episode_0019
by fnovelpia#19
Inside the public memorial park operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
In that place where the heavy air was felt, a man dressed in black spoke to the other group.
“Hey. Woojin. Dohan isn’t coming this time either?”
“Yeah. I said it was this Wednesday when we met last time… I don’t think he’ll come.”
“Heartless bastard.”
“… Don’t be like that.”
Because he’ll have the hardest time.
“Hey. I’m going to have a smoke.”
“Will you come with me?”
“You don’t like the smell of cigarettes. Just stay inside.”
After that, Woojin went outside, feeling the cigarette pack in his pocket.
.
The air in the ossuary is, of course, quite heavy.
It’s been three years already. Since the guy committed suicide, we’ve been meeting here every year. Except for one guy.
“… Pup. It’s about time you let him go.”
I understand. The guy and Do-han had a long history.
Since we went to the same daycare, it seems like our relationship has been going on for a bit longer than mine, which is when we started hanging out together in middle school.
‘… It’s a mast.’
I guess I should break up now. But I guess it’ll be okay on a day like today.
I took out my lighter, lit it, and took a deep breath… The red flame briefly glowed and burned, and a thin cloud of smoke rose.
“… .”
The first one to discover the guy’s body was Dohan.
… After that, I received a call and the guy inside now arrived.
‘I was really out of my mind back then.’
We had to hold the funeral for him because there was no one to hold the funeral for him.
Was that the first time you learned that there was a profession called funeral director?
I knew then when I saw Dohan that a person can cry without shedding a single tear.
“Sigh.”
Today, the cigarette smoke was a little thicker and spread a little wider.
***
After Hwayoung’s first schedule, filming a drama, was over,
She and I were driving on the road for our next schedule.
Boohoo.
‘and.’
I can’t help but be impressed by the ride quality of this luxury vehicle that I’m driving for the first time in my life.
Smooth steering feel, a flashy but not overly flashy interior, unwavering comfort. Simmons bed… that’s it.
“Haam… I’ll sleep for a bit. Wake me up when I get there.”
“Yep.”
Hwayoung, who was sitting in the passenger seat, said that and then closed her eyes.
‘… You must be very tired.’
Well, just looking at the activities listed here, there are interviews, magazine pictorials, drama cameo appearances, fan signing events…
It’s the life of a popular celebrity, except that he may occasionally be called upon to patrol or subdue villains in times of emergency.
‘At times like this, I’d feel less tired if I took a nap.’
At that time, I was thinking like that and trying to drive more carefully so as not to wake Hwayoung.
“Ah. I have a question. Can I ask you something?”
Hwayoung, who I thought was asleep, suddenly spoke to me.
“No, just go to sleep.”
“Why did you quit the police force? To open a cocktail bar?”
Hwayoung continued talking, ignoring my harsh answer.
It was a bit of a random question.
“Why are you suddenly curious about that?”
“Just. I was curious because there was a patrol car passing by outside.”
It seems like a question without any particular meaning.
‘Why did you quit the police force…?’
In fact, the reason I quit the police force was simple.
It’s ridiculous that a guy who can’t even look after the people around him is a police officer.
.
As is usually the case with children born around the time when people with special abilities began to appear,
There was a time when I also admired heroes.
The trigger was simple.
By chance, I saw on TV a hero movie’s protagonist being welcomed by people. That was all.
“Even if they go out, they won’t be of any help to society. They might as well not be born at all… .”
I think it might have been because of something I heard from the daycare director one day.
But I was incompetent, and I soon gave up on my dream of becoming a hero because I had adapted to reality.
But, the guy was different.
“I want to be a hero. Protecting people is my dream.”
My friend, in the same situation as me, but different from me.
That friend who confidently spoke of the dream I was too embarrassed to speak of.
“A hero from an orphanage. Isn’t that cool?”
I irresponsibly entrusted my dreams to the guy.
“… Oh. That’s cool. Amazing.”
I wanted to show that people in our situation can also be heroes, special people.
Around that time, I started to apply to become a police officer.
Even though I’m not a hero, I wanted to be someone who helps others.
… and the guy died. On the same day that the third hero test results came out.
“Next Wednesday. Do you know what day it is?”
“Honey, what’s wrong?”
ah.
“… My head suddenly hurts a little. Sorry.”
I ended up remembering it.
A fact that I had forgotten… no, that I had deliberately ignored.
─The fact that today is that guy’s anniversary.
‘no.’
The moment I realized that fact, I felt like a real bug was crawling up my body.
“Haa… Ha… .”
Feeling something strange, I immediately pulled over to the side of the road, unbuckled my seatbelt, and took a deep breath.
But the number of bugs climbing up my body was increasing despite my efforts…
“Honey? What’s wrong?”
Soon the bugs crawled up my body to my neck… strangling my throat.
‘Don’t think about it… Don’t think about it… .’
Blurred vision. The last image of a guy who should never have been seen flashes before my eyes.
What if I had paid a little more attention to the guy?
What if I had told him to accept reality instead of irresponsibly cheering him on back then?
“… .”
If only I had given that guy who failed the hero test a drink instead of…
“Honey!”
At that moment when I was buried in the past, something warm covered the hand holding the steering wheel.
It was Hwayoung’s hand.
“Honey. Are you in a lot of pain? Do you want to take a short rest at a rest stop?”
Hwayoung’s eyes, not the relaxed expression she had until now, were worried about me.
As I felt the warmth of those gazes and hands, the things that had been squeezing me like a lie began to slowly disappear.
‘It’s fortunate that I stopped on the side of the road while I was still conscious…’
If not, it would have been a really big deal.
Everything was fine until now, so I thought I was better now. What the heck.
“… Ugh.”
I felt so inadequate that I couldn’t help but sigh.
“I’m sorry. I guess I suddenly felt a little motion sickness.”
At that moment, he apologized to Hwayoung for causing trouble and tried to get back behind the wheel.
“… Panic, perhaps?”
She asked quietly, still holding my hand.
What should I do with her words? Should I just say that I feel motion sickness? I was thinking about it.
‘How can you lie when he asks you with those eyes?’
“… Yes.”
In the end, I nodded quietly.
Then came her unexpected answer.
“It’s okay. I’m taking medicine too.”
“… Yes?”
When I asked her again, embarrassed by her words, Hwayoung answered nonchalantly.
“Well, it’s an occupational disease. If you’re feeling better, let’s go. If you’re not feeling better, let me know.”
After a while, she let go of my hand and turned her head forward again.
‘Does that mean you don’t really want to talk any more?’
If you think about it, it’s common to hear stories about celebrities suffering from panic disorder.
Heroes can also be seen as being in a similar position to celebrities, so it’s not that strange.
However, it is a bit surprising that the target is Hwayoung.
‘… This must also be a prejudice.’
Since I didn’t really have any intention of asking, I grabbed the wheel again.
.
After that, we arrived at the fan signing event venue, which was our next schedule.
“Then, honey… No. Mr. Dohan. See you later.”
“… Yes.”
Still, I like the change in my title, perhaps because I’ll be meeting my fans soon.
‘Can’t you just keep calling me like that?’
“As you know, if fans try to make excessive contact, the manager must stop them. And please observe the time limit.”
“Yes.”
After receiving instructions on precautions, I went to the fan meeting place where Hwayoung was.
Groan, groan.
“Fans, please stand in line!”
‘and….’
Exclamations of admiration burst out from the crowd that filled the venue.
The number of people appears to be at least 500.
‘I knew it was popular, but it wasn’t to this extent.’
I can’t believe I’m the manager of that kind of person. I guess I’ll have to live a long life to see that.
The fan meeting started afterwards.
“Hwa, Hwayoung unnie. Pae, I’m a fan! Wow… Seriously, uh, what should I do!!!”
“Huh huh. Thank you.”
“I saw you catching the villain on YouTube last time! My heart was pounding… ”
“… Excuse me. Please move to the exit over there while we wait for the next person. ”
“… .”
I’m just letting you know that time is running out. Why are you glaring at me like you’re going to eat me?
‘Why are you doing this to me?’
It’s so unfair.
After that, I had to stop fans one by one who tried to make physical contact or who refused to leave even after the time limit was up… I was completely exhausted by the end of the fan meeting.
Being a manager is harder than I thought.
“Hwayoung, I’m always cheering you on!”
“Thank you. Bye.”
… I am impressed by Hwayoung who always has a smile on her face while serving so many fans.
‘…Are there about ten people left?’
Anyway, the crowd is almost ending.
After that, the next fan entered.
‘hmm?’
Unlike other fans, he was a bit unusual in that he was covering his face with a hat and mask. Usually it would be the opposite.
“Unnie Hwayoung. This is a gift!”
“Huh? Thank you. I’ll take good care of it.”
‘So cute.’
A fan holding out a gift box with cute packaging. She looks to be in her teens.
Dododo.
After the fan left the venue, Hwayoung opened the gift box after she left,
“Oh.”
He greeted the next fan who came in with a slightly surprised expression.
.
After the fan meeting ended,
‘Why are there so many gifts?’
That time I was packing the gifts Hwayoung received from fans into the trunk.
“Ah. Honey. Throw this away.”
Hwayoung said that and handed me a gift box.
A gift box with cute packaging. It was the box that the fan wearing the mask gave me earlier.
“Yes?”
“Ah. Don’t check the contents.”
Hwayoung said that with a calm expression and then got into the passenger seat.
‘… Don’t look at the contents?’
There is something like that. I feel like pressing the red button.
The thing that tells you not to check is the kind of mentality that makes you really want to check.
I made sure she was in the passenger seat, and secretly checked the contents of the gift box…
“What is this.”
… a sigh escaped reflexively.
That would be the case, the contents of the gift box.
‘… That person looks like he didn’t care even after seeing this?’
─Because it was a picture of Hwayoung torn to pieces, and the corpses of countless bugs, including cockroaches and martens.
0 Comments