Chapter 17: Lose one’s sense of reason.

We finally arrived at the Folk Village.
Getting out and looking around, I saw an unusual number of ambulances.

‘Did some accident happen inside…?’

Puzzled, I tilted my head and started to walk.
By the way, the total number of people was nine, including three angels and two caretakers for each.
Compared to the enormous number of cars, the actual number of people accompanying us inside was surprisingly small.

‘Anyway, I really came here again….’

Just as I crossed the entrance, I couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
It wasn’t that I disliked this place, but what new emotions could I feel in a place I had visited just a few days ago?
All I felt now was boredom.

‘I want to sleep….’

Led by the Japanese Angel’s hand, I walked, staring blankly at the dirt ground.
Somehow, I felt like I could even sleep lying on this bare ground right now.

Of course, the Japanese Angel and my caretakers wouldn’t possibly allow that.
So, I didn’t bother trying.

Anyway, I ended up touring the Folk Village, following the American Angel.

‘… Huh?’

Suddenly, I felt a slightly different, somewhat alien atmosphere than usual.

‘What is it…?’

It was the reactions of the people… or rather.
Anyway, it was their behavior.

This was definitely the timing when they would usually flock to me, finding me cute.
But everyone saw me and showed no reaction at all.

‘Why?’

I tilted my head, filled with questions, without much thought.

‘Is it related to the ambulances parked outside?’

Just as I was thinking that.

‘Oh… no?’

Belatedly realizing something, I was startled.
Because I was now taking being adored as a given.

‘H-Had I become accustomed to it without realizing…?’

For a moment, I felt a surge of heat in my face.

I definitely didn’t think of myself as cute.

It was simply, what should I say…?

The constant attention that I always found overwhelming.

When it suddenly disappeared, it was, in its own way, a little bittersweet.

‘…… Is that what it means…?’

Anyway, I sighed softly and stared intently into the eyes of a man approaching me from the front.

I wanted to check if this current feeling was just a misunderstanding or not.

Then, even though the man noticed my gaze, he flinched and naturally walked past me.

It was complete disregard.

Thump…

‘Wh-Why…? Did I… do something wrong…?

At this point, it wasn’t just a loss of interest but almost a level of hatred.

I felt a pang in a corner of my heart.

But I really didn’t do anything…?

I only slept…?

Is it because I slept too much…?

Somehow, a sense of unfairness and sadness overwhelmed me.

I thought the gazes were overwhelming, but no matter what, I didn’t want this level.

It’s too much….

At least you could make eye contact, couldn’t you…?

I subtly looked at Lee Hyejin, who was following far behind, feeling gloomy.

She met my eyes, smiled brightly, and waved her hand.

“……”

I was happy, but… was that just her waving because she was my caretaker?

Or did she truly still like me?

A situation I wouldn’t usually think deeply about.

Yet, as I felt something complex swirling in my mind,

“Hey! I said I was first!”

Suddenly, the Japanese Angel shouted.

The target was the American Angel, who had just received a whole bunch of fried skewers from a snack stall.

Float.

In an instant, the fried skewers floated into the air.

They flew towards the Japanese Angel at a rapid speed, then suddenly stopped abruptly.

When I looked closer, curious, I saw the skewers twitching.

Yes.

It was a situation where the two angels were pulling each other with psychokinesis, like a tug-of-war.

‘……’

The fried skewers danced in the air.

I stared blankly, speechless.

‘Can’t just one of them give in a little…?’

The moment I naturally had that thought.

Boom! Rumble!

Suddenly, a loud sound echoed, as if something was breaking and collapsing.

Startled, I turned my head to see a stone wall with dust billowing up.

The American Angel was completely buried underneath it.

“Hmph!”

The Japanese Angel’s snort.

The girl, having obtained the fried skewers, immediately began to eat them without hesitation.

Rumble.

At the same time, the pile of stones scattered, and the American Angel slowly stood up.

“……”

The American Angel stared silently at the Japanese Angel.

As I watched, I involuntarily got goosebumps and swallowed hard.

Her appearance was clearly no different from before.

Yet, strangely enough, the atmosphere felt even more ominous.

Anyway, despite the American Angel’s gaze, the Japanese Angel deliberately shoved the food in her hand into her mouth, as if to show off.

That was when it happened.

Crunch!

A familiar sound was heard.

However, this time, the target was not the Japanese Angel.

It was an unrealistically clean, perfectly round indentation.

This time, what disappeared was the corner of the roof of the shop that sold food.

‘… Huh? This is something….’

For some reason, I felt an ominous premonition from that sight.

At that moment, the sound echoed again.

Crunch!

This time, it was the door of an exhibition building behind me.

Crunch!

Next, a part of the stone wall.

Crunch!

Next, the dirt path we had been walking on.

And so, the frequency of the sounds rapidly grew shorter and shorter.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Ugh!”

Along with that, screams began to be heard one by one from all directions.

The inside of the Folk Village was instantly filled with the echo of terror.

Fortunately, there were no casualties yet, but it was a natural consequence as many inexplicable holes were appearing everywhere.

Because no one knew when it would be their turn.

Crunch!

The sound echoed again.

“Don’t come this way!!!”

“Go to the left!!!”

Screams rang out incessantly, making my head throb.

Amidst them, the shouts of the caretakers, who were spread out in all directions, were occasionally heard.

They were controlling the paths to prevent people from coming near, and at the same time, guiding them to escape routes.

I gradually felt choked by this chaotic situation.

The Japanese Angel was still eating the skewer without a care in the world.

She seemed to feel absolutely nothing about this situation.

Disillusionment.

This was the emotion I felt at that sight.

The younger cousin I had once found somewhat cute was no longer here.

Feeling a touch of bitterness, I slowly walked towards the American Angel.

It wasn’t a far distance, so I reached right in front of her in an instant.

“Stop…! Please stop now!”

Immediately, I placed my hands on the American Angel’s shoulders and began to shake her to stop her.

Crunch.

At that moment, my vision was completely engulfed in darkness for a brief instant.

It was only for a fleeting moment, but I could easily tell what had happened to me.

The blood that soaked the floor told the whole story.

‘It doesn’t hurt….’

For some reason, my mind was calmer than expected.

It was strangely so, even though it was a situation that would normally startle me greatly.

Some inexplicable, complex emotion came over me.

However, I did not stop trying to deter the American Angel.

Crunch! Crunch!

An infinite repetition of disappearance and regeneration.

I endured that alien sensation and continued to shake the bewildered American Angel, trying to wake her up.

At one point, I was so frustrated that I even slapped her cheek.

But no matter how much I shook her, the American Angel showed not the slightest reaction.

‘This won’t do…. What should I do…?’

Lost in thought, I looked around, desperately seeking a solution.

At that moment, what coincidentally caught my eye was…

“Get out this wa—ugh…!”

Someone bleeding from their side and collapsing while helping people escape…

‘Huh…?’

It was Lee Hyejin.

“Get out quickly!!!”

Park Gyutae shouted incessantly towards the chaotic street.

Even though it was to match the broadcast and atmosphere, there were too many people.

‘Don’t they know what ‘moderation’ is!?’

In truth, such an event could be easily predicted the moment the angels gathered.

Because of that, he couldn’t understand at all what they were thinking to mobilize so many people.

He muttered his complaints inwardly and continued to guide them.

Thump—

A sudden, strong tremor made him lose his balance and fall.

“Ugh…”

However, Park Gyutae was not the only one who fell.

Everyone in his sight also fell to the ground.

‘What is it…?’

He quickly got up, feeling a very bad premonition.

Then, he immediately turned his gaze towards the angels.

“What… is that… again…?”

The ground was deeply hollowed out, to an extent where its end couldn’t be seen.

A giant stone ball, appearing to be tens of meters in size, was visible.

Thump, thump.

The stone ball slowly rose high into the sky.

Crack…! Crunch…!

At the same time, its size was gradually shrinking as if being compressed.

Park Gyutae stared blankly at it for a long time, completely entranced.

Then, belatedly regaining his senses, he quickly turned his gaze again.

“A-Angel…?”

And what he saw was.

The Korean Angel, floating high above a dizzying cliff.

Her hand was extended towards the stone ball, her expression cold.