episode_0344

Beep… beep…

The first day of every month is the café’s day off.

Eunbyeol’s [Rabbit Latte].

The origin of the name is extremely intuitive.

Because the café has rabbits and milk.

At first, some people wonder what it means, but after discovering Eunha, they nod in understanding, saying, “Ah, so that’s why it’s ‘Latte’…”

The only one dissatisfied with the café’s name is Eunha.

“But, Eunha-unnie, lately, just hearing the word ‘milk’ makes me instinctively avert my eyes… I’m honestly speechless.”

Anyway, the first day of every month is a fixed holiday.

It’s also the day Eunha, the café’s face and the top contributor to milk coffee sales, goes to take her promotion exam.

“By now, the promotion exam should be almost over, right?… Ah! Eunha-unnie will do well. So let’s just quietly cheer for her.”

“…….”

Beep… beep…

A single room in the [Evergreen Emergency Center], renamed at some point.

The rabbit girl Eunbyeol stares down at the woman lying on the bed and mutters to herself.

Beep… beep…

The peaceful, repeating machine sounds pulse like a heartbeat.

The familiar scent of disinfectant slips out slightly through the open window, and the silverbell flowers on the table sway softly in the autumn breeze.

The wind leaving.

The wind arriving.

The sound of the wind passing through the window fills the noisy afternoon.

“Oh right, and also~.”

“…….”

And unlike the sound of the wind passing by,

Eunbyeol’s voice receives no response.

“Eunha-unnie is there…”

“…….”

“Next time, with Eunha-unnie…”

“…….”

“Lately, Eunha-unnie’s café uniform has gotten too small again, and every time she moves, buttons keep popping off under her apron…”

Stories about Eunha.

The rabbit girl carefully presses down her feelings for Eunha and lays them like an offering into the lap of the nameless woman lying in the hospital bed.

Beep… beep…

Someone, with an old rabbit doll placed at the bedside, lost in a long, long dream.

“Harin-unnie, Kang Nari, Sa-rang… and even Eunhong (紅)-unnie, who recently became a regular… More and more people care about Eunha-unnie now. It makes me so happy.”

“…….”

“Even if I disappear, someone will hold Eunha-unnie’s hand.”

Swish…

Eunbyeol gently touches the oxygen mask covering the woman’s face.

A transparent mask sealing her mouth.

Wouldn’t it feel suffocating? After wearing it for years.

Worried, she tugs the mask slightly.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

A loud alarm sounds.

Startled, the girl quickly adjusts the mask back into place.

“…….”

But even with the mask loosened, the woman says nothing.

She simply lies still on the bed, as if dreaming.

Eunbyeol blankly gazes at the evening settling outside the window.

A long day ends, and night arrives.

“…Come to think of it, I first met Eunha-unnie around this time too.”

“…….”

“I secretly followed Mom to the orphanage where she worked, trying to find a hiding spot to surprise her… and that’s when I found the ‘basement.’ Remember?”

“…….”

She closes her eyes.

Recalling a small memory.

( Who are you…? )

( ……Starlight? )

( I’m Eunha. )

Hanbit Orphanage.

The starlight met in the basement.

A girl with a voice as beautiful as the stars, trapped there.

“…I have to live for Eunha-unnie. Because I saw it all. What my mother did.”

“…….”

“But… I ended up being saved too.”

So, even if I must throw away my life,

Even if I must throw away lives,

For Eunha.

For her happiness.

Flick.

Eunbyeol reaches out to the woman.

A gesture telling her to take it if she needs help.

Beep… beep…

But there is no response.

No movement.

Even with a hand extended, she cannot grasp it.

Because that’s the kind of person you are.

“……Huu.”

A woman dreaming quietly, like silverbell flowers.

The rabbit girl, with a bright smile,

Takes the lying woman’s hand in hers.

May there be someone like me to hold your hand.

《 This just in. A bombing terror incident has occurred in [Goryongsan Fissure Zone]… 》

That was when it happened.

Emergency news broadcast from the hospital TV, and the pure white rabbit ears suddenly perk up.

A terror attack in [Goryongsan Fissure Zone].

Collapsed outer walls, and the reappearance of the ‘black insect monsters.’

Twitch!

Startled by the news, Eunbyeol jumps up from her seat.

“Goryongsan…”

Pure white rabbit ears twitching toward the ceiling.

Eunbyeol pulls out her phone.

One call to Eunha,

One call to Ban Harin…

But when neither answers,

The girl smiles brightly and hops up from her seat.

Beep… beep…

May there be someone like me to hold your hand.

“Then, I’ll come back later~.”

“…….”

Hop!

And just like that, leaving the woman lying on the bed behind,

Eunbyeol skips lightly out of the hospital.

…….

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

– This guide was created to promote safer vehicle operation.

– Please be advised that all personal injury resulting from failure to comply with the following rules is your responsibility.

1. If the car engine stalls.

– Remain calm and turn on emergency lights to prevent potential accidents.

– Everything happens for a reason.

– The moment the engine stalls, check your surroundings.

– Are you on a foggy bridge? Turn on emergency lights and stay still.

– If not, lock all car doors. Even if they were previously locked, they may now be open.

– Lock the doors promptly—if something jiggles the handle and then leaves, you’ve succeeded.

– If not… check the backseat through the rearview mirror.

– Honk the horn.

2. Seatbelts are lifelines.

– All humans must wear seatbelts in a moving vehicle.

– Let’s work together for a safer Eunchongu.

※ Don’t worry if you forgot your seatbelt.

– We will personally fasten it for you.

3. Do not litter outside the car.

– Cigarette butts pose a fire hazard.

– Sharp objects may cause puncture wounds.

– Other trash goes into the trash bin.

– Trash belongs in the trash bin.

– Let’s clean up trash.

4. If you encounter a ‘gray van’ speeding on the road.

– Honestly, no idea what that is.

– It’s a reckless-driving vehicle.

– Quickly move away from the ‘gray van’s’ path.

– No brakes.

– Ignores traffic lights.

– Occasionally mounts sidewalks.

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

October 1st. 6:00 PM.

The road to the [Facility] was peaceful.

At least, that’s what Eunha thought.

“Wow… Rule No. 1 is so complicated. I almost messed up big time.”

“Mhm. Mhm. Uhh…”

“What are you saying?”

“They say not to drive while reading a book.”

An engine stalled mid-road.

Supervisor Choi Godok, consumed by fear, dashed out of the car only to be struck by a truck and sent to the afterlife.

Fortunately, his navigation still displayed the [Facility’s] location like a final testament, so Eunha drove without issue, speeding down the road.

[Speed bump ahead.]

Vroooom—!

With the sky darkening, she turned on the headlights.

Bright yellow light pushing back the dark.

Though she mistakenly operated the windshield wipers a couple of times, minor details didn’t matter.

From the backseat, the sounds of Kim Hayang and Kim Sarang tightly gripping their seatbelts could be heard.

Choi Godok’s death must have been quite shocking.

[Turn right in 300m.]

Ssangsal-dog Jjong-i, lying on Kim Sarang’s lap, strangely maintains a composed posture while staring ahead.

“Um, Eunha-shi. Could you… slow down a bit…?”

“Not easy.”

“What was that…”

Vroooom—!

Down the empty road.

The monsters’ world is nice—no traffic.

[Turn right in 500m…]

Clunk!

Monsters dash onto the crosswalk, crumpling against the car, but it’s fine.

‘Blood Donation Mom’ said it: speed is power.

Half-hearted clashes with monsters cause more problems. Better to hit them decisively so they can’t chase you—better for everyone.

(『My daughter. Do everything you want.』)

Thinking positively.

The sooner they reach the destination, the fewer monsters they’d encounter.

Clunk…!

Right then, the car engine abruptly stalls.

Screech—!

The jolt throws everyone forward, and her chest—larger than her head—presses hard against the horn.

“Why does it honk every time we slow down?”

“Shifting weight forward.”

“Ah. So it’s not manual.”

The car gradually slows.

Soon stopping in the middle of the road.

Calmly, Eunha turns on hazard lights and checks her surroundings.

[High-accident area ahead.]

Flash. Flash.

A dark but ordinary mountain path.

A single-lane road with guardrails and centerlines visible on either side.

Except where the headlights shine ahead, it’s strangely pitch-black.

[High-accident area ahead.]

[High-accident area ahead.]

Click!

Recalling the ‘guide,’ Eunha hurriedly locks the car doors.

Then, despite locking them before departing, another locking sound follows.

[High-accident area ahead.]

[High-accident area ahead.]

[High-accident area ahead.]

[High-accident area ahead.]

Shrinking under the navigation’s relentless warnings,

Eunha unconsciously glares ahead just as—

Clunkclunkclunk!!

A bloody hand stretches from the car’s blind spot, rattling the backseat door before retreating.

[……Turn left in 400m.]

The navigation voice returns to normal.

Eunha clutches her heavy chest, calming her pounding heart.

“Whew… scary.”

“Bloody, but wasn’t it just one of those things we hit earlier?”

“Maybe… Well, you saw, right? If you remember the rules, you’ll be safe.”

Kim Hayang and Kim Sarang silently glance at each other and pull Jjong-i into a hug.

“Oof…”

“Right. Let’s just trust our Jjong-i.”

“Wisdom.”

Vroooom—!

The stalled engine restarts.

Eunha grips the wheel and slams the accelerator.

[Speed bump ahead…]

Clunk!

Screech—!

At the end of the winding mountain path…

The destination reached—the outskirts of the northern border.

A secluded villa deep in the woods, where no one would come.

…….

Screeeech—!

The recklessly driven car stops in a clearing.

Honk!

A light horn sound follows as Eunha, cradling her large chest, opens the passenger’s trunk.

‘Whew… Without knowing the location, there’d be no way to find it. The navigation doesn’t even show anything here.’

Had Supervisor Choi Godok not marked the [Facility’s] precise location in the navigation, Eunha wouldn’t have dared to come.

Placing the [Black Book] back in the trunk, Eunha takes in the scenery outside the car.

『…….』

Dark night sky.

Yet, the surroundings are brighter than expected.

Because of the full moon hanging above.

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

4. At night, do not look up at the sky.

– Do not gaze at the sky in roofless places.

– Do not meet the eyes of those who look down.

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

Blink—

A blood-red full moon, streaked with engorged veins, blinks.

『…….』

After sunset, positioned in the eastern sky.

Like a planetary-sized pupil scrutinizing the Earth up close,

Half the night sky visible from the car is dominated by the giant [Red Moon].

Alongside it, countless ‘tiny pupils’ scattered like stars occupy the opposite sky—forcing those who don’t bow their heads to inevitably lock eyes with the celestial horror.

Blink—

The enormous [Red Moon] is vertically split down the middle, resembling the eye of a reptilian creature.

“That pupil… It’s like a ‘dragon.’ A dragon the size of a planet?”

“Do dragons appear in martial arts novels?”

“The Moyong Dragons’ secret weapon. The Moyongs, hailed as the mother of all dragons, were a clan blessed by the First Heavenly Demon… until the Ice Age brought by an erupting volcano wiped them out millennia ago. The remnants of that era are today’s North Sea Ice Palace.”

“Oh… I see.”

Kim Sarang’s words remain as cryptic as ever.

Either way, it’s time to prepare entry into the [Facility].

From the trunk, Eunha retrieves security caps, reflective vests, and two flashlights each, passing them to the backseat.

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

1. Necessary patrol items are available in the security office.

– Security cap, reflective vest, flashlight.

– These three items are mandatory.

– As long as you carry them properly, ‘they’ will assume you’re a patrolling officer.

2. The flashlight illuminates your path.

– Only tread where the light has touched.

– The dark hides unknowns.

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

It’s post-sunset evening.

These supplies were borrowed from the security office without the old man’s notice.

Packing extras was a wise decision.

“What else is in that trunk?”

“Every time the ‘guides’ expand, new necessities pop up. As long as we don’t look up at the night sky, we’ll be fine.”

“Night sky?… Ah, it’s night?”

“Yes, Guild Leader.”

“Don’t mock me. Guild Member Jung So-ra taught you weird things.”

Thus, Eunha and the three beasts exit the parked car.

Kim Sarang, overcome by suppressed motion sickness, collapses face-first.

Jjong-i climbs onto her back, kneading with steady paws.

Kim Hayang blankly stares at the crumbling villa.

…….

Where the [Facility] is hidden.

In the mountains where the car stopped, stood an ownerless villa.

“This place…”

“What’s wrong? Do you know it?”

“……Long ago, a ‘sponsor of the orphanage’ hid here.”

Adjusting her white robes with uneasy hands, Kim Hayang approaches the fire-scorched ruins.

Her steps drag like shackled feet—heavy, slow.

( I saved my son… Why are you trying to kill him?! )

( Kim Hayang…! I’ll kill you!! )

( Hello. Are you Dad’s friend? )

Once, a father buried his child in this villa.

Because the child was no longer human.

The father, a mid-tier company president,

Reportedly poured his entire fortune into sponsoring the orphanage.

After entrusting his sickly child there, the boy returned healthy and smiling…

‘The ‘Immortality Project’… was it?’

Her hand traces a villa pillar.

Cleanly severed, as if by a blade.

Years ago, she was the one who destroyed this villa.

“……Orphanage.”

“It wasn’t human. A pitiful child who couldn’t die—burying it was the only option.”

“…….”

“Back then, I left immediately, unable to face the father’s wails… Who’d have thought the [Facility] was hidden here?”

Was there some karmic tie to this place?

Kim Hayang gently touches the villa’s sharp, severed edges.

Above, the colossal [Red Moon] watches with reptilian eyes—but the blind Kim Hayang cannot see it.

( There is no eternal life without sacrifice. )

“…….”

Words she once spoke while caring for the aging Jjong-i.

Just what had she witnessed?

Eunha silently watches Kim Hayang’s back,

Having nothing left to say.

“……Hm. My apologies, Eunha. Lost in thought.”

“Not at all. Need a hug?”

“Sure.”

Embrace—

But soon, Kim Hayang’s usual stoic expression returns as

She turns and pulls Eunha into a hug instead.

Eunha’s chest—larger than her head—squishes against Kim Hayang’s torso like flattened dough.

“Soft. Warm.”

Her voice carries a rare hint of amusement.

If one hug can loosen another’s heart, it’s a bargain.

……Snap!

After however long…

Kim Hayang suddenly shifts behind Eunha, one hand gripping her ample chest while the other seizes her ‘leather choker.’

Startled, Eunha turns her head—only to see Kim Hayang’s face twisted into ultimate wickedness.

“Shall we go, Eunha dear? I’m a kidnapper now. Walk quickly.”

“……Yes.”

……Was it a trick of perception,

Or did Kim Hayang’s face briefly flush with embarrassment?

Probably the [Red Moon]’s doing.

“Urk… Wait, let this lord join too…!”

“A draft flows from the villa’s rear shed. That must be the secret passage to the [Facility].”

Current time: 8:00 PM.

Three figures in security caps, deep in the mountains.

Kim Sarang, finally done retching in the distance, carries Jjong-i over and

Seizes Eunha from the opposite side—embarking on their staged kidnapping.

…….

“Haha…… Hm?”

Eunha, held hostage by the mother-daughter duo.

Midway through, as she walks past the ruined villa toward the shed…

……Twitch…

Twitch… twitch…

A faint thought crosses her mind—

That the ruined villa seems to be…

Trembling.

With an eerie chill, she approaches the shed.

Squeak—

Inside the villa’s shed.

Kim Hayang, after scanning the surroundings, slides aside a suspiciously less-dusty section of the floor—

Revealing hidden stairs.

“…….”

The final trial of the promotion exam.

The ‘kidnapping’ to the [Facility].

May the lingering grudges of the past find closure here.

Eunha steps onto the dust-covered stairs—

Footprints descending, but none ascending.

Down the frigid steps she goes.

…….

…….

…….Creak…

And at the end of the descent,

A heavy iron door.

“…Eunha…!”

“…….”

The massive door swings open with eerie ease.

Emerging from the unnervingly silent [Facility]—

“Eunha. You’ve finally returned!”

“You bastard…!”

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”

—is the smiling face of

The former director of the orphanage.