Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Is there any better way to describe our current situation than this?

“S-sorry… I’m really, really… sorry…”

Seo Seyeong’s face had gone deathly pale as she swiped the card key over and over in front of the emergency exit. She was desperately swallowing the sobs that kept trying to burst free. She had already reached the limit of terror; every last ounce of her will had shattered. Even Park Jocheol, standing beside her, seemed to sense that there was no hope left. He dragged a rough hand down his face and let out a shaky breath.

Is this really the end?

Truly?

I stared quietly into the cloud of fire-extinguisher powder where the monsters’ shadows prowled. Thanks to the creatures’ ceaseless pacing, the artificial fog Park Jocheol had created still lingered.

“……”

I lifted my hand and looked at the calluses deeply etched into both palms. In all the years I had lived, had there ever been a single moment when my future was any clearer than this hazy white mist?

Born an orphan, bullied my entire life, barely scraping together enough independence only to spend every day begging for scraps. A bitter existence. The monsters threatening me now? Even without these rotting beasts hunting me by scent, my path had always been littered with countless obstacles.

“Not yet.”

I whispered the vow so softly that no one else could hear.

Even in a harsh, unforgiving life, I had never given up. I had survived this far. If feeling the threat of death was what people called a crisis, then I could proudly declare that I had overcome far worse.

“It’s not over yet.”

The words were a desperate act of defiance. Choosing to give up, sitting down and accepting defeat—that would be the true end. Throwing away any possible breakthrough or choice would be the same as denying everything I had endured until now.

“Huuu…”

My breath trembled along with my bloodless lips. My heart hammered wildly, and my limbs—parts of my body I had always thought belonged to me—shook like leaves in a gale.

I bit down on my lip to steady myself. The bitter taste of blood rose on my tongue, but I ignored it.

Thump.

Words carried power. A mysterious strength that defied common sense. The moment I muttered that it wasn’t over, the knot in my chest exploded and a small spark of courage bloomed, illuminating the endless dark. A feeble flame that might die at any second. But it was enough.

I took one step forward. The messages floating left and right no longer mattered. I simply focused on understanding my surroundings and the situation in front of me.

The fire-extinguisher powder was slowly thinning. The monsters’ shadows had grown calmer. The choices available to me were limited. And the best thing I could do right now was…

Bang!

“Ah…!”

I didn’t hesitate any longer. I sprang forward, leaping into the fog. Behind me, Park Jocheol and Seo Seyeong let out startled cries, but I had no time to look back.

It was definitely here.

The moment I moved, my mind cleared. What I was looking for was the right card key to open that emergency exit. And in my memory, there was someone on this first floor who had exactly that.

It was around here.

The scene before the monsters appeared flashed through my head. The pot-bellied middle-aged man who had tried to break the glass door and ended up smashing his own hand with the fire extinguisher. He had definitely been wearing a red employee ID—the kind only executives could have—around his neck. The image of him being slammed into the wall by a monster’s swinging arm was still vivid.

—Grrrk…?

Beyond the blurry visibility, I heard the monsters’ growls. But I found the middle-aged man’s corpse a fraction faster than they found me in the fog.

I’m sorry.

The man lay dead near the lobby entrance, eyes wide with terror. I ripped the ID badge from his chest without hesitation and sprinted back toward the other two without looking back.

—Kyaaaaah!

As time passed, the powder that had blocked our vision began to settle. The monsters were starting to regain focus and lift their heads. I hurled the badge with all my strength toward Park Jocheol, who still stood in front of the emergency exit.

“Jocheol! The card key!”

Park Jocheol’s silhouette flinched at my voice, then reached out in my direction. And then—

Apparently people aren’t meant to die that easily.

“Siin, hurry!”

—Kieeeeeek!

Park Jocheol’s urgent shout and the monster’s screech echoed through the lobby at the same time. In that instant every monster’s head snapped toward the emergency exit. I vaulted over the information desk and dashed straight through the door.

The monsters charged. The door was still open.

“Uaaaah!”

Park Jocheol hurled the fire extinguisher at the leading monster. A heavy thunk rang out. When I glanced back, I saw the creatures losing their balance and tumbling over one another in the narrowing gap of the closing steel door.

We raced up the stairs before the monsters could smash through the emergency exit. A short while later we reached what seemed to be the quietest floor. We searched for a safe place and found an untouched room at the end of a hallway.

“Did they pass by?”

It was a tiny voice that would have been hard to hear under normal circumstances. But with my senses sharpened by tension, even that whisper came through clearly.

Creeeeak…

At Park Jocheol’s question, I carefully opened the door and checked the corridor. Only an eerie silence and the brief, distant echoes of unidentified screams answered.

“It looks… like they did.”

“Haaaa…”

Park Jocheol ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exhaled the breath he had been holding, as if his neck had finally relaxed, and rubbed his dry face. Or rather, it wasn’t dry—his whole body was drenched in sweat. As the tension finally eased, my vision of the surroundings slowly returned. A small refrigerator in the corner, a tea table, a coffee pot, and a bowl of hard candies caught my eye.

A break room…?

Lucky, all things considered. In a sudden crisis like this, food was more important than anything. We had no idea how long we would have to hold out, so preserving our strength was—

Hm? Why am I so calm?

A strange feeling washed over me. Only moments ago I had been high-fiving the boatman on the river of the afterlife, fleeing just before the reaper called my name three times. As long as my heart was still beating and my emotions were alive, staying this composed felt far more abnormal.

“Um… are you okay?”

Park Jocheol’s sudden question made me set those complicated thoughts aside. Of course, his concern was directed at Seo Seyeong rather than me.

“…Yes.”

Seo Seyeong slowly lifted her head. She was trying to pretend she was fine, but her face was still ghostly white. Seeing her body still trembling made my chest tighten with pity.

“Huu…”

I opened the break-room refrigerator, both to ease the tension and to restore some energy, and took out a small purple can of juice. A grape drink with a touch of carbonation. When you’ve burned through stamina and stress, nothing beats sugar.

“Drink this.”

But she seemed to lack even the strength to take it. She simply stared blankly at my hand. She was clearly still in a panic. How could I help her… Hmm.

Psst. Click.

“They ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠say grape or orange juice is great after exercise.”

I carefully opened the can and placed it in her hand. If I didn’t know what to do, it was better not to overthink it. Just do what I could.

“…Thank you.”

She eventually began to sip the drink cautiously. Seeing that, Park Jocheol also drifted over to the refrigerator. He looked at me and opened his mouth.

“Um… can I have one too?”

An unexpected question.

“…Why are you even asking?”

“I don’t work here?”

He wasn’t wrong. Still, the serious expression on his face as he worried about technical theft in a situation like this was almost comical.

“If you’re drinking, grab one for me too.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once I spoke, Park Jocheol rummaged through the cabinets and brought out drinks along with several snacks. And so, without another word, our meal that wasn’t really a meal began. For a long while we simply stuffed our mouths with snacks and drinks.

Some time later, Seo Seyeong was the first to open the door to conversation.

“…I couldn’t say it properly earlier because everything was so chaotic, but thank you. I survived because of both of you.”

“Ah.”

I gave a slightly bitter smile at her words. It was true that I had saved her, but the reason I had run toward her wasn’t some noble desire to rescue a person. I had assumed she would have the VIP emergency-exit card key. She had simply been the smartest choice for my own survival.

But.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it too much.”

If I had been even a little farther from her, would I have made the same decision? The thought that it had all been luck gnawed at me. Just as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an uncomfortable sense of guilt began to rise—

A faint illusion of starlight seemed to sparkle above our heads. The moment the message disappeared, the fatigue that had built up vanished like a lie.

“Whoa, my body suddenly feels refreshed.”

“Me too… How about you, Siin?”

The bewildered voices of Park Jocheol and Seo Seyeong reached me. But what caught my attention wasn’t them—it was another message.

The word “ranking” jumped out at me. And the messages that followed… The sudden game-like system made the grip I had managed to keep on reality slip away again.