Episode 548
Seo Jang-hwa was by no means a weak person.
It is not easy to go to school normally and make friends even though you have a past so provocative that it would be a bestseller if you wrote about your childhood. Seo Jang-hwa was a strong person both physically and mentally.
But I wasn’t strong enough to laugh off the death of someone I knew.
“… … .”
I didn’t want to be that strong.
“… … !”
It was only after a long time that Seo Jang-hwa realized what the empty tank meant.
She swam urgently to the surface.
“Phuha…!”
Knock knock,
Seo Jang-hwa looked down anxiously, spitting out the water that had accidentally entered his nose and throat. He was trying to confirm whether what he had seen through the glass wall was correct.
“Mr. Jeong Eun-woo, hey, Jeong Eun-woo…!”
with a splash!
Seo Jang-hwa leaned against the glass wall, waving his hands.
“Where the hell are you!”
But no one was visible.
“Where… Where did you go now…!”
Seo Jang-hwa’s voice gradually diminished.
“Mr. Jeong Eun-woo… .”
And then.
“… … .”
Silent.
It was a long time before Seo Jang-hwa opened his mouth.
“…under….”
A sigh of relief escaped my lips.
“… … .”
Jeong Eun-woo has disappeared.
Seo Jang-hwa wasn’t stupid enough not to know what it meant.
“…It’s open.”
Before she could come and give a proper hint, Jeong Eun-woo opened the treasure chest.
However, it was impossible to choose the correct answer among the few, which may be 1 out of 29, and it seemed like Jeong Eun-woo had chosen a blank.
And it was clear that he had disappeared, swallowed up by some unknown penalty.
“…f*ck.”
I told him to wait a moment, but it seemed like Jeong Eun-woo didn’t even listen.
“f*ck, seriously, I…!”
Seo Jang-hwa’s face distorted.
Her lips tightened as if she was holding something back, her brows furrowed, and her frowning eyes gradually turned red.
His face, which had turned pale from being dipped in the cold water so many times, began to turn red with sadness.
“… … .”
She looked at the empty treasure chest tank with a very resentful expression.
“I….”
Maybe I could have helped Jeong Eun-woo.
Maybe, it could have been.
It would be impossible for Seo Jang-hwa, who doesn’t even have a wetsuit, to turn a blank draw into a winning one by helping Jeong Eun-woo with his work bare-handed, but for some reason, he grits his teeth in sadness as he thinks about what if.
‘I might have helped.’
I felt sick at the obvious result of protecting Seo Jang-hwa while also pushing her away.
The only thing we gained by sacrificing a capable and sound person was his disappearance.
Jung Eun-woo’s disappearance or death wasn’t Seo Jang-hwa’s fault. She knew it herself, but… only a crazy person could be indifferent to the death of someone they were just talking to.
“… … .”
And Seo Jang-hwa wasn’t a crazy kid.
“…f*ck, f*ck, f*ck… This shit really sucks… This f*cking dog…”
Between the swearing, the water flowed.
If this were real, and if Jung Eun-woo’s death was a legitimate case, like a natural disaster, it wouldn’t be as confusing as it is now. Jung Eun-woo was clearly a bad person, and he was a stranger who had only recently met Seo Jang-hwa.
But this was the other side of the world. It was a world where even the slightest sadness brought out tears, and where even the faintest annoyance turned into pain. Seo Jang-hwa could see that he was greatly shaken by Jeong Eun-woo’s death.
“… Ah, it’s like a dog, really!!”
with a splash!
Seo Jang-hwa shouted loudly and went back into the water.
‘I have to go to the concert hall.’
The only person with a license was missing, and because Jeong Eun-woo disappeared, the diving suit he was wearing was also lost. This meant that the only plan to avoid killing Lee Jae-heon had failed.
But that doesn’t mean I can just sit still.
“Dayoung!”
“Hey, sis?”
Seo Jang-hwa, who came out of the ‘Sea Treasure Hall’ and looked for Park Da-young, grabbed her shoulder and spoke urgently.
“That bastard Jeong Eun-woo is gone.”
“yes?”
“I think I picked a dud. I can’t see it anywhere, and my diving suit is gone too.”
“…ah….”
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
“… … .”
“is it so.”
Park Da-young answered in a very calm tone.
“You failed.”
But beyond the calm face, it was impossible not to notice the darkness settling into those purple eyes. Seo Jang-hwa hugged Park Da-young tightly with her body soaked in water.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry…”
“What are you sorry about, Sister?”
“I want to give you some proper comfort… but it’s so hard.”
“are you okay.”
“I’ll f*cking apologize on behalf of the underworld.”
How can you be so cruel?
“Huh? Sorry.”
Why do you treat people so carelessly?
‘You f*cking kids… .’
Seo Jang-hwa rubbed Park Da-young’s back diligently with his trembling hands.
He hugged her so tightly that it felt a little painful, and patted her back with force. Park Da-young’s calm reaction was no different from a louder scream.
How could the world be like this? The one dying in the glass box was Park Da-young’s younger sibling, and it wasn’t Seo Jang-hwa who didn’t know that the death of a family member was terrible.
“… … .”
Seo Jang-hwa himself was also greatly shaken by Jeong Eun-woo’s disappearance… .
All of them included, it was so cruel.
“…let’s go to the concert hall.”
Seo Jang-hwa tried to speak through the confusion.
“I have to go. Either go back and find a way to find the missing Jeong Eun-woo, or ask Min-hong about the map, or, or really… I have to do something about that guy Lee Jae-heon…”
“Sister.”
“f*ck, we have to save Dahun. Okay? At least your little brother won’t die there like that.”
“… … .”
“… What is Park Da-hoon saying now?”
Seo Jang-hwa touched Park Da-young’s cheek with his cold fingers.
When their eyes turned purple, the siblings were able to talk to each other. If not to talk, then at least share their feelings. Seo Jang-hwa asked again.
“What did Dahun just say?”
Park Da-young answered with a waxy face.
“… I think it’s cold.”
“Really? Yeah, that’s right. It’s cold.”
“He said it was scary.”
“It would be scary, damn it, I’d be scared too if I was locked in a box like that…”
“I said I didn’t want to drown.”
“… … .”
“I think so….”
Why should the word ‘drowning’ come out of the mouth of a 19-year-old kid?
“…Sorry.”
“… I can’t die in your place, right? Instead of Da-Hoon, I… Not you, uncle…”
“Hey, don’t do that. I’m scared too.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you, Sister.”
“Then don’t do it.”
Seo Jang-hwa hugged Park Da-young tightly again.
please.
“… Even if that’s really the case, let’s not say we’re going to die… you crazy kids.”
“… … .”
“Who are you to say you’re going to die so easily?”
Seo Jang-hwa was afraid of death.
I was afraid of my own death, and I would be scared as hell if my acquaintances, my friends, or even Song In-myeong died in front of me.
No matter what they say about Song In-myeong dying or not, in the end, Seo Jang-hwa is also human.
I couldn’t completely throw away that piece of trash that was my friend. It was no different from Vivian or Seo Jang-hwa, it was just that the method of getting rid of it and burying it was different.
In the midst of being afraid of the death of an abandoned puppy, the fact that a good girl like Park Da-young is saying she will die is really… .
“You guys, I know you’re all crazy, so just shut up.”
Please, if you are facing death, at least be afraid.
“That’s a person.”
We all know that you are human too.
“But why do you keep trying to become so strong? That’s not right, how can a person always improve? Huh? That’s f*cking weird… It makes no sense…”
“I’m sorry, Sister.”
“You guys are like dogs, really. The ones who should be sorry don’t apologize, but guys like you always apologize. This, this isn’t right… Sigh, shit, this really sucks, I. Shit.”
Seo Jang-hwa took Park Da-young out of his arms.
She grabbed Park Da-young’s small, thin hand. Unlike Seo Jang-hwa’s, who had trained hard through exercise, Park Da-young’s hand was really thin like a tree branch, and like plaster soaked in water, she couldn’t even hold it tightly.
“Let’s go see the old man.”
“… … .”
“… Let’s go ask that old man for help, Dayoung.”
Only after she finally brought Lee Jae-heon into her mouth did Park Da-young’s face distort.
The corners of her eyes are red from holding back tears.
“It couldn’t be helped.”
“… Sister… .”
“It’s not your fault, and it’s not my fault. Just f*cking… If we whine and complain that things are hard, let’s go to someone who will listen. There’s someone out there who will accept it no matter how stubborn and sullen you are.”
“You have to die again…? Why? Why is it always you who does this?”
“I’m so sorry, I’m really sorry….”
Seo Jang-hwa took Park Da-young’s hand and entered the ‘Sea Treasure Hall’.
Park Da-young followed her without letting go of her firm hand. They walked along the long, narrow waterway, past the tanks with transparent walls and a treasure chest with only one open box.
They were walking beside death, in front of death.
‘f*ck, this sucks… .’
Seo Jang-hwa frowned painfully.
She didn’t understand what Park Da-young said, ‘Why did Lee Jae-heon have to die again?’
I noticed from the concert hall that these people were whispering things that no one else knew, but I didn’t want to ask questions about things that they hadn’t even told me, so I just left it alone.
And it was the same now.
‘This is f*cking shit, you f*cking idiots.’
The number of deaths and such was not important to Seo Jang-hwa at the moment. He was just busy gasping for breath at the deaths of others right in front of him.
There was no time left to devote to the truth hidden behind it. The waves were rolling and confusing, and the pressure of the whole world blaming them was not the truth.
Seo Jang-hwa just thought, anyway, I wish there was a world where everyone is happy.
It was a really random wish for such a ridiculous story, but that’s just how it was.
“You have to follow me well, Park Da-young. Do you understand?”
As we safely left the ‘Sea Treasure Hall’, Park Da-young whined and clung to Seo Jang-hwa.
“Sister… .”
“Hey, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay. Shit, Lee Jae-heon will figure it out somehow… right?”
“Sister, I’m scared.”
“know.”
“What should I do, I feel bad for you, sir…?”
“We feel sorry for them too.”
I know it’s a selfish choice, but we needed someone to help us.
“I’m not telling you to go kill Lee Jae-heon right now, okay?”
“But, sister… .”
“I just need someone to comfort me. Nothing more, nothing less. I don’t want anything big. Shit, it’s probably big as a dog in this world, but still… huh? Asking for some comfort isn’t such a big deal, right? Right?”
Even if Seo Jang-hwa didn’t know, at least Park Da-young needed proper comfort. Park Da-young needed it because her younger sibling or strong protector was about to die.
What is important, whether it be selfishness or conscience, in the face of the death of a beloved family member, something that even adults cannot help but be indifferent to?
Even Park Da-young is a high school student who is not even an adult yet.
“So let’s go back… .”
Seo Jang-hwa muttered as he headed towards the beautiful underwater tunnel.
“Let’s ask for some help.”
“… … .”
“To adults who are bigger than us, huh?”
It’s like putting both hands together and praying earnestly.
“That’s okay.”
It was a tone that seemed like brainwashing oneself.
Although it may have been a pitiful choice for Seo Jang-hwa, Park Da-young was fully qualified to make that choice. For the older sister who had held on steadfastly even in the midst of an uncertain situation where she didn’t know when her younger brother would drown, she was fully qualified to make any choice.
But Park Da-young is too kind, mature, and smart to throw a tantrum or act like a brat. Seo Jang-hwa noticed this fact from the way she calmly responded to Jeong Eun-woo’s failure.
Oh, this kid doesn’t know how to be stubborn.
“You, you… you can do that, Dayoung.”
So I had to let you know.
“You know, Daddy won’t be mad at us for failing, for asking for comfort, for asking for help.
“… I guess so… .”
“I won’t be disappointed. I know, Lee Jae-heon is not the type of person to be disappointed by a chick acting like a chick. Of course, you might think that’s really shitty, but… I don’t know, let’s just go and get some comfort. And we should discuss what to do among the adults. That’s right. I think that’ll be better.”
“… … .”
“I’m sorry.”
“… … .”
“I’m sorry, really.”
“… … .”
“Sorry….”
Seo Jang-hwa kept repeating that he was sorry as if he was broken.
Just like when his younger brother cried after being beaten by his father, he just apologized.
* * *
When I arrived at the concert hall.
Jaeheon Lee, who had checked the two people, asked affectionately.
“Oh, like that.”
“… … .”
“Should I hug you?”
In the end, Park Da-young burst into tears.
(Continued in the next episode)
