Dead Man Switch Chapter 1.5

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We came to a halt in front of a tightly closed metal door. It was the communal shower room for male students located on the top floor of the dormitory. Although each dormitory room had its own bathroom, a separate shower room had been set up for students in the four-person rooms.

 

Originally, the shower room door was made of thin wood, just like the room doors, and could be easily opened and locked with a single key. However, a few years ago, someone secretly picked the lock of the women’s shower room door in the middle of the night and hid in one of the lockers, only to be discovered later. Since then, the wooden door had been replaced with a steel door that had a lock and even a door log. Outside of working hours, it remained locked to prevent anyone from entering freely.

 

“There’s nowhere else. This is the safest place to hide.”

 

“But how do we open it?”

 

Only the dorm supervisor or staff members knew the password for the door log. Should we try to break the lock with an axe? That would completely damage the door.

 

“Why on earth have you become so stupid?”

 

Sunbae looked at me as if I were a rare animal. I just raised a natural question, but suddenly I felt like the biggest fool in the world.

 

“Are you so shocked that you’ve even forgotten how to open the door log? You just need to open the cover and enter the code.”

 

“That’s not what I’m asking right now!”

 

He reached for the door log before I could finish speaking. And just like opening the front door of my house, he smoothly entered the password. Beep beep beep beep, ding-dong, click. As if on cue, the door opened.

 

“……”

 

I was speechless. I was so surprised that no words came out. How on earth does that sunbae know the password that even a student doesn’t know, without being told?

 

I saw the changing room scenery behind the sturdy iron door. Rows of identical lockers lined up, and there was a bench with baskets and towels. People were gathered near the bench, sitting. They were startled and jumped up as soon as the door lock was released.

 

“Uh, uh….”

 

Someone stammered. I became flustered as well. Amidst it all, only sunbae remained calm and expressionless. Just then, the blunt end of the axe he was holding scraped the floor, making an eerie sound.

 

“Aaah!”

 

Followed by a loud scream.

 

After the storm of confusion settled, people approached sunbae and me cautiously. They seemed relieved, as if they realized that we weren’t the ‘things.’

 

“How did you know the password and come in?”

 

“It’s written there. Next to the computer monitor in the management office. You guys also read it and opened the door, so why ask?”

 

Sunbae replied indifferently, as if it was bothersome. Not only to me but also to those people, he casually used informal language from the first meeting. In many ways, he was a consistent and unwavering person.

 

“Uh… that’s true, but…”

 

The male student who first asked the question hesitated at the end of his sentence, looking somewhat awkward. He seemed to want to ask more, but couldn’t bring himself to do so. He wore glasses with a high prescription and was dressed in a lab coat. Glancing briefly at the student number engraved on his arm, I realized he was a freshman.

 

“Before that, wait a minute. I have something to say.”

 

Interrupting his words, another person abruptly raised his head. He had a scruffy beard around his chin and mouth, and his hair was long and unkempt. I thought to myself, he must be a returning student without a doubt. If someone in their early twenties had such an appearance, it seemed like it would send chills down my spine for a different reason.

 

“Where have you been all this time? We thought we were the only ones here who were unharmed. Everything else has gone to shit, starting from the cafeteria.”

 

Sunbae completely disregarded his words, cleanly ignoring them. It was embarrassing for everyone witnessing it. In an instant, the atmosphere became hostile.

 

“Hey, I’m asking you. Where have you been?”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

 

“What? Fuck. Are you kidding me?”

 

The returning student frowned and spat out profanities, trying to provoke a reaction. It was the first time Sunbae’s expressionless expression changed.  His eyes, visible above the mask, were faintly smiling. However, his already unapproachable appearance became even more frightening, far from being kind-hearted.

 

“Fuck is what your face looks like. You look like a piece of shit, so you should at least speak nicely.”

 

I silently marveled. How can each word scratch at a person’s soul like that? After glaring at each other, the returning student averted his gaze first. Perhaps feeling pressured from the confrontation, he confronted me with a sharp tone.

 

“Crazy, you fucking lunatic… Hey, the guy next to him. Where were you then?”

 

“I was in my room. I had a report due by midnight on the 25th.”

 

All eyes were on me. As I was about to confess that I had hurriedly finished my assignment and fallen into deep sleep in front of everyone, I suddenly felt embarrassed.

 

“I didn’t know what was happening because I was alone in my room the whole time.”

 

“What? You didn’t know there was chaos outside? Are you lying right now?”

 

“T-That… Jun-seok hyung.”

 

A male student wearing glasses cautiously stepped forward. However, he was abruptly pushed aside by another guy. The slender figure staggered uncontrollably.

 

“Didn’t I say it already? People are dying in here, going crazy from being trapped. One guy says he has amnesia and can’t remember anything, and another guy claims he knows nothing. Does this even make sense? Does it? Huh?”

 

Anxious glances were exchanged in the air. Everyone in the shower room had become overly sensitive. I hadn’t considered the fact that they had experienced this situation from the beginning while I was oblivious and sleeping. They must have endured a terrible time, reaching their limits mentally and emotionally.

 

“Why would I lie in a situation like this?”

 

I chuckled. After all, they were the ones who were already in the shower room before we barged in. Plus, we had entered uninvited. So, even if there was some blame on our part, I wanted to let it slide. I detested unnecessary trouble, whether it was drawing attention or creating conflicts with others. It was best to let things flow and move on.

 

“I understand that it may sound sudden. But it’s true. I didn’t step foot outside my room because I was catching up on overdue assignments, and afterwards, I fell asleep with earplugs on, so I didn’t hear anything else.”

 

I glanced briefly at Sunbae. He still seemed indifferent to everything happening around him. Bringing me here and acting like he was a mere bystander.

 

“This Sunbae here… He’s not a bad person, you know. Please understand, hyung. It’s just that things have been so chaotic and confusing that words might come out a bit sharp, you know? In times of emergency, we should all try to get along with the remaining people, right?”

 

The returning student scrutinized me with a disapproving look, but he didn’t retort. Coming out openly and confidently seemed to have softened his demeanor a bit.

 

“I should have introduced myself from the beginning. I’m Jeong Ho-hyeon from the Department of Business Administration.”

 

At that moment, a female student who had been observing from behind stepped forward, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke up.

 

“Oppa! Don’t you remember me?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I’m Dabin. Choi Dabin. We worked together on the team project in the first semester. Understanding Sports Marketing. Don’t you remember?”

 

I searched my memory and let out a short exclamation. She was a group member from the elective course I took last semester. Was it Industrial Design or Visual Design? Anyway she majored in Design. I couldn’t recognize her right away because she had cut her long hair short and permed it.

 

“Ah… Dabin. Sorry, I didn’t recognize you with your changed hairstyle. It’s been a while. How have you been?”

 

In the midst of my confusion, the habit of asking about someone’s well-being slipped out.

 

“Thanks to you. We got the highest score on the team project and I barely managed to keep my scholarship with an A+. Hello to you too, Sunbae-nim.”

 

Choi Dabin also greeted Sunbae who was next to me. Despite acting familiar with me, she had a very polite attitude.

 

“You know each other?”

 

“Yes. You’re Ki Young-won sunbae-nim from the Sculpture Department, right? I’ve seen you a few times during the Integrated Fine Arts major classes. I learned your name from roll call.”

 

I was secretly surprised. He had been surreal to me all along. From the first encounter, his actions were far from normal, his behavior was that of a ruffian, and he would randomly utter incomprehensible words. Everything that happened with him felt unreal, like watching a low-budget horror movie. I suddenly had a belated realization. He was a real student at our school. He had a major and attended classes.

 

Despite her efforts to greet him, Sunbae paid no attention and responded without any sincerity.

 

“I don’t remember you.”

 

Choi Dabin remained unfazed by his response.

 

“I thought as much.”

 

The tense atmosphere finally loosened a bit. Choi Dabin took hold of my arm and led me to the center of the group, introducing the others.

 

“This is Park Geon-woo, a freshman in the Mathematics Education Department.”

 

“Ah, hello. Hyungs.”

 

The bespectacled male student nodded respectfully.

 

“And that person over there is Yoon Jun-seok, an oppa from the Public Administration department. He’s in the graduating class. That… Jun-seok oppa, are you not going to say hello?”

 

“Say hello? What kind of greeting do you expect in this situation? It’s not like we’re at a meeting.”

 

He maintained his standoffish attitude. He muttered a curse and nonchalantly lit a cigarette, paying no mind to the fact that we were all in the same room. Choi Dabin awkwardly smiled at me, as if apologizing. I felt a strange sense of camaraderie.

 

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