Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Brainwashing Roommate
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When I spotted the shoes at the entrance, my first thought was that bastard Baek Saheon had finally come back to the company dorm.
"After several days, he finally grew some courage."
Or maybe he'd heard the rumor that I hadn't returned from the ghost story today and hurried back inside.
"But I've already clocked out."
I was just pondering how to deal with the guy who ought to be in his room right now.
Misunderstanding?
"...!"
What?
No way. I'm sure on the first day when I left, there was nothing here at the entrance...
'...Wait a minute.'
I suddenly recalled the last time I'd seen Baek Saheon.
Sekwang Industrial High School.
The sight of him causing chaos between the standoff between the Disaster Management Bureau and the Field Exploration Team, grabbing an item and fleeing.
And the effect of that fountain pen-shaped item he'd been holding...
'Brainwashing.'
"... "
I looked down at my hand.
The silver ring.
The mental defense item I'd bought today.
'...Ah.'
So that's how it was.
Baek Saheon hadn't been leaving earlier than me or coming back later, or commuting from somewhere else.
He'd been coming back to the dorm the whole time.
He'd just planted a suggestion on me.
To not recognize him.
'But it's not working on me now.'
Thanks to the silver ring that protected my mind, I'd finally "noticed" Baek Saheon's shoes for the first time in days.
"...Ha."
Damn.
I'm already feeling sick and exhausted, and now I have to deal with this crap at home too...
Brown's voice carried a sinister delight.
Normally, I'd be freaked out, but...
Hm.
'Brown.'
'I'm thinking of trying something fun. What do you say?'
I grinned despite the throbbing headache.
'It'll suit your tastes.'
'Phew.'
As soon as the noise from the entrance faded, Baek Saheon cautiously rose from his bed.
'Why hasn't that bastard gone to his room yet? What the hell is he doing?'
It had been several days since leaving Sekwang Industrial High School. He'd been living in complete seclusion in the dorm.
To avoid being detected by Kim Sol-eum!
'...At first, I just thought it was fucked anyway, so I used it.'
Imagine waking up in the morning to the thought of a psychopath next door harboring a grudge and waiting for you!
The fear of what might happen if he ran into Kim Sol-eum made him plant a suggestion to erase his presence and traces.
'It really was a good item.'
That psychopath hadn't noticed a thing!
Still, fearing the suggestion might wear off, he'd desperately avoided moving around the dorm and made no unnecessary noises even in his room.
He'd considered trying a stronger brainwashing or suggestion, but the potential consequences of failure terrified him...
Even so.
'...Maybe it's time to try something stronger?'
The suggestion had held successfully for days now. Maybe it was safe to take a risk.
Like making the company send him flying to safety if things went south, or having him fetch good items and then delude him into thinking he'd lost them...
'Hm.'
Plus, from what he'd heard, the darkness Kim Sol-eum had entered this time was some alley where you could get various equipment and items.
Word from Jang Heo-un in his squad.
'...Jealous.'
Baek Saheon clenched his fist briefly, thinking of the finishing team colleague who'd joined his squad.
He needed a chance to get items too. More chances...!
He could probably brainwash his company colleagues and sneakily siphon off their items...
'But I can't do that right now!'
The fountain pen could only suggest one person at a time. With it fully dedicated to Kim Sol-eum, using it on anyone else was out of the question.
It itched.
'I need to squeeze more out of Kim Sol-eum after all.'
Now was the perfect timing.
'Let's make a plan.'
For starters, once Kim Sol-eum fell asleep tonight, he'd use the fountain pen...
As he mentally sketched it out, he opened the door to get some water.
And jolted in shock.
"...!"
Kim Sol-eum was in the dark kitchen.
He was sitting at the table, lining up what looked like some cheap snacks and peering at their packaging.
And in the center of the table sat a fluffy stuffed doll on a cushion.
The creepy rabbit doll that Kim Sol-eum called "Brown" and always carried around.
"What? You say it looks cheap?"
Twitch.
"Yeah. It's got that kind of concept to some extent. It was a stationery store, after all."
'That crazy bastard.'
Talking to the doll again.
'Why hasn't he gone to his room? Why is he still out here pulling this shit...!'
Baek Saheon turned on his heel to retreat to his room, but... he paused.
Running into him naturally like this might be an opportunity instead?
It seemed like perfect timing to reinforce the suggestion without extra effort.
"... "
Baek Saheon steeled himself and pulled out the fountain pen.
Then he quietly stepped forward.
"Right. But even these items have their own effects."
Behind Kim Sol-eum's back.
Right up behind the psychopath chattering to himself, with the fountain pen...
"Like my roommate's fountain pen that's passing behind me right now."
"... "
Ah.
Baek Saheon froze, feeling the blood drain from his body.
"Brown, you know what? My roommate tried to brainwash and control me."
"... "
"Yeah. And I even prepared a gift to pay back a debt..."
Kim Sol-eum continued slowly.
Because speaking quickly might make him vomit blood again, and with his lowered voice from the burning pain and fatigue, laced with the metallic tang of blood...
It all sounded even more threatening and meaningful.
"Isn't that rude?"
Kim Sol-eum set the snack down on the table and turned his head.
"And someone without manners... doesn't deserve to be my roommate."
"...!!"
Their eyes met.
'Fuck fuck fuck...!'
He'd been caught.
How? No, that didn't matter now. He'd been caught. Definitely, definitely, definitely!
"I-I'll leave!"
Baek Saheon shouted in a trembling voice without thinking.
"Team Leader! You're right, I don't deserve it! I'll leave right now! I'll go and never come back!"
Kim Sol-eum scowled.
"You're giving me a headache. Don't you know etiquette? Why are you yelling in a shared house at night?"
Fuck...!
Baek Saheon inwardly cursed up a storm while resenting himself for automatically shutting his mouth.
"Brown."
Even in the midst of this, Kim Sol-eum was talking to the rabbit doll again.
"He's noisy, but hearing him say it like that... even if he doesn't deserve to live here, I should give him one chance."
What?!
"I don't need..."
"You don't need it?"
Kim Sol-eum whipped his head around.
"A chance to live here, you don't need it?"
"... "
Why did that sound like "a chance to survive here, you don't need it"...?
Baek Saheon swallowed and answered.
"I need it."
"Right?"
"Yes..."
"Good. Then hand over the item."
"...!"
"The fountain pen you were using. The one where you write on a sticky note and stick it on, and it implants that exact suggestion."
"... "
"You might pull something weird again, so I need to keep it somewhere else for a while."
How the hell does he know that?
Despite the terror crawling up his neck, Baek Saheon gritted his teeth.
"I... can't give it."
"... "
"Th-think about it, Team Leader. Honestly, have I caused you any harm?"
He pleaded desperately.
"It's something I need. I can't give it to anyone. I swear I won't use it on you again, so please..."
"Hm."
Kim Sol-eum replied expressionlessly.
"Why do you think I'd believe that?"
"...!"
"...Take a good look at yourself."
Kim Sol-eum pointed at Baek Saheon.
"I gave you the confirmed entry method for Sekwang Industrial High School where you got your item, and even when you tried to kill me inside, I didn't get mad..."
It was a plain fact.
"But you come back with brainwashing? No reason to trust you."
"... "
That was... that was...
True... maybe.
The team leader in front of him might be a lunatic, but he was extremely competent, and drawing the line like this... maybe he was the one doing something insane.
'What? What?'
Did I make the wrong choice?
Baek Saheon's mind spun wildly, faint guilt and self-loathing mixing with intense fear under the banner of rationality, battling fiercely...
And then.
"But you did secure the item, so... how about I offer some compensation."
Huh?
Kim Sol-eum pulled something out from where he'd placed it on the kitchen table chair.
It was transparently packaged...
"It's the left eye."
What the fuck!!
Baek Saheon stifled a scream at the sight of the black circle wriggling within the purple iris.
But...
"This isn't just any eye. It's a bio-equipment."
"...!"
"And the ability it has is..."
As Kim Sol-eum explained the "eye's" power, Baek Saheon's expression gradually changed.
"... "
"Need it?"
Baek Saheon gritted his teeth.
It was hard to believe.
"...Yes."
He voluntarily surrendered the fountain pen.
And with hands trembling in anticipation and confusion, he accepted the bio-equipment from Kim Sol-eum.
'Phew.'
I'm drenched in cold sweat.
After finally ending the conversation with Baek Saheon, I sat on my bed in my room, tormented by headache and internal bleeding.
It took real effort to hide the pain.
'But I didn't lose momentum, right?'
Wow, I almost flinched when his eyes rolled back and he lunged midway. With my body hurting like this, why do I have to go through this... reality hit hard.
But I had to address it properly right away.
I couldn't leave a sociopath with a brainwashing item lurking around me while I'm sick for the next few days.
'Looks like I used the carrot and stick well.'
I recalled the purple eye that had left my hand.
It wasn't threatening to me, but it had useful functions for Baek Saheon.
Well, conveniently being the left eye meant he could use it without extraction.
Anyway, being roommates with that guy of all people... no, thinking about it, Go Yeongeun and Jang Heo-un might be special cases, and Baek Saheon seemed like average company personality.
This place is crawling with sociopaths like they're nothing!
'The more I think about it, the more depressed I get, so let's think of something good...'
Like... the gift-giving ceremony coming up.
"Brown."
I got up and pulled out the item I'd stored safely in my tattoo.
The ribbon hairband I'd boldly bought at the boutique instead of change.
"It's a gift."
"Is it okay? I figured you'd guessed it already."
If it doesn't fit his aesthetic, I might have to sweat bullets looking for another tribute...
But what came from Brown was a joyful voice.
Rarely, his tone trembled with anticipation.
'Good.'
I smiled, adjusted the hairband from the bag properly, and tied it neatly on the fluffy rabbit doll to give it some style.
"Thanks for everything so far, Brown."
The round button eyes of the rabbit stared into space, then as I looked away, it replied with the cheerful host's response.
The ribbon hairband might have no effect beyond looking fancy and stylish.
But Brown's voice, now with a bowtie around its neck, brimmed with joy.
Brown happily accepted as I repeatedly adjusted the bowtie to the perfect angle several times.
But at the same time, it urged me to go to bed.
"Yeah."
Gift-giving to a good friend. Among today's events, this was at least rewarding...
Normally I'd browse the wiki again, but with me sick and my smartphone busted, I lacked the energy.
'Tomorrow morning, I'll buy a new phone or get it fixed...'
As long as the Memorial GripTok is fine, swapping phones won't hinder wiki access.
I lay comfortably on the bed.
And first detached the GripTok from the broken smartphone...
"... "
I hurriedly flipped the smartphone over.
The GripTok was cracked.