I Became the Academy Cleaner (3)

"Aww... the smell."

I pinched my nose against the vibrating stench of rot. Transformed into the form of the Slasher Killer, I made my way toward the restroom. What greeted me was a rotting corpse. The body wore the exact same uniform as mine. It had been an Academy staff member. Checking the belongings, I confirmed it was identified as a cleaner.

"My predecessor, huh."

So he hadn't quit because of illness—he'd quit because he died. The corpse was shriveled like a mummy. It looked like all its bodily fluids had been drained. It would only be proper to hold a funeral, at least. Or had there been some kind of problem? Leaving the body like this was unsightly, I thought.

'Red tissue or blue tissue?'

'There is such a thing. But this is a restricted area anyway, so even if you wanted to go in, you wouldn't be able to.'

I stared at the corpse. I couldn't help but recall the Hwanjong data stored in my memory.

......

Back then. During my time working as a cleaner at the Supernatural Research Institute. The H-X-21 that had been locked in the containment cell had escaped. It attacked people at the institute indiscriminately, regardless of their status. The method it used at the time was precisely the Red Tissue, Blue Tissue urban legend.

The core of the Red Tissue, Blue Tissue legend goes like this:

A mysterious voice speaks to someone using the restroom. It offers a choice: red tissue or blue tissue.

Choose red tissue → The neck is severed, blood gushes like a fountain, and the corpse turns red.

Choose blue tissue → All the blood in the body is drained, and the corpse turns blue.

Choose neither → Death.

No matter which you pick, you die. I knew there were supposed countermeasures like "scratch my finger" or "give me white tissue," but there was one unfortunate fact: the owner of the voice asking to choose tissue in the institute was a vampire. Everyone who happened to be using the toilet at that time died tragically.

Afterward, heavily armed 2nd-class personnel managed to re-contain it after a period of chaos. I had seen the vampire's appearance before. After all, it was a living creature that ate and defecated too. I had to enter its containment cell once a month to clean.

"Clean ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it."

Even while confined in the cell, the way it looked down on me with an arrogant attitude ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was still vivid in my memory, even now that I had been transported to this other world. It was absurd and infuriating. I had wanted to punch it in the face, but fighting would mean my loss, and as long as it wasn't eliminated, I would keep seeing it, so I held back and cleaned. The scene unfolding before my eyes was its doing.

"Did you really think you could contain me with something this pathetic?"

Talismans were plastered all over the windows, but they seemed useless against the vampire. There were signs it had been opened. The vampire wasn't in the restroom. It must have escaped. That meant the vampire was still hunting within the Academy.

Since there were no rumors, it seemed things were still quiet for now. Or perhaps I simply didn't know.

"Hmm."

Even so, I didn't care who died. But if the Academy became chaotic because of this vampire, it might interfere with my investigation. It would be best to eliminate it as soon as possible. I checked the clock. It was about time to meet up with Lulu. I had already thought of a concrete method.

"Pest control is part of cleaning, after all."

During the sweltering summer, when Naram noona was suffering from mosquitoes, this Woo Suho had armed himself with insecticide and an electric fly swatter and fought a desperate battle. This mosquito was a bit larger, but I would exterminate it by any means necessary. I made that vow.

***

"The anomaly escaped from the restroom!?"

Lulu slammed her desk and shouted.

"Don't yell right in front of my face."

I frowned at the same time. Had she boiled a train whistle and eaten it? What a voice.

We faced each other in an empty classroom. Lulu moved restlessly, as if emotionally unstable. When she tried to stand on the desk, I couldn't take it anymore and spoke up.

"Stay still."

"Then what am I supposed to do!"

"What do you mean, what? We catch it and beat it down."

"So how!"

I wondered why Lulu was shouting and fidgeting like this. She had waited calmly while people died in the arena, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so why was she acting like this now?

"Why are you making such a fuss?"

"A monster has been released in the Academy. How am I supposed to not make a fuss?"

"It won't directly harm you, so relax. As far as I know, the vampire doesn't target petite girls as prey."

I scanned Lulu up and down. Someone once said flat chests were a status symbol. She was definitely on the cute side, but I didn't feel any rational attraction from her flat, straight figure. Small and cute, but certain parts needed to be like Naram noona's......

"You want to die for sexual harassment!?"

"It was a compliment."

I calmed the fuming Lulu. From the way she tried to claw at me with her nails, she seemed quite angry. If age was Naram noona's reverse scale, then Lulu's flat figure was hers.

"Anyway, I plan to eliminate the vampire first."

"What can I do to help?"

"What can you help with?"

"Hey."

"No, I'm not picking a fight. I'm asking how you can help."

Lulu thought carefully. The way she spread both hands and folded her fingers was quite cute. Lulu was a strong student. Her grades, ranking in the top ten of the entire school, were an indicator that couldn't be ignored. It would be easier to move together than alone. There was a penalty from her trait, but I would judge that myself. If I warned her in advance, she wouldn't get caught up in the range.

"The magic I can use is three types. Water, wind, and fire. And I can freely transform them."

"What's the maximum range?"

"Huh?"

"Power doesn't matter. I'm asking how far you can spread your magic at most."

Lulu placed her index finger on her chin while looking up at the sky.

"Probably enough to cover the entire Academy. Of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠course, with fire it would just spread warmth, with water it would be like a light drizzle, and with wind it would feel like a strong gale, but..."

"That's enough."

"?"

"It's sufficient."

I stood up from my seat.

"Let's head out soon."

"W-where are we going......"

"I'm going to investigate Clare."

"Clare......?"

I nodded.

"I smelled a strong scent of Hwanjong from that girl. I think she has a high probability of having come into contact with the vampire."

That girl had clearly said, when we first met, that she had stayed alone at the Academy during the break. It was a bit of a leap, but universally, students all went on trips like Lulu or returned home during breaks. Even when I first arrived at the Academy, the students were all dressed as travelers, not in student uniforms. There was no reason to stay at school without any cause. Especially for a girl who was the daughter of the Lord of Sayang and held the title of a major sponsor at the arena.

I walked while thinking. I still didn't smell a strong scent. Aside from Clare, I had never met a student who smelled of Hwanjong. That meant the vampire was likely outside the Academy rather than inside. I considered the most likely place for the vampire to hide outside the Academy.

"I-I'm coming with you!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. The direction my gaze halted was to the west. There was a small mountain to the west. Somehow, there were a lot of mosquitoes on the mountains in Korea too.