91. Library

91. Library

“Okay, then… since picture books might be in a very high place like before, let’s carry this lift around.”

“Won’t it be too heavy?”

“It’s okay. It has wheels underneath. And since Seol-gu could bring it here, we should be able to move it easily.”

After being fooled by the university textbook that I thought was a picture book, we were preparing to find a real children’s picture book. Preparation, however, only consisted of putting the book back on the shelf and packing our belongings.

I approached the lift. Then, I pulled the handle attached to the main body under the lift with all my might.

“Kkeu-eu-eu-eung!”

The lift began to move slowly. The wheels rolled and rolled.

But after a short while, the lift stopped.

“Heek, heek.”

“Are you okay? It doesn’t seem to be moving….”

“No! There’s no way I can’t do what Seol-gu did. I must be doing something wrong.”

I took a moment to catch my breath and thought carefully, looking at the lift. Wheels, and a handle. Based on this, I can infer….

“Maybe instead of pulling, we should push?”

“Oh!”

To come up with such an idea, am I not a genius?

It was like a “Push” door, not a “Pull” door.

Don’t we sometimes make that mistake when opening doors? Mistaking how to open the door, bumping into it with a thud, and then hastily entering the building, embarrassed by the surrounding stares… such mistakes.

I’ve made that mistake once since being born as Rang Seol-ah. How embarrassing it was then! The fact that I was 5 years old at the time was a small comfort.

Anyway, I found a way to move this lift.

I puffed out my tail proudly and assumed a triumphant expression as I headed in the opposite direction.

From there, I forcefully pushed the lift….

The lift didn’t budge at all.

“Huh?”

“Now it won’t move at all!”

“Is this… not it?”

A door that is neither “Push” nor “Pull.” Such a thing cannot exist in the world!

I shook my tail furiously, looking at the lift that denied my 8 years of common sense. It was a movement born out of wariness towards the unknown.

This is no ordinary lift. It’s a grotesque, terrifying, otherworldly lift that has sprung from hell.

I let out a threatening growl.

“Kkya-reung….”

As I was contemplating how to handle this lift, Seol-gu popped out from behind the lift.

“Seol-gu?”

“Kkang.”

I thought he was in my bag, but when did he get out?

Seol-gu made Lucy and me move a slight distance away from the lift, then returned to the lift. With a single jump, Seol-gu landed on top of the lift and raised one paw to grab something.

It looks like the vertical movement stick.

“That’s the height adjustment stick, Seol-gu. No matter how much you move it, the lift won’t go forward… wait, it is?!”

“Kkang!”

“How did you do that?!”

Unbelievable. As Seol-gu pushed the stick, the lift’s wheels began to roll with a whirring sound. I was surprised to realize that it had electric wheels, but it was only for a moment. I quickly ran and approached Seol-gu.

A powerful jump. I landed on the lift platform.

“Kkang kkang.”

“What! There wasn’t just one stick! This is how it moves!”

“Kkang.”

It turned out there was another stick for moving the wheels, which I hadn’t noticed because it was black.

With my keen insight, it seems that pushing the stick forward means forward, pulling it back means backward, and pushing it sideways means rotation.

My eyes sparkled as I exclaimed.

“Me too! I want to try!”

“Kkang.”

“You say no, why?!”

Seol-gu slapped my outstretched hand towards the stick with his tail and very firmly uttered “Kkang.” It meant an absolute no.

I retorted angrily. If a fox can operate it, what reason is there for me, a wolf, not to be able to?

“Kkang kkang kkang, Kkang kkang.”

“An accident will happen? Seol-gu, I don’t think you know my driving skills. I’m someone who has caused a 12-car pile-up in a theme park! So trust me… Aack!”

Seol-gu pushed the stick without even listening to me and started the lift. Because it happened so suddenly, I lost my balance and fell off the lift.

But there’s no need to worry. My aerial maneuverability is second to none.

As I tumbled towards the ground, I stylishly swung my tail and landed on my feet.

Truly a 150-point landing.

Wow! Applause!

Clap clap clap clap.

But there was no time to be intoxicated by my own greatness. At this very moment, the lift carrying Seol-gu was chugging forward.

“Rang Seol-gu! Stop!”

That, that, that foolish fox!

If it hits the bookshelves like that, it’ll be a major accident.

Seol-gu, even if there’s a traffic accident, I’ll somehow survive safely, but I, Seol-gu’s owner, will have to clean up the overturned books.

“Lucy! Let’s run! We have to stop Seol-gu!”

“Huh? But the librarian told us not to run earlier….”

“Lucy, we already broke the elevator earlier. It’s okay to run.”

“R-really?”

With my excellent eloquence, I persuaded Lucy, and then I ran hard, chasing after Seol-gu, who was running in a rage.

——

“Caught you!”

“Kkang!”

After running and running, I finally caught up to Seol-gu. It was thanks to that foolish fox stopping the lift midway.

Sigh, how much does he torment people?

He seemed to be going straight but suddenly turned, weaving through the complex bookshelves….

Anyone watching would think he’s a racing driver.

I climbed onto the lift and grabbed Seol-gu’s tail, lifting it up.

Normally, I would grab his body, not his tail, but for a fox who caused such a big accident, his tail needs to be handled a bit roughly.

“Seol-gu! Are you going to do this again or not!”

“Kkang!!”

“Your attitude of repentance is great! I’ll let it slide this time!”

I put Seol-gu down on the ground. Since Seol-gu showed a truly repentant attitude with “Kkang!!”, I decided to forgive him just this once.

Committing a mistake boldly and apologizing boldly. For a fox, that’s a decent response.

As I caught my breath, Lucy came over and said.

“It’s a relief that no one got hurt….”

“I know. If there had been people in our path… sigh.”

It’s a miracle that there was no one in the path of the lift, but if someone had been reading a book in the way, it would have been a really big problem.

Hmm hmm.

“Seol-ah? But why are you still up there?”

“Just… looking around?”

I glanced at the lift’s stick. It was the same stick that Seol-gu had used to race around.

If I move this… I can drive like Seol-gu.

How cool would that be.

… Is no one watching me?

Seol-gu and Lucy aren’t really looking at me. Father and Sister aren’t here either. After looking around a few more times, I forcefully pushed the stick.

“Let’s go!! … Huh?”

However, the lift didn’t react at all.

No matter how much I moved the stick forward, backward, left, or right, the wheels remained stiff and unmoving. It was completely different from when Seol-gu was driving.

I tried stomping on the ground, pressing the stick, and manipulating the control panel in various ways, and finally discovered a suspicious point.

“Could it be… the ignition is off?”

A small hole next to the stick.

That hole, which seemed perfectly sized for a key, was the most likely candidate for the problem.

But… when did the ignition turn off? And where is the key?

I quickly turned my head to look at Seol-gu. Seol-gu, even while being roughly handled by Lucy, had his usual silly smile as he looked at me.

It’s as if… he knew in advance that I would try to move the lift secretly.

Did Seol-gu deliberately turn off the ignition?

I stared intently at Seol-gu.

No answer came back. Only my magnificent tail wagged.

I trembled with frustration.

“Ugh….”

That’s it! I won’t do it, I won’t!

I’m not driving out of disgust!

You wicked fox. You were mean, truly!

“Booooo.”

I puffed out my cheeks and got off the lift. Only then did Seol-gu take his eyes off me, escape from Lucy, and run into the bag.

As expected, it was intentional.

Seol-gu’s excessively precise scheme. The saying about being tricked by a fox isn’t unfounded.

I called out to Lucy.

“Lucy, let’s go find picture books again.”

“Ah, yeah.”

“What bookshelf is this?”

Lucy read the nameplate on the bookshelf. She said it read ‘Miscellaneous Knowledge.’ Anyone could see it was far from a picture book section.

“It doesn’t look like there are any picture books here… Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Ah, wait a moment. Over there….”

“Why?”

I looked where Lucy was pointing. There, a rather thick and ugly book stood out on the shelf, exuding a unique presence.

“What is that?”

“It’s an animal encyclopedia. I really wanted to see it before, but it suddenly disappeared, so I couldn’t… it was moved to this shelf.”

An animal encyclopedia.

It’s a book with descriptions of various animals.

I don’t know if it will be interesting… but if Lucy wants to see it, there’s no reason to stop her.

I nodded and took out the encyclopedia.

“Wow… it’s heavy.”

The encyclopedia, befitting its enormous size, was incredibly heavy, so Lucy and I had to work together to place it on the ground. Then, with a thud, the floor vibrated, and a little dust rose.

“Encyclopedia… Hehe.”

Is looking at this so enjoyable? Lucy giggled and turned the first page.

How detailed can the descriptions of animals be… Just a moment.

What if there’s an Arctic fox in the animal encyclopedia?

If not, maybe there’s a description of the transparent stone I have. Encyclopedias come in many types.

I remembered what Uncle Cheol-su said before. He said there was no information about stones in our village, so we’d have to check in the Magi Republic. Perhaps this is that opportunity.

Suddenly, a newfound interest began to sprout.

Lucy and I began to look at the encyclopedia with wide eyes.