Chapter 168

Episode 168 As

Ha Seong-yoon said, there were many things he and Jung In-ho had to resolve.

First, Ha Seong-yoon had to check Gar-ram Yoon’s condition, control his own anxiety, and then adapt to the flood of information coming in due to his eyesight. Once he was done with that, he had to explain the situation to others. Just like Lee Jae-heon, I had to reveal at least a little bit about my situation.

And Jung In-ho had to find out what condition Kang Min-ah was in. Does the person who survives until the end really remember the previous episode? If so, why is he not as confused as when he first came back? After figuring that out, I had to finish organizing the interior. Only then did it make sense to visit Detective Hong Gyeong-jun.

So

“….”

“Oh hello.”

I had no intention of seeing that dirty bastard’s face.

How should I react to seeing the killer sitting calmly among my group when I return from my absence for a while?

Perhaps Ha Seong-yoon was also feeling what Jeong In-ho was feeling. He touched his earlobe and went straight to Yoon Gar-ram. He probably moved his feet for protection.

“Boss?”

In-ho Jeong looked at Jae-heon Lee. The question was why he, who had always seemed to be looking in the right direction, made this choice or allowed this situation to arise.

And looking at the strangely embarrassed face, I was able to understand the context.

‘…Did I tell you in detail about Song In-myeong?’

It wasn’t.

Jeong In-ho almost never said Song In-myeong’s name because he was disgusted by it, and by the same token, he never said a single word about what he looked like or what his habits were. It was just a vague description of what that bastard did.

No, I just never thought we would meet like this already.

“… Manager, who is that person?”

My heart was pounding, but I tried to keep a calm expression.

“Who is here?”

I felt like I was going out of my mind with anxiety.

now? Now that nothing has been resolved for Ha Seong-yoon, Yoon Garam, or even Munsan-gun? I don’t know how that piece of trash ended up rolling in here, but looking at Lee Jae-heon’s expression, it seemed like it wasn’t entirely to blame.

“…I went out to do some business…”

“Where are you going?”

“Oh kinda. Assistant Manager Jeong learns to respect the words of the manager. “Director Kang also went with us.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Anyway, during the process, I was insisting that I should see the people here….”

Looking at Lee Jae-heon’s words and Song In-myeong’s attitude, I was able to understand the situation. Just like last time, there was a high possibility that that crazy guy was obsessed with Lee Jae-heon and came this far using Kang Min-ah’s excessive caution as an excuse. Seeing Kang Min-ah fiddling with the hammer with trembling hands, In-ho Jeong’s prediction seemed to be correct.

Around that time, a thought occurred to me.

‘Why is it Lee Jae-heon again?’

It seemed like something was different now. Now that things are going properly, I feel like I can do something good. I felt dizzy, as if the fate I had planned for so long had come back forcibly. A feeling of nausea that made me want to vomit struck my brain.

And yes. If Lee Jae-heon’s condition was normal, there’s no way he wouldn’t have noticed that Song In-myeong was a dangerous guy.

“….”

I took a deep breath and exhaled again.

“…Chief, are you okay?”

“huh? Oh well… it’s not bad.”

“You don’t seem to be okay.”

He continued speaking, trying to comfort his lips, which were curved and hardened, as usual.

“I will take care of that person, so please rest.”

Lee Jae-heon’s expression slightly frowned, perhaps because the words were spoken in a command tone, but he obediently moved away, perhaps because he was aware that this was a disaster he had caused. Two high school students and a kindergarten student were clinging to him, stealing Lee Jae-heon’s attention. The siblings’ actions appeared to be intentional.

As expected, Jeong In-ho met the eyes of Kang Min-ah, who was looking at them like that, and after seeing that she was shaking her shoulders in surprise as if she felt something, he looked at Song In-myeong again. The lips were once again drawing their usual smile.

“….”

Should I kill you now?

‘Since Song In-myeong is alone here without being outnumbered, if we find the right situation and kill him…’

Jeong In-ho, who had thought about that, was saddened by the sight of Song In-myeong raising his eyebrows while looking at me. The other party already knew that Jung In-ho wanted him dead.

‘Ha Seong-yoon doesn’t seem likely to aid murder in his current state, and Kang Min-ah is also in an ambiguous state.’

It seemed difficult to quietly catch the killer while he was not on guard. Jeong In-ho asked again with a smooth smile.

“Do you have any other company?”

“…Well, there is.”

“It’s been a while and I’m not sure if you’re worried.”

“Are you kicking me out?”

Song In-myeong’s smile while saying that was strange.

“Wow, I wasn’t going to say this.”

It was the joy of feeling the innocence of a student looking at a test paper that happened to get a perfect score.

“Is it like this usually?”

“What?”

“That guy is an adult, he’s all grown up, and we’re a democratic country. Well, it’s a bit ambiguous to say that this is a country, but….” ”

….”

“Do you usually limit the scope of your actions like that? “Like treating a guard dog?”

It laughed.

“It was really bad.”

Only then did Jeong In-ho think that this situation might seem quite strange to others.

The first feeling I felt was resentment. But I can’t express it to Song In-myeong, and how can I tell Song In-myeong that that tattered person who was trying to protect us was injured or taken somewhere and returned half-corpse? If he heard those words, he would definitely want to kill Lee Jae-heon even more.

When Jeong In-ho couldn’t find anything to say and stayed silent, Lee Jae-heon, who had a distorted face at Song In-myeong’s words, intervened. It was a really strange expression.

“Why does the student speak so harshly? “Am I a dog?”

“That’s what I was saying.”

“People listening will feel bad if you say that. “How did you get your home education?”

“…? Oh well….”

This time, the expressions on the other party members’ faces, including Song In-myeong, also became strange. It was because Lee Jae-heon’s old-fashioned remarks were so unexpected. Of course, Song In-myeong immediately changed his expression as if he understood Lee Jae-heon’s intention to change the topic, but thanks to this, Jung In-ho was able to relieve some of the burden.

“…As you can see, the manager is very sick. “I asked him to refrain from activities, but he didn’t keep his promise and went out again, so I couldn’t help but be worried.”

“That sounds plausible.”

“We’re sorry, but we don’t know whether the student is a monster disguised as a human. “It is natural to be cautious, so I recommend that you return before it is too late.”

‘A monster disguised as a human being’ was a term referring to Song In-myeong himself, and Song In-myeong himself must have understood that, as his smile grew deeper. There was a faint confidence in the glances that passed by Ha Seong-yoon, Kang Min-ah, and Munsan-gun.

‘…Do you think Munsan-gun told you?’

I would have been grateful if they had misunderstood me like that. Because In-ho Jeong was planning to share information only with the fewest people with the least amount of memory. It was nice not having to brag about the fact that I was going back in time.

Song In-myeong looked around and smiled in an unexpected way. It looks completely different from the face that looked at the world with a drowsy, bored expression in the past.

“Our police officer is already very worried, but I’m worried about that guy. I wonder if I might be harmed by some bad people…” “

Please tell me not to worry about that. “Because that will never happen.”

“Wow, I’m scared.”

“Can you please go?”

“I understand, I’m nervous so I guess there will be more.”

It’s quite cheerful to see him step back like that.

“But you know what? “The way you guys look at that guy right now is a bit strange.”

“….”

“Especially you. You. A man wearing glasses. Just like a fanatic immersed in a pseudo-religion treats an icon…”

“It’s not a funny joke.”

“It wasn’t a joke, but if you heard me like that, I have nothing to say.”

Jeong In-ho also didn’t think that his current appearance was normal. But what was certain was that Jung In-ho was less crazy than that trash and that he could protect Lee Jae-heon better than Song In-myeong. Among those gathered now, there was no one more dangerous than that person.

Song In-myeong, ignoring his gaze, looked at Lee Jae-heon with a sour expression and continued speaking.

“I really feel sorry for you, man.”

“That’s not crazy.”

“If it were me, I would run away.”

He shrugged his shoulders once and looked very happy.

“See you later.”

So I left.

“….”

“….”

A strange atmosphere of silence drifted between the group.

Among them, Munsan-gun’s expression was the most impressive, and he seemed to be contemplating whether it would be safer, the crazy guy named Song In-myeong or the group gathered here. It means that it was a face that looked like it was about to go crazy.

‘I was planning on coaxing him to cooperate.’

Unfortunately, Song In-myeong had left after his trust in this group had been eroded for a long time, and he had kept his mouth shut about what he had told him. I think it was probably a type of threat that said, ‘If you let it be known that I killed someone, neither you nor those around you will be safe.’

It wasn’t a face that looked like it was going to run away, but it looked like it was half resigned and half ecstatic, like it was going to die, but it was barely holding it in. Jung In-ho probably won’t be able to talk to him for a while.

“…Boss.”

It doesn’t matter though.

“Don’t we have something to talk about?”

“…I’m really fine….”

“Not that.”

Jeong In-ho’s gaze landed on Lee Jae-heon’s hand. A particularly dark red scar stood out on his hand, which had originally been torn and tattered from swinging a pipe. The injury was probably related to the ‘errand’ that Jaeheon Lee mentioned.

“….”

Lee Jae-heon wiped his face once and answered in a dejected tone.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m glad you know.”

If I die again and come back as a corpse, how much will I be able to handle?

Naturally, such questions arose, but I wasn’t as confused or anxious as I was at first. Even if Lee Jae-heon’s condition has worsened to the point where he is not even aware of Song In-myeong’s danger, and as Jeong In-ho shared, he is weighed down by constant trauma and auditory hallucinations.

‘At what point do you want to return next time?’

I was just preparing for the next one.

“….”

Kang Min-ah, whose eyes met, was staring at Jung In-ho with a confused gaze, and slightly averted her eyes due to an awkward yet familiar feeling.

‘I wanted to ask you what and how you came up with it.’

Now didn’t seem like the right time.

“…Let’s talk for a moment.”

“Just with you?”

“Ha Seong-yoon too.”

“….”

“Don’t worry.”

If something like this were an opportunity, it would be an opportunity.

“Everything is going well.”

* * *

Lee Jae-heon, who talked with the main character doctor, came to a conclusion.

“I think I probably recalled some of my memories from that nightmare.”

This refers to Kang Min-ah, who did not participate in these conversations because she did not know how to explain yet or was not mentally prepared. I did not hear the detailed circumstances, but based on the information presented by Ha Seong-yoon and Jeong In-ho, it seemed impossible to come up with a more accurate analysis.

“And as for the last survivor remembering… we still don’t have enough examples. “It’s plausible, but I don’t think it’s something that can be generalized right away.”

“I think so too. Even if Ha Seong-yoon is an exception because of his eyes, Kang Min-ah and I have nothing in common other than surviving until the end. “Even though I wasn’t the last survivor, I can still recall all my memories.”

Ha Seong-yoon, who was listening to the conversation between Lee Jae-heon and Jeong In-ho with an expressionless face, suddenly smiled his signature soft smile and spoke in a neat voice.

“Then this time, if anyone other than Kang Min-ah or Jeong In-ho survives until the end, at least a sample will be produced. For example, Noh Yeon-seok. “All we have to do is kill everyone but that one person.”

“….”

“In particular, Mr. Noh Yeon-seok is the same person inside and out, so unlike crazy people like us, it seems like he will be noticeable even if he keeps his mouth shut… I’m sorry, that was a slip of the tongue. The words came out in vain. “It was just crazy.”

In addition, Jung In-ho and Lee Jae-heon’s expressions became strange as their laughter disappeared in an instant.

‘I feel like I have a dual personality. Is this okay?’

It felt as if it was not ‘the existing Ha Seong-yoon + the last episode’s Ha Seong-yoon’ but ‘the existing Ha Seong-yoon/the last episode’s Ha Seong-yoon’. To be more specific, should I say that it seems like he has become the ‘existing Ha Seong-yoon (+ Ha Seong-yoon from the last episode)’. It’s fortunate that the one who remains sane seems to be holding on to reason, but…

“Would you like to rest…?”

“No, I also need to understand the situation. “My part was not small.”

“Do you know how surprised I was when I saw that you had changed one of your eyes? Anyone can see that the color is unrealistic, so it stands out even more… President Garam Yoon will be worried.”

“Isn’t that what you want to say, teacher?”

“That’s true.”

As Lee Jae-heon nodded, Ha Seong-yoon sighed and continued.

“I talked to my friend, I confessed my eyes, and Kang Min-ah was the last one… Oh, I was the second to last survivor. So, we were able to guess that Kang Min-ah was the last survivor.”

“….”

“And the survivor right in front of me was CEO Garam Yoon.”

Jeong In-ho opened his mouth with a sincere smile.

“You’re not calling me Garam this time.”

“That friend is all grown up, so shouldn’t we respect him as an adult? “No matter how much we’ve seen each other since we were young, we still have respect for each other.”

“I don’t know why such a considerate person is so mean to me.”

“I’m sorry to hear this… Are our Garam Yoon and Inho Jeong the same?”

“….”

Jeong In-ho closed his mouth while smiling, and Lee Jae-heon burst out laughing. Seeing that their relationship was so close, I could guess why Yoon Garam’s mental head was like that in the original novel. Well, it was like killing my second father, so there was no way I could be sane.

“So… I killed CEO Yoon Garam, and I suffocated to death, and it was Kang Min-ah who was left behind.”

“…It’s still a shocking story to hear again.”

And it is surprising that Ha Seong-yoon killed Yoon Gar-ram.

“I had no choice. Because CEO Garam Yoon was out of his mind… I felt like if I left it as is, the worst thing would happen in some way.”

“It was pretty scary until I died.”

“More than that. “I don’t know how Kang Min-ah died, or whether she just fulfilled the condition of being the ‘last survivor’ and moved on, but it seemed like the ending would be even scarier than the situation where Kang Min-ah was left alone.”

“Oh my god.”

Jeong In-ho’s soulless voice rang softly in the space where the three black men were gathered. The neat smile on his lips was still the same, but just by that voice, one could guess the main character’s mental state. The fact that something even worse than this might remain seemed to be quite terrifying.

Lee Jae-heon asked, trying to push back the pain in his head.

“Because of exactly what state you were in.”

“….”

The doctor who was thinking deeply answered.

“…A time bomb that exploded after receiving a great shock?”

“Then the ‘time’ bomb has no meaning anymore.”

“There was definitely some time left, but it feels like it exploded due to an external shock.”

“It’s getting bigger and bigger.”

I roughly understood what he meant.

‘I guess I woke up at that time.’

This was the reason why Lee Jae-heon tried to somehow control Yoon Gar-ram’s unique constitution and tendencies.

In the novel, Yoon Garam was one of the bosses of the underworld.