Chapter 16
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Cold Storage Room
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Cold Storage Room
-Gruk.
The frog, sealed in a jar, hopped.
It swam through the formalin as if taking a dip.
Listening closely, its cry was less a ‘gruk’ and more a ‘ribbit.’
‘Ugh.’
The frog was more grotesque than I’d imagined, and my stomach churned.
Dayeon, on the other hand, seemed to have a strong stomach, staring blankly at the hopping frog.
“Look, it’s alive.”
“I can see that much.”
-Ribbit.
The frog struggled, as if desperate to escape the formalin jar.
After ramming its body against the glass a few times, the jar toppled over.
Crash!
The formalin jar shattered, and the frog leaped out.
Shards of glass flew everywhere, yet somehow the frog’s body was completely unscathed.
Fearlessly, Dayeon scooped up the frog and placed it on her palm.
“What’s your name? Do you want to leave with me?”
-Ribbit.
The frog nuzzled against Dayeon’s hand.
Its attitude was surprisingly friendly.
“You say hello, too.”
“No thanks…”
Dayeon held out her palm, showing off the frog. I deliberately looked away.
No matter how you looked at it, it was just plain disgusting.
“What if this frog is actually a person? Cursed by the school and turned into a frog. I read about something similar in a book.”
“What’s the title of the book?”
“The Frog Prince.”
“…”
Dayeon gently stroked the frog.
It crooned contentedly.
“If that’s the case, why don’t you kiss it to break the curse?”
“Should I?”
The frog hopped up and down, seemingly delighted.
But Dayeon quickly changed her mind.
“Hmm, on second thought, I don’t think I will.”
The frog looked visibly disappointed.
It seemed even someone as eccentric as Dayeon had her limits.
“What, you don’t want to now that you actually have to?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Dayeon brought a finger to her lips.
She gazed at me with a meaningful look.
“I want my first to be with someone I choose.”
“…I see.”
I didn’t bother asking who that might be.
It was obviously just an excuse to avoid kissing a frog.
In any case, any more small talk was a waste of time.
“Anyway, why is a preserved specimen of a frog alive and well?”
“In the school at dawn, nothing is surprising. Besides, frogs are cute.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
Dayeon handled the frog as if it were a precious treasure. Then she continued to look around the lab.
“Look, it’s hydrofluoric acid.”
-Ribbit.
Watching her, I was dumbfounded.
At this rate, escaping the school was an afterthought; she was too busy amusing herself.
“Look at this, too. Lungs.”
-Ribbit.
Amidst her chatter, an unexpected word caught my ear.
‘…Lungs?’
I cautiously approached where Dayeon was standing.
Inside a display case marked with a skull symbol, there was something soft and fleshy.
A pair of masses that looked like stiff sponges were placed symmetrically side by side.
Anyone could tell they were human organs.
Like the heart, they seemed to be meant for placement inside the anatomical model.
-Rattle, rattle.
I tried to get a closer look, but the display case door wouldn’t open.
Instead, something glinted in the drawer below the case.
‘A key?’
Curious, I opened the drawer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a key but some kind of beaker.
“What’s this?”
The beaker contained a liquid.
It was colorless and odorless, so I thought it was water, but on closer inspection, I saw a sticker.
The sticker read:
[Sulfuric Acid]
[Handle with Care]
‘Shit!’
Startled, I quickly backed away.
I checked myself over to make sure none had splashed on me before I could finally feel a sense of relief.
Sulfuric acid.
If this was the sulfuric acid I knew, that had been incredibly dangerous.
Dayeon watched me panic for a moment before belatedly approaching.
“What’s wrong? Is there something in here?”
Dayeon picked up the beaker and sloshed the liquid.
The sulfuric acid swayed precariously. Each time it did, my face contorted in horror.
“Here, catch.”
“…”
Dayeon nonchalantly handed me the sulfuric acid.
I flinched for a moment but managed to take it with difficulty.
[You have acquired Sulfuric Acid.]
The sulfuric acid was treated as an item and went into my inventory. What a relief.
‘What kind of game gives you sulfuric acid as an item…?’
I clutched my chest, which had just dropped.
I was just catching my breath when Dayeon poked my cheek.
I didn’t even have the energy to respond.
I defenselessly let her poke my cheek.
“Your face just now. Did you know you looked hilarious? Like a total coward.”
“Shut up.”
“Coward.”
Ignoring Dayeon’s chatter, I approached the display case.
Through the glass, I could see the lungs. But the door was locked, so all I could do was stare.
“Do you have the key to the display case?”
“I don’t know, let me ask him.”
Dayeon whispered to the frog.
“Mr. Froggy. Have you seen a key?”
-Ribbit.
“He says he doesn’t know either.”
“…For crying out loud.”
This wasn't some kind of show.
Dayeon had completely abandoned the idea of escape and was just playing with the frog.
I, at least, had to keep my wits about me.
I scanned the area for a place where the display case key might be.
[A display case marked with a skull. It’s filled with all sorts of dangerous chemicals.]
[Animal specimens preserved in formalin. Thankfully, they are dead.]
[Beakers, glass bottles, and glass rods are on display. There are scrape marks beside it.]
I searched and examined the entire lab.
I didn’t find a key, but I did discover something suspicious.
The beaker display case.
According to the message, there were scrape marks next to it.
It was a faint scratch, barely visible to the naked eye, so I almost missed it.
‘Is something hidden behind the display case?’
The fact that the system description mentioned it meant the marks weren't just from everyday wear and tear.
The scrape marks suggested a hidden space behind the case.
‘I should try moving it.’
I pushed the display case with all my might.
But it didn’t budge an inch.
The display case was enormous and incredibly heavy. Unless you were exceptionally strong, moving it alone was impossible.
“Hah, hah…”
As I struggled with it for a while,
Dayeon peeked her head out, looking at me as if to ask what I was doing.
The frog perched on her shoulder was a bonus.
“Want some help? The frog wants to help, too. Right?”
-Ribbit.
The frog croaked cheerfully.
Facing that sight, I was simultaneously struck by a sense of self-pity and humiliation.
Still, I couldn’t move the display case alone.
‘…I didn’t want to do this.’
Swallowing my shame, I requested her help.
Dayeon looked at me mischievously.
“What did I say you had to do if you wanted to ask for a favor?”
“…”
Ah.
I was cornered.
To think that I couldn’t proceed without Dayeon’s help.
My tongue felt stuck.
The words wouldn’t come out.
Dayeon sidled up and poked me in the ribs.
“I can’t hear you. If you’re going to ask, do it properly.”
I felt like I’d been stripped naked in the middle of a crowd.
I genuinely felt a humiliation that seemed to negate my very existence.
Letting go of the pride I had clung to, I forced the words out.
“…Please.”
“That’s better.”
Dayeon happily stroked the frog.
“Alright, if you ask so politely, there’s no reason not to help. Right?”
-Ribbit.
I’d been had again. The frog’s croak sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
‘Calm down, just calm down.’
I barely managed to gather my scattered thoughts.
If I could uncover the secret of the display case at the cost of my pride, it was a worthwhile trade.
“Come over here and help me push this case.”
“Are you really making a lady do heavy lifting? You’re ruder than a frog. Right?”
-Ribbit.
“Shut up and just push.”
“Okay, I’ll gladly help you, just this once.”
Though she grumbled, Dayeon helped me.
With the two of us pushing together, the display case slid to the side easily.
-Thud!
As the display case moved, what lay behind it was revealed. Just as I thought.
A hidden secret place existed right there.
“I knew it.”
“Not bad. Finding a place like this.”
As far as I could remember, there was never a hidden space like this in the lab.
“Is it like the secret archives in the library?”
“In the school at dawn, nothing is surprising. Just like this frog.”
-Ribbit.
I checked the sign on the upper part of the door.
[Cold Storage Room]
A cold storage room.
Just the name sent a shiver down my spine.
But given the circumstances, the key to the display case had to be in here.
“Let’s go in.”
“I don’t like the cold.”
-Creeak.
I cautiously entered the cold storage room.
The moment I stepped inside, an intense chill enveloped my entire body.
“Ugh… it’s much colder than I thought.”
A formidable coldness swirled around.
It wasn't a metaphor; my spine was literally freezing.
Dayeon, on the other hand, was completely unbothered.
“Look, you can see my breath.”
Dayeon puffed her breath into the air.
White vapor billowed from her mouth.
Only then did I truly realize how cold and eerie this place was.
“Find the key instead of playing around. We’re going to freeze to death in here.”
The cold storage room was filled with a chilling aura. This time, it was a metaphor.
The tightly packed boxes and glass cases held various animal specimens.
There were even larger animal specimens I hadn’t seen in the lab, which was unsettling.
“Look at this. Doesn’t it look like a person?”
Dayeon pointed to a specific glass case.
Inside was an animal specimen.
For some reason, it had a human form.
It was shriveled like a mummy.
‘That’s an animal, not a person… That’s an animal, not a person…’
I tried to hypnotize myself, shaking my head. Dayeon stared intently at the specimen.
“This person, they’re holding something in their right hand.”
“…Don’t call it a person.”
Dayeon pointed to the specimen’s right hand.
I squinted, observing it dimly.
It was clutching something tightly.
A faint light glinted from between its fingers.
‘An item…’
But I couldn’t bring myself to check the specimen’s right hand.
Putting aside the fact that it looked like a person, just touching an animal specimen was terrifying.
As I hesitated, I felt a burdensome gaze from the corner of my eye.
Dayeon stared at me intently, then asked in a meaningful tone.
“Want me to help?”
A shiver ran down my spine.
That friendly question was definitely not just an offer to help.
It was merely a ploy to get something out of me.
“If you need help, just say the word. I’ll gladly help you out. Got it?”
“…”
I froze on the spot.
Seeing me like this, Dayeon poked my cheek as if she found it fascinating.
-Whoosh.
The chilly wind of the cold storage room made my head ache. I was reaching my limit with this cold.
I desperately wanted to get out of this freezer as soon as possible.
But to do that, I had to once again taste the humiliation and shame from before.
‘Ah, for crying out loud.’
Reluctantly, I squeezed my eyes shut and repeated the earlier tragedy.
“…ase.”
“What was that? You spoke so softly, I couldn’t hear.”
Dayeon put her ear right next to my mouth.
It was a blatant taunt, and self-loathing washed over me.
“…Please.”
“That’s better.”
Only then did Dayeon seem satisfied and returned to her spot. Without hesitation, she opened the specimen case.
She deftly took the item from the specimen’s clenched right hand and immediately handed it to me.
“Here.”
[You have acquired the Display Case Key.]
I numbly took the key.
My mind was still reeling.
It felt like…
I was being thoroughly trained by Dayeon.
The thought occurred to me that there was little difference between me and the frog; we were both just subjects of her training.
As I stood there blankly, the bone-chilling cold snapped me back to my senses.
‘It’s so damn cold…’
If we stayed here any longer, we’d freeze to death for sure.
Now that I had the key, which was our objective in the cold storage room, I hurried towards the entrance.
“Let’s get out of here, quick.”
“As you wish.”
Elated at the thought of escaping this place, I turned the doorknob. But,
-Click.
-Click. Clank.
The door wouldn’t open.
‘…Huh?’
The cold storage room door was locked tight.