Chapter 14: 13

Chapter Thirteen - TRL

 The position Lee Jaehun wanted was that of a guy who didn't fit in, but was very useful.

 

In a sentence, it would be 'a person I don't like very much, but I can't throw away'.

 

However, Lee Jaehun’s common sense was muddled between his previous life and his current life, and his mental strength was lowered by the influence of the underworld. Thanks to this, his judgment was clouded, and he earned the favor of the group to a greater or lesser extent.

 

He had been laying the groundwork to try to rid some of it, but now....

 

“… It’s a fresh wound.”

 

“It looks like the wound is big enough to be stitched up. I know that it's much faster for the manager to help, but not like this.”

 

“…….”

 

"You're the only one who's been getting hurt."

  

 No. When you say that, it makes everyone else look bad.

 

‘It's like he’s intentionally pulling my leg.

 

Lee Jaehun was dumbfounded and couldn't control his expression.

 

If they were doing it without knowing, he'd have just let it slide as an insult, but now the main character was deliberately using words to trigger the guilt of the party.

 

It meant that he was aware of his intention to keep a distance and was interfering with it.

 

However, the reason Lee Jaehun couldn't respond right away was because he didn't know what the opponent was thinking.

 

‘Does he know that I've been directing the flow...?’

 

Lee Jaehun's brow furrowed.

 

He induced the group to stop by the flower shop and come to the park, and in the process he acted so that they would not harbor any guilt or sympathy for his injuries.

 

Perhaps since leaving the company, they did not blame themself even if they were worried about Lee Jaehun getting hurt.

 

Well, he wasn't injured because the party forced him.

 

It was his own decision, and he never once criticized his teammates for it.

 

He must have felt comfortable with the situation because he threw in his usual bullshit remarks in between.

  

Add to that the fact that his psyche was worn down from all the underworld stuff.

 

And all of this was as considered by Lee Jaehun.

 

Of course, any more favors or concerns were out of the question, but at least it was something he had been paying enough attention so that he wouldn't feel guilty.

 

Lee Jaehun blinked his eyes in confusion.

 

‘I think he noticed that I was trying to keep my distance… .’

 

"What's wrong with that?"

  

"What?"

 

"Why overthink it, you just do it because you can."

 

The main character informed manager Lee Jaehun of the wounds that the party had overlooked so far, and Lee Jaehun asked why it was a problem. If the reaction was skeptical, it meant that the other person had picked up on his cue.

 

But, perhaps fortunately, the protagonist merely reacted with embarrassment.

 

“…Are you serious?”

 

Slanted eyes and twisted eyebrows.

 

Judging from his expression and voice, he probably didn't realize that Lee Jaehun had been guiding the flow so far.

 

‘After all the work I've put into this.’

 

Swallowing a sigh of relief, Lee Jaehun shrugged and replied.

 

"I can't even tell a joke?"

 

"What….”

 

“I’m just saying, that’s what I said. Deputy Jung was being a bit sensitive, so I felt like making a joke.”

 

“…….”

 

“I know that my body is precious, so let’s not be cumbersome.”

 

So, the main character's judgment now seemed to roughly be 'this person is trying to keep a distance while being sacrificed excessively by the party'.

 

Perhaps he was worried that his teammates would become distrustful and stop helping him.

 

Of course, it was completely irrelevant to Lee Jaehun, who was only concerned about psychological distance.

 

He relaxed, pulling his strength away from his stiff shoulders.

 

'No matter how distasteful he is, he's still a chick.'

[Note: Distasteful/Disgusting/Gross. If you see these words used to describe Jung In-ho, know that it’s usually the same word in Korean.]

 

But things weren't over yet.

 

"So... what do you want me to do? It's almost nighttime and you want me to rest?"

 

Lee Jaehun tried to distance himself, but failed. If it had been according to his plan, the team members of the company, would have been slightly hurt and distanced themselves. On the contrary they now felt guilty, and judging from the way they looked at him in bewilderment apart from the two he met at the flower shop, it was a judgment that was almost certain.

 

And Lee Jaehun had no intention of destroying the teamwork he had worked so hard on. Since trying to get only Lee Jaehun casted out neatly failed, he had to recover this before it went completely dark.

 

The protagonist responded to his words.

 

"That's probably for the best. If the monsters come out anyway, we'll have to rely on your hand, so why don't you rest until then?"

 

“Huh.”

 

"Just give me a general idea of what you need to do, I will do it for you.”

 

I'm really, really going to leave this position someday.

 

‘And all the while, you refuse to take responsibility.’

 

Lee Jaehun pressed his temples together in frustration.

 

He'd come to a point where he had nothing to lose and nothing to gain, thanks to the fucking disgusting protagonist.

 

This is a real asshole.

 

However, Lee Jaehun, who predicted this situation moments earlier, had no choice but to surrender to the flow.

 

"...Dry grass, paper, and... twigs of different thicknesses. Come and see."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

“The thin ones can be a bit wet, but the thick branches should be as dry as possible.”

 

"Yes."

 

"You….”

 

He mouth twitched and then he spat out his words.

 

“When monsters come out, you have to deal with them, so it’s good to have something you can hold and wield.”

 

"All right."

 

“If you bring it, I’ll light the fire, so first… .”

 

“I will light it.”

 

“…….”

 

He couldn’t get along with this punk.

 

Lee Jaehun put down his pipe on the floor in a sense of despondency, remembering once again how he felt when Jung In-ho joined the company.

 

He was devastated that the plan he had worked so hard to come up with had failed because of someone he hated so much. It took a huge psychological blow.

 

In the meantime, the protagonist took the doctor and the florist out, and considering that the people left behind were all office workers working under the same roof, it was obvious to even a passing three-year-old what his intentions were.

 

Lee Jaehun swallowed a sigh at the sight of his companions staring at him.

 

“…….”

 

This... Is this the part he needed to salvage?

 

'Did I kill him?'

[Note: Couldn’t figure out what this meant. But I’m pretty sure he’s talking figuratively.]

 

It's not like he could give a bottle of water or some medicine. Lee Jaehun, who suddenly looked like he could play drums and janggu, stared into space with tired eyes.

[Note: Playing the drums or janggu(which is a traditional Korean drum) is tiresome. So he’s saying he looks tired.]

 

To put it in a more extreme way, since the roles of perpetrator and victim had been reversed in an instant, Lee Jaehun was almost the only one who had the authority to open his mouth at this point.

  

 In other words, it was his right and duty to break the current awkwardness.

 

He wiped his face and opened his mouth.

 

“…Yun-seok.”

 

"uh, yes."

 

"that….”

 

Damn, what the fuck is this

 

Lee Jaehun continued to speak while enduring the irritation and displeasure that poured out from the depths of his heart.

 

"I’m sorry."

 

In the current situation, there were no better words than this.

 

Of course, Lee Jaehun wasn't sorry at all; his conscience was too worn down to feel sorry for the perpetrator, and he had no words for the victim.

 

If you say, ‘It was because of you!’ in a situation where the other already feels guilty, imagine the mess that would follow?

 

In the end, the only thing Lee Jaehun could start with was “I’m sorry.”

 

It is in the sense that they should not feel guilty about each other because 'You hit me once and I hit you fair and square’

 

Fortunately, the chick intern Roh Yun-seok, realized his intention and waved his hand.

 

"Oh, no, it's me, it's me. I just keep saying things that don't need to be said... that, you know, cloud the mood and...."

 

“I was sensitive.”

 

"No no, that's not, it’s not....”

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Hesitating, he continued.

 

“…I'm sorry, Manager."

 

To Lee Jaehun's uneasiness, intern Roh Yun-seok was sincerely apologizing.

 

But as far as he was concerned, he hadn't done anything wrong.

 

Of course, it was offensive that he would dare to try to match the department head's friendliness when he had saved his life with his arms and legs, but in any case, Lee Jaehun’s arrogance was all a miscalculation on his part.

 

In the end, it wasn't Roh Yun-seok's fault.

 

However, thanks to the protagonist who was too perceptive and pretended not to notice, Lee Jaehun's big picture collapsed, and it was only them, not the main character, who were paying the karma.

 

Following Intern Roh Yun-seok’s, the other members of the party also spoke one word at a time.

 

“I’m sorry too… .”

 

"Me too."

 

Chief Kang Mina continued.

 

“The manager kept getting hurt because of us, but we didn’t do anything.”

 

Wow, look at this atmosphere.

 

'The main character is a disgusting bastard.'

 

Lee Jaehun inwardly face-palmed as he lamented.

 

It was a situation he had already anticipated when he noticed the protagonist's interference, but it was even more cringe-worthy and annoying when he actually experienced it.

 

It would have been less bad if he hadn't done anything and had been caught in the middle of the protagonist's scheme, but knowing that this was the result of his own failed plan only made it more embarrassing.

 

But to say, ‘I led you all on, so there’s no need to be sorry’ would be really crazy.

 

In the end, there was nothing Lee Jaehun could do other than accept their apologies and rebuild their spirits.

 

The problem was that in Lee Jae-heon's previous life and his current life, he had never 'received a sincere apology from his partner and cheered him up'.

 

He said, rubbing his throbbing head.

 

"It's okay, this was the most efficient way."

 

“… yes?"

 

“…huh?"

 

“…….”

 

“No, I mean, it’s not like you guys are bad… It was my choice anyway....”

 

Is something going wrong now?

 

He suddenly felt that he had uttered the wrong answer, but he couldn't help it.

 

A person needs to have the mental acuity and ability to correct their mistakes, and Lee Jaehun couldn’t even realized which part of his speech was wrong.

 

However, he sensed that the atmosphere was strange, so he tried to comfort them with the common sense he knew.

 

Of course, in the current situation, Lee Jaehun's consolation would be funny, but he was a senior leading them so far, so he didn't have to be too awkward. At least he judged it that way.

 

Lee Jaehun licked his lips several times and continued.

 

"It's just that… the situation... Everyone has become sensitive because of the situation.”

 

“…….”

 

“I’m getting a little tired too, so with Yun-seok being sarcastic, it’s just… Something like that. When you're tired, it's hard to think straight, so my words weren't very nice, and maybe the people listening were a little annoyed."

 

At Lee Jaehun's words, the faces of Roh Yun-seok and other office workers turned white.

 

“… You noticed that?”

 

“…huh?"

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“…….”

 

Huh.

 

Lee Jaehun inwardly sighed.

 

'Well, they were hiding it for their own reasons.'

 

As he'd felt many times in his life, he wished he could take back what he'd just said.

 

Thanks to the back and forth of his mind, words seldom came out as intended.

 

Up to this point, their only apparent sin was that they'd allowed the jerk manager to put on a one-man show.

 

In simple words, they felt that favors were expected, but now, with Lee Jaehun's remarks, they were guilty of 'relying on one person and getting annoyed'.

 

Of course, everyone is a seasoned socialite, so it didn't show on their faces except for the intern.

 

So, they could have just buried their guilt in their hearts and passed by, but Lee Jaehun brought it out into the open, and their sins were clearly exposed.

 

And, of course, this wasn't what he wanted.

 

'In the first place, this is not my role... !’

 

Lee Jaehun quietly gnashed his teeth.

 

He was comfortable being resented for pushing the others with extreme efficiency, but mediating petty conflicts like this was neither his forte nor his interest.

 

Lee Jaehun was very embarrassed at this situation where he was exchanging apologies like a kindergartener over something trivial.

 

In the end, Lee Jaehun had to listen to his party's confession in a half-dead state.

 

'I don't know, the main character will take care of things when he comes.'

 

Who knows if it was something else, but since Lee Jaehun was part of the group, he couldn't be motivated to deal with this.

 

He roughly listened to the intern, Noh Yeon-seok, as he felt his mind dulled by the influence of the other world.

 

“The advice that the Head manager usually gives is true… I was just listening to it....”

 

“Do you really listen to it?”

 

“… yes?"

 

"You're an idiot...."

 

Lee Jaehun suddenly came to his senses.

 

“… ah."

 

Did he just forget himself?

 

He tried hard not to show embarrassment and looked at the reaction of the party, and sure enough, the expressions on their faces were not very good.

 

The faces that had been gradually distorted from earlier now seemed full of questions.

 

Lee Jaehun thought about how to deal with the current situation.

 

“…….”

 

“…Let’s just move on.”

 

"Ah yes… .”

 

In the end, there was no other way than to break it down and move on.

 

I don't know, I'm not going to explain. Even so, the atmosphere has been messed up since earlier, so there is no way I can afford to fix my own mistakes in the midst of stress.

 

Lee Jae-hun said to the party who rolled his eyes here and there.

 

"anyway… Since we both made mistakes equally, don't think about unnecessary things, let's get some rest until the other party returns.”

 

“Yes, boss.”

 

“…….”

 

And there was silence.

 

'Fuck.'

 

He felt like killing himself.

 

Look at this wonderfully awkward and burdensome atmosphere.

 

It was getting dark, so he'd hastily finished the stitches, but any son of a bitch passing by could see that they weren't quite right.

 

He sighed as he covered his eyes with one hand.

 

‘What on earth do they see in me… .’

 

Up until this point, he'd been roughly self-objectifying, but now he wasn't even sure what they thought of ‘Lee Jaehun’.

 

He used to be the gold spoon team leader with connections.

 

He was an asshole but a good person in his own way. He was also a survival expert in the subject of being resilient in a company.

 

Still, he thought that being a kkondae was one thing, but in fact, he was a person who was sensitive when pushed... However, to see himself showing such a sensitive side, he couldn’t believe it.

 

After briefly summarizing his thoughts, Lee Jaehun soon felt a headache and stopped thinking.

 

There was no way he could objectify himself in the midst of chaos thanks to the hidden world.

 

It might be mistaken for a double personality.

 

“Whoa… .”

 

Grasping his dazed head, he leaned completely against the wall-shaped sculpture and looked up at the setting sky.

 

In terms of the original world, he wondered if it was around the time the sunset was going down.

 

Lee Jaehun, who was staring at the sky, blinked at the creeping drowsiness.

 

“…….”

 

Haa, I don't know

 

'Deputy Jung will take care of it.'

 

He decided to believe in the ability of the main character in this R19 angst survival story.

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