Chapter 28: An Encounter with Acquaintances |
“We did see a woman on our way here. However, we can’t be certain that the woman we saw was the one you mentioned was abducted.”
My words were carefully chosen to lessen the shock. But the woman’s eyes were still filled with conviction. She nodded quickly at my words and replied.
“It’s alright. I’m at a point where I’d grasp at any straw. I might not be sure about the long, straight hair, but a yellow dress... that’s almost certainly her.”
“Even if it was a yellow dress... it was torn to shreds. We only confirmed a part of it.”
“What... did you say?”
At my words, the woman momentarily stuttered. Woo Jeong-min, Seon Yu-un, and Cheon Seung-hyeon clenched their fists, likely anticipating what I would say next. But her eyes still hadn’t given up hope. Finally, in a trembling voice filled with the hope that it wasn’t true, she spoke.
“Why... why was the dress torn?”
“When we found her, she was slumped against a tree. When we got closer to check... she was already dead.”
“Won Hye-su...!”
For a while, silence reigned.
“How did Hye-yeon die?”
As if he had already accepted reality, Woo Jeong-min asked me in a calm voice. However, the complex emotions tinging his tone suggested his heart was far from steady. I remained silent for a moment. He spoke again, still waiting for my answer.
“It’s fine. I had a rough idea of what to expect. Just tell me exactly what you saw.”
“...There were traces of blood around her mouth. It seems she bit her own tongue and committed suicide.”
“No. Wait a minute. That can’t be right. She would never kill herself.”
“When we found her, she was almost completely naked. And... there was fluid, presumed to be from that monkey monster, leaking from her private parts.”
The moment I finished speaking, the atmosphere turned ice-cold. Woo Jeong-min was genuinely enraged. A murderous glint filled his eyes, and he clenched his fists so tightly it looked like he might explode at any moment. Even Seon Yu-un, who had been listening quietly, had bloodshot eyes. I could vividly feel the sense of loss and fury they were experiencing.
It was then. Having apparently heard my words, Won Hye-su, who had been staring into space with vacant eyes, let out a scream.
“Ha... haha... ha... Haaaaaaah!”
“Hye-su! Get a grip!”
“Aaaaaargh! Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!”
Her outburst was so fierce that even Cheon Seung-hyeon, who usually had a more relaxed demeanor, took a step back. Unable to overcome her grief, Won Hye-su began clawing at the ground with both hands, screaming.
“No! Hye-yeon! There’s no way Hye-yeon is dead! It’s a lie! A lie! Hye-yeoooooooon!”
“Won Hye-su! Snap out of it! We lost Jin-tae too, remember? You told us not to get swept up in our emotions and to face reality calmly. What are you doing now?!”
“Shut up! Hye-yeon is! Hye-yeon is!”
Looking around like a madwoman, Won Hye-su’s eyes met mine. Her lips twisted in fury, and she shot up from her spot, lunging at me. The startled Seon Yu-un and Cheon Seung-hyeon quickly grabbed her arms, but she continued to shriek at me.
“Lies! Stop lying! She can’t be dead! It’s a lie, right? Right? Huh? Say it’s a lie...! I said, say it! Aaaaaaaaargh!”
“Hye-su... let’s go and check first, okay? Calm down.”
Cheon Seung-hyeon kept trying to soothe her, but Won Hye-su was already half-crazed and wouldn’t have heard him. I watched her for a moment before speaking in a quiet voice.
“You’ll find the body if you follow the path straight behind me for about thirty minutes. There aren’t many trees in that area. I’m sorry for your sister’s passing.”
“You bastard! You killed Hye-yeon! Dead? Don’t lie! No! You saw what was happening to her and ran away like a coward, didn’t you? You could have saved her, but you ran away, right? You goddamn coward! Aaaaaaaah!”
“What did you say? This crazy bitch... Oppa?”
Lee Yu-jeong, though she felt sorry for the woman, couldn’t stand her insulting me and was about to step forward. I placed a hand on her shoulder and quietly shook my head. Yu-jeong looked displeased, but after seeing my stern expression, she backed down obediently. Just then, Woo Jeong-min, who had been quietly staring at the sky, raised his right hand with a composed look on his face.
Slap!
The face of Won Hye-su, who had been cursing me as a coward, snapped to the side. With a reddened cheek and a look of disbelief, her eyes fixed on Woo Jeong-min’s hand. He looked down at her, his face filled with disappointment.
“That’s enough, Won Hye-su. It’s disgusting to watch.”
“Wha-what?”
“Reality... *Sigh*. Never mind. It seems nothing I say will get through to you right now. Stop taking your anger out on the wrong person and accept reality.”
“Ha... right. None of this matters. Because she’s not your sister. Right~. Of course. To you guys, she might just be someone you’ve known for four days, but I’m, I’m, I am! I’m different. We’ve lived together for over twenty years. And you’re telling me what? To accept reality?”
Seon Yu-un watched Won Hye-su speak in her venomous tone with a pitiful gaze. In the end, he turned away, unable to meet her eyes. Seeing him turn his head, Won Hye-su began to sob again. To any outsider, she would seem to have gone mad; a storm of negative emotions—disappointment, despair, anxiety, and chaos—swirled around her.
“Won Hye-su, are you crazy? I know I'm one to talk after throwing that dagger, but you can't be like this! First, calm down and get a hold of yourself. What is wrong with you?”
“Yeah, I’m crazy. I’d rather be crazy. So let go of me. I said, let go!”
Her hysterics were getting worse. Woo Jeong-min let out a deep sigh and spoke in a heavy voice.
“I don’t think you’re crazy. We lost Jin-tae here too. So we understand the feeling of losing a cherished sister you were so close to. Anyone who saw how you and your sister were, even for just those four days, would empathize with and pity you. And... there’s still no guarantee that person is Won Hye-yeon.”
“Don’t lie. That’s right! They could be lying right now. They only saw a piece of the dress, right? I’m going to check. I’m going. It’s probably—no, it’s definitely not Hye-yeon. It can’t be.”
They say humans are animals of self-rationalization. Won Hye-su, who had been so certain at first, had now done a complete 180. She pleaded, despaired, raged, and then clung to hope again. She was literally going mad, refusing to accept her sister’s death and interpreting everything in the most hopeful way possible. It wasn’t my first time seeing someone like this, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of bitterness.
“Stop it. You saw Hye-yeon get taken by those monkey monsters too.”
“If you don’t go, I’ll go by myself. Now let go of me. I have to go. I’m going now.”
“...Jeong-min. Let’s just go. We’ll go and check... if there’s a body...”
Cheon Seung-hyeon, who had spoken cautiously, quickly shut his mouth when he felt Won Hye-su’s eyes sharpen. As he and Seon Yu-un released her arms, she shot me one last glare before starting to run in the direction I had pointed. The others exchanged awkward glances before following her at a brisk pace. However, Woo Jeong-min remained behind.
“We’ve dragged you into our mess. I’m sorry. I only knew them for four days, but Hye-su and Hye-yeon cherished each other that much.”
An Hyeon nodded with a look of understanding. He held An Sol tightly with his right arm, clearly feeling anxious. After watching the two with a bitter expression, Woo Jeong-min turned his gaze to me and spoke in a serious tone.
“Anyway, thank you for avenging her for us. You’ve saved us the trouble. But... surely what you said isn’t a lie, is it?”
“What did you say?”
Seeing Lee Yu-jeong flare up instantly, Woo Jeong-min glanced at Kim Han-byeol and An Sol. Then he let out a short laugh and spoke.
“Right... you don’t seem like the type. My apologies. I should get going as well.”
“Again, I’m sorry for what happened to her. Unfortunately, we’re in a hurry. We’ll be on our way now.”
“Ah, wait. You, with the crossbow. Come here for a second.”
Hearing him suddenly call out to me, I glanced at him and slowly walked over. When I was in front of him, he looked at my companions before lowering his voice so only I could hear.
“It’s not much of a reward, but... I’ll give you a piece of information. You’re heading to the central warp gate, aren’t you? Don’t answer, just give a slight nod.”
I immediately nodded, and Woo Jeong-min whispered something into my ear in a low voice.