ULAS 50

Chapter 50

“What is this?”

No matter how much I rubbed it with my hand, the letters wouldn’t fade or smudge. It was like they’d been tattooed into my skin.

A chill ran up my spine.

“Why is something like this on my leg? I didn’t feel anything!”

[It’s because you stayed there for too long.]
[It’s fine for now.]

“But still…”

It felt too unsettling.

That creepy keyring ghost and the woman who kidnapped me both had similar letters on their bodies.

But the weird thing was—I couldn’t read what it said.

“It looks like Korean, but… why can’t I make sense of it?”

As if I wasn’t allowed to read it yet.

With a grimace, I pulled down my pant leg to hide the letters.

“So if I haven’t escaped, it means I could get dragged back there again?”

Milly nodded, then pointed to the computer. The screen was turning on by itself.

‘What is he trying to show me?’

He then stood up slowly, sat in front of the computer, and moved the mouse with surprising skill to open an internet window.

It was strangely surreal—like watching an old foreign soldier casually using a modern Korean computer.

Tap, tap.

<How to Die Without Pain> (+12)

He lightly tapped the monitor to show me the page he found.

“Huh? Why is a post I never wrote uploaded here…? Wait—these are the things I said earlier to Milly!”

It was posted under the username ‘MachoKing.’ So that’s what this was?!

And the comments were ridiculous too. Seriously, things were being uploaded like this?

Then I noticed the flashing message inbox.

…No way.

<ReallySorry: Peanut.>
<ReallySorry: MachoYeon.>
<ReallySorry: Hey.>
<ReallySorry: Why aren’t you answering?>

‘So the voice I heard in the air really was coming through chat. But why did Dan Seo-hyuk message me from this account?’

Judging by his tone, it didn’t seem like he was in danger.
Could it be that he found that woman?

<ReallySorry: Did something happen?>
<ReallySorry: Choyeon.>

…Huh.

He’d never called me just by my name without my surname. It felt strangely unfamiliar.

Of course, it might have been Tak Yeon-ho or Yoo Chaesong typing for him.

I hesitated, then replied.

<MachoKing: Are you still there?>

The reply came instantly.

<ReallySorry: You>
<ReallySorry: Why are you answering n0w?>

Wow. He must’ve typed that in a panic.

I paused, feeling a strange tug in my chest.

…What is this feeling?

Is it because that irritating guy actually sounded genuinely worried?

<MachoKing: yeah I’m fine.>
<MachoKing: I don’t know how, but I’m back in my dorm room.>
<MachoKing: Where are you guys? And why are you using that account?>

No reply.

Seriously? This guy did this earlier too—where does he keep running off to?

I was frowning when my phone began to ring. And at the same time, another chat popped up.

<ReallySorry: Choyeon, it’s Chaesong.>

The call was from Dan Seo-hyuk.

<ReallySorry: We found the house of that woman we talked about and went inside.>
<ReallySorry: Seo-hyuk just left to pick you up, so don’t go anywhere and wait for him, okay?>

He is? Coming to get me?

My face twitched in a weird way—like it was trying to smile but also melt at the same time.

If I checked a mirror right now, I was probably making a very weird expression.

<MachoKing: Omg Chaesong ㅠㅠㅠ>
<MachoKing: Okay. I’ll wait ㅠㅠㅠ I really thought I couldn’t come back, I was so scared!>

After replying to Chaesong, I looked down at my ringing phone.

Seo-hyuk wasn’t hanging up, clearly intending to call nonstop until I answered.

I hesitated, then picked up.

His irritated voice burst out.

—Hey. Peanut.

“What.”

—‘What’? You made everyone worry and that’s all you have to say?

“I’m still trying to figure out if this is a dream or reality!”

And my leg is weird too—of course I’m stressed!

“You’re worse! You show up and the first thing you do is scold me? Shouldn’t you ask if I’m okay first?!”

He definitely read that forum post. He had to know what I went through!

—If you were back in reality, you should’ve called right away! …Of course I’m scolding you because I was worried.

At that same moment, Chaesong messaged again.

<ReallySorry: I was so worried too, thank goodness you’re safe, Choyeon ㅠㅠ>
<ReallySorry: Yeonho and Seo-hyuk were super worried!>
<ReallySorry: Honestly, Seo-hyuk went to get you because he was scared something might happen if you came alone LOL>

I shut my mouth.

“…Seriously? Who worries like that? Can’t he talk a little nicer?”

We’re close enough to have that kind of conversation… aren’t we?

Since I stayed quiet, Seo-hyuk must’ve misunderstood I was upset. His voice softened.

—Are you hurt?

“No.”

Letters appeared on my leg, but I wasn’t actually injured, so it wasn’t a lie.

—What was it like in the dream? You scare easily.

It’ll take a long time to get used to his unique way of showing concern.

I sighed silently.
But my previously tense eyebrows finally relaxed.

“…When I first died, it hurt so much I threw up and cried. I hanged myself from a tree.”

—Yeah.

“But Milly saw and started reducing the pain after that. I still felt it, but it was bearable.”

I hesitated before continuing quietly.

“But… even after dying so many times, I never got used to it. Even if the pain was less—dying was always terrifying.”

Maybe the reason I felt upset with him earlier was because I wanted someone to lean on.

Someone who would understand.

Right now, he was the only one who could.

And the only person who could understand all the deaths he experienced through regression… was me.

Seo-hyuk must have felt the full pain each time, too.
If it was this hard for me, how much harder was it for him?

He couldn’t complain to anyone, because no one remembered.

—Yeah… you went through a lot.
—…It must’ve been really hard.

His voice sounded like he was comforting himself as much as me.

“Mm. I just hope none of you ever have to go through it.”

—What are you talking about? You shouldn’t have had to go through it either. Did you escape the dream completely?

“Not yet… No one pulled me out. In the last dream, I saved a little boy from a fire and died.”

—Yeah.

“And right after that, I woke up. Milly said I’m not completely out.”

—I see… I read other posts from people who had that dream. Some said they visited the place they died in, even in reality.
—Doesn’t sound like a good sign, so just be careful. I’m almost there, so start coming out of the dorm.

“Okay.”

I grabbed long socks, worried my ankle might show, and grumbled into the phone.

“Hey, and what’s with you telling a friend, ‘come out.’ That sounds like a command! Say it nicely! Like, ‘Will you come out?’ Now repeat it!”

—Front gate.

Beep.

“…Wow, this guy.”

Instead of repeating it, he just said what he wanted and hung up.
Every time I feel like we’re getting closer, he pulls something like this.

“Is he doing this because he’s shy? Or is he just naturally blunt?”

Even Macho—who’s macho even in his tone—thanks and apologizes properly.

Seo-hyuk’s worse than my little brother.

<MachoKing: Thanks to both of you for worrying ㅠ_ㅠ>
<MachoKing: I’ll be right there, so don’t do anything dangerous and just wait for me!>

I sent one last message to Chaesong and hurried to shut down the computer.

‘Still… I’m grateful he came all the way here.’

If he’s already at the front gate, he must’ve run.

Somehow, that made me feel shy.

‘So he does take care of his people once he gets close…’

I rushed toward the dorm entrance—and in the distance, I saw a tall man standing there.

He wasn’t leaning casually against a wall using his phone like usual.

He was staring directly at me.
And as soon as he saw me come out, his shoulders relaxed. Slowly, visibly.

Like he was finally relieved.

‘What the…’

If he’s going to be rude, he should be rude consistently.

Pouting despite myself, I ran toward Dan Seo-hyuk.