13: NEDD I BROF

Tom bought a tuna sandwich from the snack stand and headed to his usual bench at the park.
But the moment he glanced at the milk bottle and straws in his bag, Rena’s tearful face flashed in his mind.
A tight knot formed in his chest.

“Priorities… Where do I even start? Finding Rena?
Or… dealing with what happened yesterday…?”

Off to the side of the square, a group of elementary school boys were laughing and playing.
One of them turned back toward his friends and ran over with a shout.

“Guys—let’s go over there and play kick-the-can!”

The sight stirred a memory. Tom had played the same games here as a kid. It felt like it had only been yesterday.
This place…It had always been his sanctuary. The park had watched over his growth.

“I’ll be there in a bit! Just need to finish this last part!”

One boy stayed behind, glued to a thick magazine as he sat on the bench.
Tom sat on the neighboring bench and took a bite of his tuna sandwich. The clock tower read 11:11 a.m.

“Whoa—11:11. Angel number. Guess something good might happen today.”

That tiny coincidence brought Tom a small wave of relief.
Right now, he needed anything to feel just a little bit positive.

“Almost there! Just one more page to go! This is the best part!”

The boy’s voice made Tom smile. It was infectious. His heart began to lighten.

“And done! ‘Dan Kubrick’ — Part One Complete!!”

Tom glanced up from his sandwich to see the title of the magazine the boy had been reading.
It was one of those monthly manga magazines for kids—over 500 pages thick.
He used to love reading them too.

“Alright! Let’s go kick some cans!”

The boy tossed the magazine onto the bench and bolted off at full speed. Tom didn’t even finish his milk.
Shoving the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, he wandered over to the bench and picked up the open magazine.

“Whoa… I don’t know any of these manga anymore. Guess that makes sense though…”

He flipped to the table of contents.

“Let’s see… ‘Dan Kubrick’… Huh? I don’t see it anywhere.”

He closed the magazine and checked the cover again.

“…Wait. This title isn’t what I thought it was. And it’s… in English.”

‘DAN KUBRICK’

“Dan Kubrick… Sounds more like someone’s name than a manga title.
Would a little kid really be into this? Let me check again…”

He reopened the magazine. But the texture was strange—rough like sandpaper, and cold like steel.

“…What the—? This is… a picture book!?”

Tom turned the forbidden page.

‘NEDD I BROF’

“…Huh?”

The letters pierced straight into his brain—like they’d bypassed his eyes completely.
Tom hated English. He always had. Just the sight of the letters triggered his aversion.
But this…This went beyond that.

“Ugh…!! M-My hands… they’re flipping the pages on their own…!?”

The magazine had already transformed—into that picture book.
The one he feared most. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.