SSS-Class Suicide Hunter

4.

When I said ’I want to talk to you', the passenger looked away from me.

It's been a minute.

The tower nodded and guided me.

“Okay, come with me. ”

I walked according to the tower's words.

“This way.”

Fallen alley.

Old kitchens and homes continue along the alleyways.

It's not as clean as Hanok Village.

Giwa got old and got eaten up by weeds. The old stone wall has never been repaired, so the collapsed posture withstood the gravity of time.

"What the hell is he doing? ’

It was a moment when I wanted to feel and ask.

“Mansions built in the daytime. ”

Duck.

The last thing he said as he walked ahead.

“When the war broke out, the city was almost gone in an instant. Because of that, there are more traces of the past than anywhere else. ”

“War?”

“6.25.”

The sewers smell of summer rotting.

“Missed their time of death. ”

"......."

A procession of Kiawa houses with only faggots looking at us.

More like a face covered in dark mushrooms than vintage.

We walked through a stone wall that sprang like a boil, opened a peeled gate, and passed a yard where not even weeds could grow.

“Wait here for a moment. ”

I sat on the blue ledge and waited.

There's no air conditioning, no fans, just the shade of the horse that cools your head.

Mee, meem, meemae...

The chameleon cries under the direct sunlight.

After a while, you return with a tray.

“There's nothing I can do for you. ”

“No, I'm really sorry to barge in. ”

I graciously received the cup with both hands.

There was water in the Stancup for the school cafeteria.

“Perhaps this is the first time I've seen you. ”

The tower is settled and the head bows.

“I'm in the third grade of Shinseo Middle School, Class A, I'm an autopsy. ”

“Ah."

I didn't even introduce myself.

“I'm Kim Gong-ju. ”

“Yes, Mr. Kim. What would you like to talk to me about? ”

"......."

What can I say?

I wonder why you're here if you own the tower?

Do you want me to tell you how I built the tower?

But...

“Hey."

The questions that came out of my mouth were completely different.

“You said your name was Crystal... ”

“Yes."

“May I ask what that means? ”

“Use Mr. Jungwon. ”

The tower takes the notebook out of the briefcase.

Amethyst.

The sharpened pencil is black-squared on a blank sheet.

‘This is the name of the tower. ’

Maybe it's a universal name.

Still, I saw the name of the tower for the first time.

"Amethyst."

I recalled the pronunciation in my mouth.

Never forget that.

"Is there no other family here? ”

"Yes, I lived with my uncle until last year, but now I live alone. ”

"Excuse me, but how did...? ”

"A freak broke in and killed my uncle. Three men who were with my uncle at the time were also killed. It's an open investigation, and it's hard to say a lot. ”

In the tower's words, I felt no emotion at all.

No, she's been expressionless.

Since the first time we met.

"Do you know anything about the tower? ”

"What tower are you referring to? ”

"The Tower of Babel. If you suddenly show up one day in my world and think you want to go there, you can go through a little procedure. If you go in, it will spread... Hmm."

I was a little embarrassed while talking.

It's like a total cult.

I coughed.

"Anyway, don't you know?"

The tower shakes its head quietly.

“Yes, I don't know. ”

“What does the word [pillar] mean? Have you ever heard of Hunter? ”

“Guess the word Kim Gong-ja is saying has a different meaning than usual. I understand the word" pillar "and" hunter "as common nouns. ”

“…… I see. ”

I don't know.

The more I talked, the more I felt threatened.

‘I don't have any memory of being on board. ’

The girl in front of me really doesn't know the tower.

‘It's the same voice. It's a completely different atmosphere. ’

God who lost his memory.

The child sitting in front of me has no power and no memory of the tower, no matter what lies hidden in it.

He just lives a quiet life assigned to him.

"......."

If you ask her about the tower now, she won't have any income.

I turned my curiosity away.

“You've been answering all your questions. Is that okay? You said there was an intrusion. Well, what if I'm the perpetrator who framed Mr. Amethyst? ”

“I'm fine.”

The tower opened its lips slowly.

“If Mr. Kim was a criminal, he would have tried to make contact elsewhere, not in the distance. ”

“Yes?"

“I cross the subway twice as I go down. One of them is unpopular. The lights are out. It's dark. There's depressions everywhere. The man who planned the crime is either going to ambush me in the subway or ambush me in advance. ”

The tower master said, steadily.

“When I saw Kim Gong-ja's face, I didn't feel like committing an accidental crime. Kim Gong-ja's gaze stayed on my face the whole time. especially eye contact. If I was afraid of running away, I would look at my lower body, my hands, my body if I expected to rebel, and Duke Kim only looked at my face. It's a straightforward look for someone you know. ”

“Eh……."

“What Kim just noticed is my name. It's proof that I'm curious about my personal information. Even when I was away for water, Kim didn't look around the inside of the house. If you're a criminal, you need to look carefully to see if there's a third party in the house, how it's structured. ”

The tower holder holds up the Stancup with both hands.

A sip of water soaks the mouth of the tower.

"All of Kim Gong-ja's actions don't suit criminals. Therefore, I don't think that Mr. Kim is a criminal who is malicious to me. ”

"......."

"So to answer Mr. Kim's question, yes. I'm fine.”

Me-e-e-

There was a cicada on the bluff.

I hear the faint sound of summer stretching.

‘…… ugh! ’

I woke up.

“Gosh, you're very good at talking. You're smart.”

“Yes."

The rider insists heavily.

“I'm smart. ”

"......."

I realized.

Even if you lose your memory, the girl in front of you is not ordinary.

“I'm sorry, do you mind if I go to the bathroom for a while...? ”

“Go around the back of the house. Be careful when you go. ”

I went to the Pushy toilet and later understood why the rider said [be careful when you come], not [be careful].

It was when I left the bathroom.

"Huh?"

I felt faint popularity in a warehouse built on the back side of the courtyard.

There was no movement in the popularity.

I just curled up behind the storeroom.

"......."

What the hell?

It was a hot summer, but my throat was sore.

Looking at the old warehouse door, the popularity was speechless, as if trying to face my gaze head-on.

What is it, really? ’

I looked closely.

Every step made me feel more popular.

The cold hand felt like a stammer on my neck.

‘Hey, who are you? ’

I shot the error just in case, but there was no response.

The popularity was getting closer, rather than less.

One step.

"Fuck?"

I swallowed a saliva.

The moment I carefully held the door hook in my storage.

“No, no, no. ”

Something grabbed me by the back of my shirt.

“Don't go in there. ”

I turned my head and saw the rider looking up at me expressionlessly.

When did you get here?

“Yes…?"

“When Kim Gong-ja enters, [children] are surprised. ”

Kids.

“Uh, what kind of children...?" ”

“Please wait here for a moment. ”

The tower opens the Storage Door.

After the door opened, the popularity skyrocketed.

At best, I felt like I was patting my neck, but now I've turned into a scratching sensation by holding my nails up.

"......."

"I'm sorry, we have a visitor."

There were a bunch of curtains in the warehouse.

When the tower master passed the curtain, there was only one full-body mirror.

At the same time the mirror was revealed, it disappeared as if it had washed the popularity.

“Remain calm. ”

The tower holder picked up a towel placed nearby and wiped the surface of the mirror.

I was left behind, clumsy, and had no choice but to watch the passenger.

"The mirror, the mirror. Is there something wrong or not? ”

"Yeah, he's a weird kid. ”

"I think it's hurting people.... ”

"This child no longer harms people. ”

The passenger mops up and closes the curtain again in the mirror.

It still felt popular, but it wasn't as fierce as before.

It felt like I was crouching.

"It may cause you harm in the future, right? ”

"That's what humans do. ”

"......."

Meow.

You hear a cat cry beneath your feet.

[Puppy] was suddenly on the back of his foot.

"......."

Noooo.

From the puppet with no mouth and no vocal chords, no doubt, a cat's cry came out.

“Hey, what's this? ’ ’

“Meow.”

It was a name you shouldn't have given to puppies.

“Never stroke your head for being cute. ”

“What happens if I stroke it? ”

“I'll keep yapping in Kim Gong-ja's head every six seconds until I find the next owner. ”

“… for real? ”

“Yes."

“Crazy.”

“Now I'm quiet because I don't want her to be a puppet. I'm trying to figure out whether I'm a cat or a puppy, and I'm putting it behind me to find my owner. He thinks about his identity before he relies on anyone else. Sincere.”

“Y-you think this is dangerous enough? ”

“That's okay. Once we've established our identity, we'll move them to the squirrel doll. ”

“Yes...? ”

“Then you start thinking about whether you're a squirrel or not every year, and if you just switch every 10 to 13 months, you're safe. Here you go, Mr. Meow. We shouldn't be bothering our guests. Come here."

The tower grabbed the puppet's neck.

Meow.

A doll worrying about its identity is placed on the shelf.

“Oh my God."

I was stunned and looked around the warehouse.

There were so many things on the shelf that I didn't know what they were.

The wall was framed, and as I looked at it, the picture in the frame changed to that of Raviel.

“…… What's that? ”

“He is a child who illuminates the person he loves the most. ”

The Tower Master was a graveyard of nothing.

“Don't watch too long. The more I look at it, the less I can remember who I love. Contrary to fading memories, photographs are becoming more and more vivid. Soon, when all the memories of the loved ones are gone, the second photo of the loved ones flashes. ”

I quickly turned my gaze.

“Hey, why do you collect these things? ”

“If you're somewhere else, it's troubling people. ”

“Weren't you scared? It's like ghosts after all."

“That's an odd question. ”

The tower tilts its head.

“If it's a ghost, Kim Gong-ja has one. ”

I blinked.

“…… Yes? ”

“Hey."

The tower lifts a finger and points behind my back.

“Kim has a muscular ghost. ”

"......."

Wherever her fingers point, the messenger floats.

- Huh?

The messenger was furious.

Are you seeing me right now?

Only visible to me and only to me.

However, the tower answered as if the question behind it was natural.

“Yes."

She was the first person to see the mole besides me.