Chapter 32

Chapter 32

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All of Lee Jaehuns actions were driven by highly rational calculations.

Humans naturally tend to exclude what is unfamiliar. They either fear or revere others, dismissing them as entirely different beings, or perceive them as something to be overcome through anger.

Two perfect examples of such unfamiliarity are humanity and death.

The problem is, neither of those concerns me.

Lee Jaehun felt Constable Kims gaze, which seemed to be dragging him down, and covered his eyes with his hand, as if washing his face to avoid meeting her eyes. It was a natural gesture for him to feel so disgusted with himself.

Of course, its not that Lee Jaehun lacked humanity. Its just that his humanity was something far removed from conventional wisdom, and for him, the humanity of this world was a concept that was difficult to grasp with current common sense.

Moreover, Lee Jaehun seemed to reincarnate after death, or something similar. The saying that everyone should feel the fear of death, spanning both past and present lives, didnt apply to him.

Lee Jaehun was a fellow worth suspecting, even if he wasnt a protagonist with deep thoughts or a detective with an unreasonably high guard. He had enough value to fear, reject, or be angry about. He was that alien.

But it shouldnt be like that.

This world is an adults-only survival game.

Nevertheless, humans are ultimately social animals, and Lee Jaehun is no exception. Its just unrealistic for him to dream of living alone and enjoying wealth and glory. Like the natural order where whats above requires whats below, it was only natural for him to help the chicks of today to achieve what he desired.

Ultimately, its a bothersome and irritating matter

Lee Jaehun had to become something acceptable to others.

Even though he didnt value death and life, he had to appear as if he did, and he had to be seen as being swayed by excessive confusion and profound corruption. Even if all those concepts and situations were perfectly peaceful to him, he had to adapt to his surroundings.

Thats why Lee Jaehun created a nonexistent past and fabricated traumas from it. All he needed was shallow self-brainwashing and the traumas he had acquired from past lives, dragging irrelevant traumas from past lives into the present to create a new past for himself. He obtained new traumas.

And in most cases, nothing more was needed.

Um, Im sorry. I I shouldnt have

A person in their right mind wouldnt delve into such traumas unnecessarily.

That fact was evident from the way Lee Jaehun refused to talk about the incident where he nearly choked in his sleep. Despite being curious about what dream he had or what happened to him.

It is nice to see a good person.

He didnt hate this type of person, but he couldnt help but find it inefficient.

Come to think of it, even if shes a policewoman now, shes aspiring to become a detective someday. Since she has some understanding of human psychology on such topics, she seemed to have noticed that what Jaehun showed was indeed a real trauma. Of course, it wasnt something that arose in the present life, but rather from a pure past life.

He replied with a subdued voice.

No, Im fine. Really, theres no problem at all.

Are you sure? You seem to be quite injured.

Well, I did receive treatment though

Lee Jaehun covered his mouth with his hand, as if to suppress a smile. Sometimes it was just a habit without any intention, but at the moment, it was to restrain the urge to burst into laughter or to stop the lips from forming a grin.

Yeah, really, theres no problem at all.

How does that person see me?

If it wasnt necessary, Lee Jaehun didnt want to make the same mistake twice. He imagined how the other person might perceive him.

Was he deliberately showing slight fear to appear more human? Just earlier, he woke up from sleep and almost choked himself as if he wanted to kill himself, and even Constable Kim didnt bother to tend to the wounds caused by the outburst. Reflecting on it again, those werent exactly normal behaviors.

So how would Lee Jaehun, who continuously engages in such crazy actions, appear? Someone trying to maintain composure despite being suppressed by trauma? Or someone who is driven to unconscious self-harm but is unaware of their madness? Or perhaps a mentally ill person who doesnt value their own wounds?

Whichever it is, hes quite a troublesome fellow to stick around with

But that wasnt a big problem. After all, Lee Jaehun had behaved quite normally up to this point.

He might seem a bit crazy, but hes not incapable of daily life, and hes trying to take care of himself, so hes not the type who needs a lot of attention like a mentally ill person. Plus, he showed some combat skills when we first met, so at least he wouldnt be seen as a burden.

Lee Jaehun now, regardless of what anyone said, was a useful lunatic. Regardless of his image, he wasnt going to be undervalued.

He checked his body one by one and then spoke up.

More importantly, is Kim Yeonwoo-ssi okay?

Of course, he knew she wouldnt be okay. He asked because he needed to take control.

It was inevitable, but Lee Jaehun didnt like the position he was in, being protected by Constable Kim.

Being protected meant there was a protector and a protected, meaning his autonomy was taken away, which would be a disadvantage in front of anyone he would meet later, whether it be his team or a visiting detective.

Until now, the focus had been on Lee Jaehuns mental state as a mentally ill person, but he didnt plan to reveal any more of the underlying issues. He felt the need to change the current atmosphere.

Constable Kim blinked and then responded.

Im fine, as I said before, Ive received treatment

Im talking about your mental state, not your physical health.

Yeah, theres no way shes okay.

Because shes a good scaredy-cat.

Lee Jaehun inwardly suppressed a smirk.

Not everyone who possesses ultimate kindness is brave. Rather, its about surpassing ones own limits and enduring all hardships and adversity, emerging as a hero.

Constable Kim Yeonwoo is a coward.

A good coward, indeed.

Despite using her composed exterior and rigid demeanor as weapons, her essence doesnt align with that. Its unreasonable to think shes in her right mind at the beginning of the story, even dreaming nightmares about people getting hurt or dying. Theres no way she wouldnt have encountered monsters even as she entered the parks pavilion.

And Lee Jaehun had a knack for digging into such mental weaknesses while pretending not to.

Just coming out of the company made me feel queasy. I felt like throwing up, my head was pounding

Im sure your companions are worried about you not leaving on good terms. Its about time I went to look for them too.

That wont do in your condition, Lee Jaehun-ssi.

Constable Kims stern face contorted. At first glance, it seemed like she was angry, but Lee Jaehun, having read books, understood. The furrowed eyebrows were a response to anxiety.

Lee Jaehun thought pleasantly.

What kind of anxiety could it be?

It could be seen as simple worry, but who knows? Humans arent such simple beings.

He comforted Constable Kims mental distress to lower the detectives guard. He stopped any whispers beyond what was necessary, as excessive whispering would surely not look good either internally or externally. Therefore, Constable Kim must have felt comfort from the person Jaehun himself.

Well, Lee Jaehun was a survivor who could communicate.

He had the strength to escape from monsters for a long time and survive, so Constable Kim must have felt reassured by that. She was kind, but being a coward, she inevitably had anxieties and fears.

Of course, it wouldnt be to the extent of friendship or obsession

She would feel at least a minimal sense of regret. Thats how he led it to be.

Lee Jaehun, consciously stopping his thoughts, replied.

Its not a problem at all.

What do you mean, its not a problem?

The one who responded to Lee Jaehuns words was not Constable Kim, but an old man.

Dont trust this old man. Its nothing more than using a piece of cloth without even medicine.

It wasnt necessarily wrong, but he was skillful at it. Just by looking at how he applied an unknown cloth here and there and tied up broken areas, you could tell.

Ignoring his hobbling legs, he stood up from his seat and spoke.

Its been quite a while since you parted ways with your companions. Itd be worse if something happened because you worried unnecessarily.

Just leave it be. Those companions of yours arent all children, are they?

There are a few children, about two.

I see.

The old man, whose tongue clicked once, soon turned his head. It wasnt that he was upset or uncomfortable; it was thanks to her own indifference to everything in the world.

Only Constable Kim, who didnt know that, remained stiff-faced, then quickly washed her face with her hands.

Just a, just a little Couldnt you stay a little longer? At least until my leg can function properly. Id like to go out and bring back Lee Jaehuns-ssi companions, but my grandmother is here

Will a wound heal in a day or two? I dont think I can wait until then.

Then, then Ill find someone else! I just mentioned that the occupation of the companions I was talking about is a detective. If I find that person

But didnt you say you didnt know where they are?

Ah, um, well, I, I cant I really cant. I cant show you my condition right now because I dont have a mirror, but if I go to find the companions in that state, it will only worsen. How will you cope if you collapse while going?

Your physical condition is really not good. Even grandmother said so. Being alive is a miracle, she says. Just walking itself would be too much for you.

Lee Jaehun shrugged nonchalantly, as if it didnt matter.

Youre not dead, arent you?

Hasnt that group of people ever forced you to do anything, Lee Jaehun-ssi? Really? Like, forcing you to work until youre about to die

Thats not it.

Then are you working in some strange occupation? Like a gangster, loan shark, or something like that?

He chuckled involuntarily.

What what are you talking about.

In this life, let alone, even in the past life, he was far from such a strange occupation. If anything, Lee Jaehun was closer to being on the side of justice.

But even with such Lee Jaehun, Constable Kim didnt seem to feel relieved at all.

Well, they do seem to be not quite normal.

They are just newly hatched chicks devoured by the underworld. They probably havent forgotten the sensation of the comfortable reality yet, so wouldnt it be even stranger for Lee Jaehun himself to casually react to his own speckled body?

But Lee Jaehun was tired, and above all, he had given up on image management for such a crazy mindset.

Lee Jaehun, the odd one out in the village, answered with a touch of pity.

Surely I wont die on the way.

Im getting more anxious

Its okay. Im not dead, and I wont die.

.

And above all

He spoke, suddenly feeling a sense of melancholy.

Really, we need to go before something happens.

Like disgusting little chicks.

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