Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Cat Doll
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If you really want it.
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We were just stepping away from the entrance.
We went down the right hallway and entered the nearest room. An unusually large space greeted us. I was a bit taken aback.
“Is this the master bedroom?”
“...Probably.”
I stared blankly at the room's interior. It was bizarrely spacious, even for a master bedroom.
Is this also an effect of the paranormal phenomenon? Wary of what might pop out, I began to search.
[It's a soft bed. The covers are neatly folded.]
[It's a desk. It's spotless, without a speck of dust.]
Just as you'd expect from Ju-hee's house, it was neat and tidy. As I was checking the drawers, I found a photograph.
[You have acquired a Family Photo.]
It was a picture of a happy family of three, standing with an amusement park in the background.
It was obvious who the smiling seven-year-old in the photo was.
“Han Ju-hee, I guess.”
The younger Ju-hee looked exactly the same as she does now. Except for her expression, which was the complete opposite of how she looks at me.
Looks like she went to an amusement park when she was little.
I pocketed the photo and rummaged through the drawer, but there were no other items to be found.
“Find anything over there?”
“Yes.”
Dayeon, who had been leisurely looking around the room, pointed to a wardrobe. It was an ordinary wardrobe, the kind you’d find in any home.
What on earth could be inside?
I cautiously approached the wardrobe. Dayeon whispered slyly.
“Be careful.”
“...Don’t try to scare me.”
What in the world is in this wardrobe?
The door wasn't locked. All I had to do was pull it open.
Still, my hand wouldn't move. Dayeon’s warning made me hesitate.
A ghost isn't going to pop out the moment I open the door, is it?
I hesitated for a long time. Then Dayeon sidled up to me with a mischievous smile.
“What, are you scared?”
“It’s your fault.”
Even though I’d saved before coming into the house, I couldn't help being scared.
My survival instinct was fiercely trying to control my actions. But I had no choice.
I swallowed hard and was steeling myself when the wardrobe rattled.
“Shit!”
For a moment, my heart dropped. Startled, I scrambled backward.
“Oh my.”
“I’m just gonna stay like this for a bit...”
I naturally clung to Dayeon’s back. I couldn't help it.
I was on the verge of dying from a heart attack and needed something to lean on.
From behind Dayeon, I watched the wardrobe. I hadn't imagined it.
The wardrobe had definitely rattled. There was something inside.
“Scared?”
“...Not really.”
“You look scared.”
Dayeon smiled faintly. Then, without a hint of fear, she strode toward the wardrobe.
“I’m opening it.”
“Wait, just hold on a second.”
“Hup.”
“Wait—!”
Ignoring my protests, Dayeon threw the door open without a moment's hesitation.
*Creeeak.* With a loud groan, the wardrobe swung open. At last, whatever was inside revealed itself.
“...What the.”
I was a little dumbfounded when I saw what it was.
Inside the wardrobe was something completely unexpected.
“Han Ju-hee?”
...It was none other than Ju-hee.
Ju-hee, the one we had been searching for, emerged from the wardrobe. She was curled up in a ball, hiding as if her life depended on it.
But she was not in good shape. Her face was pale, and her whole body trembled, her expression a mask of pure terror.
It was clearly serious. Her unfocused eyes just stared blankly into space.
Moreover, she wouldn't even meet our gaze. It seemed she had lost her mind after encountering such an unreal paranormal phenomenon.
It was certainly understandable.
I thought I was going crazy when I first met the security guard at school, too.
I tried to speak to the trembling Ju-hee in the gentlest voice I could manage.
“Hey, look at me.”
“...”
Ju-hee didn't answer. It was as if she couldn't even hear me. Instead, she just curled up and trembled violently.
Her body wouldn't stop shaking.
It was like watching a character from one of those horror RPG Maker games with the blue monster.
That's how bad of a state she was in. Contrary to her usual feisty self, she seemed infinitely small.
As I stared at Ju-hee, I noticed her lower body was soaked.
...I didn't need to be told what it was. It was a clear sign of her current state.
“What should we do?”
“I don’t know.”
Dayeon gently tapped Ju-hee on the shoulder, but there was no response.
Ju-hee was completely lost in her terror.
“We need to calm her down first.”
“How?”
“Hmm, maybe we can find some kind of sedative if we search the house.”
Ju-hee had always been a meticulous and thorough person. She would surely have all sorts of supplements, including a first-aid kit, stashed somewhere in the house.
To bring her back to her senses, we had to find that medicine somewhere in this house. But leaving this room so rashly was a problem.
“...I think one of us should stay here and watch Ju-hee.”
She was completely defenseless. There was no telling what dangers might befall her.
Leaving her alone was like leaving a child by the water.
Therefore, one of us had to stay by her side and protect her.
It went without saying who that would be. I immediately called Dayeon over and gestured to the entire room.
“Wait here with Ju-hee. I’ll do the searching.”
“Are you sure? You won’t be scared on your own?”
Dayeon asked with a worried tone. It wasn't her usual teasing; she was genuinely concerned.
I wondered what had gotten into her, but it only meant the situation was that serious.
There was no telling what lurked in this house. Death was just as close.
That’s why.
If someone's going to die, it's better that it's me.
It was far better for me to search the house than to lead Dayeon to a pointless death.
As I was about to leave the master bedroom, an item popped into my head. I immediately took it out of my inventory and handed it to Dayeon.
“Here.”
“What is it?”
“Gym clothes.”
The item's name was ‘Jin Dayeon's Gym Clothes’.
[Jin Dayeon's Gym Clothes]
【Girls’ school gym uniform. A name tag with ‘Jin Dayeon’ is attached.】
It was one of the first items I obtained when I was trapped in the school at dawn.
I hadn't had any use for it, so it had just been taking up space in my inventory. But now, I had finally found a purpose for this stolen good.
“I'm going out. Get Ju-hee changed into these gym clothes.”
Ju-hee was not in her right mind. It was questionable whether she could even walk properly.
Figuring she should at least change her clothes, I pressed the uniform into Dayeon’s hands.
“I’m counting on you.”
“You want me to change her into my gym clothes?”
“Yeah.”
Dayeon stared at the gym clothes in her hand, then tilted her head.
“But why do you have this?”
“...I found it.”
Feeling an unidentifiable, burdensome gaze on me, I deliberately looked away.
But Dayeon didn't scold me. She just sidled up to me and whispered in my ear.
“What did you do with this?”
“I didn't do anything.”
But she didn't seem to believe me at all. A faint smile on her lips, Dayeon spoke softly.
“How was it?”
“What are you even talking about...”
“Heeey, are my gym clothes not enough for you anymore?”
What on earth did that mean?
I really didn't want to analyze it.
“Well, just let me know anytime. You can even take them secretly.”
Dayeon flashed a grin. I tried my best to ignore her and prepared to leave the room.
Unlike at school, I was alone now, and I had no idea what lurked out there. I had an inkling that this would not be an easy journey.
I should probably save before I go.
I sought out Dayeon and slowly extended my hand. She looked at me with wide, surprised eyes.
“You need it already? What are you planning to do while I’m gone?”
“...It’s not like that.”
“If you really want it, I can give you what I’m wearing right now.”
Dayeon smiled playfully, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. She often joked like this, but right now, it felt particularly provocative.
Still, I suppressed the rising frustration and maintained my composure.
“Stop talking nonsense and give me your hand.”
“Okay.”
[Current progress has been saved.]
With that, all preparations were complete.
There had been a lot of trial and error leading up to this point, but...
Anyway, I left the master bedroom to explore Ju-hee's house on my own.
“Alright, I’m going.”
“Take care.”
Dayeon waved as if to see me off. It was just a simple farewell, but it gave me a little strength.
I stepped out of the master bedroom. As soon as I opened the door, a gloomy, scary, creepy, and eerie hallway welcomed me with open arms.
Hmm, maybe I should just go back.
The urge to live surged through me. But I had no choice but to go.
I forced my creaking legs to move. I took the first momentous step to save Ju-hee.
So, where should I go?
I glanced around.
A long, dark hallway stretched out before me.
Still, unlike the pitch-black school, the lights were on here, so it was brightly lit.
That's a bit of a relief.
Just the fact that my surroundings were bright cut my fear in half.
First, I walked straight down the hallway. At the end of it, a kitchen appeared.
“The kitchen?”
Bewildered, I was about to step into the kitchen when a plate on the table suddenly fell.
CRASH!
The sharp sound filled my ears.
“Shit!!”
My heart leaped into my throat. I clutched my pounding chest and gasped for breath.
“What the hell, scaring me like that...”
I nervously approached the source of the sound. The plate had fallen to the floor, shattering into countless pieces.
One of the shards glinted in the light. Careful not to cut myself, I reached out.
[You have acquired a Plate Shard.]
A plate shard.
I hadn't expected it, but even something like this was treated as an item.
Of course, its use was a mystery.
What was I supposed to do with this? It was so sharp, it seemed only useful for cutting paper.
For now, I put it in my inventory for later and continued to search the kitchen.
[It's a humming refrigerator. There is nothing inside.]
[The cabinet is empty.]
[The cabinet is empty.]
[The cabinet is empty.]
[It contains all sorts of cooking utensils. One spot is empty.]
I was checking the cooking utensils in a kitchen drawer when I felt a sense of unease.
“The kitchen knife is missing?”
Ladles, whisks, potato peelers—all the usual utensils were there, but the kitchen knife was conspicuously absent.
The scene felt awkward, as if the knife had been intentionally removed. Come to think of it, I'd seen a kitchen knife in my last playthrough.
It was a kitchen knife that the strangely changed Ju-hee had used to stab me in the stomach.
Is that why?
The empty space in the drawer was strangely unsettling.
I was wondering if the knife had been discarded somewhere else when I heard it.
Thump, thump.
Faint footsteps echoed from the hallway. I quickly noticed and held my breath.
I perked up my ears, focusing on the hallway. The footsteps continued.
But they were strangely light for footsteps. It was as if they weren't human.
A chill ran down my spine. The pounding of my heart echoed in my head.
‘It's coming...’
The footsteps grew closer and louder. Soon, they were right outside the kitchen.
What on earth was the source of this sound?
I watched the hallway anxiously. Before long, someone appeared in the kitchen doorway.
And I couldn't hide my shock. A completely unexpected being had appeared.
A size that would make you faint on sight, a face that was both cute and adorable, and fluffy fur that looked like you'd sink right into it if you touched it.
A monster beyond my wildest imagination had appeared in the kitchen.
“...A doll?”
...It was a cat doll.
The cat doll toddled toward me.
...clutching a kitchen knife in its right hand.
[Found you.]
In the blink of an eye, the doll was right in front of me. It was so fast I didn't even have time to react.
Stab.
The kitchen knife plunged into my stomach.
“Gack...!”
With its stubby, cotton-stuffed hands, the doll brandished the knife wildly.
Stab, stab, stab, stab.
It diced my stomach at an unnatural speed. Crimson blood gushed out like a fountain.
It was an unbelievable speed for a stuffed doll. The very fact that a doll was moving was bizarre in itself.
The cat doll climbed on top of me, continuing to thrust the blade, and...
“Goddamn it...”
With the agonizing pain of my organs being twisted, my vision went black.
[You have died.]
[Restarting from checkpoint.]