperation is necessary.
You must persuade or threaten someone sentenced to death into talking.
Cold sweat dripped down my chin.
‘So, right now…’
What am I even doing?
A plush doll in my hands, an outdated TV, Assistant Manager Eun Haje dangling in midair…
What can I do?
‘Run.’
I started moving my feet.
“Roe! Where are you going?!”
“No time. I’ll explain later—”
“Are you looking for the gallows?”
“Even if you destroy it, it won’t change anything. You know that, right? You read the manual.”
“You never know until you try.”
Just like in the quiz show, I’m calling Section Chief Lee Jaheon to the scene.
So, if I ask him to destroy the gallows this time too…
Yeah, until it’s restored, we’ll have some time.
“Wait.”
There’s no time.
“Sit down for a moment. Actually… I’ve got something I want to try at the very end.”
“I’m not saying this lightly. So don’t do anything conspicuous either. We can’t afford to stack up unnecessary penalties.”
Penalties.
“You know what I’m talking about, right?”
I do.
This ghost story was based on the oppressive fear that stemmed from being utterly trapped.
The movements and actions of the 12 ‘new teachers’ would be monitored in real-time by the kindergarten through CCTV, and any behavior deemed unfit for a teacher results in a ‘penalty’.
[One minute left. Teachers, raise your hands and shout out a letter!]
“Assistant Manager Eun! Assistant Manager Eun!”
At that moment, the playroom door slammed open, and a staff member rushed in, looking desperate and anxious.
His expression screamed frustration and despair, as if searching frantically for the victim but unable to run due to the rules.
In this kindergarten, running above an alarmed pace was strictly prohibited.
Swearing, damage, and anything against the game rules—everything is banned.
“Shi— Huu. Why does it have to be the room at the end of the third floor!”
The staff member shouted at Assistant Manager Eun Haje, venting his frustration. Still, he seemed to restrain himself from cursing, trying to follow the rules.
“Hey! You… Assistant Manager Eun, what were you doing four years ago?”
Eun Haje smirked.
Because…
“You fucking turd, how dare you talk down to me?”
In this game, the Hangman was an exception to all rules.
“W-What… why, all of a sudden…”
It didn’t matter anymore when they’re going to die anyway.
“I’ve held back from pointing out your behavior so far just to avoid getting involved with you, you hopeless fucking moron. And now, I’m about to die without even gathering enough points. What a mess.”
“U-Uh…”
“Get a grip, you goddamn troll. You’ve already killed three newbies.”
The staff member’s face turned beet red with anger.
“Feeling wronged? Frustrated?”
“N-No…”
“Then suck it up. You wouldn’t want to be judged as ‘zero contribution’ later and get punished, would you?”
Eun Haje teased, grinning slyly.
“There are only eight slots. Behave yourself, yeah?”
The staff member clamped his mouth shut.
It was the only logical decision.
In this ghost story, the idea that only one person dies was the best-case scenario based on the manual. In reality, deviations often lead to complete annihilation.
This was a tale where your survival depended on strictly adhering to the rules.
‘And if you fail to guess even a single letter in this Hangman game, you’ll face a penalty during the final evaluation…’
That’s when it happened.
“Hey, Roe. Come here.”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje called out to me.
When I approached, she lowered her voice so only I could hear.
“I was a reporter four years ago.”
“Roe, you make the guess. Avoid the ‘zero contribution’ penalty from the start.”
This is driving me crazy.
“Even if you refuse to guess, nothing will change. You know that, right?”
“It’d help my mental state, ma’am.”
“Then start by worrying about the mental state of someone who’s about to die. Will you?”
Eun Haje frowned.
“Imagine how awful it would be if that guy beats you to the answer, huh?”
Hah…
I pressed my temples and eventually stepped toward the TV.
The staff member who had barged in looked at me in disbelief.
“W-Wait, you…”
“The last letter of the word is R. It’s the initial of ‘Reporter’.”
Dzz zz zz zzzt—
[Correct!]
_ _ _ _ _ _ __
The screen made a cheerful sound as it filled in the letter.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ R
And then.
[Let’s give a round of applause for the Hangman~]
“Kuh—”
Eun Haje’s body twisted.
The left foot of the assistant manager, suspended in midair, literally vanished.
…One step closer to execution.
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.
This is madness.
