Episode 411 Lee Jae
-heon’s trauma was at a serious level.
This was a fact that could be seen just by looking at Lee Jae-heon’s lucid dreams, whose difficulty level increased depending on his condition. In fact, Jaeheon Lee’s situation was so bad that he was unable to regain consciousness for a week in the secret world. This was after I was directly reminded of the trauma at the swimming pool.
‘But I’ve rarely made it known.’
Even when he entered the swimming pool using himself as bait, even after he was turned into a monster by his art teacher, and even when he returned to reality. Jaeheon Lee did not tell us how much pain he was in. I would have understood and dealt with it if he had made a show of it, but he was a truly troublesome person.
So, I tried to find out more…
“….”
After sending Noh Yeon-seok home, Jeong In-ho, who remained in the car alone, crossed his arms.
“…Something…”
He muttered quietly with an expressionless face.
“Did I get it wrong?”
The police ghost depicted by Noh Yeon-seok clearly had a threatening appearance, but it did not act threateningly. Even though he could materialize, he did not even harm Noh Yeon-seok. Rather, since it provides information related to Lee Jae-heon, the results are in favor of this side.
Moreover, the reaction of Hong Gyeong-jun, who I just spoke with on the phone.
‘…So, are you saying that my deceased senior made Lee Jae-heon like that?’
‘This is nonsense. …No no, of course In-ho Jeong may think that my positive perception of him has blinded me, but that’s really not the case. I’m saying this because it really doesn’t make sense.’
‘In the first place, you were sentenced to prison for killing that person, a child serial killer, after a chase.’
Hong Gyeong-jun spoke as if it was unfair, but he was not in an emotional state. Perhaps because he thought he should not get excited in order to clear the name of his respected gunner, he explained in a very business-like voice how his gunnery ended.
‘Even when interviewing children, he always came forward. There were many excuses, but in the end, it was that they were anxious about leaving a child in the hands of inexperienced people like us. He was a man who truly respected and cared for children. That’s also why the child serial killer pursued him until the end and killed him…’ ‘
…I still don’t know why he went so far as to kill him, but at the time, my senior was very angry. This was because it was a crime targeting children. I don’t think a person like that would have destroyed young Lee Jae-heon in such a harsh way.’
‘He ended up committing suicide because he was so emotionally distressed at the time.’
I didn’t completely believe Hong Gyeong-jun’s words.
If he had ruined Lee Jae-heon like that, he must have been a very meticulous and vicious squire, and it would not have been difficult to show the image he wanted to the stubborn Hong Gyeong-jun. Hong Gyeong-jun actually seemed to have a lot of respect for that ‘senior’ person, so it is not an absurd story.
“But….”
The police ghost’s remarks delivered by Noh Yeon-seok.
‘I wish we were meaner and worse.’
‘…we?’
‘He said people like us ruined him and he acted very scary…’
Strangely enough, those words reminded Jeong In-ho of Lee Jae-heon.
“…The person who is usinglessly trying to connect Kang Min-ah and Noh Yeon-seok is also very similar.”
Is there some kind of past history between these two beings who are similar even in their trivial details?
“This is a somewhat familiar trend.”
Many people, including In-ho Jeong, were wary of Jae-heon Lee in the beginning. Lee Jae-heon had so much knowledge that we couldn’t understand it at the time. I spread that information around little by little. Although he doesn’t show it often, Lee Jae-heon cares a lot about children. He has little aversion to murder.
“….”
If you think about it, Lee Jae-heon never once resented that police officer.
“Rather, I defended it.”
At the time, it was absurd because I thought I had been brainwashed to the point where I couldn’t even complain, but what if all that was true? Even if it was true that he taught techniques a bit harshly and ordered people to be protected… what if there was someone else who ruined Lee Jae-heon?
“….”
No, wait a minute.
‘Then who is the manager that Lee Jae-heon’s old colleague was talking about?’
I think it’s a different concept from the ‘God’ the police ghost spoke of. But is it possible for someone other than God to bring a dead person back to life? Are the ‘manager’ and ‘god’ mentioned here the same entity? So what is their purpose? What is the purpose of that police bastard who rebelled against God and became a ghost?
Jeong In-ho, who had thought that far, put his head on the steering wheel and laughed.
“…Wow, this is a hit…”
Jeong In-ho took a slow deep breath and gathered his thoughts.
‘…The manager who brought the dead man back to life and the god served by the police bastard are separate beings. Administrators and gods have some kind of power beyond that of humans. Judging from the police officer’s statement that it’s okay to do it this way and that it’s okay to do it that way, it seems like there are probably two camps. Then, it would be a conflict between the administrator’s camp and the god’s camp. The police acted as if it would be beneficial for either of them to win, so should it be seen as a kind of neutral state? Or, since the tone seemed to be praising God, could it be concluded that it was God’s camp at first?…’
Slurp.
Jeong In-ho lifted his head from the steering wheel.
“…Really, you bastards….”
What was even funnier was that you never knew when and where you might see bastards that you had never seen before. Aside from the police ghost that Noh Yeon-seok met, how can we know whether that god will bring back the person who is hostile to Lee Jae-heon? There were so many variables that it was impossible to predict what was ahead.
“How did my life get so twisted?”
After entering the secret world, Jeong In-ho’s calm emotions became richer. It felt good to have gotten a little closer to the normal line he had hoped for, but at times like this, I also wondered how much better it would have been if he had just been as cool-headed as before.
Trying to suppress the feeling inside, he picked up his phone again.
“….”
Squeeze. Hold.
“…Ha Seong-yoon?”
Crash.
I turned on the engine that had been turned off.
“Do you have time?”
“….”
“No, it’s nothing special.”
Jeong In-ho laughed helplessly.
“I was wondering if it was time to stop by the manager’s house.”
Don’t have time because there’s a charity party on Friday?
Then we have to make it, Manager.
* * *
“….”
Lee Jae-heon made a shocked expression.
“…Are you really here to ask that…?”
He looked at the three men gathered together, then at the clock on the wall, then at the black men, and muttered in bewilderment.
“this time…?”
Current time is 11:48 PM.
“It’s tomorrow in 12 minutes, you guys… Are you really not going to work?”
“Don’t worry, Jaeheon Lee. The important surgery was completed earlier in the afternoon, and I came out briefly in the evening with some time left. “Anyway, if I get a call, I have to go back in.”
“If you’re so busy, why did you come?”
Ha Seong-yoon, who was wearing a shirt as if he had just taken off his doctor’s gown, smiled softly and answered.
“Do you think I won’t come now?”
Unlike in the other world, he didn’t look angry as if he had regained his cool, but even Jeong In-ho could tell that there was deep irritation beneath that neat smile.
“I just found out that a ghost takes over Jaeheon Lee’s place and sits there when he’s not around. Judging by the reaction, it seems like the teacher already knew everything, so why didn’t he tell me? Are you going to come to your senses if you continue to possess that body?”
“Possession?”
“Detective? Could you please stop looking excited? “I feel like my stomach is about to explode.”
“Sorry about this.”
Hong Gyeong-jun was dressed simply, perhaps because he came out immediately after receiving a call from Jeong In-ho while resting at home after work. Unlike in the other side of the world, he seemed to have regained his composure, and after apologizing with an unusually embarrassed expression, he turned to Lee Jae-heon.
“More than that, is what Mr. Jeong In-ho said true? That really….”
“…I don’t know if you’re asking what exactly is true, but yes, it is true. I once met Mr. Hong Gyeong-jun’s deceased senior in a secret world. “It’s also true that the dead man is floating around in the mirror instead of my mannequin.”
Lee Jae-heon’s face was still shaking as he said that.
“That’s true… but it’s a bit surprising that three people came to my house at this hour to solve something that could have been resolved over the phone.”
“It wasn’t something that could be resolved over the phone, and he didn’t look surprised.”
“That is also true. “To be honest, it’s more absurd than surprising.”
He sighed, adjusted the cardigan he was wearing, and said. The house was chilly and chilly.
“Please sit down first. “It’s not that difficult to immediately kick out the people who came… and serve them a cup of tea.”
“It’s a very classic way of serving.”
“…Then why don’t you give me some liquor in a crystal glass? Stop talking loudly and come sit down, Assistant Manager Jeong. “In what country is it etiquette to come to your boss’s house after 11:30 p.m.?”
“If I had called you, you wouldn’t have answered.”
“If you reject me over the phone, are you the kind of person who will say sorry and walk away? In the first place. Anyway, none of the so-called subordinates are in their right mind…”
Despite grumbling, Lee Jae-heon obediently entered the kitchen. Jeong In-ho, Hong Gyeong-jun, and Ha Seong-yoon, who were staring at his back blankly, made eye contact and sat down at the table after him.
Hong Gyeong-jun opened his mouth when he saw Lee Jae-heon taking out tea leaves from the cupboard.
“…You also liked tea.”
“Let’s not be so fucking disgusting. a little.”
“Yes, of course.”
Hong Gyeong-jun nodded, looking a little nervous.
“….”
Well, in a way, it is a natural reaction.
‘They say the dead gunner is wandering around as a ghost, but if you remain calm, that’s even weirder.’
Even as shown in the behind-the-scenes world, Hong Gyeong-jun reacts strangely to Lee Jae-heon, specifically to the death he sees. Should I say I’m overly excited or obsessed? Ha Seong-yoon and Jeong In-ho had already guessed that it was due to his dead shooter.
There was no way I wouldn’t be nervous that the subject would stay next to Lee Jae-heon, who had newly become my focus.
“Now, just eat and get out.”
“I guess it’s pretty accurate, right?”
“Even if I take care of it as best as I can, it’s damned.”
Lee Jae-heon set down the tea along with a finger-sized snack.
I thought it was just green tea, but it turned out to be black tea with a very pleasant aroma and a light reddish color. It smelled really good, but to Jeong In-ho, who had little experience in this area, it was just a red car. I thought it might be a bit of a waste for someone who knew nothing to drink it.
Only after Lee Jae-heon sat across from the three of them were they able to get to the main topic.
“I will tell you in advance.”
Jaeheon Lee spoke firmly.
“I don’t know anything about why it got to this point.”
“If the manager doesn’t know, no one will know…”
“All I know is the order in which things happened.”
Jaeheon Lee continued speaking without even touching the teacup in front of him.
“No. 1, Lee Jae-heon, at the age of 16, entered the secret world for the first time. Twice I met a police officer at just the right time and learned survival skills. Number 3 One day, a police officer died. Number 4, I became the main character instead of that guy. All the members next to me in number 5 died. Number 6, Jeong In-ho, became the main character. Number 7: The world is now telling me to die….”
After saying that, he smiles with an annoyingly absent-minded face.
“How about that, it’s easy?”
“Please explain in detail from the beginning.”
“No, there is no clearer summary than this.”
“You summarized it too much.”
As expected, Jaeheon Lee was a bastard.
(Continued in the next part)
