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Lee Jaehun knew a man nad Jung Inho well.
He knew him from his past life as a character in a novel, and in his current life, he knew him as a subordinate. The protagonist of this world, Jung Inho, was truly an exceptionally repulsive guy.
He had a lot of thoughts.
If he just stumbled on nonsense, it would be annoying enough.
But instead, he was not only not very smart, but also repulsive.
Once he defined soone, he would find the 1% of facts that even he couldnt agree with, and then he would doubt it. He behaved sowhat normally, but if not for that, everyone around him would have run away.
In that sense, thinking of my past life, I must be a difficult existence for Deputy Jung to understand.
At first glance, it seed like he had just changed a bit, but in a way, it seed like he had been hiding his true personality all along. Just when you thought soone was selfish, they would sacrifice themselves to save their companions. There was no one more perplexing to Deputy Jung, who used to despise the old Lee Jaehun.
Thanks to that, Lee Jaehun always received suspicious looks from Deputy Jung.
I think he constantly watches because his perception of keeps changing.
Is there a more troubleso chick than Lee Jaehun, who hides the fact that he rembers his past life?
Deputy Jung Inho was truly a repulsive character even for Lee Jaehun, or rather, precisely because he was such a character, Lee Jaehun worried about the protagonist who was looking for him. More precisely, he worried about the events that would occur because of such a protagonist.
I hope nobody loses their mind and starts hitting anyone.
Having finally managed to break free from Constable Kim, who had been clinging to him, Lee Jaehun crossed the park, trying hard to swallow his unease.
Back when he used to run, it was so dark that he couldnt see anything, but thanks to having morized the layout of the park in advance, it was not difficult for him to find the desired spot.
So, the unease ca not from Lee Jaehun himself, but from the ntally unstable chicks.
At my age, dealing with parenting, damn.
Crunch.
He stepped on a vine that was creeping towards him with the heel of his shoe.
Although he had sowhat stopped the bleeding, the sll of blood still lingered. Even though the vines werent sea monsters, occasional sluggish vines caught his eye. Actually, even though sea monsters were nocturnal, it wasnt an absolute truth, which made him even more anxious.
It was sowhat like humans. Even soone peacefully sleeping could suddenly wake up at the sll of crispy chicken grease, or be jolted awake by an external shock. Similarly, if there was a tempting sll or any other issue arose, even the sea monster peacefully sleeping could easily wake up.
And because of that, Lee Jaehun was extrely anxious by now about what the protagonist and his group might be up to.
If blood spills here, its all screwed.
Though Lee Jaehun wasnt one to drip blood everywhere, precisely because of that, the protagonist needed to stay calm. ntally, it wouldnt be good for the less experienced chicks to beco targets for monsters.
But the timing was not ideal. Just when the protagonists ntal fatigue was about to reach its peak, Lee Jaehun got dragged off by the vines, partly intentional, of course. Deputy Jung Inho, who had been sowhat relieved, might have been at least sowhat shocked.
Even if hes a stubborn old boss, seeing soone being dragged away right in front of you cant be ignored.
So he was uneasy. Normally, one would think the repulsive protagonist would handle things decently, but such repulsive characters tend to go into overdrive when they lose self-control.
And based on Lee Jaehuns experience, situations where they went into overdrive didnt end well.
Of course, the likelihood of internal turmoil is low.
If it happens, there must be an external cause.
After Lee Jaehun disappeared, the group would have all turned to Jung Inho as the focal point. In that case, Deputy Jung would temporarily beco the leader, which ant that the only mbers who hadnt been favorable to him, the siblings, would likely defer to Jung Inho, who was strong and astute.
Looking for a silver lining here, the fact that Jung Inho had beco the leader ant that they could pass off their burden to him. It would have been even better if there were no other survivors in this park, but alas.
Lee Jaehun muttered with a bitter expression.
I shouldnt kill.
He recalled the contents of the novel.
The sacrificed character, Constable Kim, had wanted to live till the end, yet was sacrificed, and it was then that Jung Inho first killed soone. It was needless to say that the naive detective went wild even more. Even if the deceased were a murderer who had taken many lives.
Then, the situation would get really tangled.
Primarily, the detectives guard would be upgraded, and directly, the protagonist and his group would likely lose their composure, and above all, the ecosystem of this parallel world would go crazy.
Since the parallel world is influenced by human consciousness, acts of murder here result in far more terrible consequences than one can imagine. The less experienced chicks had enough power for that.
Of course, in this sudden situation, the protagonist wouldnt kill soone. Regardless of the chicks humanity, there was no reason for him to do so. In other words, there was no benefit.
But then again, you never know.
Theres a difference between directly killing soone and indirectly causing their death.
Sotis, dilemmas like this arise.
Humans could push the sa person off a cliff edge directly, or they could indirectly lead them to jump off the cliff themselves. Which one is more sinister has been a puzzle with a long history.
In the latter case, its even more perplexing because the perpetrator may not even realize that theyve hurt the other person. After all, there are no easy answers when it cos to issues intertwined with humanity.
However, if the protagonist were to beco such a perpetrator, he wouldnt deny responsibility even after seeing the outco.
And thats why Lee Jaehun had to find the group before the friction he saw in the novel occurred.
The character who committed suicide in the 19-rated gritty survival story was none other than the detective.
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Ill kill if necessary.
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Kang Mina wasnt a brave person.
Of course, that doesnt an shes ever sunk into intense self-loathing.
Though it might have been the case when she was very young, now she was an adult, and part of being a proper adult ant acknowledging and accepting ones limitations to contribute properly.
However, the reason why she, who hadnt shown much ntal strength so far, could work at one of the leading dostic corporations was because her limitations fell within socially acceptable boundaries.
Squelch.
Ugh
Kang Mina sighed as she looked at the crushed mass of vines.
Mina, Mina-ssi. Are you okay?
Yes Yes, Im okay. Im okay.
Even to herself, the voice that involuntarily burst out sounded pitifully strained. Within her field of vision, she could see Jung Inhos round pupils.
Uh.
Lowering her head, Kang Mina looked at the vine she had crushed herself.
.
It was a form she had never seen before in her life.
Suddenly, Kang Mina struck the vine that had sprouted out with the hamr she was holding. At first, it glanced off, and Deputy Jung hurriedly approached her upon seeing it.
But just before he reached her, Kang Mina managed to crush it with a shudder of revulsion.
However, for so reason.
Hm.
For an unknown reason, she couldnt tear her eyes away from the repulsive form, rendering her unable to even speak.
As if those vines had turned into forks and pinned her eyeballs, her head throbbed with pain, tingling, and brain freeze as if she had indulged in a full serving of ice cream without restraint.
Despite the liquid scattered by the vines showing no signs of red, why did it sll like blood? Why did it appear red? Maybe because I was already crazy, I couldnt even recognize blood as blood and ended up hitting soone.
Just as she was about to suffocate in this agony, a familiar voice shook Kang Mina awake.
Are you injured anywhere? Your hands, are they okay?
Yes, Im okay. Just just.
It was just because it was repulsive.
She felt a wave of nausea rise montarily and she bit her lips hard, covering her mouth with one hand.
She suddenly rembered a habit of soone who was not present in this place now.
.
The boss sotis used to cover his mouth with his hand like this.
As if hiding sothing. As if suppressing sothing that shouldnt be shown. It seed like he covered his mouth like that without even realizing it.
Hesitatingly, Kang Mina bit her lip and ultimately kept her lips tightly sealed, unable to utter a single word. With her courage as low as it was, there was simply no way she could bring herself to say anything, and the current atmosphere among the group wasnt conducive to introducing new topics. She didnt want to speak out.
Instead, she decided to express her frustration, which she couldnt vent anywhere else.
I just dont feel well.
It seems like this world has that kind of effect. Just like Yeonseok threw up right after leaving the company.
Ah
Kang Mina blinked and then glanced at Noh Yeonseok, the intern.
Why why?
Are you okay?
Well, not really
He uttered such brief words and then closed his mouth again.
It wasnt so much that he had nothing to say as it was a reaction to the sudden nausea that had co up physiologically, just like Kang Minas reaction earlier.
And with that, the atmosphere among the group sank even further.
If youre feeling really unwell, Id like to suggest staying back and resting, but since everyone seems exhausted, it would be risky to go alone. I apologize for having to make this unavoidable decision.
Kang Mina nodded at Jung Inhos words.
No, really, its okay. Of course, everyone must be tired, but
If youre alone, yeah. Its even more dangerous.
She didnt expect everyone to empathize with her words.
In a situation where ones stomach is churning and ears are ringing, nobody would want to walk on such a rugged forest path, and it was actually more dangerous to have only a few people left, just as Jung Inho said.
Kang Mina wasnt brave and was quite timid, but she had risen to the position of a supervisor at a major corporation. Occasionally, she received scoldings from her boss for being scatterbrained, but it was a testant to her intelligence.
She realized that speaking up like this would empower Jung Inho and quell the dissatisfaction of those who disagreed with his choice.
We need to rally around Inho-ssi.
Kang Mina was a fearful person.
Despite her efforts to wield the hamr, the sensation of the vine being crushed still sent shivers down her spine, and she thought that among them, the person best suited to lead them was Jung Inho. If she could empower him with a few words, it would be better than putting on a facade.
In response to her words, Jung Inho looked at Kang Mina with his dark eyes and soon flashed his usual smile.
A gentle and neat smile.
Thank you.
Kang Mina felt an inexplicable eeriness.
But, sothing.
Sothing seed to have changed.
She looked at the hamr in her hand and then quickly adjusted her grip on it.
When they entered the cold, empty underground room, it felt like the eerie anticipation just before a horror movie begins. In Jung Inhos smile, she sensed a discomfort reminiscent of that chilling feeling.
Of course, it was inevitable for people to change in such situations. Kang Mina was well aware of that fact. Even she felt overwheld and on the verge of breaking down. Despite being timid and seemingly insignificant, it was an excessive reaction.
.
This world is a bit strange.
Just by moving around and looking at the world with her eyes, she felt a sense of unease with each step she took. The world she saw with her eyes, though undoubtedly filled with color, appeared black and white, confusing her mind. It felt like watching a glitched program that was ant to be created but failed.
In such a world, people could change in any way.
Even those like Yeonseok, who were usually sociable and talkative, beca noticeably pale as their words decreased significantly. And even Kwon Yeonhee, who used to exude lively charisma at work, had a stiffening expression.
Others may not have seen it for so long, but they must have felt at least so minimal change. Its a change that living beings instinctively experience.
As Kang Mina gripped the hamr tightly and looked around at the people, she quietly muttered to herself, thinking about the empty seats.
Even the director has changed.
Whether that could be expressed with the word change or not, Kang Mina wasnt sure.
Normally, Kang Mina harbored a faint sense of fear towards Director Lee Jaehun.
He always seed stern, quick to anger over trivial matters, and occasionally, when he laughed, it felt oddly uncomfortable. Kang Mina could easily sense that there was no hint of consideration or softness in his gaze towards them.
Even Director Lee Jaehun, after coming to this world, had changed.
His tone had beco a bit more composed, although the lack of consideration in his gaze remained, his actions were consistently helpful towards them. Occasionally, he still got irritated or clicked his tongue like before, but strangely, it didnt feel as unpleasant as it used to.
Yeah, thats true but
Mina-ssi, are you okay? Should I take the hamr?
Oh, Im fine. Really, Im fine.
Kang Mina shook her head gently in response to Yeonhees cautious inquiry. While her hands were trembling slightly from the recent incident with the vine, she still didnt feel comfortable passing this task on to soone else.
Instead, she recalled Director Lee Jaehun in her mind. His gaze.
Its not that he changed, its not that he changed here
Wasnt it like peeling off a layer of covering cloth?
The mont she recalled it, Kang Mina suddenly rembered the ti before leaving the company. It was when they were resting in an office after being chased by monsters, and Director Lee Jaehun asked them a question.
The one with the safety pin.
Y-yes?
Well, its unlikely.
And then maybe he went to find so bandages.
At that ti, they were too preoccupied to dwell on it, but no matter how she thought about it, it seed like a strange context. Looking back, Director Lee Jaehun seed to have been looking for a safety pin to treat wounds.
Kang Mina rembered Director Lee Jaehun with red blood flowing from spider legs piercing his body. Specifically, scenes where invisible wounds were nded as he staunchly pressed bandages onto them with sutures and needles.
Having never seen such wounds before, Kang Mina didnt know what Director Lee Jaehun intended to do with the safety pin. However, even with limited dical knowledge, she knew how sutures were used in surgery.
She knew how it would happen, imagining the rough thread by the thick needle, crossing through the holes in the skin.
It was an unprecedented situation, but just the thought of it made her feel queasy
Suddenly, a question arose in her mind.
Had the manager, Director Lee Jaehun, truly changed after coming to this world?
Hmm.
Stopping her train of thought there, Kang Mina consciously halted the flow of thoughts in her mind.
The weariness and lethargy, along with a lazy urge to scratch her throat, made her pause.
Kang Mina turned her gaze to Jung Inho standing at the front.
Whats wrong?
Oh, nothing.
.
Just
As usual, Kang Mina was about to swallow her words, but in a sudden surge of impulse, she spoke out.
Youve changed.
Many things, including her, were changing rapidly, without a chance to intervene.
She felt fear in that change.
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