Stuck in the Wall Bunny Girl (3)
People say that if your head’s bad, your body suffers. What if I’d been smarter? What if I’d won that verbal sparring match against the anomaly? The situation would have been completely different. At the very least, I wouldn’t have had to run for my life like this.
But sometimes there are people in the world who say things like, “If your body’s good, your head gets to relax!” Ever since my little customer-service act stopped working on anomalies, nothing has fit that saying better than the escape drama I was currently starring in.
Run first. Think later.
Maybe people really don’t change that easily. Even back when I was a firefighter, I’d always solved problems with my body more than my brain.
Anyway, after running blindly, I ended up in the department store’s machine room. The place was packed with devices I could only describe as “they probably run on electricity.”
“This seems safe for now,” I said.
“Y-yes…”
In spatial horror stories, places like machine rooms usually count as safe zones. It might seem strange since they’re gloomy and full of unpleasant noise, but anomalies are heavily influenced by public perception.
Only a tiny fraction of people ever pay attention to machine rooms or UPS rooms. Most don’t even register their existence. Fear can take root in familiar places, but in completely forgotten ones, no emotion can bloom at all.
I bet this machine room doesn’t actually do anything.
Just thinking about the lights in the mart was enough. That supermarket was clearly using electricity, yet it was ridiculous to imagine an anomaly signing a contract with the electric company. It made more sense that some unknown power was simply mimicking the phenomenon.
Why? Because it’s only natural for an open supermarket to have electricity. Even if you know nothing about electricity, you can still lump the intermediate logic together. This machine room was probably the same—something that ought to exist in a big building, and indeed it did. Whatever I touched here probably wouldn’t mean much.
…It definitely wasn’t because I was mechanically illiterate.
“Alright, then. Would you show me your wounds now? I saw you bleeding earlier.”
Still, a safe shelter had value simply by being safe. This was a rare moment to catch my breath. Might as well take care of things while I could.
“Ah, I’m fine. I can walk on my own. It wasn’t anything serious.”
“Even so, we need to give first aid. Listen to the professional.”
“I’m really okay…”
“Tsk. Come on. If you leave it and something goes wrong, it’ll be a big problem.”
It wasn’t like I was trying to do anything bad. Why reject someone offering treatment?
Fortunately, the requester didn’t keep stubbornly refusing. It would’ve been nice to have disinfectant, but the best I could do for now was wash the wound with the water I’d grabbed while running.
“That huge anomaly earlier. Its knife was filthy.”
“Huh?”
“There’s a risk of infection. Did you get your shots? Especially tetanus.”
“I think I did. Probably during military service…”
“Good. There are exactly two things I like about our country’s military: the first-aid training and the vaccinations.”
The requester’s expression turned strange. Why? Was it weird hearing a girl talk about the military? I felt a slight urge to tease him, but I held back. Now was the time to build a little more trust.
“Do you usually just endure pain like that?”
“Sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me. Just don’t do it from now on. A person’s self-diagnosis isn’t very trustworthy. For example…”
When you work as a firefighter, you see it at least once. Someone in a state where it wouldn’t be strange if they died any second, yet they insist they’re perfectly fine. It probably wasn’t a lie. Their brain was flooded with adrenaline, so they genuinely couldn’t feel the pain. But rescue workers still have to save even those walking corpses who throw tantrums about not wanting to go to the hospital.
“Haven’t you heard it before? That even if you don’t feel pain right after a car accident, you still need to go to the hospital.”
“I think I have.”
“It’s all for similar reasons. So don’t skip first aid just because it doesn’t hurt. If you’re even a little injured, go to the hospital. Don’t let it get worse and then make me sad when I see you.”
By the way, having a smaller body brought its own inconveniences. Wrapping bandages was tricky. And honestly, calling it a bandage was generous. Since the bunny girl costume wouldn’t tear, I’d ripped up the requester’s clothes into strips of fabric. They were a bit short, so I had to shift them around, but the angle wasn’t working.
So I simply pulled his leg all the way over and laid it across my thigh. My chest got in the way of my view, but who did he think I was? I pinned the leg under my armpit, slipped my arm inside as if hugging it, and finally got the right angle. With the experience of a seasoned rescuer, I somehow finished the first aid.
“Hngh…!”
“See? Once the tension fades, it hurts, right?”
“It’s not that. No… actually, yes. It hurts, that’s why…”
His face had turned bright red. No wonder he kept avoiding my eyes. Well, this requester was a man in his early twenties. Since I looked like a girl on the outside, he probably didn’t want to show a pained expression. Men have their pride to protect, after all.
Still, he seemed to know how to be grateful; his attitude became much more obedient.
“Now that the first aid is done, shall we talk?”
“Oh, right. I should have mentioned this first. While I was running earlier, I saw something.”
This rulebook was written and distributed by the Anomaly Management Bureau to protect the lives of South Korean citizens caught in horror story and anomaly incidents.
The Daon Mart rulebook must be posted in inconspicuous locations such as the wall behind the stairs or the underside of tables inside the store. If you discover this rulebook in a public area, please exercise caution.
All rulebooks distributed by the Bureau are made with special ink and paper. There is no risk of contamination by anomalies, so please rest assured.
This rulebook consists of 8 articles.
1. All customers and employees in this mart are harmful to humans. Except for the cases outlined in this rulebook, do not interact with them under any circumstances. Even if you see someone who appears to be a fellow South Korean citizen, you must ignore them. Remember: if you are an ordinary person, you cannot distinguish between humans and anomalies. Rescuing citizens trapped in horror stories is the job of Hunters. We earnestly ask that you prioritize your own life and safety above all else.
2. Here, you must behave like an ordinary customer. Do not unnecessarily approach employees or show excessive nervousness. The moment they become suspicious, your survival rate will drop dramatically.
3. Never enter the mart while bleeding. The Butcher operates mainly around the meat section. It has extremely low intelligence but highly developed senses of smell. The Butcher will not be able to distinguish you from meat.
4. Do not consume any food at the mart’s sampling corner. Products sold in this mart may be fatal to humans. If the urge to eat becomes overwhelming, go to a secluded place such as the restroom, cover your eyes and ears, and block all senses as much as possible until the urge subsides. Tap water from the restroom sink is safe to drink. If you still cannot endure the urge after following this method, then enjoy a happy shopping experience at Daon Mart!
5. Never enter stores related to the body such as hair salons or skin-care shops. There is not a single recorded case of survival from any of these stores.
6. The entity wearing a black suit is the Manager. You must avoid its gaze at all costs. Hide your body. If the Manager speaks to you, emphasize that you are enjoying a satisfactory shopping experience. If things go well, the Manager will leave satisfied. The Manager may try to guide you to the reception room under the pretense of payment or an event. No one who has entered the reception room has ever survived. Deflect the situation as naturally as possible. If the Manager calls the security team, run to the sampling corner and eat the food there.
7. Your only task inside the mart is to find the exit. The exit changes location every time and takes the form of a revolving door commonly seen in older buildings. However, if you notice anything strange near the revolving door, do not approach. This “strangeness” includes any ominous feeling you may have. Inside a horror-story space, your sixth sense is your only ally.
8. If you cannot use the exit, you must escape through a customer or employee. Many anomalies inside Daon Mart act independently of the mart itself. Create a pretext to be guided outside by matching the identity and situation the anomaly is mimicking. Cases of escape using this method can be found inside the cleaning supply closet in the mart restroom. Please do not give up hope until the very end.
9. On the 7th floor of Daon Mart lies the Store Manager’s office. The Store Manager is the most bountiful being in this land, and you may offer yourself to become part of this great existence.
10. comecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecomecome
The rulebook I was reading split apart with a loud crack. A pitch-black hole-like gap formed in the air for a moment. Then a tentacle shot out and dragged me inside.