Episode 68:
To start with the main point,
“…Why are you guys such a mess?”
I was bored.
“yes?”
“I asked what was going on, you chicks.”
It was a bit much and overall it was a mess.
It took about three days until the green algae monster in my dream had no intention of letting me go, so I had to negotiate my way out. Lee Jae-heon was sore from not being able to eat or drink for a long time, but he had no time to worry about such things.
He spoke while holding the collar of Jeong In-ho, who was laughing with a disgusting sincerity.
“Explain right away why I turn into this mess every time the film stops.”
And the protagonist answered.
“It’s not difficult to tell you that at all, Manager.”
“Speak up.”
“If you really just do self-reflection once, all the answers will be there…”
“How easy of a deal am I to you, huh?”
Why is this bastard getting more grumpy every day?
Just shut up and pretend you’re sorry. I didn’t ask because I was curious.
* * *
When Director Lee Jae-heon came to consciousness, the mood of the entire group suddenly revived.
“mister…!”
“Chief, are you awake?”
Two students and employee Kwon Yeon-hee, who had gone a little further away because there was no more firewood to pick up nearby, were able to check on Manager Jae-heon Lee, who was standing up at the right time and having a funny conversation with In-ho Jeong.
Employee Kwon threw down the firewood he was carrying and ran towards him.
“How are you? “Are you okay inside?”
“What is it? Come on.”
“How worried are we really…”
Kwon Yeon-hee, who was speaking, pursed her lips as she felt moved.
Lee Jae-heon woke up suddenly, as if he had fallen asleep without any signs, and although he was pale and bloodless, he was still conscious, unlike when he scratched his neck and vomited blood. That was a very important fact for us.
She cried as she looked at Director Lee Jae-heon’s cracked fingernails.
“…worry…”
It was a wound that was inevitably broken in a struggle while trying to stop Manager Lee Jae-heon from strangling her while she was asleep.
But the doctor couldn’t treat the wound on my finger. They didn’t have the usual ointments or disinfectants, nor did they have any light bandages. There was already too much work to do elsewhere to even use those bandages.
So at best, all they could do was wipe it off with water and place it in a dry place, but when they saw Director Lee Jae-heon’s bruised and cracked fingernails, tears came out once again.
“….”
“…Employee Kwon? “Why are you doing that?”
“sorry.”
“…uh?”
“I’m sorry….”
Patter.
Uncontrollable tears fell down my bowed head.
“I’m really sorry… I’m sorry I couldn’t show up…”
While Manager Jae-Heon Lee was sleeping, Yeon-Hee Kwon became unusually thoughtful.
If you think about it, Director Lee Jae-heon was a person who was kidnapped by a monster all night long.
Considering her miserable appearance when they were reunited again, it would not have been surprising if there had been more pain somewhere, but she was so caught up in her immediate anxiety and guilt that she did not notice it. I didn’t.
If the wound was this bad, I would have to go to the hospital right away and get surgery. As Dr. Ha Seong-yoon said, Director Lee Jae-heon was a patient who was perfectly fine even if he was taken to the emergency room and received a few stitches on the bed.
No matter how much he worried about our safety and stopped us from bringing medicine, we should have brought something instead of just feeling safe.
“I should have done something…”
I started thinking a lot.
Even though we were a little injured and in pain, could it have been as difficult as Manager Lee Jae-heon? Even if there was a hole in one place, it would have been nice if we had stopped by the pharmacy and at least brought him a blanket or blanket so he could rest comfortably. If I had brought something to help him, I wouldn’t have been as sad and sorry as I am now.
Even if her thoughts were motivated by selfishness, it didn’t matter. In the end, Yeonhee Kwon was a bad person who ignored the person who helped her and continued to receive help like that.
“I’m sorry. I’m black. Ugh… I just cried at that time…”
“…Hey, employee Kwon. “Why are you crying?”
“It was really bad. I’m sorry, manager. “I’m really sorry.”
There was nothing I could say other than an apology.
She, who was not injured at all, dared to act foolishly in front of someone who was so sick that she could not even wake up right away. Even though I was so overwhelmed by the horror of the monster that I shed tears, it couldn’t have been more scary and painful than Manager Lee Jae-heon, who was dragged away by the monster for a night.
The sight of Manager Lee Jae-heon falling asleep and not being able to wake up that very evening after comforting her was a kind of great shock or fear to Kwon Yeon-hee.
“because of me.”
It felt like he had died.
“Because of me, the manager…”
“No.”
“…But I. Boss.”
“No, Kwon Yeonhee.”
Manager Lee Jae-heon sighed.
It seemed like it was difficult and it seemed like he was looking at her in a pitiful way. Maybe he was irritated or tired. Kwon Yeon-hee’s tears slowly stopped at the plain expression that did not suit her pale face.
“What kind of idiot would judge right or wrong in something like this? Did employee Kwon kill me? Nope. “Did you bring a monster somewhere?”
“…Still, I wish I had done better…”
“Don’t be pathetic, Kwon Yeon-hee. “Feeling guilty when it wasn’t your fault is something only fools do.”
After saying that, Manager Lee Jae-heon turned his head and looked at the group that was watching him.
For a moment, a look of slight embarrassment and awkwardness appeared on his face, but it was soon covered with irritation. He probably felt embarrassed that he was seen comforting someone.
“…Why? what.”
“…it’s nothing.”
“That’s right.”
Huh.
Clearing his throat, Jaeheon Lee looked back at them and asked.
“Anyway… I’m sure there isn’t another idiot who thinks like this, right?”
Assistant Manager Jeong In-ho answered those words with a sad smile.
“Of course, Manager.”
“…But if you make such a refreshing expression, wouldn’t I be annoyed, Assistant Manager Jeong?”
I felt a really strange tingling sensation.
In Kwon Yeon-hee’s opinion, Jeong In-ho’s facial expression certainly looked humble, but at the same time, he had an overly obnoxious expression. She was secretly surprised by the light face, almost like she had seen it for the first time since coming to this world.
Assistant Manager Jeong, who paid no heed to Manager Lee Jae-heon’s words, continued talking with a smile.
“Honestly, the manager was wrong in this case.”
“You will be fired as soon as you return to work. I will do my best.”
“If you hadn’t stopped us when we went to the pharmacy in the first place…”
“You guys are going to die if you go there?”
“Won’t you find out when you go? Even if that’s true, Manager.”
“what. “Why are you calling me? What should I do?”
“If you had just told us about your physical condition, would it have gotten to this point?”
“….”
He, who had been speaking well so far, was unable to answer.
I don’t think what he said was entirely wrong, but he still looked as if he didn’t want to acknowledge the other person’s words. I thought maybe the person who spoke was Assistant Manager Jeong In-ho, so he looked more relaxed, but it was visible at a glance, and several of the group, including Kwon Yeon-hee, were a little impressed.
Assistant Manager Jeong In-ho asked, slightly tightening the corners of his mouth, as if he was aware of the group’s reaction.
“Can you tell me at this point?”
“…I have nothing to tell you.”
“aha.”
If they looked a little angry, maybe they were mistaken.
“It wasn’t anything else, he was bleeding and scratching or strangling his neck while he was sleeping.”
“….”
“It’s been two days and a day since you haven’t woken up. “I’m sorry, but what would the atmosphere be like if the person who served as our shield was unconscious for a while?”
“…So it’s my fault?”
“Didn’t the manager abandon his duties without even saying a word?”
“Mr. Inho…?”
At Jung In-ho’s words, Kang Min-ah looked at him with a puzzled face.
Regardless of why he was angry, it was not easy to ignore the fact that Jeong In-ho’s words were excessive. Manager Lee Jae-heon’s protection of us was said to act as a shield.
That’s just….
‘It’s like viewing people as tools.’
It was the exact opposite of Jung In-ho’s sincere attitude that we had seen so far.
What was the reason why Director Lee Jae-heon was so injured in the first place? It was to protect and save them, and even Director Lee Jae-heon was seriously injured after being dragged away by a monster. These were not words that could be said to someone who had just woken up from unconsciousness.
Moreover, when Director Lee Jae-heon was taken away, Jeong In-ho was unable to protect him…
“….”
“Oh, my words were a bit harsh.”
“…That…”
With a gentle smile on her face, Kang Min-ah couldn’t say anything and lowered her head. Not only was the situation not good for her right now to blame someone else, she didn’t even have the right to do so.
However, in the calm atmosphere, only Manager Lee Jae-heon remained the same.
he spat out.
“Well, it’s not wrong.”
“…Boss…?”
I felt with my skin that the flow was turning strangely.
Director Lee Jae-heon did not seem angry at all at Jeong In-ho’s words, to the point where intern Noh Yeon-seok, who usually did not talk to him much, was surprised. On the contrary, it seemed to be taken for granted.
Doctor Ha Seong-yoon, who was watching the two, spoke for the first time in a long time.
“I also agree with what Mr. Jeong In-ho said.”
“…Why are you even acting like this, teacher? Really…”
President Garam Yoon grabbed the shoulder of the doctor next to him as if he was embarrassed, but Doctor Ha Seong-yoon continued speaking with his characteristic relaxed expression. His tone was smooth, like that of In-ho Jeong or Manager Jae-heon Lee.
“The manager currently has a role to play among the members. “He has been working so centrally from the beginning, and it would be embarrassing for us if such a manager were to lose consciousness without warning.”
“So.”
“Even though you were considerate of us and used yourself as efficiently as possible, if you were to the point where you couldn’t fulfill your role as a teacher like you are now, you should have told us.”
“….”
“Then why don’t we prepare for the manager’s vacancy?”
‘Empty seat’.
At those words, Manager Lee Jae-heon quietly wiped the corners of his mouth and silence fell over them.
Intern Noh Yeon-seok held his hands together and looked away. Employee Kwon Yeon-hee froze as she could not understand the situation going on, and Director Kang Min-ah bit her lip as she looked alternately at Doctor Ha Seong-yoon and Assistant Manager Jeong In-ho.
President Garam Yoon stepped back, biting his fingernails, and the two students in school uniform stuck together and hid behind employee Yeonhee Kwon. As Director Lee Jae-heon wakes up, the rift between them, which had been growing closer, widens again, and a creaking noise begins to ring in his ears.
Manager Lee Jae-heon, who was lost in thought without paying attention to the atmosphere, soon lowered his hand that was covering his mouth and nodded.
“…okay.”
“….”
“It was definitely my fault.”
In response, Kang Min-ah pursed her lips.
In all my years working for the company and staying by his side, Manager Lee Jae-heon has never once acknowledged his mistakes.
He was not one to say thank you and sorry to anyone. Even though anyone could see that Manager Lee Jae-heon should have been grateful, he passed it off as if it was natural, and even when the time came when he really needed to apologize, he got angry and passed it by.
But for someone like that to apologize properly to us for the first time in his life…
‘I’m sorry for not being able to sacrifice more.’
I was out of breath.
That ridiculous apology seemed so natural that I could tell Director Lee Jae-heon’s sincerity. Those were definitely not empty words, but his usual thoughts.
As always, my head was spinning.
‘…Why is Inho Jeong angry?’
Why did you say something like that out of anger?
Are those harsh words spoken impulsively? In fact, aside from being angry, isn’t there another reason why you said such a bad thing? Could it be that we were unaware of the reason why he treated Director Lee Jae-heon like a machine or tool?
So then what is the reason?
“…Uh…”
At that moment, it felt like the healed crack was holding Kang Min-ah’s ankle.
The sound of the thick masks shaking on our faces gave us a vague sense of discomfort that we had tried to ignore. It was as if a shattering scream could be heard, as if a child was squeezing an ant to death.
So, in fact,
“….”
I guess it was broken from the very beginning.
The thought that it was only now that she had come to know that nothing had been fine from the beginning was engulfing her brain that she had been left alive, broken, without any way to do anything about it.
“I’m sorry. I’ll pay more attention next time.”
“….”
I couldn’t understand what that person was saying.
I didn’t want to understand.
* * *
…These bastards used their brains.
