Episode 350
The management office located near the main entrance to the apartment was a three-story building, but it was blocked by a transparent wall to prevent anyone from going up. Even though you can clearly see the stairs leading upwards, you cannot use them.
“Well… the only thing we wanted to see was the management office anyway.”
“I’m glad there’s nothing to see on the second floor.”
Woo Joo-young responded to Kim Ki-jeong’s words.
“Well, I don’t often go above the management office of my apartment complex.”
“Is Woo Joo-young’s management office also a three-story building?”
“It’s not the third floor, it’s the second floor, but honestly, I don’t even know exactly what’s up there. It’s not a place I often stop by in the first place, and even if I have to run an errand, it’s all handled at the management office on the first floor…” “
That may have been reflected in my thoughts.”
Even if they could have gone up anyway, they wouldn’t have searched the second or third floor. Clearly, Jaeheon Lee said, ‘Dangerous monsters usually exist in spaces that are not used often,’ and we haven’t even confirmed the Keyring Monster’s whereabouts yet, but wouldn’t it be a big deal if he got hurt already?
“Just look at the management office and leave.”
“Overall, the buildings in the underworld are… a bit eerie.”
“Really.”
Woo Joo-young and Kim Ki-jeong opened the door to the local office and entered, showing off their well-matched skills.
“….”
“….”
And then my eyes met the mannequin monster sitting at the office counter.
Kim Ki-jeong muttered as if he was being squeezed.
“…I said I wouldn’t attack…”
“But if we, who don’t live here, just wander around, wouldn’t they attack us?”
“eww.”
Kim Ki-jeong made Oh Man-sang in response to Do-yoon Han’s needless speculation. As someone who was secretly timid and afraid of getting hurt, Han Do-yoon’s words made him feel extremely anxious. Kim Ki-jeong naturally took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands.
However, it was true that the management office was more likely to have correct information.
“…Let’s see if we can make sense.”
As Lee Jae-heon confirmed with the abandoned dog monsters in the park, among the monsters in the other world, there were those who could communicate through conversation or gestures. Although those with experience lamented that all the mannequin monsters at Eonhak High School looked like something…
“This is an administrative office.”
“That’s right, the office staff are service workers, so they may be kinder than other monsters.”
“I think it’s possible because we’ve created a channel for communication.”
While they were talking, Han Do-yoon, who was the most anxious, raised one hand and stepped forward.
“Then let me give it a try!”
And the problem was resolved in 10 seconds.
“…?”
“??”
“What is it…?”
The only thing Han Do-yoon did was bring up room 1201 in building 119 in front of the mannequin monster, but before he could finish speaking, the monster at the counter quietly handed him a newspaper and documents. It was a document that briefly summarized the newspaper that covered the incident regarding No. 1201 and the details of its subsequent handling.
Han Do-yoon, one of the group who was suddenly kicked out of the management office, blinked and said.
“It seemed like he was in a bad mood when he saw me… the monster in the office.”
“We felt it too. So, I was waiting by the door to escape if I had to.”
“But I didn’t know it would be resolved like this.”
Seeing Do-yoon Han’s dumbfounded expression, Garam Yoon smiled slightly and opened his mouth.
“Rather than a clear feeling like hostility, I just felt like Han Do-yoon was a nuisance. “As soon as I checked Han Do-yoon’s clothes, the mood calmed down, so maybe he’s reluctant to become a firefighter?”
“No, what did I do…?”
Even though he muttered as if he was unfair to Yoon Garam’s words, Han Doyoon diligently checked the newspaper handed over by the monster. Woo Woo-young checked the remaining documents.
After hanging around in front of the management office building for a while, they came to a conclusion.
“Definitely um yes. “I think there was a fire accident.”
“I see. “I guessed it, but it feels really strange…”
Firefighter Do-yoon Han’s expression also became more subtle.
The newspaper was so crumpled and had dents and burns here and there that I couldn’t check all the details, and the document was only one page and oversimplified, so I couldn’t tell the full story in detail, but I was able to get a rough idea of the situation with that little bit of information.
“Could that monster really be the dead child’s thoughts?”
There was a family, and the mother in that family committed an affair, and when she refused to see each other further, the affair partner, out of revenge, set fire to her house. Seeing that the word ‘deceased’ appears in the middle of the newspaper, it seems clear that someone has died…
“You said the keyring monster had the shape of a child at first, right?”
“That’s right, it was barely big enough to cover my legs. He was such a kid. In reality, there is no child with arms so long that they can jump rope with just their arms like a keyring monster, but…”
“Yes, yes, anyway. “If this is the case, wouldn’t it really be a monster created from the dead child’s thoughts?”
Han Do-yoon’s expression sank even further at Woo Woo-young’s response.
“….”
“Mr. Han Do-yoon.”
“I feel a little… so.”
“I understand. “It’s something that makes us feel strange even when we see it.”
“…Let’s go first.”
Han Do-yoon couldn’t help but look at his complex and subtle expression and went to room 1201 where he was previously imprisoned. Climbing up to the apartment building itself wasn’t difficult if you took the stairs, so it was easy to get there.
Yoon Garam, who was holding the handle of the apartment fire door, glanced at Doyoon Han.
“…Are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s okay. are you okay. “It’s really okay.”
“A strong positive is a strong negative.”
“Are you firm? But it’s really okay.”
Garam Yoon nodded with a gentle smile, and Han Do-yoon slightly turned his head as if he was a little offended by his gaze. Even in my own opinion, I can’t say I’m in a very good state.
“…But don’t leave me behind….”
“Well, what should I do?”
“Ah, please take me with you.”
“….”
“I’m sorry.”
“Since you apologized quickly, I will accept it.”
When I opened the door after a trivial conversation.
“….”
“….”
Instead of the expected 12th floor hallway, a 4th floor hallway appeared.
The number ‘4’ painted in sparkling gold right next to the elevator door caught my eye.
“Hmm.”
Garam Yoon muttered in a soft voice.
“What kind of harmony is this?”
Kim Ki-jeong thought she seemed angry.
‘…Well, you were close to Lee Jae-heon.’
Kim Ki-jeong and Han Do-yoon did not usually talk much with Lee Jae-heon, and perhaps because of that, they only felt shock, sadness, and anxiety when they heard the news that ‘Lee Jae-heon and Kim Yeon-woo fell into a sinkhole and were left behind.’
On the other hand, it was obvious that Yoon Garam, who regarded Lee Jae-heon as more than a leader and was relying on him, was burning black inside.
‘Besides, I’m also an expert at ignition, so I thought I’d be able to deal with the keyring monster well in room 1201… or find some good clues about the sinkhole, but things went awry. Well, it’s useful to be able to manage your facial expressions as well as I can.’
As if it were a prank, the 4th floor was shown instead of the 12th, so it was no wonder that Yoon Garam got angry at this situation where there was no answer.
“Hmm….”
Kim Ki-jeong went down the stairs a little and checked the floor number.
“…It’s the 4th floor. It’s the 4th floor, but…”
It didn’t really seem like they were moved from the 12th floor to the 4th floor.
“What kind of bullshit is this?”
“yes? Why, what happened… wow.”
Woo Joo-young, who followed Kim Ki-jeong down, let out an exclamation.
“Is this a sign that doesn’t work?”
If they were really on the 4th floor, the middle of the stairs should have been marked as [4/3], but surprisingly, the place Kim Ki-jeong and Woo Joo-young checked was marked as [4/0].
“…What does floor 0 mean?”
“It’s more ominous because I feel like I know what it is.”
“Ha…”
Woo Joo-young, who closed his eyes tightly with a resigned expression and went down the stairs for a moment, came back up again in just 10 seconds, shaking his head from side to side. Kim Ki-jeong couldn’t hide his curse from that bitter expression.
“Fuck.”
“We can’t go down.”
“Fuck…”
I couldn’t go down, which meant I couldn’t leave this apartment building.
“Wow, I’m going crazy!”
Han Do-yoon smiled cheerfully and clapped, but no one thought that the smile was sincere. This was because Do-yoon Han was as anxious as Gar-ram Yoon, who wanted to quickly get Jae-heon Lee back.
“Then what? “Can you climb up this?”
“Wait a minute…”
Yoon Garam, who had headed upward, said as he soon came down.
“I can’t go.”
“Hey, I’m bored.”
“I really think the only way is to go to the 4th floor.”
“By any chance, it’s on the 4th floor…”
Do-yoon Han groaned at the fact that he had won a number that was considered ominous and had the same pronunciation as ‘death’, and Joo Woo-young, who had come up before he knew it, calmed him down.
“It’s okay. I guess we were caught up in the rules of the apartment… If we just think about the timing, I think the trigger was the management office finding out about the key ring monster. Anyway, if there are rules, there is a way out, right? “I think we can solve it.”
That’s right, the strange thing about this world is that if there were rules, there were also loopholes to escape from. Seeing this, Jaeheon Lee called it ‘bad taste’, but since they were in that situation right now, he was just thankful.
The true Han Do-yoon sighed and said at Woo Woo-young’s words.
“Thank you for your correct words.”
“What.”
“Then I really need to check the fourth floor.”
Among them all gathered together with a shocked expression, Garam Yoon grabbed the handle again and pushed it, and Garam Yoon, who went inside first, continued to hold the door and spoke to the rest of the group.
“Just in case, it would be better if one person stays.”
“Ah, then I…”
The moment Kim Ki-jeong, who remained on the stairs, nodded.
“―Huh?!!”
Cradangtangtang!
Kim Ki-jeong was pulled forward as if someone had grabbed him by the collar. It was natural that Kim Ki-jeong, who was corrupted by the sudden and strong force, was thrown around on the floor.
“What what what what?!”
“Mr. Kim Ki-jeong…!”
Garam Yoon hurriedly helped Kijeong Kim up.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, no, no. There are no injuries. thank you.”
“I’m glad that’s true, but…”
Yoon Garam muttered, looking around.
“…There’s a big problem. The door is gone.”
“No, damn it, what are we going to do if the emergency stairs disappear?”
Woo Woo-young cursed the rules of the apartment building where he disappeared and left them in the hallway on the fourth floor.
“These bastards really…! The operation is really rude! “If you operate like this, everyone will run away, you bastards!”
“You only hit people who can run away, Mr. Woo Soo-young. “We can’t even run away now.”
“Uh, uh uh huh ….”
After all, he patted a space on a bear and Yun Garam said.
“Seeing as they even dragged Kim Ki-jeong into it, it seems like a show of force that we should all explore this place. “It’s such childish behavior that we feel like they’re playing a prank on us.”
Kim Ki-jeong, who had been looking around at Yoon Garam’s barbed words, soon hardened his face.
“….”
“…Mr. Kim Ki-jeong? What’s wrong?”
“…Uh…”
Kim Ki-jeong muttered, unable to answer Do-yoon Han’s question and looking blank.
“…Room 403.”
“yes? ah? omg.”
The number written on the doorplates on both sides of the hallway was 403.
“It’s not No. 1 or No. 2… They both have the same lake. Does this mean that no matter where you go, you find the same space?”
“Haa….”
Kim Ki-jeong continued with a long sigh.
“I think I know what this is doing.”
“Really?”
“…I feel really bad, but…”
Hesitantly, Kim Ki-jeong approached the front door and naturally pressed the door lock keypad. After a total of 6 electronic sounds were heard, the sound of the door opening spread throughout the hallway. Kim Ki-jeong opened the door of room 403. It was opened.
Kim Ki-jeong said awkwardly as he saw his companions looking at him with surprised eyes.
“…I think it’s the house I lived in when I was young.”
“….”
The other party members also understood Kim Ki-jeong’s words.
This was a place where someone’s past was forcibly revealed.
(Continued in the next part)
