Chapter 13: The Trick to Entering the Daycare
X61tYY“If it were possible to turn back time, what would you do, Mr. Seon Yuhan?”N1Rdiju
GTbv“I will tell you what I will do only once. Please remember it well.”r7rNdr
dfgsThe interviewer nodded, following the serious tone of my voice.nMDXYr
TWAIlcI took a deep breath and spoke again.3XvYRM
XSbaj“I will not run hastily nor stay stopped too long on the stairs, I will not use the elevator, I will not be in the interview room after 4, if someone asks me the time I will answer honestly, I will strictly follow the instructions in the auditorium, I will not recklessly enter the internal daycare as an outsider, in the product shop I will pay in cash, and when I read in the library I will never skip parts.”voQD
Wkm“Ah… I see. Having many detailed plans is a good thing.”QUzq
Nht86LV“Yes. Mr. interviewer, this place has turned into a labyrinth. And I will follow that plan.”957Mg
zvsyI77“Excuse me?”ilae
rsbk“Please ask the assigned jeoksa to spread on social media that this building has turned into a labyrinth. To prevent people from entering here by mistake. Get up.”0LfF95b
8JkMYkp“Uh… yes… Mr. Seon Yuhan…? Wait… you’re serious.”Yhsq4JN
cUyapY“Yes.”xMWX
W6OAs I guided him toward the exit, a thought crossed my mind.eyuQMJn
RYDbdcIf this news spread through social media maybe even if I activated the fire alarm, the firefighters wouldn’t enter?3B5iF
EL75And what if, with some luck, at least the people on the first floor managed to get out?Fuu
8AOMOf course, that doesn’t guarantee they can escape just by being on the first floor.qcQ
vMIemfyThat is only my wish.PVVwql
NUvEZImAh. I don’t know.NRijGcT
XOJ1nWhat if the alarm draws the attention of some hostile entity and ends up killing more people?Klo
4YEI can barely handle my own life.2Keo
2AuNI don’t have the capacity to carry the life or death of so many people.seyB0F
goLefThis is different from sacrificing one or two people to survive.bVdXcP
jQsLFJhIf I do nothing, nothing will change.bVYN
hUeFXLThose who are meant to live will live, and those who are meant to die will die.zRBc
63dsfvBut if I press that button.W1zJTtO
tR9Someone destined to die might live, or someone destined to live might die.RnrFLaa
qWV26TGGood intentions do not always lead to good results.w8UDRKE
vMwo0ieAnd even less in a labyrinth.gs6m7
tK7vRqEAlthough bad intentions almost always bring bad results, so choosing the good one is still the most sensible.mnC
MbQq2“Mr. Seon Yuhan, are you okay? Suddenly you look very bad. If you need anything, tell me.”iLjURXf
r20zkrw“I…”lAG3DFC
YCPIn the interviewer’s eyes there was genuine concern.AUq4V
qFqgfHwA look one can rely on.9dvsq
5lVThat is exactly what a jeoksa agent needs.bjMGCm
wza6DWithout realizing it, I let my doubt slip out.jUcSub
cPBIRThat by pressing that button someone might live but someone might also die.6rY
Sm3EEv“Then, what am I supposed to do in a situation like this—”j12r9ei
7vbClick.JuBc
XNzSGRiiiiiiiiiiiiing!NHUJax
YQsl“Huh?”Smh9
hYP5Ln“What should you do? If it goes wrong, blame me. And if it goes well, obviously it will be thanks to me.”grl3z
f7sThe interviewer spoke in a relaxed tone, but it didn’t sound fake.yQ4
rqJ4GBeeeeep!mXsE
zFmeThe metallic sound of the alarm was so sharp it numbed the ears.7wBpA
CuO3dtI looked at him without saying anything.Nd4A
F0I9“What did you just…?”xVISbk3
0wW“I just did what had to be done. It seemed like you were carrying a heavy burden, so I took some of it off.”3cVBwL
Ud56tvI couldn’t hear his voice well.1FlFr6
oRKwRQvAnd yet, for some reason, I felt as if that voice cut through my chest along an invisible line, like the tip of a balance’s blade.iGTd
tivp“Labyrinths are made so that one gets lost. It’s normal not to know what lies ahead, no matter which path you choose. But in the end, you can’t know if you don’t move forward, right? What lies at the end.”avq7WHr
yuu6wzeThe jeoksa agent lowered the hand with which he had pressed the button.kxVEOrV
FTWVI pretended not to see the trembling in his fingers and looked at him silently.UhqIT
AQIIt was the face of someone who, even being afraid, knows exactly what he must do.kdFDSF
agiAThe kind of face I hate the most.zBik4ut
lyzM8Ia“I’m going to the daycare on the second floor. Do you want to come with me?”BEGBq
fg1“Ah… the elevator will stop when the power goes out, so I will go get the people inside. You go first. Don’t wait for me. Remember what I told you.”QEb
vrk“Yes, I remember. Then see you later, Mr. Seon Yuhan. Take care.”s5y4snj
IZ6JThud―!0y7J
M40djUAfter parting from him, I pressed the elevator button and anxiously looked at the panel.aAtioD
EPEbEven though I knew the situation, that alarm sound made my heart shrink.5bfL
KkDZMK8… 7… 6… 5… 4…JD0W
VZOdi79It seemed like the elevator was taking a bit longer than usual.NNRl
30IPaGNo way…u6l53
MhK73… ding!fAj
UadCH「The door is opening.」iUTNw
5eNxnChoi Jaeha was not there.kAdRWr
DiaeWTDApparently he went down on his own without me telling him, after hearing the fire alarm.HEp9r5
3m7fGYIt feels strange.bD5G
wUHI don’t know whether to praise him or be left speechless.mia
a09t7nsBut what will he do alone now?uUij
YbdXjI have no idea what is happening on the other floors.sP1yek8
NNcsyDWith that kind of person, he would probably die right away.xLDzzuz
4oqEven so, I didn’t want to go up alone to look for Choi Jaeha and help him.nOJURJd
QadoI’m not such a good person.B5O
3IbNlzEven if to someone he is a dearly loved youngest son, he is not worth more than my life.qJN5M
s8i48Riiiiing―!PFhihEi
8qOxaXxHmm. I don’t know if Choi Jaeha is really the pampered youngest, but from how he acts, it seems so.YsXae
Cu97guBoom, rumble, crash!aGdCT
leOOpBaaang!bsHvNwg
ZFnGKraash, thud!8RI
FMO7sWhile I was going down the stairs, the event of six consecutive elevator falls occurred.iLUZ
lZCBAnd then—WpuymYV
LtcOysilence.3cWmi
4jwThe fire alarm, which pierced the ears like a needle, suddenly stopped.okwX5TH
DyuZZbuHow strange.ocpiHlu
plwThe alarm should work independently of a blackout.cPaRH
XmChmMBut I shook my head.ZBU0y
LkPht7If we go by that, the elevator shouldn’t fall either.3UJ
fIjThis is a labyrinth.pracNi
cC3bUVGA place where you don’t know what will happen, and where you have to accept whatever happens.4f2DaD
wkHey3Clack.PvQ
CveWhen I opened the emergency door of the second floor, a scene already too familiar appeared.0rUgE
RSSDrI was about to head again toward the daycare corridor to go to the “Come to Read” library, but I stopped.eNsn3
jCHmThe idea of buying at least an emergency kit and a thermos at the TARAE store crossed my mind.Buy
Uvm1But my feet didn’t move easily.76Izo
jN9GyLMy legs feel heavy.ZwSfzJ
XFTfNo, if they don’t move well, then they’re light?1rL
TFoHow was it? How did I move my legs? How did I walk?jNHKM
8N2D1.03. If I search it on the internet will it appear? Ah why is there no internet? Then what do I do? 3.42. Since when do I have legs? Didn’t I calculate it? No. I didn’t steal anything. 7.56. I also gave the feet. I also gave the calves. I also gave the thighs. 12.01 kilograms!nPSK0b
FBqwkWhy is there still something left?c8vXF
fxlYWhat if they come to take it back?FAu
1t82FWhy do I have so many fingers?CH4
Tp6XWhat if they think I stole?kMspC
O8tYcsFAh!OlIwazC
DaQjhxIf I remove it again will they believe me?OowOz
g6bGLb“Ah it’s the second floor again…”pWCCEv
DKSAnbClack.pRRt
RMiAn unfamiliar voice struck my numbed ears.Cy5ozM
XwfPRI turned my head toward the source of the sound.0EJl9T
cOjtRXThere was someone in front of another emergency door, not the one I had used.8Y0z1p
dPxA woman in her thirties, wearing a three-piece suit and long hair tied back.aky
R6HfiShe seemed hot; her face was flushed and there was sweat on her forehead.hBnZOx
pLrhE“Huh?”n5vhB
kSzqui3Upon seeing me, she let out that ominous sound.1wci
7xt9This time I didn’t close my eyes.5sUG
xMM“E-eh… you too?”juSvp
Kx50“Excuse me? What do you mean?”E2Rs0
NV0VD“That no matter how much you go down, you always come out on the second floor!”x45m21
gh8“Ah.”3pKuZs5
9fcI blinked several times, as if stunned.HYZGIK
x280CwMy eyes felt dry.3vEV0
KxOH“Yes, that’s right. I went down to basement one, but ended up coming out again on the second floor.”1IgCMAX
UZw5“Right?! This is very strange. It seems like…”a8u
5cXThe woman with sharp, fox-like eyes bit her lip.tFs3PiK
08CcahI know what she means. Or rather, what she doesn’t want to say.ltvvjl
YMGIEF1“Yes. It seems it has turned into a labyrinth. An intrusive type.”DmpdDL
ROSyHS“Ah… seriously… just as I thought… what do I do…?”Ttzjb
0QGcIThe woman dropped to the floor as if collapsing, and for about thirty seconds she lamented intensely before suddenly standing up.V3G3o6U
uY4“I… I don’t plan to die here. You don’t just stand there like an idiot either. You weren’t writing a farewell letter on your phone, right?”SO95i
QYsz“No… no. I don’t plan to die either.”4Tkepy
4v9y8If I die here if I end up dying in this labyrinth what would be the point of all those deaths?SKL9bN
q3V2xAt that moment, my mind, which had been in chaos, cleared.L2Po
4KQEdMy objective is not to solve a murder in a locked room.GlX4V
25K9j9My objective is to survive and escape the labyrinth.pEm
yl9wdJust that.xWn
pKcvDNP“My name is Hwang Juyeon. Sometimes I do magic performances as a freelancer. I came here for an event at the daycare and ended up like this.”Nnu
8EcvThe daycare!Ro3Mn
FGScOI controlled my expression with effort.YejdT
KAi92“I am Seon Yuhan. I came for an interview at the Yuwi Guild.”oeg
5r5hmINIf this person is here, maybe we can enter the daycare.ugb1
MV6hI mentally reviewed the route I had taken so far.4dqfu00
IFGVItAt the beginning, the auditorium.rR6Kj
ONiX35NThere I saw something I don’t know if it was a documentary or a snuff film about the labyrinth of Seonghwa High School.ROxgKMu
Q81dujEThen, the daycare.LYsAsjL
hwwGuI was rejected at the entrance for being an outsider.M489d
2Ex4After that, the product shop.S0Ou
T7tkI went to TARAE to buy the Tarae diary I saw in the advertisement and look for an employee who could enter the daycare with me and one two three four five yes fingers are five on one hand and two hands ten right? the legs become lighter over time.WfCA1mI
qiXljThen, the library.oo8tt
FDQGzI found the librarian dead, I took her to the daycare and the goose said I had brought an ugly doll and kicked me out.8InnJ
0Z031In the next attempt, I returned to the library and once again someone had attacked her.N9Z
iR8gAnd now, here.je0
nNtBBtJAfter all that, I finally found a living person with whom I could enter the daycare.akQ4
RVeUAfter all that, finally!7q4
LG15“I was thinking of going to the daycare first. Maybe there is some clue to go down. Do you want to come with me, Hwang Juyeon?”FmPkcfd
EpoHwang Juyeon.CLa1A
634WIf it’s her.YOd2Ih
Or4TWpnA freelance magician invited to the daycare is not a complete “outsider.”H7Vu
HLJ5pJhShe might pass the toys’ security and enter.1yJoh
dCuJMjyAlthough I don’t know if they will let me enter with her and there is also the possibility that she is the murderer, so I must be careful.dLq
lyxVKd“Hmm why not? I don’t have any plan anyway. Better two than one. And we can also check if there are children left. It’s too quiet.”UML
DMzSfCWhen I was in the daycare before, it seemed like there was a teacher and a child.WE7f7Y
URUmMaybe the others disappeared suddenly, like the interviewer.RZxZ
ttxe“But couldn’t we break the glass and go down?”SomT
VigDIZHwang Juyeon pointed at the hallway window that faced the building’s central courtyard.lRvyd
bblGJ3yI already knew those tricks didn’t work, so I didn’t try.wpi7QuE
WFCw6TBut the accountant Choi Jaeha had.r6kj
w8ABWc0“I tried, but it didn’t work.”Zo2o
y4fuw“Of course… just as I thought…”bR2rodk
uMnUKIpHwang Juyeon accepted it without issue.yHCsfe9
3GrfOloIf this weren’t a labyrinth, that would be the normal way to think.Du2NZ
V1e7If escaping like that were possible, intrusive labyrinths would be much less dangerous.IyBBv
Bzz0BTLike what happened with contact ones, which over time became almost like traffic accidents.sAFf
uitWait.ZATQ
QfphSllDid Choi Jaeha really do that?cCjrmK
YlhI don’t remember.UI2
MEuPPOrWhy do I feel like I saw him throwing a fire extinguisher at the glass while foaming at the mouth?BEPAAkb
Ywv9KxWell it doesn’t matter.tbxWH
Baf9What doesn’t work, doesn’t work.3ZY1
at10“Let’s go in.”3W0z
KuxlHwang Juyeon nodded.kBt7qj0
tipjrI carefully opened the daycare door.A3iq
u5N7HGoPlease don’t let it be the “then why did you come? die” again.RozvQs1
gCgUp0“Oh!”wVv
wAR“Ah! You scared me! What is this?”QkCVbV
LIJTThe toys, led by the goose, were lined up like an army.Gdw
Ukj18NhHwang Juyeon stepped back, but the door was already closed.1ES
TjYEsQ“Isn’t this the magician Hwang Juyeon?”vJt
e2RN“Don’t get agitated. Answer honestly.”CAY
PRw3pI whispered quickly.iw6FfJ
4VQ“Ah… yes, it’s me…”XMe0
EJZY8CWShe replied while looking at the goose, still confused.uGPWRGe
D9EVlsl“The performance earlier was very fun! The children loved it!”cg1
7YUkI6qThe toys, previously motionless, seemed to move with joy.PFePU2U
yB0r“But…”swYem6d
jbbThe goose’s voice changed, like shifting from a major tone to a minor one.AkSyzZ
B01R1EE“And who is the person that is with you?”tKs
dbKlTwo dry black dots fixed on me.HZe
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