Chapter 100:

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‘That face... it’s definitely pity.’

Even in his current state, Lee Jaehun wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t pick up on basic cues. He could tell that what was showing on that chick’s face was pity, mixed with a bunch of other sympathetic feelings.

To be honest, he couldn’t quite figure out what exactly was triggering that sympathy. If he had to guess, it was probably when he had mentioned not wanting to be ‘used and discarded.’ But even then, it didn’t make much sense to him.

‘Are you really in a position to pity me?’

How long had it been since Noh Yeonseok had joined the company, caught up in a one-sided crush for who knows how long? Besides, considering how he could die at any moment, it was almost laughable that this intern would feel sorry for him. As if he didn’t know his own place.

Lee Jaehun almost let his expression turn sour. Although his brow was already furrowed, his face was naturally stern enough that it didn’t really matter. Honestly, with his current state, it would be strange if his face wasn’t tense.

There was no need to scold the half-baked intern either.

“……”

As Lee Jaehun glanced at the lively group that included Kwon Yeonhee and now Yoon Garam, his eyes fell on a man with a cheerful smile.

After taking in the scene, Lee Jaehun finally spoke up.

“…Yeonseok.”

“Ah, yes.”

“How’s your body holding up?”

“Why would you, Director…?”

“…Why are you starting to sound more like Deputy Jung?”

He was going to get squeezed for all he was worth anyway.

‘No need for me to add to that.’

Noh Yeonseok had one of the soundest minds in the group, so it had already taken him quite a while to adjust to this world. Watching him now, like a chick just starting to speak and walk, there was no reason to shout at him. Doing so would only chip away at the mentality he had worked hard to build.

To be blunt, the kid was already doing well just by staying alive.

“I’m saying this because I’m fine. I’ve got a lot of experience… and age.”

“……”

“But you’re just an intern who’s barely started. Have you ever traveled abroad properly? I mean, unless you’re a college student, it’s not easy to find the time.”

“Well, it’s just… I couldn’t afford a plane ticket.”

“See, I knew it. No wonder you seem so clueless, struggling even with the printer. You don’t know how to read people’s moods either. You’re clearly a rookie in every sense of the word.”

“W-Well, you’re not wrong, but why are you bringing that up now…?”

“Oh? Are you questioning the Director? An intern? Talking back to the Director? Hm?”

“N-No…”

“Ah, you’re just hopeless, aren’t you?”

He deliberately teased the intern more openly, laughing all the while.

‘I need to keep this guy stable before he fully realizes what’s going on.’

Right now, he was still in shock from the sudden string of events, but as time went on, the strain would start to show. It was likely that he could have nightmares as early as tonight.

There’s a reason why some victims only break down and cry when their family arrives. Even if they understand what’s happened to them, they remain tense because they don’t have a safe place to relax. Only when that tension releases do they finally break down and cry.

In Lee Jaehun’s view, Noh Yeonseok was in a similar situation.

‘Just like at the company.’

Back when they had barely escaped from the spider legs, all of the group, including Kang Mina, had been in the same state. That’s why Lee Jaehun had personally stepped in to help them release their pent-up emotions. If he had waited until later, it would have only led to more resentment building up.

He blinked slowly and said,

“I keep getting hurt because, honestly, I’m the best at dealing with this. There’s no other reason.”

“That… sounds really weird.”

“What’s weird about it? Even at the company, the best worker gets assigned the projects, right? And if things go wrong, it’s usually the highest-up who takes the fall.”

"…That’s not always the case."

"Tsk, you’re interrupting an adult when he’s talking again."

With a short sigh, he continued.

"Anyway, I do it because I can. I can handle it, I can take responsibility, so I push myself forward. You’re still a long way from that, though."

"……."

"You were scared, weren’t you? When you were on the brink of death."

It was probably the first time in the chick’s life he had ever felt something like that—the sensation of being bitten, his body almost breaking, and his life slipping away.

"You might not fully realize it now, since you’re still in shock, but think about later. When you’re lying on a soft bed, scrolling through your phone and laughing, and then you turn off the screen and close your eyes. Do you think you’ll be fine then?"

"I think I’ll be…."

"Really? Don’t you think it’ll come back to you?"

He cut him off lightly.

"If it were me, it would."

By empathizing with him, he began to melt away the pride that was typical of the young and inexperienced.

"There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Yeonseok. It’s natural to be scared… but I’ll help you out."

"……."

"I’ll do my best too."

He used as gentle a tone as possible.

‘This kid won’t respond well to being yelled at.’

His very name, Yeonseok (meaning ‘soft stone’), suggested as much. Who knows what kind of mindset the author had when creating this character, but it was clear that Noh Yeonseok had the potential to grow the most when guided down the right path. The kid even had a solid physique—bigger and stronger than the protagonist, Jung Inho. With that kind of physical strength, he could be a force to be reckoned with.

There was no need to crush a promising talent by pushing him too hard.

"So if you’re in pain, make sure to say so when it happens… And not to me, but to that creepy guy over there. If you’re hurt, tell Deputy Jung. I’m too tired for it."

"…Director."

"…What is it?"

After hesitating, Noh Yeonseok spoke again.

"That… tool you used to heal us."

"Yeah."

"Is that the only way it can be used?"

"……."

"Does it really have to… Does someone always have to be hurt for it to work? Can’t you use it in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone? Why not?"

For some reason, he looked genuinely upset.

"……? Like I said before, the person who gathers it can’t use it themselves. It’s poisonous to them."

"……."

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"Why are you asking about that?"

Did this guy seriously tune out everything I said earlier?

‘Is this brat being insolent? No, no… calm down.’

He felt a flash of irritation but quickly suppressed it. After all, this kid had just barely survived a near-death experience. Even if the words came from a superior like himself, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of it had gone in one ear and out the other.

And seeing Lee Jaehun’s reaction only made Noh Yeonseok look even more dejected.

"…Hey, what is it? What’s bothering you?"

"No, I’m sorry."

"Are you messing with me right now? You’re not, right?"

As Lee Jaehun nudged the intern’s side with the tip of his shoe, trying to figure out his strange behavior, he noticed someone approaching them slowly. It was precisely because of this that Lee Jaehun had distanced himself slightly from the tightly-knit group.

"Hello, citizens!"

"……."

It left them feeling a bit awkward.

“What… What is it?”

This wasn’t the usual kind of cheerfulness you’d expect in the Otherworld. Having a big, dark-haired man approach them with a bright smile, acting all chummy, just felt off.

Unbothered by their reactions, the man grinned and introduced himself.

“I’m Han Doyun.”

Han Doyun, the firefighter.

‘Ranked number two on the ‘Sunfish’ list.’

For the record, the number one spot goes to Officer Kim Yeonwoo. At least Han Doyun had a somewhat worn-down mentality, while Officer Kim Yeonwoo would likely end up crying her heart out before dying.

True to the chaotic character that made him seem loud even on paper, Han Doyun suddenly pointed his thumb at himself and shouted,

“Twenty-seven years old this year! And a firefighter!”

“…Sounds like that certain popular tone…”

“Yeah, definitely that tone.”

There wasn’t a single person in the Otherworld who was truly sane.

“Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet you all! I can be pretty loud myself, but Yeonhee-ssi over there is so lively that I couldn’t find a way to jump in, so I thought I’d slip away for a bit!”

“Well, why didn’t you just stay there, then?”

“Come on, it’s a bit sad to see two gloomy guys chatting by themselves, don’t you think? As a public servant, I’m here to spread some joy and make you smile!”

“Since when did public servants start acting like clowns? Honestly.”

Lee Jaehun clicked his tongue in annoyance, but he didn’t actively try to shoo Han Doyun away. It wasn’t just because Noh Yeonseok seemed a little happy to see him, though that was part of it.

‘This guy’s the quintessential social butterfly.’

Han Doyun was the type who pretended not to notice things while actually noticing everything, using his blend of humor and friendliness to connect with everyone. From what Lee Jaehun knew, Han Doyun probably had the most friends among all the survivors gathered here.

But he wasn’t doing it with any bad intentions, and he was genuinely helpful. Even if he spoke in such a lighthearted manner, his real aim was likely to integrate the two of them with the rest of the group.

And in this case,

‘Maybe he’ll share some information.’

Han Doyun had a tendency to spill plenty of information to others.

“Of course, I’m not trying to act cute at the age of twenty-seven…. I just thought the atmosphere was a bit stiff, so I came over to introduce our team.”

“Introduce?”

Now, this was what he’d been waiting for.

‘That’s exactly why I stayed apart from the group.’

Han Doyun was the classic social character who couldn’t stand seeing someone left out. He was known for reaching out to people but was also firm enough not to offer his hand twice to the same person.

Knowing this, Lee Jaehun figured if he distanced himself, Han Doyun would eventually approach. And since neither he nor Noh Yeonseok had much to talk about, an introduction to the group was the safest topic.

“Yes, an introduction. I’ve already told you about myself….”

Han Doyun gestured toward the lively center of the group.

“You’ve already spoken with those folks, right? The detective and Vivian….”

“Uh… I’ve been introduced to the musician and the stew shop owner.”

“Well, I assumed you wouldn’t have entered together without introducing yourselves, of course! It seems like you’re already acquainted with Officer Kim Yeonwoo.”

He continued with a well-practiced smile.

“Can you tell me exactly what happened? I heard a bit of it before, but the officer had nothing but praise for you.”

“…Director…?”

Noh Yeonseok stared at Lee Jaehun with a face full of betrayal, prompting Lee Jaehun to subtly avert his gaze. Frankly, he had no idea where the compliments were coming from—if anything, he’d have expected harsh criticism for calling someone a lunatic.

Feeling uneasy, Lee Jaehun cast a sideways glance at the group of university students gathered nearby.

“……”

“...Oh, those are Korea University students. They’re all 23 years old. They’re majoring in art, but I don’t really know much beyond that. They don’t really chat with someone like me.”

“You say something sad like it’s nothing at all.”

Lee Jaehun stifled a sigh.

‘...That’s the exact reason the murderer cornered Officer Kim.’

They wanted to use that self-sacrificing person’s corpse to create their ‘art.’

The murderer was hardly influenced by the otherworld. Because of that, they were far more cunning than the other survivors and used their sharp wit to stir chaos with their words. Ultimately, their goal was Officer Kim Yeonwoo’s body.

To them, everything in the world was just material. When creating their ‘art’, they always chose a theme first and then selected a suitable victim. Unfortunately, the theme they had settled on before being swallowed by this world was ‘sacrifice’. From their perspective, Officer Kim Yeonwoo was the perfect material for that theme.

In other words, the target the murderer is currently seeking is someone ‘self-sacrificing’.

“Still, those students seem quite interested in you. They’re really close with Officer Kim Yeonwoo. Apparently, she was a neighborhood officer they used to run into a lot.”

“Hah...”

This is bad.

‘Never thought Officer Kim, who’s usually tight-lipped, would have shared anything about me with others.’

He would have to revisit this miscalculation later. It was baffling since she wasn’t the type to talk carelessly about someone she’d only met for less than a day.

But if the murderer’s attention could be drawn away from Officer Kim and instead focus on Lee Jaehun, it might actually make it easier to carry out his plan.

To become that ‘suspicious figure worth keeping an eye on’, as he had initially planned, he needed to strike just the right balance.

Sure, that was true, but...

“……”

It just felt wrong.

He liked being the hunter, not the hunted.

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