Cold boredom floated in the air like dust. Every time I inhaled and exhaled, I got bored.
“Humanity has reached an era in which machines can no longer be rejected, and on the contrary, attempts have been made to accept them closely into life. The logic of the machine has been reduced to the logic of design. Works that reveal this ideology well are the works of the Bauhaus in the 1920s… … .”
Hard letters filled the screen illuminated by the beam projector. The professor's voice was monotonous as he read through the textbook.
I turned my eyes and looked out the window. The scene of the bleak campus entered. All the leaves that had grown so thick in the summer and snooped upstairs to the windows had now fallen off. All that was left in its place was a bone-like branch.
There was a smoking area between the Arts and Social Sciences Museum. Smokers gathered in a space that was even more cramped because of the air conditioner outdoor unit installed on the outer wall of the building, which is only a few pyeong.
Students taking classes in the classroom facing the smoking area hated sitting by the window. The reason was that it was unpleasant to see cigarette smoke rising even if the window was opened a little, and the smoke from the weeds spewing through the window throughout class. But I rather liked it. The window seat was always empty while others were clamoring for a seat in advance.
I casually looked down. I saw several men standing together, each smoking a cigarette. They talked and talked. The window was closed, so no sound was heard. One of the crowd was oversleeping. The letters embroidered on the back caught my eye. Business Administration.
It was a really comfy and banal landscape. I soon lost interest and looked away. No, I was going to take it. Until I saw one of them, one that stood out.
He was dressed in knitted slacks with straight legs. The winter sunlight fell like sediment on her coffee-colored hair with a little milk added to it. It must have been quite cold because he was standing outside smoking in a thin outfit in the middle of winter, and his auricles and tip of his nose were red and frozen. He was clearly heterogeneous among the boys in black padding and soiled sneakers. It was like a glass bead that had been thrown randomly on a gravel field.
The boys burst into laughter as if someone had joked about them. The kid laughed along. Moderately saddened, he was moderately involved in the conversation. The guy standing next to him and his back and forearms were patted and played quite wildly.
I know that type. They are friendly even to people they meet for the first time, they know how to smile and make their superiors feel good, and they live a busy life with overwork, team projects, clubs, and so on.
It was a human figure far from me. was not physiologically compatible. It was from the preconceived notions I had about the major of business administration. Of course, so did the other side. There were those who were reluctant or hostile as soon as they saw me, and there were those who tried to talk to me with an awkward smile and gave up immediately.
It didn't matter though. Right now, they are tied together within the flimsy border of school, but soon they will be scattered. We'll live our own lives without getting entangled like that for the rest of our lives.
“… … In this respect, it can be said that machine aesthetics has departed greatly from traditional fine arts.”
He rested his chin on his chin, looked out, and turned his head again. Instead of handwriting, only unknown sketches remained like stains on the open bookshelf. The lecture was just over halfway through. It was free.
* * *
There was a grating sound. It seemed that the roommate had returned to the room. My head was pounding. Nervously turned around.
Last night, I was caught by people I knew and drank until late in a distant downtown area. They used the excuse of an end-of-class party to commemorate my birthday party, but in fact, it seems that they just wanted to drink freely.
They giggled as they emptied their glasses, exchanged low-quality stories, and glanced at the women around them. I got sick of it. I soon sank into the cheap sofa and stretched out. Those who are accustomed to my temper, did not force me to play vulgar even.
Cigarette smoke spread like a mist under the dim lighting. I spent the night with loud, thumping music. It was early in the morning when I got a car of a senior I didn't know who came to pay for my drink, and I went back to the dormitory at the foot of the mountain and went to sleep.
There was no stopping the rustling noise. If you crawl in after the sun rises, you can sleep peacefully. Anxiety swelled up. Eventually I opened my eyes and got up.
“Fuck. Aren't you quiet?"
My roommate was lying on the bed with her back to me. But something was strange. Suddenly, a wheezing sound was heard.
"hey."
I called quietly. There was no reaction. His body trembled slightly.
"why are you like this. hurt?"
“… … .”
Still he remained silent. My mind became clear. Annoyedly, I brushed my hair and put on my clothes roughly. I didn't have the loyalty to take care of him carefully, but I did have the loyalty to buy medicine from the convenience store and throw it away. While I was on my way to buy something to drink, I was thinking of going with a couple.
"cold medicine? painkiller? what to buy Where are you sick?”
The bed across from it was still silent. Are you not even in the mood to answer? You shouldn't have to call an ambulance. It got a little serious.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll buy you something… … .”
When I turned around as I unzipped my outerwear, I saw my roommate charging at me with his mouth wide open in a bizarre way.
Before I could even think about what the hell this was all about, I reflexively ducked. My leg hit the edge of the bed hard, but I didn't feel any pain. He glared at me with strangely bloodshot eyes. Bluish veins stood out like spider webs on his bloodless cheeks.
"what. Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”
Words were cut off along the way. It was because the opponent rushed again. He moved his stiff limbs and swung like a savage. Making a creepy sound like scratching the vocal cords.
"Wake. What are you doing!”
I sensed that the conversation was not going to work. hurriedly turned around. I opened the door and ran out into the hallway before he hit me. I put my weight on and closed the door with all my might. But it didn't close completely. The opponent's hand was caught in the gap in the door. Although the wound was so large that the flesh was cut, there was no blood. The exposed flesh was strangely dark red.
He scratched the doorframe and struggled to get out. The hand, forearm, and elbow gradually came out. He removed his hand from the door and hesitantly backed away. Then he walked out into the hallway. Staring at me with unfocused eyes like stuffed animal corpses.
“Kuk, kuk, ugh… … .”
His neck snapped, popped, and bent at odd angles. chills down the spine
“Aagh!”
A roommate, no, a roommate howled greedily. Instinct signaled danger. I turned around and ran aimlessly. I went down the stairs, half-fazed. Even though my opponent stumbled, he managed to follow me. The sound of shuffling feet followed behind me.
I saw another person standing in the hallway downstairs. went there in a hurry But as I got closer, something strange happened. The person who saw me and the person following me screamed in fright.
“Ahhhhh!”
He had already lost his temper. Her hair was messy and her body was covered with sweat. Besides, the clothes were splattered with blood.
“Poem, what was in the restaurant, why is it already here… … . Do not come. Don't come any closer!”
He sighed and stepped back, leaving only words he didn't understand. Then he turned his back on me and went into the room. The door closed with a loud noise. I was standing in the middle of the hallway. Just then, there was a sound cutting through the air right next to me. I twisted my body as if I was about to fall.
It was approaching right behind me at some point. A bloody, bruised finger scratched the spot where my head used to be. If I had been a little later, I would have been caught by the scruff of the neck.
“Huh, huh.”
I barely straightened my staggering body. I ran desperately and widened the distance.
"excuse me. Anybody else?”
I shouted through the hallway. no one answered I turned the doorknob nearby. I was thinking of going into any room and hiding myself. But the door remained firmly locked. Opened the next visit, and the next visit. not all open Meanwhile, the monster gradually closed the gap from behind. I was getting more and more anxious. Cold sweat broke out in his hands.
"excuse me!"
clap. There was a sound of the lock being operated from the next room. Fortunately, there seemed to be people in that room. The sound felt like a rope of salvation. I ran desperately and grabbed the handle. I felt very grateful to the person I did not know the name or face of. By the way… … The door didn't even budge.
“… … .”
I turned the knob a few more times without immediately grasping the situation. The handle was still fixed in that position. I realized it belatedly. The person in the room had locked the door, not opened it. I was afraid that I would be in danger too. I lost all strength in my body.
“Oh… … . Kreuk.”
Someone appeared on the stairs on the other side of the hallway. A liquid mixed with saliva and blood flowed from the limbs that had been horribly eaten and left bite marks on them. It was another monster. It was a quandary. Horrible things like nightmares came from front to back aiming at me. There was nowhere to run.
"please… … Heck, please, someone please.”
I stumbled back and leaned against the other door. I was out of breath and felt as if my lungs would burst. I closed my eyes tightly. At that moment, the door behind me slammed open. Someone's hand pulled me tight. Without any hesitation, he was dragged into the room. bang! As soon as I entered, the door was closed again.
“… … .”
“… … .”
I gasped and looked ahead. The person in the room looked at me. Their eyes met in the air.
He had a face that didn't even realize what he had done, even after pulling me in. His body seemed to reflex at the sound of asking for help. The pupil in the middle of the hazelnut-colored iris was narrowed to the max with astonishment and bewilderment. I found out right away it was the kid
The entangled eyes didn't last long. A loud noise was heard outside. Someone was banging on the door with all their might. The time that had stopped passed again.
"Who are you? outside. Why are you doing that?”
he asked with a bewildered look on his face. You don't know who's out there, and you don't know what's going on. It seems that it was just instinct that this kid saved me. I shook my head. I also wanted to know why.
bang! Quaang! bang! Unable to withstand the shock of being beaten badly, the door lock came loose. The plywood doors were sloppy. Not knowing what to do, he moved. There were two long rectangular wardrobes on either side of the double room door. He struggled to move the wardrobe.
"help me."
Being alone, he asked me for help. He approached and grabbed the other side. The two of them worked together to close the cramped entrance hall with a closet. I held my breath while holding the closet firmly so that it would not tip over.
The things outside glowed relentlessly. He banged on the door and scratched it with his fingernails. My stomach rumbled. I wanted to cover my ears, but I had no hands to support the closet.
It's been a hell of a time. They lost interest and walked away from the door. Soon, the sound of shuffling feet disappeared across the hallway. We didn't say anything for a long time after that. I was afraid that if I made a sound, they would come back. Only the unstable, colorful breathing echoed in my ears.
"Ugh… … ha."
It wasn't until he fully confirmed that his presence had moved away that he let go of the closet. It just slipped and fell to its knees. It was the same for me as well. I barely leaned against the closet wall. The hands on his knees were trembling.
“Why are you like that, those people? That's not normal.”
"I don't know."
“Shouldn’t I report it to the police? Wait."
He jumped up and ran. Involuntarily, his eyes turned to him. The rest of the room was tidy, but only the desk was cluttered like a bomb had fallen. Were you studying for a test?
Thick major books are piled up, and the open notebooks are full of scribbles that look like earthworms crawling. Next to it were empty energy drink cans and a mountain of coffee bottles. Two earplugs that seemed to have been removed and thrown away caught my eye.
"hello. Is it the police station? This is Baekildae's living quarters... … .”
He found his cell phone and called 112. I still haven't recovered from the shock, but he has recovered very quickly. Maybe it was natural. Because he couldn't see the monster himself, he would only know that crazy people chased it and caused a disturbance.
"I beg your pardon? prank call? No, aren't you kidding me right now? What prank calls are you making in this situation? wait, don't hang up... … . Wait!"
he raised his voice. The bright red face was distorted. I thought you were only good at laughing without an insider, but you also make that kind of expression. In the meantime, I was thinking about that.
"What's wrong?"
“They told me not to call about students messing around in the dormitory. What kind of work is this? This is why people who are unjustly victims of crimes keep coming out. Even other diligent cops are insulted.”
He threatened to put a complaint in the National Sinmungo, as if talking to himself, and then tried to call again, crinkling his forehead annoyedly.
"yes. Baekil University. strange people... … . Right. screaming and running Yeah? No, this is a dormitory, not a lab. … … Hello Hello?"
He lifted up his phone screen and showed it. There was a sign indicating the end of the call.
“They say there is a temporary failure due to too many calls. It's cut off.”
“Isn’t it because other people reported it too?”
“Is that so?”
He turned off his phone screen and stuffed it into his pocket. I looked at the closet still blocking the entrance and sighed.
“I don’t know what all this is about. I was laying down to sleep after finishing my assignment, but suddenly there was a loud noise and I came out to see… … . I think I should go talk to the housekeeper first.”
I looked at him silently. Noticing my gaze, he smiled shyly out of habit. Her eyes watered, and a mole stood out in the corner of her left eye. What are you splitting up? Can you laugh even in this situation? It was annoying.
“Oh, my name is Jeong Ho-hyun. Department of Business Administration, □□ student number.”
After all, it was a junior. Are you too young? Probably. It looks like fruit juice will come out if you press hard on your cheek, and the downy hair on your ears and cheeks doesn't go away.
“Jung Ho-hyun junior?”
“You are a senior. Please speak comfortably.”
"yes. I will.”
He responded coolly, without reservation. For an instant, his expression turned strange, and he came back.
“What is your name, senior?”
"me?"
I looked at him blankly and tilted my head slightly.
“I am forever. Ki Young-won.”
