Chapter 80.
Static.
Tiny particles floated aimlessly in the air.
The particles disappeared and reappeared, repeating an endless cycle.
Static.
And now.
The figure in front of me, emitting those small particles from its entire body.
Through the particles covering its face, it stared at me.
The sensation of its gaze wasn’t one of certainty.
Just a simple assumption.
A strange, alien gaze that felt like it was watching me.
Instead of a voice coming through its throat, a harsh mechanical sound scratched my eardrums.
Static.
“Ask your question, Employee Park Yeon-jeong.”
“…….”
Even though I was sitting in the chair, Noise’s towering physique and voice pierced my ears.
…Gulp.
I swallowed my silence.
And faced the current situation.
Before entering this white room.
I recalled what Noise had said to me.
– I trust you’ll ask a question that won’t disappoint me.
As I revisited those words, the only thing that came to mind was.
This is completely.
‘A forced answer,’ isn’t it?
It said it would answer whatever I was curious about, but given the current situation.
Noise was essentially saying to me.
‘Please ask the question I want to hear, Employee Park Yeon-jeong.’
That’s exactly what this is!
Is this really a reward, Noise?!
As I began to doubt whether what I received was truly a reward.
Static.
The tearing voice urging me to ask a question tickled my ears.
“Employee Park Yeon-jeong? Not ready yet? An excellent employee should always be prepared with a list of questions in advance. Also……”
Flap.
Noise waves its arms around, beginning a grand explanation of what makes an outstanding employee.
…As if it had been waiting for this moment. It poured out its words effortlessly.
Unlike the usual voice coming through the speaker, seeing Noise passionately explaining with gestures felt.
A bit refreshing. Truly refreshing.
Click.
“Employee Park Yeon-jeong. Are you listening?”
“…Yes.”
…….
As its expressiveness increased, so did its nagging, doubling in intensity.
“And to become an even more outstanding employee……”
While Noise continued to impart its wisdom.
I slowly closed my mouth.
And as I listened to Noise’s words.
I let them go in one ear and out the other.
Right now, more than the supervisor’s good advice on becoming an excellent employee.
I needed to think of a question to ask Noise.
And honestly.
When I first received this so-called ‘question privilege.’
What came to mind was.
– A way to leave this place.
I wanted to ask about an escape route from this world.
That was my ultimate goal, so I thought there was no reason not to ask.
At first…
But on the other hand,
I didn’t want to give off the blatant impression to Noise that I wanted to escape this place.
Also, even if I found out about an escape route through this question.
It’s clear that Noise wouldn’t just sit back and watch me try to escape.
It might have been subtly preventing me from escaping all along.
Of course.
If no clues about an escape route ever surfaced, then maybe I’d have to ask.
But I’ll think about that when the time comes.
For now, I’ll hold my tongue.
The question about the escape route can wait until after I check the room connected to the real world, said to be in the ghost story [Check-in is at 666 o’clock.].
So, for now, rather than asking about the escape route, what I need to ask Noise is.
‘Probably…that.’
Something that has been piquing my curiosity lately.
While my gaze remained fixed on Noise, my voice calmly settled.
Echoing softly throughout the room.
“The girl in the red robe…”
Click.
Just now, static spiked.
Noise stared at me silently, but the flickering static was clearly visible.
Noise was currently unsettled.
I continued to observe Noise’s reaction and cautiously opened my mouth.
“Recently, a girl also appeared in my dreams.”
“…….”
Noise’s silence grew longer.
The lack of any objection to my question signaled that I could continue.
I put a bit more strength into my voice.
Without hesitation, I continued my question to Noise, who was staring blankly at me.
“Ever since you took my left arm, I’ve been having these strange dreams…and I’ve been curious about them.”
“…….”
About those strange dreams.
I wanted to hear the story from no one else but Noise.
Static.
“This is the ‘curiosity’ I wanted to ask you about.”
“…….”
After my question ended.
Noise straightened its posture.
And,
Swoosh.
It gently placed its right hand on its chest, showing me the palm of its other hand with a flawless motion.
Static.
Noise.
Let out a deep sigh of admiration.
“As expected, Employee Park Yeon-jeong. You never disappoint me…impressive.”
Its voice gradually grew louder.
“Excellent…truly excellent! How did you manage to grasp the hidden meaning behind my words so well?”
Static.
Noise’s impassioned voice struck my brain like a direct hit.
[You truly are an outstanding employee! Employee Park Yeon-jeong!!]
Thud.
It suddenly stood up, raising both arms high into the air, not stopping its praise for me.
“I feel like it won’t be long before you become an outstanding supervisor like me.”
“…Thank you.”
I expressed my gratitude.
It felt like the right thing to say at that moment.
After my thanks, Noise’s heightened emotions gradually subsided.
It calmed its excited body and sat back down in the chair, speaking again.
Static.
“If that’s what you’re curious about, Employee Park Yeon-jeong, I’ll explain it to you with all sincerity.”
With a smile spreading across its face.
Noise flicked its finger.
Snap.
Into the white room we were in.
A girl in a red robe appeared, her robe fluttering.
And her appearance was.
‘The girl from my dreams.’
The girl in the red robe I had seen in my dreams.
For a moment, I thought it was really her.
Static.
“It’s just a well-made statue…and this must be the girl you met, right?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
When I answered without hesitation.
Noise’s voice calmly settled.
But…why was it?
Maybe it was just my imagination, but I couldn’t feel Noise’s gaze.
To be precise.
It felt like its gaze wasn’t on me.
But on something else.
Noise’s voice slowly.
Very slowly…
The voice that reached my ears carried a calmness.
“That girl, it would be more accurate to call her my creator. We were close enough to call each other ‘friends.’”
“……What?”
“It would be easier to understand if you think of it as the structure that created her (Soi) as Park Yeon-jeon.”
Noise casually spoke about how it was created by the girl in the red robe.
As if it were nothing significant.
As if it were a common occurrence.
So casually that.
For a moment, I almost blurted out, ‘Ah, I see.’
“So the dreams you’ve been having, Employee Park Yeon-jeong, are like a boring documentary containing memories of my past.”
Listening to Noise compares its past to a boring documentary.
– You ▓▓▓.
Someone’s voice struck my eardrums, echoing in my skull.
I didn’t…recognize that voice.
I simply asked a very natural question.
As if…
I had been possessed by something.
“Then…what happened to that girl?”
“What happened? She was just a human, not much different from you, Employee Park Yeon-jeong. It’s only natural that she’s already dead.”
It was a very natural question.
Even now, I don’t know why I asked that question.
But along with the tingling sensation in my left arm that I’ve been feeling.
I wanted to confirm.
Or rather, it felt like someone else wanted to confirm.
A strange voice brushing past my ears borrowed my mouth.
And spoke the words it wanted to say.
– You killed her.
“Noise, why did you kill that girl?”
“!!”
…!!
I covered my mouth.
For a moment, I thought I was possessed.
Upon hearing my words, Noise’s face momentarily flickered through the static.
Faintly, but through the gaps in the static.
Noise.
Opened its mouth, and a look of clear panic crossed its face.
We stared at each other.
Seeing me covering my mouth, Noise’s flickering static soon returned to normal, and a soft voice flowed out.
“This is…perhaps because our contact has been too frequent. Or maybe it’s because you’ve already assimilated with my left arm…”
It wasn’t asking me.
Just muttering softly.
As it muttered words I wasn’t meant to hear.
Swoosh.
When I felt Noise’s gaze again.
It spoke to me.
“…Yes, Employee Park Yeon-jeong. As you said, I killed that girl. If you’re asking why…it was a ‘mistake?’ I suppose.”
“…….”
“It was just…a simple stroke of bad luck. A mistake.”
This time, the voice that came out.
Again carried a calmness.
It spoke as if it were no big deal.
Thud.
Noise quickly wrapped up the conversation.
Click.
“I hope this consultation was truly beneficial for you, Employee Park Yeon-jeong……Ah. And by the way, this place was created thanks to the efforts of your teddy bears. So, to honor their hard work, let’s make sure to use it as often as possible.”
Wait, was this the reason you took our two teddy bears during that ‘jackpot’ moment?
While silently thanking our teddy bears for working hard behind the scenes.
Swoosh.
!
Noise bent its tall frame, leaning its static-covered face toward me, and spoke.
“Today was truly a beneficial time. Well then, since today’s consultation is over, I’ll leave you to your work for the day.”
“…Huh?”
With a smile spreading across its face.
Noise flicked its finger.
Without even asking for my consent.
“Wait, hold on……”
…….
Let me catch my breath too!
Please review this novel @ NovelUpdate.
