Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: I'm Bored
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I slip out of my room and step into the quiet corridor.
The long hallway has no windows, relying solely on stark white lights to illuminate the interior.
Beyond the ceiling fixtures, red lights embedded along the corridor walls flicker on and off, casting their glow across the space.
The red light pulses at regular intervals.
"Hmm~ Hm~."
I hum a little tune, filling the silent corridor.
As I stroll down the blood-red-tinted hallway, the sound of numerous footsteps rushing toward me echoes.
Soon, about ten people dressed head to toe in black appear, blocking the corridor.
They're all armed with rifles, but the barrels are pointed at the floor.
"Hello."
I bow my head politely in greeting, then head toward the crowd blocking my path.
Hmm. I figured they'd step aside if I got close.
But the black-clad figures stand firm even as I approach, not budging an inch.
What rude people.
"Excuse me, could you move? I need to get by."
"What is the reason for leaving your containment cell?"
A pitch-black man with his face completely covered by a black cloth and goggles—not a speck of skin visible—throws the question at me.
The others, dressed identically, all turn to stare at me.
"I want to go outside."
"And what's the reason for going outside?"
"I'm just bored and wanted to take a walk. Why?"
Are they running some kind of drill or something?
The black-clad group has lowered their rifles, but their grips are tight, fingers clenched around the weapons.
They radiate tension, as if ready to shoulder and fire at any moment.
The red lights continue their relentless on-off flicker, dyeing the scene crimson.
The man speaking to me falls silent for a moment, then after a few seconds, slowly opens his mouth.
"Any chance you'll head back to containment quietly?"
"The room's too boring. I want to take a walk, so please move aside."
His face is hidden, so I can't read his expression, but he seems lost in thought after hearing me.
The rigid man releases his left hand from the rifle and activates the radio clipped to his shoulder with it.
"The Princess wants to go for a walk. Do you know what that means?"
"Mister, are you dumb? Don't you know what a walk means?"
After going through the trouble of radioing in, all he asks is what a walk means.
He dresses sharply, but his brain must be a bit slow.
How could he not know the word "walk"? I felt a pang of pity.
Ignoring me completely, the common-sense-deficient man continues his conversation over the radio.
It's getting a little annoying.
"When are you going to move? If you don't, I'll just push past."
"Ah, sorry about that. Could you wait just five minutes? Researcher Lee Se-hwa will be here then. You can go for your walk with her. That work for you?"
The man on the radio bows at the waist to meet my eye level.
I can't see his eyes through the goggles, but I can tell he's trying to be considerate, which softens my mood a bit.
"Hmm, alright. Then keep me company until she gets here. What's your name, mister?"
"Reacquisition Mobile Team Leader, Park Cheol-woong. As you can see, I work at the Ansong Research Institute."
Park Cheol-woong loosens his grip on the rifle and removes his goggles and the black cloth covering his face.
Revealed is the weathered face of a middle-aged soldier, sporting a neatly trimmed beard uncharacteristic of a Korean man.
"How'd you escape the containment cell? Steal a keycard or something?"
"I just pushed a bit, and it broke."
"Heh, is that so? Not many in this institute could bust out of there with brute force."
As Cheol-woong chats with me, letting out a disbelieving chuckle, the other black-clad figures don't relax their tension.
The air still hums with taut readiness, like a bomb about to go off.
"Is this some kind of training? Why's everyone so tense?"
"Hah, hahaha! Yeah, training. Everyone, take a break! Loosen up and rest as quick as you can!"
Cheol-woong glances around at his team, and they all slump against nearby walls or drop to the floor where they stand.
A few seem unsure, hesitating and dumbly scanning their surroundings.
"Didn't you hear me say rest up now!"
Cheol-woong barks, and those half-standing plop down with heavy thuds.
Even as they rest, they clutch their rifles tight, never letting them stray from their laps. True professionals.
"You must be working hard. Training this many people in the middle of the night. Whoever's making you do it must be a real jerk."
"Kuhaha. Yeah, thanks for the concern. I wonder who's putting us through this hell. Gotta be someone due for divine punishment, right?"
"Totally. They deserve every bit of heavenly wrath."
For some reason, a mischievous glint sparkles in Cheol-woong's eyes as he looks at me.
As we exchange this silly banter, hurried footsteps approach from the end of the corridor.
"Hah, hek. Hweeeek. I-I'm here. Hek. Where's the Princess?"
Se-hwa bursts through the crowd, wearing a white t-shirt with a bunny print and pink pajama pants.
Her long brown hair is a tousled mess, making it obvious she'd just rolled out of bed.
"Researcher Se-hwa has arrived. Well then, enjoy your walk."
Cheol-woong and his ten team members confirm her arrival and quietly step aside.
The red lights that had been flickering nonstop finally switch off completely.
Se-hwa walks slowly toward me.
"Why the sudden urge for a midnight stroll?"
"I'm bored."
"How'd you get out of your room? That's the second-toughest containment in our institute."
"I just pushed a bit, and it broke."
Se-hwa stares at me with a dazed expression for a long while before snapping back to reality.
"Haa. Fine, let's go for that walk. Got a destination in mind?"
"Not really. I'll just wander wherever my feet take me."
I start walking aimlessly forward, and Se-hwa sighs deeply before falling in beside me, matching my pace.
She handles any staff we encounter on the way out of the institute.
Even in her pink pajamas, the researchers don't bat an eye—they're clearly used to her like this.
Finally, Se-hwa and I step outside into the night air.
A cool breeze blows in, one I could never feel in the Backrooms.
I knew coming out for a walk was the right call.
"I did want to see you, but not this soon. Couldn't you have held out until tomorrow...?"
"I couldn't help it. What can you do when it's so boring?"
"Yeah, it's all my fault. Next time, I'll stock the room with tons of toys."
I can't tell if she's sarcastic or sincere, but I'm in a good mood, so I'll let it slide.
As we walk into the chilly night wind, I sense four people trailing us at a distance.
They must want a walk too.
It feels oddly satisfying to know others appreciate the charm of a nighttime stroll.
"Huh?"
A sharp, acrid smell stings my nose from somewhere.
The curse and calamity reek of a powerful entity rides the wind, blanketing the street.
I head toward the source, passing under the dim glow of streetlights.
"W-What is this? Why's it so creepy here?"
Se-hwa says, huddling and shivering slightly.
She's dressed so lightly; it must be cold.
If we keep wandering, she'll catch a cold, so I'll devour this entity and head back to the institute.
We reach a walking path where the streetlights flicker like they're about to die.
As we arrive at the smell's origin, the four people who'd been tailing us start to panic.
"D-Damn it! Cat Two here—tracking mission. Unidentified entity spotted. Researcher Lee Se-hwa and Black Princess have encountered it. Requesting backup ASAP!"
They rush over, surrounding the bewildered Se-hwa—who hasn't grasped the situation—and position themselves in front of her.
Dressed in plain clothes, they draw pistols from their pockets and aim at the entity ahead of me.
"Red tissue or blue tissue? Pick one."
An entity draped in a blood-red cloak, face hidden behind a yellow mask.
Its ghostly form lets out an eerie sound.