Episode 264
“Baby.”
“….”
Lee Jae-heon blinked at the soft voice.
“Love me?”
“…What kind of situation is this?”
“Look at me baby.”
He realized that he was dreaming.
The location was still the hill behind the school, but I couldn’t tell where exactly I was. It wasn’t much different from outside the dream, except that we had come quite far from the shelter we had built near the entrance to the mountain behind us. I felt a strangely strong sense of reality, but isn’t that what I feel every time I have a lucid dream?
And above all, there was someone in front of him who shouldn’t be there.
“I am with you.”
“Maybe I’ve finally gone crazy.”
“You are not crazy.”
“Well, I guess I was already crazy…”
Lee Jae-heon unconsciously lowered his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes. A faint and shallow smile remained on his lips, decorating his face.
“Would I dream of you without going crazy?”
“babe.”
It was definitely crazy.
“love you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t even know how hard I tried not to listen to that.”
“You love me.”
“There’s no way I could do that. “How can I love you?”
“Honey, you decided not to lie to me.”
“You always lie to me.”
Jaeheon Lee took a step back when the woman approached him.
“So don’t come, because it seems clear that I’m crazy.”
The smile on his lips had long since hardened and become distorted.
Yes, sometimes. I occasionally dreamed of this woman. However, at that time, Lee Jae-heon was not in a clear mental state like he is now, and the shape of the woman in his dream was blurry. I thought that was okay. I thought that was okay, thinking that it was a past that I couldn’t help but recall from time to time.
“But not this.”
“Why are you running away?”
“No matter how much of an asshole I am, this is not the case. “You know.”
My voice trembled.
“How can I dream of you killing me with my own hands?…”
The memories of that day were still vivid. I had forgotten about it, but I was forced to remember it.
“Do you remember? It was your birthday that day. “The kids were there too.”
“Don’t run away.”
“How good would it be if you killed it a little more gracefully? “It’s not even a toy that children play with because it’s tattered… but even after I do that, I am.”
“That wasn’t you.”
“The body was me.”
“so?”
A sonorous voice.
“Are you going to run away?”
“…I….”
“With me?”
A face full of a gentle smile suddenly turns into a tearful expression.
“Are you going to abandon me again?”
Park Da-young came to mind for a moment from that face, and Yoon Gar-ram came to mind from her soft smile, but it was quickly erased from Lee Jae-heon’s mind. I couldn’t afford to think about the people outside of my dreams.
Jaeheon Lee’s face turned pale.
“…no.”
“I knew it.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry….”
“It’s okay, honey. “Because I was grumpy.”
“I’m sorry….”
“You never abandoned us.”
Thin white arms wrapped around Lee Jae-heon, but he could not escape.
“Oh how.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“Even your scared face is pretty, my husband.”
“I wasn’t trying to do that.”
“But I like the old face better.”
“I was wrong…”
“It was thin and mean… and it looked really pretty.”
“I was wrong.”
“Still, it’s great to see it again.”
Jaeheon Lee could not do anything even though he could clearly see the small head rubbing against his chest. I couldn’t push him away, embrace him, or run away, so I just stood there and begged for forgiveness. That was Jaeheon Lee’s best.
“It’s okay, it didn’t hurt.”
“It must have hurt. For sure. “I was like that…”
“Because you weren’t like that.”
“…I ruined everything.”
“No, it wasn’t you.”
“What should I do?”
“babe.”
Ordinary brown eyes look at Lee Jae-heon.
“Kill me.”
“….”
“Kill that damn scum.”
“…I….”
“That heinous bastard ruined our happiness.”
“babe.”
“You’re here for that.”
Unlike Sal’s young words, his voice was infinitely sonorous. The clean, pure, and soft voice, no different from the time when Lee Jae-heon loved him, was urging Lee Jae-heon to commit murder.
If that looks lovely, then I must be crazy.
“…If I kill you… what difference will it make?”
“We can get our happiness back. You can have greater happiness than that. “Money, power, fame… your family.”
Those are terribly sweet words.
“How is that possible…?”
“This is a world I created.”
“I know.”
“So I can throw it away as I want.”
“….”
“This is a dungeon for you.”
Thin fingers creep up your chin and cup your cheeks. I lowered my head without resisting the force that gently pulled me down, and my wife gently and lovingly touched our lips. After biting my lip, licking it gently, and lightly poking it, I put my head back.
A pretty and kind face came into Lee Jae-heon’s field of vision.
“Kill as many as you want.”
“…okay.”
“It’s okay if you make mistakes by missing the numerous opportunities given to you. “It’s a world where that’s okay.”
“is it so.”
“Find me when it’s all over.”
The woman said while brushing up Lee Jae-heon’s disheveled hair.
“I’ll wait for you.”
“all right.”
“Together with children in a happier world.”
“Okay.”
“don’t worry.”
Lee Jae-heon blinked at his confident words.
“That bastard is no longer the main character.”
I think Jaeheon Lee laughed at those words.
Without even knowing exactly what that means.
* * *
“―Chief!”
When Lee Jae-heon woke up from his dream, the person he saw was none other than team leader Woo Soo-young.
“Boss! “Just stop. Argh… Really!”
“…Team leader Woo?”
“…Are you awake? “You’ve come to your senses now, right?”
Dark circles and disheveled hair caused by all kinds of work. What was so embarrassing about a person who was already bloodless was as pale as a sheet of paper. Lee Jae-heon quickly realized that he was the culprit who made the other person do that.
Immediately after that, I couldn’t remember in detail what I was dreaming about.
“…Deputy Manager?”
I thought I shouldn’t forget.
“Boss? Manager Lee Jae-heon.”
I can’t do anything more wrong than this…
“Manager…! “I’m really scared now!”
“…Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Ugh, I received an apology from the manager…! “I feel really strange…!”
“No, what…”
Lee Jae-heon, who was taken aback for a moment, took a deep breath, exhaled, and looked around.
“…Why am I here?”
In the dark world, it is difficult to see clearly one inch ahead, so it is common sense that one should not move as much as possible, but what Jaeheon Lee could see was a winding tree, a gravel floor, and grass growing here and there. It was an undeniable sight, somewhere on the mountain behind the school.
Team leader Woo Soo-young said, lifting the torch that had fallen on the floor.
“That… you really don’t remember anything?”
“…Uh….”
I felt a sense of déjà vu.
“…Did I possibly strangle you?”
“…yes…?”
“Oh, I was just sleeping and walking normally.”
“It’s not normal, Manager.”
Lee Jae-heon breathed a sigh of relief even at the sight of Woo Joo-young, who couldn’t breathe and was speaking in hushed tones. Judging by the reaction, it seemed that he did not show any acts of self-harm, such as overt strangulation. Since I had never been strangled even in my dreams, it was probably natural.
However, that does not mean that the current situation is normal.
“…I don’t remember walking all the way here.”
The only possibility is that Lee Jae-heon in the dream was standing in a corner of the mountain behind him.
‘A similar thing happened in the park.’
There was a situation where something I did in a dream happened outside the dream. Still, at least I didn’t move my seat at that time, so how is this really any different from a sleepwalker? Looking at Team Leader Woo Soo-young’s face, it seemed like the other person was thinking the same thing.
“Director Boo. This may be a really sensitive question, but… is it sleepwalking or something…”
“Nothing.”
“…Oh yes, I see.”
“…I’m sorry. I reflexively denied it.”
Lee Jae-heon, who quickly became tired, checked his body to see if there were any other injuries and said.
“I didn’t know, but I think it might have been there. “I didn’t think it existed, but it appeared recently, and it’s possible that I didn’t notice it because I always sleep alone.”
“…Are you speaking too calmly?…”
“…? What a big deal. Looking at it, there are no other injuries. “I don’t remember how I got here. Can you tell me the situation?”
“…Um, yes. Of course…”
“Why are you looking like that?”
“….”
Team leader Woo Soo-young looked up at Lee Jae-heon with an expression that said he had a lot to say but would hold back for a while, then closed his eyes tightly and opened them again as if he had rebooted. Lee Jae-heon admired himself when he remembered that this was a habit he often showed when he was tired at work.
‘How much does an old manager who doesn’t care about his subordinates have to treat Woo Woo-young to even know his habits?’
Woo Soo-young, who does not know Lee Jae-heon’s true intentions, explained the situation by revealing himself as a team leader at a large company.
“After the manager fell asleep, student Vivian was supposed to be on watch, but for some reason, she fell asleep without anyone even waking up. When I checked at that time, the manager was not there and everyone was upset. “We quickly formed a search team with a few people in good condition to look for the manager.”
“…In the middle of the night? “I think it was a bit of a risky decision.”
“That… shouldn’t Manager Lee Jae-heon, who just disappeared by himself, say it?…”
Team Leader Woo Soo-young’s face could be seen slowly collapsing in resentment and sadness as he said that. I praised him earnestly.
“Oh, as expected, Team Leader Woo does a good job. huh? How did you find me in such a dark time? “Thanks to you, I always feel at ease.”
“…Thank you….”
“But why is Team Leader Woo alone? “No matter how thoughtless or immature our survivors were, they wouldn’t have sent Team Leader Woo Soo-young alone into this dark situation, right?”
“….”
Team leader Woo Soo-young, who was silent for a while, answered with his head down.
“…I was not a search team member.”
“…So you came here alone on your own? “Do you have a hobby of committing suicide?”
“no. “While I was waiting, I saw that strange dog monster, not a strange dog-like curse… I was so shocked that I ran away and accidentally found the manager.”
“Huh.”
“I reflexively grabbed one of the firewood and jumped out, so I could see clearly in front of me…”
Oh my, it’s Pompitz. You have to ask people as you go. This thing explodes when bitten.
‘…In the meantime, I took the torch. ‘Should I call this stupid or competent?’
Of course, it was inevitable that Team Leader Woo Soo-young, an extremely normal person, would become somewhat stupid in the behind-the-scenes world. It’s probably strange that I don’t feel pity for her, who is working hard under her old boss. Lee Jae-heon clicked his tongue and snatched the torch from Woo Woo-young’s hand.
“Oh wait…!”
“The fire has almost touched your hand, so what are you doing without paying attention? Let’s pick up some decent firewood and move it. “If this continues, I’m going to get burned.”
“Thank you…”
Since I was carrying one of the thick tree branches that made up the bonfire rather than a properly made torch, as time passed, the fire came closer to my hand. It looks like he suffered a light burn, but if he can’t even notice it, it means his mental power has definitely been reduced.
Lee Jae-heon sighed and picked up a tree branch that was rolling nearby. Woo Woo-young was looking at him with his mouth closed.
“I think we should go back quickly before something unpleasant happens to the search team…” “
…Hey, manager.”
“What is it? “If you are injured, it would be better to let us know in advance.”
“Oh no. Other than just a little scratching… it’s really okay. Thank you for your concern.”
“Did you have any other business?”
“….”
Woo Woo-young, who hesitated for a while, asked carefully.
“…Are you okay?”
“….”
Lee Jae-heon blinked once and answered.
“yes.”
There was no reason not to be okay.
“…Have I shown any strange behavior? Oh, wounds elsewhere won’t be a big problem. “The doctor is making such a fuss for no reason.”
“… That’s not it, the manager… while walking here…”
“Did you at least scratch your neck? Sometimes it’s itchy so you can scratch it, right? “I really worry about people.”
“….”
Woo Woo-young pursed his lips a few more times before shaking his head and saying.
“…No, sorry.”
“Then let’s go back. “I’m glad you met me in the middle. You could have met a monster.”
“Yes…”
It was so dark and the red color of the torch covered his face, so I didn’t notice, but Woo Joo-young’s face turned white.
It was as if I had seen a corpse.
