Surviving in an RPG Maker Horror Game

‘It’s a person.’

I hid behind the bookshelf and observed her movements.

The student was quietly seated at a table, reading a book. Did she even realize the state the school was in right now?

There was a crazed guard roaming the first floor. Most people were either hiding or running in fear—just like me.

But she read as if none of this was frightening. What could she possibly be thinking?

As I watched her from behind the shelf, I caught a glimpse of her face. Black hair with a bluish sheen and sharp eyes. Her whole appearance reminded me of a feisty cat.

Suddenly, it hit me.

‘Ah.’

I remembered. She was the same girl who had been watching me from the art room window.

Back then, she seemed so unreal I thought she was part of a painting. Now, seeing her moving so normally—it felt a bit surreal.

‘So she was here.’

She’d vanished from the hallway on the fourth floor, and I’d wondered where she’d gone. Turns out, she was right next to the art room.

As I kept watching her, something dawned on me. Why was I even doing this?

Once I realized the presence I’d felt upon entering the library wasn’t a ghost but a person, I had no reason to stay hidden.

But for some reason, I hesitated. It was like an impenetrable, strange atmosphere surrounded her.

I looked closer. Her pale, slender fingers flipped through the pages. She was clearly reading a book, but her expression was completely blank.

Emotionless. No smile, no interest in her eyes. More than reading, it seemed like she was forcing herself to memorize the characters.

That was how indifferent her face was. So why was she even reading?

Just as I thought that…

“…How boring.”

She closed the book she was reading and let out a soft sigh.

Even then, her expression remained rigid. She must have found it incredibly uninteresting.

Tap.

She set the book aside. Then, as if waiting for someone, she glanced at her watch. Was she about to leave?

I watched the scene silently.

“Why don’t you just come out already?”

The girl muttered toward the wall. But it wasn’t a random comment—she was clearly talking to someone.

‘Is she talking to me?’

I flinched. I did my best to stay quiet, pretending I hadn’t heard anything.

Come on, no way. I’d been hiding the whole time. There’s no way she could’ve noticed me.

But then, her gaze turned toward my hiding spot—straight to the bookshelf I was behind.

Our eyes met through the gaps between the books. There was no mistake. Those cold eyes were looking directly at me.

‘Shit…’

It was as chilling as running into the deranged guard. My heart nearly stopped.

Reluctantly, I stepped out little by little.

“Uh… hi?”

I greeted awkwardly. A strange, sharp embarrassment pierced my chest.

“…”

She stared at me without a word. No reply.

She just scanned me from head to toe with a disapproving look.

‘I’m screwed…’

Cold sweat dripped from my forehead. Ten seconds passed like ten hours until she finally spoke.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

“…Me?”

She nodded and continued.

“But you’ve just been hiding there all this time.”

“Well, that’s…”

I didn’t know how to respond.

“Do you like spying on people? Are you a pervert?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

She hit me with that accusation with the same blank expression. I tried to explain quickly, but she wasn’t even listening.

“Let me give you some advice.”

She got up from the chair and walked over to me with heavy steps. Then, firmly pressed her thin finger against my chest.

“If you don’t want to die, you’d better start taking this seriously. This school is no place for idiots like you.”

She said it with a cold, firm voice. For the first time, her face showed an emotion.

I instinctively knew she wasn’t saying it just to sound cool—she meant every word.

‘Is this because it’s a game?’

Her words felt like something a character from an RPG Maker game would say. Just as I thought that, I felt her piercing gaze.

“Are you even listening to me?”

“…Yeah, of course.”

She stared at me with eyes full of contempt. To avoid being judged any further, I looked away.

That’s when I saw her name tag on her uniform.

I read what it said.

“…Jin Dayeon?”

The name was familiar. It was the same name I’d found on the flute and the gym uniform earlier.

Which meant—

“Yes, that’s my name.”

Dayeon replied indifferently. Her expression was just as blank as ever.

She didn’t seem interested in talking to me any longer.

“Wait a second.”

“What, got something to say?”

Of course I did. Honestly, I had a ton of questions. But I’d been stammering like a fool the whole time, overwhelmed by Dayeon’s intense presence.

Just as I finally worked up the nerve to ask what was going on—

Flash!

[1. What’s going on in this school?]

[2. Who are you, really?]

Two choices appeared.

No need to guess why. Even the questions had to be asked RPG Maker style?

I picked the first one.

“What’s going on in this school?”

“I don’t know if I’d say something ‘happened’… it’s more like, it’s always been this way.”

Dayeon answered matter-of-factly. But what she said was shocking.

“This school transforms like this every single night. 365 days a year.”

“…What?”

“Don’t ask why. Even if I explained, you wouldn’t understand.”

Her nonsensical answer left my head in a mess. Dayeon shut her mouth without adding anything else.

No matter what I asked her, she clearly had no intention of giving more information.

I had no other choice. That was all I could get about the school. So I immediately moved on to the next question.

Flash!

[1. What’s going on in this school?]

[2. Who are you really?]

I chose option 2.

“Who are you really?”

“That’s a secret.”

Dayeon brought her index finger to her lips. This time, her attitude was more assertive.

“But don’t worry. I don’t intend to harm you.”

She whispered as if trying to reassure me. Her breath brushed my ear.

Chills ran down my spine. I instinctively stepped back.

“You think that’s going to impress me?”

“I thought you’d like it.”

“And why would I?”

“Because you’re a pervert.”

“…I’m not.”

We continued with pointless back-and-forth. But we weren’t getting anywhere. I still didn’t know who she was, so I couldn’t let my guard down.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“And how should I look at you? How do I know you’re not up to something?”

“Well… I suppose you could think that.”

Dayeon muttered cryptically.

“I’m not up to anything. In fact, I’m the one who needs your help.”

“You need my help?”

“Yes.”

She answered with no expression.

With that emotionless face, I couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not.

“But I don’t have any proof of that.”

“Proof, huh…?”

Dayeon rested her chin on her hand, thinking. After a moment, as if she remembered something, she rolled up her sleeve.

“Will this do?”

Suddenly, she showed me her wrist. On her pale skin were dozens of clearly defined red marks.

‘What the hell…?’

…They were self-inflicted scars. Horrible wounds. How many times had she hurt herself to end up like this?

The scars ran from her wrist up her arm. It was nearly impossible to look at.

“Do you feel like talking now?”

“You…”

“I’m also trapped in this school. For ten years.”

Dayeon raised both hands to show the number ten with her fingers. Looking closely, her other hand had scars just as severe.

I didn’t know what to say. She simply shrugged like it was nothing.

“If you want, I can show you plenty more proof.”

She said, extending her hands toward me. I frowned instinctively.

“That’s enough. Put them down.”

I grabbed her arms and moved them aside. Only then did the scars disappear from view.

“What’s wrong? Does it scare you?”

“And what if it does?”

Until just a moment ago, her face had shown no emotion, but now she wore a slight smile. It gave off a dangerous vibe—like someone I shouldn’t get involved with.

“Once you’re trapped in this school, you can’t even die even if you want to. You’re doomed to live forever.”

The countless scars on her arms were more than enough proof. Her words were clearly true.
But in my case, when I die, I go back to just before it happens.

It seemed that wasn’t the case for Dayeon. She hadn’t experienced death.

“Do you want to stay trapped in this school forever like me?”

“Not a chance.”

“Then help me.”

A statement that left no room for argument. More than a request, it sounded almost like a command. I immediately felt reluctant.

“And why should I?”

“Well, there are many reasons, but to put it simply—your goal and mine are the same.”

“Escaping the school?”

Dayeon nodded and began to explain.

“You’re the first person to enter this school in ten years.”

“And that’s why you want to escape with me?”

“Exactly. On your own, you won’t be able to get out. Neither will I. That’s why I’m saying we should join forces.”

Dayeon pressed her palms together. She wanted to convey that we should cooperate, but I wasn’t entirely convinced.

Between her wrists, the scattered scars peeked through. They still looked horrifying to me.

‘She said ten years… it must be true.’

I could vaguely understand why Dayeon always wore that blank expression. After spending ten years in this cursed school, maybe I’d end up the same.

“If you’re ready, follow me. There’s something I want to show you.”

Dayeon began walking without even waiting for my response. What should I do?

I wasn’t sure if I should completely trust her.

‘Either way, I’ve got nothing to lose.’

In this situation, I had no one else to rely on. And even if she was lying… the worst that could happen was that I die.

Dying was scary, sure, but as long as I had the diary, there was nothing to fear.

I followed Dayeon, who was slowly moving away.

“You’re slow.”

“I move at my own pace.”

We reached the center of the library. Dayeon started rummaging through some drawers.

“If you want to escape the school, you need to solve the puzzles hidden all over the place.”

“I already knew that.”

I remembered the places I’d been so far. Except for the bathroom, there were puzzles in every corner of the school.

“This library is no exception. It has one hidden too.”

“Then you must’ve solved it already, right? You said you’ve been here ten years.”

Dayeon didn’t answer. She only murmured quietly with her emotionless face.

“…You’ll see for yourself.”

She pulled a key from the drawer. It was marked with the number 1.

“See? So you did solve the puzzle.”

“…”

Dayeon deliberately ignored my comment. She seemed uncomfortable, so I decided to drop it.

“Follow me. There’s another place.”

Then she headed toward the bookshelf section. The smell of old books filled the air.

And the layout was tangled like a maze. Dayeon moved without hesitation, as if she knew the path by heart.

At the end of the shelves, another key was hanging.

“Here.”

She handed me the key she had just found. It was marked with the number 2.

[You have obtained Key No. 2.]

After that, we left the section immediately. As we returned to the library, Dayeon asked me a cryptic question.

“Do you know why I haven’t been able to leave this school in over ten years?”

“…No. What happened?”

Instead of answering, she raised her hand and pointed at something.

“The shelf?”

Where she pointed, there were two bookshelves placed side by side.

Dayeon shuffled over and placed a book into an empty slot. Then—

Rumble…!

The two bookshelves slid apart, revealing a secret door.

Two hidden doors, side by side. And between them, a warning sign.

[When both hearts beat as one, the doors shall open.]

“I haven’t been able to solve this puzzle.”