Chapter 33 - Yohan's Bizarre Vacation (1)

A church camp. Ellie was a nun, and a Roman Catholic at that, so I wondered whether “parish camp” would be more accurate. Apparently, though, “church” simply meant a place where believers in God gathered and was used as a broad term.

Anyway, aboard the shuttle bus taking everyone to the campground, I looked up our destination.

[God's Healing Campground]

"..."

I wasn't really one to talk, considering that whenever I needed magical energy, my incantations amounted to begging, “O great Lord, please handle everything nice and smoothly.” Still, that was one low-effort name. It sounded like they were telling anyone who wasn't Catholic or Protestant not to bother coming.

... Or not? Anyone willing to give it such an overtly religious name must be devout. Did that make it a good name?

As I was thinking this, Ellie, the pretty, black-haired nun sitting beside me on the bus—and my employer for this job—looked at me and spoke softly. Up close, I could see that her eyes were blue.

"Haha... The campground's name is a little on the nose, isn't it? But it's a lovely place."

I offered a polite response.

"No, it's a nice name. It sounds like a good place to unwind."

And judging by the photos online, it did look decent, with a reservoir right beside it. Of course, it was winter, so the reservoir wasn't much of a selling point this time of year. On the other hand, perhaps they were taking the children from the orphanage because the off-season prices were cheap.

I rose slightly from my seat and looked at the orphans chattering with the children beside them. They looked about kindergarten age or in the lower grades of elementary school. Presumably, this was a chance for young, parentless children to experience camping. It was a pretty decent orphanage to arrange outings like this.

And since the kids I'd be looking after were orphans, that was good news for me as a camp helper—essentially a general dogsbody. No parents would be calling me.

While looking around, I met the eyes of a black-haired girl sitting alone on the bus who looked about high school age. She had a cute face, but a fierce look in her eyes.

"..."

It was only a chance glance, so we both looked away indifferently. There were other passengers besides our church group on the bus, and I assumed she was one of them, but Ellie explained.

"That's Sua. Namgung Sua. She comes to our church sometimes. She's joined us as a volunteer this time."

"I see."

Namgung Sua? Her surname was Namgung? Cool surname. I knew there were people in Korea with that name, but this was my first time actually meeting one. Not that it was anything to get particularly interested in.

Anyway, our church group consisted of six little kids, plus me, Ellie, and Namgung Sua. Three of us, then. Thankfully, there were fewer children than I'd expected.

Just then, one of the orphans sitting across the aisle pointed at me and asked Ellie,

"Ellie! Sister Ellie! Who's this mister?"

Ellie glanced at me a little apprehensively and started to explain.

"Oh, he isn't old enough to be a mister—"

"Oh, it's fine."

Wearing the smile I'd often used at my part-time jobs, I said,

"I'm the camp mister. I'm here to help out with camp. If you need help with anything, just let me know."

"He's the camp mister!" the orphans giggled, returning to their conversations. Ellie smiled, apparently amused.

"So today you're not a Ghostbuster, but a friendly camp mister."

"Haha... That's right."

Her words genuinely almost made me burst out laughing.

Friendly camp mister—concealing crimes, serial murder, illegal firearm possession.

I could feel the weight of the handgun tucked inside my coat.

'... What a fucking joke.'

Anyway, “mister” wasn't an insult. I didn't particularly care what people called me. Kids that age only used familiar big-brother or big-sister forms of address for other schoolkids, from elementary through high school, or people they were close to.

Back in my orphanage days, I'd also gone through a phase of being unsure whether to call the charity volunteers who occasionally visited “big brother” and “big sister,” or “mister” and “ma'am.” Then I called someone “ma'am” and was the only kid denied a snack. After that, I stuck to “big sister” without exception.

I gazed wistfully out the bus window.

'... What did that red bean bun I never got to eat taste like?'

Well, obviously, it must have tasted like a red bean bun. I chuckled to myself.

Scanning the orphans with fourteen years of orphanage experience behind me, I didn't spot any outrageous troublemakers acting in ways that would get them sent back. Once the kids went to sleep after I'd done my work, I could relax as though I were on a little nighttime camping vacation.

RATTLE, RATTLE.

And so the shuttle bus continued toward a campground steeped in ever-thickening fog.

* * *

A campground. A place where youthful adventures unfolded in romantic comedies. Somewhere to escape the city and enjoy a little leisurely healing—but also a frequent setting for horror movies. You know, the kind where a serial killer in a hockey mask or some unidentified monster suddenly appears, or the campground turns out to be run by deranged, devil-worshipping cultists.

And right now, despite its name, [God's Healing Campground], that was exactly the atmosphere of this fog-shrouded place. There was nothing “healing” about it.

Above all, the surroundings were strangely quiet. I could see cars in the parking lot, but no people, which made it even more unsettling. Considering the fog, they could all be inside the buildings, but...

After getting off the bus and looking around, I quickly made up my mind. I immediately spoke to Ellie beside me.

"Let's get back on the bus and go home."

"Huh? What?"

Ellie looked flustered, but perhaps she felt something unsettling too, because she spoke cautiously.

"They definitely said it would be clear today. How strange... Just a moment. The camp manager was supposed to come meet us. I'll give them a call."

But she looked bewildered as she checked her phone screen.

"Huh? My phone won't connect?"

I checked my own phone at that. Mine had no reception either. No phone calls? Cut off from the outside world? Perfect.

My gaze swung halfway around. I repeated,

"Let's get back on the bus and leave."

Of course, this wasn't our own car. It was the camp shuttle, so we couldn't simply have it turn around and take us back whenever we wanted. Looking annoyed, the driver said,

"Reception? It's probably just the weather causing a temporary problem. It was fine on the way here. Now the fog's really closed in, and driving in this weather is difficult."

After that, he made it clear that we should hurry and get all the kids off the bus, then left to smoke.

"..."

Right. Well, I knew the uncanny existed. That was probably why this bothered me more.

The orphans, evicted from the bus, approached Ellie.

"Ellie... Can't we have camp?"

"Hmm, we can still have camp. I'm just wondering whether we should change locations. Somewhere sunny would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Ellie reassured the children in her gentle voice while assessing the situation.

"... Yohan, what do you think we should do?"

Weird incident or not, this certainly wasn't a good environment for camping.

"Let's find the camp caretaker first. As for the kids..."

I looked at the orphans. We hadn't confirmed that the uncanny was involved yet, but... Little kids would be a hindrance if we had to flee. They were slow.

Pointing to the nearby campground hall, I spoke to Namgung Sua, the high school girl who had supposedly come to volunteer.

"Sua, could you take the kids over to the camp hall and wait there for a bit?"

"Huh? Why should I?"

I blinked at her utterly brazen reply.

'What? Did this kid never learn any manners at home?'

Sua narrowed her eyes.

"I came because they said I'd get volunteer credit even if I just sat around. Don't even think about making me work."

"S-Sua!"

Ellie sounded flustered. Sua clicked her tongue as though she had no choice and began herding the orphans.

"Tsk. Orphans, hurry up and gather round."

One child stuck out their lower lip and muttered,

"I don't like that girl."

"I don't like you kids either."

Refusing to let even little kids have the last word, Sua headed toward the hall. Watching her go, Ellie spoke hesitantly.

"... She's not a bad girl."

"Oh, sure. I don't particularly think she's bad. Let's just find the caretaker."

Sua immediately returned.

"Ellie, the kids are crying and asking for you."

"... Let's just find the caretaker quickly and all go together."

In the end, the three of us—me, Ellie, and Sua—assessed the situation. What should have been a wide-open clearing was obscured by fog, leaving us able to see only a few meters around us. Tents stood on the campground, but there were no people.

The other passengers seemed to be starting to sense something wrong too. They gathered together and murmured,

"... Something's strange."

"Is there nobody here besides us?"

Just then, the bus driver, who had been smoking a short distance away, spotted something and approached it, calling out. It was a human silhouette in the fog.

"Hey! You there!"

The problem, of course, was that it wasn't a person.

"Aaaah..."

"Huh? Wha—what! Aaaaaagh!"

An already-dead human corpse walked out of the fog, tore into the unsuspecting driver's throat with its teeth, and knocked him down.

CRUNCH! CRACK!

"Aaaaaaagh!"

Like the moment a horror movie began in earnest, that scream marked a change in the campground's atmosphere. This was no longer a safe place.

A horde of zombies came charging out from where they'd been hidden in the fog.

"Aaaaaah...!"

To be precise, it had never been safe. We simply hadn't noticed.

"Aaaaaah!"

"W-What is this!?"

Anyway, I had no time to scream or hesitate like the others. The bus driver was dead.

'Who's going to drive the bus now...?'

Naturally, I had neither a bus driver's certification nor a Class 1 large-vehicle license. Escaping on the shuttle bus was impossible.

So, for now—

I told Ellie and Sua,

"Run to the camp hall."

Get inside a building, find somewhere reasonably safe, and barricade ourselves in. Zombie-story basics.

But just as we started to run for the hall,

"Huh?"

Sua tripped over her own feet and fell.

CRASH!

"Aaah! Help me! Ellie! Camp mister!"

"S-Sua fell down!"

I made a quick decision.

"Too late! Leave her!"

"No! She's right behind us! We can't leave her!"

Ellie immediately turned around and helped Sua to her feet.

"Sua, are you okay?"

'Damn it... I knew this would happen.'

Sighing inwardly, I spun around and used my momentum to kick an approaching zombie in the stomach, sending it stumbling backward and onto the ground before it could reach Ellie as she supported Sua.

"Aaaah...!"

CRASH!

I didn't know whether fighting off a zombie horde attacking the campground was part of a camp helper's job description, but Ellie had hired me. I'd do enough work to earn my pay. The woes of a freelancer, I supposed.

I spoke quickly to Sua.

"Get up. Run."

"... Um, I think I sprained my ankle."

I couldn't hold my tongue, and Ellie admonished me from beside her.

"You really are a piece of work."

"... Yohan."