The Mysterious Class ~ Ghost POV

Episode 6 ~ Chapter 1

I watched as paramedics laid Jeongwoo in the back of an ambulance, then sped off into the night. I was standing outside the haunted school, my friends around me and my arms folded.

"A ghost... was really here," Jihoon said in a hushed voice.

Junkyu looked up at me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Haruto, are you okay?" he asked me, looking worried.

I closed my eyes and nodded slowly. I couldn't believe this had happened - Jeongwoo was half dead and headed for the hospital, and my friends really believed in ghosts now.

"You must be surprised," he said sympathetically, moving his hand from my shoulder to the back of my head.

"Yes," I whispered.

"The festival is over," a teacher (not my homeroom teacher) announced. "Everyone go back to your dormitory!"
He walked towards my group. "I'll clean up. You get yourselves together."

Doyoung nodded and gestured us all to leave. I followed Junkyu away, my head lowered and feeling like I was about to cry.

• • •

Another moment later, we all sat down in a room that connected all of our rooms together, a large open space. Doyoung rejoined our group after a talk on his phone, looking upset yet thankful.

"Is it the teacher?" Junkyu asked anxiously. "What did they say?"

"Nothing's broken," Doyoung said quietly, "It's a minor concussion. But... he can't speak yet. Maybe because of the shock, but anyway, it could have been worse."

Jeongwoo was okay. For the most part. I sighed with relief.

"Worse?" Junkyu said, a little upset. "It could've been you lying in the hospital!"
"Honestly," Hyunsuk said quietly, looking around at us nervously, "I can't trust anyone. They're still here - the one who hurt Jeongwoo."

The one who hurt Jeongwoo...

Those words stabbed through me like a knife. I didn't mean to! I wanted to scream. I didn't!

"Who are you really?" Yedam said, fury in every inch of his tone. "Who?! Is it you?" he snapped at Junghwan, "Or you?" he turned to Mashiho. "If it's no one, than WHO?!"

It pained me that my mere existence was angering him so much.

"Calm down!" Doyoung exclaimed. "That's why we're gathered here. The nine of us, from now on, no one can get out."

"It's not me," Hyunsuk said calmly, holding out his small bag of salt. "No ghost can carry coarse salt!"

"It's not me either," Junghwan added, "How can I do YouTube if I'm a ghost! No one would see me."

"As you all know, I'm class representative," Doyoung said, "It would've been impossible if I was."

"Then, it's not me either," Junkyu said defensively. "If I'm a ghost, how can I have a girlfriend?"

"By the way," Yedam said, "Did anyone here ever see his girlfriend? He's so open, and yet... no name. And not even a picture of her. From the start... you didn't have one, did you?"

Yedam had just voiced the thoughts that I'd had ever since I met Junkyu. It was true - Junkyu didn't really have a girlfriend, did he?

Junkyu stayed quiet. After a few deadly silent seconds, Jihoon put his hand up.
"I saw her," he said, "Junkyu's girlfriend. Then it's settled?"

Oh. If Jihoon saw her, than I trusted Junkyu as well. Or was Jihoon lying to stop them from suspecting Junkyu? Either way, I brushed away the thoughts.

"Yoshi, how did you know Jeongwoo would get hurt?" Jihoon asked, changing the subject.

"Damn..." Junkyu gasped, "The tarot cards!"
I remembered quickly when Yoshi had told Jeongwoo that "danger will torment" him. Jeongwoo had regarded it as a stupid trick, but Yoshi was right... And that scared me more than anything.

"Hey," Jihoon said softly, "Is this one of your plans?"

"No," Yoshi said, "I'm not the ghost... am I?" with that, he pinned me with a stare. I avoided his eye contact, begging inside that he wasn't about to tell everyone about me.

"Then... why did you say such a thing?" Junkyu said accusingly.

"Because that's what I saw on the cards," Yoshi replied simply.

"Who knows? It might have all been a plan," Yedam snapped, "Just come out clean already!"
"You really want to know?" Yoshi said quietly. I glanced at him.

He was looking at me again. "What should I do... prove myself?"

This is it, I thought. Yoshi is going to tell them everything and I'll lose all their friendship. This past year with them is going to be for nothing.

Asahi and Jaehyuk appeared from the other rooms behind us, and now with everyone present, Yoshi pulled his phone out of his pocket. After a moment, he set the phone onto the small table in the middle of our circle.

A music started rising from it... a music that, the second I heard it, sparked burning pain like a virus through my body.

"What is this?" Mashiho asked, looking nervous.
"No way... shaman song to chase away evil spirits..." Hyunsuk gasped, his hands over his ears.

"That's right," Yoshi said calmly, "Yuhanjing. Just wait. You'll find out soon."

My hands were shaking from the pain so badly that I held them close to my chest, lowering my head and trying not to show how much the song was burning.

Deep breaths, I told myself, trying to regain control of my breathing. It seemed hopeless... everything hurt... I was trapped inside the song....

I was sure that I would be caught then. I kept twitching as the music stabbed me like a knife, getting more aggressive and more painful by the second.

Eventually, Jaehyuk walked forwards, snatched Yoshi's phone, and turned off the music.

I gasped quietly as the incessant stinging stopped, leaving a terrible burning feeling lingering on my body. Even though the song was stopped, it still hurt... I knew at that moment...

Why wouldn't Yoshi try to exorcise me? I mean, he must be able to, with his grandmother, and he knew what I was. I didn't think he was capable of trying to burn me out, but now, it seemed like anything was possible.

"What are you doing?" Yoshi shouted, standing up.

"Don't you think it's too violent?" Jaehyuk protested.

Yes! screamed my head, which felt like it was on fire and started forming a bad headache.

"Are you worrying about the ghost?" Yedam asked accusingly. "What about the things they did to us? Weren't they violent?"

"I agree," Mashiho said, standing. "They started all this."

"Kim Doyoung," Jaehyuk said suddenly, "You call yourself the class rep?"
"What?" Doyoung snarled.
"You make us suspect each other!" he continued angrily.

"Then what did you do for our class?" Doyoung shouted, then gave a small smile that radiated hatred. "You only care about your grades."

"What?" Jaehyuk said in the same tone.

I stood up, moving between them.
"Stop it, both of you," I said, my voice weak. "I'm tired."

With that, I walked to my room.

I staggered inside, trembling all over.

I stared at my shaking hands, which were covered in long, menacing burns that felt like pure fire on my skin.

I carefully loosened my tie and pulled open my shirt, revealing harsh wounds over my neck and spreading to my chest, like small daggers that had stabbed all over me.

I collapsed onto the wall, sliding slowly to the ground.

When I finally reached the floor, I was gasping in pain, not caring about controlling my breathing anymore.

Tears fell from my face, and I laid there as still and weak as I could... waiting for the agony to end.