Episode 298
Seong Ji-ho could not be said to be very brave, but he was a very slightly rounded person. The proof was that while he had the pride typical of a teenage male student, he was willing to throw away that pride for his own safety. He has no tact and is immature in dealing with people.
There was one little secret that Seong Ji-ho knew.
“…Should I have said this…?”
He still didn’t know how crazy the underworld was. I heard an explanation from Park Da-young and Park Da-hoon, but it didn’t make much sense to me and I didn’t have the presence of mind to understand it. However, I realized it too late, and it occurred to me that this little secret that Seong Ji-ho knew could be quite important in the language school of the underworld.
The secret world is a place where someone’s thoughts, so to speak, are important…
“….”
But why are you being scolded for saying this now?
‘If I escape later… and that crazy guy finds out what I said, I’ll be the only one who gets screwed over…’
Seong Ji-ho was not a good kid, and that was largely due to the influence of his surroundings. My parents who constantly notice me even when I take a breath, and the teachers who scold me for my poor grades. 빈부 격차가 심한 이 학교에서 최하급 배경을 가진 볼썽사나운 개새끼. He was literally like a dog being raised.
Everyone treats you like a student to save face, but the scariest thing for a student is the classmates or seniors and juniors he or she is studying with. If something happens, who will help him?
“…Uhm….”
Nevertheless, Seong Ji-ho continued fiddling with his cell phone.
‘…someone could die because of me.’
When a firefighter named Do-yoon Han showed up with his forehead soaked in blood, and a man named Jae-heon Lee was brought in on a flimsy stretcher, on the verge of death. And I felt it when Kang Min-ah cut off her hand with a hammer, not a saw or a knife. The adults here were doing a lot to protect us.
So, shouldn’t I also have to sacrifice something?
“…If I call you now, are you going to criticize me?”
Seong Ji-ho couldn’t get away from his cell phone.
So that if anyone calls you, you can answer right away.
* * *
In conclusion, it was not until the 7th period that the second floor search team obtained a ticket to use the elevator.
What In-ho Jeong did was simple. Just study hard with the textbook during class and see the teacher often. The teacher monster must have been impressed by the typical student’s attention to class, so he picked up a pen, scribbled something on a piece of paper, and held it out to him.
“Oh, thank you.”
“….”
“Uh….”
Jeong In-ho, who got a piece of paper from the teacher monster who seemed to be in a good mood, blinked as he checked the voucher written in a round font that would have been seen in a kindergarten.
“…?”
It was right after class ended that Jeong In-ho, who had been looking intently at the small piece of paper, opened his mouth.
“Ha Seong-yoon.”
“What’s going on? “If you get a ticket, let’s get out.”
“That’s not it, just a moment…”
Jeong In-ho asked Ha Seong-yoon.
“What was the original ticket like? “What are the conditions?”
“Conditions… conditions?”
“Do you by any chance not remember that?”
“Just wait a moment. I’m not saying that I’m recalling past experiences like you, but that it’s like watching a video of this or that happening. “It feels like I just watched a video, so it’s hard to remember it right away.”
Ha Seong-yoon then opened his eyes and pondered, then immediately nodded.
“…there was, yes. “The conditions were that no more than three people could ride and that you couldn’t go up more than one floor.”
“That’s what I remember too.”
“It looks like the conditions have changed?”
“Would you like to take a look?”
The content written on the paper Jeong In-ho held out was simple.
“Elevator ticket. Up to 5 people can use it on the first floor….”
“The number of floors has not changed, but the number of people has changed.”
“It seems that the conditions can change like this, perhaps because they are written by hand. Do conditions change depending on the teacher monster’s mood?”
“If I feel reasonably good, I can give it to no more than two people. “It’s creepy.”
“First of all, there is nothing bad for us.”
Since several people had to move up anyway, there was no harm in doing it this way, even if the conditions changed immediately. They left the classroom thinking that good things were good things.
Meanwhile, Hong Gyeong-jun and Lee Jae-heon’s team also obtained access rights.
“It’s already 7th period. “First of all, it wasn’t a good idea to escape after school this time.”
“Actually, if things continue like this, I’m worried whether I’ll be able to escape the next time I leave school…” This
was a great achievement for Lee Jae-heon, who was already in poor health and was suffering from memories of his past life, but was able to attend class despite struggling.
“Then shall we go out first? “I think we should tell the other team before they suffer for no reason.”
“That is correct.”
They immediately made a phone call to report this fact and as they headed toward the connecting corridor, they ran into Team Jeong In-ho and Ha Seong-yoon, who were crossing from Building B.
“uh?”
“Uh huh.”
“Uh…”
They blinked as they looked at the vouchers in each other’s hands.
“This… it also happens like this.”
A strange feeling of hesitation fell among the survivors. In order to easily obtain tickets, we entered the classroom into as many teams as possible, but we had no idea that both teams would receive tickets during the same period. In any case, there was no change in the fact that it was good news for the search team.
They quickly gathered in the lobby and settled the situation before the teacher monster arrived.
“I have two passes, so I think I can go straight to the 4th floor.”
“If I want to move right away, I need to call Mr. Kim Ki-jeong, who is on the first floor. Even if it is an elevator ticket that only goes to one floor, if you go up one floor, you have to use it again 10 minutes later… Isn’t there such a conscienceless rule?”
“The underworld has no conscience. What are you expecting? We work with the worst possible situation imaginable in mind. “They might ask you to ride again in an hour instead of 10 minutes.”
“Then, that being said, I need to check on Kim Ki-jeong’s condition. “The reason we were included in the exploration team at Eonhak High School is to listen to the sound, but if it is not in a condition where you can hear the sound, it would be better to place it on the first floor.”
“Then let me make the call.”
Lee Jae-heon nodded in conversation with Hong Gyeong-jun and called Kim Ki-jeong. In response to the survivors’ concerns, Kim Ki-jeong answered their questions in a subtle voice.
-Don’t you think I’m too… too weak? I’m not an unsightly person who can’t do anything even after being placed on the first floor.
“You will have to go straight to the fourth floor. It might be more dangerous that way. When you actually come up, you may change your mind…”
―Since we’ve come this far, we have to do something. I believe you remember that In-ho Jeong and Seong-yoon Ha decided to protect me. It’s really okay as long as you take good care of it…
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
-Even if it’s okay. So, um, can I go up now?
“Yes, we are gathered in the lobby on the second floor, so you can come up right away. “We need to get moving before we run into the teacher monster, so come up as fast as you can.”
-All right.
Kim Ki-jeong hung up the phone and arrived at the second floor lobby less than a minute later. I was trembling and out of breath, perhaps because I was anxious about where I might encounter a monster, or because I ran so quickly, but I had no choice but to admit that it was fast.
Hong Gyeong-jun muttered with an impressed expression on his face.
“If you think about it, you were walking fast when you went to find firefighter Han Do-yoon.”
“If the detective says it’s fast, it’s really fast. Congratulations, Mr. Kim Ki-jeong. “You have a higher chance of survival.”
Jaeheon Lee smiled happily and clapped softly.
“He hears sounds well and has quick feet. Somehow, I thought he didn’t die in the park and was still alive. “I won’t die easily because I have the ability to take care of myself.”
“What is that? Is it a curse? “Are you cursing me now?”
“It can’t be. “I think we should move up faster than that.”
“Are you changing your mind now…?”
“How are the cell phones divided?”
Jeong In-ho responded with a slight smile to Lee Jae-heon’s words, which completely ignored Kim Ki-jeong, who frowned as if he was being wronged.
“As of now, me, Detective Hong Gyeong-jun, Da-hoon, Yoon Gar-ram, and… Kim Ki-jeong?”
“…I handed it over to student Seong Ji-ho. I thought it would be difficult for me to be on standby on the first floor if I brought my cell phone
with me…” “I handed over my cell phone as well, but the fact that you came up so quickly shows that you can hear well, have quick feet, and have the optimal ability to run away. “I feel at ease knowing that if the situation arises, I will be able to escape.”
“…I really…really hate these people….”
Jeong In-ho said, ignoring Kim Ki-jeong, who was mumbling and disgusting.
“It’s a good thing I brought five cell phones just in case. “It’s a bit uneasy because the battery life is so short, but you can definitely communicate, which is very convenient in a complex building like this.”
“Next time, let’s at least bring an auxiliary battery.”
“That’s fine. “I don’t know if it will be taken care of if I take care of it, but…”
Jung In-ho, who was muttering while recalling Kang Min-ah’s completely rotted hammer that he saw at work, soon changed the topic back to normal.
“Then, Garam Yoon and Dahun can wait on the second floor as per the revised plan. “I think we should just go up there.”
“Was the standby team on the 3rd floor made up of the manager and Detective Hong Gyeong-jun?”
Ha Seong-yoon nodded to Yoon Garam’s question.
“you’re right. So you probably remember it, right? “If there is a situation where one of the two… or both of you have to go into the classroom, you must call either Seong Ji-ho on the first floor or one of the waiting group members on the third floor.”
“I remember. We’ll hide from the plaster statue as much as possible, so don’t worry about us and get on the elevator quickly. “Recess will be over soon.”
“be careful.”
Following Ha Seong-yoon’s request, Lee Jae-heon and Hong Gyeong-jun remain on the third floor. Kim Ki-jeong, Jeong In-ho, and Ha Seong-yoon, who were to explore the 4th floor, got on the elevator. The condition of the ticket that Jae-heon Lee’s team obtained was that it could be used by less than 3 people, but the condition of the ticket that In-ho Jeong’s team obtained was that it could be used by less than 5 people, so it was possible.
I didn’t know if I could use both passes in succession, but in case of emergency, I just had to get off for a short time and then get back on, so none of the survivors were too anxious.
The space was tight as five adult men, all of whom were not small in physique, were riding together, but fortunately there was no overage alarm.
“Okay then…”
Ding―.
Arriving at the third floor, the door opened, and Hong Gyeong-jun, who was watching the elevator lights inside, was startled and shouted softly.
“Quickly press the 4th floor… Dammit, get off first. hurry!”
“yes? Suddenly… ah.”
The elevator’s lights were pointing downwards. It meant that there was someone calling the elevator downstairs, and the elevator would soon go down. And the only people in this school who can use the elevator as they please are teacher monsters.
When Hong Gyeong-jun grabbed Ha Seong-yoon, who was coming out for the last time.
bang-!
“….”
“…Huh….”
The elevator door closed so hard that I wondered how that could happen.
“I understand that Eonhak High School doesn’t like me very much.”
I almost got caught between the doors of the elevator and got separated from my upper body and my lower body, or I got dragged downstairs without knowing what was going on and I almost got into something terrible. Ha Seong-yoon rubbed his chest and adjusted his drooping glasses. If it weren’t for the strap, the glasses would have fallen off along with it.
“Actually, I don’t think it’s just about Unhak High School.”
“There are very few beings in the other world that like us, right? “There are abandoned dog monsters, but even that kind of affection is too much of a concept for us…”
Jeong In-ho, who was unable to properly grasp the situation as he was rushing out, looked around and continued speaking.
“…First, we need to decide who will hide and who will take the class. Since only three people can take the elevator to the next floor anyway, we needed some time to get off. “There is no reason to be so confused.”
Class starts in one minute.
“Then Hong Gyeong-jun and I will go in.”
“Are you Jeong In-ho? Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Hong Kyung-jun raised his eyebrows at the sight of Ha Seong-yoon only worrying about Jeong In-ho’s safety, but both Ha Seong-yoon and Jeong In-ho ignored Hong Kyung-jun and continued talking.
“There are a lot of plaster statues here too, so there is almost no space to hide. After all, I don’t have time to talk like this. We’re going to class, so please stay hidden. Do you understand?”
“I understand. Be careful.”
After quickly sorting out the situation, they moved to their respective positions. Ha Seong-yoon, Lee Jae-heon, and Kim Ki-jeong hid under desks and chairs in the lobby, respectively, while Hong Gyeong-jun and Jeong In-ho entered the first class closest to the elevator. It was a very disappointing situation for the preliminary 4th floor search team who were trying to go up to the 4th floor right away.
Lee Jae-heon, who was hiding under the chair, naturally thought of Kang Min-ah, who was hiding in the same situation as me.
“….”
Now that I think about it, what is the identity of these plaster statues?
‘I remember there were almost no such things in the past…’
Although he pretends not to know now, Lee Jae-heon also visited Unhak High School a few times. Students said there were plaster statues all over the school, but there were almost no such plaster statues inside Unhak High School that Jaeheon Lee remembered. I don’t know if he just overlooked it or if it really wasn’t there.
However, what is certain is that the number of plaster statues scattered in the hallway has significantly increased compared to last time.
“I don’t know what this means…”
Lee Jae-heon muttered vaguely, as if sighing, and lowered his head.
‘I should have read it more closely.’
Since it was written by my wife, I read it with some care, but there were some episodes that I skimmed over because I personally found many of them boring or disturbing. In particular, in relation to the school episode, things about this area were one of the parts that Jaeheon Lee skipped over without reading carefully. The more I read it, the more I was so dispirited that I couldn’t help it.
Has a situation like this ever appeared in a novel? A story related to plaster statues.
‘However, since the main character has never visited Unhak High School twice, there is a high possibility that it has never been described at all. It’s not that I didn’t read it, it’s that it didn’t come out.’
In the novel, the main character and his party walk around the shopping center for a while, then cross the bridge to return to the park, and in the process, move to the aquarium. Since the escape monster was also caught there, there was a severe lack of information about the area near Eonhak High School.
“….”
Then, I suddenly remembered what Kang Min-ah said on the phone.
‘Did I tell you what to do if the monsters in the hallway turned into plaster statues?’
I couldn’t hear it through the speakers because it was burdensome to make a loud sound, but Kang Min-ah’s voice was quite loud and even Lee Jae-heon, who was right next to me, could hear it well. And Lee Jae-heon thought that Kang Min-ah’s opinion might be valid in its own way.
But even if that were the case, what about the rest?
‘All the plaster statues here are just body parts.’
A plaster statue with the skull on the left side shattered, leaving only the head intact. A plaster cast of an arm with several fingers missing. A plaster statue with only the lower body remaining and no upper body. There was no plaster statue of a complete human being anywhere.
If these were really the mannequins they pushed down the hallway, where did the rest go?
“….”
Jaeheon Lee sighed.
‘I need to prepare my mind.’
Unknown information meant the failure of this exploration.
He decided not to be surprised if anyone died.
* * *
“No, no, no….”
“Dayoung.”
“What is this really? “This is really weird.”
A sharp saw was held in a trembling white hand. It was one of the weapons Vivian brought with her when she came to this secret world, but Vivian, the owner of this weapon, was not in a state where she could actually hold a saw.
Munsan called out to the student in front of him with tears streaming down his face.
“Dayoung….”
“I’m scared. “I’m really scared out there.”
A student holding a saw dripping with blood might be less scary than anyone else, but no one pointed that out in this situation. Munsan-gun was just crying as he looked at the mess in the mountains.
he asked cautiously.
“are you okay…?”
“I want to live.”
“know.”
“I don’t want to be abandoned…”
Park Da-young bit her lip.
“…I miss Dahun.”
Da-Young Park, who was muttering softly, picked up the saw and soon a slushy blood spattered out. The blood scattered and scattered like light once again covered the already stained floor, showing off its dark color.
“….”
The person who collapsed was Park Da-young.
“…Haaa….”
Munsan-gun, who was left alone, collapsed on the spot.
He didn’t have the courage to run away or find anyone else.
