episode_0055

“Where did Yui go?”

“Senior left for a moment because he had to meet someone.”

Sister Sohye placed a black envelope on the desk. While I was waiting for my sister to return, I quickly took out the ice cream from the bag.

“I think I will buy it…”

I took a big bite of melon-flavored ice cream. Why did the air conditioner break down in this hot summer?

“Sihyeon, should I make it a little colder?”

“Please, Arin…”

As I hugged Arin, whose body was getting colder, the heat disappeared even a little. I really wouldn’t have been able to survive without Arin. 39 degrees is too much…

“You can’t fix that air conditioner right away?”

” Reservations are so backed up that you have to wait 2 weeks…”

“Hey, it looks like you have a lot of work to do.”

Sohye is always wearing thin clothes, but doesn’t it get hot? Judging by the feel, taste, and everything else, you must be hot too…

“Huh? I don’t really care about the heat. It’s okay as long as it’s not cold.”

“…Sister, can you honestly read my thoughts?”

“Sihyeon is too simple.”

My sister and Arin also took out ice cream from the bag and started eating it. I’m used to two people eating together now, but it still feels a bit strange.

“Ha-yoon, aren’t you going to be able to come out today? I wish I could find some way.”

Is it because Hayun’s mother, unlike Arin, doesn’t have a body? It would be nice if there was a way to fix the loss of strength when away from home for a long time.

“Senior and Grandma Sohyeon are looking into it… I’m sure there must be a way.”

“You two are capable, so you will definitely find it.”

“Sihyeon, someone is here.”

Naturally, my eyes moved to the door. If there is anyone looking for a club right now, would it be Yui-senpai? Have you finished all your errands?

“It’s okay, so come in.”

The first person to come in was, of course, a senior, but there was one more person behind him. Stooping, slightly hesitant and lacking confidence…

“Excuse me…”

The person who came inside was, of course, Ye-eun, whom I saw last time. I said there was something I wanted to consult with my senior, so was that why he went to see me?

“Well, there are other people gathered…”

Ye-eun’s gaze swept across the room and looked straight at her older sister. I said I saw Arin last time, but I wonder if I see my sister too…

The senior brought out a chair and Ye-eun sat down and bowed her head. The way he kept looking around as if he was anxious was like seeing a scared puppy.

“That woman over there, you must have seen me, right?”

“Hi! I didn’t see it, Crown Prince!”

Prince’s ear.

As soon as he said those words, the air in the room became heavy. I just looked at my sister, but how did I recognize her identity…?

“Hey, you know it well.”

“Actually, should I say that I don’t know very well? No, I don’t know completely, but should I say that I know a little bit in detail… I was wrong…”

Yeeun, you talk faster when you’re embarrassed…

“Sohye, please don’t scare me. I brought you here because I said there was something I wanted to discuss today.”

With the intervention of her senior, Ye-eun breathed a sigh of relief when her older sister stopped glaring at her.

“As Yui said, I came today because there was something I wanted to discuss…”

She stopped mid-sentence, held on tightly to the black skirt that covered all of her legs, and opened her mouth as if she had made up her mind.

“It’s about a nightmare I’m having…”

Her purple eyes, slightly visible because they were hidden by her bangs, were shedding transparent tears.

“Do you know the ghost story called Monkey Dream…?”

“Isn’t it a very famous Japanese urban legend? Waiting for your turn after having nightmares…”

“That’s right. I also have nightmares every night…”

After speaking, she looked around again, anxiously. As if checking to see if something was following him.

“Ye-eun, please have a cup of tea and talk slowly.”

“Thank you…this will be a bit of a long story…please…”

After taking a sip of the tea offered by her senior, Ye-eun took a deep breath and continued her story.

As I said before, I am having a series of nightmares. The monkey dream is just an example, not the same thing as an urban legend…

Every night, when I fall asleep, I wake up in a certain room. Room 208…the room was always the same. When I opened my eyes in that room, I could see it even if I was still and fell asleep again, but at that time, I couldn’t wake up from the dream…

In the end, when you go outside to find a way, the surrounding area is clearly an ordinary street… but it is dark and gloomy, giving it an ominous feeling.

The streets were empty because there were no people, but occasionally…very occasionally, I could see people walking around. But all those people had unfocused eyes and were holding knives, so they just hid when they encountered them…

When you walk around the streets like that…you wake up drenched in sweat.

“If you just listen to the content so far, it seems like a nightmare that ends as soon as you walk… Is there more to the story?”

“…That’s right. From now on, the real nightmare begins…”

One day, when I was having nightmares every day, waking up in room 208 and wandering around the streets, an incident occurred.

I heard a scream and looked out the window in room 208, and saw a man in his 20s running away like crazy. A tall woman was running behind the man who was running away.

…Do you know the Red Mask ghost story? It’s a trivial ghost story that was popular at one time.

The woman chasing the man was also wearing a barbarian coat and a red mask, just like the red mask in the ghost story.

The man also tried desperately to run away, but the red mask was much faster… and he was eventually caught and stabbed in the mouth… with a knife… wow…

“…Ye-eun, it’s okay to speak slowly…”

Thank you… Then something terrible happened to the man, and the red mask looked straight at me. I didn’t even hit the streets that day… and that’s how I woke up from the nightmare.

And on the news that day, there was news that a serial killer who had recently appeared had committed another murder. Murdered as if strangled by a snake… And this time, the victim was definitely that man.

After that, monsters and strange figures started appearing in my nightmares. I studied and studied occult knowledge in an attempt to escape as much as possible, but I reached my limit…

“I’m scared… I feel like if I get caught in the nightmare and die, I’ll be strangled to death too… No! Because I will die no matter what…”

In the end, Ye-eun was unable to continue speaking and sobbed. She covered her face with her hands, but the tears falling on her skirt and the cries that escaped her seemed to speak of her fear.

“Well, I…I went to all the helpful shamans, psychics, exorcists, etc., but no one could help me solve the problem…so my last, last hope…is here…◦ @◦

The senior hugged her tightly and patted her back, so she barely stopped crying.

I too have overcome many dangers of death and been to dangerous places, but the fear of waiting for death every day… I’m sure it must have been difficult to bear.

“Did you say Ye-eun? When I wake up from a dream, I don’t know exactly where I am?”

“…Yes? This is my first time seeing this street, and the surroundings have changed quite a bit… I’m sorry…”

“Room 208 where you wake up. That house is definitely real.”

Everyone’s eyes were focused on my sister. My sister’s eyes were shining blue, and a divine energy was hovering around her.

“In reality…?”

“Yes. The items in that house are the source of the curse.”

When my sister waved her hand in the air, a black box appeared. Obviously, it was something that wasn’t in this place… but I felt such an immense ominousness and darkness that I couldn’t breathe properly.

“This box. If you destroy this box, your nightmares will end and the bizarre serial killings will stop.”

My sister waved her hand again and the box disappeared, and only then was I able to breathe properly. Wait, I just took a quick look…

“Then! Is it okay to destroy that box in a dream!?”

“Unfortunately, that box will not appear in my dreams. Because it is an object that exists in reality.”

“…Then, what should I do…”

“Hold on. Hold on as long as possible. It would be easy if I could enter the dream and protect it, but a person’s dream is not a space that can be easily entered… because it is closely related to the soul.”

“What if I hold on…?”

“We will find that building in reality. If it’s giving off such ominous energy, it won’t take long to find it. No matter how long it is, it’s 3 days. Just wait for 3 days and I will solve it!”

Ye-eun started crying again. However, not tears of fear and sadness, but tears of joy and joy.

“I thought I was going to die like this… I’m glad I found the ghost story research group… After seeing that poster, I’m so glad… ”

“Poster?”

“Yes…a poster telling people to come for consultation if they have anything to do with the occult or ghost stories…”

When I turned my gaze to my senior, the senior, who was contemplating something, clapped his hands briefly after a while.

“Ah, I’ve added something like that before! I wonder if something interesting will happen.”

“…Senior.”

When did you add that… But I guess it’s actually a good thing because I was able to help Ye-eun thanks to you.

“Now, Ye-eun. Come and sleep in our room for 3 days! You never know what might happen while you sleep, and it might help you find the building.”

“Is that okay…?”

“It’s a bit narrow because there are 5 people, but it’ll still be okay for at least Ye-eun to come.”

Senior, that’s my living room… If you hadn’t told me, I would have told you, so it doesn’t matter, but it’s still my living room…

“Then, excuse me… After that nightmare, I became distant from all my friends, so it’s been a long time since I slept with them!”

“Oh, but I’m still… ugh!”

I tried to say, “Are you okay? I’m a man,” but Arin blocked my mouth and I couldn’t continue. My sister is also picking on me… I need to tell her in advance!

“Yes, yes. Since this is the room that we women share, stay comfortably.”

“No men, all women so feel safe.”

“The girl over there who dresses like a man is called Si-hyeon. She dresses like that because she thinks it’s comfortable and talks like a man, so don’t worry.”

“Ah…you look really cute, so you must be a guy? I was suspicious, but it turned out to be a woman!”

These three people unified their opinions with their eyes… Are you hiding the fact that I am a man to make Ye-eun feel at ease?

Before that, Ye-eun also mistook me for a girl…? These days, I haven’t been able to cut my hair, so it’s grown a little longer and just barely touches my shoulders… but he’s still a decent guy…

“Our Sihyeon looks androgynous. Still, since she’s a cute girl, it’s okay for Yeeun to feel comfortable too!”

Everyone’s bright laughter filled the room, but I couldn’t help but smile. During the three days that Ye-eun stayed… should she hide that she was a man…

“Oh my, a new friend?”

“My name is Yeeun, and I will be staying with you for 3 days starting today.”

“Really…? If Sihyeon gave permission, it would be okay, but Sihyeon…”

“Because Sihyeon is a cute girl! It’s okay to stay together. Yes? Mr. Hayun.”

My mother looked at me intently, and then at my senior and Arin in turn. The mother, who was exchanging glances with the girls, smiled bitterly after a while.

“It’ll be okay. Did you say Ye-eun? Come in. Have you eaten?”

“Hello…is this your mother?”

“I am Sihyeon’s mother. Please take care of me for 3 days.”

Even the mother I trusted… I can’t send Ye-eun somewhere else after coming here, but it would be better to let her know… When I try to speak, for some reason my voice doesn’t come out.

Although I was a little dissatisfied, I really enjoyed dinner with Ye-eun. Everyone was surprised that Ye-eun cried, but fortunately, she said that she was crying because she was happy. How difficult was it while the nightmare continued…

And then night came, and it was time to sleep. Ye-eun, who was lying between her older sister and her senior, began to tremble as night approached, and was now completely terrified.

“Yeeun, I know it’s scary, but… please get through today somehow. It’s hard to enter a dream, but if you watch yourself sleeping, you might see a clue.”

“Yes…I will try my best to hold on…”

“I will definitely find that building and liberate it. And if possible, please memorize the surrounding buildings and geography as much as possible. It will be a big help.”

“Yes..four…somehow, I will memorize it and come out…”

“Okay…if you are ready, I will send Yeeun into your dream from now on.”

While everyone was watching, Ye-eun closed her eyes. I also want to help with something, but is there nothing in this case that needs my help?

Perhaps because it was getting late, I began to fall asleep. I want to watch a little more and sleep… but for some reason, I’m so sleepy that I can’t stand it…

“…Something, it’s noisy.”

I woke up to the loud noises coming from around me. I lifted my head, still half-asleep, and looked around, but then I froze.

I was lying in the middle of an old, ruined room. No matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t see anyone around.

I felt something catching my hand, so I checked and found a familiar notebook lying there. A precious notebook that saved me many times…I was obviously keeping it separate.

I thought it might not be a good sign for the notebook to appear to me just now. I checked the first page with trembling hands – my thoughts became certain.

1. When the red mask appears, you will be asked questions about your appearance. Answer ‘That’s okay’, but if Red Mask gets angry, run away quickly.

knock knock

There was a knock on the door.