Chapter 214: Finding the Body
When Song A-rin opened her eyes, she was sitting in the audience seats of a dilapidated stage.
"Ugh, I'm so sick of this."
Just as she sighed and tried to get up from her seat, the curtains opened and the puppet show began.
A purple-haired puppet that looked strikingly similar to Song A-rin stood in the center, surrounded by other puppets dancing on strings.
Laughter could be heard.
"What's with her? Her eyes are weird, and she looks mean."
One of the ordinary-looking puppets spoke.
Song A-rin remembered that remark.
It was the first story she had ever heard.
To be precise, it was a story she heard after entering the Management Bureau and living with other children at the orphanage.
The current Song A-rin would have headbutted the girl next to her without a second thought, or physically smashed her own head against something to resolve the situation. But back then, Song A-rin was too busy crying sadly to think straight.
"Waaah..."
The puppet of the young Song A-rin cried loudly.
Why can't I be loved?
Why am I rejected by others?
The grown-up Song A-rin sighed as she watched the crying puppet.
It was only natural.
No one can be loved by everyone.
There are people who naturally get along well with you, and conversely, there are always people who just don't click with you.
Besides, her personality wasn't even good, and she was an outsider.
If anything, she was more likely to be hated than loved.
Before she knew it, night had fallen, and the puppet lay down in bed and closed its eyes.
"God..."
Yes. She had wished fervently.
Soaking her pillow with tears, she always prayed.
"Please, let the other children like me tomorrow."
She prayed desperately to be loved.
And a few days later.
"A-rin! Play with me!"
"No! A-rin is going to play with me!"
"Me!"
Her wish had come true.
She was loved by everyone, and received kindness from all.
The puppets that used to tease her were now laughing and playing with her.
That is, until the day a man wearing sunglasses appeared to take her away.
The stage changed, and the puppet wearing sunglasses looked at Song A-rin's puppet.
"You can control people's hearts."
"Wh-what...?"
"Yes. You might be surprised. But—"
"Th-then."
Interrupting the man, Song A-rin asked just one thing.
"Those children... they aren't being controlled by me, are they?"
"..."
The man didn't answer.
Song A-rin stood up, looking at the stage with a bitter expression.
She remembered exactly how she felt back then.
Despair.
The love she had so desperately wanted was nothing more than something that happened because she wished for it.
It wasn't magic; in reality, those children had to pretend to like her even though they disliked her.
In the end, she was never truly loved.
"..."
She rose from the worn-out chair.
The sound of old springs creaking echoed through the air.
She had to go.
As she waved her hand, a few threads shot out and closed the curtains.
"...That's not important right now."
Right now, saving the man was the top priority.
Ignoring the ongoing puppet show, she took a step forward.
Because that wasn't what she needed to do right now.
-Chwararak!
Just as she was about to take a step, the familiar sound of pages turning made her turn her head.
[Manual for Office Workers]
It was the Manual.
Why is this here?
With a puzzled expression, she looked around and picked up the Manual.
"...Ugh."
As always, a sharp pain shot through her temples.
The Manual opened.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[PLK - When Advancing Through the Darkness.]
1\. If you can see this entry, you are currently in grave danger and alone. Yet, you are moving to save someone else.
2\. Open the Manual and focus. You will feel nauseous. That's just how the Management Bureau's Manuals are.
3\. But endure it. To achieve what you want, to find the person, you must bear it.
4\. Go forward.
-Chwararak!
As the Manual opened, a bright light burst forth.
"...What kind of Manual does this guy even have?"
Song A-rin frowned deeply, the headache much stronger than usual, as she picked up the Manual.
The bright light pushed back the impenetrable darkness, illuminating a path.
"...Alright. I'll use you."
Song A-rin muttered as she took a step.
"You'd better perform well, then."
Of course, the Manual, being a book, didn't answer, but it almost felt like she could hear it saying, "You'd better perform well yourself."
Song A-rin disappeared into the darkness.
*
I looked around the pitch-black backstage.
I thought there would be some gain after escaping from the house.
But instead of any gain, only a stage with nothing special unfolded before my eyes.
If puppets were being controlled from back here, what could have happened for there to be no puppets now?
I slowly looked around, searching for a way out.
A shoddy set.
But a set implies...
"If there's a way in, there must be a way out."
If there's an entrance, there must be an exit.
Otherwise, no one could enter in the first place.
If there's an entrance, there must be an exit.
Based solely on that logic, I scanned my surroundings.
But despite my search...
"...Damn it."
I couldn't see anything.
Not an exit, not even a door to another room.
How long had I been wandering?
"..."
A door that definitely wasn't there before was now planted right in the center.
I'm sure I hadn't seen this.
A door labeled <EXIT>.
The wooden door was now placed right before my eyes.
"..."
I hastily reached out to enter the door, but stopped.
While I was inspecting this area just moments ago, the door was definitely not visible.
The fact that a door appeared—
I hurriedly ran to a corner and threw myself into the audience seats as if diving.
-Creeeak...
The sound of the door opening and someone entering echoed.
"..."
There was no way I could hold my breath, but I naturally covered my mouth with one hand and looked up.
Song A-rin was there.
No, it wasn't Song A-rin.
The Troupe Leader was there.
Adjusting her flowing hat with an annoyed look, she looked forward.
"...As I thought."
She muttered while looking at the broken screen.
"You did look like you'd escape the moment I left my post."
-Swish!
As she waved her hand, the MC Puppet that had been lying down stood up.
"..."
She stared intently at the MC Puppet.
"..."
"Speak."
"..."
"I grant you the freedom to speak."
"P-please spare me!"
The moment the Troupe Leader finished speaking, the MC shouted in a voice filled with terror, looking at her.
"What did you see?"
"Wh-what?"
"While you were here. What did you see?"
"N-nothing..."
"Nothing?"
The Troupe Leader tilted her head and looked at the puppet.
"I told you to watch carefully."
"...Eeek..."
"You. You weren't watching properly, were you."
The Troupe Leader muttered in a cold voice, and the MC let out another scream filled with terror.
"P-please spare me! The pain was too much, so I...!"
-Snap!
Before the puppet could finish speaking, the Troupe Leader flicked her hand.
Simultaneously, a thread shot out and twisted the puppet's neck.
The puppet went limp immediately.
"Useless."
The Troupe Leader muttered as she took a step, and with a thud, the puppet collapsed.
The Troupe Leader looked around.
"...Something's come."
She muttered and walked away.
Her clothes fluttered, the door opened, and she disappeared.
Before the door closed, I hurriedly ran and stuck my hand into the closing gap.
-Crunch!
A small sound of my wooden finger being crushed, but I succeeded in stopping the door from closing.
"..."
I let out a sigh of relief and looked beside me.
The MC Puppet, now truly a puppet with its strings cut.
Had it been alive? And what was that about pain?
It was full of unknowns, but I had to go for now.
-Creeeak...
I slowly opened the door.
Beyond it lay a dark theater district hallway.
The only light came from occasionally lit emergency exit signs.
A turned-off popcorn machine stood nearby, and the popcorn bin was covered in a thick layer of dust, showing that this place hadn't been used in a long time.
But it wasn't excessively dirty either. It was as if someone had been cleaning this place continuously.
A poster was stuck on the wall.
It was a poster for the puppet show.
The titles were <A Happy Life> and <How to Overcome Sorrow>.
"...Damn..."
Was my body starting to break down now?
My arms could barely move.
Fortunately, I had a feeling this would happen, so I never used my legs.
I walked with both arms hanging limp.
Walking through the dark theater district, I looked outside.
The window was blocked by something, showing only a pitch-black landscape where nothing was visible.
While walking slowly,
A bright light began to appear from the far end.
"..."
-Chwararak!
The familiar sound of pages turning.
"My head hurts, so stop turning the pages."
And a blunt voice.
Even with the same voice, I could tell it was a different person.
I hurriedly ran towards it.
Song A-rin was holding the Manual.
The Manual was emitting a white light like a flashlight.
"Ms. A-rin!"
Before I could do anything, the bright light suddenly turned red and shone on my body.
Simultaneously, strength drained from my body, and I slid to the floor as if collapsing without a chance to do anything.
"Wait—"
"Hey! It's that guy!"
Song A-rin, who had frozen upon seeing me, threw the Manual aside and ran towards me.
"Hey, you. H-how did you end up like this?"
"Ms. A-rin."
"A... puppet? Wait..."
Song A-rin muttered as she helped me up.
"You're light."
"I'm made of wood."
"Isn't wood heavy?"
I looked at the Manual lying on the floor.
[Manual for Office Workers]
[SRY - Advisory Notice]
1\. The Manual has no eyes.
2\. It has no nose either.
3\. It judges situations solely by feeling.
4\. It never had any intent to harm. It just moves instinctively.
5\. We apologize.
"Ms. A-rin. Could you pick up the Manual for me? My arms are completely broken."
"Sure."
Song A-rin picked up the Manual and looked at me.
"But still, I'm relieved. ...I thought you had completely disappeared."
"Me too."
"...So, what do we do now?"
"...For now, should we look for your main body?"
Even if I ran away now, my body was still a puppet's body.
"Of course. But do you have a method?"
Song A-rin looked at me with a curious expression.
I recalled the MC's words.
Pain, and movement.
"...Yes. I think I know."
I had a feeling.