Chapter 291
Theatrical Regression Life
The garden was in really good conditions so that I could make a decision as soon as I finished assessing the situation.
âFirst of all, there arenât really any rules.â
Jeong In-ho, who returned to the shelter, spread three fingers and said.
âNumber 1: Donât harm other peopleâs gardens. 2. Growing crops with care. Number 3: Donât bring in pets. âThis is all.â
âUh⦠who told you all that? âItâs very detailed, unlike at school.â
âThere was a sign posted. It was written in a very cute font that kindergarten teachers would find useful. It looked like it was written with crayons.
âIâm not that curious about thatâ¦â
Kim Ki-jeong asked, scratching the back of his neck.
âBut number 1⦠donât harm other peopleâs gardens. Wouldnât there be no reason for us to move to the garden? âIt means that even if there is food, you canât use it.â
âOh, thatâs okay too.â
âyes? why?â
âThe residents are friendly.â
âyesâ¦?â
With a pale, tired face, Kim Ki-jeong stuttered.
âSpeaking of residents⦠arenât those mannequins the only ones here?â
âNo, it was a scarecrow.â
âWow, Iâm going crazy.â
While Kim Ki-jeong insulted the diversity of the underworld with words, Do-yoon Han raised one hand. The survivors were very worried about him because he had experienced something more difficult than they could have imagined, such as being kidnapped, but seeing him look quite cheerful, he seemed to have recovered while resting at the shelter.
âYou said it was a scarecrow, but from what you say, I guess there is no aggression?â
âYes, that was really friendly. âIt may be funny to say this, but it makes me wonder if there is such a group of people among humans.â
âI didnât know that the other side of the world was so gentle.â
âOf course it was creepy.â
Kang Min-ah lowered her head as if she greatly agreed with Jung In-hoâs words.
âThe upper body is human, but the lower body is a wooden stick.â
âTo be exact, it looked like a person was split in half and a pole was placed at the bottom. âIt didnât just look like that, blood was actually dripping from the cut torso.â
âI wouldnât know it once I got out of there, but it was so disgusting that my whole body was bleeding like sweatâ¦â â
Even the eyes and mouth were sewn up beautifully with thread. âIt may not be enough to be a doctor, but if you were to make a doll, it was pretty decent.â
âThe inside of the head was full of rice straw, and it looked a little disgusting because it looked like rice straw had been stuffed inside human skin.â
Han Do-yoon gave a thumbs up to the conversation between Kang Min-ah and Ha Seong-yoon.
âOkay, Iâll stay here!â
âNo, but he was really kind⦠and gave me some seedlings.â
ââ¦seedlings?â
âI also gave them seeds. They said they would welcome a new residentâ¦â
âAre you even talking? âI heard your mouth was sewn shut?â
âThey were carrying signs. Floating along the field roadâ¦â
âWhat is it? âAre you a ghost?â
âIt looked more like a balloon than that. It wasnât really that big of a thing floating off the ground. âI didnât go anywhere unless it was on a designated path.â
âItâs funny and itâs also grossâ¦.â
âItâs like that with all monsters in the other world.â
Garam Yoon intervened in the conversation between Minah Kang and Yoon Han.
âWhat does a survivor have to say about the garden? desire? will? Anyway, the moment we want to belong to it, our own area is created inside it. âIt felt like they were encouraging me to come quickly.â
Jaeheon Lee intervened in her words.
âThe problem is that such spaces usually end up causing trouble later.â
ââ¦But letâs move the shelter there?â
âI know that those types of traps donât reveal the truth until much later. I think itâs either when the crops are fully grown or when I announce that Iâm going to abandon the garden. If itâs the former, I think theyâll attack you by saying, âActually, you were the fertilizer for these crops!â If itâs the latter, theyâll attack you by saying, âYouâre ridiculous for daring to leave the garden?ââ¦â âI guess youâve seen a lot of movies.
â
âDid you know that the underworld is created based on the thoughts of humans? Movies were created by humans, and those who watch movies are also humans. There are all kinds of clichés in the behind-the-scenes world, so what a naive statement. âWhen I return to reality, Iâll have to do some prep work with movies and cartoons.â
âWowâ¦â
Han Do-yoon let out a subtle laugh, not knowing whether it was admiration or sarcasm. Lee Jae-heon silenced the man who had been scolding him and continued speaking.
âAnyway, monsters attacking survivors is the same everywhere in the other world. Of course, there may be problems such as sudden rules being introduced, crops grown being poisonous, or vitality or mental strength decreasing the longer you are in the garden⦠but if you take that into account, the garden is a pretty good candidate for a rest area.â
âIt doesnât sound okay alreadyâ¦?â
âWeâll have to check that now.â
Lee Jae-heon looked at the students at the sound of Lee Yun-byeolâs trembling voice.
âI had to stop by a shopping mall, but I found out that the way to the garden was not as difficult as I thought. From now on, we will only allow students to participate if they volunteer, so please let us know if necessary.â
âUh, then this time Iâ¦!â
âUh-huh, Iâm not saying Iâm going right away. âCalm down, student.â
Jaeheon Lee waved his hand at Naeun Maeng, who suddenly raised her hand.
âBefore going to the garden, I have to send Han Do-yoon to the pharmacy first.â
âOh, are you going to the pharmacy?â
âYes, Iâm going. âIf you wish.â
âI heard it hurts if you go thereâ¦.â
âYou act like an adult who doesnât want to go to the dentist.â
Lee Jae-heon, who had a puzzled expression for a moment, soon straightened his face and nodded.
âIf you donât like it, you donât have to go. âIf the kidnapper didnât have a brain hemorrhage after being hit by dozens of blows to the head, it would be a blessing in disguise.â
âIs that a brain hemorrhage?â
âThatâs what they say⦠Of course, if it were reality, it would have been possible, but surprisingly, according to Dr. Ha Seong-yoon, he is fine. No, I couldnât check it properly because I didnât have a testing device, and even taking that into account, itâs not like I was completely fine. However, if you give yourself time, you will recover, albeit slowly, so there is no need to stop by the pharmacy.â
Lee Jae-heon, who recalled the setting in the novel, continued.
âBecause the side effects⦠are not mild.â
ââ¦Was there something like that? But student Kim Hee-chan, CEO Yoon Garam⦠and Lee Jae-heon also took the medicine and didnât have any problems?â
âItâs not a side effect that comes from taking the medicine, but a side effect that comes from buying the medicine. âThe pain you receive there is pain, but the mental power that has been lost like that cannot be recovered.â
At those words, Garam Yoon pointed at himself with a finger. Looking at him with his head tilted to one side and his eyes wide open, I thought, âMy mental strength?â In other words, the meaning was read as âIâm fine, what are you talking about?â or âYou never said anything like that to me.â Jaeheon Lee shrugged his shoulders.
âActually, me and Garam Yoon⦠in a way, we have good mental strength, so we donât notice any major side effects. Because the world behind the scenes is one where the crazier you get, the more preferential treatment you get. âI donât attach any meaning to the pain I feel while taking the medication, and I feel less anxious because I know Iâll be fine after a short sleep and wake up.â
âUh⦠So youâre saying Iâm not like that?â
âMr. Han Do-yoon is the kind of person who would say âfuck youâ when heâs sick, so thereâs nothing we can do about it. âItâs different from me, who thinks of pain as a kind of inconvenient burden, and Garam, who accepts the painful condition as a fact, without any regrets.â
âGaram?â
âPeople who cry and feel resentful when they are sick are bound to lose their mental strength while buying medicine at the pharmacy. To recover your lost mental strength, you need a lot of time⦠food⦠and a comfortable home. If you can endure it like this, it might be better to just endure it.â
âI just said Garam⦠No, no. âBoss, donât stare at me like thatâ¦â
Han Do-yoon cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
âThen I will stay here. âI canât help it because Iâm an ordinary human being who feels unfair when Iâm sick.â
âIt wonât be bad. According to Ha Seong-yoonâs words, there are no symptoms that would be a major problem if left untreated, and the patient will recover naturally through rest. It may take some time, but itâs a good decision if you want to save your mental energy. And the next item on the agenda isâ¦.â
âItâs not about going to Unhak High School, is it?â
âThat too, but not right away. âPlease take a look at this first.â
At his words, Kim Yeon-woo quietly took out his luggage.
ââ¦basket? âWhat is that classic, traditional basket that looks like something out of a childrenâs book?â
âThe scarecrows gave it to me.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âOh my god. âHave you ever seen such good people?â
The situation in the basket was so rich that Han Do-yoon reflexively praised it. Starting with sturdy tomatoes, fresh-looking cucumbers, green cabbage, nice potatoes, thick sweet potatoes, and, I wonder who grew them, even blueberries and corn.
ââ¦? âFor a moment, I understand that the blueberry harvest season is in June.â
âThere was a greenhouse.â
âBesides, corn is ready at the end of May at the earliestâ¦.â
âYou are wise. âThey must have grown it in a greenhouse.â
âDoes that make sense? Does it work?â
âIf it doesnât work, itâs the power of the other world.â
âiced coffeeâ¦?â
Just as Kim Ki-jeong was amazed by the scarecrow residentsâ garden labor and the all-purpose setting of the underworld, which was more serious than expected, Azalea sneakily approached and looked around at the crops and lowered its head.
âOh my, itâs in good condition. âItâs very delicious even if you eat it raw.â
âIf possible, letâs eat it grilled.â
âWould you like to grill tomatoes and cucumbers? âWell, I like it, butâ¦â
Azalea asked, adjusting her glasses.
âIsnât this poisonous? âThose scarecrows went crazy giving gifts, didnât they?â
âNo poison.â
âHave you tried it?â
âThanks to you, I got scolded.â
âFish oil.â
Lee Jae-heon frowned at Azaleaâs gaze as if he were an immature child.
ââ¦Donât you usually appreciate it if you check for poison first? âWhy do I always get scolded like this?â
âIâm so glad I didnât get married.â
âWhat kind of cruel wordsâ¦?â
âAnyway, itâs not poisonous. So what does this gift mean?â
Jeong In-ho, who was looking at Lee Jae-heon with pitch-black eyes, smiled and answered.
âIt seemed like a kidnapper baiting children with candy. Right now, it seems like the intention is to settle the situation rather than attackâ¦â
ââ¦Uh⦠So is this a business giftâ¦?â
Kwon Yeon-hee, who was looking into the basket, seemed to remember her brilliant performance in the past, saying, âMonsters are good at businessâ¦â She smiled and looked at the crops next to the azalea.
âSomething is good. Iâm sorry for sounding like Iâm complaining, but Iâm a little bit stoked to keep eating only convenience store food⦠No, youâre complaining, right? Anyway, itâs nice to see fresh vegetables.â
âI refused to give him an old pumpkin because it seemed too heavy.â
âArenât those monsters angry? âYou stole so much from me⦠and even refused the giftâ¦?â
âThey were really kind people. âHe just smiled and let me go.â
Kwon Yeon-hee made a strange expression at Lee Jae-heonâs words.
ââ¦The more I listen to it, the more I feel uncomfortable because it feels like a trap. âWhy are you so nice to me?â
âPompitz likes people even if they donât receive anything.â
âUh uh⦠what about that guy? Since heâs a dog, I can kind of understand⦠but if heâs a monster with a human motif⦠itâs a bitâ¦â â
Thatâs true. âItâs natural that itâs hard to believe.â
Jaeheon Lee shrugged his shoulders.
âSo shouldnât we eat everything we can?â
ââ¦Is that how it happens?â
âPlus, it says that pets are not allowed in the garden, but perhaps because of that rule, other monsters werenât able to enter.â
Kim Ki-jeong muttered to him.
âIf thatâs the case, you can sleep with your pet and just put a sign saying no animals allowedâ¦â
âThis is probably a result of the reality that it is difficult to sanction even wild animals. I waited for an hour just in case the monster passed by, but it did not come into the garden. âI thought I was going to take a look, but I passed by quietly.â
ââ¦Itâs definitely more comfortable than the mountain behind the school. âIf you live there.â
âIt may be better than just watching inconveniently due to disadvantages that may arise at any time.â
Woo Joo-young accepted Lee Jae-heonâs words.
âWell then⦠how about a few people spend time in the garden for a week or so? With the number of people who can quickly recognize and easily escape even if something happensâ¦.â â
It wonât be too late to make a decision after stopping by two more times. âGoing to the pharmacy has also been canceled, so I think it would be a good idea for people who donât usually go out often to go as well.â
At those words, Lee Yun-byeol raised his head.
âSomeone like meâ¦?â
âIf itâs not too uncomfortable. âIf you are worried about Seo-ah and Min-hong, there is nothing you can do, but since you never know when you might end up alone, I think it would be a good idea to learn basic search and response techniques.â
âAhâ¦â
Lee Yun-byeol nodded slowly.
âPlease do me a favor. âI think I need to learn moreâ¦â
Her gaze was directed at the sleeping kindergarten students.
âI was lucky enough to be with Kim Ki-jeong this time, but there is no guarantee that will happen next time. âIf I want to protect my children, I think it would be a good idea to learn something.â
âActually, if you just remember how to hide well and hold on, there wonât be any major problems⦠I understand.â
To conclude, Yunbyeol Lee did not adapt well. If a monster popped out on the way, I would panic, and just seeing the monster standing still would make me motion sick. Nevertheless, Lee Jae-heon was satisfied with the way he persevered, paying attention to not having a negative impact on others due to his poor condition. For a weak-hearted young resident, Jumin was a hard worker.
When it was confirmed that there was no major problem in the garden, Lee Yun-byeol and other standby crew members learned search methods, and Han Do-yoon and other patients recovered mentally and physically to some extent.
The exploration of Eonhak High School was finally decided.