The hallway twisted.
Walls bending.
Lights flickering like they were about to give up on life.
Yui grabbed Jae-min's arm.
"…Okay. Running is back on the table."
"THANK YOU," Jae-min said instantly.
They turned—
Too late.
The shadow dropped in front of them.
Not like the others.
This one was—
Bigger.
Heavier.
Like the air itself didn't want it there.
Yui stared.
"…That's not a normal ghost."
Jae-min nodded.
"…That's a boss fight."
The Enemy
It didn't rush them.
Didn't scream.
Didn't move wildly.
It just stood there.
Watching.
Then—
"You don't belong here."
Yui blinked.
"…Rude. I go to school here."
Baek Arrives
A flash—
Baek landed between them.
Scythe ready.
"This is the source."
Yui pointed at it.
"So we just beat this thing and everything goes back to normal?"
Baek didn't answer.
Which meant:
No.
"Great," Yui said. "Love that for us."
Fight Starts (Immediately Bad)
The shadow moved.
Fast.
Baek blocked—
But got pushed back.
Hard.
Yui's eyes widened.
"…That's new."
Jae-min whispered,
"He's losing."
Yui grabbed her spirit tag.
"…Okay no. Not happening."
Yui Steps In (Again…)
She ran forward.
"HEY—"
The shadow turned.
Bad idea? Yes.
Did she care? No.
"You've been messing up my school, my lunch, and my LIFE—"
Baek: "…This is not the time—"
"I'M EXPRESSING MYSELF—"
The Turning Point
The shadow paused.
Just for a second.
That same hesitation.
Yui noticed.
"…Wait."
She stepped closer.
Baek grabbed her arm.
"Yui—don't."
She pulled away.
"…It's not fully gone."
The shadow flickered.
Like something inside it was still there.
Yui Tries Something New
She lowered her voice.
"Hey."
No sarcasm this time.
No yelling.
Just—
Calm.
"You're not this thing, are you?"
Silence.
Jae-min blinked.
"…Is she seriously doing therapy on a boss?"
It Works (But…)
The shadow trembled.
Cracked.
For a moment—
A human face appeared.
Scared.
Trapped.
Yui's eyes widened.
"…Baek. There's someone inside."
Baek froze.
"…Corrupted host."
Mr. Lee (appearing dramatically as always):
"If you destroy it recklessly, the human soul will be lost."
Yui snapped:
"WHY DOES EVERYTHING HAVE CONSEQUENCES?!"
The Decision
The shadow started breaking again.
Losing control.
Time running out.
Baek looked at Yui.
"…You decide."
Yui froze.
"WHY ME?!"
"Because it responded to you."
Jae-min whispered,
"No pressure or anything…"
Yui's Choice
Yui clenched her fists.
Took a breath.
"…Okay."
She stepped forward again.
Ignoring the fear.
Ignoring everything.
"Listen to me."
The shadow shook violently.
"You're not alone."
Her voice steadier now.
"You're not this thing."
"Come back."
Silence.
Then—
A crack of light.
The shadow split—
And exploded into fragments.
Light burst across the hallway.
Then—
Gone.
Aftermath
The hallway returned to normal.
Lights steady.
Walls still.
Students slowly waking up.
Like nothing happened.
Yui stood there.
Breathing hard.
"…Did we win?"
Baek looked at her.
"…Yes."
Jae-min dropped to the floor.
"I'm alive. I'm actually alive."
But Not Really Over
Mr. Lee looked serious.
"That wasn't the King."
Yui groaned.
"Of course it wasn't."
"That was just a fragment of his influence."
Silence.
Yui stared at him.
"…You're telling me THAT was the weak version?"
"Yes."
Yui turned.
Started walking away.
"Yeah no. I'm going home."
Final Scene
As they left the school—
A whisper followed.
Soft.
Satisfied.
"Interesting."
Yui froze for a second.
Then kept walking.
"…I really need stronger slippers."
END OF CHAPTER 23