Edit: Just realized Noona is used by younger guys and Unni is used by younger girls when referring to an older female oop

I looked out the nearest window to the gloomy skies up above. The patter of water trickling down the ceiling and walls greeted my ears. 

"Where-" Lee Jihye looked startled and Na Bori instantly paled at the atmosphere resembling a horror movie set.

Looking around at the water worn surroundings, a strange feeling began to crop up.

Hm? Why was the scenery so familiar? Deja vu? But I had never been here before.

Before I had time to understand my strange feeling, a scenario screen popped up before us.

[Hidden Scenario: The Other Side]

Category: Hidden

Difficulty: D

Clear Conditions: Survive for 6 hours

Time Limit: 6 hours

Compensation: Dispel Evil lv. 1, Mental Fortitude Lv. 1, 2 000 coins, ???

Failure: ---

+

[You are currently in a safe zone. Preparatory Time: 5 minutes]

[4:59]

"So, I guess you know how horror movies go?" I briefly read the panel, the information just like it was in the novel.

Na Bori was shaking. The words that came out of her lips were disjointed, and I was worried.

"ha. ha. Crybaby Jihye. Goodbye. My soul. Has. Ascended."

How could the incarnation of that sponsor be this afraid of ghosts and horror?

I paused. How could I assume Na Bori's sponsor, even if I had a suspicion? Well, the inexplicable thought of Na Bori being incongruent with the being watching the broadcast as the ironic comedy of the situation was not without merit. So I dismissed the doubt in my heart.

Passing by Lee Jihye who also started to pick up a fuss by shaking poor Na Bori violently by the shoulders, I slipped in the classroom, Lee Jihye's shouts a background tune to my search.

"Bori, get a hold of yourself!"

Ah, I found it.

[You have  obtained the scenario props Oil Lamp x3 and Matchbox x1]

Retreating from the classroom, three lamps in tow, I put the lamps in my companion's hands to deter their attention.

"What's this?" Abated, Na Bori brought the lamp up to view it at all angles curiously.

Meanwhile, Lee Jihye stared at the strange contraption in her hand.

"It's a scenario prop that will help us in the scenario." I replied just as that, careful not to mention anything about ghosts that would trigger another bout of Na Bori's soul escaping from her mouth. "All you need to do is keep it lit."

"But it says here that it will deter gh-" Lee Jihye started, and an alarming premonition filled my head.

My hands slapped across Lee Jihye's mouth to muffle her words before I could even think.

She looked at me questioningly and I exclaimed "ah", letting go after realizing what I did.

"Ahem, maybe let's not mention the word 'g' for now. That's all you need to know. Na Bori." Still, I was too late.

"Na Bori?" I tried again, but only saw Na Bori staring at the description of the lamp in sheer terror, frozen in place.

Here we go again...I groaned mentally, half in resignation and the other half genuinely in concern for my companion's mental state.

"Na Bori, are you ok?" This time, my tone was more gentle.

Lee Jihye on the other hand snapped her fingers and waved her hand over Na Bori's face to get her attention, "Hello? Earth to Bori?"

"Humehuh? What?" That seemed to get Na Bori out of her reverie.

"Okay, good to have you back." I raised the volume of my voice to be heard. The two heads swerved back around to listen to my next words.

"Let's go borrow Na Bori's car and then loot the place as we make our way to the National Folk museum of Korea. Sounds like a solid plan?" Perhaps it was because I sounded like a strict instructor, because Na Bori instinctively raised her hand.

"Yes Na Bori," I gestured for her to speak.

"Um, how did you know I have a car?" She looked at me a little quizzically.

I froze at the unexpected question. Yeah, how did I know-

No, it wasn't the time to think about this.

"No time to explain." I looked at the timer displaying [2:14]. It looked really similar to a number I had seen before. Except the "2" had been a "1".

"Any last ideas for how to survive the scenario?" I prodded instead.

Na Bori and Lee Jihye temporarily fell into thought as static silence rose.

"Uh, my stigma is useful in repelling ghosts. I think." Na Bori offered first through the silence, also feeling the urgency of the situation.

"Got it." I nodded curtly and turned to Lee Jihye for her next words.

"Ah, don't look at me! I'm not sure." Lee Jihye busily waved her hands. "Well, maybe if I get a super-duper cool skill then-"

I really didn't want to hear the rest of what Lee Jihye was going to say, because she was going on a nervous talking tangent of something really chunni sounding. So I cut Lee Jihye off and spoke to my comrades during the last seconds of the countdown.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Lee Jihye, your stigma is going to be very useful at the end of the scenario. However, I would like both of your stigmas to be a last resort since we don't know what's going to happen next." 

They nodded their heads to show they were listening.

[0:02]

I was sure they were looking at the count at the corner of their eyes, just like I was.

[0:01]

And then.

[0:00]

Watching the decreasing seconds, I wasn't sure why, but I didn't feel too nervous, as if I had gone through this process once before.

[Safe zone has been deactivated.]

[In 5 hours, the Scenario area will be flooded.]

But who knew if the information was accurate? For all we knew, it could flood in the next hour, as long as a mysterious entity willed it.

[The star stream has stirred]

...along with this strange message that I couldn't understand.

But that was for the future me to consider. Throwing it to the back of my mind, I looked at my uneasy companions.

"Alright, shall we go borrow your car?"

~A few minutes later ~ is the thing I would like to input as we sped down the streets now loaded with items.

Na Bori and Lee Jihye seemed to have shed their uneasy selves from the start of arriving, wearing necklaces, bracelets, rings and sunglasses and hollering out the windows of the car. Right now they were having the time of their lives.

I smiled at their antics, but was no less decked out with sparkly jewelry.

Although being alert would be the right action to take, I didn't want to ruin the mood. Besides, I was feeling less jittery than I had when I entered the dungeon, so my brain told me to relax. It was time to be bold.

Perhaps we all needed this, to cope with the nightmare.

"You have my heart, and we'll never be worlds apart,"

I wasn't sure who started singing first, but as we continued our trip, we all began singing the same song in the end.

"Under my umbrella, ella, eh eh-oh, we're here." And then Na Bori parked the car, ending the song.

As per the pre-arranged plan, after we all disembarked we made our way to the refilling station for our lamp's fuel.

"Refilling, refilling~" Na Bori, still giddy, quipped in a sing-song way.

However, all our expressions soured as an additional, unwanted intruder appeared out of thin air.

[Huff-huff, man it took quite a bit of pr0bab^li+y for me to find this place!]

I had told my companions during the car ride the possibility of this happening, so luckily we didn't take this event so badly.

[Huh, you've already explored this hidden dungeon in addition to finding it already? You are very impressive earthlings.] The Dokaeibi brought its paw close to it's face in mock surprise which turned into genuine happy surprise a moment later.

[Hihi, constellations, we have made it to another interesting stage! Ohh, thank you for the monthly subscription dear [Sorrowful Heart of Silver]!] 

[Sorrowful Heart of Silver]? Who was that? In my limited memories of reading the novel, I could not recall this modifier, much less who it could be referring to.

I frowned, feeling like I was missing something. Or perhaps, feeling like there was a change.

"Yahoo, hello? Let's go smarty pants." Lee Jihye crassly spoke while drumming my shoulder with her fingers. She seemed to have become more casual with me after our car riot.

"Yep, right behind you." Turning, I entered the museum after my companions and instantly heard a notification.

[1 hour has passed in the scenario. Restrictions of "ghosts" have decreased. "Ghosts" can now possess specific inanimate objects. Please pay heed]

"Be careful everyone." I called out, received by grunts of acknowledgement.

[Maritime of War God is wondering how you will react to the upcoming trial.]

[Lily Blooming in Aquarius is worried and doesn't like the situation.]

[A few constellations are showing interest in the situation.]

[100 coins have been sponsored.]

"Alright, just as we planned, we'll split up and meet back in an hour after taking an item from this museum. Remember, we can only take one, so choose wisely." I spoke, wanting to confirm everyone was on the same page.

"Got it, got it, you don't have to repeat it..." Lee Jihye waved her hand dismissively, exchanging one or two words with Na Bori before heading off into an exhibition.

Waving a short goodbye to Na Bori, we also parted ways.

As I navigated through the hallways while glancing at the display cases, I still ended up grabbing a dagger. I didn't have enough strength to wield around anything cumbersome, nor did I know how to swing around any other weapons effectively.

Feeling the dagger absentmindedly, I felt like it fit my hand perfectly well, moving to my command without awkwardness.

A flash of memory of a high-platform surrounded by flames and water erupted in my mind as I played with the dagger, but then drifted away like a dream. 

Shaking my head, I continued on until I ended up in an open-air exhibit of the museum.

Drats. It was still cloudy.

[Play...]

A whispering wind brought the laughter close to my ear, causing me to jerk, my alertness shooting to the peak.

Here, it was here.

That dreadful memory.

[Restrictions on Ghosts have been loosened. Ghosts can now go on a "hunt".]

As my heart painfully beat against my chest like a startled dove in flight, scenes danced across my eyes.

If it was just like the sensations I could feel crawling over my skin, then-

left.

Spinning, I smacked the flower pot defying physics away from me, sending it tumbling to the ground. Dirt exploded as porcelain shattered, and the bonsai lay desolately strewn across the ground.

My breaths began to turn rapid as my mind became overloaded with memories and sensations.

[Aw, I really liked that tree!] The little ghost's voice pouted. [Hey, noona, if you break someone else's stuff, you have to apologize, you know?]

Mischievously, the larger shards of porcelain floated above the ground.

I didn't know if my optics were playing tricks on me, but I felt like I could see the tangible strands of shadow coalescing into the silhouette of a young boy who was grinning at me.

I stared at him sadly, pursing my lips slightly, unwavering.

Even as the shards of porcelain shot towards me, I didn't move from my spot.

An exclamation of surprise erupted from the small figure as one of the shards grazed past my arm, leaving a burning cut that produced a bead of blood and the rest clattering to the ground behind me.

[Noona, why didn't you move out of the way?] The ghost asked and I replied,

"Why would you want to hurt me? Didn't you want to play?" I mustered the brightest smile I could.

Because, I knew. Despite the way they spoke and the way the scenario forced them to act, the ghosts did not want to kill us.

When I felt their emotions, up on that platform, there was no rage and no hate. All there was was regret and sadness.

To these kids, I just wanted to hear them out. To listen to their stories. After all, I couldn't do anything else. Still, I had confidence as a listener.

[P-play?] He looked at me distrustfully.

"Yeah, do you have any friends? It's always more fun to play with everyone." I laughed in spite of the potential danger.

The little boy stared at me with unblinking eyes, playing with his mouth subconsciously as he weighed the sincerity of my words.

"Well, I won't be going anywhere until we play a game." Childishly speaking in a different tone, I sat down on the ground to show my refusal to move.

The boy continued surveying me, now a confused glint in his eyes that turned into a spark of pleasant surprise at realization.

 [Ok Noona! I'll call my friends and then we can play hide and seek!] The little ghost became infused with childish excitement at my words.

How many ghosts will he call? I wondered. That reminds me, I still haven't asked for his name.

I didn't need to wait for long after sitting down.

[Noona, I brought my friends!] Like a gust of wind, the little ghost had left swiftly and come back just as quick.

[Is this the Noona you were talking about? She looks plain.]

[Hi! I'm Lee Taeyoung, Nowen's friend!]

[I wanna play already guys, hurry up!]

The voices of countless others began to appear, and I wondered if I would be able to find them all in an hour.

"Well, it's nice to meet you all. I'm going to count to 10 now, so you better hide quickly. And you can only hide in the exhibition to make it more fun, okay?" I put forward my own rules.

[No, make it 20!] One of them cried out.

Well, that wouldn't hurt.

"Alright, I'll count to 20, but no more."

[But-]

"1!" I closed my eyes and began counting before the children could say anything else. Perhaps that was also childish of me, but I didn't have unlimited time.

 As I counted, I could hear the scramble of the ghosts as they possessed inanimate objects to hide in, but perhaps they were too panicked, because the skidding of pots was heard all around.

"12, 13, 14..." I continued to count steadily, and a silence began to drawl as it neared its last few counts.

"Annndd, 20! Time's up!" I jumped up and looked at the exhibition devoid of any sign of people. But that did not deter me.

As I wandered around, I picked up a pot and glared at it, "It's you, isn't it? You're in there, right?"

[N-no Unni!] The breathless laughter resounded in my ears.

"Stop lying, I got you!" I laughed along and picked up another pot.

[...]

"Ok, it's really you this time. You can't play dead, ok?" I tapped the pot.

[Aww, why am I the first one out?] And from the pot drifted a ghost of a little girl.

"...Jae Lin, right?" I softly spoke, eliciting a happy nod from the girl.

[Do you want any hints?] She asked.

"Oh no, you can't give away your friend's position!" Alarmed, I spoke.

[Well, I don't want to be the only one out! This way, Unni!]

What an...interesting...girl. Still, since she had shown the way, I couldn't ignore it, right?

[This one!]

[No, that way Unni!]

In the end, the game of hide and seek devolved into a game of tag instead as the still-hidden ones all screamed and ran.

[Cheating! You're cheating!]

[Not fair!]

"Well, ahem, you better run as quickly as you can then, or I'll catch you!" Feeling shameful as my face heated up, I spoke my piece before running after the flying, hopping or rolling pots.

Sometimes they flew up out of my reach only to come back down to tease me and get eliminated, or they ran themselves into a corner in their panic.

In any case, by the end of the game, I was exhausted at chasing them all, my words coming out in breaths.

"Ok, since I won, you all have to tell me about yourselves. One at a time." I collapsed onto the ground, gulping in air greedily.

And so began the initial purpose of why I stayed, even if I risked going over the agreed time.

[Um, before I died, I was getting a puppy. It was going to grow into a big, strong golden retriever.]

The first ghost started, and then the next. I patiently became a good listener, reacting to their stories and prodding along the more shy ones to share.

For an unknown amount of time, as I continued to listen, the ghosts slowly began saying their goodbyes and disappearing. Maybe all they needed was someone to listen to their stories.

Finally, only the little boy from the very beginning remained.

"That reminds me, what is your name?" I asked.

[My name is Shin Nowen. Thanks for playing with us, Noona. Bye bye.] The little boy named Shin Nowen waved his chubby little arm as he, too, departed from the scenario.

[Ghost hunt has ended.]

"Bye." I replied so softly that I wasn't sure if anyone could hear.