Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Warm Memories of That Day
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==========
/Ghost Story Log
[Warm Memories of That Day]
:Identification Code Cd-B-1750
Rank B.
Do you remember the warmth of your mother's embrace from your childhood?
If you don't remember, she will remind you of your mother's warm embrace.
Embrace her.
And.
Remember.
Recall your memories.
While recalling the moments you loved, hated, and were grateful for, sob in her arms.
And when you lift your head again.
【
There, the loving mother you've been desperately searching for
will be looking at you
.】
Mother is always by your side.
Physical subjugation ■■■. (Safe.)
Mental damage ■■■ ■■. (Safe.)
*Additional notes.
Embrace herEmbrace herEmbrace herEmbrace herEmbrace her……….
-[Ideological Contamination Occurred]-
Viewing of this material is prohibited. (Prohibited for all employees.)
Massive mental damage detected even in the log.
==========
[Warm Memories of That Day]
The entity before my eyes right now is exactly that kind of being.
One of the special cases where, despite being B-Rank, viewing by all GRA Agency employees is completely banned.
You might say that it should undergo evaluation for a rank higher than B, but.
This one is different from other ghost stories.
Unlike other ghost story logs.
Strangely enough, the exploration record for this ghost story called [Warm Memories of That Day] doesn't have many records left.
Regarding this point.
The author who created this ghost story explained in their own way why the exploration records are so few.
ㄴ. A mother is no different from a god to a child. So, rebuttal leads to falling into hell.
A ridiculous response from the author, basically saying "just accept it."
So, putting all the descriptive information together here.
In short.
Encountering this ghost story [Warm Memories of That Day] or even reading its exploration records alone causes massive mental damage.
Thus, the hypothesis that even the GRA agent who wrote this ghost story log might already be a victim of its mental damage.
So, be careful.
The total amount of mental damage emanating from this thing surpasses imagination compared to all the others I've met so far.
She's a woman who could pass for a succubus variant among ghost stories.
Rustle.
!
Suddenly, a massive white hand gently caressed Park Yeon-jeong's cheek.
Followed by a faint whisper circling endlessly around his ear, tickling it, caressing his ear.
【Your complexion looks dark.】
The white hand trailed down his cheek and stopped at his chin.
My gaze fixed straight on the pale woman's face, and she let her silky black hair flow long.
Her jewel-like red eyes sparkled.
And...... big.
Ah. Of course, talking about height.
【If you need it, I can soothe that feeling of unease for you.】
Throb.
It began.
Even with the glasses granting Mental Damage Immunity, an inexplicable slight headache pounded my brain.
【No need to hide it in front of this mother...... my child.】
I'm not your child, though.
If I let this woman run wild like this, before I know it, I might end up embraced in her arms, enjoying peaceful rest.
In her arms, doing nothing.
In her arms, just sleeping.
Starvation death.
I cautiously placed my hand gently over her palm that had reached out to me.
And bowed my head.
To reduce the mental damage even a little.
“It's an honor to meet you like this.”
I bowed at the waist as well.
The one before me is a ghost story, but also a customer who came here to buy Noise's item.
【......As I heard. You're quite the peculiar one.】
【Tempting.】
You're talking about the item I brought, right?
That's what I thought.
Park Yeon-jeong immediately began quickly explaining the original purpose of coming here.
Throb.
Ow, my head.
Let's finish this fast and get out of here.
“I came after hearing you wanted to purchase a ghost story.”
【Yes.
I heard that person
is up to something quite bizarre...... and got curious.】
Again.
Another one referring to Noise as 'that person.'
I remember the Thousands of Gazes ones using the term 'that person' with me too.
-You, you're carrying that person's item?
Back then, the situation wasn't great, so I let it slide.
But now it's certain.
Among ghost stories, Noise is one of the particularly unusual ones even among them.
And what the hell, an F-Rank ghost story with this many hidden settings.
I wanted to politely track down the original ghost story author and grab them by the collar to ask why they put in such bizarre settings.
Especially since even a B-Rank ghost story is mentioning it out loud......
But.
As if she didn't like my internal monologue.
Thrust!
!!
The ghost story thrust her pale face right in front of me.
【You were just thinking other thoughts with me right here.】
【This kind of treatment......】
【Is new.】
?!?!?!
【I like it.】
What?
It felt like I was just monologuing to myself, beating my own drum.
Soon, with a very satisfied expression, she stared piercingly at me for a while.
【Now, that ghost story? Item? Product...... what should I call it?】
Suddenly, she crossed her arms, rested her chin on one hand, and seemed to ponder what to say.
Taking the quiet moment, I pulled out a book from inside my employee ID.
And her eyes, watching that scene, sparkled as she looked at my employee ID with interest.
【That must be something that person made too.】
She gazed into the employee ID around my neck with the eyes of a child witnessing something amazing.
Rustle.
Slowly inserting her hand.
【......It's warm.】
With those words.
Slip.
......Um, excuse me.
Ghost Story Kid's mom?
Too close.
And how far are you planning to go?
She was coming at me as if to shove her massive body entirely into the employee ID.
“......Ahem!”
I let out an intentional fake cough.
【Ah!...... Oh dear, I've shown such unbecoming behavior in front of a gentleman.】
Noticing my intentional cough, she quickly returned to her position.
Just when I thought the situation was finally set for proper conversation.
I handed her the book I was holding. She took it and examined the cover this way and that.
“Why don't you open the book once.”
【Open it?】
Hearing me, she gently opened the book in her hand.
Flutter.
As soon as the book opened, amid the many book pages starting to flutter.
♯♪!
The conductor, showing his face before us after a long time.
As soon as he emerged from the book, he moved his cute little arms left and right on the paper, as if expressing anger.
【This little one is the ghost story in question.】
!!
In that instant, the conductor, who had been furiously glaring at Park Yeon-jeong, suddenly calmed.
The conductor's tiny body slowly turned its gaze toward her, who was looking down at him from above.
【Nice to meet you.】
!!!!
The conductor's body froze stiff.
It was just like when our Bear Doll Trio saw him.
Probably reacting this way because he knew she was a higher-rank ghost story than himself.
I was curious what she planned to do with this ghost story.
“......By any chance, how do you plan to use it?”
So I mustered a bit of courage and asked.
Noise said she enjoyed listening to music, but really? A ghost story like entity appreciating music like humans?
For real?
【I've heard this one is an exceptionally talented conductor.】
Twitch.
In that moment, as if reacting to her words, the conductor's stiffened body began to move slowly.
She too, as if excited, clapped her palms together and continued the conversation.
【I have a hobby of listening to music.】
【Sometimes, you need it. Time to listen to music and relieve the fatigue built up in your body.】
“......I see.”
It was surprisingly wholesome stress relief, so I was a bit surprised.
I hadn't imagined a ghost story with such a normal hobby.
【Could I perhaps hear that thing called a melody once?】
Testing if the item works properly before buying?
I nodded readily.
Her pale face bloomed with color, and her gaze soon fell on the little conductor.
【Play it for me. That melody you speak of.】
!!
The conductor, who had been frozen until just now, began moving his body slowly at her request for the melody.
Smack!
At some point, a small baton appeared matching the little conductor's size.
Swish!
With the baton’s movement, the musical notes began to move.
A performance just for her began.
*****
......♩.
The conductor's baton stopped in mid-air.
That signaled the end of the performance.
His neither long nor short performance came to an end like that.
【...It was truly superb.】
♪.
Her face was flushed red, her eyes gleaming, her expression elated as she composed herself.
“......Glad you're satisfied.”
I had also appreciated the conductor's so-called melody right here together.
And.
I had momentarily forgotten what the word 'melody' meant.
Melody (Screams.)
『Good! Music!』
Wiggle wiggle!
The Ghost Story Kid and our Bear Doll Trio seemed deeply impressed by the conductor's melody (screams) just now too.
They were jumping around excitedly.
But.
Park Yeon-jeong's face had turned as pale as hers.
Listening to dozens, hundreds of varied screams echoing in this room for several minutes under the guise of appreciation.
I thought I was going mad.
For a moment, I nearly joined in on that melody (screams) myself.
I had forgotten for a second that the ones before me were ghost stories.
Because they said they listened to music.
I let my naive imagination run wild.
I resolved not to have such sloppy misconceptions again.
Park Yeon-jeong decided to devote himself not to personal feelings, but to making this one customer buy the ghost story product.
“Does it please you?”
Honestly, at this point, good or bad, I just wanted her to say it quick.
I wanted to leave this room right away.
Throb.
And perhaps because I'd been in the same space as her too long.
Throb!
Consciousness blurring more and more.
Even if it perfectly blocked mental damage, my body couldn't withstand the load.
So please, while waiting desperately for the deal with her to end quickly.
【Yes, I really like it.】
【So, what should I give as payment?】
“......Pardon?”
At her words about giving something, I froze in place.
Of course, as the seller, receiving something is natural.
But what Noise said back then was.
-Just sell the item, have a simple chat, and come back.
No nuance of expecting payment.
So.
“No need. It's just the item returning to its rightful owner. So no payment required.”
Honestly, I was curious what that payment would be.
But.
Throb!!
My consciousness nearly snapped.
Limit approaching.
Especially after hearing that conductor's melody, the load on my body felt at its peak.
The exact same pain as with Thousands of Gazes.
Real limit.
“Then, I'll be taking my leave.”
Stagger.
I momentarily stumbled.
Grab!
She caught me as I nearly fell.
“Th-thank y......”
【...My child.】
Chill!
The voice transmitted through my skull struck my eardrums like a direct hit.
One woman's voice spread deep throughout my body.
【My child.】
【
That person's
child.】
【Finally, you're looking at me.】
“.........”
This one.
Was waiting.
Waiting for the moment I reached my limit enduring the mental damage.
No strength in my body.
Vision blurring before my eyes.
Trembling wouldn't stop.
But.
As the white hand slipped through my shirt gap and caressed my bare stomach.
The trembling stopped.
Only her red gaze filled my vision.
My arms slowly wrapped around her waist.
Drip.
Ignoring the red blood trailing from my nose.
Park Yeon-jeong murmured unwittingly from his lips.
“............Mother.”
The white hand endlessly caressed the man's face, answering the man's gaze upon her with a sinister smile.
【I wondered.】
【If I made that person's child mine.】
【What melody that person would play for me.】
【And......】
......Haa.
Her warm breath fell on the man's face.
【It's hard to hold back.】
She carefully embraced the man's head,
And the man's face slowly, naturally burrowed into her bosom.
【How much joy you'll bring this mother.】