Chapter 82
In Lee Jaehun’s past life, it was natural to be discarded when one’s value diminished.
Of course, he wasn’t in a situation where the word ‘discard’ would be used for a person, but everyone in the world knew it without needing to say it. If you became useless, you had no right to complain if you were cast out.
The only ones who accepted individuals without considering their utility were blood relatives, but even that varied depending on the family. It wasn’t uncommon for children, siblings, or parents to be abandoned. However, in families where utility wasn’t a criterion, parents would often treat their children well in case they themselves became useless one day.
Lee Jaehun realized this at a very young age in his past life, and living a long life of luxury, his values were intense compared to the narrow-minded department head’s in his current life.
Not long after recalling his past life and being dragged into this otherworldly realm, his mental fortitude weakened, and it was already clear what kind of values he would use to interact with people.
“…Let’s go back.”
Kwon Yeonhee, pale-faced, muttered.
“Let’s go back, please…”
In this world, people cherished their bonds and valued even brief relationships. There was a basic respect for even people they met for the first time.
But such concepts didn’t exist in his past world.
“What if the director is dead…!”
The irrational certainty tormented Kwon Yeonhee.
Lee Jaehun believed that if someone felt fear towards him, the previous relationship would become meaningless.
Because that was how it was before. In both his past and present lives, people were always tools to him. The narrow-minded director in his current life was selfish to a ridiculous degree, so he still believed his past life’s values were correct. He thought people could always discard others.
But that wasn’t true.
“He’s only with Jung Inho-ssi now, and he doesn’t even have a lighter…!”
“Yeonhee-ssi.”
“…What should we do?”
Contrary to Lee Jaehun’s belief, relationships weren’t that shallow.
“We… we left him like that. This is abandonment.”
People weren’t that simple.
Even if a relationship experienced brief discomfort or fear, it didn’t mean it was entirely severed. Just because there was nothing to gain or someone became a burden didn’t mean you abandoned them like a stranger. Relationships could momentarily distance due to incidents, but they couldn’t be completely erased.
Ultimately, Lee Jaehun overlooked the difference between people living in the past and present worlds. He forgot that there was a fundamental difference in the kind of humanity they possessed.
Thus, things could never go exactly as he thought.
“…He must be disappointed, right?”
“Yeonhee-ssi, we need to find a place to hide first.”
“He must be disappointed. What should we do…”
Kwon Yeonhee mumbled, walking with her head down, tears falling as she followed those leading her.
A cracked and hoarse voice slipped out.
“Really, what should we do…?”
Our poor director, how pitiful he is, what should we do for him?
Of course, Lee Jaehun probably didn’t help them expecting anything in return. Even if they escaped this world, they had nothing to offer him. Lee Jaehun was already well-known for his affluent background at the company.
Kwon Yeonhee, being well-informed about rumors, knew several stories about him. Like how he had three houses and chose the one near the company for convenience, or how he often ordered expensive luxury items to show off to the employees. She knew such kinds of rumors.
How much of those rumors were true or false, she didn’t know. But one thing was certain, without some meaningless inferiority complex, Lee Jaehun was a person who had nothing to envy from anyone. Such a person was here, limping and with his limbs pierced.
So, he wasn’t doing this expecting something from them. It was probably simple kindness and a sense of responsibility, yet they had run away from him, calling him scary. They didn’t even hide their fear.
With trembling lips, Kwon Yeonhee softly muttered,
“…But even this.”
“……”
“What if he didn’t even expect this… What do we do then?”
Lee Jaehun’s firm and casual tone, saying that no one would stop by the pharmacy for him, echoed in Kwon Yeonhee’s ears once more.
“If he didn’t expect anything, he wouldn’t be hurt… What do we do then…”
Actually, she had felt this for a very long time.
“…Really….”
“……”
“……”
Lee Jaehun seemed already insane.
Maybe that’s what scared me.
I had never seen a crazy person before. It was the first time I saw someone driven to madness by such pain and hardship. Maybe that’s why I gradually became afraid of him.
He didn’t go crazy because he wanted to.
And he wasn’t a sinner or a monster…
“……”
“……”
Among them, Ha Sungyoon was the first to speak while walking with tightly pressed lips.
“…There’s a small dome.”
Quite a few, actually.
The small domes, just big enough for two people to barely fit inside, were made of interwoven thin branches or root-like plants. They looked like igloos stood on end.
The unusual part was that these domes were attached to tree trunks. Like ant nests, they hung in a hemispherical shape, but unlike ant nests made of soil, these were composed of plants.
Examining them, Dr. Ha Sungyoon spoke again.
“I’m not sure what they are, whether they’re monsters or not… but they seem suitable for hiding.”
“…So they could be plant-like monsters?”
“We don’t know what forms the monsters take, so it’s possible, but… The best choice would be to climb the trees, but they’re too tall here… and… these might provide some protection…”
Speaking rapidly and quietly, he suddenly stopped.
“……”
“…Doctor?”
“I don’t know.”
Then he said,
“So, I’ll check first.”
Without waiting for anyone to stop him, Dr. Ha Sungyoon moved.
“…Uh, uh, uh…”
“…Wait, that’s dangerous. What if they are monsters?”
Kwon Yeonhee froze, and Yoon Garam tried to stop him, but he didn’t halt.
Despite his hardened expression, indicating his own significant anxiety, Kwon Yeonhee momentarily thought of Lee Jaehun. That man would always use his body to test the safety of their surroundings.
Dr. Ha Sungyoon must have been aware of this too, but he climbed up, touching the wooden dome gently.
“…It doesn’t move even when touched.”
“……”
“And entering… seems fine.”
Ha Sungyoon said as he stepped out of the round hole in the dome.
“It’s unsettling, but it doesn’t seem like the worst choice.”
“…Still…”
“We have no means to fight those monsters. We only have this one lighter, and we aren’t in good shape for running. If they track by scent, like dogs, they’ll catch up to us quickly.”
“……”
“Let’s just hide until morning, just until then.”
There was nothing more to say in response.
In the end, the smallest of the group, Kwon Yeonhee, went in first, followed by the slender Yoon Garam. The small dome quickly filled with the two of them.
Dr. Ha Sungyoon, still standing outside, surveyed the surroundings and spoke,
“…I won’t fit in there and my weight might cause problems, so I’ll find another spot. I won’t go far. There are plenty of these domes around here.”
“…Doctor…”
“I don’t know exactly what these are for, but since there are no signs of animals, it doesn’t look like anyone’s nest… As long as we keep quiet when the monsters come, we should be fine.”
“Doctor, let me go with you.”
“Garam.”
He shook his head, holding Yoon Garam’s hand.
“Stay here.”
“……”
“No matter what happens, I’ll come back to fix it. You know that, right?”
“…Of course I do.”
“There’s nothing to fear.”
He added,
“Don’t get too caught up in your emotions.”
“…Okay.”
“We just need to wait until morning.”
With those words, Dr. Ha Sungyoon passed by the dome they had entered. Kwon Yeonhee felt a vague unease but couldn’t pinpoint its cause, so she just listened to the fading sound of his footsteps.
There was only one hole in the tightly woven dome, so they couldn’t see where Dr. Ha Sungyoon went. They only knew from the gradually fading footsteps that he hadn’t settled nearby.
The rustling stopped, and the tiny flame of the lighter went out, plunging everything into darkness, turning their surroundings pitch black.
“…Um…”
Kwon Yeonhee spoke cautiously.
“About earlier… I’m sorry.”
“Huh? What for?”
“For crying when everyone is already struggling…”
“No, there’s nothing to apologize for.”
“But still.”
“Really, it’s okay.”
Yoon Garam’s soft, whispered voice echoed faintly in the dome.
“…It’s not like we handled things perfectly either…”
“……”
Kwon Yeonhee guessed that by ‘we’, she meant herself and Dr. Ha Sungyoon.
Thinking about this, Kwon Yeonhee asked,
“Are you two… close?”
“…With the doctor?”
“He only speaks informally to you… Though it seems very rare.”
“Ah…”
After a pause, Yoon Garam responded.
“Rather than being close, we’ve known each other for a long time. Almost ten years…?”
“Wow.”
“I first met him when I was in high school.”
Yoon Garam, as she spoke, was fiddling with her ear.
“I was severely injured… and he took care of me throughout my hospital stay.”
Her soft and calm voice was somewhat similar to Dr. Ha Sungyoon’s.
“……”
Though she couldn’t see it, it somehow felt tangible.
Her lips, as she spoke, would be soft, and her pale skin would be cold. Having held her hand a few times before, Kwon Yeonhee already knew about her low body temperature.
But without seeing, she could imagine the greenish gaze. Round, dark, or floating eyes seemed to draw themselves, and Kwon Yeonhee subtly tensed her body into a ball.
“…Hmm.”
She felt that Yoon Garam’s expression was a bit odd.
‘Is it because of the atmosphere?’
Suddenly, she felt fear.
Kwon Yeonhee thought that her current trembling was likely due to the entirely darkened world. She wanted to think so. She didn’t want to make the same mistake again after having left department head Lee Jaehun behind.
“I’m always grateful.”
“……”
“Thanks to him, I’m alive.”
…Yet, to be honest, she was somewhat scared of the person sitting next to her.
All of a sudden.
‘So…’
She couldn’t pinpoint the reason for her fear, but she had some guesses.
Maybe it was because they had been around the campfire for so long and were now plunged into complete darkness, or because Yoon Garam’s voice, usually reticent about personal stories, sounded the same as always. Or perhaps, it was due to some other irrational theories.
In the end, Kwon Yeonhee couldn’t come up with a plausible answer, and soon, Yoon Garam fell silent as well. Kwon Yeonhee felt her spine grow cold in the immediate silence.
Time seemed to flow without her knowing.
“……”
“……”
After a brief silence, a gentle voice emerged.
“…Do you know, Yeonhee-ssi?”
“…Know what?”
“I’m really afraid of fire.”
“……”
“I’m scared, and also…”
For a very brief moment,
“…I’m terrified.”
She thought she heard a laugh through the pitch-black darkness.
“…That…”
Of course, she must have misheard, it must be just her imagination.
“……”
Kwon Yeonhee rubbed her fingertips and realized they were growing cold.
Her heartbeat pounded in her head.
It felt like a large, winged insect was rampaging inside her ear, and a moving vine from before seemed to brush around her neck. She couldn’t explain why she felt this way.
Just when she felt she couldn’t leave things as they were and carefully opened her mouth,
“……”
“…Huh?”
Immediately after,
She saw flames burning brightly in the distance.
“…Uh, uh…”
“……”
“Over there, it’s…”
Kwon Yeonhee instinctively felt that the location was where Director Lee Jaehun and Deputy Jung were.
She broke free from the tension that had frozen her body and began to stir. No matter how well Jung Inho had protected the group with his monkey wrench, it was uncertain if he could have survived amidst so many monsters. The bloodstains covering Lee Jaehun’s body swirled in her mind.
Exhaling deeply, she said,
“…We can’t…”
They can’t be dead.
She thought of the bloodied man they had left behind, the one they had cast aside without a word. The one she had momentarily forgotten.
As she reflexively moved to dash out, Yoon Garam, who had been quietly watching her, stopped her. His strong grip, wrapping around her shoulders and seizing her wrist, held her firmly. It was a solid grip that seemed almost impossible from his slender frame.
A monotonous voice, completely at odds with his strength, resounded.
“Where are you going?”
“Right now, there’s a fire, the fire is burning over there.”
“Don’t go.”
“But the director and Inho-ssi are over there…!”
“Don’t go.”
“……”
“Don’t go.”
“…Uh…”
A calm, steady voice with no inflection.
Her heart sank, and her face froze as she stopped moving.
“…If you go into that blazing fire.”
“……”
“Yeonhee-ssi, the doctor, and that crazed Director Lee Jaehun will all…”
Turning to her in unbearable doubt,
“…Die.”
She saw a smile on the face illuminated by the flames.
“……”
And she saw the green eyes.
Something clean yet murky, not dirty like a sewer, but still opaque and obscuring the view behind it. Like something from a forest, enshrouded in smoke, losing its form—trees, flowers, something round like that.
It called out to her.
“…Yeonhee-ssi.”
“……”
“I want to live.”
Why she read ecstasy there,
Why it was Yoon Garam, Kwon Yeonhee couldn’t understand.
“…Uh…”
A rustling sound.
The sound of vines passing by.
* * *
At least that part was exactly as Lee Jaehun wanted.
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