### Chapter 302 – Room 204, Mission Room – ‘Hotel Cinema’ (24)
—
– Han Kain
On the screen, a fierce battle was unfolding between the gumiho that Eunsol entered and the special forces dispatched by the Vatican, while the comrades began a heated discussion.
Songee seemed a bit flustered.
“Didn’t unnie make a rather rash decision? Couldn’t we think of more options?”
Elena showed an understanding yet curious demeanor.
“From our view, it seemed rushed, but I’m sure she mulled it over for quite a while… But what was that just now? It’s not like she’s a magical girl or something.”
Ahri had gotten so close to the screen to examine ‘the spells used by the gumiho’ that she was now engaged in a debate with the doctor.
“Is she creating gestures with her hands? She’s versatile, but there’s a delay right before she casts spells. That’s why she’s getting hit.”
“If Ahri goes in, can you cover for that delay with old blood? If you can take down the Vatican’s special forces, things could go pretty smoothly…”
“I need to watch a bit longer. It seems Eunsol is trying different things to show us.”
“What about that move? It looked like she triggered a shockwave, right?”
In this atmosphere where everyone was doing their best, I just leaned back comfortably on the sofa and thought.
The gumiho’s abilities, the time until the special forces from the Vatican arrived… detailed analysis was left to the others sweating it out. I was pondering more fundamental questions.
How do we break it?
From a cinematic perspective, the proper scenario looked clear: kill 28 humans to turn back into a person.
After that, she could cast the Forgetting Spell to wash away her past or fabricate a false identity to adapt to human society—that’s something Han Yoori would handle on her own.
Eunsol couldn’t accept this scenario, rejecting it and asking the others to figure out a different solution, suggesting some ethical dilemma.
As for me…
Well, I wasn’t feeling that dilemma too deeply. I mean, these are characters in a movie within a movie. Do we really need to think of these beings as fully human?
However, it is true that there’s an issue with the civilian hunting scenario. Honestly, no one would see that as a ‘happy ending,’ right? The guide would definitely shake his head in disapproval.
Is there a scenario where both the gumiho and humans come out smiling? How can this possibly end happily?
Just as my head began to throb, Ahri nudged my shoulder.
“Ah. Ahri, have you finished analyzing the movie details? I saw you dancing with the doctor in front of the screen!”
“I wasn’t dancing! Just trying out the spell movements while you were back there napping.”
“I wasn’t napping; I was having profound and philosophical thoughts!”
“What kind of thoughts?”
“Can we make this a happy ending?”
“Hmm…”
“If a happy ending is possible without sacrifice, I wouldn’t know anyone who does besides you, an Administration Bureau agent. Grandpa is long gone.”
“There is a way, but it’s difficult to realize.”
“Please elaborate.”
“Don’t just lounge back in your chair and order me around. Sit up straight and listen.”
I corrected my posture and knelt on the chair.
“Ahri, please, share your wisdom. Songee and Elena are all ears.”
Songee jolted a bit and knelt as well. Ahri smirked and began to explain succinctly.
“Didn’t they already say it? Gumiho-like creatures are bound by legends. The reason they need to eat 100 livers to become human? That folklore is real and has been reproduced in creative works. If it’s not as famous, we could erase the legend or change the narrative.”
“But the gumiho folklore is super famous. Can you change all of that?”
“It’s difficult. It requires an immense amount of time and resources. Honestly, the Vatican has no reason to do such a thing. Why bother when they can just kill a couple of gumiho to resolve the issue?”
That made so much sense that I fell silent. If I were a bigwig in the Vatican or the Administration Bureau, I’d just get rid of a couple of gumiho too instead of wasting time on such nonsense.
“Isn’t there another way?”
“There’s also the option of swapping it with a similar but distinct legend. But again, that’s incredibly tough.”
“Hmm…”
“In my view, the most straightforward scenario is to eat humans. Other scenarios are all too forced or unrealistic.”
“But how can that be a happy ending?”
Songee’s question silenced the theater. Even Ahri seemed stumped on this part.
As time passed, the film concluded with the death of Eunsol, and a signal for the next person to enter blinked on. By that time, a thought dawned on me.
“It seems like a simple problem…”
Ahri looked at me.
“A simple problem?”
“We don’t need to satisfy all three parties from the get-go.”
Ahri immediately understood.
“Forget the guide and just get the merchant and the souvenir girl’s tickets?”
“It should go in a way that’s plausible yet bizarre and gruesome. Let’s ditch the happy ending.”
“A gruesome plot that’s plausible? What kind of -”
Just as Ahri was about to speak further, her eyebrows lifted slightly in realization.
“I have an idea. Hear me out.”
The look on my face, along with the expressions of everyone around, turned into sheer silence. After a moment, Jinchul finally spoke up.
“Uh, sounds like something the merchant would like. So, does that mean Ahri, you’ll be the one going in?”
“Seems like the best choice. It doesn’t seem like anyone else can pull it off.”
Rising from her seat, Ahri walked toward the screen and shouted.
“Guide! I’m taking the blessing with me!”
“Huh? Blessing?”
Since Ahri usually relied very little on blessings, Songee displayed a clear sign of surprise. However, the doctor who had been analyzing the gumiho’s abilities with Ahri placed a hand on Songee’s shoulder.
“We reached this conclusion while discussing with Ahri earlier.”
“Is that right? Then…”
*
– Kim Ahri
After blinking my eyes open, I found myself back in a bustling place similar to where Mooksung and Eunsol started. But the timing felt a bit off. Could it be? As I stepped into Black Café 25 Hours, I realized I was right on the money.
— Ding Dong!
“Aha! You finally made it! I was wondering if something happened since you were late.”
“… Did I keep you waiting?”
“It’s alright. I figured you were mulling over a tough confession right until the end. Oh, by the way, Sumi has already finalized her story. Yoori, it’s your turn now. Would you please come this way?”
“Understood.”
As Doh In-ho suddenly glanced toward the theater while saying “finalize,” it turned out that the first scenario was completed by Eunsol. From here on out, we could proceed with the second scenario.
“Ahem! Then, now -”
“Hold on!”
I suddenly rushed over to Han Yoori and tightly grasped her hand. As the girl with astonishing beauty looked thoroughly flustered, I meticulously examined her eyes and hair.
“…?”
“Uh, excuse me?”
“Ahri? Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
“I’m sorry. You look too much like someone I know… How rude of me.”
After bowing my head a couple of times, everyone awkwardly chuckled. They likely thought a crazy girl showed up since they called for someone to tell scary stories.
Right now, I wanted to clarify if Yoori was indeed human. The conclusion leaned heavily toward her being human. It seemed I would have to proceed according to the scenario I set up outside.
Before long, Yoori recalled her past and stepped into the play within a play.
*
– 21st Century Gumiho Saga
— Ding Dong Dang Dong!
With a cacophony of bell sounds, something unexpected occurred. Immediately, I tightened my grip on Sae-rom’s arm and whispered in her ear.
“Yoori! About tomorrow at 8—”
“Take me outside.”
“Uh? Huh?”
“There’s a problem with the Forgetting Spell.”
Sae-rom’s expression froze for a moment, then she silently nodded. The Forgetting Spell suppressing the gumiho’s mind was now acting like an eraser in real-time, altering my memories, so I needed to shatter the spell itself.
While moving quickly, I tightened my grip on Sae-rom’s arm again in front of the shoe rack.
“Yoori?”
“There, you!”
The fool behind the shoe rack was silent.
“Let’s meet on the rooftop at 8 PM tonight.”
After saying that, I headed towards the courtyard. Sae-rom appeared puzzled.
“Who are you talking about?”
“The confession killer.”
“E-excuse me?”
As soon as I entered the yard, my mind cleared, and the wisdom and power of the gumiho began to seep into my brain. This meant I had passed the most dangerous moment. I decided to rely on the power of this gumiho and choose blessings over ancient blood.
Additionally, if another story emerged where supernatural powers couldn’t be used recklessly, then using ‘the girl with no presence’ or ‘the compass’ would likely be easier than employing the obviously supernatural ancient blood.
“…”
As I scanned the surroundings, Sae-rom casually approached me.
“Unnie, are you alright? If you break the spell here, you’ll feel really hungry.”
“That’s true.”
I now understood the reason Eunsol almost lost her mind. To exaggerate slightly, wouldn’t every student walking through the school smell like perfectly cooked steak and hamburgers?
“Lunch break is about to end soon. Are you going inside?”
“Go ahead and enter first.”
“Unnie?”
“I’ll come in shortly.”
Perhaps because I was acting differently than usual, Sae-rom tilted her head curiously and returned to class alone. Instead of entering the school, I went out through the main gate. I needed quite a few preparations to put my plan into action.
“Yoo, Yoori!”
Oh, looks like we have a baseball club boy out here.
“… Jihun sunbae.”
“I-I-I’m -”
“8 PM tonight.”
“What?”
“I’ll see you on the rooftop at school then.”
The baseball club boy looked startled, staring at me as I rushed toward the main gate.
Thinking about it, this ‘moving time’ was ultimately meaningless. There’s no way this scene would make it into the edited movie the others would see. They’d probably just show a cut of me teleporting to the next location. With that thought, numerous reflections began to swirl in my mind.
…
…
…
When was it? 30 years ago? 50 years ago? I don’t remember well.
The first person I ever met after emerging from the deep-sea hotel was the head of the Korean branch of the Administration Bureau. So long ago that he has long passed away, now fading away into a vague image in my memory.
…
“Agent Kim Ahri, do you think all humans are equal?”
“I learned that at school.”
“That’s not entirely wrong. Human life is equal. In most situations, we too believe so. We strive to save as many people as possible, without discrimination.”
“I see.”
“But there are exceptions. There are those who are not equal. Who do you think they are?”
“Exceptions? Um… someone possessed by an evil spirit? Someone infected by the nerve parasite?”
“Such individuals are simply targets for extermination, not really ‘people’ at all.”
“High-ranking politicians? Chaebols?”
“We don’t care much about social status in the civilian world.”
“… I don’t know.”
“The answer is simple. It’s you.”
“Me?”
“It’s someone who can fight against monsters, ghosts, fanatics, and evil gods. If you, the agent, or a member of the Administration Bureau were to die, who would protect this world? Thus, we’re unequal beings. Repeat after me: All humans are equal. Except for us!”
“…”
“Repeat it.”
“All humans are equal. Except for us!”
Suddenly, I surprised even myself with the voice that emerged from my mouth. Who would have thought I’d find this ridiculous, elitist phrase I learned long ago springing back out just like that?
…
But this notion is 95% true. To make it 100%, a slight cognitive expansion is all it would take.
All humans are equal. Except for Administration Bureau agents and those who wish to become agents!
That’s why I didn’t ponder at all unlike Eunsol.
Even if the people here are not mere NPCs in the movie but real humans, I wouldn’t have worried. I’ve dealt with similar situations countless times without hesitation.
“Could you pass me a lighter?”
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