episode_0308
by fnovelpiaIt’s a beautiful moonlit night.
Late at night, in a luxury housing complex in Euncheon-gu,
A detached house that looks like something out of a drama.
The girl with pure white rabbit ears was there.
“Eumhmm~.”
A girl leaning against the railing on the second floor balcony.
Eunbangul looked up at the night sky with an excited heart.
Kang Na-ri, a member of the [Cheongryong Family] who lives in the same house, is still locked in her room making potions.
So the girl had a short break without being disturbed by anyone.
‘What would Unnie Eunha be doing right now… She’s probably doing something weird like always.’
One day, I was blankly looking up at the sky.
I once stretched out my hand to see the beautiful round full moon.
What touches the palm of your hand is a distant thing that cannot reach the sky.
I absentmindedly picked up my phone and snapped a picture, but all I got was a blurry, black sky with no light source or focus.
A full moon that can’t be captured on an old cell phone.
Eventually, she bought an expensive camera and managed to capture a picture of the full moon, but… it was no longer the full moon that the girl had thought was beautiful.
Fake in the photo.
Because the girl dares to think.
A fake is such a trivial and worthless thing.
Sigh.
[The Silver Bell of the Third Day] laughed self-mockingly.
“… … .”
A rabbit girl staring at the night sky with a smiling face.
Eunbangul took a photo out of his pocket.
A photo of a round full moon that I took some time ago.
I lightly held a tiny photo that fit in one hand.
‘What would happen if we took this moon out of the picture?’
A moment’s thought.
He immediately shook his head.
Euncheon-gu lives with the galaxy.
I don’t want the galaxy to be sad because of me.
The girl quietly puts the ‘full moon photo’ into her pocket and looks up at the full moon with a bright smile.
“Haa…… Eunha unnie.”
The girl thinks.
In a house filled with countless photos.
In his room, where the walls and ceiling are covered with pictures of galaxies.
Unfocused, pitch-black eyes look at the night sky.
“Today too, without getting hurt…”
Have a nice dream.
If possible, I hope you dream of a rabbit.
I will also dream of the Milky Way, so I hope we meet in my dreams too.
‘No matter what happens, no matter what happens… I will be happy as long as I am with Eunha!’
Pure white rabbit ears that perk up.
The rabbit girl, blinking her eyes as cloudy as tar, sent a small wish into the night sky.
… … .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
– This guide was written to help you safely return home after completing your night patrol.
– So, don’t lose it by storing it in a strange place. Just put it in the [Black Book].
0. The purpose of the night patrol is twofold.
– One is to place a ‘clay doll’ on something you want to protect.
– One is to check the walls to prevent unauthorized people from entering the apartment.
– The ‘clay dolls’ are in the shopping bag next to the desk, so you can use them as much as you need.
IV. After midnight, do not stop walking.
– You will feel like something is chasing you.
– Avoid dead ends.
– I have to walk.
– If you stop, it will come running.
– The security office is safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
… … .
“Did Mr. Rabbit make this?”
[ Similar . ]
Pure white rabbit ears that perk up.
To Eunha’s question, the ‘rabbit stuffed animal’ that had been on night patrol with her nodded.
A stuffed animal with a similar physique to a silver bell.
It is a rabbit doll beautifully sewn with pure white fabric.
Unlike other ‘stuffed dolls’ with sewn-on mouths and button eyes fastened with thick iron pins,
A rabbit doll with impressive small, round black eyes and an X-shaped mouth.
From a distance, it might look like a child wearing a puppet mask.
But as you get closer, the strange sense of discomfort increases, and eventually you realize it.
It’s just leather with fabric added to it and stitched tightly.
‘Oh. That hurt so bad. It reminds me of the old days.’
Looks very different from other ‘doll friends’.
[Doll Girl] seems to have put a lot of effort into making this doll, which she especially cherishes.
Beep! Beep!
The ‘Rabbit Doll’ is coming.
Hop hop, hop, hop, the overly excited footsteps are approaching.
It’s as if she’s happy just being with Eunha. Her pure white rabbit ears twitch and wiggle happily at every word she says.
A strangely friendly attitude.
A very… familiar atmosphere.
Why is that?
Eunha tried hard to stop thinking.
“… … .”
Dark 9th floor hallway,
The shopping bag that ‘Mr. Rabbit’ handed me was heavy.
When you shine a flashlight into the contents, you can see the ‘clay dolls’ made by the old security guard neatly arranged.
Even if you roughly count them, there are more than 20 of them.
It matches exactly the number when leaving the security office.
“Oh… Awesome.”
[ It’s just a fake . ]
“If no one knows it’s fake, then it’s real.”
[ Is that so? ]
“Of course.”
(Clickㅡ.)
‘Mr. Rabbit’ just took out a picture.
A photo of the shopping bag taken before leaving the security office.
But when she noticed, there was a new shopping bag right in front of Eunha’s eyes.
It was as if the objects in the photo had jumped out into the real world!
‘Making objects in photographs materialize… Life is such an easy skill to swallow.’
It’s closer to the power of a monster than a ‘skill’.
Galaxy, who had thought that far, looked down at the ‘rabbit doll’.
The girl looks up at Eunha, holding a bundle of photos of her ‘shopping bags’, saying, “Tell me whenever you want.”
When did they make this into a photo?
Photo. Rabbit.
Silver Bangul also used to enjoy taking pictures as a hobby.
‘… … Could it be that ‘Mr. Rabbit’ is a being created out of Bangul’s resentment?’
I hope not.
A grudge so great that it would create a monster.
Could anything be more tragic than this?
Snap.
The familiar twitching rabbit ears.
I took off my security guard hat because I was sweating for no reason.
Hot!
“Ouch!”
Then he realizes that he has sewn the guard hat onto his head and quietly puts it down.
It feels like my hair is caught in an umbrella on a rainy day.
[ are you okay…? ]
“Oh… Of course. It didn’t hurt at all.”
A stinging pain.
That was enough for now.
Eunha roughly wiped the blood flowing from her head.
“Anyway, the important thing is that the ‘clay doll’ has been refilled.”
『… … ?』
The important thing is that we are on night patrol right now.
I decided to think about other headaches later.
Kwaaakㅡ.
Eunha hugged ‘Mr. Rabbit’ tightly.
She looked up and met the eyes of the girl who was burying her head in his large chest.
『… … .』
What the girl looked up at.
It is as solid as a wall,
It was a kind smile.
… … .
… … .
Time goes by.
The patrol continues.
“Wow, the old man cleaned it up nicely.”
9th floor.
The voice of the galaxy mixed with admiration.
She exclaimed in admiration, patting the neatly repaired hallway.
The hallway, which had cracks so severe that the outer wall was about to collapse, has been completely restored.
What on earth happened to cause a crack to appear in the ‘Saetbyeol Apartment’ where the monsters live?
Anyway, as the building owner, I am just happy that the hallway that was full of leaks has returned to its original state.
“It’s dyed red, red~.”
『… … .』
Galaxy, feeling better, walked down the hallway with light steps,
‘Mr. Rabbit’, who was following her, averted his eyes and followed her silently.
It was because he felt guilty that Eunha was so happy that the hallway he had ruined was restored.
Why do you like it so much?
The apartment isn’t even owned by Galaxy…
Heavy…
The girl put the ‘clay dolls’ that Eunha had given her into a pocket on her stomach and walked unsteadily.
The dolls that Eunha gave me, telling me to keep them for her because they were talismans.
It’s dirty and heavy because it’s made of clay. But it’s a gift from the galaxy.
It’s so good.
A girl with her belly pouch stretched out giggling like a hamster.
“Mr. Rabbit. Don’t just stay behind me and walk side by side. If you shine a flashlight on the back of my head, I’ll turn my head and suck on the crown of my head.”
[ Ah, yes! Star! ]
Sweet and cruel words.
It’s cool. I want to suck it. I want to suck it.
‘Rabbit Girl’ hid her pounding heart and walked alongside Eunha.
Go up the stairs and enter the 10th floor hallway.
There were no major incidents.
For some reason, ever since Eunha sewed the guard hat onto her scalp, the number of ‘things’ approaching her has decreased significantly.
‘I’m on the 10th floor, but I can’t see [Bug Princess]… I didn’t particularly want to see her, I just wanted to see her face. What a pity.’
It’s getting late, so everyone must have gone home.
Galaxy, who had placed the ‘clay doll’ on the top floor, let out a light breath.
“Whew… First, one task is finished!”
[ thank you for your effort. ]
Hot and spicy!
The rabbit, who was shining a flashlight on the ‘clay doll’, clapped his hands in congratulations.
Then, the pumpkin bee that was climbing onto Eunha’s shoulder also puffed out its cheeks while tapping its bright yellow castanets.
Hot! Hot!
Cold 10th floor hallway, but a little warmer.
Eunha reached out her hand above her head and gently stroked Fly’s soft cheek.
If I had been patrolling alone, I would have been scared, but I feel much more at ease with someone by my side.
Knock knock.
At that moment, ‘Mr. Rabbit’, who had been quietly looking up at Eunha’s head, tapped Eunha’s chest.
“Huh? Why?”
[ Who is that kid on your shoulder? ]
“Fly, right? Our kid… Oh, what, when did he come?”
Purrr!
A pumpkin bee that climbed onto the shoulder of the galaxy.
The girl leaned forward and rolled over Eunha’s head.
The startled Galaxy raised both arms, and ‘Fly’, who had fallen in front of her like a feather, was held in her arms and let out a warm breath.
A dark ceiling without a single light.
Galaxy, who was looking up at the head where the shadow seemed to be wriggling, looks back at ‘Mr. Rabbit’ while patting ‘Fly’ in her arms.
“That’s my child.”
『… … !』
Thump!
Words blurted out without thinking.
‘Rabbit Girl’ shrugged her shoulders in surprise.
… … .
… … .
“… … Huh?”
And then,
Suddenly,
Install ‘clay dolls’ up to the 10th floor,
Eunha, who was playing around with a pumpkin bee that suddenly came,
I looked out the window absentmindedly.
I don’t know why.
Is it because the tension has been relieved?
Was it because a creepy feeling ran down my spine?
Maybe it was because the galaxy’s survival instinct was screaming at it to look outside the window.
Eunha looked down at the apartment parking lot through the hallway window.
… … .
… … a strange ‘something’,
I was standing tall in the backyard of my apartment, looking up at the galaxy.
“Uh…… Wait a minute. There was a similar situation last time…”
Knock knock knock.
I hear a sound.
The sound of bones grinding or teeth grinding.
Knock knock. Knock knock.
It was a lump.
Cold, dark, and human-like.
But something other than human.
Unlike the parking lot, which was relatively bright thanks to the light coming from the windows,
The backyard is unusually dark, making it difficult to see ‘that thing’.
Yet it was one lump, something grotesquely writhing, staring straight at the galaxy standing in the tenth-floor window.
Hot and sour…
‘Fly’, held in his arms, curls up tightly to avoid ‘that thing’s’ gaze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IV. After midnight, do not stop walking.
– You will feel like something is chasing you.
– Avoid dead ends.
– I have to walk.
– If you stop, it will come running.
– The security office is safe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘What time is it now?’
Galaxy, who remembered one rule, took out her cell phone.
What time is it now?
I don’t remember.
In the middle, I asked [Doll Girl] to sew a guard hat on my head… How long has it been?
I turned on my phone screen with complicated feelings.
At exactly 10 o’clock in the evening.
There’s still time until midnight.
So then what on earth is it?
I can’t understand.
『ㅡㅡㅡ.』
That’s not it.
This guy is different from the ‘monsters’ I’ve encountered so far.
Deeper, colder, more nauseating,
Things that should never be combined.
If the monsters I met in the apartment each had their own sad grudges,
That is a qualitatively different grudge.
Could it be that the [things] written in the ‘Night Patrol Guide’ are referring to that guy?
Thump. Thump.
My heart was pounding.
Pure white breath flows out and shakes the hair of the pumpkin bee in his arms.
Last night during the night watch, I made eye contact with ‘that thing’ and pressed the ‘escape button’.
But now we have ‘Mr. Rabbit’ and ‘Fly’.
‘Tsk. It went by so easily. I have to go out of the apartment to hand out the remaining ‘clay dolls’…’
Galaxy takes her eyes off her phone.
I looked out the window again.
『ㅡㅡㅡ.』
‘That thing’ with a creepy grudge,
『ㅡㅡㅡAh.』
Stretch out your fingers,
The galaxy standing by the window on the 10th floor…
Pointing to the ‘rabbit girl’ next to him,
“There are 2 hours left.”
He moved a part of his body other than his throat to imitate a human voice.
I crawled on the floor and out of the galaxy’s sight.
… … .
2 hours left.
The word ‘that’.
Although the backyard seen from the 10th floor of the apartment was very high up, and no one would be able to hear what was being said from down there,
Eunha understood exactly what ‘that thing’ was saying.
“Before midnight, place the clay doll down.”
“… … .”
“A doll is not a talisman. It is a substitute.”
Because the voice of ‘that thing’ was coming from right behind me.
Galaxy turned around in surprise.
Dark 10th floor hallway,
As I use my flashlight to dispel the darkness in the hallway, the voice of ‘that thing’ stops.
‘… … How dare you scare Mr. Rabbit and our baby? You won’t do it.’
A moment’s thought.
Galaxy, her lips pursed, glared into the darkness of the hallway.
“… … .”
[Star. Are you okay?]
“… … Let’s go back to the security office quickly.”
[ yes? ]
“Within 2 hours, I will leave the remaining ‘clay dolls’ in front of other people’s houses.”
‘Euncheon-gu’ night patrol guide.
A night where you have to place a ‘clay doll’ in the place you want to protect.
How can I not spend even a single day in peace?
I thought, smoothing the security guard hat sewn onto my head.
Hot and spicy!
‘Fly’, hugged tightly by the galaxy, trembling.
Even when trying to drop the girl off in front of [Bug Princess]’s house, she grabbed Eunha’s chest and wouldn’t let go.
Eun-ha had no choice but to hand over the shopping bag containing the ‘clay doll’ to ‘Mr. Rabbit’.
The ‘1++’ sticker stuck on the chest… I took the lightweight artifact off the carrier earlier and attached it to ‘Fly’ and started going down the stairs.
Ta-da.
Gravity becomes lighter and ‘Fly’ floats up like a balloon, flailing his tiny limbs and entering the embrace of the galaxy.
… … .
… … .
So, Eunha and Rabbit left the apartment and returned to the security office.
One and only pumpkin bee.
Eunha scanned her surroundings with the flashlight she was holding in her hand.
The darkness surrounding me, the ominous feeling that something is right behind me, weighs on my shoulders.
Hot and sour.
The sound of a baby’s breathing in your arms.
Eunha finally arrived in front of the brightly lit security room, and before opening the locked door,
I checked the items on my person.
A baby stuck to my chest.
A single sewn guard hat on the head.
Two pairs of luminous vests and an extra hat.
And, four flashlights.
[ I have one flashlight, one hat, and one vest. ]
The writing of Mr. Rabbit, whose belly pouch is bulging like a ‘clay doll’.
Eunha looked down at the flashlight stuffed tightly into the pocket of her luminous vest.
Four identical flashlights.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1-1. Check the number of items carefully.
– When leaving the security office, when returning to the security office.
– Check how many of the ‘3 items’ above you have.
– It is okay if the quantity decreases due to damage or other reasons.
– However, if it is confirmed that the number of items carried has increased since leaving the security office,
– You have to be careful.
– I can’t tell which one is ‘them’.
– Therefore, please throw away all the items that have increased in quantity in the trash can behind the security office.
– Don’t let ‘them’ into the security office.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m sure I only brought two flashlights.
When did the chick hatch?
I glanced at ‘Mr. Rabbit’.
Then he takes out his camera and shakes his head.
Does that mean it wasn’t something he had increased?
“Haa…… The air is nice.”
[ That’s right. ]
“Let’s start with separating the trash.”
Rattling.
Without any hesitation, I headed to the back of the security office.
Several trash cans installed by type for recycling separation.
Without hesitation, Eunha threw all the flashlights into the trash can and entered the security office.
“Mr. Rabbit. That picture. How many ‘clay dolls’ can you make?”
Rattling! Rattling!
It was a night when a strange crying sound was heard from the trash can where the flashlight was.
… … .
… … .
“Oh my, Miss. The flashlight isn’t plastic trash…”
Rattling!
And then, after a while.
Immediately after Eunha entered the security office with the rabbit and the bumblebee.
The lid of the plastic trash can opens,
An elderly security guard with a kind smile came out.
“I thought you’d just leave it here, Miss… But I’m glad you didn’t think of breaking the rules out of curiosity since there were other people around.”
The old security guard left Eunha on night patrol duty, saying he would take it easy today.
Ugh!
He crushed four flashlights that the galaxy had abandoned with his bare hands.
The grandfather was wandering around the security office with worried eyes for his granddaughter.
“But… why is the hat sewn onto the head… Oh my… I wonder if he checked the back of the manual properly…”
One day, when I had many worries.
The night was still long.
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