Episode 556
Meanwhile, Han Do-yoon was not the only one whose heart dropped at the death of Kim Ki-jeong.
“….”
“…Uh….”
That was shocking to Jeong In-ho and Seo Jang-hwa, who went out to search for the missing kindergarten students.
“what? “This can’t be right…”
“…The kids aren’t dead.”
“How can you be sure of that?”
Jeong In-ho answered Seo Jeong-hwa’s question as calmly as possible.
“It’s too far.”
In the other world, when a person dies, you can instinctively feel it.
There were slight differences from person to person in feeling this sensation of the heart sinking for a moment. What did you think of the person who died, how did the other person die, and…
and where did that person die?
“It felt too far away for kindergartners to have died.”
If you look at it that way, the sensation I just felt occurred in a place quite far away.
After a while, Seo Jang-hwa spoke as if sighing.
“… Well… there’s no way the kids could have already gone that far with those short legs. “More than anything, there is no way such small children could pass by the ‘Amazon of the World.’”
“It’s an area where Dayoung and Dahun were able to pass thanks to Song Inmyeong’s cooperation. Like you said, kindergarteners wouldn’t be able to pass by there… If it feels like this, it’s probably like friends by the stream or an underwater world.”
“It’s fortunate that the kids didn’t die, but…”
Seo Jang-hwa wrinkled his face as if he was disillusioned.
“But that doesn’t mean you can say you’re lucky that someone else died… It’s so fucking ambiguous to react.”
Seo Jang-hwa looked very tired. It was rare to see her normally strong spirit weakening even further, but Jeong In-ho fully understood her.
“…That’s what happens in the other world.”
This was because Seo Jang-hwa was a ‘good person’ who knew how to grieve over the death of others.
“Anyway, I have a rough idea of who died. What do you think, Janghwa?”
“…At the entrance to the aquarium, I guess it was Mr. Kim Ki-jeong or… Han Do-yoon?”
“I think so too. “Among them, I think the probability that it is Mr. Kim Ki-jeong is slightly higher.”
“Do we really need to predict in such detail? “Fuck you…”
Seo Jang-hwa, who was drooping from exhaustion and irritated, soon started cursing and then muttered in a low voice.
“These are people I was talking with just a little while ago.”
“yes.”
“…I can’t stand it anymore and they all die… Oh, I’m going crazy.”
“….”
“At this point, I don’t even know how to react.”
The voice continued in a calm tone for a person’s death, but then suddenly stopped. Seo Jang-hwa, who was looking at the corridor of the aquarium filled with the sound of water, opened his mouth again.
“…Let’s quickly find the kids.”
“okay.”
Jeong In-ho just nodded.
He didn’t bother to offer awkward comforting words like, ‘Are you okay?’
Seo Jang-hwa has a strong sense of pride, so she can take this kind of consolation unpleasantly, and the only response she gets is, ‘Do you look okay?’ Because I knew it would only be to a certain extent.
In the end, the two who had paused for a moment at the death of an unknown survivor moved.
“Where do you think the kids went?”
When Jeong In-ho started crying, Seo Jang-hwa frowned and answered.
“Isn’t this a meaningless question since there is only one road anyway?”
“Of course, there is no fork in the road, so if you keep going like this, you will find the children, but there are plenty of places to hide. “Kindergarten students are especially small, so if they decide to hide, it will be difficult for us to find them.”
“That too…”
“I think it would be a good idea to find out in advance where the kids are.”
“….”
Seo Jang-hwa, who was pursing his lips as if he was sighing, continued.
“If you want to talk about that… I think you should first think about why you left the concert hall.”
“Oh well. “That is correct.”
Choi Min-hong and Jang Seo-ah had a unique side to the point that they were the main members of the underworld. Exploring their principles of action would certainly be helpful in the search.
“They may be young, but they are not thoughtless. In particular, Seo-ah is very quiet… she is the type of person who listens to adults and tries to be liked. “Why did you sneak out when you clearly knew that you would be scolded if you acted on your own?”
“Hmm…”
Jeong In-ho, who had been blinking, opened his mouth.
“First of all, I don’t think the purpose was to take advantage of the children themselves.”
“Why are words so damn difficult…? “Are you Jeong Eun-woo?”
“I tend to get hurt easily, so please be careful with what you say. “Anyway, I meant that I don’t think it was because he was so bored that adults didn’t play with him that he ran away or something like that.”
If that was the reason in the first place, he should have shown similar behavior during his previous visit to the secret world. However, Jang Seo-ah tends to refrain from personal actions as much as possible, and perhaps because of Jang Seo-ah, Choi Min-hong also stays as close to adults as possible.
“Then…”
“Maybe you wanted to help?”
In-ho Jeong said, recalling the situation at the concert hall.
“They are quick-witted kids, so they must have sensed that something was going wrong. Even if it wasn’t like that, at least they would have noticed that adults were having a hard time.”
“….”
“In the meantime, you may have heard that ‘aquariums are considerate of children.’ I only just remembered it now, but this aquarium is especially loud…” “
…I guess even the kids who were far away could hear us talking if they concentrated.”
“If they had heard that, they would have thought that they would perform better when they moved than adults. “I think he wanted to help us in some way.”
Jeong In-ho continued speaking while maintaining a round smile.
“Of course, it’s possible that they escaped because they were possessed by a monster or a trap, but for that reason, the luggage the children had left on the floor was also gone. “If you have the presence of mind to pack your bags and leave, it means you weren’t taken by force or left unconsciously.”
Seo Jang-hwa’s face stiffened slightly as he listened to his words.
“Then where on earth are the kids now? No, what was your goal in the first place when you left the concert venue? Rather than that, first of all… if you wanted to help us….”
“….”
“….”
Jeong In-ho and Seo Jang-hwa thought of the same place at the same time.
“…Sea Treasure Hall?”
“…I think it’s the most likely destination I can think of right now.”
“Wow, that sucks.”
It is not far from the performance hall, so children can find their destination relatively easily, and at the same time, there are hints that can be helpful to adults.
Other than the Sea Treasure Museum, I couldn’t think of a place that satisfied all the applicable conditions.
“I even returned the map to Minhong.”
The problem was that Jeong Eun-woo disappeared there.
“Hey, run. “Now is not the time for us to be like this.”
The place they were in was a hallway leading to an undersea tunnel. In-ho Jeong and Jang-hwa Seo hoped to find the children here, but as soon as they guessed that the kindergarteners’ goal was the ‘Sea Treasure Hall’, this became a very vain hope.
Jeong In-ho smiled awkwardly as he ran after Seo Jang-hwa.
“This is a big deal… Should we hope that kids can’t swim?”
“What are you talking about? Just because you can’t swim doesn’t mean you have to stop at the entrance to the Sea Treasure Museum. “I don’t know how much children’s spirit of challenge is, but kids of that age even take out knives from the kitchen to take apart their beds.”
“Was the existence of kindergarteners originally that scary?”
“It means that you don’t know what the danger is and you just rush in out of ignorance. Of course, Seo-ah and Min-hong are smart and won’t do anything dangerous to themselves, but the safety of the other survivors is at stake this time. “I don’t know what the hero mentality will come into play and what he will do.”
“Then I’ll correct it by saying I just don’t want you to do anything about swimming or anything.”
“Oh please… why is everything going on like this?”
He noticed that Seo Jang-hwa’s voice, which he tried to keep lightly, was trembling slightly, but Jeong In-ho did not point it out in an unflattering manner. I just kept smiling so that my expression wouldn’t look strange.
‘…If they find out that I’m thinking about returning, I’ll get at least one beating.’
Seo Jang-hwa was very sensitive and emotional about the death of others. He is a very good person.
That’s why Jeong In-ho tried to hide his dry and cruel thoughts as much as possible. That was Jeong In-ho’s consideration for Seo Jang-hwa, who had only the second experience of the secret world.
Maybe it’s a consideration that resembles Lee Jae-heon’s a little?
“….”
Ah, that feels a bit bad.
In an attempt to shake off the strange discomfort, Jeong In-ho opened his mouth.
“If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to meet them before they arrive at the Sea Treasure Hall. Since she is still young, her walking speed is not that fast, and Seo-ah is especially scared, so she must have walked cautiously…” “
What if we had already arrived?”
I could feel the rough, hidden moisture in Seo Jang-hwa’s voice.
“I figured it out too late… The kids had left the concert hall a long time ago and had already arrived. If you go into the Sea Treasure Hall… you can’t even swim, but you struggle and drink water and then…” ”
Janghwa, calm down.”
“Jung Eun-woo was already dead there too. What should they do then? “They are much weaker than Jeong Eun-woo, so what should we do?”
“….”
Jeong In-ho noticed that Seo Jang-hwa was reacting sensitively to the ‘Sea Treasure Hall’. It seemed like it was probably because Jeong Eun-woo disappeared there.
‘As a nephew, I am actually this calm.’
Just like that, a fleeting thought passed from Lee Jae-heon, past Jeong Eun-woo, and reached Seo Jang-hwa, who was running next to me.
Jeong In-ho felt a bit of jealousy toward her, who was still strong and just despite having a sad past like mine, but he quickly swallowed it up without any hesitation.
‘I guess I’m tired too. Seeing my thoughts keep wandering to strange places…’
I had a strangely bitter taste in my mouth.
‘Anyway, I guess I’m abnormal.’
For Jeong In-ho, who is planning a return, the deaths of the survivors are sad and difficult, but they are something that can be overcome. There is nothing good about holding on to a temporary problem for a long time rather than a permanent loss. I learned that at Unhak High School.
It’s not that Jeong In-ho wasn’t concerned about the disappearance of his uncle Jeong Eun-woo, but…
“Okay, let’s go quickly.”
It was just a problem I didn’t want to think about deeply.
Whatever it is.
* * *
It was a very sad fact, but Jeong In-ho and Seo Jang-hwa’s predictions were correct.
“Do you know how to swim?”
“Yes, I can do it.”
“I’m also good at holding my breath. “Can I last more than a minute?”
“Wow, that’s amazing…”
Choi Min-hong and Jang Seo-ah had already arrived in front of the Sea Treasure Hall.
Perhaps it was true that this aquarium was especially considerate of young children, but the two did not encounter any obstacles on the way here. In fact, the buzzing sound that made my head hurt lessened and the moisture on the floor became lighter.
It was as if the aquarium was kindly whispering to them, ‘You can go anywhere.’
“There was a treasure chest in there. right?”
Jang Seo-ah nodded at Choi Min-hong’s words.
“Yes, I was there. They said that if you open it, you will find a key…”
“If you find that key, will you be able to save your brother?”
“I think I probably said yes. “I said I could open the box in the tank where the mermaids are.”
No matter how brave Choi Min-hong was or how smart Jang Seo-ah was, they were all kindergarteners in the end.
They only heard the story, ‘If you open the treasure chest in the Sea Treasure Hall, you can get the key and save Park Da-hoon with it.’ I wasn’t deep enough to think about why Park Da-young and Seo Jang-hwa failed in their plan and returned alone without Jung Eun-woo.
Kindergarten students simply focused on ‘the younger the child, the more fun the aquarium is’ and ‘there is a treasure box in the Sea Treasure Hall where you can save Park Da-hoon.’
“Then let’s quickly bring the keys.”
“Let’s go together….”
Splash!
The two entered the Sea Treasure Hall.
It would have been better if I hadn’t been able to swim, but it was a shame.
* * *
“….”
And Jeong Eun-woo, now a monster, realized that someone had broken into his hometown.
“….”
He looked up as he was digging up the body, turning the water’s edge bright red.
I have to go back home quickly.
“….”
I have to go back….
“…Hello.”
“….”
“This is my first time seeing you face to face.”
There was a bright yellow fire that caught him.
“Right, Jeong Eun-woo?”
(Continued in the next part)
