Missing Person (1)

I put Yang Juhui and Jeong Seok into the box and closed the lid.
Then, I turned off the flashlight.

The corridor was engulfed in complete darkness.

*Clatter clatter*
*Click, click.*

I could feel the two ghosts getting closer to me.
The surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees in an instant, making me clench my teeth and hold my breath.

A once-in-a-lifetime gamble.
All or nothing.

*Click, click.*
*Clatter clatter.*

Finally, the sound of high heels approached right in front of me.

“Youngwon.”

The head ghost calling my name also came right up to me.
I pressed myself against the wall as much as possible.

*Scuffle, scuffle.*
*Clatter clatter.*

The head ghost met the headless high heel ghost.
They were close enough to touch if I just reached out my hand.
My heart was pounding like it would burst, and I felt like all the blood was draining from the top of my head to my feet.

However… they showed no sign of noticing me.
My gamble had paid off!
I had a hunch earlier when the head ghost’s gaze seemed unable to see me and only followed Jeong Seok and Yang Juhui!

“Heeheeheeheehee.”

The head ghost suddenly laughed.
Just as I wondered what would happen next, the high-heel ghost slowly reached out and grabbed the head ghost.
Then she brought it to her severed neck.

“This isn’t mine.”

*Plop, clatter clatter.*

The head ghost fell from the body and rolled back the way it came.

The high-heeled ghost in a white gown also disappeared the way she came, her stiff joints creaking as she walked straight ahead.

*Crackle crackle*

When the discordant sound from the phone in the box stopped, I could finally let out my held breath. I had won the gamble.

“It really worked. The ‘Subtle Perfume’.”

Subtle Perfume:

A perfume made from water splashed by fairies. Greatly reduces the probability of being discovered by ghosts and Watchers. Lasts for 100 hours when used.

1/2 uses.

What an amazing item.
In other words… to the ghosts right now, I was almost in a state of invisibility.
With this, I could really escape.

“Guys. You can come out now!”

Thinking the ghosts’ presence had completely disappeared, I called my friends. When I opened the lid, my eyes met Jeong Seok and Yang Juhui, who were frozen stiff like mice before a cat.

“…Hey! What happened with you!”

Yang Juhui leaped out of the box and protested to me in a small voice.
Jeong Seok was also just gaping as if it made no sense.
Since the ghosts might return at any moment, I tried to explain as briefly as possible.

“I had used the ‘Subtle Perfume’ earlier, remember? If you spray this, it greatly reduces the probability of being discovered by ghosts. The head ghost acted like it couldn’t see me earlier, so I thought I’d give it a shot.”

“……”

Yang Juhui looked like she didn’t quite understand.
Fortunately, Jeong Seok seemed to comprehend it in many ways and nodded.

“I see. But you also said it was your first time using the perfume. Even if you sprayed it, there was no definite guarantee the ghosts wouldn’t be able to see you, right?”

“That’s true. But it wasn’t a time to be picky.”

The box was barely big enough for two people.
The corridor was straight, with ghosts in front and back.
We had to give up on one of us, and I had the highest chance of survival.

“Wow. You’re really crazy. No matter what, I wouldn’t have been able to think like that. In hindsight, your judgment was correct, though.”

Jeong Seok seemed very impressed by my decisiveness and gamble.
However, Yang Juhui frowned slightly as if somewhat angry.

“Hey. Next time, at least give us a rough explanation. Do you know how startled and scared I was!”

“I would have if I had time to explain. Anyway, let’s go. It’ll be annoying if the ghosts come back.”

We chose to advance forward.
The destination was outside.
It was a dark and gloomy place, but our progress seemed very smooth.

“Does it really say to go in here?”

Following the crayon markings, an “Operating Room” appeared in front of us as we walked down the straight corridor.

25 steps to the east

“Does it really say to go in here?”

Yang Juhui asked me again.
Yang Juhui, who usually took the lead fearlessly, seemed a little scared this time.

“I think going inside here is correct. Why? Is there something bothering you?”

Small and trivial things.
A piece of paper lying on the floor.
These things could be very important puzzle pieces for us now.

An “Operating Room” in a place I thought was a kindergarten felt out of place. I also found it a bit strange.
I examined Yang Juhui’s mood, and she pointed inside the lab with her hand.

“No, look over there. There’s a huge spider web inside. I’m a bit scared of spiders.”

I see.
Yang Juhui, who used to stomp cockroaches to death, is afraid of spiders.

I thought she was a general-like figure such as Guan Yu or Zhang Fei, but it turns out the girl was a girl after all.
The tension that had been wound up suddenly loosened, and I found myself laughing before I knew it.

“Yang Juhui is cute. If a spider appears, I’ll catch it for you. I may be scared of cockroaches, but I’m not scared of spiders.”

“What did you say!”

“Guys. Stop chatting, and let’s go inside first.”

Jeong Seok cautioned me and Yang Juhui.
However, despite saying that, he also couldn’t readily enter this “Operating Room.”

He probably wants someone to go in first.
What I realized today is that Jeong Seok is more timid than I thought.
Normally, Yang Juhui would have taken the lead and entered, but she seemed reluctant because of the spider web.

This time, I decided to lead the way.

“Guys, we’re really almost there. Let’s hang in there a little longer. Please let there be an exit inside. Please.”

*Slide*

I opened the sliding door and entered the “Operating Room.”

Inside the operating room, the smell of various chemicals was strong enough to make my nose go crooked.
There were two operating tables that you might see in a surgical department, but both were stained with something dark red that had hardened.
Could it be blood?

What caught our attention even more was definitely the elevator area.
There are two elevators.
Just like twins.
Spaced one meter apart, side by side.

“The marking? Is there a crayon marking?”

Jeong Seok asked Yang Juhui.
Yang Juhui, who had the best eyesight among us, took the flashlight from me and looked around here and there but shook her head as if there was no gain.

“I don’t see it. Youngwon. What about you? Do you see anything like writing?”

One step to the east

“I think it’s this left elevator.”

If there was no status window…
Even if we had luckily found the crayon markings and reached this place, would we have had to fight a 50/50 probability battle at this forked path of two elevators?

“Youngwon. Take a look at this.”

Jeong Seok, who was rummaging through the operating room, called for attention as if he had found something.
In his hand was a chart that doctors might carry around.
Looking closely, there were letters written on paper stained with dark red splotches.

Research shows that achievements are passed down through blood. Parents and children. Twin sisters will prove our theory.  
Twins are indeed remarkable.  
The development of sisters - Yeri and ██ has stood out among the children of the facility over the past 5 years. Especially the younger sister ██, her aptitude as a Watcher far surpasses expectations.  
The younger sister has a unique birthmark that the older sister does not have. Could this difference create a disparity in levels even between twins who share the same blood? In any case, if it's these sisters, they will surely take us to ███.  

The experiment has failed.  

“Do you think it has any meaning?”

Jeong Seok asked for my opinion.
I looked at the two operating tables in the room and thought about it, but… there was nothing particularly striking or coming to mind.
We could say that something involving twins failed, right? However, the word ‘Watcher’ written there was quite concerning.

“Hey. What are you guys doing over there? Aren’t you coming out? You said the left elevator!”

I was looking around to see if there were any more useful items, but Juhui’s call snapped me out of it.
It seemed best to escape this place quickly.

We boarded the elevator.
Frankly speaking, the inside of the elevator was not in a very hygienic condition.
The number of floors on the elevator buttons was 100.
Again, all the numbers were written as “4”.

“Should we press any button? They all say 4th floor anyway.”

At Juhui’s question, Jeong Seok shook his head.

“That’s… something we need to think about.”

They’re all the same 4th floor…

While carefully examining the elevator buttons, I discovered one button with a fingerprint-like stain of dark red liquid on it.
It seemed like someone had pressed this with their finger.

“Alright. I’ll choose.”

*Swish*

Out of the 100 buttons, I firmly pressed the “4” that had the blemish.

The door closed, and…

*Whiiiiiir*

The elevator started moving to a place where it was impossible to know if it was going up or down.

‘The door is opening.’

*Clank.*
*Swoosh.*

About 1 minute after boarding the elevator, the door opened.
The scenery visible beyond it was strangely familiar.

“It’s outside. We made it out!”

Juhui was the first to get off the elevator.
Soon, Jeong Seok followed cautiously, stepping out.

“This is… the 4th floor of Youngwon’s house, right? Right? Right! I think we’re back! Fuck! We survived!”

I also exited the elevator.
Then, someone came up from the bottom of the stairs and lashed out at us.

“Hey! It was you guys! The ones who threw papers and tape on the stairs!”

It was the building manager lady who lives on the 4th floor of Taekwang House.

In the lady’s hand was a paper that said, “Do not board the elevator,” which looked quite familiar.
I looked at the cell phone Jeong Seok was holding.

“…Not even a minute has passed. 11:20. Not even a minute has passed since we entered the elevator.”

“This paper was you guys! You bad boys!”

Turning my gaze away from the lady’s scolding, I looked at the elevator we had entered and exited. But the elevator had disappeared as if it was a lie.

“Why aren’t you answering when an adult is talking! Was it you who did this!”

The building manager’s scolding, which would have been annoying normally, why did it sound so sweet?
It was the voice of everyday life that made us feel more vividly than anyone else that we had survived.

Congratulations!

You have won against the ‘Elevator of Death!’

Starting settlement for the survival of 3 people.

You have acquired 300 points.

I picked up the ‘capsule’ that had fallen in front of our house door.
It was quite a hefty capsule.

*Click, clack*

When I opened the capsule, there was a small pen inside.
Wondering what it was, I looked, and letters appeared.

Youngwon’s Glow-in-the-Dark Pen:

A pen that is easily visible even in the dark. Marks made with this pen will never be erased unless the eraser on the cap is used.

A pen?
For a moment, I thought, after all that hardship, what we got was just a pen. But considering how much the crayon markings helped us on that death floor earlier…
The utility of this pen seems infinite in many ways.

*Click*

I opened the door and entered the house.
I thought Mom, who escaped first, might be waiting for me at home, but my prediction was wrong.

The power is off…

Mom’s cell phone was still turned off.

I decided to wait for Mom for now, and when the next morning came, after serious contemplation, I filed a missing person report for Mom at the police station.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I had the number of a senior police officer from Yeongji High who could help with the missing person report on my cell phone.

I found Mom on the third day after escaping the elevator…
On a street near the busy downtown of Gaeryong City, in Jimun-dong.
The person who found her was also someone I could never have expected but someone I was acquainted with.

*Click. Click. Click.*

The sound of high heels gave me goosebumps for a moment…

When I turned my head, a woman in stylish business attire with a captivating choker around her neck was approaching me over her red shoes. It was a woman I had once had a crush on.

“Hey.”

“…Teacher Hong Miri?”

“Yeah. Class D troublemaker. Nice to see you. Here to see your mom? Shall we go together?”

*Click. Click.*

The English teacher entered the hospital elegantly and enchantingly in her high heels.

Translator's Note:

If you enjoyed this translation, please consider leaving a review on Novel Updates. Your feedback and support are greatly appreciated and help me to continue providing high-quality translations.

As a token of my gratitude, for every review I receive, I will publish a bonus chapter! (1 per day.) So don't hesitate to share your thoughts and help me unlock more content for everyone to enjoy.

Thank you for your support!