Chapter 20

Chapter 20

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A bitter feeling crept in, and Lee Jaehun averted his gaze from the protagonists smile. To read deceit behind that sincere face, they had already accumulated too many ominous connections.

Instead, he fondled the pipe, lost in thought.

Somethings off.

Right now, it wasnt just one or two strange things.

Firstly, even though a considerable amount of time had passed, the Algae monster had yet to appear. It was as if Jaehuns return had only prompted him to summon the siblings and gather resources faster.

Of course, he dealt with the vines, presumably sent by the Algae monster, in the process, but it wasnt like he killed a significant number to alter the future.

Sure, Jaehuns existence itself was a variable in this world, and he might have caused some butterfly effect, but there should be limits to that.

Jaehun didnt think his presence was so extraordinary as to surpass his expectations.

In other words, there must be another variable at play, not him.

Now, the most probable suspect is that guy

When Lee Jaehuns eyes met with the protagonist, who stared back as if questioning what was going on, he immediately averted his gaze.

The protagonist had a face so sincere that it made ones insides tingle.

Director, are you okay?

Im fine.

If you have any pain, you should let me know right away.

Ugh.

Normally, he would have spat out a string of curses, but for now, with his head in a whirlwind, he decided to endure it. The situation wasnt ideal for unnecessary emotional outbursts.

He reluctantly turned his gaze back towards Deputy Manager Jung Inho.

Secondly, from the direction of the newly lit bonfire, he felt the gaze of Doctor Ha Sungyoon staring at him, seemingly incredulous, or maybe not. Meanwhile, the protagonist wore an unbelievably brazen expression.

Yeah, that one. That bizarrely composed and sincere face.

Thats the second strange thing.

Lee Jaehun didnt like the protagonist. Not a bit, with unfiltered sincerity.

It wasnt so much hatred as a strong dislike. He genuinely felt a visceral repulsion from Deputy Manager Jung Inho.

The main cause of this repulsion was precisely that face.

Alright, just leave me alone.

Yes, I understand.

It was the act of pretending, the perfectly crafted expression that was the complete opposite of its true nature, that made it repulsive.

But its gotten worse.

While not completely different, there was a noticeable change.

Even before, Deputy Manager Jung Inho was a guy with a stark contrast between appearance and reality.

That aspect, similar to Lee Jaehun himself, fueled a kind of kinship aversion. Of course, until he recalled his past life, he quickly noticed and disliked the duplicity.

Naturally, at this point, it wasnt about recoiling from those dualistic aspects.

What Lee Jaehun found odd at this moment was that, objectively speaking, the situation had worsened during the brief period when he went to gather resources.

Unless Deputy Manager Jung Inho went to pick up wood and attended a smoke academy in the meantime, it didnt make any sense.

More than anything, what was weirder happened before that.

I have to keep living, facing that guys face

Him? With that guy?

Do I have to build trust with him now?

Just imagining it made him nauseous.

Its not that Lee Jaehun hated the protagonist. He just had a bit of aversion, not exactly hatred, but definitely a dislike.

Nevertheless, despite that, Lee Jaehun found himself in a situation where he had to build trust with him.

Well, thats because Lee Jaehun realized he couldnt die anymore.

Even if he somehow died, he would just reset, and if thats the case, there was no reason to die while preserving his mental strength.

Certainly, if the situation demanded it, Lee Jaehun would willingly die. However, dying without reason beforehand was just a foolish act.

Now, Lee Jaehun needed to build sufficient trust and affection with the current group.

Until now, he had deliberately maintained a suitable distance to easily die if needed. But now, it had to be a relationship where if he said, Ill die instead! the response wouldnt be, Dont talk nonsense!

It was for the sake of the remaining life ahead. The closer the relationship, the easier it would be to manage the groups mental state.

Naturally, he needed to build even greater trust with the protagonist, who would naturally become the center of the group. Madness.

What on earth was going on with those eyes?

Why did he become crazier in just a short time?

Lee Jaehun was secretly alarmed. Having encountered quite a few mentally unstable people in his past life, he could tell that the protagonist wasnt entirely in his right mind.

Breath catching in his throat, Lee Jaehun unconsciously asked in a bitter voice, Are you okay?

Yes?

No, no. Forget about it.

I dont know, hell figure it out on his own.

Lee Jaehun completely avoided the intense, black gaze that started staring at him again.

With plenty on his mind already, he knew worrying about that repulsive guy would only be a loss for him.

But Lee Jaehuns concerns werent over.

What could have possibly happened in the short time he went to gather wood?

The fact that the Algae monster didnt appear on time and the protagonist going insane in just a brief period were both physically impossible events unfolding before Lee Jaehuns eyes. Naturally, the situation was confusing.

As if that werent enough, unfortunately, there were more problems.

Mister, youre bleeding a lot. Are you okay?

Should we call the doctor?

The relationship between the protagonist and the siblings didnt seem too friendly.

Lee Jaehun frowned as he watched the students calling Doctor Ha Sungyoon DoctorTeacher, wondering when they became so friendly.

The siblings hesitated for a moment, but for some reason, they made an effort to stick by his side, probably trying to gauge his thoughts.

Despite smoothing out his previously furrowed brow, Lee Jaehun sighed at the subtle tension between the siblings and the protagonist.

Well, I get it. Its understandable for them to act this way

The siblings were perceptive. They had already sensed the strange hostility from the protagonists gaze, and given their already cautious nature, there was no way they could like an adult who disliked them.

Lee Jaehun could understand the siblings psychological state to some extent.

Suddenly, Lee Jaehun looked at Deputy Manager Jung Inho with a peculiar expression when he heard the word Nocturnal Moss.

Whats wrong?

Oh, nothing If youre tired, just say so.

Even though the protagonist looked at him once again with a strange gaze, for Lee Jaehun, it was surprisingly sincere.

No matter how you thought about it, Lee Jaehun was genuinely concerned about Deputy Manager Jung Inhos current state.

If that guy breaks down, they wont be able to handle it.

As much as the protagonist was competent and mentally strong, second only to Dr. Ha Sungyoon among the gathered group, even if his mental state collapsed, he would still efficiently handle his tasks.

If the protagonist were to fall apart now, how would Lee Jaehun manage the numerous young ones?

Lee Jaehun placed the small chocolate he received into his mouth.

Despite the bitterness triggered by the trauma from the influence of the parallel world, he needed to replenish his strength even if it didnt go down smoothly.

Having roughly swallowed the chocolate and suppressing the urge to vomit, Lee Jaehun turned his gaze at the faint scraping sound suddenly reaching his ears.

Ah.

Crunch!

He had stepped on a creeping vine that approached him.

Damn, startled me.

A moment later, accompanied by a belated exclamation, Lee Jaehun exerted force on the hand holding the pipe.

The creeping vine wriggled like a snake under his foot, and before it could ignite like in a florists shop, Lee Jaehun brought the pipe down on it.

Squelch!

With the sound of something juicy bursting, a moment of silence passed among the group.

Director, are you okay?!

Not dead.

Lee Jaehun swallowed a sigh as the group stared at him pale-faced, clearly worried.

Especially the protagonist, who had the monkey wrench in one hand, was now gripping it again, and when their black eyes met, Lee Jaehun involuntarily felt his breath catch.

Why is that guy acting like that again?

Now completely ignoring the sensation of itching in his brain, Lee Jaehun moved.

I was really trying not to mention this weird thought I had.

What?

Why do the vines seem to be approaching intentionally?

They seem somewhat intelligent.

Of course, it wasnt just a weird thought; it was a fact.

With the information about the seaweed monster from the novel, Lee Jaehun already knew what the current situation was. The monster that had not approached until just now was now closing in on them deliberately.

Upon hearing Lee Jaehuns words, Dr. Ha Sungyoons face stiffened, and the protagonist tightened the grip on the monkey wrench.

The other members of the group seemed to gradually grasp the situation by observing the expressions of the two.

Sir? Where are you going?

Nowhere far.

Lee Jaehun sighed as he spoke.

Just trying to look around.

He didnt have any plans to go far.

However, no matter how he thought about it, the appearance of the seaweed monster at this moment felt strangely off.

If there were variables at play, it was better for Lee Jaehun, who could revive even if he died, to investigate.

If anything happened, the protagonist would take care of the others.

Of course, it didnt mean he was going to die willingly. Knowing he couldnt die, he had simply found a more efficient way.

Until just before the reset, he had thrown himself into danger with the thought that if he could die, he would gladly do so.

However, if that wasnt an option, he had no choice but to face the unknown risks.

He needed to know, as the one who could rewind the situation.

Only then could he lead these chicks and earn their trust. He wanted to live a better life than the current one, no matter how.

However, if there was a problem,

Sir.

Youre just standing still here.

The protagonist found something off about Lee Jaehun.

What?

I have a bad feeling. Ill go and check.

At those words, like a dam bursting, Lee Jaehun recalled the strange facts he had deliberately avoided until now. And he couldnt avoid it anymore.

The seaweed monster arrived much later than expected. The protagonists eyes were halfway turned compared to what Lee Jaehun had seen before the reset. Originally, the protagonist would have been kind to the weak, but now, he was hiding an unknown hostility towards the underage siblings.

And as far as Lee Jaehun knew, there was no encounter between the protagonist and these siblings after the reset.

Naturally, the protagonists mind that he had been managing so far didnt go away like this.

In other words, for Inho, there was a time that Lee Jaehun didnt know about.

?

There werent many answers to this contradiction.

Hey.

Yes?

No, never mind.

Damn, this is messed up.

Then, lets go together.

Why does this guy seem like he also experienced a reset?

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