Chapter 375
Chapter 375
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Grace Period
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We entered the hospital room and looked at each other again.
Song Arin (in Yoo's body) let out a deep sigh.
"This feels all tangled up, doesn't it?"
"It does seem that way."
I answered her question calmly, and the others groaned and sighed along with me.
"Somehow, it feels like words aren't getting through."
"They haven't been getting through."
Yoo Daon (in Jang's body) furrowed her brow, and Jang Chaeyeon (in Song's body) nodded too.
"No helping it, I guess."
Song Arin (in Yoo's body) tapped her temple and spoke up.
"First, let's take a look around."
"Look for what?"
"Actually, there's something that's been bothering me."
We all turned to her, and she opened her mouth.
"When we were talking earlier, she said the reason only she was fine and we swapped bodies was because we didn't have any illnesses, right?"
Song Arin (in Yoo's body) looked at me with a face full of worry.
"Are you hurting anywhere, by any chance?"
"Uh, um. Who knows?"
"If the patient himself doesn't know, what are we supposed to do?"
Frustrated, she thumped her own chest, and Jang Chaeyeon (in Song's body) came right up beside me, taking my pulse and making a fuss.
"Pulse is normal."
"If the pulse were off, we wouldn't be sitting here like this."
We'd already be dead.
"This body's making me a bit dim-witted, but anyway, my take is..."
How does she tease people so effortlessly, like breathing?
Yoo Daon (in Jang's body) looked at Song Arin (in Yoo's body) in bewilderment, but Song Arin (in Yoo's body) kept going.
"This isn't something the Management Bureau is orchestrating."
"Why not?"
"Hey, think about it."
She continued on.
"If the Management Bureau could pull off something this close to divine power, they'd have fixed these people already. Right?"
Yeah, that makes sense.
I nodded slowly, and Song Arin (in Yoo's body) nodded confidently in return.
"So we should resolve it."
"Do we really have to be the ones to do it?"
"What are you talking about? If we don't, who will?"
We're office workers, after all, right?
Even if we're just claiming to be office workers.
"Honestly, it's pitiful."
Song Arin (in Yoo's body) said in a calm voice.
She clenched and unclenched her fist slightly.
"But if we leave this alone, who knows what could happen."
"..."
"Anomalies aren't called anomalies for nothing."
She muttered in a bitter voice.
"There's a reason they're called anomalies."
"..."
"If we leave it like this, something big will happen."
Song Arin (in Yoo's body) looked at me, muttering calmly.
"Right."
And as her words ended, Jang Chaeyeon (in Song's body) spoke up calmly.
"For example, their bodies could get so 'better' that they suddenly sprout an extra arm, or two more brains."
"..."
Hearing it put that way, it does sound dangerous.
So yeah, better to get rid of it.
"Okay, then..."
"I..."
Before I could conclude, Yoo Daon (in Jang's body) quietly spoke up.
"I want to resolve it in a better way."
"..."
"..."
"..."
We all stared at her in shock, and Yoo Daon (in Jang's body) looked back at us in embarrassment.
"Uh, y-yes...?"
"No, no."
How long had it been since I'd seen Yoo Daon voice her own opinion?
"They're not sick because they want to be."
"..."
She stared straight out the door, and we all shut our mouths.
"...Tch."
Song Arin (in Yoo's body) clicked her tongue with a displeased expression and spoke.
"Let's head out for now."
"Sorry, but could you stop making Daon's face look like that?"
Jang Chaeyeon beaming brightly, and Yoo Daon looking displeased.
No matter how many times I see these two faces, I can't get used to it.
"It's my face."
Ignoring my words, Song Arin (in Yoo's body) pointed outside.
"So... what now?"
"We just go out, that's all."
We only came in here because we felt guilty.
And above all, if Yoo Daon was saying it that strongly.
"..."
Let me think.
What I saw earlier...
I recalled the memory.
[Name: Broken Clock]
[Age: X]
[Specialty: Even a broken clock is right twice a day.]
[Talent: X]
[Background: Even a broken clock gets it right, after all.]
[Weakness: Smash the clock.]
Broken clock, but it still gets it right.
This reminds me of a riddle I heard as a kid.
Between a broken clock and one that's five minutes fast, which one tells the time better?
The answer was the broken clock.
Because at least it gets it right twice a day, while the fast one never does.
Something like that.
Why was that popping into my head all of a sudden?
"..."
"Why are you suddenly staring at me?"
"No, not Arin. Daon."
"This hurts my pride somehow..."
Ignoring Song Arin's grumbling, I turned my gaze to the bed.
The manual still lay there quietly.
I picked it up slowly and whispered.
"Hey, got nothing to say?"
It gives advice if there's danger.
"..."
I stared at the manual.
Fortunately, it didn't open.
No big deal, then.
Guess it's safe to go.
As I grabbed the door handle, the others jumped and looked at me.
"What are you doing? Where you going?"
"Yeah. Heading out. You three can rest."
"Ah, wait!"
Ignoring Song Arin (in Yoo's body)'s call, I opened the door.
-Creak!
The door opened, and people walking or running down the hall looked at me, but soon went back to their business as if nothing happened.
And trailing timidly behind me were the three of them.
I told them they didn't need to follow, but they always do.
"No, really, you don't have to follow."
"Ah, I'll do what I want."
"Yeah. With this body, I feel like I could go anywhere."
"You be quiet, for real? I could grab you and give you a beating."
"Do the tap dance."
"Ah, damn it, ah!"
Had she learned to use the ability a bit in the meantime?
Jang Chaeyeon (in Song's body) pointed at Song Arin (in Yoo's body) and commanded, and Song Arin (in Yoo's body) started dancing with a flustered face.
"Ah, stop it! It's not fun!"
"Not fun?"
"It is fun, though?"
"Yeah, it is."
"You guys are really dead!"
Fun and games over.
I stepped into the hallway.
No one paid us much attention.
Lucky, I guess.
"Ah, stop it already!"
"Wow, Arin dances so well?"
"Ah! This sturdy thing is useless except for its toughness! Why isn't dancing tiring at all!"
*
Walking down the hall, I looked around.
People walking around happily.
"..."
Every time I made eye contact, I scanned them with my eyes,
"..."
But nothing different.
Just normal people.
Ordinary folks.
The ones who'd been injured somewhere.
At this point, it seems fine.
Am I disturbing their rest for no reason? Just as that thought crossed my mind.
"...Huh..."
Yoo Daon (in Jang's body) narrowed her eyes and stared at the wall beside us.
"Chaeyeon, no, Daon? What is it?"
"Ah, it's just..."
She tilted her head curiously and spoke.
"That clock over there... it doesn't seem to be moving."
"Huh?"
I followed Yoo Daon (in Jang's body)'s gaze to the side.
A clock on the wall.
The time was four o'clock.
"..."
Four o'clock?
I saw the clock when I woke up earlier, and it was four, but at least thirty minutes should have passed by now, and not even a minute had ticked by.
"...Isn't that clock time a bit off?"
Song Arin (in Yoo's body) followed my gaze to the wall, narrowing her eyes too.
"Arin."
"What."
"Smell anything?"
"...You think I'm a dog or something?"
Muttering in disbelief, Song Arin (in Yoo's body) still closed her eyes and sniffed.
"Ah, so this is what it felt like for me. Like a hunting dog?"
"..."
I didn't bother answering, and Song Arin (in Yoo's body), who had been sniffing with eyes closed, opened them and spoke.
"Just smells like disinfectant."
"Not very reliable, huh."
"..."
No choice.
"Alright, let's go."
At my words, they naturally took up their positions.
Song Arin beside me, Yoo Daon in front, Jang Chaeyeon behind...
"...No, this is weird."
In terms of bodies, that put Jang Chaeyeon in front, Yoo Daon beside me, and Song Arin behind.
"...Got too used to it."
Jang Chaeyeon (in Song's body) muttered and stood beside me,
"...Ah. Really... Hate this..."
Song Arin (in Yoo's body) made a disgusted face and took the front.
"Standing next to Jaeheon feels kinda novel!"
No need to make me feel bad.
As we kept walking,
We finally reached a less crowded area.
"...Honestly."
Jang Chaeyeon (in Song's body), who had been quiet until then, spoke up.
"I didn't find anything weird."
"Me neither."
"Me too."
"Same here."
Should we just write this off as a false alarm?
Maybe head back?
"..."
No helping it.
Just as I was about to turn around.
"Huh?"
Yoo Daon (in Jang's body) widened her eyes and stared ahead.
What now? I'm starting to get scared.
Thinking that, I followed her gaze ahead,
And there was a massive grandfather clock in front of us.
-Tick... tick...
The pendulum swinging with a sound.
But one difference was,
"...It's huge."
About twice my height.
I'd never seen a grandfather clock this big in my life.
Looking at the clock, a translucent window appeared.
[Name: Broken Clock]
[Age: X]
[Specialty: Even a broken clock is right twice a day.]
[Talent: X]
[Background: In exchange for holding time still, it takes something.]
[Weakness: Smash the clock.]
It takes something?
"...Arin. Go touch it."
"...M-me?"
"You're in Daon's body right now..."
"..."
At my words, Song Arin (in Yoo's body) stepped forward with a face full of unease.
"Wow... I really hate this..."
Muttering that, Song Arin (in Yoo's body) touched the clock with her hand,
-Tick!
And the minute hand moved,
"...Ugh..."
An intense stomach pain hit me.
Like my gut was being ripped apart.
At the same time, puzzled voices came from behind,
My knees buckled,
"Hey! Hey! Snap out of it!"
"Jaeheon!"
"Big trouble...!"
And I blacked out.