The Void in the Penthouse
“Haha. Of course I knew.”
“Hmph. Whatever.”
A sulky voice. Even if it was forced, the tone was cold.
Whoa, this is awkward. We shared some good memories, after all.
From my perspective, that was over half a year ago!
“By the way, Ji-soo, did you always live in Neulbom Villa? I thought you were in Noryangjin before. The layout was completely different. Did you move recently?”
They say a woman’s grudge can bring frost even in June. Even a light joke could be unwelcome to a sharp mind.
At my attempt to change the subject, her chin, which had been held high, suddenly stiffened.
“Well… I started an internship this time.”
“Oh, congratulations. Is the company around here? What a coincidence that you moved right into the villa where I live.”
The proud chin from moments ago was nowhere to be seen. Now she hung her head, fidgeting with her fingers as if she couldn’t find the words.
Hm?
“Got something to hide? Did you fall for me at first sight and stalk me here?”
“Yes…”
“…Yes?”
Good thing I wasn’t drinking anything, or I would’ve spat it out.
Unbelievable! The life of a popular guy.
Well, over my long years, plenty of people have fallen for the charm of Jinjo Lee Han.
For Ji-soo, who had been living an ordinary life, it must have been soul-shaking.
Maybe showing off was a mistake after all!
“N-no, no. It’s not like that. I don’t have feelings for you or anything.”
She shot me a look of contempt as I smirked, then let out a heavy sigh.
Hmph. Denying it won’t help.
“My job is to follow you around, Lee Han.”
“???”
“I got hired at the Hyeonhwi Group.”
Ji-soo, the former unemployed shut-in, at the Hyeonhwi Group?
Whoa, shit. That’s possible?
I’ve never heard of… wait?
“Don’t tell me…”
“Yes… I’ve been assigned to the Anomalous Phenomenon Management Department. Former team leader.”
The Anomalous Phenomenon Management Department. Hyeonhwi’s secret division, unknown to the public.
There are no mere interns who get slotted into such a secret organization like spare parts.
Intern in name only—basically a pre-regular employee!
Of course, if it had been a fair competition… timid Ji-soo would have had almost no chance of being selected. But this was a special disaster recruitment for victims who had witnessed the other side of the world.
The Anomalous Phenomenon Management Department is an excellent workplace with good pay.
…Of course, there’s the minor issue that the salary includes life hazard compensation.
“Don’t tell me the one who gave that order was…”
Even through her hanging hair, I could see her tightly shut eyes.
“The chairman personally summoned me and ordered surveillance under the pretext of managing a special entity…”
“…”
Yena.
Did you really distrust me that much…?
“I’m sorry. If I had any shame, I should have refused… I’ve already received so much help. Even so, calling a retired ability user a special entity and monitoring them… The chairman went too far.”
It’s not exactly that kind of problem.
“You seemed quite close to the chairman, so I thought it would be fine. But that’s just my excuse. I’ll tell the chairman that this really doesn’t feel right.”
“Then we should leave here for now, right?”
“Yes…! Fighting…!”
Her tightly clenched fists looked ridiculous, but if it gave her strength, so be it.
Still, better than the way she looked back in the Venus Flytrap anomaly.
I looked up.
The lights, which turned on by detecting human movement even without windows, all clicked off at once.
In that darkness, only the signboard glowed brightly at the midpoint between the stairs.
If I accepted the sign’s violent claim, then the place we stood was the 36th floor.
“More like an apartment than a villa. And a very modern apartment’s emergency stairs at that.”
“Not just modern. It’s an apartment targeting quite wealthy people.”
“Ah… Is that so? Haha. I’ve never been wealthy, so I wouldn’t know.”
She scratched her cheek awkwardly.
Oops, did I sound too critical?
“Then, would you like to experience it?”
“Huh?”
I grabbed her wrist and pulled.
The lights, sensing movement, clicked back on and illuminated us.
I grasped the closed door handle.
“W-wait a second!”
“When else would you get to look around?”
“What if it’s an anomaly playing tricks?”
“Ji-soo. You trust me, right?”
“No! Absolutely not! Not at all!”
“That’s a shame.”
Watching her relieved face, I flung the door open anyway.
“H-hieeeep… Mmph!”
“Be quiet. You dirt spoon Ji-soo might not know this, but in luxury apartments, you’re not supposed to shout.”
“Mmph!!”
Tears welled slightly at the corners of her eyes as she glared at me.
“What?”
“…”
This person is definitely insane.
Jung Ji-soo couldn’t understand.
That day, after being offered the internship at the Anomalous Phenomenon Management Department, about a month had passed.
She had received brief but sufficient training and was beginning to feel a sense of mission about the job.
Chaos disasters.
She had heard until her ears hurt about the dangers of anomalies that constantly sought human lives.
In a situation where one should be extremely cautious, what on earth did this man find so amusing that he was smiling?
“Ji-soo, stop being scared and open your eyes. Look ahead.”
A sparkling marble corridor filled her vision.
The bright lighting made the glitter seem even more extravagant.
If only it weren’t black and white.
The colorful corridor, stripped of its hues, stretched long on both sides centered around two elevators.
And at the end of this plaza-like hallway stood a grand door.
“Black and white? That’s odd. Ji-soo, don’t misunderstand—wealthy people don’t prefer black-and-white interiors. This is an anomalous phenomenon.”
Like hell I would, you jerk!!
“Haha. I’ve seen enough. W-wow. It’s really sparkling! So, um…”
She tugged at my sleeve.
“Let’s go back quickly! It looks suspicious at a glance!”
“How do we go back?”
“We just need to go back up the stairs!”
“What if Hulk is waiting in front of the door?”
“Hulk?”
What was that?
“You don’t know the Hulk? Since Grandpa turned into something like the Hulk, it’s Hulk.”
“…”
The sight of him chuckling alone, covering his mouth with his hand, was utterly absurd.
Did this man seriously think that was funny?
“Then go back to the stairs and wait.”
“Ji-soo. Since you’re now working at the Anomalous Phenomenon Management Department, I’ll say this out of concern.”
He walked steadily inward.
“Anomalies don’t wait for us. The moment we entered the anomalous phenomenon, the tug-of-war between that thing and us began.”
“…”
“So if you only look for the easy path, you’ll just get eaten.”
Of course, as a former team leader, he would know better than someone like me… but the seniors at the Anomalous Phenomenon Management Department had said the opposite.
“The easy path and the safe path are different.”
“Right…”
Had he read my mind?
It was a little embarrassing.
Yeah, there are many civilians in Neulbom Villa. Even as an intern, I can’t just run away because I’m scared.
Even a retired person is trying this hard.
At times like this, he really seems like a mature adult. Strange.
“…I’ll keep that in mind. So you were acting with a sense of responsibility, Lee Han.”
“No? I’m just trying it out.”
Ding-dong.
KYAAAAA!
When did that guy get all the way over there!
Cancel, cancel.
He’s clearly just a dopamine-addicted LoL addict!!
“Who… is it?”
Why! Why is there a reply!!
A ghost? A monster? An anomaly? Hiyaaaaak.
“I came from the management office.”
“…We don’t know anything.”
“The fire alarm went off. I’ll just check once and leave.”
“…”
Creak.
The door opened.
Surprisingly, it could communicate?
Right, the seniors said that even with anomalies, as long as you follow the rules, it’s fine.
Don’t be scared…
Hieeeek!
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing!
Gathering courage, I looked up through the door gap. Where a human figure should have been, there was only a black shape, as if someone had scribbled it.
No, perhaps noise.
No, perhaps distortion.
A form kneaded, ground, and crushed from a person dyed black.
In other words, pitch black. That is… void.
Void. Void. Void. Void. Void. Void. Void. Void. Void. Void.
“I’ll just check inside.”
Red…
No. Lee Han had hidden me behind his back.
My heart pounded wildly.
Ha, haha. What was that just now?
Right. Black-pitch-black-darkness-void-void-void.
“Stop. Ji-soo. Don’t think too deeply. Just follow behind me.”
“Y-yes.”
Grabbing the hem of Lee Han’s shirt, I followed him in a daze.
What I saw earlier…
No, no. Don’t think about it, Jung Ji-soo.
Think about something else.
When we opened the door and entered, a palace-like house appeared.
Hoo, hooowaaah. Can a house be this big?
Next to a large TV hung a warm family photo.
One wall of the spacious living room was made of floor-to-ceiling glass reflecting the outside.
Huh?
Even in a black-and-white world, there was no mistaking this.
“In the room… a child is sleeping. No need to check there.”
“Ah, yes. Understood. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Trying my best to turn my gaze toward the house, that shape-shape-shape-shape-shape!!!!!
Smack! My right hand slapped my own cheek, the sting clearing my mind.
Perhaps this was the proper reason God gave humans the sense of pain.
As we left, I felt a persistent gaze following us.
It was like a masked role-play.
The homeowner, claiming to be from the management office, did not stop Lee Han from parading a suspicious woman through the house.
Lee Han, pretending to be from the management office, tried to act as “normal” as possible in this suspicious situation.
Creak. The door closed as it saw off the guests.
“May fortune be with you.”
Thud.
With those incomprehensible words.
Hwaaaaaah.
The strength drained from my legs, and I slid down the wall, collapsing to the floor.