Chapter 377
Chapter 377
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 377. Nurse
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"Um..."
The doctor stares straight at me.
Why? Again? What's going on?
"Is there something in my stomach?"
"Yes?"
Why are you looking at me like that? It's creepy.
"Do I need to get cut open or something?"
"It's not that simple to just slice open your abdomen."
The doctor shakes his head calmly in response to my worried words.
"Um, it looks like there's some kind of ink in there."
"Ink...?"
Ink all of a sudden? What the hell does that mean?
"But aside from that, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly dangerous."
"Isn't having ink inside your body dangerous?"
"Nah, ink's pretty mild. It's not acid or scrap metal or anything."
No wonder people don't want to work at the Management Bureau.
I think that as I look at the doctor, and he nods with a smile.
"Don't worry. You're perfectly safe."
"..."
This is ridiculous.
I head back to the room with that thought.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
An overwhelming silence awaits me.
"What happened?"
"...You don't need to know."
Ailin answers my question flatly, avoiding my gaze.
The others avoid my eyes too when I look at them.
No, seriously, what happened?
Why are you all making faces like kids who fought while I was gone?
"Anyway."
I clear my throat, and the others look at me.
"I've been thinking."
On my way out for the checkup, I thought about these people.
Am I really watching over them just because Yoo Daon wants me to?
It was a fundamental question.
I have to admit what needs admitting.
Honestly, I can't say Yoo Daon's influence has nothing to do with it.
Like Song Arin said, I've always been a bit soft on Yoo Daon.
But more than that...
"Let's stick around one more day."
The people here in the hospital are basically all sick.
Most of them are hospitalized against their will.
If we can resolve this nicely, we should.
"..."
Song Arin bites her lip but says nothing, while Jang Chaeyeon and Ailin nod.
"I figured you'd say that."
"We saw it coming."
"Shall we roll out the welcome mat?"
I look at Yoo Daon as they say that, and she forces a smile when our eyes meet.
"..."
"..."
Someday, I need to sort this out.
I thought I had last time.
No. It's because I'm still hung up on the Yoo Daon from back then. It's entirely my fault.
"I'm sorry to both of you too."
I bow slightly to Song Arin and Yoo Daon in apology, and they both shake their heads.
"...It's fine. I was the one who got pissed off and yelled by myself, so don't worry about it."
"...M-Me too."
Fortunately, they both accept my apology.
But talking it out won't solve it.
The problem's with me.
I need to do better.
Feeling a slight ache in my gut, I speak up.
"For now, let's get some sleep."
If I have to wake up at 4 a.m., I should start resting now.
I lie down in bed and close my eyes after saying that, and the others head to their spots and lie down too.
"...Why not go home and rest?"
"What if something happens?"
"Do you think I'm some lunatic who drags incidents around with me?"
"Aren't you?"
"Is that so?"
I want to believe it's not true.
"But an incident like this is pretty mild."
"That's why the HR Team gets called the secret weapon of the Gangseo Branch."
"..."
But isn't it really pretty mild?
No weird phenomena showing up. Nothing directly tied to the end of the world.
Ailin looks at me like she can't understand, though.
"...Let's just sleep."
In the end, I decide to just sleep.
*
In the end, no one goes home, and we all sleep there.
"...Ugh."
At 4 a.m., the blaring alarm jolts me awake. I rub my tired eyes and barely sit up, while the others groan as they get up too.
"But why 4 a.m. of all times..."
"Yeah..."
I yawn hugely while looking at a drowsy, mumbling Song Arin, then glance outside.
People are all wandering around happily.
"...Huh?"
Song Arin mutters in confusion.
"...What? I'm fine."
"Yes?"
"Look. Nothing changed."
She taps around her chest as she mutters.
Yoo Daon, next to her, mutters with a puzzled face too.
"Yeah, me too."
"..."
So the other two?
"This body's light."
"Wow, how do you even run around in a body like this?"
But not Ailin and Jang Chaeyeon.
Jang Chaeyeon mutters with a relieved expression, while Ailin fidgets uncomfortably with her body—
Ugh.
I quickly look away, and Song Arin sighs as she speaks.
"You using this by yourself?"
"Oh, sorry."
So do I have to split it again this time?
Not too hard, but...
I divide it up in my head for the two of them, then grab the door handle.
"Ready?"
"You're not even surprised."
"We saw plenty yesterday. What's there to freak out about one more swap?"
I shrug at Ailin's words and open the door.
Sure enough, people are bustling about energetically again.
"Let's go."
I know no one's paying attention to us, but why are we still being so cautious?
We all creep along, glancing around, and no one notices us.
Soon, we stand in front of the clock.
"No, but what I mean is,"
Song Arin crosses her arms and looks at us.
"Aside from smashing this thing, what genius plan do you have?"
"..."
She's right, honestly.
As I'm staring at the clock, straining my brain, Ailin slowly walks over.
"This one, right?"
"Yes."
"..."
Ailin stares at the clock for a moment, then raises her fist and slams it down.
-Thud!
The clock shakes with a massive sound.
"Ailin! Are you insane?"
"Are you in your right mind?"
Ailin answers calmly to my shout and keeps pounding the clock.
-Thud! Thud! Thud!
She slams it several times, the thumping echoing.
"No, Ailin, people are coming!"
"No one's coming."
"..."
She answers flatly and looks at me.
"See? No one's coming."
"Huh?"
It's true.
No one's coming.
Why not?
Didn't these people treasure this clock?
Ailin sighs as she looks at me after pounding it a few more times.
"I've thought it was weird."
"..."
"Day one, everyone swapped except you."
Right.
"But today, you, Yoo Daon, and Song Arin didn't swap. Me and Jang Chaeyeon did."
Yeah.
"And before you came back, Yoo Daon and Song Arin had a huge fight."
"...!"
"Hey...!"
As soon as Song Arin finishes, Yoo Daon frantically looks at Ailin, and Song Arin glares at her too.
"It wasn't just a little spat. They were at each other's throats like they wanted to kill one another. So loud that—"
Ailin continues calmly, while Song Arin and Yoo Daon roll their eyes around like kids who don't know where to look.
"So what do you think happened?"
"..."
I get what Ailin's driving at.
"You mean emotional wounds?"
"It's a bit dramatic to call them 'emotional wounds,' but yeah, that's the gist."
She nods calmly.
"You were in pain."
"Was... I?"
Was I? First I've heard about the ink buildup in my stomach.
"And those two were in pain too."
"No, but how do you judge that?"
"Good question. How do we?"
Ailin stares at me, and I hurriedly recap what happened.
At first, the patients looked at us like we were threats.
After talking to the nurse, they looked at me... then I went over and collapsed...
"Wait a sec."
"Yeah?"
"You said it was really loud?"
"..."
Ailin smiles and nods at my question.
Technically, it was Jang Chaeyeon's body.
"It was extremely loud."
"...Let's go."
Song Arin hangs her head and starts walking at my words, while Jang Chaeyeon keeps tilting her head.
"I don't get it."
"You'll see if you follow."
I lead the others down the hall.
As expected, no one pays us any mind, just like before.
Even after smashing the clock like that.
"Chaeyeon."
"Yeah."
"No, sorry. I mean Ailin, in Chaeyeon's body."
Ailin blinks at me, and I point at the clock.
"Can you blast that clock with your power?"
"Uh, um..."
I watch Ailin awkwardly shaking out her fist, and Jang Chaeyeon shakes her head. Technically Jang Chaeyeon inside Ailin's body.
"It's not that easy. Telekinesis requires precise calculations or..."
-Boom!
Before Jang Chaeyeon finishes, Ailin thrusts out her hand, clenches her fist, and a shattering sound erupts from the clock, followed by a massive boom echoing down the hall.
"Easy."
"..."
Jang Chaeyeon purses her lips at Ailin's casual words, straightens them into a line, and clamps her mouth shut.
"...Anyway, no one's coming."
For now.
I think that as I cross the hall.
"What are you looking for?"
Yoo Daon asks from behind me, and I reply.
"The nurse."
How far had we walked when—
A nurse is tidying up the area.
It's the one from yesterday.
"...Hm?"
The nurse looks at us.
And pulls out a gun, aiming it right at the nurse's forehead.
"Hey...!"
Song Arin startles and calls out to me, but I ignore it and speak.
"Please explain."
"..."
The nurse smiles faintly.