episode_0209

I thought there were two types of secrets.

Something that must be revealed someday.

Something that must be buried until death.

But, at some point.

As I was trying to distinguish between the two, I suddenly realized.

There is no such thing as a good secret to bury.

… … .

[Rare Hunter Protection-Kill Department] Team Leader Ban Harin,

She did not tell Eunha about the team members who left.

That’s because I’m afraid Eunha will be hurt.

owl. badger. bear. Etc…

People who have worked together for over 3 years.

The hunters who were watching him disappeared as if they were eaten by the [Black Book],

I was afraid that if Eunha found out, she would blame herself and have bad thoughts.

Isn’t Eunha who sometimes cuts her own wrists because of stress?

‘It won’t be any good to know.’

A heart for others.

That’s what it’s like to keep a secret from someone you care about.

Eunha must have been hiding the [Black Book] from the cafe people with this in mind.

… … I think it’s something we do well for each other.

Even if you hide it, all that remains is pain.

“Eunha. I have a question for you, are they spirits?”

“It will be similar. Why is that?”

“I wonder if I will ever be able to meet a dead person again.”

We had a small conversation.

Although the inner feelings contained in the question were not trivial, Ban Harin was more confident than anyone else in hiding his emotions.

Will it be possible to meet the team members who were devoured by the [Black Book] again?

Or will we at least find a body?

It was a question to that effect.

“Meeting a dead person?”

“Do you know anything?”

“… … I don’t know for sure, but it’s probably not the meeting Ban Harin thinks it will be.”

Eunha’s next words.

One day, she recalled General Manager Go Young-in, who was suffering from a friend’s grudge, and these words were,

Very sad and lonely,

That’s what it said.

… … .

… … .

Wiingㅡ.

Eunha and Ban Harin come to the Hunter Association to correct the missing rules in the [Black Book].

They passed through the softly opening automatic doors and entered the association building.

The bitter cold you feel right away.

Eunha puts one arm inside her box tee and lets out a white sigh.

“Ha… As expected, public institutions have great air conditioners. I should have worn thicker clothes.”

“The mobile phone has been out of coverage. It seems that this is not an ordinary association.”

“I know. I just tried to say something to lighten the mood.”

Eunha drops her body and raises her body temperature.

Soon, the [Self-Recovery] skill begins to return the lowered body temperature to its original state.

But she still felt cold, so she looked around the inside of the association looking for an air conditioner somewhere.

Sreukㅡ.

At that time, Ban Harin took off his black suit jacket and handed it to Eunha.

She places the black suit on a hanger on Eunha’s large, trembling chest as she shivers from the cold.

“At least wear this.”

“What about Mr. Ban Harin?”

“It’s nice because it’s cool.”

A voice as cold as ice.

Ban Harin adjusted his white shirt.

They say I like myself, so what should I do if I wear it gratefully?

After thanking Ban Harin, Eunha put on the suit that was hanging on her chest.

“Thank you.”

warm.

I finally realize it.

… … Tootuk!

And after a while, she was trying to button up her suit without thinking about it, but when she reached her limit starting with the button near the solar plexus, she inadvertently stopped her hand.

Truly an A-class hunter’s suit.

It looks like he can’t fasten even a single button properly with his weak muscles.

“Ah… the button… seems like the dress is too small.”

“May I dare to say something?”

“No.”

“If you don’t like it, please return it. It’s perfect for me.”

“No. It fits me perfectly too.”

like that,

In the cold reminiscent of death,

Eunha slapped Ban Harin’s side and laughed for the first time in a long time.

… … .

The association was dark.

The fluorescent lights are turned off sparsely at night, as if they have been turned off.

Because of this, dark shadows are cast throughout the building.

I was able to see the surroundings thanks to the fluorescent lights at the entrance and first floor reception area, but the hallways and stairs extending to the side were strangely dark.

Eunha, who was looking at the pitch-black hallway, turns her head to an inexplicable eerie feeling.

“Wow, the atmosphere is nice. What would I have done if you came without me?”

“That’s right. Even though it looks like this, I’m just stamping my feet because I’m scared.”

Eunha lightly ignored Ban Harin’s scolding and walked on.

The first thing you see as soon as you enter the entrance is the reception area on the first floor.

In front of it, you can see a waiting ticket machine and chairs for guests.

There are no rules of any kind yet in the ‘Public Institution Guide’ of the [Black Book].

Where will something pop out?

As if protecting Ban Harin, Eunha came forward and headed toward the ‘reception desk.’

… … .

… … widely! Road, road, road….

And then, a sound was heard.

It is the sound of small beads rolling on the floor.

‘marble?’

A sound that does not fit the association and is something that can only be heard during children’s play time.

Eunha, who was walking to the reception desk, grabbed the [Black Book] with both hands and prepared to swing it.

She moved her eyes following the sound of beads.

widely! Road, road, road….

The first floor of the association in darkness.

In the pitch-black hallway leading to the side, a dazzlingly white bead was rolling.

Road…

A pure white bead rolled out of a dark hallway.

Even when rolling around on the floor of the association, there is not a speck of dust.

Eventually, it rolled over,

It stands tall at the feet of Ban Harin, who is standing behind Eunha.

“… … .”

Was she embarrassed too?

Ban Harin looks down at the pure white bead with his only remaining eye and looks at Eunha, asking what he should do.

He didn’t forget to express his desperation by stamping his feet with an expressionless face.

But even Eunha doesn’t know.

She also stamped her feet following Ban Harin.

『… … ah…! Oh, welcome! 』

Then,

The moment when their eyes were focused on the ‘white bead’ that rolled down the dark hallway.

‘Something’ sitting at the reception desk suddenly stood up and greeted me.

… … .

『Wow, she’s a real lady… She’s here too.』

If you were to shape clutter into the shape of a person, would it look like that?

This is a woman whose anxiety is evident in her every action.

A woman who appears to be a few years older than Eunha… with a bloody white cloth wrapped around her body.

However, I can’t see his face because he keeps bowing his head and apologizing.

‘That’ alternately bowed its head to Eunha and Ban Harin who approached the reception area.

I didn’t see it until just now.

A startled Eunha places a hand on her shaking chest to calm her breathing.

『Well, yesterday, the HR department looked up my attendance record, but it was completely ignored… I tried to secretly clean it up before the young lady got into trouble…』

“… … .”

There’s more to say than you think. Is this a monster?

Because the voice of ‘that’ is so small, I don’t know what it is saying.

Eunha glanced at the ‘white bead’ that stopped at Ban Harin’s feet and then looked at the ‘dirty employee’.

I thought positively.

It’s good if you can communicate well, but is there anything else?

It’s a public institution, after all, and among the ‘weirdos’, the one who is good at social life seems to be working there.

‘good. Let’s finish work quickly and go back.’

Coo!

There were no worries.

Eunha put down the [Black Book] she was holding onto the reception desk.

The startled ‘thing’ jumps up with a single scream.

It’s more lively than I thought.

Is it really a monster?

『Oh, welcome, Miss… How can I help you?』

“I came here to file a complaint.”

『Huh…!』

“Aren’t you using the guide correctly?”

I don’t know. Ban Harin is watching from behind, so let’s go out with confidence.

Eunha patted the suit on her body with a very angry expression on her face.

Thanks to the uncharacteristically squirming ‘that’, it feels like abuse of power.

“Gapjil is said to be savory.”

“Please shut up.”

Are you saying anything because you’re scared?

It’s really childish.

… … .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

widely! Road, road, road….

The first floor of the association in darkness.

A ‘white bead’ rolls down the pitch-black hallway.

A bead without any dust.

It rolled across the floor and stopped at the feet of Ban Harin, who was sitting on a guest chair.

Already the 5th bead.

Ban Harin looked down at the five ‘white beads’ piled up at his feet and organized his complicated thoughts.

I still feel like I’m dreaming.

The perspective of the world seen through one eye is broken, and the chill that fills the Hunter Association knocks at her heart.

『Ugh… I’m sorry! I will fix the [Public Institution Guide] right away! 』

“What about me? Just click the escape button here, huh?”

At the reception desk, a lively conversation between Eunha and the ‘dirty employee’ continues.

As if venting out her anger, Eunha, who has degenerated into a vicious civil servant about half of the time, scolds the disheveled employee, saying, “If you sing just one line of a nursery rhyme, a friend will come to you.”

It seems that Ban Harin was angry because the important ‘guide’ was written in a mess.

『Ji, calm down, lady… I’m a simple administrative worker… I’m so scared that every time you get angry, your pockets of resentment will shake…』

For some reason, this monster is giving Eunha a hard time… No, is that really a ‘weird thing’?

The atmosphere is completely different from the [Red Woman] I saw this morning.

widely! Road…

Another bead rolling down the hallway.

It also stops at Ban Harin’s feet.

Banharin quietly turned his head, pretending not to have seen anything.

I ‘observed’ the entrance I entered earlier.

I could see the summer sky slowly turning to sunset.

The warm sunlight does not pass through the transparent automatic door and scatters helplessly.

There is no sunlight coming from outside.

The automatic door, which had been opening just fine, closed its mouth tightly and did not even think about moving.

A disconnected space.

It caused a feeling of frustration, as if one were trapped in a narrow box with a monster.

Ban Harin’s eyes as he looked around the dark association made him tremble.

So, you’ve often missed the galaxy’s movements.

Since you entered and exited a completely different space, it is natural that you cannot find it.

How difficult has it been so far?

Ban Harin expressed his gratitude in his heart to the ‘mouse’ who must have woken up by now.

Now that the guide has been revised, it’s time to learn the necessary rules from Eunha and return home.

Watching ‘that’ move its hands diligently, it won’t take long.

Tap! Road…

I look down at the rolling ‘white marble’ and fall into trouble.

… … .

(It’s not too late.)

Something I heard once.

These words were spoken to reassure her as she opened her eyes.

These words were given as if Eunha was passing by to Ban Harin, who was desperately suppressing trembling after encountering a strange creature.

(You will probably have to live like this for the rest of your life. If you make one mistake, you will lose your life.)

“I know.”

(Can you believe that hairpin?)

“I believe it.”

Answer questions from the past.

Foolishly. Because I still have regrets.

It was sweet as a witch’s whisper,

Ban Harin tempted her by saying that if she just nodded, she could forget everything and live happily ever after.

Banharin steeled himself and waited for Eunha’s work to be finished.

… … .

… … .

“Phew… I like it. I’m sorry for yelling for no reason.”

『Hehe, ah, no, miss… It’s my first time talking to you, and it’s really nice…』

After a while,

After finishing the bout of bullying, Eunha was sitting across from the ‘dirty employee’ and talking peacefully.

Just as meat becomes softer when you hit it, the more the receptionist verbally hit it, the softer it became.

“When will the guide be revised?”

“ah! Ends soon! Please wait for about 5 minutes!』

A monster who can communicate well. Maybe lame.

Eunha had the courage to ask ‘that’ the question that came to mind.

“… … By the way, what is it? It’s too humane to be a monster.”

『J, me…? I’m just… administrative.』

“Administrative position?”

『The role is to classify, organize, and value.』

widely! Road…

Rolling out of a dark hallway. Pure white beads.

It rolls quickly like a badger’s leap and stops at Banharin’s feet.

『Oh, I feel sorry for the half-hearted things… I have a grudge, but I couldn’t reach the sky and fell to the ground.』

“… … .”

『If you don’t wash it cleanly, you can’t blend in with the Milky Way…』

Milky Way.

What comes to mind is the fortune telling of [Black People],

Numerous ghostly lights passing by beyond the window.

It comes to mind like a dream.

『There are a lot of mediocre things in this association. I guess a lot of people died.』

“… … .”

『The cat that climbed onto his friend’s shoulder met the young lady and blended into the Milky Way. Please tell me thank you.』

Something half-baked.

Things that are neither strange nor ghosts.

And, this is the Hunter Association.

It is a public institution and a place where public affairs are handled.

So, what is ‘public work’ for the dead?

Eunha took a step back from the disheveled employee.

widely! Again and again…

A marble rolling in the dark stops at Ban Harin’s feet.

It sits down softly like an ‘owl’ and quietly looks up at Banharin.

『… … .』

There was no conversation.

Because it’s just a bead.

It was the sound of small beads rolling, and it looked so feeble and insignificant.

However, Ban Harin, who was listening to the sound of the beads…

I felt the emotions that were tightly packed in my heart becoming lighter little by little.

As if I was comforted by someone.

『It’s thanks to you, young lady. Just by existing, it becomes a guidepost for countless things.』

‘That’ repeats the meaningful sound from earlier.

With clumsy gestures, I correct the missing information in the guide one by one.

The discrepancy between words and actions comes across as an unexplainable feeling of reluctance.

“… … What the hell are you? Do we live in an apartment?”

『It’s thanks to you, young lady.』

I was ignored.

Is it really impossible for monsters to communicate?

I wonder what is going on with the association that came to tell Ban Harin the rules.

『Although the one who left cannot say anything… everyone wants to talk. It wasn’t your fault.』

“… … .”

『Someday, will you please deliver it for me?』

You’re a hunter.

… … Passyuk.

Soon, the ‘white beads’ gathered at Ban Harin’s feet,

Like a lingering regret that will eventually disappear.

One by one, they turned into dust and disappeared.