Chapter 22: Mark
dq1QfD3Could it be possible that he remembers me?DPQj
VCcGT1The me he met in the previous loop?8lcBQD
ZVXL3HkOr perhaps.KECRq
xOnE“Your face looks familiar.”qCfy4ce
0XIyWFor an instant, I was on the verge of stepping back.wTAuQIb
k2XThere was not even a trace of the arrogance typical of someone powerful in Yoo Hyunjae’s gaze.C1H
lqa43INo, rather, he let no emotion escape at all.jgJTUC
ao1And even so, he conveyed a strange pressure.mnRN8
BfkWmQMaybe I simply felt guilty because of the debt I owed Yoo Hyunjae from the previous loop.B5X
OnaczRPAfter all, this was the first time I had seen him this closely and in a calm mental state.cY7a
3N6jxH“Ah, excuse me.”s0tC6u
4zY8zDkYoo Hyunjae, who had been observing me without moving a muscle, finally blinked and greeted me.W5ev
xllwHe looked like a doll that breathed and moved.NVoCAbj
xVFLRg“I thought perhaps you worked for our company, but it seems that’s not the case.”MYaGG
Pt1cKA9I sighed internally.AkGv4
fpP“Yes. Not yet, but I want to. I came today for an interview at Yuwi Guild. I’m Seon Yuhan.”uBzyGHt
SVg“Ah, I see.”5Ua
fiEupsHe smiled with a softness that looked almost brush-painted.C98
0yQvq“Did it go well? I hope so.”Rdvx
dRCWhat an out-of-place comment.TML9pu
04d9Who cares about the interview when we are trapped inside a labyrinth and about to die?uZnc5T
491La8But precisely because he spoke so naturally about something so unreal, it gave an absurd sense of security.rGBCK
FHOfAs if we really could get out of here.Z4ZbG
yHHN1lY“Eh, nice to meet you. I’m Choi Jaeha, I work at Howol Accounting Firm on the sixteenth floor. It’s an honor to meet you……!”bdEO
az1mBin“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Choi Jaeha. I’m sorry we have to meet under circumstances like these. And excuse me, but you would be……?”gSn3S3
pDkF“Ah! Hello. I’m Hwang Juyeon. I don’t work here. I came because I had a magic show at the daycare. And… this child’s name is Jung Jiho.”e3Ch
tuXfzfR“Nice to meet you. You too, Jiho.”IjKDLw
K1tH49Without hesitation, Yoo Hyunjae knelt on one knee to bring himself to the child’s eye level.Eai4
1xW“You must have been very frightened, but thank you for enduring so bravely.”QUIYFEd
KsWonmwI didn’t know whether to say it was worthy of someone who had built his fortune from a young age.FlNs
UaP1TZEven in a situation where life and death hung by a thread, he still interacted with others completely naturally.mF1
m3j9eNe“Ahh. So you came directly down here from the second floor…… It seems the floors are mixed.”2lv
dL5QWe briefly explained the situation, and Yoo Hyunjae accepted it without showing much surprise.1RL
uITV“In fact, a small emergency exit I had never seen before appeared. When I opened it, there were only stairs going downward. Basement Five was supposed to be the lowest underground floor, so I assumed something had changed.”fLeqFh
dXPDdSBAs expected of a guild director, he seemed to understand the absurd characteristics of labyrinths very well.lcgrs
2UnB“By the way, it’s impressive. All of you made it this far without serious injuries.”XU7qLmt
bTD“We were lucky. Director, aren’t you feeling unwell? It must have been quite a shock when the building suddenly became like this…….”anjx8
zg09ZThe accountant from Howol Accounting Firm treated the director of Yuwi Guild as though he were literally his own boss.VFbgB
gkX5CeBIt’s admirable how consistent he is.uLlk29
XcyyThough honestly, someone like Yoo Hyunjae deserved to be treated like a superior even by people unrelated to Jaerae Group.Wz1HzK8
q0SeQ“Thank you for your concern, but I’m really fine.”Ln62jfS
VNyhsBThe director slightly lifted the corners of his lips.FnR7FYg
CFckbIL“I make a living dealing with labyrinths. I’m not such an amateur that I’d panic just because I got trapped inside one.”l8t8
ykF0dmEven though a moment ago we had clearly heard him retching because the place was silent as a grave.KteA5S
PKydHis ability to pretend nothing had happened was impressive.Pm5J
Hw2K“Since introductions are over, it would be best to organize a formation for safety. Jiho will go in the center……”DCEAUC
OfICDAs they quickly organized themselves, the three of us —except for Yoo Hyunjae and Jung Jiho— exchanged glances as if we had rehearsed it.1Jw
zSDWe reached a silent agreement.CfU6gj
ZARWe would not mention the retching we had heard before finding him nor his reddened eyes.CGXGV
FKy3ypYWe did not know whether he believed we had not noticed or whether he simply wanted us to pretend to ignore it.kxYlLv
YJDQYBut if someone wants to hide something, the polite thing is not to force it out.MiTJc
mssLw“Which one of you should go in the back? Preferably someone who doesn’t get scared easily watching horror movies.”D5w
7yHC“Khm…….”mbJ
vVNp“Ah. I’ll go in the back.”b9VVR
7kO“Good. Then it’s settled.”aGGrI
KireMPAnd so the five of us formed a diamond.20Zc
RgVjjYoo Hyunjae in front.33Qod
10kChoi Jaeha, Jung Jiho, and Hwang Juyeon in the center.XtwS
uZSlDAnd me in the back.aPXy
cTc2“If we end up separated, stay in groups of two or three. No one should be left alone. And you too, Seon Yuhan, keep your flashlight to a minimum.”mAHm
D3E“Director, is something attracted to light?”B1UPoo
BWsDhI tried to remember the appearance of the thing that had taken my heart the previous time.ua37R
VUKGThe ears that gladly listened to the prayers of living beings, the mouth that preached sermons of absolute truth, the hands that offered the mercy of enlightenment…… Oh, World-Honored One, the one who comes from machines and returns to truth, the one for whom coming and departing are no different, worthy of his name, virtuous, noble, wise, benevolent, merciful, compassionate, generous, forgiving, pious……cbDE
PSUobMV“No, Seon Yuhan.”Y6XX
gWxWithin that dim and faded light, Yoo Hyunjae looked directly at me.UNsd
u7R4It was a cold gaze, but precisely because of that, it kept me connected to reality.MsSQ
QyGnKOU“It doesn’t seem to have eyes.”6jw7m
Z0M“Then why……?”Bw0s
Ny2“Because we do.”fJ7
W5ZuIqgThat low, professional voice instantly penetrated my ears.IWjrAY
trjdpwWithout realizing it, I shrank back.rRNU
z98YoXI had no choice but to understand the implied meaning behind such an obvious statement.UyJA
M0WjThat means we, the ones who do have eyes.diZAv
OKfgoFS“Must not witness it. Whatever it is. Anything capable of frightening you.”hZVR0
BiBFHdgThere are things that must not be seen with these eyes.ZYX
2MkLy“And if you do see it, don’t panic. And if you panic, cover your mouth. I’m not completely certain, but……”z5a
TS9Yoo Hyunjae’s flowing voice hesitated for the first time.TPmgqq
7HbH“It seems to come when it hears sounds above a certain level. For example, screams.”vl4Iw
gtuAh.Nb4QH
PXLNo wonder.j0En
8uHNow that I thought about it, the last time Yoo Hyunjae kept telling me to calm down.rzevKt
kfug6But I misunderstood everything, lost my mind, and ended up screaming at him like a madman.khjz
jiWThat’s why I died.ucO
K5RKI6k“T-then…….”NnH
MJqWL6iChoi Jaeha, tightly holding the child’s hand, covered his mouth with the other and spoke in a whisper.bpnV
viG7Ntq“Shouldn’t we be careful even when talking……?”ywC
qORqhhi“No.”Oaey5
s8Nlcu7Yoo Hyunjae answered firmly, as if trying to reassure us.IES1nG
vlJiW“I’m sure it can’t hear something at this level. As you can see.”LngWY
vq4“But, excuse the question…… how exactly did you discover that information……?”pCXMbTt
xdzczOHwang Juyeon asked.lFyumh
L7MoaBjHer tone was careful, but it hid a certain sharpness.yP0CRO
aGPH3N“I was actually just about to tell you. Originally, I was here with Mr. Kim, my personal driver……”2Cn
9Oj6Yoo Hyunjae widened his eyes slightly and showed a complicated expression.p0vKJ
mdbriR“After realizing this place had turned into a labyrinth, we started exploring separately. Checking the cars or trying to open doors.”cpKz
nHat“All these cars?”5Z4
eWFDsdh“Yes. If something seems strange, that in itself can be a clue.”nad5p
Fm1The Jaerae Building is an enormous skyscraper by nature.JPTmQ9
htwhAnd the underground parking lot, unlike the upper floors with their hollow square shape, does not have an open central space, so the actual area is even larger.P5r
1sudAt the very least, there had to be fifty vehicles parked there.IpgtoAD
lUJ“Did you find anything?”42rCt
emxEuY“Ah, it’s nothing major, but I found some strange skid marks. Though I’ll explain those later.”Pm0ql
B20kiYoo Hyunjae continued speaking while giving me a small nod, as if asking for understanding.f6FTjkg
7Z3hOv“I don’t know exactly what he saw, but Mr. Kim suddenly started screaming. I ran toward him and found him completely shaken, babbling incoherently. And shortly afterward, something resembling a grotesque Buddhist statue appeared and tore Mr. Kim’s heart out……”mu8v
HDjlDirector Yoo Hyunjae frowned slightly and left the sentence unfinished when he looked at Jung Jiho.6Du6C25
my33uOKChoi Jaeha and Hwang Juyeon seemed to understand the rest, because their expressions darkened.qko9
0VV9G“At the very least, I should have taken his hand. But I ended up running away…….”riy
jt7hpSIIt was an incredibly calm murmur.6wq
OfaEMX9As if he were forcibly suppressing his emotions.o6RkOzq
yi09Ji“In any case, that’s why I concluded that thing is attracted to loud sounds. Mm, now I’d like to show you those skid marks and then split into two groups to continue exploring.”6xB
I3Kv8Immediately, Yoo Hyunjae erased even that vague melancholy from his face and stepped back into the lead.BqjLjj
CTqCTap, tap…….6R8V
wwgSThe footsteps of the five people, all different, sounded out of sync, like a musical performance played off rhythm.3D9n
2Na“Here.”2WX1Is
6gjxYoo Hyunjae stopped in front of a pillar and shone his flashlight at the floor.U2Ks
89O1EnaA clear tire mark stretched across a long empty space where there were no cars.i1V7S4
MOIqSCI silently observed those black tracks.KcIq
XYNXO“No, but in a parking lot you can’t really go fast enough to leave marks like that, even if you tried…….”YUxlVqT
r2Ny“And isn’t the position a little strange?”0YVw
eC81jFollowing Choi Jaeha’s comment, Hwang Juyeon tilted her head and pointed at the marks.ok1yX6
PqSDm9“They’re too close to the pillar. If it had really been a car, the body would’ve hit the pillar before leaving marks like that.”CYeaVv
4AKkX“Exactly. That’s why they seemed strange to me too.”QjFy
W9waAMYoo Hyunjae nodded at Hwang Juyeon’s words.I8i
gg0“I was just trying to investigate that when what happened to Mr. Kim occurred…….”IMGA
ZcphKZ“But even so, I don’t understand how we could investigate further…….”rTUSB
KNoc“Pattern.”5Iwo5FZ
ZRK8v4“What?”sFTBE
bCUEveryone turned toward me at my involuntary comment.WAtdea
HmrGI cautiously looked around before opening my mouth.ykFwDa
8X5Pio“Well, tires don’t all have the same design either. I thought maybe we could first investigate the vehicles using the same tire pattern as that one.”VFJ
3IZuIOf course, there still wouldn’t be only a few.ns3MIeK
ug05But it was still better than dismantling every car without any clues.X6D
CXm5IH“That’s an excellent deduction.”TISgZU
VD30ekPThe eyes of Yuwi Guild’s co-director gleamed dangerously.qifVi
OFC“I heard there was a meeting today to recruit a new Red Actor. Was the interview you mentioned for that? Wasn’t it for an agent position?”baH
uvPBThere is such an enormous difference between a Red Actor recruitment meeting and an agent interview that it’s like the difference between a CEO and an unemployed person looking for work.NIZ
h8nz5“No. I really came for the agent team interview. And the only kind of escape I know is escape rooms.”Nh3
EEayKO“Ah, but that’s also an excellent quality for a Red Actor.”U0PG
PgjOkFIt’s impossible to talk with him.WG4r
pVFsJbWas he always like this?qxAtAX
dlf7QzHe has a strangely stubborn personality.A76K0
qKcBesides, this is clearly not the time for that.MiH
bJLThere’s something odd about the way his mind works.rEK
8MP1uHj“Well, let’s leave that for later. For now, how about we simply split into two groups and explore both sides?”ZKnld
DQeiMYoo Hyunjae made a light gesture with his hand, dividing the group into two.sww3
5KiChoi Jaeha and me.DxK
qF5lpAnd Yoo Hyunjae with Jung Jiho and Hwang Juyeon.asf
l3hdyH“Yes, I don’t mind.”zG9aJv7
e79bd9“Mm, neither do I…….”QpGC9
hliHwang Juyeon shrugged, and Choi Jaeha reluctantly agreed.XUu919
NxjEJung Jiho silently nodded as well.Z1PVy
rCb7I looked at the child and the woman standing beside Yoo Hyunjae.XHiVa04
1yS8EJvTheir chests are torn open and their entire bodies are stained dark red.bYnXRfX
4xrdw3iNo.Wbo
fDLjMIt’s an illusion.L0wdhz4
JJO55P“Yes. I agree too.”4aMFR
gysM9“Then, Seon Yuhan, take a picture of those marks and check them together with Choi Jaeha.”9HHPpQ
BHKUkynThat’s how I ended up approaching the vehicle parked in the nearest section together with Choi Jaeha.Qxpt
rcRc“Good God…… there’s so much money here. The VIP section really is on another level.”OOSmY
weRrThe accountant was admiring the row of executive cars when.LO13XL
XOqBzzz.Oi9f5dS
PUasu77The phone now serving as a flashlight vibrated, and the screen suddenly lit up.husH
IYQPS[+82 70-329-1159FZbxJ8K
VLU1 text message]sOY
XlLSWg0Out of habit, I unlocked the phone and checked the message.PbQoA
0B3[[Internal Message] I’m already on my way to C07. You’re coming out to greet me, right? My person ŁɨИ∃ ID: nmywyty]VajZ
X71An icy sensation crawled down my spine, as if insects were climbing up my back.PfKq7k
r26YNQI involuntarily turned my head.WBX7
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