Episode 292:
Regardless of whether or not there is a final boss at Unhak High School, an overall exploration centered around the art room was necessary at least once. If there really is a final boss to escape from within the art room or the language school, even if you don’t kill him right away, you will have the luxury of knowing a way to return to reality, and if not, it will give you the confidence that you don’t have to stay near the school anymore.
Of course, given the level of difficulty, Lee Jae-heon himself was planning to join in, but…
“Are you crazy?”
“Speak kindly, Assistant Manager Jeong.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“I’ll give you extra points because you put in the effort. But don’t you think you’ve become a lot more arrogant these days?”
“You have to sound like a horse…”
“How did we become so comfortable with each other?”
Lee Jae-heon continued to complain, but Jeong In-ho was resolute.
“Are you going to go to school in a cold sweat just by taking a breath?”
“There’s nothing that can’t be done, right?”
“Why on earth did you think that…?”
In response to Jeong In-ho’s absurd reaction, Vivian slowly raised her hand and Lee Jae-heon nodded.
“Our Survivor team members have a good habit of raising their hands and using non-verbal expressions whenever they speak. “Okay, say it.”
“Thank you for your positive reception. “I heard other people raise their hands every time they talk… Anyway, that’s not what I was trying to say. Wouldn’t it be okay for Lee Jae-heon to come in too?”
“Young friend speaks beautifully.”
When Lee Jae-heon was pleased with Vivian’s remarks, Kang Min-ah asked cautiously.
“May I ask why you thought that way…?”
“Well, wouldn’t there be a higher chance of survival that way?”
A large student with his arms crossed spoke.
“Although Jae-heon Lee will be in more danger, I think it is necessary if it increases the overall survival chances of the search team members who entered the school.”
“But the manager is not feeling well.”
Vivian nodded at Ha Seong-yoon’s words.
“I know, but… shouldn’t we just keep them on the first floor?”
“Only on the first floor?”
“Anyway, they said that in order to escape after the 8th period, each section would need people on standby. If they wanted, they were willing to take the students with them on the condition that they stay on the first floor as well. So, isn’t there a need to exclude Lee Jae-heon, who is an adult and a skilled and experienced person?”
Ki-Jeong Kim nodded at Vivian’s opinion.
“Me too… I don’t think it’s that bad.”
“Even Kim Ki-jeong…”
“No, it’s not like we’re going to force Lee Jae-heon to go. “I’m only speaking on the condition that it’s what I want…”
Kim Ki-jeong, who hesitated, continued.
“…It may sound selfish, but if someone who is skilled in the underworld like Jaeheon Lee joins the search team, that alone is reassuring. And you said that this kind of mental composure is important in the underworld. “Students may also join us, so it’s good to have someone who is good at handling it.”
Han Do-yoon sensed something in those words and asked with his eyes sparkling.
“Ki-jeong, will you join the search team?”
“….”
“Conductor Kim Ki-jeong?”
“…Oh please! Don’t stab me in the side! “Then what’s wrong?”
“It’s because it’s fascinating.”
Although he said it was amazing, the emotions revealed on Han Do-yoon’s face were pride and satisfaction. For some reason, Lee Jae-heon felt a strange sense of déjà vu because it was an expression that could be heard saying, ‘I knew it would be you!’
‘A long time ago, at the park, Hong Gyeong-jun also had a misunderstanding like that…’
Kim Ki-jeong must have guessed Han Do-yoon’s thoughts, and his pale and skinny face turned bright red.
“It’s really not that big of a deal… but no… it’s…”
“You can calm down and talk.”
“…I can hear pretty well these days.”
Ki-jeong Kim rubbed his face and muttered softly.
“You said you would do the exploration two or three times if necessary, but I… I hope it can be done once, if possible. To do that, it would be important to quickly understand a wide range….” “
Well, there’s nothing better than sound in that regard. “It would be a big help if you could tell us the sound of a monster walking.”
“And perhaps because my mind has become more relaxed, I can focus better on even small sounds. “If only there was someone who could protect me… I would like to join the search team.”
Ha Seong-yoon smiled and nodded at Kim Ki-jeong’s words.
“Then I am grateful. “If you have someone who can hear you well, it will be much easier to avoid danger.”
“…Oh, doctor, are you going in too?”
“I’m thinking about it. “Other people can learn first aid, but if we have medical personnel involved, we will be able to respond quickly if someone gets hurt.”
After saying that, Ha Seong-yoon’s eyes landed on Lee Jae-heon.
“So… do you really want to go?”
“I will only be on the first floor.”
“haha.”
Ha Seong-yoon, who was fiddling with his earlobe, slowly nodded.
“Actually, if it’s only up to the first floor, it won’t be too much of a burden.”
After that, opinions were divided among the survivors for a long time, but in the end, it was confirmed that Lee Jae-heon would join the exploration team. To be honest, Jaeheon Lee thought, ‘Why should I be on the agenda of a meeting like this?’, but the results were good, so I decided to move on.
The investigative team that was set up in this way includes Kim Ki-jeong, a police officer who will listen to sounds and identify danger, Hong Gyeong-jun, who learned how to protect someone, Kang Min-ah, and Yoon Gar-ram, who will have basic skills and Jeong In-ho. Ha Seong-yoon, a medical worker. And there were Lee Jae-heon, Park Da-hoon, and Seong Ji-ho, who were each keeping their seats.
“…I should have gone to the pharmacy once.”
“suddenly? why.”
“Because you never know what will happen inside Unhak High School. “My wounds aren’t going to heal anyway, so wouldn’t it be nice for the pharmacist to have a good business if I could buy dozens of medicines at the pharmacy with peace of mind?”
“You keep talking nonsense because you’re sick, so please do it in moderation.”
“But the real emergency medicine….”
Park Da-hoon strongly grabbed the shoulder of Lee Jae-heon, who was complaining about Ha Seong-yoon’s facial expression.
“No.”
“…Dahun?”
“I said no, mister.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Even if you get hurt, you will receive first aid from a doctor, so please do not do anything and just stay on the first floor.”
“No…”
Around that time, the last episode of the previous episode appeared in Lee Jae-heon’s mind. This is what happened when they force-fed fruit to Park Da-hoon and locked him in the bathroom.
“…All right.”
There seemed no need to stimulate a chick who was already mentally unstable.
‘Well, when I think about it, it’s worth grabbing.’
Of course, if it had been team members in the past life, there would have been no need to forcibly imprison them, and they would have just said, ‘Hey, come out!’ and let them live, and they would have said, ‘Oh, don’t worry,’ and hid well, but this isn’t the world of the past life, right? I was very offended by the chicks who didn’t even know how to be grateful when I saved their lives, but I decided to endure it.
“He’s really only on the first floor.”
“I said I understand…”
If Park Da-hoon had found out, I really thought he would have grabbed me by the collar.
* * *
In the previous episode, where Jung In-ho, Yoon Garam, and Vivian participated as an exploration team at Eonhak High School, Jung In-ho managed to save all the survivors and escape from the school. This meant that there were no plaster monsters wandering around Eonhak High School.
“I was worried, but I’m glad.”
“It’s quiet.”
“Because I came to class on time.”
After learning that the vegetable garden was a good shelter, the survivors used both the hill behind the school and the vegetable garden as a shelter. Azalea, kindergarten students, and Do-yoon Han were all stuck in the garden growing crops in advance, but the survivors who remained on the hill behind the school had no choice but to learn something because Eonhak High School was nearby.
For example, things like the class bell or the dismissal bell. Currently, the search team deliberately came in at the start of the fourth period class and inspected the inside of the school.
“…There won’t be a teacher monster coming all the way down, right?”
“As far as I remember, there was no monster teacher who went all the way down to the first floor and looked for students. “I think you only need to be careful when the teacher monster moves from the grade room to the second floor.”
After saying that, Jeong In-ho looked around the search team and said.
“Are you all well dressed? Especially Ji-ho and Da-hoon….”
“They even wore their jackets well. Do not worry.”
Among the school rules, there was also a rule that one must dress neatly. In cases where it is not a school uniform, the rules seem to be applied based on the attire worn when first entering the school, but it was an uncomfortable situation for the search team who had to run around when necessary.
“If you just roll up your sleeves, the teacher monster might come after you. Because the school rule itself is to dress neatly….”
“And teacher monsters are especially harsh on those who break the school rule.”
“Can you simply describe it as ‘pale’ when you make an intact human skull look like crushed apples? Anyway, I think we should be careful if possible.”
Ha Seong-yoon nodded at Lee Jae-heon’s words and adjusted his doctor’s gown. I got a lot crumpled and dirty as I walked around, but as long as I wore the same clothes I had when I first came in, it didn’t really violate the school rules, so the teacher monster didn’t come.
They gathered in front of the school map again and quietly exchanged stories.
“Like the students said, the art room is on the 4th floor.”
“It’s the 4th floor… I don’t know if I can get up there in one go.”
“The third floor has a music room and a library. “The second floor has a science room and… oh, a health room?”
Kang Min-ah asked, touching her lips.
“Was there originally a health room on the second floor?”
“Ah ah… your health room was originally on the second floor.”
“Obviously, the school structure itself hasn’t changed much.”
Jeong In-ho blinked at student Seong Ji-ho’s answer.
“The small hallways and lobby structures have changed slightly, but the basic classroom locations seem to be the same. “It’s completely different from our company, which had become like a maze.”
“Even my hospital. The structure has changed quite a bit… I’m not sure if this is a unique characteristic of Unhak High School. “I don’t know if it’s unfortunate or fortunate.”
“For now, shouldn’t we consider it fortunate? “At least the students will know where everything is in the school, so their chances of survival will be higher.”
“Well, it’s better to think positively.”
In-ho Jeong and Seong-yoon Ha finished their light talk and looked back at the search team members.
“Do you all have cell phones?”
“The battery is almost dead.”
As it was the only place where communication was possible, the use of cell phones was an important factor, but there was no way that all cell phones that could not be charged for that long would survive. Among the cell phones that were barely turned on, I brought with me the ones that still had a lot of battery left, but there were only four.
“great. 1st floor team, raise your hands.”
“…Do you really have to do that?”
“First floor team?”
“Huh.”
At Jeong In-ho’s call, Lee Jae-heon and Seong Ji-ho, who had noticed him, raised their hands. Jeong In-ho, with a creepy smile befitting the protagonist, nodded and continued speaking.
“2nd floor team?”
“Me.”
“…Haa….”
This time it was Park Da-hoon and Hong Gyeong-jun.
“Then the third floor team.”
“It’s us.”
“Us~.”
Next, Kang Min-ah and Yoon Garam.
“And the fourth floor team is us.”
The final 4th floor team was In-ho Jeong, Seong-yoon Ha, and Ki-jeong Kim.
“If possible, I would advise you to hide in the hallway, but if the situation is not conducive, both of you should go into the classroom and wait for help from another floor. “You need an elevator pass to go up anyway, so you have to take the class, which is the only way to get it.”
“However, in this case, you must contact the team upstairs or downstairs before entering the classroom. When you enter the classroom, a number appears on your wrist depending on your individual condition, and if that time reaches 0, something bad will definitely happen.”
Since there was no plaster monster in this episode, Ha Seong-yoon and Jeong In-ho could only explain it this way. Lee Jae-heon looked at the middle-aged chicks’ incredible efforts with deep satisfaction.
“Then let’s go up. “We will find a place to hide on our own.”
“Well, we should go before it’s too late.”
The survivors, who had been relaxing in their own way, such as taking slow deep breaths or stretching, climbed the stairs and soon reached the halfway point.
“…?”
“Uh…?”
I’m stuck.
“…ah.”
Jeong In-ho, who was looking at the blocked air, realized something. At first, it was possible to enter a connected space even if there were no people waiting, but that beginner’s benefit seemed to have disappeared.
“Wait a minute.”
“Boss?”
“Please come out for a moment.”
When Lee Jae-heon pushed Jeong In-ho and stepped gently, unlike him, Lee Jae-heon was able to move to the top of the stairs. The quick-witted survivors realized that the search team that had visited Eonhak High School once before could not climb up here without someone’s help.
“Huh.”
In a situation that was blocked from the beginning, the expressions of the search team members quickly turned sour.
