Chapter 25

In a corner of a locker room inside a theme park ghost story, a small stuffed doll was talking and moving its limbs.

Put that way, it sounded enough to scare someone out of their wits.

Except that I was the one who had made it happen.

"My friend?"

The stuffed doll squirmed where the hexagram had vanished.

"Ah."

Only then did it sink in.

I had succeeded in inviting a “Good Friend” into the doll!

The problem was that my guest was someone I knew. No, a monster I knew.

'The Host...!'

The TV-headed monster who hosted the ghost story The Tuesday Quiz Show.

["I do hope you'll join the crew of my new talk show too, Mr. Roe Deer!"]

Remembering the last moments of my escape from that insane ghost story, I swallowed.

"... Good to see you, Host. Have you been well?"

"Haha, good to see you too! This brings back memories of your splendid performance on the quiz show, Mr. Roe Deer. Have you been well? As for me..."

"I."

Silence.

"I don't... quite remember. Hmm... Yes. I've been well. I hosted a talk show."

The voice coming from the stuffed doll grew strangely faint, then regained its vigor and warmth.

"What matters is that we're together again!"

"... Yes."

It felt as though that overwhelming supernatural terror had been muffled beneath a haze before it could emerge.

'... Because he's a Good Friend?'

Apparently, the doll and the ritual served as some sort of restraint.

I still needed to be careful.

"Um, Host. There's something I'd like to ask."

"Ask away, my friend. Oh, come to think of it, that title feels rather distant between friends!"

"Just call me Braun, Mr. Roe Deer! Let's dispense with those embarrassingly formal honorifics!"

"... Of course. Yes. Braun."

Right. Even a TV head living in a ghost story would have a name...

Anyway, I had more pressing concerns. I spoke as politely as I could.

"The thing is, I'm trying to leave this theme park, but I can't find a way out."

"Oh dear! Theme parks are famous for their complicated layouts and confusing paths. Don't worry. I have an excellent sense of direction!"

"... I'm not lost. A mascot has sealed off the exit gate."

The stuffed doll fell briefly silent, as though at a loss for words.

"Ah, hmm... What an unusual situation."

That was a remarkably human reaction.

I briefly explained the park's layout and what had happened, from the color-coded teams and zones to the rampaging mascots.

Lying on the floor, the stuffed doll folded its arms.

"Hmm. What divas these mascots are! We have beings who make that sort of fuss in broadcasting, too."

"Still, the one that hasn't appeared concerns me."

The one that hadn't appeared?

Something immediately came to mind.

"... Do you mean the yellow mascot?"

The final mascot, mentioned only on a ride, without a trace of its whereabouts.

"Precisely! A yellow flower, was it? Do you know where he is?"

"...!"

Right.

'We found the blue mascot's zone, so the yellow mascot's zone might be out there somewhere too...!'

If I found it and used its gate...

"Though he must already be dead."

...

"What?"

The yellow mascot?

"Wouldn't there be something like a botanical garden or a greenhouse? Since he's a flower..."

"Oh dear, Mr. Roe Deer. Surely you already know."

The friendly voice spoke almost in a whisper.

"Didn't you say so yourself? The Yellow Team woke up on the outskirts of the Blue Zone too."

"...!"

"If there were a Yellow Zone, the Yellow Team would have woken up there. Wasn't that the agreement?"

"... That's right."

The rule was that you woke up in the zone matching the color of the game piece you drew. But the Yellow Team hadn't.

Was that... really because the Yellow Zone didn't exist?

I thought it over, then spoke.

"... I know what I need to do."

I had to check.

"Oh, what is it? Let's..."

The stuffed doll struggled as if trying to stand, but lost its balance and flopped onto its face.

"Ahem. Mr. Roe Deer, would you help me up?"

I approached cautiously and lifted the Good Friend keychain onto one palm.

It felt warm, almost like body heat.

"It's difficult to control this body. It may take some time to adjust... but don't worry. I'm a very capable being!"

Oh, I'm sure you are.

After some deliberation, I tucked the stuffed doll into my suit's breast pocket.

It raised one arm with an exaggerated flourish.

"Now, let's go! ... Where are we going, though?"

Somewhere that could point us in the right direction.

The one place every large public facility had.

"The Information Booth."

* * *

Naturally, exploration logs mentioned finding an Information Booth in Gaiety Theme Park. It had most of the things you'd expect in an ordinary amusement park.

'The problem was that you couldn't use it normally....'

It would tell you simple things, like where nearby attractions were.

But if a request grew a little complicated, or you asked for something tangible, this happened:

The information mascot holds up a “Members Only” sign.

'Meaning an admission ticket alone wouldn't cut it.'

It was meant to create an eerie atmosphere, implying that although you were treated as guests, this place hadn't really been made for you...

'And I happen to have a Membership on my wrist.'

In fact, the moment my admission ticket became a Membership, a few exploration logs about those members-only facilities had come to mind.

A special souvenir shop, restaurants, even separate attraction entrances where you could skip the line.

But I had a clear reason for avoiding them whenever possible.

'They require interacting with mascots.'

Alone and without information, I had no idea what horrific consequences might result from approaching the lunatic mascot that had closed the gate...

'Just imagining it makes me dizzy.'

But now I had a monster friend who could serve as a danger alarm, so I would give it a try.

"Braun. If whoever I'm talking to seems offended, or likely to harm me, would you let me know?"

"Of course. That's hardly difficult!"

After answering cheerfully, the stuffed doll quickly devised and taught me a few hand signals. Just the sort of efficiency you'd expect from someone in mass media.

A short while later...

"There it is. Oh, it looks quite convincing..."

Listening to Good Friend chatter, I approached the Information Booth. It was made of opaque blue glass with a white shutter.

As I drew near, the shutter opened to reveal the blue mascot's face.

A blue dragon in uniform.

"Hello. I'd like to see a map of this place."

The blue mascot, which had been waving as though delighted to see me, swiftly held out a high-quality brochure.

It contained a handy map showing the attractions, restaurants, and amenities of Blue Dream Water Park.

At the top were the words “Members Only.”

I looked up at the blue mascot.

"Thank you."

It seemed rather proud of itself.

"Do you happen to have one showing all the zones, though?"

Abruptly, the blue mascot went still.

D-don't chicken out.

"As you probably know, I came here from the Red Zone without following the proper procedures. To avoid any mistakes... I'd like to keep away from that area."

I asked in the calmest, most courteous voice I could manage.

"Where exactly does this zone border the Red Zone?"

A brief silence.

The mascot extended its hand.

F r o m h e r e

T o h e r e

RIIIP.

The blue mascot's claw tore through the brochure map in my hands, all the way along its eastern edge.

'As I thought, the eastern edge of the Blue Zone borders the western edge of the Red Zone directly....'

But... this was terrifying.

Both hands holding the tearing brochure were trembling hard enough to vibrate...!

'Please spare me.'

You're not going to slice me in half with those claws too, right?

The instant the mascot lifted its claw from the map, I hastily nodded my thanks.

On to the next topic!

"Thank you. In that case, could you perhaps..."

TAP TAP.

"...!"

"Shh."

In my breast pocket, the stuffed doll tapped my chest lightly twice.

... It meant:

'Your conversation partner appears to be in a bad mood.'

... So that was as far as I could go!

I immediately changed tack and politely wrapped things up.

"Yes. I'll stay away from the Red Zone."

The blue dragon remained still for a moment, then nodded.

It rummaged around in its clothes and handed me another bag of those Blue Soda Churros.

"Thank you."

G o o d C h i l d

The blue dragon tapped my bracelet and withdrew its arm.

RATTLE.

Then the Information Booth's shutter slid smoothly closed.

"..."

'Whew.'

That did it.

Clutching my pounding chest, I lowered my head.

I'd been scared nearly to death, but...

"You're smiling, my friend! Are you happy? Did you find what you wanted?"

I'd figured it out.

"Yes."

I raised my head and started running.

"Now I just need to get there."

Asking the mascot more questions might have saved time, but safety came first. From here on, I'd rely on the most trustworthy means available.

My own feet.

'Let's hurry.'

I only had a few hours left.

I looked up at the sky over the theme park as it began to darken.

* * *

A few hours later.

The sun had set.

"Huff."

I was still running.

My legs were shaking after scouring half of the enormous water park.

"Mr. Roe Deer, you seem quite exhausted."

"I'm fine."

The stuffed doll asked sympathetically,

"I think it's time I asked. Where exactly are you trying to go?"

Wiping the sweat from my chin, I answered.

"The Yellow Zone."

"Oh!"

"I thought we'd both agreed on the proposition that the Yellow Zone doesn't exist. What made you change your mind?"

"I haven't. I still don't think the Yellow Zone exists."

But...

"It must have existed in the past."

I lowered the map and looked ahead.

For starters...

"It wouldn't have bordered the Red Zone directly back then."

That zone had forest to the east, an entrance to the north, a cliff to the south, and the Blue Zone to the west.

'The terrain fits together perfectly. No gaps.'

Which meant...

"It must have bordered the Blue Zone somewhere. There would've been a connecting passage."

I could rule out the north, which also had an entrance, and the east, which bordered the Red Zone.

That left...

"So that's why you've been combing through the west and south? Haha!"

Correct.

Unlike in the Red Zone, no mascot was chasing me down to kill me here, which made this sort of brute-force approach possible.

And finally, in a flower bed behind a restroom in the northwestern corner, I'd found it.

An uneven dirt path leading up a hill, like a closed hiking trail.

"Hmm. It certainly looks as though it might once have been an open passage."

The problem was that crossing it would almost certainly violate the theme park's rules.

[Authorized Personnel Only]

After checking the sign, I stepped out from behind the restroom and looked around.

I met the eyes of a mascot standing in front of a children's attraction far away.

"Hmm. Is that mascot bothering you?"

"Yes. I think it'll notice if I enter the restricted area..."

"Then we simply mustn't get caught!"

"..."

That's easier said than done...

"Oh, cheer up. It's not difficult!"

"You have me, don't you? Your friend."

Something sly crept into Good Friend's voice.

His characteristic confidence, cunning, and warmth came to the fore.

"I'll help you. First... take me out of your breast pocket for a moment!"

I did as he asked.

Sitting on my palm, the stuffed doll raised a hand and pointed at me.

I flinched, reminded of the way he'd incinerated people on The Tuesday Quiz Show.

But this time was different.

SNAP!

A muffled finger snap rang out from the doll's fingerless hand.

In that instant, something like a strange shadow settled heavily over me.

"...!"

I was now faint, subdued...

"Now... it won't notice you. Come, let's go."

Braun's voice from Good Friend grew faint, sounding a little tired.

"What is this...?"

"I've switched off your spotlight, Mr. Roe Deer."

"Didn't we agree not to pay attention to anyone outside the spotlight during the show?"

Apparently, Incineration wasn't the Host's only ability.

'Was he controlling the entire studio himself...?'

An inexplicable chill ran through me as I looked down at the stuffed doll, but I soon realized that wasn't my priority.

Escape first!

"Then I'll get moving."

"Excellent!"

I returned behind the restroom and stood before the closed trail.

Then I stepped past the no-entry sign.

"..."

Nothing happened.

"Thank y—"

"Save the praise. Let's move first!"

I was so genuinely grateful that I nearly got emotional.

I climbed the steep trail as fast as I could, practically crawling.

Broken plastic fragments and bits of decoration pressed into my hands and feet through the dirt.

"It seems there definitely used to be something here."

I pushed myself faster.

Up, farther up...

And finally, I reached the end of the path.

THUD.

I planted my foot and stood.

From the hilltop, I could see down below.

It was...

"A resort."

An enormous holiday complex spread out beside the dark sea.

... Hadn't I heard that a certain famous theme park franchise also operated accommodations this enormous?

Its sheer scale was overwhelming, but...

[Flower Golden Resort]

The whole facility was already dead.

The golden resort must once have looked like a place of dreams. Now it was old and desolate, its paint peeling.

I looked at the cracked sign bearing a broadly smiling yellow flower.

And beneath it stood a familiar machine, though an older model.

"There's a gate at the resort entrance too!"

"Yes."

It made sense. The route back to the resort from the theme park was an exit of sorts.

'Found it...!'

Forgetting my exhaustion, I ran again. The shadow covering me slipped away, and my pace quickened.

"Hmm. But this gate is switched off too. Can you use it?"

"Of course."

I searched around the old gate machinery and opened the emergency control panel.

Just as I'd done on the ride.

Then I switched on the emergency power.

WHIRRR.

The gate machinery creaked, and scattered lights came on.

'I only couldn't do this before because the mascot was watching like a hawk.'

I could manage this much without any special help.

I stood before the gate that looked the most intact of those that had lit up.

Caught my breath.

And made one final check.

"Braun. If I enter that resort with my Membership, do you think I'll be required to use its facilities?"

"Haha! That decrepit place? It looks as though it closed for business ages ago. That property no longer has an owner. It's not a theme park. It's just land!"

Thanks for the scathing and accurate assessment, my friend.

I immediately held my Membership up to the gate.

BEEP.

The old gate read my Membership.

DING.

A light flashed on the machine.

[◎Goodbye◎]

It worked.

Thrilling with relief, I was about to step forward when...

"Oh dear. It followed us."

I turned around.

Far away, a blue shape was crawling up the trail.

'... The mascot!'

The blue dragon!

The uniformed mascot I'd seen at the gate approached at a terrifying speed... then stopped.

It was... It was...

Sniffling.

"..."

"Tsk, tsk. That mascot thinks it's the star of a drama. Let's hurry out!"

Something about this bothered me.

'This feels exactly like foreshadowing for a grudge.'

Surely nothing good could come from making an enemy of something in a ghost story?

After some thought, I searched my pockets and found one of the few things I had left.

[Alice Picnic Set - Cookie]

The flat cookie item I'd never used.

I gently tossed the paper-wrapped cookie to the mascot.

...

"Mr. Roe Deer, you're far too kind..."

No, I'm not.

'Anyway, I've given you something, honored dragon.'

The moment I confirmed the mascot had caught the cookie, I stepped through the gate.

G o o d C h i l d

I was leaving the ghost story.

As the world swirled around me, I faintly heard Good Friend's voice.

"Hmm, at last, some strength is coming back into my body! I think I can move..."

* * *

I opened my eyes.

I realized I was sitting in Research Team 1's dark, empty conference room on the 17th floor, right in the middle of Seoul.

'... I'm alive.'

I'd escaped!

"Ha!!"

A sense of liberation sent tingles all the way to the top of my head, and I leaped to my feet.

'Is no one here?'

Since several hours had passed, everyone seemed to have left the conference room. First, I'd call and let them know I'd escaped too...

Huh?

I looked at my wrist.

[◎ (Gaiety) Fantasy Land Membership ◎]

The bracelet was still there.

"What the—"

Then it began to burn.

"...!"

The admission ticket vanished in an instant.

But something remained.

Exactly where the admission ticket had been, black lettering was inscribed on my wrist.

: Socius :

What the hell was this now?