Chapter 389
Chapter 389
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 389. Lottery
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I glanced at Yoo Daon, then opened the manual again.
No rest for the weary, huh. With that thought, I checked the manual.
[Employee Manual]
[2nd Floor, Waiting Hall]
1. The waiting hall is a safe place.
2. However, once a certain number of people gather, rest time ends. At that point, stairs leading down to the 1st floor will appear automatically, so please take note.
At the same time,
with a rumbling sound, noise came from the stairwell.
"Did the Management Bureau control rest times during construction too? This is a bit much."
"Our rest times aren't infinite when we're working either."
"Oh, right. If rest times were infinite, I probably wouldn't have hung out with Jaeheon."
Yoo Daon and I chatted quietly, while the others looked around worriedly before turning to us.
"Look at those two."
"See... Even in a situation like this, they're talking and smiling. They've been through this more than once or twice. We'll be fine too."
They muttered to themselves, gazing at us with eyes full of awe.
"It's embarrassing..."
Yoo Daon murmured under their stares, and I replied calmly.
"That's how much they rely on us. We have to live up to it."
"..."
Yoo Daon gave a wry smile at my words.
"What?"
"No, um. Just..."
She hesitated before speaking up.
"I think you're kind to everyone, Jaeheon."
"...Me?"
Was I? Just then, the manual flipped open with a rustle, displaying a sequence of letters.
Let's see, A... N...
One by one...
<N>
<Y>
<O>
"Not really?"
"Everyone sees things differently."
Yoo Daon replied calmly with a smile.
"For me, I really think you're a good person, Jaeheon."
Yoo Daon shrugged and turned back to the manual.
It felt like there should be a "so" after that. But she said nothing more.
I looked at Yoo Daon, then back to the manual.
[Employee Manual]
[2nd Floor, Waiting Hall]
1. The waiting hall is a safe place.
2. However, once a certain number of people gather, rest time ends.
3. When rest time ends, please head down to the 1st floor.
4. Be careful on the way down, as construction is not fully complete yet.
"Should be fine."
"Yeah, seems like it."
Yoo Daon nodded at my mutter, and as we took the lead, the others followed us with tense expressions.
"Here we go."
"If we just stick close, we'll survive..."
I glanced back to see about six people trailing us.
"Chaeyeon and Arin should be okay, right?"
"Hmm..."
Yoo Daon furrowed her brow uncertainly, then gave an awkward smile.
"I think so. Plus, they get along well..."
I looked away from Yoo Daon, who flashed an awkward smile too.
Yoo Daon did feel a bit out of place sometimes.
Pulling her in to hang out... No, that's not for me to judge.
We're all adults. It wouldn't be right to nitpick their friendships.
"...If anything happens, let me know. Or if there's anything I can help with, just say the word. I'll always be by your side, Daon."
As I finished speaking,
"..."
"..."
"..."
The others stared at me blankly.
What? What's wrong?
Yoo Daon stared too, then widened her eyes and started stammering.
"Ah, uh. Yeah. Thank you. Of course! I'm always gr, grateful to have you by my side, Jaeheon!"
She fanned her face, rambling incoherently, as whistles started from behind.
"Timing's perfect."
That's when I realized what they thought it meant.
"Daon, uh, don't mind them. People are just..."
"Oh, no."
I muttered, and Yoo Daon shook her head hurriedly.
We walked awkwardly like that,
and nothing happened until we reached the 1st floor.
*
Upon arriving on the 1st floor, the murmur of voices grew louder.
Relief washed over me at the same time.
Murmurs meant people, which meant it was safe.
"Quiet down a bit!"
And a very familiar voice rang out.
"Arin!"
I turned and shouted. There stood Song Arin, her purple hair disheveled, looking irritated.
Wow, her hair's a total mess.
Our eyes met as she was scolding others into order,
"...Ahem."
She cleared her throat awkwardly and started fixing her hair.
"You made it."
"I'm fixing my hair now, and lowering my voice doesn't erase the fool I just made of myself— Ow ow ow! Headache! Headache!"
Song Arin glared at me with narrowed eyes, then huffed and turned away.
"The white-hair's sorting over there, and I'm handling here."
"What's there to sort?"
"What else? In this bizarre situation, what we need most is to stick together."
She looked at me like I'd asked something obvious.
"Besides, this mess is that black-haired parents' fault."
Song Arin stared at Yoo Daon, who gave a troubled smile.
"Our parents are a bit..."
"Whatever. That's not what parents do. Blood ties don't make parents. Parents actually do their job."
Song Arin raised one eyebrow at Yoo Daon, who paused, then smiled softly.
"You're right."
"Yeah. Anyway, me and white-hair wrecked that weird thing, snapped out of it, and ended up on the 2nd floor."
Song Arin pointed upward, and a calm voice followed.
"So we went up, rescued people, and were sorting things out."
"Chaeyeon."
"Worried about me?"
"Of course."
"I'll make sure you don't have to next time. Unlike the others."
Jang Chaeyeon waved from behind Song Arin, who shot her a glare but shut up. Chaeyeon continued.
"So after we saved as many as we could..."
"This is the situation?"
"Yeah."
Jang Chaeyeon nodded slowly.
"Then there are still people who haven't come down."
"Probably. And some dead ones too."
Jang Chaeyeon stared upward blankly, and amid the rising worry, she looked at the other three.
"Seen the Team Leader or Ye-eun?"
"...No."
"Yeah, not yet."
Song Arin shook her head slowly, Jang Chaeyeon did too. Yoo Daon closed her eyes, signaling no.
"..."
As I pondered,
-rustle!
The manual flipped open again.
"Now it opens and I get anxious."
"Me too. Hey, wait! Don't close!"
Agreeing with Song Arin, I tried to read, but as it snapped shut, I forced it open with my hand.
"Why get pissy."
"It can be pissy sometimes..."
At Jang Chaeyeon's scolding tone, she grumbled as we opened it. It showed the next destination.
[Employee Manual]
[Gangseo Branch Construction Site]
[1st Floor - Exit]
1. The exit is the area the Management Bureau worked hardest on. You can safely return to where you came from through the exit.
2. However, for various reasons, you may end up somewhere else instead. The probability is very low, but to prepare, follow these safety rules.
"Long tongue means we'll end up there, huh?"
"Looks like it."
I nodded at Song Arin's words and kept reading.
[Employee Manual]
[Gangseo Branch Construction Site]
[1st Floor - Exit]
3. If you exit incorrectly, you'll end up in one of two places.
First: An abandoned hospital. In that case, check the manual's [Large Hospital Survival Guide].
Second: A basement with weird yellow wallpaper. In that case, check the [Basement Escape Guide].
"Abandoned hospital it is."
"Yeah. Black hair related."
"Should we lay out a mat?"
"Sure. Retire with me and we'll picnic alone?"
As Song Arin and I bantered,
-thud crash!
Something tumbled down, and middle-aged men and others slid right in front of us.
"Team Leader!"
And at the front was the most reliable person.
"Jaeheon! Don't go out!"
The Team Leader shouted urgently upon seeing me. I looked at him dumbfounded, and he adjusted his stance to brief quickly.
He'd avoided problems expertly and come down with others to the 1st floor.
And we shouldn't go out that exit.
"Did you roll down to tell us that?"
"Not exactly. I slipped trying to call you."
The Team Leader rubbed his back like it hurt and replied.
"For now, staying here feels safer than going out."
"We can't stay forever."
"...True."
The Team Leader nodded, closed and opened his eyes.
"So how about we go together?"
"Us?"
"Yeah. You four and me. Five total. Ye-eun... she'll make it."
The Team Leader glanced up worriedly.
But more than that,
the others looked at us desperately.
"...Th-the whole HR Team?"
"No. Following HR Team means everyone else dies and only they survive. We shouldn't..."
Where do they hear this nonsense?
I sighed, shook my head, and looked at the Team Leader.
"No. You stay, Team Leader."
"..."
He looked at me.
"You've got family to look after, and Ye-eun hasn't come yet."
As I said that, he averted his gaze, then nodded slowly.
"Sorry, Jaeheon."
"No."
Honestly, the Team Leader's non-combat. And his hair's thinning more.
If we took him and he went bald from stress, he'd be a huge burden—an incompetent guy with family we couldn't let die.
Rationalizing like that, I looked at him.
"Instead, wait here safely. We'll handle it and come back."
"...Okay."
The Team Leader nodded, and as I looked at the other three, they nodded too.
"Good..."
I sighed, approached the exit, and grabbed the doorknob.
"Everyone ready for hospital?"
"Assuming we mess up?"
"Isn't proper exit the weird part?"
"You don't buy lottery tickets without winning dreams."
"Fair."
Agreeing with Jang Chaeyeon's point, I opened the door,
and with a flash of light,
we stood in a basement plastered with yellow wallpaper.
"...Not the hospital?"
"But wrong place, right?"
I replied to Song Arin's mutter and opened the manual.
[Employee Manual]
[Basement Escape Guide]
There must be a reason we ended up here.
I looked at Yoo Daon, who smiled softly back.
"Let's go."
We took a step forward.