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Chapter: 1
A night without a moon, just darkness—Sak (New Moon).
Nights like this were especially quiet, and Hadam felt as if she could hear every sound in the world.
The growl of a raccoon deep in the mountains, the hoot of an owl…
Ah, stop thinking!
I need to sleep.
Hadam pulled the blanket tightly over herself.
She couldn’t fall asleep during the first class after school started. But the more she tried to sleep, the more alert she became.
And why was the room so hot?
She knew it was unavoidable because the animal people were sensitive to cold.
Rustle, rustle.
After tossing and turning for a while, she finally sat up.
It felt suffocating, like she might die before even falling asleep.
Hadam carefully got out of bed.
Creak—
The old bed made a sound.
She swallowed sharply, startled as if caught doing something naughty.
Frozen like ice, she counted: one, two, three…
From behind the bookshelf that served as a partition, she could hear her roommate Yuna’s even breathing.
Phew. Be careful, be careful.
She exhaled, lifted her heels as much as possible, and reached for her coat, but her gaze was suddenly caught by the gray blanket draped over a chair.
It’s not like I’m going far.
The decision was made quickly.
Still in her pink pajamas, she wrapped the microfiber blanket around herself like a cape.
Then her eyes fell on the sleep socks scattered under the desk.
…I’ll just grab them quickly anyway.
Hadam headed straight for the entrance.
The slippers felt unexpectedly cold under her bare feet.
She held her breath and grabbed the doorknob.
Click.
The loud sound made her palms sweat.
She glanced back—fortunately, Yuna was still motionless.
She crouched low and pushed the door open, feeling a rush of relief.
“Haa.”
Even though she’d only stepped into the dorm corridor, a wonderful sense of freedom washed over her.
I should’ve come out sooner.
Hadam stretched with satisfaction.
The faint ceiling lights were all that lit the way, but it was enough to reach the first floor.
The quiet corridor echoed with the slap-slap-slap of her slippers.
When she reached the last stair, she paused.
Surely, no one’s here. Officially, it’s still vacation…
Her heartbeat quickened slightly as she peered ahead.
As expected, the security office beside the entrance was dark.
She let out a short breath of relief and moved forward.
The CCTV on the ceiling caught her attention, but no teacher would be watching footage at this hour.
Hadam gripped the edge of her blanket under her chin and pushed the door with her shoulder.
Cold air rushed through the blanket instantly.
Ignoring it, she extended her bare feet outside.
The chilly wind instantly wrapped around her skin.
Should I have worn the sleep socks?
But regret was fleeting.
Once outside, Hadam stretched her arms like a flying squirrel.
“Huuugh!”
She inhaled deeply, and the freezing night air pierced her chest.
It felt like icicles stabbing her lungs. Her mind cleared instantly.
The school was on the mid-slope of Mount Taebaek, so the cold was to be expected.
“I’m okay. I can handle this.”
She muttered to herself, pretending to be strong against the cold.
Since she was already out, she didn’t want to go back in right away.
If she cooled her body a little more before returning to the warm room, sleep would come naturally.
She left the dorm courtyard and headed toward the walking path leading to the main building.
Between the sparse streetlights, the pitch-black darkness was eerie.
Hadam straightened her shoulders and looked up at the night sky.
Nothing was more comforting than the moon to ward off the fear of the pitch-black night.
Then she remembered as she scanned the sky full of stars.
“Oh, right. It’s New Moon today.”
The first day of the lunar month, when the moon didn’t rise.
A day that made her feel small for no reason, like the moon rabbit wasn’t watching.
Even worse, something unlucky always seemed to happen on New Moon nights—a sort of jinx.
Hadam decided to change her mindset immediately.
Just walk casually and go back.
You knew it was New Moon but already forgot. Don’t be like a goldfish.
Scolding herself, she quickened her pace.
From here to the middle intersection: 1 minute. Back to the dorm: 4 minutes.
Less than 10 minutes total, but enough for a winter night walk.
By the time she reached the intersection, a strange sound floated on the wind.
Gr-r-r. Gr-r-r.
It sounded like a large animal’s growl, and a chill ran down her spine.
Hadam stopped and listened carefully, holding her breath.
Even if her hearing wasn’t as sharp as when she was a rabbit, it was still far superior to most people’s.
After waiting a few minutes, all she could hear was the wind rustling through the trees.
Everything was silent.
Did I imagine it?
Feeling awkward, she pulled her blanket closer.
Better turn back quickly—
Grrrrrr!
“Kyaa!”
Hadam let out a short scream and pressed her hands over her mouth.
The roar of a wild mountain animal, fierce enough to make her hair stand on end.
Fear swept through her entire body.
It was a chill unlike the cold outside, brushing her neck sharply.
She tried to move but felt as heavy as a stone.
No way…
Was that rumor real?
A conversation she had overheard in a half-asleep state came vividly to mind.
“Did you hear the rumor about the museum?”
“Totally! They say a strange sound comes from the painting on the first floor.”
“What kind of sound?”
“A tiger’s roar.”
“No way. Crazy.”
“Jo said he nearly passed out when he heard it.”
“Jo? Can we trust him? He’s obsessed with conspiracies.”
“True, it sounds ridiculous. Even if it’s the annex, but the museum?”
“Exactly, just a rumor.”
Hadam swallowed.
Beep.
Her smartwatch on her wrist went off with an alert.
On the screen, a cute round font displayed a bothersome notification:
[105♡ Lower your heart rate.]
Normally, her heart rate hovered around 90, so this required attention.
But she was still far from 150—so it was okay.
Hadam took deep breaths.
Her stiff legs loosened, and she found herself moving toward the museum on her own.
…Damn rabbit instincts.
Yuna’s nagging echoed in her mind: “You’ll get into serious trouble because of your curiosity.”
I’m just going to look around. If anything happens, I’ll call a teacher.
“I’m just checking quickly,” she muttered to herself, glancing at her watch.
The museum, a modern three-story building with teal roof tiles, stood quietly behind the main building.
It was just like a museum; no one visited unless it was for a history assignment.
Hadam hadn’t been there in a long time either.
As she approached the glass doors, sensor lights flicked on.
A large lock hung on the handle—she couldn’t enter.
She pressed her body close to the door to peek inside.
Nothing unusual appeared. The bright lights around the sensors made distant areas hard to see.
She must not have imagined it.
Maybe I’ll come back tomorrow during the day.
Just then—
Grrr.
…What.
Grrr.
The sound was too… close.
Hadam froze, as if she had forgotten how to breathe.
Grrrrrr.
She hadn’t imagined it.
This was definitely…
Grrr!
“Haaah.”
Beep.
[114♡ Lower your heart rate.]
[126♡ Lower your heart rate.]
Beep beep.
The watch kept warning her.
Her heart rate was rising too fast.
Get it together, Sun Hadam.
She immediately retreated from the museum.
She had to reach the dorm before hitting 150.
She couldn’t run. The best she could do was move like an athlete, controlled and fast. Her breath grew short.
Beep. Ziiing.
[132♡ Danger! Take deep breaths.]
The watch, which had only beeped before, now vibrated violently.
A red warning flashed continuously.
Cold sweat poured down her back.
Please, no, please, please…
Beep. Ziiing.
[140♡ Danger! Take deep breaths.]
“Hoo… hoo…”
She tried to calm her breathing, but it didn’t help her heart rate.
Just a little further.
You can do this.
She clenched her teeth and encouraged herself.
But in a panic, lowering her heart rate was impossible.
Beep. Ziiing.
[144♡ Stop. Stop. Stop.]
[148♡ Stop. Stop. Stop.]
Beeep—
[150♡ Sun Hadam’s Watch]
The watch gave a long final warning.
At the same time, her pink pajamas and gray blanket fell to the ground.
Her vision darkened, buried completely in the pajamas.
Ah, I’m almost there.
Her heart was still pounding fiercely.
She tried to stop panting but couldn’t.
The strange sound echoing in her ears left her disoriented.
That must be why.
She hadn’t even noticed the footsteps approaching softly.
Swish—
Her back, covered by clothing, suddenly felt icy.
Startled, Hadam lifted her head.
“…Stupid rabbit.”
Annoying gray eyes stared at her with a look of disdain.
