episode_0108

The researcher’s name is Riko Ichinose.

As a researcher affiliated with the foundation, he is one of the assistants who was scheduled to join.

This is all I could know with my librarian’s skills.

I couldn’t find out any other information. There wasn’t enough time, and the information was kept very hidden.

“… … .”

“Hello, this is Robin from the Foundation Council.”

“Council? Really?”

Rico looks at Robin with surprised eyes for a moment.

The Council is the main decision-making body within the Foundation, essentially the leadership.

Rico seemed quite shocked that someone in such a high position had come in person.

“Yes. Things are getting serious. I think you’re a researcher at the Foundation. You probably already know a little bit about this, right?”

“Yes.”

Rico nods his head, almost to the point of being excessive.

The hair tied behind her back sways with the movement of her head.

“Professor, that guy seems to be thinking of ending the world!”

“That’s what it was like.”

“Yeah! He says he’s going to prevent disasters, but he’s actually researching how to release it into the world. That guy is really creepy. ”

Despite the heavy topic, Rico answers in a cheerful voice.

A pure and innocent impression, like a child, with clear eyes. At the end, he folds his arms and cowers, as if he himself is scared.

“I… … almost died trying to tell that. I was stuck in this elevator without anyone knowing.”

“Yes, that was definitely the case.”

“But Mr. Robin saved you?”

Robin shook his head and spread his arms towards the rest of the group.

“I wasn’t the only one who suffered. People here helped me heal my injured body.”

“Ah! Thank you! Thank you! ”

Palak-

The bloody researcher’s coat floated into the air.

Rico turns sharply and bows in this direction.

It doesn’t happen once, but it happens continuously with different people.

A somewhat foolish behavior.

And yet, with a lively voice and gestures.

Thanks to Rico waking up, the dark atmosphere in the elevator brightened up.

Sister Se-rim whispers quietly next to me.

“Your impression is similar to Dabin’s?”

“Yes? With me?”

“Yeah. Cute and innocent. The very definition of innocent. ”

I don’t know.

Is it just a similar feeling?

I don’t think I’m that cute or charming.

Rico, who had been expressing his gratitude for a long time, suddenly waves his hand.

“And Yoon Da-joo. It’s been a really long time.”

Da-ju, who had been quiet, is startled and hides in a corner.

What? You knew Yoon Da-joo?

“Did you know that person’s older sister?”

“Do you know Daju?”

Jeong Hae-won and Heo Yoon chased after her and asked her questions, but Da-ju continued to hide in a corner and refused to answer.

“Ah… … . I don’t know. Really.”

Then, Jeong Hae-won changed his target to Rico this time.

“Excuse me, Mr. Ichinose?”

I was so excited to see Japanese people that I thought they were otaku.

“You can just call me Rico.”

“Yes. What was your relationship with Daju Noona?”

“Um… … .”

Rico pauses in thought for a moment.

“I don’t know!”

Stretch out with a big smile.

“Just a coworker? But Dazhu really changed a lot. He used to be a total psychopath. Ehehe… … .”

“Ah. Stop it.”

“Can you tell me more?”

Rico is smiling brightly and tilting his head towards Yun Da-ju.

For some reason, Yoon Da-joo is fidgeting.

“Hey. Stop it. I told you not to… … .”

Rico just laughs with the same innocent face as before.

Rather, I’ve seen many scenes where Da-ju does this to others. It feels really refreshing to see Yoon Da-ju suffer in return.

Was there anyone who could push Daju to this extent?

“I used to work with Yoon Da-joo in the lab. What kind of research did we do back then?”

“Ah …

Yun Da-ju couldn’t stand it anymore and ran towards Rico.

It seems like he really doesn’t want to be caught saying this, so he covers his mouth with his hand.

“Ugh! Ugh!”

When things got to this point, people’s reactions were sharply divided.

About Yoon Da-joo’s past.

I’ve known about it for a long time. Choi Se-rim must have known about it vaguely because she has the ability to read other people’s thoughts. Heo Yoon must have heard about it too.

The ones who are bewildered by the news they are hearing for the first time are Jeong Hae-won and Seok Hyeon-min. Coincidentally, there are only two men.

“Sister, you used to be a researcher? Really?”

“What do you mean you worked in the lab? Are you from the foundation, ”

“Oh, that’s not true!”

While everyone’s attention was focused on the flustered Yoon Da-joo, Se-rim noona was tapping my arm and whispering to me from the side.

“Now that I look at it, Dabin and I have a very different impression.”

“I’m not that cute.”

“No. That’s not it. Dabin is really cute too.”

“Ah.”

He smiled faintly while looking at me, but it only lasted for a moment.

Choi Se-rim, who was looking around, tapped her forehead with her finger.

“The feeling inside is really different.”

***

Elevators are considered fairly safe spaces, but if you occupy them for too long, you will inevitably incur a ‘penalty’.

You have to press the button and keep moving.

Rico mutters, looking up at the ceiling.

“It’s been a while since I’ve taken an elevator. I’ve only been in Foundation research facilities for a while.”

I didn’t take Rico’s words lightly and asked him again.

“The Foundation’s research facility? Is it inside this apartment?”

“Yes.”

“Then, do you happen to know the number of floors?”

“Yes.”

Now we need to quickly decide on our next destination.

Rico just looks at me quietly.

Behind them, a group of people are gathered and having a heated discussion about which floor to explore next.

“You said your name was Dabin, right?”

I nodded.

Then, terrifyingly, Rico quickly closes the distance.

“Huh?”

“Stay still.”

He brushes back his hair and places both hands against his ears.

Warm breath flows over sensitive skin. Along with the most important information that will lead to the ending of this story.

After finishing the delivery, Rico took a step back and returned to his original position.

“But you can’t go right now.”

“Why?”

“Why, why? Because I’m scared!”

I feel empty for no reason.

“No. I’m not going right now.”

A research facility built inside an apartment building. There will be a time when you will need to go there.

Because the story is set that way.

“Ah. I really don’t know.”

Unable to endure the heated debate over his future destination, Seok Hyun-min was thrown into the center of the elevator.

“Hey, Dabin. Can’t you decide based on the librarian’s authority?”

“I don’t know either.”

“You said you could search it too. Just search by floor name.”

“No, I can’t. There’s too much information to be specific.”

“Huh?”

“You have to decide what you want to find before you search. If the search term is too broad, you will never find the information you want. That’s how it is. The floor name is also quite broad, so you can’t find meaningful results with that alone.”

“Huh?”

“I know the face and the direction, but I don’t know the actor’s name or item number.”

“… … .”

“… … .”

Since you kept not understanding, I got angry and said something strange.

There’s so much to think about, but the person next to me keeps asking me questions…

Seok Hyun-min seems to have been quite shocked.

“Okay. Sorry.”

It would be better if you at least responded in some way.

My face is burning brightly. I hope no one else heard this.

Ah, you really shouldn’t do that.

The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became, so I grabbed Seok Hyeon-min who was trying to leave while laughing.

“Don’t tell anyone else. It was just a slip of the tongue.”

“Yeah.”

Judging from the reaction, I think I’ll definitely say it.

I’m going crazy, seriously.

Beep-

Press 1, 2, 5, then press the letter L and the number 4.

If we combine them in a random way, the floor name will be 125-L4.

“This time, I don’t know the floor at all.”

“You’re all probably tired, so let’s save some energy.”

Heo Yoon and Robin lead the survivors together.

Although countless people died during the exploration, there were quite a few people gathered inside the elevator again.

Rattling.

Rattling.

The elevator starts moving, and the alphabet buttons flip back over and disappear into the wall.

The walls were left with only plain number buttons again.

“This time it’s going to take a long time.”

“Does Dabin know that too?”

“Yes. If you hear noise, it takes a long time to arrive. I just found out from experience.”

Choi Se-rim is still by my side.

I’ve been feeling that way all along, but I’ve been feeling that way even more lately.

He stays right next to me and responds to even the most vague words I say without letting them slip away.

“But Serim noona.”

“Huh?”

“Sister, are you anxious right now?”

In times like this, it’s better to ask directly.

Unlike Choi Se-rim, I can’t read other people’s minds.

“… … .”

My older sister looked at me with slightly surprised eyes and then spoke quietly.

“Yeah.”

“I almost died?”

“Yeah.”

“Now, it will be difficult for the people at the foundation to read their thoughts better. They have seen a lot of cruel and horrible things.”

“… … Yeah.”

Choi Se-rim can not only read and manipulate the thoughts of the person she wants.

The thoughts of strangers she had no interest in. Even those from a completely different time and space. Flow into her head without her will.

“Then just keep reading my thoughts.”

“Huh?”

Se-rim answered with a choked voice, perhaps because she was moved by what I said earlier.

It’s cute how he lowers his head and tries to hide his expression while trying to listen to me.

“That. I can’t read Dabin’s thoughts anymore. My introspection has become too strong.”

I closed my eyes for a moment and calmed my mind.

More comfortable. Lowered the mental barrier a little.

“Now?”

“… … Hear me again. But why?”

I smiled faintly at Choi Se-rim, who was tilting her head.

“If you’re having a hard time, tell me. I’ll be thinking only good thoughts.”

Choi Se-rim takes a deep breath, perhaps realizing the intention too late.

Tears flow down from under my drooping head as my shoulders tremble.

For Choi Se-rim, other people’s thoughts keep flowing into her head.

It was like that from a very young age, to the point where I didn’t even know who I was.

A rare ability. It is an ability that everyone desires, but to Choi Se-rim, it was like a curse.

I quietly patted my older sister, and when her condition improved a little, I returned to where the people were gathered.

Time was all that was left. Everyone was trying to complete the puzzle by organizing the newly discovered information.

“Let’s start with this. Mr. Rico said a disaster earlier. What kind of disaster was it?”

First, Heo Yun organized the conversation.

Basically, he has a loud voice, so he is perfect for the role of a host.

“It was the professor’s plan. He was going to release what he called the ‘Fifth Apostle’ and turn the world upside down.”

“Professor?”

“What about the fifth apostle?”

This time, Robin explains instead.

“Professor is not his real name, but a pseudonym used within the foundation. He is a person from the foundation, like me and Rico.”

“Then what happened? Is it internal division?”

“Yes. I think that’s what happened.”

Robin continues speaking in a heavy voice.

“And the fifth apostle that the professor is trying to release. It’s easy to think of him as a monster that brings disaster just by his presence. If he’s released, natural disasters, war, famine, and starvation will follow.”

“It sounds like something out of the Book of Revelation.”

Seok Hyun-min lifted his glasses and wiped them for no reason.

Seok Hyun-min, who was always calm, showed signs of impatience in his movements this time.

“Then that means those five guys are in this apartment.”

“The device to release the five is here. If they are completely released, it will be only a matter of time before human civilization is wiped out. ”

“Oh my. My head.”

It looks like it’s not being organized well.

Dan sat there, leaning against the elevator wall, seemingly having already given up on understanding.

Seok Hyun-min keeps sighing, and Jeong Hae-won is covering his head. Robin also scratches his cheek for no reason, as if he feels frustrated.

“When I came in, the disaster had already begun. The volcanic eruption was the result of the fifth apostle starting his activities.”

“Wow. I wish you had told me this sooner, Robin.”

Robin ignored Dan’s words and waited for his reply.

First of all, Seok Hyun-min.

“We just happened to be trapped here.”

“Ah! But I found out something. That there is nothing outside of me. I also found out that the world has already ended by going to the library.”

Heo Yun points at me and says.

Robin listens carefully to each answer, as if he is memorizing them all.

“The time zone is messed up.”

A massive disaster that destroyed the world. And a time-zone distortion phenomenon that turned an apartment into a single point.

This is something I already know.

I could explain it here, but for now I wanted to leave it for people to put their heads together and figure it out.

It’s not just a feeling.

The only way for this almost entirely destroyed world line to survive.

The single story that leads to the conclusion is very fragile and can easily be broken by even a small shock.

If possible, it is desirable to solve the case as logically and probably as possible without accidental elements or external intervention.

“I need to hear each person’s story. What about Dabin?”

I answered Robin’s question as if I didn’t know anything.

“I moved into an old apartment, and the first day the surroundings changed.”

Next is Jeong Hae-won’s turn.

“I don’t know anything. I just came here after experiencing a haunted house while broadcasting on the internet.”

Next is Yoon Da-joo.

“I don’t remember. I just opened my eyes and here I am.”

“So, has anyone come here after the disaster?”

Dan came in with Robin, and Rico entered the apartment long before the Professor revealed his true colors.

There was only one person left who did not answer.

The key to this puzzle is Choi Se-rim’s memory.