Episode 11
All of Lee Jae-heon’s judgments so far have been wise, if not wise.
For him, the memories of his past life were as vivid as those from just a few years ago, and he could not forget them due to his skilled memory.
It meant that we were already familiar with the world, like the underworld, where human life is worse than that of the smallest of creatures.
Yes, in fact, maybe that’s why he was missing one thing.
“…yes.”
“….”
“It hurts when you get hurt.”
Unlike my previous life, in the existing world, value was placed on the pain and aftereffects of wounds.
‘Oh, I forgot this.’
Jaeheon Lee clicked his tongue inwardly.
In the world of my past life, the wound was like a kind of shapeless curse.
It’s fortunate that you don’t die immediately from this curse, and it’s even luckier if you can survive with some action.
So, naturally, I did not pay attention to the pain and aftereffects of the wound.
No matter how much it hurt, it was natural and not special because it was the same for everyone.
On the contrary, they giggled and made fun of the guy who got traumatized just because he got a little hurt, calling him an asshole.
It’s not that those people are particularly bad, it’s that the world’s climate itself is like that.
For Lee Jae-heon, struggling with the pain of his wounds was similar to crying in the conventional world because the winter cold was painful and declaring that he would never leave the house.
So how stupid must it seem to Jaeheon Lee to be worried just because he is injured?
However, in the existing world, the pain and aftereffects were enormous, and this was something that deserved consideration from others.
Jaeheon Lee had forgotten this important fact.
He rolled his eyes in frustration.
“…Let’s go inside the park first.”
“…Are you really going to change your mind now?”
“Uh huh, you should know that when an adult says it. Are you starting to resemble Employee Kwon?”
“yes? Why me?”
Employee Kwon, who was next to Director Kang, said his name was called, and turned his head this way, and Assistant Manager Jeong In-ho kept a blank expression on his face.
He wasn’t a disgusting guy at all.
“Anyway, let’s meet again. “Shouldn’t we start by finding a place to rest?”
“I agree.”
The doctor affirmed his words, saying that they needed a space to properly treat the wounded, and soon the group regrouped.
Lee Jae-heon judged that this meant that teamwork had been formed in a short period of time.
He opened his mouth, avoiding the pitch-black gaze staring at me through his glasses.
“Then let’s move.”
* * *
In the world of the past life, civilization was as developed as the existing modern world.
Even though they were talking about survival and all, what they were saying was that there was a system sufficient to form a nation and the technology to support it.
So, the fact that Jaeheon Lee knew about survival in the wild was entirely due to his personal history.
“First of all, the minimum conditions for shelter are water and fire.”
These were Lee Jae-heon’s words to the group who found out that the inside of the park was almost like a jungle.
He insisted that the first thing to do was to find a water source.
“Of course, there might be monsters that come to this park to drink the water, so we won’t build a shelter near a water source. It may be humid… but securing water is probably the top priority.”
“…Why do you know so well?”
“Our intern has never climbed a mountain with me yet, right? “Please know that this is my hobby.”
Next was fire.
“It’s still March, so it may be bearable during the day, but not in the evening. Since you are not sleeping in a building with all sides blocked, it would be a good idea to light a fire to maintain body temperature. “I have a lighter, so I think this will be resolved quickly.”
“…are you a smoker, manager?”
“That’s not true, but it’s useful for pleasing your superiors.”
Jaeheon Lee took out a lighter with a nice engraving from inside his coat.
It was a branded lighter collected due to the old manager’s obsession with collecting.
Its shiny gold and black exterior reflected the blood on Lee Jae-heon’s hands.
The fuel seemed to be sufficient, as the fire started immediately without any problems.
This guy will be in charge of the bonfire for the time being. He asked, showing the lighter to the group.
“Does anyone have a separate lighter?”
“…I am there.”
When the protagonist shyly held out the lighter, Chief Kang next to him opened his eyes wide as if he was surprised.
“Are you a smoker?”
“….”
“…Ah.”
Director Kang nodded.
It seemed like he had purchased it for the same purpose as Director Lee Jae-heon, but he seemed embarrassed by it, so he seemed to be trying to ignore it.
The doctor, who introduced himself as Ha Seong-yoon, smiled and took out a lighter.
“I am there too.”
“…Doctor?”
“I’m carrying the gift I received as a talisman, so don’t look at it that way.”
“aha.”
And Garam Yoon, the owner of the flower shop, said with a faint smile on his face.
“I’m a smoker, but I don’t have a lighter.”
Since the place I usually stay is a flower shop, I didn’t bother to carry it in my clothes, but after this incident occurred, I ended up leaving it behind. It was natural, since there was no way I could think of a cigarette when my life was in immediate danger.
In response to President Yoon’s words, Director Kang worriedly asked when they became friends.
“You didn’t bring any cigarettes, right? “I heard it’s hard to tolerate smoking. Is that okay?”
“I’m embarrassed that you’re seriously worried. “I think it will be difficult to get it separately, so I’m just going to take this opportunity to buy it.”
Lee Jae-heon was secretly satisfied with her words.
‘In the novel, it was difficult to resist the urge to smoke.’
First of all, I couldn’t even think about quitting smoking like now.
Perhaps because he was in a mental state for a long time, he looked for mental support, and in President Yoon’s case, that was cigarettes.
In Jae-heon Lee’s mind, a description of President Yoon expressing his anxiety by chewing the tips of his fingers until the flesh, not the nails, became ragged.
In the novel, Yoon Garam was unable to quit smoking until the end, but it would be nice if things were different this time.
“It should be easy to start a fire since there are three lighters.”
“Fortunately, the. “I wondered if I had to hit it with a rock like it does on YouTube…”
“Then do I have to start a fire? Or water?”
“….”
One day, I will leave this position.
Jaeheon Lee answered the question that seemed to be addressed to me as if it were obvious, trying to swallow his nervousness.
“…First, we have to find a place to stay.”
Water and fire, you can do that later.
Of course, if you have time, it would be nice to light a fire to identify monsters in the dark.
However, even if I didn’t drink any water and slept in the cold until the next day dawned, I wouldn’t die, but if I couldn’t find a proper home, I might have to stay up all night with my eyes wide open.
In that case, the probability of death increases.
In particular, there was no place in the underworld without monsters.
As soon as it gets dark, the threat will begin in earnest. It may not be very intense as it is in the early stages, but it was important to occupy an appropriate position for the defense.
Employee Kwon asked him.
“What about the water source?”
“It’s the same thing. “In order to avoid encountering monsters, you will need to find a place that is reasonably far away from the water source.”
“What you’re saying is that when choosing a site, it’s important to know where the water is.”
“I guess so.”
Jaeheon Lee added.
“So… is there anyone who is familiar with the structure of the park?”
As I entered the secret world, my memories and appearance changed a lot, but the structure itself, including the company and the flower shop, was not completely distorted.
It would be of great help to know the original structure of the park, as its original form remains.
President Yoon, who had been quietly observing Lee Jae-heon’s words, cautiously raised his hand.
“I… I know something. “I often go for walks.”
“okay.”
Jaeheon Lee internally sighed in relief at her words.
‘I would have been a little disappointed if he didn’t come out like this.’
In the novel, President Yoon was the last to join the group, meaning he survived in the park for several days on his own.
This may have been due to her constitution, but it was also the structure of the park that the flower shop owner knew played a role.
Because I went for a walk in the park across from the flower shop every weekday at 4 o’clock, I knew a good place to hide from monsters.
However, because I was already in a state of mental breakdown due to the incident at the flower shop, I was unable to share such good information with others.
Even the protagonist only benefited from it when he escaped from the park.
‘But not now.’
Unlike the novel, President Yoon’s current mental strength was quite good.
The doctor who was torn to death before his eyes is alive and well, and instead of wandering around alone because he was so mentally broken, he has a companion he can rely on.
Due to the human nature of digging into the ground the more left alone, the current situation with 7 people gathered together would not have made him feel too bad.
Moreover, it was Lee Jae-heon, not anyone else, who asked the question hoping for the above answer.
He had already earned her enough favor by saving the doctor and the owner at the flower shop, so Yoon Garam’s mouth was easily opened.
There was no reason not to say it in the first place.
President Yoon looked around with a puzzled expression for a moment, then drew a picture on the dirt floor and explained.
“Here… I guess that’s where we are now. “It’s been a while since I came through the front door.”
“oh.”
“Of course, I’m not sure what has changed a lot, but um. The original walking path was…”
The flower shop owner, who must have had a good memory, drew the original park as he remembered and even told me where the lake was in it.
Because it was such a large park, there were three water sources.
Jaeheon Lee internally nodded while confirming that.
‘That’s roughly right.’
In fact, Lee Jae-heon, who visited the park last Saturday, also roughly remembered what the original structure of the place was like.
I came here with the map memorized.
However, as I continue to worry, Lee Jae-heon had no intention of coming to the underworld and staging a one-man show.
That was the role of our main character, who had a bright future but was even gum-gum, not the role of Lee Jae-heon, who had already rolled around in some muddy field.
And fortunately, the main character, who had been listening carefully to President Yoon, nodded and opened his mouth.
“Then wouldn’t it be okay around here? “Of course, I don’t know if it’s still a lake… but it’s not that far from the water source.”
“I think it was the best decision as long as the sculpture on display didn’t change much.”
The sculpture that the flower shop owner said was shaped like a wall.
There are trees blocking the outskirts of the park in the back and a sculpture in front of them, but the left and right sides are left open for people to take a walk.
And in the novel, this was the place where President Yoon lasted the longest.
“I think it’s okay.”
As Lee Jae-heon nodded, Director Kang, who had been watching, also opened his mouth.
“I like it too.”
“Actually, I don’t know much about the structure of the park… so I don’t think there are any other options.”
“It’s not that far.”
The good thing about them being that they were still chicks was that they didn’t cause division within the team with presumptuous remarks.
Lee Jae-heon looked at the sky with inner satisfaction. The trees in the park had grown so damn big that they were quite obscured, but there was still some sunlight left.
‘Roughly… 5 O’clock?’
Of course, I don’t know the exact time, but considering the sun hadn’t completely set, I think it was around that time.
He covered his mouth and blinked.
“….”
Through my glances, a seal between the trees caught my eye.
“…Then let’s move.”
“It may have been around 5 p.m., but they were still loitering and hesitating near the main gate of the park.”
Lee Jae-heon gathered his companions, recalling the phrase from the novel.
Members of society who had no interest in exercise stood up, groaning at their stiff bodies, and it did not take long for them to form a line again.
He thought as he secretly looked beyond the trees in the process.
‘Those guys must be the students the main character first met at the park.’
There were two people hiding between the trees decorating the front gate, and they were brother and sister.
The main characters, this brother and sister, are the type of survivors who have survived by clinging to the main character from the beginning.
Of course, it was the younger brother who made the decision and the older sister who acted on it, but there was no doubt that he made a quick and smart decision that even an adult could not make.
When they were in the cafe and were eaten by the other side, there was no one around except their brother and sister.
They quickly leave the cafe, which has turned into something grotesque and there is no monster, and after looking around, they spot the owner of a flower shop trudging toward the park’s main gate and follow her.
I guess I wanted someone to explain this situation.
However, when they actually stepped behind them and checked, President Yoon’s condition was at a level that could not be said to be good even with empty words, and in the end, the siblings hesitated for a while at the front door and soon saw the main character coming in through the front door and decided to cling to him.
Since he was trying to lead the group as much as possible, he was judged to be an adult who could be relied on.
‘Unlike the novel, he probably saw our group heading to the park from afar and followed us.’
Jaeheon Lee nodded inwardly.
Perhaps the reason I didn’t talk to them right away was because there were so many people and blood was everywhere.
Even in the case of Lee Jae-heon and the main character, aren’t they each holding a weapon covered in red and strange-colored liquid?
It would have been suspicious to talk to him without knowing anything.
In fact, considering that one of the park episodes featured a group of people who betrayed their humanity, it was a very wise decision.
No matter how confusing and anxious the situation was, it would have been foolish to approach the other person without knowing their information in such a disadvantageous situation.
They were students who were smart and had useful behavioral skills, so they were worth more than most adults, so Lee Jae-heon was willing to have them in his group.
Anyway, adding two people to the crowded crowd wasn’t going to be a bad thing.
Moreover, the image of an adult trying to protect a minor would be useful in weakening the title of old manager.
“….”
“… Manager? “Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, I was thinking about something else for a moment.”
Jaeheon Lee said that and pressed his temples.
‘Have I already done enough?’
If even the main character who had the worst relationship with him was worried about Lee Jae-heon’s condition, those who usually just got along poorly would have evaluated him more generously.
It should be seen as the result of sacrificing his shoulder and leg in addition to saving his life.
Of course, I didn’t really sympathize with Lee Jae-heon, but I didn’t intend to interfere with the fact that he was viewed favorably.
If it gets worse and I can’t maintain distance, I’ll have to take action, but right now it’s not that bad.
maybe.
So, is there a need to build more favor here? I thought I could just let my temper dictate, but…
“….”
Well, that’s a stupid idea.
‘Now is not the time for me to cover up.’
A human relationship can be broken down with just one chance, even if you build up goodwill 100 times.
The main character, who already remembers the trashy relationship between superiors and subordinates at the company, is now even worried, but with just a slight twist, their relationship could turn into a negative.
The build-up was going well at best, and I had no intention of letting my guard down.
Anyway, due to Lee Jae-heon’s personality, he would not do anything that would only earn the protagonist’s favor.
Since our temperaments are different, we will always fight and conflict over our extremely different ideologies, so I thought it would be a good idea to buy up as much favor as possible in preparation for losing that favor.
Or take on more debt.
Lee Jae-heon blinked as he saw the group who had suddenly stopped walking.
“Oh, maybe… I think this is the right place.”
“Was it originally this big of a sculpture, sir?”
“I don’t think so… I guess this one has grown just like our flower shop.”
“….”
He looked around.
Monsters may come through the trees behind you, but if you look at it conversely, it’s like increasing your shield.
The large wall-shaped sculpture would block sunlight and make it cold, but it would block the wind at least and there was a lake a short walk away, so it didn’t seem like a bad space.
In addition, since both sides are wide open, wouldn’t it be possible to escape if necessary? I was a little worried about how to make a ceiling, but the main character of the novel managed to survive without a ceiling throughout the park episode.
From what I remember, it wasn’t going to rain, so I didn’t think I would have to work right away.
‘Of course, I’ll have to build a rough structure tomorrow, but…’
Lee Jae-heon put the pipe down on the floor and stretched out his hands.
“…this.”
His palm, which had no calluses at all, was torn as if he had drawn a long line.
