CHAPTER 10

While I was lost in thought, Malro squinted slightly and smiled as if amused.

“Want to eat with me?”

“Uh……”

I hesitated. Whatever this man—no, this professor—actually was, sitting face-to-face for a meal still felt a bit uncomfortable.

But then again, once the semester started, I’d be seeing him regularly anyway……

Grrr.

“……”

Besides, I started thinking that maybe someone in a superior position could treat someone in a lower position to a meal. No, honestly, if it weren’t for me, this class might’ve been canceled anyway.

“Well… I guess a professor and a student… could share a meal like this…”

“So professors are allowed to eat with students?”

……What kind of question is that? One thing was clear—we both had never even stepped inside a university before.

Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered hearing that students shouldn’t eat alone with professors. Something about getting dragged off to something called graduate school if you did……

Well, I didn’t need to worry about that anyway. I was a high school graduate.

“…Probably?”

“Good. Let’s treat your knee first.”

As if suddenly in a better mood, he hummed lightly and quickened his pace.

We left the walking path and returned to the main road, but there wasn’t a single person in sight. A small café beside the student union building caught my eye, but it didn’t look open yet.

Noticing my gaze, Malro spoke.

“Sometimes I’ll let you have coffee if you mention my name.”

Nice deal.

“Do they sell food too?”

“They do, but you probably won’t want to eat it.”

“Why not?”

“No idea. But the previous tenure holder, Professor Kwon Tae-hyun, ate a tart there and got replaced.”

“…Ah.”

While having this casual conversation, we arrived at the student union building.

Through the main entrance, we entered a lobby with a bulletin board. I was about to glance at it to see if the old memo was still there when suddenly a bell rang. I instinctively checked my pockets, but it wasn’t mine.

“It’s mine.”

Malro pulled something out of his pocket……

“Is that an iPhone?”

“……? Yeah.”

“……”

It was the latest model. What had the Amelies been doing without upgrading their devices?

No, more importantly—why does a monster have an iPhone? If even monsters were trying to imitate humans, this was getting suspicious.

‘Is he really a monster?’

As I stared at him skeptically, Malro, unaware or unconcerned, answered the call. He didn’t speak—just listened. Then his eyes shifted toward me.

“…Looks like we’ll have to eat next time.”

The atmosphere turned cold. I quickly waved my hands.

“Please go ahead. I know where the infirmary is.”

Hmm. Malro looked at me for a moment as if thinking, then reached into his lab coat pocket.

“Here, take this.”

…What?

What he handed me was a business-card-sized slip of paper. In bold Mincho-style font it read:

“THE GOLDILOCKS”

And in one corner, there was a small baby bear stamp.

“What is this……”

“See you in class.”

“Wait……”

But he was already pressing the elevator button. The same elevator I had taken with him before—the one that led down to the underground lab.

“Wait, Professor.”

Ding. The elevator doors opened, and Malro slipped away between the closing doors, giving a small wave as he disappeared.

“Hah.”

He was impossible to read.

When I reached into my pocket to put the card away, something crinkled.

“…?”

It was the memo I had forgotten about.

E2A4N700#**

“Hm?”

Could this be……

I pulled out Amelie’s phone.

Unlike Malro’s latest model smartphone, this old device still had a keypad.

On the worn, glossy buttons, letters were assigned beneath numbers—A, B, C under 1; D, E, F under 2, and so on.

If 2 is pressed four times, it becomes E2. If 1 is pressed four times, it becomes A4… like that.

“……and then #, *, *.”

Ring.

With an irritating connection tone, the screen went dark and then displayed green text.

[- ̗̀ෆ Survivor Hotline 89th (Final reboot +299 daysヽ( ຶ▮ ຶ)ﾉ!!!) ෆ ̖́-]

[Would you like to enter? YES/NO]

Oh. That’s new.

“…Hmm.”

Could a message on an old phone damage my sense of self?

Maybe.

If I had no clues and nothing to rely on in this world, maybe I needed to take a risk.

“Yeah.”

I operated the phone.

[YES], and then [OK].

[Welcome! (´ ˘ `)♡ Please enter a nickname while you wait!]

Nickname?

Hmm……

[Input – Goldilocks]

Ding.

[Approved.]

[※Notice: ‘Goldilocks’ has entered. Everyone, please welcome them warmly! ৻(≧ᗜ≦৻)]

[CartCollector: I told you]

[CartCollector: If they’ve got a house, they’re all high-tier players]

[CartCollector: huh? someone joined]

Before I could react, messages rapidly filled the screen.

[SweetestSugar: A new newbie after a long time]

[SomeoneOn12thFloor: Goldilocks? That one near the Guanglun University back gate?]

[CartCollector: !! Wait, are you the Goldilocks owner?? I love your burgers!!]

Ah. So Goldilocks was a restaurant name? Good to know.

But what is this? Rather than a “hotline,” it’s just a chatroom.

After a moment of hesitation, I typed.

[Goldilocks: Hello, is the person who invited me here present?]

[SweetestSugar: Not sure. Who invited you?]

[Goldilocks: I’m not sure either. Someone left a password note at the door.]

Ding.

[※Notice: ‘48’ has entered. Everyone, please welcome them warmly! (≧ᗜ≦৻)]

[48: heyyyy my cuties!! omg someone new joined who is it who is it? (´ ˘ `)♡♡]

[Goldilocks: typo]

[48: omg did you just swear???]

Clunk.

……What?

Startled by a sudden noise, I looked up and scanned my surroundings. The lobby was still empty.

……

[Goldilocks: No, it was a typo. So, are you all survivors here?]

[SomeoneOn12thFloor: Mostly, yeah]

[SomeoneOn12thFloor: Some external agents come and go too]

[SomeoneOn12thFloor: but you said someone left a password?]

[BB: Dorm?]

……How did they know that?

Clunk.

The sound grew louder.

When I looked up again—

Bang.

Someone was standing at the student union entrance.

Sunken eyes. Wrinkled face. Gray foam dripping from the mouth.

A “student.”

I flinched, but the student just stood there, staring through the glass.

‘Can’t come inside?’

I cautiously approached the door. The student sniffed the air suddenly, like they had caught a scent.

They inhaled again, sniffing the empty air—

“Khk.”

Then backed away, covering their face with an elbow.

“…What?”

Do I smell or something?

I slowly pushed the inner door.

Clatter.

The student retreated further, then turned and fled with their face still covered.

Ding.

Another notification.

[CartCollector: So they’re a Guanglun University student? And they got a role?!]

What should I do? Should I really tell them everything honestly?

[SweetestSugar: No need to pry. Sharing survivor info is the goal, but it’s not mandatory.]

[48: yeah lol but if you are a Guanglun student, we can probably help you too]

[48: BB is from there too, and I’m actually a Guanglun student as well]

[Goldilocks: Oh, really?]

[48: I even got a role!]

[CartCollector: is it okay to just say that?? lol]

[48: why not? we’re all friends! (≧ᗜ≦৻)]

[CartCollector: lol]

[48: If we meet on campus, say hi!]

[48: My name’s Amelie! ٩(∂‿∂)۶ It’s only used in the Citadel though lol]

……Maybe I should listen a bit more.

[Goldilocks: Amelie? That’s the name of your assigned role?]

[48: Yep! I was super lucky (●ˇ∀ˇ●) otherwise surviving at Guanglun would’ve been really hard]