Survival Log of a Horror RPG Maker Game - Chapter 6

PE Uniform

'Here it is.'

Maybe because the teachers' office wasn't far from the main entrance, I arrived quickly. Watching out for whether the security guard was coming or not, I hurriedly hid near the entrance.

Just as I was about to enter the teachers' office,

I discovered a box placed near the entrance.

A flashy background and bold font caught my eye.

[Lost and Found]

A box that roughly meant, 'If you lost something, come find it.'

The lost and found box was wide open.

I peeked inside.

Broken pencils, erasers, and all sorts of miscellaneous items filled it.

There was even trash among them.

Like an empty Postick snack bag.

Or cigarette butts, that sort of thing.

Despite being called a lost and found box,

it seemed to be treated as something like a trash can among students.

Well, it's not like they'd openly store lost items in this manner.

If it were something expensive like a wallet or an iPad, the first to find it would be the owner.

Though that would only be possible if it were actually inside.

'Nothing special.'

I rummaged through the box filled with trash.

There wasn't even anything worth calling an item.

Just as I was about to avert my gaze,

something glinted between a Bulbeok and Masita bag.

[...There is something inside.]

I tore open the Masita bag and checked inside.

Inside was a small bottle shaped like a baby bottle.

[You have acquired Ink.]

'Oh.'

An unexpected harvest.

Acquiring ink meant that from now on, saving was possible.

[Ink]

【Red ink.

Used when writing in the diary.】

I immediately took out the diary.

Strike while the iron is hot—it was better to save in advance right now.

'Because if I don't, I have to start over from the beginning.'

If I die while being stingy with saves,

I'd have to repeat the intimate game of hide-and-seek with the security guard from the beginning.

I'd rather die than do that.

The face of the security guard smirking as if he were all that flickered before my eyes.

I never wanted to face him again.

[Would you like to record your journey thus far?]

Without hesitation, I used the diary.

Then ink gushed out.

'Ugh.'

If it activates like this, they could've at least given a warning.

The flowing ink stained my palm.

Maybe because it was red.

It reminded me of blood.

'Did it have to be red?'

It felt ominous for no reason.

I wanted to wash it off immediately, but there was no bathroom nearby.

As a temporary measure, I wiped the ink off by rubbing it on the wall.

The clean white outer wall was painted red.

Looking at it like this, it really looked like blood.

[Your journey has been recorded.]

Before I knew it, the diary was stained with ink.

Carefully, I opened the first page.

The existing contents were nowhere to be seen, and it was stained bright red.

I turned to the next page.

Lone numbers were written in red letters.

[6:37]

Did this mean about 6 minutes had passed since the beginning?

If I had opened my eyes in the classroom at exactly 12 o'clock, then the current time was probably around 12:06.

'Only 6 minutes have passed?'

It felt like I'd been chased by the security guard for about 5 hours.

Come to think of it, the time spent dead wasn't included.

Maybe that's why time felt like it was passing slower than what my body felt.

The actual perceived time was quite long too.

Given the situation, I was overcome by a fear that I might wander the same time period in this school forever.

'Let's quickly grab the key and get out...'

Shaking off the ominous imagination, I pushed the teachers' office door. But it didn't open.

-Clunk, clunk

The teachers' office door seemed locked; no matter how hard I pushed, it didn't budge.

'...What the.'

I hurriedly checked the handle.

A small phrase was written on the door handle.

[Pull]

"Ah."

-Squeak

Feeling awkward, I entered the teachers' office.

'You'd know this if you came here often...'

My school life was far from that of honor students who constantly darted in and out of the teachers' office.

I was so busy sleeping all the time that I was practically ignorant of the school layout.

Maybe that's why. The teachers' office felt nothing but unfamiliar to me.

It's huge, bigger than I thought.

Rows of computer desks were lined up.

If you looked at the teachers' office in isolation, it felt more like a company than a school.

A business-like atmosphere permeated the place.

Because it was completely different from the classroom earlier, I felt suffocated for no reason.

I genuinely realized that even within the same school, the atmosphere could be this different.

While looking around the teachers' office, one computer caught my eye.

Even though it was well past midnight, the monitor was brightly lit.

'Did they leave without turning it off after work?'

Wondering what was up, I approached it.

And I doubted my ears.

-Clack-clack

-Click

The sound of keyboard typing and mouse clicks crossed each other. Surprisingly, it was coming from the computer.

But there was no one at the desk.

The computer was moving on its own.

Clack! Clatter-clatter! Clackity! Clack-clack!

With a word processor open, it was busily typing something.

I immediately turned on my heel.

I tried to act as nonchalant as possible.

Without showing the slightest interest, I moved away from the haunted computer.

I whistled as I got away from there.

I now had a reason to quickly grab the key and leave.

[It's a computer desk. It's cluttered with teaching materials and handouts.]

[It's a human-sized giant bookshelf. Textbooks for each subject are arranged by type.]

[It's a printer. It doesn't seem to be working.]

I searched thoroughly anything in sight.

If interaction was possible, I rubbed against it first.

Even in the midst of this, the computer typed away merrily.

'So fucking loud.'

Clack-clack-clack! Clack!

Clatter-clatter! Clackity!

For an office keyboard, my ears stung as if it were using a mechanical blue switch keyboard.

I wanted to rush to the computer and smash the keyboard right now.

But if I did that, who knows what kind of accident might happen.

I endured it for now and ignored it.

I had to find the key if only to escape that damn noise.

It should be coming out soon.

I shook out an empty drawer.

I had searched about half the teachers' office by now, but no key, not even a minor item in sight.

Harboring the hope that this time would be different, I rummaged through the PE teacher's desk.

'Ugh.'

Is this a desk or a pigsty?

My face scrunched up on its own.

Papers strewn about haphazardly,

the desk was filled with all kinds of trash.

Even leftover food was discarded as is.

It was like the desk of someone who had never organized anything in their entire life.

Should I just skip this place?

I couldn't bring myself to search it.

Just as I was subtly turning my steps away.

Something glinted under the desk.

Looking closely, some box was hidden in the gaps between the trash.

'An item?'

Buried deep as if intentionally hidden, I almost passed by without seeing it.

I reached under the desk and pulled out the box.

Blocked by all kinds of trash and piles of documents, extracting it itself was a struggle.

What could be inside to be hidden so tightly?

It had to be the key, right?

My anticipation amplified. Gulping dry saliva, I slowly opened the box.

[You have acquired a PE Uniform.]

Huh.

PE uniform?

My thought processes momentarily halted.

Wondering if I had missed something, I rummaged through the box. But there was nothing.

Instead of the key that was supposed to come out, only a single out-of-place PE uniform lay there.

The material, the appearance—

it was just an ordinary PE uniform. I had no idea what it was for.

Does it mean I should wear this to run instead of my school uniform?

As a trivial consideration prepared for me, it was too suspicious.

Was it even washed in the first place?

With a dubious face, I smelled the PE uniform. Faintly, but it smelled a bit sweaty.

It was definitely a PE uniform someone had worn.

Since it came from the teacher's seat, had the teacher worn it?

If so, I really didn't want to wear it.

Just imagining sharing skin contact with that bulky teacher was unpleasant.

But for that, the PE uniform's size was too small.

It was impossible for that teacher with a massive frame to wear this PE uniform.

Then who wore it?

I brought the PE uniform up to my nose. And smelled it again.

It definitely smelled, at least not like new clothes.

How to describe it.

It was sweaty, but not unpleasant, rather fragrant...

It was truly an indescribably subtle scent.

Maybe the item window would show more.

While smelling it, I opened the PE uniform's detailed description.

[PE Uniform]

【An ordinary PE uniform. Female student exclusive size. Slightly scented.】

...Wait.

I hurriedly removed the PE uniform from my nose.

I stared blankly at the detailed description.

'A female student's?'

Looking again, the size was exactly for women.

Moreover, a name tag was stuck prominently on the chest.

[Jin Dayeon]

...You again.

A name as familiar as could be.

It was that girl who had lent me the recorder in the classroom.

The owner of this uniform that I had been sniffing was none other than a female classmate.

'This makes me look like some kind of pervert.'

The reason I smelled it was to distinguish whether the PE uniform was new or not.

If I had known it belonged to a female classmate, I never would have smelled it.

...Really.

So I was innocent.

If you think about it, Jin Dayeon, who failed to take proper care of her PE uniform, was more at fault.

'But why did her PE uniform come out of the teacher's desk?'

I pondered for a moment.

And I was shocked.

'Damn...!'

No wonder the box was hidden so tightly.

I felt like I'd been hit in the head with a hammer.

I shoved the PE uniform into the item window.

It was to return it to Jin Dayeon.

I had no other impure intentions.

...Really.

Anyway, the desk search ended like this.

The key didn't come out, but I learned a fact I hadn't known.

I never thought the teacher was that kind of person.

To be frank, his face did look exactly like that kind of person.

I resolved to find clues and report him immediately after escaping the school.

By the way, where could the key be?

I had rummaged through all the teachers' desks, but not even a trace was visible.

It seemed the key was somewhere else after all.

It can't be helped.

With regret, I turned back toward the entrance.

In the process, I discovered a storage box hanging near the inside of the entrance door.

Large letters were written on the surface.

[Emergency Spare Key Box]

"Ah."

Found it. The key.

When I first entered the teachers' office, it was cleverly hidden by the angle, so I had passed by without seeing it.

Without knowing that, I had repeated meaningless sufferings to find the key.

I hit myself on the head.

I almost returned empty-handed.

Still, it's a relief I found it.

In a good mood, I opened the key box.

But it didn't open.

Sure enough, there was a lock.

And a keypad-style one at that.

Damn it.

Honestly, I had subconsciously expected this.

An absurdity-driven horror game wouldn't hand over the key willingly.

How fresh and creative a puzzle would greet me this time?

I looked forward to it so much I could die.

Searching for somewhere that might have a clue, I found a small memo under the key box.

[The password is on the computer!]

Computer?

I suddenly turned my gaze somewhere.

Clack-clack! Clatter-clack!

Clack! Clatter-clatter!

The computer operating alone was pounding away at the keyboard even at this very moment.

That was the only computer there was.

I didn't really want to get close to it.

But to get the password, I had no choice.

Reluctantly, I headed toward the computer.

Clack-clack-clack! Clack!

Clatter-clatter! Clackity!

The typing sound grew louder as I approached.

At this point, I was on the verge of getting neurosis.

They said the password was on the computer.

I wasn't sure, but I guessed it might be related to the keyboard being pounded enthusiastically.

Would I know if I looked at the monitor?

What the hell was this thing writing so diligently?

I had been curious since stepping into the teachers' office.

If the clacking was the key box password, it would be perfect.

'Let's just peek a little and quickly go back.'

I cautiously approached from behind and checked the monitor.

The word processor was filled with dense text. Carefully, I read the first sentence.