Chapter 173 |
Frankly, he had expected things to be quite different from the last loop.
‘First of all, the abandoned dog monster didn’t rampage, and Moon Sangun and Choi Minhong didn’t dⁱㅌ.’
He didn’t know how Song Inmyeong had dealt with the one person presumed dead, but if he had killed them by some method other than the knife he carried, his precious multi-purpose knife wouldn’t have been discarded yet. Were the latex gloves still there, too? Since the abandoned dog monster hadn’t rampaged, Firefighter Han Doyoon’s leg was likely fine. And since Song Inmyeong hadn’t targeted him yet, despite his fragile sunfish personality and pretense of strength, he could rest easy about that too.
‘Since it’s before the encounter with the monster, the atmosphere might be better than the last loop.’
In any case, one thing was certain: many things would be different from before. Lee Jaehun, though he might get annoyed, wasn’t one to harbor unrealistic expectations of changing the past, so he could readily accept these changes.
But this was a different story.
“Dad…!”
“Oh goodness, son! What are you doing here?!”
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Beyond the scene of the tearful and touching reunion between father and son, the detective team sent rather blatant stares.
“…Nice to meet you. As I said before, I’m Hong Kyungjun.”
“Nice to meet you too. I didn’t get to say it then, but I’m Jung Inho.”
And the two leaders shook hands, inwardly cursing each other.
“M-Mr. Lee Jaehun…”
“…It’s been a while, Ms. Kim Yeonwoo.”
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“Um, are you alright? Are you uncomfortable in any way…?”
“I’m fine.”
Finally, the desperate approach of the kind police officer, anxious about something.
It was obvious whose doing that ‘something’ was, d⋏mn it.
“…….”
“Really, I’m fine.”
That Song b⋏st⋏rd.
‘Are you happy?’
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Are you thrilled at the thought of ruining our team’s atmosphere and creating a grand piece of art, you b⋏st⋏rd who deserves to have his neck broken and planted across the five oceans and six continents?
Lee Jaehun struggled to keep a straight face as he watched Song Inmyeong waving his hand from within the detective’s group. A b⋏st⋏rd who worked behind the scenes always felt more dⁱsgʊstⁱng even if they committed the same act as someone who did things openly. Just like Song Inmyeong.
“I don’t know how this will sound, but you look a little unwell…”
At Kim Yeonwoo’s words, Lee Jaehun bit his tongue. It just so happened that his condition had started to deteriorate rapidly since last night, and this kind-hearted police officer in front of him was worried that he was being pushed around. The timing was truly terrible.
Lee Jaehun, his vision darkening, forced out a reply.
“…I… I couldn’t sleep. It’s nothing.”
“Sleep?”
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Ah, d⋏mn it, right. It was an excuse Lee Jaehun shouldn’t have made in front of Kim Yeonwoo, considering he had a history of strangling someone in their sleep in front of her. An excuse should somehow salvage the situation, but this was like saying, ‘Please misunderstand me more, Officer Kim Yeonwoo!’ It seemed his condition was truly bad.
And perhaps misinterpreting Lee Jaehun’s awkwardness, Kang Mina, her eyes wide open, suddenly approached and stood behind him.
“Manager, are you okay?”
“I said I’m fine…”
“I know.”
And then she subtly grabbed the back of his shirt.
“…But you look a little uncomfortable.”
Oh,
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Oh, please.
‘Why are you doing this?’
You regressed, right? D⋏mn it, or did you? You haven’t said you regressed yourself yet, huh? That’s right. But then how do you know about the last loop? If you know, why are you wary of that kind-hearted police officer?
As he bit his lip in frustration, Kim Yeonwoo, her expression hardening, asked,
“Are you one of Mr. Lee Jaehun’s group?”
“Yes, I’m Kang Mina. I heard you helped our manager.”
“It wasn’t much help. It was just what any person should do.”
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Honestly, it was scary at this point.
‘What sin did I commit against my wife?’
He wouldn’t say something like, ‘What sin did I commit in my past life?’ Lee Jaehun had committed too many sins in his past life, and if his next life was determined by the magnitude of those sins, he should have been stuck in hㅌll, not reincarnated. No matter how much he thought about it, this life must have been granted by his wife….
Lee Jaehun, briefly escaping reality, subtly shifted his gaze to Ha Sungyoon, who was standing far away, observing the situation.
“…….”
“…….”
He asked with his eyes,
‘Should I help?’
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‘Yes’
‘Really?’
‘What?’
‘No regrets?’
Wait, something feels ominous.
Before Lee Jaehun could say anything, Ha Sungyoon, accompanied by Yoon Garam, approached. The pale man with one distinctly unnatural blue eye seemed to be wary even to Officer Kim Yeonwoo. She flinched and looked up at Ha Sungyoon with her lips tightly closed.
“Nice to meet you, Officer Kim Yeonwoo. I heard you helped our patient?”
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“…It wasn’t much. As I said before, I just did what I had to do as a person. I also received help from Mr. Lee Jaehun.”
“Oh, so we didn’t do what we had to do as people?”
Hey.
“…Mr. Ha Sungyoon.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Mr. Lee Jaehun. We’re not fighting. This is just a friendly conversation stemming from a good heart trying to help a colleague in trouble.”
“Now, no, wait a minute….”
“I hope you won’t complicate the situation by using the innocent Mr. Lee Jaehun as an excuse. There was no need to drag this out so unpleasantly when I was simply asking after his well-being.”
“I’m really fine…”
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Tug.
Yoon Garam pulled on Lee Jaehun’s arm.
“They’re strange people, aren’t they?”
“…….”
“We’ were getting along fine.”
Please don’t do this, guys….
‘It’s all my fault.’
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This must be what they call karma. To put it in modern terms, it was a self-inflicted disaster. Up until the last round, it was just a vague suspicion, like, ‘No way… right?’. He only imagined that it might grow because of that slight shift this time, but he didn’t expect it to blow up this much.
On top of that, Ha Sungyoon had lost his brakes after getting that strange eye, and Yoon Garam seemed to be getting attached to ‘Lee Jaehun’, perhaps thanks to the groundwork he had laid beforehand. He wondered if that was why she, unusually, willingly joined this muddy quasi-fight and pulled on his arm.
“Manager, you’re not feeling well, so you don’t have to do this here.”
“…No…”
Not to mention Kang Mina, whose sense of responsibility had increased exponentially….
“…….”
“…….”
Oh, come on, the timing.
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Lee Jaehun, making eye contact with Moon Sangun who was standing awkwardly, momentarily wanted to retort, but it never came out. Even in his poor condition, he knew that the moment he uttered those words, all these ambiguous situations would become established facts.
Lee Jaehun, after briefly observing the protagonist and the detective still engaged in their psychological warfare, obediently allowed himself to be pulled away by Kang Mina.
“Ahjussi! Did that lady say something strange?”
“It was a bit unpleasant. What did we do to deserve her constant scrutiny? And the way she talks to you… aren’t those people a little strange?”
“Yeah, she kept staring at ahjussi, too.”
The siblings chattered as if they had been waiting for this.
“…Let’s not fight…”
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Lee Jaehun, having lost the energy to say anything more, had no choice but to accept this vivid reality unfolding before his eyes. It wasn’t as if he could bring about any significant change by not accepting it.
He nodded inwardly.
‘Right, I have to admit what I have to admit.’
This life was doomed.
* * *
Jung Inho subtly rolled his eyes as he saw Lee Jaehun being unable to hide his troubled expression. He did so even while aware that the detective in front of him was carefully observing his every move.
‘…This was bound to happen anyway.’
Owner Choi Jungman’s son was necessary to prevent him from going berserk like last time. That was the reason he saved Moon Sangun and Choi Minhong in the first place, and now that the son was in his father’s arms, they should be incredibly happy. At least it was better than being with a complete stranger in a dangerous park.
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‘It seems Choi Minhong really doesn’t know Song Inmyeong’s true nature.’
Whatever happened, his group and Detective Hong Kyungjun’s group had to make contact. Whether Song Inmyeong had blabbered something or not.
“…….”
“You seem to watch Mr. Lee Jaehun quite often.”
A voice thick with suspicion.
“…Wouldn’t it be natural to watch him, Detective Hong Kyungjun, considering his condition?”
Was it necessary to dispel that suspicion?
‘Is there a reason I have to?’
Honestly, Jung Inho had lost almost all interest in Hong Kyungjun’s team.
In fact, Jung Inho’s obsession with goodness was a form of rebellion against his parents. The curse-like hallucination, resembling the buzzing of a mosquito’s wings, had bound him, and because he had lived his whole life that way, he couldn’t change now.
However, the true ‘Jung Inho,’ free from all that, had a weaker sense of good and evil compared to others. In Lee Jaehun’s words, he preferred efficiency and had shallow emotional fluctuations. That was how Jung Inho was born to think.
So….
“He’s injured that bad, wouldn’t anyone be concerned, regardless of who they are?”
“…You’re right.”
“It’s not like we’re doing anything strange.”
For Jung Inho, who had relived time twice, this thought was inevitable.
‘Why should I?’
It was close to burnout syndrome.
The Manager Lee Jaehun he knew was hiding something. He was stimulated. The world changed. It seemed to be going well, but Manager Lee Jaehun dⁱㅌd before he could figure anything out. People he knew were dying. He wanted to dⁱㅌ.
“It’s not strange. It’s natural to be worried about a colleague’s well-being.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Time rewound. He had a chance. He struggled to change something. It seemed to change a little, but in the end, it was back to square one. He confessed the truth to Manager Lee Jaehun. He felt a little relieved. There was someone else he could share the truth with. He wasn’t happy.
He wasn’t happy.
“But Mr. Jung Inho, your behavior seems a bit excessive.”
“Excessive.”
“Yes, it’s behavior you wouldn’t see in a normal colleague relationship.”
He wasn’t happy….
“So is that a problem?”
He felt empty, like only a shell remained.
‘I wanted to be a good person.’
Well, they say that’s not possible, right?
He wanted to be good like others, but d⋏mn it. His parents, who must be in hㅌll, were right. Jung Inho could never be a good person and would eventually become a b⋏st⋏rd who plunged others into pain and despair. It was decided from the moment he was born, a fate he couldn’t change no matter what he did.
Then what should I do? What do I want to do, even if it’s comfortable but not joyful?
“Manager’s current condition isn’t very good. Despite that, he often leaves without a word or quietly hides his injuries, so we….”
“Yes.”
“We can’t help but keep an eye on him.”
The answer came quickly.
If this relationship could only be maintained through such sacrifices from him and me. If this connection would break in the end despite all the bloodshed and tears, then yes.
Isn’t it too inefficient?
“Is that a problem?”
Laughter escaped him.
He met eyes with the murderer over the detective’s shoulder.
“…….”
“I’m fine with it.”
It seemed Jung Inho was fated not to be a ‘good person’ after all.
* * *
“…….”
What, what’s going on?
A chilling premonition ran down Lee Jaehun’s spine, a feeling like a third-rate villain.
‘What’s this atmosphere?’
Lee Jaehun looked at the protagonist and the murderer with uneasy eyes.