Episode 317:
Not long after entering the underworld.
“The man is really kind.”
Every time Park Da-young said that, Woo Joo-young laughed awkwardly.
“Oh yeah…?”
“I don’t believe it. “It’s true.”
“Hahaha….”
I wondered if the kids would be a little more considerate.
‘Lee Jae-heon and Da-jeong are not words that can be placed on the same level.’
The Lee Jae-heon that Woo Joo-young knew was closer to a child than an adult. Should I say that he is an adult with a large body? It’s an old-fashioned metaphor, but it gave the impression of a child bullying the person he or she likes to get his or her attention. This doesn’t mean that Lee Jae-heon likes his subordinates, but there was a lot of blind and empty aspect to his bullying.
So Woo Joo-young guessed that Lee Jae-heon’s home environment was not very good. Although it was a rude imagination, she tended to believe that most children need to grow up with considerate parents to learn culture and consideration.
‘Well, even though he’s from the Idang group, seeing him come and work at Oseong makes me wonder if he’s an abandoned child… Moreover, he’s still just a manager. Isn’t it time to slowly move up?’
Because of Lee Jae-heon, the late manager, Woo Joo-young, who was part of the set at the company level, was also unable to get promoted, but the consideration he received in the name of ‘taking charge of Lee Jae-heon’ instead of a superficial rank was sweet, so I didn’t have any major complaints. No matter how much Lee Jae-heon looked like, he knew that if he went somewhere else, he wouldn’t be treated with this much consideration in the name of the team leader, so there was no reason for him to run away first.
However, I never thought of Jaeheon Lee as an adult.
“….”
But now that I look at it again, it was true that Jaeheon Lee was kind.
“…Team Leader Woo, I didn’t mean to scold you for anything…” “
…It’s okay.”
“okay.”
“I understood.”
It was clear that he was a really sweet and kind person.
“I understood everything….”
Just what kind of person he was and what he liked and what he disliked. He is a person who forgets all that and ends up walking around empty-handed and wearing a funny mask.
“You don’t want me to go crazy?”
“I just… thought it was a waste. I don’t know if you know this, but it’s surprisingly easy for people to become crazy. Crazy isn’t just about struggling, laughing, crying, and running wild. “There are people like Jeong In-ho who are doing well in their daily lives but have been going crazy on the inside for a long time.”
“That…”
“Don’t think that being crazy is a difficult thing. I just felt so nauseous and frustrated, my eyes were spinning and my head was dizzy. It’s so painful that I feel like I’m going crazy, but at some point, when it gets better, I’ll go crazy. “There’s no need for Woo Joo-young to adapt like this, right?”
“….”
“…If you’re having a hard time, you can go back to the garden.”
Lee Jae-heon’s face showed obvious concern.
‘No, it’s pity.’
Woo Joo-young felt frustrated at the clear human face, not the cold, monster-like face he showed during our last conversation. This was because it was revealed that Lee Jae-heon’s monster-like face last time was all an act.
‘He’s a funny person.’
What on earth was the intention? It may have been his intention to pierce Lee Jae-heon’s fear and sense of alienation deep into Woo Woo-young’s brain and separate her from the other side of the world. Because Lee Jae-heon did not recognize Woo Woo-young as a member of this world. Also, it was probably because he was silently separating Woo Joo-young, a person who should not go crazy, from the crazy people.
“This is Woo Joo-young’s first time, so other people will be considerate, and since I am also a patient, no one will say anything if I leave after this.”
“….”
“Woo Joo-young, why don’t you go back and rest?”
Even though he gave up so much of his humanity, Lee Jae-heon still had the kindness to be considerate of others.
“… Manager, it’s me. “I…”
“I’m listening. “You can speak slowly, so there’s no need to rush.”
“…When I was in the mountains with you. “That’s when we talked about it.”
“Yes, I remember. “I should have told you more properly so you wouldn’t be as confused as you are now, but I regret it.”
“You asked me if I did something wrong.”
When Lee Jae-heon called and had a separate conversation, Woo Joo-young asked about Lee Jae-heon’s appearance, which was so different from what he saw at the company. ‘Did I do something wrong?’
Jaeheon Lee nodded as if he still remembered.
“I did.”
“The manager at the company was a very bad person, but when I came here and saw it, I felt like that wasn’t the case. “I strangely feel a sense of guilt or disappointment… but no matter how much I think about it, it’s not my fault.”
“Of course.”
“But I still thought about this.”
Woo Woo-young stuttered.
“…Should I apologize? And…”
Even if Lee Jae-heon harassed and deceived the employees in real life, it was all a struggle to survive, or at least to remain human. Just as a person struggling to put out a fire burning all over his body would not be held responsible for making a mess around him, Woo Woo Young should have done the same.
Even if he didn’t know the situation, if Lee Jae-heon was suffering more than the deception he showed, a little more…
“….”
Woo Joo-young, who had been stuttering for words, opened his mouth with difficulty.
“…I didn’t apologize in the end.”
“I said so.”
“….”
Even though I inadvertently blamed him, Jaeheon Lee didn’t even seem to have any intention of receiving an apology.
He was a person who comforted the other person’s fears and respected the distance, but did not care at all even if he got hurt himself or shed bright red blood. This is because I forgot everything except my role, which was deeply ingrained with consideration and affection. This is because they have forgotten that they are even human.
“It must have been difficult.”
“Everyone says that, but it’s really okay. “Isn’t this because you don’t understand me well, and you live like this because you can actually handle it?”
“Is this really okay?”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
Woo Woo-young’s gaze landed on Lee Jae-heon’s legs. Although he couldn’t see the wound because it was covered by clothes, Woo Joo-young somehow had the illusion that there was a lot of blood at his feet.
“…That’s okay too.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Aren’t your eyes on the bridge? “Maybe it’s because my senses are dull, but it’s okay. It’s embarrassing, so stop worrying and go away soon.”
“all right.”
Now that I think about it, Jaeheon Lee was really hated by many people.
‘I was a person who worked hard to survive and all that was left was affection and duty.’
So, to some it may seem like quality prey, and to others it may seem like a monster to be avoided. The former made Lee Jae-heon suffer constantly, and the latter eroded even the slightest bit of self-esteem that Lee Jae-heon had.
Woo Woo-young suddenly remembered what happened before he came to the other side of the world.
‘Team Leader Woo, you know that’s all nonsense, right?’
Lee Jae-heon, who was scolding her sarcastically without making eye contact, continued talking as if he was trying to distract her, shuffling through various documents.
‘huh? It’s about manager and employee work. The team leader just intervened without any respect…’
He deliberately tried to be light-hearted and said that no matter how big the problem was, it wasn’t so serious that someone’s safety was at stake. Even at that time, Lee Jae-heon must have had scars on his stomach and legs caused by his own family, but he was acting like that funny old man manager.
Maybe that’s what was difficult.
‘…You don’t have to worry too much.’
‘….’
‘There’s no big problem.’
That must have been something I said to Woo Woo-young and myself at the same time.
Even in real life, as he was strangled by a monster and avoided death, his notoriety was accumulating, and in the meantime, his family was anxious not to eat him. In such a situation, he must have suffered from anxiety that he might fall into the other world at any time, so it must have been brainwashing to myself. This is because Jaeheon Lee had a duty to save the survivors.
Who made this poor person who lives unable to die think of himself as a monster worthy of shedding blood? Who would have done such a vicious thing?
“….”
Me?
“…Ha….”
Or us?
* * *
“I’m a little embarrassed.”
After the conversation, Woo Soo-young became a little discouraged.
“Where did you go and get scolded?”
“Why are you scolding a grown man? We just had a chat.”
“I wonder what the story is about.”
“So…”
When I roughly summarized the conversation in response to Ha Seong-yoon’s question, his expression turned sour.
“…I guess you’re not taking good care of your facial muscles these days? “In the past, you were very careful with your facial expressions, but now you show very open disdain.”
“Oh my. I couldn’t hold back my irritation and let it out. So Jaeheon Lee, why do you think Woo Jooyoung is so intimidated?”
“I think he really thought he was scolded. No, but I really didn’t scold you… This isn’t a company, so why would you do that? It’s just a waste of mental energy. “I feel wronged.”
“…It may seem like he is scolded and depressed, but…”
Ha Seong-yoon looked into the distance and slightly furrowed his brows.
“I thought I had something to apologize to the manager for.”
“Would Woo Joo-young have anything to feel sorry for me?”
“What can I say about the way you look at the manager? “It shows a hint of guilt.”
“…? “Where on earth did you come up with such a delusion?”
“I don’t know, rather than a delusion. “Isn’t that possible?”
“Say what makes sense.”
“Let’s just think about what if.”
“…What if…”
Lee Jae-heon recalled the conversation he had with Woo Woo-young.
‘Woo Joo-young’s tears are foolish.’
‘It’s one of the things that elites easily mistake.’
‘Then just hang in there.’
And then I came to a conclusion.
“I think it’s right to think that you were scolded. I think your words were a little sharp. Or maybe he felt like his efforts were ignored? In fact, it seems like it was right to ignore it.”
“…Of course, that could be possible…”
Lee Jae-heon stabbed Ha Seong-yoon in the side, who seemed to be calm.
“It was often like this at work. “You don’t need to worry so much.”
“But you wouldn’t have had to stab me in the side, right? First of all, I understand what you mean. Woo Joo-young must have had a hard time being bullied by an old boss even after coming to the secret world.”
“Even if I tell you…”
“What are you going to do more than that?”
When Lee Jae-heon turned to him in response to Ha Seong-yoon’s question, Ha Seong-yoon wiped the glasses that were hanging limply from the strap and continued speaking in an indifferent tone.
“No matter what the situation, we have to go home… People are losing their minds.”
“I feel like I want to throw it all away, but I guess I can’t.”
“If Lee Jae-heon and I get kicked out, we will have to live in the garden for the rest of our lives. I can’t think of the patients I left behind at the hospital. “I’m anxious because I think I’ll lose my mind if this continues.”
“You don’t have to say anything, I can see it… you’re going out of your mind.”
In fact, Ha Seong-yoon was too good a person to be active in the underworld. On the first day we met, he saw Lee Jae-heon’s self-inflicted wounds and asked if he should call the police, so there is no need to say that he was so foolish, and he even took care of Yoon Ga-ram, a high school student who became an orphan, treating him half as if he were his own child.
‘It’s easy to say, but it won’t be easy for other people to act like Ha Seong-yoon like this.’
Being able to say that he would solve a stranger’s obviously big problem so easily meant that he was such a brave and kind person. Even though Ha Seong-yoon, a talented doctor, was called to many places, it was difficult to find personal time.
Nevertheless, the reason Ha Seong-yoon can endure in the secret world is firstly because he wanted to go crazy himself. Second, it was because of his obsession with his job as a doctor.
‘It seems like he thinks he shouldn’t live without being a doctor… Even if it’s not to that extent, he can’t at least deny that his identity lies in the profession of a doctor.’
Lee Jae-heon looked at Ha Seong-yoon’s fingers touching his earlobe.
“…I kept thinking about it, but Ha Seong-yoon seems to touch his earlobes when he thinks too much.”
“…Oh, I hear that often. “It’s a habit.”
Perhaps conscious of his actions, Ha Seong-yoon took his hand off his earlobe.
“Like you said, I think I touch it when I have a lot to think about… or when my stomach is a little complicated. “It would be quite a hassle to have to reach up to my head, but I think I’ve developed this habit well.”
“How did this habit come about?”
“Well, do you know when Lee Jae-heon developed the habit of wiping the corners of his mouth?”
“Hmm….”
Lee Jae-heon, who was thinking deeply, opened his mouth.
“It’s been there since I was young. I think he was around 12 years old…”
“…You know specifically. “It’s fascinating. Most people don’t know.”
Ha Seong-yoon burst into laughter.
“It was a habit I developed when I was in middle school.”
“They said it was interesting to see me. “You know it well, don’t you?”
“We know why it was created, so we should also know when it was created.”
“What is the reason?”
“I once wore earrings.”
“….”
Lee Jae-heon stared at Ha Seong-yoon’s earlobe with a straight face, but he couldn’t find any traces. As I looked at him with a suspicious gaze, Ha Seong-yoon said with his characteristic soft smile.
“Of course the hole is blocked now. What are you looking for?”
“Earrings….”
“I ended up getting them pierced just once because of my recklessness. Would it be more appropriate to say piercing rather than earring? It was an earring with a small matte black circle…”
“It really doesn’t suit you.”
“I and my parents thought similarly. In particular, my parents were uncomfortable with the fact that I had scarred my body with earrings that did not suit them, perhaps because they were old people. After wearing it for only about 3 days, I never wore it again. “I managed it well to prevent inflammation, and it healed without a trace.”
“Is it always blocked that cleanly?”
“I don’t know about other people, but… for me, it was like that. From then on, whenever I needed to make a wise decision, I touched my ears. “It wasn’t a habit I made on purpose, it just happened to be like this.”
“Well… I guess most habits are something that happened by chance.”
At those words, Ha Seong-yoon turned to Lee Jae-heon.
“Then what about Jaeheon Lee?”
“yes?”
“That habit of playing with the corners of your mouth. You said it was a habit you had since you were very young, and seeing as you remember the period in detail, I think the reason must be clear.”
“Ah…”
Jaeheon Lee answered, unconsciously touching the corner of his mouth.
“There is a saying that when you speak, it must be better than silence.”
“Is it because of those words?”
“It wasn’t exactly because of those words. “Sometimes, whenever I say something nonsense, someone covers my mouth, and that makes me feel bad… I guess it’s because I tried to shake the hand off or cover my mouth to prevent it in advance.”
“….”
“Ha Seong-yoon?”
“Why are you calling me?”
“The expression on your face is strange…”
“Haha, you misunderstand. “I was just listening.”
“….”
“Are you not going to say more?”
Jaeheon Lee sighed.
“It’s not that anything strange happened. “Why do parents sometimes put a finger in the mouth of a noisy child and shush… something like that?”
“okay.”
“…something like that.”
As expected, this world was uncomfortable with this.
‘The difference between my previous life and the level of respect for human rights is too big.’
In the world of my previous life, it wasn’t a big problem to silence a noisy child. Even if it wasn’t because Lee Jae-heon was particularly noisy, the same would be true. As he wiped the corners of his mouth in a strange sense of despair, Ha Seong-yoon’s gaze became even more stinging, and Lee Jae-heon eventually put down his hand.
“Then… I will first have a word with Mr. Hong Gyeong-jun.”
Now that Woo Woo-young’s problem was somewhat over, it was time to check on the other survivors one by one. To return to reality as soon as possible.
Ha Seong-yoon asked Lee Jae-heon.
“Are you running away?”
“It’s my specialty.”
“That’s funny. Isn’t that what happened because you didn’t run away?”
“This is so sad.”
Jaeheon Lee said with a smile.
“I was sincere.”
It was like that every time, but it was really hard to make a living.
(Continued in the next part)
