[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 manual, 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A plush doll in my hands, an outdated TV, Assistant Manager Eun Haje dangling in midair… What can I do?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.
"…It's not like it got hacked off, so there's no pain. Don't worry."
How can I not worry?
"Well, at least it didn't start with the neck. We can still talk, right?"
No way.
No matter how I think about it, dissuading me from the 'last-ditch attempt' was just a bluff to keep me stuck here.
'I can't let time run out like this.'
Meanwhile, the TV continued.
[Here's a hint for the 5th letter!]
[What was the last mode of transportation Ms. Eun Haje used during her time as a reporter?]
The staff member hesitated, gritting his teeth as he glanced at Eun Haje.
"Ugh, just tell me… Hey, even so, we…"
"We what?"
Eun Haje stared at them incredulously.
"You're responsible for three dead newbies… Damn it. You should've been the one stuck here to die."
"Shut up! You're dead meat now anyway!"
"Oh~ Then don't listen to this dead meat."
Eun Haje lazily tilted her head with a bored expression.
The staff member, his face flushed red with anger, shoved me aside and stepped up to the TV.
"Transportation? Well, probability-wise, it's obvious! Bus or subway! Yeah, okay, subway initial, S!"
[Oh dear. Ding! Wrong!]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ R
[As punishment, please recite the educational booklet for 10 minutes!]
"U-Ugh…"
With a twisting sound, a holographic black booklet appeared in front of the staff member…
"Gaaaahhh—!"
It stuck to his face.
"Aaaaah! Aaagh!"
The black booklet melted as if it were merging with his skin, swallowing his face whole. He rolled on the floor, struggling desperately to tear it off, but nothing changed.
Beneath the dissolving booklet, a clear brand appeared on his forehead…
[Chick Class]
Eun Haje clicked her tongue.
"What a mark to get. Idiot."
"..."
"Pay attention, Roe. If that accumulates, you'll be stuck here being 'educated' until you're a proper 'kindergarten teacher'. …Forever."
That's right.
If you fail to participate in this game properly, you'll end up in a fate worse than death.
"Three times. Just three penalties, and it's over."
Three penalties. It's enough to contaminate someone to the point where they're no longer considered human. Like the Security Team.
'But this is even worse.'
Unlike the Security Team, if you're not rescued, you'll just disappear, trapped in this ghost story indefinitely.
"So don't do anything unnecessary."
"..."
"If you screw up, you won't even be able to die."
Cold sweat dripped down my back.
'I know.'
In this situation, as long as I follow the manual, I'll survive. I've even guessed one letter correctly, removing the penalty. So is there any reason to take a risk?
'If I try, the situation might just get worse.'
There are plenty of records in this ghost story of people who tried to save the Hangman, only to end up contaminated and stuck here forever, endlessly 'educated' as kindergarten teachers. There are no exceptions.
Yeah, there's no way out.
I know that too.
There's no way out.
No matter what, the game must be completed, and the Hangman must die. That's how it works.
This isn't some fun ghost story about bending the rules to escape.
'Its very nature is different.'
From the moment it was registered on the wiki, this was a theme that drove people insane because the rules couldn't be broken. This ghost story amplifies the fear of helplessness and suffocating adherence to rules, ultimately forcing you to desperately self-censor in accordance with those rules.
Still, there was one faint variable I had witnessed.
Braun, who had escaped the game by 'talking' to this ghost story. But I lost that chance because I stood there dumbfounded, just watching him talk.
'I should have intervened.'
I should have done something, dragged out time, avoided the noose, and kept the conversation going…
– Hm?
Braun had looked on in disbelief, horrified.
– Well, I'd rather not! Talking more with these people? How boring!
– Mr. Roe Deer. Are you seriously saying I should've humored this outdated game and pretended to go along with the hanging? For me, your friend?
...
Huu.
'Braun. Even I can't argue with you there.'
– Wait a moment?
'When you declared your refusal to participate in this game, you knew someone else would be chosen as the Hangman, didn't you?'
So,
'You knew there was a 1 in 12 chance I could die, and you didn't hesitate?'
– ...!!
'So you didn't care if I ended up being hanged?'
– No! No, that's not it… It's not like that. But this outdated game, even as a game, should be respected for its rules… Ah, of course, I mean, my friend is more important…
For the first time, Braun's voice wavered, filled with confusion. It seemed as though the role of being a 'good friend' and the role of the narrator within the ghost story were clashing inside him.
Let's not forget, this guy has the twisted mindset typical of a ghost story resident.
But at the same time…
He was a stuffed doll trying very hard to remain my friend.
'Right.'
I had to center myself. I might be a coward, but I shouldn't let myself be stupid.
I explained as calmly as possible.
'I didn't mean to say that I thought you should have been hanged either.'
It's just… I'm going crazy with anxiety.
'I just meant that I wish I had asked you to stick around a bit longer to gather more information before bailing. You seemed to be able to communicate with this ghost story.'
– Ah… that's true. Unfortunately, for you, Mr. Roe Deer, it seems they've decided to treat me as an outsider now, so no special interviews are being granted.
– Still, if that's your reasoning, I can certainly understand!
'Yeah.'
But faintly… I had a feeling we understood each other differently. Even as I thought that, I didn't have the mental bandwidth to dwell on it further.
'There's nothing.'
Even though I knew there was nothing, part of my brain kept desperately sifting through the exploration records and the manual, trying to find a loophole to save the Hangman.
But there was nothing.
Of course, there wasn't!
If there had been, I would have thought of it over the past two days while wracking my brain to the breaking point!
'There's no precedent.'
No matter how much I scoured my mental catalog of the manual or revisited the manual, it wasn't there.
I already knew…
Whether I destroyed the gallows, tried to replace the Hangman, or simply refused to guess the word, it would only add penalties. The Hangman still dies. There are no exceptions.
'They'll die no matter what… no matter what,' it said…
Is there really nothing else?
I gritted my teeth.
How…
"Roe!"
A familiar voice rang out.
I turned to see a second staff member standing in the open doorway…
"…Supervisor."
"You alright… haah."
Supervisor Park Minseong, who had just entered the room, caught sight of Eun Haje and visibly swallowed hard.
"You're here?"
"..."
"You've already heard it on the TV, right? Just get ready to guess."
Park Minseong's face was filled with a mix of emotions before quickly calming down.
"Stop thinking unnecessary thoughts and guess quickly. You know you've already accumulated penalties, right?"
"..."
Accumulated?
"Supervisor, what does that mean…?"
The supervisor whispered to me with a strained expression.
"Well. Actually, this is my second time being here…"
"...!!"
"I came here right after I started, and now, two years later, I'm back again. Haha… I don't know if I'm lucky or unlucky."
He gave a bitter smile.
"Last time, I tried to save someone who'd been chosen as the Hangman and got a penalty for it… so I think the contamination might have accumulated… I'm not sure. There hasn't been a case like this before."
He rambled, saying he even started carrying only one piece of equipment at a time because he wasn't sure what might happen. His mental state was clearly shaken.
I grabbed his shoulders.
"...!"
"Supervisor."
A direct experiencer.
The only person who might have detailed information I didn't.
"Please answer my questions quickly and accurately from now on."