Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Act 1
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My memories from when I was little are pretty hazy.
Everyone else remembers stuff from kindergarten, but for some reason, I don't recall anything before elementary school.
The only thing I do remember is that I had one really close friend.
She was a girl who loved wearing a black dress.
I remember playing happily with her, but honestly, I have no idea what we did.
Just... something she said to me. But I can't remember that either.
What was it she said back then?
Definitely—
"How do I look?"
"Huh?"
A quiz out of nowhere? I'm terrible at these.
Yoo Daon spun around in front of me with bubbly energy, so I stopped thinking and stared intently.
"..."
"...How do I look?"
What's different?
I stared at Yoo Daon.
Her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her dark eyes still sparkling with curiosity, and finally, the lines of her body that I'm so used to seeing half-exposed from all the torn clothes.
"...Nothing's changed?"
"Really? Awesome!"
She's even happier.
I looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, and only then did she notice, letting out an "Ah" before starting to explain.
"Actually, new clothes came out today."
"New clothes?"
"You know that order from before."
"Oh."
The tear-proof ones.
Somehow relieving, but also a bit disappointing.
"I was worried. Like, maybe it'd look different."
"Ah. If that's it, no need to worry."
It's still just a suit. How different could it be?
But Yoo Daon didn't seem to think so—her face was dead serious.
"Wanna rip it?"
"Have you lost your mind?"
A grown woman saying whatever in the office.
"Want me to rip it?"
Jang Chaeyeon jumped in, unable to hold back.
Team Leader kept glancing over busily.
"No, I mean, really try ripping it."
"Rip it for real?"
"Yeah!"
Yoo Daon nodded confidently.
In the end, I had no choice but to pull out a cutter knife and hold it against her stomach.
If I didn't, Jang Chaeyeon looked like she'd actually tear it.
"...Doing it?"
"Yeah!"
So cheerful.
Yoo Daon nodded, and I lightly dragged the cutter down—enough to tear normal clothes.
-Shrrk.
Nothing happened.
Like soft steel—supple yet tough, a paradoxical fabric.
"...What is this?"
I kinda want one now.
"It's made from a new material by the Management Bureau's research team."
"New material?"
"They wouldn't tell me what! Said knowing wouldn't be good."
"Ah."
Yeah. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
News flowed from the radio Team Leader had on.
[The Red Lady has sold out in one second for its fifth rerun, proving the show's appeal. The presidential office calls it a new K-culture phenomenon with the Red Lady—]
What's the deal with this Red Lady? It's blowing up.
Team Leader would know better than me.
"Team Leader, know anything about the Red Lady?"
"It's hot right now. People say once you see it, you can't resist rewatching, three times, more."
"No, how good does it have to be?"
"Dunno. Doesn't sit right with me."
"Jealous?"
"Nah."
Team Leader frowned seriously.
"Bad vibes."
A 40-something potbellied balding guy frowning seriously? That's what gives me bad vibes.
"Anyway, not going. Won't let the kids either."
Hearing Team Leader say it like that made me feel weird for no reason.
Guess I won't see it either.
Not like I could anyway.
No way I'm snagging a one-second ticket.
Better grab some coffee.
"Team Leader, mind if I hit the cafe?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Team Leader nodded while restarting his phone game.
Isn't he way too idle?
*
I left Yoo Daon—who said she'd stay and sort files—and walked the hall with Jang Chaeyeon.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Suffocating silence.
"...Chaeyeon."
"Yeah."
Jang Chaeyeon answered my call with zero delay.
"Come to think of it, something I've been wondering."
"Shoot."
"Are we... being watched or something?"
"...?"
Jang Chaeyeon looked up at me puzzled.
"Suddenly? Feel something?"
"Nope. Nothing."
Nothing in my sight.
Still.
"No, I mean, is it right to just leave me, you, and Daon like this?"
"What're you saying?"
"Well... we're not exactly normal... immortality or telekinesis or whatever..."
"Ah."
Jang Chaeyeon nodded like she got it.
"Don't worry."
"About what?"
"The Management Bureau's always dedicated to humanity. That includes us."
"Huh?"
"And there are way weirder people in the Bureau than us."
"Weirder?"
"Know the ace of the Gangseo Branch Containment Team?"
"There's such a thing?"
"He's the weirdest."
"Huh?"
"Gangdong Branch Containment and Research teams are full of oddballs too."
"What do you mean?"
"Hard to explain. You'll see."
Jang Chaeyeon stuck right by my side, looking up at me again.
Soap scent wafted up.
"That's it?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Then let's go."
We walked pressed together, and she didn't pull away until the cafe.
"Huh."
Stepped in and bumped into a vaguely familiar face.
"HR folks."
Wavy purple hair and eyes, tight jeans and white tee hugging her body.
"Was just gonna look for you."
Song Arin, seen after Butterfly's Dream and Cube, narrowed her eyes at me.
[Name: Song Arin]
[Age: 21]
[Talent: Hypnosis]
[Talents: -]
[Background: With incomplete hypnosis powers, she can't help but be sensitive to everything. Yet the Management Bureau is the only place she belongs.]
[Weakness: If she's cocky, just grab her head and smack it once.]
"Dunno what it is, but if it's fieldwork, I'm out."
"For real?"
"Honestly, I've done it twice already."
Three including the basement, but keeping that quiet.
Say it and she'll drag me.
She's 21 but talks down to me?
Jang Chaeyeon's 25 and does too.
Rude bunch.
"Seriously not going?"
"Seriously not."
"Argh, it's urgent."
"Call the Containment Team. Heard Gangseo Branch has an ace."
"He's a psycho."
"Other Containment folks?"
"80% of Bureau Containment staff are deployed right now."
"Why?"
"Why do you think."
Song Arin sighed, hands in pockets.
"Big incident."
"...What?"
"Can't say. Or rather, better for your brain if you don't hear."
If she puts it like that, yeah, don't wanna know.
"...So, really no help?"
"...Kinda, yeah. We're HR."
Went out on a limb twice.
"That's—true."
Song Arin sighed.
"Look, straight up. This incident means almost no one in the Bureau can resolve it."
"..."
"Try to understand us not saying more. Hearing it pulls you in, and we don't want that."
"..."
"But incidents pop daily, and we're seriously short-staffed now."
"..."
"So we can't block everything that slips through, no matter what. Especially this one—could get way worse. Lots of people at risk."
Song Arin ruffled her hair with both hands.
"Money... not unlimited, but as much as I can. Help us."
[If you can, help others. Don't overdo it. But I believe you'll do great.]
A child's voice echoed in my head.
"..."
Migraine hit.
"Just this once. For real."
"...! Thanks!"
Song Arin's face lit up. Then crumpled again.
"Here."
She handed over a scrap of paper.
A ticket?
"It's a ticket?"
"Red Lady ticket."
That musical?
"What do I do with it?"
"Watch it with me. Just us two."
Jang Chaeyeon twitched behind.
"Just us?"
"No one else. You and me."
"...Sure, whatever. That's it?"
"Hope so."
Song Arin answered dryly, standing.
"Tomorrow, 7 PM. Seats together, so meet there."
"Wait—"
Before I finished, she strode out.
"...Going?"
Jang Chaeyeon stared; I sighed inevitably.
"Gotta, I guess."
*
Next day,
Told Team Leader, skipped day shift, headed to theater.
Pistol from Team Leader in my pocket.
No Critical, but this should do.
Told Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon: if I'm not in by tomorrow's start, come rescue me.
Both agreed readily.
Walking downtown after ages.
Usually overtime or fieldwork lately—no bright daytime crowds in forever.
Pushing through masses to the theater.
Theater, theater...
Easy to find.
Hordes waiting silently out front.
"..."
"..."
Dead quiet.
Crowds waiting for doors to open, not a murmur.
Like they're all entranced, forgot to make noise.
Scarier: passersby treat it normal, walking by.
Seemed only I felt the weirdness.
"Weird, right?"
Yesterday's voice from beside me.
Song Arin stared ahead, hands in pockets.
"No one else notices."
"..."
"Let's go."
Doors opened; people poured in.
Only thudding footsteps—no shouts, no chatter.
"First anomaly detected at the third show."
Song Arin spoke as we walked.
"Should've handled it, but short-staffed, we thought 'popular musical'—big mistake."
"Huh."
"This musical has brainwashing powers."
She sat.
"So we needed strong mental barriers, but all Containment with those are deployed."
Followed, sat.
"I lack barriers but hypnotize myself preemptively."
Curtain rose.
"So you're all I had."
Music started; Song Arin looked at me.
"I'll zone out soon. Or I'd fall too."
"Wait—"
Her eyes glazed.
"Give a guy time to speak."
Tch, sighed, watched stage.
Actors came out, bowed.
Every one lacked focus in their eyes.
"Now, from the beginning, Bulbulbulbulgeun—"
Front man stuttered; another continued.
"Susususuknyeo si, zzak,"
Boom—vision went black.
What? What's happening?
*
S#. 1 Road (Night/Outside)
A man opens his eyes and sits up. In a small village, he looks around and mutters.
Kim Jaeheon: Where the hell is this? (Bewildered voice)
? ? ? (NA) He doesn't understand this incident yet.
He stumbles inward through the village.