Chapter 125

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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I didn’t know.

How huge and overwhelming the talk show set would look from the perspective of a hand-sized stuffed doll.

Everything was unusually gigantic, and what kind of pressure it felt like to not even be able to blink an eye or struggle.

Especially.

If there was a bizarre host with a TV for a head, casting a massive shadow right next to me.

If that vivid voice….

Now, let us welcome today’s guest!

‘~~!’

vibrated, shaking my inner cotton.

But regardless of what situation I was in, the talk show continued.

‘The guest….’

The door opened with classic light bulbs flashing.

The bizarre ghost story that had been adopted as a ‘very good idea’ after I voiced it in the meeting opened the door, entered, and sat in the guest seat.

To be precise, a staff member lifted the guest and made it lean obliquely against the guest seat.

Since it was some human-shaped thing made of wooden sticks.

Red Scarecrow!

Its head was wrapped in a cloth on which human-like eyes, nose, and mouth were scribbled haphazardly with a red marker.

Even that had smudged from the rainwater, looking even more grotesque.

A monster that bewitches people to get lost in a cornfield as vast as a city, and when night comes, turns into a monster to pursue them one by one and make them go missing.

Because it was based on a famous American urban legend in the Records of the Dark Exploration, the chilling ghost story I recommended thinking it would suit the atmosphere of this talk show sat there.

I felt like throwing up.

But nothing happened.

Because I was a stuffed doll.

I had no mouth, stomach, or small intestine.

[You have come all this way with difficulty. Now…….]

As the host walked in front of the guest, the pressure shaking my entire body eased slightly.

The scarecrow could not answer the host’s words, and its scribbled face stared eerily only at the empty air, but the host brilliantly conducted the interview all by himself.

[Oh, they say bank robbers who fled recently entered the cornfield! Quite exciting….]

The story of the bank robbers meeting the Red Scarecrow in the cornfield they entered to evade police search, and all becoming fertilizer for the corn and the scarecrow’s innards.

A thrilling ‘exploration record’ that was relatively less ethically uncomfortable unfolded, adding humor and suspense.

“Wow, that really gives me goosebumps.”

“Amazing.”

The people sitting in the audience watched the show with great enjoyment and excitement, not losing their laughter even while gasping out of shock or fear.

Right.

As if they could watch it enjoyably even if some terrible thing occurred, as long as they laughed together.

Even though the interview flowed in a chilling direction with innocent victims gradually appearing, the audience cheered and was thrilled.

‘They were polluted.’

Now I understand.

These countless people were slowly being polluted while watching the talk show.

And perhaps, I too…….

Even if not at first, gradually while hosting the talk show.

[What an exciting story! Isn’t it? Oh, please give a warm round of applause to our guest, who has stepped out of the cornfield for the first time to stand before the public!]

The eerie scarecrow was still just eyes, nose, and mouth scribbled with a red marker.

However, now it somehow felt like those eyes were looking at the audience seats…….

[Now… then, it is time to move on to the next segment… Right! It started just last episode! Do you remember this short segment, viewers?]

To Brown’s Friend,

Please Let Us Know!

Wait a minute.

[Unfortunately, today is not the day my friend was originally scheduled to appear, so he couldn’t come in his original form….]

[But he has come to us with burning passion, in a new form.]

He picked me up.

My body hung dangling in midair, and my head and arms were made to nod and wave in the air by a giant gloved hand.

Do you see?

It is my friend!

The audience members chuckled, pointed fingers, and cheered with applause.

He began to speak while holding me like a puppet. Like ventriloquism.

[Now, what’s that, friend? Aha!]

[I will ask questions for 100 seconds, so please answer. Audience members!]

The host imitated my speech patterns and intonation eerily smoothly. My cotton-filled arm waved toward the audience. The people laughed.

The spirit attempting to elevate was terrifying.

[Now, shall we hear what kind of question my friend will ask?]

The TV speaker leaned toward my side.

…I cannot speak.

Because a stuffed doll has no mouth.

But….

‘I can think.’

This thought was intensely transmitted to the counterpart.

Just like how I had understood the voice of the Good Friend.

So….

I thought.

‘I want to stop.’

[…Aha! My friend says he is very nervous.]

[But now, the first question is… Oh, bold. ‘If you were to redraw the Red Scarecrow’s face, what would you draw?’]

‘I want to stop.’

[Cutey! Oh, a good answer. My friend thinks so too, right?]

‘I want to stop.’

[Of course, Brown!]

I kept showing rejection toward the host’s words.

But the host, eerily calm, continued the ventriloquism while moving the doll as if I had eagerly responded.

After 100 seconds had passed like that.

[Hahaha! Thank you! That was ‘Brown’s Friend’ so far!]

[Now it is time to welcome a new guest. Before that, a moment… Let’s watch a commercial and come back!]

The moment the camera stopped and the lights on the stage went out.

…….

…….

[How dare you interfere with the live broadcast.]

My body froze.

The giant TV head bent down and whispered to me.

[This is unacceptable. Sol-eum, have you started thinking with straw instead of a brain like a scarecrow? How dare you try to ruin the show!!]

My head was squeezed. My head was crushed between tightly gripping, gloved fingers as if my brain had vanished.

[Good heavens… this… how can anyone be so shameless.]

[I proactively cooperated with whatever you wanted as a good friend, yet! Mr. Roe Deer is now trying to ruin the live broadcast of this talk show, which is also your workplace.]

[This is absolutely unacceptable….]

‘I also have one thing I cannot accept.’

[…….]

‘You said the audience members went missing and died.’

Inside the field of vision crushed by the gloved hand, I kept thinking.

‘That you sent thank-you letters after the show ended, purposely telling those people how they could meet the guests.’

‘You did that just so you could use it as interesting talk material when the guests reappear.’

[Who did you hear that from?]

[No, that’s not important. Friend, there is a misunderstanding….]

The pressure of the glove pressing on my head disappeared.

Instead, he touched it well so that the cotton in my head would swell up again.

[Mr. Roe Deer, my show does not force anything.]

[If serial killings occur because someone is enchanted by a movie featuring a killer, that is not the fault of the movie but the responsibility of the perpetrator.]

A crying face appeared on the TV.

[Why should the show prioritize things other than joy, pleasure, and thrill?]

‘I have no intention of persuading you.’

I thought.

‘So don’t think about persuading me either.’

And….

‘I don’t want to make or appear in a talk show that kills and incinerates people.’

…….

…….

[Oh.]

The glove removed its hand from my head.

And….

[I understand well.]

[Then from now on, I will have to treat you as just a miscellaneous staff member.]

It felt like my blood was freezing.

But because I had no blood, I could continue to think….

‘You have no right to do that. Because I have never signed a staff contract.’

That was true.

We did everything verbally.

The contract was merely scheduled to be signed in the near future.

‘And you said so yourself. That you would let me go if I wasn’t happy.’

I stared at the screenless TV with eyes that could not blink.

‘Let me go. It’s scary and not fun.’

The old TV remained still.

‘I have no intention of listening to your persuasion or words here. Just let me go immediately.’

…….

…….

Thud.

Brown placed me back on the desk.

And what came out was…….

A softened, sad voice.

[I… don’t understand well. Think about it, Mr. Roe Deer. Why do you try to return to painful work, leaving aside a fun and rewarding job?]

[Was there something you didn’t like about our talk show’s treatment? There is no perfectly ethical show in the world, Mr. Roe Deer…. You know this too.]

He whispered.

[Perhaps, conscience is merely a reason you came up with. In fact, isn’t it that you have daily life complaints as a staff member?]

[How about changing your lodging? Ah, living in a more powerful and cool form suited for the show….]

No!

‘I told you. I won’t listen to persuasion!’

If I made a mistake, I would be dragged in. I was a doll now. I didn’t even have the silver ring. No. I must not be persuaded….

‘I’m quitting. That is the end of the story.’

[…….]

The TV head grew distant.

[I see what kind of misunderstanding you are making.]

[But since I am your friend, it would be right to grant what you want.]

Gloved fingers gestured to the staff as if ordering them to clear me away.

[You are fired. Feel free to leave this wonderful studio and return to a miserable and boring life!]

[But from now on, there will be no Good Friend.]

‘…….’

[Keep this in mind. Well, now that today’s show is over, you can go anywhere. Well….]

[If you can go in that cotton-filled body, that is.]

‘You were the one who put me in here. Send me back.’

[Oh. Why should I?]

‘Of course….’

[Amusing. Mr. Kim Sol-eum. You do as you please, saying and doing whatever you want without any responsibility for the show, and didn’t you shout at Brown not to even try to persuade you?]

[Yet now you try to persuade me. How shameless. Ah, that too is an emotion consumed in the show….]

[Mainly for the fun of watching someone receive punishment!]

The staff member placed me, almost throwing me, not on the desk but on the table next to the guest.

A precarious position as if about to fall into the trash can.

[Oh, the camera light turns on again!]

Brown’s voice became brighter and more pleasant than ever.

Fitting for the talk show.

[Now, think about it carefully while watching the remaining talk show. This is the last chance.]

[Whether you will choose punishment, or again……]

At that moment.

Pik.

A strange and slender sound rang before me along with a flash.

Something was visible to eyes that could not close.

The ceiling of the talk show studio, punctured with the thickness of a needle.

From above it, an unusually blue shining light shot down and illuminated me.

And….

Pik-pik-pik-pik-pik-pik-pik-pik.

Holes were continuously punctured.

Cotton burst out in my field of vision.

‘Ah.’

Something

penetrated

me…….

[…!]

Could that be… is this the Holy Fire Bombardment.

No.

‘…Am I dying?’

If I die in this body, do I die just as a stuffed doll?

At that moment.

[Now….]

I felt a hand holding my stuffed doll tightly.

It was the host.

Perhaps he was trying to prevent the cotton from coming out of the punctured stuffed doll.

But the bombardment that eerily persistently targeted this stuffed doll did not end.

Pik-pik-pik-pik-pik-pik-pik-pik.

My head was separated and fell to the floor.

[…!!]

Thump.

Ruuuumble!

The ceiling collapsed.

Transparent and glowing somethings fell frantically like meteors onto the stage of the talk show studio, starting to smash only the talk show set.

In my rolling field of vision, the host could be seen frozen, holding the cloth and cotton that was once my body, now completely tattered.

Ah.

Just like how I was flustered when the Good Friend was cut in two.

This guy, too….

* * *

-Mr. Kim Sol-eum.

“……!”

-Have you returned?

“……Yes.”

I regained consciousness in a place where nothing was felt again.

In the CCTV-like field of vision in front of me, Manager Lee Ja-heon was moving again.

The only difference was that the studio in my field of vision was shaking as if it had been hit by a bomb.

-The Holy Fire Bombardment has commenced.

Yes. I know….

Since you shot me….

“Did you deliberately target the stuffed doll I was inside? To make me return to this body?”

-Yes.

-The bombardment will continue for the next 10 minutes, but it is a high-risk state. Supervisor Kim Sol-eum must exit this location as quickly as possible, preferably within 3 minutes.

“Couldn’t the host put me back into a doll right now?”

-He can.

-But the Dark is an extreme phenomenon without balance. A host-type supernatural entity obsessed with the talk show is highly likely to prioritize restoring the studio and searching for the cause to eliminate it.

As Manager Lee Ja-heon moved frantically fast, his dry voice uttered chilling words.

And he declared another thing casually.

-Also, entry to the safehouse has been approved.

“…What?”

-The Union has recognized the current situation where the escape of the emergency pager user is impossible.

-Therefore, Supervisor Kim Sol-eum can be transported to a place where you can evade the supernatural entity’s pursuit.

“…….”

I didn’t know what the Union was, but it must be something like an alien organization.

-Under the current circumstances, the only way to prevent an emergency is to quickly leave this studio and go there.

Then… does that mean I can evade the host’s pursuit for a while?

If so, while arranging my situation, I might be able to search for a way to completely shake off the host in the Records of the Dark Exploration.

I watched Lizard Leader running down the studio hallway, which was shaking along with booming sounds.

“…Did you identify the path out?”

-Yes.

-While re-infiltrating the studio to identify the location where Supervisor Kim Sol-eum’s personality was summoned, I re-confirmed the route.

“…!”

It really seemed like we could escape.

Whether exiting back to ‘Delusion Home Shopping’ or going elsewhere, if only we entered the approved safehouse, it seemed we could catch our breath for now.

It was a strong temptation, but…….

…….

In fact, I knew.

It was all a stopgap measure.

‘It’s an extremely hostile method of escape.’

I had a strange premonition that this might make me take an irreversible path with the host….

‘The host, Brown, might find me again at any time.’

So this escape was not a solution, but merely a temporary evasion.

Furthermore….

“…….”

I recalled the sight I saw just before falling out of the stuffed doll earlier.

The host trying to block up my bursting stuffed doll.

“…….”

Perhaps.

“…Group Leader.”

-Yes.

“Are you the type of intelligent entity that is easily polluted by the Dark, Group Leader?”

-No.

‘…Okay.’

And one more thing.

“Is it correct that even if you die in my body, you will just return to Manager Lee Ja-heon?”

-If I die within 55 hours, that is correct.

……If so.

“Group Leader.”

I swallowed my saliva.

“Do not go out through the exit like this, please go to the host.”

If it’s a gamble anyway, I will try a certain method that I execute myself.

“I will exit in a different way.”