Free Web NovelChapter 20: Bad idea
The rest of the morning passed more quietly than usual.
Since the girls were occupied with their physical assessment, the academy felt strangely empty. The hallways weren’t nearly as crowded, and the constant noise that usually echoed through the buildings had faded into the background. It was one of the rare days where the six male students could sit together without worrying about being dragged away by a senior or becoming the center of unwanted attention.
Ryan had somehow turned the locker room into a temporary lounge.
A deck of cards had appeared from nowhere.
Marcus insisted Ryan was cheating.
Ryan insisted Marcus simply didn’t know how to lose with dignity.
Daniel sided with whoever happened to be losing just to make the argument last longer, while Ethan leaned against one of the lockers, occasionally looking up from his phone to laugh at the others. Noah sat nearby with the club approval forms spread across the bench, making small changes with a pen whenever another idea crossed his mind.
For a while, I simply watched them.
It was... peaceful.
Strange as it sounded, this was probably the first genuinely normal morning I’d had since waking up in Adrian’s body.
Nobody was threatening me.
Nobody was giving me impossible choices.
Nobody was trying to make my life miserable.
The system had stayed silent for almost an hour.
That alone felt suspicious.
As if it had heard my thoughts, a translucent blue window quietly unfolded before my eyes.
______
[Mission Received]
Linked Idiots
Objective:
Explore the abandoned toy factory near the Old Town Square with your friends.
Participants Required: Six
Time Limit: Tonight
Reward: ???
Penalty: ???
______
I stared at the notification.
The reward was hidden.
The penalty was hidden too.
That had never happened before.
Every previous mission had told me exactly what I stood to gain and exactly what would happen if I failed. This one gave me nothing but question marks.
I didn’t know which was worse.
The factory itself immediately came to mind.
The abandoned toy factory near Old Town Square had been closed for nearly fifteen years after a fire destroyed part of the production line. Ever since then, it had become one of the city’s most famous urban legends. Teenagers dared each other to sneak inside, ghost hunters claimed to hear children’s laughter echoing through the empty halls, and every few years someone uploaded another blurry video insisting they’d captured something impossible.
It existed in the original game.
I remembered seeing it mentioned.
But not like this.
Not this early.
The notification vanished, leaving me with more questions than answers.
"...Adrian?"
Ryan’s voice pulled me back to reality.
"You’ve been awfully quiet."
"I was thinking."
Marcus laughed.
"That’s never a good sign."
Ryan tossed another card onto the bench.
"What’s on your mind?"
I hesitated.
There was no way I could tell them the truth.
Instead, I looked toward Noah.
"You mentioned earlier that your club would investigate strange places around the city."
Noah nodded.
"That’s the idea."
"What if we actually started?"
Ryan blinked.
"Started?"
I leaned back against the locker.
"The abandoned toy factory."
The room became noticeably quieter.
Marcus was the first to react.
"The one near Old Town Square?"
I nodded.
"It’s probably the most famous urban legend in the city."
Ryan let out a short laugh.
"I was expecting you to suggest the cemetery behind City Hall."
"I thought about it."
"But?"
"The factory is closer."
Daniel looked surprisingly interested.
"I’ve heard older students talk about it."
"So have I," Ethan said. "Apparently the city sealed it off years ago."
Ryan grinned.
"And that’s exactly why people keep sneaking inside."
Marcus folded his arms.
"Or maybe because people enjoy making terrible decisions."
Ryan pointed at him.
"You say that like it’s a bad thing."
"It usually is."
Noah looked down at the approval forms resting beside him before smiling faintly.
"...Honestly."
He tapped the stack of papers.
"If we’re serious about creating a mystery club, visiting somewhere like that wouldn’t be a terrible way to begin."
"So you’re actually considering it?" Ryan asked.
"Why not?"
Marcus stared at both of them.
"I can’t believe I’m surrounded by idiots."
Daniel chuckled.
"I think that’s exactly why it’ll be fun."
Ethan looked between everyone before finally shrugging.
"As long as we’re not breaking into military property, I’m fine."
Ryan immediately clapped his hands together.
"That’s four."
Marcus sighed.
"I haven’t agreed."
"You will."
"I won’t."
Ryan smiled.
"You don’t want the five of us telling everyone you got scared by an abandoned toy factory."
Marcus stared at him for several seconds.
"...You’re unbelievably annoying."
"I’ve heard that before."
Marcus let out a long sigh before shaking his head.
"Fine."
"But if somebody gets arrested, I’m leaving all of you behind."
Ryan laughed.
"I knew you’d come around."
Finally, everyone’s attention shifted toward me.
"Where are we meeting?" Ethan asked.
According to memories, my apartment was the closest to Old Town Square.
I immediately regretted remembering that.
"My place."
Ryan nodded as though the decision had already been made.
"Sounds good."
"We’ll meet at Adrian’s apartment after dark, then head to the factory together."
Noah gathered the club approval forms and slipped them back into his folder.
"I suppose that makes tonight the unofficial first meeting of the Mystery Research Club."
Nobody argued.
Five voices agreed almost at the same time.
Only I remained silent.
The mission had required six participants.
Without realizing it, we’d fulfilled the condition exactly as the system wanted.
___
By the time darkness settled over the city, the apartment was as clean as I could make it. There hadn’t been much to tidy in the first place. A quick sweep of the floor, washing the few dishes left in the sink, and clearing the table of old wrappers was enough to make the place look respectable. It was still a small apartment with worn furniture and aging walls, but at least it no longer looked like someone had been surviving on instant noodles for weeks.
A knock echoed through the room a little after eight.
When I opened the door, Ryan and Ethan were standing in the hallway carrying several plastic bags between them. Ryan greeted me with a grin while Ethan raised one of the bags slightly as though presenting evidence in court.
"We brought supplies."
I stepped aside to let them in, but my eyes stayed on the bags. The moment Ryan set them on the table, I could see what they had brought. There were several packets of chips, chocolate bars, popcorn, cookies, and enough bottles of soft drinks to stock a vending machine.
I looked from the table to Ryan.
"...Are we exploring an abandoned factory, or are we going on a picnic?"
Ryan glanced at the snacks before looking back at me with complete confidence.
"Both."
Ethan laughed as he started unpacking everything.
"We’re probably going to spend a few hours walking around an empty building. We might as well bring something to eat while we’re at it."
Ryan nodded.
"Exactly. If nothing interesting happens, at least we won’t be hungry."
"I’m pretty sure that’s not how ghost hunting works."
Ryan shrugged.
"You’ve never been ghost hunting before."
"...No."
"Then you don’t know the rules."
Before I could think of a reply, another knock came from the front door.
Marcus stepped inside carrying a large flashlight. Ryan immediately pointed at it.
"See? We brought snacks."
Marcus looked at the table before holding up the flashlight.
"And I brought the thing we’ll actually need."
"Food is important."
"So is being able to see where you’re walking."
A minute later Daniel arrived with a backpack slung over one shoulder. Marcus glanced at it curiously.
"What did you bring?"
Daniel unzipped the bag just enough for us to see inside.
"A power bank, bottled water, a first-aid kit, and a spare flashlight."
I looked at him.
"...Why do we need a first-aid kit?"
Daniel answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"We’re going into an abandoned factory. Broken glass, rusty metal, exposed nails... I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it."
Ryan stared at him for a second before a grin slowly spread across his face.
"Daniel."
"What?"
"...Are you the group mom?"
Daniel blinked.
"The what?"
Ryan pointed dramatically at the backpack.
"You brought water, medicine, emergency supplies, a power bank..." He looked around the room. "Guys, I think Daniel adopted us."
Marcus snorted.
"I can actually see that."
Ethan nodded with a laugh.
"He’s one lecture away from telling us to wear jackets because it’s cold outside."
Daniel rolled his eyes.
"You’ll be thanking me if one of you idiots cuts yourself." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Ryan walked over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Mom."
"I’m leaving you behind if you get hurt."
"You wouldn’t."
"I absolutely would."
The apartment filled with laughter.
By the time everyone had settled down, the final knock sounded.
Noah stepped inside carrying a folder under one arm.
"Sorry I’m late."
"You missed Ryan bullying Daniel," Marcus said.
"I wasn’t bullying him."
Ryan looked completely offended.
"I was appreciating his maternal instincts."
Daniel sighed.
"I already regret coming."
Noah smiled as he slipped off his shoes.
"So this is where you live."
"Yeah."
He took a slow look around the apartment. His expression didn’t change, but I couldn’t help noticing the difference between this place and the homes everyone else probably grew up in. Compared to the luxurious houses owned by most academy students, this apartment was barely large enough for six people to sit comfortably.
Ryan suddenly stopped chewing.
"Hold on."
He pointed toward the table.
"When did you get a new phone?"
Every head turned toward the device lying beside my keys.
I froze.
Of all the things for them to notice...
Ethan picked it up before I could say anything.
"This wasn’t the phone you had yesterday."
Marcus glanced at it and gave a quiet whistle.
"Nova X12."
He looked back at me.
"That’s not exactly cheap."
Daniel frowned.
"I thought your old one had a cracked screen."
"It did."
Five pairs of eyes settled on me, waiting for an explanation.
"I..."
The words caught in my throat.
"I got some money."
Ryan folded his arms.
"From where?"
I rubbed the back of my neck, already regretting the answer before I said it.
"...Senior Bianca."
The apartment became noticeably quieter.
Marcus blinked.
"Senior Bianca gave you money?"
I nodded.
"One of her maids have it to me."
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Ethan slowly placed the phone back on the table.
"I honestly can’t decide if that’s generous or terrifying."
"Terrifying," Daniel answered without hesitation. "Definitely terrifying."
Marcus nodded.
"Nothing involving Senior Bianca has ever sounded normal."
Ryan scratched his head.
"I don’t get it. Why would she suddenly give you money?"
I forced a weak smile.
"I don’t know."
It wasn’t a complete lie.
I knew why she’d done it.
There was simply no chance I was explaining that to anyone.
Noah had been quiet the entire time. He looked at me for a few seconds before asking, "Did she say anything else?"
I shook my head.
"No. Her maid just handed me the envelope and left."
Noah didn’t press the subject any further, though I caught him studying me for a moment before his attention returned to the others. Ryan had already opened another packet of chips and immediately declared barbecue to be the greatest flavor ever invented. Marcus disagreed on principle, Ethan joined the argument within seconds, and Daniel claimed all of them had terrible taste. The debate somehow became serious enough that Noah ended up laughing at how passionately everyone defended snack flavors.
For a little while, the apartment echoed with pointless arguments and easy laughter instead of shouting or threats. It felt less like six academy students preparing to explore one of the city’s most infamous abandoned buildings and more like a group of friends getting together on a Friday night. It was peaceful enough that I almost forgot the system mission waiting for us.
