Episode 199
Jeong In-ho exhaled slowly as he followed Director Lee Jae-heon up to the rooftop.
“Ah, Manager Lee. “Did you come early today too?”
“I always come early.”
“People are really sincere….”
Lee Jae-heon can be seen calmly having a short conversation with people coming and going. I’m not sure about his subordinates, but at least to those who were on the same level or higher than him, the expression on his face didn’t look bad, perhaps because he showed a fairly steady demeanor.
The manager of the next department glances behind Lee Jae-heon and smiles.
“Afterward? “It’s not Assistant Manager Jeong.”
“…good morning.”
As soon as I could barely open my mouth, the other person burst into laughter.
“It doesn’t look like a particularly good morning to you, Jeong In-ho, does it? “Why are you craving the kids below you again?”
“These days, kids can’t communicate with each other when it comes to singing. “Why are you expressing so cheaply that you would like to have a calm conversation?”
“You have to do it in moderation, in moderation. Anyway, you need to know that the planning team is tight…”
“It’s not that it’s tight, it’s true. “It wasn’t like this in our time.”
“Kids these days make fun of us for being old-timers, so we need to be careful about what we say.”
“Is there a manager who is as good as me?”
“Something like that. “You have to be careful about things like that so the kids below you don’t run away, Manager Lee.”
“If you run out, where are you going? You have to know the topic and stick to it.”
Even in a calm conversation, Jeong In-ho found it difficult to manage his facial expressions. I could see the other person passing by, but despite that, I couldn’t show any reaction other than maintaining a blank expression.
Of course, it wasn’t because I got heated or frustrated with the conversation. At that level, Jeong In-ho could make as many expressions as he wanted. You must have laughed. He must have laughed awkwardly or embarrassedly at the conversation he heard. Since we’re not on the same floor, we don’t see each other often, but since we do come and go, there’s no harm in leaving a good impression.
“…Jung In-ho, I guess you’re not feeling well today?”
“The reason it’s not good is because my stomach is upset. “I’m already on my way to talk about that.”
“Well, there are days like that.”
The good news is that no one seems to have a big problem with it thanks to his regular image management, but even that couldn’t give Jung In-ho any comfort.
“Let’s have a drink later, okay? Together.”
“Um… I was planning to do it with my kids first sooner or later. Catch me later. If you combine departments, the size will increase. There aren’t any specific cases…”
“Hahaha, then you can look at it separately. It’s also a good idea to get together with the managers…”
“Then what kind of food do you have for the company dinner? “Really people too.”
“This is why the planning team came running out crying.”
The other person, who clicked his tongue but didn’t look that bad, obediently backed away. After exchanging greetings with Jaeheon Lee with a light nod, they appeared to go their separate ways. Jeong In-ho blinked a couple of times at the sight of the two, then followed Lee Jae-heon a beat later.
Nothing had changed.
“….”
But that wasn’t to be the case.
‘…Is this right?’
Jeong In-ho’s eyes trembled slightly at the overly ‘everyday’ appearance.
I opened my eyes. Narrow room with old walls. When I came to my senses, I found myself inside a familiar house. When I got up from the bed, I no longer felt pain in my abdomen, and the suffocating air that had been holding my breath was gone. I couldn’t feel any pressure pressing down on my whole body, as if I had been prey to a spider.
What I realized right after the momentary feeling of peace was that he had escaped from the other side of the world.
“Take care of Deputy Jeong.”
“…yes.”
When I saw Jaeheon Lee waiting in the elevator, pressing the button, I took a step forward.
“It’s only because people are this slow….”
Tak.
The iron doors of the elevator closed with a faint noise.
Jeong In-ho stood behind Lee Jae-heon and saw him frowning. Unlike in the other world, the hairstyle is neatly slicked back. The buttons were meticulously fastened and the collar of the dress shirt was angled. A silver watch that wraps around the wrist. The attire itself was not noticeable, as if it wasn’t bad, but it still felt like a person who wanted to show off their wealth.
The conversations you have with people, the facial expressions you make, the way you walk, the way you speak, the atmosphere…
“I’m not going to do anything.”
“…sorry.”
Everything was the ‘Manager Lee Jae-heon’ that Jeong In-ho remembered.
“I’m a little out of it today.”
I felt that the smile I had worked hard to put on had become stiff.
‘It’s someone I know… right?’
It was because of that thought.
The calm fear that Jeong In-ho is currently experiencing began with a shallow and small question. It was to see whether that was ‘Manager Lee Jae-heon’ before the behind-the-scenes world, or ‘Lee Jae-heon’ who had gone through the behind-the-scenes world together.
Of course, I thought it was the latter at first. So even though I was so worried that I disappeared last night without leaving a message to anyone, I thought it was possible. Lee Jae-heon has a strange and cruelly insensitive side. Unlike us, who escaped the secret world for the first time, he had already experienced this many times, so he may have just fallen asleep because he was tired.
So, as soon as I came to the company, I just expressed my resentment towards Lee Jae-heon, and coincidentally, team leader Woo Soo-young was next to him. Since she was a person who did not know the situation, it was understandable that Lee Jae-heon continued acting as before. That’s why Jeong In-ho also matched the rhythm….
“Why are you so out of your mind?”
I checked the emails and work files accumulated on my computer.
“….”
“Where does it hurt to be like this?”
During the conversation we had as soon as we got to work, there was an email that hadn’t arrived yet, as ‘Manager Lee Jae-heon’ said. In-ho Jeong was confused at that moment when he confirmed that what he thought was just a made-up excuse actually existed.
‘no way?’ I had a thought.
“…It hurts….”
Maybe I’m sick.
No matter how much he looked at it, Lee Jae-heon looked like the old manager he remembered, and he didn’t even give Jeong In-ho the slightest hint about the behind-the-scenes world. Before visiting the secret world, he would have been certain one way or the other, but Jeong In-ho, who had experienced such a bizarre incident, had to think of all sorts of cases.
I was given the position of main character in Lee Jae-heon’s place. I don’t know if that guess is correct, but if that really happens, Jaeheon Lee. If Lee Jae-heon, who was judged to be no longer valuable, has died, then the only remaining character he played as ‘Manager Lee Jae-heon’ is left. Of course, Director Lee Jae-heon is not a mannequin monster now, but if that were really the case.
then.
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“….”
“It’s okay.”
What should I do?
“It’s okay…”
I wondered what on earth I should do.
I was worried.
“….”
“….”
“…Mr. Jeong In-ho?”
In-ho Jeong.
“ah.”
I was startled and raised my head to see Lee Jae-heon with a now familiar expression.
“…Boss.”
“…What’s wrong? Why is your expression so… did you have any problems when you came out? “Somewhere it hurts or nothing has recovered.”
“Boss.”
“You don’t look injured, but why is your face so pale? Oh right. If you see mannequins moving, which can be found in any department store, there is no need to be scared. That’s just…”
“Chief.”
“…What is it?”
Worried, embarrassed, anxious.
“Why do you keep calling me and it hurts my ears?”
A face that tries to cover up all those emotions with just a slight frown.
The hand that had been tightly curled as if holding a dry straw was loosened. And I held on again before all the strength left my body. I clasped my hands tightly and looked at Jaeheon Lee.
“…Jung In-ho?”
“Why didn’t you contact me?”
“I’m sorry. Is that why you’re doing this? No, how can I contact you like that… I’m sorry. Yes, I did everything wrong. But there’s no need to feel so wronged just because you didn’t send a single real message…”
“I was worried.”
Grumbling.
Jeong In-ho slowly collapsed from his seat.
“We were all worried. “You son of a bitch…”
As I crouched down, covering my face with my hands, I heard a voice that was as loud as a street slang.
“What man…? “You son of a bitch?”
“Mr. Ha, really.”
The effort to lighten the mood with a light tone of conversation was futile.
Jeong In-ho let out a helpless laugh in the darkness, still covering his dry face.
“It’s ridiculous.”
How can people be like that?
How can I die in the most horrible and miserable way in the world and not say at least once that I am alive? How can you leave such a huge burden on me and not say anything as if you just flew away on your own? So how can you make fun of people with such light-hearted remarks?
‘…I can’t ask about the main character or anything like that yet. Still…’
I felt sick with relief and resentment.
“Kang Min-ah cried so hard. Yeonseok is like that too. I don’t know much about Kwon Yeon-hee. I don’t know what happened to the others because I don’t have their contact information…”
“Huh.”
“Couldn’t you have told me at least once?”
“Even when I was in a relationship, I never got scolded for contact like this…”
“How on earth do you want to be in a relationship like this? So I couldn’t get married.”
Manager Lee Jae-heon’s voice became crooked as he mumbled it as if it were a joke.
“Jung In-ho, don’t cross the line, right?”
“I’m really angry.”
“Who is going to be angry now?”
“First of all, you’re not the manager, of course…”
“Huh, bear with me.”
Lee Jae-heon, who let out ‘heh’ several more times, gradually became speechless. The same was true for Jeong In-ho, who collapsed as if he had collapsed. Feeling embarrassed, Jeong In-ho removed his hands from his face and slowly stood up.
Lee Jae-heon, who was looking at him intently, opened his mouth as if he was a little embarrassed.
“…I’m sorry. “I was so distracted that I went to bed right away, so I couldn’t send you a message.”
“I know, it’s always like that.”
“Ah, isn’t the situation really going like a typical lover’s crush…! Strike it off! “It’s so disgusting I’m dying!”
“Hahaha….”
Jeong In-ho laughed lowly and suddenly felt light in the air. Unlike when I was in the other world and would sink to the ground if anything went wrong, when I faced the fact that there was no problem, my stomach, which had been churning like a lie, felt relieved.
Around that time, a thought occurred to me.
“….”
…I guess I did more stupid things than I thought…
“…Hmm.”
“What is it?”
“No, just. “Self-reflection…”
Lee Jae-heon also quietly closed his mouth as if he had noticed something in Jeong In-ho’s words. The sight of Jeong In-ho avoiding his gaze, pretending to be strangely embarrassed as if he was feeling it, was impressive.
Jaeheon Lee opened his mouth first.
“…Forget it.”
“Let’s forget it.”
“good idea.”
* * *
Lee Jae-heon muttered inwardly, shivering at the awkward atmosphere.
‘Why the fuck did I do that?’
When I’m in the other world, I often… What is it? It was because I was finally starting to feel embarrassed about his stupid judgments and actions that I saw quite often.
When I had just escaped from the other side of the world, I was out of my mind and had no thoughts. Before that, I didn’t know because I was running around and didn’t have the time to make such decisions. But now that I think about it the way it was said, I could see that I had created some kind of dark history.
‘Why set it up like that when you can just push it?’
It reminded me of the hardships I endured in intentionally creating a setting that could have been pushed to the limit because Lee Jae-heon had the background and power.
‘Why did you build up your pride unnecessarily?’
It was pride and naivety, and my goal was to support the main character, but when I came to my senses, I realized that I had gathered everything I had and built up my pride. It wasn’t even built properly.
‘No, was it really necessary to sacrifice one’s whole body that much in the first place?’
A moderate hit and run would be enough, but I didn’t know what he was thinking at the time, so he attacked me from the front and from behind, turning my whole body into a rag. If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t be able to do it.
‘Since he behaved like that, of course
I’m going to stick with him and tell him not to die…’ If he opened his mouth a lot to attack and sacrificed himself, it was natural to be so worried and try to protect him. It wasn’t something that could be called overprotection.
So, overall impression.
“…Let’s go in.”
“…Of course.”
Wow, I dug my own grave.
It was our first visit to a secret world where only pain remained for each other.
Jae-heon Lee and In-ho Jeong, who returned to the office, had to comfort Kang Min-ah and Noh Yeon-seok, who were confused and mentally exhausted, and team leader Woo Soo-young looked at them with a very strange gaze.
