This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 96

“Being a hostage…

There wasn’t just one, but two?

And it turns out that it was me and Yoonseo!

The situation felt too coincidental to just brush off as a coincidence.

It honestly felt like there was a whiff of conspiracy in the air.

“Hey… I know you’re both there… Don’t mess with me.”

Speaking of which, why was that guy so stiff and scared?

“Oh…”

Now that I think about it, they were surprisingly timid.

But looking at them, it seemed they were also wearing blindfolds and tied up, just like me… It’s understandable they’d be terrified at the thought of needing to stay like this until their friends come to rescue them.

Of course, even if I was frustrated about not being able to see, I wasn’t planning on remaining in that state.

“And more than that…”

It felt like there was some role assigned to this side as well.

After all, being guests here is equally the same, right?

Thus, from a business standpoint, it would be unreasonable to only have the hostage role without giving some fun for escape.

Well, there could be some peculiar individuals who would be satisfied with just that, but… typically, that’s not the case.

So, there had to be some role given to this side, at least according to my expertise as a first-time visitor.

“The problem is…”

If that’s the case, I first need to figure out what to do about this guy’s blindfold… Is there really no way?

In a panic, I wriggled around in the chair that was binding me.

Did I react to that creaking sound?

“W-Who’s there…?”

A voice filled with more embarrassment and fear than earlier seeped into my ears.

Regardless, I continued to rub against the chair.

“Ah, damn…”

If I had known it would come to this, I would’ve just tossed the blindfold away carelessly!

The Velcro part was stuck so tightly together that no matter how much I twisted my body, it didn’t budge at all.

“Wait…?”

While I was struggling, the part in the backrest of the chair had gotten in contact with my head.

“Maybe…

This could work?”

To definitely confirm the position, I started rubbing that area more actively.

After memorizing the position of the sharp edge, I pushed the ropes that tightened around my neck against it and began rubbing vigorously.

After some rubbing…

“Whoa…!”

It was definitely effective.

At first, it seemed hopeless, but when luck struck, one side of the blindfold lifted slightly, finally clearing my vision.

And the escape location turned out to be… something like an interrogation room.

An interrogation room, yes, but it looked like it hadn’t been touched by human hands for about ten years.

“No way, why are there so many cobwebs…?”

Of course, they were all fake, but still, wouldn’t someone who hates spiders freak out seeing this?

And in the middle of that creepy place, here I was with Yoonseo.

When I sensed some sort of presence and asked who it was, the other side didn’t respond no matter how much I called, which probably added to my anxiety.

Yoonseo, who was bound to the chair with cable ties and still wearing blindfolds, had been repeatedly twisting her head since a while ago.

As for me, since my blindfold was slightly raised, I could see a bit, but she couldn’t see anything at all with hers covering her eyes. So why was she acting like that?

Anyways… If I leave her like that, she might just shake and lose it, using her talent to break everything and escape.

After a brief consideration, I cautiously opened my mouth.

Honestly, admitting half of it was taking a risk.

Considering she’d been avoiding me with all her might in the past few days, I couldn’t predict how Yoonseo would react upon realizing it was just the two of us here.

“Um… Just wait a little. I’m tied to a chair too, you know?”

Despite saying that, luckily it seemed to have an effect.

Given our awkward position, immediately after I said that, Yoonseo’s movements, which were filled with restlessness and anxiety, suddenly went quiet.

If that’s the case…

I had to find a way to escape from this situation quickly.

“Alright…

Using strength is definitely not going to work.”

It seemed impossible from a glance but, just in case, I tried to put in some effort, but it only resulted in a sore arm and not moving an inch.

If that’s the case, then it means I need to cut this off somehow…

“Is there anything around…?”

Finding something that could help wasn’t exactly easy.

With the blindfold not fully removed and the ropes having slightly curled up, I had to rely solely on my limited view.

Still, repeating my head movements, I scoured the room and managed to spot a pair of scissors cleverly hidden beneath a machine that looked like a video player.

So now, it was just a matter of grabbing that… but how do I grab it?

“If I move a bit by bit…

Could it work?”

*

With these thoughts in mind, as Dogun began to wriggle the chair slightly, Yoonseo, who had remained silent since he spoke, was now focusing her senses on the sounds coming from Dogun.

“Just trust yourself, right…?”

Was that what this meant?

Honestly, it was somewhat surprising.

It couldn’t be helped, though, as I didn’t know whether to feel pleased or feel awkward in this situation.

It was good to be alone with Dogun, but… now what was I supposed to do?

Even as I pondered this, the creaking sounds continued to echo around.

What on earth was he doing to make such a sound?

Curiosity urged me to peek, but with the blindfold blocking my vision, that wasn’t an option.

Perhaps that was why…

My thoughts started drifting elsewhere.

“I didn’t think he seemed that angry…”

At least, from what I heard just now, that’s how it felt.

Of course, that sounded awkward and stiff compared to his usual voice, but wouldn’t that be better than sounding angry?

And the absence of anger in his voice might mean… he had calmed down?

If that’s the case, would a apology be accepted?

Thinking that could be the case, my heart began to swell gently with anticipation.

And just then, a negative thought crept in.

“But…

Why were the two together?”

As I had that thought, instead of anticipation, a different emotion began to swell inside my chest.

Dark, sticky, and thick emotions.

Those feelings began to rise slowly from the depths, as if trying to swallow me whole.

And if I got swallowed by those feelings… the incident in front of my house would repeat itself again.

I hadn’t even managed to set things back to normal yet, and if things got messed up again in this situation… It could really lead to a complete derailment.

“So…

Please… don’t.”

I could have just randomly crossed paths passing by.

Yeah, maybe that could have been the case.

After all, didn’t we run into each other around here before?

It wasn’t unprecedented, and we’d already crossed paths once, so what was stopping us from doing it again?

Therefore, it had to be a coincidence.

It must be…

So that I wouldn’t have to relive that incident in front of my house once again.

Just as I managed to gather my scattered thoughts…

“Ah, finally. Phew… It’s finally loosened up.”

A voice from Dogun, carrying a hint of relief, echoed in my ears.

And how long had it been?

A sound echoed off the floor.

And following that sound was an extremely careful voice.

“Are you okay? Just hang on a bit. I’ll take off your blindfold first.”

That voice, almost familiar… somehow made my throat tighten.

For him to get angry enough to shout, yet care for me even while we were fighting… Dogun truly had a kind heart.

Worried and getting anxious over something uncertain, I ended up snapping at Dogun and pushing him to the edge…

I regretted that realization so much that I felt like I couldn’t face Dogun again.

So then—

“Okay, now it’s—”

As the blindfold was removed, I instinctively averted my gaze from Dogun.

The voice of Dogun, which was continuing almost as if it was the usual, cut off abruptly in the middle.”