Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Today's Menu? (5)
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"......Chomp......"
Sucking on fingers that resembled sausages, the employee couldn't tear their gaze away from us.
The waiter pointed that out.
"Please return to your original seat without disturbing the customers' meal."
".........Chomp."
With that warning-laced remark from the waiter.
The employee who'd been chasing us just moments ago.
Thud-
Finally turned around.
The employee's back, heading to their original seat, had quivering flesh that seemed to express their regret in their stead.
Only after confirming the employee was a sufficient distance away from us did I carefully set down Hee-ji, whom I'd been carrying.
'Finally, I can breathe.'
After that.
Clack-
The waiter's short call and the sound of his shoe heels approached us together.
"...Then."
The guy demonstrated one of the top 5 burdensome behaviors only experienced in restaurants.
Slide-
Pulling out a chair.
"I recommend eating before the food gets cold."
The waiter seemed more eager than anyone for me to just sit down.
And this seemed like...
'I've been properly marked, huh?'
As always, I wore a natural smile on my lips.
"Rather than me... it seems better for the lady to sit first. Hee-ji."
"Y-Yes?!"
Startled by my casual use of her name, she glanced back and forth between the waiter and me.
I knew better than anyone, as a fellow human, how bewildering the current situation must be for her.
That's why I focused on reassuring her right now.
In a soft whisper too quiet for the waiter to hear, I murmured to her.
"Didn't I promise? No matter what happens, I'd get you all out of here."
"......"
Hee-ji's trembling eyes.
Gradually fixed on me.
Fortunately, she was focused on my words right now.
I didn't miss the moment, gently placing my hand over her cold one.
Smooth-
Unlike with the waiter guy.
With a soft smile.
Hoping she could feel at ease, at least by my side.
"I won't leave you here alone like that man."
"......"
From that point on, she stopped shaking.
On the contrary.
She gripped my hand even tighter herself.
"I... believe you."
"Thank you."
A faint smile toward me played on her lips, her eyes rimmed red, shining only at me.
'Perfect.'
For a while, her mental corruption won't progress.
And the waiter, watching us, offered this impression.
"You've got a fine boyfriend there."
"......Does it look that way?"
"!!"
Hee-ji...
Actually responded to the waiter.
'She fired back?'
Without even a Smile Badge.
In her right mind?
I could interpret it as her having gained enough mental leeway to retort to the waiter.
But.
To me, Hee-ji's action just now was a massive shock.
Because...
I couldn't have calmly retorted to the waiter like that.
Naturally, the thought crossed my mind that maybe this woman, Hee-ji, recovered her mental strength faster than ordinary people.
And for people like that, we call them.
'Talent freaks.'
'Is this what they call... talent?'
As I witnessed firsthand, with my own eyes, what the wall of talent looked like.
Hee-ji's steps moved toward the chair the waiter had pulled out.
And she sat down first.
The waiter, confirming she'd sat, then.
Clack-
Pulled out the second chair.
Naturally, this second chair was for no one else.
But me.
"Now, please take your seat."
"......Thank you."
I followed the waiter's instructions and planted my butt back in the chair.
Confirming we'd all sat, the waiter turned to us and.
Smooth-
Bowed politely.
"I hope you have a meaningful mealtime."
With his waist bent at 90 degrees and those calm words from the waiter, he headed off somewhere.
Clack-
Not staying by our side like before.
The waiter headed toward the kitchen, where the other employees had emerged from.
Since the waiter was also an employee of the restaurant, it was only natural for him to take a break without exception.
With the waiter gone, our gazes naturally fell elsewhere.
On the bowls placed on the table.
The menu name.
'Pickled Fingers and Tongue Salad'
Hee-ji was the first to break the silence.
"Are you really planning to eat... this food?"
With the waiter's surveillance gone, it was a perfectly reasonable thought.
"We have to eat it. If we want to get out of here even a moment sooner."
"Or... how about we just hold out until Break Time ends?!"
"!!"
'Hee-ji, this woman...'
I hadn't told her about 'Break Time'.
Her way of approaching the situation was better than expected.
And it certainly wasn't a wrong idea.
Now that we'd returned to this table.
With long-term protection from the employees' attacks secured.
If we just held out until Break Time ended like this, the employees who came from the kitchen would return to it.
Then we could slip out the restaurant door during that gap.
A simple plan!... Or so it'd be nice if it were.
But that method was rejected.
"Holding out won't work. If Break Time ends in this state..."
The courses that hadn't come out yet would arrive again.
The massive courses prepared for seven people.
"So before Break Time ends, we have no choice but to eat this food and get out."
"......"
I revealed plainly that we had to eat this food to leave.
And after hearing me out, her gaze naturally.
Could only fall on the fingers in the bowl.
"We have to eat this food......"
She seemed to want to deny the current situation.
Even knowing she had to eat this to escape, the person who ate this food...
Died.
Having witnessed with her own eyes the cluster of fingers crawling out through the gutted belly of the man who consumed it, she especially.
Would never touch this food.
"Don't worry. You won't have to eat this food, Hee-ji."
"Huh? But... then......"
There would be no instance of her eating this food.
And... I knew it too.
That everyone who eats this food dies without exception.
So even more so, she wouldn't eat it.
Hee-ji's death would directly lead to mine.
Of course.
I wouldn't eat it either.
To emphasize once more.
The one who eats this food...
Will. Die. Without. Fail.
No trick to avoid death exists.
To escape this place, we inevitably had to eat those finger dishes.
So...
Smooth-
I reached out, picked up the bowl from the center of the table, and handed it to a specific person.
"!!"
Hee-ji looked puzzled by my sudden action.
But I wore a more composed smile than ever.
With an innocent, bright smile to the one I'd handed the food bowl to, I said.
"Please eat this food."
"......"
My bright smile was met with a sharp glare from the recipient.
The recipient stared blankly at the fingers and tongue in the bowl I'd handed over for a while, then.
Grab-
Picked up a finger.
.
.
.
A few minutes later.
With the empty bowl.
Dozens of fingers crawled out through a woman's gutted belly, scurrying around the table.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Waiter."
I called the waiter to the scene.
Clack-
Soon, the sound of the waiter guy's shoe heels echoed from the kitchen, and before long, he appeared before us.
"You called?"
"It seems my acquaintance really enjoyed the food. Enough to polish it off all by herself."
"......"
The waiter's gaze fell on the woman in the black hat who had been sitting next to me.
Blood pouring from every orifice on her face.
Around her torn-open belly, a few fingers still crawled about in a bizarre scene.
The waiter stared at the woman's limp corpse for a while.
When he spoke again.
"Delighted to hear the food was to your liking. That's welcome news."
He showed satisfaction.
"Then we'll be on our way."
"Understood. I'll let the other staff know as well."
This time, I stood first.
And without hesitation, extended my hand to Hee-ji, who stared blankly at me.
"Now, let's really get out of here."
"......Yes."
Since witnessing that scene moments ago, Hee-ji's words had drastically decreased.
But she followed my lead well.
Clap clap-!
The moment the waiter confirmed we'd stood, he clapped lightly.
Drawing the attention of every employee in the space.
"The customers have finished their meal. So please don't confuse it with the other dishes."
From that moment, every employee's movements froze solid under the focused gazes.
Not a single twitch.
At the same time, I checked the time on the wall clock.
00:15:24.
Plenty of time.
Unless we suddenly had to crawl to the entrance.
It was more than enough to walk there.
Shiver-
?
Suddenly, a faint tremor came from Hee-ji's hand in mine.
Seemed the trauma from the earlier chase lingered deep.
We're almost there.
Victory was in sight.
No more delays allowed.
Squeeze-
I gripped Hee-ji's hand firmly once more and continued.
"If walking is hard, just say so anytime. I'll carry you again, as many times as needed."
"!!"
Hee-ji blushed and bowed her head at my words.
"No, I can walk on my own this time."
"......"
'......Did she catch on?'
The moment I saw her reaction.
I felt like she'd figured out I was a weak guy.
Step-
After that, the two of us slowly made our way toward the restaurant entrance.
Not too fast.
Nor too slow.
Steadily pressing forward, eyes ahead.
And before long.
With just one step left.
In that split second.
Clack-
Along with the shoe heel sounds from behind.
The waiter's deep voice echoed in my ear for a long while.
"Next time, we'll prepare food sure to satisfy you."
"...Looking forward to it."
'Yeah, never coming back.'
Creeak-
With those words from the waiter guy.
The restaurant door, reeking only of foul blood, closed.
And a small sign came into view.