Chapter 843
Chapter 843 – Room 303, Cursed Room – ‘Time Machine’ (28)
— Kim Mook-seong
— Clatter! Clatter!
“…”
I woke up hearing the sound of a train.
The sound was so vivid that I almost thought I was already on the train.
— Buuuu…!
But I wasn’t.
I was still at home, and the train sounds were merely a dream or an auditory hallucination.
“Phew…”
Two days ago, while exploring my son’s house, I discovered a ticket for the Parinirvana Train.
When I first found it, it clearly said ‘Passenger: Kim Su-ho.’
————————————
Parinirvana Train Ticket
Departure: Pioneer Hotel
Arrival:
Passenger: Kim Mook-seong
————————————
Now, the ticket says Kim Mook-seong.
The meaning is clear.
The Parinirvana Train is calling me.
“…”
What in the world happened to me before I came to the hotel?
One significant guess crossed my mind.
It seems that not only Ari but I also boarded the train and met the Eldist.
Two questions arise.
1. How did I end up on the train?
2. What did I experience while on the train? How did I meet the Eldist?
Of these, the secret of question 1 has been unraveled.
In the past, I must have been trying to figure out why I had fallen after my son died.
It’s completely natural for a father to be frantic to resolve questions related to his son’s death.
In doing so, I must have rummaged through my son’s house and found the boarding ticket.
However, question 2 remains a mystery still.
I’ve constructed various hypotheses, but there’s nothing definitive.
This isn’t something that can be solved by researching alone at home. Direct experience is necessary to find out.
Today, I will board the Parinirvana Train.
*
Early in the morning, as the sun rose, two guests arrived at my home.
“Hello! Have you been well?”
“Not too bad.”
“Grandfather, is Su-ho okay?”
“He’s still alive. Miro, Eunsol, thank you both.”
They are my two colleagues, Eunsol and Miro, who entered Room 303 to help me.
Eunsol from Room 303 is an employee with a credible position at the Management Bureau.
Miro can summon the former Management Bureau agent, Cha Jin-cheol.
Thanks to them, I was able to rescue Su-ho.
“Thank you, but it’s nothing to be too grateful for. By the way…”
“What happened?”
“To be honest, I got caught. The inspection team barged in.”
“Oh no!”
“I thought I was finished, stuck in a prison without a second chance. I even considered escaping using Butterfly Dream or Noblesse Oblige, but it felt like it would only make things worse.”
“And?”
“I just got released. They said the manager ordered me back to work suddenly.”
It’s not something Eunsol wouldn’t understand.
“It seems Park is just covering it up.”
From Park Hyun-min’s perspective, I’d used an employee (Lee Eunsol) I had connections with and an unknown stranger (Cha Jin-cheol) to rescue my son.
He could have stopped it if he wanted to.
The entire Management Bureau Korean Branch is in the palm of his hand.
Park Hyun-min didn’t stop it.
Rather, he even covered for Eunsol, who acted under my orders.
Why?
Does he think I would go mad if my son died?
‘… When you got married, I sent flowers. I was about 22 years old at the time, right?’
‘When Su-ho got married, I even went in person. Do you remember?’
‘The decision regarding Kim Su-ho was not an easy one for me either.’
“I’m both thankful and bittersweet about it.”
“Pardon?”
“About that Park Hyun-min. He’s not easy to just hate… Well, whatever. Anyway, you both have been through a lot. Especially you, Eunsol, thank you.”
“It’s fine, really.”
“Why especially Eunsol? I worked hard too!”
“Yeah, yeah. Miro, thank you very much as well. You struggled to help your lacking colleague.”
As our casual chit-chat started to wind down, Eunsol carefully spoke up.
“The ticket we found at Su-ho’s house, the boarding date is today, right?”
“Yeah. That’s why both of you are here.”
Miro spoke with a slightly nervous expression.
“Then, are we departing soon?”
“Not yet. We still have about two hours. We have plenty of time.”
“Got it.”
“I’ll make some coffee, so take a short break.”
While I prepared the drinks, a strange conversation began between Eunsol and Miro.
“Miro, your house got wrecked, what happened?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“I know everything.”
What kind of knowledge is that!
I bet you used the surveillance system of the Management Bureau.
It’s one of the common violations of the staff.
Of course, you’ll get disciplined, but Eunsol, who’s a participant in the hotel, wouldn’t care about such things.
“Gan-i broke it yesterday.”
“What? Why did Gan-i do that?”
“Was it around lunchtime? When Gan-i was summoned, he was meticulously reading Understanding of the Scenario. I got a bit annoyed and went to the bathroom for a moment—”
“You said you liked Gan-i, and yet you could go to the bathroom right in front of him.”
“Eh? Did I mess something up?”
“No, keep going with your story.”
“Suddenly, Gan-i broke down the bathroom door and came in.”
“No way…”
“Just like last time. It took me a few seconds, but for Gan-i outside, dozens of minutes passed—”
“Does that mean the ability called Hikikomori activated unintentionally?”
“Hehe! Maybe so—”
“Is it something to laugh about? Gan-i’s 30 minutes is your biggest card. That means you squandered that card for nothing!”
“No, I still have about 2 minutes left.”
“Is that even a valid excuse?”
It seems Miro got into trouble again.
His Hikikomori ability activated suddenly, wasting over 20 minutes of Gan-i’s time.
As Eunsol said, “Is it something to laugh about?” it naturally arose, but regardless, look at Miro, who is smiling nonchalantly.
It feels remarkably strange and fascinating.
It seems Seungyeop’s personality changed subtly after going through Room 302, but Miro is just the same as before, for better or worse.
Perhaps, even if a thousand years pass, she’ll remain unchanged.
A girl, Miro, who cannot escape the immature phase of early teens in terms of appearance, behavior, and mental age.
Blessing of Immutability.
For someone, it might indeed be a miracle akin to a dream, but in another sense, I felt it was a curse.
“By the way, right before the reverse summon, Gan-i told me something.”
“… Why are you bringing that up now?”
“I just remembered.”
“Wow…! Miro, I just got chills.”
No, Miro seems even worse than usual today?
“He says to summon himself when you meet the Grandfather.”
This is unexpected.
“Mook-seong! Come here. I’ll summon Gan-i.”
*
The moment Gan-i appeared, he immediately got to the point.
“It seems the train should only be boarded by Grandfather. You and Miro will stay here.”
“What?”
“This is the conclusion I reached using Understanding of the Scenario and Insight. Think of a teapot here.”
A teapot, out of the blue?
He’s firing out his statements at a rapid pace, leaving no time for questions since the time for the Time Borrowing Device was too short.
“I got burned while holding a boiling teapot. After some time has passed, I intend to reenact that situation. I know I have to hold the teapot again in my head. Can I actually do it?”
“…”
“It’s difficult. The pain is hard to bear because it’s too hot. However, a skilled actor can do it. They have that capability.”
“…”
“The problem is, there’s a manager beside them. The actor can endure it, but the manager cannot. To protect the actor, they pull them away from the teapot. They helped out of goodwill, but the movie was ruined.”
“…”
“I believe this should help you understand. Departing alone—”
— CRACK!
Just like holograms disappearing, Gan-i vanished.
It seemed this was the limit of the time left for Gan-i.
“…”
Before I knew it, the living room fell silent.
Eunsol and I, and even Miro, wore serious expressions.
We understood Gan-i’s words.
“Grandfather, so…”
“You understand the situation?”
“…”
“Go alone. It’s better to depart soon. You all should rest.”
“… Understood.”
“Uh… Mook-seong, do your best. I’ll be rooting for you.”
An unusual cheer from Miro.
To be honest, I became even more scared because of Miro.
*
— Clatter!
At a station of the Incheon Underground Railroad.
According to the contents written on the boarding ticket, the Parinirvana Train should arrive soon.
— Clatter!
My heart began to pound as I recalled Gan-i’s words from earlier.
It was a bizarre analogy, seemingly spontaneously conjured up while looking at the coffee pot on the table.
In the past, I got burned while holding a boiling teapot.
Reenacting that process later is not easy for an actor either.
Even if I know I have to grab the teapot again in my mind, enduring the pain is hard.
If there’s a manager beside me, it becomes even more difficult.
The actor tries to endure, but the manager gets more startled and stops the actor.
The manager, of course, acts for the sake of the actor.
However, the result is that the movie ends in catastrophe.
…
In the past, I went through something painful.
Reenacting that later is not easy for the participant either.
Even if I know what I need to do in my head, it’s hard to bear the pain.
If there’s a colleague beside me, it is even harder.
While Kim Mook-seong tries to endure, Lee Eunsol and Miro get startled and stop me.
The colleagues act for the sake of Kim Mook-seong.
However, the result is that Room 303 ends in ruin.
— Clatter!
This train will arrive shortly at the station.
When getting off, please ensure there are no items left behind, and be cautious of the gap between the train and platform.
*
The interior of the train looked just like what I heard from my colleagues.
From the outside, it doesn’t seem particularly special.
However, the passengers seated all appear to have lost their minds.
“Pain is sweetness! The lack of understanding is the first mistake, so all failures begin here—”
— Clatter!
What did Ari say she experienced on the train?
As I moved a few compartments while observing my surroundings, I encountered Aleph, and after some time, I met a staff member?
Then, further along, I heard that I was attacked by a gardener.
“…”
Nothing like that happened to me.
No random person appeared in another compartment to talk to me.
No staff appeared to discuss something with me.
Naturally, there was no attack by a gardener either.
Nothing. Nothing at all.
Unlike Ari, I had no events whatsoever.
I was simply left alone.
Left alone among the mindless crazies.
“I’m afraid, so afraid! Destruction is so terrifying, I’d rather not have known. Who told us? The cycle is so fearful! Eternal reincarnation feels like a prison—”
For a very long time.
So…
A time long enough for me to forget that I am Kim Mook-seong while wandering through the train.
*
.
..
…
— Clatter! Clatter!
I had a dream.
A dream of wandering endlessly along a rail with no beginning or end.
The world was a desolate field covered in ashen fog.
With every step I took, the earth vanished like dust, and the wind blew without a sound.
The road with no end.
Walking and walking along that road like a lifeless specter.
As my body and spirit began to fade gradually.
— Rustle!
There was a stimulus.
Someone was fiddling with my body.
It felt as if a pebble was dropped into a clear, tranquil lake.
— Crash!
With a loud noise, something toppled to the ground.
Until this point, my mind was still not fully awake.
“Ahhh! Ouch, that hurts!”
I opened my eyes.
This is a train, a bizarre train whose identity I cannot discern.
Was I sleeping just a moment ago?
“Elder, ack! Oh no~! Elder, I’ve committed a grave sin! Please spare me, spare me, ack!”
A loud voice echoed from below.
Looking down, I saw a man in his late twenties.
He was pinned beneath my knees, and as I looked at him, I realized what had just happened.
The man had attempted to pickpocket me.
And it seems I instinctively moved to subdue him.
“Please spare me, spare me, ack!”
I lifted my knee slightly to allow him to breathe.
“… Why did you try to pickpocket me?”
“I apologize! All the other passengers on the train are unconscious. I thought you were in that state too…”
“Does being unconscious give you the right to pickpocket?”
“Of course not! But this train is rather bizarre…”
“…”
“Sometimes, rummaging through the pockets of passengers yields useful items. Even a small cracker would suffice.”
As I began to understand the situation, another person appeared from across the way.
This time, it was a young man in his early twenties.
“Whoa! Brother, what’s going on?”
“I was rummaging through passengers’ pockets for something useful, and this guy woke up. Ah… Elder, please let him go now.”
At that moment, the newly appeared young man pulled out a bizarre device and aimed it at me.
From his actions, it seemed like a weapon, but it was something I had never seen before.
It certainly wasn’t a cold weapon, but it didn’t appear to be a gun either.
“Old man! You seem to be in good condition, but if you don’t back down, I’ll kill you!”
The man pinned beneath my knees seemed to panic and shouted.
“Hey! Hey! Put that down, man! If you think about it, I’m the one who messed up, not the elder.”
“…”
“Get down, I said, you punk!”
Looking closely, the man called ‘brother’ didn’t seem to have a particularly evil personality.
I casually stepped back and helped the man up.
“Let’s shake hands. I acted a little roughly since I was surprised too.”
“Cough! No, no! If someone suddenly tries to pickpocket, it’s normal for me to act out. It was my mistake.”
“I’m glad you think that way.”
As the tension eased, the young man cautiously asked.
“Ahhem, meeting on this mysterious train seems like fate.”
“…”
“Somehow, it feels like the three of us will work together from now on.”
“Three together?”
“So, let’s introduce ourselves. I’ll go first.”
The man in his late twenties.
Despite having just been pinned beneath my knees, he didn’t seem frightened at all.
I liked his confident demeanor.
With a cheerful smile, he introduced himself.
“My name is Ha Jin-seong.”
“Ha Jin-seong, I’ve remembered that. How about you, young man?”
Unlike the cheerful Ha Jin-seong, the young man still looked slightly wary of me.
“… I’m Aleph.”
“Aleph, that’s a unique name.”
“How about you?”
“…”
“You both shared names, now you have to share yours too.”
“Aleph, the elder needs to have time to think. Speak slowly.”
At this moment, I realized something astonishing.
“… I don’t know.”
“What?”
“I don’t know my name.”
“…”
“Honestly. I don’t remember my name or anything from the past at all.”
It felt as though someone had thoroughly wiped my mind clean.
Unlike my panic, Ha Jin-seong and Aleph looked at each other with expressions of realization.
Soon, Aleph cautiously approached.
“Um… Elder, please don’t be alarmed. This train is originally that kind of place.”
“…”
“If you wander around without purpose, your memories might blur. It seems like you’ve spent quite a long time here.”
“Phew…”
At this moment, I secretly made a decision.
Unlike me, who had no understanding of the situation, the two men in front of me seemed to have quite a bit of information.
It would be better to stick together for a while.
Ha Jin-seong gave a vague smile.
“Um, it’s a bit shocking that you don’t know your name. But you should at least have a title, right? We can’t just keep calling you ‘elder,’ can we?”
“Let you guys decide. After all, it’ll be your title to call me by.”
After a brief silence, Aleph laughed as if he found it amusing.
“Got it!”
“Aleph, don’t make the title for the elder weird.”
“Brother, what do you take me for? It’s a fitting title for the grandfather. Just look at his eyes. It’s filled with great wisdom and experience, don’t you think?”
“…”
“You can tell at a glance that he’s the most experienced among us. He feels like someone who has fought a lot.”
“So, what will you call me?”
The young man grinned.
“Eldist.”
