---

As we stepped through the frame, what lay before us was the same scenery.

“…It’s the same.”

As soon as Jang Chae Yeon stepped through the frame, she remarked.

And she was right.

It looked just like the path we had walked before, an exact copy of the gallery.

The only difference was,

“…There are more people.”

“Indeed.”

There were far more people inside than before.

Yet, not a single sound could be heard.

Everyone was absorbed in admiring the paintings.

In a situation where so many people were gathered, it felt bizarre that not a single word was spoken, causing me to furrow my brow.

“A-Rin.”

“Everyone’s the same.”

Before I could ask my question, Song Ah Rin shook her head in response.

“Everyone’s so preoccupied with appreciating the art.”

“I see.”

In a dream within a dream, the people around us continued to gaze at this same background.

If that’s the case, then there was only one thing to try.

“Da On.”

“Ah, shall I shoot?”

Yu Da On said cheerfully as she tugged at my arm.

“Let’s go!”

“…What’s with her? She really loves to act recklessly.”

Song Ah Rin muttered in disbelief as she turned her back.

“Just go. I’ll wait here with the white-haired one.”

“Understood.”

I headed to the corner with Yu Da On.

Of course, even in the corner, there were artworks displayed, and the same delighted expressions were fixed on the faces of the people admiring them.

Pulling a gun from my coat, Yu Da On nodded and aimed it at her temple.

“Then I will do it?”

“Understood.”

With a smile, Yu Da On pulled the trigger.

-Bang!

With the gunshot, her body fell back to the floor, and

“Whoops.”

I managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

“…Hmm.”

Moments later, Yu Da On opened her eyes and looked up at me.

“Oh, you caught me. You really didn’t have to.”

“Of course, it’s my duty.”

“…”

Yu Da On smiled softly as she got back to her feet.

“Well, um. I didn’t feel anything at all. It didn’t even seem like a dream.”

“I see.”

It’s the same.

I fanned myself with my hand, glancing around at the suffocating heat.

Why was it only Yu Da On who wasn’t hot, while everyone else was sweating?

I couldn’t think of anything specific just yet.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Yu Da On nodded with a smile and we exited together.

“…”

Song Ah Rin turned to look at me before glancing away.

“From your expression, it seems there was no real gain after all.”

“That’s right.”

“But… it’s something ‘only I can do,’ right?”

At Yu Da On’s words, Song Ah Rin stared at her for a moment before approaching me.

“There might be a chance that the Team Leader is here among all these people.”

“Oh, really?”

Song Ah Rin nodded at my question.

“I can’t be certain, but I thought I heard a voice similar to the Team Leader’s.”

“A voice?”

“…If you don’t focus, in a crowd like this, it’s a given that you’ll hear it.”

Song Ah Rin sighed.

“Anyway, follow me.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. It’s just something I can do.”

With a confident smile, Song Ah Rin replied, and Yu Da On gave her a long look before nodding and starting to walk ahead.

“Then I’ll take the lead! Who knows what might be ahead.”

“Yes, understood.”

It was more energetic than before, or maybe it was just that her shoulders felt more tense.

Yu Da On strode forward with determination.

“…You know I caught you, right?”

“I do…?”

“That’s something only I can do.”

“Right…?”

“Then that’s enough.”

Jang Chae Yeon also echoed with a satisfied expression as she followed behind Yu Da On.

What exactly was she trying to say?

*

We pushed through the throngs of people, moving deeper inside.

The further we went, the more people there were, and they all seemed to be gazing at one spot.

“What are they looking at?”

“Good question. It’s hard to see.”

Yu Da On stood on her tiptoes to peek over the crowd, but she couldn’t spot anything clearly, and I too struggled to find anything due to the sheer number of people.

And then,

“Wait a moment.”

“Uh…!”

As Jang Chae Yeon raised her finger sharply, my body began to lift off the ground.

“Thank you.”

“…”

After breaking my gaze from the smiling Jang Chae Yeon, I looked ahead.

“…”

It was a massive painting of Aestheticism.

With her eyes closed and a serene smile, the figure of Aestheticism sat in stillness.

The mannequin had four arms attached, and the face I had seen before was smiling as if never changed.

“Beautiful…”

“It feels like witnessing the truth…”

“Oh my…”

People gasped as they widened their eyes in exclamation.

Then, a translucent window appeared before me.

[Name: Self-Portrait]

[Infinite Canvas, Ink Wash]

[200 X 200 cm]

“…Wow…”

An unbearable sense of ego.

No, since it’s not human, I’m not sure if I can even call it ego, but the massive self-awareness left me momentarily speechless.

Safely descending from the air and explaining the painting to the three who looked at me,

“…Wow.”

“Whoa.”

“…”

For once, their reactions were synchronized.

“Anyway, if the Team Leader is here, the chances are high she would be around this crowd.”

I’d say it’s more likely to be where there are a lot of people gathered.

“…”

-Tap, Jang Chae Yeon tapped my shoulder with her finger.

“How about it? I can do this much too.”

With an air of confidence, Jang Chae Yeon puffed out her chest.

“…Thank you.”

At a loss for where to direct my gaze, I could only express my gratitude towards her.

*

Finding the Team Leader wasn’t as difficult as I feared.

Amidst the vast crowd, I was aware of only one familiar face.

There stood the Team Leader.

Next to her was a student strikingly similar to her and a kindly-looking woman.

Could they be the Team Leader’s family?

“Team Leader!”

In the silence, I called out.

Naturally, the Team Leader did not respond to my words.

“A-Rin.”

“Got it. But as you know, I can’t stay for long.”

Song Ah Rin nodded and approached the Team Leader, placing a hand on her shoulder,

“Whoa!”

The Team Leader’s eyes flew wide open as she shook her head and looked at me.

“Jae Heon, what’s going on here? And why is it so hot?”

“It’s the art museum.”

“The art museum…?”

The Team Leader blinked, then

“Gah…”

Her face turned pale.

“This feels odd, Jae Heon.”

“What do you mean?”

“I didn’t feel any danger at all before entering the art museum…”

“…”

Why couldn’t the Team Leader sense the danger?

To be honest, I think I understand why.

What people feel when they see this painting is not fear or crisis.

It’s the joy of witnessing something beautiful, and amazement. That must be it.

So, the Team Leader couldn’t sense the danger either.

‘Warning detection’ means detecting danger as it is; it doesn’t predict that the ecstasy provided by art could lead to danger for oneself.

“I still can’t shake this feeling that something is off. The painting is far too beautiful… that…”

While the Team Leader stared at the painting, lost in thought,

-Crunch!

She hurriedly bit down on her lip.

Blood began to drip from the Team Leader’s lips as she turned her head and grabbed my shoulders tightly.

“Jae Heon, I may not remember much, but I’ll tell you as much as I can.”

“Understood.”

“I saw something that looked exactly like the woman in that painting.”

Nodding her head, the Team Leader continued.

“And when that woman waved her hand, the frame grew tremendously larger, and we all stepped inside that frame.”

“Understood.”

“I have some fragmented memories after that, but…”

The Team Leader trailed off.

“If my memory serves me correctly, people went deeper inside.”

“…”

“And there, I saw it.”

“Saw what?”

“A colossal workshop.”

The Team Leader let out a breath, filled with fear.

“And in there…”

“In there?”

“…Beautiful things were happening.”

The Team Leader murmured, staring ahead once more.

Her gaze was again fixed on the painting.

“…It’s not connecting.”

Song Ah Rin shook her head, looking at me.

“Still, considering she’s with Management, she held up remarkably well.”

“I know.”

I had to pull her out immediately.

Glancing at the Team Leader, I directed my gaze back to the painting before us.

Those eyes still held no connection, and the heat continued to rise.

“…”

A hypothesis flickered across my mind.

Should I test this?

But first, let’s try something out.

“Da On.”

“Yes?”

“Are you really not feeling hot at all?”

“…That’s right?”

Yu Da On nodded.

“How’s the temperature now?”

“Honestly, it’s a bit hotter since there are more people, but it’s not too hot? It’s generally cool here…”

Yu Da On trailed off.

“A-Rin, what about you?”

“I’m hot. Isn’t it really hot?”

Song Ah Rin muttered as she fanned her collar.

“What about Chae Yeon?”

“…”

“…Got it.”

I met gazes with Jang Chae Yeon, who had been unbuttoning her top since earlier, and I had nothing else to say.

I drew out the pistol.

“Ah, are we doing this again, Jae Heon?”

“Why are you doing this right in front of us?”

Yu Da On blinked, and Song Ah Rin let out a long sigh.

“That’s not what’s happening.”

Aiming the pistol at my temple, my hand laid open immediately, and the gun clattered to the ground.

“Are you crazy?”

Song Ah Rin, stretching out her hand, stared at me.

“Are you out of your mind? What are you doing?!”

“I am completely sane right now.”

I picked up the gun again.

“…Listen carefully.”

I began explaining the state of this dream world to everyone.

“…”

Song Ah Rin’s expression hardened, and Jang Chae Yeon’s face stiffened as well.

“And what if this isn’t a dream? You’ll just be dead.”

“I have to try walking through it.”

I couldn’t just shoot Jang Chae Yeon or Song Ah Rin.

Just because it’s hot isn’t enough of a reason to act like this…

“…Damn, I wish I had that old man with me right now…”

“Old man?”

“That one, you know, the old dude from Gangdong who does reality checks exceptionally well.”

Song Ah Rin muttered while pacing anxiously.

“…”

Now that I think about it.

Reality check.

Making us discern if this is reality or a dream.

I bent my fingers.

They didn’t bend grotesquely like in a dream.

This much was expected.

If it were easy, someone would have figured it out already.

I needed something more definitive. Something like my eyesight…

“…”

My eyes?

I looked back at the painting.

[Name: Self-Portrait]

[Infinite Canvas, Ink Wash]

[200 X 200 cm]

“…”

I gripped the gun tightly.

“Hey!”

“Trust me.”

At my words, Song Ah Rin hesitated, and Jang Chae Yeon looked at me with a face filled with concern.

“It’s alright.”

I was sure about what I just saw.

I pulled the trigger with my finger resting on the trigger.

-Bang!

The sound echoed, and with the sensation of something piercing my temple, sharp pain flooded in, and my vision went dark.