Chapter 360
Chapter 360
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Walking on Stars
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"..."
The Director and I lock eyes for a moment, and she nods.
"I said I'd help in my own way."
"I didn't know it would be like this."
"What? What is it?"
Song Arin mutters in a bewildered voice at my mumbling, staring at me.
"What's there?"
"Uh, um. The Director."
"Why is she there?"
Song Arin mutters in disbelief.
"Surprisingly, she was by my side before you, Arin."
"..."
And then, Song Arin, who had been piggybacked on my back, suddenly stretches her hand forward and swings it around.
"Is it here? Here?"
"Not there, but by my side."
"Here it is."
Song Arin starts punching vigorously right next to me.
"It's the other side, tell her that."
The Director mutters in a calm voice as she watches, and I just shrug.
Did I know? No. I didn't.
But getting subjected to these bizarre antics wasn't a one- or two-time thing.
The Manual staring at me from ahead with a look of utter disbelief was, from others' perspectives, a talking book.
"It'll probably be fine."
The others look at me suspiciously upon hearing my words, and the Director blinks at me as well.
"You believe pretty easily."
"If she wanted to kill me, she could've done it already."
Ever since entering Act 3, the Director had been chattering nonstop by my side.
In fact, I'd been listening to her intently too.
If she'd really wanted to, she probably could've twisted the situation even more.
Yet the fact that she hadn't seriously interfered with me while staying close suggested she had no intention of harming me.
On the contrary, she was helping me.
But I don't know why she's helping.
"Because she likes you."
"Arin, if you give answers like some terminal axe-murder delusion patient, the others will be troubled."
How much conversation had I even had with the Director?
I glance at her, and she lets out a small sigh.
"You're right. I want to see something too."
"What is it?"
The Director looks at me and slowly opens her mouth at my question.
"I've never properly seen Act 3."
"You made Act 3 yourself."
"To be precise, I've never seen the Act 3 made by the previous Director."
The Director mutters.
"So I want to see it."
"..."
"What that person was thinking, what they were aiming for."
The Director mutters as she looks at me.
"..."
"What did she say?"
Jang Chaeyeon asks quietly, having watched the exchange.
I relay what the Director just said to Jang Chaeyeon and the others.
"No."
Jang Chaeyeon shakes her head immediately at my words.
"I oppose dragging around something unknown by your side like that."
"But you too, Chaeyeon..."
There was the Observer, wasn't there?
When I give her that look, Jang Chaeyeon averts her gaze from me.
"That's... a bit different."
Then Jang Chaeyeon slowly speaks up.
It seems pretty similar, though.
Fortunately, after that, no one else said anything more to me.
"You can trust her?"
"I don't tell people to trust lightly."
The Director answers my question in a calm voice.
"Got it."
I shrug.
Nothing much changes anyway.
I'll just accept a bit more help going forward.
"No time."
The Manual, who had been listening to our conversation until then, looks at me and the others.
"Let's go."
Yeah, let's hurry.
I nod and follow behind the Manual.
"No, so what did she say?"
"She said not to trust her."
"But do you trust her?"
"She doesn't seem like she'd leave even if I told her to."
"True."
"That's what it seems."
"Sigh."
Song Arin, piggybacked on my back, lets out a deep sigh.
*
We arrive in front of the elegantly draped curtain.
"So, what's behind this?"
"Yeah."
The Director answers my question calmly.
"I don't know what's there."
"You'll find out once you go in."
Nothing in life is easy.
"Is everyone ready?"
I ask the others, and they nod at my question.
"Good. Let's go."
By the way, where are Ahn Sanghyeon and the Branch Manager?
I wanted to bring them along if they were around, but at the crucial moment, they're nowhere to be seen.
We step onto the stage.
-Thud... thud...
Our footsteps echo on the stage, and the curtain sways with the wind but stays in place.
"..."
I turn my gaze downward.
Countless people lie dead.
"If we don't properly form the curtain here or if we die, this gets reflected in reality, right?"
"Yeah."
The Director answers my mutter calmly, facing forward.
Is she taking in all those corpses in her view too?
"This isn't a way to make people happy."
"Your method didn't make people happy either."
Turning people into puppets isn't happiness, I think.
By that logic, the Director in front of me doesn't seem entirely sane either.
"..."
At my words, the Director says nothing and just turns her gaze elsewhere.
In the meantime, Yoo Daon, holding the stage curtain, looks at us.
"Shall I open it, Jaeheon?"
"Yes. Open it."
"Okay!"
Yoo Daon pulls back the curtain.
-Swish!
The curtain parts with the sound of the stage rising.
"..."
I gaze at the scene before me.
The universe unfolds.
"..."
An immense headache hits me.
I hurriedly turn and look at the others.
"Don't look beyond!"
At my shout, the others quickly turn their heads.
But for Yoo Daon, it's too late.
"...Ugh."
Yoo Daon stands there, groaning.
"Daon."
She doesn't respond to me, just staring blankly at the universe.
"Daon?"
"...That kid's mind is a bit off."
I call her quietly, and Song Arin, watching, mutters lowly as she looks at Yoo Daon.
"...What do we do?"
"The easiest way is..."
Song Arin glances at my pocket.
"...Shoot her, duh."
"..."
I look at the gun, and the Manual stands beside me, gazing outside.
"...Ha."
She exhales as if exasperated.
"What am I even seeing right now."
"Why, what is it."
"That's it."
She just nods at my question without answering.
"That's what it was."
"What."
"...I want to tell you, but."
She averts her eyes.
"Knowing won't do you any good right now."
"...No, then what do we do."
"For now."
She turns her gaze to Yoo Daon.
Yoo Daon stares blankly at the universe.
"For now."
The Manual mutters as she approaches Yoo Daon.
"Shoot."
"Is that really the only way?"
"Honestly, for a normal person, there'd be procedures, but since it's her, we can resolve it easily."
"..."
No choice.
I sigh at her words, draw my pistol, and aim at Yoo Daon's head.
If we're doing it, let's do it quick.
I pull the trigger,
-Bang!
The gunshot rings out, and Yoo Daon ducks her head then lifts it.
"...I just saw something incredible."
She mutters as she looks at me.
"What to say... um. It felt like seeing something tremendously amazing."
"Something amazing?"
"What to say, like something beyond human?"
Yoo Daon mutters ambiguously as she looks at me.
"But with you here, Jaeheon, it's a bit okay!"
"Good to hear."
"Cut the nonsense, both of you."
Song Arin mutters irritably as she glares at the Manual.
"Book scrap, what do we do."
"..."
The Manual rests her chin on her hand, deep in thought, and then the hitherto silent Director speaks.
"We need to draw the curtain."
"What?"
"Look at those people."
She points to the corpses below.
"Why do you think they died?"
"...Who knows."
"The curtain must have been drawn."
She mutters.
"And those who saw it died."
"So what are you saying?"
"You can handle seeing it."
"Not really."
My head hurts too much.
"Precisely, you don't go mad."
She states calmly as she looks at me.
"And the one piggybacked on your back, me, will be fine too."
"...Arin."
"Why."
Song Arin snaps curtly at my words.
"Were you okay after seeing that just now?"
"...Not completely fine, but it was viewable."
She mutters.
"Then..."
"Yeah. So you, me, and the other me. Then that child next. The four of us go."
The Director mutters calmly as she looks at me.
"The place only the chosen ones who cross the universe to see the story's end can reach."
"What nonsense."
"She says you, me, the Director, Manual, and Noah—the four of us should go."
"..."
Song Arin pauses at my words, then rests her chin on my shoulder.
"Put me down."
"You sure?"
"For now."
"..."
I slowly set Song Arin down, and she staggers, leaning on my shoulder after getting off my back.
"Let's go."
"..."
I turn to look at the others.
Jang Chaeyeon looks at me and sighs.
"...Come back safe."
"Chaeyeon."
She nods.
"If the Branch Manager or that rolling guy shows up, I'll send them here."
"Thanks."
"I'll guard here well with Daon-unnie too."
Park Ye-eun raises her hand, and Yoo Daon looks at me regretfully.
"...Sorry."
"No. It's not your fault you can't go."
It's just that she can't go.
I shrug and draw back the curtain.
The universe unfolds before my eyes again, and the headache returns.
"...Let's go."
I step forward.
The dark universe spreads before us,
and we began walking atop the stars.