Episode 99
Kim Yeon-woo thinks Lee Jae-heon was a very good person.
I was too distracted at the time to think about it right away, but Lee Jae-heon helped Kim Yeon-woo first even though he was already in a difficult situation. Even though her mind seemed clouded, the fact that she helped others first was a huge shock to her.
‘There are people who are this selfless.’
I felt amazed and yearning.
Kim Yeon-woo liked helping people and believed that there was justice in it. Of course, within the scope of that help, there is great justice, such as rescuing a criminal before he or she is harmed, but what she thought best was the small consideration that anyone could give.
I liked people who carelessly picked up and threw away trash they saw on the street. I like people who quietly give chocolate to someone who is crying because they have a story. I really liked people who accommodated people who didn’t show their pain or gave in to the elderly and infirm as if it were nothing. That kind of goodwill is something Kim Yeon-woo can freely display.
Therefore, such unimaginable good intentions were shocking, and the small amount of consideration felt in Lee Jae-heon’s words was also shocking. Because he is a person who knows how to respect others, no matter how big or small.
If there was one thing that made me harbor a little resentment, wouldn’t it be the blood stains on my body?
“Jaeheon Lee!”
Kim Yeon-woo, with a flushed expression, approached Lee Jae-heon.
“long time no see. “I’m glad you’re still alive!”
“…I also feel very fortunate that I am still alive.”
“I was very worried when you left like that. No matter how much I thought about it, I thought it would be right to send it to you after you were completely healed… No, I’m glad anyway. I’m so glad. But…”
Of course, it doesn’t seem like it’s entirely fortunate.
“Again… where did you get hurt?”
Kim Yeon-woo’s expression hardened ambiguously.
I tried to control myself because I didn’t want to seem like I was telling someone I had just met not to do this or that, but as I was looking at Lee Jae-heon’s more mottled whole body, I couldn’t control my facial expressions properly.
“Why… why is there more blood on my neck… why is there blood around my mouth… on both hands…”
“I stopped living.”
“Oh no… is that…?”
I could barely stop myself from asking what was crazy.
‘I shouldn’t go out feeling like I’m the only one who’s become friends.’
Of course, my meeting with Lee Jae-heon was very brief, but it was more intense than that, and I often thought of him even when I couldn’t meet him. Most people were wondering, ‘Will they still be alive?’
As a result, all sorts of thoughts came to mind. Are the people in the group really ordinary people as Lee Jae-heon said? After all, aren’t those people the ones who drove Jaeheon Lee to his death? If he was a good person, he wouldn’t be able to refuse and would become bait again, but did he really have to grab the crotch of his pants and physically stop him?
If you think about it at least once a day, your inner intimacy will increase. For that matter, it was a fairly simple worry, but it was true that I was worried about whether he was dead or alive.
“More than that, why is the neck really…? Aren’t these fingernail marks? “The direction is perfect.”
“Let’s stop there, Yeonwoo.”
Detective Hong Gyeong-jun, holding Kim Yeon-woo’s shoulder, continued.
“Mr. Lee Jae-heon must also be embarrassed and embarrassed. First, say hello to others and then separately. “Let’s talk individually.”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
She was shocked at the thought that she had caused trouble through her inconsiderate behavior. I’m not usually very perceptive, but not to this extent, but I guess I’ve been tired recently.
‘Anyway, why are you saying this out loud, you idiot?’
All the marks left on Lee Jae-heon’s neck appeared to be his own. It was easy to guess because I had seen it before.
In fact, if it was that clear, you could see the position of the person holding the neck and the size of the hand. Moreover, although he often strangles others, he rarely scratches himself with his fingernails, so naturally, he couldn’t help but feel the stress Jaeheon Lee was experiencing.
Then, as expected, you were driven out by those people…?
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Police. “This is Assistant Manager Jeong In-ho, who works under the manager.”
“iced coffee. hello. “My name is Kim Yeon-woo and my rank is police officer.”
Kim Yeon-woo’s mouth tightened with a pure and simple smile. It’s not that it’s particularly unpleasant or burdensome, I just chose the next best option because I don’t have the facial muscles to return that kind of smile.
She wasn’t stupid enough to be prejudiced based on first impressions, but she had a visual impact. With his round, neat face and friendly attitude, I couldn’t help but feel a little relaxed. In fact, there is a possibility that her suspicions are simply delusions.
“I heard you talk a little bit, but you said you’ve met the manager?”
“…uh…didn’t you hear? Yes, I saw you running away from the green monster last morning. We met there and talked for a while.”
“ah-ha, I see.”
“…Did Jaeheon Lee really not tell you?”
Kim Yeon-woo blinked repeatedly in embarrassment and looked back at Jeong In-ho and Lee Jae-heon. Maybe it was because of the suspicions I had been having for a while that made me think, ‘Maybe they hid it on purpose because they didn’t trust each other?’
Seeing her like that, Jeong In-ho responded with a sad smile.
“I see… you didn’t tell me.”
“Uh…”
“Still, we spent some time together, but you were really cold…”
It was clearly a sullen and pitiful appearance, but Kim Yeon-woo felt an inexplicable sense of disgust. The atmosphere seemed to become lighter, but my immediate impression was quite unpleasant.
Immediately after that, Jaeheon Lee was seen frowning his eyebrows.
“Please. “It’s so disgusting that I can’t look at it with my eyes open.”
“It breaks my heart to hear that you won’t be able to see it, Manager Lee.”
“Let’s not do that… huh? “It’s cute only when you do it in moderation.”
“Oh, am I cute?”
“You really are a disgusting bastard.”
Kim Yeon-woo slightly relaxed when he saw Lee Jae-heon glaring at Jeong In-ho with a strong tone and Jung In-ho smiling as if he was enjoying Lee Jae-heon’s reaction.
‘Really… I don’t think we’re on bad terms.’
That’s probably fortunate.
Most members of the police industry are men, and among them, Kim Yeon-woo, a woman, received a lot of counseling or phone calls. Especially in the case of women, many people find it difficult to speak in front of a large man. Many visitors felt more comfortable with Kim Yeon-woo.
She knew a variety of repertoires, and among them, the victim never had such a playful conversation with the perpetrator. In the end, the victim subconsciously expressed discomfort or burden, so Jae-heon Lee did not seem to have suffered as bad a thing as Yeon-woo Kim imagined.
‘I should say that it looks rather comfortable.’
It was an expression I hadn’t seen before when I first met him a few days ago. It probably means that they are comfortable with each other enough to pull off pranks like that without hesitation.
That didn’t mean all of her reservations were resolved, but she felt sorry for misunderstanding and opened her mouth with an awkward smile.
“You two have a really good relationship. I envy you.”
And then silence came.
“….”
“….”
“…Oh, isn’t it?”
Both of them were looking at Kim Yeon-woo with a strange yet subtle gaze. Since it was only the first time they were meeting each other, they would be polite, but they looked like they wanted to say something.
Of the two who glanced at each other ambiguously, Jaeheon Lee spoke first.
“…Thank you for looking so harmonious. “It must have been a compliment.”
I mean it wasn’t a compliment to me.
“Haha… I’m even jealous. “This is embarrassing.”
It means what you said was bullshit.
“Well… Assistant Manager Jeong is rather friendly. He’s the type of guy who plays pranks on everyone. He’s actually closer to me. yes. “It’s not like that.”
“I guess… no. No matter how good the team atmosphere is, you can’t dare to be friendly to your boss. It’s a matter of etiquette. “Thank you for the kind words, but we’re not that close.”
“Why is Assistant Manager Jeong so reluctant to speak in front of the manager?”
“Oh my gosh, when did I do that again…”
Yeonwoo Kim pursed his lips.
“….”
So you’re on bad terms?
* * *
“It’s so nice to meet you. I never thought I’d meet another survivor!”
Kwon Yeon-hee’s unique lively voice resonated throughout the dome.
“Besides, he saved our Yeonseok… I was really worried because he disappeared on the way.”
“No, we found it by chance while patrolling the surrounding area.”
“That means I’m thankful! I heard you were being dragged by vines? It must have been difficult to catch, so thank you so much. “Thanks to you, I survived.”
Lee Jae-heon wiped the corners of his mouth as he saw Employee Kwon smiling slyly and slowly closing the distance, and the people looking at her with a sly smile.
‘He was… pretty big too.’
I’m not really happy about that, but I’m just doing it to try to take control of the situation.
‘I almost knew that I would meet other survivors.’
Back when President Yoon and Doctor Ha first met, people were very pure.
No, to be precise, I wasn’t that pure to begin with… I became pure because I had to lose my mind in extreme situations. The joy I saw immediately after meeting them at the flower shop was genuine. On the other hand, now I’m pretending to be friendly to lighten the mood and gain some say among strangers.
Since Employee Kwon’s main job is marketing, I think it would be easy to create a buzz and increase intimacy. It might also be what you do best.
The first to speak out about her remarks was CEO Choi Jeong-man, who had come with them.
“Wow, this guy speaks really well! huh? “If you speak kindly, the dull atmosphere will be revived.”
“Hehe, right. “I’m good at speaking.”
“Wow, I feel like I’m young, but I’m having a hard time coming to a place like this. Let’s come eat some soup later, okay? I’ll make a delicious meal for you and that intern. With the manager over there, huh? “Bring everyone with you.”
“Wow really? I really like that soup! I’ll bring everything, boss! “We will increase your sales!”
It’s a lie. Ever since I broke up with my lover whose main meal was soup, I haven’t even looked at her, and above all, Employee Kwon’s favorite food is beef tripe.
‘I heard you talking with other guys.’
They say they like chewing the chewy pieces in one piece without cutting them.
In fact, seeing a grown adult being so active, most people would know that they did it on purpose, but it was also true that the atmosphere was revived due to the circumstances.
Jaeheon Lee, who thought that far, internally cheered for employee Kwon, who was trying to win the right to speak with a comfortable mind. Good job, my chick, hurry up and soak in. It was easy for this group to say something if Employee Kwon, who looked like he could act like a tongue in my mouth, took the seat.
Intern Noh Yeon-seok, who was looking back and forth between Lee Jae-heon and Kwon, slowly approached him.
“Um… Manager.”
“huh?”
“You know what we said before we met…”
“….”
“The one you came here for… that thing. “Can I not tell you?”
It seemed like he was referring to Lee Jae-heon’s ‘survivor in the secret world’ setting.
‘I guess I did something by keeping it to myself.’
The mere fact that the old manager was a survivor in this world was quite shocking, but the manager told it not to us but to a detective who had seen it for the first time. As a chick who picks on useless and trivial things, she must have felt a subtle sense of betrayal.
So, this may be an encouragement to tell the other party members even now. Originally, the fact that he was the only one in the group who knew about it wasn’t a burden for that wholesome chick.
Lee Jae-heon, who briefly glanced at Detective Hong Gyeong-jun, answered in a low voice.
“later.”
“….”
“Seriously, when all of our kids get together later… let’s talk then.”
Detective Hong was already talking to conductor Kim Ki-jeong and the Korean university student. Seeing Choi Jeong-man glancing at him as he chatted cheerfully in a loud voice, it seemed like he and Lee Jae-heon were on the same page.
“…I don’t want to tell all these people.”
“…yes?”
“People other than ‘us.’”
There was no need to tell everyone about his past.
His gaze turned to the Korean college student who was slightly nodding his head. To be exact, a small group of three people his age.
That was definitely a difference from the novel. As it was, that group of college students came into contact with the detectives and the main character later, and they joined too late. I didn’t quite understand why I had joined the detective’s team so quickly.
‘Besides, I think there was one more person on the team over there. Where did he go again?’
I think he was dragging one Mojiri with him, but he couldn’t be seen among the survivors gathered here right now. In many ways, the story was different from the situation I remember.
Lee Jae-heon’s eyes, which were rolling around, soon landed on a person.
‘And maybe that…’
He swallowed his thoughts and continued.
“It might be funny to say this.”
“….”
“…Because I don’t want it to be torn up and thrown away.”
They are in a very unstable situation and have no trust in each other.
Meanwhile, people who knew this world well and fought well were the perfect victims for those who were pushed to the limit like now. Somehow, Lee Jae-heon will try to resolve the situation.
‘The situation is better now than in the novel, so the atmosphere is good… but it wasn’t like this before.’
Humanity is not a very important concept to a person who cannot drink enough water or food.
In the novel Jaeheon Lee read, these groups were on the verge of becoming the plunderers commonly seen in the apocalypse genre. If the situation gets worse, you could be grabbed by the collar.
That’s why Jaeheon Lee didn’t trust these people at all. Fortunately, most of the people he has chosen are employees of the same company as the characters or were chosen by Lee Jae-heon himself, so he is raising them with care. I had no intention of wasting my arms and legs for someone who was of no use or relevance.
Of course, I don’t know if I rediscover its usefulness later.
“So, Yeon-seok, you should wear your clothes until you find the others… Yeon-seok?”
“…yes yes. yes yes.”
“…Why are you looking like that?”
The intern’s expression was strangely tearful.
Noh Yeon-seok, who glanced at Lee Jae-heon’s question, immediately became more depressed and lowered his head.
“I see… Why am I like this?”
“Are you in a relationship with me? Do I have to deal with that now?”
“No, I’m sorry…”
Then he kept his mouth shut.
“….”
Lee Jae-heon frowned, leaning his back against the wooden wall.
Why the fuck are you pitiful?
