Ch.62Chapter 62. Second Test (3)

“Now, for this art class, we’re going to draw our parents. Everyone has their paper, right?”

“Yes!”

“Then take whatever you want—colored pencils or pens—and draw freely. When you’re done, make sure to put everything back where it belongs!”

“Yes!”

The children scurried forward to grab art supplies from the center of the room.

While most grabbed handfuls and returned to their seats, one child remained, still contemplating her choices.

Cuss Kim.

A child with complicated circumstances.

Originally, the class was supposed to include presenting the drawings to everyone, but for Cuss’s sake, Jane decided to skip that part.

“What’s wrong?”

“There are too many colors… I don’t know which ones to pick.”

“Why don’t we start with a simple sketch? You can add colors later.”

“Okay… I understand.”

Jane placed a black pencil in Cuss’s hand.

Cuss stared at the pencil for a long while before scurrying back to her seat.

She then stared intently at the blank paper before finally beginning to move her pencil across it.

‘Looks like it’ll be fine.’

It seemed the disaster of a blank paper being submitted would be avoided.

Jane sighed with relief.

“If you drop something, you should pick it up. Ugh…”

As expected, there were too many pencils scattered around.

Jane bent down to pick up the fallen supplies one by one, then began circling the classroom.

She wanted to check how everyone was doing.

“Hmm…”

Tom Prime.

He had drawn himself between his father and mother.

At first glance, it looked like a happy family, but looking closer, that wasn’t quite the case.

The father was drawn too large to simply represent the difference between adults and children.

The mother wasn’t nearly as big.

It seemed that for Tom, his father’s presence felt quite overwhelming.

Next was Alice Tales.

‘Hmm… A cute and pretty drawing.’

Looking at it for too long hurt her eyes.

There were too many colors making it flashy, and the figures of the parents were too bizarre… no, abstract.

Thinking the artistic sense was unique, Jane decided to postpone interpretation for later as it was painful to look at.

Next was Cuss.

“Hmm?”

Jane’s pupils dilated.

A drawing of completely unexpected quality was taking shape.

Though the pencil lines were rough, it was closer to a photograph than a drawing.

And the drawing method was peculiar.

Like a printer, Cuss was repeatedly moving the pencil from side to side, working her way down.

Jane hadn’t expected to see such skill from a first-grader.

She must have either learned to draw before or was born with considerable talent.

“Is that your father?”

“Yes. That’s right. It’s Jinsoo.”

“What kind of person is Kim’s father?”

Cuss’s hand stopped.

She briefly chewed on the pencil tip, rolling her eyes before a faint smile appeared on her lips.

“He’s an idiot.”

“Excuse me?”

“He’s an idiot, but he’s cool. That’s how Jinsoo is.”

“Hmm…”

Jane nodded and looked at the drawing again.

He certainly did look like an idiot.

She couldn’t understand what was cool about a man kneeling down and sniffing a little girl’s underwear, but…

.

.

.

“You idiot!!!”

The section chief screamed until his voice went hoarse.

But there was no response from beyond the test room door.

“Let go! You bastards, let me go! Drag that idiot out here!”

“You’ll die if you go in there, sir!”

“You’ll just become smoked pork, sir!”

“Who just said that?!”

The engineers had to restrain the section chief who was about to rush inside.

Conrad, watching the scene with a serious expression, walked over with heavy steps.

“What happened?”

“Oh, Congressman. I’m so sorry this happened…”

“I’m fine. So what happened?”

“One of our employees went in to evacuate you, sir. Not knowing you’d already left… Oh God, this idiot. Not a day goes by without him causing trouble. God damn it…”

The section chief collapsed in tears.

Meanwhile, one engineer tried to peek through the entrance but—

“Cough! Hack! Ugh! Can’t go in there!”

He quickly retreated, tears and snot pouring out.

“Jinsoo. Is it Jinsoo Kim?”

“Excuse me?”

“That employee’s name.”

“Yes, that’s right. But how did you know…”

Conrad pressed his temple, feeling a sudden dizziness.

Jinsoo Kim.

The ex-convict and kidnapper who was dating his daughter.

He thought the man was an idiot for not recognizing his girlfriend’s father, but to think he’d jump straight into the flames…

“Damn it…”

The man himself had already escaped.

Right after the explosion, Conrad had been pushed out by security guards who suddenly appeared, forcing him to evacuate without knowing what was happening.

It was only minutes after leaving the test room that flames shot through the ceiling.

“What do we do now, sir?”

“What can we do? Wait for the firefighters.”

“Who knows when they’ll get here!”

“They’ll be here soon! They will…”

“…”

Boom…

Just then, the ceiling at the test room entrance collapsed.

The emergency exit had turned red hot, its shape distorted.

No one could get through that.

Everyone present was thinking the same thing.

“That fool! He’s going to die running in circles in there! Oh my God. I can’t take this…”

Screech!

The section chief turned his head at the sharp sound of drifting tires.

A luxury car was forcing its way in, breaking through the barrier.

Security guards were chasing after it, panting like their tails were on fire.

Screech!

“Miss! You can’t come in here!”

The door opened and a blonde woman in office attire stepped out.

She removed her sunglasses and looked up in shock at the massive column of flames rising from the test room.

“Juliane! What are you doing here?”

“We were on the phone when I heard a loud noise and got cut off… How could I not come check? Are you okay, Father?”

“I’m fine. I am. But…”

“But what?”

“…”

He’d made a slip of the tongue.

Conrad bit his lip and turned his head.

Sensing something was wrong, Juliane looked around.

“Where’s Jinsoo? Excuse me, everyone. I don’t see Jinsoo.”

“Oh, ma’am! That bastard Jinsoo is done for! He’s trapped inside and can’t get out!”

“What…?”

Juliane’s face turned deathly pale.

Just then, a large hand rested on her shoulder.

“What?”

“I know what you’re thinking.”

“If you know, then pray I can find Jinsoo.”

“…”

Pushing Conrad’s hand away, Juliane began striding toward the test room.

She kicked off her high heels that were getting in the way.

Barefoot, she headed for the entrance.

She put one oxygen capsule from her pocket into her mouth.

She considered taking another but put it back.

“Are you just letting her go? Shouldn’t we stop her?”

“Be quiet. Trying to stop that child will only get you hurt…”

Conrad squeezed his eyes shut at the security guards’ fuss.

He wanted to hold her back, but Juliane was the type who would break even her father’s leg to go her own way.

Without an EMP, there was no physical way to stop her.

Oh, thinking about it again, those limbs of hers were even EMP-protected.

“What does your daughter think she’s going to do in there? Can she even get in…”

Sizzle…

Juliane’s hand touched the red-hot doorknob.

A sound like meat burning was clearly heard.

To everyone’s shock, Juliane calmly pulled the door open and entered the black smoke-filled room.

Soon, she disappeared from sight.

Crash…

“My goodness.”

Right after, the ceiling collapsed again, crushing the emergency exit.

Now there truly was no way out.

***

“Son of a… cough…”

The section chief was right.

I was wrong.

Smoke definitely rises.

I nearly died insisting on standing on my tiptoes.

So now I was crawling forward, practically on my stomach.

“Congressman! Congressman!”

I doubted my voice could even be heard.

It was probably drowned out by the loud alarm.

I was about to circle the entire test room.

I’m going to die at this rate, damn it.

“Congressman! Congressman Stadtfeld! Ugh… cough! Cough!”

There was too little oxygen.

I collapsed against the wall.

Congressman Stadtfeld wasn’t in the observation seats, the emergency stairs, or anywhere else.

Wait a minute.

Stadtfeld?

“Stadtfeld… Stadtfeld… starter pack…”

No, damn it.

Not starter pack.

Stadtfeld.

It feels familiar on my tongue.

Is it some famous actor’s name?

Why does it sound so familiar?

“Oh shit. Damn.”

Then I remembered.

Juliane Stadtfeld.

That voyeuristic woman’s surname was definitely Stadtfeld.

The puzzle pieces finally fit together.

Her father was definitely a three-term congressman…

Or maybe four terms now.

But that didn’t matter.

In the end, both he and I would just become smoke-flavored pulled human meat.

“Life…”

Oh shit.

My vision was getting blurry.

I must be close to the end.

Just then—

“Mmph…”

“…?!”

A soft sensation covered my mouth.

Something flowed into my mouth, and suddenly breathing became easier.

“Juliane?”

Am I hallucinating?

I felt my consciousness becoming hazy.

.

.

.

“Come out. Please. Come out.”

The section chief muttered in a daze.

The flames had subsided considerably.

Not a good sign.

It meant almost everything flammable had already burned.

“Ungrateful child…”

Conrad’s fist was tightly clenched, his fingernails digging into his palm until blood dripped.

But he still had some faith left.

Faith that his daughter would definitely return alive.

She was the daughter who had returned alive after subduing drug addicts with her bare hands in the middle of a shootout.

She would surely come back alive this time too.

She had to.

Bang! Bang!

“What?!”

At that moment, sounds came from the distorted fire door.

Someone was definitely knocking from inside.

At first everyone was confused, but—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“It’s, it’s a person! Bring a hammer! A crowbar too!”

They snapped to attention and jumped up.

Those gathering to open the door noticed someone was shouting something from inside.

“Everyone get back!”

“Huh?”

A clear voice.

It was definitely telling them to move away.

The engineers instinctively felt danger and jumped away from the door.

Boom!

With a shock wave, the fire door was torn off and flew away.

As black smoke poured out, a dim figure appeared.

“Huff… haa… Ambulance! Quickly!”

An android with white metal limbs…

No, a woman was catching her breath while carrying the unconscious Jinsoo on her back.

Her once-neat skirt was torn at the side, and her beautiful blonde hair was disheveled, with the ends burned or singed.

Everyone stared at her in a daze.