Chapter 28

00028 A Meeting with Acquaintances.

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“I have seen women here before. However, we cannot be certain that the woman we saw is the one you people are talking about, who was kidnapped.”

This was said with the intention of lessening the shock. However, the woman’s eyes still held a glimmer of certainty. She quickly nodded and replied.

“It’s fine. Right now, I’m willing to grasp at any straw. If it’s a long, straight hair, I might not be sure, but if it’s a yellow dress, it’s almost certain.”

“Even if it’s a yellow dress… It was only partially confirmed as it was torn into pieces.”

“What… What do you mean?”

At my words, the woman stumbled over her words. Woo Jeongmin, Seon Yuun, and Cheon Seunghyun, who were holding their hands tightly, seemed to have anticipated what would come next. However, her eyes still refused to let go of hope. After a moment, she spoke in a trembling voice, filled with the hope that it might not be true.

“Why was the clothing torn?”

“When we found her, the woman was lying against a tree. Upon closer inspection… she was already dead.”

“Won Hye-soo…!”

The woman called Won Hye-soo, upon hearing my words, became dazed and stumbled, falling to the ground. Cheon Seunghyun, who was standing beside her, quickly caught her, but her legs must have been completely limp. Knowing the pain of losing someone dear, I felt a deep sense of sorrow for the woman called Won Hye-soo.

For a while, silence reigned.

“How did Hye-yeon die?”

However, it seemed that Woo Jeongmin had already accepted the reality, as he asked me in a calm voice. But the complexity in his tone suggested that his heart was deeply shaken. I remained silent for a moment before he spoke again, still waiting for my answer.

“It’s fine. I had a rough idea. Just tell me the truth.”

“…There were traces of blood around her mouth. It seems she bit her tongue and committed suicide.”

“No. Wait. That’s impossible. She wouldn’t have committed suicide.”

“When we found her, she was almost naked. And… there was a fluid, presumably from the monkey-like creature, coming out of her genital area.”

The moment I finished speaking, the atmosphere turned icy. Woo Jeongmin was genuinely furious. His eyes were filled with rage, and his fists were clenched as if he was about to explode. Seon Yuun, who had been listening quietly, was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot, vividly conveying the sense of loss and anger they felt.

At that moment, Won Hye-soo, who had been staring blankly into space with a dazed look, let out a scream.

“H… Ha… Ha… Haaaaaaa!”

“Hye-soo! Pull yourself together!”

“Aaaaaaah! Aaaaaaah!”

The intensity of her scream was so fierce that even the relatively calm Cheon Seunghyun took a step back. Unable to bear the loss, Won Hye-soo began to tear at the floor with her hands and scream.

“No! Hye-yeon! Hye-yeon can’t be dead! It’s a lie! It’s a lie! Hye-yeonaaaaaah!”

“Won Hye-soo! Pull yourself together! We lost Jin-tae too, remember? Don’t let your emotions get the better of you. We need to face reality calmly.”

“Shut up! Hye-yeon! Hye-yeon!”

Won Hye-soo, who was looking around like a madwoman, met my gaze. Her mouth, twisted with anger, was visible, and she suddenly stood up and lunged at me. Although Seon Yuun and Cheon Seunghyun quickly grabbed her arms, she still lashed out at me.

“It’s a lie! Don’t lie! She can’t be dead! It’s a lie, right? Isn’t it? Yes? It’s a lie, say it…! Say it, dammit!”

“Hye-soo… Let’s go and see for ourselves. Okay? Calm down.”

Cheon Seunghyun continued to try to calm her, but since she was almost in a state of delirium, she probably didn’t hear him. I watched her silently and then spoke in a quiet voice.

“The body is about 30 minutes down the path that stretches behind us. There aren’t many trees around there. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“You bastard! You killed Hye-yeon! Dead? Don’t lie! No. You cowardly ran away when you saw Hye-yeon being attacked, didn’t you? You could have saved her but you ran away! You cowardly bastard!”

“What? This crazy woman… Brother?”

Although I felt sorry for her, I couldn’t let her insult me. Just as I was about to step forward, I shook my head and held her back. She looked at me with a resentful expression but stepped back when she saw my stern face. At that moment, Woo Jeongmin, who had been quietly looking at the sky, raised his right hand high.

Slap!

The face of Won Hye-soo, who had been cursing me as a coward, turned to the side. With a flushed face, she looked at him in disbelief, her eyes fixed on his hand. Woo Jeongmin looked at her with a face full of disappointment.

“Stop it, Won Hye-soo. You’re disgusting.”

“What, what?”

“Face reality… No, I don’t think you’ll listen to anything I say. Don’t take out your anger on others and face reality.”

“Ha… It doesn’t matter. You’re not her sister. So what? Yeah, that’s right. To you, it’s just a 4-day acquaintance, but to me, me, me! I’m different. We’ve lived together for over 20 years. So what? Face reality?”

Seon Yuun looked at Won Hye-soo with a sympathetic gaze as she spoke with venom in her voice. Then, he finally turned away from her. Upon seeing him turn his head, Won Hye-soo began to cry again. Even to an outsider, it was clear that she was on the verge of madness, overwhelmed by disappointment, frustration, anxiety, and confusion.

“Won Hye-soo, are you crazy? I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but you can’t act like this! Calm down and get a grip. Why are you like this?”

“Yeah, I’m crazy. I’d rather be crazy. So let me go. Let me go, dammit!”

Her hysteria was getting worse. Woo Jeongmin sighed deeply and spoke in a heavy voice.

“I don’t think you’re crazy. We lost Jin-tae here too. So I understand how you feel, losing a beloved sister. If anyone had seen how you and your sister got along for even 4 days, they would empathize and sympathize with you. And… there’s no guarantee that the person is Hye-yeon.”

“Don’t lie. Yeah! They could be lying now. You only saw part of the clothing, right? I’m going to check. I’m going. It’s probably not Hye-yeon. It can’t be.”

Humans are creatures of self-justification. Initially, Won Hye-soo was so certain, but now she had completely changed her attitude. She pleaded, despaired, raged, and then clung to hope again. She was literally going mad. She refused to accept her death and only interpreted things in a hopeful way. I had seen people like her before, but I still felt a sense of unease.

“Stop it. You saw Hye-yeon being taken by the monkey-like creatures, didn’t you?”

“I’ll go even if you don’t. Let me go. I have to go. I’m going now.”

“…Jeongmin. Let’s go and see. Let’s confirm… if there’s a body…”

Cheon Seunghyun, who had been speaking cautiously, quickly closed his mouth when he felt Won Hye-soo’s eyes sharpen. When Cheon Seunghyun and Seon Yuun let go of her arms, she glared at me and started running in the direction I had pointed. They exchanged awkward glances and then quickly followed her. However, Woo Jeongmin remained in place.

“You got involved in something unnecessary. I’m sorry. I only saw them for 4 days, but Hye-soo and Hye-yeon cared for each other deeply.”

An Hyun nodded in understanding. He was holding An Sol tightly with his right arm, looking uneasy. Woo Jeongmin, who had been watching them with a bitter expression, turned to me and spoke in a serious tone.

“Anyway, thank you for avenging her. You saved us the trouble. But… I hope what you said isn’t a lie.”

“What?”

After seeing Yoo Jeongmin’s reaction, he turned his gaze to Kim Hanbyeol and An Sol. Then he smiled and spoke.

“Indeed… You don’t seem like the type to lie. I apologize. I should go now.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. Unfortunately, we’re busy too. We’ll be on our way.”

“Wait a moment. You with the crossbow. Come here for a moment.”

Surprised by the sudden call, I glanced at him and slowly walked over. After checking his companions, he lowered his voice so only I could hear.

“It’s not much of a reward, but I’ll give you a piece of information. You’re heading to the central warp gate, right? Don’t answer, just nod slightly.”

I nodded, and after a moment, Woo Jeongmin whispered something in my ear in a subtle voice.

============================ Author's Note ============================

1. Typos and context corrections.