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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Escape
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Today, A-jin seemed unusually heavy-hearted.
Normally, she would have greeted him first with a bright smile, but she had no idea he was there and just let her head drop onto the desk with a thud.
Had he been receiving her greetings too half-heartedly all this time?
Her face, which always lit up with excitement as lunchtime approached, was dull and lifeless today.
Was it because he teased her about wearing kids' clothes and it ruined her appetite?
He wondered if her bad mood was his fault, or even if it wasn't, if something had happened. It was nagging at him.
It definitely wasn't worry.
He just couldn't focus on class because it was bothering him.
“Hey!”
At Jun-woo's call, A-jin turned her head with a dazed expression.
“Huh?”
“You can't see it?”
His thoughts in his head and the words out of his mouth always came out differently.
Instead of asking if something was wrong, he thrust his arm, now free of the cast, right in front of her eyes.
“What?”
“I got the cast off.”
“Oh…… yeah, you did.”
“Yeah? That's all you got?”
“What else?”
“Now you don't have to worry about me, so you must feel relieved, right?”
Normally, she would have made a face saying absolutely not and jumped up claiming he was wrong.
But all she managed was a brief, awkward smile.
Is she really mad at me?
“Are you mad at me or something?”
“No.”
A-jin shook her head with an expression like why would he say that out of nowhere.
“Then why are you moping around all day like a wilted weed?”
“Me? I've never done that.”
She looked like everything was a hassle.
It was really getting to him.
How was he supposed to tease her like this?
Even his own eyes drooped, mirroring hers.
* * *
She had tossed and turned in her sleep, her eyes full of fatigue.
Today was the day Kwang-hyun was coming. That's why A-jin had so many thoughts last night and hadn't slept deeply.
A year ago, there had been many nights she couldn't sleep because of that man.
Some days from excitement, some from disappointment, some because she missed him.
His every word had sent her mood soaring and crashing dozens of times a day.
Her whole day revolved around him.
That one-sided love had ended when he got a girlfriend.
She had never cried so much or for so long in her life.
She had finally gotten over it.
The kids were buzzing from the morning about the student teacher news.
But A-jin wasn't happy about today at all.
She desperately hoped he wouldn't be the student teacher for her class.
“I hope it's someone hot.”
Jung-hwa said, clasping her hands over her chest.
“I peeked earlier, and there are a few good-looking guys.”
Yoo-jin chimed in, agreeing with Jung-hwa.
“Please be a guy, please!”
The boys wanted girls, the girls wanted guys.
Soon the front door opened, and their homeroom teacher, Kyung-hee, came in first.
As someone stepped in behind her, the girls' cheers grew louder.
“Ha…….”
A-jin let out a long sigh and dropped her head.
Fate's prank didn't pass her by.
Kwang-hyun, entering the classroom, faltered at the unexpected thunderous cheers and stood awkwardly beside the teacher's desk, following Kyung-hee.
“Hello. I'm Kim Kwang-hyun.”
He gave a simple introduction and bowed.
As he did, he looked for A-jin.
He didn't spot her right away.
With her head bowed, she was hidden behind another friend.
Was something really hard going on at school?
He was worried about her dejected, troubled appearance.
He wanted to think it was just his imagination, but it didn't seem like it. He resolved once more to stay close and watch over her.
At A-jin's sigh, Jun-woo turned to her.
Her mood still hadn't improved.
‘It's lasting longer than I thought.’
He was thinking he had to ask what was wrong today when she kept glancing sideways and then quickly looking away.
She seemed like she was watching for an opportunity.
Jun-woo followed her gaze.
There was the homeroom teacher—no, the student teacher.
The student teacher's gaze was on him.
No, on A-jin, in the seat next to him.
‘What the hell! Why is he staring like that?’
He looked like they already knew each other.
Jun-woo glanced back and forth between A-jin and Kwang-hyun.
* * *
The bell signaling the end of self-study rang, and the classroom instantly grew noisy.
Jun-woo slammed his workbook shut.
Because of A-jin today, he hadn't solved much properly.
“Kang A-jin.”
“Yeah?”
At his call, A-jin paused while packing her bag.
“Going home?”
“Of course.”
Duh, she nodded.
“Come somewhere with me.”
“Now? Where?”
A-jin made a puzzled face, wondering where he meant at this hour.
“You'll see if you follow.”
But Jun-woo grabbed his bag without another word and headed out.
Bewildered, A-jin hurriedly packed her bag and followed him.
* * *
Ding. The elevator doors opened.
A-jin’s eyes widened at the dim cafe interior before her.
Black wallpaper and dust-covered lights made it not just dark but eerie.
The walls had creepy monster masks and old picture frames hanging.
The door and handle evoked an old mansion.
A-jin and Jun-woo had come to an escape room cafe.
The inexplicable chilling atmosphere made the air feel cold, and A-jin hugged herself.
Fortunately, it was crowded enough not to be scary.
It was just lively enough, and people's faces were bright.
“Why here?”
“Just, kids kept saying it's fun.”
“But why come here with me?”
“You're the most free. No academy or anything.”
“What?”
It was true, but it rubbed her the wrong way, and A-jin bristled.
“First, the safety rules. No forcing drawers open or damaging anything. Don't shout so loud it reaches the next room. If you really can't get it, use this buzzer to call us.”
The staff handed Jun-woo a device like a phone, along with a densely written instruction sheet and pen.
“This is a confirmation you won't tell anyone about the contents later. Just sign here.”
“We have to do this too?”
It was her first time at an escape room, so A-jin found everything novel.
“Some post spoilers online, some tell friends the answers, so yeah.”
“Ah! Makes sense, can't change the puzzles every time.”
“Oh! And no ripping the ceiling, no hints up there.”
“People rip the ceiling? For real?”
“All kinds of people come.”
While A-jin chatted with the staff, Jun-woo skimmed the sheet and signed at the end.
Before entering, they had to blindfold themselves first. The staff placed Jun-woo's hand on A-jin's shoulder.
Jun-woo tensed slightly at the unexpected skinship.
His fingertips trembled faintly before steadying.
The staff took A-jin's hand and led her slowly into the room.
Without sight, she felt anxious.
A-jin gripped the staff's hand tightly.
“Count to 3 and open your eyes.”
After the staff left and the door closed, A-jin counted out loud.
“One, two, three.”
She removed the blindfold.
Light entered her darkened vision, scrunching her face instinctively.
Her sight adjusted quickly, and at the scene before her, A-jin screamed in terror.
“Eek!!”
She ran to Jun-woo.
Jun-woo was pushed against the wall by her sudden embrace.
Momentarily flustered, his mind and raised hands froze, unsure what to do.
Like he'd heard ‘freeze!’
A-jin buried her face in Jun-woo's chest.
Jun-woo worried she'd hear his pounding heart near her ear.
“Why the fuss?”
“Oh. Sorry. Because of…… that.”
Regaining some composure, A-jin jumped back from him.
Her eyes couldn't look away as she pointed with a straight finger.
A corpse doll with blood-red hands lay slumped on the desk.
The staff must have placed A-jin's hand over the doll's.
“It's just a doll.”
“Still scary.”
Jun-woo shoved the corpse doll into a corner.
“Moved it. Happy now?”
With the doll gone, a notebook with a code appeared.
Only then did A-jin approach the desk beside him.
“It's too creepy.”
“You know we have to get out in an hour?”
“If we don't, we get locked in?”
“Probably.”
At his answer, A-jin furrowed her brows like it was ridiculous.
“Really?”
“Gotta take the next group.”
As expected, Kang A-jin had to make faces like that to be fun.
Satisfied with her usual reaction, he smiled, and A-jin shot him a dirty look for being annoying.
“But have you been here? Know how it works?”
“Dunno…… first time for me too. Just solve puzzles, right?”
“Yeah? Then what do I start with?”
Unlike her earlier enthusiasm, her mind blanked, and she flailed her hands in the air.
An ordinary small room, not too big.
Maps that might hide hints, alphabet letters and numbers stuck haphazardly.
Everything seemed to have a purpose.
What the hell are we supposed to do?
-Clunk-
While A-jin was clueless, Jun-woo had already unlocked the first lock.
“Whoa, already? You're a genius!”
She gave a thumbs-up in awe.
Jun-woo glanced at her with eyes saying she was overreacting, then indifferently turned away.
He unfolded a slip of paper with a clue from the drawer, and she stuck right beside him, peering in to see.
His face flushed at the closeness, cheeks almost touching.
Jun-woo pulled the paper away and leaned back.
Then A-jin leaned in closer to the paper.
Thanks to that, some distance opened between them.
A soft breath escaped his lips.
He realized he'd been holding it.
“Oh! I know this!”
She recognized it.
Excited at the familiar problem from TV days ago, A-jin snatched the paper from his hand.
-Problem-
8+7=3
3+11=2
9+10=7
2+15=5
“This is time. Eight plus seven is fifteen. On a clock, that's three!! Amazing, right?”
“Yeah, right. Good job.”
A-jin was thrilled at solving an elementary-level problem, and he found it ridiculous.
“You're smart.”
After the perfunctory praise, regret hit, so he praised again in the gentlest voice he could muster.
Anyway, seeing her happy, he didn't want to ruin it.
He'd come here to see her smile.
“Actually, I saw it on TV.”
At his praise, she smiled bashfully.
That smile was beautiful.
Her pouting lips were fun, but his favorite was her pure, innocent laugh.
He gently placed his hand on her head and stroked softly.
“A-jin's memory is good. Remembering all that.”
‘What…… all of a sudden.’
His sudden touch flustered her, her neck shrinking like a turtle's.
The narrow room felt even smaller, walls closing in on them.
“Time's ticking. What's next? Hurry, I wanna solve more. Trust me! I'll get us out.”
Before it got awkward, A-jin quickly changed the subject.
One solved puzzle boosted her confidence to the shoulders; she boldly grabbed the next.
But that was it.
She didn't solve a single one after.
Without Jun-woo, she might have spent the hour just talking to the corpse doll.
Less than an hour in, as they exited, the staff marveled.
“No one's escaped this fast before. You haven't done it before, right?”
“First time.”
“For our opening event, we give neck pillows to successful escapers.”
The staff handed Jun-woo and A-jin pink and blue neck pillows, each with a small dog plush.
It was fun, and they got a gift. A-jin, mopey all day, forgot Kwang-hyun for a bit and felt good; Jun-woo was glad he'd made her laugh as planned.
