I watched the scene, holding my breath.
The sight of Assistant Manager Eun Haje's companions attempting CPR.
"Re, Reporter…."
Her shaking corpse.
The sight of them, having finally decided it was hopeless, sobbing as they held the body, looking around before heading up to the waiting hall….
"Agent."
"..."
"Is she… someone we need to rescue?"
I nodded unconsciously.
"Then I'll follow them!"
The high schooler, Ryu Jaegwan, who had been about to board the train, turned around and started moving away from the train, toward the waiting hall.
Wait….
The platform screen doors are closing….
I turned my head.
The train doors were closing behind me.
Through the window, I saw Ho Yuwon's face flash by, his expression unreadable as he looked at me.
The train is departing.
Wooooooooong-
"..."
It was gone.
I caught my breath, then followed Ryu Jaegwan, who was already running up the stairs.
Dodging the refugees who were sitting on the stairs, sobbing or muttering, I went up and saw the figures holding the body, at a loss for what to do.
They were in such a state of panic that they hadn't even noticed Ryu Jaegwan openly chasing after them.
"Excuse me."
I spoke to them directly. They turned to look at me, startled.
"Yes??"
Seeing their eyes, a mixture of wariness and surprise, I chose my words carefully.
The title….
-Reporter!
"The person you're holding… is that Reporter Eunhaje, by any chance?"
"…!"
The tear-streaked faces of the group changed color.
"Are you an acquaintance of our reporter?"
"Yes. And we were working together until recently…."
I trailed off.
I heard the high schooler, Ryu Jaegwan, who was standing beside me, take a small, sharp breath as he looked at 'Reporter Eunhaje's' condition.
He noticed.
That she was a corpse.
Without needing to feign it, I looked at Assistant Manager Eun Haje with a pale, stricken face and spoke.
"Why did this happen? What on earth is going on?"
At that, as if they could no longer hold it in, testimonies began to pour out of the group like a confession.
"We were, we… were on our way to City Hall."
"…!"
"Right! They said a terror attack happened at Ci, City Hall, so we went right away to cover it… but on the way, the lane in front of us suddenly came to a stop."
All the cars ahead had stopped on the road as if possessed.
The sound of honking and people getting out to ask what was wrong….
"Something felt off, you know! They said it was terrorism. No, we were on our way thinking it was probably just a mistaken alert… but when that happened, it felt real."
"..."
"…Reporter Eun zoomed in with her camera and said we should just take one picture of the City Hall area, and if we couldn't see anything, we should make a U-turn. She said you only live once, anyway."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"So we got out of the car while filming with the camera… we got out of the car…."
"…Were people marching?"
"…!! That's right! You saw it?!"
"Fuck, really, like some kind of zombies…."
The group members spoke, their faces pale, hands trembling as if screaming.
I took a deep breath.
Then, as my eyes wandered, I saw a camera bag hanging from one of the group member's waists.
"You said you filmed a video, would it happen to still be there? …I think I should tell her bereaved family when I meet them."
"Ah, ah… yes!"
One of them turned on the camera and showed me the video.
A shaky screen came into view.
-Hey, just run!
…Assistant Manager Eun Haje's voice.
And the view of the road, captured as they moved away.
The sound of disaster alerts ringing from all over, and the silhouettes of passing pedestrians.
-What's wrong with them??
-They're looking at the disaster alert right now… huh? Huh? Huh?
"The disaster alert was going off, and we could see… see people who looked at it joining the march. Like they were possessed by a ghost…."
-…Guys. Let's all turn off our smartphones.
"Saying something felt strange, Reporter Eun told us all to turn off our phones…."
"So you all turned them off?"
"Yes. We just held the camera like this, facing backward, and tried to film what was happening behind us as we ran. But… hic…."
The reporter's eyes crumpled, and tears began to stream down their face again.
"A person… who was trying to escape in their car… suddenly swerved right onto the sidewalk."
"…!!"
I looked at the screen.
-Huh? Huh? Huh!?
-Ack!! Aaaaaaaaargh!! Ack!
-Go!
A loud crash.
The camera screen shook violently, and the body of someone being hit by the car, bent, and thrown to the ground flashed by.
"Reporter Eun pushed us out of the way. Then she was hit by the, the car."
"..."
"There was so much blood…."
I looked at Assistant Manager Eun Haje again.
Her waist was tied with ((Blue Disaster Prevention Fabric)), likely an attempt to stanch the bleeding, but the abdominal hemorrhage was a gruesome sight, difficult to look at.
It seemed she had died of shock as her internal organs were crushed.
…Assistant Manager.
I tried to calm myself with a deep breath.
"You… must have been close with Reporter Eun…."
"..."
I slowly nodded.
Beside me, I could see one of the group members unconsciously rewatching the video they had filmed, as if wanting to forget the situation, and the high schooler, Ryu Jaegwan, watching it as well….
But then.
"What's that…."
"Huh? What is… oh?"
A puzzled voice was heard.
"What's that on City Hall?"
…!
I reflexively turned my gaze back to the camera.
"What? Let me see."
"No, here… what is this on the building?"
The paused frame of the shaky video was a blur of silhouettes, representing the urgent accident scene, but it was clearly visible.
Segwang City Hall, in the upper left corner of the screen, caught as the camera moved around haphazardly.
"…A balloon?"
The area next to the topmost window of the City Hall building had changed, as if it had swelled up into a round shape.
A round, white form.
A strange, rainbow-like color shimmered around it.
"Looks like it ate a ghost?"
"No, aside from the color, what is this… Don't tell me that biochemical terror substance is inside this? In a balloon form?"
A plausible deduction followed.
But it didn't look like a balloon to me.
It was more like….
A cocoon.
Or.
…An egg.
It looked as if something was growing, using the building as its nest….
…What on earth is growing?
For some reason, I couldn't take my eyes off the video as I watched it….
"Agent."
A hand grabbed my shoulder, and I turned my head to see Ryu Jaegwan's deathly pale face.
And then I realized.
"Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm…."
Everyone watching the video was humming softly.
Goosebumps erupted all over my body.
Damn it.
"I've seen enough. Thank you."
I quickly moved as if to wipe the camera, covering the screen.
The humming stopped.
"…Ah."
"Ah, no. Don't mention it."
And the group of reporters, finally seeming to come to their senses, gave a perfunctory reply.
…It seemed they hadn't noticed the sense of wrongness.
Do you know what's even scarier?
When the high schooler Ryu Jaegwan grabbed my shoulder, I had been humming too….
And I even ate the fruit the Counselor gave me.
To still be affected.
…No matter how I think about it, the Counselor… probably won't even make it to an ending attempt.
But the train had already left, and I had chosen Assistant Manager Eun Haje's corpse.
I felt like I was about to be bathed in a cold sweat.
"…So that's how the reporter… ended up like this."
"Yes..."
While the group was distracted by the body, I swallowed hard and quickly touched the camera screen, deleting the video.
They might check later and curse me out, but being in a state where they could curse me out was a blessing in itself.
"Do, do you happen to know where the reporter's family lives? The body…."
"..."
The group couldn't bring themselves to finish the sentence.
"If it's alright with you all, I will take care of the reporter's body and send it to her family."
"…!!"
"Why…."
I spoke as calmly as possible.
…While looking down at the unfamiliar corpse of Assistant Manager Eun Haje.
"Because I know where the reporter's family is. You all seem to be injured already…. Please look after your own safety."
"Ah…."
The group's expressions changed.
After showing the video to a stranger, crying their hearts out, and spilling everything that had happened, it seemed their reason had returned.
Carrying a corpse around was incredibly difficult, yet it was also hard to resolve to just leave it behind.
But then someone appeared, offering to take charge of it.
I saw them glance at my attire again.
Thinking that someone who worked with a social affairs reporter like Eun Haje was probably in a related field, a hint of relief crossed their faces.
"Th-thank you."
"We'll be in your care…."
In the end, the group bowed several times, then took their camera and finally left on their own.
I heard them say that the broadcasting station was a no-go, that they should probably just go home.
And so, Assistant Manager Eun Haje's body was left here.
"..."
"..."
I looked at the high schooler, Ryu Jaegwan.
"…I'm sorry."
"Pardon?"
"I, I acted without thinking, gave up the train, and ran over, interfering with your plan, Agent."
What is he talking about.
"And in the first place… time was lost because you were rescuing me, which led to this,"
"No."
I grabbed Ryu Jaegwan's head.
"Absolutely not, so let's not think that way. Understood?"
"..."
I managed to add, as if joking.
"Then it would also be my fault for failing to save her."
"That's…!"
"You don't think so, right? I think the same way about you, Jaegwan. So, let's not blame individuals who are trying their best in a disaster situation."
"...Yes."
Ryu Jaegwan nodded, his expression lightening a little.
But the high schooler's complexion turned pale again as he looked at the dead person.
To be honest, I wanted to wail, too.
…What if she's really dead?
Not knowing the principles of how this situation worked made me anxious.
What if….
...What if she's really and truly dead.
…This is how it ends?
It didn't feel real.
In the noisy waiting hall, Ryu Jaegwan and I stood frozen, looking down at the corpse….
A way to save her.
Even if I carry her around in a tattoo, a corpse is still a corpse.
Maybe if I die now, too, I'll wake up again on the morning of May 4th, the Segwang Special City Disaster Day.
But, what if I'm a foreign substance, appearing only this one time and disappearing on the next May 4th?
Or what if my memory is completely wiped?
…Then I'm screwed.
Cold sweat trickled down.
Is there no other way?
I kept looking at Assistant Manager Eun Haje's body. On her chest, there was what looked like an ID card.
A broadcasting station ID card.
…Broadcasting station.
Blood Broadcasting Station….
Twilight Station.
Delusion Home Shopping.
And in the place of that home shopping channel came….
…The Flower Golden Resort Pop-up.
....
...!
Braun.
I swallowed.
Can the Segwang Special City Subway ghost stories I experienced and this place… be considered the same space?
[Hmm. Some might say a calf and a chateaubriand are the same being. Isn't everything a matter of environment and conditions?]
It was a chilling analogy, but I understood its ambiguity.
In the end, it's based on the observer's perspective.
And this kind of judgment criterion also forms important rules in ghost stories….
If that's the case.
It's worth a try.
"Jaegwan."
With Ryu Jaegwan's help, I moved Assistant Manager Eun Haje's body to a corner.
And then I got to work.
"What… are you doing?"
"…You could call it first aid."
Contrary to my decisive hands, my mind was a mess.
Isn't this wrong?
Still, isn't this better than her actually dying? If the day really repeats anyway….
Questions and fears swirled in my head, but my hands kept moving desperately.
And a moment later.
The dead Reporter Eunhaje opened her eyes.
"…!!"
"Hoo…."
The high schooler, Ryu Jaegwan, stared blankly at the sight of her sitting up as if waking from a deep sleep.
At the sight of Reporter Eunhaje moving as if she were alive.
She frowned, looking at me with a wary expression.
"And who in the world might you be?"
In a perfectly normal manner.
…I shoved the 'Flower Golden Resort Employment Contract' I had hidden behind my back into my tattoo again.
It was a success.
* * *
"So, you're telling me I've been resurrected? Not in three days, not in three hours, but in 30 minutes?"
"…You just regained consciousness from a state of suspended animation."
"Then why doesn't it hurt so much?"
"It's because of the adrenaline."
"Well, that's a scientific explanation, I guess."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje, no, the 'Reporter,' looked back and forth between me and Ryu Jaegwan with an expression that said she needed a cigarette.
She looked so natural, so human.
Which is why Ryu Jaegwan was looking back and forth between me and Assistant Manager Eun Haje with a confused expression, as if he had no idea what was going on.
And I was thinking about the crude contract I had written….
Daily Worker Contract
Right.
I had added a phrase to the 'Delusion Home Shopping Daily Worker Contract' for Assistant Manager Eun Haje that I possessed.
Namely, her employment as a Pleasant Theme Park employee.
This employee is transferred to the Flower Golden Resort.
Just before, I had thought of the 'Mr. Heo-uns' who worked at the Pop-up store.
Especially the dead Jang Heo-un.
…When I summoned him into the Segwang Special City Subway station, he suddenly came to his senses.
As if his appearance in that contaminated ghost story, where only the resort employee's personality remained, had never happened.
And this station is Twilight Station, where that Pop-up store is located.
The place where the 'Pleasant Theme Park' space I leased is.
I wondered if it would be possible this time too, so I tried to revive Assistant Manager Eun Haje as 'my employee'….
And it actually worked.
If it hadn't worked properly and only her 'resort employee' personality had been revived, I was planning to erase the phrase immediately.
Fortunately, it seemed there was no need for that.
Thank goodness….
But could I really call this a good thing?
How is this even possible? I don't know the cause.
And… is it right to save her like this?
Shouldn't I have let her die here so that she could be saved later?
I have no way of knowing.
No.
What's important is that she's alive for now.
What's important is that we can have a conversation like this!
I first swallowed the welling anxiety and impatience, and while maintaining the most composed appearance possible, I stopped Assistant Manager Eun Haje from moving too much.
"You shouldn't sit up so suddenly. It could be bad for your wound."
"Wound? Hmm…."
Assistant Manager Eun Haje's expression became peculiar as she looked down at her own abdomen.
The evidence of the terrifying amount of blood loss remained intact.
To divert her gaze from it, I changed the subject.
"I performed first aid, so the bleeding has stopped, and your life is not in danger. Still, the situation is urgent, so let's move. You need to get out of this city…."
"Hmm?"
Assistant Manager Eun Haje burst out laughing.
"Now, why would I trust you and follow you?"
"…!"
"And I'm curious as to where all my kids ran off to, and why some lanky guy and a kid were staring down at me."
But before I could make any excuse, the next sharp question was at my chin.
"And do we know each other?"
"…You probably have not met me before, Reporter."
"Then I guess you're the only one who knows me. Judging by your face, you're clearly looking at someone you know."
"…!"
"Haha, I knew it. Well, I guess that's why you were looking after a collapsed person…."
Then she propped up her chin.
"So, why should I accompany someone I don't know?"
"..."
"Well, I can tell just by looking at your face that you don't have any ill intentions… but we're in the middle of a terrorist attack, and I even got hit by a car."
Then she waved her hand.
"You're not supposed to accompany suspicious people. Well, be on your way."
I realized.
…It seems like it'll be difficult to persuade her easily.
She'd probably scoff if I told her I was an Agent.
The current Reporter Eunhaje was, strangely, less inclined to hide her sharpness than the Assistant Manager I knew, and she glinted with confidence and self-assurance.
I saw two eyes that shone sharply even in the chaotic and tragic waiting hall.
In that case.
"…What if I get you out of this mess, Reporter?"
"We'll see."
"Then what if I give you a scoop?"
The look in her eyes changed.
As if we could finally communicate.
"What kind of scoop?"
"It's related to the terrorism."
I said quietly.
"Reporter. From this moment on, I am going to find out the cause and identity of the terrorism."
Reporter Eunhaje's eyes lit up, and she held out her hand.
"Deal."
"..."
"Looks like we were in the same line of work. A pleasure to work with you."
I shook her hand.
…She doesn't seem to believe me.
Her gaze is purely that of an observer.
Still, is it a relief that I've at least gotten her to accompany me?
Just then, Ryu Jaegwan whispered from the side.
"Excuse me, Agent. So, are we taking the subway to Segwang Station?"
But Reporter Eunhaje cut in.
"You're going to Segwang Station? Is the subway still running?"
Hmm.
"It was only running in one direction."
"…That's strange. Usually, when there's a terror attack or something, all trains pass through without stopping or suspend service altogether. Didn't you get any word from control?"
"There were some station staff on the other platform."
"Hmm. Then they haven't completely given up on it."
Tilting her head, Reporter Eunhaje grinned and fully straightened up.
"In any case, the fact that it's operating in such a strange way means there's something going on. Let's go get on."
"…!"
"You said you're going to Segwang Station, didn't you? Or am I wrong?"
I was briefly conflicted.
…I had already been delayed quite a bit by this matter, so I could no longer guarantee that moving outside the subway would be safe.
I need to recalculate.
'In that case.'
For now, moving within this subway and then aiming to get out when the crowd passes by might not be a bad idea.
The subway is relatively safe, after all.
And if we visit Segwang Station to gather information, there are few people with skills comparable to Deputy Manager Eun Haje in that area.
"…Alright. I will accompany you to Segwang Station."
"Okay."
Watching my former boss speak so coolly, I smiled faintly.
Even in this situation, she was still so dependable.
And so, we belatedly boarded the subway and headed for Segwang Station.
In search of the Counselor's traces.