Chapter 23: The Sender Is Not in the User’s Contacts
5k73HI stared fixedly into the darkness where even boundaries between shadows could not form.nMcAee
B8dWPmClank, splash.RGGU1db
VeQThe footsteps of mercy echoed beside my ears.8dBd
Zyxie8m“What’s wrong? You’re suddenly acting creepy. Is there something behind us?”b6byuO
lIOlfSLI looked at the face of the cowardly accountant.rAw2
WE4lpzChoi Jaeha’s expression, bent over while checking the tires, looked surprisingly normal.QAb0j
NfL3DH“N-no. It’s nothing.”CsqQJT
Px8aEI shook my head.PzaAoQ
7UFoF“There’s nothing.”RFU2
GrLZIn the end, it really had been an illusion.SXmg
0TJLmMercy is not coming toward me.totp6P
jHrj“Haa, not this one either.”pxFdZW
Qz3“Huh, but don’t you need to look at the pattern photo?”qA3
mmgWhen I showed him the image on the screen, Choi Jaeha barely glanced at it and waved his hand.DuZXD
FAbbI“I’ve already more or less memorized it. Besides, it’s annoying to keep staring at your phone all the time. Ah, Seon Yuhan, you still don’t have a car, right? Look, tire patterns vary depending on the manufacturer, but normally this part has vertical grooves following the circumference, and that’s what’s most commonly used…….”VzerqL
RXP9LThI half-listened to the explanation about tire patterns from certified public accountant Choi Jaeha, the proud owner of his own car.Awqk
sqNVi1It wasn’t anything especially important.Ky6
MSXaRNor was it something completely unfamiliar to me.QMi
1lzwUJ2There was a time when I obsessed over the marks left behind like scars in the place where someone had lost their life.tAtIjW
SBvA very long time ago.6FiERv
pU4LTIoEven now, sometimes I calculate the appropriate speed capable of pulverizing my femur.YrNQW0L
oN8VjzIt’s a bad habit.00cvsud
HYx4“Haa, but even though all the patterns look similar, they’re also different. It’s more complicated than I thought.”toK
L0OOPerhaps because he depended on a rather weak flashlight, Choi Jaeha blinked several times with tired eyes.34z
jWw8“Let’s switch. I’ll check this area.”2euVD
PraQFThis time Choi Jaeha illuminated the area with his phone while I inspected the tires.L6b
32WgBbWhat we were looking for was a rib pattern with thick grooves undulating vertically.kGaF
3NYZ1Just as Choi Jaeha had said, the details differed on every tire, so we had to check carefully.lha
4bllRThough more than that, those skid marks.P7D
1UniThey keep appearing before my eyes.tlO
lh60Cyo“For them to be so long and clear……”hHqe
y2GE79w“Huh? What did you say? Did you find something?”qGlqIi
NzylrPz“Ah, no. That’s not it.”NKvOO5
sX8ubI kept comparing the patterns as I spoke.KqXtWv
9ld“I mean the tire marks from earlier. Normally they don’t end up that long or that deep.”eltOnPf
iS8“Mm…… now that you mention it. For the mark to come out that strongly, the car would have had to be going pretty fast. There was probably a lot of empty space in front and behind.”DXGfe
xpGnJ“Do you think it was an accident?”XIV04Mn
49cuNn“It could be. Or maybe something like a wild animal ran across.”V96
T4FB3Choi Jaeha shrugged as if it didn’t matter.DdXCk
rHsr“But who cares, right? What if it’s just a fake created by the labyrinth?”K1YHXKC
TYUKfWhat matters is not whether it’s fake or real.XSUi1hm
DBUMzWhat matters is that the labyrinth created it.ngA
xjJVZlE“It could be a clue to reach the next floor.”jtimc
QALkJ“Ah…… really? But nothing like that happened on the second floor. Couldn’t it just be that there aren’t any clues?”peM
iedjI7s“That……”T18V
X1Nbjx4I was left speechless.DCyV
C2I1NNNow that I think about it, this person believes we escaped from the second floor because we “saved Jung Jiho” in Saenal Daycare.ee7RSf
DQFSSWoHe does not know that the librarian of Book & Allae was not human.jpj1E9
JReaeb7Nor does he know the clues related to her.nmGZvoK
XuXVc8NAt that instant, an inexplicable anger churned inside my stomach.PkfzQxG
hnFdaa1That the labyrinth is not a place you escape from by saving people.W8Fm7w
40o8That saving the child did not help at all in escaping.9tUG
eCTIaIfThat perhaps what I truly wanted to save was not the child.zllZVau
Ve6zGjgThat what is truly necessary in a labyrinth is not the determination to die, but the determination to kill.j0uV
6J8noThat life is not something given freely, but a “state” barely maintained after miserable and desperate struggles.WCsN
DDSZzFTThat, just like outside the labyrinth, surviving is fighting and fighting can never be elegant.yWZa1LM
79qsAAnd that because of that, in the end, inside the labyrinth we all become the same.Au9
S02RThat you people know nothing…….1Iuh
JSJ“Maybe there were clues we didn’t find and we just got lucky.”St7
vKoI forcibly swallowed that blind curse and that frustration.nih
hfSo8OqSpit it out.RDdabJz
aoqusMsSpit it out.WGI6PA
G0VB4zqSpit it out.TRr
LpjSpit it out.8czIC
3jjM0Spit it out.A6e
JDOSpit it out.cIJAjs
zH82NzvSpit it out.36s
U8KI told you to spit it out!aYck06h
u1VWPnAA sharp scream I could not digest clawed at my insides.P8yYtU
iw5p“Yeah? Ah, right, you said you wanted to become an agent. Then you know something about labyrinths, huh? Mm, well. Maybe you’re right.”tnEa
dRmItTUAfter that, we switched tasks again.K6qK
eNnCoN8Choi Jaeha checked the tires one by one while I illuminated them with my phone flashlight at the lowest brightness.aKSHeo
WdvHBzzz.d8W
DguHuA1As soon as I picked up the phone again, messages started pouring in one after another.OpJyka
QIX[(National Message)JbYIz
AVRjHello, we are recruiting people to help write delicious reviews for an online store.8UK
pwfQYou can do it anytime and anywhere regardless of time or space.v025q
n7SLaEWe ship the same day, so many customers are satisfied. Don’t feel pressured and contact us comfortably whenever and wherever you like.FKknac
GTZUMore than 1.2 kg per day / more than 30 kg per month.ItbXyUN
OgVLYx▾Real-time inquiry▾NVH2VVk
pPNTXyhttps://s.ub-5iK.comFniFk
j1S1XNSlots: 11 people (first come, first served)]mXGAVZC
baFpoWhat the hell is this suspicious advertisement.6aQy0
1CEMeDelete.a2OyhP
vwundq[::Web Message::YkAUq6
BK8p0NThe first floor at double~♥9DvAQ
q0iThere is nokTp2B
N7E4UplaceS91cbK
c6N73Pjthis spaciousxoSI
mEdMDrZEscape beforex8Zl
UHSUgIQthey closey3QSUcf
3KAp9Free cancellation 080730616]pTRCZ
LJgqAre they making fun of me?t2CXo
vZ4N2BDelete.eEYr
Wd1[Uoh
L3pjWe regret to inform you that you passed away today.3rhXnV
NpRRqIFuneral https://r.ly/6e1leV3]pm5D
O3DPNvYNo.iegb4
ldSjO7I’m not going to die today.5OeTiBU
NRlEven if I die.o1Mnssg
hOoPbDelete.dCmw66
bjE[Son of a b✱tch d@mn y0u
You too, Seon Yuhan, w1ll d1e✚]zPDNwJz
Xn0EI’m the one working myself to death.68KYCZ
9Vr……No.2rgf
sTYlDelete.Hh1k
5Qh0g[〔International Message〕 Oppa, I’m hungry. Let’s go outside together. There won’t be anyone there. It can only be now. Now. Now. Now. Now. Ah……]J81
A3yjRx3But I don’t have a younger sister.CCDa
U5CThough I really do want to go outside.h8xKrg1
LBQRight now.8Zevj6
6jy9OTo somewhere with nobody there.UgKNFfX
Mdp8FmKDelete.dVzN
Bz5uMAq[(Advertisement)fxDt9I
r6Gs7ZqThe one who wanders between time and spaceOt3
PdOThe one who moved forward facing destinyYqReA
TQgThe one who gave love without reserve7I0gsot
JTjEThis body born upon the gallowsADNOwy
v9rmVNow becomes one formed by threeo6S
nKhkSNYahweh, do you know my name?]xHdEe
xfjSlEfNo. That can’t be.hT5rhX
26FuA……Delete.87Vhp
jXAVqj[DC3※8※ CardjfmepF
yBQEXCustomer: 3,185,000jC8H
htQzWTransaction at va.rious merchants?mNNd
3X2Inquiry regarding suspicious activity ▶ In-person visit required]Fa9O4h
oQHRDelete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete dele—dqKb
bzIHVVU“Eh? Found……, huh?”h8mCC3
1ceTyB“Ple……ase.”iMzeCKR
QxwThat damned exclamation nearly made my heart stop.XaRk
y67It better not be anything important.OliKt75
Nn9“Huh?”osLa7YW
oeqCnnIt was important.iBx
vVY9“What the hell is this?”VW0
tpKaWhat Choi Jaeha was pointing at was.NqcXZ6v
CE0Y“Looks…… like a package.”FvK0I
9tLhA small delivery box rested alone on top of the hood.TgV
hJvflTA compact box, smaller than an adult man’s hand in width, length, and height.X0jTn
hMmY“No, I mean. There was definitely nothing there just now! But I was looking at the tires, thought ‘this is it,’ looked up, and suddenly this thing appeared……!”t1AXwA7
leGQ5“For now, don’t open it. Let’s take it back and check it with the others.”3AJMau
qREFirst I took pictures showing the vehicle number, the appearance, and the location.dRipaSB
CTVGo1020, black sedan, D11.7nC
dL2SnHEMeanwhile, the accountant stared curiously at the box sitting on the hood.xre9
JNWZ“Sammae Delivery…… is there even a company like that? The address says Seoul…… this is this building and, huh? What kind of address is Go1020? What lunatic uses their own car as a delivery address?”tn5sttW
wym8“……The labyrinth is insane.”1MR
cXxAfter reading the recipient address written on the label, it was obvious this was a gift sent by the labyrinth.4YnIYDn
xtWoI picked up the box with one hand.fNFpwi0
dF4The box itself was small, and whatever was inside seemed even smaller.Um8
veY5“Let’s go back.”dG35
qx92Ogd“Yeah. But do you think there’s actually something inside? It feels super light.”N8DiLg
9553xJG“I don’t know…….”JhA
X41SWe walked through the darkness relying on tiny lights, while at the same time trying not to look directly at those lights.5DuU
5tWuWe only lifted them briefly to check for obstacles ahead or confirm we were still heading the right direction, then immediately pointed them back toward the floor.XOH
MDkbEsYSometimes a dim light is scarier than absolute darkness.NdVlH2
IjS6U“By the way, this is the first time I’ve seen Director Yoo Hyunjae this close. He’s so handsome it’s actually terrifying.”NNyWWxI
AlGVy7The accountant leaned slightly closer and whispered.pDObO
L3QXT“I mean, I totally get why he’s so popular. And well, even though he was vomiting and all…… hm, he still feels kind of human. I’m definitely bragging later that I met Yoo Hyunjae.”qro
BxICnga……If we get out.MLXa2
iN5Choi Jaeha’s voice trembled slightly when he added that at the end.hwaB
DjzQMO1Even though he looked anxious, he was holding up surprisingly well.WOM
HKQTYHe didn’t seem to be seeing strange things.S6YSNX
ZBvgNot like me.fIkp
81Jy0rWhen I heard Yoo Hyunjae’s theory that we shouldn’t make loud noises like screaming, honestly, I worried more about Choi Jaeha than Jung Jiho or Hwang Juyeon.6Gusi
Kfin5LuBecause despite his size, he’s extremely timid and dramatic.x5in
N4TOJUI thought he would be the real problem.lGpTO
DP8“Ah. My niece is a fan of Director Yoo Hyunjae…… no, actually, isn’t it weird to be a fan of a CEO? Last time she asked me to buy her some Yuwi Red Snake figures, so I went to look, but they don’t even sell merchandise of the director. So how are people supposed to fangirl over him? Though honestly, if they did make merchandise of the directors, it’d probably sell better than the Red Snake stuff. Ah, right, those tiny figurines are ridiculously expensive. How the hell does something the size of your palm cost tens of thousands of won? But what could I do? She likes them. That kid is seriously scary. She’s always calling me saying ‘Uncle, buy me this,’ ‘Take me there,’ ‘Do this for me.’ She knows perfectly well I’m weak against her. I seriously spoiled her too much. And she doesn’t even take after my brother or sister-in-law. She just had to resemble her aunt…….”UoeB
vii3P“Ah, I see.”pAN
C4fIIZThis man is the type who talks nonstop when he’s nervous.hOMp
YseSEm0I take back what I said about him “holding up surprisingly well.”dZM
23lhLChoi Jaeha’s words poured out like machine-gun fire until one of my ears started going numb.z8DdMz
7iSH6GWhen we were searching tire patterns, he was calm because he had something to focus on.hWRF43b
t7t9R7rBut now that he no longer had that, it seemed the fear was finally catching up to him.UdJmbB
RFf5In a situation like this, I feel like if he so much as sees a bug crawling by the wrong way, he’s going to scream immediately.W7nh
FyjGd1U……And I don’t want to see that again.VDHmZ
r2stRnOr go through it again.YCxFu4
9ye9SfcBzzz.cCbnwK
n1JTThen.x8as0F
4G9usGI felt a faint vibration in my hand, and the locked screen suddenly lit up.BIzfdq0
oJUgCKB“……Ha.”oGtFzu
jkKThe moment I saw the incoming call screen, I inhaled sharply.DxCbMA
vD28o[Aunt]dGBv
VT0en[Swipe to answer]6oCvZ
6YbAIt felt as if someone had pulled my lungs aside and squeezed my heart directly.zvJ5E
VEuMaCA call from “Aunt.”y9S2
34tVK0I quickly pressed the side button to reject it.NEA5
NJ9It vibrated again.Mep3j4I
9ifwc[Aunt]79tW7V
Nnn3[Swipe to answer]FBd
ZjEWlI rejected it.zxYcysN
rXBiakI must not answer.MuWtx
oq3MNever.qfo0is
e6CTlIAnd not just because the internet doesn’t work, calls shouldn’t work either, and messages shouldn’t work as well.9sJ
lGHhQg[Aunt]yv72ptG
OUmRnf[Swipe to answer]GR0olT
iWzXBgFBut because.RiVWf
4KYDUI don’t have anyone saved as “Aunt” in my contacts.kgx7
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