Chapter 74

A catalyst was needed.

* * *

“Ahjussi, would you like some water?”

Team Leader Kang Mina was a character who had never been properly depicted in the novel.

At best, she was an unfortunate character who died before her story could unfold, never making it to the park and ending her life at the office. Moreover, in the early parts of the story, when the main character’s development should be the focus, there was no reason to delve into a character who would soon disappear.

“…Lately, a lot of people ask me if I want some water.”

“The doctor said drinking lots of water is good for your health.”

“That’s true.”

Because of this, Lee Jaehun also didn’t know much about Team Leader Kang Mina. In his past life, there was too little description of her, and in his current life, Director Lee Jaehun wasn’t the type to listen attentively to his subordinates’ stories. The most he knew was that she was timid but curious enough to get herself killed.

However, during his time with her, Lee Jaehun felt a strange sense of incongruity from Kang Mina.

‘It wasn’t something you could feel from just a timid person.’

To get straight to the point, Kang Mina had an abnormally strong sense of responsibility.

And in the abnormal aspects of the hidden world, such a trait had to manifest externally in some way.

She had a strong tendency to take responsibility for something. If she couldn’t show her worth, she would become anxious. She cared about relationships. She might be timid, but when it came to matters within her responsibility, she would endure to the end….

“Thank you for being considerate.”

“…Don’t get sick.”

“I hope so.”

During a visit to a small lake at night, Lee Jaehun became certain.

‘To Kang Mina, Kwon Yeonhee is someone she has to protect.’

No one told her this, nor did she consciously decide it, but she must have subconsciously resolved to protect the small person who clung to her. Even if she was overwhelmed by the imposing presence of the lake, she held onto Kwon Yeonhee, protecting her. She regained her composure faster than her abilities would normally allow and shielded her.

“……”

“Ahjussi, you seem really out of it these days. Is it because you’re tired?”

“Does it seem that way?”

“…Are you sick?”

“I’m already sick, actually.”

But what if Kwon Yeonhee hadn’t been there? If there hadn’t been more than three people?

Even if Lee Jaehun, who could protect Kang Mina, had been there, she would have been anxious. Judging by her behavior at the office, Kang Mina didn’t have the mental strength to withstand the threat of the lake.

In short, Kang Mina was…

‘More efficient when she has something to take responsibility for.’

That’s how it should be seen.

“I’m just thinking a lot. I’m not seriously sick.”

“…If you’re thinking that much, then you are seriously sick.”

“This is nothing.”

With this in mind, it made sense why Kang Mina, who probably never hammered a nail properly before, handled a hammer skillfully. It provided context.

It wasn’t a sexist thought like ‘What would a woman know about hammering nails!’ but rather a reasonable assumption. There was a memory of Kang Mina in the past trying to hammer a nail sticking out in the office and ending up with a lot of blood. Who would see that and think, ‘Oh, she’s used a hammer often.’

Moreover, hammering a nail and using a hammer to kill a monster are two entirely different things. It’s as different as a cat hunting a fishing pole toy versus a live mouse.

“Don’t worry too much. Worrying about someone like me is just a waste of your energy.”

“I wish you wouldn’t say things like that. We’re always worried about you.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Considering why Team Leader Kang Mina, who probably hadn’t handled a hammer much, was so good at cutting through the vines, the answer came easily.

“It meant that you don’t have to worry since there’s no immediate danger.”

“That makes me more uncomfortable.”

“You two siblings really don’t lose spirit, do you?”

“That’s our strength, you know.”

This is the hidden world. It’s a place where human abnormalities are amplified and take form, making it a place where personal traumas can exert their power. If Kang Mina, who has an excessive sense of responsibility, was influenced by this, it would explain all the incongruities so far.

Just like Yoon Garam in the novel.

“……”

“I think it’s a good thing.”

Perhaps because she still had some mental leeway, her manifestation was slower than expected.

“It’s already tough enough making a living. If youngsters like you lose your spirit, what would happen?”

But in this scenario, Yoon Garam wasn’t the key player.

While I do plan to trigger her awareness of her condition a few times during the course of the plan, the main actors on this stage are none other than Team Leader Kang Mina and Intern Noh Yeonseok.

They had to open the curtain.

“…Ahjussi, what do you think of us?”

“Chicks.”

“Wow, it sounds so weird coming from you. Are we your chicks?”

“Just hatched.”

“Geez.”

“What’s so surprising?”

Half-consciously responding to Park Dayoung, he thought to himself.

‘I need to summon the monster.’

If possible, it should be a stray monster.

‘Fish guts should work well as bait.’

If you throw fresh fish guts into the sea, even sharks from a distance will be drawn in. The stench of marine life is that strong, and it’s even worse with guts. A stray monster, always hungry no matter what it eats, would come running at the smell of guts.

But the place they were positioned was almost the middle of the park. It was a bit far from all monster habitats, including the algae lake, meaning it was a good spot for surviving, even if it was hard to escape if something went wrong.

In such a place, the smell of guts would probably not attract a stray monster easily.

“…Ahjussi, sometimes it feels like you live in a different world from us.”

“…….”

“You see different things, feel different things, think different things….”

“Is that so.”

“Yes.”

So, to summon a monster, someone had to take the guts far away, but Lee Jaehun couldn’t do it himself.

‘There’s no need to raise unnecessary suspicion in this kind of place.’

In the eyes of the group, Lee Jaehun was quite competent, at least in survival and dealing with the situation. The fact that someone as capable as him couldn’t properly dispose of guts and attracted a monster wouldn’t be convincing to them.

Moreover, he always had the protagonist around, watching him closely. Most of the group would have noticed the difference between ‘Director Lee Jaehun’ and ‘Lee Jaehun,’ and Jung Inho, who knew the full story, wouldn’t trust his actions.

Even if they didn’t notice immediately, they would eventually figure out that ‘Director Lee Jaehun deliberately attracted the monster.’

“Sorry to hear that you felt that way.”

Therefore, it shouldn’t be Lee Jaehun who carelessly placed the guts to attract the monster.

It shouldn’t be someone too smart or composed either. It needed to be someone who was usually on edge but had recently relaxed enough to let their guard down.

In other words, Intern Noh Yeonseok was perfect for the role.

‘He’s the type who wouldn’t even know what mistake he made.’

Noh Yeonseok, the intern, hadn’t done much so far. His condition was so poor that he had only received consideration from the group, and while it was out of conscience, it would have also deeply wounded the pride of a healthy young man.

This guy had gotten a bit more relaxed. He felt a bit more at ease. Recently, he hadn’t been throwing up or dry heaving as much, and as he started returning to everyday life, he began to reflect on his life. With a little push, whether he wanted it or not, it wouldn’t be hard to get him to take on some tasks.

And what if the person he was interested in was nearby? He’d be even more distracted in a different way than before. Unlike a patient who had just been discharged from the hospital, he wasn’t completely recovered, which made things even more complicated.

“…Are you really sorry?”

“Maybe.”

Ultimately, if he was shaken just enough, he wouldn’t even think of something like ‘just fish guts.’

“Liar.”

So even if this fish guts incident came to light among the group, it wouldn’t be blamed on Noh Yeonseok. I would make sure it wasn’t his fault for running around distractedly.

‘Then the remaining problem is Team Leader Kang Mina….’

Of course, she wouldn’t be too difficult either.

“…….”

Despite her timid nature, Kang Mina was quite smart. She probably understood why she was told to dispose of the guts far away. She’d think of taking them far to avoid attracting unnecessary monsters.

But she’d likely avoid dumping them along familiar paths they frequently took. If she encountered a vicious monster while fetching water from the small lake one day, it would be a huge loss.

So, she’d aim to dispose of them in a place opposite or at least equivalent, and coincidentally, that ‘opposite’ direction was towards the gazebo.

“You always lie.”

“That’s just how adults are.”

“You always get hurt.”

The place Lee Jaehun had run to when chased by the algae monster, the place where Constable Kim Yeonwoo helped him, and where many survivors were now gathered. Also, the direction where the stray dog monster resided. That meant that now, our group and other survivors could all be threatened by the monster.

From that point, it becomes much easier.

‘Sometimes, using your body is faster than using your head.’

With that thought, Lee Jaehun clicked his tongue internally.

“Is that a complaint?”

“I guess so.”

Stray dog monsters usually lived in packs and had a habit of revisiting places they had been before. Although the protagonist didn’t describe it explicitly, the narrative pattern suggested that was the case.

And it hadn’t been long since a stray dog monster visited our shelter. They were likely still lurking somewhere nearby or had returned to their habitat to rest. In that case, it was natural for the stray dog monster to approach the group, attracted by the smell of fish guts.

‘These creatures are always hungry despite being friendly to humans.’

Therefore, it was just a matter of creating an incident where someone casually tossed the guts on their way and returned.

“We just don’t want you to get hurt. You can do that, can’t you? You have the ability….”

“…….”

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

“It was just whining.”

“It’s okay to whine a bit.”

Team Leader Kang Mina had a strong sense of responsibility. And if that responsibility was tied to the task of ‘properly disposing of fish guts,’ Lee Jaehun’s plan had a high chance of failing.

“You’re still kids.”

“…….”

“It’s alright.”

“…Thank you.”

So, he never told Team Leader Kang Mina to ‘make sure to dispose of the fish guts properly.’

“Ah, whatever. I’ll go check if the fish is done grilling!”

“You don’t have to, Dayoung-ah….”

“That’s up to me!”

Instead, he guided the conversation so her focus would be on ‘protecting Intern Noh Yeonseok’ rather than dealing with the fish guts, all while making it seem like it wasn’t his doing. This way, in an urgent situation where she needed to quickly take responsibility, Team Leader Kang would prioritize protecting Intern Noh Yeonseok over properly disposing of the fish guts.

In that scenario, the fish guts incident would become too ambiguous to blame anyone.

‘So there won’t be any overt resentment.’

He wanted to distance himself, not to divide the team. If any blame did arise, he would take it all upon himself.

“…….”

He saw the protagonist, who had been talking with Park Dayoung, walking toward him. The protagonist’s steps were neat, and he had a smile that seemed almost painted on.

So it was time to prepare for the play.

Time to begin.

“Director.”

“…….”

“…Director?”

“Ah.”

Lee Jaehun lifted his head, pretending to be a beat late in responding to the voice calling him.

Those pitch-black eyes stared at him.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“…….”

It was,

a repulsive gaze.

He answered, still feigning a dazed expression.

“…No.”

“…Is that so?”

“Just sleepy.”

He spoke with the decisiveness of passing judgment.

“I’m sleepy.”

The protagonist smiled with a seemingly affectionate face.

“That’s understandable.”

“…….”

“I called because the fish seems done, but if you’re really tired, I can call you again when Kang Mina and Yeonseok arrive. Want to rest a bit?”

“No, I’m not sleepy.”

“Is that so?”

“Is the fish really done?”

His focus slowly returned.

But his tone was still sluggish, and his phrasing odd.

‘I’m good at pretending to be crazy.’

Thinking that, Lee Jaehun slowly clenched and unclenched his fist. He blinked and rolled his eyes again. The sound of his eyes creaking under the intense stare was almost audible.

The protagonist, the doctor, and some others in the group probably knew that Lee Jaehun wasn’t in his right mind. He had shown enough signs of instability, and they had seen many of his mistakes that he wasn’t even aware of.

Moreover, even in his sleep, he reportedly choked or scratched himself. Such a sleep disorder was unlikely to occur without significant mental distress. Who could call Lee Jaehun normal after he slept for almost three days straight? The time to deny his mental state had long passed.

Despite everything, the reason why this group hadn’t pushed Lee Jaehun away was because of the debt of gratitude they owed him. Although Lee Jaehun himself couldn’t understand this, he wasn’t foolish enough to deny it given the circumstances.

So, this time, Lee Jaehun intended to make the group avoid him, in one way or another.

“…Hmph.”

Last time, he had lost his mind and chewed on glass.

But back then, nobody had screamed. This time, he needed a stronger shock. Something to jolt the complacent audience who were ignoring the cracks in their fragile peace.

‘I need to create an incident.’

Without even taking a deep breath, Lee Jaehun reached his hand toward the campfire.

“…….”

And,

His hand, curled as if to grasp something, dug deep into the flames.

“…Director?”

“…….”

“Director!”

As expected, the protagonist immediately noticed the anomaly.

Lee Jaehun merely blinked slowly.

“…Huh?”

“Your hand, your hand! Pull it out, quickly!”

His arm was immediately grabbed and pulled back.

The crucial point here was to act as if he knew nothing. After all, ‘Director Lee Jaehun’ was only reaching to check if the fish was cooked.

Upon seeing the burn on his hand, Yoon Garam’s complexion changed as she watched the situation in a daze.

“…Ah.”

Her face turned pale.

The doctor, who had been watching Director Lee Jaehun in sudden confusion, turned to Yoon Garam. His expression was starkly revealing his own shock and urgency.

As he reached out to Yoon Garam, a broken moan escaped her lips.

“Ah, uh. Huuu….”

“Ma’am, ma’am. Hey, Yoon Garam.”

“Haaa, ah, sob.”

“Garam.”

Even Ha Sungyoon’s desperate tone couldn’t silence Yoon Garam.

Her eyes, now blackened and scorched, were still fixed on Lee Jaehun’s burned hand, and her body convulsed as if she were hiccuping. Even though she had her hand over her mouth, it wasn’t to stifle her voice.

Shaking and covering her mouth, Yoon Garam,

“Ah.”

“Garam…!”

“…Hiii, haaaaaa…!”

Eventually, she collapsed, clutching her head.

She couldn’t lift her head, trembling all over and pale as a ghost. Ha Sungyoon rushed to comfort her, clearly aware of her past.

“…What, what is.”

“What’s happening…!”

“Aaaaah…! Ah, sob, hic.”

The atmosphere flipped in an instant.

Amid the echoing screams of the forest, Lee Jaehun inwardly smiled.

“…Well.”

The stage was set.