LIGHTNOVELSTORY “Craaack! Th-that’s not it!”
Even amidst agonizing screams, the cub continued to speak.
If he couldn’t finish his words before the execution, that suffering would go on.
Writhing in pain, he struggled to continue his speech.
“I-I haven’t seen you talking with anyone else your age!”
“Oh, that? I was just…”
After a suitable question finally emerged, I lazily removed my hands that were gripping my neck and body.
I thought I might finally be able to see the stuffing of a doll leak out.
Alas, it wasn’t the case, much to my disappointment.
Why don’t I talk with kids my age, you ask?
Isn’t that obvious?
“You have to be able to communicate to say anything.”
Kids, especially those who haven’t been tainted by the dirty world around them, like a first grader in elementary school.
Even in conversation, boys are limited to asking what games they’re playing on their smartphones or suggesting to play together.
As for the girls, they start talking about the latest anime they’re watching, which usually becomes the center of attention.
At least, if Siyeon were enjoying the animations of her dream magical girl, we might be able to have a joyful conversation, but…
‘That’s not it at all.’
I muttered inwardly, kicking a small pebble at my feet with all my might.
Tap, tap. The rolling stone quickly lost its momentum.
Favorite game preferences?
It’s a time-consuming, level-based RPG stuck behind an age restriction that I can’t even play right now.
Favorite anime?
Something classic fantasy that the kids wouldn’t even understand.
Hobby?
Researching torturous methods for monsters.
Given all that, how could we possibly connect?
Honestly, I’d be better off cornering a teacher for a thirty-minute discussion on the reality of magical girls; that would yield more fruitful conversation.
“How about trying to have similar hobbies with your peers? Like playing air hockey or soccer…”
“Ugh, no way.”
The idea that Gomteng shouted out with excitement was immediately dismissed with contempt.
Having his grand idea crushed in less than a second, his lively demeanor faded, and his hands drooped towards the floor.
His expression of disbelief was quite amusing.
Then came Gomteng’s question.
“…How did you end up as this kind of elementary student?”
“Parental neglect. Endless malicious content-filled communities. Thanks to the news that never has a quiet day.”
“…Isn’t that usually referred to as ‘because’?”
Having answered his question correctly, I ignored Gomteng who was picking at my words and returned home a step ahead of Siyeon.
Even with nothing to do, I habitually turned on the computer.
It seems I’m still an old-fashioned person, as the keyboard and mouse are much more comfortable than a smartphone.
“By the way, is the community really that toxic?”
“Hmm?”
As I sat on the chair watching a video of a nickel ball sinking into water, Gomteng questioned me with lingering doubt.
Thinking back, he only saw me using smartphones occasionally from the side… he probably hasn’t tried it himself.
I pressed the buttons on my smartphone and opened the magical girl gallery among the multiple opened websites, then handed it to him.
“Why don’t you take a look?”
“Oh, then thank you…”
With a slight bow, Gomteng accepted the smartphone with the brightened screen.
He headed towards the plush basket where the mascot was, lying belly down and starting to poke at the screen.
Seems those doll-like hands can still manage a touch.
Is it some kind of special material? It wouldn’t press without gloves or something.
“Oh right. Try not to look at the newest posts, okay?”
A little advice left to prevent any potential tactical nuclear fallout.
He tilted his head in confusion, questioning that.
“Excuse me? Why’s that…?”
“If I say it like that, just take it seriously, you little brat.”
Too lazy to explain while watching the video, I just brushed it off.
He stared at the phone for a while, and after catching up on the trending discussion in the gallery, he cut through the video noise to ask me.
“Hey, you’re kind of famous in the gallery, huh?”
“Was someone not wearing a mask capture my face during a meet-up? Is that still causing a ruckus?”
As I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms, I noticed he was completely absorbed in his smartphone, not even glancing in my direction.
“Should I read the title?”
“No.”
“When I was looking at the comments, what does ‘delbak’ mean?”
“It’s an abbreviation; knowing it can hurt you.”
The meaning buried within the phrase indicates ‘I don’t want to tell you.’
He quickly caught on to that hidden meaning, stopping his questions and focusing back on the smartphone.
What kind of grim meaning might ‘delbak’ have in the magical girl gallery?
There’s no way I could possibly let that little mouth utter it.
“…Mari.”
As the algorithm driven by the nickel-ball video gradually moved to comparing convenience store sushi, Gomteng’s voice, now drained, called for me again.
Since it didn’t seem he was summoning me due to the monster, I leaned back with my arm draped over the chair and asked while looking in his direction.
“Why?”
“…Humans become filthy and disgraceful when wearing the mask of anonymity.”
With hollow eyes now staring at the bright screen, he continued scrolling down.
He seemed to have gained a bit of insight into what human malice can be like.
With a small sense of connection formed with the cub, I smiled and said with satisfaction.
“Right?”
Searching for something I could do on the computer, my mind wandered back to the past, recalling games I could genuinely download and play.
Games that could be played merely by downloading from some blog or such.
Though they were classic games, surely they’d be better than just watching videos.
Classic game, classic game…
Suddenly, one idea brightly flashed in my mind.
“Oh, I remember that.”
The goal of the game was to completely clear out and finance all loans while drowning angry customers in water with claw devices.
The kind of game that blew up customers who veered off the track on rides.
I envisioned that game, where one could freely indulge in the cruelty of simpler times, and immediately started searching for it.
“Amusement Park…Operating 2.”
Seeing outdated materials from over a decade ago sprawled out everywhere made my mouth water.
Thinking back, I hadn’t sought out these classic games after being exposed to various online games.
By the time I hit middle school, I’d sink all my time into online games, so right now, I figured I could at least quench my thirst for games with this.
Compared to old computers, the download and installation times were at breakneck speed.
Amidst the familiar background music that I hadn’t heard in years, even the faint sounds of joyful screams from the audience felt endearing.
‘This is it.’
“Craaack-!”
“? What was that?”
Did such realistically torturous sound effects exist? I pressed my ear closer to the speaker.
As I listened closely, I realized the source of the sound wasn’t from the speakers.
Following the source of the noise with my gaze.
In a tortured state akin to a corrupted mind, Gomteng was grabbing his head with both hands, writhing in despair.
‘I thought that was the sound from the computer.’
Wondering why he was doing that, I reached the conclusion that there must be something on the screen that’s liable to make someone scream.
An ominous thought approached, and I clicked my tongue, shaking my head.
“Tsk tsk tsk.”
Doing something I said not to do is the irresistible urge of sentient beings.
“Oh foolish being, such is the fate that befalls you when you disregard sage advice…”
Adding a few more words, I continued speaking as if I were a philosopher who understood the ways of the world.
Despite me repeatedly warning against eyeing the newest posts among the whole,
Curiosity not only kills the cat but also has to deal with the bear.
He probably never imagined that the cost of a single touch would be this dire.
“Th-th-ththis…”
Gomteng who could hardly continue his speech was in shock.
It looked like quite the impact.
While nonetheless focused, I moved the mouse, selecting targets amidst Gomteng’s groans of anguish.
“D-d-damn, t-t-those!”
Finally, the words exploded from his mouth.
“Hey now, is it okay for a mascot to say such things?”
“No, no! How can I endure this!? Whoa, this is real, whoa.”
Pointing at the phone with his fuzzy arm, Gomteng flicked between glancing at me and the screen, unable to continue his words.
“Ah, that’s what the ‘malice’ of humans is. Remember that well.”
I told him with an anime-like tone.
Ignoring him, I took the audience to roller coasters, launching into maximum speed for a massive explosion.
Messages about ride failures written in red popped up at the bottom.
The messages of customer deaths appearing consecutively eight times allowed me to fully relish the madness of those bygone days.
“I’m back-!”
Not long after, the sound of the door alerted me that Siyeon had returned.
With a click, the door closed again.
The sea snake mascot that hung from Siyeon’s bag soared gracefully, curling up inside the plush basket.
“You’re back? Did you eat?”
I stood from my chair and walked to the entrance, pausing to hold my empty belly. I wondered if Siyeon might be hungry by now.
“I ate with my friends!”
The response I got was that she had already eaten.
I thought it was a bit late, but it seemed she managed to eat.
“Then I guess it’s just me who can eat…”
Ordering a single serving.
It’s been so long since I could order what I genuinely wanted to eat.
My smartphone lay near Gomteng, who had collapsed from emotional damage.
Opening the delivery app, I swiftly ordered grilled pork belly, something hard to prepare in this state, and tossed my smartphone onto the soft bed.
“Ugh…”
“Mari, why is the mascot acting like that?”
Gomteng let out a painful groan, not being ignored by Siyeon, who pointed at him and inquisitively asked.
“That’s a story for another time. Oh, I didn’t do anything?”
I couldn’t explain it clearly to Siyeon, so I just rambled on and brushed it aside.
“Do you know the Japanese urban legend called Kunekune?”
It’s said to be a kind of ghost seen in quiet countryside…
A white something that wriggles and appears fine from afar, but once you see it up close, you go insane.
In that respect, Gomteng’s current situation seemed eerily aligned.
“G-g-gra-…kill…trash.”
‘What are you talking about?’
Something was coming from him, muttering low and repetitive like a curse.
I brought my ear closer to Gomteng, eavesdropping to figure out what he was muttering…
“Human, nasty trash, must kill and eliminate…”
What I thought was a curse turned out to be him genuinely reciting a curse.
Looks like he’s finally gone insane.
This isn’t just a creepy story; it’s real!
The Japanese urban legend Kunekune doesn’t reside in tranquil rural fields.
It lives in the latest posts of the gallery.