Chapter 12
All sorts of terrifying possibilities filled my mind.
What if the mannequin anomaly came sprinting through the open door?
What if an inexplicable entity suddenly came running out of that pitch-black darkness, screaming?
What if the library was eliminating the librarian on his final day...?
“...”
Once a terrifying delusion began, it kept spawning one after another.
With one unfortunate ending after another unfolding without end, all I could do was tightly grip the anomaly's tooth in my right hand, but..
“..?”
As my eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, I saw a white sheet of paper I'd never seen before lying on the librarian's desk in the distance.
‘..What kind of paper is that?’
There definitely hadn't been anything like a sheet of paper on the desk when I had been working..
In other words..
It meant either some anomaly had deliberately left a sheet of paper there, or Belliard Library had left one there.
Given that the librarian's door, which no one but me had ever been able to open, had opened, it was highly likely that the entity that had left the paper—presumably a note—there was Belliard Library itself.
“..Did you leave this note for me to read..?”
Just in case, I muttered to myself again, but.. no one answered my question.
‘Do I really, really.. have to leave? If I leave.. can I survive..?’
Since I had vowed to myself to think carefully before taking action.
I remained silent for roughly ten more minutes, carefully examining the open librarian's door, then..
‘For now, it doesn't look like there's anything there..’
By the time I was certain there was no entity waiting outside the door to kill me..
I carefully rose from the bed and quietly began walking toward where the unfamiliar paper lay.
‘..They turn the lights off right on time at this hour, so this is scary as hell..’
8:10 p.m.
Every day at this time, Belliard Library turned off all its lights with clockwork precision.
That was why the place where I was now stepping was shrouded in pitch-black darkness..
‘Let's just grab the paper and hurry back..!’
I was just about to quickly pick up the paper lying over there and return to the librarian's room-
Flash!
“!!!”
The moment I picked up the paper, the lights in Belliard Library suddenly came on.
All the library lights came on at once, startling me so badly that I fell over on the spot.
Normally, I should have fallen backward and landed hard on my butt, but..
‘..Since when?’
I didn't know when it had happened, but.. I was sitting in the chair I usually sat in while working.
‘..What? Was there originally a chair here..?’
In any case, this minor issue wasn't what mattered right now.
Since the sudden lighting of Belliard Library was clearly an anomaly, I turned around to escape this sudden change and go back to my room-
Creak..
“...”
It closed.
The librarian's door that had opened by itself..
had closed by itself again. And that too..
‘So that's why the other anomalies couldn't open the door..’
There was absolutely nothing where the doorknob should have been..
‘What a way to deliver a dismissal.. They hire people whenever they feel like it, and fire them whenever they feel like it..’
This is why labor protection laws are necessary.
They hire people whenever they feel like it, and fire them whenever they feel like it.
They hadn't even paid me properly.
It wasn't as though I were some pet that would do its job as long as they fed it..
‘..But what is this, though.’
Well, whatever. They had said from the beginning that I only had to work for seven days.
Feeling a little wistful for no particular reason, I glanced down at the paper in my hand and.. only then did I realize.
--
Hello, Librarian.
We sincerely thank you for working for our library over the past week.
Thanks to you, we were able to dispose of the unwelcome visitors who had been making a mess of our library.
Belliard Library sincerely appreciates your help, and, in gratitude for taking care of even chores such as cleaning—things we failed to attend to meticulously—we have decided to give you a small reward.
…
--
They were paying me?!
‘A horror-story library giving out a reward.. Now this is something to look forward to in its own way.’
To be honest, I was secretly looking forward to it.
I mean, how amazing could a gift from a horror-story library like this be?
With those expectations, I read the rest of the letter..
--
…
Before leaving the library, you may take one book of your choice with you.
You may also visit our library at any time and borrow books at your leisure.
--
‘..One book is all I get?’
I was left with the fact that a mere single book was the small gift they had prepared for me.
“...”
It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed.
But I wasn't brave enough to show that I was ‘extremely disappointed’ right here and now.
- Any book that will help me survive in the future would be fine.
Since I couldn't read the writing in this world anyway, I wrote below that they could just recommend something that might help me survive in the future.
Rrrr-
“!”
The chair I was sitting in suddenly began carrying me somewhere.
Just like that.
‘..Bookshelf 4?’
As I watched the chair that had somehow stopped in front of bookshelf 4 for a moment, uncertain what to do..
Plop..
At the same time, a book I'd never seen before fell into my hand.
“..Huh?”
My vision began to grow hazy.
Realizing that this felt similar to using a ‘return,’ I sensed that the moment had truly come for me to leave Belliard Library.
“Thank you for everything.”
I quietly uttered one last word of thanks and slowly closed my eyes.
Before I knew it, I realized my body was somewhere soft..
‘..Soft?’
I had clearly been headed somewhere that couldn't possibly be soft.. so why was it soft..?
‘What?’
When I immediately opened my eyes at the sudden anomaly..
I found myself lying on a bed I had never seen before.
And that too..
‘..Am I back?’
In an ordinary room with a computer and furniture like a wardrobe.
Of course.
‘..This can't be Earth.’
The room looked so ordinary that anyone would have assumed this was Earth, but..
Since there wasn't a single window in the room, I could instinctively tell that this wasn't Earth.
‘Where the hell.. is this place now..?’
Just as with Belliard Library, the spine-chillingly quiet silence convinced me that this wasn't Earth.
‘First, information..’
I didn't know where I was, but to survive, I felt I had to find something like a rulebook.
I rose from the bed as quietly as possible and looked around the room, but..
When I couldn't see anything that looked like a rulebook, I opened the status window first.
--
Mentality : 6 / 100
[Available Returns] : 1
Input:
--
‘Oh? My available returns have increased?’
I felt happy knowing that I now had a way to escape this place if I put my mind to it.
‘Then I can take my time gathering information.’
Before pressing the return button, I decided to find out as much as possible about this place.
‘Let's see.. Where might the information be.. Hmm.. Hmm?’
While I was searching here and there for a rulebook.
Suddenly.
Wondering whether I could access the Internet from a computer here as well, I discreetly turned on the computer..
‘..What is this now?’
There were traces that the owner of this computer had exchanged emails with someone.
‘..Should I read them?’
--
June 17, 1:13 p.m.
Subject: The product is missing items.
Message: I definitely ordered Cool Cleaning Shampoo and three refill packs, but only one bottle of shampoo arrived.
Reply: Hello, customer. First, we have confirmed the inconvenience you reported.
We will send three Cool Cleaning refill packs to the address you entered.
--
--
June 17, 9:22 p.m.
Subject: Ah.. What is this?
Message: Looking at it now, this shampoo isn't the shampoo I ordered, either.
After washing my hair with it, my hair is tangled and stiff, and it's a complete mess.
Ugh..
Reply: Hello, customer. After reading your inquiry in full and checking the product we sent you, we have determined that
the item you received was switched with another customer's item.
We realize this may sound strange, but the shampoo sent to you by mistake is extremely dangerous, so please repackage it and return it to the address below.
At that time, be sure to include a note in the package saying, ‘We are sorry, but we do not provide black thread.’
We apologize for the inconvenience, but please do so. You must return it within three days.
--
--
June 18, 3:42 p.m.
Subject: Are you kidding me right now?
Message: If this was your mistake, you should come collect it yourself. Why should I return it myself?
Do you not have hands or feet? And if your company made the mistake, why should I be the one to write an apology like ‘We're sorry’?
Are you playing games with your customer right now?
I don't care about the shampoo or anything else; I have no intention of using anything from your company, so just give me a refund.
I'm not returning it. I was so pissed off that I threw the shampoo in a trash can, so now you know.
Reply: Hello, customer. We have read your inquiry carefully, and we understand that this is a situation in which you have every right to be angry.
However, you must return the shampoo. If you have already thrown it away, please find a way to retrieve it and return it within six days.
We would like to remind you once again that this is for your safety.
Please. Return it before it is too late.
--
--
June 18, 4:05 p.m.
Subject: Why should I care?
Message: My hair has been completely ruined by that shitty shampoo I used yesterday, and you expect me to care?
Just hurry up with the refund and get lost~
Oh, and by the way, it wasn't even a trash can in my house that I threw the shampoo into, so I have no idea where the shampoo is by now~
Reply: We have determined that there is no longer any way to retrieve the shampoo, so we are notifying you accordingly.
You must not wash your hair under any circumstances for the next two weeks.
If possible, please also refrain from going outside.
The smell of the shampoo will not fade for two weeks, so please take note.
--
--
June 21, 10:47 p.m.
Subject: What the fuck is this?
Message: Why has my hair turned out like this??
For now, I'm going to the hospital, so get ready to be sued, you fucking useless company.
Reply: The forecast says it will rain nationwide today. You must not go outside under any circumstances.
Additional reply: Please respond once you have read this.
Additional reply: Customer?
--
--
June 22, 10:47 p.m.
Subject: Thank you for the wonderful product😀
Message: Thank you for the wonderful product😀
Reply: We are sorry, but we do not provide black thread.
--