Episode 517
Meanwhile, the pair of Park Da-young and Jeong Eun-woo have just entered the ‘Amazon of the World’.
“…Arrived? already?”
The two, who were hiding from the monsters, had just received a call from Hong Gyeong-jun.
Hong Gyeong-jun’s voice came through the cell phone.
―Yes, I say so. This is something I just found out from a phone call.
“Uh uh… That’s really fast? “I thought it would take a day or two more.”
―He said he was worried about the people trapped in the aquarium, so he walked faster.
“aha.”
Well, Song In-myeong was the final survivor, so there was no way I wasn’t worried.
Park Da-young guessed that one of the team members, Jeong In-ho, probably gained strength as a returner. That person must have remembered the moment he was killed by Song In-myeong, so he must have felt even more impatient.
―So, I called to ask student Dayoung Park what her situation was like, where she was planning to meet with the team members coming in from the entrance, and if there was any advice for her.
“It’s nice that it’s clear at a glance. Oh, so…”
Park Da-young, who had organized the list of Hong Kyung-jun’s demands in her head, continued.
“…Park Da-hoon was trapped in a glass box.”
-yes?
“Just listen first. I guess that’s probably part of the aquarium’s rules as an exhibition of sorts? “It is a box placed in a large tank containing mermaid monsters, and there is a time limit because the system allows water to fill the box little by little.”
―…A time limit that holds people’s lives hostage is very vicious.
“When hasn’t the other side of the world been like that?”
Park Da-young ignored Hong Gyeong-jun’s stiff voice without paying much attention to it. It was my own loss anyway to nitpick about the unreasonable disasters in the other world. You just have to do your best right now.
She explained the current situation step by step in a low voice so as not to provoke the monsters.
“…So, you and Song In-myeong went to the souvenir shop, and Jeong Eun-woo and I came to get our diving certificates. This is now….”
“We are a little past the Amazon of the world.”
“That’s right.”
Hong Gyeong-jun, who had been silent for a while, asked.
―…Wouldn’t Lee Jae-heon or Song In-myeong do something unexpected?
“…We decided there would be no problems right now, so we separated the teams. I also left Seo-ah and Min-hong at the concert hall. “I thought there was a clear downside to everyone moving together.”
-Well done.
It is true that Lee Jae-heon’s condition is a mess and Song In-myeong is an asshole, but Hong Kyung-jun also acknowledged that Park Da-young’s choice to leave the two on the same team was the best for now. It seemed inevitable.
―Then where would you like to meet Jeong In-ho?
“Oh, I thought about that.”
Park Da-young glanced at Jeong Eun-woo and continued speaking.
“Wouldn’t it be better to see it at the feeding corner? “Anyway, we have business to do there, and your team hasn’t even passed the food corner yet.”
―Didn’t you say there was a dangerous monster in the feeding experience corner?
“If you quietly sneak by, there’s no problem. “It’s a bit dark so you can’t see the monsters, but as long as you don’t make a fuss, you’ll be able to avoid them, so I think it’ll be okay.”
Dayoung Park made eye contact with Eunwoo Jeong again.
“Is that okay?”
“Please do whatever is comfortable for you. “We will do our best to help.”
“Thank you…”
Dayoung Park’s voice cracked with a sincere smile that once again reminded her of someone else.
“Anyway… that’s right. “I think the secretary of this party will also cooperate.”
-…okay. In that case, I will tell you to enter as quietly as possible when the two teams meet at the feeding experience corner beyond the ‘Stream Friends’. Is there anything else to note?
“Hmm… Protect your feet when you pass by your friends by the stream? There is water on the floor, but there are many monsters in the water that cannot be seen with the naked eye. “They bit the person who came inside, and the wound was quite deep…”
Park Da-young conveyed as much information as she knew.
If you get injured in this aquarium, you will not be able to stop the bleeding, and you will have to find clues related to Morse code to cross the stream friends. In addition, all the information about the aquarium that I heard from Song In-myeong.
Hong Gyeong-jun, who heard her story, responded.
-I remembered. The most important information for In-ho Jeong’s team right now is how to cross the stream friends and to be as quiet as possible in the feeding experience corner.
“Yes, I think there might be other hints from the friends by the stream… but thanks to Song In-myeong, we didn’t look there and just came. “Tell him to look for it.”
―Yes, be careful.
Hong Kyung-jun was about to hang up the phone, but Park Da-young tried to say something, but what came out of her mouth were words of affirmation.
“…Yes, detective, be careful too.”
Park Da-young, who was looking at her cell phone with a disconnected call, looked at Jeong Eun-woo again.
“….”
“….”
Jung Eun-woo asked quietly in the jungle where the cries of monsters could be heard occasionally.
“Is there anything you want to ask?”
“…Can I ask?”
“Of course.”
“….”
Park Da-young, who hesitated, asked a question.
“…Do you know me as Jeong In-ho?”
Jeong Eun-woo narrowed his eyes deeply at that.
I felt like I was seeing small emotions overlaid on a face that had been as neat as a machine until now.
Park Da-young was a little startled, but Jeong Eun-woo’s voice was as clear as before.
“Yes, I know.”
“…i know? “You know?”
“He is the acting manager of the same department as Director Lee Jae-heon. “Recently, there was a rumor going around in Oseong that Assistant Manager Jeong In-ho was following Manager Lee Jae-heon’s line.”
“Oh, that’s right…”
“He has the same last name as me.”
“…Uh….”
“He is also my nephew.”
Dayoung Park picked her ears.
“…Once again.”
“He is also my nephew.”
“nephew.”
“Yes, I raised Inho on my back when he was young.”
“Raise it on your back.”
“I’m glad you grew up well.”
Jeong Eun-woo’s lips curved softly.
“Not like me.”
“….”
Park Da-young closed her eyes tightly.
“Are you okay, student Park Da-young?”
“…Fuck….”
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
“Really, really….”
I didn’t want to know about the complicated circumstances of the black Jeong family.
“I… pretend you didn’t hear me. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”
“Do what’s comfortable for you.”
“Aisssi, really… the whole universe is coming together to harass me…”
“Is there anything I can do to help you?”
“If you just shut up for 10 minutes….”
“….”
“…Thank you.”
Park Da-young felt like crying as she saw the laughing adult telling her to shut up again. I couldn’t tell if he was doing me a favor out of pure intention or if it was a high level of sarcasm.
After taking a deep breath, Park Da-young asked.
“Are you two having a bad relationship?”
Jeong In-ho didn’t even seem to know that his uncle was the secretary of Lee Party Chairman.
‘If I had known, I would have paid more attention to the circumstances of my uncle’s house.’
He didn’t even know that his uncle was working for a crazy conglomerate, so it didn’t seem like their relationship would be good.
Jung Eun-woo asked Park Da-young’s question.
“It’s been less than 10 minutes. Can I tell you?”
“Okay, let’s do something.”
“I don’t think it would be bad.”
“You’re not the only one who thinks that way, are you?”
“That may be true, but um…”
Jeong Eun-woo, who seemed to be contemplating whether to speak, soon continued speaking.
“Even though it looks like this, I was Inho’s guardian until he entered high school. “I have been a parent for much longer than that child’s original parents, so I don’t think they will dislike me very much.”
“…That’s a good thing…”
“I made him independent as soon as he became an adult.”
“….”
Park Da-young cursed at Jeong Eun-woo in her mind. Isn’t that what you mean by independence, but kicking them out?
Jeong Eun-woo smiled brightly at her gaze.
“I didn’t kick them out.”
“…Do you know how to mind read? “Is the ability to awaken the other side of the world like mind reading?”
“It was hard to tell what he was thinking because his gaze was so clear. If you have abilities such as mind reading, it will definitely make your job easier. “It’s a shame it’s not there.”
“Oh yes…”
“This is the house where the child has grown up almost his entire life, so we can’t kick out a student who has just become an adult.”
Jeong Eun-woo continued calmly.
“So I left.”
“….”
“The house was passed on in Inho’s name, so you don’t have to worry.”
Park Da-young once again cursed Jung Eun-woo in her mind.
‘I wonder if the house was the problem.’
I thought he was a bit crazy.
Oh, you’re crazy.
“…I guess you didn’t keep in touch on a regular basis…”
“Is there any way to keep in touch with them, which we didn’t do often even when we were together, only after we split up?”
“Oh, you didn’t contact me often even when we lived together. “I see…”
“It doesn’t seem like he likes my contact that much.”
“I did it because I didn’t seem to like it… I guess that’s why…”
“Did you say it was a period of gale and fury? “I have refrained from approaching him because he seems to be avoiding me.”
“Oh…”
Park Da-young didn’t know Jeong In-ho when she was young, but at least it seemed like Jeong In-ho didn’t refuse to contact her because she didn’t like Jeong Eun-woo, who was supposed to be her only ally and protector at the time.
‘I wouldn’t know if I hesitated because I felt a bit burdened…’
And being burdened didn’t mean I disliked everything. I wondered if Jeong Eunwoo next to me knew that, but I shook my head inwardly.
If I had known, the relationship between this uncle and nephew couldn’t have been this awkward. In Park Da-young’s opinion, Jeong In-ho did not even know whether her uncle was alive or dead. Even though I only heard the story briefly, I could tell that these two had a really twisted relationship.
“….”
The important point here.
What if Jung Eun-woo and Jung In-ho, who have such an awkward relationship, run into each other without prior warning?
‘…this sucks.’
What are the chances that Hong Gyeong-jun can contact him and inform Jeong In-ho of Jeong Eun-woo’s existence?
‘I should have told the detective when I was gone earlier. The fact that this person named Jeong Eun-woo next to me and the Jeong In-ho we know are strangely similar might be related in some way… I should have said something like that…’ In the midst of my extreme ecstasy, I fiddled with my cell phone
. I tried, but the miracle of the phone call coming back didn’t happen. Park Da-young smiled faintly and expressed regret.
They seem like adults who can’t help even if they die when you really need it.
“If you were in a relationship like that, why didn’t you tell me sooner…? “I didn’t even know they were related by blood…”
Jeong Eun-woo laughed a little when he asked out of bitterness.
“If that were the case, wouldn’t you have let the detective know just now?”
“…yes?”
“Then Inho will know I’m here.”
“….”
“Personally, I was curious about my nephew’s reaction to seeing him after several years, so I didn’t tell you.”
Dayoung Park burst out laughing.
“her.”
…Isn’t this a rare crazy bastard?
“Oh, I know. Manager Lee Jae-heon also uses that exclamation often.”
“….”
“Well… are you very upset? “I apologize.”
“No, just… just shut up, sir…”
“…”
“Yes, thank you.”
I thought he was a bit of a bad person for insisting on following orders in an obedient manner, but when I thought about what he just said, it didn’t seem like he was particularly stupid. Well, the secretary of the chairman of a large company shouldn’t be stupid.
Yes, that would be true.
‘What is this feeling of betrayal?’
This feeling of a tightness in the back of my neck. This feeling of wanting to pat the other person on the back.
“…Phew….”
A very deep feeling of anger came over her, but Park Da-young was able to overcome it after taking deep breaths.
If you think about Chairman Lee Dang, who brought him a pot of red chrysanthemums as a gift to visit him in the hospital, or Song In-myeong, who is still scoffing next to Lee Jae-heon, Jung Eun-woo was not a particularly ‘rare’ crazy person. He’s just crazy.
After controlling her mind by saying, ‘A cooperative Jeong Eun-woo is a good person,’ she regained her composure.
“…Can you make me a promise?”
“Please speak.”
“Can you please not fight with the people you meet in the future?”
“of course.”
“Is it possible to keep the other person from getting angry?”
Jeong Eun-woo laughed as if he felt pity.
“I think that might be a bit difficult….”
“Jung Eun-woo, just by speaking a little nicer, you can keep people from getting angry. “I will guarantee it.”
“Isn’t this pretty enough?”
“Not all gentle-spoken words are pretty, right?”
Is this really a sign that we should give it a try?
‘It makes me doubly angry to think that they are doing this knowing everything.’
What on earth was going on in this Jeong family to produce two such talented people? It was truly an incredibly powerful gene.
(Continued in the next part)
