Chapter 78
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Monster Tale Specialist Office: The Invisible Person (13)
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Boyoung, who had been listening to the story with her arms crossed, finally shouted out.
“This time you went in as a pair!?”
“No… but this time, we took the route you told us about and came back safely. No danger at all.”
“You’ve both lost your minds.”
Hearing that they’d gone in again even after getting scolded once, Boyoung wasn’t even angry anymore—she was just dumbfounded.
“I’m telling you, it really was safe.”
Woli said, almost like she was making excuses. Boyoung debated whether to get mad or not.
“It’s not just about the way in being dangerous. The problem is barging in when there might be suspicious people around. Though, what’s the point of me worrying about someone who climbs over school walls…”
Boyoung just let out a deep sigh.
At least this time they’d used a safe route, so it was somewhat better.
“Whew.”
Boyoung didn’t like it, but she decided to let it go for now and move on to another topic.
“So, that’s all? The important stuff?”
“Uh, yeah. She said she’d tell us who the invisible person is and why if we figured it out, and basically just told us to go ahead and try.”
Woli didn’t mention what happened after that. Escaping without getting caught had been a big deal in its own way, but since they’d made it out unscathed, that was that.
“Anyway, nothing else happened… and yeah, that seems like solid progress.”
Thinking about it, all those posters and notes were just for conversing with the other side. But it irked her that they’d snatched the most exciting part.
“Why did it have to happen when I wasn’t there…”
It was more than disappointing—it was infuriating.
“Why didn’t you call me for something that fun?!”
Boyoung glared at Woli.
“I couldn’t help it. Seol suddenly said she wanted to go in.”
Woli glanced at Seol. Seol was still nodding off drowsily. Boyoung looked at Seol, who seemed almost comically out of it, and said.
“That makes me even madder!”
Boyoung narrowed her eyes.
“I went through all that trouble yesterday.”
“Thanks to your hard work, we got to talk to the invisible person~”
Woli offered what wasn’t quite comfort. Boyoung slumped her shoulders, conceding the point. A meeting with the invisible person might end up meaningless if Boyoung couldn’t uncover anything.
“Phew, anyway, next time something fun comes up, call me, got it?! I’ll head back to class for now.”
Boyoung said with a sigh. Woli nodded.
“So, you’re going to check out that last person today?”
Woli asked. Boyoung nodded.
“Yeah, I was planning to go alone, but since it’s like this, let’s all go together!”
“…You’re just taking us along so you don’t miss out on the fun this time, right?”
“Of course!”
“Got it, I’ll tag along. Guess we have to keep her sleeping then.”
Woli said, looking at Seol.
“Yeah, make sure she’s fine until after school.”
Boyoung said with eyes full of genuine regret. Still, she had a feeling that keeping this lucky friend close would get them right back to the heart of the incident.
* * *
Seol, who had been dozing the whole time, thankfully seemed better now that after-school hours had arrived.
“Ugh… How do Taeju oppa and Sia unnie pull all-nighters…”
Seol shook her head vigorously. Her sleepiness hadn’t fully worn off yet.
“You really can’t handle drowsiness, huh? Even though your stamina’s good.”
Woli said, puzzled.
She wondered if someone who lived by the sun—up at dawn, asleep at dusk—would naturally end up like that.
“Anyway, you’re okay now, right?”
Boyoung asked with suspicious eyes. Seol nodded. Boyoung cautioned her.
“Keep your wits about you. This is important.”
“Got it.”
Boyoung summarized the info she’d gathered.
“Okay, to recap: name’s Oh Youngmu, two years older than us, and none of the alumni remembered him. Even his classmates only went, ‘Oh, was there someone like that?’ after seeing the photo. So basically, no one remembered him at all.”
“So he was completely ostracized…”
Boyoung nodded.
“That could mean the whole class was involved as perpetrators…”
Boyoung trailed off. Even so, no one remembering him at all felt a bit off.
“But if really no one knew him, then people weren’t deliberately bullying or ignoring him.”
Boyoung added that it wasn’t right for someone to be ignored, but still.
Woli recalled something and said.
“From what I heard him say, it seemed like he kind of wanted that situation himself, at least to some extent.”
He’d said he wanted to disappear. Who knew how much was sincere, but on the surface, at least, that’s what it was. Seol nodded too.
“He told Woli, but if school was a nightmare for him, there’d be no reason to hide there of all places. No one wants to hide in a place full of awful memories.”
People usually want to flee to where they feel safest.
It was Taeju’s guess, but Seol agreed.
“Like a hikikomori…?”
Boyoung said, still not quite getting it.
“A hikikomori hiding at school instead of home? Where’s that ever heard of?”
None of the three had ever heard of a hikikomori who didn’t want to leave school. But the current situation could only be explained that way.
“Someone hiding in a place where no one remembers them…”
Boyoung furrowed her brow.
“By the way, his name was Youngmu?”
At Seol’s question, Boyoung nodded.
“Youngmu… sounds common but not really… Not my taste in names.”
Woli said it was an ambiguous name.
“Not exactly impactful, sure. Compared to yours.”
“…Don’t rag on my name so much…”
“You started it?? No, we don’t have time to waste on this!”
Boyoung steered the derailed conversation back on track.
“Anyway, once you have a name, there’s a ton you can dig up from there.”
“Like, did you get the address or something?”
Woli said casually.
“…You guys know me too well.”
After experiencing far crazier things, even this barely surprised them anymore.
“Yeah, I got the house address. So, I was gonna ask…”
Boyoung said that and looked into their eyes. Then she smirked.
“I’m crazy, but you two are right there with me. No second thoughts about going?”
“Nope.”
“None.”
* * *
“But is the address accurate?”
At Woli’s question, Boyoung shrugged.
“You should’ve checked before we left. And no, I don’t know if it’s exact. He might’ve moved after graduation.”
“And his mom’s passed away.”
Seol asked with slightly sad eyes at that.
“That must’ve been tough.”
Boyoung nodded heavily.
“Makes you think maybe school felt more comfortable than home, so that’s why he’s there.”
“If being ignored at school was more comfortable, what the hell was home like…”
Boyoung nodded at Woli’s words.
“That’s what we’re here to check.”
The three felt their moods grow a bit heavier.
“There it is.”
Boyoung said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. Woli and Seol followed her gaze to the building.
“It’s rundown.”
Boyoung chuckled at Woli’s offhand comment.
“Property values are higher than you’d think, though…”
But yeah, it was worn.
“Whatever, price isn’t the issue. How do we get in?”
Woli naturally scoped out the apartment’s front gate.
“Looks like they added this later.”
Something not there originally would have gaps. Woli scanned around, then opened a window by the central entrance hallway, tossed her bag in.
The sensor detected the bag, and the door opened. Woli slipped in naturally and grabbed her bag again.
“What’re you waiting for? Come on in.”
“No, I was gonna try the intercom…”
Boyoung stared at Woli’s natural moves—like she’d done this a hundred times—with eyes full of odd fascination.
“Uh, no, the place I used to live had doors that opened like this.”
Woli made excuses after realizing her slip, but it was too late.
“Hmm, even so, jumping right into it is way too smooth. You’re not actually a burglar pro, are you?”
Boyoung joked, but Woli had a guilty spot and just played dumb.
“What’re you talking about? Let’s head up.”
Woli hurried upstairs.
“…That’s not her first time, is it?”
Boyoung asked Seol suspiciously.
“No… Ahaha, probably not…?”
Seol replied in the most awkward tone. Boyoung nodded.
“Yeah, figured.”
“Hey! What’re you doing back there?!”
Woli yelled when no one followed.
“Coming!”
Boyoung said with a smile.
“Hit the button! Fourth floor!”
* * *
They strutted confidently to the door, but no one answered the bell. Woli said.
“Doesn’t seem like anyone’s home?”
“Yeah. It’s a weekday, so I figured it might be empty.”
Boyoung said regretfully. Seol echoed the disappointment.
“Would’ve been nice if someone was here…”
“No helping it.”
Woli shrugged.
“Guess we could check the management office, ask if anyone by that name ever lived here?”
While Boyoung suggested that, Seol absentmindedly turned the door handle. Bizarrely, it turned easily.
“It’s open?”
“What?”
The two gawked at the door.
“No way it’s open? Did you do something?”
“Uh… I turned it, but it just… opened…”
The three faced a new dilemma.
“…Should we go in?”
Boyoung pondered deeply. Entering someone’s home without permission was a crime.
“Normally, no.”
Woli hesitated too. But she knew they might have to if necessary. So they agonized.
“But why is it open in the first place?”
Back when locks were manual, forgetting to lock was possible.
But in this era of auto-locks on every door, leaving it unlocked by accident made no sense.
“Dunno. Probably left it open on purpose… Hmm…”
Boyoung groaned, clueless.
“So, are we going in or not? Decide!”
“Uh… well, it’s not that simple…”
As the three bickered in front of the open door, ding—the elevator arrived.
Meaning someone from this floor was back. No time to hide—the doors slid open.
The three, who’d been chattering loudly, went dead silent in an instant.
“What’re you doing in front of my house?”
The man stepping out saw his open front door and the three high school girls mid-conversation in front of it.
He stared at them in bewilderment.
Seol quietly released the handle she’d been holding and said.
“Uh… well…”
At that moment, all three thought the same thing, just with varying intensity.
‘Oh shit.’
‘…We’re screwed.’
‘Fucked…’