Theatrical Regression Life

* * *

Not every company operates the same way, but in their company, the atmosphere of each department varied significantly depending on the manager. The marketing team where Kwon Yeonhee belonged was particularly loose in structure and had a wide network of connections.

Among them, Team 1, where she was a part of, exhibited this tendency even more strongly. It wasn’t strange considering the nature of the marketing department’s work. Since researching the market and devising marketing strategies inevitably required assistance from other departments or companies. Even if the manager of the department was considered the most intelligent among the ordinary employees, it wasn’t a department where one could just act stiffly.

Thanks to this, Kwon Yeonhee was strong in gathering information.

Her outgoing nature and ability to brush off criticisms without dwelling on them for long made her excellent at extracting information from others, intentional or not. And even if it wasn’t intentional, rumors circulating within the company were not difficult for her to uncover.

Among those occasionally mentioned, there was Lee Jaehun, the director of the Business Planning Department.

‘Authoritarian, parachute, silver spoon.’

These were the words that invariably popped up when defining him.

He was the epitome of an authoritarian, but he believed he was awake or that he easily landed in a managerial position due to being part of a chaebol family. His personality was said to be so sensitive and sharp that interns would come out crying almost immediately after entering. That’s how meticulous he was.

Hence, Kwon Yeonhee had vowed to herself that if she ever happened to meet him by mistake, she would quietly make an impression and slip away without making a fuss. Even though she had a personality that could easily forget insults once they were behind her, it wasn’t exactly enjoyable.

So, perhaps that’s why when she unexpectedly encountered members of the planning team at the oddly transformed end of the corridor, she was a bit surprised to see Director Lee Jaehun holding a pipe.

‘Only the four of us who are relatively sane managed to escape, are you planning to join us?’ he asked.

‘…Where to?’ she inquired.

‘We came out to assess the situation but ended up looking for an escape route.’

It was quite apparent that Director Lee Jaehun was leading them.

Come to think of it, whether by coincidence or not, the state of the planning team seemed better than that of the marketing team. Unlike the marketing team, which often indulged in massacres with paper cutters or in the break room, the planning team, with all four members walking out unscathed to assess the situation, seemed relatively composed. At least, that’s how Kwon Yeonhee felt, having been threatened with a knife by a former friendly colleague.

So, what could be the difference between the planning team and the marketing team?

‘We heard the sound of wind, so we came here.’

‘Ah…’

Suddenly, Kwon Yeonhee felt envious of the three people standing behind Director Lee Jaehun.

Although she wasn’t sure of the exact circumstances, they seemed to be under his protection. Director Lee Jaehun, regardless of his true intentions, made efforts to look out for the employees in his department, and Kwon Yeonhee realized this in a brief moment. Despite his harsh tone and demeanor, he stood at the forefront, guiding the others behind him so they didn’t feel burdened.

Of course, any further thoughts were interrupted as a monstrous black figure suddenly emerged like a spear, shattering her thoughts. She was simply terrified, her breath caught in her throat, unable to regain her composure as she ran. Even though she wore sturdy shoes with curved soles, she couldn’t fathom how she managed to run that long distance.

But she wanted to live, so she pressed on.

‘Ah.’

Despite witnessing Team Leader Kang staggering over the railing, about to fall, she couldn’t even muster a word.

‘What the…!’

It was none other than Director Lee Jaehun who saved her.

Even amidst the sound of flesh being pierced accompanied by brief profanities, Kwon Yeonhee didn’t dare to look back. Even as she heard the shouts, sounding like a whip lashing out at Team Leader Kang, she simply ran forward, not daring to glance behind her.

Barely managing to hide inside the empty office until the dark monster disappeared, Kwon Yeonhee couldn’t gather her thoughts, even when the creature vanished while scraping against the cement walls, she couldn’t move her body.

‘…’

She just blankly watched Director Lee Jaehun administering emergency medication to himself.

Even when Team Leader Kang thanked him and a younger intern expressed concern, he just…

‘You must be exhausted, let’s take a short break before anything else happens.’

It just felt surreal.

‘Everyone must be shocked from suddenly running, so either stretch or relax your muscles. We don’t know what else might come our way, but being able to run quickly won’t hurt…’

‘…’

‘I have my limits too.’

And so,

She finally realized.

Director Lee Jaehun wouldn’t have wanted to get hurt either.

Even in front of an unbelievably frightening monster, he remained strangely calm, even when blood dripped from his shoulder, he remained composed, but still… Yet, that didn’t mean he would willingly endure pain…

At the same time, questions swirled in her mind.

‘…Didn’t they say Director Lee Jaehun had a bad temper?’

Having occasionally passed by him on the same floor, she knew. It wasn’t just idle gossip, it was a fact, and Kwon Yeonhee had heard all about the pervasive harassment and insults.

‘But, if that’s true, then why now?’

If the rumors were true, if her memories served her right, then Director Lee Jaehun shouldn’t be like this.

It didn’t make sense for him to tirelessly take care of his department employees, protect them at the forefront, sustain significant injuries, and yet not show any signs of pain, only sighing from fatigue. Even if he was rumored to have a good personality, it still wouldn’t make sense. But Director Lee Jaehun casually brushed off those injuries as if they were just special effects makeup.

It transcended the concepts of good and bad, it was simply…

‘So let’s think efficiently, efficiently.’

‘At least let’s not resent each other for necessary tasks, so we can feel comfortable with each other.’

‘Are we all going to die together then? Or do you have the ability to save everyone from those strange creatures earlier? No, right? So, we better run.’

‘Don’t worry.’

Just…

‘I won’t blame anyone either.’

It seemed insane.

‘…’

But if she found solace in that, then was she also insane?

He replaced the word ‘selfishness’ with ‘efficiency’ when it came to survival. This served as an absolution for Kwon Yeonhee, who had pretended not to know about the possible death of Kang Mina, and soon, relief swept over her.

She cried for a long time.

She realized that even bystanders could become killers.

Even if she didn’t directly stab someone with a knife or push them off a cliff, simply by not extending a helping hand when she could, she could still be responsible for someone’s death. And this wasn’t even suicide but rather homicide, adding to Kwon Yeonhee’s burden.

Born into a normal and upright family with a reasonably mature sense of justice, she found solace in the fact that Director Lee Jaehun had not become a murderer. She was grateful that he didn’t make excuses but instead justified the necessary actions on her behalf.

Director Lee Jaehun had made efforts, one way or another, to protect us. Or perhaps to save people. Although we occasionally encountered monsters, the only one who got hurt was Director Lee Jaehun, and ultimately, we were safe. It was a result forged through the dry sacrifice of one person, and Director Lee Jaehun didn’t attach any special words to it.

So, when he was suddenly dragged away by the monsters between evening and night, and then immediately went to grab Jung Inho by the collar, that’s when he finally hesitated and sank to the floor, his worries finally catching up to him…

“…Am I the only one feeling sad about this?”

For some reason, her heart felt heavy to the point of suffocation.

“You don’t trust any of us, you’re not expecting anything from us…”

“Kwon Yeonhee-ssi….”

“You never had any intention of trusting us from the beginning.”

“……”

“But…”

Hunched over, she spoke.

“But… I thought it was fortunate.”

Because you didn’t trust me.

Because you didn’t rely on me, didn’t expect anything from me.

Because you had no intention of burdening me with anything and simply decided to bear everything alone, I felt relieved by your actions.

“…..”

“…I, I… Earlier, when you asked if I was going to the pharmacy. I couldn’t even meet your gaze, what should I do? Huh? What should I do…?”

Ttuk, ttuk, ttuk.

Tears fell from her pitch-black eyes.

“How can I be so selfish like this…”

She watched as Director Lee Jaehun exchanged glances with Doctor Ha Sungyoon. The doctor emphasized the need for immediate surgery with a serious expression, but before any other opinions were voiced, Director Lee Jaehun intervened and stopped it.

He knew our anxiety. He understood our instinctual fear and restlessness, and the selfishness it brought. Despite being hailed as our savior, he knew there was no one willing to risk their life for Director Lee Jaehun, who had no significant connection with any of us. He understood that this topic shouldn’t be dragged out any longer, as it would eventually lead to division among us.

Because then, we would eventually fragment.

Some had the courage to survive even if they couldn’t risk their lives, while others couldn’t muster the courage because they couldn’t risk their lives. And with Director Lee Jaehun, our benefactor, at stake, cowards would soon become sinners.

Director Lee Jaehun knew this, and he ultimately realized that he couldn’t produce any proper results. So, wouldn’t it make sense for him to prevent any plans, even remotely resembling delusions, from being made?

As always, he even considered the selfishness of cowards.

“I’m truly sorry…”

Ironically, that became a wound that came back to haunt him.

It was a truly naive wound.

* * *

“Detective Hong, Detective…!”

“Yeonwoo-ssi.”

After a full day in this strange world, Constable Kim ran towards him with a sense of relief upon seeing his familiar face. It felt like meeting a fellow Korean who knew the way while being lost in a foreign country.

She approached Hong Kyungjun, a detective, and checked on his condition.

“Are you hurt? I was worried because there were strange monster-like creatures. And with the phone not working, I couldn’t even know where you were…”

“I didn’t expect the elevator doors to suddenly close. I’m sorry for causing you worry.”

They had been scouring the apartment complex in pursuit of the culprit, and just as they were about to leave the building, they were engulfed into another world. Unfortunately, after Detective Hong Kyungjun entered the car, the elevator doors closed, forcing them to part ways.

Constable Kim eventually escaped the elevator, not knowing if it went up or down, and made her way out of the building through the stairs. Afterwards, she wandered around until she found the grandmother in the park, who was keeping watch.

Despite the relief, Detective Hong couldn’t help but scratch the side of his jaw at Kim’s still rigid expression.

“Still, I’m glad we’re able to communicate. I was worried about how to find you if you were somewhere else…”

“Since the next investigation location was the park. With no way to contact each other, uh… Since we had a shared destination, I thought we should go there.”

“With the area expanding, it’s been even harder to find people.”

He nodded at Constable Kim.

“You did well. Your judgment is truly commendable.”

“Oh, uh. Yes, thank you.”

Constable Kim’s expression remained stern, but Detective Hong Kyungjun noticed her eyebrows slightly lowering and then looked away. At the end of his gaze sat an elderly man on a reasonably sized rock.

In his characteristic deep voice, but not loud enough to carry far, Detective Hong asked, “Who is that?”

“I met him near the back gate of the park, and he’s been accompanying me. Of course, given his age, he hasn’t really moved much, just staying here…”

“Good judgment. Well done.”

Kim Yeonwoo glanced at him twice in response to his praise.

‘I don’t look that good to deserve such praise.’

Wearing glasses, he looked like a sensitive lawyer, but aside from being taciturn with hardly any change in expression, he seemed quite reserved. Constable Kim was a bit surprised when he neatly dressed in a suit and coat, meticulously folded his hair, and then scooped up a mouthful of rice with seasoned vegetables and stuffed it into his mouth.

With a peculiar impression of him, Kim Yeonwoo suddenly opened her mouth, recalling the events of the morning.

“Oh, uh, Detective. Did you happen to encounter anyone else while you were coming here? A middle-aged man, perhaps…”

“I was just about to talk about that. Let me have a brief conversation with him first.”

“Oh, uh, yes, of course…”

Feeling a bit crestfallen at the abrupt interruption, Constable Kim watched as Detective Hong approached the elderly man sitting on the rock.

“Hello, sir.”

“…And who might you be?”

“I’m a colleague of that friend over there.”

“Oh, the one who got mixed up.”

“Yes, I have a few questions I’d like to ask…”

With his words trailing off, he gestured towards Constable Kim. It wasn’t just a question to ask the old lady; Kim Yeonwoo also hoped she would join in and provide answers.

As she stepped closer, focusing on Detective Hong’s words, he spoke again.

“Have you encountered any other survivors?”

“Are you referring to living people? Yes, one person.”

“Just one.”

When Constable Kim subtly hinted that she knew something, Detective Hong, after a brief roll of his eyes, asked again, still directing the question towards the old man.

“Was it a man wearing round glasses with a mole on his eye?”

“Who could that be?”

“No, it wasn’t. I apologize.”

“I…”

Standing beside them, Kim Yeonwoo spoke up.

“There was a man who was being chased by the monster around dawn. Once it got light, the monster went somewhere else, but I survived thanks to him. He wasn’t wearing glasses and didn’t have a mole.”

“Is that so?”

“But, um.”

After Constable Kim glanced at the old man still sitting on the rock, she looked back at Hong Kyungjun.

“Oh.”

Detective Hong could roughly guess what her question was, given her behavior of being conscious of others’ gazes. It was likely about whether the person described earlier was the serial killer they were chasing.

In response, Hong Kyungjun simply nodded.

“I didn’t directly witness it or have any certainty.”

“Ah… Then?”

“I met someone a bit concerning near the lake just now.”

He recalled the deep black pupils behind the glass. The conscious yet remarkably gentle smile. The utilitarian glasses covering eyes akin to tangled wires. The thick hands gripping the monkey wrench, slick with crimson liquid.

A face that seemed tidy and sincere yet instinctively gave off an unsettling vibe, that…

“……”

“Ah, I see… So there are other survivors besides us. That’s a relief.”

“Yes, indeed.”

With his expressionless face unchanged, Hong Kyungjun nodded.

“That’s fortunate.”

* * *