After I started university I played this thing called the Mafia game for the first time.......
Ah, you know what the Mafia game is, right?
The game where people die off one by one when night falls, and when morning comes everyone has to suspect each other with faces like nothing happened.
Playing it, I found out I have no talent for that game whatsoever.
I thought I was concealing it, keeping my face as slack and natural as I could, but apparently it shows all over my expression to everyone else; whenever I drew Mafia I never once made it properly past even the first day.
Why am I suddenly talking about the Mafia game?
Because right now I feel exactly like I've been made the Mafia.
Ryu Do-ha, walking ahead of me.
She said she belongs to the Formless Special Division, right?
I haven't let go of my bad feelings toward that organization, but the more I see of her, the more it seems she isn't a bad person in herself.
She seems to have a fair sense of responsibility, and even now she's walking out in front, promising to get us out of here.
On the other hand, there's that woman Jang Seo-yun, following behind me.
Honestly, I have no idea what she's thinking.
Since Ryu Do-ha came back she's returned to her original cowed appearance.......
Should I come clean about everything, even now?
That this power I've gained feels ominous somehow, and that because of it that woman seems to have gone mad.
Haa.......
Ryu Do-ha suddenly stopped.
She raises a fist.
That's the hand signal we agreed on when we left the storage room.
A fist means stop on the spot immediately.
When I stopped where I was, the footsteps of Jang Seo-yun behind me stopped too.
Where we're standing now is behind the lockers near the shower room.
A little further and we reach the shower room.
Ryu Do-ha quietly pointed toward the counter.
When I eased my head out to look, I could see the back of the staff member's head as it sat there.
The problem is that reaching the shower room means crossing an entirely exposed passage.
'That's it, keep watching nothing but the entrance.'
Barely two meters to the shower room.
'One at a time.'
Ryu Do-ha mouthed the words.
When I nod, she looks at Jang Seo-yun behind me.
Trembling, apparently frightened.
That's all an act.
If anything, the sight of it makes my skin crawl.
'It's all right.'
Ryu Do-ha, who knows nothing, even puts on a kind smile and reassures Jang Seo-yun.
At which that insufferable woman actually bows her head in thanks.
Haa.......
I should have quietly said something before we left the storage room.
That the woman has gone completely mad.
That there's no telling what she'll do.
'Me first.'
Ryu Do-ha pointed at herself with a finger, then pointed at the shower room.
When I nodded, she swept a glance toward the counter and ran soundlessly to the shower room.
She reaches the shower room entrance safely.
She looks at me.
Now it's my turn.
I steadied my breathing for a moment, and just as I was about to run for the shower room, Jang Seo-yun suddenly grabbed my hand.
I nearly let out a scream, but barely managed to cover my mouth.
'What?!'
When I glare at her with that expression, she points at my left hand.
The compass needle swinging in my left hand.
And— SCHLICK.
A sound from the direction of the counter.
SCHLICK SCHLICK SCHLICK SCHLICK
Like bare feet sticking to vinyl flooring and peeling off it.
The sound is getting closer.
It's the staff member.
It's coming!
Ryu Do-ha quietly lowered her stance as if ready to run out at any moment, and I put strength into my fists the way she had. Just then.
"You could just use that power."
Jang Seo-yun whispered by my ear.
And her hand digs into mine.
"Please take me there, quickly."
.......
If I use 'Submergence' the way she says, I could avoid its eyes.
But.
Take her there?
'What's there?'
Hearing her say it makes me all the more certain that I must not use this power.
SCHLICK.
The footsteps stopped right behind the lockers.
For the first time, the emotion of tension surfaces on Ryu Do-ha's face.
Just as I held my breath and strained my ears beyond the lockers, Jang Seo-yun's hand dug deeper into mine.
"Use that power, now."
'Shut up, please!'
SCHLICK
Could it have heard her whisper?
It takes a step.......
SCHLICK SCHLICK SCHLICK.......
Fortunately the footsteps move away again.
I hear the sound of it sitting back down in the counter chair.
The area goes quiet.
All I can hear now is my own breathing and that of the woman behind me.
Can we cross now?
When I took a running stance, Ryu Do-ha raised a hand to stop me.
She keeps her body low, all her attention focused on the counter.
Does she think the staff member is watching this way?
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
"Why do you keep hesitating?"
"Be quiet, please."
"Is there any need to be this cautious? Use that power and it all gets solved."
"Please shut your mouth."
Ryu Do-ha apparently only now registers that we're talking and looks over.
At which Jang Seo-yun whispered by my ear again.
"You must trust her."
"......?"
"When she was unconscious, when it was just the two of us, you used it readily enough."
No, I'm not using it because of you.
In case I go mad the way you have.
"Will you use that power again once she's gone?"
"What......?"
"If you don't use that power right now, I'll scream."
I'm losing my mind.
"Then that monster from earlier would come running, wouldn't it? Do you think that woman could handle it?"
"Please don't do this......!"
My voice must have risen slightly without my meaning it to.
Ryu Do-ha gestures at us to be quiet.
"Then use that power right now. Take me there."
"Miss Seo-yun. Please stay still. Once we're in the shower room I'll do whatever you want."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"One more thing."
"What else?"
"When we get there, we look down below together."
Below.
She said it earlier too.
That when I used that power called 'Submergence,' something was watching us from below.
"Then you'll understand why I keep doing this, Mr. Do-yul."
When I nodded, she finally let go of my hand.
I'm not usually someone who sweats much, but my hand is soaked with it.
Ryu Do-ha watching us with disapproval.
She gestured for me to come over quickly.
When I point toward the counter with my hand, she gestures that there's no problem at all.
When I eased my head out from behind the lockers, I could see the thing watching the entrance.
I hurried to the shower room.
When I get in, Ryu Do-ha checks the counter again.
The staff member apparently still hasn't noticed us; she immediately gestures for Jang Seo-yun to come over.......
Jang Seo-yun hesitates, shivering.
'She's still acting, even here?'
When Ryu Do-ha gestured for her to hurry across, she got her feet moving with difficulty and ran over in a precarious posture, looking ready to fall at any moment.
And then she pitches forward.......
Ryu Do-ha hurriedly caught her and at the same time carried her into the shower room.
After setting Jang Seo-yun down on the floor, Ryu Do-ha hurriedly checks the counter again.
Apparently finding nothing amiss, she came into the shower room.
"Hey! What were you talking about for so long?!"
"......What?"
"I gestured for you to come over I don't know how many times! You should have crossed right away!"
I wanted to cross right away too.
That woman kept threatening me, so what was I supposed to do.......?
"Don't scold Mr. Do-yul."
Just as I was wondering what to answer, Jang Seo-yun cut in.
"I was the one saying I couldn't go, and he was just reassuring me."
"Was that it?"
Whether she's innocent or simply dim, Ryu Do-ha takes that at face value.
I had no choice but to nod.
"I had no idea!"
She even claps my shoulder as if I'd done well.
So I just smiled and left it.
"Then shall we get out of here now?"
Ryu Do-ha stands up and turns back to us.
"Ah! Before that, there's someone to introduce."
"Introduce?"
She walks toward the shower stalls and brings someone out.
It's the woman.
The one who abandoned us and ran.
"Why is she here?"
"I did step out for a bit."
Ah.......
So when she said earlier she had somewhere to go for a moment, she'd gone looking for the woman?
"If we're getting out of here, we all get out."
That woman, unable even to meet our eyes, looking too ashamed.
Honestly, I held no grudge against her.
She saw an opening and ran to save herself; she didn't stab me in the back.
The woman bowed her head deeply.
"I'm sorry, kids. I must have lost my head for a moment."
"It's all right, ma'am."
Jang Seo-yun goes up to her and even smiles as she holds out her hand.
Even if it's an act, I couldn't manage that.
Not holding a grudge doesn't mean I have no feelings about it at all.
Right now my whole interest is on that white door.
If we can just bring the bag out of there, we can get out of here.
When I left Jang Seo-yun and the woman clasping each other and walked toward the white door, Ryu Do-ha followed me.
"Not much of a reaction from you, surprisingly."
"About what?"
"That woman. In a sense she betrayed you to save her own skin."
"Is it really something to call a betrayal?"
"Oh?"
"It isn't as if she shoved me and ran off alone."
"Surprisingly cool of you."
.......
Is it because I got praise I wasn't expecting?
Even in a situation like this, it's a bit embarrassing.......
I kept my mouth shut and only opened it once we reached the white door.
"Let's hurry and get out of here."
She snorted a laugh at my words and walked to the door.
She reached straight for the handle.......
TSSSSS.
The unpleasant sound of flesh searing rang through the shower room.
Ryu Do-ha's face twists.
But she didn't let go of the handle.
She only bites down harder and pulls.
At which the interior is revealed through the gap.
So red it stings the eyes.
Ceiling, walls, floor, all of it glowing red enough that it wouldn't be strange if it melted on the spot.
"Ah......!"
With a low cry, Ryu Do-ha let go of the handle.
The white door closes with a clack.
"Are you all right?"
"It's nothing."
She hurried to hide her hand, but I saw it clearly.
The blisters risen on her palm.
"The temperature's far higher than I expected."
"......."
"Honestly, I was confident I could go in no matter how high the inside got......."
Her gaze travels somewhere.
At the end of it is the swim bag rack.
"If I wrap myself in towels soaked in water and go in......."
"You can't."
"Then are we supposed to stay here forever?"
The temperature in there is not something a human body can endure.
We saw it just now, an interior that wouldn't look strange melting on the spot.
F*ck.......
The summit is right in front of us and it turns out like this?
Then the tattoo carved into my left hand caught my eye.
This power called 'Submergence.'
Couldn't I get into that room if I used it?
"You said earlier that an ability has to be used in the right place at the right time, didn't you?"
When I was using the ability earlier, the staff member's hand passed straight through my body.
And the vision rippling as if I were underwater.
And that coolness I felt on my skin.
When I use this power called 'Submergence,' I'm in another dimension.
Which means that no matter how high the room's temperature is, couldn't I get inside?
"I think I can get in there."
"With that power you got? Didn't you say it was simply an ability for hiding?"
"I don't know the exact mechanism, but......."
I took a step toward the door.
"But I think I can get in there if I use this power. No, it's absolutely possible."
"It'd be better if I just wrapped myself in towels and went......."
"You saw it just now. That is not a temperature a human can endure."
At the conviction in my words, she sinks into thought for a moment.
"I'll grab the bag and be right out."
When I took another step forward, she blocked me.
"You really think it's possible?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"Truly?"
"Yes."
Only then did she let me go.
Her face still said something worried her, but after all, from her position there was no other reasonable method either.
When I glanced back, the woman and Jang Seo-yun were already watching us.
For those two if for nothing else, I have to bring that bag out quickly.
Haa.......
After pushing all the air out of my lungs, I filled them with new air.
And the moment I hold my breath, the compass needle slowly begins to turn.
The compass tattoo seems to give off a faint light, and my vision begins to ripple as if I'd gone underwater.
When I turned my head I could see Ryu Do-ha, with a startled face, looking around the spot where I'd been standing.
Holding back a laugh I couldn't quite suppress, I was about to reach for the door handle just then. Was it because of what Jang Seo-yun had said? I somehow felt a gaze from beneath my feet, from far below, as if something were watching me.
'Don't think about it.'
Soothing myself, I took hold of the handle.
Fortunately I feel no heat.
If anything it's cold.
I opened the door and went in, and there was the interior.
It's clearly glowing red, but the only sensation on my skin right now is coolness.
'Good.'
The bag is sitting in the middle of the room.
Fortunately it's keeping its shape.
I just have to take that bag and go.
'We're finally getting out of here!'