Chapter 311
Theatrical Regression Life
Episode 311
It was a typical day when Ha Seong-yoon was trying to become a better doctor.
âItâs been a while. I havenât heard from you in a while.â
âSeong Yun-ah.
ââ¦whatâs the matter. Is anyone hurt? Help me?â
-Sorry.
ââ¦.â
âIâm sorryâ¦.
I received a phone call with unknown context from a friend I hadnât heard from in a while.
ââ¦What on earth?â
The content was so absurd. My parents, who were alive and well, died because of an old classmate I was talking to on the phone. Ha Seong-yoon truly wondered if this guy was suffering from mental illness. I donât know much about it because itâs not my specialty, but I heard that there is a disease of accepting facts that donât exist as reality.
But my friendâs voice is too much to treat me like a crazy personâ¦
-Iâm really sorry. Iâm sorry I didnât mean to⦠Iâm sorryâ¦.
âIâm really sorry, but I donât understand right now. I spoke with my father on the phone an hour ago, and he was fine. What does this mean when you suddenly call me? âDo you know that this is rude?â
âSeong Yun-ah. Ha Seong-yoon.
âokay.â
-Was that really your parents?
What should I say?
ââ¦.â
Damp?
ââ¦what?â
Cool? dry? Devastated?
The voice, as if mold had grown on water-soaked fur, shook the spirit of the listener. It was a voice that made it impossible to guess what kind of expression the other person was making. Around that time, Ha Seong-yoon realized that whatever the truth, his classmate had gone crazy.
ââ¦Iâll hang up.â
-Sorry.
âIâm busy, letâs talk later.â
I hung up the phone like that, but the strange feeling of discomfort did not go away.
ââ¦.â
The young Ha Seong-yoon, who was looking at his cell phone with a frown on his face, sent a text message to his father and mother. The two people didnât think it was strange at all because they had sent it often, but they laughed and asked why they were sending such a text message when they had only talked on the phone an hour ago.
ââ¦Then thatâs right.â
Ha Seong-yoon turned off his cell phone screen when he received a text message from his parents who seemed fine. Thinking that the friend he hadnât spoken to in a long time must have really gone crazy, he momentarily forgot about the phone call he had been having with his friend.
But that didnât last long.
ââ¦Seongyoon.â
ââ¦Do we have to go this far?â
That crazy friend had come to my hospital.
âIâm sorry I didnât answer your phone until now. But it was because I was too busy. I didnât even want to hear your strange stories. âHurry back home before you get misunderstood.â
âMonsters live in my house.â
ââ¦Please⦠I donât know much about that. You know Iâm a surgeon. Heâs a beginner who hasnât even found his place yet. I heard you were waiting in front of the hospital, so I barely made time to come see you. âLetâs just go in now.â
ââ¦.â
My friend, who was dazed, nodded.
ââ¦Sorry.â
Ha Seong-yoonâs discomfort rose again because he seemed to be truly sorry.
The unpleasant sensation became more severe as time passed. It would be hard to simply dismiss him as crazy, but aside from saying strange things, his clothes were fine and he was going about his daily life without difficulty. I heard from my classmates that âheâs been in a bad mood these daysâ, but it wasnât to the point where they said he was crazy.
âThen why on earth did you say that to me?â
What if there was even just a little bit of truth in those words?
ââ¦What am I thinkingâ¦â
It was a ridiculous delusion, but I couldnât shake it off easily.
This heavy, heavy ominous feeling that bloomed from a small suspicion did not leave Ha Seong-yoonâs mind and eventually led him to head to his parentsâ home. He lived at his parentsâ home for several months and stayed by his parentsâ side.
âSeongyoon, we are glad you came, but isnât it difficult? âItâs far from work.â
âStill, Iâm sure itâs nice to see your sonâs face.â
âThatâs right. âItâs been a while since weâve been together, and your mom seems to like it that much.â
âWhat about your father?â
âItâs no different from me. âIt felt like it had been a long time since the whole family was togetherâ¦â
It was a conversation like any other, but as time passed, I felt a strange sense of discomfort.
âWhatâs wrong son?â
ââ¦No, I guess Iâm tired these days.â
I began to hear subtle sounds as if a wooden doll was moving.
âAre they auditory hallucinations?â
It was vaguely regular to be called tinnitus, and it seemed like the sound was coming from outside rather than inside my ears. If I listened to that tiny noise, I would soon see a vision that made no sense.
ââ¦.â
âSeongyoon?â
âHands are mother.â
âhand?â
ââ¦Noâ¦.â
Like seeing a tree pattern reflected in a parentâs hand in the mirror.
âOh my, my joints are sore these daysâ¦â
âAre you okay?â
âUhm, it hurts a little. âI guess itâs because Iâm tired.â
ââ¦Do not work too hard.â
âThatâs right.â
The heels you see occasionally have joints that look like those on a doll,
or
something like that.
ââ¦Am I crazy too?â
In the end, Ha Seong-yoon called his friend again.
At that young age, Ha Seong-yoon lost both his parents and the doctor he respected.
* * *
ââ¦Are you okay?â
Ha Seong-yoon answered the tattered patientâs question.
âThatâs something I have to ask Jaeheon Lee.â
âI know you may not be able to speak well because you are tired, but I am asking sincerely. âThe expression on his face isnât all that bad.â
âIâm always okayâ¦â
Ha Seong-yoon bit his lip.
ââ¦.â
ââ¦.â
He, who had been unable to speak for a while, opened his mouth.
ââ¦Iâm sorry. I donât think itâs okay.â
Ha Seong-yoon thought that if his parents were to die, it should be a more proper ending.
A happy ending next to a loving family, or a heroic death that is respected and praised by more people. Otherwise, even if it was a death in a hidden world that was not recognized by people, it had to be an ending that was lost in someoneâs gratitude and sadness.
Ha Seong-yoon jumped into this crazy world with the enthusiasm of his youth, and by the time it occurred to him that his dead parents would not like him, Ha Seong-yoon had already become a madman.
âIt was too much. I know, I know. âI know itâs ridiculous that Iâm only doing this because Iâm curious about my parentsâ deaths⦠and because I want to find the person who killed them.â
âIf we were on good terms, we could do that.â
âThere was no need for me to be forced to go crazy and die in a place like this. But I also had no choice. âAt the time, I was so focused that I thought this was the right answer, and although I came to my senses later, I was already crazy at the time⦠so I couldnât back down.â
I muttered self-deprecatingly.
âWhere can I run away now?â
He became a maniac who killed people with a scalpel when he felt like it. The reason why he, who is disqualified both as a doctor and as a human being, has not committed suicide until now is because he is curious about the deaths of his parents. Also, despite this, I had pride in being a better doctor than others.
âThe only way for me to escape is to continue to be a doctor in real life. Thatâs what sustains me. âItâs not that I donât have a reason to live, but I felt like I would commit suicide if I didnât do something like this.â
Lee Jae-heon, who heard the story, frowned and said.
âYouâre in no condition to say anything to me, are you? From now on, Ha Seong-yoon, please donât say anything when I say I want to go out and die. âBecause it hurts my pride.â
âIâm surprised there was more pride to be hurt here. âA person who suffered torture, which is the ultimate in human rights violations and insultsâ¦â
âSo, thatâs why you said it wasnât torture.â
âI have no intention of living like Jaeheon Lee, so please donât treat me the same way. Even though it looks like this, I worked hard to live a normal life. âI tried my best to become a proper âdoctorâ while understanding the underworld with my friends.â
Ha Seong-yoon tapped the corner of my mouth with his finger, smiling softly.
âI also learned this smile back then.â
âYou really donât want to say anything to me.â
âNo, itâs different. âIâ¦â
he said, rolling his eyes.
ââ¦Iâm smiling because I still respect my parents.â
ââ¦.â
Lee Jae-heon, who quirked his eyebrows without saying a word, slowly opened his mouth.
ââ¦I wonder what kind of person your friend is.â
âHe is a good person. Even if youâre crazy.â
âItâs not common for someone to be crazy but still be a good person. âWhen can we meet again?â
âIâll ask about it when I have time.â
âDoes Garam Yoon know the story of Seongyoon Ha?â
ââ¦.â
Ha Seong-yoon, who was blinking quietly, answered.
ââ¦no.â
âIt seemed like you cared for it quite a bit.â
âThere are some things you canât tell me because you love me. I also know very well how Garam views me. âThat kid kind of deifies me⦠a little bit.â
âHuh.â
âI donât know since when it started like that. But I couldnât tell my life to a child like that. âIt wasnât a matter of my reputation, it was because I felt like Garam would even admire my crazy behavior.â
â⦠Wellâ¦â
Lee Jae-heon muttered.
âPresident Yoon looks a lot like Ha Seong-yoon.â
âIt wasnât like that from the beginning. However, the more I meet him, the more he resembles me. I donât know if it was intentional or not, but a corner of my heart feels cold. Moreover, Garam was already different from ordinary people. âI couldnât expose a life like this to a child who was trying to be normal.â
Ha Seong-yoon smiled softly and continued.
âStill, I feel relieved because I feel like Iâve made a good friend these days.â
ââ¦Are you talking about Team Leader Woo?â
âGaram liked it a lot. Of course, Iâm not saying that other people are lacking, but each person has their own like-minded relationship. Woo Woo-young is a little different from the other survivorsâ¦â
âHeâs ordinary.â
âYes, I think I like it even more because of that aspect. Like Jaeheon Lee, I feel at ease because Garamâs world seems to be gradually expanding. I was wondering when I would let him become independent, but if he continues like this, I think he can become a great adult. Fortunately, the.â
Ha Seong-yoon said that and immediately wiped the smile from his face.
ââ¦To get back to the point, I want to go back to reality. âThe perverts at Unhak High School are a problem, but I wonât be able to maintain my sanity if I continue to stay here.â
ââ¦.â
âI killed someone.â
ââ¦That isâ¦.â
âNo matter how much the person you said was your former colleague is an attempted murderer who tried to kill Lee Jae-heon, I am still a murderer. A scalpel that was supposed to save people was used as a crime tool. Treatment tools that should always be clean have turned into mere blades.â
Ha Seong-yoonâs hands were shaking a little as he said that.
âI brought this because I knew it would end up like this, but that doesnât mean I didnât care. âI didnât want to kill you, I didnât want toâ¦â
âI think Ha Seong-yoon needs to get some rest too.â
âYou seem tired.â
Ha Seong-yoon muttered.
âAll together.â
ââ¦.â
That was correct.
âLetâs go back. Anyway, I donât know any more information, so youâll have to call In-ho Jeong or Da-hoon and have a conversation. Before that, we need to comfort other survivors. Thankfully, Woo Soo-young worked really hard and had really good subordinates.â
ââ¦Thatâs true.â
Jaeheon Lee blinked his eyes slowly.
âGood employee.â
Lee Jae-heon, who was muttering like that, suddenly felt a sense of discomfort.
Woo Woo-young was an ordinary and good subordinate.
ââ¦.â
Both in reality and in the other world.
(Continued in the next part)