You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 123

Though it was clearly Ha-jin’s voice, the strangely altered tone made me turn to look at him. Viewed from below, his nose bridge was straight, and the transparent glass perched upon it caught the sunlight, glinting brilliantly. As the angle shifted slightly, a green tinge reflected in his deep brown eyes.

Huh?

“…Ha-jin?”

“What?”

“No, just now…”

I couldn’t continue speaking, only opening and closing my mouth uselessly. Ha-jin tilted his head askew, as if unsure what I was trying to say. After waiting for me to speak, he finally broke the silence himself.

“Instead of digging in strange places, try reaching out. If you haven’t broken up yet, the other person must be trying hard too.”

Ha-jin, who had placed the phone before my eyes, stood up. After roughly smoothing his wrinkled pants, he walked leisurely to the shoe rack. Where’s he suddenly going? As I stared at him with round eyes, he seemed to feel my gaze and answered while putting on his shoes.

“I’ve got an appointment to keep. Take care.”

Casually waving his hand, he opened the entrance door. Cool air and bright light seeped in together. With a creaking metal sound, Ha-jin walked away unhurriedly. Just before the door closed completely, his long hand caught the gap, stopping it.

Did he forget something? As I quietly rose from my seat, Ha-jin’s voice came through the small opening.

“Live well.”

With those words, the door closed.

Why make such a stylish exit? Or does it just look stylish because he’s handsome? Feeling like a storm had just passed through, I sat there blankly staring into space.

No wonder he’s popular with everyone. Despite not being particularly close, I ended up drinking with him and even talking about Karhan without realizing it. Raising my hand to scratch my head, my gaze stopped on the phone placed right in front of me.

Ha-jin had definitely said it.

‘Try doing it exactly like the first time.’

It felt like he spoke knowing something. Though that’s impossible, of course. Is this why classmates call him “Life: Round 10”?

Quietly reaching out, I picked up the phone. Staring blankly at the black screen in my hand, I unconsciously pressed down firmly, and it lit up brightly.

On the clean background, the SNS app radiated presence as if urging me to click it. Do it exactly like the first time…? The only special thing I did on the day I entered that world was clicking ‘share’ on the red button post. But could it really work with just that? Could it be this easy?

While doubt wrapped around my body, a spark of hope sprouted deep in my heart. Wiping the fingerprint-covered glass with my sleeve, I clicked the SNS app. Various posts instantly appeared on the white screen. As if possessed, my fingers moved unconsciously, scrolling down.

My eyes, sparkling with growing hope, busily absorbed the information. Scanning through the rapidly scrolling posts, I found the one I had shared. My eyes widened and my lips curved into a slight smile.

『Pressing this button will transport you into the world of the genre I write.

(You can leave once the story is finished. But if it’s not completed, who knows)』

Share = Press Like = Don’t Press

“Found it.”

My hesitant finger hovered over the hot screen. What if it’s useless? The higher hope builds, the harder the impact of disappointment. After repeatedly curling and uncurling my index finger like a hook while deliberating, I finally pressed firmly.

“I’m coming. Wait for me, Karhan.”

I’ll appear before you magnificently, like a prince.

Rolling up in my blanket like a cocoon, I closed my eyes. Though I worried I wouldn’t be able to sleep from excitement, whether from the remaining alcohol or the button’s effect, drowsiness quickly overtook me. As darkness descended and I felt myself sinking into the ground, I opened my eyes.

Anxiety crawled up like a snake hiding in a pit as darkness instantly consumed my vision. I lightly bit my stiffened tongue.

“It’s okay. A magnificent door will be waiting for me.”

Comforting my anxiety, I walked forward. Like always, I walked and walked until my legs ached and breath reached my chin. A small expectation mechanically moved my legs.

Sweat began beading on my forehead. Though I ran and walked, no door appeared, and I grew increasingly exhausted. Turning my head to look around carefully, there was nothing but myself.

My legs finally started trembling, and I ended up collapsing in place. No door appeared – neither to Karhan nor home.

The corners of my lips turned downward as if pulled by someone, and my round eyes distorted. “Heu,” as I released the surging emotion in sound, tears welled up like droplets.

“I… want to go…”

The teardrops that had gathered round at the corners of my eyes rolled down my cheeks and collected at my chin before falling to the ground. The space of pure darkness swallowed my tears without leaving a trace. Though I tried to hold back my crying by sniffling and creating walnut-like wrinkles on my chin, thinking I shouldn’t show weakness, it wasn’t easy.

Even though we’d been apart for just a few days, I missed Karhan terribly. The warm touch of his hand stroking my head, his soft lips kissing my forehead, his playful touch stretching my cheeks – I missed everything.

As I crouched alone making a crying face in this place with no discernible floor, a familiar sound came from behind.

Peep!

“I won’t fall for it, stupid.”

Shaking my head, I buried my face in my knees listlessly. It must be another apartment bird sound. Curling up even smaller, I squeezed my eyes shut. If it’s going to be like this, I’d rather fall asleep here forever and never wake up.

Just as the moisture clinging to my eyelashes began drying and my eyelids grew heavy, something painfully pulled my hair.

“Ow!”

My closing eyes flew open at the sudden pain.

“That hurts!”

Peeeyak! Pyuk!

What? What is this? Unable to hide my confusion, I raised both hands to grab whatever had landed on my head. A round, fluffy sensation tickled my palm. Something felt strange, and I froze, even forgetting to blink.

“A bird…?”

After barely freeing my firmly gripped hair, I slowly lowered my hands. Time felt very slow until what I held came into view.

White and round. Soft and fluffy. A face the size of my thumb with black sesame-seed eyes and a beak came into view. My tears had suddenly vanished, and only rapid breathing reached my ears.

“Why… why are you here?”

My fingers trembled as they enclosed the bird, so I spread them wide, afraid of damaging its feathers. The bird, with familiar confidence, stood proudly on its tiny feet in my palm. Then, opening its nail-sized beak wide, it wiggled its bottom.

Peek! Pyek! Pyek!

“…Ha.”

A breath that might have been either laughter or a sigh burst out. The familiar sight made tears well up again that had barely subsided. My mouth corners trembled, unsure whether they were rising or falling.

“I’m sorry…”

I’d wanted to say these words all along. Raising my left hand to brush my forehead, I brought it down to roughly rub my eyes. Tears kept flowing like a broken faucet, obscuring my vision. Muttering “sorry” in a small voice, I wiped my wet eyes again and again.

The bird tilted its head looking at me like that. Blinking its small eyes once, twice, it flapped its wings – large compared to its body – and perched on my shoulder.

When I turned my head toward the bird while making a stupid grimaced face, its large wing slapped my cheek. That familiar action made me burst out laughing. With tears flowing from my eyes and laughter from my mouth, my face contorted messily.

I couldn’t help but laugh. Couldn’t help but cry. Though I don’t know why it only occurred to me now, most of my actions until now had resembled the bird’s.

Defecating in someone’s hand, slapping cheeks, wiggling my bottom side to side, raising wings straight up when threatening, enjoying having my chest tickled.

All my actions while with Karhan and the bird’s actions toward me clicked into place one by one in my mind.

Was all this really coincidence, or was it arranged for my sake?

A needle-like pain stabbed one corner of my chest. Though nothing was there, the sensation was so vivid that I lowered my hand from my face to feel my chest. Only touching the loose t-shirt, nothing caught.

As I stared into space while exhaling a deep breath at the inexplicable emotion, a faint light flowed from behind, illuminating my hand.

“Huh?”

I turned around with a start. A door had suddenly appeared in the empty space, with light seeping through its gap. Though dazzling, I couldn’t close my eyes at the unbelievable situation.

With mouth hanging open blankly, I slowly stood up, steadying myself against the floor. A massive door with ornate patterns shone toward me. Carefully reaching out to push the door slightly, it opened with a familiar creaking sound.

The thought that I could return to that longed-for place flashed through my mind. My trembling lips slowly curved up, and my round eyes slightly narrowed. In the dark space where light had entered, loud thumping heartbeats echoed powerfully.