Chapter 76
To be honest, Lee Jaehun’s recollection of his past life had indeed made things easier.
Of course, if his companions found out about his thoughts, they might grab him by the collar. It’s one thing to talk about difficulty levels, but how could anyone dare to rate human suffering?
‘It’s like making a crude joke in front of someone who just lost a loved one.’
Nevertheless, the difficulty had indeed lessened. Given that he could regress upon death, as long as Lee Jaehun didn’t give up, there was no risk of anyone dying or dropping out.
Compared to the bug-ridden story he remembered, the food was decent, and unlike Lee Jaehun, the others weren’t battered and torn. In a world where the stress levels of survivors raised the difficulty, this situation could be considered quite pleasant.
“Is this fully cooked?”
“It seems like it…”
“It was white before we cooked it, but now it’s all colorful.”
Moreover, the most important factor was the sense of relief that someone prepared for this world was among them.
‘At least with Director Lee Jaehun around, we could survive no matter what kind of monster appears…’
Honestly, they had an inexplicable confidence.
“If you’re really worried, should I try it first?”
“I’ll give it a try.”
“One of my bucket list items was to eat a poisonous mushroom.”
“Are you making fun of Director?”
However, because of this, the current situation bore little resemblance to the original story, except for the major plot points. Naturally, since Lee Jaehun, who wasn’t originally part of the story, had a significant influence.
One notable change was the mental state of the main characters.
‘They’re all crazy in their own ways, but right now they’re pretty stable.’
Originally, the protagonist’s group included Deputy Jung Inho, Yoon Garam, the Park siblings, and an elderly lady. To be blunt, none of them were sane.
Among this group, the protagonist was most wary of Yoon Garam, who joined last and was uniquely psychotic. At least, that’s what Lee Jaehun from his past life, who had read the entire story, thought.
She delighted in fire demons.
‘Didn’t she say she felt pleasure from watching things burn?’
What a peculiar taste.
Unlike the minor characters like Team Leader Kang and Intern Noh Yeonseok, Yoon Garam was a main character, so Lee Jaehun knew a bit about her past and nature. Though not overtly revealed, it had been described a few times in the story.
He glanced briefly at Yoon Garam, who was nibbling on the well-cooked fish.
“It’s surprisingly tasty, though it has a slight earthy flavor.”
“It feels like eating a regular freshwater fish.”
“It must have been quite fatty. Look at all the oil pooled in the can.”
They seemed quite harmonious.
Although moving a bit sluggishly, Yoon Garam didn’t seem to be in bad condition. This was quite a change from just a moment ago when she was screaming recklessly, forgetting the dangers of the underworld.
Lee Jaehun chewed his fish, recalling how she had struggled to hide her smile behind her hand.
‘…She’s not inherently bad.’
Despite using harsh words like ‘lunatic’ and ‘psychopath,’ it didn’t mean Yoon Garam was a crazed arsonist without self-control.
In fact, her character was quite good, above average.
“Let’s give this to the kids. They must be really hungry.”
“That sounds good. Kids, you can have this.”
“Oh, really? Can we?”
“We can catch more fish later. Don’t worry, eat up.”
Although it was revealed later in the story, she supposedly donated to several orphanages monthly, and if someone was struggling in front of her, she would help after considering twice. She was a good person, though not as much as Constable Kim Yeonwoo.
But the pleasure she instinctively felt was different.
‘If it could be controlled by reason, it wouldn’t be called pleasure in the first place.’
Yoon Garam felt ecstasy watching things burn. As a child, she would play with fire on candles, but as she grew older, she realized her tastes were abnormal.
If someone finds joy in watching living beings burn, what else could they be but a psychopath? When she was in middle school, she watched a live news broadcast of a fire and felt both joy and confusion. She knew something was wrong.
This meant that Yoon Garam was trying to control herself.
‘She hasn’t harmed anyone.’
At least, not until she came to the underworld.
‘The distortion started at the flower shop.’
After witnessing her beloved doctor die before her eyes, she later confessed, much later in the story, that she felt like she had killed him herself.
But what Yoon Garam truly thought at that moment was…
[It would have been more beautiful if he had died in the fire.]
“……”
“Director, would you like some more?”
“…You have it, Kwon Yeonhee.”
Lee Jaehun dismissed the kind offer and continued his thoughts.
‘At this point, it’s surprising she managed to live as a normal person for so long.’
And Yoon Garam in the story likely had similar thoughts.
That’s why she felt such intense self-loathing. She felt guilt. That’s why, despite doing everything she could, she was a wreck in the early parts of the story.
Even in the present, it was similar. When Lee Jaehun first went to the flower shop and saved Dr. Ha Sungyoon, Yoon Garam, with tear-streaked eyes, said to him:
— I’m sorry.
With a trembling voice and shaking eyes.
Unable to hold back her sobs, she apologized to Dr. Ha Sungyoon.
Lee Jaehun didn’t know why the competent Yoon Garam couldn’t save him back then. Was it because she froze upon entering the underworld for the first time, or was she secretly hoping for something else? Even having read the story, he didn’t know everything about this world.
So, what exactly Yoon Garam meant by her apology at the flower shop was something Lee Jaehun had to ponder more deeply. He needed to understand her thoughts in reality, not just the story.
“…I’m pretty tired, so I should get some sleep.”
Dr. Ha Sungyoon responded to Lee Jaehun’s words.
“Then let me check your hand one more time before you sleep. Let’s clean it up, and there might be blisters…”
“Aren’t you going to eat more?”
“A doctor who eats calmly while a patient is dying isn’t a doctor, sir.”
“Who’s dying…?”
“Did you cough up blood, or was it vomiting blood?”
“……”
He suddenly had nothing to say.
Not because he felt guilty, but because he was suddenly deep in thought.
“…I need to resolve this plot point, but the timing just isn’t right.”
It wasn’t the right moment to explain everything.
While he had been giving hints about the algae monster through his actions, it wasn’t enough. He needed to find the right time to reveal everything naturally and convincingly.
The protagonist then subtly joined the conversation.
“What’s the difference between coughing up blood and vomiting blood? It seems the team leader knows.”
“Oh, coughing up blood is…”
Dr. Ha Sungyoon stopped answering and turned to look at Lee Jaehun.
“…Exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“You seem to know the difference between coughing up blood and vomiting blood. How do you know, sir?”
“I’m going to die of frustration here. Just because I know a lot doesn’t mean you should give a healthy person a hard time. It’s because I’m smart.”
“Honestly, calling you healthy is a bit of a stretch…”
“Shut up and put those creepy eyes away, Deputy Jung.”
Not sure if he was satisfied with the answer or had just decided to drop it, Jung Inho nodded. Dr. Ha Sungyoon also seemed to accept it.
He continued treating Lee Jaehun’s hand while he explained.
“To put it simply… blood that comes out from coughing is hemoptysis, and blood that comes out from vomiting is hematemesis.”
In the case of hemoptysis, the source of the blood is usually the bronchial tubes or lungs, whereas hematemesis usually originates from the esophagus or stomach. The former is characterized by bright red blood with bubbles, while the latter is dark red.
“In Korea, you rarely see patients with hemoptysis. It’s hard to encounter unless you’re in a big hospital… even a small amount of hemoptysis usually indicates a serious illness.”
“……”
“Massive hemoptysis is considered to be between 100ml and 600ml, and in such cases, 20-50% of patients die. Although this isn’t much different elsewhere, the lungs are delicate, and if the blood is not properly handled, it can be absorbed into the alveoli or clot in the airways, leading to death by suffocation…”
“Director?”
Unable to hold back, Deputy Jung Inho looked at him and asked.
“Are you still alive?”
“Why don’t you just hold a ritual and ask for my death?”
“At this rate, it seems like you’re already half-dead.”
“I might just make you half-dead.”
Can’t someone shut his mouth?
If you look at it positively, his words were of concern, but since it was coming from the protagonist, it felt annoying. Even his worried face looked irritating and annoying.
Lee Jaehun rubbed his face and continued.
“Well… I’m enduring because I can endure it, right?”
“Did you get a medical license too? You seem to know how to diagnose yourself.”
“I know my body best—ah, wait. This is a death flag.”
“You’re right. It’s on par with ‘Did we defeat it?'”
“Life is really tough.”
It’s funny. Actually being in a novel, I have to worry about these common clichés. It’s even more annoying since the writer seems to like clichés.
Despite his light-hearted words, he was thinking deeply.
‘The timing is really bad.’
Even though I’m desperate, now is not the time.
I was waiting for the right time to talk about the incident with the algae monster, but now wasn’t good. Monsters would attack soon, so when could I explain everything?
So far, Lee Jaehun hadn’t mentioned the incident to the group, and the group hadn’t asked either. Whether it was out of consideration or something else, they hadn’t asked.
But revealing the story now, in this awkward atmosphere?
‘That would be such a waste.’
It would be a waste of all the buildup so far.
It seemed like they were curious about why things turned out this way, but now wasn’t the time. At the very least, it had to wait until the two survivor groups joined up and spoke with the detective. Even if it wasn’t a complete secret, it needed the right mood to reveal such a story.
As Lee Jaehun hesitated, Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who had been watching him, sighed and spoke.
“…That’s true, but honestly, I don’t know either.”
“What?”
“If things were normal, you’d already be dead, Director.”
“Can you put that a bit more gently?”
“Director, are you going to die?!”
“Sir, are you dying?!”
“Are you really dying?!”
After responding to the startled Kwon Yeonhee and Park Dahoon, Dr. Ha Sungyoon, who had been watching them quietly, began to speak. His expression had turned more somber.
Dr. Ha Sungyoon’s characteristic calm voice filled the air.
“Doctors need to know a lot. The more we study, the more accurate our diagnoses become.”
“Well…”
“But now, I really don’t know. The blood condition changes frequently, and just when I think it’s serious because he’s coughing up more blood, it subsides on its own. With this much blood loss, I’d think his lungs were completely damaged, but he’s still breathing…”
“……”
“There’s no CT room, no stethoscope, nothing. The patient looks like he’s about to die, but we don’t know his blood pressure or oxygen saturation. We can’t even do blood tests. All I can do is feel his pulse and make rough guesses based on his condition, but how helpful is that, really?”
For once, Dr. Ha Sungyoon was speaking at length, and his face showed nothing but exhaustion.
“Of course, I’m not a physician; I’m a surgeon. I know this because I studied it separately. But even if I were a physician, I couldn’t provide proper diagnosis or treatment in these conditions.”
“Um…”
“The thing I’m best at is holding a clean scalpel and cutting through flesh. With the right tools, I can drain the blood, clear the view, remove the cause, and neatly stitch up the skin… that’s my job. Here, all I can do is simple disinfection and wound care that even a first-year resident can handle.”
“……”
“So… yeah.”
After taking a deep breath, Dr. Ha Sungyoon touched his earlobe and spoke slowly. His movements didn’t seem cautious but rather fit the stillness of the world they were in.
His clear voice resonated in the middle of the campfire.
“It turned into a rant, but this is what I wanted to say.”
“……”
“This world doesn’t adhere to the common sense we’re used to.”
With that,
He smiled softly.
“Even a healthy person can become a cripple here.”
He didn’t seem quite sane.
