The Third Loop: Hospital Redux

The hospital is still unpleasant to look at, but it's somewhat more bearable now. After all, even Song Jin-seop didn't cause a scene and escape this time. Honestly, that part was almost comical. The flustered nurse was the highlight. And we escaped safely again while role-playing as mother and son with Jaaldi.

"..."

I'm already missing our team leader. Anyway.

Seeing Department Head Lee Do-hyeong's stitched world get completely smashed has made it not so scary anymore. I've memorized all the rules long ago.

The notice was posted as usual. I examined it carefully and boarded the bus heading to the countryside on the same date as last loop.

On the way down, I thought about Teacher Kim Seong-han. The favor I received from him was from the previous loop. So in this loop, it's reset. But even so, the favor I received doesn't disappear. I still hold goodwill toward Teacher Kim Seong-han. It's not that it's been reset... it's continuing. If I remember, then it's continuing, isn't it?

"..."

Yeah. I'm curious about his true identity. Anyway, in this loop, I don't need his help. So, it wouldn't be bad to look into Teacher Kim Seong-han. After all, it was thanks to him that I came into contact with the Surgeon. Let's give it a try.

I arrived at the hospital. As soon as I stepped in, the back was enveloped in fog. I headed to the familiar security office. As I approached and lingered,

—Click.

A pale-faced man with hollow eyes walked out from inside. The security guard.

"Ah, aah...! Are you here in response to the recruitment notice?"

It was this guy. Seeing him like this, he's quite welcome. He was a truly unidentified existence; what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the hell is he? I remember he suddenly had a fit and ran away by himself.

"Yes. That's right."

"Here! This way, please!"

To eliminate variables, it would be safer to proceed exactly like last loop. But right now, I don't feel like it.

"Ha, haha! Hahaha!"

As soon as I entered, the security guard burst into loud laughter, took off his clothes, and thanked me.

"Thank you. Really."

I watched him intently.

"Here. This is the duty rulebook. You must follow it. Absolutely. If you don't, no one will know what happens."

I already memorized everything even without you telling me, you punk.

The guard who handed me the rulebook tried to leave immediately. Taking advantage of the moment he turned his back...

—Whoosh!

I lunged and grabbed him!

"Ah?"

"What the hell are you?!"

Last time, I just watched blankly as this bastard ran away, but not this time. I can grab him and ask. This is an action only possible because I'm a loop player. Now, his identity will be revealed. Is he human? Or part of the hospital?

"Are you human?!"

The moment I shouted and interrogated him.

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

Suddenly, the guy burst into a bizarre laugh and slipped out the door like a slug being sucked into a vacuum cleaner, then sprinted out of the hospital and disappeared.

Damn it.

"Was this bastard really an anomaly?"

Was he just an anomaly playing the role of a security guard? Anyway, now I'm alone in the security office. Originally, after this, I entered the hospital and went through all sorts of things. After getting thoroughly screwed, I immediately called a Gwan-ster Call. This is a memory too. With one signal from me, the Fake Bureau agents swarmed in and got massacred. Among them was the famous Department Head Lee Do-hyeong, but wait?!

"Huh?!"

If I don't call the Fake Bureau here. They won't come. They can't come to a place they don't know exists. Then... doesn't that mean Department Head Lee Do-hyeong won't die?!

A chill ran down my spine. One action of mine can change so many things.

"..."

I pondered whether to make the Gwan-ster Call like last loop or not. Honestly, there's no point in calling them. I didn't achieve anything anyway. Plus, calling them would only result in Department Head Lee Do-hyeong evolving into Super Department Head Lee Do-hyeong after surgery. Nothing good comes of it. Above all, the Fake Bureau bastards will deploy personnel to retrieve Department Head Lee Do-hyeong. Song Jin-seop will probably be among them. Right now, when I'm not Agent Grong, there's no way to save Song Jin-seop. No, wait, no! It's the same for this too! At this point, Song Jin-seop hasn't become a Fake Bureau agent yet. So I might be able to save him...!

"I see."

It's nothing new, but this is what loop playing is. Using knowledge from previous loops to change the development as I please.

"Alright."

With my mind made up, I left the security office and entered the hospital. As expected, there's no one. If I wait, the phone will ring from the desk.

—Ring ring ring!

I answered as soon as the phone rang.

-Come up to the 9th floor office. Immediately.

A very welcome voice. Teacher Kim Seong-han's voice. How should I put it, my connection with this teacher is extremely short. Even in the 3rd loop, the connection has been reset. But hearing his voice brings tears to my eyes.

After hanging up, I went up to the 9th floor. Before coming here, I made a resolution. In this loop, let's find out more about Teacher Kim Seong-han. Since I've already memorized all the rules and stuff, let's talk about other things instead.

I arrived in front of the office.

—Knock knock.

After knocking, I entered. The spread-out human skin welcomes me. Now, Teacher Kim Seong-han with his skin peeled off will come out from behind that door.

—Creak.

"Don't be surprised. Please. There's no time."

"I'm not surprised."

"Huh?"

The current me is Kim Geun-hong, but the experience as an agent doesn't go anywhere.

"Teacher Kim Seong-han. That's you, right?"

"What?! How do you know that...!"

When I struck first, the teacher was shocked. I looked at him steadily and continued.

"Name Kim Seong-han. You worked at Daesung Seongmo Hospital in Seoul. You have a wife, a very noble person from Arabia."

"H-How do you know about me...!"

This is the first time I've seen this person so agitated.

"My introduction is late, Teacher. Just know that I came from an organization that deals with these supernatural phenomena."

Pretending to be an agent is very easy.

"An organization that deals with supernatural phenomena?!"

By giving continuous shocks, I completely took control of the pace. Right now, Teacher Kim Seong-han is in a state where all his skin has been peeled off, but I can see a kind of hope on his face.

"That's right. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠We detected that you were captured by this Cheongak Mary Hospital. And I was deployed."

"H-How...! Could it be your wife! Did my wife use her power?!"

A strange faith in his wife. Probably because he knows she's of noble status in the Islamic world. If it's someone who secretly possesses the Black Stone, an absolute holy relic that even the Surgeon would flip over for, it's natural to believe.

"No comment. There are really many things I need to look into right now."

"Y-Yes! But there's really no time right now! You came in as a security guard, right?! For now, you need to go out and do your job! Hurry!"

This can't be helped.

"Give me a time to talk next time. You can use your authority to call me for a consultation opportunity."

"Understood! I definitely will!"

Talking can be done next time. After all, I've mastered the job here.

"Then. See you next time, Teacher."

"Yes!"

Now, time to return as security guard Lee Seung-cheol.

"""It's not Lee Seung-cheol aaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!"""

I answered while hearing the familiar scream.

"It's Lee Seung-cheol."

The hospital immediately became quiet. As soon as they realized it doesn't work, they went back to their own business. I also resumed my security duties.

Ah. Suddenly thinking about the status window, I turned it on. I was curious how my name would be displayed.

Ah! "Lee Seung-cheol" appeared next to my name in parentheses! As expected, there's something very important about names. But finding it this surprising is a bit funny too. Where else is there anything as important as a name?

If I check the status window like this whenever I have time, I'll be able to notice even if my name changes. Or not? If I'm under perception manipulation, even if I'm aware, I won't be able to perceive it? Even when I was an agent, I looked at the status window over and over, but I couldn't recognize that my name had changed. Well... I'll just keep paying attention to it for now.

With that thought, I went upstairs. Compared to last loop, there were almost no changes. There might be some if I dig into the details, but it's impossible to remember all of that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠anyway. There weren't any particularly special incidents, so I finished my duties without any problems.

"..."

Suddenly, I remembered what happened back then. While working security, I once put a person who was shouting for help into the Black Room. I thought he was just an anomaly pretending to be human. But he wasn't. He was an unfortunate civilian who had been tripped. If things proceed the same way, I'll face that situation again. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠What I have to do is already decided.

It's been a week since I started working security. There still hasn't been a call from Teacher Kim Seong-han. It seems difficult to set a time. Anyway. Today is that day. The day the unfortunate civilian was brought in. I started my duties with my resolve firmly in place.

Which floor did the incident happen on back then? I don't remember that far, but I do remember it was a high floor. When I went up to the 7th floor like that.

"Ah, aah!"

A frail-looking man. I saw him letting out an exclamation.

"O-Over here! Please help me! Please save me! Please!"

"Quiet."

I quickly ran over and covered his mouth.

"Mmph."

"This is not a normal space. If you want to live, stay calm. Making loud noises is dangerous. If you understand, blink twice."

"Mmph...!"

He blinked twice. Good. Let's proceed as planned. It's simple. Send him back and give him a Bureau rulebook placed somewhere in the hospital. If he just does that, he can survive. Of course it's inhumane and horrific, but it's unavoidable if he wants to live. Even so, I want to save him. I'll do everything I can. It's a bit funny that I'm not Agent Grong anymore but still maintaining this professional spirit... You never know. If I tell Spandal and Jaaldi later, they might praise me.

"Then I'll remove my hand. Please stay quiet. You must not make any noise."

The moment I removed my hand.

"Monsters! There are monsters! Aaaaaaaaah!!!"