The Passing Cop
"Me?"
The switch flipped on. As soon as Go Cheon-su called out for a specific viewer by request, a single chat log popped up.
A chat room with no display name. But Go Cheon-su instantly knew who had responded.
"Yeah, bro. The one and only viewer I ever had."
He'd definitely realized by now that this wasn't the normal world. So he needed to grasp the situation more firmly to make sense of it all.
The one-time-only viewer, OnlyOne, soothed the others.
Explanation? He hadn't heard jack shit. Go Cheon-su had just been thrown into this mess out of nowhere.
The entities suddenly erupted in shock and confusion among themselves.
Instinct as a streamer, that's how. As Go Cheon-su stood there blankly, the entities let out hollow chuckles.
Asking that was pointless—it was gibberish to him.
No way he knew that either.
The commotion continued for a bit until OnlyOne suddenly chimed in again.
"...Yeah."
"Game system?"
One player only. Go Cheon-su swallowed hard, mulling it over, as OnlyOne continued.
"NPCs...?"
Each line from OnlyOne weighed heavy on his shoulders, far from reassuring.
Go Cheon-su swallowed dryly. Their actions might be similar, but these beings were on another level entirely.
Like... gods or something?
Before his confused mind could form a question, OnlyOne ruthlessly dropped what happened if he failed to clear the game.
"Bro, what the hell are you, really?"
OnlyOne delivered a benevolent yet chilling response.
A chill ran down Go Cheon-su's spine in that instant.
"So...?"
Even back during his solo streams, OnlyOne had this overwhelming presence. He wasn't your average viewer. It always felt like he was looking down on Go Cheon-su.
But...
Go Cheon-su had never once sensed malice from him. OnlyOne was the type who was thorough about rewards. He never tried to exploit Go Cheon-su for free, big or small.
Even amid the unbelievable stories, there were things he could trust.
The worst and best pact sealed at once. Go Cheon-su had been chosen as the player to entertain these beings.
"Pretty overkill mission for an unemployed bum like me."
He knew there was no other path. In an unendable stream, a streamer had only one option.
Ding!
The moment OnlyOne started wrapping up, a sound rang out. Go Cheon-su turned to see a bicycle approaching from afar.
OnlyOne vanished abruptly. A sudden end.
It felt unresolved, but the other entities erupted like they'd been waiting.
Catching his breath, Go Cheon-su spotted the uniformed cop on the bicycle.
"Timing's impeccable..."
After finally summoning him for a chat, it felt like an interruption.
Whatever.
He hadn't boldly reached out just to whine about the unfairness. He'd learned long ago that tantrums got you nowhere. Best to clench your fist and face reality head-on.
Ding ding!
The bike was right in front of him now.
"H-Hey, over there!"
A familiar face. The patrol officer from the station, Heo Young-woong, stopped the bike and spoke up immediately.
"You're the one who left the note, right?"
"Yeah, that's me."
No hostility in sight, so Go Cheon-su answered straight, but Heo Young-woong looked flustered instead.
"U-Um, where are you headed, by any chance?"
An awkward opener from the start. Normally, you'd exchange names first.
Go Cheon-su tilted his head slightly.
"My parents' house."
"Your parents' house... where?"
"Hey, hold up a sec."
Go Cheon-su couldn't quite follow. The note had clearly said to head somewhere safe. He hadn't asked to be followed. If the guy wanted to tag along, that was a problem. Go Cheon-su had no intention of forming a party right now.
"Mind if I ask why you're following me?"
"Oh, well..."
Heo Young-woong scratched his cheek at Go Cheon-su's perfectly reasonable response.
"I was stuck at the station because of the guy locked in the holding cell. The response team never came back..."
"And?"
"So now I figure I can evacuate too. But I got nowhere to go. Comms are down."
Asking a random civilian for advice? Unbelievable. Go Cheon-su sighed.
"Try Myeongseo Elementary School then."
"Myeongseo Elementary?"
"Didn't hear details, but sounds like that's where the cops are heading."
"Really?"
Seeing the guy take it at face value made Go Cheon-su's eyebrow twitch.
"Officer Heo, bit forward since we just met, but here's some advice."
"Huh? What...?"
"Don't trust everyone so easily."
Probably hadn't ditched the detainee because he was still too green. Go Cheon-su was way past vintage—he'd dealt with enough rotten people to be threadbare.
"Even what I just told you, mull it over and use it if it seems useful."
Seeing someone so unscarred made Go Cheon-su feel oddly indignant. Maybe it showed, because Heo Young-woong swallowed dryly with a troubled look.
"But you were kind enough to leave a note..."
"Yeah, got it."
No time to linger. Go Cheon-su pointed toward Myeongseo Elementary.
"Fine, you go first. I'll find my parents and catch up."
"Can I help with...?"
"Nope."
"Wanna ride?"
Heo Young-woong gestured to the bike. Up close, it wasn't a regular one—detachable motor on the wheel made it an e-bike.
"Sure, get off then."
"N-No, I mean you ride in the back!"
Heo Young-woong waved his hands frantically.
"You don't want to?"
"It's fine, but how far you planning to go with me?"
His parents' place was a ways from the school. No safety guarantee.
Go Cheon-su eyed Heo Young-woong's waist.
Hm?
A thought flashed through his mind.
Wait... this could be risky.
Feeling a chill, he shook his head belatedly.
"Nah. I'll go alone, so don't follow."
"I could give you a ride?"
"No thanks."
Go Cheon-su turned and started walking briskly. Heo Young-woong pedaled slowly alongside.
"It's dangerous alone."
"Then get off and give me the bike."
No intention of teaming up. Heo Young-woong groaned low at the demand.
"I'm offering to help..."
"If you wanna help, just the bike."
A brief standoff. Heo Young-woong met Go Cheon-su's gaze silently, then sighed.
"...Fine."
He dismounted and pushed the bike over.
"Take it."
"For real?"
Go Cheon-su took it but stayed wary. Heo Young-woong hesitated, beckoning him.
"Yeah, really. Hop on."
"..."
"Not going?"
"I am, but you go first, officer."
Go Cheon-su refused to budge first. Heo Young-woong stood puzzled for a while before slowly moving.
"Oh, okay... I'll head out then."
"Yeah, stay safe."
"You too."
Finally exchanging goodbyes, Heo Young-woong left Go Cheon-su behind. Watching his back, Go Cheon-su sighed belatedly.
"You guys really think that?"
If they'd seen Heo Young-woong's waist properly, they wouldn't say crap like that.
"That guy's pants didn't fit."
Clear signs the belt was cinched tight to hold them up. He hadn't checked the station photo...
Couldn't confirm for sure. Giving up the bike suggested he might really be a pushover.
"Dunno. Won't worry about it."
Out of sight, no need to deal now.
"Shit."
But realizing one fact, Go Cheon-su could only grab his head.
"Sent him to Myeongseo Elementary..."
Didn't even know what the guy was, and he'd recommended the wrong spot.
"I'm losing it."
Go Cheon-su glanced back toward where Heo had gone. Still close enough to chase and dig into his deal.
"Chase him? Or nah?"
The guy had a gun. Real or not, if it wasn't a toy, too tough to handle now.
He flexed his arm. Baseline strength at 1, now 1.01 thanks to Record Accumulation. Useless for forcing anything.
"Screw it, better this way."
Myeongseo had legit cops. Find parents, link up quick, done. Heo was on foot—no rush.
"Hang tight, everyone."
Go Cheon-su hopped on the bike and pedaled off.
"What the hell."
Not the sight he'd hoped for waiting at his parents' standalone house.
"How... did this happen?"
He'd arrived, but couldn't just go in.
Because...
The house half-gone, like something massive had chomped it—tooth marks and all.
Go Cheon-su froze briefly, then dashed inside.
"Mom? Dad?! It's Cheon-su!"
He searched the remains, yelling.
"Where is everybody?!"
No answer, unfortunately.
"What the fuck...!"
Finally made it here, and no sign of where they'd gone. If a monster nabbed them, he needed to track fast.
Anger flared briefly, but he knew raging wouldn't help. Go Cheon-su decided to hunt for clues.
His parents were the type to leave notes—on the TV, fridge, wherever.
"Nothing...!"
No Post-its in the usual spots. But despite the half-demolished house, no signs of human attack.
"My room?"
He headed straight to his. Long gone, but still tidy.
"Found it!"
A single sheet on the desk. The contents read—