Chapter 154: Parents
"..."
The second floor was unbearably gloomy.
Not that any floor here wasn't, but the second floor had an atmosphere that could only be described as even more desolate.
"Isn't it a bit cold here?"
Yu Daon muttered while rubbing her arms with her hands.
"Yes. It is a bit cold."
"The smell is a bit strange too."
Sniff, sniff. Yu Daon closed her eyes and smelled the air.
"It smells like ink... and a bit of perfume."
"You haven't developed a sense-related ability, have you?"
"Huh?"
I made eye contact with Yu Daon, who was looking at me with a puzzled expression, then turned my gaze to Song A-rin.
"A-rin."
"...Yeah."
"You're not okay, are you?"
"..."
Song A-rin looked up at me.
The emotion filling her eyes was—
"Don't worry."
It was a look of fear, afraid that her ominous premonition might be correct.
"I don't know what it is that A-rin is afraid of."
Vaguely knowing isn't truly knowing. I can only guess her situation and state of mind.
"But I can still help you."
Song A-rin looked up at me.
"Let's think about it after we get out."
If you can run from something you hate, it's best to run as far as you can. But if you have no choice but to face it, then you just grit your teeth and face it.
Song A-rin met my eyes.
"...Okay."
She nodded.
Of course, I didn't expect this single statement to smooth out her expression and fill her with resolve.
It was just that the hand she had been using to grip my sleeve loosened slightly.
I opened the manual.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[Myeongil Apartment - 2nd Floor]
[5. Basically, the doors in the 2nd-floor hallway are not open. Even if they are open, they are harmless as long as you don't enter them. What you need to be careful of are the walls.]
I turned my gaze to the walls and continued reading the manual.
[6. We emphasize again: with the exception of a single person, all residents of the 2nd floor have been eroded by anomalous phenomena. They have become the walls, the floor, the air, and are watching you.]
[6-1. If the walls look like the typical walls of an apartment, you may rest easy. They still view you favorably.]
[6-2. If the walls have a dark reddish tint, move more cautiously. It is advisable to be mindful of your actions and word choice.]
[6-3. If the walls are pitch black, hold your breath. We hope your lung capacity lasts until the walls return to normal. If you fear you cannot hold out, please refer to [T-Suicide Methods].]
The color?
The typical apartment wall color, a mix of green and white.
A sigh of relief escaped me involuntarily.
[7. The Harmonious Family is managed by a couple.]
[7-1. The couple is always looking for something, which is most likely 'the couple's child,' but they may sometimes request something else.]
[7-2. If they request 'the couple's child,' if you search the room well, you can find a doll with purple hair. The doll must have 'purple hair.' If you bring back a doll that does not have purple hair, you will definitely die. Even if you don't die, you should abandon any thought of escaping that room.]
[7-3. If you successfully find and bring the couple's child, they will be satisfied and give you the key to the child's room. If you enter the child's room, lie on the bed, and fall asleep, you can escape.]
[7-4. Sometimes, they may request something other than the couple's child. In this case, as no definitive correct answer has been established, politely decline and proceed to the next room. The things the couple has requested include:]
[7-4-1. 'Love.' Brought a pink-haired doll but died.]
[7-4-2. 'Memory.' Hesitated in answering and died. There have been many other questions, but cases of answering correctly are extremely rare.]
"..."
I glanced at Song A-rin's complexion as she read the manual beside me.
Her expression was now beyond pale; it was as white as a blank sheet of paper.
"A-rin. Should just the two of us go? You can come after we're done?"
"..."
Song A-rin looked at me.
"That much isn't difficult. Daon and I will go solve it and come back."
"That's right. If it's too hard for you, we can go. It's not like we're going to leave A-rin behind!"
Yu Daon also chimed in, making eye contact with Song A-rin.
Song A-rin looked at me with a trembling gaze.
"I..."
"..."
She looked at me, took a deep breath, and then shook her head.
"No. ...I'll go."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
She nodded slowly.
"But I have a request."
"Okay."
"If it's possible... ...can you kill my parents for me?"
Song A-rin's gaze was directed at me.
It was the first time she had referred to them as 'parents.'
"Yes."
And my answer was predetermined.
It was a request she made to me. If I could grant it, of course I should.
"If the opportunity arises, I definitely will."
"...Thank you."
Song A-rin muttered and stood next to me.
"Shall we go in then?"
Yu Daon, who had been still until then, looked at us and placed her hand on the doorknob.
The doorplate with <208> written on it was faded and stuck to the wall. The moment she grabbed the doorknob, I felt an illusion of a chilling cold sweeping over us.
"I'm ready."
"..."
Yu Daon's gaze turned to Song A-rin.
Her silent gaze seemed to pierce through Song A-rin.
Song A-rin took a deep breath.
"Me too."
"Let's go."
As soon as Song A-rin finished speaking, Yu Daon opened the door.
-Creeeak...
The door opened, revealing the house.
It was an ordinary home.
It's not like any of the places we'd been to so far weren't ordinary homes, but this place was truly ordinary.
It was just a bit old.
The fluorescent light flickered a little, and the wallpaper was slightly worn, but it was fairly clean, as if someone had maintained it consistently.
"It feels like a house where people live."
Yu Daon muttered as she stepped inside.
I thought I understood what she meant by 'a house where people live.'
It wasn't spotless, but it was a place that was being maintained.
It gave the feeling that someone continuously cleaned the house.
"Perhaps—"
"Ah, guests!"
Someone appeared, cutting me off.
A woman with purple hair that fell to her shoulders and a gentle impression, and a man with a stern impression.
From behind, I heard Song A-rin take a sharp breath.
"Mom... ...Dad..."
She muttered like a child who had just learned to speak. At Song A-rin's words, the woman glanced briefly in her direction, then,
"Our child seems to be missing. Could you find our child for us?"
Song A-rin's body stiffened again. Paying it no mind, the woman with the gentle impression continued.
"Our child has been away from home for quite some time. We still haven't found her."
I looked at the semi-transparent window floating above her head.
[Name : Family]
[Age : Created 15 years ago]
[Specialty : - ]
[Talent : - ]
[Background : One of humanity's fatal flaws is being swayed by appearances and suffering from memories, leading to misguided choices. Someone must correct this.]
[Weakness : If the apartment disappears, this will also disappear.]
It was identical to the elderly couple.
This time too, the semi-transparent window floated above both of their heads.
"..."
Slowly, I raised my head and looked at the people.
Song A-rin was looking at the woman with a blank expression, and Yu Daon had her eyes fixed on the floor.
"Can you find our child for us?"
She asked us in a kind tone.
"Understood."
I was the one who nodded. Song A-rin wasn't in a state to manage a nod, and Yu Daon always preferred to take a step back from these kinds of issues.
"What a good child. If you look hard, you'll be able to find her."
"If you find her, we'll give you a gift."
The man, who had been silent until then, also spoke.
"Thank you."
"She must be somewhere in this house. Please look for her!"
Why was this so difficult?
Frankly, it was hard to understand from my common sense. Honestly, this seemed easier than the elderly couple's house.
A relatively friendly couple and a task of simply finding a doll.
The easier it seemed, the more unease welled up inside me. What could be so difficult about it that the 4th floor was preferred over the 2nd floor?
And that concern arrived sooner than I thought.
"It's not here. What about over there?"
"It's not here either. A-rin, did you find it by any chance?"
"No."
Both Yu Daon and Song A-rin shook their heads.
It wasn't there.
No matter how hard we searched, we couldn't see it.
Not only was there no doll with purple hair, we couldn't even catch a glimpse of any doll at all; it was as if dolls didn't exist here.
"Haven't you found her yet?"
"You still haven't found her?"
"How strange, I asked you to find her, so why can't you?"
And as time passed, the gaze and words she directed at us became rougher.
At first, she spoke as if it were nothing, but gradually her tone became stronger.
"Tch, no. This is ridiculous."
I guess it was getting to the point where if we didn't find it soon, we'd be dead.
The more malicious point was—
"They're like this every 3 minutes."
"Indeed."
The interval of their nagging was extremely short.
Yu Daon approached me.
"I think I know where A-rin got her irritability from."
"Daon. A-rin can hear you, so please speak quietly."
I covered Yu Daon's mouth as she whispered beside me and muttered.
Finally.
"Hey, you still haven't found her?"
She approached us as we were searching every nook and cranny of the bathroom and shouted loudly.
"If you can't find her like this, there's no helping it. All of you..."
Yu Daon and I exchanged glances.
A Critical hadn't appeared yet, but we had to do something—
"I found her."
And then, Song A-rin, who had been quietly searching for the doll until then, stood up and looked at the woman.
"...What? Where is she?"
"Here."
Song A-rin pointed to her own chest area and muttered.
"She's here. Your daughter."
In the silence, only her words echoed.