Episode 552:
Turn back time a little and it was when Jeong In-ho went to look for Song In-myeong in room 11.
“Did you find anything?”
In response to Jeong In-ho’s question, Song In-myeong exaggeratedly nauseated.
“The way you talk is so disgusting.”
“Only you will do it.”
“Why are you arguing with someone else’s tone of voice?”
Song In-myeong’s irritation made Jeong In-ho’s smile become even deeper.
“I wasn’t talking about the way you spoke, but about your very existence… I don’t think there’s a need to make a distinction. “I think you can understand it at your convenience.”
“I’d rather have double sex.”
“Because I’m not a shallow person like you.”
“Yes, live your whole life as a dignified human being.”
“Thank you for your support.”
When Jeong In-ho rolled his eyes and smiled, Song In-myeong was disgusted.
“Do you know that you live like this?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Do you know that you only manage your image in front of your uncle?”
“….”
At those words, the expression disappeared from Jeong In-ho’s face.
Song In-myeong’s story seemed quite surprising, but it actually irritated him. Why didn’t he know that he was so fawning in front of the old man and the ‘chicks’?
“Are you doing this on purpose to make me mad?”
“…Well, no, this is the first time I’ve noticed that I act like that.”
“It’s really jingling.”
“At least that’s something I don’t want to hear from your mouth.”
Although he was answering calmly, Jeong In-ho was secretly surprised.
‘…Was I always like that?’
Since Jung In-ho experienced the secret world, his emotions and expressions have become richer. At least Jeong In-ho himself thought so, but after listening to Song In-myeong and thinking about it carefully, it seemed that Jeong In-ho himself had not completely changed.
That’s because he doesn’t live with all his emotionless emotions in front of Lee Jae-heon and other survivors….
“…but all ordinary members of society would live like this.”
“What are you talking about again?”
“At least you had to manage your image when you were in college.”
“I don’t act as gross as you.”
“I feel really bad hearing disgusting things coming from your mouth.”
“Why is the story suddenly leaking somewhere else?”
“Okay, I’ll reflect on that.”
Song In-myeong frowned silently.
“….”
It seemed as if he was looking at Jeong In-ho pitifully, or it seemed like he was feeling a strange joy. It seemed certain that whatever he was really feeling, the essence of it was disgusting.
Nevertheless, as he quietly waited for Song In-myeong’s answer, he chuckled.
“You’re not really crazy either.”
“You…”
“I know it’s not what I want to say, but honestly, it is. “I’ve been like this since I was born.”
“….”
“I don’t feel the need to care about other people’s pain at all. However, I was disgusted, irritated, tired, frustrated, and horrified by the people all over the world who naturally asked for empathy… So I tolerated it, and I was dumbfounded because they seemed to think that anything would happen.”
In response to Song In-myeong’s monologue, Jeong In-ho leaned against the door and spoke.
“I don’t want to hear about your dirty past.”
“I’ve been like this since I was born.”
“That’s what I said earlier.”
“You too.”
“….”
I just looked at him quietly, and Song In-myeong smiled like he was frowning and continued speaking.
“It’s annoying.”
Jeong In-ho did not necessarily deny Song In-myeong’s words.
“….”
He was right.
“…just a little bit?”
“Just a little bit.”
“Your words are harsh.”
The biggest emotions Jung In-ho could feel were still irritation and disgust.
It’s not that I can’t feel joy. It wasn’t that I couldn’t feel pride or joy or those kinds of emotions. However, the emotions that Jung In-ho was most sensitive to were the negative ones that massaged his brain and made him suffocate.
Therefore, when dealing with many people in the world, the first thing I felt was irritation. It was disgusting. Even if you wanted to have a normal conversation, the other person just seemed pathetic or worthless.
“But that doesn’t mean I go around killing people at random like you do.”
However, Jeong In-ho was a person who admired ‘good’.
“I think that alone makes me a good enough person.”
“eww.”
“Don’t be so disgusting.”
Because I admire goodness, I was able to place a high value on the hypocrisy of others. I was able to accept it with respect rather than irritation or disgust.
Yes, it is true that Jung In-ho is a selfish person.
Even the goodness he created for himself was all for his convenience and pleasure. It’s been that way since I was very young.
“I don’t think you’re in a position to be disgusted by me, In-myeong…”
Jeong In-ho was just surprised that his behavior was more duplicitous than he had vaguely imagined.
But that was all.
“As I said before, I think this is a natural manner that a member of society should maintain. Showing your true self when dealing with others means you lack social skills. “If you think about it that way, I can be seen as a rather humane person.”
“I know that.”
“Then what is the complaint?”
“It’s serious.”
Song In-myeong said as if he were annoyed.
“If you smile softly with those dog-like eyes, it feels like you’re being scolded.”
“….”
“Don’t you say that your co-workers usually think of you as a monster? Don’t you think it’s scary? Have you ever been criticized for being a bit harsh in some way? “I think there might be.”
As Jeong In-ho just kept his mouth shut, Song In-myeong chuckled with a frown on his face.
“Ah, this really seems crazy….”
“Why do you keep saying that?”
“I can see your angles just by looking at you. I think it’s so funny that he’s acting like he’s not a crazy kid. “I actually think he’s becoming more of a person, but that’s even funnier.”
“….”
“In-myeong told me in advance because I was worried that our Mr. Jeong In-ho might get hurt later… Understand?”
Song In-myeong continued speaking with a still smiling face.
“You’re not human and you’re not a good bastard. “You idiot.”
It’s as if he’s giving great advice.
“I certainly admit that the direction we have taken is different… but the essence of you and me is not that different. Do you understand? “You will become an asshole like me whenever you get the chance.”
“Are you cursing me?”
“If revealing reality is a curse, then it could be so.”
“Maybe I won’t be like you.”
“Things like that happen, too.”
Song In-myeong shrugged his shoulders.
“What can I say? “I hate to see our In-ho Jeong thinking, ‘I’m a good person’ without the slightest distrust… It makes me grumpy.”
“I think Inmyeong has a very twisted personality.”
“If you had done art, what kind of writer would you have been?”
“Don’t be creepy.”
“Maybe I could end up like Jeong Eun-woo. What do you think?”
Jeong In-ho smiled roundly.
“I think so too.”
Because he didn’t like it, he rejected Jung Eun-woo, and in return, he lost his only protector.
Jeong In-ho’s life was always like this.
‘Nothing is working properly.’
I just wanted to admire heroes who live, feel, and enjoy themselves as normally as others and continue to do good deeds that I would never be able to accomplish. But that was very difficult.
The life that seemed normal before experiencing the underworld ended up being the same. It was all a mess.
I simply hid the irritation and disgust I felt every time I saw other people in a corner of my brain and covered it with wax to hide it. I didn’t care how the tightly wrapped inside rotted or stirred up.
“But it happened because I didn’t do that.”
So, it is true that the current Jung In-ho is a ‘good person’.
Because Jung In-ho was not a pervert who denied his own efforts and results.
“I’m rather worried about our lives.”
“Damn.”
“I know that the reason you’re acting so carelessly right now is because the manager is alive.”
“….”
“What will happen if the manager dies?”
Jeong In-ho, leaning against the doorway and nodding his head, looked at Song In-myeong’s empty hands. It was a bare hand that did not hold a weapon.
“I’m sure he’ll be angry…”
He knows what kind of expression Song In-myeong made in the previous episode.
I know how Song In-myeong, this crazy murderer, broke the calm of Seo Jang-hwa, who was well-armed, and killed her. I know how much Song In-myeong did his best to become the final survivor.
I know everything.
“Then what should I do with you?”
“….”
There was no longer any expression on Song In-myeong’s face.
Jeong In-ho narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“Someone is calling me a monster on the topic of radioactive waste.”
It was not important to Jeong In-ho that the eyes of the two people looking at each other were so similar that they were serious. A person could have festered and rotted from the inside out, but how he packaged it up showed his individual capabilities.
Jeong In-ho was an adult with quite good abilities, so he just smiled generously at the young student who was glaring at me with frustration and jealousy.
“So did you find anything?”
“….”
“Inmyeong?”
“…Don’t imitate your uncle.”
Song In-myeong narrowed his eyes with an expressionless face.
“Because it’s a bit too disgusting.”
Behind the mask-like face, the voice is quite calm and gentle, making you wonder what kind of mood he is feeling. The sight of Song In-myeong looking at Jung In-ho with quite drowsy eyes was similar to when they first met in the park.
In the end, the fact that the essence did not change meant that Song In-myeong was also the same.
“Just because In-ho Jeong talks like that doesn’t mean it can be as cool as Jae-heon Lee.”
“It’s a work of art. That’s a pretty resolute statement for someone who was anxious about not being able to save the manager, let alone kill him.”
“This is why the chicks are so annoying…”
Jeong In-ho felt a hint of jealousy from those words.
“They’re talking shit about how great they are.”
Song In-myeong sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“What happened?”
“….”
“I asked if you found anything good…? Well, there isn’t much eye-catching information here? “Maybe this is a treasure chest… I guess it’s a room connected to the Sea Treasure Hall, but the records are all bulky and empty of substance.”
“okay? There was a lot of talk about diving suits in room 10, which was connected to the Amazon area, but why are there no records in the Sea Treasure Hall?”
The two looked so calm that it was hard to imagine that they had just looked at each other with black eyes. They spoke in a moderately blunt and light tone, just as they had before.
Song In-myeong gently rubbed his chin with a thoughtful look on his face.
“I was probably trying to write something… but wasn’t it because I got sucked into the treasure chest without any time to leave anything behind?”
“That’s a very cute word for a serial killer to use. “What a mess.”
“Now you can even use onomatopoeia? “This isn’t crazy.”
“So you haven’t found any information over that long period of time? “Are you really such a useless friend?”
“…I wonder if I was brainwashed by that guy Lee Jae-heon. Why am I hurt by words like this…”
Song In-myeong, who was muttering vaguely with a lost face, soon made an “Ah” sound and said.
“But it’s not like we didn’t find out anything. “I’m not sure if it’s accurate information, but…”
“What?”
“The Little Mermaid doesn’t run away even while eating.”
“…oh…?”
“What kind of nonsense do you think this is? “So do I.”
Song In-myeong shrugged his shoulders.
“It may just be meaningless graffiti, but all the graffiti I’ve seen in the records of the room so far are just things like ‘Please help me’, ‘I’m scared’, etc… I remember the mention of the Little Mermaid because I thought it was a bit unusual. “I was there.”
“Where did you see that?”
“It’s a note pinned on the board inside, and I put it in my pocket. show me?”
“Thank you for doing so.”
“Troublesome bastard…”
Song In-myeong took out a light yellow post-it note from his pocket, walked closer to the door, glanced outside, and then looked at Jeong In-ho again. He handed a post-it note to Jeong In-ho.
“look.”
“Um…”
It was a note written in a rough, ugly handwriting, probably written with a trembling hand.
“…The Little Mermaid Princess.”
“Don’t you think you’re talking about the final boss?”
“Maybe so.”
“Then I wonder what the meal is…”
“If you say meal, I don’t know. “Aren’t the things the monsters here eating humans?”
“Even so, what do you mean by running away?”
“I don’t know about that either.”
“I guess I should talk to you, right?”
“Yes, we should discuss this with the manager before he dies…”
“Hey, by the way.”
“huh?”
“….”
“…?”
When the conversation suddenly ended, Jeong In-ho raised his head and saw Song In-myeong.
He had been looking at the concert hall over Jung In-ho’s shoulder earlier, and only then did Jung In-ho notice that Song In-myeong was frowning. He looked like he was busy about something.
“What’s wrong?”
“….”
“Song In-myeong.”
When he urged the other person, Song In-myeong slowly opened his mouth.
“…hey.”
“I called you earlier too. Why?”
“…Where have the kids gone?”
“uh?”
“Why can’t you see the kids?”
“….”
Jeong In-ho turned his head and looked at the concert hall.
As expected, as Song In-myeong said, the two kindergarten students were nowhere to be seen.
“….”
“….”
Song In-myeong and Jeong In-ho’s faces turned white at the same time.
what?
* * *
“Can we come out like this…?”
Minhong Choi said in response to Seoah Jang’s question.
“are you okay.”
“The adults will be angry….”
“Let’s go see the fish!”
“No, I’m not going to have fun.”
“that’s right!”
“….”
Jang Seo-ah muttered softly as she looked at Choi Min-hong, who was holding her hand tightly.
“…There may be something we can do to help.”
(Continued in the next part)
