# 18
018
Everyone frowned at the fishy smell of blood that filled the office.
“No, no matter how much the world says it’s the end….”
Hong Seong-bin, head of the criminal investigation department, also had a frown on his face.
While working in the violent crime world for nearly 10 years, I have seen all kinds of dirty things, but I can count on one hand the number of cases like the present.
“It’s been a long time since I lost consciousness as soon as I saw the scene.”
Seongbin Hong put a cigarette in his mouth and turned on the lighter.
Tick, tick –
“Huh….”
The pale cigarette smoke flowing through the air swept over the corpses strewn on the floor.
The bodies were members of a gang that ran an illegal loan business.
They might have died nobly, but they all died in a dirty, broken state, with places crushed or broken.
Wow!
It was such a terrible sight that a rookie police officer was so upset that he started to vomit.
After taking a quick look at the scene, Hong Seongbin asked the police officer waiting next to him.
“Have you checked the building’s CCTV?”
“Well… I checked and it was all models.”
“I wonder if someone is a gangster.”
If it hadn’t been for residents reporting a foul odor coming from the building, they would have rotted until they became mummies.
He headed to the corner of the office, past investigators taking photos of the scene and taking fingerprints and blood samples.
There was a safe lying there, empty inside.
‘Is this a regular problem between organizations?’
Hong Seongbin, who had briefly hypothesized, shook his head.
‘It’s not some Yakuza movie, there’s no way they would behave this blatantly.’
Moreover, it is foolish to work together as an organization just to collect a few pennies from the loan sharks’ operating funds.
‘…was it committed by an individual?’
Surprisingly, it was quite possible.
Not an ordinary powerless human being.
It was not entirely impossible for an ‘awakened person’ to kill a few incompetent gangsters.
But even so, I could never guess the intention behind spreading the situation this far.
Not only did they not put any effort into cleaning it up, but if they were awakened, the risk of being stepped on would be several times greater…
Of course, since the CCTV is fake and there are no suitable witnesses around, the investigation will be very difficult.
‘I don’t know what it is, but you’re crazy.’
Seongbin Hong licked his lips.
***
“If there’s anything you like, just pick it.”
“….”
“Don’t worry about the price. I’ve saved up money, but where should I spend it? It’s meant to be used for something like this. Ah, this is doing well these days. “What do you think, brother?”
“….”
“Answer me, you sociopath brother. “I’m dying of frustration.”
Daesung looked at the cell phone Jisoo gave him with emotionless eyes.
The two were shopping at a nearby cell phone store.
This is so that Daesung can get a cell phone to use in the future.
The cell phone he used 10 years ago, before he fell into hell, was of course stopped, and now he can’t use it.
‘It’s a cell phone.’
Daesung shook his head as he looked around the new device corner.
Of course I needed a cell phone, but I didn’t want to waste my family’s money to buy something expensive.
“Buy the cheap one.”
“Are you out of your mind? Don’t be so stubborn, take it when they offer to buy it for you! Even if someone wants to change his name, he can’t…”
First of all, she brought Daesung in to provide him with a cell phone, but at the same time, she was jealous.
I felt the same way and wanted to throw away my old phone that I had used for two years and replace it with a cheap one.
However, this idiot oppa says that he will kick away the fortune that has rolled in, so it is bound to be frustrating to watch.
“If only it were really me! Thank you Jisoo! And he bowed.”
“Do you want to change?”
“huh? what?”
“that.”
Daesung gestured at the cell phone in Jisoo’s hand.
Jisoo glanced at her cell phone with a puzzled expression.
“Oh this? I don’t want to change it. But why?”
“I’ll buy it for you. “Choose what you like.”
“….”
I don’t know how a man with no money has the confidence to say something like that.
What’s the point if you think about it? Jisoo sighed and took the phone from Daesung’s hand.
“Stop talking nonsense. “If you don’t choose, I will choose this instead?”
“Do as you will.”
“Ugh.”
Part of me wanted to buy him an old 2G phone, but I had a conscience so I stopped.
What Jisoo chose was a smartphone that is popular these days.
I just went to the employee and went through the purchase process.
Of course, Jisoo, who was sitting next to me, had to answer questions such as how much data I was going to use, how much penalty and installments were left, etc.
After a while. After completing their purchase, the two left the store.
‘No matter how much you think about it, it’s like a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck.’
Jisoo looked wistfully at the new cell phone in her hand.
But I felt more happy than sad.
“….”
She recalled an incident at the cafe where she worked yesterday.
At that time, if it weren’t for my brother, I would have been embarrassed in front of so many people.
‘This is my repayment from that time.’
I can’t help but be happy when I think that way.
Jisoo, who realized that the corner of her mouth had gone up without realizing it, hurriedly erased her idle thoughts and spoke.
“I just changed the device, so it’s the same as the cell phone number I used before. “Messenger records will remain as is.”
“Right.”
“Do you know what I’m talking about? “The missed calls and text messages accumulated over the past 10 years have been transferred intact.”
Since the day Daesung lost consciousness.
No doubt many of his friends and teachers would have sent him text messages to say hello.
“If I reply that your brother is awake, everyone will probably faint.”
“….”
Are you talking about human relationships before falling into hell?
To be honest, Daesung couldn’t even recall their memories. Except for the very few humans I was really close to.
When Jisoo
handed over the cell phone, Daesung tried to take it.
At this time, Jisoo did not let go of her hand holding the phone for a very brief moment.
When Daesung tilted his head, Jisoo smiled.
“So, this is your first gift?”
“What a gift.”
“This is the first gift I gave you since you woke up.”
“….”
“Take care of it. “I know that if I handle it too much, it will die in my hands.”
Only then did Jisoo let go of her phone.
Daesung looked at the cell phone with emotionless eyes for a while.
‘A gift given to me.’
It was amazing.
Until just now, it felt like a cumbersome and extravagant item… but
when I thought of it as a gift from my family, I felt like I should cherish it and risk my life.
***
After returning home, the first application Daesung touched was the messenger box.
Daesung looked at the screen and narrowed his eyes.
200 copies.
It was the number of texts accumulated over 10 years of absence.
In addition, there were nearly 100 missed calls.
[I heard the news about Daeseong-ah. Wake up quickly, kid. I’ll be waiting.]
[Daeseong. Please contact me when you wake up. I and my family will be praying for you.]
[Daeseong, I am your homeroom teacher in third grade. I heard about it from my mother. I’m sorry that there’s nothing I can do for you.]
Daesung, Daesung, Daesung.
They were all sent by friends who went to the same elementary or middle school as him and his teachers.
“….”
I could understand it in context.
But for Daesung, these were all names he had never seen before.
The memory chip I received during the Advent Quest brought back some really important memories and key relationships that should not be forgotten.
However, it could not restore the memories of people I had known for less than two years.
They worry about me so much, but I don’t even remember them.
Since I had forgotten about them, I lost the confidence to respond to their request to contact me when I wake up.
It was empty.
It was as if there was a huge hole in my heart.
Hold-
‘Damn it.’
Who is this swearing at? Daesung himself didn’t know.
He may have been angry at himself for arbitrarily forgetting those who truly cared for him while taking care of his own life.
“….”
No, there is only one person.
A connection from the past brought back by a memory chip with family.
[Daeseong. I’m sending a text message again today.]
Seong Chan-ho.
A friend who came to visit Daesung the other day after hearing that he had regained consciousness.
In the memories restored by the memory chip, my memories with him came back to me in fragments.
That means that Seong Chan-ho is as precious as his family.
“….”
Since I had some memories, I felt like I should talk to him.
I also have to apologize for asking the person who came to visit me in the hospital, ‘Who is it?’
But I didn’t know what to say first.
That time when Daesung was just holding his phone and being silent.
Brr-!
My phone vibrated.
It was a message sent to Seong Chan-ho.
It was truly perfect timing.
[Congratulations on activating your phone! I’m finishing work soon, so let’s have a drink then! Haha]
***
The meeting place was the subway station closest to Daesung’s house.
When I arrived, Seong Chan-ho was already waiting at the appointed place.
Daesung approached him.
“Chanho.”
“Uh… huh?”
Seong Chan-ho, who had been standing blankly waiting for Daesung to arrive, was momentarily taken aback.
It’s worth it.
You can’t help but be surprised when someone you meet for the first time comes and calls your name.
“Who are you?”
“…?”
On the other hand, Daesung was surprised that Seong Chan-ho did not recognize him even though it was not his first time seeing him.
Then, even though it was too late, I realized the reason.
‘When this guy came to the hospital, he wasn’t the same as he is now.’
When Seong Chan-ho came to visit, he had not completed the Advent quest.
At that time, Daesung did not have white hair and a muscular body like he does now, but a skeletal body that looked like it would collapse at any moment.
I couldn’t recognize Hye-jeong, his biological mother, right away, so what must Seong Chan-ho be like?
“it’s me. “Han Dae-seong.”
“yes? …Huh what? “Handaeseong?”
Seong Chan-ho’s eyes looked up and down Daesung’s large body.
If you look closely, you can see that the facial features of Han Dae-seong that he remembers still vaguely remain.
‘What happened?’
It’s literally like a ghost crying.
Daesung, who saw Sung Chan-ho’s pupils shaking, emphasized it again.
“I am Han Dae-seong.”
“…Uh uhh. okay. Now that I look at it again, it seems to be true…”
Anyway, it was clear that the person in front of me was Han Dae-seong.
‘Then this…’
Is it because my job is related to ‘that’?
One word passed through Seong Chan-ho’s mind.
‘Awakening?’
There was no other way to explain it other than that.
However, I couldn’t ask Daesung if he had awakened in front of the person in question.
Seong Chan-ho, who was momentarily dumbfounded, forgot what to say.
Daesung also quickly shook his head.
There was no way to explain how his body became like this. I don’t even have the heart to explain.
However, if Seong Chan-ho asks a question, how should I respond?
Another way is to avoid the situation by pretending that you don’t want to talk about it.
‘I think this guy will fully understand.’
Is it because of the memories in the memory chip? Unlike others, I somehow had trust in Seong Chan-ho.
And in reality,
“Keuhum!” Baby, you’re feeling better. “I’m jealous, man!”
Seong Chan-ho was quick to consider Daesung’s situation.
Even Daesung could guess that he intentionally didn’t ask out of consideration for himself.
“You didn’t eat dinner, right? “Let’s go eat first.”
“uh.”
“This brother is fine, I checked it out in advance. Trust me and follow me.”
Seong Chan-ho grinned and put his arm around Daesung’s shoulder.
“….”
It wasn’t a bad feeling.
As expected, this guy is trustworthy. Daesung came to that conclusion.
Right then.
A twitch –
a very brief moment of less than a second.
It felt as if a large wave was crashing behind my back.
Stop.
Daesung reflexively stopped and looked back.
“what’s the matter?”
“….”
That wriggling thing just now.
It’s not my fault.
It was the same unidentified energy that I sometimes felt when my body had not fully recovered yet.
At the time, I dismissed it as an ‘anxiety symptom’ created by a weak body and mind.
And I haven’t felt it even once since my body recovered…
‘Am I mentally and physically disturbed without realizing it because of the memories from when I was hospitalized?’
Daesung answered Sung Chan-ho’s question one step late.
“No, nothing.”
Anyway, there is no visible abnormality, so you can ignore it.
Thinking like that, Daesung continued his way.
But he didn’t know.
Strictly speaking it is. The fact
that
it is not ‘nothing’.