* * *
Yeah, thats right.
.
Youll stay alive, yes.
Yoon Garam nodded carefully.
Itll happen.
From now on, Kang Mina wouldnt reveal any more about Director Lee Jaehun.
Having concluded her words like that, Yoon Garam turned her gaze back to the campfire.
The flas, rising in the middle of a quiet forest where the wind barely blew, swayed strangely in various directions, emitting an unusual softness. Watching it, a peculiar sensation crawled up ones spine.
Although Yoon Garam knew that Kang Minas conviction was close to brainwashing, she didnt point it out. She couldnt unravel the determination that Kang Mina had engraved, considering it necessary, and she, as a third party who had declared it not too long ago, couldnt undo it.
She simply gazed quietly at the flas flickering in the subdued atmosphere.
.
.
While Director Lee Jaehun himself was unsure about his own survival, others were not.
They didnt know about Lee Jaehuns abilities, were unaware of the fact that he had regressed, and had no knowledge of what thoughts he harbored or what actions he took.
Of course, even if Lee Jaehun had figured out their inner thoughts, they wouldnt have left him alone so easily.
Moreover, among the group, Lee Jaehun was in the worst condition. Since the first ti he was pierced through the shoulder in the company, he had sustained injuries that should have sent him to the hospital, and with the various small and large wounds he had accumulated since then, he was no more than a patient who shouldnt move.
It wasnt for nothing that he had endured the mockery of doctors and Deputy Jung several tis.
Nevertheless, Director Lee Jaehun continued to take charge at the forefront of the group. He tried to lead them and at least shoulder minimal responsibility.
Even if Yoon Garam didnt know the detailed reasons for this, Director Lee Jaehun was providing significant help in managing the emotions of the current group.
The reason he was dragged away by a monster was probably not unrelated to this silence.
.
This silence.
Yoon Garam suddenly, and once again, realized sothing. With just one person missing, there wasnt even a slight whisper among us.
She glanced around at the group sitting around the campfire.
Kang Mina was staring at the campfire with a vacant expression. Noh Yeonseok and Kwon Yeonhee, who were talking with siblings in school uniforms, and the siblings were awkwardly accepting the interactions of the adults.
Yoon Garams gaze moved a bit more, reaching the two mbers sitting slightly away from the campfire.
.Teacher.
Dr. Ha Sungyoon, a regular custor at her flower shop, and Deputy Jung Inho, who had returned as one from two.
The two of them were seen conversing at the boundary where the light from the campfire touched.
What kind of conversation were they having?
Suddenly curious, she contemplated whether to intervene between them, but lacking the confidence to quickly understand as she did when she went to fetch supplies just now, she gave up.
Above all, it didnt seem like those people would include Yoon Garam herself.
At that ti those two seed to understand sothing by themselves.
When she went to gather firewood, Jung Inho suddenly excused himself and left after uttering so unexpected words. After so ti passed without any incident, he rejoined them as if nothing had happened.
Certainly, he had firewood in his arms, but in Yoon Garams opinion, that wasnt his true intention for leaving. Perhaps Dr. Ha Sungyoon had judged it the sa way, as he silently agreed with Jung Inhos casual deanor without saying anything.
However, that was fine.
Its fine.
She didnt want to reach out for sothing that couldnt and shouldnt be done.
Yoon Garam quietly closed her eyes and, soon after, rose from her seat, leaning against a large wall sculpture. Even though her body remained stiff and tense, she hoped it would get better once the day brightened.
It was probably just unnecessary anxiety since her vision wasnt clear.
Just a simple uneasiness.
.
The forest remained silent, and the wind didnt stir a bit.
Yoon Garam looked up at the sky, but there wasnt a single twinkling star there. It was as if it was made of deep, impenetrable ink, like a completed piece of paper, so dark that no hint of light could seep through.
The color that contained darkness rather than space was incredibly unfamiliar, evoking a strange fear in her.
She lowered her gaze again, taking in the sight of the ground.
The groups movents, flowing in silence, were no different from when it was bright, but no one among them would think that way.
Sothing
It was different.
She felt a sense of sothing changed and broken.
She sensed disorder within the silence. It wasnt just a noise heard with the ears, but a crack that began to deviate from the restlessness and uneasiness, gradually becoming noticeable.
Although it might not be audible, it could be felt throughout her entire body. This calmness was signaling a distortion to her.
The precariously stacked wooden planks seed like they could crumble with just a sigh. Yoon Garam bit down on her lips, resisting the urge to let sothing out.
Within her unfocused vision, the flickering campfire ca into view.
The sound of crackling flas reached her ears.
Am I going crazy?
It was nothing more than the sound of flas crackling an absurd occurrence.
Contemplating the idea that she might have fallen into this world thousands of tis before, Yoon Garam closed her eyes.
For whatever reason, she had no intention of lifting her eyelids until the day was completely bright.
Even as her vision was entirely clouded, the sound of crackling flas continued to reach her ears. It wasnt the sound of wooden sticks burning but rather the noise of bright flowers twisting in the wind.
It was truly an incomprehensible sensation, but
Youre going to die.
.
Suddenly, laughter escaped her.
Ha.
Yoon Garam understood.
Perhaps at that ti, in the flower shop, if Director Lee Jaehun hadnt helped, Doctor Ha Sungyoon would have died. She felt that fact intensely.
The image of him trying to kill the person who admired the flower that had turned into a monster just wouldnt disappear from her eyes, no matter what.
As a result, when her eyelids lowered, her ears ached, and within that, creepy and grotesque whispers clung.
It was a hallucination she hadnt experienced before.
Youre going to die.
.
Hearing the familiar voice whispering, Yoon Garam covered her ears with both hands. Not to avoid hearing it, but to prevent it from escaping.
Thats how she blocked out the hallucination.
Theyre going to kill you.
She blocked out the sound.
* * *
Well then, Director were dragged away by that green monster, I suppose.
Thats right.
In response to Dr. Ha Sungyoons words, Jung Inho nodded.
The ivy vines probably listen to the words of that green monster.
Director Lee Jaehun was dragged away by the monster.
This fact was an excessively significant event for the current group. The person who had been the focal point of the group until now was none other than Director Lee Jaehun.
Of course, recalling the situation where he deliberately threw harsh words at the group to create a distance, it seed that being the focal point of the group was not a pleasant fact for the parties involved. Despite his efforts to distance himself from the group, Director Lee Jaehun tried to keep a distance.
However, those efforts were thwarted by Jung Inho himself, and eventually, he went from being the aggressor to the victim, concluding the story. Since Director Lee Jaehun had led and helped us regain our senses until now, his absence due to the monster was an unavoidable blow, beyond imagination.
What are the chances of the director being alive?
Well, I dont know.
He might be dead. We should be prepared for that.
Jung Inho scratched his throat in embarrassnt even as he spoke.
That was precisely why he had summoned Dr. Ha Sungyoon separately. Among the current group, Dr. Ha Sungyoon was the one most likely to accept Director Lee Jaehuns absence easily and formulate new alternatives based on that.
While he had considered bringing up the topic with others, just a few seconds later, he realized how foolish that thought was.
I cant say sothing like that.
Jung Inho himself lacked the qualification to speak about Director Lee Jaehuns death, and secondly, he didnt have the luxury of doing so. This applied to everyone in the group.
Even for him, discussing Lee Jaehuns death felt uncomfortable, making his tongue prick. If that was the case for him, how would others feel?
Assessing the probability of death without confirming the body and proposing asures seed excessively harsh. Moreover, there might be people resenting Jung Inho outwardly, like the siblings. Thats why Dr. Ha Sungyoon was the only one who could engage in such a conversation.
He wasnt in an intimate relationship with Director Lee Jaehun, and among them, he was the most rational and composed. Above all, he possessed specialized knowledge in dicine.
It was not just about proposing asures but also the possibility of creating an entirely new focal point.
After such considerations, Jung Inho summoned Dr. Ha Sungyoon, and as he anticipated, the doctor seed not to feel significant distress over Director Lee Jaehuns death.
Hes a surgeon, I heard.
Having witnessed patients deaths several tis, perhaps he had beco accustod to such situations. While forcefully pushing down thoughts that were sowhat impolite in any sense, Jung Inho managed his expression.
Since coming to this world, he had intentionally developed facial muscles that didnt respond to his will. He spoke, trying to control them.
So ivy vines had teeth. They wrapped around the legs entirely, making it hard to escape easily. Even if they sohow managed to escape, their condition wouldnt be good.
.
Being dragged away without receiving proper treatnt, theres no way their body would be in normal condition. They might have had a pipe in their hands, but in a situation where theyre being dragged and their foot is caught, how effectively can they use it
Jung Inho spoke, expressing the maximum amount of information he could recall.
He exercised occasionally, but he wasnt as proficient in self-defense as intern Noh Yeonseok, nor did he possess specialized knowledge like Dr. Ha Sungyoon. However, what he was most confident in was his rational deanor. Therefore, it was necessary to be prepared even if just a little.
Director Lee Jaehun had been the center of the group even after his disappearance.
Now that he was being dragged towards an impending death, despite instinctual resistance, Jung Inho couldnt help but consider the worst-case scenario. If Director Lee Jaehun died, they needed to be prepared for that possibility.
In response to Jung Inhos contemplative state, Dr. Ha Sungyoon spoke.
Jung Inho-ssi.
Suddenly called by his na, he briefly recalled Director Lee Jaehuns voice but quickly erased that thought. The persons deep, commanding voice and the monotonous tone in front of him were vastly different.
Unable to wait for that mont, Dr. Ha Sungyoon continued.
It seems the director wishes not to die.
.
For a mont, his shallow breath seed to stop.
Jung Inho, montarily blinking at the question, soon realized that his expression had montarily stiffened, and he quickly eased it. He had been holding his breath, mouth shut, without exhaling or inhaling.
He tried his best to maintain a normal and indifferent expression.
Well Its natural for a group of people to wish that no one dies, isnt it?
But mixing personal bias into the information youre providing is another issue.
.
Since a while ago, youve been considering the probability of Director Lee Jaehun not being dead, havent you?
Ah.
For a mont, his words were stuck, and Jung Inho blinked.
Teeth are attached to the ivy, and it wrapped around the legs. Director Lee Jaehun was already in a less-than-ideal condition. Moreover, his leg was in a severely critical state, making walking itself a miracle. Using the word perhaps in this context, isnt that a bit contradictory?
.
Moreover, even if he was holding a pipe, whats the probability of not letting go while being dragged? I dont know if youre aware, but the patient had a large wound on his arm. Earlier, I saw that his wrist was also in a bad state. In that condition, its questionable whether he could hold or swing a pipe.
Dr. Ha Sungyoon spoke while fidgeting with his ear.
You asked for a dical opinion, right? Well, in that case, its difficult to say. The probability of him being alive is significantly low.
Youre saying hes dead.
If we think logically, yes. It was a miracle that he walked around normally even after becoming like that. It seed like the patient had a strong will and appeared sane, but for an average person, they would be in pain and exhausted even after dozing off.
Right.
The probability of surviving in that condition is very low. I dont like saying these things, but you need to prepare yourself ntally to so extent
Yes.
.
After the doctor fell silent, Jung Inho asked.
Well, if its not a dical opinion
What do you an?
Im asking for your thoughts, Ha Sungyoon.
He spoke.
Do you think the Director is dead?
Jung Inho still rembered the conversation he had with Dr. Ha Sungyoon before his death.
Yes, he had returned to the past.
He returned to the mont when Director Lee Jaehun had not yet died, and thus, the conversation with Dr. Ha Sungyoon had changed a bit. However, he still rembered it.
Despite eting only once in the context of a patient and a doctor, Jung Inho had been unusually curious about Director Lee Jaehun.
Recalling that, Jung Inho opened his mouth. Following the lead of Dr. Ha Sungyoon, a soft, hesitant voice continued.
It seed you were quite interested in Director Lee Jaehun, Ha Sungyoon. I sensed that you knew sothing.
What if its a misunderstanding?
Well, then why are you so calm? If Director Lee hadnt helped you, you wouldve surely died, but you seem completely unfazed.
You were watching from outside the flower shop.
I need information too.
The flower shop had a wall entirely made of glass, and even from a bit of a distance, it wasnt too difficult to see inside.
Jung Inho saw Director Lee Jaehun standing in front of the flower shop, eyes widening in surprise, and shortly afterward, he saw him entering with a firm grip on the pipe.
After taking a few steps, Jung Inho could witness Director Lee Jaehun blocking Ha Sungyoon inside the flower shop through the glass wall.
Ha Sungyoon, literally surviving in a situation just before death, remained calm. Despite facing a flower with thousands of teeth trying to devour him instead of magic and surgery, he remained composed.
This was in stark contrast to the initial groups reaction when they encountered the monster for the first ti, freezing in white terror without even screaming.
In a situation they had never experienced before, they inevitably felt fear. In this case, Jung Inho, being skeptical and thoughtful, couldnt co up with many options.
Dr. Ha Sungyoon, either youre not in your right mind, or
Or you know sothing about this world.
The conclusion was similar whether it was one or the other. For Dr. Ha Sungyoon, the threat of those monsters wasnt a situation they had never experienced before, allowing him to remain composed.
So, there was another piece of information that could be considered.
What do you know about Director Lee Jaehun?
Eyes as black as the night sky in the other world stared at Dr. Ha Sungyoon.
He rembers the ti before the regression.
The doctor asked about Director Lee Jaehun, and he shared what he knew about the information and confusion. For so reason, the doctor seed to understand, or so he said.
Jung Inho also wanted to know what he knew.
Why did Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who had only spent half a day with Director Lee Jaehun on a regular basis, know sothing that Jung Inho, who spent that ti together every day, didnt? What does he know, and whats the basis for his thoughts?
He wasnt as skilled in martial arts as the intern, Noh Yeonseok, and he didnt possess specialized knowledge like Dr. Ha Sungyoon.
However, what he was most confident in was this kind of ntal combat, so he needed to prepare for it rationally, even if just a little.
You ntioned sharing thoughts, right?
He asked before the regression.
When I saw Director Lee Jaehun
Dr. Ha Sungyoon tried to answer but couldnt.
Due to the screams that tore through the air, the result of soones death. Jung Inho hadnt heard the information that Dr. Ha Sungyoon wanted to share.
Please tell too.
I have the right to know as well.
Among this group of people, he was the only one with that right.
In the eerie silence, Jung Inho felt a suffocating sensation, as if his breath was being choked out by pitch-black pupils. The vine with sharp teeth, like a shark, tightened around his throat, constricting his breath and slowly draining the lifeblood from his body.
Perhaps Director Lee Jaehun experienced an even more horrifying agony in the midst of such excruciating pain.
What do you know about that person? And why
So, why.
Are you not in your right mind?
The doctor in front of him, as well as Director Lee Jaehun, everyone seed to be insane.
Having experienced imminent death right before his eyes, Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who calmly continued his work as a doctor, and Director Lee Jaehun, who carved a knife wound on his own arm, seed unaffected by death. Adapting to this grotesque world as if nothing had happened was more terrifying.
While Dr. Ha Sungyoons condition might not be comparable to Director Lee Jaehuns, it was still challenging to consider him entirely sane compared to the rest of the group.
Otherwise, there was no way they could be so indifferent to death caused by inhuman monsters. They were all insane.
The deep black pupils narrowed, and from Jung Inhos lips ca a calmly restrained voice.
I was watching from outside the flower shop, witnessing whether you or Director Lee Jaehun might die.
Of course, I didnt want to die. I turned away from you guys because I wanted to live. Do you understand?
You seem excited, Jung Inho-ssi.
But whats this? Even though you know everything, you look unaffected. You should have felt so betrayal or resentnt towards my actions. I an, Dr. Ha Sungyoon hasnt spent as much ti with as the siblings, so he should have hated a bit more.
Calm down.
Look, youre telling to calm down. Even if soone is dying in front of you, youll probably still say that. You probably told Dr. Ha Sungyoon to calm down and do his job, even after knowing everything.
Before the regression, Dr. Ha Sungyoon was the sa. Truly consistent.
Despite the bizarre and grotesque deaths of Kang Mina and Noh Yeonseok, the doctor only assessed the situation without showing any human emotions. Perhaps it was because he had seen a lot of death as a doctor?
Dr. Ha Sungyoon simply shook Jung Inho, believing that he would make the most rational judgnt. Even though he, too, had briefly witnessed the deaths of those he had been with.
Is that normal?
So, this was also Jung Inhos resentnt towards the doctor before him.
The one who shouted to face reality without giving ti to mourn the death of a friend, now, after returning to the past, felt bitter and resentful.
For the first ti in his life, soone died right in front of him. It was a colleague from work and a close acquaintance. They didnt share a very personal life, but they had at least shared so monts of joy together.
They exchanged birthday gifts with Kang Mina occasionally, and discussed good workouts with Noh Yeonseok. Surely, they had beco sowhat close.
Two people like that died in an instant, and he could have been sad. He could have been in pain. Dr. Ha Sungyoon, however, only saw them as two lifeless bodies and demanded that Jung Inho face reality. Even though he might have wanted to be imrsed in grief, he didnt allow himself to.
All I wanted was to be spared from this miserable world.
So, tell . Why?
What does Dr. Ha Sungyoon know?
However, Jung Inho sensed that he couldnt escape from this world, and moreover, it was a conviction he couldnt turn away from. If he couldnt escape from this place where nausea rose with every breath, then he needed to know anything and everything.
In response to Jung Inhos words, Dr. Ha Sungyoon touched his ear and opened his mouth.
I was a bit surprised, Jung Inho-ssi. Um. Youre really smart.
Ill take it as a complint.
It was really just a aningless complint. I was just surprised. Surprised that you would be so angry with .
Im not angry.
Lets go with that.
He shrugged and continued speaking.
But I dont know that much either. It was only the second ti I t Director Lee Jaehun, and we hadnt even had a personal conversation.
But you still know sothing.
Thats true, but
Dr. Ha Sungyoon seed sowhat embarrassed, rolling his eyes and scratching his ear with his hand, but instead of gaining insight from his actions, Jung Inho felt an inexplicable discomfort. It was an odd sensation that could occasionally be found in Director Lee Jaehun.
Certainly, even though he seed insane, there was a structure to it, making it look like he wasnt completely crazy. Such
Well then, why did you do that, Jung Inho-ssi?
What are you talking about?
When you were wandering around to get clues, today probably in the afternoon.
.
At that ti, when we were moving together, why did you separate from us for so reason?
He couldnt answer for a mont.
Jung Inho had returned to the past and knew what would happen in the future. His mind was consud by the thought of preventing the group from dying at all costs, leading him to move separately from the other two.
As he pondered what excuse to make, he eventually opened his mouth in response to Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who was smiling and waiting for his answer.
Do I really have to say it?
That answer is enough.
Dr. Ha Sungyoon gently touched his earlobe once and seed to have no intention of further probing, judging by his mild and dry response.
He quickly returned to the original topic.
You asked what I know.
In Jung Inhos opinion, it was an oddly light consideration.
Keep in mind that this is just speculation.
Sure.
In my estimation, Director Lee Jaehun seems to be a survivor in this place.
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