Lovely Monsters Chapter 33

However, Stacked Books’ attitude was baffling. Surely… No, he didn’t want to think about it. Kim Heejo stood in place and shuddered. To be the object of a monster’s affection was beyond horrific; it made his stomach turn. Moreover, there was no way to know if that emotion was true affection or something else. The opponent was a monster, after all.

In any case, it was truly a regretful matter that he hadn’t been able to throw the Statue into the incinerator. If they met again, it was obvious the Statue would retaliate. He might experience something even worse than before.

Since he had experience, he could imagine it, but perhaps because he wasn’t fully awake, no particular sentiment stirred. Kim Heejo, who was dazing off while walking toward the front car, faltered. It was because the cabin he had just passed was noisy.

There certainly shouldn’t have been anyone there? Hesitating, he peered through the slightly open crack of the door to survey the situation.

[Hey, I heard XXX poked XX? —Black Shadow 3—]

[Where did the knife come from? Did that XX bastard who follows that XX bring it in? I heard he even had his pants off. —Black Shadow 2—]

[Wouldn’t that be the case? Unless someone shoved a knife at him, fucked the hell out of him, and left it there… —Black Shadow 3—]

At some point, the Black Shadows had appeared and were in the middle of a conversation, sticking notes to their mouths. Thus, they seemed unaware that Kim Heejo was secretly watching them.

“….”

If I go in now, can I kill those things too?

Thinking it over in his head, Kim Heejo swallowed hard. They seemed distracted by their own talking, and fortunately, the jungle knife was still in Kim Heejo’s hand. Go in, stab the neck of the one in front, shove him aside, and then immediately the one talking with him—

[Hey, speaking of which. There’s something I want to try. —Black Shadow 3—]

[What is it? —Black Shadow 2—]

[You know, call that XX who came here as Kim Heejo’s XXX and XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX —Black Shadow 3—]

[What? Ah, you crazy bastard! But that would be hot as fuck. Call that XXX bastard and make him XXXX… XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX —Black Shadow 2—]

Stop.

No.

I won’t listen.

…Kim Heejo, who had been about to kill the Black Shadows, covered both ears and fled toward the front car.

Since there were only two Black Shadows, he might have been able to kill them like last time if he attacked, but only the thought that he had to run surfaced. His body moved first.

Kim Heejo, running frantically, only stopped his sprinting when he became so short of breath that his lungs felt like they were tearing. Yet, even while staggering, he kept walking.

It felt as if he had passed through at least dozens of cabins. Since the Black Shadows had been conversing by writing notes in the first place, not a single sound had been heard. Despite that, he couldn’t take his hands off his ears. He couldn’t stop his two legs either.

I have to get away, I mustn’t listen. I can’t hear anything. I can’t hear anything. I can’t hear anything. I can’t hear anything. I won’t listen. Don’t speak to me. Don’t let me hear it.

Only long after he was far away from the Black Shadows did Kim Heejo wail under his breath, without even knowing the reason.

He felt like he would collapse. No, he felt like he would die.

He wasn’t heavily wounded and his body wasn’t bleeding, yet it felt as if his breath would cut out right this second. Kim Heejo, nearly collapsing in place while pounding his chest hard, continued to shed tears. Because the crying, which was close to a scream for help, simply would not stop, he only gnawed his teeth while gasping once he reached the point of near exhaustion.

his blurred vision spun. He was barely able to pull himself together right after waking up from having fainted while crying. Kim Heejo, who had been lying flat on the floor as if pressed down by something massive, opened his eyes and painfully pushed himself up.

What was that, exactly? Unknowingly, he tried to recall the words the Black Shadows had said, then struck his head with both hands. It felt as if his thoughts stopped when the pain spread out. The act of self-harm that continued for a while stopped as Kim Heejo raised his head.

The walls were plastered everywhere with papers covered in dense red writing.

[—Room 12 = 300 million = ○○○

—Management fee including checkups and treatment = 10 million won per month = ○○○

—In case of XX, XX will be provided for free. Compared to the widely varying prices of companies providing similar services, our company provides reasonable prices and services. Also, since opening, we have been operating without a single accident. Please trust and seek us out. = ◈◈◈

—♧♣ for various pleasures are always prepared.

—◎◎◎ = 100 million / ◈◈◈ = 80 million won / △△△ = 20 million won

—▽▽▽ = 100 million / ◈◈◈ = 80 million won / △△△ = 20 million won

—○○○ 300 million / ◈◈◈ = 250 million won

<Jackpot!>

△△△ = 50 million won

—□□□ = △△△]

Even though he fled to the next cabin, the situation was similar.

[—○○○-♥=0]

[—△△△-♥=?]

[—Slut, cum-dumpster, the hole doesn’t close well]

[—△△△: <(U_U)> / ○○○: (ㅠㅁㅠ//)]

.

.

.

[—△△△:<(U_U)>▶<(U o)>▶(..)▶(ㅠ∼ㅠ)_]

[—○○○:(ㅠㅁㅠ//)▶∼(◎_◎)∼▶∼∼(@▽@)∼∼▶∼∼∼(◐▼◑)∼∼∼]

“What is this…?”

Everywhere felt like a nightmare. Kim Heejo, trembling, shook his head rapidly and looked around. It was because he felt the sensation of Lion Head coming this way.

His hesitation was brief; Kim Heejo hurriedly hid his knife under the sofa. No matter what, it didn’t seem like Lion Head would die in a single strike. If he were to do it, he would have to ambush him… but he couldn’t summon the courage. Lion Head’s size was overwhelming in many ways. Because of the thick mane, his neck wasn’t even visible, and his head was so far up that he could barely reach it even if he stretched out his hand. If he couldn’t inflict a fatal blow immediately, he would be counterattacked.

While he was agonizing, Lion Head opened the cabin door and stepped inside. However, he was holding a large sack in one hand.

“….?”

What is that now? When Kim Heejo, becoming puzzled, looked back and forth between the sack and Lion Head, Lion Head also looked at Kim Heejo’s swollen, bright red eyes. Soon, he took a bright red lump out of the sack he was holding and held it out. Kim Heejo, who ended up receiving it with both hands in his daze, had a bewildered expression.

It was a form and texture as if meat or fruit—ridiculous as it was—had been mixed together. Still, it looked closer to fruit anyway. Hesitating, he applied strength to split it open, and the inside was a bit grotesque. Small grains were embedded in it, and bright red juice trickled out. It was too viscous to be called meat juice, which was unpleasant, but it gave off a sour, appetite-whetting smell.

Kim Heejo, who had been dazed for a moment, buried his face in it without realizing. A sweet scent wafted over him. When he opened his mouth wide and bit into it, the small grains were crushed by his molars and made loud crunching, snapping sounds. At the same time, a fierce hunger rushed in, making it strange that he hadn’t felt hungry until now.

For a while, Kim Heejo ravenously devoured the food Lion Head had given him. Since he set the sack down as if there were plenty, he took out another one and ate it.

Because of that, he was completely unaware. That Lion Head had found the hidden jungle knife.

“….”

Lion Head, glancing back at Kim Heejo, examined the jungle knife where the blood of monsters had dried. Only then did Kim Heejo take notice. Lion Head, having finished his inspection, was already looking at Kim Heejo. Kim Heejo, who sent saliva down his throat that had tightened with tension, thought blankly.

…What happens now?

Do I die?

In the midst of that, Lion Head moved. It was a split second, but Kim Heejo, who thought of everything from his neck being snapped by Lion Head’s hand, his neck being cut by the knife, to being raped once again, hurriedly looked at Lion Head as he brushed past him. Whatever he was thinking, Lion Head went outside with the jungle knife.

He might bring other monsters.

His thoughts becoming stuck on that, Kim Heejo struggled to find another weapon inside the cabin. However, except for the existence of a single sofa, he couldn’t find even a small object in the cabin. If that was the case, he thought it would be better to just run away, so Kim Heejo sprinted toward the front car.