Episode 519
It’s not that I didn’t think it was strange.
Some survivors, including Lee Jae-heon, shared something that only we knew. After discussing it like that, they always found the right answer. It was always like that.
It was too coincidental to simply end with the words, ‘I was lucky.’
“Garam, you and most of the survivors may not remember, but… we do something called regression. When you die, you return to a random time period and start over.”
“… … .”
“We don’t know exactly how far back you go, or the criteria for that. If you die at some point and come back to life to assess the situation, you’ll realize that you’ve returned to the past.”
So it was natural to think it was strange.
Nevertheless, Yoon Garam just didn’t think deeply about it.
“In the last episode… Garam, I died earlier than you.”
“… Are you an old man?”
“Song In-myeong found out about this return. I don’t know exactly what he wanted, but he escaped from the aquarium and killed us. The police officers who had just arrived from Unhak High School tried hard to stop him, but it wasn’t easy.”
The soft voice, as if telling an old story, was something that Yoon Garam knew well.
Ha Sung-yoon was a perfect and affectionate person. That was a fact that Yoon Ga-ram, who had caused him a lot of trouble, knew best. It was rare for Ha Sung-yoon, who had a broad mind, to show an awkward side like this.
He seemed like a real person now. A person who could be anywhere.
“… Were you scared?”
This means that Yoon Ga-ram had ample reason to believe this absurd statement.
“When you died so many times, were you very scared?”
“… I got used to it quickly. I was just a little upset.”
“To whom?”
“Well, who could it be? It could be someone with eccentric tastes, or it could be Song In-myeong who goes around killing people…”
Ha Seong-yoon smiled faintly.
“I think it might have been me.”
In the way he pushed up his glasses, Yoon Ga-ram read embarrassment and guilt.
“I should have protected you.”
“…Did you die first?”
“It’s true that Song In-myeong is a piece of trash with no answers, but I definitely can’t take him lightly. He was so clever that he died before I could even come to my senses.”
“Are you sick?”
“… … .”
Ha Seong-yoon, who was laughing awkwardly, continued speaking.
“… Let me tell you in advance, strictly speaking, I can’t say that I’ve regressed. I just… see the deaths of the previous round with my eyes. If I think of myself as a regressor, then it would be an illusion.”
“So?”
“I wasn’t sick. I don’t know what I was like back then, but I wasn’t as sick as you think. I’m the same way now…”
“How did I die?”
He muttered, his lips moving as if he was speechless.
“I know.”
“… … .”
“How did our Garam die… How did he… .”
Then he smiles faintly.
“… weren’t you lonely?”
To that, Yoon Garam answered.
“I think you must have been lonely.”
“okay?”
“Was I the last person to die to Song In-myeong?”
“I guess so. Everyone in the park died, and we ran to the flower shop.”
“… … .”
As Yoon Ga-ram just stared at him without saying a word, Ha Seong-yoon finally opened his mouth as if his thoughts were coming together. What came out of his mouth were things that happened at the park that Yoon Ga-ram couldn’t remember.
“We were resting in the park. I had just picked up Mr. Munsan and Grandma Dal-lae from the Han River, so I was very tired and needed a rest.”
“yes.”
“There were a lot of people going to the aquarium, so I didn’t think there was any reason for me to move quickly. I rested like that and fell asleep for a while, but when I came to… many of them were dead.”
“yes….”
“You probably took sleeping pills because you couldn’t wake up easily even in that chaos. I think something similar happened at the last Unhak High School. I don’t know if they used the same method, but it was pretty effective.”
Ha Seong-yoon, who was explaining the process of our death, looked a little awkward and embarrassed. His appearance was not that of the perfect and affectionate person that Yoon Ga-ram usually knew.
It was just the appearance of a person who had become slightly numb to death.
“I woke up not on my own, but with some help from Detective Hong Kyung-jun… When I woke up, I was so out of it that I couldn’t shake off Song In-myeong easily.”
“… … .”
“I don’t even remember what kind of mind I had when I came here. I know that Garam grabbed my hand and pulled me along, telling me to run away… but I don’t know. At that time, I thought Song In-myeong was more of a monster than a human, so I think I was a little confused.”
Yoon Garam asked again.
“Were you scared?”
“…any?”
This time, Ha Sung-yoon did not deny it either.
“It might have been a little scary.”
“thank god.”
“what?”
“I’m glad that you’re not afraid of dying.”
“… … .”
“…I think I would have been sad if it weren’t for that.”
Yun Garam saw a tiny flower monster wriggling at his feet.
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The monster, with a body as delicate as a baby’s breath, used its leaves as hands to poke, wrap, and lean against Yun Garam’s legs.
“… … .”
Even when I stroked it with my hand, it didn’t run away.
I didn’t even ask.
“…And after you run away to the flower shop?”
“… … .”
“What on earth did I expect to come all this way?”
Yun Garam raised his head and looked into his dark store.
Inside the refrigerator, which had a cold light that you might only see in an evil doctor’s laboratory, was a room full of flowers. Small, terrible friends who spoke to me as they opened and closed their petals.
“…aha….”
I think I know why you ran away here.
“…Did we really believe that these monsters would help us?”
“If that’s what you thought, then so be it.”
“Did these guys really help us?”
“No, um, well… I wonder what it would have been like.”
“Was that hard to talk about?”
“That’s not true.”
Ha Seong-yoon said, shaking his head slightly.
“I hope it helped you.”
“…To you, sir?”
“I had a little hard time.”
Ha Seong-yoon said awkwardly.
“Because I burned to death in the fire these guys were spewing out.”
“… … .”
That would have been really pretty.
Yoon Garam’s face, thinking that way, was distorted as if he was about to cry.
“…I told you earlier that it didn’t hurt.”
“That’s right.”
“It hurts too much to die….”
“It wasn’t as painful as you thought.”
“You said you were scared….”
“are you okay.”
Then he laughs awkwardly again.
“That’s because it’s really okay.”
I know that the awkwardness isn’t because I’m lying.
It’s just that Ha Sung-yoon is so unfamiliar with talking like this.
Yoon Ga-ram and Ha Sung-yoon didn’t usually talk about this kind of thing with each other, and Yoon Ga-ram leaned on Ha Sung-yoon but never listened to his complaints.
So it was natural that sadness over things we had not experienced would also feel awkward.
“To be exact… it would be difficult to say that he was completely burned to death. Suffocation and burns from smoke would have been the proper cause of death, right?”
“If that was meant to comfort me, it was the worst.”
“So? Oh, I’m sorry.”
“I just hope you don’t get sick.”
“Isn’t it too much of a wish to burn myself to death?”
“That’s true too… .”
Ha Sung-yoon knew that Yoon Ga-ram wanted to burn him, but he didn’t feel disgusted or averse to her. He just understood and accepted her. That’s what made Ha Sung-yoon so scared of Yoon Ga-ram.
My flower hurt you.
“sorry.”
I wanted it, but I didn’t want it to become reality.
“… … .”
“… That guy Song In-myeong is quite smart.”
Ha Seong-yoon tried to speak softly, his tone still awkward.
“I knew that the monsters in this flower shop were flammable. I knew that they would attack with fire when threatened. Maybe it wasn’t you who lured Garam, but Song In-myeong who drove you to the flower shop.”
“…yes.”
“They forced us into a flower shop, blocked the entrance, threw bottles of oil at us and attacked us… and the monsters breathed fire when they were threatened, so you don’t know it, but I died in an instant.”
“That’s absolutely horrible.”
“You would have been okay.”
“It’s terrible.”
“So I’m sorry.”
Ha Seong-yoon carefully stroked Yoon Ga-ram’s face, who was holding back tears.
“I should have died later than you.”
“… That’s what I meant… .”
“This old man is so stupid. He’s so stupid that he left you alone.”
“… … .”
“… Were you very lonely?”
Yoon Garam answered the cautious question hesitantly.
“…no.”
“okay?”
“… You wouldn’t have been lonely. Of course…”
Yoon Garam continued speaking, his lips pursed.
“Because I wanted to kill Song In-myeong without even having time to be lonely… ”
Ha Seong-yoon, who had been dumbfounded for a moment at those words, burst into laughter.
“Yes, that’s right. Our Garam is very dependable.”
“… If I want to kill someone, how can you say I’m strong?”
“That trash friend is okay though. Sometimes I also imagine myself grabbing Song In-myeong’s collar.”
“Why is this comfort so strange today?”
“This wasn’t a consolation. It was just a statement of truth.”
Ha Sung-yoon gently stroked Yoon Ga-ram’s head.
“I don’t know how you died, but I was so worried. The last time I saw you, you were crying a lot… and you were really angry… I thought at least you wouldn’t be able to beat that clever guy Song In-myeong.”
“Shouldn’t you be cheering me on?”
“Favorism is good, but I needed to be objective. I know that Garam is a strong kid in many ways, but Song In-myeong seemed like a tough opponent. That guy really thinks things through.”
“What a really annoying person.”
“That’s right.”
Ha Sung-yoon’s hands stopped.
“And… it seemed a little desperate.”
“…Your name is Song In-myeong?”
“They were desperately trying to find us, corner us, and kill us. They attacked us with their eyes wide open, as if they couldn’t tolerate even a single mistake. It was so scary. I could tell they were really well prepared.”
“Why would that be?”
“Wouldn’t the deaths have been too much of a burden to that friend?”
Ha Sung-yoon laughed softly. It sounded just like the sound of the wind chimes shaking.
“… Well, I’m not sure… .”
“… … .”
“We were all desperate back then.”
“…yes.”
“We all needed a chance to start over. Even Song In-myeong.”
As Yoon Ga-ram looked at him, Ha Seong-yoon met his gaze.
“And I really wanted to let you know that you could start over again… I wanted Garam to give you faith before you went to the aquarium where you didn’t know what would happen.”
“…why?”
“This time, I didn’t want to hurt you.”
He rolled his eyes awkwardly.
“This time, at least I want you to win.”
“… … .”
“…Because you are a strong kid.”
Yoon Ga-ram responded to that crude belief without realizing it.
“that’s right.”
“…okay?”
“Let me help you.”
If the things I love believed in me, Yoon Garam could win at any time.
Ha Seong-yoon was the person who knew that best.
* * *
“Wow, really….”
Song In-myeong muttered, holding a tattered piece of paper.
“It sucks.”
It’s been almost an hour and a half since I entered.
Song In-myeong was still trapped in the middle of the maze.
(Continued in the next episode)
