I'm a Supporting Role in a Horror Game, Don't Kill Me

Drurr.

With the sound of something scraping the floor, the door opened. Nothing could be seen through the open door. Without realizing it, I walked over to the crack in the door and stuck my head in. I was filled with the feeling that I didn’t want to see it, but I was pushed towards it as if I was possessed by something. The mask that had been in place between the cracks in the door for some time laughed inorganically. And what could be seen through the gaping hole in the mask were eyes. Shadowy, eerie eyes that I couldn’t recognize were staring at me. A shiver ran down my spine as I thought about how long those eyes had been looking at me. Sweat was seeping down my hands and the back of my neck. At the same time, a double-edged ax soaked in blood flew towards me with no way to avoid it.

“…!”

I couldn’t even scream and closed my eyes tightly. My eyes flashed open as I felt my body tremble and fall.

“…Huh. Huh.”

A familiar ceiling. This was Arbice Green’s room, which I have now become accustomed to.

“Heo-eok, heo-eok.”

‘If you breathe slowly and properly, you’ll be fine. It will be fine.’

But I couldn’t breathe straight. I rolled my body into a ball and leaned forward.

Knock knock.

At that time, suddenly there was a knocking sound.

“Are you okay?”

‘…Luke?’

“…It’s okay, Heo Eok.”

“Excuse me.”

As soon as my answer was cut off, the door swung open. And through my spinning vision, I saw Luke hurriedly approaching me. He lifted me up so that my head was over his shoulder and gently stroked my back.

“It’s fine. It’s okay. It’s safe here.”

“…Huh. Her. Ha… Phew…”

“I will be there for you. I will never let that bastard come near me again. It’s safe here. It’s safe.”

“How do you know… Phew…”

“Just in case, I was taking care of business in the study right next to here.”

“…At this late hour, wow…”

“I just happen to have a lot of business to do. Don’t worry about me. Take a deep breath. It’s okay. Everything is fine.”

The content of his low whisper didn’t hit me right away, and although my guard against Luke wasn’t completely gone, I gradually became able to breathe comfortably. It would take quite a while for me to completely regain my composure. But Luke patiently consoled me.

Meanwhile, I felt dizzy.

‘When did I return to my room? When did you wash up and go to bed? …That’s right, the Metropolitan Police Department told me to get some sleep first because there would be an investigation, so it looks like I slept all night…’

Originally, it was my habit to take refuge in sleep when something difficult was going on, and it seems that this habit has continued to this day. As soon as my breathing became even, I pushed his shoulder to let him go, but he patted me for a while longer, making sure it wasn’t too heavy while holding an adult woman comfortably.

‘…Why are you doing this? Why on earth are you doing this?’

But I couldn’t help feeling annoyed and relieved at the same time. The fear of Luke was not forgotten. But since the scene of him rescuing me remained in my mind, it was only natural that Luke would be of help when I was engulfed in fear from the kidnapper’s son.

‘I will take this opportunity to completely revamp my image.’

I was just confused that he was being nice to me. I wanted to get annoyed, I wanted to ask why he was keeping me up all night when he probably had a lot of work to do, and I had many things to say. But while he was comforting me, I inadvertently imagined Luke coming to my rescue. The person who would have thought of me when he saw the petals of a common wild flower while wandering to a narrow alley on the outskirts of the city, quite far from here, and the person who would have run as soon as he heard the gunshot.

“It’s okay. It’s safe here. I will be by your side. It’s okay.”

While I was hesitating because I didn’t know what to say, I quietly felt his soft hand rubbing my back and fell asleep again.

“Teacher! Wake up!”

“Teacher Albi! Wake up!”

“Teacher, are you still sleeping?”

“Teacher Albei Luna, I drew a picture!”

I could hear voices chirping in my sleep.

‘…Is it morning?’

As I listened more closely, I heard the same gloomy crow as always.

‘…it’s morning. I guess I slept all day yesterday.’

I thought I needed to get up, but for some reason, my body felt a bit stiff, unlike someone who had spent such a long time sleeping.

“Shh, the Duke specifically told me to give you a good rest today. Now, shall we, Shine and Luna, go to the restaurant first?”

I thought I heard Mr. Blier’s friendly and soft voice,

“Get some rest? But, I drew a picture of Luna! The teacher told me to do it by yesterday!”

“Luna, let’s let the teacher rest. He’ll come if we go on our own first.”

Shine was heard soothing Luna in an uncharacteristically downcast voice.

“Brother…? Teacher, are you sick again?”

Just hearing Luna’s voice made me imagine her eyes widening as if she was about to cry.

“It’s because I was wrong.”

“Wrong? Are you going to scold me?”

“That… I don’t know. Now, let’s go quickly. I guess you’re not feeling well.”

“Brother, you’re an idiot. Didn’t the teacher say Luna wouldn’t get sick again?”

“You are a fool.”

The high-pitched voices typical of talkative kids were heard all at once, and silence fell in an instant. When I heard my students become quiet and carefully close the door and leave, I came to my senses.

‘Luna will be disappointed if I don’t go to the dining hall.’

I wanted to rest a little longer, but thinking about Luna and Shine, I decided to get up and stretch her out.

“Huh.”

‘Why do I feel like I haven’t slept so well?’

As soon as I thought of that question, the memories of last night came back in an instant. My body stiffened in the same stretching position. I had an extremely unpleasant nightmare that replicated the time I was kidnapped. It wasn’t just once. It was a dream that was repeated several times. I thought I had escaped without experiencing anything, but the terrifying memories of having to imagine all sorts of things while I was locked in the room seemed to have left a remnant. And every time I had that hellish dream, I also remembered the warm, big hands that soothed me. Every time, without getting tired of it, he calmly and patiently stayed by my side and soothed me until I fell into a peaceful sleep again… 

‘…Luke.’

I reflexively bit the inner flesh of my lower lip and squeezed my eyes shut. I think I’d be grateful if I didn’t. I feel so supported, touched, and grateful. In fact, it was the kidnapper’s logic that it originated from Luke, and from Luke’s perspective, there would be no need for them to feel guilty… It’s okay if you don’t do this… For a man with the status of a duke, and for a man with so many people trying to get close to him, that I did something like this for him, even though I probably wasn’t that great of a person… I slowly lowered my head and covered my face with both hands.

‘Ever since he saved me, I’ve been in more of a mess.’

Even though I thought I had made my position on Luke clear, things didn’t go my way. But now… Now everything was really a mess.

‘…Why are you so sweet? Why so much…’

“…ha.”

Even if I exhaled for a long time, my complicated and agitated stomach could not be calmed down. I felt strange. As if a large, heavy stone had been placed in the middle of a small river that was flowing smoothly, as if the current on the stone had started to flow in the opposite direction from before. I didn’t have the confidence to get up straight away and look at the Lakers’ faces.

Knock knock.

‘…Luke? I’m not mentally ready yet…’

I was startled by a knock on the door and raised my head, but I heard a different voice than I expected.

“Should I ask you to bring breakfast here?”

It was Mr. Blier’s voice.

‘…phew.’

I was so relieved that my shoulders, which had been tense without me realizing it, naturally went down. And at the same time, I had a strange feeling. When I thought it wasn’t Luke, I felt a strange sense of regret along with relief somewhere in my heart.

‘It’s a reflex. He kept coming in and out of this room last night, so I reflexively thought it was him.’

“Ah… Meal?”

“Yes. You didn’t eat last night, so I thought it would be a good idea to eat this morning even though you are tired.”

Her voice filled with worry made me think of her face as she hugged me last night. I didn’t want to cause any more unnecessary worries. Plus, I didn’t want to admit that I avoided Luke for reasons other than fear.

‘…What on earth am I doing now? I should think of the Lakers being nice to me as a stepping stone to seeing the true ending of this game. Why am I avoiding it? Let’s come to our senses. Is now the time?’

I jumped out of my seat and stood up. I spoke to the door as I slipped my feet into my slippers.

“I’m going to the dining hall now.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

I nodded, glaring at the vertical mirror in front of me.

“Yes, of course.”

Like Mr. Blier mentioned, I became aware of my hunger as soon as I walked into the restaurant. My appetite was piqued by the aroma of delicious pumpkin soup emanating from the restaurant’s front entrance.

“I nearly went without food yesterday for the entire day, but I couldn’t think of anything like food.”

He looked too good to be the one who went through the kidnapping event yesterday, even as I consider it.

‘…Was it because Luke was by my side the whole time last night…?’

I tried to shake off the thoughts by doing the trick that had now become a habit.

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