Chapter 374
Chapter 374
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Stopped Clock
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I can't immediately define what luck is, but this sure doesn't feel like it.
With that thought, I gaze at the scene before me.
"Still, it's nice that my shoulders don't ache. So that's why you're so healthy."
"Mouth... drooling... ugh..."
Song Arin mutters expressionlessly while rolling her shoulders, and Yoo Daon grinds her teeth while mumbling.
Finally,
"Jaeheon, are you okay?"
"Ah, uh, yeah. No."
Jang Chaeyeon looks at me with a face full of worry from my side.
Let me sort this out.
"So, this happened all of a sudden, right?"
"Yeah."
"Yes."
"I think so!"
Ah, please.
I can let Song Arin's blank expression slide, but I just can't get used to Yoo Daon's irritated tone or Jang Chaeyeon's bright smile.
From what I can see of the changes.
Yoo Daon -> Jang Chaeyeon
Jang Chaeyeon -> Song Arin
Song Arin -> Yoo Daon. That's how it seems to have swapped.
"But why are you perfectly fine, Jaeheon?"
"Right?"
"Could this be luck?"
This is getting too confusing.
For now, I decide to mentally tag them one by one in my head.
"Jaeheon?"
Yoo Daon (Jang) looks at me.
"What are you doing?"
Ignoring Jang Chaeyeon (Song)'s words,
"She's thinking something crazy again."
Ignoring Song Arin (Yoo)'s words too.
Good. This should make it less confusing now.
"For now..."
We huddle together to figure out when this started getting weird.
"How did you realize?"
"I woke up and it was like this all of a sudden..."
"Me too."
"Same here."
"Then why did you wake up?"
At a time like this in the early morning.
"Why did I wake up? My eyes just..."
Song Arin (Yoo) mutters in disbelief, then widens her eyes and meets my gaze.
"Hey, what time is it now?"
"Please don't look at me with that face."
With a sigh, I turn on my smartphone and check the time.
"...3 a.m."
"Huh...?"
Hearing that, Yoo Daon (Jang) tilts her head.
"That can't be."
"Why?"
"Because I woke up around 3 a.m. to check if you were sleeping well, Jaeheon."
"You were checking that?"
"...Haha..."
Jang Chaeyeon's awkward laugh.
Seriously, I just can't get used to it. Really.
"Anyway, so..."
To sum it up, time hasn't passed at all, but we all feel like we've slept deeply. And on top of that, everyone except me has swapped bodies.
Should I text the branch chief?
I pick up my phone and call the branch chief.
-Ring ring ring...
The branch chief picks up.
Signal's working for once. No big deal then. Just call our own monster, the branch chief—
"Branch Chief."
"..."
I call out, but no response.
What now? What's going on?
"Branch Chief?"
"..."
Still no words from the other end of the smartphone,
-Kzzzzzt!
A massive noise cuts in, and the call drops.
I try calling Park Yeen and Eileen too, but same result—calls drop.
Yeah. Not even surprising anymore.
"Ha, jeez."
"Another incident?"
"Seems like it."
"Even hospitalized, we get dragged into incidents?"
Song Arin (Yoo) sighs, and I nod in agreement while looking around.
Let me think for a bit...
"Oh... come to think of it..."
Yoo Daon (Jang) rests her chin on her hand and speaks.
"What is it, Chaeye... no, Daon?"
"Do you remember when we were talking?"
"Ah, yeah."
When the two of us were lying down chatting. What about then?
"You heard a voice from outside telling us to be quiet, right?"
"Ah, yeah."
I remember.
"If my memory's right, that voice sounded a bit off."
"..."
Maybe.
As I look at the others, Song Arin (Yoo) furrows her brow as if recalling it too.
"Something like that, but I can't put it clearly."
"I didn't notice."
Jang Chaeyeon (Song) mutters in a calm voice.
"And now in this body, even less so."
"What's wrong with my body!"
"..."
Jang Chaeyeon (Song) turns away with a small smile, and seeing that, Song Arin (Yoo) jumps up and down in irritation.
Wait, come to think of it...
"...So now Daon has to use telekinesis?"
"...Uh..."
Everyone else pales as if only just realizing after my words.
*
"No way... Well, it works, but it's hard."
Jang Chaeyeon (Song) grunts and pulls her fingers away from her temple.
"It's difficult for me too..."
Yoo Daon (Jang) mutters with a troubled expression, opening and closing her hand repeatedly.
And...
"...Damn it..."
Song Arin (Yoo) looks at her body anxiously.
"So now I have to tank?"
"What do you mean 'tank'? That's too crude."
"No, doesn't tanking with this body make sense? What else do you call it?"
Song Arin (Yoo) snaps back at my scolding, and Yoo Daon (Jang) smiles while looking at her.
"It's fine! You'll get used to it after dying a few times!"
"I really hate that."
Song Arin (Yoo) mutters in a depressed voice.
This is bad.
We're basically three civilians now.
The only non-civilian here is me?
"What do we do? Wait here?"
"From my experience."
Song Arin (Yoo) answers my question calmly.
"I've lived with you, and being around you means waiting doesn't solve anything."
"..."
It stings, but I can't argue, so I just shut my mouth.
"Then let's go. Trio of civilians."
"This feels kinda fresh somehow! My body feels like paper, so I have to handle it carefully!"
"Small and convenient."
"I'll definitely kill her."
How do they pack so much personality into every word?
With that thought, I open the hospital room door,
"Ha."
And I can't help but let out a hollow laugh at the sight before me.
Yeah, no wonder the calls aren't going through.
The scene unfolding before us is...
"Kiyaaahoo!"
"Wooow!"
People running around happily.
Someone who was in a wheelchair jumps up and runs, while another unwraps their head bandages and smiles joyfully.
"...What am I even seeing right now?"
"I'm wondering the same."
Song Arin (Yoo) mutters in the same tone as me.
"For now... something's definitely wrong."
"But no one's dying, so isn't it actually good?"
Song Arin (Yoo) hums while pressing her brow, and I don't know what to say to that.
It is good, but...
"It's still wrong somehow."
"..."
Instead of the usual horrific scenes, seeing everyone just happily running around feels even weirder.
As we're staring at the scene,
A nurse walks by with a calm expression.
She doesn't find this strange?
I look above the nurse's head.
[Name: Park Jihye]
[Age: 28]
[Talent: None]
[Specialty: None]
[Background: One of the few, she's spending her break time very productively.]
[Weakness: Ordinary human. Dies if vital spots are attacked.]
Nothing special.
"Excuse me."
I hurriedly stop the nurse, and she looks at me puzzled.
"Ah, you're the new patient who just arrived."
"Yeah, something like that."
"What is it?"
"What do you mean, what is it?"
Hearing her, Song Arin (Yoo) points at her in disbelief.
"You don't see this mess? It's obviously weird to anyone—what do you mean 'what is it'!"
Her brows twitch slightly at that, but she looks around again.
"It is weird, but..."
"But?"
"Just let it be."
She mutters calmly while looking at us.
"You'll be discharged in a few days anyway, right?"
"..."
I glance at Song Arin.
True.
Both of us are due for discharge next week or so.
"New patients get shocked, but long-term ones wait for this time."
"..."
Wait for this time?
I stare at the nurse, and she meets my eyes.
"What's the matter?"
"So everyone from other Management Bureau branches knows about this?"
"..."
She looks at us silently.
Soon, I feel intense gazes and turn to see
The others staring at us too.
"Uh, um. Jaeheon..."
Yoo Daon (Jang) mutters in bewilderment.
"Something's off."
"I knew it. Everyone's mind-controlled—"
"Not us."
Song Arin (Yoo) rolls up her sleeve, but a woman in a wheelchair interrupts.
"We're all fine."
"..."
"Look at the people here."
She points at the others.
"Most got severe illnesses or permanent injuries."
"..."
"For some reason, when this time comes, our bodies become fine."
"We're fine, so why are we like this?"
"You three must be healthy."
The woman replies calmly to Song Arin (Yoo)'s mutter.
"We're all Management Bureau people anyway. We've lived for the Bureau."
She speaks in a steady voice,
"So just overlook it once. This time comes too."
"..."
Song Arin (Yoo) averts her gaze, at a loss for words.
"Arin?"
"...No. I'll say later."
Song Arin (Yoo) clams up as if realizing something.
It was 3:04 a.m.
"It's not a long-lasting time anyway."
Song Arin (Yoo) shuts her mouth, and the other two do the same.
"If Jaeheon asks, we'll flip everything anytime."
"Chaeyeon—no, Daon. Hold on for now."
I stop her and look at the woman,
[Name: Kim Suyeon]
[Age: 32]
[Talent: None]
[Specialty: None]
[Background: She injured her leg on a Management Bureau mission.]
[Weakness: Ordinary human. Dies if vital spots are attacked.]
Civilian.
"...Got it."
I nod for now.
I look at the clock.
[Name: Broken Clock]
[Age: N/A]
[Specialty: Even a broken clock is right twice a day.]
[Talent: None]
[Background: A broken clock still gets it right, though.]
[Weakness: Smash the clock.]
"...Should we go for now?"
We decide to head back. For now.