Chapter 8: 7

Chapter Seven - TRL

To express how Lee Jaehun is now, his personality hasn’t changed drastically, so it wasn't that noticeable.

 

* * *

 

The most important thing in the Underworld was unexpectedly mental strength.

 

In fact, to exaggerate a little, everything in the underworld can be solved with a person's mental power.

 

Physical weapons, physical recovery, and countless more are done only through a survivor's mindset.

 

No wonder, since the underworld is a place where the thoughts of the original world are reflected.

 

Because it exists as a concept somewhere between reality and fiction, it should not be held to a realistic standard.

 

Therefore, mental management is an essential requirement for survivors of the underworld.

 

“I will throw you all out and run if you fall behind.”

 

In that sense, Lee Jaehun's aggro was necessary.

 

The faces of the employees huddled together became strange at the sudden remarks of the old-fashioned head Manager, who woke up after taking a short break.

 

Anyone could tell that the expression was saying, “What kind of bullshit is this?”

 

“No, honestly, wouldn’t it be more efficient if I could stay alive doing it that way? Isn’t it better for one to die and the other to live rather than both die?”

 

“Chief, do you have a split personality?”

 

“Assistant Manager Jung, are you comfortable with your manager now? Are you trying to joke with me?”

 

As if it was too absurd, even Jung In-ho's split personality theory was expressed.

 

In fact, from another person's point of view, it could really look like a double personality.

 

Would it be possible for a human who had saved his companions by sacrificing a shoulder and a leg just a moment ago to say, as soon as he wakes up, he’ll leave someone behind?

 

Most of all, the main character understood Lee Jaehun's earlier words as, "If I fall behind, just leave me and go."

[Note: Referencing what Lee Jaehun said before the last chapter ended.]

 

But now that he was talking about the opposite, along with the other bizarre things the old-fashioned manager had recently shown, he’d created a hypothesis that he has a split personality. 

 

Honestly, it was kind of like a double personality.

 

Remembering your previous life doesn't mean your current personality goes anywhere.

 

But all the same, it isn’t like he actually has two personalities.

 

Lee Jaehun massaged his sore leg and continued.

 

“Look at it like this, I’m giving impartial judgment. Those things from before, what is it? Those ironed spiders or something, can you be sure that there are no other ones?”

 

"That's… No, but.”

 

“So let’s think efficiently, efficiently.”

 

he said shrugging his shoulders.

 

"At least, it's easier to make sure that we don't have to blame each other for these things.” 

 

“… Is it necessary to abandon someone?”

 

The main character seemed to be quite impressed by Lee Jaehun's words.

 

It didn't seem like the question itself was intended to cause a fight, but it seemed like he was asking because he was genuinely curious.

 

Lee Jaehun blinked, then opened his mouth.

 

“Then you want to die together? Or, do you have the ability to save everyone from those weird creatures? If not, then you should do well to run away.”

 

“…….”

 

"Don't worry." He continued. “I won’t resent you either.”

 

At this point, it seems that his companions finally understood his words.

 

“…….”

 

He was talking about the moment before when they ran away from the spider legs.

 

In a state of panic, Chief Kang almost fell behind the railing because she wasn’t careful, and Employee Kwon, who was nearby, saw it and ran off as if she didn't know.

 

Immediately after, Lee Jaehun saved her, but in the meantime, the rest of the party had left them and fled.

 

At that time, it was so urgent that he had no time to think about the future, and until now, he would not have thought of the ethical circumstances because of the relief that he had survived.

 

If he left it alone, he didn’t think he would notice it until they had already left for the park.

 

But by then it's too late. When people are left alone, they have 50,000 thoughts, and those around them don't know what they are unless they say them out loud.

 

There is nothing wrong with solving it quickly.

 

Lee Jaehun had no intention of seeing the end of the ride by dragging through the small cracks.

 

'I can't afford that.'

 

When they leave the company, it should be around the time the sun goes down.

 

At that time, he would be in a hurry to survive at the moment, so it had to be now when he had the most time to recover his mentality.

 

Lee Jaehun leaned back on the sofa and blinked his eyes slowly.

 

“Kang Mina, if you don’t tell them now, there will be no other time to bring it up.”

 

“… uh… .”

 

“Just because I don’t hold grudges, Kang Mina, doesn’t mean you don’t have to either. Think about it, you must have been scared. You'll be resentful when it comes later. That's how distrust arises.”

 

He recalled the contents of the novel.

 

Unlike now, where Lee Jaehun somehow managed to deal with it, Chief Kang Mina in the novel is dead, and everyone in the company finds out about it as they leave the company.

 

Since she was the first person they saw die after coming to the underworld, the group loses it.

 

In addition, employee Kwon thinks that by letting go of her hand she contributed to the death of Chief Kang, and the other members are strangely hesitant toward such an employee, and once again the overall mood is lowered.

 

The atmosphere became even tenser because Chief Kang had been very happy with employee Kwon’s presence as they were both women. Being humans, emotions that could not be helped burrowed between them.

[Note: Because Kang Mina had been happy with Kwon Yeon-hee, it felt like Yeon-hee betrayed her trust in the other's eyes.]

 

Because they are in that condition, when a monster appears in the park, they fail to cooperate properly, and Kwon, distraught, acts as if she is risking her life.

 

She must have felt a great sense of guilt when she remembered Chief Kang, who had died because she had let go of her hand.

 

Lee Jaehun thought as he pressed his temple.

 

'Actually, letting go of her hand was a wise decision.'

 

Chief Kang is a woman with average physical condition, and Employee Kwon is smaller than her.

 

If she kept holding her hand, she would have either fallen with her or been killed by the monster soon after.

 

In that case, it was much more efficient for her to instinctively run away first.

 

However, as he kept saying, not everyone in this world could have the same thoughts as Lee Jaehun, a lunatic, and the group, who were nothing more than chicks, had their fragile mentalities broken.

 

It's not a crime not to have become a crazy person beforehand.

 

In the end, the main character and Lee Jaehun were the only ones who survived the park among the employees.

 

“Until now, you may have thought that it was okay because it didn’t feel real, but it may not be later. When I said that we were going back to the company we knew right away.  Kang Mina, are you confident to see these people's faces like before?”

 

“…….”

 

“As I see it, there is only time right now. Either get angry or cry. Let’s wrap up what happened earlier and then go.”

 

At the end of those words, Chief Kang started to cry.

 

‘Head manager Lee Jaehun' did not know, but he remembered that Chief Kang had a lot of tears.

 

She usually cries in the bathroom after being broken by the old trashy head manager and feels embarrassed when she runs into other employees.

 

That was the way the protagonist described it.

 

If he recalls that description, the current reaction was quite remarkable.

 

Kang Mina asked how she could have left her and hit Employee Kwon, who was next to her, with a weak fist, and Employee Kwon also cried and apologized.

 

Roh Yun-Seok, an intern, was also crying, probably because of the tears of the two.

 

The main character, as the main character, only observed Lee Jaehun with those black eyes.

 

He thought it roughly meant 'What are you up to?'. 

‘Why don’t you take care of the kids' mentalities then.’

 

Lee Jaehun, who watched all of the above series of processes, had only one thought.

 

'I want a cigarette.'

 

To be exact, he was craving nicotine.

 

Lee Jaehun's actions now were a kind of collapse of the setting.

 

At least the main character did have some understanding from the weekend, but the other employees didn't at all.

 

The sudden change of the old-fashioned head manager felt implausible.

 

And really, Lee Jaehun did not like this role either.

 

'All adults should take care of their own mentality, damn it.'

 

He struggled to calm down his seething.

 

Don’t they know where the word self-management comes from? These Adults are just dragging their feet.

 

The most representative remark of a kkondae is 'When I was young’, and if you put it that way, Lee Jaehun was really a perfect kkondae.

 

No, when he was in his previous life, idiots who couldn't even take care of their mentality were literally treated as idiots.

 

However, this world, or to be precise, the original world, was too peaceful and ideal.

 

Of course, people talk about Hell Joseon, but compared to his previous life, she is truly a fairy.

[Note: Hell Joseon is a satirical term referring to Korea that was adopted by the younger generation who find issues in the socioeconomic state of Korea. Kinda like how some people say ‘murica’ when they're making fun of America except it’s less of a meme in Korea and more so meant to express frustration.]

 

It was cumbersome to take care of the chicks one by one, but there was no way that those who had lived only in such a soft world could come to the underworld and take care of their sanity.

 

However, Lee Jaehun needed to manage the mental strength of these chicks even for survival, and that is why he dared to bring about the collapse of the setting and comforted their mentality.

 

In the first place, he doesn't seem to be feeling awkward because he has often acted differently from the old-fashioned head manager. 

 

Perhaps it was worthwhile to live a life with an unusually soft tone, instead of the precarious atmosphere from earlier, a stable air of its own hovered between the party.

 

Lee Jaehun, who confirmed this, muttered inwardly.

 

'Damn it, they must have burnt a lot of calories.'

 

In the future, they will need to consume a lot of energy, but since tears were shed, he was truly looking forward to an unscathed future.

[Note: I think he’s saying they wasted energy by crying and being emotional, so now he’s hoping for things to go smoothly despite the increasing implausibility.]

 

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However, it was not something Lee Jaehun could say anything about.

 

If he told her not to cry in that situation, it would have backfired, and if she had increased her mental strength in exchange for this amount of energy, it could be a decent exchange.

 

As a deceased person of survival, he just hoped that the day will come when these chicks won't waste their emotions in the future.

 

Instead of making blunt remarks, the old-fashioned head manager spoke to the main character who was staring at the situation as if observing the situation.

 

“Jung In-ho.”

 

“… Yes."

 

“Are there any snacks from the bathroom?”

 

"Yes."

 

“Let’s eat that and move.”

 

No good would come from taking a break for too long.

 

Not that he didn’t benefit, but there was a mountain of work to do now. In the midst of searching the maze to leave the company anyway, what occurred was unexpected.

 

Still, he could refer to the marking made with the permanent marker before the chase, and as a result, he could find the emergency exit.

[Note: The last part of the sentence is a bit iffy since I couldn't find a sensible translation, I'll have it fixed by tomorrow.]

 

Just wandering around the maze again and finding the stairs to get out of the office would take a ton of energy.

 

Besides, the underworld becomes more dangerous as the day gets darker.

 

The main character in the novel guessed that it might be because it is usually in the evening when people's thoughts escalate. Right now just surviving was a problem, let alone the reason behind it.

 

There was nothing good about escaping later.

 

Following his words, the main character, who handed out small chocolate bars one by one, opened his mouth as Lee Jaehun ate them all in one bite.

 

“By the way, manager.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Your personality has changed a lot.”

 

“… I'm not stupid enough to be a brat even when I'm on the verge of death.”

 

“Is that not your original personality?”

 

Lee Jaehun met his black eyes and gaze.

 

It was said in a voice that the rest of the party couldn't hear, and even though he was barely conscious, it was at a level that he could hear if he was determined to listen.

 

Even so, the main character's face hadn't changed from when they met this morning.

 

Lee Jaehun, who looked at the face of the madman pretending to be shameless and relaxed, he couldn't stand it any longer and let out a silent laugh.

 

A mocking breath escaped.

 

"well."

 

“…….”

 

“I don’t know either.”

 

What a nasty kid.

 

Really, he was an annoyingly obvious guy.

 

* * *

 

To be honest, yes. Lee Jaehun expected it.

 

'How can I postpone it for a day or two?'

 

In the first place, raw food was openly thrown into the water, and the main character just hooked onto it deliciously.

[Note: Don’t know how to paraphrase, but Jaehun is basically saying the main character ‘took the bait that was clearly hanging in front of him’.]

 

In fact, other than the main character, everyone in the party was fully convinced.

 

The head of a department had fewer private conversations with his subordinates than he thought, and most of them were business-related.

 

A bad boss doesn't have to be a bad person, so he could roughly understand it.

 

However, the main character's specialty was observation and analysis.

 

Just as he defined 'Manger Lee Jaehun' as a villain, the main character knew his true nature.

 

The trashy head manager was a bad person both privately and publicly. At least the protagonist thought of it that way.

 

But on the weekend, he, who was unfamiliar with even getting hurt, saved a child. And when it was most urgent, the old school head manager was the first to come forward.

 

He behaved more sacrificially than any other person the protagonist had defined as a good person. Even when he injured himself, he never complained.

 

Of course, the protagonist will begin to question his sense of justice.

 

'Was my judgment wrong?'

 

Yes, you’re wrong.

 

'Then, is Manager Lee Jaehun a good person?'

 

Maybe not that.

 

'Did he voluntarily save someone?'

 

It was purposefully voluntary.

 

In other words, Manager Lee Jaehun is 'a person who is not good, but knows the value of life and knows how to protect it'.

 

In that case, the previous 'not good' point is obscured by the later proposition and does not feel very important

 

Of course, the irritating things that Manager Lee Jaehun had shown so far won’t just disappear, but based on the special environment of the underworld, it won’t matter as much as before.

 

At least here in this crazy place, common sense doesn’t work.

 

In such a place, what can be considered important is survival and life, and so far, Manager Lee Jaehun had protected them all.

 

Even if it was unrealistic, it was enough to make people hope again, so there was nothing more to say in the underworld.

 

However, in order to solidify a completely new image, Lee Jaehun had a lot to dislike.

 

‘Why are you used to suffering? Why don't you take the hurt seriously?'

 

‘In the past, he reacted sensitively even to the smallest wounds, but why is he so calm now?'

 

‘Why does he seem so good at fighting?'

[Note: MC is predicting Jung In-ho’s thought process.] 

 

The most realistic deduction imaginable is an illegal job.

 

Although the main character has never seen it in person, if it is like the criminals in dramas or movies, the above questions could possibly be resolved.

 

However, Lee Jaehun had no reason to be like that.

 

He had secured his current position through connections by being from a rich family. Of course, he might have been involved because he was interested in such a shadowy world, but he had no reason to do anything illegal by risking his body. If he had been injured, he would have been treated.

 

Again, Manager Lee Jaehun was able to eat well and live well with his background.

 

Then the question comes back to the beginning, and no other realistic options could come to mind.

 

In the end, the only conclusion the main character could come to was that the image of the trash head of the department he had seen so far was just an act.

 

That is why he uses the only known proposition as a weapon and takes a jab.

 

“Your personality has changed a lot.”

 

“… I'm not stupid enough to be a brat even when I'm on the verge of death.”

 

Manager Lee Jaehun hesitated but was not shaken.

 

It was an excuse appropriate to the situation and calmness that could have been shown if everything had been an act up until now.

 

The main character who did not back down took a step forward.

 

“Isn’t that your original personality?”

 

"Well."

 

Manager Lee Jaehun was evasive.

 

“I don’t know either.”

 

“…….”

 

Or, he implicitly affirmed.

 

Unless the main character suddenly became an asshole, there was no way they didn't know each other's hidden sides.

 

Just like Jung In-ho, who hid his real face behind a sincere and kind persona, Lee Jaehun, who hid behind the old-fashioned head manager persona, is a similar person.

 

This has been proven by what they had done so far.

 

Though they didn't say it openly, they realized that they knew each other had a dark side behind them and that it might work out quite well business-wise.

 

Judging from the fact that the other party ran away from the spider leg earlier, he was rather pleased with it.

 

So Lee Jaehun, too, judged that if the opponent was Jung In-ho, there was no need to deny the truth to the point of tiredness.

 

After all, they're both the same kind.

 

No more was needed.

 

“… Will you stand at the front?”

 

“Our interns worked hard earlier, so this time Assistant Manager Jung will stand at the back. Take this monkey wrench.”

 

“Ok.”

 

The hero liked good people, but he didn't think badly of people who were not good but did good things.

 

According to Lee Jaehun's analysis based on the novel, it was probably so.

 

Jung In-ho doesn't know why manager Lee Jaehun had acted like trash. He doesn't know why he's used to suffering or why he's good at fighting.

 

He doesn’t know what Lee Jaehun's intentions are in the act of saving people and comforting their spirits, but at least he was trying to save the current party somehow.

 

The protagonist couldn't have needed more than that.

 

No matter how much he is the main character with a strict worldview, Jung In-ho was also a person, and if Lee Jaehun had not been there, he would have felt that he would have taken that role.

 

He may not know about later, but right now, Lee Jaehun was a necessary person for him.

 

And Lee Jaehun had to build a relationship of trust while the protagonist's suspicion and distrust of him weaken.

 

“…….”

 

"Boss?"

 

“… Let’s go.”

 

Of course, it felt dirty.

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