CHAPTER 95……………………………………………………………
The moment I realized that the images rushing in were memories, I understood how the current situation was unfolding.
I knew there were entities capable of peeking into memories and turning them into illusions, but I never imagined the illusion would start like this.
From the instant the door to the third floor opened automatically, the special Planariants’ attack began.
Why did the door open automatically?
Under normal circumstances, the door should never have opened. No— even if it had, there should have been no reason for us to be forcibly moved to the next floor like this.
“Ugh…”
The headache blocked rational thought as well. I knew that if this continued, I would fall completely into the illusion, but I couldn’t stop it.
I should’ve equipped a mental-protection item in advance, even if the effect was weaker.
Mental-protection items begin to lose their effectiveness the moment they’re used. That’s why people usually equip or consume them right before entering a dungeon. I’d planned to use one just before reaching the third floor, but everything had gone off the rails.
Should I at least be grateful that these aren’t my memories?
It was unfortunate that an entity dealing with memories had appeared right away, but I decided to be thankful that my own memories weren’t leaking out. That said, there was nothing I could do to block someone else’s memories.
The dizziness gradually faded, and the smoke that had obscured my vision disappeared. Then my room appeared. It felt anticlimactic that an illusion would recreate my room of all things, but it was also a relief.
“But if it’s my room, whose memory is this? So-hyeok’s?”
Among the people I’d been with, the only one who had ever entered Baek Woojin’s room was Baek So-hyeok.
Then why is my room appearing instead of Baek So-hyeok’s?
If this were So-hyeok’s memory, a place familiar to him should have appeared. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like it would be as painful as the past memories I’d seen before. Just by looking out the window, I could tell it was a different season from when my parents died, so the chances of confronting another horrific memory were lower.
“Looks like this’ll take a while. Might as well rest.”
Illusions like this didn’t disappear easily. I’d identified it quickly only because I knew about Planariant abilities—otherwise, it was vivid enough to be indistinguishable from reality.
Accepting the situation, I lay down on the bed. It was a familiar bed, but without Yaong, it felt strangely empty.
Knock, knock.
After the knocking stopped, the door opened cautiously and Baek So-hyeok stepped inside.
〈Hyung, there’s a friend waiting outsi— huh. No one here.〉
Since I was merely an observer, there was no way I would be visible to Baek So-hyeok. Naturally, he must have thought the room was empty. Still, instead of simply leaving as I’d expected, he hesitated for a moment, closed the door, and entered the room.
“You’re not supposed to just walk into someone else’s room.”
Lying face-down, I offered a pointless piece of advice. It wasn’t really my place to say anything, considering I’d barged into someone else’s memory, but at least this wasn’t intentional.
What is he doing?
For someone who’d snuck in, Baek So-hyeok didn’t do much of anything. I wondered if he was being cautious in case Baek Woojin came back.
They said they were close—maybe they were the kind of siblings who came and went even when the owner wasn’t around?
Even so, So-hyeok was usually good at respecting boundaries, and his current behavior seemed overly careful. If he needed something, it would’ve made more sense to come in when the owner was present.
Thud.
The Baek So-hyeok who had been standing blankly finally moved, heading toward the desk. Despite still being a student, his long legs meant that just two or three steps were enough. I sat up, focusing on his movements.
Am I witnessing Baek So-hyeok’s moment of rebellion? Maybe he’s rummaging through drawers or trying to steal something.
If this Planariant truly turned memories into illusions, maybe I was being shown someone’s hidden sore spot.
“There’s probably nothing worth stealing in Baek Woojin’s room.”
Knowing he couldn’t hear me, I still gave an ill-fitting warning. Snooping through someone else’s embarrassing past wasn’t exactly pleasant, though I had to admit it was intriguing. Unfortunately—or perhaps anticlimactically—the place So-hyeok’s carefully moving hand reached for was the bookshelf.
Borrowing a book between siblings should be normal, shouldn’t it?
He wouldn’t have been sneaking around like that just to read a book. I fixed my attention on his fingertips.
“Huh?”
The book in Baek So-hyeok’s hand was Demian. It was exactly the same book I’d taken out and read before. A carefree thought—Do they just have similar tastes?—mixed with suspicion—Is this really a coincidence? He didn’t read the contents, instead opening straight to the very last page.
So he’s not trying to read it.
On the final page of the book was a photograph I’d seen before.
〈You still kept it in here.〉
As he said that, Baek So-hyeok wore a faint, ambiguous smile. The hand that slowly traced over the photograph looked oddly lonely. I had no idea what the two brothers were doing over a single photo. If it were a family picture, they could’ve just hung it up outside. Hiding it was strange, and finding it and being pleased was strange too.
“There’s more than one photo.”
In Baek So-hyeok’s hand were two photographs. One was indeed the family photo I’d seen before. The other was Baek So-hyeok’s own ID photo.
Why would he put that in there?
Sticking things that belonged in a photo album inside a book wasn’t exactly normal.
Seriously, what a strange pair of brothers.
He stared intently at his own photo. It was just an ordinary ID picture—why was he looking at it like that? And why was the Planariant showing me this memory in particular?
Is it just showing memories at random?
Tap, tap.
As my thoughts deepened, footsteps sounded from outside. Baek So-hyeok quickly slipped the photos back into the book, as if he’d never looked at them at all. He then hurriedly pulled out a few other books, pretending to browse casually.
〈Oh—who…? So-hyeok? What is it? Did you come in to pick out a book?〉
Baek Woojin, who had just entered the room, looked visibly flustered. His hair was still dripping wet, as if he’d just showered, but he didn’t even seem to think about wiping it with a towel.
〈Sorry for coming in without saying anything. I was on my way to tell you that your friend was looking for you outside, and then I felt like reading.〉
Baek So-hyeok lied awkwardly. His acting wasn’t particularly convincing, but Baek Woojin, already tense, failed to notice the lie. Instead, a subtle tension filled the space between them.
〈Are you taking those books with you?〉
Baek Woojin asked, clearly fixated on the book in Baek So-hyeok’s hands. It was obvious he was worried about the hidden photos.
〈No. I’ve already read all the ones I pulled out. Do you have any other recommendations?〉
Knowing exactly what Baek Woojin was concerned about, Baek So-hyeok casually returned the books to the shelf, easing the tension. Some kind of silent tug-of-war continued between them. Strangely, neither of them seemed eager to win—they just wanted to keep the rope taut.
〈Uh… The Unbearable Lightness of Being? I read it a few days ago, and it was good.〉
The book Baek Woojin recommended was one I’d read myself. It began with the line, “The idea of eternal return is a mysterious one, and Nietzsche has perplexed many philosophers with it.” The content was just as philosophical as the opening sentence, but it didn’t overdo difficult language. Despite its thickness, I remembered enjoying it quite a bit.
Just as I’d thought before, Baek Woojin’s reading tastes resembled mine in some ways.
〈Alright. Then I’ll give it a try.〉
Baek So-hyeok continued to act as if he were genuinely interested only in books. As he kept up the act, he seemed to grow more natural, far more so than at the beginning.
I thought he couldn’t lie at all, but I guess that’s not true.
I didn’t know why the upright Baek So-hyeok was lying, but it didn’t seem like this was his first time making excuses like that.
〈You said your friend was waiting outside, right? I should head out too. Don’t just space out alone in an empty room—come on out.〉
Baek Woojin naturally ushered Baek So-hyeok out of the room. I remained seated on the bed, observing the two of them. Unlike the memories I’d seen before, there was an undercurrent of tension between them. I’d thought only Baek Woojin felt uncomfortable, but perhaps because this was Baek So-hyeok’s memory, their relationship looked subtly different.
“By the way… when do I get out of here?”
All I could do was hope that once the two of them left the room, I’d be freed from this memory.
But contrary to my hopes, the illusion continued. Only the location changed.
“So this is Baek So-hyeok’s room.”
It was a room I’d only ever glimpsed briefly from the outside.
