Chapter 433
Chapter 433
“…….”
I stopped moving.
It wasn't the first time an unexpected face had emerged from a collapsing building, but it had never felt this surreal.
Cheong-ryeo.
I’d assumed he’d be outside by now, already giving interviews.
I thought he would have made a smooth escape.
He was the one with experience, after all.
However, no matter how dark the audience seating was, the Cheong-ryeo standing under the emergency light was no hallucination.
And even if he had stayed behind, how on earth did he get out of that half-blocked emergency door?
But I had no time or luxury to dwell on the question. Amidst an atmosphere frozen as if they’d seen a ghost, he began to walk. The sound of his dress shoes echoed, and his voice reached me again.
“Hoobae-nim?”
In that instant, I knew what I had to do.
“That thing in your hand,” I swallowed hard. “Is it the CCTV?”
“…….”
He stopped in front of the stage and looked up.
“As I thought, you were looking for something.”
“A person.”
I picked up the rope again.
“There’s someone collapsed in the audience seating.”
“…….”
“I have to find them.”
Cheong-ryeo paused, then turned his gaze toward the seats.
I stared at him, barely noticing as Seon A-hyun took the rope back from me, my palms slick with cold sweat.
Then came the answer.
“Hmm, I think I’ve already found them.”
“…!”
He held up the CCTV device.
An infrared camera had been recording near the main entrance escape route.
“Over there!”
I hurriedly swung my flashlight. Beneath the back seats on the far left, I saw a pair of legs.
Keun Se-jin ran over and shone his light on the upper body.
“Wait.”
As he turned the slumped figure over, a familiar face was revealed.
Ryu Gun-woo, his hat fallen off.
It was Keun-dal.
Phew.
I let out a breath.
On Cheong-ryeo’s CCTV—which he had been watching ‘by chance’—we were able to check the recording and confirm Keun-dal suddenly falling over during the evacuation.
I had a lot to say about that, but…
“I’ll help him up for now.”
“Wait.”
This was more urgent.
While holding Keun-dal, I first checked the status window.
[00:15:53]
…No change.
Contact isn't enough.
I’d have to talk to him directly to piece things together.
“Keun-dal! Park Moon-dae! Ryu Gun-woo!”
I used every name he’d gone by, shaking his shoulders and patting him.
But Keun-dal didn't even flinch; he just swayed helplessly with the external force.
…Don't tell me.
I put my hand under his nose. Fortunately, he was breathing. It was steady, almost like he was just sleeping.
If that was the case… the fact that he still couldn't wake up meant…
I don't know what might still be happening inside the status window.
I decided not to waste any more time. The time limit was tight.
Still, getting out shouldn't be a problem.
First, I’ll carry him and move….
“Are you crazy?”
“G-give him to m…!”
“…….”
…I’d intended to, but we ended up supporting him together.
“We have to move in a single file.”
“…Right.”
The path to the basement wouldn't be wide enough for us to huddle together.
Fortunately, the emergency staircase Cheong-ryeo had come through was open, saving us time.
I lifted Keun-dal with Seon A-hyun and Keun Se-jin. As long as we kept our balance, carrying one person wasn't a huge issue.
“Hmm, shall I help?”
“I've got it.”
I didn't plan on letting anyone else do it, but surprisingly, Cheong-ryeo stepped in to support Keun-dal’s neck from the front.
“…!”
Is this bastard feeling guilty about something?
I’d save my thoughts on this surprisingly cooperative behavior for later.
“Let’s go for now.”
Escape came first.
We began moving quickly toward the emergency stairs. The dark audience seating blurred past us.
From the front, Keun Se-jin’s voice drifted back from his black silhouette.
“Sunbae-nim, I didn't expect to see you here. How did you end up staying behind?”
“I wonder.”
I could see Keun Se-jin through the flashlight beam, gritting his teeth and maintaining an almost superhuman level of composure. I felt for him.
Better not to ask.
[00:13:06]
Thirteen minutes left.
When we arrived at the emergency stairs, the area was cluttered with debris, but it was passable if we watched our step.
I didn't know when it had been cleared, but…
It’s enough.
“Let’s go in carefully!”
“Okay.”
We entered the emergency exit, being careful not to twist Keun-dal’s neck or limbs.
Then, a voice suddenly spoke right next to my ear.
“You’ve arrived.”
“…??”
I almost punched him.
Instead, I turned my head to see the guy I’d spotted earlier via drone. Seon A-hyun’s voice wavered in surprise.
“S-sunbae-nim…?”
“Nice to see you, TeSTAR. I figured there’d be at least one person you guys would try to rescue.”
It was VTIC’s Ju-dan.
Why was the guy who’d found the exit from the basement still here…? Don't tell me.
I scanned him.
Unlike the Cheong-guy, who was in a suit from his MC duties, Ju-dan was in plain clothes, looking like someone who had just arrived at the waiting room.
In short, he was dressed much better for manual labor.
…This guy helped clear the path.
“Let’s go for now.”
It didn't make sense for Cheong-ryeo to have cleared it alone; there had been another source of labor.
Ju-dan shrugged as he dusted off his gloves.
“I was cooperating quite diligently for the sake of perfect timing.”
I had no idea what he was talking about.
“And as expected, we’re heading toward a textbook successful happy ending.”
Think whatever you want.
“Yeah, anyway, thanks.”
Meanwhile, my eyes, now adjusted to the dark, finally spotted the fans moving behind him with their heads covered.
It seemed they had finished organizing and begun the evacuation.
“Ju-Ju-dan??”
Just like before, someone who recognized VTIC instinctively shouted his name, but for the most part, everyone was moving their feet in silence, focused on escaping.
Moving an unconscious person through that crowd might get someone hurt.
“We should let them pass before we move.”
“Right.”
We paused for a moment, letting Keun-dal lean against us as we caught our breath.
Phew.
I watched the people descending with enough space between them to avoid tripping, then suddenly spoke up.
The staff had collected everyone's phones to prevent spoilers, so the audience didn't have theirs, but I remembered Cheong-ryeo had his.
He was on a call earlier.
A smartphone.
“Did you happen to call it in?”
“Ah.”
He looked down at his suit jacket pocket. By the looks of it, he hadn't.
At this point, escaping was faster than reporting it, so it was better to just keep moving without complaining.
“Hmm, that’s strange.”
“What is?”
“No, nothing.”
“…….”
Let’s not argue. Escape comes first.
But then, he was the one who spoke up again.
On a different topic.
“You’re quite stable.”
“What is?”
“Your condition, Hoobae-nim.”
He probably meant that for someone who was supposed to die soon due to a failed status effect, I didn't seem to be in immediate mortal danger, and my mental state seemed fine.
“Do you know something?”
I could have ignored him, but I felt gazes from both sides. It was Seon A-hyun and Keun Se-jin.
Damn it.
This… it would be better to give a rough explanation.
“…I can see the time of the next collapse.”
“Yes.”
“…The next one was marked as the final one. The last.”
A sudden silence fell.
The others listening had realized it too.
“The last?”
“Yeah. It means it’s ending.”
“Ah…!”
It could be interpreted in many ways, really.
But before the people there could ponder the meaning, a voice called out from above.
“They’re over here!”
“Ah!!”
“…! They cleared that thing from the door!”
The guys who had sent the audience ahead finally began running down from the second floor.
“Is everyone here?!”
“Yeah!”
The other members of TeSTAR brightened as soon as they saw us and ran over.
“You!! Please, discuss things with us before you act!”
I’ll take that as him being glad to see me.
Cha Yu-jin, who arrived first, shouted.
“Hyungs are here! Everything is Oka… Who the hell was that?!”
“The person I was looking for, remember?”
“Oh—”
He let out a long exclamation, then nodded after checking the slumped face of Keun-dal.
“Give him to me! I’ll carry him.”
“No, I’m fine.”
Keun-dal’s body passed through several hands like a restaurant bill before finally being mounted onto Cha Yu-jin’s back.
“Let’s go!”
The guys seemed surprised to see VTIC, but under the unspoken agreement that getting out was the priority, they began to move.
“We just have to go out now, right?”
“Yes.”
We’d done everything we could. The atmosphere was one of pre-escape, where the pressure and tension had eased slightly.
Through that, I heard Cheong-ryeo muttering.
“Hmm. It’ll be one of two things. Either the disaster ends with that, or….”
Were you still calculating?
“Hoobae-nim’s chance ends.”
“…….”
Sigh.
“What does that mean?”
“Park Moon-dae?”
I kept my mouth shut. Cheong-ryeo finished his sentence.
“The building completely collapses.”
Right then.
Thump.
Rumble—!
“…!”
“A vibration?”
“Hyung, don't tell me you saw a distorted time again….”
“No.”
I hurriedly checked the pop-up.
[00:09:59]
There was definitely time left.
“There’s time left, for sure.”
Then Bae Se-jin muttered with a pale face.
“…Doesn't a larger collapse have earlier warning signs?”
“…….”
A brief silence followed.
Cheong-ryeo muttered again.
“Hmm. It was the latter after all.”
Is now the time for that?
“If you know that, then run!”
I began to run quickly, leading the others.
Bang!
“Aaaah!”
A scream echoed from the basement.
I shouted.
“The key! Where’s the key?”
“I gave it to the person at the very front! Both of them!”
Ryu Cheong-woo wouldn't lie, so it was the truth.
Then people should be getting out right now….
Why are they huddled together?
The basement hallway we reached was packed with dozens of people.
Creak, bang!
“Uwaaaah!”
And every time a thunderous sound came from above, people were covering their heads with their hands or lightsticks.
What’s going on?
Why couldn't they get out?
“Excuse me!”
I pushed through the crowd. At the very front, a person standing before a steel door labeled ‘For Facility Security’ shouted urgently as soon as our eyes met.
“This door won't open!”
“…….”
What?
I pushed through the throng. I took the card from the fan’s hand and swiped it myself.
Beep—!
[Unauthorized card.]
Access denied.
Shit.
I swiped the other card.
Beep—!
The next one too.
Beep—!
“…….”
It wasn't working.
“…!!”
“W-why isn't this working??”
“Heff, huff.”
Amidst the people who looked like they were about to hyperventilate from panic and fear, I racked my brain.
There was a reason.
The reason it’s not working is….
Think, think.
No authority?
I busily examined the keypad and the steel door. Then I looked again at the words written on the door.
[For Facility Security]
“…….”
Ah, damn it.
“Moon-dae-ya?!”
“Wait a second!”
I practically roared as I pushed back through the huddle of people.
“What are you doing?!”
“The facility manager's card!!”
I shouted.
“The ones we brought are for office staff. We need a security team card!”
“…!”
This was a space for the security team, so it wasn't strange at all for the permissions to be set that way.
I bit my lip.
Is there any chance one of them left theirs behind?
If I go to the next room and search… yeah, shit. I know.
Even Ju-dan, who arrived first, couldn't find it.
But shouldn't I at least try? I prepared to tell the people to search in an orderly fashion.
It was then.
“Hoobae-nim.”
Tuk.
A square plastic badge with a gold logo dangled before my eyes. Cheong-ryeo had just pulled it out of his inner suit pocket and held it out.
“Here.”
“…….”
[Seton Security]
“It was in the drawer where the CCTV was.”
I snatched it immediately and ran forward.
I swiped it.
Tiriring!
With a short, cheerful major-key sound.
Click.
“It’s open!”
The door was unlocked.
Cheers and screams, along with desperate footsteps, intersected with the sounds of cracking as people poured out through the open door. The outside air hit my face.
“Ha.”
I covered my face with one hand.
That was a close call.
No wonder that bastard wasn't escaping.
He was clearly hanging back because he had a way out.
“Cheong-ryeo hyung probably didn't share it in case I betrayed him in an extreme situation.”
“No. You were right next to me when I used that to unlock the CCTV security.”
“…….”
Did this Ju-dan bastard not recognize the employee ID because it was a badge…?
No, anyway, it’s open, so it’s fine.
I intentionally held the door and stepped aside, stalling for time while pretending to manage the smooth exit of the people.
[00:06:16]
The time was fine.
“All of you, get out quickly!”
“We will.”
The fans leaving at the end each threw a word back as they left, just as I expected.
“Everyone’s out, right?”
“Let’s go now!”
And the guys, with their unnecessarily strong sense of responsibility, insisted on waiting until the very end. I pulled the door open wider, signaling for them to go first.
Then, a few of them narrowed their eyes.
“Don't tell me you….”
“I told you, no.”
Hey, no matter what, would I voluntarily stay in a collapsing building?
Crack, thump!
Another heavy sound of cracking came from above. I hurriedly spoke.
“I’m checking the time, and I just want to be the last one out. Just go! This is only making it take longer.”
“…….”
But Seon A-hyun took a deep breath and stopped walking.
“…!”
“I-if we don't go out at the same time, I’m not going.”
Ah, damn it.
I was trying to put some distance between us in case some other crazy thing happened.
I glanced at Cheong-ryeo, but he just stared back at me without any reaction.
And not just Seon A-hyun, but the other guys started holding the door and staring at me too. Is this a power struggle?
This is driving me crazy.
Five minutes left, you lunatics.
“…….”
I looked back and forth between the exit and the guys, finally holding back a sigh as I spoke.
I can probably push them out or something if it comes to it.
“…Fine, let’s go out together.”
“…!! Yeah!”
I pushed Seon A-hyun’s back as I stepped outside.
In that moment.
The outdoor air flooded in.
The cool air of early autumn.
The place, which looked like a backyard hidden by container walls, was dark, but as soon as we turned the corner of that wall, sunlight poured down.
“…!”
…It was the sunset.
In that instant, the anxiety, the irritation, the survival instinct’s sharp warnings, and the cold fear vanished in a heartbeat.
It was all pulled out of me as if being sucked away, leaving only pure tranquility.
“Ah…….”
I took a deep breath and let it out. My head felt clear.
And as if on cue, the pop-up changed.
[00:04:47]
[00:04:47]
[Target Lost]
[Deactivated]
A sense of stability returned.
I turned back to look at the building we had just exited.
The thunderous sounds had vanished before I knew it.
I spoke unconsciously.
“…It’s over.”
“Huh?”
“I think it’s over. The collapse.”
The other guys turned to look at the building too, then let out long sighs or finally broke into small laughs.
It couldn't have been more refreshing.
Our bodies were heavy, but the atmosphere was quite friendly and hopeful.
“Phew.”
“Everyone worked so hard.”
“I-I’m so glad everyone made it out safely….”
“Still, it’s better to move quickly. If it collapses, we could get caught in it.”
“T-that’s true.”
At Keun Se-jin’s words, everyone quickened their pace. Yet, they didn't stop talking.
“Where are we?”
“I suspect it’s a hidden entrance behind the building that not many people know about.”
“Ah, then the front must be packed with the media.”
That… was for sure.
There couldn't be a better piece of bait than this.
The reason the rescue team was late might have been because the media outlets had already taken all the spots and caused a mess.
Well, anyway, since I’m out and the collapse seems to have stopped… even if there were staff members isolated on the third floor, they’ll be rescued soon.
Haven't all the people the media were aiming for come out?
“The cleanup… hmm.”
Top-tier idols trapped in a building during a charity concert they hosted?
Honestly, I expected hell.
“Moon-dae-ya, don't think about the cleanup and let’s go to the hospital first.”
“…….”
No, anyone would think I’m someone who doesn't believe in modern medicine.
“…Yes. Anyway. This way seems to be the front, so if we go around….”
“Right.”
At any rate, we trudged along in our quite shabby states, rounding the weed-grown back path to come out to the front of the building.
The screams should start soon….
However.
“Why aren't there any people?”
There was nothing in front of the building.
“…??”
Wait. Pedestrians, sirens, reporters, onlookers.
Everything I thought would be there was gone without a trace.
Only silence flowed.
Even the road didn't have a single car passing by.
What?
“Wait. …What about the fans who just left?”
“…!!”
Bae Se-jin cried out urgently.
“Even if the media isn't here, we should at least see them!”
But the front of the building remained deserted under the setting sun.
As if everyone had left through a different place.
“Ah, so it was this.”
I turned my head.
Cheong-ryeo was looking down at his jacket with a strange expression.
The place where his smartphone was.
“I thought it was strange that I didn't get a single call.”
“…!”
That was it.
If a building had collapsed, it was only natural for calls to pour into the smartphone of someone presumed to be trapped.
But the fact that he hadn't received a single call meant….
…We were cut off from the outside.
Or, we had been cut off from a certain point.
And then.
“…Gasp!”
“Hup!”
Keun-dal, who was on Cha Yu-jin’s back, snapped his eyes open. He shouted:
“I—I won!”
“…??”
Along with a new pop-up.
[Mission Failure Scenario Complete]
Victory: Player Park Moon-dae (Ryu Gun-woo)
Reward: Fragment of ■■■ 1 (1/4)