Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Faith
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"So, your eyes are malfunctioning, and there's nothing you can do about it?"
"That's correct."
Song Arin looked up at me with her arms crossed.
"You're really useless, aren't you?"
"No gratitude for the guy who saved your life?"
Should I really smack her on the head?
At my words, she continued as if disappointed.
"No, you should show up all cool like always, figure out the weakness, and bam! Rescue me."
"What do you—"
Like always?
"You thought I was cool?"
"...Shut up."
"I am pretty cool, though."
"You wanna get beat for real?"
Song Arin punched my shoulder with her fist.
Teasing her really is fun.
"Ahem! Anyway, first we find the black hair and the white hair, right?"
"Yes."
We did get that paper that says "escape method." Whether it's real or not is another issue entirely.
"Then we cut the hair."
"Correct."
"How?"
"Chaeyeon will do it."
"So after going around in circles, the white hair ends up doing all the heavy lifting?"
"If you want to hold the scissors and cut your own hair, I won't stop you."
"The white hair's an idiot anyway, so she might as well put some muscle into it. I'm all for it."
Song Arin nodded along with her viciously blunt criticism of Jang Chaeyeon.
"So, what about that kid?"
"Who knows."
I've seen monsters that parasitize humans, cubes that shoot lasers, monsters that eat people from the inside out, even god-like beings, but I've never encountered a ghost yet.
"Better to do what it says. There must be a reason it let her go."
"What if this is actually a trap meant to kill us instead?"
"I'm worried about that too, but I don't see any better options."
Tsk. Song Arin clicked her tongue and started rummaging through the lockers.
"What are you doing?"
"There might be a utility knife or something."
Her dainty hands seriously digging through the lockers.
It probably wouldn't help, but no need for me to stop her when she's so earnest.
I stayed lost in thought until she finally found a utility knife.
Lack of information is the problem.
It's like having my go-to weapon taken away.
"What're you pondering so hard?"
Song Arin, utility knife in hand, leaned in close to peer at my face.
"Oh, just thinking about how to counter it."
"Counter?"
"Yeah. Preparing for the unknown—"
"Don't worry."
"Huh?"
I stared at Song Arin, and she stared right back.
"My hypnosis is working a little."
Hypnosis is working? I've never seen her properly use it on allies before.
Whether she knew I was shocked or not, Song Arin twirled a lock of her hair with one hand.
"Not completely, though. Like, I can make it confuse hands and feet so it stabs its legs, that kind of thing."
"Was that how you got it smashed into the wall earlier?"
"More precisely, I bought us a second chance while you were putting a bullet between its eyes."
"That should be enough."
Good. Countermeasures more or less in place.
"Ready?"
"Yeah. What first?"
"For now... let's find Daon."
If my experience is right, Yoo Daon is in the most danger right now.
She's weakened, sure, but more importantly, she has no regeneration ability at the moment.
It takes a long time for her to come back from actual death, and injuries slow her down properly.
Best to rescue Yoo Daon first, as fast as possible.
"...Agreed. She bolted out first to save me and the white hair, after all."
Song Arin nodded in agreement.
"But how do we find her?"
"We follow it."
I eyed a flower vase within jumping reach, then leaped and smacked it with my palm.
-Crash!
The shattering vase sliced through the silence, and before Song Arin could widen her eyes at me, I clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her into the classroom.
-Thud thud thud thud!
Soon, footsteps rushed toward the broken vase,
"Yummy? Yummyyummyyummyyummyyummyyummyyummy"
followed by shambling steps as it started moving again.
"Let's go."
"You got nine lives or something?"
Song Arin grumbled quietly and followed behind me.
We stepped out the door and trailed it from a distance.
The good news: its footsteps were loud, so me and Song Arin had no trouble keeping up.
The bad news: it was fast, so we had to half-run, half-jog.
Wasn't this supposed to be a small school? How is it going on like this?
Just as I started wondering, it began climbing the stairs.
"...Rooftop?"
"Seems like it."
Song Arin and I whispered as we followed up the stairs.
Mouth covered, we crept slowly up the steep steps.
Soon, the rooftop came into view.
Stepping outside, sticky air and an unpleasant chill brushed my lungs.
Calling it a rooftop felt off.
A massive cocoon made of hair loomed there, surrounded by tiny skulls.
We confirmed it entering the cocoon, then ducked behind the wall in unison.
Soon, a foul stench pierced our noses.
Rotting flesh mixed with some indescribable eerie odor—it was straight-up torture.
"Urp..."
Song Arin dry-heaved, covering her mouth, and I had to clamp mine and my nose against the rising vomit.
Mouth and nose sealed, I quickly scanned around. Was Yoo Daon here?
Here or not, either way trouble. As I looked, Song Arin tugged my collar and pointed one way.
It was Yoo Daon.
More precisely, the child version of Yoo Daon.
Her neck twisted grotesquely, she lay buried in the cocoon with eyes closed. No breathing—she was definitely dead.
One difference: unlike me and Song Arin in normal clothes, she wore patient garb.
Gotta get her out, but how? Will it leave?
Contrary to my hopes, it crawled on all fours into the cocoon and started muttering in some unknown tongue.
Song Arin and I exchanged glances.
Someone needs to draw its attention.
-Grind,
A bizarre sound of bones realigning followed, and Yoo Daon's body began reverting to normal.
I'd seen it during the adult incident, but unlike that instant regen, this was like time rewinding.
Soon, her chest rose and fell evenly. She opened her eyes, looked around, and locked eyes with us.
Before she could do anything, I pressed a finger to my lips in a hush signal. Yoo Daon got it and stayed silent.
She quietly tried wriggling out of the cocoon.
No dice.
She strained with her slender arms, pushing and pulling, even biting the hair with her teeth later on, but her current strength was nowhere near enough.
What now? Leave her and fetch Jang Chaeyeon first?
No guarantee I'd find Jang Chaeyeon quick, and if Yoo Daon got moved or—worst case—eaten in the meantime, it'd be disaster.
Rubbing my temples in thought, Song Arin sighed deeply and tugged my sleeve.
"...Fine."
"What?"
"I'll draw its attention."
Has going child shrunk her brain too?
"Don't be ridiculous. If you're caught, Song Arin, you're really dead."
"Then what, you do it? What can the blind guy do? And you'd die too if caught."
Song Arin glared rebelliously.
Should I really leave it to her?
My mind swirled with options.
Wait.
One idea flashed bright.
"You said you can swap hands and feet? Sounds like it affects senses somewhat, right?"
"..."
Song Arin nodded.
"Then let's make a mess."
"What if black hair gets away?"
"That's the point."
"...Mess up its senses, trash the place?"
"Exactly."
Song Arin looked at me like I was crazy, then stretched with her usual fierce grin.
"I like that side of you. Proper mindset for a Management Bureau employee."
"Don't say creepy shit."
"You wouldn't get it, but that's high praise."
Song Arin eyed me.
"Causing chaos? You handle the escape?"
"I'm more fit than you, Song Arin."
She glared at me for a beat.
"You run first."
"Got it."
Song Arin strode forward boldly.
Its eyes turned to her. She stood before it, arms crossed defiantly.
Would be cooler if she weren't a kid in a purple dress.
It lurched to its feet—then its legs buckled. It stood again, but smashed its head into the cocoon, shaking it wildly.
I crept toward Yoo Daon undetected.
"Jaeheon...!"
Yoo Daon called in her childish voice.
"You could've left me..."
"HR doesn't abandon teammates."
Not after suffering together. How could I ditch anyone?
Yoo Daon smiled faintly at my words.
"Truth is, I was hoping you'd come."
While that fleeting smile left me speechless for a second,
-Bam!
The cocoon shook hard, dislodging Yoo Daon.
"!"
I dashed, slid, and caught her.
She landed in my arms. Yoo Daon looked up at me shyly from my embrace.
"...Thank you."
"Then get up quick. Can you run?"
"Yes."
I set her down and eyed the floor.
Hair.
Might as well grab some, just in case? Probably not.
I stuffed a few strands in my pants pocket, then ran with Yoo Daon toward Song Arin. Seeing us, she bolted ahead.
"What now!"
"Find Chaeyeon!"
"This'll draw attention fast!"
In the narrow hallway echoed the patter of three kids' feet and the monster's quadruped gallop.