episode_0263

If someone were to ask you to name the most painful memory in your life,

After a moment of hesitation, Eunha will answer that it is the [Red Woman’s] saw.

The sawing that seemed to cut off even the soul was extremely clumsy.

How painful it was to have to saw through the same spot over and over again to cut a single joint, and to have your fingers poke through the torn flesh and open the wound.

Should I say that the pain was as heavy as the love?

Of course, the other monsters were also sick, but I thought that if I made [Red Woman] number 1, there would be no later troubles.

‘The second thing that hurt was [Grandpa Park’s] bell ringing… and…’

The most painful memory.

The galaxy, having thought that far, hugged the cold body.

‘And… the least painful thing was… when I was frozen to death by [the Beast].’

I thought about it absentmindedly.

A heavy snowfall.

I remember a child falling into a deep sleep in his mother’s arms.

( [Baby… Only you, are human.] )

The cry of an animal wishing its offspring were human.

The thing he handed over, saying it was a person, was ‘raw meat’ dripping with blood,

In that place where only hunger and cold existed, [the beast] held its young in its arms with the only warmth it had.

( [So someday, you alone will remain a person…] )

( [Kill the ugly beast with your own hands.])

and,

Darkness is always.

( [Once upon a time, when I was young.] )

( [As it was done to those who gave birth to him.] )

There was nothing.

… … .

“Haaak…! Haa…!”

I had a nightmare.

My family appeared in my dream.

Galaxy, who woke up from a nightmare, wiped her forehead, which was wet with cold sweat.

I exhaled hot air, and at the end of my gasping breath, a cold sigh escaped.

September 5th. A long-awaited holiday.

What time is it now and why am I lying in bed?

I stared blankly at the sunlight streaming in through the window.

Tick, tick.

The ticking clock announces 1:00 p.m.

It was pretty early to wake up, considering I worked at a restaurant until dawn, but if today wasn’t a holiday I would have been in a bit of a pickle.

Is that why the restaurant’s working day is set as the day before a holiday?

For some reason, Eunha, who had been touching her moist lips, frowned.

‘Restaurant… Oh, that’s right. I stayed up late and my mom came home and I froze to death.’

Since I haven’t met [the black man], I guess he’s not dead.

I wonder if Banharin and the ‘mouse’ survived with their limbs intact.

“Sigh……”

Ugh…!

I took a deep breath and my head was pounding as if it was going to burst.

I woke up today but my head still isn’t refreshed.

[The Saintess of Oblivion] only comes at night.

I’m in terrible shape because I stayed up all night working at a restaurant.

As I pressed my temple, a sharp pain spread across my skull, as if I was pressing down on a mayonnaise container.

“Colok…”

My head hurts.

I feel like I’ve missed my nightly medication.

Galaxy, holding her head, curled up on the bed like a shrimp.

Is it because I don’t feel refreshed in the morning?

Maybe because I almost froze to death from the [beast],

Is it because I work late into the night?

Or maybe it was because of a strange nightmare.

‘……are you okay.’

Eunha thought positively.

It’s okay. I’m not sick or anything.

Even if you don’t feel refreshed for a day or so, it’s okay.

‘It’s… okay for now.’

Booths…

She lifts her heavy eyelids and looks up at the familiar ceiling.

… … .

It’s not her house.

This is the house of regular customer Banharin.

A house that is a little too large for living alone.

Before I got the [Black Book], this was a place I often came to play games. On the shelf next to the bed, all kinds of game consoles and game packs were neatly arranged by type.

Did you say that you purposely bought a bunch of games that can be played by 3 people?

Eunbangul often visited Banharin’s house, calling it a ‘game room’.

But that’s all in the past.

‘It’s a game… If I gather all the kids in the apartment and give them a game console, will they like it?

Do weirdos like games?

I don’t know.

If you don’t know, you have to try.

“Are you awake?”

Squeak…

At that moment, the bedroom door opened and Ban Harin, dressed in a black suit, came in.

As soon as she entered, she checked Eunha’s body condition with the [Observation] skill.

Eunha sat up, thinking that if she just lay still, she would worry others, but Banharin came up to her without a sound and pressed her chest, making her lie down on the bed.

Phagec!

She blinked her golden eyes, took out a bottle of medicine from her suit pocket, and handed it to me along with a glass of water she had prepared in advance.

“It’s a migraine medicine.”

“Why is it coming out of my pocket?”

“Because chronic fatigue and migraines are office workers’ friends..”

“The medicine has no effect because of [self-recovery].”

“Wouldn’t that be comforting? Just think of it as a nutritional supplement and take it.”

A headache pill and a glass of water on the bedside table.

Only then did Eunha, who had raised her upper body with Banharin’s support, swallow the pill.

The pill I swallowed after a long time got stuck in the middle and settled at the edge of my esophagus.

I cough repeatedly and swallow water as I feel an ambiguous feeling of stopping while going down.

Banharin’s cold, emotionless voice settled warmly in Eunha’s heart.

“What about the restaurant and Mr. Mouse?”

“The mouse is lying on the living room sofa due to excessive use of [Skill]. Don’t worry, it’s because it’s low on mana. ”

“I see.”

Oh no…

As I was about to speak, a slight yawning sound was heard from the living room.

At that moment, it seems that the ‘mouse’ also came to its senses.

Banharin, who had been ‘observing’ Eunha for a while, unlocked [Skill], and habitually wiped Eunha’s cold face, then covered her body with a blanket as she raised her upper body from the bed.

“I think you will have many questions. The treatment of the mice, the situation of the restaurant, etc…”

“… … .”

“Since the ‘mouse’ has woken up, would it be okay if we continue the conversation over lunch?”

There is no reason to refuse.

Eunha swallowed several times because of the foreign body feeling left in her throat.

She raised the corners of her mouth at the sunny weather outside the window.

I’m in pretty good condition considering I stayed up all night.

Although my head was about to burst because I hadn’t met the [Forgetful Saintess], and my body, which had once frozen and then thawed, felt numb every time I moved,

But he’s still alive, and I saved him, so that’s okay.

That’s enough of a reason why you’re in pain.

Sagak-.

The sound of insects croaking from somewhere.

The sound of crickets chirping with worry.

“Okay. I’m hungry, so let’s go eat lunch first.”

“I hope it’s not that restaurant.”

“Let’s go to that restaurant. It’s free food.”

“Excuse me, are you crazy? Where is that place?”

Eunha raised the corners of her lips in pain at the sound of their voices.

… … .

… … .

“My memory… Wouldn’t it be better to just leave it like this?”

So, I came back to [Euncheon Restaurant].

In this place where people can talk without being noticed by others, Banharin’s co-worker ‘Mouse’ expressed his opinion to Eunha.

“Would you like to order?”

The very corner of the restaurant.

Galaxy, who had finished ordering as usual, clears her throat while looking at the rat’s tail wagging gently.

A waiter placing a torn head on a tray,

‘Guests’ who are swaying like a group of shadows.

Traces of dawn still remain, the glass windows cracked like spider webs.

Even the sleet piled up on one side of the ground…

The restaurant I visited as a customer rather than a waitress left a scar like a different, more brutal feeling than usual.

It feels strange.

“… … I only worked for one day, but it feels strange to come to you as a customer. It feels like something is stuck in my throat.”

“Ms. Galaxy. The pill didn’t go down my throat.”

“Somehow.”

As Eunha picked up the glass cup filled with water, Banharin, who was sitting next to her at the table, quietly patted her on the back.

“… Are you listening to me?”

“Of course. If you want to leave the memory alone, it would be better to forget it completely.”

” I thought so too, but I guess that’s not it.”

‘Mouse’ looks at the two people who are so peaceful in this place teeming with monsters with a tired expression.

Eunha, who heard the whole story of yesterday from Banharin, looked at her with a friendly gaze.

This morning, after rescuing the galaxy that was captured by the [Beast] with the [Speed Manipulation] skill, she finally woke up after suffering from mana depletion.

Did they slow down the clock inside the restaurant so that time passes quickly outside?

[Speed Control] skill is surprisingly a scam.

If I had that skill, wouldn’t I be able to cut the fermentation time or baking time in the oven by half when making bread?

“… … If you look at me like that, aren’t you embarrassed?”

The ‘mouse’s’ face turned red under Eunha’s gaze. He pulled down his round, flat ears to hide his flushed face.

But her long tail, like a snake courting, sways and wraps itself around Eunha’s wrist.

They say that animals’ tails are honest about their emotions. Is that true?

The sound of Banharin clicking her tongue can be heard next to Eunha, who is smiling awkwardly.

The ‘mouse’, whose face turned completely red, quickly changes the subject.

“That… That’s my job. Protecting Eunha… But if I take my full salary and then run away because my life is in danger, what good does that do?”

“I don’t die, but Mr. ‘Mouse’ dies, so that’s why.”

“Isn’t it okay since Team Leader Banharin is here too?”

“That’s why everything is hard at first.”

He said this while stroking the rat tail wrapped around his wrist.

It seems that the ‘mouse’ intends to stay with its eyes open like Banharin.

I met a scary [beast] mother and she can say such things. I respect her all over again.

‘Come to think of it, Mr. Mouse was also an A-class hunter…’

If this is the case, I guess I’ll have to get the ‘inverted cross shaped accessory’ from [the black person].

From Banharin to Kim Sa-rang, Do Jong-ha, and even ‘Mouse’… As the territory of the monsters spreads, it would be an illusion to think that more and more people are opening their eyes.

Is it okay to leave it like this?

Is there no fundamental solution?

I still couldn’t figure it out.

“Eunha… Even if you erase the ‘mouse’s’ memories, as long as he stays by Eunha’s side, there’s a high chance that he’ll open his eyes again.”

In the end, there is only one cause.

The galaxy itself.

A lump of resentment.

Was it something that shouldn’t have come into the world in the first place?

My head hurts.

‘Even if I erase my memories and open my eyes again, if I erase my memories again… No, if I do that, it’ll be exactly like the story of the [Forgetful Saintess].’

It’s like pouring water into a bottomless pit.

[The Saintess of Oblivion] must have had similar concerns.

Eunha exhaled in frustration.

… … .

“Hmm… Okay! I’ll figure it out somehow. Leave it to me.”

A moment of thought.

In the end, I thought positively.

If you are a ‘mouse’, a class A hunter, you will survive well.

If you go to [the black man] and ask him this and that, you’ll get answers.

In the meantime, Banharin will be responsible for and take care of ‘Mouse’ for the time being… so it’ll be okay.

『Your ordered potato salad, vegetable fried rice, and tofu steak have arrived.』

“Thank you, Chicken.”

『… … Oh my.』

Soon after, the waiter brought the food we ordered.

The waiter’s gaze, blankly gazing at the galaxy, turns to the ceiling,

Eunha started her lunch in a slightly damp atmosphere.

“… … .”

“Um… Oh, is this it?”

I wonder if there was something on that smiling face,

The ‘mouse’ who was watching the galaxy said this while eating salad.

“Our department… isn’t it a secret department?”

“Yes. Mr. Banharin told me.”

“But this is a department that kills people and also does secret work… All the team members are orphans, you know?”

“… … ?”

“So, that……it’s the first time someone saved my life……so I’m thankful.”

It’s too late to say this now.

The tip of the ‘mouse’s’ tail wrapped around his wrist gently rubbed Eunha’s large chest.

“… … I’m the one who should be thankful. Thanks to you, I saved a life. ”

It always makes me happy to hear you say thank you.

Eunha smiled lazily and rubbed the ‘mouse’s’ tail.

Kkeuggeuk!

Suddenly, a sawing sound is heard from the table behind.

I turned my head in surprise and saw a familiar head tapping the table with a saw.

What don’t you like?

I turned my head away, pretending not to notice, and cut the tofu steak.

“I’m glad you look okay.”

As they continued eating lunch, something walked out of the kitchen and approached Eunha’s table.

[Chef] A monster with a dozen or so heads attached like wild strawberries and human teeth marks all over its body.

The ‘thing’ that was caught and eaten by the [beast] at dawn approaches, rumbling, and bows its head to the galaxy.

“Mr. Chef.”

“Do you like today’s meal?”

“It’s delicious. You’re still alive?”

“Thank you.”

That thing with a dozen heads bobbing around in a good mood.

However, a few new heads have been replaced, and the voices are different.

Still, it seems like he’s safe despite his appearance.

While ‘Mouse’ and Banharin were heightening the tension with their instinctive fear, Eunha, who was sweeping her chest with a face that seemed at ease, looked up at [Chef].

( 『Café Holiday, just come the night before.』)

( “The wise young man said that the customer must be in the restaurant that day.” )

In the end, I never got an answer as to why I had to come to the restaurant yesterday.

[The Chef]’s numerous heads, noticing the gaze of such a galaxy, create a crescent moon-like smile.

“I guess you haven’t gone to the apartment yet.”

“Huh?”

“I will pay you the salary you earned this time when the time comes.”

“Huh??”

The [chef] who returned after being eaten by the [beast] was not in his right mind.

Did you get eaten from the head?

Eunha looked at [the chef] who was shaking his head and let out a tired laugh.

… … .

… … .

“Hey, rodent. Yes, you. This way for a moment.”

Time goes by.

The bright sunlight shines down on Euncheon-gu, where the morning bell rings.

“ㅁ, what is it? Did I do something wrong?”

“no.”

“Can I grab your hair and cook for you?”

“no.”

After a while, after finishing the meal,

At 2 PM, [the chef], who had asked for Eunha’s understanding, took ‘Mouse’ to the freezer.

“This foolish chef… I called you to deliver the young lady’s salary on her behalf.”

“Salary? Are you talking about the allowance that Eunha gets for working at a restaurant?”

One story stops,

A slightly different story begins,

The story of the day the morning bell rang.

“The wise man wants you to pass this on to the ‘Detective’.”

One day, in a dark one-room frame,

A group photo from an orphanage.

“Since you have picked up our stories, we too must follow your stories.”

The ‘mouse’ holding the photo that [the chef] had handed over looked at the monster with a puzzled expression.

A dozen pairs of eyes stare down at the frightened mouse.

… … .

( “The wise young man said that the customer must be in the restaurant that day.” )

… … .

“Wow. The house got bigger.”

And the galaxy.

After finishing her one-night waitressing job, she returned to the ‘Saebyeol Apartment’.

I looked at the new doors that opened into the bedroom and living room and rubbed the back of my neck.

It’s nothing special.

A door opened overnight.

Rooms 903 and 905.

The door leading to the house next door.

The construction is going fast.

“Um……Okay! Let’s go donate blood!”

Eunha left the house.