To be honest, I couldn't be sure.
Could Section Chief Lee Jaheon have been caught up in this Day of Disaster as just another civilian, like me?
I had encountered the two people stored in my tattoos in their own different ways, but Section Chief Lee Jaheon… he had definitely died before me.
I remember the sight of Section Chief Lee Jaheon's remaining upper body, the one that had pulled me from the pile of flesh, falling with a thud onto the concrete floor.
That's why, whenever I thought of him, an uncertain anxiety washed over me, and I desperately tried to assume, 'He must be here.'
And he really was.
Though I never imagined we would meet like this.
"…??"
I saw a tall man in a white lab coat, standing among the corpses.
Now that I looked, I thought I could recognize him by his build.
That was true, yes, that was true, but….
Why is Lee Jaheon a Cheerful Researcher?
'And why doesn't he have a face…!?'
My mind froze in shock for a moment, but I realized what I had to do.
I needed a way to enter the Cheerful Research Institute hidden in the machine room.
I had to persuade that man.
"Are you an employee of the Cheerful Research Institute?"
"Yes."
Section Chief Lee Jaheon's… no, Researcher Lee Jaheon's gaze fell upon me. Come to think of it, it looks like he has eyes? No, there's nothing there.
'Ha….'
I lowered my gaze to the vicinity of his Adam's apple. I calmed my ragged breathing.
Then, I managed to speak with gravity.
"My companion went inside. It seems they're planning to handle something because of this whole mess."
Putting aside the fact that he was Section Chief Lee Jaheon, this was ultimately a situation where I had encountered an affiliate in front of the secret passage to the Cheerful Research Institute.
To enter the machine room without any trouble here….
'I have to take a gamble.'
I took it out from my tattoo.
ID Card
Name: ■ Heo-un
Segwang Transit Corporation
It was Heo Un's ID card, which I had found in the station office.
I subtly covered the blood-caked name part with my thumb and showed it to him from a reasonable distance.
"He gave this to me, saying it was his access card. Is this the right place to enter? I have an urgent message for Researcher Heo Un. About this situation."
It was a direct impersonation of an affiliate's acquaintance.
And to prevent any interrogation, I deliberately changed the subject, speaking in a rush while looking at the other side of the tracks and the surroundings as if I found them fascinating.
"But is it okay for the path to the research institute to be in such an open place?"
"Yes."
"…Does that mean other people can't see it, even if it's here?"
"Yes."
"You must be using some supernatural principle. I'm curious what it is."
"I see."
Researcher Lee Jaheon approached. I completely covered the ID card with one hand, hiding how strangely worn it was, and took a slight step back.
The researcher, standing before the door, spoke.
"This door is a type of Darkness. A person who does not know the door's function cannot perceive a situation in which someone is interacting with the door."
…Is that so.
"I see. I guess that's why he just gave me the key card so openly."
Researcher Lee Jaheon did not answer.
I made the first move.
"Then do I just tap this card here?"
And before a reply could come, I tapped the key card on the machine room's panel.
Beep-boop.
It opened with a short sound.
A shiver, like a cool thrill, ran from my fingertips to the top of my head.
I immediately tried to grab the machine room door, but.
Thump.
Researcher Lee Jaheon grabbed the handle first.
"Please step back for a moment."
"..."
That was it.
He didn't ask who I was, or what my relationship with Researcher Heo Un was.
'He's either suspicious, or he really thinks I'm an affiliate….'
I at least wanted to read how a 'Cheerful Research Institute Researcher' would react to seeing a Disaster Management Bureau Agent.
He gives nothing away.
That was his original disposition, but it felt even more so now that I couldn't read his expression without a face.
'…It seems like other people can see his face, though.'
I studied the expressions of student Ryu Jaegwan and Reporter Eun Haje.
One was simply observing the researcher in a state of tension and immersion, wondering what would happen, while the other's eyes were sparkling.
It seemed she was starting to feel interest in the situation, rather than just admiration for his good looks.
Hoo.
In the meantime, Researcher Lee Jaheon opened the door.
Whoosh.
The air of a managed office escaped through the door and hit my nose.
It was strangely a little sweet.
"Follow me."
"..."
I was about to step inside, following Researcher Lee Jaheon into the machine room.
"You two, stay here…."
Then I stopped.
Their expressions said they would absolutely not be staying behind.
And on second thought, it seemed better for me to keep them with me rather than leave them among the corpses and refugees.
If worst comes to worst, I'll just put them in my tattoo.
"...Let's go quietly. We shouldn't be a nuisance to the researcher."
"Yes."
"Of course, of course."
Leaving the two who were nodding vigorously, I cautiously looked down the hallway again.
And I was at a loss for words.
The very same office hallway structure I had seen in the basement of the Daydream headquarters was spread out before my eyes.
Not a burnt-out hallway, but a vivid office hallway.
But it was a different world.
Kyahahahaha…
Every hallway was filled with toys and decorations.
Colorful fireworks burst from golden frames on the walls, and laughter could be heard.
The multicolored confetti melted and disappeared as soon as it hit the floor, and elaborate clockwork dolls and a small toy train ran over it.
Whoooosh!
Instead of steam, the toy train spewed out light pink and light blue galaxy-like things that popped and vanished into the air.
"Ah."
So this is what it originally looked like.
Red and blue velvet curtains were hung here and there, fluttering, and carpets were laid on the floor as well.
The overwhelming sight was enough to stop my thoughts for a moment.
And….
On the wall in the middle of the hallway hung a shiny, brass-colored nameplate.
Cheerful Research Institute!
For all the children of the world,
we research safe fun.
I naturally realized.
This was the core floor of the Cheerful Research Institute.
"..."
I looked below the nameplate.
Beneath it, I could see the embossed figures of animal dolls.
'A rabbit, a fox, …a dragon?'
I felt the urge to take a closer look, but Researcher Lee Jaheon's steps continued onward without hesitation.
Into the maze-like, complex hallway.
In the end, I turned my gaze and continued to follow Researcher Lee Jaheon.
"Ah…!"
The high school student, Ryu Jaegwan, ducked to avoid a firework, then carefully followed, avoiding a clockwork soldier that was coming toward him.
Reporter Eun Haje was raising her eyebrows with every step, and had taken out a notepad from somewhere to scribble something down.
Just as this literally 'cheerful' scene continued, to the point where I was starting to feel strangely good, a sharp voice cut through the sounds of children's joyful laughter.
It was the voice of adults, angry.
Confusion, anger, coarse emotions.
"…!"
Researcher Lee Jaheon does not stop walking.
I briefly saw a vintage elevator at the far end, but I also saw an A4 sheet of paper taped to it with 'Fire! Out of order!' scrawled on it.
Researcher Lee Jaheon turns a corner.
The deeper we go into the hallway following the researcher, the louder the voices become, and I can start to distinguish them….
It was two people's voices.
And one of them was….
—What do you mean, it's not there?
It was a familiar voice.
That voice, speaking as if dumbfounded, was definitely….
'Ho Yuwon.'
Click.
Researcher Lee Jaheon, finally stopping at an office, pulled the door open.
Room 1004
The door with the nameplate swung wide open, revealing the interior.
The first thing that caught my eye was the dream incubator.
In front of the machine, which was empty without any liquid, two figures stood arguing.
"Not there, what in the world does that mean…."
Then, as the door opened, they flinched in surprise and turned to look this way.
I could recognize the pale face of the counselor among them.
And.
"Researcher Lee Heoun."
…!
"He says he came looking for you."
"Excuse me? What are you talking about, when all the Institute staff are evacuating…."
The researcher with long, reddish-brown hair tied in a ponytail, who had been standing in front of the counselor, met my eyes.
I stared at the person as if struck by lightning.
A person I had only encountered through traces, a person presumed to be already dead.
"Do we… know each other, Agent?"
A researcher of the Cheerful Research Institute.
A living Lee Heoun was right before my eyes.
'My god.'
I had hoped to meet a living researcher on the Day of Disaster, but now that it had happened like this, my hands were trembling.
The clue is right in front of me.
"I've never met you before, how did you get into the Institute? What on earth…."
The person's face turns deathly pale upon seeing the bloodstains near Reporter Eun Haje's body behind me.
That entire manner of speaking, build, and behavior….
[My goodness, he looks like a doppelganger of my friend's Resort employee!]
…was frighteningly similar to Jang Heo-un's.
A chill ran down my spine for a moment, but I looked at the person calmly.
There was puzzlement and wariness in the person's expression, but surprisingly, they didn't seem baffled or show any animosity.
Even while calling me an agent, as if recognizing my attire at a glance.
'…Is it because of the counselor?'
It was something I could have guessed from the fact that he was having a private meeting with a Cooperative Spirit Beast in the first place.
'…In that case.'
It'll be easier to shock him.
I took out the glass hand cannon and aimed it at him.
Lee Heoun's expression changed.
"That—!"
"Researcher."
"…Yes?"
"I came here after receiving a tip from an affiliate that the cause of this large-scale Supernatural Disaster is the Cheerful Research Institute."
Lee Heoun's face turned white as a sheet.
"Who on earth, no, that's not it, we…."
"Are you saying you're not involved? That can't be possible."
I have to press him and extract information…!
I gestured toward the empty dream incubator, devoid of any liquid, and spoke.
"The Children's Paradise Syrup you were researching, isn't that the cause of all this?"
"...!"
"An astronomical number of civilians are dying outside. Answer me honestly. Is the Cheerful Research Institute the cause of this disaster?"
"It's not!"
The answer is spat out as if vomited.
"That's not what we're researching. Someone tampered with it!"
"Then what were you researching."
"That is…."
Seeing the researcher's words trail off, I crossed my arms and said, "How to create a world without ghost stories?"
"…!"
The researcher's face froze.
And slowly, slowly, he looked at me….
"…If you know about the Children's Paradise Syrup, then you must know about that, too."
He let his shoulders slump as if resigning himself to something.
Then he moved his feet and looked at a frame hanging in the office.
There was a photo of an animal plush doll.
Behind the deer doll, a huge, black shadow with a strange silhouette was visible….
Good Friend
"This world is too dangerous. Ghost stories, Darkness, Supernatural Disasters… Anomalous Phenomena, called by various names, have become more frequent in modern times."
Researcher Lee Heoun's hand traces the black shadow.
His eyes shine with benevolence.
"Dangerous places, places that are not real, are being projected."
"..."
"This institute has been researching ways to digest those anomalous phenomena as safely and enjoyably as possible."
"…!"
'Right.'
Toys.
Board games.
Children's stores.
The countless inventions and products created by the Cheerful Research Institute all took the form of children's play.
Even the syrup they made.
"Things for children are safer and more harmless than things for adults. Since ghost stories are influenced by concepts and rules, we tried to perceive everything as being for children…."
As if they were censoring content for a target age group.
Like 'Shakespeare for Children,' or 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms for Children.'
'The Cheerful Research Institute has been trying to censor ghost stories.'
A thrilling jolt spreads through me as everything clicks into place in my head.
Then, Lee Heoun's gaze turns to my chest.
"…Just like that doll of yours, Agent."
"...!"
"It's a Good Friend, right? …The form is a little different. It must be an improved version made by another department."
[My, this Plush Body is a limited edition item that my friend produced himself at the Resort. A rare handmade piece, so to speak! …Oh, friend!]
I reflexively stroked Braun and gently pushed him into my front pocket.
Watching Lee Heoun, who was looking at the scene with somewhat warm eyes, I opened my mouth.
"It wouldn't have ended there. You people…."
I looked at the dream incubator machine.
"You started using Dream Essence Liquid."
"…That's right."
Lee Heoun's voice lowered.
"We realized that this alone was not enough. No matter how much we tried to produce items for children, the inherent danger did not disappear. A ghost story is a ghost story, after all."
"…So, you started researching a way to make anomalous phenomena… disappear altogether?"
"That's right."
Lee Heoun's voice quickened.
"But it was impossible. You can't use a mystical power to make a mystery disappear. It's like you can't cut off your left hand with your left hand."
"..."
"So we came up with a new idea. 'What if… we created a new world altogether, one without ghost stories?'"
His words get even faster.
"World creation. It's enormous, but if you think of it in children's terms, it's not impossible. It's common for children to imagine their own little worlds, just as they create imaginary friends. But this also hit a wall…."
"…To create an actual world, you would have needed materials."
"That's right."
My heart pounds ominously.
"Following the suggestion of a certain supernatural being, we collaborated with a company and began to extract the power source of anomalous phenomena. It was a power of imagination and the unknown, shining with a mysterious golden light. That…"
Lee Heoun placed a hand on the dream incubator.
A slightly dreamy voice, as if imagining, is heard.
"We decided to call it Dream Essence Liquid."
"..."
I looked at the emoticon buttons on the incubator.
"After a few trials and errors, we developed a syrup that could manipulate reality. And one of them was the Children's Paradise Syrup."
But there was no spot for a Children's Paradise Syrup button on that machine.
The bottom center was just smoothly finished, and an emoticon with a halo was just mixed in with the other emoticons on the top row.
"…At first, it was just a potion that let you have wonderful daydreams."
Researcher Lee Heoun touches the button with a hint of affection.
"But at the suggestion of a certain researcher, we used that potion as a base to develop another potion that would create a 'world without ghost stories'."
I remembered the note I saw in the burnt-out Cheerful Research Institute in the subway.
Use Children's Paradise Syrup
for this invitation research
-> My opinion!
…Wait a minute.
"Then why is it called 'invitation research'?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm asking why it was a method of inviting someone."
At my question, Lee Heoun hesitated as if trying to make an excuse, but in the end, he speaks as if he's given up on everything.
"…Because we realized a way to create a world very naturally. It's by inserting it as a premise."
"A premise?"
"It's like this. If we invite Cinderella, it means there is a world with a Fairy Godmother and magical glass slippers."
Wait.
"If we invite the wicked gray wolf, it means there is a world where Red Riding Hood's grandmother is eaten by the wolf. …So if."
Wait a minute….
"We invite a person who lives in 'a place without ghost stories'."
"..."
"Then a place without ghost stories must also exist."
I froze.
"We've been researching that until now…. And today, we attempted the invitation."
I realized.
The one they invited was me.
The Supernatural Disaster in Segwang Metropolitan City occurred during the ritual to invite Kim Soleum from a world without ghost stories.