"Hi, I'm the Test Guide, Yellowy," a woman dressed in yellow smiled. "This test will be conducted one team after another. The first team, enter please!"
"Waiting so boring," Khun sighed, flopping onto a bench. He glanced at Bam, who was looking at the sky in amazement. "What's so interesting, Bam?"
"N-No, it's just... I've never been in such a bright place..." Bam said brightly. "That blue thing... is that what's called the sky?"
"That's the sky?!" Achim blurted out in surprise. She knew what it was, but it was never confirmed to her.
"Yeah...?" Khun lifted an eyebrow at the chestnut-haired siblings. "Why are you asking such obvious things? It's like you've never seen it before."
"Oh!" Bam said excitedly. "So like if you keep going up into the sky, you get to see bright stars!" Achim nodded along.
"What are you guys talking about?" Khun frowned. "The stars are just a legend. That blue sky is created by shinsu, and the bright moon at night is just a light ball. So if you go up the only you'll reach is this floor's roof. I doubt the real sky exists."
"Oh, I see..." Bam responded, somewhat disappointed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!!" bloodcurdling screams rang out throughout the room, the source coming from inside the test area.
"Next team please!" Yellowy continued to smile like nothing had happened.
Achim looked at her pocket. This one is taking longer, she observed. Only three out of ten teams didn't scream so far. If the teams that didn't scream pass, the passing rate at average is really low. But so far the teams that didn't scream never went passed five minutes. Those who took longer than five screamed...
"Hey pals, why the long faces?" a pink eerie face appeared between Khun and Achim. Achim squeaked, startled, grabbing her brother's arm.
"Who are you? And what do you want?" Khun spat.
"Aw, don't glare at me like that, we're all in the same boat! I'm here to give you a hint about the test!"
"Yeah? Well, we don't need it," Achim turned away, resting her chin on her hand. "'Cause I already know." Khun snapped his head at her, then at the yellow balloon guy.
"How would you know?"
"Simple deduction!" Mr. Neonbag raised a finger. "I was chosen because of my exceptional intelligence, so this one is simple! It's the ti—!"
"Yes, yes, the time. The teams that didn't scream all passed the test within five minutes, we know," Achim waved a hand. "The testing room is completely blocked off from here, but we could only hear those horrible screams and these screams only. The test admins are intentionally letting here the screams, giving us the hint that whatever test is in there, it has to be completed in five minutes. Did I miss anything?" she said calmly, a threatening tone lacing her voice as she shot him a sidelong glance.
"..." They all stared at Achim in shock. But Mr. Neonbag was quick enough to regain himself first. "Well, well," he cheered gleefully. "You're a smart one too!"
"A-Achim," Khun started. But she interrupted him.
"Thanks, but... why was it that I saw you and two other people going to each team and talking with them as well? Was it the same hint?" Achim crossed her arms, still having her back faced towards him. "It was on purpose wasn't it? Or are you just using them to test your hypothesis? Well, never mind that. Just spit it out. You're a Test Assistant, aren't you?"
Mr. Neonbag stopped. He didn't say anything. How did this stupid girl catch on so fast?! he thought. But another scream was heard and Achim never got her answer. "Well..." he smiled creepily. "You might want to hold back your tongue, or you'll end up with the same fate as the abandoned son of Khun right beside you."
"Why, you—" Achim whipped her head around, but a thud! was heard as Khun had already threw the plastic bag to the ground with his knife at his face. "Aguero!"
Khun let out a breath as he glared the pink face below him, before sliding off and grabbing his bag. "Let's go," he muttered.
"Good luck, good luck, I hope you pass!" Mr. Neonbag waved his skinny arms around. I really want to punch him, Khun grumbled inside his head.
"Nice you meet you, Regulars," a man said, sitting behind a coffee table. "My name his Hansung Yu, the test director."
Khun's eyes widened. "Now then, shall we start the test?"
"Test... Director? So that means he's really powerful, right?" Bam mumbled.
"This test is simple. Do you see all those red doors? Within ten minutes, find the real door and open it."
"Hah? The real door, amongst all those?" Khun eyed Hansung strangely.
"Yes, isn't it easy? Just find the real door amongst the twelve. The real door, that will take you outside. Open the real door, and you will pass this test. If you don't find the real on in ten minutes, you fail. Open the wrong door, you'll die."
"WHAT? DIE?" Rak yelled.
"Then what's the secret to finding the real door?" Bam panicked.
"There aren't anymore hints," Hansung smiled.
"What?" Achim recoiled.
"Well then, the test begins now."
"ARGHHH! I'M NOT TAKING TESTS ANYMORE THIS IS SO ANNOYING!" Rak roared, stomping on the ground.
"R-Rak-ssi, calm down, and we can think of an answer together!" Bam flailed his arms around.
Achim glanced at Khun. He look troubled. But no doubt he was thinking. Hn. There's a clock, she stared above Hansung's head. But we could check the time on our pockets, so what's the point? What if—
"AGHHH!!!" Rak screamed and ran around the place.
"Oh my god, shut up," Achim facepalmed, and tried to block out the sound. Hm. I might being going delusional, but the clock moves faster than ordinary clocks do.
Finally, there are two people that use there head, Hansung sipped his coffee. But this test can't be passed just by using your brains. He stared at Khun, who looked more distracted as each second passed by.
Achim stared at the ground. The clock does move faster. Twice a fast to be exact. Time is definitely the key. Teams who screamed went past five minutes. But the clock says ten. Which only means that it makes is full rotation in five. But there aren't any other hints... Achim sighed. She looked at Khun, who looked like he had witnessed someone brutally murdered. He broke out into a cold sweat, breathing heavily. Achim clicked her tongue and ran over to Rak.
"Rak-ssi!" she yelled to get his attention. "Just go open a random door, I don't care which one it is!"
"Finally!" he yelled. Achim nodded at Bam, indicating that it will be fine.
"Aguero!" she hissed at him. "Are you okay?" He didn't seen to hear here. "Oi, Aguero!" He continued to stare at the ground. "KHUN AGUERO AGNIS!" she yelled, slapping both of his cheeks.
"Eh?" Khun's head finally snapped up, startled.
"Get a grip, will you?" Achim sighed, her hands slowly sliding off his face.
Khun turned around just in time to Rak kick down one of the red doors, the last seconds ticking by in a flash. "You damn crocodile! What are you—"
"It's fine," Achim gripped his shoulder. Just as the last second ticked by, the red door fell to the ground.
"Wha—"
"There aren't any hints," Rak said triumphantly. "Isn't it just obvious to guess?"
Achim chuckled as Khun sunk a foot and facepalmed. "Congratulations, you passed," Hansung's voice piped up, clapping. "To pass this test, you just had to open a door within five minutes, which you did, so you passed."
"So any door would've been right?" Bam gasped.
"Yes."
"AHA! You see that?!" Rak exclaimed. "Follow Rak the great genius!!"
"I'm so glad that all worked out," Bam sighed in relief as he started to follow Rak. "Khun-ssi?"
"W... What can you evaluate with a test like this?" Khun asked indignantly. "You gave us no clues and you say opening a door is the way to go?!"
"Khun-ssi, we did give you hints," Hansung replied coolly. "You just didn't trust them. I knew you would be like that. Were the wounds on you inflicted by the princess that deep, abandoned son of Khun?"
"Princess?" Bam asked bewilderedly.
"Aguero...?" Achim cocked her head to the side. "What does he mean by princess...? And 'abandoned?'"
Khun chsked. That's right, she doesn't know yet.
"You can't do anything without assurance. You can never open any doors if you aren't certain of success. But the world never waits for you to be certain. You need teammates around you... who can open doors without hesitation. And also..." Hansung's eyes darted from Bam to Achim. "Don't you want to protect those eyes, which don't yet know doubt?"
Khun's eyes widened. Bam blinked and Achim was just as confused as ever. What exactly happened in the last three years? "Yo turtles! What are you waiting for?! Well now, I've changed my mind— I've accepted you as my men! AHAHAH!" Rak roared.
"Take care. You're bag looks quite heavy, hm?" Hansung's eyes narrowed.
"Tch, what a jerk." Khun muttered. "Let's go."
"I think... that Mr. Neon Plastic Bag was ordered to give the hint. The one with the time," Achim murmerd, looking up at the bright sky as they walked toward the break room.
"Oh?" Khun kept facing forward.
"Yeah. Assuming that Mr. Hansung knew that you, um, would react like that, I might've just got the tiniest suspicion that he wanted to see how the hints would help you or hinder you."
"Interesting theory," Bam put a finger to his mouth. "Um, Khun-ssi, about the princess Mr. Hansung mentioned—"
"Sorry. I don't wanna talk about it," Khun shot him a sidelong glance but saw Achim who looked slightly crestfallen.
Oh well. Maybe he'd tell her later.
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Hiiiii~ and THANK YOU for 1k reads! School is starting soon and I'm SO sorry if I don't update, please bear with me.
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