Chapter 486
Chapter 486
After absorbing all the information in the "Profile" folder assigned to me, I opened my door and stepped out into the pitch-black "TeSTAR’s former dorm."
The door was locked.
I felt a slight resistance against my hand. I gripped the doorknob with a bit of force and pushed it open smoothly.
Slide.
"Wh-who is it?"
"It’s me."
"Park Moon-dae!"
A few of the guys were already out in the living room, and they looked relieved to see me. Even in the dark, I could make out their silhouettes and faces.
It was Kim Rae-bin and Bae Se-jin.
It looked like the two of them had been huddling together on the floor instead of the sofa before scrambling to their feet.
Hmm.
"Did everyone wake up in their own rooms?"
"Yes, that is correct."
Kim Rae-bin nodded, claiming he was the first one out. Then, Bae Se-jin cut straight to the point.
"How on earth did they do this? It’s exactly like our old dorm!"
He wasn't just talking about the layout.
I’d heard that because we had essentially acquired our old agency, T1 Stars, the lease on our previous dorm was still active.
It’s easy enough to use that dorm for a reality show shoot.
But that wasn't why he was surprised.
I turned my gaze toward the plaster air freshener in front of the turned-off TV. It was shaped like a flower crown. It looked almost identical to the one Seon A-hyun had displayed in the old dorm and then brought with him to our current one.
"You’re right. The items are almost identical."
In other words, they had recreated the props from the time TeSTAR lived here with near-perfect accuracy.
Furthermore...
"But it’s a bit eerie since the lights won't turn on..."
"...Tell me about it."
The light switches weren't working. The only things functioning were a few lights in the hallway and the indirect lighting along the edge of the ceiling.
"..."
It was the kind of environment that would make anyone with a vivid imagination feel uneasy. A chilling atmosphere that felt like something was about to happen at any moment.
Hmm.
Come to think of it, I didn't see the faces of the guys who were particularly strong in these situations—guys like Ryu Cheong-woo or Seon A-hyun.
...! Wait.
I scanned the others' faces again and asked, "Did anyone have a roommate in their room?"
"Ah."
The others seemed to realize something as well.
"Now that you mention it, everyone was alone in their rooms, right?"
"Yes! At least I was."
That was it. All three of us were people who usually shared rooms with others.
Kim Rae-bin’s roommate was Seon A-hyun.
Bae Se-jin’s was Cha Yu-jin.
Mine was Ryu Cheong-woo.
In other words, our respective roommates were missing.
If that's the case... did they pull one person from each room?
Then I could infer this: the three of us had been formed into a "Dorm Team," so to speak.
Of course, since this was a group reality show, there was no way we’d be filming by ourselves the whole time; we’d eventually get in touch with the others. However, if they had split the teams this way, one room remained.
The single room.
Realizing the same thing, Bae Se-jin clenched his fists.
"Oh, right! Then let’s look for Lee Se-jin. He’s the only one with a single room...!"
"Okay."
But when we approached and cautiously tried the door to Keun Se-jin’s room, it was locked.
"..."
Not a single sound could be heard in the dark dorm...
"...Do you think he’s in there being quiet on purpose just to scare us?"
"It’s a possibility."
He was a guy who knew how variety shows worked, after all.
But Keun Se-jin didn't suddenly burst through the door. It remained deathly silent for at least three minutes.
"..."
"..."
At this point, we were running into the problem of "dead air." A guy who was incredibly good at timing wouldn't stay cooped up in his room this long and miss out on the main story. We had to assume the door simply couldn't be opened right now.
"I don't think he's in there."
"Or maybe he just doesn't want to come out?"
There was no way to know.
"Ummm."
Bae Se-jin and I felt a strange sensation as we stared at the firmly shut door. It was then.
"Excuse me, there is something down here."
"...!"
Kim Rae-bin leaned down. He picked up something that was poking out halfway from under the door. It was a white piece of paper with writing on it.
An instruction?
There was only one sentence.
—I open at the end.
It was cryptic.
"It feels like an escape room hint."
"I agree."
We stared at the paper with serious expressions. At the end of the hallway, where the indirect light barely reached, the air—perhaps cooled by the air conditioner—felt chilly against the back of my neck.
They’re really setting the mood.
Give us a flashlight or something, seriously.
The atmosphere was so bleak that it wouldn't have been strange if a zombie popped out and the show shifted into a full-blown survival game.
It’s possible.
I nodded to myself. Of course, before that, I had to proceed with the part the production crew had requested.
—Please give us an edit point where you introduce yourselves to the viewers.
"Should we sit down for a moment and talk?"
"Sure."
It was time for the self-introduction segment.
*
"First of all, I am a 'Doctor'."
"Oh."
"That is a profession that suits you well, Moon-dae hyung!"
Kim Rae-bin marveled as if someone had hand-picked the role for me.
No, we all drew lots together before we were put in here.
I didn't know for sure, but that was definitely how the folders were distributed. They might have even split the teams that way. But I decided to leave that as a fun "behind-the-scenes" reveal for the viewers and simply nodded.
"Thanks for saying so. Well then, Se-jin hyung is..."
"Ah, I’m... a 'Lawyer'."
"..."
"Wh-what?"
"Nothing."
I could already see my interview being inserted here: "Wouldn't he have suited a Prosecutor better?" And everyone would agree.
"But since you're a lawyer, I feel like you might have been given a mission to deceive people..."
"What are you talking about! I wasn't!"
Bae Se-jin flared up. Ah, you're wondering what the mission is?
[Job Mission]
: Must be completed before the first game ends.
That was it. I saw it written in my profile folder. It was likely different for every job. I nodded, recalling my own.
"Understood. Hyung, I'll be suspicious of you for now."
"Usually, people say they'll trust you first...!"
"Well, I'm not exactly 'usual,' am I?"
"...?!"
By engaging in a bit of banter, we lightened the mood while maintaining the survival show vibe. After shouting at each other for a bit, the awkwardness typical of a variety show's beginning started to fade.
"Then what about Rae-bin?"
"I am a 'Journalist.' I look forward to working with you."
"Okay."
Finally, we heard Kim Rae-bin’s job, which felt strangely fitting yet completely unfitting at the same time.
"Then... shall we look around a bit more?"
"Let's. I think we need to find an exit."
The setup was clearly designed for an escape room. Right next to the living room, the large window that should have led to the balcony was blocked by a thin temporary wall. It was obviously intended to create a sealed room.
And then there was the decisive factor. Bae Se-jin, who had approached the entrance, reached out to open the translucent middle door installed in front of the main door.
Rattle.
But it wouldn't open.
"...The middle door is locked, too."
As expected. The keypad, which had been installed in the old dorm for double security just in case, was holding the middle door shut.
"It seems the power isn't reaching here either."
"Sigh."
After confirming that, the search resumed.
"Should we split up and look...?"
"I think it would be better to move together in case of an emergency!"
"Right!"
"..."
Well, if you say so.
The three of us moved as one unit, slowly beginning to enjoy the "escape room content." We searched each room, gathered hints that led to the kitchen, and eventually ended up in front of the locked bathroom door.
"If we substitute the numbers here according to the colors of the rainbow..."
"2724! That’s it!"
"Excellent!"
Wait, these guys are actually enjoying this more than I expected. Once we adjusted to the darkness, the atmosphere felt like a normal escape room cafe. There weren't any particularly scary elements. No zombies appeared, and there wasn't even any eerie BGM popping up.
This is a bit dull.
Surely Ryu Seo-rin didn't do something like "The Writer is Hiding Her Abilities," did she?
I’m expecting a twist.
Predicting a heartwarming and fast-paced edit, I worked hard with the guys to solve the hints. Soon, we unlocked the padlock on the bathroom door.
"2724... It’s correct."
"Ooh!"
"With this, we can at least maintain our dignity..."
Click.
The moment we opened the bathroom door, the light inside flickered on.
"Huh?"
"Ah, the electricity must be back!"
The fluorescent light was momentarily blinding. Driven by natural human instinct, everyone stepped into the newly opened, bright bathroom.
Hmm.
I immediately checked the interior. This place was also a near-perfect recreation of our old dorm, but... there was one thing that felt out of place. It was a black, rectangular portable device sitting alone on top of the sink.
"A walkie-talkie?"
"Why is there a walkie-talkie in the dorm?"
"..."
No way.
I immediately walked to the sink and picked up the walkie-talkie. ...It had a battery!
It works.
I immediately pressed the button and spoke.
"Can you hear me?"
[...]
"Cheong-woo hyung? A-hyun?"
"...Lee Se-jin, Cha Yu-jin!"
But there was only silence from the other end. I shook my head and lowered my hand.
"There’s no response... I thought this might be a way to communicate with the other members."
"Ah..."
"Perhaps the hyungs or Cha Yu-jin haven't found theirs yet."
"That could be it. Um... hey, can I take a look at the walkie-talkie for a second?"
"Sure."
It was while we were exchanging our deductions.
Flicker.
"...?"
"Wait, just now."
Flicker, flicker.
"..."
This time, it definitely wasn't an optical illusion. I looked up at the ceiling.
The bathroom light...
It flickered twice in a row.
And usually, this kind of direction means...
Oh, dammit.
"Park Moon-dae?"
I grabbed the other two by the scruffs of their necks and backed away. And then—
Flicker-flicker-flicker-flicker-flicker-flicker-flicker—
"Aaaaah!"
"Waaah!"
I pushed the two screaming guys and bolted out of the bathroom. The world was strobing rapidly. And from behind us, something like a shadow... Dammit!
Someone’s there!
As soon as I barely made it out the bathroom door, I reached back.
Slam!!
"Haa... haa!"
I slammed the bathroom door shut and relocked it.
"Wh-what was that??"
"I had a bad feeling!"
That was clearly a setup for a ghost or a zombie to jump out of the corner cabinet!
"Did anyone see anything?"
"I-I didn't look back..."
"...Me neither."
Phew.
I stared at the bathroom door, which was now unnervingly quiet, and let out a held breath in relief.
At least we didn't get caught.
It would be better to go back to the bathroom after we had more people.
...I probably looked like a total coward on camera just now.
Bae Se-jin patted my shoulder as if to comfort me. For some reason, it was annoying.
"I-I kept the walkie-talkie."
Well, he did a good job there. It’s a classic rule that the last person holding the item shouldn't drop it.
"That was impressive! Ah, it seems the living room switches are working now, too!"
In the meantime, Kim Rae-bin had quickly applied the bathroom situation to realize that the other lights in the house had also returned.
Then does that mean the other things using electricity are also...?
I stood up.
"What about the middle door keypad?"
"...! Yes! The light is on!"
Kim Rae-bin waved his hand. I caught my breath.
...Okay.
The middle door was finally about to open.
I guess this is about enough footage for the opening segment.
Just as I was heading toward the middle door...
"...Hey, Park Moon-dae."
Bae Se-jin lowered his voice so Kim Rae-bin wouldn't hear.
"Yes."
"About this... there’s something like blood on the bottom."
"...!!"
I looked at the bottom of the walkie-talkie he held out. There was definitely something dark red and sticky on it.
Is it finally time?
Is it really zombies?
While I was predicting the spawn point by looking at the camera angles, Bae Se-jin whispered softly.
"Um, Rae-bin will probably be scared... so let’s not tell him."
Hmm?
"...Sure, okay."
When I nodded, Bae Se-jin nodded back and gripped the walkie-talkie firmly as he headed forward. And I thought to myself:
...Should I take the walkie-talkie back?
That guy was acting a bit unnatural just now.
Kim Rae-bin would be scared? Kim Rae-bin is the kind of guy who would react with, "...? It’s obviously fake blood made for the show, so why would you think I’d be scared?" He’s surprisingly wild.
He’s the kind of guy who could slaughter a chicken with his bare hands.
Maybe it’s because he grew up in a farming family, but he has an exceptionally strong stomach. And there’s no way Bae Se-jin doesn't know that.
Well, I could pass it off as him trying to protect a younger member as the eldest.
But one more thing bothered me.
Bae Se-jin’s job.
A Lawyer. In criminal law, a lawyer is someone who represents the accused. And there’s a chance the accused is the culprit.
What if the game focused on that trait?
What are the odds that Bae Se-jin received a mission to protect a troller or to troll us himself?
...For now, I'll keep an eye on him.
I decided to watch "Lawyer" Bae Se-jin. Well, it was just a variety show, so I didn't necessarily have to win... but I was done with being backstabbed like I was by the Carrot Coin thief in The Grandson of That House.
I quickly joined them at the middle door, pretending not to know anything. Bae Se-jin and Kim Rae-bin were reading the message "Incorrect Code" with serious faces.
"The code for the middle door... it doesn't work."
Of course. For security reasons, they wouldn't have used the original password for the TeSTAR dorm.
But wouldn't it be a bit tedious to search for the code again?
After a brief thought, I answered.
"How about 0000?"
"Ah."
The default code. And then—
Beep-beep-beep-boop—
"Oh!"
"It—it worked!"
Finally, the middle door opened. Beyond it, the main entrance was visible.
Check the front first.
It was then.
[...Hyung!]
[...Guys~!]
"...!!"
"The—the members?"
Shouts could be heard from the other side of the front door.
"It seems they were waiting on the other side!"
"I—I guess so!"
As expected, we're merging.
We hurried toward the entrance. The voices grew louder.
[...Trapped! Get us out...!]
It sounded like they were asking to be let out. I nodded and stepped forward. At that moment, the front door began to glow.
"...!!"
"Wh-what is that?"
The two of them jumped. Honestly, it was good that they were reacting quickly based on the bathroom experience, but...
"It’s okay."
I reached out and touched the door.
Peel, rrrrip.
A layer of packaging peeled away smoothly from the corner, like a sticker being removed from its backing. It was a coated sheet.
"Is it... a cover?"
"Yeah."
The outline of the paper cover, which hadn't been visible in the dark, was revealed by the light coming from behind it. And the source of the light was...
"A panel?"
It was a pad, like a smartphone or monitor screen.
"Gasp."
"Is—is it okay to install something like this on a perfectly good door of a residential house?"
Panicked voices could be heard from the other side as well. Something must have happened over there, too. It was at that moment.
Ping.
[Welcome to the Lamb Game!]
"Gah!!"
Light burst from the screen attached to the front door, and a sentence appeared along with a sound effect. It was huge. Kim Rae-bin covered his mouth, his eyes nearly popping out as he stared at the screen.
"Wh-what is this?"
"Let’s step back a bit."
Shuffle.
The three of us stepped back three paces from the door in perfect unison. Simultaneously, the screen changed flashily.
[First Game]
—Choose a Sacrifice
"...!!"
—Sacrifice one job to open the front door.
Time until results: 3 hours.
What?
*
The Internet.
Right when TeSTAR began filming.
An unexpected post appeared on the account of their company, Orbit Stars.
[Please choose the character who will become the sacrifice. (Link)]
-??
-What is this?
Many suspected it was a hack, but there are always pioneers. When curious people clicked the link, a list appeared alongside vague black silhouettes.
============
1. Doctor
2. Sheriff
3. Detective
4. Scholar
5. Undertaker
6. Lawyer
7. Jester
============
It was the moment the public vote for the scapegoat began. The moment the survival variety show truly commenced.