Chapter 8
Chapter 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Late Night Radio ▓▓1.▓▓Hz (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
First, take up the baton of my story.
The order of the second story went...
to the man sitting beside me.
"Um, I... I'm..."
Eyes that couldn't find their focus, a voice trembling violently.
The man couldn't easily open his mouth.
"I'm... well, you see."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[.......]
The man's anxious gaze fell on the person next to him, who was in the same predicament.
Shiver, shiver—
The moment he saw his female junior clutching his arm.
Shaking in terror just like him.
The man's trembling voice naturally formed certain words.
"Ra... Rape."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[▓Oh~]
The Radio Host quietly chimed in.
And the woman who had been clutching the man's arm until just now stared at him with a frozen expression.
"I... tried to rape this girl."
"......Oh, really?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Not a lover... but a criminal▓ gripped by lust!]
With the story he'd just spilled, he'd succeeded in piquing the Radio Host's interest.
But... the woman listening to this story right now...
'We talked about this beforehand, right?'
For some reason, after hearing the man's story, she started staring at him with a face frozen in shock.
As if she'd just learned some devastating fact.
But from the man's side, it was like he'd gained momentum in his tale.
"How could I hold back seeing a girl with tits this big?"
The man began spilling out the false emotions he'd felt toward his female junior.
"And honestly... this isn't the first one. I've already slept with other juniors from the department, and the videos..."
The man really let it pour out.
"Demanding money with the videos I'd taken."
False stories spilling nonstop from his mouth without pause.
"Threatening to delete them if they had even more intense sex..."
Really...
Stories pouring out without end, more vivid than even my own firsthand account from moments ago.
"One crazy bitch even introduced her close friend to save her own skin, in exchange for deleting her photos!!"
......What?
What was with this incredibly lifelike flow?
'This can't be a real experience, can it?'
It was a reasonable suspicion.
Otherwise, such detailed descriptions wouldn't be possible.
From recommendations for nice motel rooms.
To booking different motels cleverly instead of the same one.
Tips for filming without getting caught.
And how to use those videos to choke the victims.
There were so many parts I wanted to call him out on.
But when the man's entire story finally ended.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap—
The Radio Host's applause continued for quite a while.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Frankly, I wasn't expecting much. But▓! To think I'd hear such an entertaining story that exceeded my expectations▓! Truly an excellent tale!!]
He'd reached the Radio Host's passing grade.
But...
Clap!
A strong, resounding smack echoed loudly through the broadcast room from another direction.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Nice ring to it.]
The woman who had stood up slapped the man's cheek with all her might.
Along with the man's left cheek turning bright red.
"......F-Fuck!"
The man's bloodshot eyes, with reddened rims, glared murderously at the woman who looked at him with contempt.
In that moment, the one to speak first was the woman.
"......Criminal bastard."
The woman's sharp slap was like a bell tolling that the man's story wasn't lies.
That it was all true.
The man, slapped by the woman, shot up from his seat with bloodshot eyes.
And started yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Choi Yeon-jeong, you... have you lost your mind? Didn't you hear him? He said this is how we survive, fuck!!"
"......"
The woman had boldly slapped the man's cheek, which was good.
But after that, she couldn't put up any resistance.
"Say something, you bitch!!"
As the man's right hand rose high and was about to come down toward Choi Yeon-jeong.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[We're broadcasting right now.]
!
Colorful rectangular panels enveloped the area around the man's right hand extending toward Choi Yeon-jeong.
A shape you'd see on a broadcast control screen appeared right before their eyes.
And soon, with ear-piercing static.
Beeeep—
Crunch, crunch—
A horrific grinding noise, like something being crushed, reverberated through the space.
"Gaaahhh!!"
A man's scream echoed through the broadcast room.
He clutched his right arm, wrapped in the colorful digital panels, and rolled on the floor.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[That ▓won't do... We're broadcasting right now.]
Click—
The Radio Host's footsteps approached the man rolling on the floor.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Problems during the broadcast fall entirely on the host's responsibility. And that host is me▓.]
Click—
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[With 'program reorganization' right around the corner▓...]
The Radio Host stopped in front of the man collapsed on the floor.
Squish—
!
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Such unsavory incidents must not happen, under any circumstances.]
The Radio Host slowly crushed down on the man's right arm, covered in colorful digital panels.
"Gaaaaahhh!!"
Every time he put pressure with his foot.
A sickening crunch of the arm easily breaking echoed out, and Choi Yeon-jeong, watching the scene, froze solid.
Even I, wearing the Smile Badge.
Was equally frozen by the sight unfolding right before my eyes.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Your honest story certainly touched my heart. But, ▓sanctions for broadcast mishaps seem necessary▓.]
The Radio Host stroked the bottom of the radio with one hand and pondered for a moment.
And when he opened his mouth again.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Let's go with the right leg▓. That seems appropriate...]
"I'd like to make a proposal."
I cut off the Radio Host's words. It was undoubtedly a rash judgment.
But the Radio Host didn't show much hostility.
On the contrary, he showed a friendly demeanor toward me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[▓▓▓Oh, it's you. A sudden proposal from such an enthusiastic listener▓. No reason not to hear it.]
Good.
What I wanted to propose to the friendly Radio Host was this.
"I propose appearing as the first guest on that revamped program."
<1st Guest Appearance Right>
After hearing my proposal like this.
I mixed in a small additional request.
"In exchange, please end this man's punishment with his right arm."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[.......]
With a bit of silence from the Radio Host. A loud voice piercing the ears once more filled the space.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[As expected▓! The attitude of a true fan of my program▓!... But I can't accept that proposal.]
The Radio Host...
Rejected my proposal.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Certainly, your story was satisfying. But▓ the responsibility for a broadcast accident naturally falls on the person involved▓, doesn't it?]
"......"
Now that the Radio Host had rejected my proposal.
He would soon crush the man's right leg in the same way.
And in that process, the man would...
Die from excessive bleeding.
The man's death would mean failure of the mission to save two people, and since I hadn't properly completed my assigned task.
I would die as well.
'I can't let that happen!'
I had to stop it somehow.
Otherwise, I wouldn't fulfill the mission to save these two newbies.
So I had to.
By any means necessary.
Get this proposal accepted.
By any means... necessary.
"Regular guest."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[!!]
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Static—!
The Radio Host's frequency glitched, and I kept a false smile on my lips.
"I'll appear on your show as a regular guest."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Yes! That's it! I've been waiting for you to say that!!]
Clap, clap—!
Along with the Radio Host's applause echoing through the broadcast room.
A Polaroid camera appeared before my eyes.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Now, say chееese!]
Click—!
Camera shutter sound and flash.
And at the spot where the photo should develop.
Something like an Employee ID card emerged from the Polaroid.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[ID issuance is ▓complete. I'll invite you back once the new program starts▓.]
"......"
I looked at my face embedded in the developed ID card and gave the Radio Host a bright smile.
'Now I'm fucked.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Then, today's broadcast▓... will wrap up here.]
Flick—
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[This has been Late Night Radio 121.5MHz.]
As soon as his final sign-off ended, all the lights in the broadcast room went out.
And when the light illuminating our surroundings came back into view.
Bluish moonlight.
Was shining down on us standing in front of the abandoned building.
......For now, I'd survived.
But the real problem was.
The fact that I'd have to meet that Radio Host again sometime soon.
I already hated it.
Just imagining having to suck up to that Radio Host again made me shiver.
And the culprit behind all this.
Turned toward the man currently passed out unconscious on the ground.
Fortunately, the right arm he'd been screaming in pain over was still properly attached.
'......He's alive?'
Just in case, I brought my finger near the man's nostril.
A faint warmth touched my fingertip.
'Ugh... gross.'
He seemed to be alive, thankfully.
After confirming the man's survival.
My gaze naturally fell on the woman named 'Choi Yeon-jeong', who still hadn't fully grasped the situation.
"......Why."
"?"
But Choi Yeon-jeong was already staring right through me.
"Why...... why... why! Did you go that far for this criminal?"
"......"
"It would've been better for other victims if you'd just let him die right there......"
Choi Yeon-jeong resented me for saving this man.
But if I hadn't saved him, I might have been killed by other anomalies.
That said, yelling here, 'If not, I'd die!' would obviously make them think I was crazy.
I came up with a plausible excuse on the spot.
"If..."
And right on cue.
A plausible excuse came to mind.
"If we'd let this man die, both you and I would have been killed by that radio guy right there."
"!!"
"So I didn't save this man. I did it to save you."
"......Sorry."
Quick thinking on my part.
She seemed to buy the plausible line I'd spouted.
Thank goodness.
Screeech—
Soon, a familiar sound pierced my ears, and when I turned toward it.
A white door and a pitch-black hallway greeted me.
Really...
'No time to breathe.'
I had no choice but to bid farewell to Choi Yeon-jeong here.
"Then I'll be on my way."
"W-Wait! Does that monster already have you...?"
"No, not that."
Though it was heading to a ghost story even harsher than that Radio Host.
Whoosh—
I looked at the pitch-black hallway.
Ah... I hate it.
I really hate it.
I hate it to death.
But to survive even a little longer.
I had to go.
Lest I get cocky and suffer some setback.
Step—
My steps slowly extended toward the pitch-black hallway.
"W-Wait a second!"
"Yes?"
But Choi Yeon-jeong urgently called out to me.
"Who the hell are you......?"
This flow of conversation.
Seemed like she was asking about my identity.
What excuse should I use this time?
I racked my brain for just a moment.
'Ah, right, that.'
The organization in this world.
That investigates anomalous phenomena like ghost stories and rescues civilians dropped into them, just like me.
"Just know me as part of the 'Anomalous Phenomena Management Agency'."
With those words as my last.
Click—
The white door closed without the slightest hesitation.