I Was Possessed By An Unknown Manga

Chapter 93: Genre, Romantic Comedy

Now that I think about it, that was the case.

Even though we were in the middle of a conversation, there was no sound of jingling keys.

Ah, it must be a mistake. Or maybe he left them behind in a hurry after hearing the scream.

Being scared just because she didnt hear a key sound, the Teacher must be quite timid.

But Ms. Mizuki, still pale and trembling, denied what I said.

No, that cant be. To get here from the security office, youd have to pass through the firewall door. How could he have come this far without a key? Unless he passed through walls, its impossible!

I swallowed hard.

So, what youre saying is, the security guard we just saw wasnt actually him but something imitating the security guard?

Thatmight be possible.

Hearing her words, I burst into laughter without realizing it.

Hahaha! Teacher, youre something! I know youre just trying to tease me. I should go back now, its late. I told my parents I would stop by the convenience store, so theyll worry if I come home late.

As I said that and hurriedly went to open the duty room door to leave, the Teacher clung to me with a desperate expression.

Wait, just a moment! Just 30 minutes! Stay with me for just 30 minutes! The security guard said he would come back soon, so just stay until we see his face!

Its already 10 PM! What if someone finds out a student and Teacher are together at this hour?

Id rather have that misunderstanding!

Even though she was a Teacher, I couldnt resort to violence, so I tried to resolve it with words as much as possible.

But Ms. Mizuki seemed determined not to let me go, clinging to me like a leech.

Eventually, my resolve weakened, and I sighed and sat back down.

Alright, just 30 minutes. After we confirm the security guards face, I will really go.

Hueee~ Thank you~

Ms. Mizuki said this with a tearful voice.

It seemed she was really scared.

I called home just in case, saying I was at a friends house and might sleep over, so they shouldnt wait up for me.

Mrs. Imija acknowledged and then ended the call first.

It seemed she wasnt too worried about her son coming home late at night.

Anyway, since it was okay to be late now, I looked at Ms. Mizuki, who seemed to have calmed down a bit.

But why were you so scared, Teacher?

Ms. Mizuki replied while sipping her cold green tea.

I have been sensitive since I was young. I tend to see strange things more than others.

Does your family run a shrine or something?

Huh? How did you know?

Really

I sighed involuntarily, as it sounded like a setup Id often seen in shonen manga.

Come to think of it, in this manga world with its underworld, ninjas, and everything, it wouldnt be strange if ghosts or monsters actually existed.

Considering that Senior Fuma once mentioned doing exorcisms on behalf of the underworld people.

Hmm?

Then I realized that I knew Senior Fumas phone number.

Because we exchanged emails when I went to Senior Fumas house for a meal.

Teacher, just a moment. I know an expert on this.

Expert?

Yes, a senior named Fuma Yukika in the third year.

I know Fuma. Shes one of the three beauties of the academy, right?

Wait, do the Teachers also know that nickname?

Anyway, since they knew each other, the conversation went smoothly.

That Senior Fuma might be able to alleviate your fears, Teacher.

Saying so, I made a call on my smartphone.

After a few rings,

Click!

[Kim Yu-seong? Whats the matter at this hour?]

Senior Fuma answered the phone.

After switching the phone to speaker mode and explaining what had happened, Senior Fuma, over the phone, after a moment of silence, asked Ms. Mizuki,

[Ms. Mizuki, did you say your family runs a shrine? Specifically, which deity does your family serve?]

Uh Im not sure exactly. Naru Naruikazu?

[Naruikazuchinokami, one of the Eight Thunder Gods, who serve Izanami, a deity of the underworld.] ¹

Is that good?

[Good or bad aside, its not unusual for the daughter of a family of shrine priests serving a thunder deity to have spiritual abilities. Especially since Naruikazuchinokami is one of the deities serving Izanami, the goddess of the underworld.]

So, are you saying it might really be a ghost?

[I cant be sure until I see it with my own eyes. But typically, spirits or ghosts cant enter spaces without permission. They tend to lure people verbally. If the entity that visited the duty room was really a ghost, as Ms. Mizuki described, it couldnt have entered freely until either you or the Teacher opened the door.]

If it really is a ghost, how should we deal with it?

[You can use qi. Especially if you are a person of strong yang qi, you can fight it off with your bare hands without any special spells. Usually, lesser spirits cant even approach someone with strong yang qi, but since its a full moon tonight, there might be some emboldened entities.]

Okay, got it. Thanks for the advice.

[If it seems dangerous, shall I come to help? I just finished my part-time job, and Im on my way home.]

For now, Ill try to handle it myself. Thanks to the Mirror of True Essence you gave me last time, Ive learned how to use qi to some extent.

[Okay. Its 10:15 PM now, so call me back at 10:35 PM. By then, you should have confirmed the identity of the security guard.]

Yes, Ill definitely call you.

[Then, Ill hang up now.]

Click!

The call ended, and a silence settled in the duty room.

I turned to the Teacher, who had been listening intently beside me, and said,

Thats the situation.

Are we really going to be okay, just the two of us?

I firmly grasped the Teachers trembling hand, like a shivering tree, and said,

Dont worry. If it seems dangerous, I will definitely protect you.

Yu-seong

Ms. Mizuki looked up at me with a touched expression.

Realizing that my words were somewhat cheesy, I awkwardly scratched my cheek.

Feeling like we were replicating a clich from a horror movie, I felt a bit creeped out.

Usually, macho characters like me die first in these scenarios.

Should I call Senior Fuma now and ask her to come?

While pondering this, I noticed that my smartphones battery was only at 10%, so I excused myself and plugged it into the charger.

The security guard would return in 15 minutes.

By then, wed know whether it was a person or a ghost.

Hoping it was just Ms. Mizukis overreaction, I decided to watch a TV comedy show with her to forget the unnecessary anxiety.

Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!

As the second hand moved every second, it eventually reached the halfway point, marking precisely 10:30 PM.

It was time for the security guard, whom we had sent away earlier with a lie, to return.

With about 5 minutes left, the Teacher, unable to focus on the TV and seemingly anxious, clung to me with a tense expression.

Which made me feel unnecessarily tense as well.

Then

Teacher? Im back now.

The voice of the security guard came from outside the door.

I glanced at the Teacher, who swallowed nervously and then spoke.

You mentioned earlier that you had something to talk about. What was it?

Then, the security guard spoke in a good-natured way.

Ah~ Its just that, seeing the young Teacher working hard alone, I brought some Yanggaeng (Korean sweet jelly). A friend gave it to me to eat during the night shift, but it seems like theres too much.

A more normal reason than I expected.

It must have indeed been the Teachers misunderstanding.

However, Ms. Mizuki, still unable to shake off her suspicion, stared at the door and said,

If thats the case, please leave it in front of the door. Ill take it when I do my rounds later.

Then, the security guard outside said,

Why not take it now, Teacher? I didnt package it separately; its just on a plate, so it might get dusty in the hallway.

No, its okay! Im wearing comfortable clothes, so its a bit awkward to come out and talk face to face!

Then, the security guard outside, after a brief silence, spoke with a hint of disappointment.

I didnt see it that way, but this is too much. Ms. Mizuki. Even though Im just a mere security guard, to not even want to see my face

Suddenly, Ms. Mizuki seemed like a bad person, discriminating based on occupation.

Well, given the current situation, it might feel that way, but wasnt this a bit persistent?

As I began to doubt the guards insistence on handing over the Yanggaeng, Ms. Mizuki, swallowing hard, said,

Then Ill take the Yanggaeng, but could you please shake your key bundle just once?

Yes? Why all of a sudden?

Yes. Then Ill open this door.

Well, that shouldnt be difficult.

Jingle! Jingle! Jingle! Jingle!

Then, the clear sound of keys jingling echoed from beyond the door.

I looked at the Teacher with a shocked expression.

Because until just before the security guard knocked on the door

there had been no sound from outside the door.

As the Teacher covered her mouth with both hands, saying nothing, the something beyond the door spoke in a chilling voice.

Youve noticed, havent you?

1. ED/N: Izanami is a key goddess in Japanese mythology, known for creating the Japanese islands and many gods with her husband, Izanagi. After dying from giving birth to the fire god, Izanami becomes the ruler of the underworld. Her story highlights themes of creation, death, and the separation between the living world and the afterlife.