ALL NOVEL Chapter 32
Jang Chae Yeon’s fist landed squarely on Yu Da On’s head.
-Whack!
“It hurts!”
“Hah… hah…”
Yu Da On, clutching her head in irritation, and Jang Chae Yeon, gasping for breath.
“Why… aren’t you crying?”
From where I stood, it looked like Jang Chae Yeon was the one about to cry.
Clenching her bright red, swollen right hand with an aggrieved expression, she glared at Yu Da On.
“What should I do if I can’t cry?”
Conversely, Yu Da On merely continued to cradle her head, gazing at Jang Chae Yeon with a calm expression.
At this point, wouldn’t Yu Da On’s head be tormenting Jang Chae Yeon’s hand?
“No, I mean why did you want that?”
“…I got hit too.”
True.
I recalled Yu Da On’s hand striking Jang Chae Yeon directly in the subway.
I needed to figure out how to resolve this somehow.
Aren’t good resources meant to be used in times like these?
I pointed at Yu Da On with a nod toward Song Ah Rin.
“Make her cry.”
“I was wondering when I’d be asked, and this is finally it.”
Sighing deeply, Song Ah Rin stepped forward.
Using someone with hypnotic abilities just to make a girl cry?
“Hey. Just stay still for a moment.”
“Okay.”
Following Song Ah Rin’s command, Yu Da On sat quietly and closed her eyes.
Soon, tears began to fall from her eyes.
“Hit her.”
At my words, Jang Chae Yeon raised her hand again and struck Yu Da On’s head.
-Whack!
Now that was a sound I hoped would stop soon.
Our four eyes all turned into signposts.
[First, hit Yu Da On until she cries]
Surprisingly, nothing had changed at all.
“She’s so tough. Does that mean making her cry with hypnosis isn’t really making her cry?”
With an annoyed tone, Song Ah Rin kicked at the harmless floor.
“Um.”
I turned my gaze back to Yu Da On.
[Name: Yu Da On]
[Age: 23]
[Special Ability: Immortality]
[Talent: Regeneration (Undecided)]
[Background: Unable to die, she proudly showcases her abilities as a member of the Human Resources Team, leaving behind a difficult past. She will do her best to meet the expectations of those who believe in her.]
[Weakness: It’s impossible for you currently.]
Not at all helpful.
Was there a more useful method?
Despite everything, she is still a woman. If I punched her, maybe something would change.
I walked over to where Yu Da On was tussling with Jang Chae Yeon,
-Whack!
The same cheerful sound echoed once more.
“…?”
Yu Da On’s eyes widened as she looked at me.
“Uh…?”
If I were to visualize the expression of someone stabbed in the back by a trusted confidant, this would be it.
Tears began to fall from her dazed eyes.
“Uh? Uh?”
Yu Da On blinked rapidly, frantically wiping her flowing tears with her sleeve.
“Why is this happening? Uh? I’m really sorry. Uh?”
The gazes of Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah Rin were pointed at me.
“…Uh, um. I’m sorry.”
The guilt was immense.
Squatting down, I faced Yu Da On, diligently wiping her flowing tears with my suit sleeve.
“I’m really sorry. Did it hurt?”
“No, it didn’t hurt at all. I’m really used to pain.”
Yu Da On said, her voice steady as she wiped away the falling tears.
“It’s a really strange feeling.”
“I’m sorry.”
“…”
“…”
“Hey, trash, I don’t know what happened, but it’s over for now.”
As the atmosphere began to spiral into a catastrophe, thankfully, Song Ah Rin intervened between me and Yu Da On, pointing at the signpost.
The words on the signpost began to fade, and the next words began to appear.
[Second, receive compliments for a job well done.]
What on earth is this?
This time, I couldn’t even tell who the signpost was pointing at.
Is it me? Could it be that I’m the one thirsty for compliments?
I looked at Yu Da On.
She was gazing at me with the same expression.
Jang Chae Yeon was already finished, so it wasn’t her.
“…”
“…”
Our eyes drifted to Song Ah Rin, who was blushing a deep red while staring at the ground.
“…Shut up.”
“Surprisingly, the three of us haven’t said anything yet.”
“I told you to shut up.”
Song Ah Rin shot a glare at me, and immediately the temples of my head started to throb.
“Hey, don’t use brainwashing abilities on people!”
“You’re the one who’s not shutting up!”
“When have I ever said anything!”
“Even now you’re talking—”
“Great job!”
At Yu Da On’s sudden voice, both Song Ah Rin and I stopped speaking.
Yu Da On was clapping her hands vigorously.
“You’ve worked hard to come this far at such a young age! Really well done!”
If that’s the case, then I should join in.
“You’re amazing, Song Ah Rin. Thanks to you, we managed to survive the musical.”
I paused my speech and began clapping along with Yu Da On.
Song Ah Rin’s expression turned crimson, now matching her hair color.
“You two really want to die—”
“The signpost changed.”
At Jang Chae Yeon’s dry voice, we all turned our heads to look at the signpost, and as she stated, the writing was disappearing.
So we’re only freed for giving a couple of compliments.
With her fist clenched, Song Ah Rin strode across the room and began punching the wall, leaving the rest of us no choice but to focus back on the signpost.
[Third - Reunite with an old friend.]
An old friend after such a long time…
“Is it you?”
“I don’t… have that many friends.”
In response to Jang Chae Yeon’s question, Yu Da On shook her head, looking awkward.
Both of their gazes turned towards me.
“I think it’s me.”
Reunite with an old friend after such a long time—what does that even mean?
I recalled what had happened during the musical.
‘I’ve been watching you closely all along.’
That voice echoed in my mind, still reverberating as if it were a lingering whisper.
But how am I supposed to meet that guy again?
According to the manual, it says this room is before achieving a desire feasible to realize.
So, theoretically speaking, it could very well happen for me to meet that guy again in this room.
But how’s that possible?
I felt a headache coming on.
Watching closely, huh? How?
Even if he is somehow nearby, how am I supposed to summon him?
Lifting my gaze and squinting, I glanced around.
One person with their head against the wall, and two others staring intently at me.
Of course, there was no one else in sight.
I tried to recall the circumstances of when I met that guy.
Inside the musical, the moments when I had been enchanted by the containment object.
If not that, then I had no other ideas.
I pulled a gun from my pocket.
Before anyone else could react, I shot several rounds into the ceiling.
The sound of gunfire echoed in the enclosed space.
And then, a familiar mechanical voice filled the room.
[Threat detected regarding the containment object and isolation room. Commencing forced suppression.]
“Hey, are you crazy—!”
With a frantic expression, Song Ah Rin, who had her head against the wall, looked at me, while Jang Chae Yeon stood in front of me as if sensing something, and Yu Da On dashed forward with a sharp expression, spreading her arms wide.
-Whiiiiir!
An eerie chill descended upon us.
Ever since the Dream of the Butterfly incident, I hadn’t felt such an overwhelming presence.
Desperately rolling my eyes around, I gazed at the void—
And locked eyes with a little girl in a black dress, casually observing me with her arms crossed.
“Why are your methods so extreme from back in the day?”
With a reproachful tone, the girl spoke, then turned to gaze into the darkness, bowing her head slightly.
The darkness wriggled and then vanished.
“…Don’t do this again next time. You’ll really get in trouble then.”
With a tone still scolding the young girl, she finished speaking before disappearing.
“…Did you all see that?”
No one answered.
Song Ah Rin still looked at me with a tense expression, Jang Chae Yeon remained steady in the same pose, and Yu Da On kept her arms wide in front of her.
It felt as if time had come to a standstill.
It wasn’t just a feeling—time had indeed stopped.
Soon, the three of them began moving again as time resumed.
“…What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“Huh…?”
All three wore puzzled expressions as they stared at the ceiling above.
The letters on the signpost began to fade.
“Well, anyway, we resolved it, right?”
Ignoring the skeptical gazes of the three, I looked at the next words appearing on the signpost.
[Fourth - Reconnect with an old friend.]
Before the letters could fully form, they vanished, and the door opened.
Yu Da On smiled brightly.
“It’s over!”
Was the door really opened before the words were fully inscribed?
“Don’t you have any desires?”
I wasn’t a living Buddha, so how could this possibly make sense?
Yu Da On replied softly with a smile.
“I told you. This is the happiest I’ve ever been. What desire could I possibly have?”
And just like that, the incident in the room, which truly felt like it could take forever, had come to an end.
Yet, it felt like there were now even more things weighing on my mind.
What on earth was that girl, and more troubling, why couldn’t Yu Da On’s calm, smiling face leave my mind?
I needed to go back and organize some information.
*
However, as soon as I returned to my seat, I heard the Team Leader’s voice.
“Hey kids, let’s go for a workshop.”
“Huh?”
“No, there’s a nice mountain lodge by the east coast. A workshop, sounds good, right?”
This guy is trying to sell us out again—
“I really don’t want to! I like work!”
“I’ll go with you.”
“A workshop sounds fun. Should we buy some meat?”
My worries were instantly dispelled.
Nothing is going to happen! We’ll just go and enjoy ourselves!
…Right?