Episode 459
Regardless of his feelings, Lee Jae-heon tended to feel more secure in being under control.
‘Because I’ve lived in that kind of world my whole life.’
It wasn’t a story about being unpleasant or pleasant. Just as no one denies the season itself even if they hate the cold winter, so did Lee Jae-heon.
Being controlled was a very natural thing for Lee Jae-heon, who recalled his past life.
In some ways it was frustrating, and in some ways it was welcoming. It was frustrating to see the chicks squirming at close range without worrying about being kicked, but it also meant that their skills as survivors had improved.
“If it’s like that, I think I’ll have less to worry about when I go to the other side.”
“I really don’t know why Jaeheon Lee’s common sense is so distorted. Is it time to rejoice that your colleagues have grown? That’s not even growth in the first place. “It’s just crazy.”
“If I wasn’t crazy, I wouldn’t have gone to the other side in the first place….”
“Fuck, that’s true, but.”
“Don’t take it too seriously.”
Jaeheon Lee continued calmly.
“They found a way to increase their chances of survival. That method is to keep the most useful me alive for the longest time, and contrary to that hope, a person named Lee Jae-heon is too prone to accidents and is about to die… In the end, there is no answer other than trying to force action.”
“What the fuck…?”
“In any case, this means that it is not because of malicious intent.”
“Do you know what’s even creepier is that there is no malicious intent?”
“They probably don’t even realize it, so let’s not say too much, Janghwa.”
Seo Jang-hwa turned to Vivian at Lee Jae-heon’s glossy words.
“Hey Gomtaengi.”
“Yes, Janghwa.”
“I’m not saying you’re at that level, seeing as how you go into the secret world alone, leaving me alone.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Look at this…? You’re not denying it again? “I wonder if this is really creepy.”
Jaeheon Lee chuckled.
“What kind of situation is it that you criticize the person in front of you?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Everything is fucking crazy. “Everyone is crazy.”
“Still, everyone is doing well in society, right? “They are people who have not committed anti-social crimes and are leading their lives normally.”
“Is that what makes it even creepier?”
“No, well… I’m not saying I like being forced to act, but…”
But what can you do?
“Because if you want to survive in the other world, it’s best to remain crazy.”
Lee Jae-heon could have spoken and corrected the twisted common sense of the Ohseong staff team. Especially in the case of Woo Joo-young, who recently joined the team, he seems to be considered strong at times, so if we led her and corrected her ‘wrong’ way of thinking according to the common sense of this soft world, it would quickly be effective.
However, I didn’t know when I would be eaten by the other world, and unless I found a way to completely escape, leaving it crazy was a way to increase my chances of survival. In their own way, they were getting used to survival in the underworld, and they had no intention of putting a candle to it.
“But that doesn’t mean we force Janghwa students to make that choice. “In the first place, unless student Seo Jang-hwa comes into contact with student Vivian, he will never come to the secret world.”
“…I’ll go too next time.”
“That might be easier said than done.”
“Even so, you go around holding hands, even risking the stigma of dating that bear bastard. Even after all this, I’m left alone again? “I can’t let it go like that.”
“Why are you so angry?”
“This bastard came here after being gaslighted by that scum, Song In-myeong. So aren’t you angry?!”
“Aha…”
The level of anger was almost that of a mother tiger protecting her cub from a hunter. Although Vivian was not at a weight class where she could receive protection, there was something that made sense if her guardian was Seo Jang-hwa. Jaeheon Lee nodded.
“Then, let’s hold on and try hard. “I don’t know what will happen.”
“Just look, just look. “I’m already bulking up again.”
“Oh, more there?”
“more.”
“That’s great.”
Jaeheon Lee applauded. Although it was a compliment to the prepared survivor, Seo Jang-hwa did not seem to be in a very good mood. She grabbed Lee Jae-heon’s arm and stopped him as he was clapping.
“…student?”
“Don’t do it. What kind of applause can you give when your palms are hurt?”
“Did you just get swept away?”
“If it had just been chafed, they wouldn’t have bandaged it like they do now.”
“Thank you for your concern, but….”
“Thank you, go to sleep, and try to stay still.”
“I can do that if you want.”
“Really, why is every word you say so unlucky?”
“Do it too much.”
Lee Jae-heon joked, but Seo Jang-hwa’s expression did not relax.
“Don’t give it up easily. Treating your body like a consumable has a negative impact on you and the people around you.”
“…Thank you for your sincere concern?”
“wrist.”
“hmm…?”
“You got swept up because you were struggling.”
As Lee Jae-heon slowly blinked, Seo Jang-hwa’s voice subsided.
“I saw how the wound looked when I was changing the bandages earlier. If you’re tied up so tightly that blood doesn’t flow and you’re nervous or panicky, you’ll get chafed like that. The bruises spread along the line like paint. Lee Jae-heon seems to not consider it a big deal because it was necessary to catch Sung Dae-young, but it seems like he wasn’t as carefree at the time as he is now.”
“….”
“I think Jae-heon Lee, who did the background research on the survivors, would know why I know that.”
Those words reminded me of Seo Jang-hwa’s family environment. She had been bullied by her stepfather when she was young, and looking at her reaction now, it seemed like Lee Jae-heon had stepped on her landmine. I can almost remember the scars of a person struggling while tied to a rope.
Lee Jae-heon apologized obediently.
“I’m sorry.”
“Even if I say it with a smile… haha. “I don’t understand.”
“That’s harsh.”
Seo Jang-hwa clicked his tongue at the sight of Lee Jae-heon just smiling.
“I’m leaving now.”
“Thank you for the gift. “I’ll drink it well.”
“Sleep well, rest well, and from what I see, it seems like you need to see a good counselor, but I don’t think that will ever happen, so take care of your mental health.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
“It’s strange, it makes me feel sick every time I see it.”
“Why are you like that? I’m also a person who lives life hard.”
“Then work a little less hard.”
Seo Jang-hwa left the hospital room, picking his ears, and Vivian bowed silently and followed behind her. Lee Jae-heon saw them off, still smiling, and soon lowered his waving hand as the crowd grew farther away.
I lifted my hand from the bed and touched the corner of my mouth.
“…hmm.”
I’m smiling just fine.
“Kids these days have a lot of complaints.”
Muttering softly, Jaeheon Lee checked his physical condition once again. As he slowly turned his wrist, mainly checking his joints, his mind was filled with thoughts about the other side of the future.
As a result, the words of other chicks and Seo Jang-hwa naturally came to mind.
‘…Control.’
Although I found it natural to be controlled, I didn’t like it.
If he had liked it, he wouldn’t have been so anxious to somehow secure Lee Jae-heon’s freedom when he first remembered his past life and was devoured by the other side of the world. Didn’t you try hard to distance yourself from the shackles of other people’s worries and worries and fail miserably?
However, it didn’t matter as long as the restraint did not interfere with Lee Jae-heon’s plans. Moreover, unlike then, the current survivors were trying to control Lee Jae-heon for better efficiency. If he showed that level of skill, Lee Jae-heon was willing to adjust the rhythm to some extent.
‘I think I still have some of the medicine I took at Unhak High School.’
The more the survivors worry about and try to protect ‘Lee Jae-heon’, the more counterproductive it becomes. In this part, Lee Jae-heon himself died several times, putting it in the minds of Jeong In-ho and the returnees. Through this, Lee Jae-heon secured the minimum freedom to plan and execute, so his attempts at control were seen as cute.
“….”
The only thing I’m a little worried about is….
“…Is this the right direction?”
Jaeheon Lee lay down on the bed.
It is said that the prototype failed due to the tyranny of the typewriters. Therefore, I don’t know whether Lee Jae-heon’s current attempt to hand over control, at least for show, is following the same procedures as a ghost police officer, or whether it is okay because it is a reasonable decision.
‘Is there room for managers to abuse this type of relationship?’
I thought it would be a bit dangerous if a manager were to hide among the chicks.
However, if it were possible to directly intervene to that extent, it would have been done right away. Even though Lee Jae-heon was openly attacking them, the manager never touched the survivors, so it seemed like Mana was protecting the people there.
‘Or maybe I can’t possess the characters whose names appear in the novel. If the name is an important factor in this world like the old world…’
Anyway, the conclusion was that there would be no problem maintaining this stance for now.
“…It will be much easier for me to act if I assume they have the initiative.”
Lee Jae-heon did not want to take care of and lead his colleagues while listening to the captain again. No, I would do it behind the scenes, but I didn’t want to take that stance openly. Although it seemed like he was already almost ruined, Lee Jae-heon just wanted to get some help from the main character.
Rather than Lee Jae-heon showing the way and taking the lead from beginning to end, I felt much more comfortable pretending to be just one member of the group and coordinating things behind the scenes, or pretending to be crazy and ‘thinking’ by saying, ‘Oh my gosh, my mistake.’
“….”
After finishing his thought, Jaeheon Lee blinked slowly and picked up his cell phone.
“…ah.”
Sure enough, there was a text message from Lee Yun-byeol.
[Seo-ah wants to meet the manager a lot.]
“That’s right.”
In the attached photo, Jang Seo-ah was crouching in front of the front door, waiting for someone. I burst into laughter because that round, sad shape was most likely waiting for Lee Jae-heon.
No matter how hard I tried to hide it as much as I could, it was still a hospital. Moreover, it is a university hospital with many patients and visitors all year round. In addition, because there were doctors and nurses watching Lee Jae-heon, they had no choice but to leave Jang Seo-ah at home with teacher Lee Yun-byeol. Looking at the plump cheeks in the photo, it seemed like our child was very dissatisfied with Lee Jae-heon’s judgment.
“What should I do~…”
Lee Jae-heon, who was muttering teasingly even though no one was listening, soon turned off the screen of his cell phone, leaving only a reply asking for his help. Then he stared at the ceiling of the hospital room and blinked slowly.
‘It’s a bit awkward to show your face like this.’
Seo-ah might be considered a real zombie, but since she is a very perceptive child, the chances of that happening are low. Jang Seo-ah, who was a little mature but was actually an ordinary child, would 100% cry when she saw her guardian, Lee Jae-heon, end up like this.
‘How are you coping with all that? ‘I am not a profit star…’
With that in mind, I quietly closed my eyes and went to sleep.
“….”
Perhaps because I had so much work to do, I fell asleep again even though I slept for a long time.
It was a dark evening when Lee Jae-heon woke up.
“…? what.”
Next to his half-asleep bed, there was a large, luxurious flower pot.
“What is it really?”
The handwriting on the letter that said ‘I wish you well’ was Jaehee Lee’s, but even though I was half asleep and not fully conscious, I felt it was strong. I wasn’t sure exactly what kind of flower it was, whether it was a bright red chrysanthemum in a pot or something, but it didn’t seem like it had any good meaning.
No, that’s true.
“…Someone gives a flower pot to a hospitalized patient.”
I felt my sister’s strong will to stay in the hospital for the rest of her life.
Why in the world would you insist that something like this is affection?
(Continued in the next part)
