Chapter 68
How the atmosphere is… heavy.
The air density sinks low.
A quiet silence rises above the surface.
The existence of silence is like swallowing all sounds. It spread an inexplicable discomfort throughout the entire space.
Until the words of Noise are heard again beyond the speaker.
…….
I closed my mouth.
For some reason, I felt like I had to.
I was instinctively aware that I should not open my mouth first.
In the suffocating silence.
The only thought I could think of about the current situation.
This thought quickly swept through my mind. Perhaps the dream that Park Yeon-jeong himself had dreamed….
-Noise’s past.
I thought it would have been his past.
Otherwise, Noise’s reaction just now could not be explained.
The faint voice that filled the space.
That low voice, as if tracing an old memory, was the most exotic voice among all the voices of Noise I had heard so far.
There was strength in that voice.
‘Emotion’ was contained in the voice.
That existence called Noise… revealed personal feelings in its voice.
Static-
The familiar Noise brushed past my ears again, and my gaze naturally turned towards the speaker.
[Sometimes they say you reminisce and get lost in emotions.]
[How new… It’s new! Park Yeon-jeong!]
Noise’s voice returned to its usual state.
Without a single deviation.
As if there was an emotion-switching switch.
As if pressing that switch would easily change its emotions.
The man observed this in real-time.
‘Noise, this guy….’
Is it bipolar disorder?
Noise became scary in a different sense.
It’s not to say that he dislikes this atmosphere.
Seeing Noise return to its usual self, it felt like the blocked breath was suddenly freed, bringing a sense of inexplicable relief.
It seemed like I could finally breathe comfortably.
If there was something slightly bothersome.
Was it the sense of dissonance from too suddenly regaining emotional control?
‘Well, there’s no need to ask specifically.’
Because I don’t need to know what kind of existence this ‘Eve’ girl is to Noise.
Static-
[Well, employee Park Yeon-jeong! Let’s continue the story I couldn’t finish earlier!]
Noise continued the explanation about the booklet in its usual cheerful tone.
Suk-!
The white librarian had already opened the same booklet as Park Yeon-jeong himself.
[For other matters, I’ve carefully noted them in the booklet, so you can read it.]
[If you have any other questions, please ask me.]
“…….”
Carefully, you say?
I lowered my gaze to the booklet once more.
————-
The method of using the capable and excellent superior Noise’s power is really simple. The most important thing is….
————
…….
‘This is what you consider ‘carefully organized’ by your standards.’
…Tak.
I closed the booklet I was holding and demanded additional explanation from Noise.
More important things were at hand right now.
“Noise, if you don’t mind, I’d like to hear about what happened at the ‘Wonderlot Circus’.”
Static-!
A slight noise jumped from the speaker in response to my question.
[Oh! Could it be that Employee Park Yeon-jeong… were you sleeping during my kind explanation?!]
[…This matter cannot be overlooked.]
“…….”
I’m innocent.
So please correct me.
I didn’t not hear it.
I couldn’t hear it, Noise.
If there’s a human who can maintain consciousness without fainting while two legs are being pulled out and experiencing heart-crushing pain.
We call such an existence a ‘ghost story’.
‘…Come to think of it.’
I definitely felt a sensation of my heart bursting from the ‘Smiling Mask’.
The memory of spewing a large amount of blood from my mouth is still vividly remembered by my body.
Of course.
It was the worst sensation I never want to experience again.
-Ouch.
My left hand naturally brought itself to the chest area, and I took a moment to compose my breath and wait for the heartbeat.
…Heart pounding.
It beats.
My heart is beating.
Fortunately, I seem to still be human.
Lately, I’ve been acting like a ‘Little Noise’ in front of many people.
Sometimes I get the illusion that I’ve become a ghost story. I was worried that I might be living like a zombie.
Fortunately, I still seem to be human Park Yeon-jeong.
At least for now….
Chiji-jik-!
With the noise flowing from the speaker again, Noise’s playful voice continued.
[Employee Park Yeon-jeong… I’m disappointed. So disappointed. This was our first outing, and you were dozing off during that part.]
[…Surely you haven’t forgotten the fact that I fixed your ruptured heart?]
!!
What?!
The rupture I know?!
‘I just heard something quite shocking!’
I urgently asked Noise again to confirm if I heard it correctly.
“My, my heart… was ruptured?”
Chiji-jiji-jik-!
The noise spike pierced my eardrum once more.
[Oh my, if you’re so unaware of your superior’s hard work, I’m truly disappointed. employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
[No matter how excellent a superior I am, fixing a ruptured heart consumes a great deal of strength and energy.]
[Of course, it wasn’t difficult because it was me. Because I’m a capable superior.]
“…….”
After hearing Noise’s grand explanation.
I closed my mouth.
…Thump.
Feeling the heartbeat through my left hand once more, I lowered my head.
And I shouted internally.
‘I… really, almost died!’
This time, I really almost died.
No, I had actually died.
It was a situation where the expression ‘died and came back to life’ was fitting.
If Noise’s words were all true, I wouldn’t have survived if Noise hadn’t helped me at the circus.
I would have died on the spot.
Instead of riding a ferry boat and meeting that little one in the red robe, I was about to meet the underworld.
So now, what I must do.
Was to express an ‘overwhelming gratitude’ to Noise.
‘Thank you so much! Mr. Noise!’
No, Noise-nim!!
You have saved this fragile being. Here, I will cast out all the impure emotions I have felt towards you so far.
I will dedicate myself to you!
Oh, of course, within the bounds of not endangering my own life… And if the opportunity arises, I plan to escape from here….
Anyway!
Right now, I was confident that I could bow to Noise a hundred times.
The fact that Noise saved me on the day i was dying remained an unchanged truth.
“Thank you very much, Mr. Noise.”
I tried my best to suppress the boiling emotions.
If not…
I would have been crying and wailing right here, and would have likely been holding onto Noise’s non-existent pants leg with a heart-wrenching cry.
I would have displayed an extremely disgraceful scene.
Of course, there was almost no face left for me at this point.
As long as I did not show my emotions here, I just need to listen well to Noise’s words from now on, right?
At the moment when Noise unknowingly was building up Park Yeon-jeong’s loyalty even more.
Chee-chick-
The noise level regained stability once again, and his voice calmed down.
[But since you spoke to me honestly about ‘that dream’, I will let it pass just this once.]
Chee-chick-
[From next time, I will immediately proceed with disciplinary procedures, so please be careful. Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
“…Understood.”
Nevertheless, it seemed that disciplinary procedures would not be carried out this time.
Noise explained to me briefly about what happened at that circus ghist story.
[Since you didn’t hear it at the time. I will explain it very simply.]
The story that came through Noise’s voice was as follows:
-About Noise’s own power.
-A new use of the quill pen.
-Capturing the smiling mask.
Fortunately, while I was unconscious, Noise captured the ‘smiling mask’ instead.
That ‘A-grade’ guy.
Now it was established that Noise is no longer ‘F-grade’.
And the reason Noise could come to that ‘Wonderlot Circus’ was also explained – thanks to Park Yeon-jeong’s own left arm that was taken for disciplinary procedures.
He didn’t tell me the minute details. He probably wouldn’t have told me even if I had asked.
I did hear about the quill pen’s usage method….
But I still haven’t understood the exact usage method.
[Do you understand everything, Employee Park Yeon-jeong?]
“Yes, thanks to Noise-nim’s good explanation, I understood everything.”
Roughly speaking, that is.
But Noise was satisfied with my answer. His voice began to leak out his unique cheerfulness once again.
[As expected of an excellent employee of our company, your comprehension is truly fast.]
[Just continue like now, Employee Park Yeon-jeong. Always as before… according to your own convictions 🙂 ]
Noise’s last voice contained a subtle laughter, and in an atmosphere where all situations were roughly wrapping up.
Park Yeon-jeong subtly realized that the time was approaching.
An oasis that excites the heart of every office worker. And the moment he himself had been looking forward to.
Namely, closing time.
I was now waiting for Noise to naturally bring up the two words ‘closing time’.
And if possible, I was planning to entrust our bear trio who were overworked in this ghist story to Soi.
Soi’s sewing skills are first-rate after all.
Jjik-
…For some reason, I felt a faint pain around my two legs.
Chee-chick-
And when the noise brushed past my ear.
I finally thought the time had come.
[Employee Park Yeon-jeong, then….]
Yes, you’re saying it’s time to close, right?
“Good wo- …….”
[Please take care of customer service today.]
“…What?”
For a moment, I thought I heard wrong.
But Noise’s returning voice flowed out with a considerably substantial and business-like tone.
[This time too, the customer specified Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
[The customer said they would continue to wait for Employee Park Yeon-jeong to receive treatment.]
Chee-chick-
A slight calmness was evident in Noise’s voice.
[They call this ‘alpha male’, don’t they? Truly the qualities of an excellent employee.]
After Noise’s praise of lifting him up.
The employee asked with a trembling voice.
“Ho, have I been unconscious for several days?”
Chee-chick-
With the noise brushing past his ear, Noise precisely said:
[Hmm, precisely 136 hours and 11 minutes have passed… just now, it became 12 minutes.]
…136 hours?
That’s 5 days.
And 16 hours have passed.
If my sense of time is not mistaken, today is….
The start of a new week.
Park Yeon-jeong’s energetic new week has begun, skipping the holiday.
…Damn.
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