#132
[A series of social media posts and comments discussing various topics including safety zone corruption, hunter accessories, health products, and rumors about anomaly gates and hunters.]
Three days have passed since Dan Joo-hyuk visited the orphanage.
“Some are saying that this linked anomaly incident is a man-made disaster caused by the Gate Management Office’s lax management. Also…”
The news kept talking about the previous gate. The phenomenon of adjacent gates merging was unprecedented, so it seems that many scholars from abroad have entered the country.
Yoon Pa-ran, the person involved, watched the news with a complicated expression before turning his gaze to the clock. It was time to leave soon.
“Sigh…”
It’s said that rumors are spreading among hunters. Not only is this anomaly gate a problem, but there’s also a rumor that the death rate of hunters has been strangely high recently.
Usually, Yoon Pa-ran is not well-informed about current affairs, but this time there were people who relayed information to him. The Fish Cutlet Guild members contacted him to check if he was okay after hearing that he had entered another linked gate.
“Let’s head out now.”
Suppressing his complicated feelings, Yoon Pa-ran left the orphanage. It was almost time to meet at Dan Joo-hyuk’s house.
He felt strangely reluctant to leave and ended up watching the news until the last minute. But it wasn’t a good choice. Watching the news only made him feel more unsettled.
Anomalies had been too frequent since the system notice appeared. Although society is still functioning somehow, the future seemed uncertain. Perhaps because of this, despite the approaching year-end, a strangely gloomy atmosphere hung over the streets.
That wasn’t all. Surprisingly, there was an unexpected problem hidden in the orphanage.
‘Do you know someone named Kim Tae-jun? He didn’t threaten you or anything when I wasn’t around, did he?’
‘You mean that congressman? Well…’
Angered by Heo Sang-yeon’s repeated suspicions, Yoon Pa-ran rushed to Yoon Seul. He felt he should inform her of potential dangers, even if it would increase her worries.
As expected, Yoon Seul looked like she was hearing about this for the first time. Worried about unnecessary rumors, Yoon Pa-ran earnestly asked her not to accept any strange sponsorship proposals.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn after that.
Two years ago, there were people who tried to buy the orphanage land at a low price. They even threatened Yoon Seul by providing a list of other orphanages where the children could be sent, as if they were doing her a favor.
While reviewing the documents from that time, Yoon Pa-ran and Yoon Seul tried to guess the intentions of these people and what business they had with the orphanage.
During this process, the list of orphanages that those people had left behind caught Yoon Pa-ran’s eye.
‘Yoon Pa-ran. I’ve sent you the list of orphanages that Heo Sang-yeon is currently focusing on. If the director happens to know any information individually…’
‘Oh…?’
‘What’s wrong?’
Several places on that list matched the data that Dan Joo-hyuk had sent.
After explaining this to him, Yoon Pa-ran asked Yoon Seul again. At that time, Yoon Seul had secretly visited some of the orphanages on the list.
It was a worst-case scenario where they might have had to move the children. Both Yoon Pa-ran and Yoon Seul were worried about whether the places those people had suggested were proper facilities.
After secretly visiting those places, Yoon Seul said she had a bad feeling and absolutely wouldn’t send the children there.
‘Mom, about those orphanages you visited, what exactly was strange about them?’
‘Hmm… It’s hard to pinpoint exactly.’
At the time, Yoon Seul strongly opposed sending the children there, saying she had a strange feeling. When Yoon Pa-ran heard this, he also had a bad premonition, so all the plans they had been wavering on were abandoned.
‘When I was secretly watching from outside the wall, the clothes the children were wearing were too different.’
‘The clothes?’
‘Yes. The quality of the clothes was too different… It’s shocking that they would raise children with such discrimination in this day and age.’
Yoon Seul also mentioned various other subtle factors.
She said things like the building itself was too large and imposing, making it seem like the children wouldn’t feel at ease, or that even though the children were smiling, they didn’t seem happy.
‘To be honest, I didn’t say much in detail because I thought I might be making excuses because I didn’t want to send the children away.’
‘No, I had a bad feeling about it too at the time.’
Anyway, Yoon Pa-ran relayed all this information to Dan Joo-hyuk in detail. He was worried that it might seem like he was making a big deal out of nothing. However, surprisingly, Dan Joo-hyuk took it very seriously and seemed to have been diligently investigating something over the past three days.
So today, he would be meeting him face to face for the first time in three days.
“I’m here.”
Lost in thought as he walked, he arrived quickly. It was troubling how the distance to Dan Joo-hyuk’s house seemed to be getting shorter and shorter.
“Hey.”
Yoon Pa-ran greeted him with an awkward attitude. As he had felt every time he contacted Dan Joo-hyuk, a very uncomfortable atmosphere enveloped him.
…This is awkward.
“Come in.”
“Uh…”
With a hesitant air, Yoon Pa-ran followed Dan Joo-hyuk. Seeing him naturally gesture towards the sofa, Yoon Pa-ran had no choice but to sit there.
He couldn’t understand why he felt so uneasy even after hearing his apology so well.
For the past three days, Dan Joo-hyuk’s apologetic voice occasionally echoed in his ears. So much so that he was almost glad Dan Joo-hyuk had been so busy during that time.
Today, he couldn’t avoid coming because Dan Joo-hyuk said he had something to tell him about the orphanage situation.
“I checked all the orphanages the director visited. Now all but one have been closed, but looking at the flow of goods and testimonies, it’s clear that, as Heo Sang-yeon said, the number of registered children and those who actually lived there is different.”
“Hmm…”
Dan Joo-hyuk said this as he returned from the kitchen with a glass of juice and set it in front of Yoon Pa-ran. However, hearing such serious information as soon as he arrived, Yoon Pa-ran’s face hardened without touching the drink.
The gradually revealed information was not at all hopeful.
“Why?”
“…They might have needed people without identities.”
Strangely, a corner of his heart stung. Thinking of the younger siblings at the orphanage, he couldn’t feel detached from the situation at all.
What happened to those people?
In fact, Yoon Pa-ran already knew the answer. After all, they were at the root of the data Heo Sang-yeon had brought.
People who had never existed in the world were found dead inside the Gumun-dong anomaly gate.
“…How could they do such a thing?”
“It seems to be a practice that’s been going on longer than we thought. At least for decades. …There were no young children in that gate.”
“…”
“I’ll thoroughly investigate and resolve this issue with this opportunity.”
Dan Joo-hyuk answered reassuringly. It seems he also considers this a serious matter.
Droplets of water had formed on the juice glass Dan Joo-hyuk had placed in front of him. The temperature inside the house seemed particularly warm today.
As he stared blankly at it for a moment, Dan Joo-hyuk came and sat beside him. Feeling the slight vibration of the sofa, Yoon Pa-ran found himself speaking without realizing it.
“Were they trying to do the same to our orphanage?”
“I’m not sure about that.”
As soon as he spoke, he regretted saying something unnecessary. So he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and looked towards Dan Joo-hyuk.
He was now sitting very close beside him.
“Ah.”
Suddenly realizing how close they were, Yoon Pa-ran’s muscles tensed strangely.
Without thinking, he moved his body in the opposite direction. Dan Joo-hyuk just stared at him as he retreated to the edge of the sofa.
Just as he realized he had done something too awkward.
“What’s wrong?”
Dan Joo-hyuk asked with a broad smile.
Although he was clearly smiling, Yoon Pa-ran felt a chill down his spine and quietly swallowed.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
