Chapter 268:
In the world of previous lives, one could not die unless one’s given lifespan expired. It was possible to achieve death in some way, but it was a rebel method and not a commonly known means, so the ‘death’ spoken of by the inhabitants of the previous world was usually related to the spirit.
By the standards of this world, a vegetative state is considered a corpse. People who could no longer think were as good as dead to them.
“Team leader Woo.”
There were people around Lee Jae-heon who died like that.
“…Boss.”
“Shall we talk for a moment?”
I never felt guilty about that, but I felt responsible. Lee Jae-heon’s personality was not good, but if the person running the organization lacks a sense of responsibility, the organization is as good as ruined. He was not an idiot who did not know that maintaining a community requires quite a bit of effort.
Lee Jae-heon said to Woo Joo-young, who was looking at him blankly.
“Because it looks difficult.”
Although he probably wouldn’t have cared for him this much, he now knew how soft and squishy the inhabitants of this world were. Therefore, it was right for Lee Jae-heon, who was born differently from these chicks, to help him from the beginning.
So, I hope you just shut up and get my help.
“…What about the manager?”
“well.”
I don’t know why young people these days have such a hard time understanding the atmosphere.
Do you think he invited me to talk to ask about my current status?
* * *
Woo Woo-young was an ordinary person.
She herself knew that very well. The reason why Woo Joo-young worked hard under Manager Lee Jae-heon, who was famous for being an old man, and never got angry was not because she was a person of great character. Lee Jae-heon’s line as a royal is quite comfortable, and if a conflict arises, he has to resolve it anyway, and if he can’t stand it and gets annoyed, the harm will be greater than the benefit, so he just kept his mouth shut.
So, how much did you curse Jaeheon Lee in your heart? Although it fell into the category of ‘annoying’, Woo Soo-young’s anger was justified. Who could like a boss who is often sarcastic and often passes work over to them? Nevertheless, the best thing she could do was to hold back and rub her hands, flattering her upwards and comforting her downwards.
“I think it’ll be okay around here.”
“Maybe there is a monster….”
“There is no trace anywhere. “It’s okay.”
To Woo Woo-young, the current Lee Jae-heon was such a stranger.
“…You know that very well.”
“Didn’t you hear? No, didn’t you hear? “Of these, I have the longest survival history.”
“I heard it. “I’m sorry to hear such a situation from someone else, but…”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. “It would be good for me if you could figure out the situation yourself.”
“…Well….”
“Sit down?”
I felt a faint sense of fatigue among the faces I often saw at work.
“Unless you stand and speak.”
“…yes yes.”
Woo Woo-young carefully sat down on the rock. Lee Jae-heon was sitting on a stump where his torso had been cut off, facing Woo Woo-young. The crowbar lying nearby was very noticeable.
No, actually, rather than that…
“…that manager.”
Woo Woo-young’s gaze landed on Lee Jae-heon’s gloves.
“Are your hands okay…?”
“it’s okay.”
“Oh yes.”
There was no way it would be okay, but Woo Joo-young kept his mouth shut.
‘Well, it’s not my relationship to ask something like that.’
I may have seen it wrong because it was in the dark, but all the fingernails on Lee Jae-heon’s hands had been pulled out. Although the colors of the fingers and nails were similar, the difference between having and not having fingernails was clear. Moreover, if not just one or two, but all of them were selected, then surely someone did it on purpose, right?
It was a clear criminal act. It wasn’t something common enough for an ordinary Woo Joo-young to handle, nor was it a problem so light that Lee Jae-heon, the person involved, could easily talk about it. It would not have been possible for him to complain of the pain of his fingernail being pulled out by Woo Woo-young, whom he had no personal relationship with.
“….”
After thinking that far, Woo Soo-young pressed his lips.
“…I have something to ask you.”
“Is there a problem.”
“When you were at work, uh…”
“Are you sure you were acting?”
“…yes.”
The biggest reason why Lee Jae-heon is unfamiliar to me today was his attitude.
Lee Jae-heon at the company was a bit frivolous. He was frequently irritated, had a long, sharp tongue, and was prone to picking on trivial matters from his subordinates and biting them off for a long time, which was a common occurrence in his daily life. Even after hearing that Lee Jae-heon was a royal, there were many employees who denied it or did not know the fact at all. This may be because you don’t feel the royal weight that you often see in dramas or news.
“It’s so different from what I see at work… I’m sorry. “I’m having a hard time adjusting, though.”
“You’re doing well enough, so you don’t have to worry.”
“….”
“…What.”
“Oh no. sorry.”
After speaking softly, Woo Joo-young immediately waved his hand as he quickly frowned, as if he had missed something. I didn’t want to provoke the other person for no reason.
“I was just curious because it looked different. “I heard it, but I didn’t really feel it…” “
…I wouldn’t even say it was acting in a grand way.”
Jaeheon Lee sighed and said.
“I just happened to add probability to the accumulated image. I just struggled because I didn’t want to go to a mental hospital. “It’s not particularly important, so let’s skip it.”
“Oh yes…”
There was no way it wasn’t important.
‘Why am I having such a hard time adjusting?’
Of course, this black-and-white movie-like world was a problem, but it was also a problem that he felt a huge gap between the Lee Jae-heon he remembered and the Lee Jae-heon he is now. If others hadn’t explained it to him, Woo Joo-young might have misunderstood the other person as having a dual personality by now.
This didn’t mean much harm to Woo Joo-young, but even so…
“….”
Woo Joo-young bit his lip.
‘…Should I apologize?’
Her pupils fluttered.
Woo Woo-young cursed inwardly every time he looked at Lee Jae-heon. He willingly countered the words of the employees who criticized him, and even thought that he would just die somewhere. It was a purified version of the delusion that all office workers have, wanting to kill their boss. But the fact that it wasn’t Lee Jae-heon’s original intention was enough to confuse Woo Joo-young.
The real Lee Jae-heon looked like a suicidal person because he felt like he was going to die soon.
“…I am….”
Woo Joo-young began carefully.
“There’s so much I want to say. “There are a lot.”
“I thought so.”
“The fact that you brought me here separately means… does that mean I can ask you everything? “Is it okay to understand that I can tell you everything?”
“You can do that.”
“….”
Woo Joo-young asked after taking a deep breath.
“…Did I do something wrong…?”
Her voice was as small as burning ash.
That wasn’t a question with a clear intention. He was genuinely curious about whether he had committed a crime, and he was filled with resentment toward his boss who deceived him. It was also a bait he blindly threw in order to learn more about the other person whose true intentions he did not know. It was also an attempt to calm the fear of unfamiliar situations and the confusion about beings that one did not understand.
“What did I do wrong…?”
It was the bare minimum of effort to protect oneself.
“Oh, I know no one criticized me. It’s not even paranoia. “I wonder why it happened like this, but I don’t understand, and I’m so tired and tired… I can’t act like I did before.”
“I guess you’re scared.”
“I don’t know….”
“This world, monsters, and strange bosses are probably scary. I know.”
Woo Woo-young was unable to respond to the words that were calmly criticizing him.
“I told you, there’s nothing to worry about. Team Leader Wu did nothing wrong.”
“But…”
“Woo Joo-young did nothing wrong. It was my fault for deceiving you, and it wasn’t because you were a great evil person that you were dragged into this world. It’s just that the person named ‘Lee Jae-heon’ is too unfamiliar. You might be afraid of being lost in a strange world. “I was nervous because I didn’t know anything.”
“…That…”
“People tend to lump such feelings into words like fear.”
Jaeheon Lee wiped the corners of his mouth. A pitch-black leather glove swept over her pale lips and fell back down. Woo Woo-young was looking at it without even being able to breathe.
“Do you need my apology?”
“…yes?”
“You can do that if you want, but you should know that my apology isn’t worth much. Anyway, when we return to reality, Team Leader Woo will continue to break down with me. “It means that even if I’m truly sorry, I won’t stop harassing Team Leader Woo Soo-young.”
“…No, I’m the manager.”
“It is difficult to sympathize with someone who is afraid. “Right?”
The voice that said that was eerily soft and low.
“Hey, Team Leader Wu. “I have grown up in this world since I was young.”
“…I heard it.”
“Everyone thought I was strange. I was a crazy person in this world and an asshole in real life. I don’t hate anyone’s pity. But worries are troublesome and favors are unpleasant. I’m very used to living like this, but you probably aren’t, so I’m trying to accommodate you as best as I can. “This is why I never spoke to Woo Soo-young first.”
“…thank you…?”
“There is no need to thank me, but I appreciate the greeting. “I’m not stupid enough to criticize favors.”
Jaeheon Lee said, spreading his palms upward.
“Now, let’s get this sorted out. Do you really want to become friends with me? With this crazy bastard named Lee Jae-heon? Please note that In-ho Jeong and others voluntarily came in first, so don’t worry about them. Mr. Woo Soo-young, please voice your opinion. “Do you want to get closer to this crazy manager?”
“…Uh….”
“No. Then there is no need to think about it in a complicated way.”
His voice was monotonous, mechanical, and somewhat bored.
“I will do my duty. It’s about protecting your teammates, being as cooperative as possible, and helping those in need. Among my duties, the safety of Woo Woo-young is at stake, so I will protect you, and then Woo Joo-young will not die. “I assure you that you will return to reality safely.”
“…Why are you like that….”
“Just listen first. So what if we go back to reality? I’m sorry I misunderstood you all this time. Are you now going to tell each other your secrets and ask to stay close? You said no. In that case, even after returning to the company, the relationship between Team Leader Woo and Manager Jae-Heon Lee remains the same. I will criticize Woo Woo-young, and Woo Woo-young will work hard while cursing me inwardly. “Because you are capable.”
“I didn’t swear…!”
“I know how to live in society, so there’s no need to make excuses like that. You can curse as much as you like. If you want to have a social life, you have to curse at your boss. What do you think is different about other employees? Your hostility and insults mean nothing to me. No, it’s rather comfortable. This means that even if Woo Soo-young finds out about my situation, there is no reason for him to feel guilty or hesitate to criticize me. Do you understand?”
Jaeheon Lee truly believed that the whole world hated him. In some ways, that statement may not be completely wrong, but Woo Joo-young felt like something heavy was placed inside him. I felt something twisted in the way he casually accepted the hatred of others.
“Then what’s the problem now? You may get hurt a little, but you will get out of the underworld safely, and nothing will change even if you return to work. Woo Woo-young, all you have to do is eat comfortably, breathe well, and stay in good condition. Do you understand?”
“…That’s too shameless…”
“It’s because I’m worried.”
Calm voice.
“Woo Joo-young is too ordinary to be here.”
“I too… can do well.”
“I wasn’t being abusive. “It just meant acknowledging that Woo Soo-young was having a hard time.”
The mechanical and tired face was definitely something Woo Woo-young had seen before. Woo Woo-young bit his lip again at the expression that had disappeared, leaving behind a moment of discomfort.
“With this brief conversation, I don’t expect anything dramatic to change for you, Woo Joo-young, but I wanted to let you know that you have absolutely no reason to worry or be scared. “It seemed like there was a lot he wanted to say to me.”
That was correct.
To be honest, it was true that I felt quite relieved. This world was too unfamiliar and dangerous for Woo Joo-young, but most of the people gathered were trying to adapt somehow. Except for Woo Woo-young, who couldn’t come to his senses no matter what he did.
She felt nervous about this. How many times has she, a talented person recognized by the Ohseong corporate planning team, been eliminated like this? I felt like I was the only one who was late and couldn’t do what I had to do, so I sighed and felt bad, but I didn’t actually get anything done. The fear she felt may have been caused by this loneliness. To her, Lee Jae-heon’s assurances were a great source of comfort.
But a new fear was engraved on top of it all.
“…Boss.”
“Please speak.”
“I’m telling you this. “He’s really… spoiled… he could be.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“….”
Woo Soo-young, who hesitated, said.
“…I think you’re a little crazy…”
Lee Jae-heon seemed to lack something that a human should naturally have.
It felt as if I had seen a corpse with two pairs of arms, a hole in the middle of its chest, or a walking corpse without a head. It was truly shameless to feel this fear after being comforted by the person who comforted him, but Woo Joo-young had nothing he could do.
Lee Jae-heon, who took for granted a face that changed quickly like a monster and a daily life that was twisted, was that much an unfamiliar being.
“Isn’t that okay…?”
At the same time, I felt sorry for him.
“It could be better. You may hate me for swearing, but why? “Why… shouldn’t we take it for granted…” I
didn’t hear the details, but I overheard a conversation about Jae-Heon Lee’s fingernails and other invisible wounds being caused by his family. I couldn’t even imagine how miserable Lee Jae-heon, who had lived like that since he was young, would live such a horrible life and then die such a miserable death.
It was vaguely scary and sad. Just having people like this around me is enough.
“Manager, aren’t you scared? You should be scared of this, right? You should react like that, like get angry or cry. Please tell me you’re scared. “The manager tells me he’s scared too.”
“It’s scary.”
“….”
Woo Woo-young raised his head and looked at Lee Jae-heon.
“I’m scared too.”
Slightly distorted eyebrows and droopy eyes. Woo Joo-young’s hands trembled, his face filled with fatigue.
“…That….”
“Woo Joo-young.”
“Please don’t do that… Really, I…”
“Did I scare you?”
“I’m scared….”
“I’m sorry.”
A person whose expression changes in an instant as needed is enough to be scary. Woo Joo-young realized that Jae-heon Lee was imitating people he was afraid of in order to comfort himself. He couldn’t tell whether that realization was within or outside of Jae-heon Lee’s intention.
It was too much of a twist for her to handle.
“It’s so scary, really…”
I couldn’t adjust to this crazy world at all.
Woo Woo-young was an ordinary person.
