Chapter 186: Remorse
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The sound of the man's voice, together with that resonating laughter, broke out inside Jung Seok's mind like a clap of thunder.
Due to the shock, his legs instantly turned to jelly. He swayed on his feet, taking a couple of steps backwards. Out of instinct, he stretched out a hand and gripped the edge of the sink for support.
Once he looked up, he inevitably saw his reflection in the mirror. Jung Seok was startled to see that his face had become even paler than before. Even his lips were bloodless, giving him the appearance of a corpse.
"Does that person know something? But how can that be? No one… no one should know…" Jung Seok muttered, looking absolutely horrified.
Just then, his phone chimed once. It was the sound of a message notification.
His heart filling with trepidation, Jung Seok pulled out his phone to check the message.
'Your mother is currently out of danger. As soon as she wakes up, she will be moved to a private room. The operation has been paid in full and all subsequent treatment will be covered, just like we agreed, so make sure you keep your end of the bargain.
Sender: K'
As soon as he saw this content, Jung Seok's expression instantly changed into that of relief. He read the message twice, trying to convince himself that it was all true. Yet, as he did so, there was a small flash of guilt flickering in his eyes.
When he accidentally saw his expression in the mirror, Jung Seok froze. He simply stood there, gaping at his own reflection as if he was looking at a stranger.
During that moment of stillness, an internal battle was being fought inside Jung Seok's heart. In that turmoil, his features gradually twisted between reassurance that all will be well and the fright of having his secret exposed.
After spending what felt like an eternity inside a raging storm, Jung Seok finally came back to life. He swiftly raised a hand, slamming his fist against the sink.
Ignoring the burning sensation that quickly took over his curled fingers, Jung Seok let out a growling curse.
"Dammit! Dammit all to hell! What did I ever do wrong to deserve this kind of life? Always being pushed around by those who are richer or stronger… Why does it have to be like this? It's not fair!"
The sound of his trembling voice reverberating inside the restroom sounded pitiful even to his own ears. This caused Jung Seok to feel even more vexed with his own helplessness.
"You're such a fool, Jung Seok. When has life ever been fair?" he asked himself with a self-deprecating laugh. "Those who are born poor will remain powerless, while the richer become stronger and more powerful. That's just the way life is. Haven't you already learned your lesson?"
Soon afterwards, Jung Seok felt his eyes sting. Startled, he hurried to blink several times in order to push back the unwanted tears.
In both fury and desperation, he viciously bit his lower lip, burying his teeth deeply into the soft skin until they eventually drew blood. Small, red droplets started dripping from the cut, sliding down his chin and landing on the edge of the sink.
The deep red color of Jung Seok's blood created an uncanny contrast against the whiteness of the porcelain. The red trace that was drawn from the edge to the middle of the sink could make one think of the red string of fate. It wrapped tightly around Jung Seok, pulling him from the safety of the world, into the dark abyss of fear and doubt.
Just like a dangerous black hole, the drainage soon sucked the small trace of blood and along with it, all of Jung Seok's feelings of remorse.
Unable to bear the sight of his own face, Jung Seok took off his glasses and washed his face repeatedly.
The cold water eventually managed to somewhat calm him down. What was really difficult to chase away, though, were Ji-Su's parting words.
But even that was quickly suppressed. With the knowledge that his mother was now safe from danger, it all vanished in an instant, just like a drop of smoke under a billowing wind. Very soon, there were no traces left behind, nothing to show any struggle.
In the end, it took Jung Seok almost half an hour to return to the Planning Department office.
By the time he got back, Ji-Won had already finished the conversation with the lawyer.
While the latter was leaving, Ji-Won had called everyone in the team to his office for an urgent meeting. Seo-Jun was the last one to enter, carrying a stack of files under his arm.
"So, how's the situation?" he asked as soon as the door closed behind him.
"Not good." Ji-Won exhaled a long sigh. He leaned back into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It doesn't seem possible to continue with our original plan."
Everyone was worried, especially Su-Jin. Yet, despite all that this could mean for the team and their jobs, she was well aware that those feelings of concern were especially driven by a more personal cause.
Seeing Ji-Won's worn out appearance, she couldn't help but feel her heart twinging in a painful way. She wanted to do something, anything, to help that person. She wanted to smooth out the frown that wrinkled his forehead, to provide him with a solution that could help in alleviating his unease.
Driven by this pure and honest desire, Su-Jin took a step forward towards Ji-Won's desk.
"What should we do then? There must be something that can be done." Su-Jin said, staring fixedly at Ji-Won.
Seeing her stance, a fleeting smile crossed Ji-Won's lips. Almost at the same time, an unnoticeable trace of warmth flickered in his gaze.
Yet, when he spoke next, his tone sounded serious and professional.
"For now, Seo-Jun and I will think of a way to deal with the legal stuff. In the meantime, I want the rest of you to try and come up with a backup plan.. Search through the list of concepts for something that could be used in order to replace the previous 'Fun time farming with family' idea."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
The sound of the man's voice, together with that resonating laughter, broke out inside Jung Seok's mind like a clap of thunder.
Due to the shock, his legs instantly turned to jelly. He swayed on his feet, taking a couple of steps backwards. Out of instinct, he stretched out a hand and gripped the edge of the sink for support.
Once he looked up, he inevitably saw his reflection in the mirror. Jung Seok was startled to see that his face had become even paler than before. Even his lips were bloodless, giving him the appearance of a corpse.
"Does that person know something? But how can that be? No one… no one should know…" Jung Seok muttered, looking absolutely horrified.
Just then, his phone chimed once. It was the sound of a message notification.
His heart filling with trepidation, Jung Seok pulled out his phone to check the message.
'Your mother is currently out of danger. As soon as she wakes up, she will be moved to a private room. The operation has been paid in full and all subsequent treatment will be covered, just like we agreed, so make sure you keep your end of the bargain.
Sender: K'
As soon as he saw this content, Jung Seok's expression instantly changed into that of relief. He read the message twice, trying to convince himself that it was all true. Yet, as he did so, there was a small flash of guilt flickering in his eyes.
When he accidentally saw his expression in the mirror, Jung Seok froze. He simply stood there, gaping at his own reflection as if he was looking at a stranger.
During that moment of stillness, an internal battle was being fought inside Jung Seok's heart. In that turmoil, his features gradually twisted between reassurance that all will be well and the fright of having his secret exposed.
After spending what felt like an eternity inside a raging storm, Jung Seok finally came back to life. He swiftly raised a hand, slamming his fist against the sink.
Ignoring the burning sensation that quickly took over his curled fingers, Jung Seok let out a growling curse.
"Dammit! Dammit all to hell! What did I ever do wrong to deserve this kind of life? Always being pushed around by those who are richer or stronger… Why does it have to be like this? It's not fair!"
The sound of his trembling voice reverberating inside the restroom sounded pitiful even to his own ears. This caused Jung Seok to feel even more vexed with his own helplessness.
"You're such a fool, Jung Seok. When has life ever been fair?" he asked himself with a self-deprecating laugh. "Those who are born poor will remain powerless, while the richer become stronger and more powerful. That's just the way life is. Haven't you already learned your lesson?"
Soon afterwards, Jung Seok felt his eyes sting. Startled, he hurried to blink several times in order to push back the unwanted tears.
In both fury and desperation, he viciously bit his lower lip, burying his teeth deeply into the soft skin until they eventually drew blood. Small, red droplets started dripping from the cut, sliding down his chin and landing on the edge of the sink.
The deep red color of Jung Seok's blood created an uncanny contrast against the whiteness of the porcelain. The red trace that was drawn from the edge to the middle of the sink could make one think of the red string of fate. It wrapped tightly around Jung Seok, pulling him from the safety of the world, into the dark abyss of fear and doubt.
Just like a dangerous black hole, the drainage soon sucked the small trace of blood and along with it, all of Jung Seok's feelings of remorse.
Unable to bear the sight of his own face, Jung Seok took off his glasses and washed his face repeatedly.
The cold water eventually managed to somewhat calm him down. What was really difficult to chase away, though, were Ji-Su's parting words.
But even that was quickly suppressed. With the knowledge that his mother was now safe from danger, it all vanished in an instant, just like a drop of smoke under a billowing wind. Very soon, there were no traces left behind, nothing to show any struggle.
In the end, it took Jung Seok almost half an hour to return to the Planning Department office.
By the time he got back, Ji-Won had already finished the conversation with the lawyer.
While the latter was leaving, Ji-Won had called everyone in the team to his office for an urgent meeting. Seo-Jun was the last one to enter, carrying a stack of files under his arm.
"So, how's the situation?" he asked as soon as the door closed behind him.
"Not good." Ji-Won exhaled a long sigh. He leaned back into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It doesn't seem possible to continue with our original plan."
Everyone was worried, especially Su-Jin. Yet, despite all that this could mean for the team and their jobs, she was well aware that those feelings of concern were especially driven by a more personal cause.
Seeing Ji-Won's worn out appearance, she couldn't help but feel her heart twinging in a painful way. She wanted to do something, anything, to help that person. She wanted to smooth out the frown that wrinkled his forehead, to provide him with a solution that could help in alleviating his unease.
Driven by this pure and honest desire, Su-Jin took a step forward towards Ji-Won's desk.
"What should we do then? There must be something that can be done." Su-Jin said, staring fixedly at Ji-Won.
Seeing her stance, a fleeting smile crossed Ji-Won's lips. Almost at the same time, an unnoticeable trace of warmth flickered in his gaze.
Yet, when he spoke next, his tone sounded serious and professional.
"For now, Seo-Jun and I will think of a way to deal with the legal stuff. In the meantime, I want the rest of you to try and come up with a backup plan.. Search through the list of concepts for something that could be used in order to replace the previous 'Fun time farming with family' idea."
The sound of the man's voice, together with that resonating laughter, broke out inside Jung Seok's mind like a clap of thunder.Due to the shock, his legs instantly turned to jelly. He swayed on his feet, taking a couple of steps backwards. Out of instinct, he stretched out a hand and gripped the edge of the sink for support.Once he looked up, he inevitably saw his reflection in the mirror. Jung Seok was startled to see that his face had become even paler than before. Even his lips were bloodless, giving him the appearance of a corpse. "Does that person know something? But how can that be? No one no one should know" Jung Seok muttered, looking absolutely horrified. Just then, his phone chimed once. It was the sound of a message notification. His heart filling with trepidation, Jung Seok pulled out his phone to check the message. 'Your mother is currently out of danger. As soon as she wakes up, she will be moved to a private room. The operation has been paid in full and all subsequent treatment will be covered, just like we agreed, so make sure you keep your end of the bargain.Sender: K'As soon as he saw this content, Jung Seok's expression instantly changed into that of relief. He read the message twice, trying to convince himself that it was all true. Yet, as he did so, there was a small flash of guilt flickering in his eyes. When he accidentally saw his expression in the mirror, Jung Seok froze. He simply stood there, gaping at his own reflection as if he was looking at a stranger. During that moment of stillness, an internal battle was being fought inside Jung Seok's heart. In that turmoil, his features gradually twisted between reassurance that all will be well and the fright of having his secret exposed.After spending what felt like an eternity inside a raging storm, Jung Seok finally came back to life. He swiftly raised a hand, slamming his fist against the sink. Ignoring the burning sensation that quickly took over his curled fingers, Jung Seok let out a growling curse."Dammit! Dammit all to hell! What did I ever do wrong to deserve this kind of life? Always being pushed around by those who are richer or stronger Why does it have to be like this? It's not fair!" The sound of his trembling voice reverberating inside the restroom sounded pitiful even to his own ears. This caused Jung Seok to feel even more vexed with his own helplessness."You're such a fool, Jung Seok. When has life ever been fair?" he asked himself with a self-deprecating laugh. "Those who are born poor will remain powerless, while the richer become stronger and more powerful. That's just the way life is. Haven't you already learned your lesson?" Soon afterwards, Jung Seok felt his eyes sting. Startled, he hurried to blink several times in order to push back the unwanted tears. In both fury and desperation, he viciously bit his lower lip, burying his teeth deeply into the soft skin until they eventually drew blood. Small, red droplets started dripping from the cut, sliding down his chin and landing on the edge of the sink. The deep red color of Jung Seok's blood created an uncanny contrast against the whiteness of the porcelain. The red trace that was drawn from the edge to the middle of the sink could make one think of the red string of fate. It wrapped tightly around Jung Seok, pulling him from the safety of the world, into the dark abyss of fear and doubt. Just like a dangerous black hole, the drainage soon sucked the small trace of blood and along with it, all of Jung Seok's feelings of remorse. Unable to bear the sight of his own face, Jung Seok took off his glasses and washed his face repeatedly. The cold water eventually managed to somewhat calm him down. What was really difficult to chase away, though, were Ji-Su's parting words. But even that was quickly suppressed. With the knowledge that his mother was now safe from danger, it all vanished in an instant, just like a drop of smoke under a billowing wind. Very soon, there were no traces left behind, nothing to show any struggle.In the end, it took Jung Seok almost half an hour to return to the Planning Department office. By the time he got back, Ji-Won had already finished the conversation with the lawyer. While the latter was leaving, Ji-Won had called everyone in the team to his office for an urgent meeting. Seo-Jun was the last one to enter, carrying a stack of files under his arm."So, how's the situation?" he asked as soon as the door closed behind him. "Not good." Ji-Won exhaled a long sigh. He leaned back into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It doesn't seem possible to continue with our original plan."Everyone was worried, especially Su-Jin. Yet, despite all that this could mean for the team and their jobs, she was well aware that those feelings of concern were especially driven by a more personal cause. Seeing Ji-Won's worn out appearance, she couldn't help but feel her heart twinging in a painful way. She wanted to do something, anything, to help that person. She wanted to smooth out the frown that wrinkled his forehead, to provide him with a solution that could help in alleviating his unease.Driven by this pure and honest desire, Su-Jin took a step forward towards Ji-Won's desk."What should we do then? There must be something that can be done." Su-Jin said, staring fixedly at Ji-Won.Seeing her stance, a fleeting smile crossed Ji-Won's lips. Almost at the same time, an unnoticeable trace of warmth flickered in his gaze. Yet, when he spoke next, his tone sounded serious and professional. "For now, Seo-Jun and I will think of a way to deal with the legal stuff. In the meantime, I want the rest of you to try and come up with a backup plan.. Search through the list of concepts for something that could be used in order to replace the previous 'Fun time farming with family' idea."
