An Exorcist Magical Girl!

“Yes, okay, I’ll do that. I’ll bring Kang Yoon-ju and her friend before you.”

 

Cha Hanbyul nodded slowly and promised the invisible spirit.

 

“You don’t think I’ll believe you just because you promise, do you?” “I will believe you if you do something.”

 

Then the ghost whispered something that only Hanbyul could hear.

 

Hanbyul nodded with a stiff face and slowly made her way to the center of the field.

 

Yang Ji Won felt an ominous sense of foreboding enveloping her entire body, and she reached out to grab her.

 

At that moment, a gust of sandy wind rose up and blocked her hand.

 

“Do not disturb your friend.”

 

The ghost’s warning mingled with the wind.

 

Hanbyul, who was already far away, shouted into the air.

 

“Take it. I have done what you told me, so let her go.”

 

As soon as she finished speaking, the ropes around the two students’ necks snapped.

 

With their upper bodies dangling over the railing, Jin Yubin and Chae Hyo Eun stumbled frantically backwards away from the ledge.

 

“Remember, tomorrow at this time, in the same classroom. If you break your promise, you will pay the price.”

 

With these last words, the ghost disappeared. 

 

They couldn’t see it, but they knew it was gone because the uncomfortable chill that had been wrapped around their necks instantly disappeared.

 

The freshmen rushed into the school to check on Jin Yubin and Chae Hyo Eun. 

 

Ji-won, who found her cell phone working, immediately called an ambulance, while Hanbyul rushed to the juniors on the roof and Yuri and the other sophomores rushed to check on the five teachers left in the hallway.

 

The junior broadcasters, whose left palms were torn open, were taken to the hospital in an ambulance, and the teachers had no idea why they were standing in the hallway.

 

That was the end of their Friday.

 

***

 

 

On the way home, Hanbyul, Yuri, and Ji-won stayed together.

 

But of course, the mood wasn’t as good as it was at dinner.

 

“Hanbyul, don’t worry too much, let’s ask Iri. We can ask her to get rid of the ghost before the deadline.” 

Yuri said with a worried look on her face, and Hanbyul nodded and said that she had thought about it but Ji-won interrupted.

 “You have to be honest. It’s not a problem that can be solved by asking Baek Iri.” “Oh, Yang Ji-won, you’re talking out of your ass again.” “If you had asked Baek Iri to exorcise the ghost in the first place, this wouldn’t be so deadly now. I’ve only seen you for a day or two, I’m not doing this because you have more problems.” “Ai, you’re so fast.”

 

Hanbyul ruffles her back hair.

 

“Cha Hanbyul, what did you just do? What did the spirit make you do?” “Hmm…” “Tell me.” “Student ID.” “What?” “I gave my student ID to the ghost, and I’ll get it back tomorrow when I pick up Kang Yoon-ju and her friend.”

 

Hanbyul tapped the back of the transparent case of her cell phone and said that she had agreed to exchange her student ID for them.

 

The place where she had put her student ID was empty.

 

And sure enough, the ghost had given her more than just a square card.

 

“See?”

 

Hanbyul pointed at the thin scar on her neck.

 

She’d given the ghost an object with her name, date of birth, and photo on it.

 

It was like giving a ghost a curse doll made of your own hair.

 

“The ghost scratched my student ID, and this is what happened to my neck.”

 

In exchange for saving Jin Yubin and Chae Hyo Eun, Hanbyul had given her life to the ghost.

 

As long as the ghost had Hanbyul’s student ID card, it could kill her at any time.

 

Even if an exorcist attacked her.

 

And there was only one way to get her back.

 

The only way to get it back was to bring the two people the ghost demanded and exchange them.

 

The best way to appease the ghost was to bring Kang Yoon-ju, so she said whatever came out of her mouth, whether it was helping me find her or taking me to her school.

 

The two people on the roof were saved, but now the ghost’s muzzle was pointed at Cha Hanbyul.

 

“Oh, shit. I didn’t think that my hasty words would turn out like this. How am I supposed to fix this, I’m so screwed.”

 

Hanbyul swallowed her curse.

 

Hanbyul hadn’t intended to confront Kang Yoon-ju with the ghost in the first place.

 

The ghost wanted to kill Kang Yoon-ju because she summoned him as her alter ego.

 

Honestly, it’s true that Kang Yoon-ju has caused a lot of trouble since she came to the school, but she doesn’t deserve to die.

 

Of course, if either Jin Yubin or Chae Hyo Eun were to die today, it would be a different story.

 

In any case, Hanbyul only wanted to use Kang Yoon-ju as bait to convince the ghosts to leave and then end things on her terms.

 

Even though she was afraid that someone might die before her eyes.

 

And the Hanbyul at that time believed that it was possible.

 

The spirit didn’t even know Kang Yoon-ju’s name until now. That is, until Cha Hanbyul mentioned that the owner of the note was Kang Yoon-ju.

 

It was foolish to think that the notebook’s owner would come looking for it after hearing such a suspicious broadcast.

 

No, why would the person who summoned the ghost in the first place come back for the note she used to summon the ghost? It’s obvious to throw it away.

 

Anyway, since it was such a stupid ghost, Cha Hanbyul decided that she could trick it if she did it right.

 

She threw it in front of the exorcist’s office and offered to take it to Kang Yoon-ju’s school.

 

She wanted to do that.

 

But she wanted her to bring it herself and trade it for her life.

 

With a

“friend”

who didn’t even exist.

 

“Hey, Hanbyul, you don’t have Kang Yoon-ju’s number. I’ll ask around the student council and find out. I’ll call her and her friend here tomorrow.” “Yang Ji-won. Do you think she’ll come just because you called her? A senior who’d never heard of her before said, “Yoon-ju, come to Mukgyeong Girls’ High School with your friend from Bunshin Saba. If they come here tomorrow, you’ll die.” “No, but…” “No, no, no. Yang Ji-won, shut up, I know what you’re going to say.”

 

Ji-won seemed to blame herself, the student council, for all of this.

 

If the student council hadn’t announced that they were going to throw the notebook away today, this wouldn’t have happened.

 

Her best friend’s life was on the line.

 

So she should take responsibility and bring back Kang Yoon-ju and her friend.

 

“Ah, Ji-won, stop thinking about it! It was going to happen eventually, if not today. Do you think that ghost would have waited for months and years for his master to show up? If he didn’t show up after one or two more lost-and-found transmissions, he would have done the same thing today. If it wasn’t today, it would have been a month later, or maybe even next week.”

 

Hanbyul patted Ji-won’s back.

 

She was right. 

 

The moment a ghost thinks,

“Why didn’t you come back for me after all this time?”

is the moment it will get pissed off, just like today. 

 

If it hadn’t been for the lost and found notice from the student council, the trigger would have been,

“I’ve sent it twenty times over the course of months.”

 

The trigger would have been,

“I told you to throw it away today, but you didn’t.”

 

It had to happen eventually.

 

“Ji-won, if you always think it’s your fault, you’ll grow old faster.” “That’s right, Ji-won, it’s not your fault, and Hanbyul, don’t worry too much.”

 

Yuri said as she patted Yang Ji-won and Cha Hanbyul on the back.

 “Because I have a way.” 

 

***

 

 

The next day, Saturday, 9 p.m. At the gate of Mugyeong Girls’ High School.

 

“…Cha Hanbyul?”

 

Hanbyul, who was wearing a blue shirt and looking at her cell phone, turned her head in the direction of the voice.

 

“Oh, you’re Kang Yoon-ju?” “Yes.”

 

Kang Yoon-ju, who was wearing a cap pressed tightly to her head, nodded her head.

 

She wore a red hood over her cap and a black mask that only showed her shadowed eyes.

 

“And you?” “Oh, hello. I’m Kim Ji-yeon, Yoon-ju’s friend.”

 

The girl standing stiffly behind Kang Yoon-ju greeted her shyly.

 

“What grade are you in?” “Me? I’m a freshman in the 11th grade.” “What? There isn’t an 11th grade in the first grade?” “What? Oh, I’m not from Mukgyeong Girls’ High School. I go to the same Haejeong High School as Yoon-ju.” “Did you change schools?” “No, I’ve always been at Haejeong High.” “But you did Bunshin Saba together at our school?” “Oh, you know what? Yoon-ju asked me to come to her school because she said it was haunted, so we just had some fun exploring the school together.” 

Hanbyul laughed in disbelief at Yoon-ju’s friend Kim Ji-yeon’s answer.

 “Huh, did you get someone from another school involved?” “I heard that the girls from Mukgyeong High didn’t play with Yoon-ju.” “Ah, so you ran off to Haejeonggo where you have friends to play with?” “Oh no. I just changed schools for other reasons.”

Kang Yoon-ju replied irritably. 

 

Then she mumbled something that sounded like she was talking to herself.

 “You’re acting like an asshole for playing ghosts, you’re acting like an asshole for something that happened a long time ago. If you found the money because of us, you should be damn grateful.”

 

Hanbyul just glared at Kang Yoon-ju and motioned for her to follow him.

 

Still grumbling, Kang Yoonju and Kim Ji-yeon obediently followed.

 

“Is it raining today? Why did you bring an umbrella?” “Check the weather, Yoon-ju, it’s supposed to rain.” “Shit, you never know. Kim Ji-yeon, why don’t you come with me later?”

 

The two chased after each other, making small talk.

 

“Hey, so how much did the ghost spit out? How much did he give us?” “I don’t know.” “Hey! Honestly, you only found the money because we exorcised the ghost, so you should give us 80. Yoon-ju is not good at talking about such things.” 

Cha Hanbyul didn’t answer and kept walking.

 

“Ji-yeon, shut up and let’s go. Will you be responsible if my money is reduced because of you?” “Don’t reduce it, damn it. I’m just trying to get you to give me more money now.”

 

They arrived at the classroom.

 “Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

 

Kang Yoon-ju paced and banged her head on the desk.

 

“It’s scary to come here at night. Hey, Kang Yoon-ju. Let’s just get paid and get out of here. What are you looking at?”

Kim Ji-yeon urged Kang Yoon-ju.

 

At that moment, Hanbyul, who had been silent all the way to the classroom, spoke up.

 

“Hey, I brought them both here like you said, so give me my student ID.”

 

Kang Yoon-ju and Kim Ji-yeon exchanged a confused look.

 

“What did she just say? Is she talking to us?” “I don’t think so…”

 

Zi-zik—

 

The fluorescent lights flickered as if to answer Hanbyul’s words.

 

“Ack! What’s that, damn it.” “Oh, don’t grab me.”

 

Kang Yoon-ju and Kim Ji-yeon hugged each other and shivered,

 

Poof!

 

Something fell right in front of them.

 

***

 “Hey, you’re scaring me even more!”

 

They jumped back in surprise.

 

It was Hanbyul’s student ID.

 

Hanbyul picked up her student ID and left the classroom.

 “Hey! Wait! Where are you going? Cha Hanbyul! Damn you! You’re an impostor! You crazy bastard!”

 

Kang Yoon-ju curses and tries to run after her, but the classroom door slams shut as soon as Hanbyul leaves.

 

“Damn, why won’t it open?” “Yoon-joo, what are we going to do?”

 

Between the two frightened voices, an unfamiliar voice interrupted.

 “Hahaha, hahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahaha! You’re the bastard who summoned me! Ahahahahahaha! Did you think you’d get away with sending me to hell? Hahahahahahahahaha! I’ll kill you!”

 

The ghost laughed maniacally, having finally found the right object of his revenge.

 

“Ahahahahahahahahaha! I’m going to kill you and leave! Ahahahahahahahaha!”

 

Bang!

 

“Ahahahahahahahaha! I’ll kill you, huh?”

 

The door opened.

 

“Get out.” “Yeah!”

 

Gone was the shaky voice, and Kim Ji-yeon nonchalantly opened the door and let Kang Yoon-ju out.

 

“Uh, you can’t go wherever you want!”

 

The panicked ghost tried to grab Yoon-ju by the neck…

 

Ting!

 

It was blocked by something.

 

“Ehh…?” “Hey, you asshole.” “Me…?” “Yes, you. You, the ghost.”

 

The only other girl in the class stared at the ghost.

 

“You obviously only revealed your voice to humans, so how come…? Coincidence? No, not a coincidence!” “Uhhhh, idiot.”

 

Two piercing yellow eyes met the ghost’s.

 

“Do you still think I’m Kang Yoon-ju’s friend?