Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 154. Parents
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...
The second floor was utterly desolate.
No floor could escape that, but the air here was even more chilling, inescapably eerie.
"Isn't it a bit cold in here?"
Yoo Daon muttered as she rubbed her arms.
"Yes. It's pretty chilly."
"And the smell is kind of weird too."
She closed her eyes and sniffed.
"It smells like ink... and a hint of perfume."
"You didn't suddenly develop a sense of smell, did you?"
"No?"
I met Yoo Daon's puzzled gaze, then turned to Song Arin.
"Arin."
"...Yeah."
"You're not okay, are you?"
...
Song Arin looked up at me.
The emotion in her eyes was—
"Don't worry."
It was the look of someone terrified that her ominous suspicions might be true.
"I don't know what you're afraid of."
I only had a vague guess. It was just my imagination of her situation and feelings.
"But I can help you."
Song Arin looked up at me.
"We'll talk after we get out."
If you can run from what you hate, then run as far as you can. But if you have no choice but to face it, then grit your teeth and do so.
Song Arin met my eyes,
"...Okay."
and nodded.
Of course, I didn't expect her expression to brighten or her resolve to surge from those words alone.
Her hand, which had been clutching my sleeve, merely loosened a little.
I opened the manual.
[Employee Manual]
[Myeongil Apartment - 2nd Floor]
[5. The corridors on the 2nd floor generally do not have open doors. Even if one is open, it's harmless unless you enter. What you need to watch out for are the walls.]
I turned my gaze to the walls and continued reading the manual.
[6. As emphasized again, all residents of the 2nd floor except one have been eroded by anomalies. They are watching you as walls, floors, and air.]
[6-1. If the walls look like normal apartment walls, relax. They still view you favorably.]
[6-2. If the walls are dark red, move with more caution. Be mindful of your actions and word choices.]
[6-3. If the walls are pitch black, hold your breath. Pray your lung capacity holds out until the walls return to normal. If you can't hold out, refer to [T-Suicide Method].]
What color were they?
Normal apartment walls mixed with green and white.
I let out a sigh of relief.
[7. The harmonious household is managed by the couple.]
[7-1. The couple is always seeking something, most likely 'the couple's child,' but sometimes they may ask for something else.]
[7-2. If they ask for 'the couple's child,' search the room carefully and you'll find a doll with purple hair. It must have 'purple hair'—bringing a doll without purple hair will definitely kill you. Even if it doesn't, abandon any thought of escaping that room.]
[7-3. If you bring the couple's child correctly, they'll be satisfied and give you the key to the child's room. Go to the child's room, lie on the bed, and fall asleep to escape.]
[7-4. Sometimes they may ask for something other than the couple's child. No exact answer has been confirmed in these cases, so politely refuse and move to the next room. Past requests from the couple include:]
[7-4-1. 'Love.' Brought a pink-haired doll but died.]
[7-4-2. 'Memory.' Hesitated on the answer and died. Many other questions were asked, but correct answers were extremely rare.]
...
I glanced at Song Arin, who was reading the manual beside me.
Her face had gone from pale to ghostly white, like blank paper.
"Arin. Should just the two of us go? You can come after we're done?"
...
Song Arin looked at me.
"It's not that hard. Daon and I can handle it and come back."
"Yeah. If it's too much, we can go instead. We're not leaving you behind!"
Yoo Daon chimed in, meeting Song Arin's eyes.
Song Arin looked at me with trembling eyes.
"I..."
...
She looked at me, took a deep breath, and shook her head.
"No. ...I'll go."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
She nodded slowly.
"But I have a request."
"Yes."
"If possible... ...can you kill our parents for me?"
Song Arin's gaze turned to me.
It was the first time she had referred to them as "parents."
"Yes."
My answer was decided.
It was her request. If I could grant it, of course I would.
"If there's a chance, definitely."
"...Thanks."
Song Arin murmured and stood beside me.
"Shall we go in then?"
Yoo Daon, who had been quiet until then, looked at us and placed her hand on the doorknob.
The nameplate reading <208> was faded against the wall, and the moment she gripped it, a chill swept over me like a gust.
"I'm ready."
...
Yoo Daon's gaze turned to Song Arin.
Her silent stare pierced right through Song Arin,
and Song Arin took a deep breath.
"Me too."
"I'll go."
The moment Song Arin finished speaking, Yoo Daon opened the door.
-Creeeak...
The door opened, revealing the home inside.
It was an ordinary family house.
None of the places we'd been to before were ordinary family homes, but this one truly was.
Just an old house.
The fluorescent light flickered a bit, and the wallpaper was slightly peeling, but it felt clean, like someone had been steadily maintaining it.
"It feels like real people live here."
Yoo Daon muttered as she stepped inside.
I knew what she meant by "feels like real people live here."
It was managed, even if not spotless.
The sense that someone was constantly tidying up.
"Probably—"
"Our guest!"
Someone interrupted me and appeared.
A woman with gentle features and purple hair down to her shoulders, and a stern-looking man.
Behind me, Song Arin drew in a sharp breath.
"Mom... ...Dad..."
Like a child just learning to speak, she murmured, and at Song Arin's words, the woman glanced at her.
"We're looking for our child. Could you help find our child?"
Song Arin's body stiffened again, but the gentle woman continued as if unconcerned.
"Our child has been gone from home for quite a while. We still haven't found them."
I looked at the translucent window floating above her head.
[Name: Family]
[Age: Created 15 years ago]
[Talent: -]
[Abilities: -]
[Background: One fatal flaw in humans is being swayed by appearances, tormented by memories, and making wrong choices. Someone needs to fix that.]
[Weakness: If the apartment disappears, so will this.]
It was the same as the elderly couple.
The translucent windows floated above both their heads this time too.
...
I slowly looked up at them.
Song Arin stared at her in a daze, and Yoo Daon kept her eyes on the floor.
"Can you find our child for us?"
She asked us in a kind tone.
"Understood."
I was the one who nodded. Song Arin lacked the strength to nod, and Yoo Daon always preferred to stay one step removed from these matters.
"What a good child. You'll find it if you look well."
"We'll give you a gift if you find it."
The man, silent until then, finally spoke.
"Thank you."
"It should be in this house. Go look!"
Why was this supposed to be hard?
Honestly, by my common sense, it was hard to understand. This seemed easier than the elderly couple's place.
A fairly kind couple, just find the doll.
The more I thought that, the more unease welled up. Just how hard could it be that the 4th floor was preferred over the 2nd?
And that worry arrived sooner than expected.
"No. What about there?"
"Nothing here either. Arin, did you find it?"
"No."
Yoo Daon and Song Arin both shook their heads.
Nothing.
No matter how hard we searched, nothing.
Not even a glimpse of a purple-haired doll—dolls themselves were nowhere to be found.
"Still haven't found it?"
"You still haven't found it?"
"That's strange. I asked you to find it, so why can't you?"
And as time passed, her gaze and words toward us grew harsher.
She'd started casually, but her tone gradually sharpened,
"Hah, no. This is ridiculous."
Now it felt like we'd die if we didn't find it soon.
The worst part was,
"They do this every three minutes."
"Yeah."
How short the intervals were between her nagging us.
Yoo Daon came close to me.
"Now I know where Arin gets her temper from."
"Daon. Arin can hear you, so please be quiet."
I muttered while covering Yoo Daon's whispering mouth.
In the end,
"What? You still haven't found it?"
She approached us, who were searching every corner of the bathroom, and yelled loudly.
"If you can't find it like this, there's no helping it. All of you..."
I exchanged glances with Yoo Daon.
No Critical yet, but somehow—
"Found it."
Song Arin, who had been quietly searching for the doll until then, stood up and looked at the woman.
"...What? Where?"
"Here."
Song Arin pointed to her chest and murmured.
"She's here. Your daughter."
In the silence, only her words echoed.