Chapter 108 |
Ha Sungyoon could clearly see that the dog-like monsters were attacking the survivors out of hunger. Their frenzy wouldn’t subside until their bellies were full, yet somehow they had quieted down again.
What did they eat?
* * *
“Mr. Lee Jaehun, are you really leaving?”
Officer Kim Yeonwoo asked with a worried expression.
“Honestly, this doesn’t make sense. You’re so badly injured, that you’re in no condition to look for anyone. It would be better for you to rest a little longer…”
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m the only one who knows where the others are. I could explain where they are, but I think it would be better if I went myself, in case something happened.”
“But… if ‘something’ were to happen, shouldn’t you be the one to avoid it in your condition?”
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‘Even if I explain everything perfectly, it’s all useless if those chicks get lost.’
Although he desperately wanted to reap the benefits from the main characters, he had to consider the situation. The current group was too fragile for him to comfortably leech off of, and above all, they were openly relying on him. In other words, only acting as a mere helper was out of the question.
And as for Lee Jaehun, he could roam freely in this dense area because he had memories of his past life. It was easy to get lost even in broad daylight. Even if he gave incredibly detailed instructions, there was a high chance they wouldn’t reach their destination.
As they were talking, an unfamiliar presence approached.
“Ahjussi, are you leaving now?”
“…….”
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“Oh, right. Is it rude to call you ahjussi?”
She was a student of fairly stocky build, with long hair tied up high in a ponytail.
“But we didn’t even announce our names yesterday, right?”
“…You can call me Ahjussi.”
“Good to know.”
The chubby expression and sharp eyes might have made one think of a cat, but when you looked at the long stature and large hands, you’d automatically thought of a tiger. A huge black tiger, to be exact.
‘Yes, this is another difference from the original story.’
This group of university students originally acted separately from the detectives. Originally, it would have taken quite a while for everyone, including the protagonist, to gather together. But for some reason, now that Lee Jaehun remembered his past life, they had already become a single team.
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The student grinned widely, extending a hand.
“I’m Seo Janghwa. I’m in the same school as these goofballs.”
His gaze landed on Vivian, the student he had met yesterday, and another student with a unique half-up, half-down bob hairstyle. He could roughly guess their field of study from the paint-stained aprons over their sturdy frames.
“That potato-head, that’s Vivian. The muscle-head next to him is Song Inmyeong…”
“What do you want?”
“Look at his manners.”
Seo Janghwa scowled at Song Inmyeong’s words, then quickly smoothed it over. It seemed less like genuine annoyance or anger, and more like a habit separate from their actual emotions.
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“Even with that sour face, he’s not a complete jㅌrk. That’s his version of a pretty expression, so don’t mind him.”
“…I don’t really care.”
“Yesterday I was so tired that I went straight to sleep. Not that I’m looking down on you or anything. We’ll be seeing each other often from now on, so let’s get to know each other.”
“Sounds good.”
“…As expected, you have a good personality.”
“Excuse me?”
At Lee Jaehun’s bewildered frown, Seo Janghwa slung an arm around Officer Kim Yeonwoo, who was looking at her with a dumbfounded expression, and she chuckled softly.
“I got close to this officer here and heard about you. She said you have a remarkable spirit of self-sacrifice.”
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“That’s… something anyone would do.”
“That may be true, but still, you have a good personality. Especially considering how injured you are…”
She looked Lee Jaehun up and down.
“You’re not a common type in this day and age.”
“…Do you have a problem with that?”
“Of course not.”
Seo Janghwa, who had now separated from Officer Kim, continued speaking while lightly waving her hands.
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“My tone might be unpleasant, but I don’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to at least exchange a few words before you go on your way.”
She looked exactly like a long, stretched-out tiger feigning nonchalance, causing Lee Jaehun to furrow his brow slightly. He didn’t like Seo Janghwa’s constant praise for his ‘self-sacrifice’ spirit and the subtle probing manner was truly irritating.
Of course, Lee Jaehun wasn’t one to fall for such petty games.
“…I’m Lee Jaehun. I don’t know when we’ll meet again, but I wish you good health.”
“Thanks for your concern.”
“Watch your back at night.”
“…Yes?”
At the question asked with a smile, Lee Jaehun raised an eyebrow slightly.
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“Just a word of caution.”
“…….”
Seo Janghwa grinned and stepped back. She naturally moved towards where his classmates were gathered. Lee Jaehun unconsciously recalled a video of a tiger he’d seen online. Their gait was quite similar.
Leaving Officer Kim Yeonwoo, flustered by the ambiguous conversation, Lee Jaehun turned to Detective Hong Kyungjun.
“I’ll go ahead.”
Hong Kyungjun was looking in the direction where the students were gathered.
“…Yes, please do. We’ll also try to move as soon as we’re ready.”
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“You’re going to look for the child, right?”
“If we’re lucky, we’ll find him quickly. He was last seen ⁱnsⁱdㅌ the park, so he must be wandering around here somewhere.”
He looked at Lee Jaehun and continued.
“I hope you find the person you’re looking for, Mr. Lee Jaehun.”
“Thank you.”
With a slight nod, Lee Jaehun looked back at his group, who were ready to go. They didn’t look to be in the best shape after eavesdropping all night, but they didn’t look too bad either.
After counting the members of his group, Lee Jaehun spoke.
“Let’s move.”
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* * *
“…A flower garden… you say?”
At Noh Yeonseok’s question, Owner Yoon Garam acted as if she knew the answer.
“Ah, I know. Wasn’t it near the side road?”
“I don’t know exactly where that side road is… but you’re probably right. It was almost on the outer edge of the park.”
Of course, Lee Jaehun had memorized the map before entering the otherworld so knew where the side road was, but he couldn’t pretend to know now. He vaguely continued,
“I don’t think it used to be there, but was there a flower garden at the bottom of the cliff by any chance?”
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“That’s… unlikely. If something like that existed, it would have been a world-famous tourist spot, wouldn’t it? Aside from being well-maintained, it wasn’t a particularly unusual park.”
“I know that’s the natural assumption. However, Senior Associate Kang Mina almost fell down that cliff.”
At his words, Intern Noh Yeonseok’s shoulders twitched, but before he could speak, Jung Inho subtly interjected.
“Ms. Kang Mina isn’t someone with poor judgment.”
“So, are you saying I’m lying?”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
Lee Jaehun inwardly clicked his tongue at the sight of the protagonist widening his eyes as he spoke. He tried not to show it, but perhaps because he was so tired, he couldn’t stop himself from furrowing his brows for a moment.
‘They eavesdropped on the whole story in the middle of the night… so now they’re going to lay it all bare, are they?’
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Until now, only Dr. Ha Sungyoon and Assistant Manager Jung Inho knew Lee Jaehun’s fabricated backstory. However, by secretly eavesdropping the other night, everyone present now knew his ‘past’. Of course, it wasn’t his real past, and he had practically invited them to listen.
But now that everyone knew his supposed past, the protagonist was openly demanding information about this world from Lee Jaehun. So there was a reaction Lee Jaehun had to show at this time.
He narrowed his eyes and glanced at Jung Inho.
“…You…”
“…….”
“No, never mind.”
Saying so, his gaze swept over the gathered group. ‘Lee Jaehun’, puzzled by the blatant questioning in front of the others, realized that his past had somehow been revealed. Even if not certain, he at least suspected it.
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However, he couldn’t just openly probe them by saying ‘You know about my past?’. So, ‘Lee Jaehun’ put on his grumpy boss mask again and continued.
“As Assistant Manager Jung said, Senior Associate Kang isn’t s*upid. Still, I saw her running towards the cliff.”
“Then…”
“Hallucinations, perhaps.”
“…….”
“Isn’t it most likely that she was hallucinating?”
She had even called out ‘Manager’ while running towards it.
However, Lee Jaehun had no intention of telling them who Kang Mina had seen in her hallucination. Kang Mina hallucinating Lee Jaehun likely meant he held a significant place in her subconscious, but he had no desire to voice this and become the subject of gentle gazes once more.
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‘I don’t want to be needlessly envied by an intern who hasn’t even confessed his feelings.’
Watching Lee Jaehun speak nonchalantly, Owner Yoon Garam opened her mouth.
“But, Manager, you’re pretty good at finding your way around.”
“Is that so?”
“Perhaps because I’ve been here several times, it feels a bit familiar…”
Lee Jaehun was taken aback by her words.
‘Wow, it feels familiar to her.’
Was that really something someone would say in the otherworld, where every breath chipped away at your sanity?
Frankly, it sounded a bit psychopathic. Kwon Yeonhee, standing far from Owner Yoon, shuddered, indicating that Lee Jaehun wasn’t the only one thinking this way.
“Still, there aren’t any markers or anything, so I thought it was impressive that you’re navigating so well on your first time here.”
“…Thank you for the compliment.”
Lee Jaehun reframed Yoon Garam’s question as a compliment to shut her up. She might be unhinged, but given her personality of wanting to live a long and peaceful life, she wouldn’t troll him by saying, ‘That wasn’t a compliment, though’.
‘…Well, that aside…’
Had there been any progress?
He glanced sideways at Owner Yoon Garam following behind him. Anyone could tell that her slightly unfocused gaze, fixed on the dense forest, didn’t look sane.
But in a way, it was good news, at least for Lee Jaehun.
‘She just needs to properly confront her trauma.’
Mental strength was key in the otherworld, and this was divided into two types: healthy mind and broken mind. Generally, those with more broken minds were more susceptible to being consumed by the otherworld, and among them, the sanely insane survived the longest.
Because those people usually had trauma. When a healthy mind was completely consumed and a person was filled only with a broken mind, the survivor who confronted their trauma gained a unique power.
‘My increased recovery rate probably also has something to do with that.’
It had been quite a while since Lee Jaehun’s mind reached its limit. His past life itself was a trauma, and perhaps by confronting it, he was now manifesting some of his previous abilities.
It was the same with Kang Mina. Although he didn’t know what her greatest fear and despair were, Kang Mina already knew what she feared most. Perhaps because the magnitude of her despair was small, there were no noticeable changes, but her adaptability was far superior to when she was in reality.
In that sense, Owner Yoon Garam was a promising candidate.
“Ah, are your injuries from yesterday okay? Your hand too, and there was a lot of fire around.”
“I’m always fine.”
“…Manager, you really are amazing.”
“…….”
“I was scared.”
A slightly disjointed conversation. A slightly unfocused gaze. Round, darting emerald green eyes swept over all the plants of the otherworld. A different gaze from her previous greyish eyes.
Turning around completely, he saw Jung Inho staring at Owner Yoon Garam. Kwon Yeonhee was holding onto Jung Inho’s clothes with her head down, and Noh Yeonseok was blinking with a bewildered expression.
He felt the air getting heavier.
Lee Jaehun asked.
“Are you scared now?”
“…No.”
“That’s good.”
“…….”
“Ms. Yoon Garam, you probably will never get lost.”
Then, he said with a smile,
“You’re lucky.”
You won’t dⁱㅌ.