Taking advantage of the difference in numbers, the ghost seized the opportunity to ask the first question. As the six of them sat in a circle, the ghost's voice echoed overhead. It felt like a humming, yet also like a rustling background noise, sending shivers down their spines in the eerie atmosphere. Kang Sihyun swept his arm against the seemingly dropped temperature around him.
Since the ghost couldn't ask consecutive questions, they had to find clues within about three to four questions, considering the risk of losing their lives by asking someone twice. Although having more people on their side seemed advantageous as the game lengthened, the penalty for failure was losing one's life. It was best to end it as quickly as possible for their safety.
To do so, they needed to narrow down the location first, so Kang Sihyun scanned the vast school grounds. If they included the entire school as the area of focus, they would surely spend the whole night searching for the ghost.
Then the ghost, ending their dilemma, raised their voice.
"Alright! Look for the one with purple eyes!"
The clear voice filled the garden. Kang Hamin, the one pointed out, furrowed his brows lightly. The gazes of the children, who had been looking around different points in the air, turned to Kang Hamin all at once. As the game started in a lively atmosphere like a drinking game, the tension was palpable on the children's faces.
"...What?"
Still, whether it was due to a strong will to survive rather than fear, Kang Hamin, who narrowly avoided fainting, asked with a drained face. Kang Sihyun looked up at the sky, unable to anticipate what question the ghost would ask.
If this were a typical game, a question like "Do you have a crush?" would be common in truth or dare, but Kang Sihyun didn't think the ghost would ask such a question.
As Kang Sihyun swallowed his breath, feeling unable to predict the other's psyche as he had never been a ghost before, a mischievous voice descended upon Kang Hamin's head.
"Alright, first question. Has anyone here ever appeared in your dreams?"
It was a more straightforward question than expected. Kang Sihyun shifted his gaze, wondering if there was any impact, to check Kang Hamin's expression. Although he thought it was a trivial question, Kang Hamin showed a slight hesitation as he answered, revealing there was something bothering him. From his expression, it seemed like there was something he was caught up with.
After a brief pause, Kang Hamin answered that he did. The ghost burst into laughter. Kang Sihyun's pupils narrowed.
If the ghost knew that the question would affect Kang Hamin sensitively, then the conversation had changed. That meant the ghost could ask questions that penetrated their inner thoughts or past. In other words, they could reveal things that had been kept secret from others.
And among them, the one with the most secrets was none other than himself.
If the hypothesis was correct, then it was the truth game that was most disadvantageous to Kang Sihyun. Kang Sihyun, who clenched his fists to hide his tension, opened his mouth to prevent the ghost from asking who he was.
"Let's stop now that the questioning is over. It's our turn now."
"Right, it's our turn!"
"Who wants to ask?"
Kang Sihyun stopped the ghost from provoking Kang Hamin, and Kang Haewoon intervened. Kang Sihyun raised his hand when Kang Seowoo sought opinions. Kang Haewoon's gesture was like saying, "I have nothing in mind, so go ahead and ask whatever you want."
Kang Seowoo, who seemed to have been suspicious of what Kang Haewoon would come up with, revealed a sneaky smile and provided a choice.
"Shall I? Is it okay?"
After getting approval, the children nodded. The ghost also seemed pleased.
"Ask anything! I'll only tell the truth. But no cheating questions! Got it?"
"Got it."
"Okay, then go ahead and ask!"
You should ask properly.
A voice, lower than before, whispered in Kang Sihyun's ear. The voice, which felt like a warning, made his spine tingle. Goosebumps rose from his toes to his head as Kang Sihyun, who instinctively felt that the ghost had chosen the next question target, opened his mouth.
"I'll ask. Are you inside?"
They needed to know first whether the ghost was inside the school building or in an outdoor space like the garden. The ghost chuckled in response to the subtly asked question. A discomforting laugh echoed in their ears.
"I'm where you are. So, we're playing together, right?"
It was a cryptic response, but at least it confirmed that the ghost was outside. Since they mentioned being "where you are," there was also a high possibility of being in the garden. Kang Sihyun checked the faces of the children sitting in a circle. Suddenly, he remembered the premonition he had before he noticed the ghost's existence.
The footsteps he heard before noticing the ghost's presence were seven in total. If that was the case, it couldn't be ruled out that one of them was attached to someone here. While his somewhat rational suspicion continued, the question was handed over to the ghost. Except for Kang Hamin, who had just been questioned, the five boys became targets of the next question.
Whether the ghost's statement about wanting to play together was not a lie or if they truly enjoyed this situation, the ghost hummed a tune happily. While it might have been an uplifting hum for themselves, it was a creepy tune for those listening. It would have been better if Kang Haewoon sang instead. His singing might not have been good, but it wasn't ominous either.
The tuneless and awkward song suddenly stopped. Following it was a sly chuckle. Kang Sihyun instinctively realized that the ghost had chosen the next question target.
"You."
With a short exclamation, a fierce wind blew over Kang Seowoo. Without mentioning his name or any distinctive features like the color of his hair or eyes, Kang Seowoo, realizing he had been singled out, responded with a casual "Yes."
"What should I ask you? Hmm, since it's the truth game, you have to answer truthfully, right? So, for the second question!"
The ghost, who ended their deliberation faster than before, spoke with a voice mixed with laughter.
"Have you
ever killed a bird?"
"... "
The playful tone had shifted to a different dimension with the question asked. The atmosphere became tense as the ghost posed an unexpected question. Through the reactions seen a moment ago from Haru, who also received a question, Seowoo sensed that there might be some connection between him and this question, so he stared at Haru, and Haewoon looked for signs from Seowoo.
While the other children seemed bewildered and surprised, Seowoo, who was the recipient of the question, maintained composure, blinking his eyes slowly. The gap between the question and his response was brief, and he let out a small chuckle unexpectedly rather than showing any hesitation or confusion. Instead of being disconcerted, his expression seemed to convey amusement.
"So, this is what you're asking."
"Isn't it interesting? If it's fun, would you like to play with me here?"
"Sorry, but I'll pass on that. Just need to answer, right?"
"Yeah. Have you ever killed a bird?"
"Yeah."
Seowoo lightly smiled and affirmed quietly. Sihyun, who had been scrutinizing Seowoo's expression attentively, realized a certain fact and furrowed his brow. From observing Haru and Seowoo's reactions together, Sihyun predicted that the ghost was touching on people's sensitivities.
Forcing them to talk about things that were difficult to answer or that they didn't want to talk about.
Literally, it was a "truth" game.
Sihyun, who displayed a discomforting expression due to the unpleasant experience shared by both the person asking and the one answering the questions, looked up at the empty space. If this was the case, they needed to end it as quickly as possible. It was best to have as few people as possible answering questions.
"Now, it's your turn."
"Who wants to ask?"
"I'll do it this time too."
Sihyun opened his mouth to resolve the previous doubt he had. The blue eyes maintained a bright light in the darkness.
"If you're here where we are, then are you one of us?"
"Well, there's certainly a possibility..."
"No!"
"...?"
As Haru showed agreement with Sihyun's question, the ghost rebuked Sihyun, saying it was a complete nonsense. At the sound of the tongue clicking and a snicker, Sihyun, looking flustered, heard the ghost's following response.
"There are six of you. Naturally, if you were to find me, I wouldn't be here."
Although only the voice could be heard, Sihyun imagined the dark figure shaking its head. If that was the case, he had completely blown the chance, leaving him dumbfounded. Sihyun, who felt perplexed, met the gazes of the children and realized their suspicions.
"Sorry."
A brief apology was followed by an assurance that it was okay. Then, during the ghost's third questioning time, Sihyun had to face the consequences of his blunder.
"Shall we try asking the one who stumbled on a blunder earlier?"
"...Go ahead."
As if accepting the consequences, Sihyun said, swallowing his breath, and the ghost made a puzzled sound.
"...What?"
"....?"
"Why do I feel a similar vibe from you?"
"What do you mean?"
In response to the unexpected question from the ghost, Haru turned to Sihyun. Sihyun, who showed signs of not understanding, listened to the voice trying to focus on what he was hearing. A similar vibe with the ghost. There was no shortage of expectations, and for a moment, the blue eyes lost focus.
"Oh, I see. It's confusing because you're swaying. Too much is showing up, making it even more confusing.... What should I ask? Water? Fire? Or maybe tea? No, not that either..."
"Hurry up. If the question time passes, it's over."
Every word heard was like a ticking time bomb, making Sihyun flinch. With the mention of water, fire, and even tea, it seemed like his guess was right after all. That ghost knew how to poke into people's sensitivities.
So, it was advantageous to rush and press on without giving them time to think. Pressed for time, the ghost, after warning that if time passed, it would be over, finally threw the question at Sihyun, who stumbled on a blunder.
"What's the biggest secret you're hiding from the people here?"
"...."
"Tell me what it is. It's the third question."
Mixing suspicion with mischief, the slightly oppressive voice weighed on his shoulders. Sihyun, who kept his mouth shut, looked at the children staring at him, then turned his head. It was deliberate. The ghost deliberately asked what the biggest secret was among the things being hidden. If they had just asked about secrets in general, he could have covered it up with something appropriate.
But now that this situation had arisen, he had tried to end it as quickly as possible.
As he delayed, the ghost began counting down.
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