Chapter 99:

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HELHEIM SCANS

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To Kim Yeonwoo, Lee Jaehun was truly a good person.

At the time, she was too frazzled to realize it immediately, but despite being in a difficult state himself, Lee Jaehun had helped her first. The fact that he put others before himself, even though he seemed mentally exhausted, left a strong impression on her.

‘There really are people as selfless as him.’

She felt awe and admiration.

Kim Yeonwoo valued helping others and believed in justice. Of course, her idea of justice included major acts like rescuing people before they fell victim to criminals, but what she appreciated most were the small acts of kindness that anyone could offer.

She admired people who would casually pick up trash on the street. She liked those who would quietly leave a chocolate for someone crying their heart out. She had a deep appreciation for people who would subtly adjust to someone hiding their pain or offer their seat to the elderly without making a big deal out of it. These were the kinds of kindness Kim Yeonwoo herself tried to express freely.

That’s why such unimaginable selflessness left her shocked, and the small gestures of consideration that Lee Jaehun showed in his words struck her even more. He was someone who could respect others, whether the acts were big or small.

If there was one thing that made her feel a bit resentful, it was the bloodstains on his body.

“Lee Jaehun-ssi!”

Kim Yeonwoo approached Lee Jaehun with a flushed face.

“It’s been a while. I’m so glad to see you’re still alive!”

“…I’m also grateful that I’m still alive.”

“You left so suddenly, I was really worried. No matter how much I thought about it, I kept feeling we should’ve let you go after you’d fully recovered… but anyway, I’m really glad. Truly. But…”

Of course, it didn’t look like everything was entirely fine.

“Did you… get hurt again?”

Kim Yeonwoo’s expression stiffened awkwardly.

She tried to restrain herself, not wanting to come off as bossy to someone she hadn’t known for long, but seeing Lee Jaehun’s body looking even more battered made it hard for her to keep her expression in check.

“Wh… Why is your neck… and why is there blood on your lips… and both of your hands…”

“I’ve just had a rough time living.”

“A-Actually… what do you mean by that…?”

She barely stopped herself from asking what kind of crazy talk that was.

‘Don’t act too familiar just because you feel close to him.’

Their time together had been short but intense, and even when they hadn’t met, she often thought of him. Most of the time, it was wondering, ‘Is he still alive?’

These thoughts led her mind to wander. Were the people in his group really as ordinary as Lee Jaehun had said? Maybe they were the ones who pushed him into danger. If he was as kind as she thought, he wouldn’t have refused and might have ended up as bait again. Maybe she should have physically stopped him from leaving, even grabbing onto his pants leg if she had to.

She thought about him at least once a day, so it was natural that her sense of internal closeness had grown. Even though her worries were fairly mild, she did genuinely worry about whether he was dead or alive.

“But seriously, what happened to your neck…? Those look like nail marks, don’t they? And the direction is all—”

“Let’s leave it at that, Yeonwoo-ssi,” said Detective Hong Kyungjun, placing a hand on Kim Yeonwoo’s shoulder.

“Lee Jaehun-ssi might feel embarrassed and flustered. Let’s greet the others first, and then you can talk privately.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Realizing she had been a nuisance with her tactless behavior, she was startled. She wasn’t usually very perceptive, but she hadn’t been this bad before—she must have been really tired lately.

‘How could you say that out loud, you idiot.’

The marks on Lee Jaehun’s neck all seemed to be self-inflicted. She could tell easily since she had seen similar signs on him before.

The marks were so clear that she could discern the position of his hands and the size of his grip. While it’s common for someone to strangle another, it’s rare to see nail marks like that, so it was hard not to sense the stress Lee Jaehun was under.

So, did his group really push him to this…?

“Nice to meet you, Detective. I’m Deputy Jung Inho, working under the Director.”

“Oh, oh. Hello. I’m Kim Yeonwoo, and my rank is Constable.”

Kim Yeonwoo’s lips tightened as she tried to respond to the mild and unassuming smile. It wasn’t that she found it unpleasant or overwhelming, but she simply couldn’t muster the facial muscles to return such a gentle smile, so she opted for something more neutral.

While she wasn’t foolish enough to form a bias based on first impressions, she couldn’t deny the impact of appearances. A round, tidy face combined with a friendly demeanor naturally made people lower their guard. Of course, it was possible that her suspicions were just baseless paranoia.

“I overheard part of your conversation, and you mentioned you’ve met the Director before?”

“…Uh… didn’t you hear? Yes, I saw him running away from a green monster early one morning. We met there and talked for a bit.”

“Ah, I see.”

“…Did Lee Jaehun-ssi really not tell you?”

Kim Yeonwoo blinked in confusion, looking back and forth between Jung Inho and Lee Jaehun. Given the doubts she had been harboring, she couldn’t help but wonder if the reason for not mentioning it was a lack of trust.

Seeing her confusion, Jung Inho responded with a regretful smile.

“Well, it seems he didn’t mention it.”

“Oh…”

“Despite the time we spent together, it’s a bit cold of him, don’t you think?”

Though he appeared downcast and pitiful, there was something about him that made Kim Yeonwoo feel an inexplicable sense of irritation. The atmosphere seemed to lighten up, but her initial impression of him was still somewhat annoying.

Right then, she noticed Lee Jaehun furrowing his brows deeply.

“For God’s sake, stop it. It’s so cringeworthy, I can’t bear to look.”

“Oh, Director, you wound me deeply,” Jung Inho replied with mock hurt.

“Let’s not do this… okay? Even rebellion is only cute in moderation.”

“Oh, so I’m cute?”

“You’re insufferable, you know that?”

As Lee Jaehun glared harshly at Jung Inho, who in turn smiled slyly, seemingly enjoying Lee’s reaction, Kim Yeonwoo felt a bit relieved.

‘They don’t seem to have a bad relationship after all.’

That was a good thing, right?

In the police force, where the majority of the staff were men, female officers like Kim Yeonwoo often ended up fielding various consultations and calls. Many women, especially, found it difficult to speak up in front of larger men, and so they gravitated towards her for comfort.

As a result, she had heard many different stories, and never had she seen a situation where a victim would engage in playful banter with their abuser. Typically, a victim would show discomfort or unease, even if only subtly, so it seemed that Lee Jaehun hadn’t gone through what she feared.

‘If anything, he seems comfortable.’

This was a side of him she hadn’t seen when they first met a few days ago. It suggested that they were relaxed enough around each other to joke freely.

While not all her concerns had been dispelled, she still felt a bit guilty for her earlier misunderstanding. Smiling awkwardly, she spoke up.

“You two seem really close. I’m a bit envious.”

And then, silence fell.

“……”

“……”

“…Is that not the case?”

Both men looked at her with a mix of awkwardness and perplexity. They were polite enough given their near-stranger status, but their expressions suggested they had something they wanted to say.

After an uncomfortable pause, Lee Jaehun finally broke the silence.

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HELHEIM SCANS

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“…Thanks for saying we seem close. I suppose that was meant as a compliment.”

That means it wasn’t a compliment to me.

“Haha… nothing to be envious of. That’s a bit embarrassing.”

That means what you said was nonsense.

“It’s just that Deputy Jung is very sociable. He jokes around with anyone, so, well. It doesn’t mean we’re particularly close or anything.”

“Of course… I mean, no matter how good the team atmosphere is, you can’t just be overly familiar with your superior. It’s a matter of respect. Thanks for the kind words, but we’re not that close.”

“Why does it feel off when Deputy Jung talks to Director?”

"Oh, come on, when did I ever do that…?"

At this, Kim Yeonwoo pressed her lips together tightly.

"……."

So, does that mean they don’t get along?

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“It’s really nice to meet you! I didn’t think we’d encounter other survivors!”

Kwon Yeonhee’s bright voice echoed within the dome.

“And you even saved Yeonseok! We were so worried when he disappeared on the way.”

“Oh no, we just happened to find him while patrolling the area.”

“Well, that’s exactly what we’re grateful for! I heard he was being dragged away by vines? It must’ve been tough to pull him out. Thank you so much. You saved his life.”

Kwon Yeonhee closed the distance with a playful smile, while the others, watching her, chuckled. Lee Jaehun brushed a hand over his mouth as he observed the scene.

‘She’s grown up quite a bit.’

She’s not really just happy to see them; she’s trying to seize control of the situation.

‘Saying she didn’t expect to meet other survivors when she pretty much knew already.’

Back when she first met Yoon Garam and Dr. Ha Sungyoon, she was genuinely pure.

Well, to be precise, she wasn’t always that innocent. It was the extreme situation that had left her in a daze, making her seem pure. The joy she had shown when she first met them at the flower shop had been genuine, but now she was just trying to lighten the mood and establish her presence among the new people.

Well, given that her main job is in marketing, it’s no surprise that she’s good at making things lively and building rapport. It’s probably what she does best.

The first to respond to her banter was Choi Jungman, the boss who had come with them.

“Wow, this one’s got a real way with words! Huh? Your good words are really lifting the mood.”

“Hehe, right? I’m pretty good with words.”

“Oh my, you seem young, but you’re really going through a lot in a place like this. Later on, why don’t you come over for some stew? I’ll make sure you get a good bowl of rice, and bring that intern and the director along with you, okay? Bring everyone over.”

“Wow, really? I love stew! I’ll definitely bring everyone, sir! I’ll boost your sales!”

That was a lie. Ever since she had a painful breakup with a boyfriend who ate stew as a staple food, she hadn’t touched the stuff. Besides, her favorite food was actually beef intestines.

‘She must have overheard me talking to the others.’

Apparently, she liked to chew on the uncut intestines whole.

Most adults could tell that her bubbly demeanor was at least partly an act, but given the situation, it did help lighten the mood.

Having thought this far, Lee Jaehun inwardly supported Kwon Yeonhee in her bid to take control of the conversation. You’re doing well, my little chick—go ahead and blend in. If she settled in well, it would make it easier for him to speak on behalf of their group.

As Lee Jaehun and Kwon Yeonhee exchanged glances, Intern Noh Yeonseok slowly approached him.

“Um, Director?”

“Yes?”

“You know… that thing you talked about before we met up with the others…”

“…….”

“The thing you mentioned happening here… shouldn’t you tell them about it?”

He was probably referring to Lee Jaehun’s backstory as a ‘survivor of the otherworld.’

‘He must feel a bit uneasy keeping it to himself.’

The idea that their Director was a survivor in this world was shocking enough, but the fact that he had shared this with a near-stranger—a detective—before his own group probably made Noh Yeonseok feel a bit betrayed.

So, this was likely a prompt to tell the rest of the group now. Being the only one with such important knowledge must have been a burden for the conscientious intern.

Lee Jaehun exchanged a glance with Detective Hong Kyungjun before responding in a low voice.

“Later.”

“…….”

“When we’re all together… I’ll tell everyone then.”

Detective Hong was already deep in conversation with Conductor Kim Kijeong and the Korean university students. From the way he kept glancing at the boisterous Choi Jungman, it seemed like he and Lee Jaehun were on the same page.

“…I don’t really want to tell everyone.”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean people who aren’t ‘us.’”

There was no need to share his past with everyone.

His gaze shifted toward the group of three Korean university students. More specifically, he focused on one of them who was subtly nodding.

That was certainly a deviation from the novel. Originally, that group of students wasn’t supposed to encounter the detective’s team or the protagonist’s group until much later, and they joined forces much later as well. He couldn’t quite understand why they had joined the detective’s team so early.

‘And wasn’t there another one in their group? Where did that person go?’

He distinctly remembered them dragging along another straggler, but that person was nowhere to be seen among the survivors gathered here. The storyline was diverging from what he remembered.

Lee Jaehun’s eyes rolled over and settled on another individual.

‘And that person over there….’

Swallowing his thoughts, he continued speaking.

“This might sound funny.”

“…….”

“…But I have no interest in being used and then discarded.”

They were already in an unstable situation with no trust between them.

In such circumstances, someone who knew this world well and could fight was the perfect scapegoat for desperate people. They would likely try to rely on him alone to solve everything.

‘The situation here might be better than in the novel, which is why the atmosphere isn’t as bad… but it wasn’t like this originally.’

For people who couldn’t even get enough water or food, concepts like humanity weren’t of much importance.

In the novel, this group was teetering on the edge of becoming raiders, a common trope in apocalypse stories. If things worsened, they might start grabbing each other by the throat.

That’s why Lee Jaehun didn’t trust them at all. The few people he had chosen to be his companions were either characters from the novel or employees from his company—people he was nurturing with care. He had no desire to lose his limbs for the sake of people who were of no use or connection to him.

Of course, if he later discovered some use for them, that might change, but for now…

“So, Yeonseok, until we find the others, keep your mouth… Yeonseok?”

“…Yes, yes. Yes, Director.”

“…Why the long face?”

The intern’s expression was oddly gloomy.

At Lee Jaehun’s question, Noh Yeonseok glanced at him and then dropped his head even lower, his shoulders slumping further.

“You’re right… Why am I like this?”

“Are we dating? Is that something I need to figure out?”

“No, I’m sorry….”

And with that, he clammed up.

“…….”

Leaning back against the vine-covered wall, Lee Jaehun frowned.

Why the hell does he look so pitiful?

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HELHEIM SCANS

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