Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Game of Life
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The first thing to do was wake everyone up.
"..."
I tiptoed carefully so as not to disturb the others.
"...Ugh."
I quietly approached Song Arin and shook her gently. She let out a groan and looked up at me.
"...What. You're awake?"
"..."
I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling her to stay quiet, and she fell silent.
The Troupe Leader hadn't woken up yet, so it was best to keep things hushed.
I started waking the others one by one.
"..."
Jang Chaeyeon sat up, blinking groggily as she scanned her surroundings.
"You okay, Chaeyeon?"
"...Yeah. Thanks."
Jang Chaeyeon gave a small smile and glanced at the Troupe Leader sprawled on the ground.
"..."
"What's up?"
"Nothing."
Jang Chaeyeon stared for a moment before answering slowly.
"Just... kinda feels pitiful."
"Ugh..."
Then Yoo Daon groaned as she stirred awake.
"You're up, Daon."
"Yeah..."
Yoo Daon pressed her temples like her head was pounding.
"You alright?"
"Hmm..."
After rubbing her temples at my question, Yoo Daon managed a smile.
"I'm fine."
I wondered if it was just my imagination, but it looked a bit forced.
I glanced at the Branch Chief.
She was still leaning against the wall with her eyes closed.
Should I wake her? If I did it wrong and caught a wild swing from her, it'd be a broken bone at best, death at worst.
"Want me to do it?"
Maybe reading my mind, Yoo Daon looked at me.
"...Sorry to ask, but could you?"
"It's a request from Jaeheon. Of course."
Yoo Daon smiled and approached the Branch Chief.
"Wake up."
"Hmm..."
"You're not as young as you used to be. Sleeping on the cold floor's bad for you—might make your mouth twist up."
"Hmm..."
"Not good for the bones either."
"..."
"Jaeheon, think her hips might've already gone bad?"
"...Doubt it."
The Branch Chief had her eyes open now, staring straight at Yoo Daon.
"Yoo Daon."
"Yes?"
"Ever thought about, uh, sparring with me? No, special training."
The Branch Chief beamed, and Yoo Daon grinned back with a nod.
"If your back holds up, I'd love to! Thanks!"
Once again, her innocent words seemed to stab the Branch Chief.
The Branch Chief closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then stood and walked toward the still-prone Troupe Leader.
Soon, she pulled a wire from her pocket and began binding the Troupe Leader.
"That gonna hold?"
"It's not ordinary wire, so it'll be fine."
The Branch Chief replied as she secured the bindings, then sighed.
"That settles it for now."
Good. In that case.
"Arin."
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
At least by my common sense, it was hard to keep up.
I woke from hypnosis to find Song Arin victorious.
That part wasn't surprising.
I'd never thought she'd lose.
But Song Arin winning with a lump on her head, and the Troupe Leader down with busted lips? That I couldn't quite grasp.
"...Well, see."
Song Arin hesitated before speaking.
She'd remembered the Troupe Leader's weakness to close-quarters combat, dragged her into it, and somehow won.
"..."
I was speechless at the childish victory.
No, maybe it was a strategy only Song Arin could pull off.
What we always fear is the terror of the unknown.
We prepare for and dread the unpredictable.
But for Song Arin, the Troupe Leader was someone she knew well. Herself, after all.
Knowing someone inside out means you can exploit them more easily than anyone.
If they made me fight the Troupe Leader one-on-one right now, would I try dragging her into close quarters to win?
Fat chance.
I'd probably try distracting her somehow to take her down.
"But."
"Yeah."
"Didn't you take close-quarters classes?"
"..."
Song Arin went quiet at my words.
Close-quarters training is optional for Management Bureau staff.
I obviously skipped it. Office job and all.
Though considering my recent track record, maybe I should enroll now.
"I aced close-quarters!"
Yoo Daon shot her hand up.
"You were probably napping through it."
"No way, someone that good at fighting was there?"
Yoo Daon fights the best out of all of us.
"There was one."
Yoo Daon nodded.
"Dunno what they're up to now. Insane skills."
"..."
I looked at Jang Chaeyeon.
"..."
She averted her eyes.
"Chaeyeon, you..."
"My body's not built for fighting."
Jang Chaeyeon muttered, and Song Arin sighed.
"She flunked."
Skipped classes, nappers, failures. What a mess that class must've been.
"Hah, I flunked theory too."
The Branch Chief nodded as she hoisted the Troupe Leader.
"..."
Come to think of it.
"What do we do with her? The Troupe Leader."
"..."
The Branch Chief's gaze shifted to her.
"Honestly, I'm stumped too."
She sighed.
"Looks just like Song Arin, so parading her around's awkward. But killing her... nothing worth sparing."
"..."
"I'll put it on the agenda for now. Decide whether to dispose or contain her."
With Yoo Daon, we crossed into another worldline, but this time the Troupe Leader crossed to us, so handling her was our job.
Song Arin stared hard at the Troupe Leader.
"Why?"
"...Nothing."
Song Arin muttered.
"If we'd had a bit more time, I could've learned from her."
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
Song Arin shook her head.
"...I'll tell you later."
"...Got it."
She said later, so she'd tell me eventually.
I pushed the thought aside and looked around.
A bare stage.
Had the Troupe Leader really performed here?
And killed crowds like she did to me and Song Arin?
Who knows.
"Oh, right—how do we get out?"
"There's a way."
The Branch Chief answered my musing.
"...The Director sent us here, so we should be out soon."
The Director?
Then why not just come herself.
"The Director's busy."
The Branch Chief said, as if reading my mind.
"But the written apology... still gotta do it."
She muttered like it gave her a headache.
"You could work with me—"
"No thanks."
I'd had enough already.
"...Then."
The Branch Chief pondered, then clapped as something struck her.
"I'll think of another way."
"Huh?"
"Trust me. I'll pitch it to the Director, so don't worry."
Not worrying? Now I was. But she was nodding firmly, decision made.
"...Ugh."
And amid it all.
The Troupe Leader groaned and opened her eyes.
"..."
We all froze.
Jang Chaeyeon raised her hand, the Branch Chief clenched her fist, Yoo Daon stepped in front of me.
"..."
But the Troupe Leader just stared at us silently.
More precisely, at me.
Song Arin's face, purple eyes piercing right through me.
"...I see."
"..."
But she just nodded in acceptance.
"You're right."
The Troupe Leader looked at Song Arin, who sighed.
"Yeah."
"..."
The Troupe Leader closed her eyes again.
And kept them shut until we left. No, until she was locked in the containment truck. Not a word.
And so, the Troupe Leader incident wrapped up.
But not for Song Arin.
"We'll meet again."
"Don't say creepy shit."
See her again? Hell no.
"...Yeah."
Song Arin murmured, gazing out the window.
Her eyes were dead serious.
"Should I retake close-quarters?"
"Drag Chaeyeon too."
"I-I'm fine..."
*
"Caused another mess, bro?"
"Got dragged into it."
"My coworkers keep asking. What the hell does HR even do, always stirring up shit?"
Park Ye-eun muttered in disbelief after hearing my story.
"I don't wanna either."
"No, for real—half-joking, but some say we should contain HR."
So unfair. Who wants this crap?
"And every incident you lot stumble into is massive-scale."
"Tell me about it."
"Heard the Containment Team rookie just investigated a burger anomaly that auto-removes tomatoes."
I want gigs like that.
Wait, no—I'm HR?
I shouldn't wish to meet anomalies. I should avoid them.
No, time to compromise.
"If I'm gonna meet one, make it healing. Relaxing."
"You've finally lost it, bro?"
Park Ye-eun stared like I'd spouted nonsense.
And things stayed quiet for a few days.
Until Ahn Sang-hyeon showed up with a weird box.
"Hahaha! Coming in!"
He burst in with a booming laugh.
"Why're you here."
"Aw, I know I'm not welcome everywhere."
Who likes Containment Team! he laughed.
"Branch Chief said give this to Kim Jaeheon."
"..."
I eyed the box he held.
White and spread wide, like a board game box.
"...No way..."
"Her message too."
Ahem, Ahn Sang-hyeon cleared his throat.
"'If you're gonna tangle with anomalies and containment objects anyway, better safe ones.' Her words."
"..."
Can't argue.
"Kim Jaeheon."
"Yes."
"Know Love Board Game?"
"...Yeah."
The one where Team Leader and I were perfect match.
"New game from those makers. Arrived at the Bureau as anonymous parcel."
"Not dangerous?"
"Containment and Management Teams already played, procedures cleared."
Fun stuff, he muttered, eyeing me.
"Seeing's believing. Try it?"
He grinned and set the box down.
I checked the label.
[The Game of Life]
Rings a bell.
"They say it lets you live a second life."
Ahn Sang-hyeon nodded at me.
"I played plenty. Fun living different lives. Chance to check your heart."
"...This slacking off?"
Song Arin, watching, arched a brow at him.
"Dumping bomb defusal on us again..."
"Nah. Branch Chief gets hysterical if you cause trouble."
Oh.
He shook his head.
"Think she really wants you out of incidents."
"Incidents?"
"Letter from her."
Letter?
I read what Ahn Sang-hyeon handed over.
[Days getting chillier—time to prep for deep winter?]
[My take: Kim Jaeheon, you got a quota for these encounters.]
[So, recommend meeting a safe containment object first. *^* Even if 'hell no,' worth a shot.]
<@---->-->----- Leaving a rose *^*>
"..."
"Yeah. Kinda... her."
Ahn Sang-hyeon chuckled wryly.
"But hey, fun plus experiment? Why not?"
"Suspicious..."
"Hmm..."
"..."
The three frowning beside us aside, I looked back at Ahn Sang-hyeon.
"Anyway, the game."
He pointed to the box lid.
"Immersive life sim."
"Yes."
"Live different lives, flirt, marry, etc."
Flirt and marry.
Last one too, now this.
Board game boss must suck at love.
"Marriage gives bonuses. Race to life's end, highest score wins."
"Oho."
"Team's couple got weird vibes after playing..."
He laughed heartily.
"Definitely fun!"
"Sounds fun."
"Yeah, me too."
"...Might not suck."
Suddenly the three were on board.
Just me against?
"Counts as work time too. Perfect for slacking on salary."
Fair.
Branch Chief's logic holds up.
If getting tangled, better small-scale.
"Thanks."
I'd take the box. Can't refuse her anyway.
"More players, more fun. Brought a friend of yours."
"......."
He spun with a ta-da!, and dull blonde hair appeared.
"..."
Ailin stared at me.
"That's how it went."
"...Tough luck."
"Think so too."
"HR's six, us two—eight players total."
"...Not bad."
With Ahn Sang-hyeon and Team Leader, less worry.
He grinned at my words.
"Great! Let's start!"
"Wait—"
Before I finished, he opened the box—
*
"..."
I stood at a college entrance ceremony.
"..."
Looking around, everyone else was there too.
Even Team Leader.
"I'm... a college student...?"
Team Leader muttered in disbelief.
Then.
[The Wheel of Destiny turns!]
A glowing panel flashed before me.
Numbers 1 to 9.
What is this?
I looked around.
Not just me seeing it.
All players stared blankly into space.
[Participant Yoo Daon's wheel turns.]
Numbers spun, stopped at 3.
Announcement.
[In college life, Yoo Daon joins the tennis club.]
"Don't know tennis...?"
Yoo Daon muttered, wheel spun again.
[Participant Song Arin's wheel turns.]
Stopped at 8.
[In college life, Song Arin becomes the model student. High chance of grad school.]
"Modern slavery grad student?"
Song Arin muttered.
[Participant Jang Chaeyeon's wheel turns.]
Her wheel spun.
Stopped at 2.
[In college life, Jang Chaeyeon is the ultimate social butterfly, embracing everyone.]
"..."
Jang Chaeyeon? Social butterfly?
Me, Yoo Daon, Song Arin gawked at her.
"Chaeyeon, social butterfly...?"
"Gotta open your mouth for people to like you..."
[Participant Kim Jaeheon's wheel turns.]
Spin—!
My wheel began to turn.