SBTGC 07

Chapter 07

Cold sweat beaded on my temples and the back of my neck. This must be what it feels like to meet a real grim reaper.

Have I ever been this scared in my life?

“Ms. Myeongse-na?”

Ignore him. Just ignore him.

I turned my gaze forward. Anyway, it’s broad daylight and there are people around, so he probably won’t pull out a gun like last time. If he has a brain, he knows that too.

The bus will be here soon. Once it comes, I’ll just get on right away.

“I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t think it’s very efficient.”

It’s fine. There are people around, so it’ll be fine.

“Because I have no intention of leaving until I’ve had a conversation with you, Ms. Myeongse-na.”

Aaaah. I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you.

“Even if you try to ask for help from the people around you, they won’t understand what you’re saying, Ms. Myeongse-na.”

Aaaaaaaaaaah.

“Right now, no one else can see me.”

Aah… What?

*Whoosh.*

I instantly forgot my resolve to ignore him and turned to look at the man.

Immediately, my eyes met the eyes behind the mask. As I stared back with a blank expression, he pointed across the road with his gloved hand.

As if bewitched, I stared at the spot his finger indicated. It felt like I had to.

Across the street, where he pointed, was a small clothing store. The scenery of the bus stop where I stood was reflected faintly on a mannequin set up inside. Myself, other people, and even the tall trees standing behind me.

Everything except for this man next to me.

…Am I actually crazy?

Panicked, I rolled my eyes and looked around. Even though this man was wearing such a suspicious mask, people weren’t even glancing this way.

What? So he really is only visible to me? For real?

Seeing that I had stopped ignoring him and reacted immediately, the man tilted his head and asked.

“Are you going to keep ignoring me?”

*Screech—*

Just then, the bus I’d been waiting for arrived at the stop. While people rushed to board, I stood there blankly, and the man silently waited for my answer.

Do I feel like talking to you? As if!

Why would I talk to someone who shot me in the head! The only thing I have to say to you is curses!

I had to avoid being left alone with this man at all costs. How do I know I won’t get shot in the forehead again like last time?

Quickly, I attached myself to the end of the line of people. Whether he followed or not, I figured I just shouldn’t be alone.

By the time I got on the bus, every seat was taken. I moved to the back and stood holding a strap.

I glanced sideways at the front door. The man in the skull mask got on the bus behind me.

The bus doors closed at the very last moment, and the man, walking with steady footsteps, stood next to me, maintaining an appropriate distance. He didn’t even pretend to tap a card.

…So he really is only visible to me.

But why only me?

While I was pondering this, the bus started moving. I stumbled slightly from the lurch, and the man reached out and steadied my shoulder.

As I was held and looked up briefly, the hand that had casually supported me quickly withdrew.

“If you have no intention of talking, at least listen. I’ll tell you the urgent matters first.”

I felt the faint pressure lingering on my shoulder and listened to his words.

I didn’t want to listen, but I had no choice. I was the only one who could hear that voice right now.

The man, who had withdrawn his hand from me, parted his lips.

“There are people tailing you, Ms. Myeongse-na.”

“……”

“They’re following you even now.”

Ah. I should have just covered my ears.

But regardless of whether my heart dropped or not, the man continued smoothly.

“There’s probably a car following the bus right now… they’ll be waiting for you to get off and will follow you. Of course, they’ll also only be visible to you, Ms. Myeongse-na.”

Just listening to this was driving me crazy. What kind of nonsense is this the first time I’ve been out in a while?

In a hurry, I took out my phone and put it to my ear. Pretending to make a call, I asked the man.

“Uh… since when have they been doing that?”

Fortunately, the man readily played along with my clumsy act.

“Since you left the hospital, Ms. Myeongse-na.”

This is insane. They’ve been following me that long?

“I had no idea. Nothing ever happened…”

“Because you had eyes watching over you, they couldn’t approach recklessly. You might not have known, but this past week has been a precarious time.”

What genre is this, exactly?

In other words, while I was lazing around at home, there was intense surveillance and covert approaches happening all around me.

“Are they… those police officers from before?”

“No. They’re different people.”

“Who are they?”

“That’s—”

*CRASH!*

The bus jolted violently. I let out a short shriek and lurched to the side, and the man immediately caught me.

“Oh, my back, my back…”

“Whoa! What was that?”

“Did we hit something from behind?”

“Oh no! Are you okay?”

The bus erupted into chaos in an instant. Passengers, not understanding the situation, murmured amongst themselves, and soon the bus pulled over to the shoulder in a hurry.

*Screech—*

“I’ll go check the back for a moment! Please wait!”

The driver, asking for understanding, got off through the front door. While the driver went to check the rear of the bus, the man, who had been staring at the back where the impact had occurred, muttered.

“More impatient than I thought…”

Then, he suddenly turned to me and extended his hand.

“Ms. Myeongse-na. Get off.”

“Excuse me?”

“There might be an even bigger accident. Get off, quickly.”

So why exactly do I have to get off?

But I didn’t hesitate for long. I took the man’s outstretched hand and was led by him through the open front door off the bus.

“This way.”

The man’s hand pulled me. I was helplessly dragged along by his strength.

While running frantically between buildings, I glanced back. I saw the driver tilting his head as he examined the bus, and a few people surrounding him. There were signs of a collision, but it was unclear what or where they had hit.

And then…

*Tak!*

A group of three or four people, running past them towards us.

Completely black outfits from head to toe. Red scales protruding above their necks.

Snakes, or lizards.

Faces of reptiles, whether special makeup or masks, were chasing after us at full speed.

They were all incredibly fast. I could clearly see the distance between us shrinking.

The people around didn’t notice those grotesque figures.

No, they didn’t even seem to know they were passing by. Just as the man on the bus had said.

But why are they following me? What did I do to be chased like this!

“Ms. Myeongse-na. Look ahead.”

*Huff.*

At the man’s words, I quickly focused straight ahead.

The man smoothly weaved through the crowd and made his way to a corner. He seemed to be looking for a secluded spot. I wanted to glance back every so often, afraid of being caught, but remembering his words to look ahead, I desperately kept my eyes forward.

But as time passed, that resolve faded.

I was no longer running alongside the man, but being dragged along. I wanted to match his pace as best I could, but my stamina simply couldn’t keep up.

*Huff, heave.*

After running non-stop for about five minutes.

“I, I can’t run anymore…”

At that, the man stopped running. As I gasped for breath while holding his hand, he looked down at me and soon made a decision.

“Stay still for a moment.”

When he said that much, I thought he was just going to leave me behind.

“Ahhh!”

I never thought he would suddenly hoist me onto his shoulder!

With an inverted view, I saw his flat back, and his firm shoulder pressed against my stomach. He had lifted me like a doll and placed me over his shoulder, then spoke.

“Relax and stay comfortable so I can carry you easily.”

I need to be able to lean comfortably for that!

Whether I protested or not, the man started running again at a fast pace, carrying me on his shoulder. I jolted and bounced upside down with every step he took.

I feel like I’m going to throw up… I’m getting motion sickness for the first time in my life.

*Bang! Crash! CRASH!*

Every time the man entered somewhere, I heard sounds of things breaking.

There was no way to tell what was breaking. All I saw intermittently were things like stone dust drifting into my vision.

At one point, after smashing through something else, he let out an “Ah” and paused momentarily, but then the approaching presence made him move again.

The noise and sounds of people around us gradually faded. My sobbing breaths and the man’s swift footsteps became clearer.

After being carried frantically into some place or another, he finally set me down in a quiet area.

It was a place thick with the smell of paint.