Chapter 88

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Chapter 88

Noh Yeonseok was often described as a ‘child who grew up gracefully’.

He was raised in a family where the phrase ‘never got a drop of water on his hands’ suited him best. His parents were quite patriarchal and thus cherished their only son, Noh Yeonseok, immensely.

To be honest, he didn’t particularly welcome such affection. He enjoyed cooking to relieve stress, but his parents were always busy driving him out of the kitchen, saying, ‘What kind of man goes into the kitchen?’ They even made absurd remarks to his partner, leading to a semi-forced breakup. Frankly, even if he were in his partner’s shoes, he wouldn’t want to meet such harsh in-laws.

It’s not like Noh Yeonseok’s family was very wealthy either. They lived comfortably but not extravagantly, enough for him to receive a national scholarship for university. That was the extent of their financial situation.

Feeling suffocated by his home environment, he began preparing for independence since high school.

“Uh, I’m here to apply for a housing subscription....”

“Yes, for a housing subscription, right? You seem to be a student, but you’re early.”

“Ahaha....”

The first thing he prepared was a housing subscription account.

He didn’t know much about it, but he knew at least that the earlier he prepared this, the sooner he could secure his own home. At least that’s what the internet said.

Again, Noh Yeonseok’s family wasn’t wealthy enough to give him a studio apartment. However, he received a 100,000 won allowance every month, and he thought that if he saved 50,000 won each month in the account, it wouldn’t be difficult to find a house later.

Noh Yeonseok prepared for independence, successfully achieved it, and managed to get into one of Korea’s top universities, driven by the vague anxiety and pressure he always felt.

“Hey, are you crazy? You got into Korea University?”

“This is the level of your bro.”

“You’re insane, man. You only studied like a freak.”

After getting into university, he invited his friends over to his place. Middle school friends, high school friends, and new university friends came over, and they drank and had fun until they heard birds singing the next morning.

In that space, Noh Yeonseok could cook in the kitchen as much as he wanted. Some friends teased him, saying his hobby was very elegant, but at least they didn’t deny his desires like his parents did. They admired and were amazed at the dishes he presented. The whole process was fascinating and joyful for him.

But Noh Yeonseok didn’t stop there.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking at internship postings... Go away.”

“You’re doing that creepy stuff again, crazy guy. You’re just a freshman, why are you looking at internships?”NewW novels updates at novelhall.com

“Why are you complaining to me about your incompetence?”

He prepared to become an intern from his first year.

The reason was simple. The anxiety that had been with him since childhood flared up again, and driven by that compulsion, he wanted to achieve something significant.

So, this freshman blindly applied for internships and failed repeatedly, until one day, he succeeded. Of course, even if he was hired as an intern, few companies would officially employ an underdeveloped college student, so he was soon dismissed. But just that experience made Noh Yeonseok feel proud.

“All this is experience and skill.”

And one day, the head of his department called him.

“I heard you’ve been preparing for internships continuously. Is that right?”

“Uh... Yes, that’s right.”

“And your academic life?”

“I’m doing well....”

“That’s a relief.”

After a rather bland Q&A session, the department head suggested he participate in an internship recruitment conducted by a major company. It was part of a project that the company was running in cooperation with the university.

Of course, there was no reason to refuse.

“I, I’ll do it. I can prepare well.”

“Then I’ll keep that in mind.”

Noh Yeonseok immediately nodded, and the department head looked satisfied.

Entering a large company for the first time, Noh Yeonseok was overwhelmed. Although he had seen various types of people while interning at smaller companies a couple of times, most still respected him to some extent because he was still a college student.

But that wasn’t the case with Director Lee Jaehun.

“You can’t even do this...? What did you come here as an intern for? Just here to play around, huh?”

“S-sorry.”

“Bringing down the company’s standards. Do you think we’ll just let everything slide because you have ‘intern’ behind your name? Did you expect us to baby you? Of all people, we had to get such an incompetent fool....”

Is there any part of the Lee Jaehun he knew left in him?

Even knowing that Lee Jaehun had helped several employees, including himself, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear. It was a small terror anyone might feel if a normally cheerful person suddenly became serious.

Noh Yeonseok tried to shake off this ungrateful feeling, knowing it was undeserved.

Then, Lee Jaehun spoke.

“...I have my limits too.”

From that remark, Noh Yeonseok sensed the pain Lee Jaehun was trying to hide.

He, too, was surely in pain. The large wounds on his shoulder and calf must be as excruciating as anyone else’s. Like Noh Yeonseok, he found this world repulsive. Yet he deliberately hid his pain to help them.

For a moment, Noh Yeonseok felt that Lee Jaehun was saying he existed as a person and was human like them.

However,

“......”

He just couldn’t believe it.

—

Watching the wound heal quickly, Lee Jaehun clicked his tongue inwardly.

‘It’s too late.’

Of course, not dying outright was commendable for a chick, but it was still a shame. He wished it had been another group that got hurt.

Unfortunately, the seriously injured person was Noh Yeonseok, so he had no choice but to heal him. Hearing a direct plea for help and not responding would make him a bastard. And Lee Jaehun had no intention of being a one-dimensional villain like in a novel.

Yet, he still felt a pang of regret.

‘Using such a valuable herb on this guy is a waste....’

The herb he used on Noh Yeonseok was one he had picked up near the Mirror Lake while harvesting glass apples.

The round fruit of that plant could cure most conditions, but the rest of the plant was so toxic that it was described as poisonous in the middle of the novel. Despite its incredible efficacy, it was only recognized as a medicinal herb later because it was so common in the park.

‘Usually, highly effective items are rare.’

Moreover, this herb had one major drawback.

‘...It stings a bit.’

The person who picked the herb would bear all the conditions cured by the fruit.

Of course, it didn’t mean the physical injuries were transferred to the picker. They just felt the equivalent or greater pain randomly, without any actual wounds.

But this was a rather harsh setting for the soft inhabitants of this pliable world. Even in the latter part of the novel, no one but the protagonist used this herb. Even the protagonist refrained from activities for about a day after using it.

‘How absurd I found that.’

He honestly wanted to ask the author if this was a setting error. The penalties for picking the herb were merely phantom pain and some mental instability. Even in a soft, chick-like world, it was ridiculous.

Lee Jaehun rubbed his smooth side a few times, then noticed the intern’s gaze and quickly withdrew his hand.

“...Glad to hear you’re okay.”

He didn’t want to ruin his plan now.

“Can you stand?”

“...Yes, I can.”

“Then, let’s move on.”

He shifted his gaze from Noh Yeonseok to a man staring at him.

A character who wore a suit that most detectives didn’t usually wear, one who seemed to lack only the protagonist’s social skills. The most frustrating element in this R-rated bleak survival story.

“Long time no see, Detective.”

“...Yes, it has been.”

It was Detective Hong Kyungjun.

“Long time no see, Lee Jaehun-ssi.”

There was a faint sense of wariness within him.

Although it was disappointing that he hadn’t built sufficient trust as he had hoped, Lee Jaehun was satisfied with the fear visible on their faces.

It was enough.

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