Chapter 55 |
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Though the encounter was unexpected for both the detective and Lee Jaehun, he was fairly satisfied. More precisely, he was trying to find a silver lining in an unfortunate situation.
‘At least I’ve established a position.’
From the beginning, Lee Jaehun was meant to be a mentor figure to the protagonist. Although the sudden meeting had caught him off guard, in the grand scheme of the story, the detective’s first impression of Lee Jaehun would be as a ‘useful lunatic with a backstory.’ For a hastily constructed image, it wasn’t too bad.
Of course, it was frustrating that his original plan had gone awry.
‘I had hoped to build my image more slowly and steadily as planned…’
Even though it didn’t end in the worst possible way, that didn’t mean he wasn’t feeling any frustration or anxiety. Given Lee Jaehun’s nature, unexpected variables were always unwelcome, and the potential consequences of this encounter were uncertain. While he couldn’t change what had already happened, it still bothered him.
As he walked, lighting his way with a lighter, Lee Jaehun looked down at his feet.
“……”
His condition wasn’t great.
‘…With how I look, it’s probably harder for people to ignore me…’
In his previous life, people were generally indifferent, but in this world, people seemed more compassionate. Seeing someone in such a wretched state, they wouldn’t just pass by without a word. In his previous life, they might have just offered some empty encouragement and walked away.
Lee Jaehun twisted his numb foot this way and that, feeling the dampness from the blood-soaked cloth. He sighed and continued walking, limping but not moving too slowly.
When he saw the glow of a campfire, he turned off his lighter.
“……”
“……”
He made eye contact with a robust 18-year-old student.
The student’s eyes were wide open, as if he hadn’t just woken up. His awkward posture suggested he was about to get up. Lee Jaehun, momentarily at a loss for words, watched as Park Dahoon spoke up with an awkward tone.
“…Hello….”
“…Hello… No, that’s not it?”
Baffled, he asked.
“Why are you awake…?”
He was genuinely surprised.
‘I didn’t expect anyone to wake up.’
If he had anticipated someone waking up, he wouldn’t have approached so casually. He would have made a quick excuse and left, even if it meant being chased.
But realistically, it was around 4 AM. Even high school students sneaking in some phone time under the covers would have fallen asleep by now. Park Dahoon, who had spent the day walking on hard ground and gathering firewood, should have been even more exhausted.
Considering this, Lee Jaehun realized something.
“……”
Park Dahoon had mild insomnia.
“Uh, I couldn’t sleep. I was just sitting for a bit… but then I noticed you were gone.”
“…I went for a short walk.”
Saying this, Lee Jaehun gently pushed Park Dahoon’s shoulder to sit him back down. He then took a seat beside him, glancing silently at the flickering campfire.
He checked on the others—Park Dayoung, Yoon Garam, Ha Sungyoon, and the protagonist—and then let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, no one else was awake.
‘There’s still a chance to get things done.’
Lee Jaehun brushed his lips once and spoke softly.
“Are you anxious?”
“…About what?”
“Anything.”
Park Dahoon was a victim of domestic violence.
It wasn’t about being beaten or locked in a room without food. He was thoroughly ignored by his parents, received disdainful glances, and was on the fringes of the community, if included at all.
The ironic part was that his older sister, Park Dayoung, received the opposite treatment.
‘Though she’s sensible and takes care of him….’
What could a chick one year older do to perfectly protect her younger brother?
Parents can’t always win against their children, but children also can’t always win against their parents. The inexperienced chick Park Dayoung loved her brother but couldn’t deny her parents. They were too kind, sweet, and terrifying to completely reject.
Miraculously, the siblings were on good terms, but conflicts would intensify later.
‘From the brother’s perspective, there’s no way he wouldn’t have grievances against his sister.’
And Lee Jaehun had no intention of emotionally manipulating the kids that way.
“Everyone has something they’re anxious about.”
He hoped his voice sounded as nonchalant as possible.
For the protagonist’s mental health, taking care of the main characters, the Park siblings, was essential. Since his night walk had been discovered, it seemed like a good time to have a casual conversation while keeping things under control.
Without taking his eyes off the campfire, he continued.
“Is it hard?”
“No, not really….”
“Don’t lie. If it’s hard, it’s hard.”
“…….”
Park Dahoon pressed his lips together. Being in a position where he was constantly protected, it was difficult to answer whether he was having a hard time.
‘He might think I’m being an old man.’
But with kids like him, overly sweet words could have the opposite effect.
“Still, keep it up.”
“…….”
“Then everyone will protect you.”
The siblings’ goal was to be protected.
Instinctively, they felt the world was dangerous. So they clung to the strong adults. Among them, they needed someone who would genuinely protect them without causing harm.
From his reactions since the regression, it seemed Lee Jaehun had been chosen as that adult.
‘They must have thought it was dangerous.’
Judging by his actions, they realized that he could die at any moment, making it pointless to rely on him as a shield. So they had been gradually withdrawing from conversations with the group.
Whether it was a shrewd calculation or a wise decision, Lee Jaehun was quite pleased. How many kids at that age could think so smartly?
But Park Dahoon’s face had turned a bit pale at his words.
“Why, feeling guilty? Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
“…That’s….”
“Don’t worry. I’m not looking for an apology or to scold you.”
“I’m sor….”
“Enough.”
He grabbed Park Dahoon’s head, turning it to make eye contact. Seeing only mild surprise and awkwardness in his eyes, it was clear that Park Dahoon didn’t perceive Lee Jaehun’s actions as violent.
“Do I look angry?”
“…….”
“To clarify, I’m not. I actually like how smart you are.”
At that moment,
“…Do you hear that?”
Park Dahoon’s face brightened.
Of course, this was really strange. Lee Jaehun had never offered this 18-year-old chick any warm comfort, and even his recent words were too cynical to be considered kind. By this world’s standards, it was like appraising an object’s value.
But it was precisely because his words weighed ‘value’ that Park Dahoon felt reassured.
“…Of course.”
He had spent his whole life having that value doubted.
Outwardly, Lee Jaehun smiled softly and quietly celebrated inside.
‘This is why dealing with affection-deprived kids is easy.’
Lee Jaehun wasn’t the kind of trash who abused minors to create affection deprivation for efficiency, but he was the kind who knew how to manipulate those already in such a state. Having read the novel, he knew the strategies to use.
If his sister had been awake, she might have sensed something strange, but Park Dahoon was a poor chick who had been aware of such subtleties all his life. No matter how smart he was, he couldn’t easily escape the mental strain of this world.
‘Besides, if I get the brother on my side, I can quickly win over Park Dayoung too.’
His sister wasn’t entirely normal either.
“…It might sound a bit strange….”
He removed his hand from the boy’s head.
If this continued, Lee Jaehun would gain two very perceptive minions. Those who lacked affection tended to become more blindly loyal once they tasted it.
“I like sharp kids like you. Just the right amount of kind and smart…. Though it’s a bit annoying to see you scheming at such a young age.”
“…That’s….”
“Doesn’t mean I dislike you, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
At this point, he needed to add a bit of emotional wisdom in line with common sense. Staring at the silent campfire under the pitch-black night sky, Lee Jaehun spoke again.
“Just, you guys….”
“…….”
“…Should have lived more comfortably.”
It was truly sad.
“Kids in school uniforms shouldn’t have to worry like this.”
These poor students should have led more peaceful and happy lives. Having once been harshly treated by this world, Lee Jaehun felt that way.
He raised his tone to lighten the mood.
“Anyway, my point is….”
“…….”
“No one here will give you a hard time. They’re all pushovers, so you don’t need to be scared. I’ve worked with them, and they’re all idiots. They can’t even catch a spider.”
“…I’m not great with spiders either….”
“Kids are supposed to be protected by adults.”
“…….”
Park Dahoon’s eyes wavered slightly, but Lee Jaehun pretended not to notice and continued.
“It’s not weird for you to try to get protected.”
“…But….”
“So, do your best.”
He said this casually, as if it were no big deal.
“If little kids who should be protected work hard, who would abandon them?”
“…….”
“If you’re worried, just work. Collect firewood, help start the fire. If you have time, fetch water with Yoon Garam. Just do those things.”
“…Okay.”
“But don’t get hurt. You understand? And if anyone asks if I’m making you work, never mention my name.”
“Okay.”
“Anyways, you’ve been through a lot,” he said, causing the 18-year-old’s shoulders to tense up.
The way Park Dahoon was portrayed in the novel, he was susceptible to this kind of empathetic comfort. Not that he would accept comfort from just anyone, but rather he showed a vulnerability to warm words from those he considered somewhat reliable adults.
Moreover, simply reacting with, ‘Oh, you poor thing, take a rest, it must be tough,’ would cause problems. While he would accept comfort, he was the type to internalize it beyond just that. So, by telling him to work hard, Lee Jaehun had cleared a path to ensure the 18-year-old chick didn’t feel burdened.
‘Of course, I might catch some flak later for making them work.’
He chuckled inwardly.
I should consider myself lucky if I can get away without getting hit by these kids, let alone hearing any complaints. Those friends would be permanently removed from the happy survival group that Lee Jaehun would assemble in the future.
Suppressing all those thoughts, Lee Jaehun maintained his expression.
“Don’t worry too much. I’ll somehow….”
“…….”
“Keep you safe.”
Honestly, it felt quite cringeworthy.
‘Going overboard with the dawn vibes.’
How did I end up doing such foolish acts?
By this point, the reality hit hard, but amidst the smooth-talking, I couldn’t unravel the mess I had gotten myself into. The usefulness of Park Dahoon, a member of the protagonist’s group, was endless.
And it wasn’t solely because of Park Dahoon himself.
‘How could I know if anyone was awake?’
I couldn’t help but sigh and feel suffocated.
It was problematic enough that even the protagonist, who had shown bloodlust in front of a detective, was an issue, but the rest of these guys, who I had accidentally saved, were just as creepy. Especially the ones like Doctor Ha Sungyoon, who were half mentally unstable, were unpredictable variables when it came to him.
‘If even one of those guys is awake…’
Lee Jaehun chuckled to himself.
Until now, he had blatantly gaslighted an 18-year-old student, and if anyone with a hint of common sense heard that, they’d think, ‘What’s this guy trying to pull with those innocent kids?’ If that happened, Lee Jaehun would be outed as a con artist.
But if followed by these kinds of emotional and compassionate statements, the gaslighting that had just occurred would lose its impact. With the established setting of ‘not being straightforward,’ perhaps Park Dahoon would feel embarrassed and wonder if he had said something wrong. It was obvious without even looking.
Exhausted by the ambiguous fatigue, Lee Jaehun stood up slowly.
“Anyway, it’s time to grow up a bit. If you really can’t sleep….”
“…Ahjussi.”
“…What?”
Why was my spine suddenly tingling?
Turning to Park Dahoon with a strange sense, the 18-year-old chick met his gaze with a desperate look. It was a facial expression that seemed to apologize even though he hadn’t done anything yet.
“You’re… going to die, right?”
“…….”
Turning gratitude into vengeance?
‘…These kids are terrifying these days, really.’
For a moment, Lee Jaehun felt dizzy and rubbed his lips.
Not only had he displayed his eccentric behavior even in front of a detective, now he had to figure out how to navigate storytelling to prevent the chick from blocking one of the paths, death, that had been opened up. And that’s not to mention the possibility of someone waking up and overhearing….
“…….”
After a moment of contemplation, Lee Jaehun reached out and gently touched Park Dahoon’s head.
After that awkward pat on the head.
“…….”
“…….”
He fell silent.
‘No matter how I answer, it’ll backfire.’
If I say he won’t die, later his death might be resented as unnecessary when it’s needed. But if I say he will die, aside from being labeled as mentally unstable, it might shatter the mental state of the chicks I’ve just managed to build up.
It was better to maintain an ambiguous attitude, neither positive nor negative.
“…Grow up.”
“…….”
“And don’t dwell on painful thoughts.”
With that, Lee Jaehun lay down a bit away. His legs felt sore, and he almost collapsed as he lay down, but based on his past experience, he didn’t make much noise.
At the end of his gaze, Park Dahoon’s eyes lingered on…
“…Yes.”
…the bloody hem of his shirt.
Stained with blood, like that.
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