Women's Bathhouse (2)

Screeech—the rusty hinges screamed in protest. Han Yujin crossed the threshold into the women's bathhouse, wrinkling her nose.

"Hmph." She inhaled sharply, and a bitter stench slammed straight into her lungs. Moldy rot mixed with the fishy reek of stagnant water and the acrid tang of corroded rust from decaying metal.

"This is supposed to be... safe?" Han Yujin scanned the room with suspicious eyes. The changing area before the actual baths. A far cry from the "cozy, safe haven" the lady had described. Withered, crusty towels lay scattered everywhere, abandoned baskets forgotten in corners. Even the faucets were busted, dripping water in lazy plips: drop, drop.

"Grrrr... This place feels off, nyang." Kruru, clinging to Han Yujin's leg, bristled her fur. Her bright yellow eyes darted around uneasily.

"Something's wrong here. It's damp, sticky... and it stinks!"

"It's a bathhouse. Of course it's humid and smelly."

"No! This isn't just water smell! It's like human blood! The ones who fear me vanished here!"

Blood smell, huh. Han Yujin sniffed, but the mold overpowered everything else.

"Let's check it out anyway. Coordinates match." Han Yujin pushed open the frosted glass door leading to the baths.

Scraaape, clunk. It slid halfway, then jammed on something.

White steam billowed from the gap.

"Huh?" Han Yujin froze. Steam in a long-shuttered bathhouse?

"Someone... here?"

Maybe the lady wasn't wrong after all. Han Yujin squeezed through carefully.

"Excuse me~"

Her voice echoed in the empty space. No reply.

Thick steam filled the bath, visibility near zero. Han Yujin waved her hand ahead, stepping slowly.

Warm. Outside was chilly night air, but this felt like a sauna. Slippery tiles underfoot, droplets pattering from the ceiling: plink, plink. Like someone had just left.

"Anyone here?"

Only the dripping answered. Plink. Plink. Steam thinned as the open door vented it, revealing the scene: empty tubs, rusted faucets, shattered mirrors. Just an abandoned bathhouse. Save for the inexplicable heat and humidity.

"What the hell is this place. Hey, furball, sense anything?"

"Don't call this body furball!"

Kruru snapped, but stayed hidden behind her leg, tail swishing.

"This place... feels bad. Really bad."

"How so?"

"Like... being swallowed into someone's gut, nyang."

Gut? Creative. A chill ran through Han Yujin despite the steam. Better bail. Jeong Gongbeop's hideout or somewhere else sounded smarter.

"Let's go. Not here."

She turned back toward the glass door.

Scraaape— But it wouldn't budge.

"...Huh?"

"What the—?" She shoved harder. Scraaape, clunk! Welded shut. Not even a millimeter.

"Locked?"

No way. Lock's on the outside anyway. And it opened fine coming in.

Thud, thud! Fists against it sounded like pounding steel.

"Check behind, Kruru."

"What're you—"

Han Yujin summoned her money bag instead. Physics time.

"Gonna smash it."

—Splat!

The bag's corner slammed the glass. Normal glass would've shattered. This absorbed it like jelly, boinging the bag back.

"......Ha."

Han Yujin let out a hollow laugh. Trapped. In the weirdest way.

"Definitely not normal."

Any kid could call this a horror story.

"Hit it harder!"

Kruru looked younger than ten, but cute, so whatever.

Han Yujin's eyes hardened. Assess first. She swiped the air, summoning the translucent gallery window amid the steam.

Replies poured in instantly.

Haunted spot, huh. ...Yeah, creepy fits.

Then.

"...?"

What? She know something? Han Yujin frowned and checked.

Han Yujin stared blankly. No males. No monsters.

Ah.

It clicked. Why ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the door locked. Why empty.

"Son of a—"

She glanced down. Perfect girl on the outside. But inside?

"........."

What good saying it? And Kruru beside her. Cute girl outside. Essence? Cthulhu fragment. Probably monster.

"...Weird?"

"This bitch..."

She had a talent for grating nerves. But key info too.

'Checkpoint space, huh?'

Qualified get sent to village. Unqualified bounce. And me?

"Glitched in between?"

Entered girl's body but was guy? Glitch city.

"Ha."

Body swap bullshit wasn't enough? Now discrimination?

"I'm a girl dammit! Check my DNA!"

Squawk all she wanted. Empty echoes.

"Don't believe me? Check, I said check!"

As she fumbled with her clothes—

—Plink, plink.

Faucet drips changed. Plink, plink... trickle.

Drips quickened to thin streams bouncing off tiles, sound shifting.

—Teehee, teehee, keehihi...

Eerily like laughter. Childish prankster giggles echoing through pipes, chillingly wicked.

"K-Kruru. Look at that."

"S-Seeing it, nyang..."

Rust-eaten faucets spewed red water in coughs. Blood? Rusty? Fishy iron reek.

Gurgle, whoosh! Dozens erupted like waterfalls. Empty tubs filled crimson.

And—

—Teehee, teehee.

From faucet innards, drain holes. Creepy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠laughs.

—Keehihihi—

Smells. Male smell.

Child giggles mixed beast growls, grotesque chorus bouncing off tiles. Whole bathhouse a massive speaker. Space vibrated.

Then, center: massive full-body mirror in steam. Red moisture fogged words onto it.