CH 52

“May I sit next to you?”

Han Cha-soo was a little taken aback by the man’s boldness.

‘Who is this guy?’

He had guessed that the man knew about him. But he didn’t expect it to be so blatant.

‘You’re not what you look like. Did Jung Yiheon tell you to talk to me when you see me?’

He couldn’t rule out the possibility, given Jung Yiheon’s secretive nature. He was the one who locked him in the hospital because he wouldn’t sign a life contract.

‘Hmm… That’s possible.’

Han Cha-soo offered the man a seat as he waited for an answer.

“Yes, you can sit down.”

‘Since we’re in this situation, I should show him that I’m okay.’

He doesn’t know what made Jung Yiheon think he needed psychological counselling. He doesn’t particularly want to know. But he does know that it can be annoying.

So, he thought he’d use this meeting as an opportunity to reveal that he doesn’t have any mental problems.

Even the most arbitrary Jung Yiheon would listen to an expert.

“Thank you.”

The man smiled a relieved smile and sat down on the bench. It was just the right distance, one cup between them. Just far enough to hear his voice, but not within arm’s reach.

‘Say anything.’

Whatever you say, I’ll give you a boring, mundane answer that sounds so normal. Han Cha-soo vowed to himself.

As if waiting, the man spoke softly.

“Well, we made eye contact earlier, do you remember?”

“Yes. I heard from Sung-jin that you help out at the psychological counselling center, but your name is…”

“Oh, I’m Moon Yeon-chul.”

Wait. If I say Moon Yeon-chul, I mean….

‘Wasn’t he Baek-dam’s counsellor in the original?’

If he remembered correctly, Moon Yeon-chul was a supporting character in the novel who had a brief appearance. A supporting character whose name appeared without a proper appearance.

The reason he remembered him was simple.

‘Baek-dam promised to marry this man’s sister.’

In the original film, Baek-dam suffered a deep depression for years after he finished avenging his brother. A terrible depression marked by self-harm and suicide attempts. Seeing this, Guild Leader Philoso almost semi-forced him to see a counsellor, and he undergoes constant counselling and medication.

Along the way, he falls in love with the counsellor’s sister. This is Moon Yeon-sun, who later appears as Baek-dam’s fiancée. In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that Baek-dam’s rehabilitation was successful thanks to her.

‘I finally remember her name.’

Moon Yeon-chul’s presence was the trigger for Baek-dam to remember his fiancée’s name. At the same time, a small thorn stabbed him in the chest.

It was the guilt that his reincarnation had broken their relationship.

‘But I had to do it to survive.’

Han Cha-soo nonchalantly brushed off the guilt and offered Moon Yeon-chul a handshake.

“Han Cha-soo.”

Unaware of his speed, the man smiled gently and clasped his hand.

“I thought I was going to be treated like a crazy person for suddenly wanting to sit next to you.”

“Why do you treat people like crazy for that?”

Han Cha-soo chuckled and shrugged. After remembering what kind of person Moon Yeon-chul was, he was a little more forgiving.

“It’s all a matter of fate and it’s good to know someone like this.”

You never know. Maybe he could be the link, and Baek-dam, Moon Yeon-chul and Moon Yeon-sun could be reunited.

“That makes me feel a lot better, now that you put it that way. By the way, you order strawberry banana juice, didn’t you?”

“Did you see?”

“You looked so eager, I knew you’d do it.”

He was easy to talk to, and for some reason, his voice was just right, his pronunciation smooth and unobtrusive.

‘I can see why Guild Leader Philoso assigned this man to Baek-dam.’

He was a man who could blend into the atmosphere. Call it a blur of presence. Or should I say that he was born to make people feel comfortable.

As I stare blankly into the blue sky, Moon Yeon-chul comes out of nowhere with a fastball.

“Well, if you’re not comfortable talking to me like this, you can just say so.”

“What? No way.”

Han Cha-soo didn’t feel uncomfortable, as he shook his head, a smile appeared on Moon Yeon-chul’s face.

“Did you hear they’re selling green grape juice and cake for a limited time next week?”

“At the café over there?”

“Yes.”

“No, I haven’t. In fact, I didn’t even realise there was a café here until today.”

“Oh, then you don’t know that they have special sandwiches only on Fridays.”

“Do they sell those?”

It was a pleasant enough conversation. If it weren’t for the swarm of flies. Han Cha-soo frowned at the flies, which were tirelessly attacking him. He felt like throwing the cup away.

“Excuse me, I’m going to take the rubbish out for a while.”

he waved his empty cup at him, and he paused and nodded.

“Go ahead.”

He looked somewhat regretful, but he couldn’t stand the flies any longer.

Han Cha-soo set out on a long journey in search of an empty bin. The nearest bins were all overflowing with garbage.

“I should go around slowly to exercise…”

The rooftop garden was dotted with structures to block people’s view. Han Cha-soo walked slowly around the reeds to the edge.

In the far corner, he could see a rubbish bin. It looked secluded and unused.

Finally, he stepped through the barrier.

“Euk!”

Something wet covered his face. No, not just his face.

‘What the…!’

It was the sensation of something very thin and slippery wrapping around my entire body. It felt like a slippery spider’s web sliding across my face and limbs.

Fortunately, the creepy experience was over quickly. He didn’t even have time to shake his fist.

When he came to his senses, he was a little shaken.

“You only get one chance. We can’t afford to fail.”

“Gather your strength, the fate of the development room is on this bullet. Now, put your hands together and shout, we will win!”

“Uwaahhhh! We’ll win!”

A blue sky, not unlike the one he’d seen just moments ago. The building of the Awakening Management Bureau that he had seen so many times before.

Suddenly, a strange group of hooded figures appeared in the corner, huddled together and chanting a strange slogan.

“To the victory of the Dev Office!”

Listening to the conversation, it sounded like they were probably in the development office.

‘That’s… suspicious.’

He glanced behind him and saw a dark curtain rising from where he had been. Apparently, that’s what they use to blind people and keep them out, though he doesn’t know why it didn’t work for him…

“As of today, the existence of Ki Tae-yeon, head of the Crisis Management Office, will be erased from the world.”

“Hahahahahahaha, this is the fate of those who tamper with the development room. Prepare a toast, everyone!”

They were crazy.

They’d heard that Ki Tae-yeon had trashed the development room, and they were planning revenge in this way.

‘This is a group I shouldn’t be involved with.’

Han Cha-soo kept his distance, his face cold. He’d known him since he made that shitty drink.

‘Let me see.’

He can’t go back to this place. Han Cha-soo gently placed his hand on the black wall. It was the moment.

Beeeeeep-!

The spot he touched turned a bright red and that wasn’t all. The wall suddenly rose to its feet. Like the surface of a body of water that bounces when you dip your hand in and out.

Whooo-!

The slippery red creature was about to swallow Han Cha-soo whole.

“——!”

What the hell did these bastards make? Han Cha-soo quickly rolled on the floor. Thud, thud. The creaking wall shot something crimson at him.

“What the hell, who’s there!”

“Intruders!”

Soon, he could hear the DevOps staff running towards him. Han Cha-soo scrambled to his feet.

‘The cover ….’

Han Cha-soo ducked behind a nearby partition, but there were too many opponents.

Before he could take cover elsewhere, someone spotted him.

“Over here! Everybody over here… heh.”

Han Cha-soo’s face fell in horror at the sight of his opponent. In his hand was a net, densely studded with sharp barbs.

“Wait, wait, wait. We need to talk.”

Han Cha-soo held out a glimmer of hope that he might be able to talk to him.

His tenuous hopes were soon shattered. The other employees, who had heard the noise and rushed to his aid, immediately turned on him.

“Huh? I know him. He’s the patient that Ki Tae-yeon is trying to get!”

“That’s right! He said he will froze all of us so that he wouldn’t waste his time on us!”

“Hey… grab him. If he runs away and tells him, we’re all dead.”

Han Cha-soo witnessed. As soon as the last words were spoken, the eyes of the staff in the development room turned round in unison.

“Did you say that you’re Han Chasoo-ssi? I’m sorry, but we’re going to need your co-operation.”

“I don’t want much from you, just stay here with us, that’s easy, right?

Han Cha-aoo was silent.

‘I’m going to go crazy.’

It looked like he was going to be a hostage if he stayed like this.

“Good, because I wasn’t going to bother waiting for him to get back to the office anyway.”

“So do you want me to reposition it?”

“No, we’ve got the other stuff. Let’s just set it up all the way round here.”

The guys in the development room laughed conspiratorially. Han Cha-soo choked back a laugh as he watched them. They were just playing with themselves.

Dahlgrak. Han Cha-soo took the bead that Jung Yiheon had given him in his hand.

‘What should I do….’

His grey eyes calmly scanned his surroundings. It was then.

Kiiiiiiiiiiiiii-!

“What the hell?!”

Who set up the isolation wall? What’s going on… Oh my!

“Ah, there you are.”

The man who appeared with a flutter of his black coat was none other than Geum Myeong-yeol.