Episode 382
‘Wow really….’
Song In-myeong was secretly impressed by Lee Jae-heon acting calmly and normally.
‘It’s so fucking toxic.’
How can you not show any signs of it?
After visiting Eonhak High School, Jaeheon Lee only showed a little bit of fatigue and did not show any signs of distress about the shock he experienced in the 4th floor swimming pool. Even Song In-myeong, who can make up any number of facial expressions as long as the purpose is clear, was amazed by Lee Jae-heon’s harshness.
‘It definitely seemed like I had touched a trauma.’
Song In-myeong, who has worked on many works so far, has learned that a person’s spirit breaks down more easily from psychological pain than from physical pain. Most of the materials that Song In-myeong coveted were of a strong mind, so if something that made it possible to withstand such pain was taken away, rather than physical torture, it would be broken.
Perhaps this is the same for Kim Yeon-woo and Munsan-gun. Of course, among the ingredients I’ve seen so far, they are on the good side and crazy, so it won’t fall apart easily, but I thought it would be possible if I put some time into it. However, Lee Jae-heon had no idea where to start before it would collapse and become ruined. This was because it was a work that had already been ruined in an elaborate form.
It is a pain that such a person cannot hide even for a moment and reveals it.
‘…I’m fucking curious. ‘What happened?’
Maybe it’s because it’s been broken for a long time, or maybe it’s because there’s nothing left to lose. Lee Jae-heon was a person who would just look on with empty eyes even if he tortured the survivors he cared for right in front of his eyes. I couldn’t help but be curious because the fact that he showed such pain was clear evidence that he still had something left to lose.
I didn’t have the arrogant thought that I could control a person named Lee Jae-heon with just one weakness, but wouldn’t I at least be able to see a different side of myself if I stimulated his weak point?
“How long are you going to stay here?”
“omg? Are you kicking me out?”
“What an obvious thing to say… I’ll take off your handcuffs, so get out now.”
“Can I stay here because I can wear one or three more handcuffs?”
“Do you think it will work?”
Song In-myeong also thought it wouldn’t work.
‘I don’t know what I’ll do while everyone is asleep, so I guess the idea is to block potential problems from the beginning.’
Although there was a set watch alert, it was unclear whether we would be able to respond in time. In that case, it seemed like they decided it would be better to just kick Song In-myeong out of the police station. The reason I stopped by this time was to share information about the swimming pool, so it was a natural choice.
Song In-myeong grumbled briefly.
“It’s too boring.”
Click.
Song In-myeong, who was eventually released from the handcuffs, quenched his appetite.
“Ah… I’m really disappointed.”
“…I know you’ve been watching the manager since a while ago.”
“….”
“Turn it off, please.”
Jeong In-ho’s eyes were so damn black as he said that.
“…Sure.”
The boundaries are quite severe.
‘Why don’t I know that this side stimulates the spirit of challenge more?’
Song In-myeong smiled lazily and leisurely walked out of the police station.
As evening fell, the monsters in the shopping mall became more active, but it was none of Song In-myeong’s business. Strangely, the monsters in the other world did not recognize Song In-myeong well or were not hostile towards him, which greatly contributed to making the other world boring.
However, Song In-myeong didn’t think enough to start a fight with the monster, so he went into the building near the police station. There was a window with a clear view of the police station.
“It’s not bad to look around like this.”
Why was he able to immediately chase after Vivian when she called him out of the police station the other day? This was possible because the police station, which was crowded with survivors, was located in a place with a clear view.
“I use it, but it’s such a waste. If I didn’t know I was the culprit… I would have pretended not to know anything like in the park and asked what happened. “How should I find out now?”
The more I looked at him, the more he became a twisted person, but more than his twists, he showed blind sacrifice. If you see them squeezing out all their free time to show affection, it doesn’t mean they don’t have feelings. Jaeheon Lee was living by cutting out or suppressing the desires that humans should have.
This means that it didn’t look like it was human for no reason, like what I saw in the swimming pool.
“…Who is it?”
Who made that?
“There is no way such a work could have been created naturally without human intervention. “It looks like someone has messed with their brains… The workmanship is amazing.”
Unlike other artists, Song In-myeong respected the art of all artists in the world. Even though Song In-myeong’s twisted personality made others scold him, he still acknowledges the art teacher’s art, so it seems like everything is said. Therefore, even if the direction was a little different from mine, I actually respected the artist who created a living work.
He never once thought of completing a person alive.
“Was the material that good…?”
Humans are weak. You don’t die as easily as you think, but you can die in more absurd ways than you can imagine. The idea of completing a work with a living person was so absurd that even Song In-myeong, who has a rich imagination, could not come up with it. Most humans will break down and die before they are complete.
Therefore, the conclusion was drawn that not only is Lee Jae-heon, who survived the process and is still alive, amazing, but the skill of the writer who massaged his brain is also amazing.
“No matter how good the material is, it is not easy to achieve that level of perfection. How detailed did it take for a smart person to end up like that? I don’t think it would work like that even if I took a newborn baby, raised it, and controlled it myself…”
In fact, what created Lee Jae-heon was the world of his previous life, which was extremely lacking in human rights awareness, but Song In-myeong thought that it was the work of one person. It is common for one writer to put their heart and soul into creating a work, but it is impossible for writers to unite and work on one project.
However, Song In-myeong, who did not know that Lee Jae-heon had memories of his past life, had no choice but to connect the reason why Lee Jae-heon was twisted like that with the reaction he showed in the swimming pool.
‘There’s no way the two factors that had a huge impact on that person’s life are completely unrelated. So did the writer who created Lee Jae-heon instill that kind of trauma? For what? I don’t think I just made this because I was bored. The practical intent appears to be greater. But…’
In the end, Song In-myeong could not come to a conclusion.
“…I don’t know.”
It was impossible to know why the writer created the person Jaeheon Lee until I heard the story directly from him. That’s natural.
Because art is deep and complex.
* * *
Meanwhile, there was someone who was worried about the same topic as Song In-myeong.
“Mr. Lee Jae-heon, just a moment….”
“Yes.”
“Do you have time?”
“Really…?”
“Then can we talk for a moment?”
“Of course.”
Another witness, Hong Gyeong-jun, who saw Lee Jae-heon looking pale.
“thank you.”
Hong Gyeong-jun has been watching Lee Jae-heon closely since he seems to be in bad condition recently.
Weren’t you paying a lot of attention to the fact that you were exploring Unhak High School and even moving with Song In-myeong on the 4th floor? In the meantime, Lee Jae-heon showed an uncharacteristically stiff appearance, so I couldn’t just leave him alone.
Hong Gyeong-jun entered an empty room, dragging Lee Jae-heon, who was acting no different from usual.
“I think you’re tired, so I’d like to just let you go, but I feel like I need to ask…”
“It’s okay, just tell me. “I’m not that tired.”
“…I don’t know if I can ask this.”
“….”
Lee Jae-heon lowered his eyes and looked up, as if remembering what happened at the swimming pool on the 4th floor.
“it’s okay.”
“Wouldn’t that be a sensitive question?”
“Just… yeah.”
“….”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Lee Jae-heon’s reaction to saying that suddenly became droopy. When other survivors saw him, he seemed to be trying his best to control his facial expressions, but now that his gaze was blocked, it seemed like he didn’t even have the time to do so.
Lee Jae-heon continued speaking with a blank expression that matched his gray eyes.
“As I said at the time, I was a little surprised.”
“Jaeheon Lee.”
“No, I’m not lying. “I didn’t think I would react that way either…”
“May I ask what you saw that made you make that expression?”
“It was dark.”
“yes?”
“It’s dark, humid, and smells bad….”
“….”
“I don’t like things like that.”
Jaeheon Lee was scratching his neck.
“…That’s right, it’s not a particularly good memory.”
It was a dry voice that seemed to be evaluating someone else’s things.
“Are you going to tell me?”
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“I asked if you were going to tell other people. Mr. In-ho Jeong and Mr. Seong-yoon Ha… I hear you are talking about various things these days.”
“….”
He looked like he would close his mouth again if he said that, but even after hesitating for a long time, Hong Gyeong-jun couldn’t lie to him. Given my personality, there was no way I wouldn’t share it with others even after hearing about Jaeheon Lee’s weaknesses. It may not be a pleasant experience for Lee Jae-heon, but since Song In-myeong has been hovering nearby recently, he needed to be even more prepared.
Hong Gyeong-jun nodded, thinking that there was nothing he could do if he kept his mouth shut again.
“I will tell you.”
“Why are you being so honest if I run away?”
“That’s something that can’t be helped.”
His half-bow belt felt strangely familiar.
“Because everyone has to have a way to escape.”
Yes, that’s right. Running away was an individual’s freedom.
Even if the end is death, the same is true. If the person has fulfilled his or her responsibilities but is unable to live, you must understand that unless he or she has the courage, confidence, and ability to take responsibility for his or her life, he or she will run away. Hong Gyeong-jun decided that way.
“All right.”
“…Are you telling me?”
“Honestly, I’m tired and I want to tell it off quickly and go to sleep.”
“okay.”
“I can’t even say it’s a big deal anymore…”
Lee Jae-heon muttered.
“I was scolded for a long time.”
“….”
“It was a dark, humid, foul-smelling room…”
“Are you talking about the smell of a corpse?”
“I could smell blood too.”
He had a blank expression on his face, as if he was remembering something from the distant past.
“I don’t remember who that smell came from.”
“…Are you okay?”
“I think it was okay at the time, but it’s strange.”
“Jaeheon Lee.”
“I guess I’m a little scared now.”
A cracked voice flowed.
“It wasn’t that surprising.”
It wasn’t surprising.
‘That’s nonsense…’
Didn’t he just say ‘I can’t say it’s not a big deal’?
Judging from his words, he seemed to have already anticipated that his trauma might be stimulated as soon as he heard the word ‘swimming pool’. Nevertheless, Lee Jae-heon’s own rejection reaction was probably greater than expected. My already tattered mental strength must have been greatly damaged.
“…Did I explain things too rambling?”
“No, I roughly understand. “I understand, so you don’t have to think about it in too much detail.”
“There was a time when I was tied up and tortured.”
“Wait a minute…”
“I should have listened carefully, and I got scolded for not listening. It wasn’t just me. It was so natural back then. I was used to it, there was no reason to reject it, and I didn’t have the strength to deny it…”
“…”
“But you guys are so soft.”
Jaeheon Lee was smiling.
“I could have just kept taking it for granted.”
“…Jaeheon Lee.”
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been so scared.”
“Jaeheon Lee.”
“Can’t we just treat them like they are?”
It even seemed like he was crying.
“Then we can do better.”
“….”
“…I’m sorry.”
Lee Jae-heon, who soon calmed down his expression, stepped back.
“You probably shouldn’t ask for this.”
“…What can I do for you?”
“I don’t think it needs to change.”
“But…”
“Me and you.”
“….”
“There’s no reason to change.”
Before Hong Gyeong-jun could say anything negative, Lee Jae-heon went out of the room.
“…Ha….”
As if he was afraid of what Hong Kyung-jun would say.
“…Why is there no reason to change?”
Jaeheon Lee was a person, not a monster.
That alone was reason enough.
“….”
Perhaps Lee Jae-heon thinks he is a monster.
* * *
‘…Even if I say that, they won’t understand.’
Lee Jae-heon thought as he finished getting ready for bed and closed his eyes.
‘Fuck you chick. Fucking soft. Damn these bright yellow puddings….’
Half of the story I shared with Hong Gyeong-jun was a lie and half was sincere.
In his previous life, he was a government dog and was trained to live as a dog. But I didn’t think it was very unpleasant until now. Even though my past life self has a lot to do with it, I also have quite a few memories of being born and living as a person named Lee Jae-heon. But now, I feel that ‘education’ is once again frustrating.
The government’s education was meticulous and sadistic. During his punishment, he was locked in a dark room and tortured without knowing how much time was passing. It was also a difficult hardship for someone with regenerative abilities that prevented him from dying easily.
‘But being so surprised at the swimming pool was something I didn’t expect.’
I don’t hate Jaeheon Lee just because he’s full of water. Just because you were tied up or smelled blood doesn’t mean you don’t like it.
There were conditions necessary to be that surprised.
‘Let me see.’
weak light. dark room.
closed space. dead body. humidity. blood.
And bondage.
‘…The swimming pool met all the conditions except that it was not tied down.’
Jaeheon Lee also never thought that this place would meet all the requirements I disliked. I was complacent and expected that it would be a bit dark and damp at best.
‘Anyway, I tried to show a different reaction to Song In-myeong to arouse interest, but… I felt strangely stabbed…’
It’s all because this world is so soft.
‘Would it be okay if I treated you like those bastards?’
There were many times when he was disadvantaged in his past life, but there were also many times when he fed his co-workers. The friendly exchange of two-piece clothing was abnormal from this world’s perspective, but it was not oppressive. Lee Jae-heon felt comfortable in that atmosphere, but I also felt quite lethargic as I was stuck among these puddings.
Deciding not to rely on chicks was just the beginning. It has gotten to the point where the education I received in the past feels uncomfortable. It was clear that my mind had become quite relaxed.
‘I need to go back to reality and check my mental state before I break down further…’ I
was about to lament internally.
Jaeheon Lee woke up to the sight of someone sitting next to him.
“…What is it?”
Jet black eyes.
“I thought you were tired.”
“…If you look tired…I’ll leave you alone.”
“Because I’m anxious.”
Jeong In-ho smiled neatly.
“For some reason, I think you’ll wake up late if you sleep today.”
“….”
Lee Jae-heon muttered.
“You disgusting bastard.”
“…is it that hard?”
“Just a little.”
I closed my eyes.
“I’m sleepy.”
…I guess I should come and check out Eonhak High School.
Since I had to escape, I couldn’t waste time.
* * *
Jaeheon Lee didn’t wake up for a week.
(Continued in the next part)
