Chapter 243
Chapter 243
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 243. Happy Me
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-Thud... thud...
The only sound was the footsteps of people climbing the stairs.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Silence stretched on.
After Eileen's remark, a strange tension hung in the air.
"...Wow, wow..."
Finally, unable to bear it, Park Ye-eun let out something like an exclamation as she looked at Eileen.
"Sis, you're... so bold...?"
"..."
Eileen squeezed her eyes shut at Park Ye-eun's words.
"I... didn't say anything wrong."
Her face burned bright red as she spoke.
"I really think that."
"Th-thank you."
"...No."
Silence again.
The air was so heavy it felt like it might sink.
Even if Eileen and I could handle it, why were those three acting weighed down too?
"...I could do it too."
"Me too..."
"Don't be pathetic. Don't we have any pride?"
"I don't need that stuff."
"Me neither."
"...Ugh..."
The three of them seemed to be chattering about something, but I couldn't make it out clearly.
"Did I say too much?"
Eileen, beside me, muttered softly.
"Did I upset you? It must feel like I arbitrarily decided I understood you."
"No."
Arbitrarily understanding me? In this situation, Eileen was the one who understood me best.
I sorted my thoughts.
Could I save my sister?
Was she even here to begin with?
"...You okay?"
Eileen glanced at me cautiously.
"No."
"Well, yeah."
"You're the same, Eileen."
"..."
She paused at my words.
"What's the reason?"
"Huh?"
"There has to be a reason for all this."
"...A reason."
Right.
Every action has a reason.
Even that aestheticism stemmed from finding it amusing.
The hospital conducted its experiments to create more perfect people, and the extremists... what was it? Borrowing the branch chief's words, it was to bring down perfection or something—anyway, they kept doing this on orders.
"So what's the reason for all this nonsense?"
Eileen muttered.
"Why drag our families into that... that stuff and take your sister?"
"..."
The fundamental reason behind the religion.
Every religion is different.
Some seek nirvana, others salvation from a life of original sin. Sometimes it's for the sake of humans they believe to be divine manifestations.
What was the root of it all?
"...Salvation, probably."
"Salvation?"
"It's painful."
Eileen fell silent at my words.
I thought of the Gangdong branch people.
When they knelt and welcomed the new ones, was that truly unrelated to their own will?
No.
Especially for those working at the Management Bureau.
Living on the brink day after day, facing monsters beyond our predictions and common sense—how terrifying must that be?
If we only considered fear, Management Bureau employees probably had the most.
Because they clearly understood what they were up against.
"Even if it's salvation."
Eileen muttered, snapping me from my thoughts.
"How?"
"Simple."
Why else would gods exist?
"Because they believe something beyond cognition will save them."
I'm not criticizing religion.
When a problem beyond my common sense arises, it's natural to hope for something beyond common sense to solve it.
Like someone drowning in billions in debt thinking they'd have no regrets if they won the lottery. If I had to pay it off bit by bit, anyone would wish for an easy way out.
It's not a wrong thought.
Even I was hoping my sister would suddenly pop up saying it was all a joke.
They must be the same.
"It must be a way to summon an absolute being who can solve their problems."
"...If that method requires such horrific procedures, I don't really want to believe in it."
"Me neither."
The problem is there are people for whom that's not the case.
Those people must have created this.
"It's the most human desire of all."
"...Yeah."
Eileen walked beside me.
Somehow, the others had fallen behind, and Eileen and I were in the lead.
"...It's dangerous up ahead. Fall back."
"It is dangerous."
She gave a small laugh at my words.
"But I decided to take responsibility, so no choice."
"If it's no choice, you don't have to."
"That won't do. I don't take back my word."
Was Eileen always this playful?
She walked on with a soft smile.
The rain still poured endlessly.
*
How long had we been climbing? The rain was finally letting up.
More precisely, the sun was starting to peek through.
The summit was in sight.
What could possibly be on such a tiny peak?
"Huff... huff..."
Behind me, Jang Chaeyeon breathed heavily.
This must always be hell for her.
"Chaeyeon, you okay?"
"F-Fine."
"You were like this last time too. Get some exercise."
Song Arin shot at her, and Jang Chaeyeon glared, but lacked even the energy as her gaze dropped to the ground.
"Just a bit further."
The summit was right there.
Climb these stairs, and we're there.
Yoo Daon, now at the front again, stepped onto the final stair,
"...Huh?"
And froze.
"...Huh?"
She went back down a step, then up again.
".......Huh?"
"What is it? Move."
Song Arin strode up beside her,
"...Huh?"
And showed the exact same reaction.
"Wh-what is this?"
"D-Don't know."
The two exchanged baffled looks amicably.
What could it be?
I followed them up.
"...Huh...?"
I was speechless at the sight.
A grassy field stretched before us, warm sunlight shining down.
Logically, the peak shouldn't have been this wide when I saw it.
It should have been narrower.
No, fine. I've seen so many things beyond common sense now. But even so.
"...What the hell is that?"
Eileen, who followed me up, muttered in shock.
Beyond the endless horizon, people in white clothes stood.
Not just standing.
In groups of three or five, holding hands, they formed circles.
They sang in low voices as they formed those circles.
No lyrics.
Just meaningless sequences of notes.
But the sight was so alien.
"..."
Jang Chaeyeon, arriving last, drew a small breath at the scene.
Ignoring us completely, they sang and danced.
Under the warm sunlight, like people free of any anguish or fear, they simply danced.
Beaming smiles, gazing into each other's eyes, they danced.
Round and round,
Round and round,
Round and round,
They danced.
Beaming as they danced.
Where had that sight from below gone?
Was this dividing hell and heaven?
Heaven? This?
Just laughing, holding hands, spinning?
I watched them slowly.
A translucent window appeared.
[Name: Choi Jisoo]
[Age: 20]
[Talent: None]
[Trait: None]
[Background: The sweet future she desired is here.]
[Weakness: Killing the shepherd's sheep is not hard, but it will incur the shepherd's wrath.]
"Choi Jisoo?"
Where had I seen that?
Where? It was recent—
"...Mom, Dad?"
Eileen muttered, breaking my reverie.
I looked up ahead at her words.
A familiar face was dancing.
Eileen's parents.
Holding hands, smiling, they danced.
Humming lowly, they danced.
[Name: Lisa]
[Age: None]
[Talent: None]
[Trait: None]
[Background: To gain this glory leaving her daughter behind. She is overwhelmed with happiness. Can a person obtain such happiness at that price?]
[Weakness: What is real? The wretched ones you saw, the happy ones, or neither?]
I hurriedly checked the man's translucent window.
[Name: Daniel]
[Age: None]
[Talent: None]
[Trait: None]
[Background: He hesitated until the end. Is it really right to leave my child? he repeated. But now he can confidently affirm it. That choice was right.]
[Weakness: What is real? The wretched ones you saw, the happy ones, or neither?]
"Wh-what is this?"
Eileen blinked.
"...This is..."
Song Arin stared, then looked away,
"Ugh..."
And started retching, hand on Yoo Daon's shoulder.
Yoo Daon naturally patted her back, and Song Arin looked up at me.
"What the hell are they?"
"...What do they look like?"
"Freakish."
Song Arin answered my question.
"Utterly freakish."
She stared straight ahead.
Her gaze fixed on the circular clusters of dancing people.
"Not drugs. Just people injected with pure happiness in their heads."
"..."
"No humanity left. Just... just... ugh..."
Song Arin retched again.
"..."
Eileen gazed blankly at her parents.
It wasn't a lack of emotion.
She was desperately hiding it.
"...Over there."
"...Yes."
Eileen looked at me.
"Were the parents I saw below... what were they?"
"..."
"If they're the same people."
Eileen looked at me.
"What should I do?"
No one answered her.
What defines a person?
What were those people below that I saw, and what are these dancing up here?
Their bare feet cut by the grass as they danced.
The grass stained red with blood.
Trails of red followed their dance paths.
Soon, the green lawn took on a red hue, forming circular patterns.
But no one cared.
As if feeling no pain, they laughed and spun.
Round and round,
Round and round,
Round and round.