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“Floor 2 was decidedly dreary.

Not that any floor would be pleasant, but Floor 2 had an air of desolation that was hard to overlook.

“Isn’t it a bit cold here?”

Yu Da On rubbed her arms and muttered.

“Yeah. It is a bit chilly.”

“It smells strange, too.”

Sniff sniff, Yu Da On closed her eyes and took in the scents.

“It smells like ink… and a hint of perfume.”

“Have you developed a keen sense of smell or something?”

“No?”

As I caught Yu Da On’s puzzled gaze, I turned to Song Ah Rin.

“A-Rin.”

“…Uh-huh.”

“It’s not okay, is it?”

“…”

Song Ah Rin looked up at me.

The emotions filling her eyes were—

“Don’t worry.”

A look of fear that her ominous thoughts might be accurate.

“I don’t know what A-Rin’s fear is.”

Just vague awareness is NOT knowing. It’s merely me imagining her situation and feelings.

“But I can help.”

Song Ah Rin looked up at me.

“Let’s think about it after we get out.”

If there’s a way to escape from something unpleasant, it’s only right to take it. But when you can’t avoid it, you just brace yourself and face it.

Song Ah Rin met my eyes,

“…Alright.”

Nodding her head.

Of course, I didn’t expect her expression to brighten or her resolve to soar from just those words.

Her hand, which had been gripping my sleeve, merely loosened a bit.

I opened the manual.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Myungil Apartment – Floor 2]

[5. Generally, the doors in the corridor on Floor 2 are not open. Even if they are, as long as you don’t enter, they pose no harm. Caution should be exercised regarding the walls.]

I directed my gaze to the wall while reading the manual further.

[6. To reiterate, all residents on Floor 2, except for one, have been consumed by abnormal phenomena. They are watching you as walls, floors, and air.]

[6-1. If the walls appear like those in a typical apartment, rest easy. They are still looking upon you favorably.]

[6-2. If the walls take on a dark red hue, move a bit more cautiously. It’s wise to be careful with your actions and word choices.]

[6-3. If the walls are pitch black, hold your breath. I hope your lung capacity lasts until the walls return. If you cannot hold out, please refer to [T-Suicide Method].]

What color?

The walls of the apartment were a mix of ordinary green and white.

A sigh of relief escaped me.

[7. A harmonious family resides here.]

[7-1. The couple is always looking for something, likely their ‘child,’ but occasionally they might ask for something else.]

[7-2. If they ask for their ‘child,’ you can find the doll with purple hair if you search the room well. The doll must have ‘purple hair,’ and if you bring back a doll without purple hair, you will certainly die. Even if you don’t die, forget about escaping from that room.]

[7-3. If you successfully find the couple’s child, they’ll be satisfied and give you the key to the child’s room. If you enter the child’s room and lie down on the bed, you can escape.]

[7-4. Sometimes they may request something other than their child. In this case, there’s no precise answer established yet, so politely decline and move on to the next room. Previous requests from the couple include the following:]

[7-4-1. ‘Love.’ Brought a pink-haired doll but died.]

[7-4-2. ‘Memory.’ Hesitated to answer and died. Besides that, there have been many questions, but the chances of getting the right answer are extremely rare.]

“…”

I glanced over at Song Ah Rin, who was reading the manual beside me.

Her expression was pale, nearly resembling a blank canvas in her state of shock.

“A-Rin, shall we go just the two of us? You can join after we’re done?”

“…”

Song Ah Rin looked at me.

“That should be easy enough. Da On and I will go handle this and come back.”

“That’s right. If it gets too tough, we can take care of it. It’s not like we’re leaving you behind!”

Yu Da On chimed in, making eye contact with Song Ah Rin.

Song Ah Rin’s trembling gaze focused on me.

“I…”

“…”

She looked at me, inhaled deeply, then shook her head.

“No. …I’ll go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

She slowly nodded her head.

“But I have a favor to ask.”

“Sure.”

“If possible… can you… kill my parents?”

Song Ah Rin’s gaze shot to me.

For the first time, she referred to them as ‘parents.’

“Yes.”

And my answer was already decided.

It was a request from her to me. If I could grant it, of course, I would.

“I will, if the opportunity arises.”

“…Thank you.”

Song Ah Rin muttered as she stood beside me.

“Shall we go in then?”

At that moment, Yu Da On, who had been quietly watching, glanced around and rested her hand on the doorknob.

The doorplate reading <208> was faded and stuck to the wall, and as soon as she grabbed the doorknob, I had a chilling sensation.

“I’m ready.”

“…”

Yu Da On’s eyes shifted to Song Ah Rin.

Her silent gaze seemed to pierce through Song Ah Rin, and

Song Ah Rin took a deep breath.

“I am too.”

“I’ll go.”

Just as Song Ah Rin finished speaking, Yu Da On opened the door.

-Creeeeak…

As the door opened, a house was revealed.

It was an ordinary family home.

Looking back at all the places we had visited, it was hard to say any were truly outside the norm, but this one was genuinely average.

Just a little old.

The fluorescent lights flickered a bit, and the wallpaper was slightly worn, but it seemed clean, as if someone had continuously taken care of it.

“It feels like a house where people live.”

Yu Da On murmured as she stepped inside.

I understood what she meant by a house feeling like that.

It wasn’t immaculate, but it was maintained.

It felt like someone was repeatedly tidying up the home.

“Maybe—”

“A visitor, huh!”

Cutting off my thoughts, someone appeared.

A woman with shoulder-length purple hair and a kind expression, alongside a stern-looking man.

From behind, Song Ah Rin gasped.

“Mom… Dad…”

She murmured like a child who had just learned to speak, and the woman glanced at Song Ah Rin before continuing.

“We can’t find our child. Could you possibly help us look for them?”

Song Ah Rin’s body stiffened again, and the kind-faced woman continued as if unfazed.

“Our child has been missing for quite a while now. We still can’t find them.”

I glanced at the translucent window floating above her head.

[Name: Family]

[Age: Created 15 years ago]

[Specialty: – ]

[Talent: – ]

[Background: One of the fatal flaws of being human is being swayed by appearance, and troubled by memory, leading to wrong choices. Someone must correct that.]

[Weakness: If the apartment disappears, this too will vanish.]

It was identical to the elderly couple.

Once more, a translucent window hovered above the two of them.

“…”

Slowly raising my gaze to meet theirs.

Song Ah Rin looked at the woman with a blank expression, while Yu Da On stared at the floor.

“Could you help us find our child?”

She asked us in a gentle tone.

“I’ll do it.”

I was the one who nodded. Song Ah Rin didn’t have the will to nod in agreement, and Yu Da On always preferred to keep a distance from such matters.

“What a good child you are. If you look properly, I’m sure you can find them.”

“If you find them, we’ll make sure to give you a gift too.”

The man, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up.

“Thank you.”

“This will be in the house. Please check around!”

Why was this so demanding?

To be honest, it was something that was hard to grasp with my common sense. Honestly, it felt like this was easier than that old couple’s house.

A rather kind couple, and all we had to do was find a doll.

The more the situation unfolded, the more my anxiety grew. What was so daunting that Floor 4 was preferred over Floor 2?

And that anxiety came sooner than I anticipated.

“There’s nothing here. What about there?”

“Nothing here either. A-Rin, did you find anything?”

“No.”

Yu Da On and Song Ah Rin both shook their heads.

There was nothing.

No matter how hard we looked, it didn’t appear.

Not even a sign of a doll with purple hair; it felt impossible even to find a single doll.

“Still nothing?”

“Still unable to find anything?”

“How odd. I asked you to find it. Why can’t you?”

With time passing, her gaze and words directed at us grew harsher.

At first, she spoke casually, but gradually, her tone became more forceful.

“Well, this is just absurd.”

It was as if we were starting to be marked for death if we couldn’t find it.

What made it worse was,

“They keep saying it every three minutes.”

“Indeed.”

The time they took to pressure us was far too short.

Yu Da On approached me.

“I think I understand where A-Rin’s irritation comes from.”

“Da On, please keep your voice down. A-Rin can hear you.”

I murmured while trying to silence Yu Da On, who was whispering beside me.

Eventually.

“Still can’t find it?”

She approached us, shouting loudly while we were searching the bathroom thoroughly.

“If you can’t find it like this, there’s nothing to be done. Everyone—”

Yu Da On and I exchanged glances.

A critical situation hadn’t occurred yet, but somehow—

“I found it.”

And just then, Song Ah Rin, who had been quietly looking for the doll, stood up and looked at the woman.

“…What? Where is it?”

“Right here.”

Song Ah Rin pointed at her chest and murmured.

“Here is your daughter.”