Chapter 7: Why did you come to our daycare?

A small village where the hills seem closer than tall buildings.

A peaceful landscape where the residents live their daily lives normally.

「You… who are you?」

No… no one has noticed yet.

But the peace of that village has already been shattered.

「My mom… I feel like my mom is no longer my mom. She looks the same, she talks the same, but… there’s something…」

Tense music plays and the serious faces of the inhabitants appear one after another.

「Doesn’t it seem strange to you? People enter the village… but no one leaves.」

「Why does no one think this is strange? The whole village is like this!」

「It seems they are interfering with external communications…」

「Come to your senses! That’s not your daughter!」

The loud music slowly fades and the scene changes.

The camera, which was focused on the winter mountain next to the village, slowly approaches while footsteps on the snow are heard.

In that valley there is a place that is not large enough to be called a lake nor small enough to be called a pond.

Everyone calls it “Dalumul”.

「Ha…」

The back of someone climbing alone along the dark path of the winter mountain is seen, without the proper clothing for the weather.

Between the branches, the young face of that strange hiker can be briefly seen.

The screen darkens.

[COMING SOON]

From the subtitle, it seemed like a post-credit scene as a teaser for the sequel.

Clack!

The stage lights turned on and the auditorium was illuminated.

「The… nex… t mo… vie… sta… rts at 6… 30…」

For some reason, I felt nauseous and couldn’t stand up.

「To… mi… ni… mi… ze dis… tur… ban… ces… ple… ase en… ter up… to 10 mi… nu… tes be… fo… re the be… gin… ning…」

“Let’s go, quickly.”

Choi Jaeha approached hurriedly and shook my shoulder.

Once again, he had been sobbing. His eyes and nose were red.

“Why are you standing there like an idiot? Move!”

“Ah… yes…”

The accountant pulled me up almost like pulling a radish.

“Seriously… what kind of garbage was that? Even if it’s a labyrinth… the kids died like that… I’m never coming back here.”

As we left the auditorium, my mind was in a mess.

I wasn’t sure if I should watch the next movie.

If those two movies were clues to get out of the second floor, then all the more reason not to watch it.

After all.

“By the way, that post-credit scene… that was also an invasive labyrinth, right? An old one… what was it called…?”

“Dalumul-ri, Cheongwol-myeon, Muwon District.”

“Ah, right. The Dalumul-ri labyrinth. There were no survivors either… no one knew what happened. Was there something like body snatchers too? Like those that pretend to be students in Seonghwa…”

Choi Jaeha muttered and suddenly turned his head.

“Hey, Seon Yuhan… you have a good memory, huh?”

“It’s not that I have a good memory. It’s that people forget quickly.”

The accountant moved his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but remained silent.

“Anyway, let’s go to the daycare. I don’t know if the kids are okay.”

“Yes…”

6:03.

After the movie, the sun was already going down and the hallway without electricity was much darker.

We passed in front of the colorful facade of the daycare and stopped.

[Saenal Daycare]

Because of the vinyl, the interior couldn’t be seen.

I opened the door uneasily.

“Excuse me… is anyone…?”

Tap.

As soon as I entered, something hit my foot.

I slowly lowered my gaze.

“Ah… what is that?”

“Shh. Step back.”

The reason both of us reacted like that.

There was a large number of toys and dolls.

Like soldiers forming a wall.

A train and its tracks marked the rear.

In front, robots, dinosaurs, bears, animals of all kinds, magical girls all mixed together forming a defensive line.

“The door… is closed…”

I was no longer surprised.

The toys did not move, but seemed about to come to life.

“Oh!”

Oh?

I turned my gaze toward the voice.

“Hello!”

There, lying on the floor, was a rather silly-looking goose plush.

The same one I had kicked.

“Could you tell me the reason for your visit?”

I stared at it, incredulous.

Those eyes without intelligence.

That sewn beak, completely motionless.

No matter how much I looked at it, it didn’t seem like a living being.

“Did you come for an enrollment consultation?”

“Ah no, that’s not it.”

I closed my eyes tightly and spoke.

Labyrinths are like picky bosses impossible to satisfy.

No matter what you do, you can die.

Some attack as soon as you answer a question.

Others get angry if you don’t answer.

If it were a contact labyrinth, there would be accumulated information.

But in an invasive labyrinth like this, everything is new. There are no patterns.

“Ah, I see.”

It seems it wasn’t the typical “then why did you come? die.”

I sighed silently.

“Are you the guardians of a child?”

“No.”

“Ah, I see. As I thought.”

Huff.

It also wasn’t the “why did you come? die.”

“Since I hadn’t seen you before, and no parent mentioned that another guardian would come in their place…”

Huff.

If I had lied, I would have died.

“But you are employees of the Yuwi Guild, right?”

“Uh… not exactly…”

I answered uncertainly.

Choi Jaeha isn’t even from Yuwi.

I’m just a candidate.

“Ah… I see.”

The goose didn’t attack.

It stayed silent.

For a few seconds, only Choi Jaeha’s breathing could be heard.

I looked at the shoe cabinet.

There were stickers with names.

But there were no shoes.

Except for two pairs.

A pair of adult sneakers and a pair of children’s shoes.

Maybe they disappeared like the interviewer.

But at least, two people were here.

An adult and a child.

“Then…”

The goose’s voice broke the silence.

“Two adult men, outsiders…”

Its neck slowly lifted.

“Why are you wandering around in a daycare?”

The toys behind began to move.

“Entry by outsiders is prohibited.”

So it really was the “why did you come? die.”

Damn it.

**

Do not enter the daycare as an outsider.

**

“If it were possible to turn back time…”

“I must find the employees…”

“Huh?”

I shook my head.

“This building is a labyrinth. At 3:33 there will be a blackout.”

I explained everything.

Stairs, rules, auditorium.

And the daycare.

“The toys are very strict about security.”

They attacked me from all sides.

But at least I died quickly.

“You are an employee, so you might be safe…”

Dying for being an outsider makes sense.

“Understood. Take care.”

“Yes.”

I went to the elevator.

5… 4… 3… Ding!

“Huh? Choi Jaeha?”

This time I pretended to be surprised.

“I was just looking for you. Can you step out for a moment?”

He stepped out, confused.

“Huh… what’s going on?”

I looked at him.

I just had to buy time.

“Do you like rock festivals?”

“What?”

“I’m Seon Yuhan. Today is the first time we meet.”

“What?”

He froze.

“What the hell are you say—”

Boom!

Crash! Bang!

“What was that?!”

“It’s the elevator falling.”

Falling is also rock.

***

“So, what do we do?”

“I’ll explore the second floor.”

Store, library, daycare…

In the opposite direction.

“Maybe there are clues.”

Maybe there are employees.

And something else.

I didn’t say it.

The Tarae Diary.

The clue.

The labyrinth is rules.

And rules have a reason.

“Information by floors.”

Then there are only two options.

There is no exit on the first floor.

The floor below the second is not the first.