The Hospital's Password
On the filming day, the car was parked in the parking lot a little away from the location guided by the production crew.
“Phew, we’re here.”
Before getting out, Kwon Hak-jin looked like he had no particular thoughts, while Kang In-hyeok was scanning around, probably already tense.
“Are you nervous?”
“No?”
Kang In-hyeok shook his head vigorously. But his expression proved that the words were false.
I knew he was scared since the survival show, but it was funny every time I saw it.
“Don’t be too tense. You know all the things you don’t need to be tense about.”
Kwon Hak-jin comforted him with his unique soft voice.
“Let’s get out.”
As we came out, the camera waiting to film us as we got out of the car came into view.
“Hello.”
After greeting, we walked to the filming location according to the guide.
The unusual thing was that there was almost no pre-explanation. I thought they would tell us at least the world view or simple story, but it ended with just minimal information.
Since it was an escape room reality show and a horror special, it seemed they were keeping it secret for the surprised reactions.
“I’m scared because I don’t know anything.”
Kang In-hyeok said that. Then Kwon Hak-jin smiled and said.
“Don’t be too tense. In-hyeok, you can definitely do it…”
At that moment, a yellow paper envelope was placed over Kwon Hak-jin’s face as he was speaking.
“?”
Without understanding, Kwon Hak-jin turned the paper envelope upside down and tilted his head.
“Hahaha. What is this? Who did this as a prank?”
Kwon Hak-jin was amazing anew.
Even with the paper envelope covering his vision, he maintained such a calm and soft tone.
What?
When I looked back, a group of masked robbers holding paper envelopes came into view.
Is it our turn next? By the way, is In-hyeok pretending to be scared again…
With a worried heart, I glanced sideways. But unexpectedly, Kang In-hyeok was calm.
…Hmm?
The robbers who approached thinking Kang In-hyeok would be surprised were confused when he didn’t react, as if asking what was going on.
“It’s people.”
“Hm?”
“If it’s people, then it shouldn’t be scary.”
What kind of nonsense is this.
So, even though they were masked robbers, since they were people, they weren’t scary?
The robbers silently placed paper envelopes over Kang In-hyeok.
And as expected, it was immediately placed over my face too.
Is this the kidnapping setting?
It started with a bang from the beginning. Of course, for fun, I thought I should scream as much as possible. So, I screamed the whole way I was dragged.
I thought the role of screaming inside was Kang In-hyeok’s, not mine, but since he was surprisingly calm over there, I had no choice but to take on the role.
After being kidnapped by the masked robbers, we arrived somewhere.
This was the first time I had screamed like this in my life, squeezing out a scream. It was also the first time I had been kidnapped.
“Ugh… Where am I?”
First, I decided to assess the situation.
Currently, we were tied to hospital beds. In the middle was me, and on both sides were Kang In-hyeok and Kwon Hak-jin lying side by side.
Looking at the ceiling above, I sighed and muttered.
“…It’s cozy.”
When I muttered that, Kang In-hyeok laughed as if it was unbelievable.
“Cozy? This situation?”
“We’re lying together like this. Isn’t it beautiful that there’s a space to lie together?”
“You’re tied up!”
Kang In-hyeok twisted his body while tied and groaned.
Kwon Hak-jin maintained a calm smile even while tied.
“Haah, ha… Everyone. How about taking a deep breath and not being too tense. First, let’s think about how to untie this.”
Honestly, I wanted to just lie here like this.
But it was a place we came to earn money. I rolled my eyes and checked if there was something useful.
Tied up, but is there something we can do?
“Hmm, I guess we have to wait for the others to come.”
Kang In-hyeok seemed to think the same. He thought there was nothing to do in the situation where his whole body was bound.
The fixed cast members would also arrive here, so the only way to be discovered was…
“Hello.”
…Hmm?
An AI voice came from somewhere.
“What?”
“Who are you?”
“To unlock the inquiry lock, please tell me the password.”
Ah, no way.
“Everyone! Are you there!”
A shout from outside the door came at a good timing.
It seemed like one of the fixed cast members of this reality program.
“I’ll save you! Eh, it won’t open? The door seems locked!”
Bang bang!
Probably this…
“We seem to have to find the password in this room and open the door.”
The only thing we could do in the tied situation was to move our eyes.
First, lying down, I turned my head to scan the room. To check for clues.
Since the angle was limited depending on lying position, it was important to combine the three people’s efforts.
“What do you see on your side?”
“Eh…”
While rolling my eyes to find clues, suddenly the light started flickering on and off.
“Aaaah!”
Kang In-hyeok screamed.
He was screaming the scream he couldn’t hold back earlier without restraint.
“Calm down. It’s just that the light sensor is broken.”
“I wasn’t surprised at all.”
It was strangely surprising that he was more scared of the flickering light than being kidnapped by robbers.
“Eh?”
At that time, Kwon Hak-jin raised his voice as if he had found something.
“There’s something here!”
Between the papers thrown into the trash can, the edge of a page was sticking out. On the paper edge, a number that looked like a password was written.
“Everyone, what did you find?”
An urgent voice came from outside the door.
“Yes, just a moment.”
Kwon Hak-jin told the person outside the door the number written on the edge.
“It seems like the last digit is 5.”
To see the whole number, I had to get close to the trash can.
But in the situation where the body was tied. Just as I was wondering what to do.
At the moment I grabbed the bed and exerted strength, a sound of wheels rolling came from below. The bed wasn’t fixed. It was made to be movable by pushing.
“Wait. It seems I can push it.”
In the tied state, fortunately, I could move my ankles a bit.
When I pushed the bed of Kwon Hak-jin next to me with my foot, it was confirmed that it moved sideways.
“Oh.”
“It’s moving.”
“Then, let’s push it a little.”
Since it was the beginning, it probably wouldn’t be difficult to twist it.
So, the number written on that paper would be the password that directly unlocks the lock.
“Push it.”
“Wait a moment.”
Since it was the first time I pushed the bed using only the tips of my toes while tied, I thought the current situation was purely vexing.
But I was pushing the bed hard with the tips of my toes.
In that way, Kwon Hak-jin’s bed moved towards the wall, allowing us to see inside the trash can.
“How is it? Do you see it?”
After Kwon Hak-jin extended his head out of the bed, he twisted his head sideways.
“4985.”
When I said the password, a sound of inputting numbers on the keypad came from outside, having heard my voice.
In that way, the lock was unlocked and the door opened.
“Everyone!”
With exaggerated reaction, the cast members hugged us as if it was a dramatic reunion.
In that way, we barely escaped from the bed.
Phew, is this the start?
As we went out, a building corridor came into view. It was as I expected, a structure that looked like inside a hospital room.
As expected, it’s a laboratory.
It seemed today’s background setting was a biological experiment laboratory.
Looking at the messy corridor, it seemed some incident had happened here. It was now abandoned and closed…
“You have to escape from here, right.”
Under the flickering fluorescent lights, a messy corridor stretched long.
It was a set decorated as if real. I unconsciously immersed myself. Perhaps because of the dim lighting, a damp and eerie atmosphere flowed.
I hope no incident happens here…
“Alright, let’s each tear ourselves apart and investigate the rooms in this corridor.”
One of the fixed cast members of the program skillfully guided the direction.
Should I enter from where? I decided to enter the room closest to us. Currently, I was the only one investigating the room.
They said to investigate separately, but why did everyone crowd into that room?
The other cast members seemed distracted around the largest room.
After all, the largest room would have many things and much to investigate. Compared to that, this side was a small private hospital room.
…It was decorated as if real.
While admiring the detailed parts, I swept through the items on the desk.
There were medicine bottles, a stethoscope, a worn-out ballpoint pen, and a few post-its. On the post-its, memos that were unreadable were written.
“Hmm.”
At that time, while looking around, I saw a document folder lying on the floor.
I picked it up and unfolded it, and documents that looked like patient charts came out. Documents with names and profile photos attached.
While flipping the paper without thinking, my hand stopped at one page.
…This is.
With the three letters of the name that came into view, my body stiffened for a moment.
This is me.
The patient chart had me.
Moon Do-hyun. The name I used before living as Do Won-woo.
I thought if it was coincidental, but seeing that the birth date was the same, it was clearly intentional.
Someone had deliberately entered my name in the patient chart.
Who it was was obvious.
Hael.
Knowing that I would appear, someone from the production crew had entered my body and deliberately did this prank…
This effort is also impressive.
An absurd laugh came out.
In the meantime, the contents written in the special point were content that blatantly targeted me.
Excessive academic stress complaints, difficulty forming peer relationships, chronic anxiety and sleep disorders, compulsion for academic achievement…
Below that, a sentence written in small letters said ‘You’re the villain’.
Maybe…
After putting down the chart, I fell into thought.
This filming itself might be a huge trap made by Hael.