Chapter 65
【♤!!】
Swoosh!
The smiling mask, without a moment’s hesitation.
Fixed his gaze on the corpse with its head buried in a pool of blood.
Amidst the messy flesh and dark reddish-brown blood pool.
The motionless, cold corpse captured his stare.
He blankly stared at the corpse that could not possibly be alive.
He continued to stare, as if time had stopped, endlessly, continuously…
And when he finally opened his tightly closed mouth.
【♤…Unnecessary props, it seems it would be more convenient to definitely dispose of them.】
【♤Burning would certainly be the most thorough method.】
The powerful heat began to slowly spread, focusing only on the parts of the man’s body.
Whoosh-!
Within the fierce flames that covered everything, the man’s body began to quickly burn away.
Definitively.
So that it would never reveal its existence in this world again.
The spot where the man had fallen turned pitch black in an instant, to the point where even the blood pool would dry up.
Swoosh-
The fierce flames disappeared in a moment, and where the flames had swept through, only black ash was now drifting in the wind.
The smiling mask finally felt relieved, once again placing a smile at the corners of his mouth.
Thinking that the utterly disgusting trash had finally disappeared before his eyes.
And then.
Chzzt-
Before the irritating noise could reach his ears again.
“[Is this the ‘fire show’?]”
【♤!!!】
The alien tone struck his eardrums once more.
The smiling mask quickly turned his head and surveyed the surroundings.
And when his gaze stopped at one place.
There stood a man.
With distorted black-shaped legs sprouting near where his lower body should not exist.
Even though the smiling mask was directly looking at the man, the man’s appearance was wrapped in a distorted form covering his entire body.
It was as if…
He was looking at a living ‘noise’.
Like looking at a lump of error that should not exist in this world.
A distorted existence.
That existence spoke to him with such nonchalance.
Chzzt-
“[Oh, how rude of me. My introduction is late. I am… Noi-]”
Before the introduction of the existence mixed with noise could be completed, the smiling mask cut off his words.
He shouted loudly.
【♤Crush to pieces!】
“[You’re not letting me finish my sentence-…]”
Crunch-
The existence made of massive noise began to twist, unable to resist, with his entire body being bent in an instant.
Crunch, crunch-
His body’s joints began to twist beyond the point they could bend.
Crunch, crunch, crunch-
Watching the body grotesquely fold in on itself, he believed it could absolutely not survive.
He felt relieved.
That relief involuntarily opened his mouth.
【♤…Disgusting creature.】
The smiling mask was certain of the creature’s death.
But,
Chzzt-
【♤!!】
“[Your welcome seems a bit aggressive.]”
Again.
That incredibly arrogant voice pierced his hearing in front of his own existence.
A creature he disliked from start to finish.
He spoke with complete composure.
“[However, this welcome might be a bit too much for our employee to accept.]”
When his displeasure at the existence of maintaining such a composed voice in front of him began to consume his entire body.
【♤…Uninvited audience will be forcibly ejected!】
The smiling mask shouted loudly.
Attempting to instantly turn the irritating existence before his eyes into dust.
【♤Into dust…】
But this time, the alien noise interrupted his words first.
“[You’ve been quite loud since earlier. It seems like my voice keeps getting buried. I’ll lower the volume for a moment. Please understand…]”
As the noise creature’s fingertips slowly traced a vertical line across his mouth.
Screech-
Followed by a muffled sound.
Boom-
The sound… disappeared.
All noise that could be called ‘sound’ vanished at once.
As if sound had never existed from the beginning, as if such a descriptor had never existed from the start.
As if the silence in the world had swallowed all sounds.
【♤▓▓▓▓▓▓▓!▓▓▓▓!!】
A space that would not tolerate any sound was created.
But here, the only one.
The existence that tore through that emptiness and exhaled sound appeared.
Chzzt-
Along with that irritating noise.
“[…Finally, it’s quiet.]”
Chzzt, chzzt-
“[Then, let me introduce myself once more. I’m called ‘Noise’. A name given to me by an excellent employee of our company. :)]”
After finishing his brief introduction, he immediately expressed regret.
“[Although I would have liked to have a more candid conversation…]”
…Cough-
Red blood flowed from between the distorted facial cracks.
“[…If we delay any longer, I’m afraid our employee’s body won’t remain intact.]”
【♤▓▓!!▓▓▓!!!】
But,
The smiling mask was not focusing on Noise’s words.
Only struggling with all his might to suppress his vocal cords and try to produce a voice.
Thud-
【♤▓▓!!】
As his footsteps that struck his hearing drew closer, the smiling mask tried even harder.
Pressing down on his vocal cords more strongly, attempting to produce sound.
Thud-
As the distance between them narrowed.
He stepped back.
He fled.
Instinctively began running wildly out of the circus ground.
Believing that if he could just escape this circus ground, he would be able to speak again.
With all his might.
He ran.
In the empty space where even his rough breathing could not be contained, the smiling mask flailed his arms and ran with all his strength.
Running, and running again.
When his vision was filled with the red-blooded sky and red ground.
Slip-
The smile at the corner of his mouth seemed to scream.
【♤▓▓▓!!!!】
!!
But,
It did not come out.
No voice came out.
Only the empty silence completely enveloped the space.
Chzzt-
“[I apologize if I gave you false hope. And…]”
From the voice mixed with noise, a playful tone emerged.
“[It seems you’ve forgotten how to laugh. Laugh. It’s the only thing you can do in this space… Smiling Mask. Laugh. :)]”
【♤………..】
The smiling mask looked at the existence before him and thought.
This is, unmistakably, cheating… he thought.
He felt unfairness towards this strange existence using his space as if it were their own.
He felt the absurdity.
If he could only make a sound, he would have crushed this insolent existence in an instant.
“[…That’s what you were thinking, right? I understand, and I’ll keep understanding.]”
【♤!!】
“[But this is absolutely not unfair. This is only natural.]”
Soon after, Noise, who now held a small fountain pen, whispered.
“[Because I’m simply taking back what was originally mine. And…]”
The following voice is not a smiling mask in front of my eyes.
Heading towards the excellent employee, listening to his own voice.
“[Employee Park Yeon-jeong, please remember with your body.]”
At the same moment a single drop of black ink fell from the quill pen in his hand, a mischievous noise mixed in with the man’s voice.
“[Ah! You do know that memos are essential, right? Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]”
With the end of the mischievous voice, the black ink that had fallen to the floor soon.
Bubble, bubble.
Began to boil.
Shortly after. Something long seemed to jump up from between the area where the black ink had fallen.
Just like toast popping up from a toaster.
Duk-!
The noise, who grabbed what had popped up between the black ink puddles in one swift motion, continued his explanation.
“[Do you understand, Employee Park Yeon-jeong. If we can extract just a very small amount of the power of this ghost,we can create an item imbued with the power of that ghost story like this.]”
What he was holding was a massive black hammer.
Boo-hoo-
Boo-hoo-
With the sight of easily swinging the massive hammer with one hand here and there.
Boo-hoo-tak!
The hammer that had been swinging for a while stopped, and Noise’s commentary flowed out.
“[It seems it was just a simple ghost story. Just a slightly heavy hammer… Well, with a hammer like this, it doesn’t seem like there would be much difficulty in suppressing you.]”
Holding a slightly disappointed assessment in his mouth.
Sseuk-!
【♤!!!】
Aimed the massive hammer at the smiling mask in front of him.
“[The next story, let’s continue thoroughly back at our company.]”
!!
The smiling mask was already fleeing with all its might before Noise could finish speaking.
The sight of the smiling mask fleeing in a world where sound had disappeared was truly pathetic.
Noise, looking at the guy running away from him.
Kuluk-!
Black-red hemoptysis flowed out of his mouth again. Indicating that not much time was left.
“[… Just a little more, please hold on. Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]”
Kkwak-
Strongly gripping the blood on his hand. Noise grabbed the hammer in his left hand with both hands.
And his gaze again.
Looking at the smiling mask that had escaped quite a distance in that short moment, a warm voice flowed out.
“[Now, let’s go back. Because it’s almost ‘closing time’.]”
Hop-!
Noise leaped with a single jump from where he was standing.
Somehow chasing right behind the smiling mask’s back, raising the hammer high.
【♤▓▓!!▓▓▓!!!】
Through the gap in the mask covering the smiling mask, the face he had been hiding was revealed.
The word ‘despair’ was etched on his face.
“[… Not very professional of you.]”
K-!!
Where the massive hammer struck.
Only grotesquely crushed flesh was scattered.
Though the state was absolutely not alive.
… Twitch.
Between the fallen flesh, a small pinky finger was fortunately moving.
“[… My strength control was a bit clumsy.]”
Kkulluk-
As the massive hammer began to slowly lose its form, dripping down.
There, the quill pen had returned to its original shape.
Now, all that was left was to capture and return to the library.
Twitch-
?
A slight numbness was felt in his right arm.
Noise muttered about this minute reaction:
“[… Employee Park Yeon-jeong?]”
Noise was surprised.
Even though his control was gradually being taken over, he was still in a state where his consciousness remained, and he was impressed by his actions of trying to take away the body’s control.
He wanted to applaud.
It was praiseworthy.
With a subtle smile between his distorted lips, Noise whispered softly:
“[Truly, you are too compassionate.]”
As Noise quickly captured the smiling mask.
Crunch-!
Looking at the ground beginning to crack.
Step-
Silently moved his steps inside the circus ground.
Step, step-!
Leisurely walking through the rapidly collapsing space, where his steps stopped.
“[… So we meet again like this. Candidate Han-sol :)]”
“…….”
Looking down at Han-sol lying on the floor.
“[Be grateful to the colleague ‘Employee Park Yeon-jeong’.]”
“……….”
Han-sol’s response did not return. Precisely, it seemed there was no longer any strength left to make a voice.
So Noise, without waiting any longer, lightly flicked his thumb and index finger.
Dak!
…….
With the cheerful sound, Han-sol disappeared before his eyes, and there remained only our second bear doll.
“[Then, let’s collect the others and return.]”
Noise pushed the two bears stuck acrobatically on the wall into his employee ID.
And flicked his finger once more.
Dak!
In the pitch-dark space.
The familiar landscape of the library appeared before his eyes.
Pulsseuk-
The moment he returned to the library, Park Yeon-jeong’s body collapsed to the floor, stretched out like a puppet with its strings cut.
Chijijik-
A familiar noise flowed through the speakers in the space.
[It feels like it’s been a long time since an outing, always feels fresh! Isn’t that right? Employee Park Yeon-jeong!]
[I hope we have another opportunity to go out together next time.]
“…….”
[Employee Park Yeon-jeong?]
But Park Yeon-jeong’s response did not come.
Noise stared blankly at his employee lying stretched out on the floor for a while.
And whispered softly:
[Employee Park Yeon-jeong…]
[Are you dead?]
“…….”
Age: 27
Name: Park Yeon-jeong
Cause of Death: Excessive Bleeding
(Deceased) Park Yeon-jeong
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