SWNOVELXO Chapter 37
Episode.37 Her Elevator
“Then…”
– Click, thud.
【That sister really looks young, doesn’t she?】
‘Yeah, I just found out myself.’
I silently conversed with Chaewon to ensure our dialogue wouldn’t be overheard by anyone else.
What does that mean, you ask?
To understand, we’d have to rewind to about five minutes ago—back to when Eunbyul and I shared a glance and spoke.
Five minutes ago.
At that time, I had just asked Eunbyul if she had cried.
– ‘Hey, stop talking nonsense. That’s not why I called you here.’
– ‘Oh really? I clearly came here to receive an ‘award’.’
Back then, I had looked up at the ceiling.
Why? It’s because Chaewon was sitting above Eunbyul.
You need to focus on the conversation.
I was anxiously worried about whether they’d catch on to the fact that there was a ghost.
And then what Chaewon said and did became the clincher.
– 【By the way, how old do you think she is?】
Hearing that honestly piqued my curiosity.
So I checked her information, and it was a bit shocking.
So much so that it slightly eased the guilt I felt for lying to the organization members who were like family to protect Harin.
Yeah. I was pretty sure the age gap wasn’t that big, right?
Since we all lied together, this was even.
After that, I barely paid attention to the conversation and just fled the room with the dagger I had received.
All I could remember was about this dagger.
It was, after all, why I went there, so I must have heard all the important stuff, right?
That they would tell me later where to use this dagger.
That it was a precious item.
That I should take good care of it.
I think that’s about all I caught.
‘Anyway, I bolted out of there looking all evasive. I wonder how Eunbyul… looked at me.’
【What?】
‘Ah, shit. Calling her ‘noona’ feels kinda awkward.’
I just hope there wasn’t any misunderstanding.
Since it’s ‘noona’ and not ‘aunt’.
The age difference is wide but not too much.
Of course, that’s my perspective.
【So, what will you do now?】
‘What to do? I need to go home now. I’m tired.’
I pulled out my phone.
Then, I immediately looked for a contact in my recent call history.
[Contacts]
Eunbyul noona
Kang Chaeyeon
Kim Seoyoon
Choe Ye-rim
Park Seoa
Baek Harin
———-
Then I corrected the part that had Eunbyul♥ on it.
Honestly, we’re not in that kind of relationship yet. No need to get ahead of ourselves.
If we happen to develop a good relationship later, I can change it then.
By the way, I couldn’t find Harin anywhere in the association.
– Glug.
Should I just give her a call?
‘No way. What face would I have?’
It’s not that I didn’t have feelings for her.
I just couldn’t give a definite answer.
I hesitated too much as a guy.
Honestly, the time we spent together was somewhat enjoyable, to be fair.
– Knock!
【Sigh… It’s boring here now; let’s just go home.】
‘What just happened?’
I manipulated my smartphone to check the notification.
You really don’t know.
Our country has four seasons.
‘Is it already winter?’
【Yeah, usually winter comes right after summer, doesn’t it? You just don’t know.】
Is there really no autumn left?
– Whoosh
We stepped out of our hideout.
It was still raining outside.
I took out the umbrella I had stored in my inventory.
I was sure we had only been in the hideout for a short while, but the sun was already starting to rise.
“Didn’t we come here in the early morning?”
【Can’t you just take a taxi back?】
As the sun set in the sky tinged with red, the morning air was cold.
I could really feel that winter was approaching.
Ever since the system started operating for me, keeping up with the flow of time has become difficult, or so it seems.
I feel like I’m becoming numb to that sense.
Well, it must just be my delusion anyway.
“Ah, I don’t want to go to work.”
**********
Time passed.
November XX, 2041
It seems like only about two weeks have gone by.
Like any office worker, I went back and forth between home and the association.
Recovery of the location tracker?
Leveling up through farming at the Gate?
Never even thought about it.
My condition keeps worsening and closing in on me.
What was it called? I can’t seem to remember.
It was definitely ‘the curse of forbidden magical power.’
– Hack!
I coughed up blood again.
At first, my heart ached, but now I’ve grown accustomed to the pain.
It’s certainly serious.
Getting used to the pain isn’t a good sign.
【Wow! It’s snowing outside! First snow of the year… Wait, did you just cough up blood again?】
“I’m fine. Not to the point of dying.”
【… Something definitely went wrong back then, right?】
“Ugh… I can hold on.”
【Why not just go see a doctor?】
Chaewon’s words hit home.
She’s 100% right.
But I already know about this condition.
According to the system, this incurable disease is the result of the curse placed by that black armor, accelerating its symptoms.
No one can cure this EX-class curse, so going to the hospital wouldn’t help.
Healing from a healer is usually more effective than modern medicine.
But it’s not that I haven’t sought healing from them at all.
On some days, I helped clear other blue gates, and during that time, I was healed by all the healers belonging to the association—A-class, B-class, C-class.
But my symptoms didn’t improve at all.
If anything, they felt progressively worse.
… No, let me correct that.
I haven’t received healing from ‘every healer in the association.’
The one who left only a kiss behind.
Will I get to meet her today?
No, I must meet her today.
Even if it means going back to the 51st floor.
Since I have the location tracker too.
“Ugh… this is really getting annoying.”
Still, I have to go to work today.
I unconsciously adjusted to the association.
‘Is it possible that I’ll die from just coughing up blood?’
【Idiot, are you setting flags?】
“You’ve become sharper with your words lately, haven’t you?”
【Have I? I thought I was always like this.】
Chaewon smiled.
As soon as I opened the front door, a whiff of winter hit me.
The cold air reminded me of memories from that day.
– Crunch. – Crunch.
The path to the association felt particularly long today.
Walking on the snow didn’t feel too bad.
I like snow.
I enjoy the sound of crunching snow as I walk.
Whenever I step on the snow, I always pay attention to the sound of my footsteps.
Still, I have to be careful when walking on the snow.
Stepping on the cement next to the sidewalk can be quite slippery.
Of course, if the snow is piled up deep, that wouldn’t be an issue.
But when stepping on thinly piled snow, there are times when ice would trip me up.
That was true until high school.
I don’t miss my high school days yet.
‘I don’t miss them, but there’s something a bit regrettable.’
– Brrrrrrrrrr.
【What are you regretful about?】
“What?”
【Nothing at all.】
A plane passed overhead, making it hard to hear.
As an excuse for not answering, I didn’t say anything.
It was ringing in my head, so there was no way I didn’t hear it.
Why did I make that excuse?
Because it was a topic I found hard to respond to.
Where did it all start from?
Where did it all go wrong?
… I really turn emotional over the sight of falling snow or rain.
‘Maybe I’m feeling a bit dizzy because I coughed up quite a bit of blood today… yeah, that door seems to be spinning around.’
It feels like it’s spinning like a storm of time.
【What are you talking about? It’s a revolving door, so it’s natural for it to spin.】
“Is that so?”
The person who designed the revolving door deserves an award.
Honestly, it drives me crazy.
‘Well, there’s nothing to criticize about an efficient invention.’
Once inside the association, the warm air seemed to wrap around my body.
The artificial warm breeze felt like it was guiding me into a dream.
“I’m sleepy.”
【Then why not take the emergency stairs? It’s only the 4th floor, right?】
“I’m too lazy. It’s tiring. I’m taking the elevator.”
I pressed the elevator button.
And then I waited.
However, the door of the adjacent elevator I hadn’t pressed opened.
I got in without thinking.
– Rumble.
The doors closed.
“Ah, I accidentally took the elevator down.”
I was lost in thought and ended up taking the elevator down instead of up.
【… Get it together, at least you came out early today and won’t be late.】
Elevator.
It’s always a steel box that creates some kind of situation for me.
Yeah, my first meeting was in this elevator.
‘The bump in the street at dawn doesn’t count.’
【Did you call the elevator from the underground parking lot?】
I made another mistake.
My department is only a few floors up.
I could have just taken a few steps up the stairs for my health.
Yet I insisted on taking the elevator.
“Yawn~”
I yawned and stretched.
– Ding~
‘What? The elevator chime sounds a bit off?’
It was different than usual.
– Rumble.
The elevator doors opened.
I focused my mind.
I attempted to make room in the corner for anyone getting on.
When I looked up, it said ‘B51’ in red LED.
‘W-What the hell? Did I just see the underground 51st floor? Is my condition really that bad that I misread it?’
“Long time no see, huh? You haven’t forgotten me, right?”
In front of me was a white-haired woman with her eyes closed, dressed in a doctor’s coat that had a bit of black mixed in on a white base.
Her attire looked like a fitted dress shirt and a dress combined, with a black tie adorned with white patterns.
I was slightly taken aback by her different outfit.
“You coming to my space on your own? Hehe, you must also need me, right?”
【… Is there typically a 51st floor underground?】
‘Even I don’t know, crazy… How should I even take this situation?…’
【Hmm… isn’t she the one you met back then? Shouldn’t you just feel scared?】
‘Who doesn’t know that!’
“Why are you so quiet? You’re in front of me, after all?”
“U-Um… I’m here. Long time no see, right?”
I spoke stutteringly.
“Come, come this way. I have a present prepared for you.”
“Uh, okay.”
“You can look forward to it. I promise, it won’t betray your expectations. You won’t regret it.”