Episode 63
The glass apples brought by this gathering group were popular with the group.
“Huh, this is really delicious.”
“…Are you crying?”
“Are you going to cry? “Let’s not make you angry.”
“Why are you so annoyed again?”
So much so that the siblings’ mouths, which had been closed the whole time, opened.
‘I think the conversation I had with my younger brother had quite an impact.’
Or was he really awake in the middle of the morning? Since he was so distracted, even if someone was listening behind him, there was a high possibility that he wouldn’t have noticed.
Lee Jae-heon took a bite of the glass apple, recalling the memory of a time before when his stomach had been sore from spitting up water from the lake. The faintly felt starch and strangely sweet flavor of the crop mixed with the light juice in my mouth. Even though it is a fruit that cannot be eaten in real life, it tasted pretty good.
It was highly likely that it was Lee Jae-heon’s fault that the Park siblings, who had been quiet in the beginning, became less talkative at some point. It seemed like the shield that was supposed to protect us would die while we were not looking, so it was natural for anyone in their right mind to measure the angle of escape.
Perhaps, if Lee Jae-heon had really died, it would not have been strange at all if he had switched teams since he had already met Detective Hong Gyeong-jun.
‘That means the main character is a variable to those guys.’
His gaze fell on Assistant Manager Jeong, who was talking with Director Kang, and then fell.
Although he has a high level of speaking power within the team, he strangely seems reluctant to us. In fact, considering that it is not something a normal adult would do to show groundless rejection to a minor upon meeting him for the first time, it was natural that he would rather be protected by the police recognized by the country.
However, Jae-heon Lee came back alive, and the main character remained quiet and expressed his intentions to some extent while talking with Da-hoon Park. There was no reason to move to another team, as I was assured that everyone would understand even if I behaved openly and harshly to the point of unpleasantness.
Lee Jae-heon, who passed by the vitality of the two students who had come back to life, blinked as he looked at the empty shell after eating all the contents.
“….”
A spherical thin glass.
Nothing more or less than that. According to common sense here, Lee Jae-heon licked the inside of the well’s mouth with his tongue at the bright blue transparency that could not have been found in a tree.
It tasted like thick blood.
‘…did you chew the peel?’
It looks like he’s still out of his mind.
He admitted that his condition was not very good because he couldn’t check even a single shell. If I had brought back the body from my previous life, I probably would have been able to endure it long enough, but this body was not a spirit.
The glass shell that went into my mouth was not as small as I thought, and I chewed it a few times while I was distracted for a moment, causing various wounds in my mouth. The roof of the mouth, the inside of the tongue, cheeks, etc. As an unfamiliar feeling rushed to his gums, he looked at the protagonist and his companions.
I should have come to my senses the first time I chewed and spit it out.
‘Spit this out and swallow it right now.’
I didn’t want to cause a fuss.
If I had been in my past life, I would have sworn and spat and been teased a few times by my colleagues, but wasn’t this world made of soft cushions? In fact, Lee Jae-heon in his current life was also more worried about the current situation as he seemed to have almost no immunity to foreign substances such as glass entering his mouth.
And suddenly he realized that pitch-black eyes were staring at him.
“….”
“… Manager.”
“….”
“Chief?”
It was a voice full of doubt at first and confidence at the second.
‘I guess I’m wondering something about the little pig that can’t speak.’
Should I just swallow it like this and pretend nothing happened? The moment I was distracted by the momentary temptation, the face of Dr. Ha Seong-yoon, who was sitting a little away from Lee Jae-heon and across from him, became cold.
He said with a cursing look on his face.
“Please stop.”
“…write.”
This is gross.
In fact, there was no way that Dr. Ha Seong-yoon, who had a lot of medical experience, did not know about Lee Jae-heon’s condition. Is there really no patient who endured vomiting out of pride or dignity? He admitted his defeat.
Realizing once again that there were no cloths or tissues around, Jaeheon Lee spat out a piece of glass right into his hand. It was stained a little red.
Lee Jae-heon, who saw this, immediately squeezed his hand and hid it from view.
“Why… why do you look at me like you’re going to eat people like that?”
“…Why are you holding that in your hand! “Wasn’t this just shell or glass?!”
“Oh really.”
What is your real personality problem?
Due to the protagonist’s useless observation skills, his brief attempt to minimize the disturbance was foiled. From the looks of it, it seems that Lee Jae-heon was unaware of Lee Jae-heon’s intentions as he tried to quietly move on. You can see that the reaction is much more exaggerated than usual.
The problem was that it was the chicks of today who were shocked even by such exaggerated reactions.
“…uh? yes? Boss?”
“Uh huh…? Are you bleeding like crazy? “No blood.”
“People die…!”
“I’m not dead, I’m not dead!”
I was so dumbfounded that a retort came out spontaneously.
“Has it been a day or two since you saw my blood? Why are you making such a fuss!”
“What are you bragging about? That and the blood from your mouth are the same…?!”
“Then is it different?!”
Employee Kwon shouted as if he was crying, but he had no intention of defeating Lee Jae-heon, who was born a villain.
‘What kind of nonsense is this chick again?’
So how can the blood from one person’s body be different? He probably didn’t do it because he was really angry, but he seemed very surprised, but whatever the case, Lee Jae-heon was just an unpleasant subordinate who didn’t know the grace that had been given to him.
As I was about to raise my voice, the main character intervened with his characteristic sincere yet worried expression.
“I don’t think it was that difficult to criticize.”
“….”
“Oh, I think you’re tired too. “Make mistakes you wouldn’t normally make.”
He seemed very humble, but on the contrary, I found him obnoxious.
In short, it meant, ‘If your condition is questionable, do it in moderation and tell it.’ If I were to explain it by including the useless provocation added later, there was also a small threat like, ‘Do you want me to keep scratching your insides?’
‘I guess I’m screwed right now.’
Lee Jae-heon, who was suddenly threatened by the assistant manager as a manager, was at a loss for words.
“…You… You really…”
“Yes, Manager.”
“Why are you such a kid?…”
It was so bad that the tone of voice he had only used in private in his past life came out.
Sometimes I see that bastard was really unlucky and he was always disgusting. It reminded me of the disgusting events from my past life, and I wanted to hit the back of my head if I could. Of course, Jaeheon Lee didn’t do anything stupid like that.
‘You have to build a relationship of trust to avoid going backwards.’
Lee Jae-heon’s biggest strengths were his quick thinking and resignation.
Don’t people like that really remember the little things? In the first place, those stats were accumulated and the initial relationship level was created. At best, we are in the process of escaping from such shortcomings and restoring our strangely swollen reliability back to its original state, but we couldn’t pour cold water on them. Rather, Lee Jae-heon had to behave well if he didn’t want to get stabbed later.
After accepting reality, he adjusted the expression on his face to put an end to this brief commotion. Anyway, I filled my stomach with the glass apples I had brought, and there was no source of light around me other than the bonfire.
Since this was happening, I was thinking of ending the day with a suitable excuse and acting.
‘Of course, it was unexpected that I ended up chewing glass, but…’
Now that things have come to this, I should also tell the story I had prepared.
‘He may seem quite absent-minded.’
Lee Jae-heon’s expression showed a small anxiety suppressed by pride and an awkwardness that did not show it. The face didn’t change much, but those with a sharp eye could notice it.
“It’s just because I’m out of my mind, nothing’s wrong.”
Of course, it would be a big deal for the chicks.
“…Then I guess it’s true that you’re tired, Manager.”
“Yeah well… it’s just like that. Why do people get tired of working overtime all day and night? Just like the last time our intern put lemonade in his coffee instead of sugar…”
“Ugh.”
The cocky intern’s face became even paler as he remembered his ridiculous mistake. It was a natural step for the main character to protect such an underdeveloped chick.
“Don’t just start talking about Yeonseok.”
“Why is Assistant Manager Jeong becoming more and more confident? “Am I really funny?”
“If the person in question is someone who chewed glass without knowing their condition, isn’t there nothing we can do about it?”
“One day, I’m going to get you fired, really.”
It was quite sincere.
Just let our story be completed. Once I have wealth and fame, you will really go away. huh? know? Manager Jeong, you are really going to leave. Even if he wasn’t the main character, he would pretend he wasn’t and fall into the lake.
The protagonist smiled faintly at that.
“Of course, if we can get out…”
“…Use Gabulgi?”
“So what’s bothering you? injury? fatigue? climate?”
“….”
I was at a loss for words once again.
If I try to call it bullshit here, I will be the only one who will hear it called bullshit.
For the sake of the group’s mental health, Jaeheon Lee could not refute his words, and of course the protagonist knew that as well. That really disgusting bastard.
Lee Jae-heon consciously declared his surrender as he could not just leave empty words to Deputy Jeong, who was trying to get on his nerves by telling him to reveal his true feelings.
That’s how his expression changed.
“…That…”
It was time to bring up the excuse I had prepared in advance.
“…It’s not really that serious.”
“Can we judge that?”
“Huh, really. Ha, bear with me.”
“So?”
“….”
Now I really had to come to my senses and act properly.
He frowned slightly with an emotion somewhere between displeasure and discomfort. He seemed hesitant and didn’t want to talk. However, it seems as if he is anxious to keep his mouth shut because he doesn’t know what Jung In-ho, who knows Lee Jae-heon’s past, will do if he leaves it like this. I rolled the words around in my mouth, took a long pause, and then slowly opened my mouth.
A slightly cracked voice came out calmly.
“Bed… a little.”
“….”
“Because it’s uncomfortable.”
Then he slowly scratched his neck.
With natural hand gestures, as if he had not acted consciously at all. I avert my gaze to one side as if I don’t know anything. I used the tip of my fingernail to scrape off the hardened scab.
Of course, it was a calculated move.
‘When he first woke up from his faint, he said I had scratched his neck.’
I wanted it to be seen in the same vein this time too.
Of course, if you are a person of healthy mind, you will not scratch or strangle your neck to the point of hurting it during sleep. There was a high possibility that there was an enormous amount of stress inside that was reflected in the unconscious, and even if that were not the case, it was correct to judge that there was a mental problem.
The water spilled anyway. Even if in reality it was a reflexive struggle before death, he appeared to be harming himself while sleeping, and even if the bright red lake water in his dream entered his windpipe, there was no way to explain it. In that case, it would have been better to control the degree and flow in the direction I wanted.
‘The excuse that it’s a green algae monster is already ready.’
I naturally burst out laughing at the created setting and the made-up gestures, but I tried to hold it in and made up a sullen and embarrassed expression.
“…Oh, look, I said it wasn’t a big deal.”
In fact, the ‘Lee Jae-heon’ he created and the existing ‘Manager Lee Jae-heon’ would also have the same sentiment. I was well over 40 and complaining about going to bed wasn’t a particularly adult complaint.
Of course, it wouldn’t have sounded like that sentiment to the chicks.
“… Manager, is that….”
“What.”
“…No, sorry.”
Look.
Isn’t that a voice that creeps in like a criminal?
Chief Kang, who was about to speak, closed his mouth, the main character just looked at Lee Jae-heon, and the others who had no experience with him seemed speechless.
‘I guess it’s the monster’s fault.’
It was natural. It’s been so long since I came back alive from the green algae monster that I’ve already erased it from my mind. As a natural progression, it made sense to think that he was experiencing nightmares and other aftereffects.
However, the important thing here is that Lee Jae-heon should not have been solemnly mourned. As someone who did not know what ethics and dignity were in the first place, the correct answer was to be rather puzzled by their reactions. The embarrassment and awkwardness he showed just now were sincere.
He twitched his eyebrows as if he didn’t understand the calm atmosphere and looked back at Jeong In-ho, who at least knew his situation. I was looking for someone I could communicate with.
Of course, there was no way the protagonist could take any action.
“…First of all… wouldn’t it be better to sleep anyway?”
“…already? No, I was originally going to set a night watch and think about tomorrow’s plans…”
“I will stay on watch.” “You can hear about the plan tomorrow.”
Director Kang suddenly raised his head and looked at In-ho Jeong, who decisively interrupted the conversation.
It seems that she also wants to help with that watchful duty, and it was a very enjoyable situation for Lee Jae-heon, who was looking for active labor. Now I finally feel some sense of satisfaction from managing it.
Of course, Lee Jae-heon wasn’t stupid enough to show it.
“…Why are you doing that?”
Now was the time to express my displeasure. That means everyone except me knew what was going on. It was an appropriate response for ‘Manager Lee Jae-heon’, who has a strong sense of pride.
Although it may be funny to the protagonist who knows his duplicitous attitude.
“Honestly, haven’t you been working too much? “There are a lot of things we don’t know, so we have a lot to ask, but I think it would be better for us to do it now than for you to step forward yourself.”
“….”
Actually, this was a bit suspicious.
‘This bastard isn’t trying to suck on sweet water and get full, is he?’
Considering the build-up so far, it seems unlikely, but that bastard is so disgusting. Since the relationship that had been built up over a long period of time had only minuses, I couldn’t be completely reassured unless the possibility was 0.
Lee Jae-heon, who was considering the intention for a moment, let out a hint of discomfort and changed his expression and asked.
“…Am I in your way?”
It was an honorific that appeared in front of the group for the first time in a very long time.
Of course, unless the conscience of the chicks in front of him suddenly rolled over, that couldn’t have been the case, and of course the answer he wanted to hear was ‘no’.
What was revealed on his face was discomfort, puzzlement, anxiety, and frustration. Given the image I had built so far, I didn’t have to pretend to be weak now.
And fortunately, the protagonist frowned and continued speaking.
“No, I’m telling you to get some rest. “Without any intention.”
“Why should I do that?”
“….” The corners
of
Jeong In-ho’s mouth became slightly distorted.
That was exactly the reaction Jaeheon Lee wanted.
‘The effort was worth it.’
There were only two conditions for that expression to appear.
‘Frustrating’ and ‘ally’. It is an expression that appears when one feels frustrated by an ally.
In fact, if you look closely, it was a habit that seemed like a very bad person’s character. It resembled the expression of a madman contemplating whether to kill or save that thing because his judgment had been distorted, and no matter how good he looked at it, no one in the group could deny that the ending was bitter. Doesn’t even Chief Kang have a perplexed expression on his face?
However, that expression also meant, ‘No matter how frustrating it is, this is a colleague you have to embrace.’ I was worried because I had to shovel a few times and commit a suicide kick, but at this rate, I felt like I could rest in peace for the time being.
Jaeheon Lee decided to step down at this point.
“If necessary, yes.”
“…Don’t scratch your neck either.”
“ah.”
Pretend not to know one more time.
He pretended to be embarrassed, but pretending to hide it, he erased the expression on his face and looked away as if nothing had happened. Even though he completely hid his expression, it was an indication that he was feeling uncomfortable with the current situation.
“…Sure.”
Spitting out words,
“….”
“Because it’s good for me to rest.”
I let go of the glass pieces I was holding in my hands.
Only then does today’s play end.
