This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 481

At that very moment when Yoonseo was resolutely gathering her thoughts, Dogun found himself lying on a hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling during a rare moment of solitude.

‘Hmm…’

Given that I hadn’t had much time alone recently, I expected to feel incredibly liberated just spending time by myself.

However, contrary to my expectations, I didn’t feel so light-hearted after all.

To be precise, my body was comfortable, but my mind was far from it.

So why was that? I pondered over it and realized it was likely because of Yoonseo.

More specifically, it was due to the really weird attitude she displayed yesterday.

Anyone who knows Yoonseo to some extent would probably empathize with my feelings right now.

Yesterday, Yoonseo’s behavior had quite a few oddities.

It didn’t seem like her usual self.

If it had been the old Yoonseo, she would have been bubbling with excitement over getting to wander around outside with me, even if for just a day.

Yet, the Yoonseo I saw yesterday… sure, she showed moments of joy, but aside from those times, she was generally a bit downcast.

When I first realized that, I had no clue why Yoonseo was acting like that.

I could only guess it was because something happened during her mission.

After mingling with her for a while, and once Yoonseo shared her reasoning with me, I then learned that the reason she had been feeling down all day was because of a business trip.

When I first grasped that, I thought it was understandable.

Considering that we hadn’t been apart for long periods since we began knowing each other, I imagined that a week away from home for her might truly feel like an eternity.

Of course, there had been a lengthy three-year cold war between us, but even during that time, we ran into each other almost every day.

‘It is strange that we live in the same space yet hardly see each other.’

Now, she was in a situation where there were at least three competitors around her.

Given those circumstances, it was no wonder that she’d feel gloomy about having to be away for an entire week.

Thinking back, I thought that might have contributed to her melancholia.

After escorting Yoonseo and returning to the hospital room to wash up and lay down, I suddenly felt that something was off.

That lingering thought wouldn’t leave my mind, which is why I was still feeling uneasy now, after waking up.

‘No matter how I think about it, it’s strange…’

As awkward as it is to say, Yoonseo wasn’t the same Yoonseo from before.

Through passing the special exam, Yoonseo, now called a Hero, has undergone a lot of changes over the past three years.

I’m not just talking about her appearance.

Though she has matured to the point that you can’t even remember her childhood looks, the internal changes were even more pronounced.

What changed Yoonseo so much were all the experiences she gained while being a Hero.

Naturally, I don’t know what sort of experiences Yoonseo went through back then.

When Yoonseo first started her activities, we weren’t exactly close.

Even though we spent each day in the same space, there wasn’t much interaction.

I could have learned any news about Yoonseo easily, but I chose not to pay much attention out of fear of triggering her.

Besides, Yoonseo seems to consider the three years of the cold war between us as something of a dark history, so after we reconciled, she hardly ever mentioned that time.

Therefore, I still don’t really know what Yoonseo went through during that period… but one thing is certain: she has become a full-grown adult.

She occasionally shows glimpses of her younger self, but when she moves under the name of Hero, she embodies that role fundamentally.

But for someone like her to be so depressed over a business trip?

It clashes badly with the responsible demeanor she normally displays, leaving me no choice but to furrow my brow in confusion.

Well, it’s not just because of this that I find it strange.

‘After all, she and I have similar tendencies.’

In a sense… it’s almost like she’s a homebody.

Not that she avoids having fun outside; rather, when she goes out, she enjoys herself thoroughly. But fundamentally, Yoonseo prefers to stay at home.

Having known me for a long time might have influenced her into having such inclinations, but that was basically how she was.

So, given those tendencies, she might feel gloomy thinking she has to be away from home for an entire week.

Thus, if we only consider that point, it’s not particularly strange. Still, the nagging feeling that something is amiss wouldn’t leave my mind…

‘It’s too quiet.’

That was part of the issue.

After all, every phenomenon typically has some sort of forewarning.


For instance, water recedes before a tsunami, or animals act restless before an earthquake.

However, for Yoonseo’s business trip, there was nothing like that.

In general, once a Hero’s activity site is decided, it rarely changes unless there’s a significant reason.

The reason is simple.

It’s efficient.

You know how they say a dog is half-fed when it’s at home?

Sure, comparing Heroes to dogs feels off, but regardless, the advantages of a home ground are substantial.

‘Thinking about it, it’s actually quite reasonable…’

In fact, even just here in Seoul, it’s vast and complicated.

Thanks to the widespread use of smartphones and map apps, without them, even visiting a different neighborhood wouldn’t have been easy.

If I, who have lived in Seoul my whole life, finds it complicated, just imagine how tough it is for someone from a different region.

‘The reason they conduct qualification exams by region is related to that.’

That’s usually the norm, but what about Yoonseo?

Out of nowhere, she was sent on a business trip to another region.

That alone was sufficient to arouse suspicion, but what’s weirder is that I couldn’t make sense of the location of her business trip.

Considering the current state of security in Seoul, the fact that they could spare someone like Yoonseo for nearly a week in another region suggests things there must be dire, making it truly bizarre.

If things were really that serious, it would’ve been front-page news by now.

But what’s the reality?

I couldn’t find a single article to speak of, no matter how hard I searched.

In fact, just to be thorough, I even sorted articles by the latest and included “breaking news” in my searches, but nothing changed.

Given the current state of affairs, I couldn’t help but wonder if the situation out there is so grim that the Association is preventing any news from coming out…

‘That seems off too…’

Sure, almost everyone knows by now about the Association’s massive media control capabilities, but even then, you can’t cover the sky with your hand.

In the past, keeping a firm grip on the media made it easy to control information, but in a world where everyone has smartphones and various social media platforms are commonplace, that alone isn’t enough.

There are way more places information could leak out from, and after realizing I couldn’t find anything on the news, I started scouring various communities… but I found nothing there either.

Because of that, my doubts only deepened.

‘What on earth is going on…’