Yoon Seo-rin leaned on her side, resting her cheek on her palm, and studied him.
“No. What did you see?”
Kang Do-hyun frowned. He hadn’t gotten a clear look, but whatever that white shadow was, it hadn’t been human.
Lights out. Go to bed. Get enough sleep…
Maybe it didn’t mean “fall asleep.” Maybe it meant—don’t let your guard down.
He cursed under his breath. Damn it. So that was why his psychotic roommate had slept all afternoon.
Daytime naps were safe. You lost time for searching, but you’d have strength to survive the night.
They weren’t partners, so he couldn’t blame her for not reminding him. He could only blame himself for being careless.
This dungeon’s difficulty wasn’t right. Something about it was off.
Do-hyun turned to Seo-rin. “Do you want to cooperate?”
She shook her head. “I think I can manage alone.” She smirked. “Exchanging information now and then should be enough.”
“…”
Do-hyun compromised. “Fine. I have the room key. When I come back from the exam, you’ll need me to open the door, right? In return, you keep an eye on me. If something’s wrong, wake me up.”
Seo-rin wasn’t fussy about doors or keys. She’d sleep in whatever room opened. But Do-hyun’s request was small. She decided to be generous—one “good deed” for the day.
“So,” she tilted her head, “does this count as helping you?”
Do-hyun blinked. “…Isn’t this just an exchange?” He wisely swallowed the thought. “Okay.”
“Good.” Her lips curved. “See? I’m a kind person.”
Do-hyun: “…”
With Seo-rin watching, Do-hyun lay down again. He forced himself to stay alert, but exhaustion crept up faster this time. Before he knew it, his consciousness slipped.
When he woke, it was to suffocation.
A hand pinched his nose shut.
Dark eyes glared at him. Seo-rin’s voice was cool. “Didn’t you say you don’t snore?”
Do-hyun: “…”
He’d fallen asleep again.
But this time, he hadn’t felt the suffocating cold—just her hand.
“Gurgle, gurgle…”
A strange bubbling sound filled the quiet room.
Do-hyun turned his head. His eyes widened. “What the hell… are you cooking? At midnight?”
On the bedside table, the lid of the kettle rattled. A pale finger pushed up against it from the inside. Then a white hand slapped it back down, muffling a shrill scream.
Seo-rin stretched lazily. “An uninvited guest.” She lay back down with a grin. “Go back to sleep, dear roommate.”
Do-hyun: “…”
Grass! She boiled it?!
…
[Boom boom—]
A knock thundered at the door.
Light flickered in the corridor. A shadow lingered outside.
[Boom boom—]
“It’s time for inspection.” A flat voice drifted through the wood.
Seo-rin glanced at the clock. Exactly midnight.
She sighed, glanced at the still-gurgling kettle, and bent low to whisper, “Don’t even think about running. If I can catch you once, I can catch you twice. And if you run again…”
She laughed softly, sweet and cruel.
Both the “guest” in the kettle and Do-hyun felt the chill.
…
The nurse in a pale blue uniform stood outside, expressionless. Her black eyes held no warmth.
“Take the exam slip,” she said. “Go to Room 401, fourth floor, exam building. Don’t miss the time.”
She turned to knock on the next door.
“Wait.” Seo-rin grabbed her wrist.
The nurse froze. Her pupils shrank as she looked at Seo-rin’s hand.
Seo-rin smiled. “Aren’t you going to take us there?”
“I only deliver the message.” The nurse’s tone was flat.
Seo-rin clicked her tongue. “It’s midnight. Dark hallways. What if I trip? What if I fall?”
“…”
“If you don’t explain, we’ll just stay here forever.” Seo-rin slid her fingers across the nurse’s hand, patting it gently. Her smile was warm, her eyes sharp. “You didn’t finish your task. You know what happens to rule-breakers, don’t you?”
“…”
The nurse’s face, normally blank, wavered. For the first time, there was a trace of unease.
“It looks like the nurse really wants to keep me company,” Seo-rin murmured.
The nurse: “…”
The corridor lights flickered violently.
“You’ll miss the exam,” the nurse hissed.
“What’s the rush? If we miss it, won’t the doctor come to us?” Seo-rin’s thumb stroked across the nurse’s icy skin. Her voice was soft, teasing. “I’d be happy to spend a little more time with you.”
The nurse shuddered. It felt like something cold and slimy crawling over her hand.
She yanked free at last—by shoving a flashlight into Seo-rin’s grip.
Seo-rin twirled it idly.
A prompt floated into her vision:
[Nurse’s Flashlight: Nurses rely on it to walk the dark halls. Maybe it can guide you, too.]
[Restriction: Usable only in this instance]
The nurse hurried down the hall, rubbing her hand furiously against her uniform as if to scrub Seo-rin’s touch off her skin.
Seo-rin called sweetly, “See you next time.”
The nurse: “…” See you in hell!
Do-hyun, who had seen everything: “…” I don’t know if I’m impressed or terrified.
Seo-rin aimed the flashlight at the slip of paper in her hand.
[Exam time: 00:55]
Do-hyun checked his own.
[Exam time: 00:45]
He had ten minutes less.
Forty minutes until the exam. Enough time—if nothing went wrong.
But in a Taboo Game dungeon… something always went wrong.
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