When I saw the shoes at the entrance, my first thought was that Baek Saheon had finally returned to the company housing.
‘Took him days to muster the courage.’
Or perhaps he’d heard some rumor that I hadn’t returned from today’s ghost story and rushed back.
‘But I’m back now.’
I was contemplating how to deal with whoever was currently in the room when—
– Oh dear, Mr. Roe Deer. There seems to be a slight misunderstanding in your recollection!
A misunderstanding?
– Those shoes have been in the same spot every evening, Friend .
“……!”
What?No, I was sure there was nothing in the entrance when I left on the first day…
‘…Wait a second.’
I recalled the last time I saw Baek Saheon.
At Sekwang Technical High School.
Amid the chaos between the Disaster Management Bureau and the Field Exploration Team, I’d seen him fleeing with an item in hand.
And the effect of that pen-shaped item he was holding…
‘Hypnosis.’
“……”
I looked down at my hand.
The silver ring.
The mental defense item I’d purchased today.
‘…Aha.’
That explained it.
Baek Saheon hadn’t been leaving earlier or returning later than me. He hadn’t been commuting from elsewhere either.
He’d been returning to the dorm all along.
He’d simply placed a suggestion on me, ensuring I wouldn’t notice him.
‘But now it doesn’t work on me.’
Thanks to the silver ring shielding my mind, I’d finally ‘seen’ his shoes after days of being oblivious to them.
“…Hah.”
Seriously.
As if being sick and exhausted wasn’t enough, now I had to deal with this nonsense at home…
– Oh, what a perfectly pieced-together deduction, like a beautiful puzzle!
– But… isn’t it a traditional and moral lesson for deceivers to pay the price?
There was a hint of sly amusement in Braun’s voice.
Normally, I’d have been horrified by that, but…
Hmm.
“Braun.”
– Yes, Friend ?
“How about we try something fun? You’ll like it.”
– ……!!
* * * ‘Phew.’
The moment the noise from the entrance died down, Baek Saheon cautiously got out of bed.
‘What the hell was he doing, taking so long to go to his room?’
It had been days since leaving Sekwang High. He’d been lying low in the company housing, keeping as quiet as possible.
All to avoid being noticed by Kim Soleum.
‘…At first, I just thought I was already fucked.’
Waking up in the morning to realize a psychopath in the neighboring room bore a grudge against him?
To avoid any potential confrontation, he’d used the fountain pen to ensure Kim Soleum wouldn’t notice his presence.
‘It really is a great item.’
That psycho hadn’t noticed a thing!
Still, Baek Saheon had been desperately avoiding any encounter, staying quiet even in his room to prevent the suggestion from wearing off.
He’d considered applying a stronger hypnosis but feared the consequences if it failed…
Even so.
‘…Maybe it’s time to go for a more daring suggestion?’
The hypnosis had held up for days. He was starting to think it might be worth the risk.
Like making Kim Soleum protect him in a crisis or tricking him into handing over valuable items and believing he’d lost them…
‘Hmm.’
Besides, he’d heard a few things from Jang Heo-un— that Kim Soleum’s latest ghost story involved alleys filled with various equipment and items.
‘…I’m jealous.’
Baek Saheon clenched his fist briefly, thinking of his fellow new hires at the Round-Off Team.
He needed his own chance to secure items. More chances…!
Maybe he could subtly hypnotize his colleagues and swipe their items…
‘But I can’t do that right now!’
The fountain pen could only apply hypnosis to one person at a time. Since it was currently being used on Kim Soleum, it couldn’t affect anyone else.
The situation was getting under his skin.
‘I knew it, I’ll need to squeeze more out of Kim Soleum.’
The timing felt perfect.
‘Time to plan.’
Once Kim Soleum fell asleep tonight, he’d use the fountain pen to—
He was mid-thought when he opened his door to get a drink of water.
And froze, horrified.
“……!”
Kim Soleum was sitting in the dark kitchen.
At the dining table, surrounded by what looked like snacks, he was examining their wrappers.
And in the center of the table sat a plush rabbit doll on a cushion…
The same creepy toy Kim Soleum always called ‘Braun’ and carried everywhere.
“What? Cheap-looking?”
Flinch.
“Yeah. I suppose that’s part of the concept. It was a stationery store, after all.”
‘This godforsaken psycho.’
He was talking to the doll again.
‘Why hasn’t he gone back to his room? Why is he still out here doing this bullshit?!’
Baek Saheon shuddered and was about to retreat to his room but… paused.
Wouldn’t this natural encounter be a good opportunity?
Without needing to try anything specific, this seemed like the perfect moment to reinforce the hypnotic suggestion.
“……”
Baek Saheon made up his mind and pulled out the fountain pen.
Then, he quietly stepped forward.
“Sure. But even items like this have their own effectiveness,” Kim Soleum said.
Baek Saheon froze mid-step, the fountain pen in his hand.
Kim Soleum continued speaking, his back turned, talking to himself like the lunatic he was.
“Like my roommate’s fountain pen passing by behind me right now.”
“……”
Ah.
Paralyzed, Baek Saheon felt his blood turn cold.
“Braun, did you know? My roommate tried to brainwash me and take control.”
“……”
“Yeah. I even prepared a gift to repay the favor…”
Kim Soleum’s voice was slow and deliberate. It wasn’t because he was calm—it was because he felt like he’d cough up blood again if he spoke too quickly.
But the low, hoarse voice, tinged with the scent of blood and pain, only made his words sound more menacing and weighty.
“Don’t you think that’s rather rude?”
Kim Soleum set his snacks down on the table and turned his head.
“And someone that rude… doesn’t deserve to be a roommate, don’t you think?”
“……!!”
Their eyes met.