Chapter 128 |
In this world, where each person had only one death, owing a life carried significant weight. At least, that was how Lee Jaehun, who had overlooked this very point and ended up in this state, saw it.
Naturally, he didn’t place much value on enduring pain on behalf of others, but the other chicks would feel differently.
Lee Jaehun wanted it to be clear that he had made a sacrifice for them, and deliberately displayed the pain that came with healing Ha Sungyoon’s injury.
See, I gave this much for you.
“…I think I can do it two more times.”
So, even if he killed someone, they should defend him, at least for a moment.
I hope this transaction brings you some objectivity.
* * *
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Detective Hong Kyungjun’s dismayed voice echoed through the pavilion, which resembled a cave.
“I apologize for making it seem like you were taking my side.”
“I wasn’t speaking for anyone’s side. There’s such a thing as shock, you know. You can dⁱㅌ from excessive pain.”
“It’s better than someone dying needlessly because they couldn’t escape due to an injury.”
Lee Jaehun’s gaze rested on teacher Lee Yoonbyeol, who was holding the child tightly in her arms. Noticing the attention, she flinched and nervously touched her ankle, the area where she had been injured before meeting Detective Hong Kyunjun.
Her face flushed with embarrassment; she probably also thought it would be good if her leg could be healed with Lee Jaehun’s help.
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“And over there, Mr. Han Doyoon… and the others in our group are also injured.”
“Manager.”
“I know very well that I’m the manager, Assistant Manager Jung.”
Lee Jaehun was smiling, but anyone could sense his exhaustion with the situation. Seeing his heavy-lidded eyes, it was impossible to think otherwise.
“Let’s stop dragging this out and do what needs to be done, whatever it may be.”
“But…”
“Do you really think no one will touch me when such a great treatment method exists? Of course not. You lot can’t stand pain to save your lives.”
“…….”
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“Ah, I wasn’t cursing you. It’s just a fact that I have a higher pain tolerance.”
Song Inmyeong could read an unfamiliar emotion on Lee Jaehun’s face.
‘…Resignation?’
It was an emotion he couldn’t comprehend.
Lee Jaehun turned his head away, as if hoping others would make the decision. He seemed to lack any human trust in others. That meant most of the people he’d encountered had betrayed his trust.
There were many clues in his words.
‘Let’s not drag this out’ implied his certainty that these people would use his healing ability one way or another. ‘It’s just a fact that I have a higher pain tolerance’ meant he was used to taking on pain for others. Lee Jaehun was the epitome of a misanthrope.
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But, well. Given the circumstances, his judgment could be considered wise.
“…….”
Song Inmyeong glanced at his friends, their expressions unreadable, and then checked his own face to see if his usual languid expression was still there. Adding a touch of bluntness would make it a suitable expression for asking a question.
With a look of disdain, he spoke,
“Ahjussi, are you s*upid?”
“…Hey, hey, hey. What the hㅌll is wrong with you?”
He felt the gorilla Seo Janghwa tugging at his carefully styled hair, but with things having progressed this far, Song Inmyeong had no intention of backing down.
You never knew when a monster might kill them, so he might as well make a mess as much as he wanted.
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“You said it hurts several times more if you eat that. Then you shouldn’t have used it in front of us in the first place. Who knows who might stab you in the back after seeing that?”
“You need to work on your personality, Inmyeong.”
“D⋏mn it, you guys who proclaimed to be my friends… Did I say anything wrong?”
Part of his arrogance stemmed from having some support backing him, but to make killing people a hobby in this society, one needed to be perceptive. Song Inmyeong realized that some people, including Vivian, already knew about Lee Jaehun’s healing ability.
It was obvious, actually. The man called Noh Yeonseok had a tattered stomach, but he didn’t seem to be in much pain when he moved. Although his clothes were dⁱrty with blood and other filth, anyone could tell from his movements that he wasn’t in pain.
‘So, I figured there must be a way to heal.’
But Song Inmyeong hadn’t imagined it would be based on someone else’s sacrifice.
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How could such a perfect subject exist?
“Excuse me, but my friends are also badly injured. You might be fine as long as your group isn’t hurt, but I’m not.”
Instinctively provoking, he observed Lee Jaehun’s reaction.
“I don’t know exactly how that system works, but I understand that eating that round thing fixes everything. Why would you show it off knowing everyone would be selfish? This idiot is beyond me.”
“Song Inmyeong, you fcking b⋏st⋏rd…”
“Just wait a second, both you and that little punk Vivian are injured. Are you going to leave it like that?”
Song Inmyeong saw the greed surfacing in the others. Until now, they’d held back because Detective Hong Kyungjun strongly opposed it, and they still had some conscience left, but now that Song Inmyeong had openly presented the valid excuse of ‘friends’, their greed was revealed.
If Lee Jaehun were to dⁱㅌ at the hands of these people, he thought it would be fitting to capture him on canvas along with the cause of his death. After putting Kim Yeonwoo and Lee Jaehun in it, he might run out of space, but he could always make the canvas bigger.
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Observing Lee Jaehun once more, Song Inmyeong heard him say,
“…It doesn’t matter.”
“…….”
“Choose who gets healed among yourself. I’m tired.”
He almost gasped in admiration.
‘Holy shⁱt,’
fcking awesome.
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Among the many he’d killed, he’d never encountered such a lunatic.
‘Is this guy insane?’
Song Inmyeong had never seen such a piece of trash—someone who threw their entire existence straight into the dumpster like it was nothing. Somehow, he had the feeling that even if this man knew what kind of art he created, this man would just curse once and then dⁱㅌ without another word.
It would be a waste to kill someone like this. Lee Jaehun deserved to dⁱㅌ the ideal death he desired, or the death he didn’t want but was obligated to face. A death of sacrifice was fitting. A death that made him a more suitable subject for Song Inmyeong’s theme.
As Song Inmyeong was pondering how to kill him, a tearful voice interrupted his thoughts.
“No, you can’t.”
It was the auburn-haired woman.
“You really can’t… Don’t do it, our Manager will dⁱㅌ.”
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“…What are you talking about all of a sudden, Kwon Yeonhee?”
“He’s already dying of pain, and you want him to suffer more?! Get out of here, you b⋏st⋏rds!”
The woman, Kwon Yeonhee, shuffled closer to Lee Jaehun and clung to him. She sobbed with a pure, sorrowful desire, like a child begging their parent not to leave for work and to play with them instead.
Her hostile gaze was directed at Song Inmyeong.
“Who are you to tell our Manager to suffer?! You won’t heal him in his place, you won’t take on the pain for him! If you’re so worried about your friends, go heal them yourself!”
“Excuse me, but do you remember that this ahjussi offered to heal us first?”
She seemed quite popular.
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“That’s why I asked him. Why did he do something so s*upid? It was my way of showing concern to him.”
“Concern my ⋏ss…!”
Kwon Yeonhee, emboldened by the fact that Lee Jaehun didn’t reject her, pulled him away and hid among their group. Lee Jaehun’s original group, to be exact.
Watching her, the doctor sighed and then put on a painted smile.
“…Yeonhee raised her voice out of concern for the Manager, please understand. We’re constantly on edge, wondering when he might dⁱㅌ.”
“What? You said the injury doesn’t actually transfer over, right? Can people dⁱㅌ from that?”
“Hey, you piece of trash.”
Thwack
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The powerful blow to the back of his head was definitely from Seo Janghwa.
“…! Ouch, fʊck! That hurts like hㅌll!”
“You, fʊck, ugh, I knew you were trash, but. Ha, d⋏mn it…!”
After hitting him a few more times, Seo Janghwa, still fuming, took a few deep breaths, wiped her face, then looked back at the doctor and said,
“Sorry, I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure he keeps his mouth shut from now on.”
“…Our friend crossed the line. We apologize on his behalf.”
When Vivian also bowed his head copying after Seo Janghwa, a hush fell over the group.
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‘There must be some who were tempted by my words.’
Actually, he wasn’t sure if that was still the case.
Thinking this, Song Inmyeong glared at Seo Janghwa, who was still clutching his head. Apparently still not satisfied, she pressed down on his head, demanding him to apologize, but Song Inmyeong, who had anticipated this reaction, bowed perfunctorily.
Anyone could see it didn’t look sincere.
“Yeah, whatever. Sorry.”
“Argh…! You little shⁱt!”
“What do you want me to do? I wasn’t the one who brought it up first.”
He then glanced at Lee Jaehun. He was curious to see how Lee Jaehun would react now that the situation had unfolded this way.
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“…….”
“…….”
Whoa, holy shⁱt.
That man looked perplexed.
‘…He doesn’t seem to understand the current situation.’
More precisely, Lee Jaehun looked like he didn’t understand why his group was defending him. Indeed, even Song Inmyeong found it comical that a man clearly over forty was being protectively surrounded by younger people.
However, Song Inmyeong understood why they were acting this way. They must have grown fond of him. Who could be at ease when someone they cared about was living like they were dying? He himself might burst with frustration if his friends acted like that.
So, this meant that Lee Jaehun had even less common sense than a murderer like Song Inmyeong.
“…Wow.”
He never thought he’d say this, but…
This guy was truly, utterly insane.