Chapter 17 And the Performance has began(5)
All the preparations were complete.
But….
The trembling hasn’t stopped since earlier.
It’s not trembling from fear, but something closer to instinct.
My body is hot.
My heartbeat resonates through my head and bones.
I wish all this trembling was just because of those lights shining on me.
I can vividly feel the movement of blood cells traveling through my veins.
A sensation I never wanted to experience in my life.
Grip.
Nevertheless, the man brought the microphone to his lips.
“I sincerely apologize to all the guests who have been waiting until now….”
Only Park Yeon-jeong, currently holding the microphone, bowed his head to show respect to the audience.
As if the performance had really ended, he deliberately created that atmosphere.
“I’d like everyone to go home now.”
@##!@&$@!@#!
What kind of abusive language and curses were those?
But even without checking, the conductor showed such intense anger that it was easy to identify whose outburst it was.
There were no longer any musical notes mixed in his screams.
Swish.
Park Yeon-jeong raised his head again.
Where my gaze was directed…..
The strange sight of musical notes that had formed the conductor’s face losing control and scattering in all directions.
Those who watched the entire process without blinking went beyond fear.
Despair, as if they had already accepted death here, was visualized on their faces.
Choi Gang-in was no exception.
“…..”
After confirming the faces of those people,
Park Yeon-jeong dropped the microphone to the floor.
Screeech-!
With the sudden rupturing sound, everyone who had just lost their minds focused their attention on that single microphone, and when Choi Gang-in’s gaze also focused on me.
A smile that seemed impossible to see in the current situation was directed at Choi Gang-in.
“Don’t let them catch you.”
“…You really.”
Unfortunately, Park Yeon-jeong didn’t hear Choi Gang-in’s next words.
More precisely.
After Choi Gang-in noticed an eye-shaped artificial structure that looked like it was made by a child in the position where Park Yeon-jeong’s hand had been holding the microphone.
He instinctively shouted.
“From this moment on, everyone must absolutely not move! No matter what happens!”
Grin.
A faint smile spread across a man’s face.
‘I’m really glad it was you.’
Park Yeon-jeong then gripped the artificial structure that had been in his hand with all his might.
With all his strength. He slammed it down on the bare ground.
Crack!
The artificial structure shattered too easily.
And soon all the musical notes that had been roaming throughout the entire space. Simultaneously stopped in place.
After hearing the sound of the structure breaking on the floor, Choi Gang-in saw that Park Yeon-jeong also stopped moving.
But.
It’s quiet.
A deathly silence hangs in the air.
When there was no immediate change, and everyone was feeling puzzled.
“…Puha! Puhahahahahahaha!”
Someone’s roaring laughter filled the entire space.
“Haha! Hahahahahahaha!”
It wasn’t the conductor’s.
The conductor could only express emotions through musical notes.
But who else here would suddenly burst into such uproarious laughter as if they had gone mad?
Choi Gang-in thought that there would be only one such person here, except for one.
Yes.
Only one.
The person who had brought them here.
And instilled false hope that they could leave alive.
It was Park Yeon-jeong’s laughter.
“You really did exactly what I said?! Hahaha! You fools”
“…..”
“Indeed, this moment is the most fun! That pathetic instant when hope on your face turns to despair! This is it, this!!”
“…..”
“This is nothing short of a masterpiece!”
Grind.
It wasn’t Choi Gang-in’s.
He couldn’t turn his gaze, but it was the sound of someone’s teeth grinding together in despair and anger at having been deceived by Park Yeon-jeong’s words just now.
“…But I’m really disappointed in you. Note-head.”
♬?!
One of the musical notes suspended in the air trembled slightly.
“To think you would sincerely fall for my low-level game like this…”
With subtle breath control.
“Rather than a conductor. You seem more suited to be a variety show panelist.”
………
The slight trembling of the musical notes that had been felt until just now disappeared, and amidst the all-too-quiet scene.
♩–
One long sustained note.
And simultaneously raising the baton high into the air.
The conductor’s performance began.
Swoosh!!
All the musical notes flying through the air began rushing toward Park Yeon-jeong.
The notes come rushing in like crazy at high speed.
Creak.
Creak, creak!
As if trying to avoid the notes rapidly approaching them. The creaking of numerous people tickles the ears.
But they are also pondering.
Whether moving right now.
Is the right choice.
Even at this moment when Choi Gang-in was entangled in tens, hundreds, thousands of thoughts.
Blink.
Choi Gang-in felt someone’s gaze on the back of his neck.
『You moved?』
!!!
Blink.
The gaze felt at the back of his head soon. Another eyeball had appeared within Choi Gang-in’s field of vision.
The strange sight of a single eyeball floating in the air.
The eyeball that appeared before everyone whispered in a gender-neutral voice.
『A lot too?』
The countless musical notes that had been charging toward Park Yeon-jeong, perhaps hundreds, or maybe thousands, suddenly stopped in their tracks at the presence of this singular eye.
Once again, they all stopped simultaneously.
More precisely.
『What will you give us?』
The eye that was clearly singular.
Blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink, blink.
According to the number of notes that had moved, it began to multiply terrifyingly.
『Let’s go. Everyone is waiting.』
Soon after, teeth sprouted where eyelids should have been.
Those teeth began to bare themselves toward all the notes that had just moved.
Gulp.
♯!!
And started devouring all the conductor’s notes.
♯♬♩!!!
Like screaming dissonant sounds, and soon another single eye appeared before the writhing conductor.
Blink.
『You moved again?』
♯!!
The conductor’s two legs struggling were swallowed by the eye.
♯!
Next was the left arm holding the baton.
!!
Then the right arm.
Soon. Only the conductor’s pathetic body remained rolling on the floor.
………
After that, the conductor no longer moved.
Or perhaps he wanted to move but couldn’t show his pain visually because his arms and legs had disappeared—this was unknown.
But that’s not what’s really important, is it?
‘…It’s over.’
In an instant, everything was over.
Park Yeon-jeong was fortunately able to complete the task smoothly thanks to the conductor falling for his provocation.
I really considered it fortunate.
Now one risk factor has disappeared. Now, the next person to carry the baton from here is.
To return these Thousand Eyes that Park Yeon-Jeong just activated.
Even though I had prepared somewhat when activating these things.
=======
/Item List
Thousand Eyes.
(If you can feel their gaze, give them what they want.)
Everyone’s deficiency, frustration, greed from what they don’t have… truly unsightly emotions.
Think simply.
If you need it, take it!
Don’t be picky about means and methods!
Covet everything that catches your eye!
When used: Built-in ghost story appears. (Shows strong attachment to the body.)
*Many who need help are waiting for your saving hand. The first child wants ‘two healthy legs’………..
-[Ideological contamination occurring]-
Access to this material is prohibited.
Position: Restricted to Department Head level and above.
=======
Crackling sound.
The almost burned-out incense caught my eye, barely within reach of the eye.
In preparation for the current situation. I lit the incense before breaking the artificial structure.
But even that incense doesn’t have much length left.
There’s only one way to send them back.
To hand over a complete human body to them.
Of course, I have no intention of willingly giving up my precious body. That’s why I’m burning incense right now.
Not much time left now. The end is approaching.
Somehow, I need to have my body taken by these thousands of eyes within this space.
……Sigh.
Even knowing I won’t die, the aversion continues to circle my body.
But I must do it.
“…I know what you want.”
Blink.
『You moved?』
The eye is watching me.
Gulp.
I swallowed dry saliva.
“If you want, you can take it freely.”
Anyway, while the incense burns down, I’m denied any kind of death.
‘…Though the pain doesn’t disappear.’
Endure it.
Since I entered the ghost story. I was prepared for this much.
Quickly before the incense burns completely.
『……』
Please hurry.
『……』
……?
What? These guys.
The eye looks at me.
Just looking.
When Park Yeon-Jeong couldn’t grasp what was happening in this sudden staring contest.
『Not much left?』
At its question, somehow my gaze slowly fell downward.
Crackling sound.
Attention focused on the incense I’m holding in my right hand.
Blink.
It’s an eye.
Another eye is staring at the incense in my right hand.
As if…….
Just waiting for that incense to burn out completely.
『Not much left?』
Creepy!!
‘This thing!’
Exposed.
I’ve been found out by them.
I never thought they would notice the current situation.
No, more than that.
This is bad.
If the incense goes out in this state.
I’ll die.
I will really die.
Like that conductor guy rolling on the floor. With both arms and legs torn off.
Meeting a miserable death.
‘I was almost there!’
I can’t die like this.
Now I must survive, if only out of indignation. I still have one unused incense stick left.
I can do this.
If I don’t believe in myself, no one will.
Let’s light the remaining incense and think of the next best plan.
It’s not too late yet.
Park Yeon-Jeong’s left hand passed through the ID card and immediately pulled out the last remaining incense.
‘Now I just need to light it…’
『Do you think you can escape?』
I froze.
…An eye of a size I’ve never seen before is looking at me.
A size that seemed like it could devour my entire body at any moment.
I was overwhelmed.
Thanks to the Top of the Class Glasses, my mind didn’t collapse.
Crackling sound.
The last gray ash falling helplessly.
The incense has burned out completely.
……It’s over.
『It’s over?』
A slight laugh touches the gender-neutral voice brushing my ear.
Dozens… hundreds……
No, thousands of eyes gathered toward me, and those gathered eyes, revealing teeth so hideous, whispered to me like this.
『I want legs I want arms I want heart I want head I want brain I want pancreas I want kidneys I want………. 』
Disguised as whispers. Thousands of voices each wanting different body parts.
At that moment when the glasses’ effect continuously blocked their mental damage.
Drip.
The sensation of hot liquid flowing from deep inside my nose.
My hand involuntarily went up, and when I wiped under my nose.
There was red blood on it.
『Next, ears.』
『Next, eyes.』
『Next, mouth.』
When bloodshot eyes were looking at their thousands of eyes.
I instinctively felt that my body had exceeded its limit.
But this is just the beginning.
The stage of pain has just begun.
『What will you give us…!!!』
Pause.
The approach of the eyes that seemed about to devour Park Yeon-Jeong suddenly stopped.
At first, I thought it might be their sick taste.
That’s what I thought.
『You… are carrying that person’s item?』
『Why?』
『That person? Why? I don’t understand?』
Their sudden strange behavior.
Although they were saying things I couldn’t understand at all. I instinctively thought this moment was my last chance and immediately moved my body.
Click.
I immediately took out the lighter in my right pocket and turned it on.
Bringing the lighter flame to the incense covered in red blood.
When attention focused on the burning incense.
‘…It, it worked!’
White smoke rose.
The incense started to burn.
“……”
And the thousands of eyes that were showing their teeth to me just a moment ago soon…
Somehow only a single eye was staring at Park Yeon-Jeong. As if the hunter had given up the hunt.
That last eyelid began to close itself, and a very low voice flowed into Park Yeon-Jeong’s ear.
『This is the last time.』
With those words.
Park Yeon-Jeong’s bewildered gaze still watching the burning incense.
‘…Did, did they leave?’
Whether they really disappeared.
When I still couldn’t gauge it.
A firm hand protruding between black sleeves visible through the red gaze.
“…It’s over.”
To my weakening voice.
“…Yes, it’s over.”
At the faint smile of Department Head Choi Gang-in who had somehow approached me, I let go of all tension with a deep sigh.
I just sprawled out flat on the floor.
‘…I really almost died!!!’
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