Episode 223 Lee Jae
-heon’s house was spacious, but since he lived alone, there were many unused rooms. The inside of Lee Jae-heon’s house was cool as no one came in and out except the occasional person who came to tidy up the house. It was correct to say that I did not feel a sense of life.
Lee Jae-heon, lying on the soft sofa, fiddled with the remote control with a blank face.
“….”
Tick.
The TV screen turns on with an unobtrusive noise.
A screen that shines alone in a dark living room. The mechanical colors hurt my eyes and the voice that came out hurt my ears. Lee Jae-heon, who was sitting on the sofa with a blank face, muttered softly.
“…Noisy.”
However, the sound was not reduced.
In the living room with the lights off, the TV showing off its colorful colors felt quite foreign. Jaeheon Lee just stared quietly at the screen, feeling strangely disconnected from reality. Without saying a word, like a corpse.
Then, suddenly, the cell phone next to me rang.
“….”
The number that appeared on the screen was not saved, but Lee Jae-heon knew whose number it belonged to.
“…Detective Hong Gyeong-jun.”
―I am contacting you because I believe you have completed the background investigation.
“You also have good timing.”
He said with a shallow smile.
“I just finished checking.”
It was not an easy task to identify and organize all the information on so many survivors in a few hours, but it was also a familiar situation for Lee Jae-heon, who recalled memories of his past life. I didn’t know, but I could easily guess that my eyes would be red and bloodshot.
Jaeheon Lee raised his tone of voice as if he was teasing. It was an extremely intentional action.
“Are you okay with me conducting a background investigation like this…? “What about our Detective Hong Gyeong-jun, who loves the law?”
Hong Gyeong-jun, who was silent for a moment, responded.
-it’s okay.
“Oh corrupt police.”
-Someday, I will definitely put you behind bars.
“….”
-I will also handcuff you.
“Not flexible.”
―Then you committed an illegal act in front of a detective and hoped that you wouldn’t get caught?
Jaeheon Lee chuckled and muttered.
“For that matter, the detective has had many accidents.”
―This was done after reaching as much agreement as was socially and ethically acceptable.
“I never told you what the accident was, but seeing you make excuses like this, I guess you must have been very annoyed by your superiors.”
―Without having to go far, all the seniors were looking for me…
“Oh.”
-In the end, I was right. The criminal was caught, the citizens were safe, and the victim was relieved of his resentment. What more does a detective need than that?
“That’s good confidence.”
He smiled lowly and looked down at the documents spread out on the sofa table. It wasn’t as neatly organized as usual and was completely disheveled, as if a child had played a prank. Lee Jae-heon’s eyes darkened as he looked at the document at the top.
“….”
―Jaeheon Lee?
“Please speak.”
Nevertheless, the smile does not disappear.
What I was most curious about while conducting this background investigation was who Hong Gyeong-jun was seeing so much overlap with ‘Lee Jae-heon’. Who on earth did he think of when he looked at me?
“What are you curious about that made you call me?”
―…Is it true that there is no problem?
How could I see so much overlap that no one could be wary of me, who should have been wary?
“No problem.”
A familiar face appears in Lee Jae-heon’s eyes.
A gloomy and desolate impression. The hair was slicked back, but a few strands of hair stuck out on the side. Snake-like eyes and deep dark circles. Thin eyebrows. Two moles around the mouth…
– I know you don’t like worrying about this, but I’m contacting you because I’m anxious.
“I guess so.”
No matter how I looked at it, it was my face from my past life.
―People like you definitely have a selfish side…
That’s right, I must have been very selfish.
Jaeheon Lee couldn’t hide it and let out a low laugh.
“Are you calling to scold me?”
―I just told you that I contacted you because I was worried, Jaeheon Lee.
“As I just said, there is no problem. “Thank you for your concern, but there is no need to worry.”
―Is there something you didn’t tell me?
“well.”
Detective Hong Gyeong-jun has a good sense.
‘Did you notice even though I didn’t tell you?’
Jaeheon Lee once said that he would just send the errand boy overseas. You probably don’t think it was a lie, but you probably felt something strange about it. You might be thinking that even if you work this weekend, you’ll hit it right.
It wasn’t a doubt that could be erased just because Lee Jae-heon denied it, so I just laughed it off.
“Ah, I decided to meet my brother.”
―…You’re talking about your family, right? Why are you telling me that now?
“I’m telling you in advance because it may be difficult to contact you during the weekend. Don’t be surprised if the power is turned off. “I keep telling you, there will be no problem.”
I also realized that the more I said this, the more I stimulated the other person’s anxiety.
-Can I believe that?
“…sure.”
That’s why Lee Jae-heon hopes that Hong Gyeong-jun will come to see him after he finishes all the work.
In fact, Hong Gyeong-jun and Lee Jae-heon were a combination that made it difficult to recognize each other as allies. Hong Gyeong-jun wants to protect the safety of citizens and the law, while ‘Lee Jae-heon’ commits all kinds of crimes, whatever the reason. Right now, I’m trying to suppress my repulsion because I’m following the minimum line, but…
‘What if I kill someone?’
If you harm the most valuable thing in this world, where you only have one life, without God’s permission. Even then, would Hong Kyung-jun recognize ‘Lee Jae-heon’ as an ally?
Probably not.
“You can trust me.”
So Jaeheon Lee had to target Hong Gyeongjun’s weaknesses.
When I first saw him, it wasn’t strange that he was sufficiently wary and hostile. Nevertheless, Hong Gyeong-jun recognized ‘Lee Jae-heon’ as an underdog. They were recognized as citizens who had to be protected. The reason is because Hong Gyeong-jun’s shooter and ‘Lee Jae-heon’ are very similar.
In other words, if ‘Lee Jae-heon’ maintains the same appearance as Hong Gyeong-jun’s shooter, the opponent will not be hostile to him.
―…Honestly, I don’t have much faith in it.
“Detective Hong Gyeong-jun is very suspicious.”
―Apart from that, Jaeheon Lee is likely to cause a lot of accidents. If he had been a police officer instead of the manager of a large company, he would have been scolded just like me.
“I guess you’ve been scolded this much?”
―I keep saying this, but… I have no regrets.
“I thought so.”
So this time was an opportunity. A chance to become Detective Hong Gyeong-jun’s perfect ally.
“Thank you for your concern. But it’s really okay. Everything will be okay.”
―When you say that, I don’t believe it even more, but… I understand.
“Thank you for calling.”
-Nothing happened.
“….”
―It’s true, right?
That’s because Hong Kyung-jun is a person who has already experienced loss.
“…Really.”
How can someone who has suffered so much blame Jaeheon Lee? That’s not possible. As long as Hong Gyeong-jun sees Lee Jae-heon overlap with his shooter.
“Have a good evening.”
―Jaeheon Lee, I hope you have a good evening too.
Pop.
The phone was disconnected.
“….”
Lee Jae-heon, who had been dazed for a while, reached out to the documents on the table.
“…It’s strangely easy.”
Small murmurs were scattered throughout the empty living room.
Jaeheon Lee stared intently at the familiar face in the document I was holding in my hand. To be honest, it’s not a face I really like, but it was my face at one time. I feel strange that Lee Jae-heon in the document is dead while I am alive and well.
“I’m jealous.”
you are dead
“I wonder if there’s that person next to you…”
Lee Jae-heon muttered like that, and what caught his eye was the desk mirror he had recently purchased with separate money. What was reflected in the mirror hanging precariously at the corner of the table was not the face of the old manager, but the shallow face of his previous life.
The thing in the mirror is laughing at Lee Jae-heon again.
“….”
Lee Jae-heon also responded with a sneer.
“That can’t be possible.”
If I had that person next to you, if I had my family. Because there’s no way you could make that kind of expression.
“I am alone on the subject. My personality is dirty…”
At those words, my previous life’s face became expressionless.
He narrows his already thin eyes even further and soon disappears in the mirror. Lee Jae-heon, who was dumbfounded by the sight of him behaving as if he didn’t even want to see him, let out a laugh. They say that when you meet someone who looks very similar to you, you either become very friendly with them or you dislike them very much. Lee Jae-heon is definitely the latter.
The problem was that the bastard in the mirror was Lee Jae-heon himself.
“….”
What on earth is this?
‘What is that bastard doing like that in there?’
After thinking for a moment, Jaeheon Lee looked at the document again.
“First of all, this way…”
I think it will work out somehow.
It doesn’t make much sense since Hong Gyeong-jun is a lieutenant at the young age of 33. This means that there is no problem with the probability itself even if Hong Gyeong-jun’s dead gunner looks like Lee Jae-heon’s past life. Jaeheon Lee calculated the storyboard step by step.
‘It would be correct to say that Lee Jae-heon died when he was in his 30s.’
Hong Gyeong-jun’s shooter died at the age of 45, ‘Lee Jae-heon’ at the time would have been in his 30s, and Hong Gyeong-jun… had probably just entered the violent world. He must be about twenty years old. And Hong Gyeong-jun’s shooter must have first met ‘Lee Jae-heon’, who was an elementary school student when he was in his 20s.
Well, there was no problem with probability either.
“I don’t know how old the ‘ghost’ Ha Seong-yoon saw was…”
There was no law that said the ghost would always maintain the same face it had when it died. No matter how old the Hong Gyeong-jun shooter he saw was, Lee Jae-heon was confident that he could properly flesh out that change. The lies that have been told so far will only become more common.
“….”
So.
“…ha ha ha.”
It was just funny.
“Hahaha ugh….”
It was funny.
“Somehow… I got tired of watching them over and over again.”
The laughter that I had been holding back throughout the call came out all at once.
Yes, it was inevitable. What can we do about the fact that none other than Lee Jae-heon in his previous life was Hong Gyeong-jun’s gunner? No matter how much his personality has changed since he became Lee Jae-heon, in the end, the essence is the same. Since they were the same person anyway, I had no choice but to see them overlapping.
Lee Jae-heon muttered, rubbing his face with both hands.
“I’m sorry about this, what should I do?”
I suddenly ended up ruining Detective Hong Gyeong-jun’s memories.
‘The main character and the doctor have already turned him into a bastard with no answers.’
Jaeheon Lee tried hard. Still, they paid a lot of attention to it because it was the face of my past life. Despite Lee Jae-heon’s tearful efforts, the problem was that the main character only deepened his suspicions instead of persuading him. Anyway, he is not guilty.
“….”
But if there’s something that still bothers you.
“…What on earth is Lee Jae-heon doing here?”
‘Lee Jae-heon’.
The old manager.
Hong Gyeong-jun’s shooter. My face in the mirror.
“I…”
What meaning and role have I been given in this world? At this point, it seems unfair that there is some kind of connection that pops up here and there and complicates the mind. Why was I born into this world as Jaeheon Lee?
huh? babe.
“…What should I do….”
There is no ground to step on.
Jaeheon Lee was still a stranger floating in the air.
