Chapter 15: What is this? Give me back my memories

“What are we playing today?”

The voice, humming cheerfully, made me react abruptly.

Is it letting us choose? The type of game?

“Miss Hwang Juyeon, do you know any game that can tire children out? Something that isn’t dangerous…”

We quickly entered into a mini strategy meeting.

The child, Jung Jiho, remained silent in my arms, but I didn’t want to pressure him.

Besides, adults who take care of children usually know these kinds of things better.

“Well, I deal with children often, but I’ve never raised one, so I’m not sure… but it should be something that involves a lot of movement, right?”

“Yes. But no hide-and-seek or chasing games.”

Those kinds of games don’t work.

Perfect for the one who’s “it” to catch you and you die.

“Ah! What about that game where you keep a balloon in the air without letting it touch the ground? Blowing it from below.”

“Yes, that sounds good. They would have to move all the time, and blowing also tires you out quite a bit…”

“Ugh… that’s going to be difficult.”

The bastard, who had been watching silently, intervened right at the end.

His tone, as if he truly felt sorry, only made it more irritating.

“Our children don’t know how to breathe. Well, except Jiho.”

No please.

Then what do we do?

I understand that toys don’t breathe, but if we go by that, they shouldn’t move either.

While I muttered internally, Hwang Juyeon cautiously proposed another idea.

“Uh… then something simple… playing with a ball? Although it’s a bit cramped, so… what if we play with a balloon like a kind of hacky sack?”

That doesn’t sound bad.

I glanced sideways.

The goose, with its black eyes, hummed a lullaby.

If it rejects the idea again how the hell do we tire those “children” out?

Do those even get tired?

What does “getting tired” mean for them?

Do they collapse on the floor and fall asleep like people…?

Wait a moment.

A lullaby?

“Miss Hwang Juyeon.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s do a choreography.”

“Huh?”

“You know, dancing following the lyrics of songs. We do about four or five, and finish with a lullaby so they lie down and fall asleep.”

That was the plan first exhaust their “energy,” whatever that is, and then put them to sleep naturally with a lullaby.

Hwang Juyeon glanced at the goose humming and nodded.

I pointed to the electronic piano in a corner.

“You can handle the accompaniment. You know how to play the piano.”

“Ah… alright.”

Then I explained the game we would play to the goose, and fortunately it accepted.

It didn’t seem convinced, but it accepted.

Since Jiho already had permission to leave, he did not participate and stayed sitting near the entrance.

“……hands up, hands down…… stretch……”

“……jump, jump, everyone together……”

“……let’s jump together…… one, two……”

Thus, that pitiful spectacle of clumsy humans and toys progressed to its end.

Damn.

When Hwang Juyeon released the pedal, the last note faded away gloomily.

I signaled her to move to the lullaby.

“Miss Hwang Juyeon…?”

Her expression looked strange.

It wasn’t just because of the dim lighting.

“Seon Yuhan.”

“Yes.”

Not only me, the toys also remained motionless, staring at the pianist.

“Did I… ever say that I knew how to play the piano?”

What is she suddenly saying?

“Yes… you said it… that you taught piano… as your main… job…”

Ah… damn it.

I felt cold sweat on the back of my neck.

“That can’t be. Well, yes it’s true, but I didn’t tell you. I’m sure.”

It’s true.

I don’t remember hearing that at all.

“Miss Hwang Juyeon, that doesn’t matter now. You have to keep playing—”

“—Oh, my God. And who is this? Seon Yuhan… he is no longer the teacher’s companion, right?”

…They did something to me.

In the library.

“The daycare prohibits entry to outsiders.”

At that instant I understood.

And all those empty pupils fixed on me at the same time.

**

5-3. Do not let others become suspicious of you in the daycare or have you downgraded to an outsider.

**

“If it were possible to turn back time, what would you do, Mr. Seon Yuhan?”

“Damn—”

…I almost said that, but I felt as if my entire body burned from the inside.

“Could you… give me a moment…?”

“Of course.”

Both Choi Jaeha and Hwang Juyeon…

There is strange information in my head that I don’t remember learning.

At first I didn’t give it importance.

Thoughts like that Choi Jaeha was the youngest in his family, or that he had thrown a fire extinguisher out the hallway window.

They weren’t important things.

I thought they were aftereffects of something like torture.

From having gone back in time, from the golden scale whatever.

Something temporary that I couldn’t control or fix.

It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened to me.

But if the rest of my memories are fine, and there is only confusion with information about people I met inside the labyrinth then it doesn’t seem to be just post-traumatic stress.

As for when it started everything began after I was forced to participate in that reading club with Kim Gilyeong.

No not even I am sure that in that reading club it was only her and me.

There may be deaths I don’t even remember.

…And if there was an important clue about how to go down to the first floor in “Bookbangollae” and I lost that memory.

“Mr. interviewer.”

“Yes, tell me.”

“This building has turned into a labyrinth.”

“What?”

“Excuse me. Get up.”

Now the words came out without stumbling, as if I were reciting contract terms.

In such a situation you do this, in another that.

Click.

While giving instructions to the interviewer, as soon as I saw the fire system button, I pressed it.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

I averted my gaze from the interviewer, who was startled by the sudden alarm.

It wasn’t absolutely necessary to press it.

But if someone had to do it, it had to be me.

“Hold firmly onto the handrail when going down.”

Just like before, surely Choi Jaeha had already left the elevator upon hearing the alarm, so I went down the emergency stairs with the interviewer.

Even if only for a moment.

“Thank you… With you here, I feel a bit calmer.”

I wanted to smile at him.

To tell him “me too.”

Boom!

Crash! Rumble!

Boom!

Crash! Thud!

A rumble like the sky collapsing echoed through the stairwell.

Clack.

I went out alone through the emergency door on the second floor and looked down the empty hallway.

Is he still alive somewhere?

I hope he didn’t trip out of shock.

Though I’m probably the only one who dies in such a stupid way.

Clack.

Shortly after, Hwang Juyeon came out through another nearby emergency door.

“Why… am I still on the second floor…? Huh…”

Her eyes trembled when she saw me.

“Excuse me… don’t you feel like the stairs are strange?”

“Huh? Yes! You too?”

I took the initiative with a slightly uncomfortable expression, and her suspicion vanished, replaced by relief.

“The alarm went off and I ran out, I went down to the first floor—or at least I thought so. I thought I was dreaming. I even opened the basement door just now.”

“The same thing is happening to me… I keep ending up here. I was just thinking about it. Though… it’s a bit of a disturbing idea.”

“Ah… wait. Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Huff…”

Hwang Juyeon clenched her fists, trembling, unable to speak in human words for a few seconds.

Then she raised her head.

“So… this is a la… la… dam—! Ah… sorry, that wasn’t aimed at you.”

“Yes… I understand…”

In any case, we both reached the same conclusion—this had turned into a damn labyrinth.

“Hey… by the way, what should I call you? I’m Hwang Juyeon.”

“Seon Yuhan.”

We briefly introduced ourselves and opened the bookstore door.

As expected, Kim Gilyeong was still trapped, and soon the reading club began.

“What… is this…?”

Hwang Juyeon and Kim Gilyeong looked up, confused, after opening their books.

Each person received the story of the person seated to their left.

Kim Gilyeong was reading Hwang Juyeon’s.

Hwang Juyeon was reading mine.

[Kim Gilyeong was born on September 16 at 7:32 p.m.]

I received Kim Gilyeong’s story.

[Her father used to read newspapers or books with his young daughter on his back. For Kim Gilyeong, reading was something natural.]

I made an effort not to skip parts, even though I had already read the beginning before.

I didn’t want to be punished again.

[“You’re from Sangnim, right?”

After the middle school entrance ceremony, a cheerful girl approached Kim Gilyeong, who was sitting alone. Hong Donghui.

“It looks like only you and I came from the same school. Let’s eat together later!”

Tanned skin, a bright smile, steps always full of energy. She became her best friend.]

As it moved into the middle school part, fragments I hadn’t read before began to appear.

But.

“Reading club participants read their respective books.”

The moment I lost focus, the voice reprimanded me immediately.

[“Aren’t you interested in writing? There’s a literary contest in the city.”

Kim Gilyeong was closer to the librarian than to her homeroom teacher. From then on, she started writing ‘librarian’ as her dream.]

I kept reading with focus, but something started to feel strange again.

Something didn’t fit.

It was as if something invisible was coiling inside my mind, incubating something.

Kim Gilyeong, beside me, noticed my gaze.

Hwang Juyeon also turned to look.

Wait.

Finally, that doubt took shape.

A chill ran through my body.

My hands went cold.

I…

Why… didn’t I go to the daycare?