Open the Door!
"Open the door!"
With the light, the pain vanished.
Through the fading glow, a scene unfolded like gazing at the night sky.
At the same time, beyond the sparkling lights dotting the black void, something was watching Arin.
And not watching her.
It had a square shape, yet round.
An eye, but no eye.
A definite form, yet formless.
Gigantic, yet tiny.
Just perceiving it—even if she squeezed her eyes shut to ignore it—sent a sensation like fingers gouging and stirring her brain.
She writhed in agony.
Then it approached without moving, reaching out a tendril toward her.
As its appendage touched her face, a warmth—cold—spread across her skin.
Soft yet rough.
Sweetness mingled with revulsion.
Dizzying yet serene.
The feeling burrowed into her body, reaching her head to caress her wrinkled brain.
Hoooehhh...
Arin squirmed in that delicious torment ravaging her mind.
Her meaningless thrashing continued as it conveyed something that was language, yet not.
And it said:
"...Huh?"
With those words, the light enveloping her body vanished in an instant.
Darkness came.
Then light returned, revealing a clear blue sky with lazy clouds drifting by.
Arin lay sprawled on hard stone pavement, fiddling with her side where the wound had vanished.
She pieced together the situation, then recalled the final non-sound embedded in her mind.
"Somehow... this hurts my pride..."
The three who had left Arin, blood-soaked, before the Yellow Door and shouted they'd gotten what they wanted, stepped back moments later as the door's surface rippled.
An invisible force dragged her in.
They watched silently as she was sucked into the rippling door from her toes, like sinking into molten metal.
Only when her fingertips vanished into the waves did they exhale the breath they'd held.
"Is it... over now?"
Having swallowed Arin whole, the door stood motionless.
They stared at it for a long while.
No change came with time.
One by one, they spoke.
"...Ha... hahaha."
Mouths worked as if words hovered on their tongues, but only hollow, empty laughter escaped their lips.
No one uttered proper words.
The foolish laughs trailed off after a while.
They turned to each other, then yelled at the Yellow Door they'd feared so much.
It had tricked them.
They cursed it.
Threatened to kill it.
Only hollow cries echoed before the unchanging door, mocking them with its silence.
Injun, unable to hold back, punched the door.
Red stains smeared with each blow.
Finally noticing, he roughly wiped the girl's traces from his hands onto his clothes.
The hardened crimson wouldn't budge.
He glared at it, then turned to Seo-ah.
"This... this is all your fault!"
Seo-ah, face flushed from screaming to open the door, pointed back and yelled.
"My fault? Why the hell is it my fault!? We all agreed! Fuck, you did it too!"
"If you hadn't started calling her a monster and freaking out from the beginning—if you hadn't swung that knife around—none of this would've happened!"
"Bullshit! If you're so goddamn righteous, why'd you grab her legs and drag her first? Why didn't you stop it sooner or heal her then?"
"You fucking bitch, you done talking?!"
Gyeongmin stayed back, not joining the fight.
He watched the door from afar.
The initial awe had long faded.
His gaze held only disgust.
He looked away from the door to his companions who'd survived with him this far.
Muttered something softly.
Then approached the monsters watching him from a distance.
Injun and Seo-ah were too busy arguing to notice.
Gyeongmin faced the monster, which tilted its head in confusion at his approach.
He let out a small scoff.
Drew the small knife hidden in his pocket.
"You guys not fighting?"
He pressed the blade to his throat.
"Yeah. You're better off."
With that, blood poured as the knife slipped from his hand, clanging across the floor.
A heavy thud followed as his body collapsed.
The monsters prodded the still-warm meat with their grotesquely bent fingers, faces writhing with teeth.
Soon they buried their heads in it, devouring greedily.
The rest charged toward the noisy, ownerless things ahead.
Somehow... this hurts my pride...
After the feast ended, amid the pooled crimson, a girl burst from the yellow wall.
"No one's here?"
Figuring they'd used her as toll and left long ago, she muttered to herself.
For some inexplicable reason, she slung the pink bunny backpack beside her onto her back.
"They just bail without me, those assholes..."
Bloodstains and cuts gone without trace—only dust from lying on the ground soiled her uniform.
She brushed it off lightly.
Turned to the yellow door—or wall?—and placed her hand on it.
The surface rippled at her touch, waves forming.
It swallowed her hand halfway.
When it reached her wrist, rough waves repelled her.
"Hey... no! Take my body one more time—send me back too!"
Pride be damned—let it swallow her again.
She pounded the wall.
Pulled the metal pipe from her bag to swing, then paused.
Slowly inhaled, exhaled, repeated.
Almost ruined her precious pipe.
Calming herself, she scanned around for roadside weeds.
Soon found a wildflower thrusting defiantly from cracked asphalt, boasting tough vitality.
She gripped the pipe upside down and struck.
Careful not to damage it, she smashed the cracks deliberately, gently dug out root and soil intact.
Not a petal or leaf harmed.
She beamed proudly.
"But... honestly, will this work?"
Clutching the dirt-caked flower, she walked to the Yellow Door, shrugging.
"What're you looking at? Fuck... splat! Fuck off!"
She menaced distant monsters with her pipe—if the flower fails, you're next—then faced the door.
Carefully pressed the wildflower against it.
Petals touched; ripples spread from there.
Ignoring gravity, it slowly sucked inward.
Root last, it vanished.
She shook off hand-soil, waited for ripples to stop.
Guess not.
Turned to circling monsters.
Behind her, faint vibration and spreading light.
"...It worked."
The door split geometrically like opening jaws, emitting light.
She scoffed, didn't look back.
Dove straight in.
How long wrapped in blinding light she couldn't shut out?
An instant, yet eons.
She opened her eyes to towering buildings and crowds passing between.
Suit-clad office workers hurrying with phones to ears.
Someone strolling a leashed dog.
Girl-like student in uniform heading somewhere.
Ordinary masses, if ordinary.
Their faces held neat, unique features—not savage toothy maws like eels.
Overjoyed, arms thrust skyward in silent cheer, heedless of stares.
Then hair brushed her cheek, tickling.
She realized the crucial fact.
"Am I... still a girl...?"
She rushed to a phone shop window for reflection.
The image: brown-uniformed schoolgirl, confused expression.
If you're sending me home, change my body back too!
She hung her head, sighing—then froze, holding breath, trembling.
Fixed on latest smartphone beyond glass.
Eyes darted: opposite wall calendar, back to phone.
Exhaled.
NG smartphones...? They went bankrupt and pulled out ages ago...
Calendar showed present—no time travel.
Head cleared of confusion: They must've restarted while I wasn't paying attention.
Awkward chuckle.
Stepped back from glass.
Shaking head, perched on bollard at crosswalk.
Unconsciously eyed massive LED screen blanketing a building across the street.
It blared huge text and photos: Pop Emperor's Korea concert.
Unbelievable blockbuster ad.
"Hahaha... ha..."
Fuck! No, wait—I kinda wanna see that. Shit!
She—or rather, he—was a stranger here too.
"Hnggh... I'm starving..."
Since this body, only water and jelly.
Tension gone, stomach roared fiercely.
Clutching it, wandering penniless, ID-less.
"Any free meals...? Ah! Pretend to be a student at some school?"
Muttering free school lunch, shuffling along.
Suddenly recalled religious groups did that.
Glanced around.
World like home but off—likely overflowing with churches to make devils flee and angels swoon.
Sure enough, steps later: stark cross-marked building.
Luckily, small banner: Free Meal.
Tailed bustling entrants inside.
Paused, startled: mostly elders seated.
Someone approached.
"Oh, student! Here to volunteer?"
Aproned, headscarved woman smiled warmly.
Arin rolled eyes, hesitated—tossed all pride.
Stood tall.
"Um... free meal...? Can I...?"
"Of course, dear! This way. My kid comes sometimes—school lunch ain't enough."
"R-right."
Seated at empty spot; steaming noodle soup arrived.
Downed cool water first time in ages.
Shoved noodles in ravenously.
After nonstop ordeals—mostly starving—this plain soup tasted best ever.
Forced it down.
Sudden wave of emotion; chopsticks stopped.
Fuck...
Chewed bulging mouthful messily, wiped eyes on sleeve.
Stared at hands gripping chopsticks.
Choked up again, froze.
I'm a guy... not even a student... I wanna go home... come back...