Chapter 14: Adults thought it was fine (or something like that)
sPYSQCalm down.a5V
lY5q“Hello, my name is Seon Yuhan. I am a companion who shares the same objective as Miss Hwang Juyeon. Right, Miss Hwang Juyeon?”mlu
vy81LN2I spoke calmly, letting out words with confidence.Vu9f
Dz7uBeing a “companion” does not necessarily mean a coworker.aWt
VN2It can also mean a companion to escape the labyrinth.HobM8B
duPfA“Ah, yes. Of course. We are companions.”7h5
PH8Fd5Fortunately, Hwang Juyeon quickly caught on and nodded.EZVR
hGgThe goose plush fell silent for a moment, like a robot that had run out of battery.KYPvIBK
PTafEIt seemed to be evaluating whether I was really her companion.5de
v0FmIrDepending on that verdict, it would decide whether I would be killed here again or not.Ex7
lUrib“Ah! I see!”WgOrmf
aMISAfter about ten seconds that felt like ten minutes, the cheerful voice of the doll was heard again.sxh
HkmegrOTo be honest, I couldn’t let my guard down.Uj0Hvm
xphbwThe first time it had also said “Ah, I see” many times before throwing me out. To the afterlife.cfZz
tEIPa“Nice to meet you, Seon Yuhan!”0KF
VQtThe goose bent its long neck inward.qXyK0
bocc**2yU
KwvL5-2. Enter as a companion of an employee or someone related to the daycare.Pkv
k9x16**dmHshYp
6CXxlMc“Come in, both of you! The children are waiting!”FV397
8Y8GqaWow. With someone they don’t consider a suspicious outsider, they are terrifyingly kind.4Cml
ZqM4o7YBut don’t get confused that does not mean they truly value the children.y1Qe38
kVhqEThe labyrinth is fair, and precisely because of that it is unfair.TWJtKqu
DIgp9It makes no exceptions for the weak or defenseless.encq5J
jvt8It is petty in that sense.4dBNiH
fOqFjOf course, that is a very human judgment but I am human.btsn
fxeJ1Well, seen another way, since it also kills the strong equally, is it better than humans who only trample the weak?VWX4lPx
XMioCrI don’t even know anymore.2aovSvb
MmMYoAnyway.gpL6iZ
0ZvevBOThere may be different rules for children but that does not mean they are meant to protect them.RmbER
4WvA1J“Ah…! Hey, little one! Are you okay?!”sr7d
dISbSee?7Mf24jB
IyZIt makes no exceptions for being a child. How despicable.taOU
9YEeijFollowing Hwang Juyeon, I ran inside.NHhUd
p8mbIOnly afterward did I think whether we needed the goose’s permission to move.gw5bDUS
wIiLNBut what I saw was too unpleasant.4gQD
Z5GTu0wA child about six or seven years old was standing on a round base, with his arms extended theatrically.tyv
apOgIThe base rotated slowly.HzE
PcTOnLike a figurine from a music box.D0tUj
BTp6glT“Eh… do you remember the teacher? A moment ago she did a magic trick for you here.”LTdAL
4EiWQThe child’s thin limbs trembled, and his small face was distorted by tears.r5c
E3fnmLI didn’t know how long he had been like that, but that was clearly punishment. Abuse.jO6Rpo
kzYXS7“Can you hear us? Can you get down?”iYa
SwFXM5The child nodded his head and then shook it.EDkz5
3S8DsS“Ah…!”7S0PW
X7OfdnHe even struck Hwang Juyeon with his forehead when she tried to lift him, pushing her away forcefully.sx6DIXZ
cvlho2Hwang Juyeon held her reddened nose, confused.OawlI
7iB8FI understood what was in the child’s eyes.1m4
ZZEgFear.gneyVy
8jfaAnd that fear was not directed at us.mlUmS
0Kv3p“Miss Hwang Juyeon, wait a moment.”EhfXECw
RHyTaI touched her shoulder and looked at the goose.sCzJm
eK0nMz4The doll, with its ridiculous appearance that invites lowering one’s guard, stood upright, pointing at us with its orange beak.Bvk
G2moVb“What should I call you?”dLBkuF
Amxf“Oh my, how fun!”Za8k
VQZ10kA cheerful laugh came out of its sewn beak.xgsLjO
ByeLR“Who do you think I am?”SfZUtKx
a6vA92uA monster?WuGhi
tbi8A goose plush?0i4p
bpCA murderous creature hidden inside that ridiculous costume?G2pXZC
0WK“Well, I am the teacher!”nxp4
k0KZOf course, why not.XTG03W
ymhNey3“Teacher, why is that child like that?”hzabpp9
P7P“Ah, are you talking about Jiho?”be55
FRM4That child was like that because of a labyrinth rule.7aJ
IBRuI had to understand exactly what was happening in order to resolve it.KrG
zVe8317“Isn’t it obvious? He is learning to become a child who receives love!”tgPQ9Gh
Y8Vzq“Could you explain exactly how that method works?”nMRo
rXxyJN“Wow! Are you interested in our educational system? How gratifying. Right now we are completely renewing the program because it had many deficiencies.”X2BGWX
NT7AP“Next time you should eliminate it completely.”kRnajlQ
PB9Fdqk“Excuse me?”TqKn
3HjqWew“Eh? I didn’t say anything.”hRV
0kMEfThe goose caught my murmur immediately and slowly moved its neck.8CDMT
B9qI didn’t know what that gesture meant.hXOB3
sUHl“Anyway, it is very simple. You just have to correct them like this so that the behavior of a loved child is naturally engraved into their body.”ZQq0L
lDcNBWIt pointed toward the child, who was still trembling.BZXOX
v5rwqd“So that they do not cry loudly, do not throw tantrums, do not run nonstop, do not twist their bodies restlessly, nor babble in an incomprehensible way.”UpxGg7
vtpAnd with a voice full of pride, it added.NOvJ
uU1pX“See? This way it is pleasant for adults.”QqcmAU
1xkTOf course, you sick bastard.AKJq
OibkKOpBut, ignoring my disgust, I memorized everything.myo9Y3F
Ofk1LvnThose were the rules that child had to follow in this daycare turned labyrinth.srX6w
dk2qFPT“I don’t understand why we didn’t use this method before.”3vXl
OiHEfSBecause that is violence, you bastard.1q06M
9ddTF6PChildren must grow making noise.eDP8zU
rAmxThey must cry, complain, run.IZNuK
ruvUqG4If it weren’t like that, adults would forget they exist.tc9EH
5W9DThey even forget that they themselves were once children.fsBY
BNfso5…And I am not free from that forgetting either.YOICz
MPaQA2“But now you can leave your children here calmly. We have eliminated the teachers who did not meet the standard!”Jvtt
J52kdB“What?”6Lo
YFw“Oh! Sorry. We dismissed them.”xahym
wzdwXEwDamn monster.sX7R
JT5zSd“Eliminate” or “dismiss” inside the labyrinth, that sounds equally dangerous.Jhar
7U9cd8SIt probably means they died.0pKC
0f9qq4“What is the criterion for not being dismissed?”FHLn
Dkiu“That is confidential. It is an internal matter.”Et7KBm
qkjrWI didn’t expect an answer.KFI3YHR
qmjCwBA“Then, can we take Jiho now?”af4oYBl
vB5That was the point.86S
1MrTo stop that punishment.R2y
1OT3“Mmm… let’s see.”IBAos
EbRsThe goose’s white body moved slightly, as if enjoying the situation.UfS
VMLQcMU“Ah! It’s fine! You will be his temporary guardians, so today he can leave early.”Inuh
ztcIt seemed to allow it but then dropped the bomb.8jXwd
QoLE4“There is no need to wait for his mother to finish working. After all, she will not come.”3fYZmv
g8Ew“What? What exactly do you mean by that?”72cx3
vzRg7I lowered my voice, thinking of the child who was watching us in fear.aD1sd
PCVYQ2“That Jiho’s mother is no longer here.”yBVm
3T3WTThe damn goose answered with a smile, as if it wanted us to hear it clearly.Al9
JqZG“Ah… now that you mention it… the other children. Where are the other children?”63ayIeI
M92HUHwang Juyeon asked with a nervous voice. Perhaps because she was choosing her words in front of the goose, she used an awkward formal tone.XD7
fa4Brs9“But what are you saying, they are here.”ZXCI2D
tJgThe goose tilted its head and pointed backward.mXScT14
txpQXNO“There are plenty of Jiho’s friends, don’t you see?”Hp3KvG
AE8yBpnThere was a multitude of dolls there.7f8hJ
CRFhVJThe same toys that had previously bitten, stabbed, and killed me.B8fu4x
ZNkuHwang Juyeon pointed at the group, horrified.726
BDb“Could it be… those are the friends? Th-the children… turned into that?”hJsC060
Ytr6cIThe goose did not respond. It just hummed, as if nothing, a familiar lullaby.KNW5q1d
izIThe freelance magician’s face turned pale.oKAa
8RbuEbiAnd Jiho’s, who already looked like he was about to die from before, even more so.1K7Uc
JfwR“The labyrinth…”c75a
VIXF6cI walked past the goose and headed toward the row of lockers.XLdsBCD
XwSvJv“It likes to deceive people. Not its function is to deceive. That is how it makes people get lost.”aVXy
pOCuiWAKang Hayoon… Kim Minjun… Kim Jiyul…p7Jd
enET“It also likes to make people cry. That is how it manages to make them give up.”60Gw
PmIPark Junsu… Lee Nayeon… Lee Hyunji…8CQifZ
DSX“I… those things…”sT1gLJs
qE0CJiho. Jung Jiho.dat0p
7RqY5Here he is.tGl
61vP4jrI opened the locker. Inside there was a light blue bag with spare clothes and a small backpack.Uykh
hz5QrI closed the empty locker and turned my head.6aj
N2m“Seriously…”k1sC
WyXFI feel nauseous.92TUim
iRnSLcvHaving to find that bloodstained toy box hidden behind a false wall.x1jx
PrQSJdRealizing that what was piled up inside were people.BBrmbl
kqvbQwImagining that a child who hasn’t even entered elementary school could have witnessed the brutal death of his teacher.d6rWP
ODr“Jiho.”UCkV9Or
mmchpWvThe child, completely exhausted, was now in Hwang Juyeon’s arms, crying silently.2Ci
GYb1QHe still seemed afraid of the goose, holding back his crying while sobbing.TJOSqG1
NMeVI gestured with my hand and, carefully, took him from Hwang Juyeon’s arms and carried him.WaeuU2X
MSH3“We’re leaving here. Okay?”d06oR
jBhxZiEven if I was going to comfort him, it had to be outside this place.IdAQCO
wXjcIsI heard his faint crying near my ear. He didn’t respond.SOw
tGhHis arms around my neck barely had any strength.Obd08WE
dp7Hp“Hold on tight. Let’s go, Miss Hwang Juyeon.”ZZL3
n2sZOHwang Juyeon nodded, slinging Jiho’s backpack over her shoulder, and I adjusted the child on my back while grabbing the door handle.sb6K4v
8K0cTnI“Are you leaving already?”CTn
bG8“Can’t we?”6DSq6K
jTtWqES“You can… you can.”vol
gK1k0kThat “you can” did not sound good at all.ruXf9C
Tw6ypBw“You don’t know how bored our children will be if their playmate leaves.”YRw7Vmu
t9ZJ“So what?”8HgTd
vjkThe answer came out rough.6EAQT
KPkvv“Hmm.”NYhePL
hwauThe goose, still humming cheerfully, began to approach while wobbling.BRvg0R
8HAThe other toys also advanced, step by step.eITXEp
JOdHGSmall and adorable but I knew very well how bloodthirsty they were.V7fzi
LpU2IaV“How about you stay a little longer to play with them?”wbS
wruWClack. Clack.cr02
PW57“It’s locked…!”Va7
JBi3Hwang Juyeon whispered anxiously.6xgCaX
lkbcfIuThe child, frightened, tightened his arms a little more around my neck.vypAl
fEkPT0QDamn it.Vn2
t7NswI knew it was too easy for them to let us go.H8pRL
iB6rXKw“Play? How? Until when?”mY7Wlg
QE6XaKeIt’s a company daycare… normally they get picked up at six.1Vh
eBcWZiDo they intend to keep us until then?QWcf
MilAw“It really is funny!”yYfbua
O4w2The goose let out a little laugh, and the other toys shook as if laughing along with it.3viyn
PK1MI3R“Have you never played with children? What do you mean until when…?”v5xNW
pKbcThe voice, full of laughter, fell like a death sentence.KnU
AffML“Well, until the children get tired, of course.”T0vRg
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