This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 241

Dogun’s Perspective

I greeted my senior’s parents, so is this it now?

I hope so, but… that probably won’t be the case.

It feels a bit off to call this a mere formality, but if this was enough to solve things, then my senior wouldn’t have been avoiding food for days.

Now that we’ve come out of the columbarium, there’s no need for her to keep glancing at me and checking my mood.

So I asked.

“Is there still more to go?”

“Uh, yeah…?”

“I mean, the place we’re headed. There’s more, right?”

Her response felt like I’d hit a nerve.

How long did we linger in that silence?

“…Yeah.”

It was a response that flowed into my ears like a sigh on the breeze.

“Is it far from here?”

“Not, uh, it shouldn’t be that far…”

“Then let’s hurry and go.”

I have no way of knowing what conclusion my senior will draw from where we’re going now.

Whatever decision she makes is solely her own, and I have no intention of debating it.

That being said, it’s entirely up to her.

I have neither the qualifications nor the right to meddle.

All I can do is… just like before, reach out my hand to prevent the moment of hesitation from dragging on too long.

And so, we got into a taxi.

Unlike our first destination that I was familiar with, the second stop was different.

As we climbed into the taxi, the driver auntie, with her characteristic nosiness, wondered if we were a couple off on a date, but my senior didn’t say a word.

Instead, she simply clutched tightly to a small envelope that held the remaining photos I’d picked up from the photo shop.

Thanks to that, a blanket of silence settled comfortably in the taxi, and as we moved closer to our destination, that silence only grew heavier.

And the place we ended up in…? It was a shabby village full of tightly packed little houses.

“The alley is too narrow; I don’t think we can go any further,” I pointed out.

“…This will do.”

That was the first time my senior spoke since getting into the taxi.

As we stepped out into the narrow, long alley that ran through the village, we were welcomed by a little shop that was still open despite its paint peeling off.

The first place she headed was exactly there.

So, was this today’s second stop?

Or maybe just to ask for directions?

I couldn’t tell which one was the right answer, but for now, I followed her lead.

Baeksulhwa’s Perspective

What should I do?

What’s the right thing to do?

Such doubts floated around in my head.

And so… my thoughts became a tangled mess.

Since getting into the taxi, I had remained in that state.

My mind was so full of thoughts that there was no room for anything else.

Strangely enough, even with my head in that state, my body continued to do what it needed to do.

Like handing over a small note I had carefully tucked away in my pocket to the grandmother who was keeping the shop, while asking for directions in a cautious voice.

“Um? Let’s see… Number 63, huh…”

I’m not sure if I should call this fortunate, but the neighborhood was clearly a chaotic jumble, so perhaps there were many customers coming in to ask for directions.

From a resident’s perspective, I must have been an obvious stranger, yet I faced no suspicious stares.

“63… 63… ah.”

It’s hard to tell if I should feel relieved about this, but the moment of silence passed as the door connecting to the shop swung open with a creak, bringing out a response I had been impatiently waiting for.

“Oh, come on, Mom… Number 63 is Hanbit’s place! You were just raving about how cute he was yesterday…”

“Oh, really? Number 63 was Hanbit’s?”

“Yes, the one with the green roof.”

“Ah, I see…!”

‘Hanbit’s place.’

I already knew this from the documents, yet I couldn’t shake off the unpleasant feeling that washed over me.

And before I could pull myself away from that feeling…

“But why are you looking for Hanbit?” the question tumbled out of the girl who seemed to be the daughter.

Why am I looking for him?

What should I say?

What would be the best answer?

To be honest, I was flustered.

I wasn’t unprepared for this situation, yet here I was.

I had planned to brush it off with something casual, so why was it like this?

This isn’t right.

As the moments of silence stretched on, all I would get was more suspicion.

Silence clung to my throat, blocking my voice.

Because of that, my feeling of panic only piled on.

And right when I was stuck, unable to move either way, Dogun stepped in on my behalf.

“Oh, it’s nothing serious. I just have business with someone who lives there.”

“Is that so? Hmm, what’s the business?”

“Uh, it’s… personal, so I can’t really go into details…”

Truth be told, Dogun must have been just as curious about why we were going there.

Instead of asking, he silently stood up for me.

I was grateful for that, yet fearful too.

What if Dogun found out the truth later on? How would his trust in me change?

Would he look at me with contempt, accusing me of using him?

Could I bear that?

Honestly, I had no confidence.

His trust towards me ran so deep it was almost selfless, making me feel even more uncertain.

Just how devastating would it be if that trust flipped upside down? I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“Um, if you don’t tell us what it’s about, we can’t just give you directions…”

“Could you not? It’s important…”

“Then what about just meeting here instead?”

“Here?”

“Yeah, it’s just about the time Hanbit’s mom will be picking him up from kindergarten.”

And right after that came the follow-up.

“Oh, look, she’s coming now.”

The way it was said was so composed it could hardly be taken seriously.

It struck me right then as I turned my head—no, my whole body.

And there, right in front of me, stood a woman holding a child’s hand tightly.

That sight, perfectly resembling an ordinary, happy family, shattered my heart.

‘Why…’

Why at all…?

I couldn’t breathe.

Presenting themselves as ordinary people made it worse.

If only they looked like the garbage they were, I wouldn’t be so infuriated and wronged.

My hands clenched involuntarily.

With my hands trembling as tension built, I thought about how someone so precious could look at someone else like that while being dismissive towards their own parents.

Was it because they were strangers?

Because they were not family?

Then does that mean I can do the same?

‘Because they’re strangers?’

My heart felt like it was ready to act on its own.

If I used my ability, it wouldn’t be difficult to take away someone’s life without leaving a trace.

It was impossible before, but that’s not how it is now.

Now, I could do it.

Now I could, but… I wouldn’t.

All because of the child who was smiling brightly, tight in her mother’s hand.

Since she mentioned going to kindergarten, she must be around seven.

She could even be younger.

What was clear was that she was younger than I was back then.

What would happen if such a child lost their caretaker in an instant?

What if they were abandoned into this cruel world all alone?

And what about Dogun?

What if he learned that what I’d told him was used to take someone’s life?

Knowing Dogun’s nature, he would undoubtedly be consumed by guilt over it.

Those thoughts weighed heavily on my heart.

And so… I couldn’t do anything.

I slowly began to crumble from the inside out, stuck in place, when suddenly Dogun’s hand reached out and enveloped my tense fingers in warmth.