episode_0277

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

The sound of footsteps echoes through the apartment hallway.

In some world, it is time for the grand morning bell to ring.

The rising sun brings color to the dark Euncheon-gu.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The ‘Saebyeol Apartment’ in the early morning had a very warm smell.

Is it because the sunlight coming in through the hallway window is warm?

Or maybe it’s because a cute, cuddly polar bear is pacing down the quiet hallway.

『… … .』

The girl who took off the half-seal pajamas she wore around the house and returned to pure white polar bear pajamas.

The first thing [Doll Girl] does when she leaves home as soon as the sun rises is to slowly climb the stairs and look up at the front door of ‘Room 904’.

『… … .』

Room 904. The house where ‘Friend’ lives.

Look up quietly.

Do not pull on the doorknob, ring the doorbell, or knock on the door.

Because that’s the rule.

[Doll Girl] envied [Red Lady] who could knock on the tightly closed door of ‘Room 904’.

Swish… Swish…

After looking up at ‘Room 904’, I leaned against the cold front door and rubbed my cheek, then tapped the doorknob that was touched by my ‘friend’s’ hand.

Phew…

Warm breathing.

Only then do I take a step back and carefully place the teddy bear I brought from home into the hallway.

​~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3. If a doll falls in the hallway.

– If it’s an animal-shaped doll, it’s probably a normal lost item. Leave it as is or bring it to the apartment security office.

– However, if a human-shaped doll falls in the hallway, I want you to shout at the doll, “It will be sad if it gets lost.”

– Then the doll’s owner will come to get the doll soon.

# Caution! It is recommended that you hide immediately after finding Mia.

Because you might mistake which doll you’re taking.

​~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One day, the girl who became Mia will remember your touch.

A doll left alone in a blank white room.

The teddy bear that fell in the hallway right now will also be sad and alone.

It’s okay.

Because soon someone will come to you with a smile and extend a hand without hesitation.

Just as it was done to you.

『… … .』

The girl, smiling quietly, walked up the stairs step by step.

He starts to waddle like a penguin, hides around the corner, and starts to peek at the ‘teddy bear’ that fell into the hallway.

Sagak… Sagak…

The sound of bugs flying across the ceiling.

A sound of breathing hiding around the corner of the stairs.

Kyaarruk~.

The sound of a child’s laughter.

The morning sunlight streams into the dark hallway.

Blink.

As the girl sneaks down the stairs, the lights on the landing turn on, detecting her movement.

Then, holding our breath, we watch the teddy bear fall into the hallway, and the lights go out as they don’t detect any movement.

『… … .』

Until the galaxy appears.

A moment of silence.

… … .

… … blink.

and,

The lights come on on the stairs.

Even though the girl didn’t move at all.

『… … ?』

Blink. Blink.

The landing between the 8th and 9th floors where the girl is hiding.

The lights that detect movement blink quietly.

But when I turn my head, there is no one around.

Did an invisible man pass by? A shadow appears over his head and disappears.

[Doll Girl], with her lips pursed, fiddled with her polar bear pajamas.

I peek my head around the corner and look down the hallway again.

Blink. Blink.

A 9th floor hallway with morning sunlight streaming in.

The sound of bugs crawling across the ceiling.

Blink.

The ‘teddy bear’ placed in the hallway,

It had disappeared at some point.

『… … .』

So, the girl with the frowning face came out from under the shadows,

The moment I turned the corner and entered the 9th floor hallway.

Blink.

The lights that detected movement came on.

Immediately after, ‘someone’ who was standing quietly behind the girl,

Stretch out both hands towards [Doll Girl].

Purungㅡ.

The first thing that touched me was something soft pressing against the back of my head.

Then a hand without a single callus covered the girl’s eyes.

A girl wrapped in front and back places her hand on her pounding heart.

Gyaruruk~!

“Who?”

The voice I missed.

The darkness that fell wasn’t scary at all.

Because as far as the girl knew, there was only one person whose chest touched the back of her head before an outstretched hand covered her eyes.

“……friend?”

“Wow. How did you know?”

Then the hand covering my eyes disappeared, and I heard the sound of someone getting up from behind me.

[Doll Girl], who had turned around in joy, raised her head.

『… … ?』

What you see are two mountain peaks creating shade.

I took a step back and lifted my stool. Only then did I see the hidden face of Eunha.

Blink.

A light on the stair landing that detects movement.

A hot fire enters the moving heart.

Gyaruruk~!

[Doll Girl] was just happy to have met the friend she had been waiting for, even though she had not seen him at all until just now and did not know how he had come near her.

Next to the galaxy stood the usual carrier, and on top of the carrier sat the teddy bear that the girl had dropped.

“Friend. We look alike. Cow monster.”

“Sister, you’re a person too.”

Is it just my imagination that as the days go by, the woman in front of me starts to resemble monsters more and more?

The layer upon layer of mixed resentment seemed to cover a person in dirty mud, but [Doll Girl], looking up at the galaxy, frowned as if looking at a dazzling star.

“You woke up early. My sister is on her way to work at the cafe… Didn’t your friend come with you? I mean, your rabbit friend.”

A morning with sunlight streaming in.

A happy friend who came to find me again this time.

The innocent girl was held in the arms of the galaxy, bathed in the sunlight streaming into the hallway.

“Rabbit friend?”

“Yeah. The rabbit doll I met before… Do you know where it is now?”

“Go to work.”

“I see. Thanks for letting me know.”

It’s a bright morning.

… … .

“Hello, sir. I brought the doll from the hallway. Have you seen the rabbit doll?”

“You seem to be busy on your way to work, Miss. If it’s a rabbit, I saw it leave just now.”

“Thank you!”

… … .

“Eunhong (紅). Haven’t you seen the rabbit?”

“Where’s the cafe?”

“There’s still time.”

『… … Over there, inside the alley.』

“That side? Thank you… Why are you following me? Shut up…”

… … .

“Where are you going?”

“Taxi. Please chase that rabbit.”

… … .

“I missed it again…… Should I just look up at the apartment?”

Anyway, it’s a bright morning.

… … .

… … .

“I was chasing rabbits for a while on my way to work, and after I left the cafe. Then, when the sun was setting, I met Mr. Mouse on my way home.”

“I see… But isn’t the introduction too long? Why did you bring up the doll story?”

“Isn’t our baby cute?”

“Are you the child’s mother?”

And now.

Saetbyeol Apartment after sunset.

Eunha is having a simple dinner with the ‘mouse’ she brought home through the drive-thru on her way home.

A ‘mouse’ who changed into a black suit for some reason.

She keeps fiddling with the hem of the Galaxy boxy shirt she’s wearing.

Even though it is a large boxy T-shirt, the chest area is very stretched out, so it seems like she can’t hide her discomfort from the emptiness that is creeping in.

“What is this… Do you have any underwear that fits?”

“I don’t know because I didn’t wear it.”

“… … .”

The meal started with a strange look.

What is on the living room table is a simple soy sauce egg rice dish that doesn’t use any knives or meat.

Serves 3.

A ‘mouse’ holding a spoon took a good look around the galaxy’s house.

The gazes were tense, as if they had come to visit a friend’s house… How foolish it would be to enter an apartment swarming with monsters.

Meanwhile, the long tail of the ‘mouse’ seemed to have a habit of wrapping itself around something, as it gently wrapped itself around Eunha’s waist as she sat across from him at the living room table.

He seems anxious because he doesn’t know when the monster will appear.

The tip of the tail gently tickles the soft underside of the chest.

Rattling.

Then, suddenly, the ‘entrance door’ located on the living room wall rattled, welcoming an unfamiliar outsider.

“… …Why is rice so delicious?”

“It’s hard for a dish with soy sauce and eggs to be tasteless. I’m sorry I don’t have any meat to eat at home.”

“You make a lot of money with [Silver Potion], but don’t you eat meat for every meal?”

“I hate meat.”

Living room table.

There are four rice bowls.

Eunha turned on the TV while shoving warm soy sauce egg rice down her throat.

A documentary is currently airing on TV showing the Arctic ice melting due to global warming.

“Before… It tasted the same as the meat I ate at the orphanage… So I couldn’t eat any other meat.”

“Is this some kind of Neapolitan ghost story?”

“… … It’s a ghost story. Of course.”

A strange conversation.

But it seems dangerous to ask.

The ‘mouse’, who stopped asking questions, follows Eunha’s gaze and watches TV.

‘The orphanage… is that the one that burned down four years ago?’

Rustle…

‘Mouse’, who was reminiscing about the conversation that had passed, took out a photo from his bosom.

One day, in a dark one-room frame,

The restaurant [chef] handed it over to the ‘mouse’.

A group photo from an orphanage.

(​ 『The wise man wants you to tell this to the ‘Detective’.』)

Perhaps you are referring to Do Jong-ha, a Class A hunter from Euncheon-gu.

If I give her this photo, will I be able to find out the secrets of the galaxy?

I don’t know.

First of all, since this is a job requested by a monster, if you value your life, you have no choice but to go and see him with an iron plate on your face.

‘Tsk… I’m a person from the secret department who isn’t even close to Detective Do Jong-ha, so how am I supposed to give it to a famous person who is hard to meet…’

A worry arises.

I turned my head briefly towards the veranda.

Beyond the veranda railing, my eyes met with ‘something’ that was peeking its head out.

『… … .』

“… … .”

“what.”

Pretend not to see.

The ‘mouse’ curled his thighs and turned his head back.

The tail that was tickling the bottom of the galaxy moves like a snake and enters the valley.

Three empty rice bowls on the living room table.

The ‘mouse’ looking down at them turns its gaze towards the galaxy.

He is eating without any resistance, with a troubled smile on his face and a long tail wrapped around him.

“… I don’t know what to say, but are you okay?”

“What is it? First of all, it’s okay.”

“That… my tail. If you don’t pay attention to it, it moves around on its own. ”

Are you dull or do you not care…

Eunha looked down at the rat tail wrapped around her body.

It was said that a mouse’s tail was about the same length as its body.

It’s definitely long.

“Oh, this?…… Mr. Mouse. Have you ever been wrapped in a song the size of your arm?”

“… … ?”

“Anything is fine as long as it doesn’t hurt.”

The tone of speech that seems so obvious,

For some reason he looked tired.

The ‘mouse’ continued eating, blaming his own tail for not staying still.

… … Dalgrak.

We ate like that in silence for a few minutes.

The ‘mouse’ ate all the soy sauce egg rice and put the bowl down, saying that it was delicious.

Four empty rice bowls.

It was a more satisfying meal than I expected. Maybe it was because the person sitting across from me was Eunha.

The evening we were treated to, including a meal, was very cozy.

‘Mouse’ heads to the kitchen carrying a bowl to do the dishes, and Eun-ha, who tries to stop ‘Mouse’ by saying she will do it herself, falls onto the sofa, dragged by the rat tail wrapped around her waist.

Swish.

A woman starts washing dishes in a loose-fitting boxy shirt.

Galaxy, who had fallen quietly on the sofa, blankly stared at her wagging tail.

Like a stream of water washing away foolishness.

The only sound that echoes through the quiet living room is the sound of water washing the rice bowl.

“So.”

“Huh?”

“Why are you looking for that ‘rabbit doll’?”

“The mouse said.

You’re not running away from the monster, you’re searching for it. Does Eunha have a way to defeat the monster?

But looking at her eyes, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case.

The reason why you insist on chasing a monster that you should avoid.

‘Mouse’ couldn’t figure it out.

Perhaps even the galaxy itself doesn’t know it well.

“… … That rabbit, it seemed like a rabbit I knew.”

Mutter.

Galaxy lying on the living room sofa.

Her image is reflected on the TV which is turned off.

… … .

( “Beware of the rabbit.” )

( “A fake will do anything to become real.” )

The words spoken by oneself reflected in the water.

I don’t know the process.

But the rabbit resembled a silver bell.

Why did I only notice it now?

I went to [Room 801] to check in with her again, but the ‘Rabbit Doll’ was absent all day.

I don’t know if he ran away or is working overtime somewhere.

So then, what is the identity of the ‘rabbit doll’?

A monster trying to replace someone like ‘that thing’ in the mirror?

Or maybe [Doll Girl]’s ability?

It could be a clone created by Eunbangul’s skill.

Although the girl is an ordinary person with no mana or skills, certified by the Hunter Association’s mana detector, no one knows what will happen to people.

A worry that becomes more complicated the more you think about it.

Because of that, the galaxy stopped worrying.

First of all, let’s meet,

Let’s think about it after we meet face to face.

(Grandpa. What should I do?)

(『I realized one day that conflicts with others can only be resolved by facing each other.』)

The conclusion she came to because she was not confident in using her head.

I thought it was easy, easy.

(……Oh, by any chance. Are you afraid of heights?)

(『…….』)

I just don’t want to pass by each other without knowing.

I just want to make sure and look straight at it.

Swish…

At that moment, ‘Eunha’, shown on TV, quietly gets up and stretches.

Galaxy, lying on the sofa, looks up at the ceiling.

“Mr. Mouse, what would you do if you found someone who looked exactly like your family member?”

“Huh?…… Don’t you just think it’s strange and pass it by?”

“I guess that doesn’t work very well.”

Swish.

Galaxy, who had been lying down, sat up and stretched.

Just like you on TV.

The ‘Galaxy’ reflected on TV stares blankly at the galaxy.

A pure white rabbit doll in [Doll Girl]’s house.

What on earth is the identity that makes me keep worrying about it?

I thought positively.

Whether the ‘rabbit doll’ is really a bunny or just a similar person,

Since she is the one who plays with [Doll Girl] instead of her who is busy in many ways, it would be good to become close with her during this opportunity.

‘You’ve been mute in front of me all this time…’

Is this what it feels like to leave your daughter, who lives away from you, in the care of a babysitter?

Thinking about it like that, I really wanted to see our rabbit doll’s face.

Are you getting along well with [Doll Girl]?

What kind of face is inside the rabbit skin?

“… … I couldn’t understand a single word you were saying… How can I help you?”

“Please leave the apartment alive tomorrow morning.”

Dark evening.

Before the holiday, I was wondering how I could peel the face skin(?) of the ‘rabbit doll’…

It was a day when the face of ‘Eunha’ shown on TV was funny.

Swish…

After finishing dinner, Eunha headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

… … .

… … .

“Huh? What’s with the iron door in the bedroom? It’s slightly open. Can I take a look?”

“That’s really killing me. Put the handle down… It’s open?”

like that,

It’s evening.

The North Star looks down on the Euncheon-gu,

Have a beautiful evening.

“Hmm~. Eunha unnie must be taking a shower by now, right? I brought a gift to surprise her since she said she was going to [Rift Field] on the holiday… My heart is pounding.”

8pm.

Eunbangul got out of the car, her pure white rabbit ears perked up,

I looked up at the dark ‘9th floor’ apartment.