---

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Myungil Apartment]

[0-6. Once you enter Myungil Apartment, it is impossible to exit through the glass door. Never attempt to exit through the glass door.]

As expected, it was impossible to exit through the way we came in.

“Should I give it a try?”

“No.”

Yu Da On looked at me with an innocent expression.

“But if the penalty isn’t severe…”

“There’s no need for you, Da On, to get hurt.”

At my words, Yu Da On closed her mouth and smiled.

“If Jae Heon says so.”

Her strangely pleasant voice tickled my ears.

It’s better not to do what we’re told not to do. Even if Yu Da On’s body won’t die, there’s no need to seek out pain unnecessarily.

As I placed my hand on the handrail of the stairs, Yu Da On followed suit, placing her hand on the rail as well.

“Da On, don’t let go of the handrail.”

“Okay.”

We ascended the stairs together.

“You said Room 402, right?”

“Yes.”

Yu Da On furrowed her brows and looked ahead.

“I smell something slightly burnt.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t catch the scent.

“Is A-Rin okay?”

“I hope so.”

“We have no choice but to move a bit faster.”

Yu Da On muttered as she quickened her pace.

A sign reading <Floor 2> appeared before us.

“…”

“Where would A-Rin have gone?”

“If it’s the A-Rin I know…”

Where would Song Ah Rin have gone? It would depend on whether she arrived here willingly or was dragged here against her will.

“She probably went to the exit.”

Yu Da On mumbled.

“Sorry?”

“A-Rin must have gone to the exit.”

She smiled and looked at the stairs.

“Are you sure?”

Yu Da On hasn’t often made such definitive statements about others.

Upon hearing my words, Yu Da On’s smile deepened.

“A-Rin… ironically loves herself too much.”

“…”

There was an air of certainty in Yu Da On’s voice.

“You can trust me, Jae Heon.”

Yu Da On smiled and nodded.

“I’m definitely right.”

“…Understood.”

I nodded at Yu Da On’s words.

Since I didn’t know where a safe place was, let’s first look for the exit.

“Let’s go up.”

“Yes.”

With one hand on the handrail and the other checking the manual, I moved forward.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Myungil Apartment – Floor 4]

[1. Floor 4 is considered the safest place within Myungil Apartment. In fact, many survivors have escaped or been found on Floor 4.]

[2. First, when you arrive on Floor 4, check the nameplate of Floor 4.]

“We made it!”

At Yu Da On’s words, I looked up ahead.

There was a nameplate reading <Floor 4>.

The silver plaque seemed to be well-maintained and shined brightly.

[3. If the nameplate is dirty, it is safe.]

[4. If the nameplate is clean, it is dangerous, but you can proceed with caution. Please remove your shoes before entering.]

[5. If there is no nameplate, escaping through that floor is impossible. Aim to escape through Floor 2.]

Yu Da On and I removed our shoes.

“What does it mean to go in without shoes?”

“Maybe it means not making noise or showing respect? I’m not quite sure.”

I peered into the corridor of Floor 4.

The long corridor had Rooms 401 on the left and Room 410 at the far right.

Each corridor had five units, so to reach Room 402, we had to pass three other rooms first.

“…It’s open.”

Yu Da On mumbled, looking at the rooms.

As she said, two doors were ajar.

I opened the manual.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Myungil Apartment – Floor 4]

[4-1. If the nameplate is clean, several residents currently reside on Floor 4. Be cautious not to offend their feelings.]

[4-2. If the door is open, check which room’s door is ajar. It is permissible for all rooms to be open except Room 401. However, if the door to Room 401 is open, immediately give up and go down to Floor 2.]

Which doors are open?

Rooms 403 and 405.

I pulled out a gun from my pocket and walked forward.

[4-5. Room 405 was previously home to a kind elderly couple. They enjoyed inviting people over for meals.]

[4-6. Never refuse an invitation. However, if food is offered, kindly refuse as much as possible, and if necessary, pretend to eat. Generally, anyone who eats that food will die.]

[4-7. Politely refuse the food, but do not leave until you are told you can.]

[4-8. It is sometimes said that their son and daughter visit. When that happens, do whatever it takes to leave the house before they arrive. If impossible, refer to the [T-suicide method] section.]

Once again, Yu Da On, who had been looking at the manual behind me, blinked and mused.

“Refusing… might not be easy. Should we prepare to fight if it comes to that?”

“If this was a place where problems could be solved through fighting, the Branch Chief would have come and smashed everything.”

In theory, the building would crumble if the Branch Chief threw a punch.

“If we can’t take them down, we’ll have to figure out an escape route while being chased by a monster we know nothing about. I don’t have the confidence for that.”

“Hmm…”

Yu Da On rested her chin on her hand as if thinking, but soon nodded and positioned herself behind me.

“Then, I’ll go.”

“Okay.”

With Yu Da On behind me, I slowly moved forward.

Now, I stood before the faded yellow nameplate reading <Room 405>.

As I turned my gaze to the inside, my eyes met those of the people inside.

There were two elderly men.

Both wore gentle smiles, with faces resembling the kind-hearted elderly couple you’d find anywhere in town.

It was just that their faces were turned inside out.

Where eyes should be, there were lips, and where lips should be, there were eyes.

“…Look, dear. A guest has arrived.”

“How about that! A guest keeps coming by. They even took off their shoes before entering! How very polite.”

The two exchanged smiles and conversations, and the grandmother waved her hand.

A guest keeps coming by?

“Hey, guest. How about stopping by for a chat while you’re here? We even prepared a meal.”

“…Yes. I would gladly.”

As I slowly nodded, the old man’s smile widened.

“Wonderful, wonderful. This way.”

I slowly stepped toward the old man, and Yu Da On followed behind me.

“Should I walk in front?”

“That’s okay.”

A translucent window appeared above the heads of the two old people.

Strangely, there was only one window floating above their heads.

[Name: A Couple with Strong Bond]

[Age: Created 15 years ago]

[Specialty: Cooking]

[Talent: Cooking]

[Background: They have enjoyed cooking for others since long ago, and they still love preparing meals for people.]

[Weakness: If the apartment disappears, they will vanish as well.]

So, the two of them have already disappeared, leaving only one phenomenon behind.

“This way.”

Following behind the old man, I glanced around.

The interior structure was no different from an ordinary house. There were rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen…

“Ugh…”

I couldn’t help but stop breathing due to the smell emanating from the kitchen.

It was a horrific odor I couldn’t express in words.

It smelled like something was decaying severely.

I turned my head slightly and looked at Yu Da On.

She seemed to be having the same reaction, holding her breath.

“Come on, don’t be shy.”

Soon, the elderly couple led us to the living room.

It felt exactly like visiting a relative’s house. A big dining table in the middle, and grandmother serving food.

This place was no exception.

On a table for six were dishes, and two chairs had people sitting in them.

It was just that the food on top was unrecognizable as edible.

The food was blackened and rotten, moldy to the extent that no bugs would even come close.

Some dishes even had something dark and sticky on them that reminded me of something I’d seen in the elevator.

Eating something like that would undoubtedly lead to death.

I turned my gaze back to the two people sitting in the chairs.

A body in a blue shirt and a body in a pink dress.

It seemed they had turned into mummies long ago.

“Oh dear, spilling food again,” the grandmother muttered in a gentle voice while picking up a spoon and feeding food to the corpse.

But how long had she been doing that? The corpse’s mouth was already filled with food, and ultimately, unable to withstand the pressure, the food fell back to the floor.

“…Ugh…”

Yu Da On, who was next to me, began exhaling through her mouth after holding her breath.

“Please, sit down.”

The two were kindly offering us a seat.

In the end, Yu Da On and I exchanged glances and had no choice but to sit down.

The two old people faced us.

I felt an odd sensation that the corpse next to me was moving.

“Come now, you should try some.”

The old man kindly urged us to eat.

“Actually, we just had a meal.”

“Oh dear.”

The old man’s voice turned full of regret upon hearing my words.

“But they say the young ones have much to do. How about just taking a few bites?”

“No, I really ate a lot. I thought I could keep you company instead.”

“Oh dear, that’s disappointing.”

The grandmother sighed.

“Ah, by the way.”

“Oh my, what is it?”

“Did anyone stop by here earlier?”

“Ah… yes indeed. We saw our A-Rin after quite a while.”

“…”

The two elderly couples shared a laugh.

“It’s hard to believe just last time she was just a little girl, now all grown up. Time flies, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed, my dear. It seems we’re nearing our time to go, doesn’t it?”

I quickly exchanged glances with Yu Da On.

Song Ah Rin had been here. Just moments ago.

And she had escaped this place.

Song Ah Rin knows this place well.

“Then, well, we’re just going to…”

Could this actually end so easily?

As I stood up, relaxing my tension,

“Oh dear, hold on a moment.”

The grandfather, who had been silent up to that point, muttered as if realizing something.

“Dear, they say our son and daughter are coming.”

“Oh my, really?”

The two of them smiled with their inside-out faces.

-CHWARA-RAK!

The manual beside me opened up.

[4-8. It is sometimes said that their son and daughter visit. When that happens, do whatever it takes to leave before they arrive. If impossible, refer to the [T-suicide method] section.]

[4-9. After the incident, the children of this house joined the Management Agency, determined to find their parents, and became part of the Response Team visiting the apartment, thus they are now sitting next to you. The son and daughter arriving there are different individuals.]

I turned my gaze to the two mummified corpses.

The blue shirt and pink dress were tattered, and their open mouths were filled with dried food.

“Then we’ll just… stop here…”

“Don’t be shy, you should meet the son and daughter.”

“Ah, there’s no way we can face your children…”

Stay.

The gazes of the two fell upon Yu Da On and me.

Yu Da On put on gloves.

-DU-TOOK…

The sound of food dropping from the mouth echoed.