episode_0028

I returned to Saetbyul’s apartment.

During this time, I did not exchange a single word with Ban Harin.

“…Please be careful going in. I’ll see you tomorrow in good health.”

“Banharin, be careful with your eyes too.”

Saetbyeol Apartments, where moving center vehicles are lined up in a bizarre manner.

Eunha came inside, being seen off by Ban Harin, who was less energetic than usual. After taking the elevator to the 9th floor, I picked up the suitcase parked in front of the front door and entered the house.

Something… makes me feel weak.

It must be because of the conversation I had with Ban Harin.

How much did she, who was strangely observant, notice?

Eunha caressed the hollow injection mark near the carotid artery.

I’m really worried.

Although he may not have been aware of the existence of ‘things’, he would have realized that the galaxy was being attacked by ‘something’.

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

4. Cognition is the connection of existence.

– Have you heard the saying, ‘Knowledge is power’?

… … .

– Those who recognize our existence are called [the awakened ones].

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

To compare it, it is like standing precariously on a steep cliff.

A situation where if you take one step closer, you will fall down a dark cliff.

‘I don’t think Mr. Banharin would blink even in front of a cliff…’

I hope nothing major happens to her.

Because I alone suffer enough.

Cheaeng!

When I came home, put my shoes away, and checked that [Black Book] was in my suitcase.

A sharp metallic sound was heard from the hallway leading to the living room.

『Karrr~.』

The sound of a sharp blade falling to the floor.

The sound of a child’s laughter heard as if in passing.

Eunha, holding the [Black Book] she had taken out of her carrier, frowned and looked towards the direction from which the sound came.

A kitchen knife that should have been in the kitchen suddenly fell on the floor.

“…….”

This is the sword that the [Red Woman] used with the jigsaw when she cut up the galaxy last time.

Why are you here?

Eunha, who was staring at the kitchen knife, slapped the cover of the black book as if to show that she was angry.

(『Don’t tell them well. I won’t visit too often from now on.』)

He said he wouldn’t come visit often.

Did you trick me?

Excited. Excited.

My heart is racing.

Eunha placed her hand on her soft chest and took a deep breath.

Could it be the effect of a change in body? My tolerance for fear has definitely become lower than before.

A while ago, weren’t you shocked when Ban Harin hugged you from behind?

At this rate, I felt like I would be surprised if someone suddenly spoke to me.

“Ha… Yes, it’s actually better. Thanks to you, my blood pressure goes up.”

I said it was enough for me to be in pain, but I didn’t want to get sick this quickly.

Eunha massaged her sore neck and relaxed her sore body.

Yeah, well… I was just feeling depressed after the conversation with Ban Harin.

For now, I decided to focus only on the problem at hand.

A cutlery falling on the floor, a child’s laughter…

There is a rule that comes to mind.

Eunha opened the [Black Book] on the floor and checked the guide.

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

7. Store cutlery in a designated place.​

– Kitchen knife holder, bedroom drawer, etc… It is recommended to store cutlery at a height where ‘children up to 80 cm tall’ cannot touch it.

– Children tend to have accidents when they look away for a moment.

​

7-1. Sometimes, cutlery that has not been taken out may end up on the floor.​

– Cover cutlery that has fallen on the floor with a soft object, such as a cushion.

– Afterwards, say, “I found it. The game of tag is over.”

– If you remove the soft object after a while, the blade will be gone.

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

This is it.

A cutlery that fell on the floor.

The sound of children’s laughter.

Unfortunately or fortunately, it was not the [Red Woman] who instilled manners in Eunha.

A child with a height of about 80cm… he’s just a baby.

Are even mites coming to my house now?

‘So, you’re telling me to cover that knife with something soft? Should I cover it completely so that the blade is not visible?’

Still, this is a very easy rule.

Unlike [Red Woman], there is no time limit.

If you head to the living room right now, there will be soft cushions on the sofa, and there are pillows in the bedroom.

It can be said that there is no need to show off talent unfairly.

After reading the book once, Eunha looked up and sighed in relief.

Chaeengㅡ.

By the time I noticed, the kitchen knife that had fallen on the floor was approaching Eunha.

The distance is roughly about one step.

『Crackling~.』

The sound of a child’s immature laughter begins to be heard closer than before.

“……whamma.”

Eunha walked backwards toward the front door, wiping away her goosebump-covered arms.

It was moving. It seemed like it would be so.

Without taking my eyes off the approaching kitchen knife, I slowly stepped back, grabbed the doorknob of the front door, and turned it.

Rattling…

The door doesn’t open.

okay. It seemed like this.

I touched my forehead in frustration, growing like a weed.

(Children tend to have accidents when they look away for a moment.)

A sentence that I thought was not very important.

Now I know what that means.

If you turn your eyes away from that sword now, it means that Eunha is moving secretly.

I’ve seen it a lot in horror movies. I watched it with Bang and it was really scary.

And when it actually happens, it feels like death.

‘… … ‘How fast is it moving?’

As a test, I closed and opened my eyes slightly.

Then, with the sound of blades clashing, the blade approached about half a step.

… … This is roughly the speed of a child running at full speed.

It’s not that fast, but it’s a very burdensome speed to run away from in a small space like a house.

“Hey, the little boy doesn’t play with things like that. Would you like to give that to your brother?”

『Kyarrr~. Crackling~.』

I spoke to ‘that’ in the gentlest voice possible.

Eunha appears to be happy to talk to her and cries with joy.

Do you think the current situation is just a game?

The Rose of Sharon has bloomed… It’s a game with the same feeling.

『Kyaarrr~. Hehehe~.』

A bright laugh.

What’s so funny?

“…It’s okay. I understand. I don’t have any friends, so I’ve never played games like that.”

『Kyarrr~. really?”

“Yes. Really.”

I shook my head while talking to ‘that’.

Meanwhile, he repeatedly opens both eyes alternately so as not to lose sight of the fallen kitchen knife.

‘It’s too dangerous to pick up that knife… Anyway, you have to go to the living room without taking your eyes off the knife.’

The goal is to find a soft object.

Eunha opened her eyes as wide as she could and passed by the kitchen knife.

Excited. Excited.

I feel like I am the protagonist of a spy movie.

In particular, every time I open my eyes, the kitchen knife on the floor rattles, making my heart pound.

『Cawrrrr~.』

“Don’t keep fussing. I’m busy.”

An invisible hand pats Eunha’s thigh.

It seemed like the 80cm tall child was really there.

Rather than the kitchen knife being alive and moving, it would be closer to a transparent ‘something’ moving around holding the knife.

‘… … ‘I don’t think it’s that dangerous?’

Eunha sighed in relief and thought as she passed the kitchen knife.

It’s not very dangerous.

『Karruk~』

If you just look at it, you can’t move, and even if you close your eyes, it approaches more slowly than you think.

Plus, the innocent laughter of a baby…

… … Wouldn’t it be okay if I played around with it for a little while?

‘No, that’s a monster. How can I play?’

For a moment, I turned my head away out of pity.

The bright, cackling sound of laughter made me feel pity and motherly love for no reason, but that was the same type of monster as the [Red Woman].

If I wanted to feel pity, I received it. There is no need for Eunha to feel pity.

『Let’s play together, sister.』

“What, this is my first time hearing you call me older… Do you want to call me older?”

『Cawrrrr~ Funny sister.』

Let’s not act carelessly, believing only in [self-recovery].

okay. This time I realized that my trauma was worse than I thought.

The body regenerates through [self-recovery], but the mind does not.

My worries are over.

Eunha slowly walked backwards to touch the teddy bear cushion on the living room sofa.

『… … Come play with me. sister.”

Click-.

And, when Eunha took a step towards the living room,

The breaker tripped.

Darkness is coming.

『Kyaarrr~. I want to play tag with my sister~!』

“…Turn on the light. My eyesight is getting worse.”

Strangely, in the darkness where you can’t even see an inch ahead.

Eunha gritted her teeth as she heard the baby’s laughter whispering in her ear.

(- Afterwards, say, “I found it. The game of tag is over.”)

okay. This is not ‘The Rose of Sharon has bloomed’.

It was a game of tag.

You have to find a soft object in the dark where the kitchen knife cannot be seen.

Somehow it was easy.

Damn [The Black Book].

If I explain it in detail, what would be more?

“Why don’t you resolve it through conversation with your sister?”

『Crackling~~.』

“……Mr.

Phew!

With the sensation of a sharp kitchen knife being stabbed in the back,

Eunha ran through the darkness to the living room.

… … .

“Whoa… whoa… I barely caught it.”

『Kyaeluk~ Hehehe~』

Eunha pressed the blood-soaked kitchen knife with a bear cushion and took a deep breath.

Bright red blood flows from the knife marks all over her body. It burns like it’s been burned.

There were holes on my back and left hand from the kitchen knife, and thanks to [Self-Healing], only scars remained.

It’s not for nothing that they say babies are pure evil.

I looked around the messy living room and gave a complicated smile.

I thought I was going to die this time too.

I somehow blocked the oncoming kitchen knife with my left hand and groped around in the darkness to find a cushion. If I had been even a little late, I would have ended up in the same situation as in [Red Woman].

Well… let’s think that good things are good things.

Kids these days play too aggressively.

I learned one thing.

“…I found it. The game of tag is over.”

『Karrr~』

The bright laughter of a baby.

While pressing down on the kitchen knife that was shaking under the cushion, Eunha said ‘words to end the game’.

Stand tall.

At that moment, the baby’s laughter lingering in Eunha’s ears stopped.

The kitchen knife that was struggling under the cushion also stops moving.

『… … thank you. sister. For playing with us.』

“Uh, it’s my brother.”

『But I wanted to play with my sister more.』

“The kids have good physical strength.”

Words filled with regret.

He makes his usual smiling face while receiving a thank you from a child.

Does it mean that there are multiple invisible ‘those’ people who are confused and called ‘noona’ and ‘unni’?

『Just a little more… I wanted to play with you.』

“…….”

『This is the first adult, older sister, who plays with us.』

“……I see. That’s good.”

Words that contain nothing but innocence are engraved in Eunha’s heart.

There were scars as pathetic as the knife marks carved all over my body.

『Hello, sister… I hope to see you again.』

and. As the sound of laughter full of regret passes by Eunha like a breeze,

The presence that was moving around disappeared like smoke.

On the floor where the cushions had been removed… there was nothing.

… … .

Crackling, cackling.

The sound of a baby’s laughter lingering in my head.

It showed bright yellow innocence like a forsythia that bloomed on a spring day, and then left as if the seasons were changing.

My body is heavy.

Is it because the laughter of ‘that’ is so bright?

Eunha, who had been sitting in the hallway for a while looking down at the cushions, slowly got up from her seat.

“……Come again. Sister will play with you.”

Let’s say you have a mischievous little brother.

From now on, you should call me [Invisible Baby].

Eunha smiled bitterly and started cleaning up the blood stains scattered in the living room.

Hunt’s Clean, a detergent specifically for hunters that I have used before.

Performance is excellent no matter when you use it.

Crackling……

The crisis has been passed, but why do I keep hearing the bright laughter of children?

It was a bit of an awkward ending.

… … .

Nothing much happened after that.

After cleaning up the messy living room, I called Eunbangul and had a chat. Afterwards, I took a quick shower, lay down on the bed without even wearing underwear, and went to sleep.

I’m already tired because I made a mistake in donating blood once and got stabbed a few times at home.

Except for the [Invisible Baby] just now, no more ‘things’ appeared today and bothered the galaxy.

I loved that.

‘Ha… It’s hard.’

Honestly, too much has happened these past few days.

It’s hard to believe that less than a week has passed since I picked up [The Black Book].

Still, in the dream, [the person in black] said that he had warned ‘things’ well, and that he would not visit often from now on…

It would be okay to relax just a little.

‘Tomorrow is finally the end of vacation… it was long…’

Of course, cafes are the most convenient.

Just like that, Eunha relaxed and fell asleep with a peaceful mind.

Grumbling…

Immediately after, the living room balcony door opened and ‘something’ came inside.

… … .

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

May 6th.

There are 26 days left until the ‘Hunter Promotion Exam’ to be held next month.

​

End of paid vacation.

Less than a week has passed since I picked up [The Black Book].

Is this right?

“Your complexion has improved a lot overnight.”

“Mr. Banharin is still wearing his eyepatch.”

“What is the glove on your left hand?”

“It’s fashion?”

Ban Harin, who occupied one of the tables as usual, spoke to Eunha in a cold voice.

If there’s anything different from usual, it’s that he’s wearing an eyepatch over his left eye.

Maybe it’s because she looks so gangly that she looks cool even with an eyepatch on.

He looked suspiciously at the gloves he wore to cover up the knife wound on his left hand, but when Eunha played it off by saying it was just fashion, he gave her a skeptical look but ignored it without saying anything.

… … Are we just trying to ignore the stories we shared yesterday?

If that’s the case, Eunha doesn’t bother arguing.

“Ugh… my left eye… wants a pretzel. Eunha. Could you give me a pretzel?”

“Even if you say it hurts with a straight face, it doesn’t really feel like it.”

“Ah, my left eye. My left eye hurts. Ah, my left eye.”

It’s embarrassing to see Ban Harin struggling, clutching his left eye with a cold face.

Eunha quickly brought the pretzel and put it in her mouth. Then Ban Harin, who stopped moving like a ghost, munched on his pretzel and gave Eunha a thumbs up.

What will be gained if I remain as polite as my cold expression?

Eunha burst out laughing and pulled on her tight uniform.

The cafe I worked at for the first time in a while was peaceful.

If there’s one problem, it’s that the uniform I always wear is too small and uncomfortable.

Cotton pants, shirt, and checkered apron with large pockets.

Because your body shape is changing, some areas are loose and others are tight, which is frustrating.

Should I order a new one?

“Wow! Was it Ji Bakryeong’s woman?”

“Look! I said I was a girl!”

Customers visiting the cafe were also surprised to see Eunha’s noticeably more feminine appearance.

Some of the guests seemed even more amazed because they seemed to know that Eunha was the ‘Ji Bakryeong of the Promotion Test’.

‘… … ‘Why is everyone convinced that I’m a woman?’

It’s sad.

“That’s because Eunha’s previous appearance is ambiguous.”

“Are you saying that again? And I didn’t say anything.”

“But isn’t a beautiful woman much better than an ambiguous man?”

Ban Harin’s words seemed to read Eunha’s thoughts and she pursed her lips.

I have nothing to say.

“……Ah, Mr. Banharin. I have something to ask. Mr. Banharin, you are a hunter, right?”

“That’s right Hunter, but what’s going on?”

Eunha turned her head to avoid Ban Harin’s sly gaze.

She said that a good idea suddenly occurred to her.

The vacation is over,

I guess I got used to [The Black Book] to some extent…

It’s time to start my real job as a hunter.

“You hugged me yesterday. You’re a combat hunter, right?”

“……That’s right. My level is low, but I am registered as a hunter.”

“Then can you help me exercise? I’ll grant you a wish later.”

The first hunter activity in the F-class hunter galaxy.

That’s right,

I will pass the promotion exam next month.