Ch.38A Brief Rest

After breakfast together, we gathered for a meeting to determine our survival strategy. As usual, Heo Yoon led the discussion.

“So, I wanted to ask what everyone thinks we should do next.”

I explained to everyone what Daju and I had seen.

– We went to Floor 13A1 to secure supplies, but found dangerous signs and quickly returned.

– There’s a mural near the mechanical device that simulates 3D space. You can enter the mural, but not far in you get flattened to 2D.

– We found traces of other people near the mechanical device.

– These people are crazy and grind humans to make healing potions (probably).

Though it happened less than 30 minutes ago, my memory feels hazy.

Am I tired?

So Daju ended up doing most of the explaining.

“We can just avoid the mural area. The real problem is the people. Okay, got it.”

Heo Yoon leads the discussion with a loud voice.

“So to summarize what Dabin and Daju reported, there’s a floor with a mechanical device. Where was it again?”

“13A1.”

Seok Hyunmin casually helps Heo Yoon.

“Right. Thanks. So we can say Floor 13A1 is dangerous too?”

“Yes!”

When Heo Yoon asks, Daju answers with a bright smile.

What is Yoon Daju thinking? She’s all smiles.

“Then what should we do about 13A1? Should we avoid it for now?”

“Well, I’m worried about getting new supplies. What should we do?”

Heo Yoon and Seok Hyunmin say the same thing while looking at each other, creating a strange atmosphere this morning.

I’m still a bit tired, so I’m having trouble thinking clearly.

Choi Serim is smiling while looking in our direction. It’s a bit strange that she’s not looking at her laptop, but she doesn’t seem like she wants to offer an opinion.

“……”

Even when our eyes meet, there’s no reaction.

No, she’s not looking at me but at Daju sitting next to me.

So of course, Yoon Daju is the one who offers an opinion.

“Then we should go exploring right away!”

Daju bounces up and down excitedly.

“We should prepare as quickly as possible and go exploring to find a new floor for supplies!”

“……”

“I was feeling cooped up anyway, so this works out.”

Heo Yoon makes an incredulous expression.

“Hey, you.”

“But Daju is right.”

“What?”

When Seok Hyunmin agrees, Heo Yoon looks even more incredulous.

“We’ll starve if we just sit around.”

“Well, we didn’t exactly confirm that 13A1 is dangerous. Wouldn’t it be better to just go there carefully?”

“Sister, you have a point, but that’s only temporary. We can’t call it stable. It’s better to find another floor.”

Now Heo Yoon is looking at me.

“What do you think, Dabin?”

“I think exploring would be better too.”

“Serim?”

“Since we can’t keep relying on 13A1, wouldn’t it be good to find another floor while we still have enough to eat?”

“…Alright.”

“Yay!”

Daju jumps up and down excitedly.

“Yoon Daju, you’re really something else.”

Heo Yoon stands up, quickly pulls Daju down, and gives her a light knock on the head.

“Ouch.”

“Be! Quiet!”

“What? You were being loud this morning too, weren’t you?”

“What?”

“I could hear everything when I was standing by the door.”

Daju looks back and forth between Heo Yoon and Seok Hyunmin with a mischievous smile.

“Ya-s.”

“Ugh.”

Seok Hyunmin flinches.

“Ah. No. Hey. Yoon Daju. You’re really going to die!!!”

Heo Yoon’s face instantly turns red.

“Serim and oppa were there too, so they heard everything. It’s too late to react like thmmmph…!”

“Don’t say another word.”

A quick hand firmly covers Daju’s mouth.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

“I’ll really kill you!!!”

Actually, I only got the gist of it from the atmosphere; I couldn’t hear anything. The apartment soundproofing can’t be that bad.

But it’s impressive how she can get under someone’s skin with just a few words.

In a way, Yoon Daju is quite remarkable. A genius at annoying people, perhaps?

Yoon Daju deliberately rolls her eyes while repeatedly hitting Heo Yoon’s arm.

“Mmmmph…hah! I almost died…”

“Enough! We’re going exploring today, so everyone get ready.”

Heo Yoon fans herself and looks at me.

“Dabin, you worked hard, so rest a bit.”

“What? No, I’m fine…”

“Rest.”

“Okay.”

It was almost threatening, so I had to give in.

As Heo Yoon was turning to leave, she suddenly came back and grabbed my arm.

“Huh?”

“Right. Let me check your finger.”

What a surprise.

But Heo Yoon seemed just as surprised.

“What? It’s already healed? Why did it heal so quickly?”

“Ah. Maybe because you treated it well from the beginning.”

“No, that’s…”

Heo Yoon smiles.

“Ha. Are you good at social skills?”

She fiddles with my finger.

She presses on the joints and bends it in different directions to check.

“Anyway, you don’t need the splint anymore. Just remove the bandage and use your hand like before.”

“Thanks, noona.”

“It feels a bit awkward when someone who looks like you calls me noona instead of unnie.”

“I’m a guy, so what else would I call you?”

“I guess so? Sorry.”

Taking the bandage that was once wrapped around my hand, Heo Yoon walks into the apartment.

“Hyunmin, go to the storage and pack some bags. Serim, get ready too. Yoon Daju, you must be thrilled to death?”

In the late morning as the sunlight grows stronger, the survivors busily prepare for exploration.

“Hyunmin and I will be one team. Daju and Serim, you two go together. Okay?”

“Yes, unnie.”

Heo Yoon gives instructions, and Choi Serim answers in a quiet voice.

It hasn’t been long since the two men died, but Heo Yoon has certainly fulfilled her role as a leader.

“We’ll be back, oppa!”

Daju rushes out of apartment 701 first, with Choi Serim following behind. The couple also left, flirting with each other.

I’m alone on the 7th floor.

Apartment 704.

……I’m bored.

There’s a saying that in the countryside, there’s nothing to do but have sex, and it doesn’t seem entirely wrong. Does that mean a heroine from the countryside has an ex-boyfriend and isn’t a virgin? Does that mean she can’t be the true heroine? Somehow this seems like a topic people on the manga gallery would enjoy. I used to browse a lot of manga communities when I was trying to become a webtoon artist.

This place is like the countryside, or rather, what else could be more rural?

You can’t access the internet or turn on the TV. The difference is that here you can’t even take a walk around the neighborhood or play with street dogs. So it’s worse than the countryside—more like prison life. It’s undeniably tedious. I can somewhat understand why Daju is so excited about exploring the apartment.

When killing time, I let these useless thoughts chain together.

Lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling helps thoughts flow.

Just as my body was starting to relax on the blanket.

Swoosh.

The sound of the elevator door opening.

Thump. Thump.

Footsteps coming down the hallway.

Then,

Knock knock knock!

Someone is knocking on the door.

What is it?

Should I go check?

Yeah, I should at least go check.

Just as I was about to get up, I remembered the first day I moved in.

[Bang bang bang!]

[Open up!]

No, it can’t be. This is the 7th floor. Those strange people can’t wander around here. This place has been thoroughly verified.

Reassuring myself with these thoughts, I carefully crossed the living room.

“Hello! Is anyone in there?”

It’s a strangely frivolous male voice.

Huh. Now it’s even talking.

I picked up the baseball bat lying on the floor. It’s solid wood, so it would really hurt if someone got hit with it.

“I checked, and it seems no one is here either.

…What? You want me to pick the lock and go in?”

Grip.

I unconsciously tighten my grip on the bat.

Who the hell is this visitor?

Bang! Bang!

Rattle rattle-

The sound of someone turning the doorknob echoes through the apartment.

“Ah, shit. This is scary as hell.”

Hearing the voice from outside the door, I was momentarily dumbfounded.

I’m the one who should be scared, you bastard.

One step.

One step.

Now I’m almost at the shoe rack.

From outside, I hear something rustling. He’s probably poking around the keyhole with a wire.

Can he really pick the lock that way?

“I think I’ve almost got it, everyone.”

I flinched at the voice.

If he’s going to open the door and come in anyway, shouldn’t I strike first?

I gripped the bat tightly and positioned myself in front of the door.

There’s only one chance for timing.

I’ll aim to take him down in one hit when he breaks in and is still excited about it.

Click!

“Got it!”

The door opens.

“Ah, thanks for the thousand won, MejuBox-nim…!”

Whoosh-

“Ahhh!!!”

The man wearing a baseball cap showed incredible reaction speed and slightly less impressive balance.

First, he successfully dodged the baseball bat that suddenly came at him. Then, with a short scream, he twisted his body, but his feet slipped, and he fell flat on the shoe rack floor.

Crash!

I didn’t hesitate to raise my weapon again.

“Wait! Time out! Just a moment!”

The man awkwardly raises his arms in a ‘stop!’ gesture.

What are those things that fell on the floor?

A phone and a selfie stick. Plus a power bank?

“If someone was inside, you should have said something…”

“What?”

“Were you living here?”

“What are you talking about?”

Looking like he just entered high school.

Black jacket, black mask, and a baseball cap pulled down—he looks like a criminal.

Taking a deep breath to calm down a bit.

I put the bat down on the floor.

“Do you even know what’s going on?”

“Huh?”

The man scratches his head.

“Well, I do internet broadcasts, and today’s content was exploring an abandoned building. I heard this was an abandoned construction site from about 7 years ago… but you’re living here…”

I can’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“So, does this look like an abandoned building to you?”

“What?”

“I don’t even know what’s happening with your broadcast.”

I bent down and picked up the phone from the floor.

Sure enough, the phone is completely turned off.

“Wake up.”

I shook the man’s shoulder while showing him the back of the phone.

“Huh?”

“Look around you again.”

“Huuuh?”

Now seeming to grasp the situation, the man gapes and frantically looks around.

“Wh-where is this?”

“I don’t know either.”

“Isn’t this the Songhak-dong apartment construction site?”

“When I came in, it was a corridor-style apartment for monthly rent. In Yangcheon-gu, Seoul.”

“……”

The man is still sitting stupidly on the shoe rack tiles.

“What?”

“How old are you?”

“What?”

“Your age.”

“……Nineteen.”

I clicked my tongue.

What is a kid who should be eating school lunches doing exploring haunted houses for internet broadcasts?

“I’m twenty-four.”

“Really? You look about my age… noona.”

It’s bitter. To think I’d hear this even from a high schooler.

It would be embarrassing to ask if he’s a girl or whatever, so I just brushed it off.

“I look young.”

“Ah…”

“Anyway, I’ll explain slowly. Come in.”

“Okay.”

“You’ll need to be extremely careful if you want to live here from now on.”

I was talking to myself when I turned around.

He’s just hesitating at the entrance even though I told him to come in.

“So, does that mean I can’t leave here?”

He may not understand what I’m saying, but he’s quite perceptive.

If there’s one good thing, it’s that I won’t be bored anymore. Excluding Yoon Daju because she’s a bit crazy, this is the first person younger than me that I’ve met while my stress has been building up.

……It’s definitely easier to deal with someone younger.