episode_0029

“Huh…?”

The shattered view pieces itself together haphazardly, as if someone recklessly rearranged the chaos.

A slight bitterness lingers in my mouth. It’s the medicine I always take. Aunt prescribed it, saying I’d gobble it up whenever I felt down if it wasn’t bitter on purpose.

Strange.

I’ve been waiting for Santa, or more accurately, Luna noona whom I asked to act appropriately until she arrives. I can’t take the medicine without Jin’s permission. It doesn’t make sense. It’s a contradiction. Moreover…

“…Why am I tied up…?”

And that too, hanging limply by the wide-open window with both hands bound.

The knots are so loose that a slight twist of the wrist could undo them. The material is not a rope but a sheet covering the sofa. Yet, there’s no comfort. Instead, unease grows.

With only one eye left, I frantically scan the surroundings, but nothing is in sight.

I force my trembling legs to move. Staggering, I hit the wall. Thud against the table. Stumble. They say love makes people resemble each other, and there was no mistake in that old saying. So, let’s think. What could Jin have done while I slept? What might she be doing now?

“……Damn.”

Luckily, the answer was kindly left on the table.

The word ‘Hospital’ written firmly in crayon, a short note pressed onto the torn back of a calendar. Who could imitate such crooked handwriting? There was nothing to see. I rushed out the door immediately.

I felt nauseous with self-loathing.

I don’t need to see it; it’s obvious. Just because I delayed taking the medicine for a few hours, I must have gone berserk again. That’s why I tried to harm someone precious. Naturally, I must have collapsed after receiving Jin’s wrath. And Jin surely went to Aunt.

She’ll be furious, claiming the medicine is faulty, the prescription wrong.

An argument will erupt. Two people with low boiling points won’t just stand by quietly. I didn’t want to imagine the aftermath. I have to stop it. Prevent it. Before it’s too late, even a little ahead. I have to find either side.

…I thought things had improved slightly, but it was all a delusion.

There has been no change from the precious ones sacrificing themselves for me. I haven’t escaped at all from the trivial trauma.

“Heh, heh… Ugh, ugh!”

My slipper slipped off unnoticed.

The ground beneath my feet was extremely cold. It chilled me to the bone.

Snow had fallen in the meantime.

A white Christmas. A rare phenomenon in this town. But without Jin, it was merely another obstacle.

Perhaps due to the freezing cheek, my mouth barely moved.

With each exhale, a white breath dispersed into the air. Then the cold wind entered, causing my rough lungs to exhale sharply. Past cars, balconies, the second-floor garden, across rooftops, it rolls and tumbles forward.

“Alright, everyone gather round— One, two!”

“Back off! Back off!!”

“You pharmaceutical slaves who burned our hometown, get out of this land right now!”

“Stop child abductions, illegal experiments, citizen detentions, unauthorized disposals!”

“The governing council, stop ignoring the situation and listen to our voices! Come to the negotiation table instead of deceiving the residents!”

“Back off! Get out!!”

What’s this now?

There are many people in front of the hospital, where Aunt should be. They’re all dressed in bright red. Holding up large banners, shouting at the top of their lungs.

[Uh─ Once again, we kindly remind you. There are multiple patients currently hospitalized. Please cease the disturbance immediately and return home. Failure to comply will result in reporting and forced dispersal.]

“Do they think we’ll follow the ravings of a lunatic who kills people?”

“Our child, who barely survived the fire, was brutally torn apart by them and died! I saw it all, I saw it!!”

“The town remains a ruin because those bastards keep doing whatever they want!”

“When can we see the mother who was forcibly hospitalized? Why has she been silent for three years straight?!”

“File complaints against your hospital staff! They are the ones committing crimes and fleeing here to hide!”

[Once again, please be advised. There are numerous patients currently hospitalized in the facility. Please cease the disturbance immediately and return home. Failure to comply will result in legal action and forced dispersal.]

“Shut up!”

“Back off! Back off!!”

“Get the director, or that Park Hee-na woman, out here now!!”

“If you have any conscience, at least offer a minimal apology!!”

“If that bastard hadn’t brought HanA Pharmaceuticals to the town, none of this would have happened!”

“How long do we have to witness these brats sucking our blood while pretending to fill our pockets with their innocence?”

“Rebuild the project! Apologize to the victims! Compensate for the illegal acts! Get out of the town immediately!”

“Leave! Leave! Leave!!”

The people Teacher mentioned before, are they the ‘Jageungdan’?

Even though the hospital claims to be open year-round, chaos like this on Christmas morning is extraordinary. It seemed like they had nothing better to do. And gossiping about Auntie without knowing her well—ridiculous.

By the way, where is Jini?

There’s no way Jini would quietly avoid those Jageungdan. If she had already met Auntie, she would have contacted me. Should I wait here then? But if by some chance she has already gone inside…

[Once again, please be advised. There are numerous patients currently hospitalized in the facility. Please cease the disturbance immediately and return home. Failure to comply will result in legal action and forced dispersal.]

“Why do they keep repeating the same thing since earlier…?”

“I can’t take it anymore! Everyone, let’s go inside! Let’s save people with our own hands and drag out the mastermind… Park Hee-na!”

“Aaaaaahhhhh!!!”

“Beat them!” “Hang them by the neck!” “Break their legs and throw them into the harbor!” “Smash that arrogant head!” “Since they’re just women, let’s devour them!” “Let’s torture them so they can’t even dream of having children!” “Kill them!” “Kill!” “Die!” “Drown them in the toilet bowl!” “Let’s tear them apart piece by piece like our children suffered!!” “I brought gasoline!” “Let’s burn everything down! Park Hee-na and this hospital, all of it─” “Huh?” Huh, oh… oh?” “Kya, kyaahhhhh!!”

It’s loud.

Loud. Loud. Loud. Loud. Loud. All of them. It’s loud. It was so noisy that I couldn’t relax my body. So, unknowingly, the hood fell over my bowed head. Maybe that’s why my mouth, which was chattering, quieted down a bit. Just a little. It felt comforting.

“That, that guy, what is he doing. Right now… kill… killing people…”

It’s loud.

“What’s wrong with this lunatic! Go away! Go !”

It’s loud.

What are they saying? I can’t understand anything.

“What… What… What are those security guards doing! Hey! This guy is holding a knife to someone’s eyes ! !?”

It’s loud.

Loud. Loud.

The sound of bright red eyes gleaming is loud. Can’t hear it. Can’t hear anything. Can’t see. Feeling bad. Don’t want to touch. Don’t want to pick up again. One more stuck. There can be as many as you want. It’s enough even with bare hands. Everything must be cleared before Jin arrives. Kind-hearted Jin shouldn’t see these bad people. What Jin should see is picture books. Happy stories that end in happiness.

“Kill! Anyway, that one will be Park Hee-na or Kkeunapul!”

“It’s just one person anyway! Kill! Kill! Kiiilllll─ Aaahhh!! My, my arm!?!?!”

“Just hit him! Smash his head to kill him!!”

Loud.

Why won’t the mouth stop? Noisy. Grabbing the twisted wrist, it cuts. Not a person. It’s a bleeding chunk of flesh. It doesn’t make sense, can’t converse, just noisy screaming, it’s just meat. Meat exists to die. Half-bent neck tearing. Swinging another head, smashing one. The remaining one is kicked away. Pipes bend. Necks bend. Glass bottles bend before setting them on fire. They break. The hand that picks it up cuts fingers. Screams. Noisy. Loud sounds. Dirty smell. Noisy. Dirty smell. Noisy. Everything is noisy. Babbling nonsense without knowing anything. Lies. All of it. Noisy.

“Kee, Eeuu….”

“With this, now….”

“Let’s, go, Ah…….”

“End.”

Steps on it.

With all their might, the raised foot strikes the dark red ground. It explodes without warning. Debris scatters. Dirty. Grabs the coat collar and shakes it off but it doesn’t come off easily. Takes a breath. Puts the hood back on. Quiet. It became quiet.

[Once again, we would like to inform you that there are several patients currently hospitalized. Please cease causing disturbances immediately and return home. Failure to comply will result in reporting and forced dispersal.]

“…….”

[Once again, we would like to inform you that there are several patients currently hospitalized. Please cease causing disturbances immediately and return home. Failure to comply will result in reporting and forced dispersal.]

“…As expected, they’re not human.”

[ek시 한qjs 안내 말Tma드립니다. guswo 병원 so에는 ek수의 ghkswk분들이 입원 중입니다. wmrtl th란을 멈cnrh 귀가gktlrl 바랍니다. 통제에 따르지 않을 tl 고발 alc 강제 해산 조치하겠tmqsl다.]

Now, along with the eerie sound that has become somewhat familiar, the security guard’s helmet, which was turned inside out, falls off. The sticky film piled up on the face unfolds. It wasn’t particularly surprising. From the first sight, the thought of being able to eat didn’t occur at all─ Oh. Correction. It seemed like I could speak now.

“You know. Have you seen our Jin? Our princess with the brightest red eyes in the world.”

“[ektl gksqjs dks내 말Tma드립니다. guswo 병원 so에는….”

“By the way, stop the unfunny role-playing. It’s not even a bit amusing.”

“Rmdm, dmdmr….”

While grumbling while pulling out the knife stuck in the film lump’s head, it seemed like there was no intention of receiving feedback. All the guys blocking the door dropped their suppression shields. Instead, the distinctively elongated film extended towards me.

They only reveal themselves after the Jagyeongdan leaves.

Do these guys also not consider me a person like that? Despite the unpleasant treatment, it was somewhat good news apart from that. If they are so faithful to their roles, Auntie wouldn’t have been harmed. That was one thing I could be relieved about.