Chapter 351
Chapter 351
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Hero's Tale
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"The third act is about to begin."
The troupe leader continued speaking in a calm tone.
She was wearing a restraint suit, but even setting aside the weirdness of seeing Song Arin's emotionless face on her...
"The third act?"
"You all went through two plays, right?"
The troupe leader looked back and forth between me and Song Arin with an emotionless face.
She even told her that?
I glanced at Song Arin, and she avoided my eyes while mumbling.
"It just came up in conversation... and it turned out we were so similar..."
"Well, that's because it was you."
"Oh, come on, I'm sorry..."
Unable to bear my gaze, Song Arin mumbled and looked down.
"But how did you know the third act was starting?"
At my question, the troupe leader furrowed her brow slightly and looked at me.
"Talking casually?"
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-five."
"I'm older than you."
"...?"
The troupe leader looked at Song Arin with a puzzled expression.
Song Arin bristled at the look, as if to say, *You talk casually to your elders?*
"It's my choice. Got a problem?"
"Sorry, oppa. I'll apologize on her behalf."
"Hearing 'oppa' in that voice is kinda creepy, so just call me casually."
"Got it."
"You two sound like exes or something."
Song Arin muttered irritably after listening to our exchange, then continued soon after.
"As for how I knew..."
"Yeah."
"The time has come."
What?
I looked at the troupe leader with confusion, and she continued in a low voice.
"The troupe must put on a play within a set amount of time."
"I see."
"From the info I got from rude you, it's confirmed—the time has truly come when we absolutely have to do a play."
"Rude you?"
Song Arin repeated her words incredulously and glared at the troupe leader, but the troupe leader ignored her gaze completely and kept talking.
In simple terms, it's mandatory to do a play, and now's the time. Got it.
"And since rude you and I appeared in acts one and two, it's natural we'll appear in act three."
"That natural?"
"Every play needs a protagonist."
"Why me?"
"You're good material. I'd have picked you as the protagonist too."
I didn't really want that kind of compliment.
The troupe leader nodded and looked at me.
"Anyway, got it?"
"Yeah. So what should I prepare?"
"Nothing."
"What?"
What does nothing mean?
Seeing my expression, the troupe leader shrugged.
"Since we've reached act three, stopping it is impossible. Just accept your fate cleanly and get swept up in it."
"You call that advice?"
"At least you won't be surprised if it pulls you in while you're sleeping."
Not wrong, but...
The troupe leader nodded as if it was none of her business.
"If I'm lucky, I might get swept up too. Then I'll help."
"...Thanks for that, but what about the content?"
"Don't know."
She shook her head confidently.
"The play's content changes every time, and your side's troupe leader is different from me, so I don't know."
"..."
Not helpful at all.
"But."
Ignoring our reactions, the troupe leader continued.
"When you reach the finale of act three, the play's content will start affecting reality afterward."
"...That's possible?"
"Like the world you saw of mine."
"..."
I recalled the ruined world, left with nothing but puppets.
That must have been the world the troupe leader wanted.
So what world does she want now?
I thought back to the acts one and two I'd been through.
The Red Lady, and the play where the curtain changed.
Act one was one thing, but act two was hard to grasp exactly.
"...Anyway."
The troupe leader finished, looking at me calmly.
"Prepare yourself. It'll start soon."
"I'll try to drag the others along somehow."
"If you mean those kids I fought, they've all got strong personalities, so they'll make good actors."
The troupe leader nodded.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...That's it."
"Nothing else?"
"Nope."
She shook her head blankly at my question.
"Bye, oppa."
"I told you not to call me oppa."
"Do you prefer being called 'hey' by someone younger? Is that your thing?"
"What nonsense. It's just that you and I aren't that close."
"..."
She nodded blankly at my words and waved.
"Got it. Bye."
And so, I got some important info from the troupe leader, but no real solution, and that was that.
*
"..."
"..."
Song Arin and I stood in front of the underground containment room, arms crossed, staring at each other.
"You seem closer to the troupe leader than I thought."
"I didn't just hand over dangerous info recklessly, okay?"
Song Arin mumbled guiltily and looked away at my words.
"I just thought she might be helpful..."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks to you, Arin, you've gotten even more versatile."
"Don't call me versatile. It reminds me of what Black Hair said."
What did Yoo Daon say?
I pictured Yoo Daon pointing at Song Arin with a bright smile, yelling "Jack of all trades, master of none!"
Right. I get why she'd hate hearing it.
"Anyway, a third act is coming—what's the plan?"
"Putting the info together, seems like there's nothing we can do."
The troupe leader basically told me to brace for the disaster that'll come find me.
"..."
Song Arin clicked her tongue, dissatisfied, and looked at me.
"I thought about it."
"Yeah?"
"There's a common thread, right?"
"Oh."
What could it be?
I stared at her, and Song Arin cleared her throat before continuing.
"Something I felt while I was in the play."
"What?"
"It surprisingly followed the structure of a hero's tale."
Hero's tale?
Song Arin let out a small sigh at my look.
"During the Red Lady. It felt like an intentionally set 'trial.'"
"...Yeah."
Intentionally set trial.
Was there?
I just thought it was unreasonably malicious.
"They deliberately left an exit, but only someone with insight and talent could find the solution."
"By smashing the Red Lady's head with a bat?"
I thought it was infinite malice toward humans, not a trial.
"I figured it was just because they hated people."
"But it was too elaborate for that."
Song Arin nodded at my words.
"If they just wanted to kill people, they wouldn't have made the play so hard."
"..."
"Above all, there were chances."
Chances?
"The first people who died didn't all have their heads burst. Remember?"
"...Yeah."
She meant after Song Arin strangled me, when she was killed by the Red Lady.
I'd escaped after being killed by Song Arin, then the Red Lady ate me next.
"That was giving a chance."
"..."
After that ordeal and trial, it gave a chance to survive.
Song Arin mumbled and looked at me.
Not illogical.
"Act two was the same."
Song Arin mumbled.
"Everyone caught in that play were ordinary people."
"..."
"Some ended up joining in time, but they probably had the same shot we did."
"..."
Kinda convincing in a weird way.
As I nodded ambiguously, Song Arin nodded several times.
"So I think it's a trial, a hero's tale."
"..."
"And you're the hero."
That part I don't like.
Getting a plaque from the Management Bureau and being treated as the hero and protagonist by the troupe?
Too much burden for one person.
"Anyway."
Song Arin cleared her throat.
"So I figure the next one will follow a similar format."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Yeah."
I'll tuck it away for now.
"For now, should we tell the others?"
Better to brief Yoo Daon, Jang Chaeyeon, Team Leader, and Park Ye-eun.
"Sure. I'll go tell the others."
"I'll come with."
Song Arin followed behind me, and we headed straight to the HR Team office.
*
"Oh my god, so Arin caused trouble again?"
"Again? You wanna die?"
Yoo Daon widened her eyes, and Song Arin glared at her, grinding her teeth.
"You've caused plenty yourself."
"I haven't."
"...If I'd joined first, she never would've said that..."
Song Arin ground her teeth while mumbling.
"...Then I'll prepare."
Jang Chaeyeon nodded at those words, and Park Ye-eun, who'd joined the conversation, tilted her head.
"Prepare? Should I grab some bombs or something?"
"Bombs are prohibited from external transport."
Unless it's a mission.
"Oh... didn't know."
"Not many companies let you take bombs out."
"Ah..."
Park Ye-eun nodded and looked at me and the others.
"So what do we do? We can't all crash at your place."
"That sounds good?"
"Good idea."
"...Not bad?"
As soon as Park Ye-eun finished, everyone but me nodded.
"I don't like it."
"The world's ending—surely there's something more important than your opinion."
Jang Chaeyeon smiled softly at me,
and
"I'm going home."
Team Leader suddenly stood and left the office.
Feels like déjà vu.
That thought didn't last long.
"Shall we go then?"
"...Yeah."
"Yay!"
Ignoring my opinion completely, the three nodded.
Park Ye-eun looked at me apologetically.
"Oppa... sorry..."
"...It's fine. Not your fault."
Guess I need to tidy up the house.
-Shraaak!
At the same time, the manual opened again.
[Employee Manual]
1. Don't forget. You are merely a fellow employee-
I know.