Chapter 122 |
Ha Sungyoon was the first survivor to wake up.
He sat up from where he had been lying and reached for his glasses, but then put them back down. Considering who he needed to wake, it was better to take off his glasses so they wouldn’t get dⁱrty.
‘My eyesight isn’t that bad.’
Since he only wore the glasses when necessary, there was no problem looking around. His gaze landed on the graying sky.
The sky of the otherworld truly possessed extreme colors. Unless morning was imminent, it was impossible to tell whether it was currently morning, noon, or evening.
“…Hmm.”
Despite this, the reason Ha Sungyoon woke up so early was none other than Manager Lee Jaehun.
Confirming that no one else was awake, Ha Sungyoon woke up Lee Jaehun who was frowning and sleeping.
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“…….”
“It would be good for you to wake up now.”
At those words,
“…….”
“…Oh dear.”
Ha Sungyoon’s neck was grabbed.
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Although the grip was strong enough to feel threatening, Ha Sungyoon couldn’t feel much fear from the opponent covered in wounds and bandages. Lee Jaehun wasn’t even choking him.
It was just a grip. A tⁱght grip that felt like it could turn into a chokehold at any moment, but that was precisely why it was reassuring. At the very least, it was the action of someone who knew ‘what shouldn’t be killed.’
Though the eyes held a clear killing intent….
“…….”
Lee Jaehun slowly blinked as he calmly lowered his hand.
‘He must have seen something unpleasant in his dream.’
Lee Jaehun seemed disoriented, as if he had just woken up from a terrible nightmare, but Ha Sungyoon guessed it wasn’t simply because of that. It wasn’t just because Ha Sungyoon had suddenly entered Lee Jaehun’s personal space.
And sure enough, Lee Jaehun suddenly covered his mouth and his upper body convulsed.
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“Ugh.”
Blood trickled out from the corner of his mouth.
“…As I thought.”
“…….”
“This is what happens when you wake up.”
At Ha Sungyoon’s words, Lee Jaehun simply stared at him with quiet eyes.
Considering the hand covering the blood dripping down his chin and his tired appearance from just waking up, the silent gaze felt almost surreal.
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Inwardly, he admired it.
‘As expected, his patience is remarkable.’
Just moments ago, Lee Jaehun had the eyes of someone desperate to kill something. Now, a clear, cold rationality emanated from his gaze that calmed down in an instant.
Aas Lee Jaehun’s eyes twitched violently, Ha Sungyoon gently coaxed him to sit up.
“It seems the green algae monster’s influence is significant. Aside from the homicidal urges, what other side effects are there? Even I, a doctor, can’t even begin to guess.”
“…….”
“Right.”
He continued with a soft smile.
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“For now, it would be good to get it out of your system.”
Lee Jaehun didn’t object.
He had told his original group the maximum truth he could share, but not the survivors they had just met. Ha Sungyoon had heard from Detective Hong Kyungjun that most information about Lee Jaehun had been withheld to avoid potential chaos.
So, many people here didn’t know about Lee Jaehun’s current situation. Ha Sungyoon woke the sleeping patient because he thought this wasn’t the right place to reveal his condition so openly.
It seemed he coughed up blood immediately after waking up from his dreams.
‘…What is the cause?’
As a doctor, Ha Sungyoon couldn’t help but ponder.
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He already knew how useless he was in the otherworld, but at least this world had a semblance of common sense. Even if it was a world heavily influenced by mental strength.
So why was Lee Jaehun coughing up blood?
Was it related to the nightmares he had every time he slept? Lee Jaehun never said anything, but Ha Sungyoon was already certain he was having bad dreams. The reason why someone who was perfectly fine in reality started coughing up blood must be related to that.
Because after having a dream….
“…….”
…Dream?
“Cough, ugh, haah….”
“…My goodness, you seem to be feeling very unwell.”
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“Hack, ahem.”
Lee Jaehun coughed up the blood filling his stomach and cleared his throat several times.
Naturally, coughing up blood wasn’t a symptom that could be improved simply by spitting out some blood and clearing one’s throat, so from Ha Sungyoon’s perspective, it was an ineffective response.
But he couldn’t tell him to do nothing, so he remained silent.
“…….”
It was a separate issue from the symptoms Lee Jaehun was exhibiting.
Dreams. Nightmares. A world heavily influenced by mental strength. The green algae monster. The influence it had imprinted. The power that made someone want to kill. Lee Jaehun, who had been with that monster from early evening until dawn. A survivor who had already adapted to the otherworld and possessed a strangely powerful mental fortitude.
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Ha Sungyoon, who had listed the disorganized information, opened his mouth in his characteristically gentle voice.
“…In your dreams,”
“…….”
“Does the green algae monster appear?”
Seeing Lee Jaehun’s pupils contract, he continued.
“Does it torment you, Mr. Lee Jaehun?”
Does it try to kill you?
It was a question, but at the same time, a conviction. The best conviction a rational doctor could offer.
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The otherworld was heavily influenced by mental strength. Just like how Ha Sungyoon and Lee Jaehun were able to move with their minds intact despite their serious injuries, this meant that even delusions could manifest physically depending on one’s will.
So even if it was a dream. Even if it was a nightmare that drove people mad, and the green algae monster had planted its seed. Since inducing homicidal urges was a mentally related ability in the first place, it wasn’t strange at all that Lee Jaehun was being affected in connection with his dreams.
Even the hemoptysis, which clearly appeared to be a symptom of internal injuries.
“Come to think of it, you seem to be constantly dreaming. Did you dream this frequently before? Or was it after you were taken by the green algae monster? The latter is more likely.”
“…If you’re going to be so convinced on your own, why ask?”
“Even if you call black ‘black’, if it’s coming from you, I can’t bring myself to believe it. Maybe take some time for self-reflection—figure out why I’m like this.”
Ha Sungyoon asked.
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“…What does it do ⁱnsⁱdㅌ your head?”
What kind of act could possibly drive that stubbornly altrustic person to harbor the will to kill, and repeatedly bring someone who seemed incapable of dying to the brink of death, making them cough up blood?
Lee Jaehun couldn’t even rest in his sleep.
“Does it whisper in your ear, telling you to kill someone, that it’s okay to kill…?”
“…Are you speaking from experience?”
“Or does it try to kill you? Do you dⁱㅌ and then wake up like that? Is that why you keep waking up after dying? How exactly do you have to dⁱㅌ to cough up so much blood…?”
Ha Sungyoon continued.
“I can’t understand.”
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Originally, killing intent was an instinct, and Lee Jaehun was suppressing that instinct.
Thinking about it again, he was a man of incredible patience.
“…….”
“…….”
If it were me, I’d just kill a person.
“…Are you feeling better now?”
Taking in in the sight of the blood Lee Jaehun had spilled, Ha Sungyoon curved his lips into a transparent smile.
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A sudden thought occurred—was it truly a matter of ‘kill and dispose of it’ or was it ‘it can’t be helped, it just happens?’. Perhaps it was both.
“…You ask that rather early.”
“Well, there’s nothing I can do for you, Sir.”
Ha Sungyoon couldn’t fix this person.
“At best, I can stop the bleeding with bandages, adjust your posture so your airway doesn’t get blocked, or like now… pull you out to prevent unnecessary chaos.”
Even if Lee Jaehun was being ⋏ss⋏ʊltㅌd in his dreams.
Perhaps dealing with vⁱӨlㅌncㅌ was the duty of the police, not a doctor. However, Ha Sungyoon, as a human being before going insane, was quite compassionate and responsible. Even if he wasn’t in his right mind, he wasn’t the type to be pleased that his patient was dying.
Since he had entered this world with a goal in mind, Ha Sungyoon couldn’t afford to go that crazy. Even if he felt a slight amusement from it, not yet.
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Nevertheless, Lee Jaehun’s voice was calm.
“Isn’t that quite commendable?”
“…….”
Tired and mechanical.
“…Curse me instead, sir. I can’t cure you.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re disqualified as a doctor. At least, not in this world.”
“I have a bit too much pride to take comfort in that.”
“Geez, I had no idea.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
For some reason, Ha Sungyoon felt his voice becoming similar to Lee Jaehun’s.
“I’m glad.”
Even if it was just his imagination, that was how it felt to him.
He looked up at the sky.
“…Will it be dawn soon?”
“I think so.”
“Then it’s time for the police officers to wake up too.”
Perhaps it was a habit, but Officer Kim Yeonwoo and Detective Hong Kyungjun tended to wake up early and go to bed late. They took turns keeping watch, but Kim Yeonwoo, who was on duty this time, seemed to have disappeared to patrol the area. Considering the sense of responsibility the two officers displayed, it was a plausible prediction.
However, at Ha Sungyoon’s words, Lee Jaehun, looking at the sky, murmured.
“It’s just like the mafia game.”
“…….”
Mafia.
Ha Sungyoon didn’t enjoy playing games, but he liked watching others play. The sight of people suspecting and slandering each other to kill a set number of mafia, getting eliminated regardless of good or evil, was entertaining in its sheer absurdity.
And the mafia game always required two kinds of roles.
“…Then.”
The citizens who would be killed, and.
“Which side are you on, sir?”
The mafia who would kill.
The murderer.
“I… always want to be a citizen.”
“That doesn’t suit you.”
“If I had to choose something else, I’d say being a police officer. Not that I have a sense of duty or anything, but it feels much more authoritative and convenient for inciting others.”
“Is this another lie to incite people?”
“Probably not.”
As Han Sungyoon looked at him, Lee Jaehun wiped his mouth once and continued.
“…I am just saying.”
Ha Sungyoon suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
What kind of death would this person eventually meet?
What was the meaning of this indelible corpse imprinted on his eyes…?
* * *
At this point, should I push for Ha Sungyoon to become a writer?
‘I expected him to wake me up, but I didn’t expect him to have crafted such a detailed narrative.’
Ha Sungyoon seemed to think Lee Jaehun’s lucid dreams were ‘something intended by the green algae monster.’ It was truly laughable to Lee Jaehun, who had been having these strange dreams since right after the regression, but he also thought it was understandable from the perspective of a doctor lacking information. Thanks to that, Lee Jaehun was becoming a more pitiful and unfortunate character day by day.
Therefore, Lee Jaehun was able to resolve himself.
“Let’s go back before the others see us.”
“…Alright.”
He needed to get out and dⁱㅌ quickly.
Seriously, it was time to put things in order.