Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Graduation Photo
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Graduation Photo
My memory after collapsing was hazy.
Still, the absence of a restart message meant I wasn't dead.
I had simply passed out.
I'd been running nonstop since waking up in the classroom, without a proper rest.
The rest I was tasting after all that hardship was sweet. A cozy, warm feeling enveloped my whole body.
I wished this comfortable feeling would last forever.
I relaxed and savored the peace.
"-...ake up."
I heard someone calling from a distance. The voice felt strangely familiar.
If I had my way, I would have stayed like this and slept soundly. But the persistent calls made my eyes open on their own.
"Wake up."
Reluctantly, I pushed my stiff body up.
As I blankly looked around, a strange sense of déjà vu washed over me. Oddly enough, the place I woke up in wasn't the school.
It was a house I'd never seen before.
Just as I was blinking in confusion, wondering what was going on, Dayeon quietly approached.
"If you're awake, get up. I made breakfast, so eat before it gets cold."
With that, she left the bedroom.
My mind was still filled with confusion.
I had a rough idea of what was happening.
'What a weird dream.'
I was dreaming right now.
And a terribly awful nightmare at that.
How much must I have suffered at the school at dawn to be having a dream like this?
'I guess I must have been pretty exhausted.'
I let out a deliberate sigh and left the bedroom.
As I entered the living room, Dayeon gestured to me.
"Over here."
She gently pulled back a chair and sat me down.
The table was set with a magnificent feast.
Tripe hot pot, grilled large intestine, blood sausage, stir-fried sausage.
"...It's all intestines."
The mere sight of it made me want to vomit.
My spoon wouldn't move, faced with a menu that seemed so very considerate of me.
"Eat up."
Dayeon plopped down in the chair across from me.
She clasped her hands and rested her face on them.
In a rather peculiar pose, she stared intently at me.
"Forget it, I don't have time for this."
"Really? That's a shame."
I put down the spoon I was holding.
In an instant, the intestine dishes were covered in blood.
My non-existent appetite vanished completely.
'When the hell am I going to wake up from this crazy dream?'
I stealthily pushed back my chair and stood up.
Dayeon stared at me blankly.
For a fantasy born from my subconscious, it was unnecessarily detailed.
"Is something wrong?"
"You bet there is. I have to escape the school."
"But this isn't the school."
"That's because this is a dream."
Dayeon looked around as if fascinated. The house's interior was simple but neat. It looked like a place Dayeon might live.
"Heeh, so this is a dream? I didn't know."
"If you get it, then get me out of here."
"I don't know how, either."
Dayeon shook her head back and forth.
This was a dream, and the girl before me was a temporary being born from fragments of my memory.
Even this communication was just an illusion I had created myself.
So she didn't possess any omnipotent powers.
"Then how do I get out of this damn dream?"
"Want me to punch you? Just say the word."
"...I'll pass."
First, I slowly looked around the house. There was a front door that looked blatantly like an exit.
"Should I go out that way?"
"Probably?"
Would I wake up if I went out that way?
I hoped so, but as I started walking toward the front door, Dayeon suddenly stopped me.
"Leaving a lady behind so coldly. You're a bad boy."
"I can't help it. This is just a dream."
"Even so, you shouldn't run away alone. Something terrible will definitely happen."
Dayeon muttered something meaningful. She subtly moved next to me and walked by my side.
"Promise you'll never abandon me."
Dayeon held out her pinky finger.
What is she, a kid? Did she really want to make a pinky promise?
"Alright, fine."
"Then link pinkies."
"Do we really have to do something this childish?"
"I'm not letting you go until you do."
I was amazed by Dayeon's stubborn insistence. I had no choice but to extend my finger.
*Thump.*
The world swayed haphazardly.
In an instant, my vision became a jumbled mess.
"Jin Dayeon?"
I frantically looked around beside me.
Strangely, Dayeon had vanished without a trace.
Just as I was reeling in confusion,
my vision went black before I could do anything.
**
"...ake up."
Someone was shaking my body roughly.
They poked my cheek and tapped my head.
"...Stop it."
"Ah, he's awake."
And just like that, I escaped the dream.
After checking on me, Dayeon dusted herself off and stood up.
"If you're awake, get up. I made breakfast, so eat before it gets cold."
"...Don't talk nonsense."
"Yeah, I was bored, so I thought I'd joke around."
For a moment, I was terrified.
I thought I was in a dream within a dream, and my heart sank. I calmed my racing heart and looked around.
"The science lab...?"
The place I woke up in was the science lab.
If I remembered correctly, I should have passed out after getting out of the air vent.
"Oh, that. I actually moved you."
"You moved me?"
"Yeah, you were a little heavy."
Dayeon dusted off her hands and rummaged through her pocket. She handed me something squishy and soft.
"What is this?"
"It's a liver."
[You have acquired a Liver.]
The message that popped up as if in confirmation made me jump in fright. I almost screamed.
"If you're going to give me something like this, give me a warning..."
"Really? I'll keep that in mind."
I carefully examined the liver Dayeon had given me.
It was definitely the item for the anatomical model.
"By the way, where did you get this?"
"It was a gift for solving a puzzle."
"A puzzle? What puzzle?"
Dayeon explained what had happened.
From what she said, it seemed she had solved the puzzle at the air vent exit by herself while I was asleep.
"Wasn't it hard doing it alone?"
"Well, it was manageable. I'm used to being alone."
She stopped talking and glanced at me.
She looked like she wanted something.
Was she asking for praise for solving the puzzle all by herself like a good girl?
"Well, good job. You worked hard."
"Yeah."
Dayeon nodded silently.
From the look in her eyes, she seemed satisfied enough.
But she seemed a little different than before.
Normally, she would have taken the frog out of her pocket and been playing with it. But now, for some reason, she was just standing there quietly.
"What happened to the frog?"
"I don't know, it disappeared."
Dayeon's tone sank faintly.
I guessed something must have happened while she was solving the puzzle.
The frog probably died around then.
I didn't ask any more about the frog.
I quickly changed the subject.
"So we got the liver and the intestines."
"Yeah, we've collected all the necessary parts."
I examined the anatomical model lying motionlessly.
Excluding the heart and lungs that were already inside, the remaining body parts were the liver and the intestines.
"If you're ready, let's put them in."
First, I inserted the liver into the anatomical model.
*-Click.*
The hot, squishy liver slid into the empty space and settled in as part of the body.
It became an organ of the anatomical model, along with the heart and lungs. Now there was only one spot left.
"Next, the intestines."
The intestines were all twisted and long, so just bunching them up in one place was a chore.
As I untangled the intestines, the intestine-themed menu from my dream suddenly came to mind.
It made my stomach churn for no reason.
*-Click.*
I quickly shoved them inside the anatomical model.
The string of intestines began to squirm on its own. It seemed to be functioning normally.
"Is it done?"
At last, I had filled the anatomical model with organs. The sight of its exposed insides was truly grotesque. The various organs moved on their own, each in its designated area.
*Plop.*
The anatomical model's left eye swelled up and then popped out.
The eyeball rolled onto the floor.
A faint light glimmered from the empty eye socket.
[You have acquired an Eyeball.]
[You have acquired the Annex Room Key.]
[You have acquired Ink.]
For once, items came pouring out.
The most noteworthy item was the key.
"Annex Room Key?"
"It's the room right next door."
Dayeon pointed insistently to the side.
Thankfully, it was located nearby. But the name "Annex Room" was strangely unsettling.
"The Annex Room."
Unlike the teachers' office, art room, or science lab, it was a classroom I'd never been to before.
I was anxious, wondering what could be hidden inside.
"We'll find out when we go in."
I cautiously left the science lab.
I headed to the next classroom, worried the security guard might appear.
"Here it is."
Dayeon pointed to a classroom. The sign clearly read 'Annex Room'.
First, I used the key to unlock the door.
*-Clank.*
[You have used the Annex Room Key.]
Just as I was about to enter the Annex Room, my memory of the science lab resurfaced.
'I'm not going to die the moment I walk in, am I?'
The precedent set by the anatomical model made me hesitate to open the door. To prepare for any unforeseen disasters, I took out the diary.
I currently had two bottles of ink.
It wouldn't hurt to use one now.
[Your journey so far has been recorded.]
I worried I might be wasting ink, but given the circumstances, I had no choice.
If I died like in the science lab, I'd have to reassemble the anatomical model from the beginning.
I'd rather die than do that again.
The squirming organs now made me shudder.
So, saving was absolutely the right thing to do.
Only after double-checking that the save was successful did I mentally prepare myself.
I took a deep breath and placed my hand on the Annex Room door.
"Alright, I'm opening it."
"Okay."
*-Creeak.*
I slowly opened the door to the Annex Room.
I focused my senses, watching for anything that might jump out, and stepped inside.
A scene unfolded that was rather unfamiliar for a school.
"Why is it so empty in here?"
"Maybe the school was short on funds."
Except for a large table in the middle, the room was mostly empty.
Furthermore, a frighteningly large camera was sitting on the table.
"A camera?"
"There's a notice here."
Dayeon tore a piece of paper off the wall.
Hoping it would be a clue, I read the notice.
[Graduation Photo Session Guide]
[All students are to have their graduation photos taken on the designated date. If you are unable to attend the photo session, please immediately-]
The rest of the sentence was torn off.
If you're going to say something, finish it.
It was as frustrating as a movie cutting off before the ending.
Still, I roughly understood what it meant.
It was telling us to take a picture with that ridiculously large camera.
"I'll take your picture first. Sit down."
Dayeon was already standing in front of the camera, fiddling with its parts.
I was worried she might break it.
"Do you even know how to take a picture?"
"Nope, but I figure if I press a few buttons, it'll take one on its own. No need to worry."
I couldn't help but worry.
I tried to show her how to use the camera, but Dayeon stubbornly refused.
In the end, I stood in front of the camera with an anxious heart.
"Okay, I'm taking it."
Dayeon stood behind the camera, gesturing wildly. She must have seen it done somewhere.
"Okay, say cheese."
"No-"
*-Click!*
The camera flashed before I could finish my word.
A flash erupted from the shutter, momentarily illuminating the entire room.
My eyes, exposed to the intense light for a moment, stung.
"All done."
Dayeon waved her hands from behind the camera.
A moment later, a piece of film came out of a machine attached to the side of the camera.
After a few seconds, a picture appeared on the film.
An image of my upper body gradually materialized.
"This came out pretty well."
"I think it only looks that way to you."
In the photo, I was caught with my mouth open, as if I were saying something.
The picture didn't come out right because Dayeon talked to me while taking it.
My face was clearly visible on the film.
It felt a little awkward to see my own face, something I didn't often look at.
'I'm not bad-looking, am I?'
Just as I was critiquing my own appearance, the film shimmered and something was drawn over it.
Two black lines were etched diagonally across the top of the film.
...It was a funeral portrait.
"Of course."
There was no way a picture taken in the school at dawn would be a normal one.
With just two black lines, the graduation photo had transformed into a funeral portrait.
"We can use this picture when you die."
"Forget it. This is a bad omen, I'm tearing it up."
*-Riiip!*
I tore the funeral portrait in half.
It was better to eliminate any future trouble, since I didn't know what might happen if I left it as it was.
I tore the film into small pieces and threw it away.
In that instant, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my neck.
'Huh?'
A pain like being pierced by a needle surged from my neck. Then, my skin tore open.
*-Riiip!*
My flesh and muscles tore along with it, spraying the room in a shower of blood.
A few muscle fibers that hadn't snapped held on, leaving my head dangling.
Then, with a snapping sound, the bone was ripped out and my neck was turned inside out.
My head, torn clean off, was ripped to shreds, sending fragments flying everywhere.
Unrecognizable bits of flesh and blood soaked the discarded film on the floor.
...Whether by coincidence or not, the me in the photo was also torn to pieces.
[You have died.]
[Restarting from the last checkpoint.]