Chapter 145 |
Lee Jaehun, having retrieved a pipe, started a new fire a short distance from where the group was staying. A small flame flickered, just enough to illuminate two people.
After confirming there were no monsters or people nearby, he spoke to the protagonist in front of him.
“…So.”
His voice, strained from coughing up blood, rasped.
“Why are you so angry, Assistant Manager Jung?”
“…….”
At those words, the protagonist blinked slowly. He resembled someone struggling to wake up, eyelids heavy with sleep, yet the smile plastered on his face was so relentlessly earnest it was irritating. What a really creepy guy.
After a brief silence, Jung Inho replied.
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“It hasn’t been that long.”
“I know.”
I know, he said. This punk.
‘If I acknowledge it now, things would get complicated.’
Cursing internally out of frustration, Lee Jaehun swallowed a sigh. He was neither comfortable nor accustomed to planning things with the intention of saving someone, much less devising schemes to ruin someone’s life.
Nevertheless, as someone who was supposed to be part of the protagonist’s group, he had to nurture the protagonist before him. At least for the sake of their immediate, and permanent, escape from the other world.
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“…I don’t know what you know, Assistant Manager Jung.”
He had initially intended to say, ‘I don’t know what you know on your own’ but corrected himself.
Judging by Jung Inho’s recent outburst, Jung Inho seemed to feel an uncharacteristic loneliness from being the only one who remembered everything. Even if Lee Jaehun couldn’t understand it, poking at the other person’s weakness wasn’t a good approach right now. He had to rewind as much as possible.
Despite the opening, the protagonist continued to stare blankly at Lee Jaehun, maintaining an earnest and polite smile.
“…….”
“…….”
As ‘Lee Jaehun’ frowned as if puzzled by the gaze, the protagonist finally spoke. The mouth that had been constantly smiling finally did its job.
“I know you’re suffering a lot, Manager.”
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Ah, so we’re starting from there.
“…What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Of course, you have quite a few injuries.”
It wasn’t a bad opening.
Lee Jaehun deliberately lowered his voice. It implied that the weary ‘Lee Jaehun’ couldn’t hide his agitation, and that he was trying to conceal something.
‘Even with his mental state messed up, he’s still the protagonist.’
Jung Inho seemed to want to reveal what he was hiding first, namely, the fact that he was losing his mind to the algae monster. Jung Inho thought it was a pretty good starting point to gain control of the conversation. Someone whose secrets were exposed inevitably lost their composure.
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Whether he had planned this far ahead, or simply stumbled upon the topic in his weakened mental state, Lee Jaehun intended to be as accommodating as possible. There was no need to waste time here.
“You got holes in your body leaving the company, burns on your ankles, you were dragged away by some monster and came back barely intact…”
“…….”
“…Wouldn’t it be nice if you could at least stay put while you sleep?”
Saying that, Jung Inho lightly tapped his finger against his own neck.
“I don’t know what kind of strange dreams you’re having that make you scratch like that.”
“…This is just…”
Lee Jaehun raised his hand to cover his neck slightly. He could feel the rough scabs under his fingertips, and judging by the stinging sensation, it seemed a bruise was forming.
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‘At this point in time, it must be after I threw the fish trap in the lake.’
Making the trap and throwing it in the lake must have been ‘yesterday’s’ schedule. It seemed the current period was before they went to retrieve the fish, while they were still resting. He could guess that the protagonist had already figured this out and was pretending to sleep to observe Lee Jaehun’s reaction.
He had to be that sharp to be able to follow along so quickly.
“…Manager.”
“…….”
“What kind of dreams are you having?”
At Jung Inho’s words, Lee Jaehun frowned.
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“I don’t see how that concerns you, Assistant Manager Jung.”
“You cough up blood every time you wake up. Are you really saying it doesn’t concern me, your fellow group member? Really?”
“I don’t have any problems…”
“Yes, you do.”
“…….”
“The problem that arose after you were dragged away by that monster.”
The protagonist seemed to be trying to reveal the fact that he could regress. At least he wasn’t trying to hide it, even if he wasn’t saying it outright. He wasn’t making any effort to conceal his knowledge from before the regression.
“That’s why you’ve been trying to distance yourself from us, Manager.”
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Unlike his sincere and composed expression, his voice was strained.
“Because you thought we’d be in danger…”
“…….”
Hearing that, ‘Lee Jaehun’ couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.
He had been trying to distance himself from the others even before they came to the other world. ‘Lee Jaehun’ hadn’t even hidden the fact that he had visited the other world multiple times. At this point, only Ha Sungyoon and Jung Inho knew about it. With so much he couldn’t reveal, he couldn’t easily open up and converse with the others.
That was why he thought it would be okay to create some distance. If his guess was correct, ‘Lee Jaehun’ was becoming a kind of monster. He didn’t know when he might kill these weak and pitiful people, so he thought it might be a good idea to let them be wary of him.
And ‘he’ never imagined that Assistant Manager Jung would know the details.
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“…Why do you…”
He had been found out about something he thought he had hidden well.
“…When the monsters attack here, you’ll stay behind alone again. You’ll think it’s alright even if you dⁱㅌ, won’t you? Because you don’t see us as anything important.”
“Are you insulting me?”
“No, that’s what you think, isn’t it? You think we don’t value or care about you, so you don’t see us as human beings either… Right?”
“I…”
“Why do I have to repeat this s*upid conversation with you?”
‘Lee Jaehun’ bit his lip at the smooth, polite smile that didn’t match the distorted voice. Jung Inho seemed to be feeling wronged.
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“Isn’t once enough for this useless nonsense? Don’t you think so? I thought we could have a decent, human conversation…”
“…….”
“Fine, I’ll get straight to the point.”
Taking a sudden step forward, he grabbed Lee Jaehun by the collar.
“What…!”
As ‘Lee Jaehun’, startled by the sudden attack, instinctively gripped the pipe with murderous intent, Jung Inho, holding his collar with both hands, spoke firmly.
“Don’t dⁱㅌ.”
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“…….”
“Don’t dⁱㅌ, I am telling you.”
Dark eyes stared at him.
“…….”
…He could sense that Jung Inho had returned even more broken than before.
‘Just how difficult was it for his eyes to turn like that?’
Even while making light of the situation, Lee Jaehun couldn’t hide his own contorted expression. He was trying to maintain some semblance of plausibility, but seeing the protagonist, broken in a different way than in the original novel, right in front of him, he couldn’t help but lament. Jung Inho wasn’t supposed to break like this.
“I understand why you want to dⁱㅌ. Going back and forth between this world must be driving you crazy, it must be unbearably difficult, and I understand you want to rest after finding a suitable replacement like me.”
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“…….”
“Now that you have a reason to dⁱㅌ, you must be relieved, right? You’re of no value to us and even becoming a monster deserving of death. You want to dⁱㅌ, and you have a reason to dⁱㅌ, and there’s no reason not to.”
“…Wait…”
“But you know what? You helped us too much. You cared for us too deeply. You might believe that we’ll forget you and live happily even if you dⁱㅌ, but it’s truly unfortunate. We, d⋏mn it, we’re not that s*upid. If someone we were just talking and laughing with goes and dⁱㅌs, we’re going to lose it. Do you understand?”
“Assistant Manager Jung, wait a minute.”
“I’m going crazy every time you avoid answering with that kind of act…!”
Oh, d⋏mn it, that was a mistake. It’d been so long since he’s been grabbed by the collar, he slipped up for a moment.
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‘Did the title ‘Assistant Manager Jung’ get ingrained in my head more deeply than I thought…?’
He was now being scolded for calling him ‘Assistant Manager Jung’ instead of ‘Mr. Jung Inho’.
Being grabbed and shaken by the collar for calling someone by the wrong name, Lee Jaehun suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. Kang Mina and now this guy, he didn’t know why there were so many people who treated their manager like a used receipt. These ungrateful brats. I’m not entirely acting, you know.
But it also hit him anew.
‘His mental state really is shattered.’
Even when annoyed by Lee Jaehun, he used to maintain at least a basic level of courtesy. Now, he was grabbing him by the collar, showing no intention of managing his image, and simultaneously indicating that he couldn’t even maintain that level of pretense.
‘What the hㅌll happened after I dⁱㅌd?’
Lee Jaehun erased all traces of lightheartedness from his face. Not that there was any to begin with, but what choice did he have? Jung Inho already believed ‘Lee Jaehun’ was acting, so he had to play along.
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With a bewildered expression as his base, he added hesitation, wariness, and regret before speaking.
“What… what are you basing this on?”
The protagonist let out a hollow laugh at the mechanical, weary voice.
“Basing this on, huh.”
“Well…”
“Wow, those are some words I really hate to hear… you know?”
“…….”
“I really hate to hear them.”
Thud.
The hand gripping his collar loosened.
“…Why does it have to be me…”
It was a dry voice, devoid of any hint of tears.
“…….”
Jung Inho seemed to have reached his limit.
‘…? Did I raise him too softly?’
The Jung Inho in the original story had a stronger mentality, no, at least a tougher one. Lee Jaehun couldn’t help but feel bewildered seeing him so broken after just two regressions.
According to Lee Jaehun’s anticipated scenario, Jung Inho should be taking control of the conversation and shaking him down. He should be revealing that Lee Jaehun was brainwashed by the monster, explaining his past and why he was distancing himself, and urging him to change his mind and cooperate properly.
‘And there’s so much to do after that, too.’
After wrapping up ‘Lee Jaehun’s’ affairs, they had to strategize to get rid of Song Inmyeong, devise an escape plan from the otherworld, or investigate and control problematic individuals like Ha Sungyoon and Yoon Garam. He also had to consider how to interact with Hong Kyungjun’s team.
But…
“…….”
“…….”
Jung Inho’s mental state seemed far worse than expected.
‘…Isn’t this guy going to commit suicide instead of me…?’
Lee Jaehun swallowed a sigh, watching the protagonist sitting still with his head bowed.
Even if he committed suicide, he would just regress again, and now even the protagonist must be certain of that, but what wouldn’t a person with a broken mind do? It was natural for someone in that state to disregard efficiency and act recklessly.
And that was exactly the state the guy in front of him was in.
“…….”
After a moment, wiping his lips, he called out to Jung Inho.
“…Mr. Jung Inho.”
“…….”
At the call, the protagonist raised his head.
Biting his lip slightly, Lee Jaehun said,
“I’m sorry.”
“…….”
“I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t know what I did to you, but… I think I did something wrong.”
“…Manager?”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
As if still puzzled, but willing to respect him. He continued, trying to appear as though he was taking the other person’s words seriously, despite his confusion.
“It’s all my fault.”
You one-year-old chick.
‘Why did I think of him as an elementary schooler, or at least a five-year-old? He’s practically a newborn chick.’
Lee Jaehun skillfully masked the rising sense of skepticsm, managing his expression.
There had been a similar situation before he was dragged away by the algae monster. Fortunately, this time, the other person wasn’t crying. If he had been, how much more exhausting would it have been to console him? No matter how he thought about it, he hated seeing a grown man cry.
Jung Inho, oblivious to the fact that Lee Jaehun was treating him like a child, stared at him blankly before slowly opening his mouth.
“…You’re right.”
“…….”
“It’s your fault, Manager… so I…”
After a long silence, he let out a hollow laugh.
“I failed.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Because of my mistake, everything failed. I ruined everything.”
“Mr. Jung Inho.”
“I’m sorry. You worked so hard to get us this far, Manager. I thought so many things had changed.”
“…….”
“…I ruined it all…”
His words were filled with guilt, but also with deep resentment and a self-deceptive insistence that he couldn’t have made a mistake. Although his voice trembled, Jung Inho’s polite and earnest smile remained fixed.
A complex conflict raged within him.
“…….”
He was utterly broken, but not in the way Lee Jaehun had intended.
‘He’ll break down at this rate.’
Lee Jaehun wanted the protagonist to break, but in a healthy way. He didn’t want him to become a fool who was broken both ⁱnsⁱdㅌ and out, yet deluded himself into thinking he was hiding it well.
The joy of life came from blaming others, yet this guy was too naive. Such an innocent child. It made sense that he was the protagonist, but to Lee Jaehun, he was just a sucker.
‘He wasn’t this foolish before.’
Just blame me like you used to, you creepy b⋏st⋏rd. There’s someone right here who will gladly accept your blame even if you step on him a thousand times, so what’s the point of blaming yourself? He couldn’t understand.
He felt the need to soften him up first.
“…I don’t think I’m the only one familiar with this situation. This must have happened before, not too long ago…”
“…….”
“Back then, too, you weren’t in your right mind, Mr. Jung Inho. Personally, I think it’s worse now… I don’t understand why someone who was perfectly fine keeps breaking down like this.”
Lee Jaehun, his tired face painted with perplexity and concern, met the protagonist’s gaze.
“Do you remember what I said before?”
“…What did you say?”
“That I’d listen if you talked.”
“…….”
“I meant it, Mr. Jung Inho.”
Frankly, ‘Lee Jaehun’ wasn’t in a good state to calmly offer psychological counseling. He was going crazy wondering when he might kill an innocent person, he had enough on his plate both physically and mentally, so what counseling or comfort could he offer?
Still, the ‘Lee Jaehun’ that Lee Jaehun had created had that much compassion. That was why he had lost control when he saw Song Inmyeong, who had killed people, and why he had been protecting the other members of the group.
‘There’s no problem with the plausibility.’
Letting out a soft sigh, he continued.
“…Inho.”
He spoke cautiously, like he used to when addressing young children, like when he soothed and comforted his young family members.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“…….”
“Whatever it was, thank you for your hard work.”
Hugging and patting him wouldn’t be a bad option, but hugging a grown man wasn’t something either Lee Jahun or Jung Inho wanted. They weren’t close enough for that kind of physical contact.
So what else could he do? He had to talk.
“You can tell me if you’re struggling. I won’t scold you for it.”
Of course, about 89% of your suffering was intentional on my part.
Letting out a sigh, Lee Jaehun covered the back of his neck with one hand and gently rubbed it. His neck, which had barely healed before becoming a mess again, itched, but it was also a gesture to indicate that ‘Lee Jaehun’ was recalling the incident with the algae monster.
Still, he didn’t change the subject.
“I know I have different common sense than you all. I’m sorry if I did anything wrong because of it. I apologize. So, if you want to be angry, be angry. Don’t act like a fool like this.”
“…….”
“…Since you seem to need an excuse, I’ll ask this.”
He asked, meeting Jung Inho’s gaze firmly.
“What happened?”
“…Uh…”
“Why are you dying alone?”
Pause.
Jung Inho flinched and stepped back. Lee Jaehun didn’t stop him, and continued.
“Shall I help you?”
“…….”
The other man remained silent.
Jung Inho seemed to be agonizing over it. He seemed to be regretting his mistakes, or perhaps he was so mentally exhausted that he couldn’t understand the situation. He couldn’t answer for a long time.
Lee Jaehun stared into the protagonist’s dark eyes. Under that calm and resolute gaze, Jung Inho met his eyes several times, awkwardly avoided them, and then forced himself to meet them again. Frankly, Lee Jaehun couldn’t understand what this foolish chick was thinking.
Finally, after about ten minutes, Jung Inho answered in a low voice.
“…Why did it have to be you, Manager?”
“What do you mean?”
“Anything. Why… why you…”
He had the illusion that tears were falling down the face that was now devoid of its usual polite smile, leaving only emptiness.
Yes, it was an illusion. The sound of round droplets shattering in the silent forest echoed like screams, and the face, devoid of even a hollow laugh, lifted to meet Lee Jaehun’s gaze. Thankfully, Jung Inho wasn’t crying.
Yet, his eyes weren’t those of someone who had given up or resigned themselves to fate.
“…Help me.”
“…Okay.”
“And don’t dⁱㅌ.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“And…”
The protagonist said,
“Listen to my story.”