Chapter 15 Part 3: And the performance has begun

[7 minutes left until the start of the 1st rehearsal.]

“Haa!.
Haa!”

Creak-

Creak, creak-

I shudder involuntarily at the bizarre cracking sounds.

While running, I slightly turned my head to check the back.

A bizarre sight of clothes with missing insides chasing us was unfolding.

They’re not the staff guys.

Hollow guys who have been chasing us for 8 minutes.

Commonly known as. <Red Orchestra>

The stage costumes, a combination of brilliant red and white, and the sound of the heels of their shoes make our nerves stand on end.

Tap, tap.

Among the facts I know about them, the good news, if any, is

Even if they are orchestra guys, there is not much difference in physical ability from the staff guys.

It means that they can also be subdued.

I really wanted to leave the Red Orchestra to Team R, but.

But, you know.

There’s a reason why I didn’t try.

The suppression of the Red Orchestra is only possible when they are not holding musical instruments.

It hurts. It hurts, it hurts! Hahaha! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!

Die? Died. You died. Then let’s all die together? Let’s diiiiiiie!!

Our instruments are talking.

To be precise, it’s the repeated utterance of the words that were spoken until the last moment in the process of a being that was human until just now turning into an instrument.

An unpleasant dissonance.

From our point of view, who are listening to that scream-like dissonance in real-time, it was truly maddening.

This is.

This is why the current ghost story was upgraded from E-grade to B-grade.

The ‘Red Orchestra’ moves to find their instruments for those who refuse the staff’s guidance.

Wielding the humans who have already become instruments through the hands of the orchestra, they began collecting instruments (humans).

Humans who have become instruments continue to scream. (Identified as continuous mental damage.)

*Each instrument has a power that surpasses C-grade items.

The combat power of the Red Orchestra holding instruments is comparable to that of a GRA deputy-level employee.

For reference, to explain some representative instruments.

The ‘contrabass’, the size of an adult male, starts with the appearance of a hammer that can crush all living things in an instant.

An ax blade attached to the body of a violin.

A bizarre usage of a trumpet with a buttstock attached and using a person’s finger as a bullet.

‘Shouldn’t this be called a weapon, not a musical instrument?’ I wanted to complain, but I kept my mouth shut.

Probably before I finish saying all those complaints, my body will be destroyed by those ‘classical instruments’.

【1 minute left until the start of the 1st rehearsal.】

Now, this long chase will also end in 1 minute.

Haa!!

I gasped for breath.

My breath had already reached the tip of my chin, and a gasping sound came out of my mouth.

Park Yeon-jung, who has poor stamina, didn’t seem to be able to last the last minute.

“Th, this damn

……

Damn stamina!”

Everyone except me is running hard in front to avoid the Red Orchestra.

In other words, I’m lagging behind alone.

It’s a situation where it wouldn’t be strange if I collapsed on the floor at any moment.

This can’t go on.

At this rate, I might be the first to become an instrument.

It hurts!

Eek!

It’s too close!

The ax-blade violin that chased me right behind me.

‘I was going to save it as much as possible.’

If I save it any longer.

I was in a situation where I was pushed to the brink of life and death, where I might smell incense in my coffin.

Just when I was about to light the lighter I had been holding in my left hand since earlier.

Thud!

‘Damn it!’

I lost strength in my hand for a moment and dropped the lighter on the floor.

Now it’s too late to run away.

They’re coming.

The lighter that fell in the direction where the orchestra guys were approaching.

I hurriedly reached out my arm.

Grab!

‘I got it!’

I barely grabbed the lighter.

Click.

Fwoosh!

Fortunately, as soon as I lit the lighter at once.

Park Yeon-jung immediately brought the incense there.

And I shouted, looking at the incense that started to burn.

“CHC…….”

Slash!

Thud…

A body of an adult, split in half as if a watermelon was split in half by an ax blade swung with all its might, piercing Park Yeon-jung’s head.

Choi Kang-in, who was clearly watching the scene with his own eyes.

[This is an announcement.]

Freeze.

At the voice echoing from the speaker, all the orchestras froze in one place as if they were 맞춰.

“Everyone stop!!”

Team R, including Choi Kang-in, also stopped in their tracks and observed the situation.

【We will proceed with the first rehearsal.】

【We would appreciate it if the orchestra members who are applicable would gather in K-2 room.】

Tap tap tap.

At the same time as the announcement to find the orchestra ended, the Red Orchestra showed the appearance of turning their steps all at once, giving up the chase until now.

Seeing the Red Orchestra moving away from them, the civilians sighed in relief.

But there were also those who could not.

Team R members, including Choi Kang-in, couldn’t take their eyes off the body split in half.

They had question marks about his actions, which they didn’t understand.

‘He gave up running away and suddenly rushed towards them.’

Why?

The question ‘why’ cannot be erased.

I have no idea what he intended to do with that action.

Smoke?

Smoke rising from the horribly split corpse. And the familiar smell that tickles the tip of my nose.

It was the smell of incense that I had smelled all day long at the agency.

Step.

“……Sec, Section Chief!”

“It’s dangerous!”

Despite everyone’s dissuasion.

Choi Kang-in began to stride towards the body split in half.

Witnessing that scene, Team R members shouted and showed signs of continuing to dissuade him, but no one took a step forward.

Of course, Choi Kang-in, who approaches the dead person’s body without any wariness in the current situation, is unusual.

“……”

After carefully observing the body split in half. Choi Kang-in witnessed the incense held in the left hand of the dead body.

It was already almost burnt out.

Choi Kang-in’s gaze was not on the body lying on the floor.

It was focused on the incense.

Could it be.”

Choi Kang-in considered one possibility that flashed through his mind, but thought it couldn’t be.

-Item.

This possibility was ridiculous.

‘Was it my mistake…?

The unknown survival instinct I felt when I first saw this guy.

At that moment, I had to follow this guy.

But his death was really, futile and unsightly.

Thud.

The ash that had finished burning the incense falls to the floor. Choi Kang-in, frowning, turned his head.

How to deal with the attacks of the orchestra guys that will be there in the future.

When I was getting a headache already.

“Section Chief! Behind! Look behind you!”

!!!”

At the shout of one employee, Choi Kang-in immediately twisted his body with his hand on the item he was carrying on his waist.

Crackle.

Something witnessed with two eyes in the place where the body was split in half.

“Ah, no. How…………”

The body that had been split in half until just now began to crumble like burnt ash.

And the person who had clearly witnessed his death with his own eyes.

“Ugh…It’s a taste of death I don’t want to feel again.”

Appeared without a single scratch and stood proudly on his two feet in front of us.

I swallowed hard.

And Choi Kang-in asked.

“……That incense. It was an item, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

If they already know, it would seem strange to hide it.

A suspicious guy who knows about the agency and has items.

Now, beyond being wary, I’m curious about what kind of guy he is.

I’ve seen some employees on our side use ‘Taste of Death’.”

The item I bought first at the Ghost Story General Store.

Taste of Death.

/Item List

Taste of Death.

(Death is always with us.)

Highly recommended for those who want to experience ‘death’!

While the incense is burning. Experience various deaths that you can show with your body.

When used: Astral projection/Slight dizziness.

*All physical damage that occurs while the incense smoke is rising will be restored to normal when the incense is completely burned.

Park Yeon-jung, who briefly dipped his toes in the river of death and returned.

The gaze of the middle-aged man who is watching my every move after I came back to life.

It’s suffocating.

I cleared my throat to try to hide the fact that I was nervous about the pressure that was choking me.

“…Ahem. Is there any problem…………”

It was just a small movement to continue the conversation naturally.

“!!”

Grab!

But without knowing my pure intentions. The appearance of Choi Kang-in, who put his hand on the item he was carrying on his waist.

Park Yeon-jung was a little…………no, very scared.

I almost sat down on the spot.

Did I make any mistakes?

Thinking that Choi Kang-in might attack, I prepared to light the incense and lighter, and tensed my body.

If Team R attacks en masse.

Then…………

I had to take out even the ‘Thousand Eyes’, the worst-case scenario.

“I’m sorry. I think I overreacted a little.”

·
No.”

A sudden apology.

‘Choi Kang-in, you…

Were you already at the age to get bipolar disorder?

But I won’t refuse this treatment. After apologizing, Park Yeon-jung immediately carried out the things he had to do.

“Team R, keep checking the surrounding situation! There must be civilians who have suffered mental damage.”

“Yes!”

Choi Kang-in, who quickly 정리 the situation.

He’s the epitome of leadership and the lucky person who will increase the survival rate of this ghost story.

After quickly finishing leading the surroundings, Choi Kang-in turned his gaze back to me.

I have something I want to ask you.”

A serious look.

Watching Choi Kang-in looking at me, Park Yeon-jung thought that what was coming had finally come.

“I will tell you as far as I can answer.”

I really wanted to explain all the situations I was in and ask for help, but.

If I do that, I will be reduced to a lab rat in the agency.

Of course, the current situation of being held captive by Mr. Ghost Story is not a very positive situation either.

…But there’s a system called ‘going home’ here. There exists partial freedom.

It would be better here…maybe.

“Why are you helping us?”

It was a very typical type of question from the first question.

What is the model answer?

…Because it was necessary. For everyone to escape from here.”

You’re not lying.”

Yeah, I didn’t lie.

Because I am also included in the comprehensive target of ‘everyone’. Everyone’s survival leads to my survival.

“Then you…….”

“Wait a minute.”

“!!”

Choi Kang-in was startled when I interrupted the conversation again.

At this point, I wonder if my tone of voice sounds confrontational to others. Socialite Park Yeon-jung is worried about his future social life.

There was only one reason why I interrupted Choi Kang-in’s words just now.

“Shouldn’t questions be taken in turns…?

The one who is curious is also me.

It’s you again.

I’m sorry. I made another mistake.”

Again, his excessive kindness and manners.

Choi Kang-in is one of the few named normal people in this worldview, but he’s overly formal to me, who he hasn’t even talked to a few times.

I was concerned about this part.

“I want to ask why you’re being formal with me.”

I didn’t bother to beat around the bush.

I think it’s necessary to be somewhat formal, but.

This precarious relationship, where it seems like he might attack me at any moment when I speak, may cause problems someday.

“I would like you to tell me honestly.”

Choi Kang-in’s silence was longer than usual.

But when that long silence ends.

66

…Ghost story.”

“It’s because you’re a ghost story.”

66

.?”

What? Me?

Me=Ghost story?

He’s telling me I’m a ‘ghost story’.