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When I was young, I recalled watching a children’s movie.

It was about kids entering a living house to expel the evil spirit residing within.

I trembled so much back then while watching it.

However, as I now observed the living house consuming humans, I felt like I could remember why I was so frightened as a child.

“…”

A wall, and a person turned into a lamp.

Beside Aileen, Yu Da On stood.

“I’m going too.”

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“That’s why I’m saying we should go together.”

Yu Da On smiled, clenched her fist, and thumped her chest.

“I’m always the one walking at the front in the Human Resources Team.”

“A lively friend, huh?”

“Considering age, should Aileen be the livelier one?”

Yu Da On is older. From her words, she sounded like she was nearly in her 40s.

“…”

She stared at me intently at my remark.

“Are you counting my age now?”

“I’m not counting.”

“Oh, really?”

She released a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry. There are so many people around me pointing out my youth.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Hearing the word ‘pointing out’ from a younger blonde foreigner makes me feel strange.

“Who would want to act like an old man against monsters and containment objects?”

“I totally agree.”

Song Ah Rin continued, empathizing with Aileen’s sigh.

“Can’t we just do our jobs? Why is it always about making people tired with non-work-related issues?”

“Does it happen often?”

“Frequently. The stress from work comes from people, not the job itself.”

Song Ah Rin sighed, and Aileen nodded in agreement.

“Our Team Leader doesn’t do that, though.”

“He’s especially cool.”

“That person has no ambition for power, to begin with.”

At my words, Song Ah Rin nodded in agreement, and Aileen did as well, understanding.

So, the Team Leader has no significant interest in that stuff.

-Creeeak, creeeak…

As we walked slowly, I glanced around.

A lamp that didn’t match the modern building swayed.

Every time I looked, a lamp revealed itself with the same description:

[Name: WJDDBSALS]

[Age: X]

[Specialty: X]

[Talent: Absorption]

[Background: This is alive.]

[Weakness: Being alive means it can also be killed.]

Just a different name, the same description revealing its presence.

If my guess was correct, they were people who had become furniture.

I turned my gaze to Yu Da On.

“Da On, I’m really sorry.”

“Should we take that lamp with us?”

“…How did you know?”

“Because Jae Heon has been watching it closely.”

Yu Da On replied nonchalantly while raising her hand to grab the lamp’s handle but immediately grimaced as if she felt something unpleasant.

“Ugh…”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, it’s just…”

Yu Da On muttered while unable to hide her frown.

“The texture is really strange. It feels like touching human skin. The temperature too.”

“…Should we place it in a safer spot for now?”

If those things end up acting on the house’s intentions and attack us like before, it would be a huge problem.

And, for now, these people who became furniture were not at fault.

“A safe place…”

Yu Da On murmured and walked toward the entrance, placing the lantern down.

“If something happens, it’d be better to take it with us, right? I don’t know if we’ll call for backup or not.”

“Backup is…”

The kind of backup that’s the easiest to call and won’t cause trouble if summoned.

I immediately opened my phone and dialed.

“Why.”

After a short ring, the Team Leader’s curt voice echoed in my ear, and I quickly explained the situation to him.

“Damn it, I told you to pull me out of places like this—”

“It’s a nursery, and there seem to be kids here, Team Leader. I’m asking for your help.”

“…I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

After my words, the Team Leader sighed and hung up.

“It should be fine since the Team Leader is coming.”

But regardless of anything else, this person is phenomenal at taking care of himself, so he should help out well.

“Song Ah Rin, are there really living people here?”

“…Yes.”

With her eyes closed in concentration, Song Ah Rin nodded.

“Pure fear, not a chaotic emotion. That’s a feeling only someone with a clear mind can express.”

“Then let’s hurry.”

So we progressed a little further into the darkness.

*

“I can feel it even in here.”

In front of the door marked 101, Song Ah Rin muttered seriously, looking at me.

“Jae Heon, do you see anything?”

Yu Da On, holding the doorknob, looked at me.

“…”

Focusing on the door, I searched but saw nothing, shaking my head instead, and Yu Da On promptly pushed the door open.

-Creeeak…

As soon as the door opened, with a sound of running footsteps, a person stood before us with arms wide open as if to block our path.

She looked to be a high school student, probably freshly back from school. She wore a school uniform, and her black hair with a pink bridge cascaded down to her shoulders.

Her eyes shone a peculiar blue, and with her eyes widened, she glared at me.

“Sister!”

Turning my gaze behind her, I saw children watching us with concerned expressions.

“…”

A translucent window appeared above her head.

[Name: Park Ye Eun]

[Age: 17 years]

[Specialty: Porter]

[Talent: -]

[Background: After losing her mother in a car accident, she lost her father in some incident and found herself in the Management Agency’s nursery.]

[Weakness: She’s an ordinary human. If struck in a vital point, she will die.]

“…”

Park Ye Eun.

So this student is Park Ye Eun.

As I continued to glance above her head, she stared intently at me and opened her mouth.

“Who are you?”

“Uh, well…”

How should I explain the Management Agency?

“I came to save you all…”

“Management Agency?”

Momentarily puzzled about how this girl knew about the Management Agency, I recalled the uncle at Gangseo University Hospital had saved her, so she would know about it.

“…That’s right.”

As soon as I confirmed it, her face brightened.

“Guys, this uncle came to save us!”

Uncle?

But I’m still in my twenties.

“Really?”

“Uh, yep. That’s the case.”

Hope filled the children’s faces.

“Can we really go out now?”

“Of course, we can.”

I gently assured the children while Park Ye Eun looked at me.

“Things have gotten strange here all of a sudden.”

“Strange how?”

“Suddenly, the walls came alive… The teachers tried to lead us to safety and got caught. Didn’t you face anything on your way here?”

“We came here just fine without any issues.”

“That’s odd…”

Park Ye Eun murmured, seeming curious, then looked up at me.

“I just want to get the kids out first…”

“That’s right.”

Since we had no idea what could happen, we shouldn’t stay here irresponsibly.

“…You came to rescue the kids, right?”

“That’s right.”

To be specific, I also came to capture someone.

“There are still kids behind. The teachers were moving the kids to a safe room earlier… I think we should head there first.”

“It could be dangerous.”

“It’s alright. I, um, have my own methods.”

She stumbled over her words several times, reminding me of the word ‘porter’ I had seen earlier.

I still had no idea what that meant.

“Okay, then… we need to send someone with the kids.”

According to Park Ye Eun, the kids couldn’t be sent away alone. Someone capable of escorting them and dealing with any potential issues was needed.

“Chae Yeon, the Team Leader should be outside; please take the kids to him and join us if it’s safe.”

“Understood.”

As if anticipating her name being called, Jang Chae Yeon nodded and looked at the kids.

“I’ll take them.”

“Thank you, pretty sister!”

The children bowed their heads, greeting her.

Why is Jang Chae Yeon a sister, while I’m an uncle?

Though my feelings of unfairness brewed, Jang Chae Yeon gestured for the kids to follow with a gentle smile.

“Be careful.”

“It’s fine. There are three more left.”

“Still.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

Waving her hand, Jang Chae Yeon led the children in the opposite direction.

“This way.”

After watching the kids disappear, Park Ye Eun reached out and began leading the way.

“First, let me tell you what happened.”

“Okay.”

At my words, Park Ye Eun took a breath and continued.

“I heard the Director say a guest suddenly appeared. Then everything started constricting, walls swallowed people, and the teachers ran away with us.”

“Suddenly?”

“Well, to be precise… someone brought a pinwheel.”

“That pinwheel must be the problem.”

“First, let’s check the safe room. The teacher said that was the safest place.”

The remaining people nodded, and Park Ye Eun began to lead the way.

“…You’re with the Management Agency, right?”

“Right.”

“What’s so great about being at the Management Agency?”

“What’s great about it?”

How should I explain that?

While I was choosing my words, she spoke up.

“I want to go to the Management Agency too.”

Park Ye Eun murmured as she walked alongside me.

“My dad disappeared after saving me, and I heard that place is Gangseo University Hospital.”

“Really—”

“And I heard my dad died there.”

“…I see.”

“I want to go to the Management Agency and take revenge.”

“…”

What should I say here?

While I pondered over it, I noticed a barricade piled up with junk.

It was cluttered enough to block a wall.

“…Barricade?”

From what? And how did it accumulate so much in such a short time?

As I gazed at the barricade with a puzzled expression, Park Ye Eun rolled up her sleeves.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m moving this.”

“How do you know who stacked this?”

“I did it alone.”

“…Did you have enough time?”

“Oh…”

At my words, Park Ye Eun made a perplexed expression, then cleared her throat and looked at us.

“Please don’t tell anyone about this.”

-Crack!

A bizarre noise emitted from her rolled-up sleeves.

“Ugh!”

Park Ye Eun lifted the junk with both hands and placed it on her back.

Half a mountain of junk shifted onto her back like a load.

“Ugh…”

Then, just like a lumberjack collecting firewood, she carried the mountain of junk on her back.

“…I can carry the load this way?”

It felt odd to see a girl younger than me looking at me while carrying a mountain of junk.

Park Ye Eun, she truly was a porter.