### Chapter 137 – Room 107, The Gate Room – ‘Perfect Life’ (28)
—
Kim Ahri
— Whee!
I clung to my trembling legs with both hands.
I had no idea the wind would be this strong up on the roof!
From the rooftop of the Calamity Administration Bureau, disguised as a publishing house, I looked down at the ground.
Even though it was almost midnight, the vibrant city buzzed with life from the neon signs and the bustling restaurants and bars.
Have I ever seen a world so beautiful?
But here I am, standing on a rooftop, ready to jump off.
I thought hard for another option, but I couldn’t think of anything more concrete than this.
What could possibly be more certain than my death?
Since that guy who was nailed to the cross and resurrected three days later, it hasn’t been easy for any living person to experience death and resurrection.
Naturally, there were no memories of death in my hazy recollections!
When I climbed here, I had mentally prepared myself, but now that I’m standing, my legs are shaking.
… What if the idea that the world is a lie is just a delusion?
What if I’m just freaking out because my mind slipped during a confidential mission?
Swallowing hard, I approached the rooftop railing and looked down, feeling my breath catch.
I squeezed my eyes shut and climbed onto the railing.
Just one step. Just one more step, don’t look down.
If I close my eyes and just take one step…
— Gulp!
I gasped for air and opened my eyes!
The dizzying view from the rooftop hit me like a truck.
Nope! There must be a better way!
What if all my thoughts until now have been a big misunderstanding?
Let’s think this through again. Surely there’s a slightly more rational option than suicide!
People usually think things through before acting, right —
— Phew!
Huh?
What?
WHOMP!
Suddenly, something pushed me from behind, and I began to fall through the air!
That damn bird! I swear I’m gonna fry you up for this!
“Hey! You little bird! Aaaaaagh!!!”
Is this how I die? Seriously?
I didn’t even jump off myself, and now a parrot’s headbutt is my end?
In an instant, the ground rushed up toward me! No, I’m plummeting toward it at breakneck speed!
A fear I’ve never experienced before consumed my soul.
In a split second, all the confusion that filled my heart was swept away.
There was only one thought.
“Stop!”
“World, halt! Please, just stop!”
And then the world stopped.
The people who had been unwinding with a drink late at night froze.
The neon signs that illuminated the sleepless city blinked out.
The flow of air that slapped against my skin stilled.
Even the smug parrot staring down at me from the sky came to a stop.
In that moment, as the entire world halted at my wish, I finally accepted a truth deep within my heart:
This whole world was nothing but a fantasy!
The pendant hanging around my neck floated into view and popped open.
With a click, the pendant revealed the hidden photo inside.
The reason I entered the hotel — a precious memory I must never forget.
The photo showed a girl who looked eerily similar to me, aside from her hair color.
Unlike the person I met just this morning, she appears to be in her mid-teens — my mother!
As everything froze, my mind drifted back in time.
*
— A long-ago memory
— Scratch-scratch.
I woke up to the sharp noise of something scraping against the wall.
I saw a clown with over ten gleaming eyes all over its body.
I wanted to throw up, but it was okay.
After all, there wasn’t anything left inside me to throw up anyway.
“Get away from me!”
— Scratch-scratch.
The clown scratched at the glass box protecting me with dozens of its claws.
“It’s useless. This thing is a hotel special.”
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I looked around.
The once beautiful hotel that people admired as the best in the world was nowhere to be found now.
The hotel was crumbling like a construction site, filled with monsters that I was afraid to even make eye contact with.
… Where’s Miro? Why did you leave me alone in this glass box?
Time slipped by, and my memory swirled softly, shifting to the next scene.
I was back inside the glass box. Miro appeared, bleeding all over.
“What the heck happened? Did another weird monster show up?”
“N-no. I just got a bit beat up getting this.”
In Miro’s hand was an unrecognizable balloon-like object.
“Is that an ‘air bubble’? Wasn’t it something the ‘other team’ had? How did you — wait!”
“I had no choice. It’s the only thing that can save you.”
With that, Miro shoved me into the glass box.
“What the heck are you doing? Why —”
“Ahri, just stay still.”
“Miro!”
“Ahri, my beautiful and smart daughter. I may be a fool compared to you, but now I understand. We can’t last here any longer, can we?”
“….”
“It’s strange. There used to always be delicious food at mealtime. But today, nothing’s appeared. Clowns are popping out from under the bed, and the walls are crawling with transparent monsters.”
“… That’s because we didn’t go into the cursed room.”
“And we probably won’t be able to any longer. We can’t proceed with that cursed room, right?”
“Mom….”
“It’s okay. I figured this might happen someday.”
The balloon in Miro’s hand swelled up, growing large enough to cover the entire box I was in.
“How did you get that air bubble? Did you steal it? Please don’t tell me…. you didn’t kill anyone from ‘the other team,’ right? We promised we wouldn’t do that!”
“I had no choice.”
“Please. Let’s just get out together. We can just make the air bubble a little bigger.”
“No. The instructions said it’s for one person. If two go in, there will definitely be problems.”
Miro, who had always acted like a child since my awakening, was strangely wise and resolute that day.
“Then you should leave instead. I heard you were a really important person outside—”
— Peck!
Miro’s soft lips touched my forehead for just a moment before pulling away, sealing the glass box.
“I love you.”
As Miro’s touch faded, my consciousness began to blur.
Tears poured from my eyes, which I thought had dried up.
I used my tears as ink and my soul as a notebook to engrave an unbreakable vow.
I will never forget this moment.
And I will surely return to this place someday.
Just as you gave up your life to save me today, I swore to save you next time.
*
— Kim Ahri
I truly came to. A flood of immense information burst forth in my mind like a dam, filling it to the brim.
I suddenly felt a headache and reluctantly cradled my head against the wall for a while.
… As my mind cleared, I realized something ridiculous.
I’ve actually died several times in this hotel.
The memories of my experiences in the hotel hadn’t returned all the way up to my last moments.
Thanks to that, I couldn’t imagine “death,” allowing me to wake up through my attempts at suicide.
What if memories of dying in the hotel had come back, and I could imagine death? What would have happened then?
I froze at the thought. Scratch that! That’s too risky of a method!
But with this, I’ve resolved things, right? This long chapter in the Gate Room! A happy ending with my lovely Arri!
A holographic window appeared in front of me.
/Congratulations, Participant Kim Ahri, for clearing the final trial, ‘Perfect Life’!/
The final participant among the members has emerged! Since the final participant has been identified, all members will return safely.
The participant may escape from the Gate Room immediately. Do you wish to escape? (Y/N)
“Yay~! It’s really over! Really, really over!”
With the world having stopped and nobody watching me, I spun around happily, dancing for ages!
Just as I was about to hit Y on the hologram, I felt an odd sensation.
Why is there a ‘choice’?
I’ve solved or escaped from cursed rooms many times before.
But the hotel had never given me the option to leave or not before.
When I escaped, I just automatically left; when I solved it, the room vanished immediately.
In fact, as I tried to solve things, the ‘automatic escape judgment’ sometimes blocked me too.
So why this time a choice?
Even though I’ve cleared it, why is there an option to not escape?
‘There’s still something I need to do.’
“I have a question.”
/What question do you have?/
“What will happen to the remaining teammates after I leave?”
/You already know the answer./
The Gate Room is ultimately just the enhanced version of the cursed room.
Thus, many of the principles that exist in the cursed room also apply in the Gate Room.
I recalled the memory of the media changes we went through in the past.
During our countless attempts to solve it, Seungyub always secured an escape early on by drifting away from the room.
That was possible because Seungyub’s escape didn’t obstruct the progress of the remaining teammates.
Unlike ‘solving,’ which means the entire interior world of the room will perish, ‘escaping’ means only the person involved leaves the stage while the others can proceed.
Until when? Until they solve, escape, or until they die.
I looked again at the notification that had popped up:
‘The participant may escape from the Gate Room immediately. Do you wish to escape? (Y/N)’
It’s not “solving.” It’s “escaping.”
Even if I escape, the Gate Room doesn’t disappear, and my teammates keep progressing.
…
A chilling thought crossed my mind.
What if my teammates continue and can’t awaken? What would happen then?
In this peaceful and warm world with no enemies threatening their lives,
What if they end up waking up after dozens of years living this perfect life? Or maybe only after their lifespan runs out….
An ominous vision choked my breath.
Finally, I realized the reason I was given a choice.
There’s still something I need to do.
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