Chapter 4

One person had escaped the ghost story.

Minus an eye.

“Whew...”

“Did you hear that?”

But unlike the previous few times, the passengers felt no sympathy, despite their revulsion and fear.

'Is this what comes of using violence instead of persuasion?'

There was a brief commotion inside the train as everyone checked on the man Baek Saheon had attacked, but then...

[“This stop is Hatred, Hatred Station.”]

“Hatred, my ass...”

“Hah.”

The announcement sank everyone's spirits even further.

Go Youngeun rose from tending to the recruit clutching his left eye. Her expression was rather grim.

“I'm almost certain his cornea is damaged. I'm worried...”

“Are you a medical professional, by any chance?”

“No. I just studied in that field in college... I changed majors partway through, so I never even took the national licensing exam. I'm no expert.”

With a sigh, Go Youngeun plopped down cross-legged on the floor.

[“The platform screen doors are opening.”]

The train doors opened, but nobody moved. They merely cast wary glances outside.

They also looked at me, seemingly checking whether I would suggest getting off here.

'At least they're paying attention to me.'

I'd worried that Baek Saheon would make everyone more suspicious of one another, but having a common enemy had actually calmed them down.

With everything going so completely insane, perhaps they were waiting to hear what the person who'd spoken with some confidence earlier would say next.

Meaning... me.

I was starting to hope they might even let me choose the station...

“Um, this must be... a lot of pressure for you.”

“...?”

Go Youngeun spoke with a troubled expression.

“Everyone keeps trying to lean on you.”

I'm grateful for it, though...?

“They're all scared and anxious, so I hope you won't become disillusioned with them for being so shameless... Hah. No, I'm sorry.”

I'm the one trying to sway everyone because I'm scared and anxious...?

“I've been trying to think of something myself, too...”

Well, any ideas were welcome.

“What have you come up with?”

“Um, I've been thinking about that ‘final destination’ you mentioned earlier.”

Go Youngeun lowered her voice.

“A person's final destination... Wouldn't that be death?”

“...!”

“You know? The end of a human life... However I think about it, that's what comes to mind. I wondered if we should get off when a similar word comes up.”

Oh.

“But then I wondered if that would just mean... dying peacefully... So I couldn't bring myself to say anything.”

“No. That's certainly a compelling argument.”

“Is... it?”

“Yes. However...”

I trailed off.

Then, without realizing it, I smiled a little.

“...?”

Because I'd seen the name of the next station on the display.

“What is a destination in the first place?”

“S-sorry?”

“According to the dictionary, a goal is something you intend to achieve, or the direction you're heading in.”

And this train's whole theme was straightforward.

Sit down. Find the lost item.

The instructions weren't twisted. You were safe as long as you followed them literally.

Even the people who got off at the wrong stations had died in very straightforward ways.

So I was approaching the phrase “final destination” the same way.

“I think the destination this train refers to is ultimately a point that I have yet to achieve or reach.”

Taking that into account made the criteria for choosing a station very simple.

-Something I don't have.

It also cast the successful escapes in a new light.

* * *

1. Stations named after colors, such as Red, Yellow, and Blue.

: 2 successful escapes (Blue Station)

2. Stations named after body parts, such as Left Arm, Cornea, and Heart.

: Escape failed (Attempt: Cochlea Station)

3. Stations named after serial killers, such as ■■, ■■■■, and ■■■.

: 12 successful escapes (■■■■ Station)

4. Stations named after years, such as 2008, 2012, and 2016.

: Escape failed (Attempt: 2024 Station)

5. Stations named after illnesses, such as Asthma, Stroke, and Glaucoma.

: 3 successful escapes (Attempt: Common Cold Station)

* * *

Of those who got off at Blue Station, the ones with no blue on their bodies or belongings must have escaped.

That also explained the unusually high number of successful escapes at the station named after a serial killer.

Since none of them would have been those serial killers, almost every station was a correct answer.

'On the other hand, stations named after body parts... They must have failed because people are less likely to be missing a body part.'

The same went for stations named after years. They'd failed at 2024 because every passenger had lived through that year.

Applying that logic made it clear which station we needed to get off at, too.

-An emotion I don't have.

“... In other words, we need to choose an emotion we definitely wouldn't be feeling right now.”

“What?”

This was where things suddenly became tricky.

'Most people experience joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure.'

Unless you were the sort of person who lacked a particular emotion, choosing a station became extremely difficult. Everyone would feel them, even if the intensity varied.

So...

An emotion describing a flat state, something that couldn't be expressed in degrees of intensity.

'A feeling that exists as a concept, but is incredibly difficult to experience in its entirety.'

That was what we needed to choose.

[“This stop is Carefree, Carefree.”]

The announcement played.

It would be easy to assume this was another ordinary emotion used as a station name. After all, we often said things like “That person's so carefree” in everyday life.

But...

'It's an expression we often use to guess at someone else's state of mind.'

Few people described themselves as carefree.

And with good reason.

The dictionary definition of carefree was “having no worries or concerns whatsoever.”

But could a person truly be carefree, without a single worry or concern?

*'The odds of that...'

Were practically nonexistent.

Especially in an extreme situation like this.

“This station is the correct answer.”

“...!”

“We're getting off here.”

Speak confidently, with conviction, and don't hesitate.

I stood up immediately. The others rose along with me before they knew it, then looked at me.

“H-here?”

“Yes.”

Then I approached the injured recruit clutching his eye and helped him stand.

“I'll support you.”

“Oh, th-thank...”

As I guided him to the doors, the people clustered together followed without thinking. No backing out now, any of you.

We're leaving together.

'Good.'

Now I could escape sandwiched between everyone...

[“The platform screen doors are opening.”]

Except it was a sea of blood outside the open doors.

“...”

No... This was going too far. No, f*ck, what the...

'Save me.'

“Mr. Kim Soleum?”

I nearly hid behind Go Youngeun.

The last shreds of my dignity as a working adult stopped me.

Instead, I stiffly turned my head to look at everyone.

“You're... sure this is the place?”

“Yes.”

Unfortunately, yes.

But I couldn't think of any pretty words to persuade them to get off.

No, I didn't even want to get off myself.

I wished someone would convince me we didn't have to. Please.

“... Listen! I still think we should go.”

What?

Go Youngeun?

“He's the only one among us who's confident in his opinion right now. Everyone else is terrified, but he's stayed calm this whole time.”

Me?

“That man earlier caused all that trouble just to get off by himself... I'd rather listen to someone who's at least a good person. Personally.”

Then Go Youngeun bravely stepped out through the doors first.

Lights flickered eerily over the thoroughly rusted platform, and liquid other than water dripped from pipes above the exposed steel framework.

Blood fell onto Go Youngeun's shoulder. Ha, ha...

“Mr. Kim Soleum?”

“...”

“Don't worry about me. I believe you, too! Let's go!”

The injured man I was supporting urged me on.

He apparently thought I was hesitating out of consideration for his wishes. I was starting to get confused about whether I felt grateful or resentful myself.

At any rate, thanks to him, I naturally followed Go Youngeun out. The others, who'd been wavering, poured out after us.

Still, I was glad I hadn't been the last one out.

It was easy to overlook, but being at the very back was actually the scariest...

'... Hah.'

At this point, I wanted to cut ties with myself.

“Do we take the stairs?”

“Yes.”

Even amid all this, Go Youngeun looked toward the other cars, whose doors were still open, and shouted.

“Hey! Everyone, get off! This is the right station!”

I didn't know how effective that was. Plenty of people might have grown suspicious instead and refused to get off...

'Still, if even one more person gets off after hearing that, she'll have saved them.'

I admired her a little.

No, I was trying, to focus, all my attention, on that admiration...

Deciding to support the injured man had been a truly brilliant choice. It distracted me, and whenever my strength threatened to give out, I reflexively held on.

I'd recommend it to every scaredy-cat.

Not that many cowards would ever find themselves in a shitty situation like this!

“Ughhh...”

“L-let's walk.”

I walked among the others, trying as hard as I could not to look around.

The stairs came into view.

*'They're plastered with things like talismans...'

Realizing that even the stairs didn't look normal sent goosebumps prickling over every pore of my body, but...

'Just focus on the feeling of climbing.'

One step.

One step.

I walked in silence.

Soon, the air before my eyes seemed to ripple...

[“Wow! Congratulations, new recruits!”]

Before we knew it, we were back in the lecture hall.

“...!!”

Bright lights.

A spacious, modern, comfortable interior.

As reality came rushing back, I saw that a clear message had appeared on the enormous screen before us.

<Congratulations> Probation Completed <Congratulations>

:Congratulations. You have been officially hired by Daydream Inc.'s Field Exploration Team.

“Hah...”

“Ah!!”

The people who'd escaped with me collapsed into their seats, as though their legs had given out.

I turned my head and counted.

One, two. Three... seven.

Everyone who'd remained in our car.

'We survived.'

Seven of the ten people in our car had escaped the ghost story <Welcome to the Abyss Transit Authority>.

[“And now, we'll have the gift presentation ceremony!”]