Chapter 12: 11

Chapter Eleven - TRL

 So far, Lee Jaehun's judgments have mostly been wise, if not all.

 

For him, the memories of his previous life were as vivid as those of only a few years ago, and his skilled memory made him unable to forget them.

 

It meant that he was already familiar with a world where human life was worse than that of minor things, such as the underworld.

 

Yes, actually, maybe that's why he was missing one thing.

 

“… right."

 

“…….”

 

“It hurts when you get hurt.”

 

Unlike the previous life, in the existing world, the pain and aftereffects caused by wounds were also valued.

 

'Oh, I forgot this.'

 

Lee Jaehun inwardly clicked his tongue.

 

In the world of the previous life, wounds were like a formless curse.

 

It would be fortunate if he did not die immediately due to this curse, and it would be even more fortunate if he could survive with some measures.

 

So naturally, he did not pay attention to the pain and after-effects of the wound.

 

No matter how painful that wound was, it was natural, and it was not special because everyone went through the same thing.

 

In fact, they would giggle and make fun of anyone who was traumatized by a small cut.

 

It wasn't that they were particularly bad, it was just the way the world was.

 

For Lee Jaehun, struggling with the pain of his wounds was, in the conventional world, akin to crying about the cold of winter and declaring that he would never leave the house.

 

So, how stupid would it seem to Lee Jaehun to be worried just because he was injured?

 

However, in the conventional world, the pain and after-effects were enormous, and they deserved to be considered by others.

 

Lee Jaehun had forgotten this important fact.

 

Disappointed, he rolled his eyes.

 

“… Let’s go into the park?”

 

"...Are you trying to change the subject?"

 

“Uh huh, you should know that when an adult says it. Do you want to start sounding like employee Kwon?”

 

"Yes? Why me?”

 

Hearing her name, employee Kwon, who was next to Chief Kang, turned her head this way, and Deputy Jung In-ho managed a fishy expression.

 

He was a creepy bastard.

 

"Anyway, let's get back together, we need to find a place to rest, don't you think?"

  

“Agreed."

  

The doctor confirmed his words, saying they needed space to properly treat the wounded now, and it wasn't long before the group regrouped.

 

Lee Jaehun judged it to be a sign of teamwork in such a short time.

 

He opened his mouth to avoid the black gaze staring at him through glasses.

 

“Well then, let’s move.”

 

* * *

 

The world of his previous life had a developed civilization like current modern times.

 

Even if they talked about survival and all, it meant that there was a system enough to form a nation and technology to support it.

 

So, what Lee Jaehun knew about survival in the wild was entirely because of his personal history.

 

“First, the minimum conditions for a shelter are water and fire.”

 

These were Lee Jaehun's words to the party, who realized that the inside of the park was almost like a jungle.

 

He insisted on finding the water source first.

 

“Of course there might be monsters coming to drink in this park, so I wouldn't build a shelter near a water source. It might be humid... But, securing water is the first priority.”

 

“… Why do you know so well?”

 

"Our intern hasn't climbed a mountain with me yet, has he? It's my hobby, you should know."

 

Next was fire.

 

"It's still March, so it'll be tolerable during the day, but not in the evening, and it's not like you're sleeping in a building that's sealed off on all sides, so you might as well have a fire to keep you warm. I have a lighter, so this should be a quick fix."

 

“… Are you a smoker, manager?”

 

"Not really, but it comes in handy when I'm trying to pacify the higher-ups."

 

Lee Jaehun took out a lighter with a fancy engraving from inside his coat.

 

It was a branded cigarette lighter, the product of the old Manager’s collecting fetish.

 

Its shiny gold and black surface reflected the blood on Lee Jaehun's hands.

 

It seemed to have enough fuel, as it caught fire right away without any problems.

 

He would be in charge of the campfire for the time being. He showed the group his lighter and asked.

  

 "Does anyone else have a lighter?"

  

 "...I have one."

  

When the main character awkwardly held out his lighter, Chief Kang, who was next to him, opened her eyes wide in surprise.

  

 "You're not a smoker...."

  

 "......."

 

“… ah."

 

Chief Kang nodded her head.

 

He probably bought it for the same purpose as Lee Jaehun, but since he seemed to be embarrassed about it, he tried to gloss over it.

 

The doctor who introduced himself as Ha Seongyoon laughed and took out a lighter.

 

“I have one too.”

 

“…a doctor?"

 

"I'm carrying it around like a talisman, so don't look at me like that."

 

"aha."

 

Then Yoon Garam, the owner of the flower shop, smiled faintly with an embarrassed look.

 

“I’m actually a smoker, but I don’t have a lighter.”

 

She usually was at the flower shop since she worked there, so she probably didn’t bother to carry a lighter in her clothes. She had left it behind when the incident happened, It's no surprise she couldn't think of a cigarette when her life was in danger.

 

At Boss Yoon's words, Chief Kang worriedly asked since they had become close.

 

“You haven’t brought any cigarettes, have you? I heard It's hard to quit smoking, will you be okay?”

 

"It's embarrassing that you're seriously worried about me, but I don't think I can get any, so I'll just take this opportunity to quit."

 

Lee Jaehun was satisfied with her words.

 

'In the novel, she had a hard time resisting the urge to smoke.'

 

He couldn’t even imagine quitting like this.

 

When you're mentally out of it, you look for mental support, and in Boss Yoon's case, it was cigarettes.

 

In Lee Jaehun's mind, a description of Boss Yoon expressing her anxiety by chewing her fingertips until her flesh, not only her fingernails, came apart.

 

In the novel, Yoon Garam couldn't quit smoking until the end, but it would be nice if it was different this time.

 

"I have three lighters, so it shouldn't be too hard to get a fire going."

  

 "Good. I thought I'd have to hit a rock like they show on YouTube...."

  

 "So should we start with fire? Or water?"

  

 "......."

 

Someday, I will pass this position over.

 

In response to the question that was obviously directed at him, Lee Jaehun swallowed his nervousness and answered.

 

“… First, we need to find a place for us to stay.”

 

Water and fire, that can wait.

 

Of course, if we have time, it would be nice to light a fire to see the monster in the dark.

 

However, he wouldn't die even if he didn't drink water and slept cold until the next day, but if he couldn't find a proper nest, he might have to stay up all night with his eyes open.

 

In that case, the chances of dying increases.

 

The underworld, in particular, was not without its monsters.

 

Once it got dark, the threat would begin in earnest, and while it wouldn't be as fierce as it had been in the early days, it was still important to be well positioned for defense.

 

Employee Kwon asked him.

 

“What about the water source?”

 

“Same thing. In order not to run into monsters, we need to find a place that is reasonably far from the water source.”

 

"So you're saying that where the water is is important for site selection?"

 

“I guess so.”

 

Lee Jaehun added:

 

"Speaking of which... are any of you familiar with the layout of the park?"

 

It had changed a lot from what they remembered, but like the company and the flower shop, the structure itself hadn't been completely twisted.

 

As the original form remains, it would be of great help to know the structure of the original park.

 

Boss Yoon, who had been quietly listening to Lee Jaehun's words, raised her hand cautiously.

 

"I… I kinda know since I often go for walks.”

 

"I see."

 

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At her words, Lee Jaehun swallowed a sigh of relief.

 

'I would have been a little sad if she didn't speak up.'

 

In the novel, Boss Yoon joined the party last, which meant that she survived in the park for several days on her own.

 

This was partly due to her constitution, but also to the structure of the park, which the florist knew.

 

Every weekday at four o'clock, she would go for a walk in the park across the street from the flower shop, so she knew the best places to hide from the monster.

 

However, she was too distraught from the incident with the doctor to share this good information with others.

 

Even the main character benefited from it only when he escaped from the park.

 

'But not now.'

 

Unlike the novel, Boss Yoon's mental strength was quite good.

 

The doctor who was torn to pieces in front of her eyes is alive and well, and instead of wandering around alone with only her mentality, she has a group she can rely on.

 

Due to the nature of humans who grow depressed the more they are left alone, the current situation with seven people gathered wouldn't feel so bad.

 

Moreover, it was Lee Jaehun, not anyone else, who asked the question hoping for the above answer.

 

Yoon Garam's mouth opened easily as he had already done her enough favors by saving the doctor and herself at the flower shop.

 

She had no reason not to speak in the first place.

 

After looking around in confusion for a moment, Boss Yoon drew a picture in the dirt and explained.

 

"Here… This must be where we are now, since we just came through the main gate."

 

"Oh."

 

"Of course, I'm not sure what's changed, but, um. The original walkway was...."

 

The florist's memory wasn't too bad,she drew the original park as she remembered it, and showed me where the lake was.

 

Since it was such a large park, there are three water sources.

  

 Confirming it, Lee nodded inwardly.

  

 "That's about right.

  

 In fact, Lee Jae-heon, who had visited the park last Saturday, had a rough idea of the original layout.

  

 He'd even memorized the map.

 

However, despite his worries, he had no intention of coming all the way to the underworld and putting on a one-man show.

 

That was the role of the main character, who had a bright future and even hesitated, not the role of Lee Jaehun, who had already been rolling in mud in some kind of shit field.

 

And fortunately, the main character, who had been listening to Boss Yoon carefully, opened his mouth with a nod of his head.

 

"Then wouldn't it be fine here? The lake, of course, I don't know if it's still a lake... but it's not that far from the water source."

 

“I think it would be the best decision if the sculptures on display didn’t change much.”

 

The sculpture the florist was referring to was in the shape of a wall.

 

There are trees in the back that block the outskirts of the park, and there are sculptures in front of them, and left and right are for people to take a walk.

 

And, in the novel, it was also the place where Boss Yoon endured the longest.

 

“I think it’s fine.”

 

When Lee Jaehun nodded, Chief Kang, who had been watching, also opened her mouth.

 

“I-I like it too.”

 

"Actually, I don't know much about the structure of the park... so I don't think we have any other options."

 

“It’s not that far.”

 

It was a good thing they were still chicks, so they didn't cause division in the team with their presumptuous remarks.

 

Lee Jaehun looked at the sky, deeply satisfied. The trees in the park had grown so damn large that they were quite obscured, but there was still sunlight.

 

'Roughly… five o'clock?'

 

Of course, he didn't know the exact time, but since the sun didn't completely set, he assumed it was around that time.

 

He covered his mouth and squinted.

 

“…….”

 

Throught the gap in his gaze, a figure between the trees caught his eye.

 

"...Let's move on, then."

 

“It was around five in the afternoon, they were still pacing around the park’s main gate, hesitating.”

 

Lee Jaehun recalled the phrase from the novel and followed his companions.

 

The members of society, who were not usually athletic, groaned at their strained bodies, but it didn't take long for them to regroup.

 

Throughout the process, he surreptitiously glanced over the trees and thought to himself.

  

'Those guys right now must be the students the main character met at the park.'

 

A total of two people were hiding between the trees adorning the main entrance, and they were brother and sister.

 

These main characters, the brother and sister, were the type of survivors who clung to the main character from the beginning.

 

The younger brother was the one who made the decision and the older sister was the one who executed it, there's no doubt that they made quick and clever decisions that even adults wouldn't.

 

When they were devoured by the underworld in the cafe, there was no one around except the siblings.

 

After quickly exiting the cafe, which has been bizarrely transformed but without any monsters, they find the florist trudging toward the park gate and follow her.

 

They wished someone could explain the situation.

 

However, Boss Yoon's condition, which they confirmed while walking behind her, was not good to say the least. In the end, the brother and sister hesitated for a while at the front door, and soon after seeing the main character who entered the front door, they decided to stick with him.

 

They see him trying to lead the group as best he can and decide that he's an adult they can trust.

 

'Unlike in the novel, they probably saw our group heading to the park from afar and followed us.'

 

Lee Jaehun nodded inwardly.

 

Perhaps the reason why they didn't talk right away was because there were a lot of people and there was blood everywhere.

 

And in the case of Lee Jaehun and the protagonist, each of them is holding a weapon covered in a strange red liquid.

 

It would have been suspicious to talk to them without knowing anything about them.

 

In fact, it was a very wise decision, considering that the park episode featured a group of people who had abandoned their humanity.

 

No matter how confusing and unsettling the situation is, it’s stupid to approach without knowing the opponent's information in a situation where you are at a distinct disadvantage.

 

Since they were smart and capable students, they paid attention more than most adults, so Lee Jaehun was willing to include them in his company.

 

There was nothing wrong with adding two to the crowd of people anyway.

 

In addition, the image of an adult trying to protect minors would be useful in weakening the image of the kkondae head.

 

“…….”

 

“… Manager? Are you feeling unwell?”

 

“No, I was distracted for a moment.”

 

Lee Jaehun pressed his temples as he said that.

 

'Have I done enough already?'

 

If even the main character with whom he had the worst relationship was concerned about Lee Jaehun's condition, those who he barely got along with would be more generous than him.

 

In addition to saving their lives, it must be the result of sacrificing his shoulder and leg.

 

Of course, Lee Jaehun wasn't exactly sympathetic, but he wasn't about to let his goodwill go to waste.

 

If it got out of hand and he couldn't keep his distance, he'd have to take action, but not right now.

 

Maybe.

 

Then, is there a need to build a good impression here? If he could just be a jerk about it…but....

 

“…….”

 

Yeah, that's a stupid idea.

 

'Now is not the time for me to be mean.'

 

It only takes one trigger for a relationship to fall apart, even if you've built up support 100 times.

 

For the main character, who remembers their shitty relationship at work, even though he's worried about him now, all it takes is a slight misstep to turn their relationship into a negative one.

 

He’d been doing well with the build-up so far, he didn't want to let down his guard and ruin it.

 

Given Lee Jaehun's personality, he wouldn't do anything just to buy the main character's favor anyway.

 

Since they have different temperaments, they would always quarrel and conflict over very different ideas, so he thought it would be good to buy as many favors as possible in preparation for the favors I would lose at any time.

 

Or maybe I'd better go into debt.

 

Lee Jaehun blinked as he saw that the group had stopped walking.

 

"Ah, I guess... this is the right place."

 

"Was the sculpture originally this big, boss?"

 

“I don’t think so… Maybe, like our flower shop, this one has grown too.”

 

“…….”

 

he looked around.

 

Monsters could come in through the trees behind them, but conversely, the shield would be stretched.

 

The large wall-like sculpture would block the sunlight and make it cold, but it would at least keep the wind out, and there was a lake a short walk away, so it didn't seem like a bad place to be.

 

Besides, since the sides are wide open, wouldn't it be possible to escape if necessary? He was a little worried about how to make the ceiling, but the main character of the novel survived without a ceiling throughout the park episode.

 

As far as he can remember, it was not going to rain, so he didn't have to go to work right away.

 

‘Of course, I will have to build a structure at least tomorrow, but… .’

 

Lee Jaehun set the pipe down on the ground and stretched his hands.

  

 "...Oh."

  

 His palms, which were completely free of calluses, were torn as if they had been drawn for a long time.

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