episode_0251

“Where is this…?”

[Euncheon Academy] ■■, a third-year student.

He stopped walking, unable to keep up with the situation before his eyes.

When it was lunchtime, he was about to call Kim Sa-rang to the gym storage room where he had hidden the ‘surprise box’, but he swallowed hard as he looked around the empty hallway.

Cold air.

When I look out the window, a hazy fog blocks my view.

When I frown and look out into the fog, I see the figure of a person hanging from a rope, dangling like fruit on a tree.

A strange landscape.

I thought it was a dream.

But the smell of blood coming from somewhere woke him up to reality,

The unstoppable cold sweat puts him on alert.

How did it turn out like this?

■■ gritted his teeth as he recalled the woman he had encountered in the hallway earlier.

… … .

“Hey. Where did ◇◇ go?”

“Don’t you know? Weren’t you with me?”

“I went to the bathroom and then went to listen to the lecture, and I haven’t seen you since.”

It was lunchtime and I was on my way to the gym.

◇◇ with the [Perception] skill was nowhere to be seen in the Academy.

I wondered what had happened because I didn’t even answer the phone.

Thinking that Kim Sa-rang’s work was more important than that, he headed to the gym storage room where he had hidden the ‘surprise box’.

A good place to decorate something since there is no CCTV.

■■’s role is to enter the warehouse one step ahead and set up the ‘surprise box’.

Another one is the one who brings Kim Sa-rang to the gym.

◇◇ It’s a shame it’s not there, but it’s not a big problem.

I was walking to the gym with that thought in mind.

Step, step.

“… … .”

“Whoa…! What the heck, it was you? You surprised me, kid!”

He was startled.

◇◇, who had not responded no matter how many times he called, was looking at him from the hallway in front of the classroom.

“… … .”

A female student standing alone in the hallway, fiddled with the sleeves of her academy uniform.

◇◇’s face was cold, like a doll or a mask.

Even when I asked ■■ where he was and what he was doing, he just stood blankly in the hallway and looked around.

He looked at the students running around noisily one by one as if he was looking at fish in an aquarium.

“… … .”

“Ugh… Should I go first?”

I must have eaten something bad and ended up stuck in the bathroom.

■■ hurried his steps, leaving his friend who had lost his mind behind.

His job is to make Kim Sa-rang open the ‘surprise box’.

I don’t know what’s inside the box, but it’s bound to contain something that will be a problem for whoever opens it.

‘And if I save the troubled love, if I do well… Hehehe…’

A petty desire.

Is there any particular reason why you claim to be a fool?

Kim Sa-rang was a loner with a bad personality, but she was a rich girl with a pretty face.

Plus, since he was also stupid, I thought it would be easy to deal with him if I just looked at him once.

■■ whistled as he imagined himself joining [Changcheon Swordsman] as soon as he graduated from the academy.

… … .

“Where is this…?”

and,

After a brief reminiscence,

Back to reality.

When I look at the thick fog outside the window, it takes my breath away.

■■ clutched his head, unable to comprehend the reality before his eyes.

What was the problem?

Did you leave ◇◇, which looks strange, alone?

Or maybe it was because of the woman I met on my way to the gym.

“You can blame me.”

It’s hard to describe… If I had to describe it, it’s a beauty with an obscene body.

If I appear on TV incorrectly, I’m worried that I’ll be mosaic-processed because it violates the censorship regulations.

She wears a ‘leather choker’ with paper hanging from it like a cow’s neck, and her black hair is mixed with a sunset tint.

Behind the gaze that was blankly looking, there was wisdom of unknown depth.

(Oh, hello. Are you an outsider? Are you waiting for someone?)

(『……You. I was wondering if you could still turn it back.』)

(Me? Ahaha… No, I have a girlfriend… You know [Changcheon Sword Song], right?)

Rustle…

He took a piece of paper out of his pocket.

After chatting with the beautiful woman with a trembling heart, I hurried to the bathroom and found it in my pocket.

A note with some strange ‘rule’ written on it,

Who’s kidding? He expected the phone number of the woman who had been waiting for him, so he immediately tore the paper and flushed it down the toilet.

It was from that time that I started to see strange things.

‘What did that woman do? Hallucination skills?’

I don’t know.

I don’t know anything.

The only option left for him is to get out of this fucking place.

First, I headed to the first floor to get out of the building.

Step, step.

Step, step.

“… … .”

Step, step.

Step, step.

But why is that?

Going down the stairs,

The sound of footsteps overlaps.

It’s a sound coming from right behind you.

Thump!

I turned my head, thinking it was strange.

◇◇, with an expressionless face, was following him closely.

When did you come? More importantly, how did you come?

■■, who was startled, uses ‘Body Strengthening’ to increase distance.

“What the heck…! Why are you following me!”

“… … .”

“No, do you know what’s going on right now? Where the hell is this…….?”

◇◇ didn’t say anything.

As if I shouldn’t open my mouth.

“… … .”

It’s as if there’s an extra layer of human skin covering it.

I’m worried about that expressionless face for no reason.

Discomfort.

The female student in front of me smelled like formalin, something you would only find in a science lab.

And the smell of well-cooked meat.

Maybe it’s because it’s lunchtime, but all kinds of smells are irritating my nose.

“… … .”

like that,

With an anxious heart,

How many times have I stared at the female student in front of me?

Finally, ‘that thing’ opened its mouth.

… … thud.

The smell of formalin.

The smell of well-cooked meat.

Crunch.

A piece of ‘something’ that was filling my mouth,

It pops out of my mouth and falls to the floor.

…make eye contact with a friend.

“Whaaa!!!”

He screams as he backs away hastily.

It is to inflate a shrunken heart.

Dduk dduk…

At the noise echoing through the hallway, ‘those things’ who were teaching in the classroom turned their heads to look at ■■.

『Ugh… Ugh…』

“Don’t come!! I’ll kill you!!”

A rumbling voice.

Scream.

Of course, no one is listening.

There are only those who look.

Fog fills the window.

A human figure hanging in the air.

‘Those things’ looking at him from inside the classroom.

‘Something’ peeking its head out the window.

『… … .』

Fear pours in.

BANG!!

A momentary worry.

He finally raised his mana and used ‘Body Strengthening’, swinging his fist at the monster in front of him.

… … .

… … .

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

3. In general, bringing in food is prohibited.

– If you smell food in a place other than a restaurant,

– Leave the area or open a window to ventilate the area.

– However, windows should only be used for ventilation purposes.

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

… … .

『… … Phew. It’s not too late.』

and.

[Hope School] has regained its silence once again.

‘Someone’ who was looking around the clean hallway sighed.

With pure white rabbit ears twitching,

It’s a cute stuffed rabbit.

“This is what they meant by opening the window and letting in some fresh air!”

『… … .』

“I can live even if someone else follows the rules for me… I’ve gained a lot of knowledge.”

Knock knock.

The ‘Rabbit Stuffed Animal’ closed the wide open window with its fluffy hands.

Then, something poked its head out of the window,

[The Saintess of Oblivion] appears after completing the task requested by Eunha.

It’s nothing.

At Eunha’s request, I just refreshed the guy who came here.

You said there was no need to kill him… He really is soft.

However, I thought he was going to die because some idiot didn’t follow the ‘rules’ written on the note… but a rabbit came running and saved him.

It doesn’t matter if someone dies.

Even if he survives with his memories lost, it won’t be a very happy ending since he’s already been exposed to resentment.

I don’t like seeing the galaxy sad.

That’s all.

『… … I got help.』

“I don’t want my sister to be sad! We should help each other and live together as neighbors.”

A rabbit opens and closes the window with a bright laugh.

At the voice of the friendly girl, [Forgetful Saintess], who had been quietly moving her lips, snorts and disappears.

… Clickㅡ.

The hallway left alone like that.

The ‘Rabbit Stuffed Doll’ captured the quiet school scenery on camera.

He looks out the school window with eyes as black as tar.

“Please, make my sister happy.”

I prayed to the heavens.

Like a rabbit looking up at the moon, I send out small wishes to the falling stars as if they were shooting stars.

“Our sister. We will make you happy.”

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

A rabbit living today.

At the request of her friend who lives in the same house as her, the girl set foot on new territory again today.

That’s all there is to it.

… … .

… … .

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

I regret it.

Is this the right length?

I ran back down the sharp thorny path.

Because I want to go on the right path.

Because when I stop walking and turn my head one day, I don’t want to regret the path I’ve walked.

That is why people seek wisdom.

Ask others if this is the right path for you,

Follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before and leave new footprints.

“I realized one day that regret is equal to the number of choices you missed.”

The mountain behind [Euncheon Academy].

At the entrance to the mountain, which is mainly used as a place for survival training or survival science classes, Eunha, sitting on a shabby wooden bench, let out a heavy breath.

Knock knock…

The sound of the wheels of a rolling carrier.

The back of my hand, which I touched out of habit, is soft and without a single scar.

『And those who have lived only looking forward without a single choice… will regret it as they look back on the lonely path with no way out.』

“… … Then how can I avoid regrets?”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t have met you.”

Eunha chatted with the old man sitting next to her.

Her face, which is taking a short break, is stained with fatigue and worries that cannot be hidden even with a smile.

The time will soon be noon.

Looking up at the sky, fluffy clouds are floating around, hanging on a blue tent.

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

4. If you have any worries, sit on a park bench and reflect.

– Nothing is solved by thinking alone.

– Thinking is the process of finding solutions.

4-1. Twilight is the time of the wise.

– When the time comes, a wise person will approach you.

– If you are well-mannered and behave properly, you will be able to borrow his wisdom.

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

Time seems to pass slowly today.

Eunha, who had been enduring a throbbing headache, massaged the corners of her sore lips.

[Self-healing] makes the pain go away quickly, but my facial muscles still hurt when I keep smiling.

“You have some worries.”

“I tried to save a person, but the person died.”

Click-.

Eunha took out the [Black Book] from her carrier and placed it on her thigh.

The book feels heavy today. I unconsciously feel strength in my hands holding [the black book].

“Is this okay?”

『I would have regretted more if I had made other choices. The wooden box was just a process.』

Wise old man.

This place is deserted except for two people.

It feels quite unfamiliar to see ‘that thing’ that I always looked at at sunset under the blue sky.

“I’ll just… take a break for a bit.”

There is no answer coming back.

Just killing time by quietly looking up at the sky.

“… … .”

like that,

How much rest did you get?

Bbong-bbang~ Bbong-bbang~

While watching the clouds passing by with [Grandpa Park], Eunha heard a small bell ringing from within her arms.

“… … .”

Who called?

He bowed his head without saying a word.

Because of her large breasts, the [black book] placed on her thighs cannot be seen.

The button on my shirt fell off because I moved wrong earlier, and my chest rising and falling with my breathing made my center of gravity shift forward.

Eunha puts her hand through the wide open front door and takes out the smartphone she had kept in her bosom.

“Why are you coming out of there?”

“I tried it and it worked.”

“Your wisdom has increased.”

what.

I answered the phone, patting the old man on the shoulder.

“Hello?”

– Yes, honey.

A cold voice that conveys no emotion.

The familiar, regular customer’s annoying greeting seeps into Eunha’s heart.

Eunha, who had fixed the phone, listened to Banharin’s voice.

– I’m calling to report on the progress.

“Progress report…?”

– This is the memo that Eunha gave me this morning.

Progress report.

Eunha, who had been thinking deeply about Banharin’s words, blinked.

… … .

<< Next news. In Euncheon-gu….. Chijijik…… 16 casualties due to a truck driver's drowsy driving. ■■ It happened on Daehak-ro near University…』

『Here's the news. There are 7 casualties due to the rampage of monsters that came from the border. Afterwards, thanks to the sacrifice of C-class Hunter Kim Man-seok of the Hunter Association, the monster hunting was successful.』

(Just for today, I have the Cat Chief take a look at the places listed here.)

(We have to save those who can be saved. If not Banharin, there is no one else we can ask.)

Last night was an unusually wise night.

A memo where I wrote down all the accident news from the 'News' that reported future incidents and accidents as I remembered them.

I gave it to Banharin this morning.

I had a headache for several reasons and forgot about it.

– The note that Eunha wrote was correct. There were major and minor casualties at that location. The association personnel from each region were dispatched to the site and are currently working on the accident recovery……

"… … ."

– As of now, there are 2 seriously injured people, 34 lightly injured people… and no deaths.

Heart pounding.

My heart was pounding.

Eunha, who bit her lip without realizing it, was swept up in an inexplicable emotion and tightly grabbed the [Black Book] placed on her thigh.

– Since we don't know the exact time, we are patrolling the area where the surplus personnel are expected to be involved.

"I see…"

– Chief Ko Young-in, who was asking how he found out about the accident that was about to happen, hit Agu-chang and knocked him out…

Banharin said.

Like a machine that conveys facts.

"… … I see…"

The galaxy answered.

Like someone who found a beautiful rose on a thorny path that he had inadvertently turned back to.

I looked up at the sky, my throat choked with emotion.

– If it weren't for Eunha, it would have been an accident where most people would have died.

"That's…right…"

– The Milky Way saved them.

"… … ."

The plain facts flow like TV news.

Galaxy, looking up at the blue sky, closed her eyes.

A day with an unusually painful headache.

Dropping an academy student into the Milky Way,

Lunch time to sit down for a moment and catch your breath.

I regretted it.

Is this the right way?

Is there no other way than to just get rid of them all?

– On behalf of everyone, I thank you.

A thorny path that I looked back on without thinking.

A rose that bloomed with the blood of the galaxy,

He waves flower petals at her as she sits down on the thorny path.

"… … I hope this won’t cause any problems?"

– Do you know that? It's my department's job to prevent 'protected targets' from being exposed to outside forces. We do everything from destroying evidence to abandoning bodies.

"Anything…"

– Since I'm an expert at cleaning up, you can do whatever you want. Don't be discouraged just because you're tired.

Did you 'observe' the galaxy's mood from the voice you heard?

Banharin's cold voice melted Eunha's heavy heart just a little.

… … .

– Then I will go to the next accident site. Eunha, please make sure to save Kim Sa-rang.

"Haha…… Thank you. Mr. Banharin, please work a little harder too."

That's how the call ends.

There were no more stains on Eunha's face.

– If you know how hard it was for you, please buy me something delicious later… I'll hang up the phone.

"Yes, honey."

– What…

"You said honey earlier."

– … … Ha, shit… I’ve been waiting for you today…

Pirolong.

After ending the call, Eunha put her smartphone in her bosom and got up from the bench.

After resting for a bit, my body definitely feels lighter.

"Someone once said that in the box of wisdom lies hidden hope."

"Okay, I'll go clean up the rest, so Grandpa, you can play. I'll call you if I need you."

"What are you going for?"

"I'm going to save you."

Eunha waved at the kindly smiling old man and returned to [Hope School].

There was no longer any hesitation in my steps.

I guess I'm going to end the story.

Many things melt away in the eyes of an old man looking up at the blue sky.

『… … This time again, you are standing up for an unwise child.』

"A child who is ignored by everyone as being stupid…"

Daaengㅡㅡㅡ.

The sound of a bell coming from afar.

Killing her isn't the only way, but I know it's the best option for a girl accustomed to resentment.

The old man's hair shakes and the years that have passed disappear beyond the horizon.

… … .

… … .

『… …Honey?』

Many women are chasing the departing galaxy.

It's lunchtime.