Chapter 15
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Frog in a Formalin Jar
-----------------------------------------------------------------
────────────────────────────────────
────────────────────────────────────
When I came to my senses, I was in the library.
I couldn't bring myself to move, frozen in place.
Dayeon, noticing something was off about me, sidled up to me.
“What's with that look on your face? You look like you just came back from the dead.”
“Mind your own business.”
Is she a ghost or something?
I tried to act nonchalant as I picked up the key.
[You have acquired the Science Lab Key.]
“Let's go.”
Just like before, I headed straight for the science lab.
As I reached the science lab, what had just happened flashed through my mind.
Perhaps because of that, my hand wouldn't move.
“Aren't you going to open the door?”
“Just a second, I need to think about something.”
What the hell was that just now?
I bumped into the anatomical model and coughed up blood.
I wasn't sure, but it was clear the cause was closely related to the anatomical model.
‘Don't bump into it. Is that how it works?’
I stood in front of the door and braced myself.
The moment I open this door, the anatomical model will pop out.
I ran a simulation in my head of where to dodge and prepared myself.
‘Now!’
*Creeak.*
I flung open the science lab door.
And quickly dodged to the side.
The anatomical model dropped from behind the door.
‘Phew.’
Success.
I wouldn't die a pointless death like before.
“Quick reflexes.”
“I caught a glimpse of it through the window as I was passing by.”
Dayeon's eyes lit up with curiosity.
After mumbling a vague excuse, I kicked the anatomical model with all my might.
‘Son of a bitch!’
*Thwack!*
The anatomical model tumbled violently across the floor.
Finally, I feel a little better.
I belatedly checked its condition.
The anatomical model had no arms or legs, just a head and a torso.
Furthermore, its insides, where the organs should be, were completely empty.
‘It wasn't like this before.’
The anatomical model I saw right before I died was packed full of organs.
And it was grinning creepily.
But now, it was clearly different.
“What, is something wrong?”
“No, it's nothing.”
I casually stepped over the anatomical model lying in the doorway and entered the science lab.
The distinct smell of chemicals and alcohol, characteristic of a science lab, wafted gently through the air.
The display cabinets were filled with beakers and chemicals.
I began to search, looking around methodically.
[It's a globe.]
[Beakers and glass bottles are lined up on display.]
[There are chemicals inside the display cabinet.]
[A chart of the human skeleton is on the wall.]
Overall, it was the typical scene of a science lab.
‘There's no way there's nothing here.’
Just as I was rummaging through a drawer, looking for items.
My hand closed around something squishy.
‘I knew it would be in a place like this.’
Maybe it was because the science lab was so dark.
I couldn't see what I had picked up.
I tried to guess its identity by touch alone.
‘Hmm.’
I held the object from the drawer in my hand.
It was squishy, sticky, and soft.
I could feel a slight vibration and tremor.
It seemed to be ticking on its own, like a clock.
Moreover, it was beyond warm; it was hot.
I'd never felt a texture like this in my life. Thanks to that, its identity remained a complete mystery.
I slowly pulled it out to see what it was. And I couldn't help but be horrified.
[You have acquired a Heart.]
It was a heart.
“Shit!”
I cursed, horrified.
I flung the heart onto the desk.
The wet, sticky heart rolled across the desk. Even then, it continued to beat on its own.
“What's going on?”
Dayeon, who had been calmly looking around the science lab, heard my scream. She came over and asked what happened.
“Look at that.”
I wiped away the beads of cold sweat and pointed at the desk.
The still-thumping heart.
Dayeon looked at the heart with a profound gaze, then turned to me.
“A heart, huh. Is this your way of expressing your feelings for me?”
“Oh, please...”
Far from being surprised, she cracked a joke that wouldn't fool anyone. She really never changes.
“What, does being with me make your heart flutter?”
“Not at all.”
I tried my best to avoid Dayeon as she leaned in close.
For a teenager going through puberty, a classmate's provocations were quite threatening.
I barely managed to ignore her and collect myself.
“Why is something like this here?”
“Who knows? Maybe it has an owner.”
“Owner or not, the fact that a heart is just...”
Suddenly, someone came to mind.
I looked back at the anatomical model again.
It was still there, just as I'd left it after stepping on it.
“Don't tell me this is its heart?”
I went closer to examine its condition properly.
The inside of the anatomical model was completely empty.
Even the heart.
“Maybe you're supposed to put it in here?”
Dayeon crouched down, examining the anatomical model. It was a plausible deduction.
I picked up the heart from the desk.
Just holding it felt creepy.
With a feeling of disgust enveloping my palm, I approached the anatomical model.
[Heart]
【Someone's heart. It's squishy, slimy, and hot. A pulse can be felt.】
As I reached for the heart's position on the anatomical model, a message popped up.
[Insert the heart into the anatomical model?]
[Insert the heart./Do not insert.]
When I chose ‘Insert the heart,’ the heart fit snugly into the empty space in the anatomical model.
[You have inserted the heart into the empty space.]
-Click.
I heard something opening.
It sounded less like a door and more like a drawer or a safe opening.
“Looks like this was the right answer. How was my deduction? Pretty great, huh?”
“Yeah, yeah, you're so smart.”
Heading toward the sound, I saw an open drawer. A faint light glinted from the gap.
“Again?”
The shock of touching the heart hadn't worn off yet. I couldn't bring myself to stick my hand into the drawer.
Fear of what might pop out took over.
After some hesitation, I asked Dayeon for help.
“Can you do me a favor and check that out?”
“Hmm, a favor? For someone asking a favor, your attitude isn't very convincing.”
Dayeon, mischievously, seemed to have no intention of readily granting my request.
She hopped onto the cabinet and sat down, crossing her legs arrogantly.
“Ask politely, with sincerity. If you say 'please,' I might do it.”
Her absurd proposal left me dumbfounded. At this rate, I'd be better off opening it myself.
“Never mind.”
“Oh really?”
Dayeon was still perched on the cabinet. Seemingly having lost interest, she brushed off her arms and hopped down.
“I wonder what's in here?”
Dayeon promptly stuck her hand into the half-open drawer, completely contradicting what she'd just said.
‘Right. This is who she is.’
She just wanted to see me struggle to ask for her help.
Now that her plan had failed, her interest was piqued, and she was acting on her own whim.
Dayeon's personality was unpredictably reckless.
Knowing it was useless to try and control her, I just stood by.
“So, what's in there?”
“Guess.”
With her hand still in the drawer, Dayeon fumbled around for a while.
She spoke in a cryptic, puzzling tone.
“It's sticky. And tough.”
“And?”
“It's soft and long. And maybe a little warm.”
Hearing only her description, I was puzzled as to what could be inside.
Still, considering the heart from before, I had a rough idea of what it might feel like.
‘It must be a body part.’
Sticky, tough, soft, long, and warm.
I guessed it was probably an organ or intestines.
I breathed an inward sigh of relief.
‘Wow, I'm so glad I didn't touch it.’
Dayeon touched the intestines with her bare hands without a second thought. Just like someone with no emotions.
“Want to see what's inside?”
“Just take it out already.”
Dayeon took something out of the drawer and set it down. It was completely different from what I had expected.
“...It's a key.”
“Yep, a key.”
It wasn't sticky, tough, or soft. It was just an ordinary key.
“Here.”
“...”
Dayeon nonchalantly handed me the key.
Her expression showed no trace of malice or goodwill.
Dayeon had completely fooled me. I was speechless as I took the key.
[You have acquired the Laboratory Key.]
The laboratory is a classroom connected to the science lab.
I'd only gone in occasionally for practical classes, so my memory of it was hazy.
“Well, I guess we'll find out when we get there.”
[You have used the Laboratory Key.]
-Clank.
I unlocked the door with the key and went inside.
The laboratory had a strange atmosphere.
“There are a lot of interesting-looking things here.”
“Interesting, my ass. This is just creepy.”
Just as I was about to step into the laboratory.
A warning sign greeted us at the entrance.
[Please maintain cleanliness in the laboratory.]
*Thud.*
Two white lab coats fell to the floor.
[You have acquired Lab Coats.]
“Looks like we have to wear these coats to go into the lab.”
“Is there any reason we have to?”
“I don't know, but it's pretty, so I'm gonna wear it.”
Dayeon fumbled to put on the lab coat.
She twirled in place and glanced at me.
“Don't I look like a professor now?”
“Not really.”
I also fumbled to put on my lab coat.
It wasn't entirely my own choice.
I only put it on because I was afraid of dying a pointless death again for ignoring a warning.
Dayeon went further into the laboratory.
She gazed at a display cabinet marked with a skull and crossbones as if it were a work of art in a museum.
“This is hydrochloric acid.”
“...”
“Look at that. It's sulfuric acid.”
“It's creepy, so stop reporting every single thing you see.”
An ominous thought crept into my mind—what if the cabinet collapsed and sulfuric acid splashed on my face?
I subtly took a step back.
Anyway, Dayeon can't die even if she wanted to, so a little sulfuric acid should be fine for her.
...Probably.
Besides the display cabinets, the laboratory was filled with other bizarre things.
In particular, the taxidermied animal specimens lined up on the right wall were downright gruesome.
There was a stuffed rabbit.
A whole snake was preserved in a formalin jar.
‘It's not snake wine.’
That wasn't all.
Most of the small animals were preserved in formalin jars.
At this point, I was starting to question the science teacher's taste.
‘...They're not alive, are they?’
Just as I was looking away from the animal specimens.
-Croak.
A cry came from somewhere.
A chill ran down my spine.
There was no doubt.
The sound was coming from the direction of the formalin jars.
I didn't have the courage to turn around.
As I stood there, frozen stiff, Dayeon poked my cheek.
“What are you doing, playing freeze tag?”
“It's not that...”
Dayeon just tilted her head, as if she hadn't heard the sound.
‘Whew, get a grip.’
Even if a taxidermied animal came to life, there was nothing to be afraid of.
It's not like it's a wolf or a tiger, just a fist-sized creature.
On the other hand, I am the lord of all creation.
Plus, I had an emotionless psychopath on my side.
Repeating this to myself gave me a little boost of confidence.
After a shallow breath, I turned around.
Among the rows of formalin jars, one in particular was shaking violently.
Looking closely, I could even see a faint vibration.
It was struggling to get out of the jar.
-Croak.
The cry echoed again.
This time, Dayeon heard it clearly too, and she paused for a moment.
“Did you make that sound?”
“You think I made that sound?”
-Croak.
I pointed in the direction of the sound.
Dayeon finally noticed the taxidermied animal specimens.
“Oh, isn't that squirrel cute?”
“It's disgustingly creepy.”
-Croak.
The cry was definitely coming from one of those jars.
‘Ugh, I wish it was just my imagination.’
I scrutinized the formalin jars.
Finally, I discovered the identity of the animal.
The quintessential amphibian, known for wiggling and swimming as its front and back legs sprout.
“...It's a frog.”
The frog in the formalin jar was hopping around, its eyes wide open.