Episode 324
Sniff.
Jaeheon Lee asked as the sound of snot rang out.
“…Did you all cry?”
“yes.”
At his question, Park Da-hoon wrinkled his nose and nodded.
“I think we all cried.”
Currently, Lee Jae-heon, Park Da-hoon, and Park Da-young were inside the makeshift building that the survivors had once again built. The Park siblings, who had become more conscious than in the evening, grabbed Lee Jae-heon and started crying as soon as the day dawned, so Jae-heon Lee, who was unable to soothe them, dragged them in and blocked everyone else’s attention.
In the end, the Park siblings, who had been crying for a long time even after entering the temporary building, finally stopped crying, and Jaeheon Lee calmly spoke, perhaps to lighten the mood that had become ambiguous due to crying so much.
“I ended up building it again.”
“…Ah, this house.”
“It’s a bit simple to be a house, but… it must have been difficult to make.”
“Everyone worked hard.”
“Even diligent people do it.”
It was like this when I was in the park or on the hill behind the school, but no matter how rough it was, being protected by the ceiling and walls gave me great psychological stability.
And more than anything, the fact that someone else was risking their life to go outside the safe zone and get daily necessities while doing nothing also played a role. I knew about Park Da-hoon and Park Da-young because they had often been one of those people. Since there was nothing to do and I felt bad about staying still, I decided to at least fix a shelter so that people who had been outside could have a good rest.
“Well… Bian is really good at making things better.”
Park Da-hoon spoke in a slightly hushed voice due to crying for a while, and Park Da-young nodded.
“That’s right, they just clicked and built a house.”
“…I heard it was definitely a Western painting? “Did you have any hobbies around here?”
“That’s not true, I guess I studied on purpose.”
“Oh, I don’t know when I will enter the other side of the world?”
“It seemed like that. He said he learned how to build a makeshift shelter and cook by watching videos and books…”
“For some reason, he brought a saw.”
It was the same when we were on the mountain behind the school, but by this time, the simple building that the survivor team had built had become quite a building. This building, which boasts a neatness and sturdiness that is completely different from the sloppy huts built in the park, had the power to make people feel comfortable, even if it was more sloppy than the real thing.
While quietly listening to the conversation between Lee Jae-heon and Park Da-young, Park Da-hoon sniffed once again.
“….”
The calm conversation, which did not match the sad crying just moments ago, made me feel that they were considerate of Park Da-hoon. Park Da-hoon is not that shameless enough to think that crying at this age is nothing, so he was trying to lighten the mood like this. Don’t be embarrassed.
‘Park Da-young, you always did this to me, but…’
It was so strange to think that the person who gave this kind of vague and transparent consideration was an adult, or even that that adult was among us. There was a sense of stability that could not be filled with Park Da-young alone, and my older sister was probably feeling the same way.
“…Ah, what are you doing?”
“Your nose is red.”
“losing.”
I snorted at Park Da-young poking my side.
“Do you know that it’s not red?”
“Yeah, it’s okay because I’m cuter than you.”
“You idiot.”
“Are you an idiot to my sister?”
“It’s a fact.”
It was a lot more damp and awkward than the conversations we usually have, but it was amazing how I felt like I was slowly getting better. I myself didn’t understand how the mood could improve so much just because one adult joined in. But…
“Yes, I’m glad everyone seemed to be crying.”
“….”
“Are you okay?”
I was just grateful because Lee Jae-heon’s blunt expression, which was the exact opposite of his characteristic dry voice, meant that he cared about me that much.
“…are you okay.”
Surprisingly, it was true.
My eyes hurt and my nose was sore from crying with my older sister, but when I think back to how anxious I was right after my return, I felt much better now. I felt so at ease in an instant that it was embarrassing to compare, so much so that I blamed myself for my shame, but isn’t it strange to feel depressed again?
“If you’re really feeling better, go out and get some food.”
“Oh, rice?”
“If the kids aren’t eating, can adults feel at ease? “Everyone was watching.”
“sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, so go ahead and eat.”
Jaeheon Lee sighed and crossed his arms.
“You really don’t have to do much to reassure people. “As long as he eats well and smiles and answers well when I talk to him sometimes, I think, ‘Oh, he’s fine.’”
“Yes….”
“And you’re probably feeling a bit sick because you’re skipping meals. If you and I have cried together, go and eat properly. “Even if it’s not easy, I’m sure you’ve left your share behind.”
At Lee Jae-heon’s words, Park Da-young, who was next to Park Da-hoon, blushed and lowered her head. Park Da-hoon seemed embarrassed that he had burst into tears at the tears of his sister, who was not his child, but he was just grateful because it meant that his sister cared for him.
‘It was less embarrassing to cry together than to cry alone.’
It was a situation where I couldn’t even cry before.
“….”
But a little….
‘Isn’t it strange?’
Now that I’ve come to my senses, I’ve realized that even though my younger brother, Park Da-hoon, was in a state of collapse, Park Da-young’s agitation was more severe than normal. The person who normally would have silently stood by his side or joked around and tried to wake up Park Da-hoon somehow became anxious.
“…Um….”
And Park Da-hoon seemed to know the reason.
“….”
“….”
But I didn’t know what to say first.
‘I’m not good at speaking…’
Park Da-hoon had good judgment and acting skills, but he didn’t know how to think like his older sister and choose a better option. To put it simply, I don’t have any tact.
In addition, the seriousness of the topic that had to be brought up played a big part in keeping him speechless.
‘…You killed someone.’
In my dream, maybe in the last episode, I killed someone.
They killed people they knew, not strangers, just to get back, and there were even adults who had helped them, as well as vulnerable elderly people and children. Because of the weight of the matter and because I knew that I, and no one else, had made a mistake, I couldn’t even open my mouth.
“…That…”
I know it’s a selfish worry, but what if I get abandoned because I’m such a bad boy that even you can’t handle it?
“Oh right.”
“….”
“I heard the search team found something strange this time.”
It was an unnatural timing, but Park Da-hoon looked at Lee Jae-heon in such a natural way that it was strange to think of it that way. Park Da-young, who was just watching, was also looking at Lee Jae-heon.
Park Da-hoon asked.
“It’s a strange thing.”
“I went back to the mountain behind the school to see if there was a limit to using the wood around here. “They said they did it to check on the pompitz and keyring monster they left there.”
“….”
The mountain behind the school.
“They said it looked like monsters had stopped by.”
“…Ah….”
“There are big scratches between the trees, and the floor is dented. They say there were dozens of monsters gathered together, moving and then disappearing, leaving behind many marks. “It seemed like there were a lot of them.”
“That’s it, uncle.”
When Da-hoon Park barely opened his mouth, Jae-heon Lee continued speaking calmly.
“are you okay.”
“…sorry.”
“Thanks to you, I survived.”
Thanks to you, I survived.
“….”
“You saved my life.”
I didn’t kill him, I saved him.
“…It’s not that… I am me.”
“I don’t know what happened last time, but I told you about it last night too.”
“You don’t know what the situation was.”
“That’s not you.”
“I’m right, I’m right….”
“It’s not something you did, so why are you focusing so foolishly on it?”
Da-hoon Park suddenly felt like he was going to be swept away by Lee Jae-heon’s words.
“I don’t know how many more times I have to tell you, but it’s okay. It’s really okay. I’m not just saying this, I’m saying it because it’s really okay. Thanks to the words you said even in the midst of our hectic times, none of us got hurt, so why do we keep doing this? “You made the best choice you could and got the best result.”
“…That can’t be possible.”
“Dahun, I’m a bit crazy, so I’m confident I’ll listen to whatever nonsense you say.”
“Something like that…”
“Okay, so tell me.”
“….”
“…The adult is asking why you are having a hard time.”
I knew it was a forced tone, but it didn’t feel like pressure at all.
“….”
The affection behind those words was so great….
‘…I’d better tell the truth.’
As Lee Jae-heon said, he did not feel like he was the ‘Park Da-hoon’ before his return. Da-Hoon Park then and Da-Hoon Park now are different people, and even what he did was a past that can no longer be found.
However, it is true that it is Park Da-hoon like himself, and even if it is a past that no longer exists, it is still a future that we do not know when will come. In the end, the choice of ‘Park Da-hoon’, who was pushed to his limit, was murder, so the current Park Da-hoon might also produce the same result. He had no time to be disappointed in himself and was afraid of the gazes of other adults.
‘Still…’
Park Da-hoon opened his mouth with difficulty.
“…I need to tell you something.”
As the last survivor, I had a faint belief that Lee Jae-heon, who had cared for me so much out of a sense of duty to deliver accurate information, would not abandon me or Park Da-young if he heard the truth. Moreover, didn’t Jaeheon Lee already seem to have guessed what ‘Dahoon Park’ had done?
Park Da-hoon made a small calculation that no adult would like him if he glossed over something more in a situation where his mistake was revealed, and eventually made up his mind to tell the story of the previous episode.
“I said… that’s um.”
“speak slowly.”
“….”
As Park Da-hoon hesitated, Park Da-young, who had been watching him, got up from her seat and Park Da-hoon, who was startled to see his sister trying to sneak away, caught her.
“Don’t go anywhere.”
“What is it? Why is this so disgusting…?”
Dayoung Park obediently sat down in her seat, even though she made an absurd expression as if she truly did not understand. Lee Jae-heon, who was quietly watching the scene, nodded as if he understood something.
“I guess there’s a connection.”
“…honorific expressions of uncle….”
“Mr., please skip it. Anyway, is that right?”
When Park Da-hoon pointed to Park Da-young with a glance, Park Da-hoon pursed his lips and Park Da-young blinked quickly a couple of times. Although her face seemed as if she knew nothing, Park Da-hoon knew that she, to some extent, understood the situation.
“First of all…”
Park Da-hoon, who was hesitant, asked.
“To what extent… do you know?”
“Until the doctor dies? “I talked to Ha Seong-yoon, but I guess there was no way to find out until after he died because he also had other talents.”
“Oh, I guess so.”
Seeing him say this, it seemed like he probably hadn’t had a conversation with Jeong In-ho yet. Park Da-hoon continued, recalling Jeong In-ho, who seemed to be living more ecstatically than me recently.
“Then I guess I should start by talking about Mr. Kim Ki-jeong.”
“Why that guy again?”
“I panicked and went into the auditorium.”
“It would have been fine if the second floor standby team had taken it out, right?”
“…Well… Sister Minah came.”
“Is Kang Min-ah the culprit?”
“…yes.”
Da-hoon Park shared his memories of the previous episode as best as he could within his knowledge. Kang Min-ah went crazy and killed Seong Ji-ho, and the one who survived among Kang Min-ah and Ha Seong-yoon, who was attacked by her, would have been killed by the teacher monster or Lee Jae-heon, who turned into a monster. Also, the story of how Park Da-hoon was able to get home from school safely thanks to Yoon Gar-ram stopping the monster Lee Jae-heon.
Lee Jae-heon’s expression was strangely distorted after hearing Park Da-hoon’s words.
“…mister?”
“…No, it’s just that.”
“That’s right.”
I thought perhaps he was shaken by the fact that Lee Jae-heon himself had turned into a monster and was killing survivors in a time that no longer exists. After realizing it, Da-hoon Park rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and continued speaking.
“And the most important thing…”
There was a pause.
“….”
“….”
He exhaled and spoke in a whisper.
“I killed someone.”
The moment those words fell from my lips, an unprecedented fear struck me.
It was because my murder was exposed to the outside world.
(Continued in the next part)
