Chapter 358
Chapter 358
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Memory
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"Wow... this place..."
Yoo Daon trailed off as she stared ahead, and Jang Chaeyeon also looked at the apartment in front of her with a bewildered expression.
Myeongil Apartments.
She had been here before.
Even if it was through the painting of Aestheticism.
What were the odds that Song Arin was here?
As if reading my curiosity, the Troupe Leader answered me.
"Even just showing us Myeongil Apartments out of all the endless possibilities makes me think there's more than enough reason for it."
"..."
"I have a lot of memories here too."
The Troupe Leader murmured as she stood behind me.
"But there's nothing I can do about it now. Let's head in."
"Jaeheon."
Yoo Daon, who had been gazing at the apartment entrance, whispered to me.
"The atmosphere here is way too... off."
"I agree."
The pitch-black entrance of the old apartment gaped open like a maw waiting for us, and it did feel even more ominous than the first time we'd visited Myeongil Apartments.
"And there's this super musty old book smell coming from near the entrance."
Musty old book smell?
As far as I knew, there was only one person—no, thing, no, person—who gave off a musty old book smell.
The Manual was inside.
"Guess we have to go in."
There was no need to hesitate.
I stretched as I got ready, and Yoo Daon and Jang Chaeyeon stared at me intently.
"What?"
"...Nothing."
"Yeah."
The two of them answered in unison to my question.
This time, I had no clue what they were trying to say.
But could we get through this place without the Manual?
My worry bordered on a total lack of confidence.
"Let's go."
Then, making my concern seem unfounded, Jang Chaeyeon boldly took the first step forward.
"..."
She entered while staying alert to her surroundings.
The moment we stepped into the apartment entrance, no light shone at all as if it had never been there, leaving us to rely on our phone lights as we moved through the darkness.
"If my memory's right, the elevator killed us. That's probably why my arm didn't get cut off, right?"
"Yeah."
Yoo Daon smiled with a cheerful voice.
"So I remember we had to grab the stair railing and go up..."
"No guarantee it'll be exactly the same."
As she spoke, someone stood up from the stair landing.
Petite build, deep blue hair.
It was the Manual.
"No wonder the old book smell was so strong!"
Yoo Daon laughed as she replied, and the Manual glared at her coldly before turning to me.
"I figured you'd come, so I waited."
"How'd you know?"
"With your personality, I knew you wouldn't just pass this place by."
"..."
She knew me too well, and that was a problem.
The Manual brushed off her clothes and stood.
"I'll guide you."
"We're doing this the Manual way?"
"Is that a pun?"
She stared at me after hearing my words, then placed her hand on the stair railing.
"Anyway, just follow me."
She said it with such confidence.
At times like this, she was totally trustworthy.
I nodded, and the Manual strode forward confidently.
I followed behind her and spoke up.
"What's the situation like right now?"
"The situation?"
She hummed at my question and trailed off.
"I peeked outside, and a ton of containment objects had escaped."
"Sounds like that kind of scenario."
"The Management Bureau does have contingency plans for when something like this happens."
She replied to my mutter as she kept walking.
"What are they?"
"Nothing you'd want to know. Let's just say the top priority is restoring things to normal before they put those plans into action."
The Manual answered calmly.
In a hopeless situation like this, what extreme measures would the Management Bureau take?
I had a pretty good idea, so I decided not to dwell on it.
"Got it. Then let's hurry."
"Yeah."
The Manual replied confidently as she climbed the stairs,
"..."
And the Troupe Leader quietly watched her back before taking up the rear.
*
I wondered what Myeongil Apartments were like now.
Were they the same bizarre place I'd experienced back then?
"..."
And where was Song Arin, what was she doing?
"If it were me..."
The Troupe Leader fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"I'd be at home. Reminiscing about my parents, thinking it would've been nice if we'd died together back then, sinking endlessly into depression."
"..."
She murmured calmly.
"...Should we head to Arin's place first."
"We've got a ways to go."
"I know. Lead the way."
"Yeah."
The Manual replied calmly and entered a house.
It was a place I'd been in once before.
The house where weird writing had come out of the TV. Where something had burst out.
But this time, not even a sound came from it.
The Manual looked inside and furrowed her brow.
"That's weird."
"What is."
"Hold still."
She murmured in response to my question and raised her hand.
Only time passed.
*
"Ugh..."
"Sister Arin..."
"Shut up. Don't make a sound. My ears are ringing from all the blood loss."
After snapping irritably at Park Ye-eun's worried words, Song Arin panted for breath and pressed her hand to her side.
Fresh red blood stained it.
Her head spun, but she couldn't afford to collapse here.
How did it come to this?
No, this was exactly the time to sort out the situation like that guy would.
A tired-looking man flashed through her mind, and she forced herself to pull it together, trying to mimic his actions.
She opened her eyes to find herself inside the apartment, and while searching for an escape route based on her memories, she ran into Park Ye-eun.
Then she somehow saved her from an old man who tried to devour her...
"Hoo..."
How did she end up waking up here?
And what were those screams from outside?
They were much quieter now than before, but when she first opened her eyes, the sounds outside had been like something out of hell.
Those thoughts lasted only a moment before footsteps reached her ears.
"Here, pressure bandage...!"
"...Wrap it."
Song Arin replied to Park Ye-eun's worried voice and closed her eyes.
Yeah. Give up a bit of my side and save one person? That's a win. I made the right choice.
She rationalized it to herself and let out ragged breaths for a moment.
"Wait...!"
Soon, the sound of rummaging through a bag came, followed by something pressing against her side.
A sharp sting followed briefly.
"Agh...!"
Then immense pain hit, and the bandage tightened so hard that cold sweat poured down Song Arin's entire body.
"Ah, ugh...!"
"S-Sorry! But it said to tie it tight...!"
"Like a corset, you mean...!"
Park Ye-eun made a tearful face, and Song Arin wiped away the sweat pouring like rain before standing on her shaky legs.
"W-Where are you going?"
"To find the exit."
Staying here long meant death.
"With that wound..."
"I'll die?"
"..."
Park Ye-eun fell silent at her calm words, but Song Arin just looked at her steadily before dragging her feet forward again.
"...Sister."
Park Ye-eun murmured worriedly as she looked at her, and Song Arin turned to look back at Park Ye-eun.
"Instead of worrying, hurry up and help me walk. It's tough."
"..."
Only then did Park Ye-eun sling Song Arin's arm over her shoulder to support her.
With Park Ye-eun's help, Song Arin resumed her deductions.
Myeongil Apartments were strange.
Song Arin looked down the hallway.
A clean hallway.
Myeongil Apartments' hallways had never been clean.
Bikes left around, or laundry hung out by someone.
But look at this clean hallway.
It was like someone had clumsily tried to imitate one.
"..."
Where was that guy she'd deduce this with? Not even a glimpse of him.
"A-At least your color's coming back!"
"...The Management Bureau makes good medical supplies."
The Management Bureau always led in cutting-edge tech, especially in medicine, where they were two or three generations ahead.
It was true that just wrapping the pressure bandage made her feel much better.
But what good did that do? Normally, one hit meant madness or death.
She muttered self-deprecatingly and took a deep breath.
"H-How do we get out?"
"Take the stairs. Do I have to tell you that too?"
"I don't see the stairs..."
"..."
She figured as much.
Tch. Song Arin sighed as she looked down the hallway.
No matter how far she'd walked with Park Ye-eun, the end of the hallway wasn't visible.
"Then we'll use the emergency exit."
"Emergency exit...?"
"Go into any house nearby."
At Song Arin's murmur, Park Ye-eun supported her as they walked, and soon the two stood in a living room that reeked sourly.
"What next?"
"Turn on the TV."
Song Arin murmured, and Park Ye-eun hurriedly turned on the television.
-Tsss!
No signal, just gray screen noise flowing out, and Park Ye-eun watched it worriedly.
"...Sister, what now?"
"Wait."
Song Arin recalled the memory.
'Arin, you're here? Watch some TV here.' The kind auntie's warm smile as she said it.
When she'd later looked into what happened to that auntie, all she'd heard was that the TV had devoured her.
"..."
-Tsss...
The static continued, and Song Arin stared intently,
[Arin, you're here?]
A voice came from the television.
"..."
Yeah. Song Arin remembered.
When was it? When she lost her brainwashing ability. When the black hair lost regeneration, and the white hair lost telekinesis.
The memories of Myeongil Apartments that had flooded in like a tide.
Lucky?
Talented?
She gave a wry smile.
As if.
"I'm here."
She murmured,
And the television turned off.
In the silence, footsteps approached.
-Squelch! Squelch!
"S-Sister..."
"Stay calm."
Park Ye-eun looked toward the sound and urgently grabbed Song Arin's clothes, but Song Arin just calmly replied and kept her eyes forward.
She grabbed the trembling Park Ye-eun's shoulder.
She had to keep her head straight. She was the veteran here.
"..."
-Squelch...!
Only the sound of something wet shuffling along,
[Arin...]
Poor thing.
She murmured as she lifted her head.
"Listen carefully from now on. Only one of us can get out."
"...Pardon?"
"Go into the TV and find Kim Jaeheon."
"...Sister..."
"I'll hold out until then."
Song Arin waved her hand, and threads trailed down.
"So don't worry too mu—"
"That's a pretty uncool thing to say while bleeding all over."
"What?"
At the same time, a gunshot rang out.
-Bang!
Whatever was in the darkness staggered back, white hair fluttered as a hand swung, and something slammed into the wall.
"..."
She stared ahead in shock,
"Get on."
And the tired-looking man crouched in front of her.
"Is your phone just for show?"
"You think I'd get signal here?"
"Come on, you didn't even check?"
"...No way there's signal?"
"Nope. Sneaky."
"You could've died for real."
Song Arin murmured as she climbed onto the man's back.
"Up you go."
He stood, and the scenery rose up before her eyes.
"Let's go."
The man muttered.
"Things were a mess without you around."