Episode 422
Song In-myeong used Seong Dae-young as bait to gain the favor of ‘Lee Jae-heon’, and Lee Jae-heon immediately understood the meaning behind the bait. Song In-myeong, who has a unique way of thinking with chicks, used ‘Lee Jae-heon’ as bait to seduce Seong Dae-young.
‘It’s really crazy that you’re putting me in danger to buy my favor.’
However, unlike Seong Dae-young, who did not know that he was bait, Lee Jae-heon knew that he was bait. The more Sung Dae-young treats him as material and treats him harshly, the more Lee Dang, who cares for his youngest, will use his hands, and the easier it will be for Lee Jae-heon to deal with Sung Dae-young.
‘So, the most important part here is how much Lee Jae-heon can attract Seong Dae-young. ‘How much can you cloud the other person’s reason like that?…
‘
“You have arrived.”
“….”
“Shall we appoint someone to guide us?”
“That’s it.”
The secretary sitting in the passenger seat got out of the car and opened the car door. Jaeheon Lee was able to think of the sea from his restrained actions and neat face. The sea where Lee Jae-heon’s fingernails were pulled out.
I pretended to know.
“Did I see you last time?”
“I was rude back then.”
“Are you still your brother’s secretary?”
“It has now returned to its original owner.”
“Your brother must be sad.”
“I just want to thank you for taking care of me.”
He asked the man who didn’t even glance at Lee Jae-heon’s hand wearing black gloves.
“The name?”
“This is Jeong Eun-woo, Manager Lee Jae-heon.”
“Jung Eun-woo.”
Mr. Jeong.
I feel a sense of déjà vu.
“…That’s a good name.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Are you going to follow me?”
“The chairman seems to be very worried.”
“aha.”
It seems that Jung Eun-woo’s owner is his older sister, Lee Jae-hee.
“I don’t need any guidance?”
“Isn’t it different from a throne? Chairman, please take a look at it just once for your own sake.”
“…don’t intervene.”
“I have a good grasp of my topic. “You don’t have to worry.”
“I wonder what it will be like.”
After giving a cursory answer, I entered the building with a stylish exterior. It was an odd building, different from the hotel where the first gala was held yesterday, but in a way, it was natural since the second part was treated as an event that did not exist in the first place. It would be difficult to hold an event that cannot be announced publicly in a hotel where the general public also comes and goes.
As I went down the stairs inside the building, I saw a familiar face.
“Director Jaeheon Lee.”
“…nice to see you here again.”
It was Song In-myeong, wearing a semi-suit that was more casual than yesterday.
Because there were many eyes watching, including Jeong Eun-woo, Lee Jae-hee’s limb, he was unable to speak openly with Song In-myeong. As was the case in Part 1, Song In-myeong treated Lee Jae-heon with an oddly polite manner, and Lee Jae-heon also maintained an appropriate distance as if he were seeing an interesting writer whom he had just met.
The corners of the mouth turn slightly upward. The skin under the eyes that trembles. It was a brief moment that was difficult for the average person to notice, but Jaeheon Lee was easily able to recognize it. Song In-myeong is trying to die laughing inside.
This crazy guy liked this kind of trickery. You really had great taste.
“I took the position of manager in advance. I’ve contacted the secretary in advance, but if you don’t like it, please let me know at any time. “We will change it to a place where you can enjoy it as easily as possible.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“Then this way…”
Lee Jae-heon thought to Song In-myeong, who showed off standard manners and service.
‘You shouldn’t smile bitterly.’
It may not be a laugh with the same meaning as Song In-myeong, but it felt like my lips were straining as I looked at Song In-myeong, who was unusually polite. Lee Jae-heon briefly wiped the corner of his mouth and moved to the seat that Song In-myeong guided him to.
Before approaching the table, Song In-myeong handed over the mask he had received from the waiter.
“This?”
“It’s for fun. Of course, everyone knows this, but isn’t the thrill of such a light disguise the highlight of the auction?”
“…I will respect you.”
A pure white mask with no patterns and only eye holes. Jeong Eun-woo, who was quietly sitting behind him, came over and put a mask on Lee Jae-heon instead. My fingers twitched with the strange discomfort of someone I didn’t know touching the back of my head, but fortunately no one saw me.
Perhaps because the atmosphere filled with the smell of blood is similar to my previous life, I feel a vague sense of murderous intent.
“It’s done.”
“Shall we go in then?”
Song In-myeong opened the door to the venue and led Lee Jae-heon.
Without hesitation, I slowly blinked at the sight that came into view.
“….”
“I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
For a moment, Song In-myeong’s voice filled with anticipation felt far away.
The deep darkness that is hard to imagine from the clean exterior of the building and the dim, soft lighting that reflects it. The exhibits sparkle even more thanks to the diffusely reflected lights. A round platform in the center. Tables surrounding it at a little distance. Ladies and gentlemen having fun clinking champagne glasses…
Usually, a gala is known as an after-party event centered on a sports-related program with strong artistry, but if the host is a static place such as a museum or art gallery, the auction is held as in Part 1. It also progresses. Even taking that into account, the ‘works’ displayed here and there are heterogeneous. The sense of incongruity was even more severe as most of the works were based on once-living humans. Even a small statue that sparkles like a jewel or a picture frame that fills an entire wall.
Oh what should I do?
“…I like it.”
I felt really at ease.
“is that so?”
“Yes, I really… like it.”
“thank god.”
It felt like Song In-myeong was examining my eyes, so I tried to act vaguely alert and dry, but oh well. This atmosphere was more like home to Lee Jae-heon. This is the atmosphere in which an event where both nobility and vulgarity coexist pursues inferior pleasure.
At that point, Jaeheon Lee was confident.
‘In this industry… there are managers.’
This industry is so sophisticated and vicious that it cannot be considered a system built on this narrow and tight piece of land in this soft world. And the calm yet bloody air. A world of those who view humans as material. The skill of tying together with capitalists to prevent public power from tampering with them.
Jaeheon Lee knew an owner who had this kind of skill. This industry, in which Song In-myeong worked, had the strong scent of a manager who once possessed the bodies of numerous people and a man of power who orchestrated a world different from this one.
‘If you think about it, there was no story about this industry in the original novel. Was there? But the fact that I can’t remember means that even if it was there, it didn’t play a big role. If I’m not mistaken, the manager came into this novel before me and created this industry. It must have been that he lived for that long….’
The face of the snake cub who was said to be Hong Gyeong-jun’s master in the past came to mind, but was soon forgotten. Regardless of this speculation, attracting Seong Dae-young was the top priority right now.
“Song In-myeong.”
“Say yes.”
“I think you said yesterday that there are writers worth introducing.”
“Ah, that’s right. that’s right.”
Song In-myeong quite skillfully matched Lee Jae-heon’s rhythm.
“If you don’t mind, would it be okay if I introduce you to a few people?”
“It will be a good experience.”
“I’m glad I said it earlier, but I’m glad you like it.”
With his signature languid smile, Song In-myeong dragged Lee Jae-heon around to the event venue where the auction had not yet started. Because everyone was wearing masks, it was impossible to identify their faces, but even though several of them were wearing masks, they seemed to recognize that Lee Jae-heon was the youngest member of this party. Glancing over, I felt like they were whispering among themselves or pretending not to be paying attention.
‘Well, I didn’t cover my face from the entrance.’
Anyone paying attention to the participant list could easily recognize it. Among those who recognized him as Lee Jae-heon, a rich participant joked.
“I didn’t know you would be interested in something like this.”
“I was looking for a quiet hobby that wouldn’t bother my family, and by chance I came across a good opportunity.”
“Aha, I see…”
Half of the people who recognized his identity were puzzled and half were wary. The youngest member of this party they know is a troublesome person, but they are participating in an event like this and nowhere else. Since it was an event that only those in the know knew about, the doubts were even greater. This means two cases.
Either he developed hobbies that he didn’t have under the pressure of this party, or he was originally hiding his tastes.
“I hope you have a good time.”
“thank you.”
Song In-myeong laughed at Lee Jae-heon, who dealt with people appropriately.
“You’re very popular.”
“…I guess it’s natural that I’m worried because I don’t have much external activities.”
“That could be true.”
Song In-myeong, who was closer than Jeong Eun-woo, who was a few steps away, whispered.
“From now on, I only saw Seong Dae-young.”
“It’s a pity that I have to hear that line in such a bloody place.”
“Why is it good to be popular?”
Who would have thought that a situation like this would arise where Song In-myeong was instigating someone he had only heard about at a club in his past life, and that person would turn out to be a murderer on first sight. Lee Jae-heon skillfully hid his irritation and discomfort behind his mask, but deliberately made his eyes visible.
Of course, the target was Seong Dae-young.
“….”
“….”
The man wearing the mask stopped at Lee Jae-heon’s gaze and immediately bowed his head slightly. Song In-myeong seemed to think that Lee Jae-heon was looking at me because he had already made comments about Seong Dae-young himself.
“…How did I explain myself?”
“Poor Royal who was wrongly caught by the immature killer Song In-myeong?”
“I want to point out each word.”
“I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“I guess so.”
It was roughly the same situation as expected. I don’t know the details, but Song In-myeong must have expressed Lee Jae-heon as a sacrificial person, and it seemed like he stimulated Seong Dae-young by asking if Gumi would be attracted to that. So, what kind of person should Lee Jae-heon appear to Seong Dae-young right now?
‘…A person who was mistakenly caught by Song In-myeong and was forced to this terrible place, but he only knows how to sacrifice, let alone kill.’
And he is a shrewd person who has hidden his sacrificial personality for at least 30 years.
It didn’t seem unnatural to the other people who greeted him, it was moderately interesting to Seong Dae-young, who was deceived by the lie, and it was a neat setting for the ‘Lee Jae-heon’ that Song In-myeong knows. This is enough to give it a passing grade.
After completing the judgment, Lee Jae-heon encouraged Song In-myeong.
“Then our writer… needs to work harder.”
The idea was to put more pressure on ‘Jae-Heon Lee’ so that he would feel like he was forcibly brought to this place, similar to the setup of ‘Jae-Heon Lee’ that you told Dae-Young Seong about. Although his face was covered by a mask, I could feel that Song In-myeong was quite happy.
Song In-myeong said bullshit.
“…I think I’ve opened my eyes to a new taste.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“Inmyeong is always sincere~.”
Song In-myeong, who was whispering and stretching his words, smiled and smiled at Seong Dae-young. I couldn’t see the face covered by the mask other than the eyes, but I felt like I could hear the sound of teeth grinding from somewhere.
“….”
“Oh, I was angry.”
“Are you upset?”
“I told you, he hates me.”
“I know even if you don’t say it.”
This was a fact that could be seen just by thinking of the art teacher monster that reflected Seong Dae-young’s mental world. They were the only two humans who could excite the monster at the time. The monster was supposed to kill the bright and cheerful Song In-myeong even in the other world, but it was like a mosquito that narrowly missed it.
Song In-myeong said that there was no need for him to arrange a meeting between Lee Jae-heon and Seong Dae-young.
“I’ve already provoked you so much… If I just introduce you to you now, you’ll think it’s a trap. “He’s a very suspicious bastard who knocks on stone bridges before crossing them, so you just have to stay still.”
“…Okay, I guess you can take care of it.”
At least in this respect, Lee Jae-heon trusted Song In-myeong. Unlike other chicks, she is vicious and mean-spirited, but isn’t she a talented person that catches Lee Jae-heon’s heart? I actually felt relieved because he was the guy who would bring Sung Dae-young to me even if it meant supporting and roasting me.
Sure enough, after wandering around for a while, it was 30 minutes before the auction started. When Song In-myeong was away, Seong Dae-young sneakily approached and spoke to him. It was clear that it was an obvious cub that followed as expected.
“You’re an unfamiliar face. Is this your first time attending the second part of the gala?”
Lee Jae-heon slowly blinked at the sound of a voice as gentle as the face he had seen in the other world.
It was this kind of voice.
“…Yes, this is my first time.”
“okay. I knew all the people participating in Part 2, so I thought about it. “I’m sorry if I was rude.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Lee Jae-heon pretended to be a little relaxed by the gentle voice that Seong Dae-young must have made intentionally, but he still trembled with his hands, pretending to be anxious at the thought that people participating in such an event could not be normal. Of course, if it was too explicit, it would look unnatural, so it showed skill in enduring everything skillfully.
‘I’m glad Jung Eun-woo is far away.’
When you see a killer who slaughtered people on a ship without even blinking before pretending to be weak, you’ll think, ‘That’s crazy.’ Even if you did see it, it would be understandable if you said, ‘I drew attention because I wanted to kill Sung Dae-young!’ rather than your true intentions, but it would have been better to minimize variables as much as possible.
Perhaps fooled by his own acting, Daeyoung Sung sounded even softer. I was able to understand how a misogynist serial killer kept his job as a high school teacher.
“By any chance… do you not like this position?”
“No, it’s just…”
“It’s your first time, so you might be nervous. However, you don’t have to worry too much as it goes on without much difference from other galas.”
“Is that so.”
“You were with student Song In-myeong earlier.”
It was a brilliant introduction that announced that Seong Dae-young had taken the bait.
“I had no idea that student would have such a customer.”
“…Customers….”
“Are you very close with them?”
‘Lee Jae-heon’ answered in a dry voice.
“…Yes, that’s right.”
“….”
“We are close.”
A voice that leaves room for interpretation, both to Jung Eun-woo, who knows Lee Jae-heon as the Sprout Killer, and to Sung Dae-young, who knows Lee Jae-heon as Song In-myeong’s victim. It’s just that dry.
The smile disappeared behind the mask.
(Continued in the next part)
