Chapter 7: Portrait
d72U[6:37]UXykk
ysTWhen I came to, I was at the entrance of the teachers’ lounge.9uvM
CGbfnRNThere was the wall I had rubbed to wipe off the ink.8X86W
eWBj3YI was back. Right before entering the teachers’ lounge.5WXjUp1
oj10b‘I knew it…’LnoTS9
jmy4d3My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor.JwOi
KjcImVGood thing I’d written in the diary. I was this close to having to start over from the beginning.X5D
QZlBRelief washed over me knowing I wouldn’t have to face the guard again. But at the same time, I couldn’t understand why I had died.0t24nn
bFXAll I did was look at the monitor, and suddenly I lost consciousness and died. So, was the computer not the key?amvi
D0kzXI went back into the teachers’ lounge. The annoying typing pounded in my ears.AkYagXu
ICCEGqTap tap! Tap tap tap tap!Vnu
CSU0H16Tap tap! Tap tap tap tap!IjjOP7X
H8EIgnoring the noise, I checked the key locker.fX3
YaTNHad I overlooked something? I examined it carefully.JKD0k
UPr6[Emergency Key Locker]eyw2CfK
mspThere didn’t seem to be any useful clues. The same note from before was still stuck to it.MCsWLY
Pme[The password is on the computer!]NtV
0OB‘Yeah, right.’Rg26Uq2
3nf4NdMTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!Gh43T
aryTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!dTBUF8
B1WJNQjThe computer kept making noise on its own. And if I looked at the monitor, I died.wsWK
vYiNbIt made no sense. Was it cursed or something?diDOG1
6rTBI approached it carefully. I turned my gaze away to avoid accidentally seeing the screen.vqyIV
dSP5Flash.OgGTs
FnT5d84I quickly reached out and turned off the monitor. The brightly lit screen went dark.Zi8Ysk
MV47PLgBut the keyboard and mouse kept moving on their own. At least now it wouldn’t kill me.nOcoy
UWprA little calmer, I started searching the area near the computer.Xh9p
DJ6BP[The drawer is full of documents.]DG1
aUSjyfF[Textbooks organized by subject.]5gMJ
LqZ2cY[Timetable sorted by classes.]woZ
HXRmkEI checked everything I could. But I didn’t find any items.Gd4yNe
IA5i9Only one thing remained: the computer.HFMV
ovQ‘Is it really here?’5XVC
rLKDI crawled under the desk to inspect the CPU tower.qVe
UNSxZThe internal fan was still humming. Maybe restarting it would work?lYm
ne2tnqNI followed the cords connected to the computer.id6
4XEeI found the plug attached to a power strip, and just as I was about to unplug it to cut the power, my hand stopped.iOVj9j
A9GzFThe power strip wasn’t lit. The power button was set to OFF.VlVQ4Eh
y6QGP‘It’s off.’kdh
Fl0jUnnThen how was the computer still running?g88lau
StuuJnwBrrrrrrrr.2FDT
6RkLhyThe fan was still spinning. No doubt the computer was on.Uoz69EP
b26b75I was stunned. I pulled the plug from the power strip. But the computer stayed on.FDFNc
Vv00Xw2Then I disconnected the monitor cable, the keyboard, and the mouse. And still—umlZiW
zaMADZzTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!4Rq
VtpTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!4hv9d
UNtBThe keyboard and mouse kept moving. The monitor’s power button was still active.bJnXwC
0mPA‘This is weird.’H63Q
U54I lifted the keyboard to inspect it. The keys were pressing themselves, typing. Same with the mouse and the monitor.e5sW28
nPgHqpNone of them were connected, yet they were all functioning on their own. Still no clue about the password.yAlrE
LcQQv9RWasn’t it supposed to be on the computer?ogTVJzf
eWKI was starting to think the note was wrong.CLTz
XcElX‘Am I missing something?’Z2dft
bO7Tap tap tap tap! Tap tap!oRd6
ofyTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!JJ8er
LU9T‘But I already checked everything…’t4VJNl
qeEWyQnTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!KF7n
4VL7Tap tap tap tap! Tap tap!EHWaf
sev0VAZ‘Could the clue be hidden in the gym uniform…?’jWJF1nV
7AQPVOTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!mOG
XNfkJTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!svj4
HxVgaDamn, this is unbearable.ISC
AV18bsKMy patience was at its limit. I was about to smash the keyboard against the floor.gm7iV
xt8rotThen the guard’s face flashed in my mind.cvLoBl
IcNQ‘Calm down… calm down…’zCfS4Ac
ktirWI let go of the keyboard. The memory of the guard chilled me more than expected.KPzV
mywsGTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!MXsifs
BdBTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!viQBh
yKKVThe typing continued. I wanted to silence that hellish noise.41zyKN
7cCI looked for a less destructive way to shut it up. What if I removed the keys?iwuW
FsfRsdI began brainstorming ways to get rid of the keyboard without the guard noticing.CROES
2Q7YlOTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!ognT
fGQW1xTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!7KrIP
8kSyYAThe typing wouldn’t stop, like an endless loop.5icSZCd
FtVQRR8‘Wait… repetition?’KN1mK
SwDQSuddenly, I had a déjà vu. I sharpened my ears toward the keyboard sounds.b8zMOHp
lbcYmzYTap tap tap tap! Tap tap! Tap tap tap tap! Tap tap! Tap tap tap tap! Tap tap!WXIHEpp
kzpOGgFTap tap tap tap! Tap tap!kVw
rSAATap tap tap tap! Tap tap!T5vF
YKPmIt was an auditory torture worthy of a mechanical keyboard. I fought the urge to rip off the keys and focused on the sound.AGy
cawXTap tap tap tap! Tap tap! Tap tap tap tap! Tapn5eI
422Stap! Tap tap tap tap! Tap tap! Tap tap tap tap!JBOfZ
Y0W3xAGTap tap! Tap tap tap tap! Tap tap!20NBev
fnv‘What is this?’aCt9
1bq5PSThe sound formed a strange rhythm. Until now, I had ignored it, but it was repeating a specific pattern.PJDvzq
Npy“…!”wrRSk
i7xNbn7I classified the order according to the sound’s intensity.HJRL1jX
NcclTap tap!Vz0f
Uh8lQTap!sVF
6v1Tap tap tap tap!04M
qlUITap!lL0Rcv
03xniThat was the pattern. It seemed to suggest something, like Morse code or a key.eyUh
meWke‘Wait… a code?’OOG
gXwcTA crazy idea hit me. I rushed to the key locker and checked the lock.gWJTH
fXkqQog[Enter password]zgZrWU
P13[0000]ki7UMp
QIbS…A 4-digit code. I recalled the keyboard sounds.uoH
zj9BTap tap! → sounded 2 times = 28XkHDRp
9D4ZFvoTap! → once = 18LyhNWQ
ukf0G4XTap tap tap tap! → 4 times = 4zDiENRE
cxdTap! → once = 1vhwI9Uf
T6vSo the password would be 2141.NrMsO
TWxH‘Nah, they wouldn’t make it that simple…’J0dAd0Z
bOboxDoubtful, I turned the dial and entered the combination.N29wP
hFf[2141]Nkp13k
KPe0mClick.wLDakmI
BRLO…The padlock clicked open.fCFbqB1
pRnxXI couldn’t believe it. Turned out the keyboard sounds had been the answer.jWPO
gwuOO‘Was it really just that…?’6ABZ9
FXeUWMore than joy, I felt empty. If I had known, I wouldn’t have racked my brain so much.WCHkqG
S4o1I saw a note under the locker.HYCW
v7PqcbD[The password is on the computer!]druvdl
4gZqPVSCouldn’t they have explained it better? Instead of beating around the bush and confusing everything, they could’ve just said it plainly.MAQ
8XvMy blood boiled. I hoped it hadn’t all been for nothing.46l
QhaEcsI braced myself and opened the locker.lzoMi
9gsCreak.0FfPbHu
cqRNo basement key. Just another key.nVTX
iGCxlCg[You’ve obtained the Art Room Key.]3LVo6g
q0vcThe art room now?oRlg
PqreY6Getting farther and farther… At this rate, I’m going to walk through the entire building.UerTlct
FojBg‘Well, here we go.’Rns
0pteZklBefore leaving, I picked up the gym uniform I’d found earlier. No bad intentions, obviously. Besides, it was a girl’s, didn’t even fit me. I kept it in case it was a clue… or to return it.LN7izeb
zWUETI left the office.Jz1EQo2
9kLvKThe next destination was the art room.JZT
Uyur9X7‘Hopefully this time there’s a real clue.’eWNJG69
AelhI didn’t want to spend another second in this cursed school.RYokze
5TOXpA2‘I want to see someone…’ucYn
3U70ltCI was physically and mentally exhausted. Even though I’d always been a loner, today I was dying to talk to another human being.9Xpr6
yZm5kSBut here, there was only a guard who danced popping and a sentient computer.OchCze
TmolIpIf I stayed any longer, I’d go insane.ak4p
lYFsLpI forced myself to keep moving.LwTBane
AZOui2‘Where was the art room again…?’Oft
XpuKAI remembered it was on the fourth floor. As I headed to the stairs, passing through the main hall…KIBc
mLykTTap tap tap tap tap.RlPAN
21xRGFamiliar footsteps.JO3SU83
YwVA chill ran down my spine.RDmh
5QTMRI turned around.k218re
zmwaNLgJust as I feared… it was the guard.qs51k0s
nWvDIRunning with his arms wide open like he wanted to hug me.nb9wJiz
WhcNp1“Damn it, seriously…”1yoy
UbeI bolted straight for the janitor’s closet.YVPy96j
2n0***Rq2NeG
fR7F4dAfter an intimate date with the guard.HKbH7
aCFxj‘Is it here?’jM8XnZ
t7B9I finally reached the fourth floor of the main building.ELIUjxs
tAgkfvBThankfully, the guard wasn’t in sight. If he’d followed me here, it would’ve been harassment.PWl5
yAtqGI walked down the hallway connecting to the stairs and found the classroom sign.E6WZwP
Tcy[Art Room]7wVruEX
c8ic‘This is it.’vnfbVT
2oVAs expected, the door was locked. I took out the key I’d gotten from the office.d2M
8lRWfP[You’ve used the Art Room Key.]Qh1J8l
TIIocClick.05R
D8AwWzMThe door opened. I was worried something might jump out like in the hall earlier, so I entered cautiously.1fMWbHf
RMZQ7A0A strong smell of paint stung my nose.ENI
PhnI held my breath and looked around the room.Uw0LAGt
ktdUvkz‘Now that I see it, it’s huge.’78NcjwI
kY2EBefore, packed with 20 or 30 students, it hadn’t seemed so spacious. But now it looked at least twice the size of a normal classroom.7CU5KhU
jzOORwZI started carefully inspecting the room.xrkVodZ
MB9RYmGFirst, I checked the tables.Ku8
U76R[Paint palettes and materials are scattered in complete disarray.]50d
jYl[A water container used for cleaning brushes. Its color is blood red.]aRug
l71hCX[A plaster bust the size of a human head. It’s heavy and doesn’t move.]ReH7
pT22Nothing useful, it seemed. Then I looked at the wall.evqb
cjqvOne side of the room had several paintings on display.tnkhL1
EB6D16KI approached, and descriptions started popping up.5gN
oWQbjQ[Michelangelo – The Creation of Adam]ASuZU3X
g4Qu[Leonardo da Vinci – Mona Lisa]rYM
6Zm3atm[Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers]qDimuZH
zPdThere were well-known masterpieces, but also rough, clumsy works that looked like they were made by the art club students.JTFQo
UNLVeTPOne in particular caught my eye — a portrait of a student.FoGikqT
AzKvShe wore the school uniform properly, like she belonged to this very school.tiZG
gGakaqBlack hair with a slight blue sheen and pale skin. Her expression, tinged with disdain, had a mysterious air.vEEz
71DN5AShe had feline features and sharp eyes that unintentionally drew me in.GQcil3s
KhHThe more I looked, the more I felt like she was staring directly at me.9B9E
UeKs2kL‘Wow, it looks like a photo, not a painting.’lbkwBs0
eM2lPWaThe detail in each strand of hair was so precise it left me speechless. I wondered who could’ve created such a hyperrealistic portrait.g0cKX6Y
umRBut unlike the other paintings, this one had no description.8znqP
H2noyI tried several times, but it wouldn’t respond.kR6rcLH
WGRt1VLThis painting didn’t interact with the system.GUqaSRt
jjR‘What’s going on with this?’UhiAS
9uowI thought maybe the system had glitched, but the other paintings were fine. The issue seemed limited to this portrait.v68T
DeBUlA bug?kOw
Ie2OI looked at the other paintings briefly, then turned back to the portrait…qKJLzn
TLEL2But it was gone.wvK
EZFQnbJ‘Huh?’toB7
wy37MPfI couldn’t believe it. The student’s portrait had completely vanished.2pmp
suBfThinking I might’ve looked in the wrong place, I searched the entire wall.DdVLEs
ShFAmong the rows of paintings, only one space was empty.vNT
mgFThat was exactly where the portrait had been.qTxN
PmyH1No doubt about it. The place where the painting had hung was now bare.OnOV
iLBqWl‘No way, there was definitely a painting here.’4LJkpC
20cX0The most disturbing part was that the gap now looked directly out into the hallway.7AYS
wqFI moved closer, and a description appeared:yqlu
Qo5[It’s a regular window. You feel like someone passed by on the other side.]ChfsT
vB47t‘…A window?’0lQbJk
7Qu39No matter how I looked, it was just a normal window.Nw6n1c
3o6QtuMSo there was only one explanation.LAR
o96YbL‘No way…’vBP3
typI felt my heart sink.d3B
11S6A cold sweat ran down my back.8NWa
xDNKCU‘…I’m not alone in this school.’Pfq5aG
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