Ranker Who Lives Twice

"…Huh?"

"There's really music playing!"

"Did anyone see anyone go inside the school?"

"N-No, sir!"

The staff members began to murmur. Before the camera started rolling, they had confirmed that there was no one left on campus aside from the teacher who was on guard duty. To get inside the school from the front entrance, people had to walk through the field, so it was impossible to get inside without being seen by the staff. Also, the school was located on a hill, so it wasn't possible to climb over the back gates and sneak in.

"Move the camera! Zoom! Zoom in!" Even with the creepy situation, Producer Kim realized that this was an opportunity. It didn't matter whether or not there was a real ghost. He only knew that a big hit was right in front of him.

There was a saying among singers that their song would be a big hit when the sound of a ghost was recorded during their session. It was unlikely the same jinx existed with idol reality shows, but everything depended on how Producer Kim wrapped this up… Exploring a scary school with famous idols Shin Sung-chan and Cha So-yeong! He could already smell the money rolling in.

The cameraman swallowed and zoomed in to the music room as Producer Kim ordered. The soft chords of a piano from the illuminated classroom were carried by the wind. Für Elise…was a piano composition written by Beethoven in 1810. It was a soft melody that everyone was familiar with, but the cameraman couldn't help but shiver. "…Hup!" Then, he unintentionally gasped. He could see a human figure passing through the curtained window. "P-Person!"

"Someone's… really there?"

The issue was that the visible human shadow was walking differently from how normal people did. Usually, when people walked, their heads slightly bobbed up and down. However, the shadow's head was unmoving while walking, as if sliding across ice. It looked like it had no legs.

"I-It's looking this way."

Gulp. Shin Sung-chan swallowed. Just a few moments ago, he had been determined to score points with Sesha by showing his impressive side, but he looked extremely pale now. A drop of sweat dripped down his forehead.

Cameraman number one, who was filming Shin Sung-chan, didn't miss how his eyelids trembled. It was well-known that Sung-chan was the youngest in his group, but it was also common knowledge that he was a scaredy-cat. Apparently, he hated ghosts the most in the world.

According to what the other members said, they had all gone to an amusement park together once, and Sung-chan was the only one to sit out the horror house. They wanted to force him inside, but their youngest looked as if was going to faint, so they couldn't bring themselves to do it.

Producer Kim hadn't chosen the topic of this episode as exploring the school's mystery for nothing. "Filming Sung-chan's daily school life" was only a ploy. And just as the producer predicted, Sung-chan was noticeably shaking to the point that the cameraman wondered if he should stop filming.

"…Hmm?" Cameraman number one made an inquisitive sound.

Sesha was striding by Sung-chan. She was calm, not looking scared in the slightest.

Producer Kim spun his finger in the air, telling Sesha's cameraman and scriptwriter to quickly follow her.

"You're not coming?"

Sung-chan jumped to attention at Sesha's question. Behind Sesha, Park Yoo-min was grinning like a cat who got the cream. She looked like she was asking him if he could still score points in this situation.

'Hey, don't show your weak side!' Sung-chan steeled his resolve and straightened his back. "O-Of course not. I am. That's probably just a trick the staff is playing on us to scare us. Ha, hahaha." He was laughing, but his voice was shaking.

Tremble, tremble.

* * *

Tap, tap. Only the sound of footsteps could be heard in the dark and quiet hallway. Students had been bustling in here just hours ago, but it was now silent as if that had only been a dream.

Sesha stood at the front, with Yoo-min following her, and Sung-chan was at the very end. Sung-chan wanted to power forward confidently, but he couldn't because his legs were shaking too much. The act of entering this place alone required a lot from him. On the other hand, Sesha looked unaffected. The three were all being filmed in the camera as they moved forward.

'Today's filming is gonna be incredible.' Producer Kim was confident.

Sesha, who looked as if nothing could faze her and was cool and collected even in this scary situation, Sung-chan, who was passionate on stage but awkward and clumsy at school, and Yoo-min, who was watching the other two with amusement… The combination of the three was brilliant. And the friend Sesha had brought along looked good in the camera, and she was witty. She would probably be scouted by a bunch of places after this episode was broadcast.

"Whoa."

"What?" Sesha tilted her head at Yoo-min's random exclamation.

"Because you look cool."

"What?"

"You're not scared of ghosts?"

"I'm more scared of monsters."

It was an answer that only players could give.

"Ha. I bet the monsters were more scared of you."

"…Why?"

As they chattered, they soon arrived at the music room. Für Elise was now over, and the piano was now playing Piano Concerto No. 5. Apparently, the ghost enjoyed Beethoven.

'Do you sense anything?'

「Huhuhuhu. No,」

'The shadow from earlier, could it just be a trick by the staff?'

「I would've told you then.」Laplace sighed.「Well, I'll be able to closely scan the music room, so even if the creature runs away I can catch him right away.」

Sesha nodded slightly so Laplace could see and put her hand on the handle to the music room. "I'm opening it now."

Park Yoo-min nodded, and Shin Sung-chan swallowed.

Creak. The door opened. However…

"Huh?"

"Hm…?"

"Heeek!"

Sesha and Park Yoo-min widened their eyes. Sung-chan gasped and closed his eyes. When the other two stayed quiet, Sung-chan peeked open an eye and turned surprised.

"T-There's no one here…?"

The music room was bright, and the piano cover was open as if someone had just been playing it.

'Check the back door carefully.'

「Haa, haa, haa! Such a cold voice… Commands… I'm so happy.」

Crack! Sesha gritted her teeth at Laplace, who was clearly unable to read the room. She urgently felt the desire to beg her grandfather to get rid of him when she returned home.

Sesha and her friends carefully examined the music room. The music had stopped the moment they reached the door. Only silence filled the room now, but the suspense that something might suddenly pop out kept the atmosphere tense. The staff members who followed them swallowed nervously.

"There really isn't anything?" Sesha wrinkled her forehead and became deep in thought. She had looked in every nook and cranny in the cubbies and beneath all the desks, even looking behind the TV, but there was nothing there. Not a single speck of dust. She wondered if something had left the classroom, but Laplace informed her there wasn't. Just then…

"A-Ahhhhh!" Shin Sung-chan suddenly screamed and fell backward. Sesha, Park Yoo-min, and all the staff turned to him. He yelled, "O-O-O-Over there…!"

Shin Sung-chan trembled and pointed his index finger. Beyond the window that looked out into the hallway, something was slowly moving. Thump! Thump! Each step it took made the hallway quake.

"Aaack!"

"Eeeeek!"

"W-What is that?"

"Is it really a ghost…?!"

The staff, who were supposed to stay quiet, began to clamor in surprise. What was passing by the hallway was the statue of King Sejong, which should've been standing dignified in the middle of the schoolyard.

The statue of King Sejong that was looking through the book of Hunminjeongeum paused in its steps. Then, it slowly turned its head toward the music room. The people all looked at the statue. Grin! The statue of King Sejong raised a corner of its mouth as if it found the people cute.

But to the people, the statue just looked unsettling. Eeeek! Ahhhh! Gasps and screams could be heard throughout the room. The filming was nearly forgotten.

The statue of King Sejong made a sad face, upset that the people were scared of it, then it turned back to its book and continued walking. Thump! Thump! Contrary to its confident self earlier, it now looked like a wet dog standing in rain. The statue was quite expressive with its emotions.

'Pervert bunny!'

「Haa, haa, haa. Roger that! Cute and adorable bunny to the rescue!」With a shout that sounded like it came from the anime he was watching these days, Laplace separated from Sesha's shadow and quickly slid under the door.

Sesha quickly burst open the door and stepped into the hallway. Then, she saw it—the many statues that filled the hallway.

Thump, thump. Clunk, clunk. Kiaaak! Kaaak! It wasn't just the statue of King Sejong. The statue of Yi Sun-sin was training his sword skills, repeatedly striking down its sword from where it was standing, and two skeletons from the science labs were in the middle of a bizarre dance battle… Sesha questioned whether she was dreaming or not.

And that wasn't all of it. There was a bony skeleton singing with a microphone it got from who-knew-where, and in front of it, dolls that the students had brought were jumping up and down like fans at a concert. Model archaeopteryxes that used to decorate the ceiling powerfully thrust their wings.

There was nothing normal about the scene. Wasn't there a word for situations like this? Shitshow.

「Whoaaaa. What a shitshow.」

If even Laplace was calling this a shitshow, this was really bad.

'You said you didn't feel anything. How could you not know when they're all gathered like that?'

「Right. I really didn't feel anything.」Laplace laughed in disbelief.「The problem is… Even with all this ruckus, I still don't sense anything.」

'What?' Sesha wondered if that was even possible.

「It's completely out of my range of recognition… Hmm.」Laplace was silent. It seemed like his pride was hurt. The shadow that used to be shaped like Sesha was now shaped like a bunny.「Oh well.」

Suddenly, from what appeared to be Laplace's eyes, red lights flashed. Flinch! Sesha subconsciously stepped backward. This was it—the reason Laplace wasn't someone to be looked down upon. He was probably trying to conceal his power to the best of his abilities, but a god of disorder that could easily swallow the entire Earth could make living beings shake in fear just by existing.

「I'm sure we'll learn something after eating them all up, right?」

Keekeekee. Laplace's sharp canines glinted from his open mouth. Sesha swallowed. Something bad was on the verge of happening.

* * *

Then, a moment later…

「Everyone, may I have your attention, please! Please look at the cute and adorable bunny! This is my lovely breakdance!」A topless copper-skinned middle-aged man with bunny ears on his sparkling bald head was showing off his dance moves in the festival of statues, flexing his chest and biceps.

"…I shouldn't have believed in that idiot." Sesha covered her face with her hand.

Meanwhile, the copper-skinned man's dance continued, chests and biceps still flexing.