Episode 219:
I thought it was a foolish act of someone lacking affection, but it turned out to be a preparation for a crime by an artistic person. I thought it was a preparation for a crime committed by an artistic patient, but in reality it was for a gathering of survivors from the underworld…
‘The family will only know about the second part, but that’s complicated enough.’
Well, it didn’t matter because the first concept was going to be abandoned sooner or later. In the end, Lee Jae-heon can be seen as a ‘competent killer sprout’ to his family and a ‘crazy guy who does this’ to the survivors.
Lee Jae-heon said while looking at Hong Gyeong-jun, who had finished drinking the herbal tea.
“I will let you know about the deposit amount at the meeting, so just send a text message telling me not to worry too much. “If you get anxious and contact the wrong bank, it will be a headache.”
“Most people knew at least vaguely that it was Lee Jae-heon’s doing, so I don’t think you need to worry about that. In fact, the only person who would do something like this is Jaeheon Lee.”
“Haha, such an embarrassing compliment again.”
“It’s good to see positivity, really.”
Hong Gyeong-jun, who was tapping his fingers on the table for a moment, asked him.
“So, did you have a good conversation with President Choi Jeong-man and the two students?”
“This is about consent to invasion of privacy, right? First of all, things went well with students Dahoon Park and Dayoung Park.”
The Park siblings even looked at me blankly, as if asking, ‘What have you done that you haven’t done until now?’ They thought they would come to their home through a background check, rather than coming to the school to search for their school uniform. Lee Jae-heon was impressed by the way they naturally accepted the background investigation.
But President Choi Jeong-man was still there.
“That’s surprising. “I thought you had already told me that you would meet separately on purpose…” “
…I… the words didn’t come out well.”
I’m just trying to get the timing right so it doesn’t come out.
‘I put so much effort into the relationship, but I can’t destroy it in an instant.’
To be honest, what Jaeheon Lee was targeting was Choi Minhong’s child, but since Choi Minhong was a 6-year-old chick, it was important to win the favor of his guardian. But how would they view Lee Jae-heon if he suddenly said, ‘I will infringe on your personal information’? Even though they are not five-star friends with whom they have built up a decent relationship.
“…Wasn’t it supposed to be a full-fledged conversation at the meeting anyway? If you’re having a hard time, you can talk about it then. “Isn’t it better to hit everything at once?”
“I thought it would be rude to President Choi Jeong-man to go and talk to him at that time. “I’ve had many opportunities to share it with you over the years, but isn’t it a bit strange to ask for consent only then?”
“Well, that much…?”
I will go that far. Unlike the dry Hong Gyeong-jun, Choi Jeong-man has rich sensitivity.
‘Why am I putting in so much effort in the first place?’
It was difficult to gain the trust of not just one person, but even a family.
“Still, I plan to resolve it within this week. “Thursday would be fine.”
“Then what would you like to schedule the meeting?”
“I think it will be done the next day, Friday. Please contact me once to see if you have time.”
“All right. “Please text me when the exact time and address are decided.”
Lee Jae-heon nodded and looked at Hong Gyeong-jun, who got up from his seat.
The inhabitants of this world were very fragile, both internally and externally, and Jaeheon Lee found it really troublesome, but at the same time, he needed their trust. This is the trust of a prosperous relationship without any discomfort.
“Let’s go in.”
“Please enter carefully.”
So, I was able to endure this much trouble for the chicks who were unfamiliar with the invasion of their personal information.
If you’ll be on my side.
* * *
“No, sir. “What’s going on?”
Immediately after leaving work on Thursday evening, Lee Jae-heon called CEO Choi Jeong-man to a bar on the outskirts. It seemed like I had a lot of trust in the person named ‘Lee Jae-heon’ as he immediately came to me when I spoke to him as if it was something important. I felt rewarded for consistently keeping in touch and making contact during this time.
Jaeheon Lee spoke to President Jeongman Choi, who seemed surprised by the sudden call.
“I have something to tell you…”
“Yes.”
“Please sit comfortably for now.”
“I guess so, but…?”
“ruler.”
Lee Jae-heon silently poured a low-alcohol drink for President Choi Jeong-man, who looked puzzled. As a transparent brown light flickered in the glass, President Choi Jeong-man hesitated but took a sip of the drink. It was the bare minimum of courtesy for Lee Jae-heon to pour him a drink.
After hesitating, he asked Jaeheon Lee.
“…Did something happen?”
President Choi Jeong-man spoke first, unable to overcome the heavy yet empty atmosphere. It was a signal that control of the story had passed to Lee Jae-heon.
“You don’t seem to be in a very good mood.”
“It’s not particularly bad. But I have something to ask President Choi Jeong-man today…”
“Ask as many questions as you want.”
“But before that, let me tell you my story briefly.”
“…?”
Lee Jae-heon smiled slightly at the sight of the other person blinking like a bear.
“I’ll tell you in advance, I’m not trying to gain sympathy or complain about suffering.”
“…yes.”
“It’s simply a preliminary explanation to help CEO Choi Jeong-man understand.”
“All right.”
“…So…” When
I shook the glass once, the ice inside rattled and made a small sound.
“I have been to the underworld many times. “Probably since I was… ten.”
“….”
“I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I think you can just think of me as someone with experience. “I know more about the underworld than other survivors.”
“…That….”
“I have a lot of feelings.”
‘Lee Jae-heon’ took a deep breath and continued speaking.
“I thought you said you were curious about the current status of the other survivors.”
“…Other survivors….”
“Right after returning to reality, Detective Hong Gyeong-jun and I have been looking for survivors.”
A short explanation followed from there.
Ohseong employees were the first to check whether they were alive or dead because they worked at a company in the same building. Since I already knew the location of the workplace, I was able to find CEO Yoon Garam and hospital doctor Ha Seong-yoon. Hong Gyeong-jun, whom I met by chance at the park, and police officer Kim Yeon-woo, whom I was able to see again through him.
And President Choi Jeong-man and his son Choi Min-hong.
“But the others… I didn’t know where they lived. “There were some people who told the detective about their residence, but there were also others who did not.”
“…But doesn’t that mean you found it?”
“Yes, because I asked the errand center to do a background check.”
“….”
“The boss met by chance and didn’t investigate separately, but…”
Sigh.
Jaeheon Lee swept the watery glass with his finger.
“I have something to tell you about him in advance.”
I had to proceed with the story carefully.
‘This is not the other side of the world.’
In the other world, the overall judgment of all survivors was impaired, and because of this, it was easier for people to cling to people than to attack monsters.
But this is reality and the survivors can take their time. Survivors with stronger than average mental strength or a confident sense of self would have focused their attention on realistic elements even if they suffered from aftereffects from the underworld. Things like money, authority, and fame. Among them, Lee Jae-heon had to ask for consent to infringe on personal information from someone who was used to dealing with customers while running a business.
“I escaped the other world and returned to reality and had a meal with my employees, the flower shop owner, and the doctor.”
“…is it so.”
“It’s a story that has already come out once,”
Lee Jae-heon told the story again. The procedure was not much different from the time when In-ho Jeong’s team was gathered together and asked for consent to infringe on personal information.
He appealed to sympathy by sacrificing the pitiful past, gave a sense of crisis by mentioning the dangers of the underworld, and took an attitude of respect for the other person by giving them the last option, as if there was nothing they could do if they didn’t like it.
“This is why we purposely looked for survivors. I want to save you and I know what it takes to survive in the underworld. However, in the process, the individual’s private sphere is inevitably violated.”
“….”
“The only part of my research was simply to find out where people who don’t know where they live live. Well, to put up a smokescreen, I looked into the bank account and age, but…” “
…and the money came in?”
“You may have been confused because it was anonymous, but yes, it’s true that I sent it. Since I am treated as a nuisance at home, I have to be careful in these areas. “I’m sorry if you were offended.”
“No, um…”
“We will gather all the survivors together tomorrow evening.”
Lee Jae-heon took a sip of his drink and continued.
“I will tell you in more detail at that time. “If you want to survive in the secret world, what do you need to prepare for? What happens in it? To prepare for that… I even want to do a background check on you now.”
“Is that so.”
“…There is a reason why I met President Choi Jeong-man separately.”
He blinked slowly and opened his mouth.
“What should I say about the underworld….”
“….”
“There are fixed members.”
“Fixed member?”
“I’m a kind of rider who always ends up in the back world whenever it opens up. For your information, I don’t think President Choi Jeong-man is a regular member of this group.”
“Why?”
“Honestly, I feel bad saying this, but these jockeys are a little…”
Lee Jae-heon began carefully.
“It’s not average. Mainly on a mental level.”
“…Uh….”
“From what I can see, President Choi Jeong-man is typical enough, other than having good composure. So, maybe the reason I entered the secret world last time was because it was nearby. “I think I got caught up in it because there was someone like that.”
“Now wait a minute.”
As Jae-heon Lee expected, President Jeong-man Choi looked visibly nervous at the topic of ‘fixed members’. He asked in a voice full of urgency.
“Maybe we… Minhong….”
“….”
“What about Minhong? No, really? “That little one?”
“….”
“Why that kid? “Then that won’t work, then…”
When Lee Jae-heon intentionally kept his mouth shut, President Choi Jeong-man became confused.
“Our Minhong is just that. Just…”
“….”
“….”
After a moment of silence, the other person asked.
“…Do you think our Minhong is strange too?”
There was no way that CEO Choi Jeong-man, who devoted so much affection to his child, would not know about his son’s mental state. In particular, during the first home visit, Minhong Choi looked at Jaeheon Lee’s hand and said, ‘I want to cut it off and keep it.’ He showed a lack of empathy in many ways, and President Choi Jeong-man must have heard that.
Jaeheon Lee calmly shook his head.
“No, I think that is a personal characteristic.”
“Yes, that’s right. Minhong is by no means a strange child. It’s not a monster either. Minhong is just a little dull. “You can give advice on something that’s innate like that, but you can’t criticize it.”
“of course.”
“My child’s mother…”
CEO Choi Jeong-man, who was sighing and sighing, quickly drank all the alcohol in the glass he was holding and opened his mouth again.
“You may have wondered why your aunt, who is not even your mother, is acting as your mother.”
“Actually, I wasn’t that curious.”
“But listen, our Minhong suffered from maternal depression.”
“aha.”
I roughly understood how things were going.
“He was a meticulous person. It was as thin as a piece of sugar. I was a person who had a hard time because my childhood environment was not very good. Sometimes it got better and sometimes it got worse. As you know, it is not a disease that can be completely cured like a cold.”
“….”
“I was never saying anything about that. You must have felt frustrated because your mind and spirit were weakened. I know. Because I was the one who was closer to that person than anyone else. I also learned that my depression doesn’t get better just because people around me say peek-a-boo. Just staying close to me, holding my hand, giving me time… Sometimes, I couldn’t be happier when I get what I want…” “
Yes.”
“…Now that I have a child, my depression gets worse. “My confidence and self-esteem fell.”
As President Choi Jeong-man said that, his face showed very complex emotions.
“I understand. I heard that having children sometimes causes that kind of anxiety. The doctor advised me several times to take special care of my wife… Still, I thought things would get better over time after the baby was born. In my eyes, Minhong was very pretty. “I was so happy when my child opened his eyes.”
“You’re cute, Minhong.”
“But in the eyes of his mother, he just looks like a monster.”
Sadness, longing, self-blame.
“He’s not a monster, he’s our child….”
Confusion.
“…Would it have been better for the mother if Minhong had cried or something? But you know. “Our Minhong is a little dull.”
“I know. “It’s not strange.”
“I should have balanced it better.” I should have done better. He should have played a role as that person’s husband and as Minhong’s father… It should have been done better. I did, but I was too immature and stupid. “He’s a frustrating bastard.”
“….”
“If you’re angry, just take it out on me… You’re going to get angry at yourself. I found out later that it was an outside job. “The child’s mother looks like that in front of the child, and it’s a child… and I’m a child…”
My voice was drowned out by crying.
Seeing that, Lee Jae-heon silently poured alcohol into his glass, and although it was a large amount, President Choi Jeong-man drank it all down. Although he looked as cheerful as he looked, it was difficult to applaud like you would at a typical bar.
“A lot of things happened… but in the end, the child’s mother just left. And my younger brother filled that empty spot.”
“….”
“He is a younger sibling who is much older than me. Even if I put it in my eye, it doesn’t hurt, no, it hurts a little now… Anyway, he’s a really good kid. I’m sorry. “When I lived under the same roof as my brother, I heard some harsh comments from some strange sisters.”
“That’s true…”
“I am a sinner. I am all a sinner. He was not a good husband to his mother, he was not a good father to Minhong, and he was not a good brother to my younger sister. I thought things were going to get better now, but then I heard that Minhong almost died in broad daylight when he was run over by a car driven by a crazy drunk…” He
blurted out, calling me ‘sir’ as if I was a benefactor who saved his life. I think it was because his affection for his family was deeper than average.
“It’s okay to infringe on personal information. It’s okay. It’s not like he has any other intention, he’s just saying this to save us, so I should just say thank you. “I’m not that shameless.”
“There will come a day when you will be unhappy.”
“What if you’re offended? Just punch this crazy guy in the face. How ungrateful….”
Choi Jeong-man, who was hesitant, carefully opened his mouth.
“You can investigate. “I already told you, but you can do more.”
“…Are you okay?”
“Let’s just ask one thing instead. I know it’s shameless to do this. I know. Still, if Teacher Jeong feels sorry or guilty towards me, please just listen to one thing.”
“Please speak.”
“You said Minhong is a regular member.”
“yes.”
“Then please just save my child.”
“….”
“Even if everyone else dies, please save my child.”
I was worried.
‘There is a high chance of saving them all anyway, but that too will be helped by regression.’
If so, the situation before regression must also be considered. When Choi Min-hong dies and the rest live, I don’t want to be caught by the collar and say, ‘Why didn’t you keep my promise?’
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can give you a definitive answer on that.”
“….”
“But….”
Then there was only one option left.
“Even if I die, I will save Minhong.”
“…yes.”
“I can promise you that much.”
“…Thank you….”
President Choi Jeong-man held Lee Jae-heon’s hand while crying quietly, which was unusual for him.
“I shouldn’t do this to my teacher…”
Is it guilt?
‘That’s funny.’
Jaeheon Lee snorted inwardly.
This side was just happy to secure a hostage named ‘Choi Min-hong’.
