“I think you stopped talking mid-sentence because even you know it’s strange. Am I right?”
“Not really?”
“As you said, Son Yowan-ssi, if there’s a separate real culprit and you witnessed something you shouldn’t have seen that day and were caught by the real culprit.”
Rustle, rustle.
“Would there be any need to keep Son Yowan-ssi alive?”
“Mm…”
“Son Yowan-ssi. I’ll ask again. Is this a confession?”
“No!”
“Your story is different from before you came in here. It can’t gain credibility.”
Rustle, rustle.
“False testimony is a heavier sin than silence. Because it leads people seeking a path down the wrong road. Son Yowan-ssi, I don’t really know what purpose you’re trying to achieve with false testimony, but actually I don’t need to know such things.”
After chewing and swallowing the freshly unwrapped seolgi a couple times, the Detective said this:
“It’s enough to just lock you up appropriately. So you won’t be in the way.”
Even while thinking hard enough to give himself a headache, Son Yowan quickly asked:
“Will Detective-nim keep watching me then? Without going out? Right? You’re lazy, after all. You like lying down.”
“No matter how much that’s true, how could I not go out at all…?”
“Then who will watch me!”
Son Yowan was indignant. The Detective seemed to think there would be no problem locking him up and leaving, but it was an incredibly naive idea!
‘In this genre, sealed room = confirmed death, being alone = confirmed death, isn’t it!’
Son Yowan could picture it very clearly in his head. Himself getting torn to shreds by the Goeidam or the culprit while the Detective was briefly away! Damn it!
‘This is worse than being with someone else!’
It was unfair. He’d been so happy thinking it was a surefire survival method!
That couldn’t happen.
“You can’t leave me behind.”
So Son Yowan resolutely declared:
“Like this! A suspicious person! If you leave me alone and I lose my memory again and commit some act, what will you do!”
“Didn’t you say you weren’t confessing?”
“You never know, right?”
Even to Son Yowan’s own ears, he was wondering if that bastard even knew what he was babbling about, but fortunately (?) his face was much thicker than normal people’s.
‘Still, since I came in, he won’t kick me out.’
Fortunately (!) that Detective already seemed to lack the energy to forcibly drag out someone he’d let in, so like jelly melted on a window frame on a midsummer afternoon, he just needed to stick to this room and near the Detective.
“Fine, is there anything else?”
He’d prepared himself to hear a few unpleasant words at least, but the Detective’s next words were actually that.
It was an unexpected question, so Son Yowan hesitated.
“Anything else…”
Surely he wasn’t referring to the fact that this was inside a murder play or that I’d seen fragments of the future.
“…you mean?”
“If you know something, it’s better not to hide it.”
Son Yowan pondered for a moment.
‘Would it be better to tell him what I saw?’
If the other person was trustworthy, it would be wise to confess and seek answers. Even if the other person couldn’t give answers, at least they could share the burden of confusion.
But Son Yowan didn’t know the person in front of him well.
So while he hesitated for a moment, the Detective seemed to judge that he wouldn’t answer.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, fine. I just said it meaning it would be good to know.”
Son Yowan hesitated again. Because of the nuance that seemed like the other person was being considerate of him.
‘Did he just get too lazy to ask more?’
Mm. That must be it. Because there was absolutely no reason for the Detective to be considerate of him. Consideration or whatever, when were they ever in that kind of relationship?
‘Oh no, wait. Even though we’ve known each other for a short time, we’re clearly “best friends,” what kind of nonsense am I thinking!’
Then Son Yowan hurriedly restored the setting in his brain that had briefly collapsed.
“But, I see.”
“Time can’t be a measure of the depth of emotion… what?”
Son Yowan, who was doing mind control out loud to reset the internal setting whose true face had been briefly revealed, reflexively looked toward the Detective and discovered him pointing behind Son Yowan.
Following the tip of his finger and turning around, the antique radios stacked to the ceiling and giving off an intimidating feeling immediately came into view.
‘But why these all of a sudden?’
The question was immediately resolved.
“The alert noise that will occur from these devices… that is. I’m used to it, so even if alerts ring throughout this entire place, I don’t feel it’s noisy, but I thought Son Yowan-ssi might be different.”
He understood what was being said. Though he didn’t know why the topic he thought was finished was being brought up again all of a sudden.
‘Anyway.’
Son Yowan looked around at the radios positioned as if surrounding the entire room and imagined it.
‘If all of these ring at the same time.’
“Ugh.”
Just imagining it made him feel dizzy.
“…wan-ssi.”
Son Yowan immediately made excuses.
“No, how could I have been thinking about whether I could endure that? So I won’t accept any words telling me to leave if I can’t endure it…”
Flick flick.
Now too lazy to even speak, the Detective just flicked his hand to call Son Yowan over.
When Son Yowan sidled closer, the Detective reached out, picked up headphones from the table, and put them on Son Yowan.
“? Why this?”
As Son Yowan asked in confusion while touching the headphones covering his ears, the Detective slowly lifted his half-lowered eyelids.
He pointed to his own mouth with his index finger. He spoke only with the shape of his mouth, without making a sound.
‘It’s noisy.’
Son Yowan was puzzled. No, if I’m noisy, you should gag me (not that I’m actually suggesting it), why put on headphones?
‘…you’ll lose.’
“Oh.”
Son Yowan understood.
“But what…”
Another question immediately came to mind though.
“…is.”
That question was also immediately resolved.
Crackle. Crackle-crackle. Crzzzzz—.
Noise burst from all the antique radios surrounding the entire room.
And then.
The radios began ‘speaking’ simultaneously.
「Safety announcement broadcast.」
It was an ‘alert’. An ‘alert’ issued by the vigilante corps, or organizations under the vigilante corps, that had to be forcibly listened to.
「A strong cold wave is currently persisting.」
「The rain that fell last night has frozen due to a sudden temperature drop at dawn, and road icing is a concern. Please drive slowly when operating vehicles and be sure to maintain a safe distance from vehicles in front and behind.」
「As of 5 AM today, a cold wave advisory is in effect. Winter protection items are essential when going out. The elderly and infirm are advised to refrain from going outside.」
A veritable flood of sound. From radios near the ceiling, sound fell like a waterfall, and from radios positioned low near the floor, sound bubbled up like boiling water.
Because it wasn’t a high-grade alert—that is, a disaster alert—there was no hair-raising siren, but with this many radios simultaneously broadcasting the same thing, all sides became clamorous in an instant. Without the headphones, it might have been noise loud enough to make him cover his ears and sink to the floor.
But…
Son Yowan squinted his eyes for a different reason and looked toward the still-open door.
Outside the door, through the full glass window at the end of the corridor, he could see the outside scenery. The vivid red autumn leaves and dizzyingly yellow ginkgo leaves as if paint had been splashed on them contrasted with the clear sky blue visible between the tree leaves, almost blinding.
It was truly the height of autumn.
Son Yowan muttered.
“What cold wave and road icing when it’s autumn?”
The alert content was strange. The date on the invitation that entry was possible was November, and even now, not long after that, it was naturally still November, so why talk about midwinter weather…
「The investigation team is searching for missing 32-year-old man Kwon Daeyoung. 174cm, average build, pale face, short hair, sky blue shirt, jeans, black sneakers. [Investigation Bureau]」
The radio continued to spew warning broadcasts without caring.
「The fireworks show scheduled for 8 PM tonight has been canceled.」
「Regarding today’s fireworks display, severe traffic congestion is expected from Central District 3rd Street toward the 4th Park, so vehicles passing through this area are advised to detour.」
Son Yowan’s expression became increasingly strange.
「The fire in Central District 1st Street at 10 PM last night has been completely suppressed. Citizens, please be assured and return to your daily lives. [2nd District Office]」
「The breaking news that a fire occurred in Central District 1st Street and smoke and burning smell were detected is false information. Citizens, please do not be mistaken. [Investigation Bureau]」
He couldn’t hold back and opened his mouth again.
“No, that…”
「District alerts can be checked by accessing the District Resident Administrative Information System.」
「Currently unable to access the system due to a fire in the District Resident Administrative Information System computer room. For details…」
「Can be checked by accessing the District Resident Administrative Information System…」
“Captain So? That alert is strange, right? It seems crazy, doesn’t it?”
