Help Me
Bang, bang, bang!
Who is it? There's no one who would come looking for me.
Sometimes the drunk neighbor next door would knock on the wrong door by mistake.
It must be that again. If I just stay quiet, it'll die down.
Bang, bang, bang!
"Eunseo."
My entire body locked up at the familiar voice.
A voice I could never forget.
"I know you're in there. Open the door."
It was Father's voice.
I rose from the chair.
Father's voice kept ringing endlessly inside my head, making everything spin.
"Eunseo, it's Mom."
M-Mom too?
"Let's just talk for a bit, okay?"
"..."
I didn't answer.
Maybe they still don't know for sure that I'm inside.
The strange adults who helped me said so. This place was somewhere even Mother and Father didn't know about.
They said from now on I could just live here.
But how?
"I said open the door."
"I-I don't want to."
Crap, I answered out of habit...
"Eunseo."
Mother spoke in a gentle tone.
"Mom and Dad didn't come here to scold you."
I'd heard that line so many times.
It wasn't about scolding me—it was the process of straightening out my soul.
They were doing this because they loved me.
"Th-then just leave."
"Eunseo. You'd better open the door right now."
Father's loaded words made my heart pound.
"We can't leave you like this."
"I'm living just fine...!"
Inside the room there was a mattress and a battered desk. On top of the desk sat a small laptop.
As long as I had that laptop, I never got bored even if I stayed in this cramped room all day.
The sink was piled high with unwashed cup-ramen containers.
I'd left them so long that a weird smell was starting to rise.
If my parents saw this place, they'd say I was lying.
Even so, I liked this room.
No one yelled at me for not waking up early for morning prayer.
No problem if I didn't submit a daily log of everything I'd done before bed.
Here I could use the laptop however I wanted, draw pictures, even watch weird videos and swear without getting punished.
Of course, living with everyone hadn't been bad, but...
"Is living alone really living well?"
Mother's voice was thick with tears.
"Are you eating properly? If you get sick, who's going to take care of you?"
"..."
"You're still too young to understand."
I'd heard that one a lot too.
The outside world was a dangerous place overflowing with every kind of Satan, and doubt was a tumor those evil things planted in you.
Even when the strange adults first came and said people were being held captive, everyone called them Satans.
Soyeong Unni and Grandma Geumrye, who lived with me. There were so many good people there besides them.
Soyeong Unni and Grandma Geumrye took me to those strange adults and told me never to come back.
That was how I first saw the world full of Satans that I'd only read about in the doctrine.
The world where Satans lived didn't look as terrifying as I'd imagined.
Ah, when I went to that place called school I did meet a Satan wearing a human face, so I still had to be careful.
In the Satans' world there was no Lord Saeoreum and no Grand Master.
The thoughts of the Grand Master, who was Lord Saeoreum's messenger, were the community's rules.
Everything else was garbage.
In the Satans' world there were so many people who thought garbage thoughts.
Lately it felt like I was starting to have a lot of garbage thoughts myself.
That might also be the Satans' influence, so I was offering repentance prayers whenever I could.
I'd committed so many sins—could I even be forgiven through repentance alone?
Maybe the Satans' world was surprisingly livable.
I could do whatever I wanted.
The life I'd shared with everyone might feel uncomfortable now, but it wasn't a bad place.
I was born and raised there.
My parents and friends were there.
There was warm rice served at the same time every day.
That place had been my home too.
"Lord Saeoreum and the Grand Master are waiting for you, Eunseo."
At Mother's words my hands began to tremble violently.
"They understand that you're still confused. If you come back and just receive purification education, repentance prayers, and the proper punishment, you can live as if nothing ever happened, they said."
Purification education... prayers... punishment...
Things I was supposed to accept as natural, yet Mother's words made my chest tighten.
The room where they wouldn't let me speak for days, the punishment of not being allowed to sleep until the prayers were finished.
"..."
I didn't answer again.
I don't want to go, but do I really not want to go? What if the Satans have bewitched me?
What if that place isn't the strange one—what if I've become the strange one?
Not knowing what's right or wrong is agony. It feels like the whole world is just toying with me.
"Whether you like it or not, as parents we can't stand by and watch our child walk the wrong path."
Click.
The doorknob turned, but it was locked so it didn't open.
Still, every time the door rattled my heart hammered faster.
"Just open it, Eunseo."
"G-go away!"
"If I put some force into this old door it'll just open. Don't make this harder than it has to be—open it."
"Honey, don't. We have to coax her properly. Eunseo, hurry up and get ready and come outside. Let's go back right now."
Go back. To that place...
I unconsciously stepped backward and bumped into the desk.
There was no one to help me. The strange adults only came once a month.
One of them had given me a messenger ID and told me to message if I ever needed help, but I had no idea what to even say.
I didn't want my parents to get into trouble.
But I also didn't want to go with them.
My head was a mess.
That was when I spotted the email floating on one corner of the laptop screen.
An email from Cha Jinyoung.
If she came, there would be someone else standing between my parents and me.
She wanted to talk with me.
She said she liked the videos I made and would even pay me.
According to the doctrine, Cha Jinyoung was part of the Satans' pack too.
Believing that, I had lied to her without hesitation.
Even if Cha Jinyoung didn't come, it would just be my karma.
The doctrine said Satans always approached with kind faces. They put people at ease and then stole the most precious thing.
My parents, who said they loved me and cared for me, couldn't possibly be Satans.
...And yet why did I keep wishing that Cha Jinyoung, whose face I didn't even know, would come instead of the parents standing outside my door?
Was she really a Satan?
If Cha Jinyoung wasn't a Satan, then what did that make me, the one who lied and deceived her?
Keeping one eye on the rattling door, I quickly typed out an email to send to Cha Jinyoung.
Prayers were supposed to be offered only to Lord Saeoreum.
I broke that taboo and prayed toward a person who was not Lord Saeoreum.
Just this once, please let Cha Jinyoung come quickly.
"Don't go."
After reading the editor's email, the department head spoke firmly.
Having unintentionally finished our tour of the elderly folks' home cottage industry, we were cooling off at a nearby café.
The department head ordered an Americano; since I didn't handle caffeine well, I got a strawberry latte.
...Why does this taste so good? Drinking something sweet in a cool place feels like pure happiness.
I reread the new email the editor had sent from the beginning.
What the hell is this rambling mess?
Having been fooled once already, I was suspicious of this person's intentions.
...But the part about someone trying to take them away kept nagging at me.
My seniors used to tell me that my nosiness created problems that didn't exist and that I should stop sticking my neck out.
"This time it might be real."
"Jinyoung. You do realize we just got played, right?"
"I know."
"This time they might have called us to somewhere actually weird."
"Well, those elderly folks weren't dangerous people."
"So you're saying you want to go again?"
The department head's voice sounded closer to worry than irritation.
An expression that said, What am I supposed to do with this idiot?
Truthfully, I'd already caused the department head a huge amount of trouble.
She claimed she was free, but I knew she wasn't the type to be hanging around here like this.
Asking her to come along again would be a shameless request.
I don't know what I should do.
Absurd as the content was, it kept flickering before my eyes.
Mister, please help me.
...I still haven't forgotten what happened back then.
The right thing was to part ways with the department head here and go check it out alone.
"Department Head, I'm already so grateful that you came this far with me."
"I've gotten a little more used to getting around now, so I'll go by myself."
"No, Jinyoung, that's not the issue. The address is in a residential area."
"That person might be waiting there with someone else."
"I'm pretty good at running away, you know."
"I'm going crazy, seriously..."
The department head sucked up the rest of her coffee through the straw in one go.
"You finish yours too, Jinyoung, and let's leave right away."
"Huh? No, no! I can't keep causing you trouble—"
"Do I look like the kind of person who says 'yes, ma'am' and goes when told to go?"
"N-no..."
"If I send you alone and something happens, never mind business—how do you think I'd feel?"
"You don't have to go this far for me, Department Head..."
"Stop."
"Mph."
"I've already decided, so just shut up and follow me."
...The department head is kind of like a mom.
The address, only about ten minutes away, was a dense cluster of old multi-family houses.
Tucked deep in an alley where cars could barely enter.
The department head and I parked on the main road, checked the surroundings, and stepped into the building matching the address the editor had sent.
"Haaah..."
It's so hot. If I let my guard down even a little I'll collapse!
And of course this building has no elevator!
"Jinyoung, are you okay?"
"Yes..."
Just then a commotion drifted down from the upper floor.
"Eunseo! Those people tricked you!"
"Just leave already!"
We stopped walking, and the department head looked at me.
"I don't know what's going on, but according to the address, that's the place."
Did we actually come to the right spot this time? But the situation looks serious...
"It's kind of awkward to just barge in... ughhh..."
Whoa, that was close. For a second my vision blurred and I lost my balance.
I managed not to fall, but...
"...! Who's there?"
Crap, I made a sound.
I shot the department head an apologetic look and then stepped into view.
"Hello. I'm Yoon Okhee, head of Streamer Support at Livepia."
"..."
I kept silent.
We had agreed beforehand that if possible we would reveal as little identity-related information as we could.
"Li... what?"
"Livepia. We came after receiving the meeting request email your editor sent."
"Editor? Are you there?"
"Ch-Cha Jinyoung?"
"Yes. She's right here with me."
At that moment an older woman blocked the way.
"What business do you have with Eunseo?"
"Is your daughter's name Eunseo? We came to discuss a contract regarding video editing."
The man's expression beside her turned ugly.
"Our Eunseo is only seventeen—what kind of work are you trying to make her do with a contract?"
"We're not making her do anything. We came to place a formal request."
"I'm her guardian, and we don't need it. Leave."
The man waved his hand dismissively.
"We're taking Eunseo home."
"This is a kidnapping situation right in front of her parents."
Not knowing the full circumstances, the department head found herself at a loss for words in front of the couple who clearly had some kind of story.
I quietly slipped around behind them and whispered against the crack of the door.
"Editor. Are you there?"
"Wh-who is it?"
"It's me, Cha Jinyoung."
From the voice it was a girl. Seventeen, they said? She's a total kid.
"I don't know what's going on, but it doesn't look like we can talk properly in this state."
"..."
"Want me to chase them off for you?"
"Huh?"
Just then the man spotted me and came closer.
"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing!!"
"Whoa! Don't come any closer!"
"Waaah!"
The department head was almost the same height as the man and didn't lose out in build.
Thanks to that she stopped him from coming any nearer, but my body, which had instinctively freaked out, was still trembling like a leaf.
Ugh... I thought I was getting better. Getting hit from behind is still fatal.
Clutching my side, I whispered to the editor—Eunseo—again.
"Eunseo, since I'm... Unni, I'll talk casually. I can send your parents away."
"Really? Ah, but I don't want my parents to get in trouble..."
"Don't worry, I'll just scare them off. But for that, you have to say it clearly, okay?"
"S-say what?"
"The place your parents want to take you—do you want to go, or do you not want to go?"
"..."
Eunseo couldn't answer right away.
"See? The kid can't make a normal judgment right now."
I stood up from my crouch and spoke.
"That doesn't mean your judgment becomes Eunseo's will."
"Excuse me? We're her real parents."
"Parental rights are not ownership."
It's fine because we're family. Parents have the right to decide.
It's for the child's sake, so the means don't matter.
Things you hear all the time in court.
"Under civil law, parental authority must be exercised with the child's welfare as the priority."
"Don't start quoting laws at us—what do you even know, you bullshitter?"
"I know a little."
"What's the problem with parents taking their child home?"
"If the person herself refuses and you physically drag her, that changes the story."
"This woman is really...!"
I pulled out my phone and turned on the recording function.
"I will be recording everything from this point on."
"What are you trying to pull?"
"It means that if you lay a hand on Eunseo or try to move her by force, I can report it to the police immediately."
"Haa... so you're threatening us?"
"No. I'm informing you of the procedures that could follow."
The department head stood shoulder to shoulder with me, guarding my side. What a grateful person.
"Eunseo is still a minor. We can't leave her alone in a place like this."
"I understand the concern."
"Then step aside."
"Even so, I cannot consider the method you two are using right now to be legitimate, so I will not step aside."
I counted off on my fingers one by one.
"If the current living situation is dangerous, you can request help from a youth protection agency."
"The relationship with the parents can also be mediated in the presence of specialists."
"But deciding to take her today while ignoring her own will is a different matter."
Eunseo's father glared at me.
"What even are you to Eunseo? Are you going to take responsibility?"
"I have no such obligation."
"Then get out of the—!"
"However, the content of the help Eunseo requested looked quite urgent, so I came."
"So what the hell are you?! You're a complete stranger! I'm her dad!!"
"If there's no relationship, does that mean you're not allowed to help someone in danger?"
"Huu... this is a family matter."
"Family is not a free pass for immunity."
"Ha, this bitch is completely insane."
At the unexpected racket, nearby residents poked their heads out of their doors to see what was going on.
"No matter how much she's your child, if you use guilt and fear to suppress her refusal, it can be viewed as emotional abuse."
"When did we ever abuse Eunseo?!"
"That part will be verified by the police once a report is filed."
"Ah shit, just move!"
When the man looked ready to get worked up again, the department head blocked him.
In that opening I asked through the door once more.
"Eunseo. I'll ask again."
"Do you want to go with your parents right now?"
I hugged the laptop in my arms tightly.
If I go back, Grandma and Unni will be waiting.
They decide everything I have to do for the day. It's stifling, but also pretty convenient.
On the other hand, if I stay in this room I have to decide everything myself.
What to eat, what to do today. All of it is up to me.
It's scary, but... it was fun.
For the first time I got to do the things I liked on my own.
The Satan named Cha Jinyoung outside the door said she would help me.
A Satan... is she? It's so different from what I was taught... nothing matches, so my head hurts.
In the middle of that, Cha Jinyoung's words felt like an easy handle to grab... and reaching for it wasn't hard.
"...I don't want to go."
Eunseo's parents' faces flooded with shock.
"Eunseo!!"
"I don't want to go."
"Do you even know what you're saying right now? If you do this you'll never see Mom and Dad again! Don't you want to see your friends?"
"Even so, I like it better here. I guess I've gotten dirty. I'm sorry..."
I smiled, though the mask probably hid it.
"You heard her."
"Th-the child is just confused and saying that."
"Being confused doesn't make her will disappear."
I held up my phone.
"Eunseo clearly said she doesn't want to."
"If you try to take her by force from here, I will report it immediately."
The man glared at me for a long time, then looked around and finally stepped back.
"We'll come again."
"...Eunseo, Mom will come again."
"..."
Eunseo didn't answer.
The two of them grew farther away, and Eunseo's mother looked back several times.
Only after their footsteps completely vanished down the stairs and we confirmed they were truly gone could we finally breathe.
For some reason the residents who had come out to watch started clapping and saying we were amazing.
"Ahaha, it was nothing. Sorry for the noise."
"Jinyoung."
"Yes?"
"You know, you were kind of cool just now?"
"I was scared stiff thinking I was going to get hit, you know. Department Head, you're the impressive one. That dad had a pretty solid build."
"I learned a few martial arts as a hobby."
So this is the level you need to be a department head at a big company.
"With that in mind!"
"?"
I turned to the tightly shut door and made a bold demand.
"How about we finally talk face to face? Eunseo?"
"..."
The moment the words ended, the iron door opened lightly.
At last Eunseo appeared.
"Ah, hello... I'm Ju Eunseo..."
Dark circles under her eyes as if she hadn't slept properly.
Oversized clothes that looked like she'd just grabbed whatever was there.
In her hands she was carefully cradling a battered laptop.
What stood out most was her hair. Super flashy, huh? Was she a foreigner?
"Uh... you are Korean, right?"
"Yes, I am."
"What's with the hair color?"
"...The Grand Master said it made me look like an angel, so I kept dyeing it."
These fucking bastards, what the hell are they doing to a little kid?
"Th-that place your parents wanted to take you back to—that's where that happened?"
"Yes."
You bastards, I'll properly tear you apart someday.
"You really came."
"You asked me to."
"I... lied to you."
"Ah, thanks to that I got to have a nice chat with some elderly folks."
After that we talked about the videos Eunseo had made, and it turned out they weren't created with good intentions... that was a bit of a shock.
"St-still, you made them well. You did all that work with just that one laptop?"
"Uh... you're not mad?"
"I don't know about Jinyoung, but I am mad. I think I deserve an apology? Eunseo, seventeen isn't that young. You should be able to tell right from wrong."
"...I'm sorry."
When the department head dropped her voice, Eunseo quickly bowed her head and apologized.
"I'd like to talk somewhere quiet—mind if we step inside for a bit?"
"Ah, it's really messy. But if that's okay..."
"It's fine, let's go in—ugh...!"
The moment we entered Eunseo's place, a sour smell and intense heat slammed into our faces.
No, how does anyone live here?
I came in hoping to rest because of the heat, but this is an even worse steam bath!
Ah, I've hit my limit... I really feel like I'm going to lose my mind!!
I peeled off the mask that was soaked with sweat and dripping.
When I took off the hat, the hair I'd stuffed inside all spilled out at once.
I can feel the muggy heat.
Finally I pulled off the sunglasses and set them down.
Whoa... the air feels different.
"Hwaaah! I'm alive."
"..."
"..."
Even without an air conditioner or fan, this is still way better!
Hm? Why did it suddenly get so quiet?
"If Jinyoung doesn't cover up, it'll be big trouble in a completely different sense."
"D-Department Head?"
Right after that, Eunseo's mouth slowly fell open.
"I-it's Angel-nim..."
Hey, why are you two acting like this when we're all women?
"So you're saying you'll use Eunseo as your editor?"
"No? We have to do an interview first."
Contracts are extremely important, and given the certain incident between us, we need to carefully examine every little thing.