Ch.35Knowing Too Much Is Poison (2)

After putting on some clothes, I stepped out the door to find Choi Serim waiting for me.

“Ah~ Dabin. You just showered?”

“Yes. You too, senior?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t stand feeling so grimy.”

Choi Serim stared at me intently while speaking in a quiet voice.

“Weren’t you scared?”

“Huh? About what?”

“You saw something in the water tank.”

“…Yes. There was hair in there. It seemed like that’s what caused all the commotion, so Daju and I pulled it out and burned it.”

“I see.”

If voices could be seen, hers would have a long trailing tail. There was something lingering in the way Choi Serim ended her sentences.

Uncomfortable with that, I deliberately gave a clear response.

“Yes.”

“That’s good.”

Choi Serim left with that faint smile of hers.

I followed her at the same pace as she slowly walked away.

“Actually, the tap water might be safer now.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Have you thought about why I asked you to bring bottled water when you went to get supplies?”

“Huh?”

Come to think of it, that’s right. Why did we specifically get bottled water when we could drink tap water?

“Obviously because the tap water wasn’t drinkable. Didn’t anyone tell you?”

“No.”

“It’s fine to touch it or drink it occasionally, but drinking it for a long time causes problems.”

Choi Serim quietly shared what she knew as we walked down the hallway.

This was the first time I’d seen her talk at length by herself.

“You start talking as if you’re someone else, you know, like when people try to act cute by referring to themselves in the third person? You talk like that, and eventually you start thinking you’re actually someone else. You get consumed by another person’s ego.”

“……”

“At first, people tried to do something to purify the tap water, but that ended up cursing it instead.”

“Was that—”

“But now that you’ve gone and removed it, it should be safer than before.”

“Was that from throwing someone with abilities into the water tank?”

Choi Serim looked at me for a while, then muttered weakly, “There’s no need to talk about that.”

“When I went into the water tank, I saw that person’s memories. Claire.”

“Yeah. Seems like it.”

“And I saw you when you were younger there. That means this happened at least several years ago… How did you survive here for so long? What exactly happened back then?”

“……”

She stopped walking.

Choi Serim leaned against the apartment entrance door, facing me.

“I wonder?”

“What?”

“Could you look here for a moment?”

Blink.

……………………

……….I’ve been having this thought for a while.

If that girl I saw in the past memories was indeed Choi Serim, it means she’s also a member of that Occult Association.

If so.

Choi Serim’s ability to persuade others appears in a different light.

What I thought was just atmosphere or charisma might actually be a supernatural ability?

Could Choi Serim’s ability involve influencing people’s minds?

Was I actually being brainwashed when I was going “unnie heung…”?

……………….

……….I’ve been having this thought for a while.

The girl I saw in past memories

appears in a different light.

influence people’s minds?

Was I actually being when I was heung…?

……………….

……….I’ve been having this thought for a while.

girl

unnie……heung……?

………………..

The world turned black for a moment, then light returned.

“Huh…?”

What was I talking about?

“Dabin?”

“Yes, unnie.”

“Are you okay?”

“Ah. I think I spaced out. I’m too tired today.”

“Right. Let’s eat together and get some rest. We all went through a lot today.”

“Yes…”

My eyes feel dry and my head feels foggy.

No matter how hard I try, I can’t remember walking through the hallway. I must have dozed off. Falling asleep while walking—I must be extremely tired. Come to think of it, running around risking my life consumed more energy than I imagined.

We’ve been walking for quite some time now, and we’re almost at room 702 where everyone is gathered.

“What were we talking about earlier?”

“I wonder?”

“I feel like we were talking about something…”

“You must be really sleepy.”

Choi Serim gently strokes my head.

Swish swish.

Normally I would have disliked it out of pride, but maybe because I’m tired, it feels strangely comforting.

“Let’s eat quickly.”

Soon, the door to room 702 opens, and Heo Yoon welcomes us warmly.

“You’re here?”

“Yes, unnie.”

“Wash your hands and have a seat.”

The next morning.

After just washing my face, I headed to the storage room where Choi Serim was waiting.

“You’re here?”

“Yes.”

I wonder what’s so interesting that she stares at her laptop all day.

Tap tap tap.

Choi Serim continues typing rapidly while talking to me without taking her eyes off the screen.

“It’s nothing special, but I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“You said you draw, right? Can you illustrate a novel?”

“Ah. You mentioned you write novels, right?”

“Yes. Can you do it?”

“Well, I left my tablet behind, so it’ll be difficult. I originally moved in and unpacked everything on the 6th floor, but nearly died on the first day.”

“Then let’s go to the 6th floor quickly.”

“What?”

I felt a moment of discomfort at Choi Serim’s unusually proactive request.

“Won’t it be dangerous to go out alone?”

“What’s the big deal? We’re just going down a floor and coming right back.”

Huh? Is that right?

I don’t know why I thought it would be dangerous.

Although this apartment is a strange place, I haven’t really been hurt much. I did injure my right hand slightly, but it’s almost healed now.

If I know the 6th floor well enough, there shouldn’t be any danger, right?

Besides, I’m supposedly talented at observing anomalies. If there’s something strange, I could notice it first and avoid it.

It seems fine to go quickly and come back.

“Hmm. Then can you show me your novel in return?”

“Huh? Um? Why?”

“I need to know what kind of novel it is to draw illustrations for it.”

Come to think of it, I’ve only seen her typing on her laptop, but I’ve never actually seen what she’s writing.

And now she suddenly asked me to illustrate. I wanted to check it out, but Choi Serim’s reaction was a bit strange.

“Ah…is that so? Okay. Just a moment?”

Her face showed rare confusion, and she seemed flustered.

After tapping on the keyboard, Choi Serim finally regained her composure.

“Here it is.”

“Wow…”

It’s very readable, and I can grasp the plot in just a moment.

It’s about a protagonist who returns to the previous day when they die, struggling to change a predetermined apocalyptic future.

The dialogue and descriptions are incredibly smooth. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes miserable expressions linger in my mind.

“I was bored being trapped here with nothing to do and no internet. I’ve been writing this, but the latter part isn’t great quality. Just look at this much for now. I’ll show you more after I polish it.”

“What? It’s already really good.”

“Thank you.”

“This is that genre, right? A regression story.”

“Yes.”

“I know someone who was turning novels into webtoons. They said stories about protagonists going back to the past to change the future are popular these days.”

“That’s right. This might actually be the most effective way to change a life you’re not satisfied with. Imagine if one day the protagonist thinks, ‘I can’t live like this anymore. I need to change.’ What would motivate that? It would be that they lived wrongly before, right? It means they have regrets. Even if they change going forward, past mistakes remain. That’s why the idea of going back to the past, to start over from the beginning, before making any mistakes, is bound to be popular.”

“Oh…”

Is it because this is the first time we’ve talked about novels?

Somehow Choi Serim seems very different from usual. She wasn’t this proactive or talkative before.

But it’s not strange or unpleasant. I’m just surprised to see this unexpected side of her.

“So. Will you draw for me?”

“Of course. I’ll go right away.”

“Thank you, Dabin.”

As I was about to leave the storage room, Choi Serim gestured for me to come back.

“Yes?”

Choi Serim silently strokes my head.

“But… I’m still a guy…”

“Just stay still for a moment.”

“……”

Strangely, this feels genuinely comforting, making me close my eyes and feel her touch.

I’m not a cat or dog.

I shook off her hand with a playful smile.

“Okay. I’ll go now.”

“Take care.”

Leaving Choi Serim waving behind me, I left the storage room.

As I crossed the dreary space and reached the door.

?

I suddenly felt something strange and turned around.

Choi Serim was crouched in the corner of the storage room again, looking at her laptop.

What was that?

That feeling just now.

Only after getting into the elevator and pressing the button did I realize.

My right hand hasn’t fully healed yet.

And I’m right-handed.

Is it reasonable for her to ask me to draw illustrations?

Swoosh.

As if it was already too late, the elevator announced its arrival at the 6th floor.

Anxiety overwhelmed me.

***

“Phew…”

In the corner of the storage room, Choi Serim let out a quiet sigh.

At the last moment when she thought everything was over, Dabin’s thoughts were churning, wavering back and forth. He looked like he might regain his senses at any moment, making her so tense she could barely breathe.

Still.

This way, things might work out somehow.

Faint radio sounds could be heard.

“Mobile Task Force Alpha. Entering the 7th floor corridor entrance.”

“Breaching Room 701!”

“Breach!”

BOOM!

“Breaching Room 2!”

“Breach!”

People from the Foundation had arrived.

Though the sounds were faint, she could hear everything.

“Shoot any survivors other than the target on sight. Ensure the target doesn’t escape through windows and fall. Over.”

The rough heartbeat and breathing affected by adrenaline.

The clinking sound of metal rings attached to the special forces’ weapons.

Even the distant voices of the startled Heo Yoon-Seok Hyunmin couple discussing what to do.

Choi Serim closed her laptop.

The explosions continued, mixed with screams.

Feeling the footsteps getting closer, she muttered quietly to herself.

“I must be truly insane.”

Being able to observe means being able to interfere.

Being able to read other people’s thoughts.

Being able to move other people’s hearts.

Having these abilities since birth.

It really can drive a person mad.

Two people rushed into the storage room.

“Survivor found.”

“Shoot to kill.”

Choi Serim closed her eyes.

Sparks flew between her eyebrows.