Chapter 15: What is this? Give me back my memories
cr1W“What are we playing today?”40f
5gzy1bThe voice, humming cheerfully, made me react abruptly.nVTHwE
qwmIs it letting us choose? The type of game?QzS8LT
d5UA“Miss Hwang Juyeon, do you know any game that can tire children out? Something that isn’t dangerous…”hrb1ZX9
m2sWe quickly entered into a mini strategy meeting.cB1P
I6FKu9GThe child, Jung Jiho, remained silent in my arms, but I didn’t want to pressure him.qXjAzQ
0K93Besides, adults who take care of children usually know these kinds of things better.v15N
z5a“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?”2CVaa
Uqnu7“Yes. But no hide-and-seek or chasing games.”WcQ
mIDwThose kinds of games don’t work.K9xYx
7cycxPerfect for the one who’s “it” to catch you and you die.hFO
wLzRKl“Ah! What about that game where you keep a balloon in the air without letting it touch the ground? Blowing it from below.”ocD2k
jMEg“Yes, that sounds good. They would have to move all the time, and blowing also tires you out quite a bit…”W9Ub7C6
bYpj“Ugh… that’s going to be difficult.”G6vTR
uSrdBw7The bastard, who had been watching silently, intervened right at the end.BT4
nTd4B1His tone, as if he truly felt sorry, only made it more irritating.K552i
RMoiH“Our children don’t know how to breathe. Well, except Jiho.”7SWMub
dhooDWuNo please.2GYK
pFhKE8Then what do we do?pwG
mVRPI understand that toys don’t breathe, but if we go by that, they shouldn’t move either.wtkrgK
dXVT4While I muttered internally, Hwang Juyeon cautiously proposed another idea.G4g7
Jw9Puy“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?”spIqz
dPsdOtThat doesn’t sound bad.5zsS
R9D5gDXI glanced sideways.cMn9Nb
0YTDMThe goose, with its black eyes, hummed a lullaby.IpXCOS
3hBJ9DWIf it rejects the idea again how the hell do we tire those “children” out?IrORGs
4PnCBDo those even get tired?y57S
FVeWhat does “getting tired” mean for them?V2dcht7
MKjDo they collapse on the floor and fall asleep like people…?1rVPZq
3atSWWait a moment.yuGid
vbHOKA lullaby?UNavXOk
Tcd1XS“Miss Hwang Juyeon.”nYu
aXbHUrW“Yes?”0K5ebb
Calpw“Let’s do a choreography.”lvTt59
SWx“Huh?”ltR4G2u
wTtlI3“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.”uMhtfos
1jym5That was the plan first exhaust their “energy,” whatever that is, and then put them to sleep naturally with a lullaby.GdIsfKk
j9lSHwang Juyeon glanced at the goose humming and nodded.Q1N7PGd
AejOgmI pointed to the electronic piano in a corner.8Urf
j2zntym“You can handle the accompaniment. You know how to play the piano.”m0q1L6U
Yfx4o“Ah… alright.”wEUsD
sBBSThen I explained the game we would play to the goose, and fortunately it accepted.coClzJ0
fBMIt didn’t seem convinced, but it accepted.A5gp2
AidxSince Jiho already had permission to leave, he did not participate and stayed sitting near the entrance.hvD34
MBP“……hands up, hands down…… stretch……”Osagr
uCU“……jump, jump, everyone together……”P1Ax
m4bhv7s“……let’s jump together…… one, two……”fGbo
IS1KyjDThus, that pitiful spectacle of clumsy humans and toys progressed to its end.irKi
qp5gZ0Damn.VLU8GM2
XmM0dNWhen Hwang Juyeon released the pedal, the last note faded away gloomily.B8rx
zf8I signaled her to move to the lullaby.Pwb
i4eE“Miss Hwang Juyeon…?”daiO
Sca726wHer expression looked strange.xHP
HptaIt wasn’t just because of the dim lighting.SbBB
xGbUgN“Seon Yuhan.”OYdeY
XlR“Yes.”0tKn9
kuSNot only me, the toys also remained motionless, staring at the pianist.3BA
7Z5rZKN“Did I… ever say that I knew how to play the piano?”0BOc3V
XorWC1What is she suddenly saying?0K3hQA
6ubL“Yes… you said it… that you taught piano… as your main… job…”ZlWUV
U4SBePAh… damn it.Hjoxue
CbDOoeI felt cold sweat on the back of my neck.cZXLHt
60X“That can’t be. Well, yes it’s true, but I didn’t tell you. I’m sure.”BdC
SUnjo3cIt’s true.2pJ
cGBb5I don’t remember hearing that at all.IXT
G6U“Miss Hwang Juyeon, that doesn’t matter now. You have to keep playing—”4uQKAL
S0n7G“—Oh, my God. And who is this? Seon Yuhan… he is no longer the teacher’s companion, right?”lZu
4hZAK…They did something to me.oZK
NydIn the library.Tmlh
dvEWs“The daycare prohibits entry to outsiders.”dRvdQr
qIF2cPAt that instant I understood.ba6eHLk
wXZAnd all those empty pupils fixed on me at the same time.MX6
pid**BeE8zDw
uyQaiq5-3. Do not let others become suspicious of you in the daycare or have you downgraded to an outsider.c5Erd
zGzZ5**Cbi
i3x“If it were possible to turn back time, what would you do, Mr. Seon Yuhan?”o8T
zWQ0“Damn—”VvVL
WY1l…I almost said that, but I felt as if my entire body burned from the inside.K11E
ITn“Could you… give me a moment…?”dTI
TUw“Of course.”ESCiqdh
5S8ZOBoth Choi Jaeha and Hwang Juyeon…A7f2R
XTMtahThere is strange information in my head that I don’t remember learning.M0qWl
DO5IZX4At first I didn’t give it importance.bi4Lg
NSveIThoughts like that Choi Jaeha was the youngest in his family, or that he had thrown a fire extinguisher out the hallway window.x7IPZ
N0gxd3MThey weren’t important things.Wuk
PDcI thought they were aftereffects of something like torture.6ORxh
aRtPeo8From having gone back in time, from the golden scale whatever.sqpkUJA
t04Something temporary that I couldn’t control or fix.sVzSqi
ZGSugIt wasn’t the first time something like this had happened to me.yqjSL
ICMBut 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.RzZUQf
3BgpLHAs for when it started everything began after I was forced to participate in that reading club with Kim Gilyeong.0H7mkw
QWMNo not even I am sure that in that reading club it was only her and me.97pVzsE
AXlyrJThere may be deaths I don’t even remember.PE6ds84
17gJh…And if there was an important clue about how to go down to the first floor in “Bookbangollae” and I lost that memory.K9BURpO
7RO8Z“Mr. interviewer.”gVL
OrlSoOq“Yes, tell me.”vE1y
DeeIfnH“This building has turned into a labyrinth.”Q04l
Cj5wLLW“What?”1tF0
vxLrHy“Excuse me. Get up.”iwnmbVm
MNFNow the words came out without stumbling, as if I were reciting contract terms.mtzZhQ3
kZdfyh7In such a situation you do this, in another that.CoJT
TocP1Click.KMGzG
fbNN6While giving instructions to the interviewer, as soon as I saw the fire system button, I pressed it.MePH8fS
wuUk8Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!7qfBlCx
84oiI averted my gaze from the interviewer, who was startled by the sudden alarm.5jzZ
cEAkxIt wasn’t absolutely necessary to press it.cKpWcG
AO9gFsBut if someone had to do it, it had to be me.KGn
03E“Hold firmly onto the handrail when going down.”pxy
mOH2Just like before, surely Choi Jaeha had already left the elevator upon hearing the alarm, so I went down the emergency stairs with the interviewer.wnwEG
w8R5RAEven if only for a moment.wW6vANi
8WVp“Thank you… With you here, I feel a bit calmer.”5myHwS
H4OsthI wanted to smile at him.Lzc3nCC
h39bTo tell him “me too.”vzyiiR
Y4JkdBoom!H00vNa4
2lEJNaCrash! Rumble!Eu7cmT4
FUURyBoom!0GHctH
iBPMlCrash! Thud!Hd6FA
qrcA rumble like the sky collapsing echoed through the stairwell.NNmBX
m9bDS9yClack.yMD
smlI went out alone through the emergency door on the second floor and looked down the empty hallway.jGxI
xuXHxIs he still alive somewhere?9Bz5j
nw4I hope he didn’t trip out of shock.CbVq
XgkGThough I’m probably the only one who dies in such a stupid way.882SF
Q0YPClack.f4I
C01gShortly after, Hwang Juyeon came out through another nearby emergency door.6eu
Gb8AFWb“Why… am I still on the second floor…? Huh…”SEF6
2S3OHer eyes trembled when she saw me.uncKJ
rJhJ“Excuse me… don’t you feel like the stairs are strange?”g9l
vNEW6“Huh? Yes! You too?”ZQJEV9P
CZdI took the initiative with a slightly uncomfortable expression, and her suspicion vanished, replaced by relief.KNiv
gxQ“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.”sjuY
FD5dXx“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.”a5V
Gy5HGiQ“Ah… wait. Don’t say it. Don’t say it. Huff…”URlgiB
lp9B0Hwang Juyeon clenched her fists, trembling, unable to speak in human words for a few seconds.CS7wtGy
ShYGThen she raised her head.WIszvcm
5Fbldv“So… this is a la… la… dam—! Ah… sorry, that wasn’t aimed at you.”REJC4
0IU62“Yes… I understand…”TsF
ZTaIp6dIn any case, we both reached the same conclusion—this had turned into a damn labyrinth.9ACAa
2Tsek“Hey… by the way, what should I call you? I’m Hwang Juyeon.”DiZJny
lL2Pv“Seon Yuhan.”zabXtPu
neAChKaWe briefly introduced ourselves and opened the bookstore door.gsCC0n
ZgWeAs expected, Kim Gilyeong was still trapped, and soon the reading club began.fvuxWwq
rqHdUh“What… is this…?”dXKBjg
Dl2hI6WHwang Juyeon and Kim Gilyeong looked up, confused, after opening their books.qZdDu8
1JieutNEach person received the story of the person seated to their left.FYu8EUI
HDhnPsKim Gilyeong was reading Hwang Juyeon’s.3ZK
YObHwang Juyeon was reading mine.nEFKh
XMFS5d[Kim Gilyeong was born on September 16 at 7:32 p.m.]vxedJ
a7XERExI received Kim Gilyeong’s story.6UiVpf
An8rx[Her father used to read newspapers or books with his young daughter on his back. For Kim Gilyeong, reading was something natural.]kcgx
V1cCuI made an effort not to skip parts, even though I had already read the beginning before.MJp
9KbI didn’t want to be punished again.kZSv
MWKuIjc[“You’re from Sangnim, right?”3wvM
yoqAfter the middle school entrance ceremony, a cheerful girl approached Kim Gilyeong, who was sitting alone. Hong Donghui.2sDJVil
DdpJ“It looks like only you and I came from the same school. Let’s eat together later!”1dr
e1IfTanned skin, a bright smile, steps always full of energy. She became her best friend.]8te6WyQ
dt6yCGAs it moved into the middle school part, fragments I hadn’t read before began to appear.rPvV6
FY0nw1But.kWWv
UssC“Reading club participants read their respective books.”v69BGw
nkZThe moment I lost focus, the voice reprimanded me immediately.JJV7lR
lyvdTP[“Aren’t you interested in writing? There’s a literary contest in the city.”RoDKDqi
AIpKim Gilyeong was closer to the librarian than to her homeroom teacher. From then on, she started writing ‘librarian’ as her dream.]VwjUL
9HVSCyI kept reading with focus, but something started to feel strange again.FvV
agsLSomething didn’t fit.zUH
sUHDsYIt was as if something invisible was coiling inside my mind, incubating something.MndN
zFaxaCKim Gilyeong, beside me, noticed my gaze.qBc
bE4xHwang Juyeon also turned to look.8Q3
LvroWait.3abr4RW
ZZjcJFinally, that doubt took shape.TCx2l
jK9GA chill ran through my body.3VFOL
wPF7UTMy hands went cold.HCZG
Au8I…f2qXG
dMSTWhy… didn’t I go to the daycare?fsuBp2
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