Chapter 287

Before I knew it, I lost consciousness.

And once again, I had a dream about my father. It was the same dream where I lashed out at him in front of the sea, but this time, something was slightly different.

“Please, snap out of it!”

This time, I didn’t hear that voice.

As I quietly reflected on it, I suddenly wondered, ‘ Did I ever say something like that to my father by the sea back then? ‘

‘ If I didn’t say that to my father … then who on earth did I say it to? ‘

As my thoughts drifted in a daze, as if submerged underwater, I felt myself being pulled deeper and deeper.

‘At that time, Seo Yuseong was already dead … so it couldn’t have been Seo Yuseong.’

Even though I could clearly feel that sensation, I didn’t have the urge to get out of the water, so I simply relaxed and let my body go limp.

But in that moment, I felt someone grab my arm firmly and slowly pull me up, and I heard a familiar voice.

“Wake up, hyung.”

It was Seo Yuseong’s voice. I was so startled, as if cold water had been thrown over me by that familiar voice, that I immediately sprang to my feet.

“Huff, ugh……”

Then, the scene from the dream vanished without a trace, and in an instant, my awareness of reality returned. Instead of Seo Yuseong, whom I had been hoping to see, I found Han Seungbeom lying on the bed.

“Ah…….”

Feeling disheartened by the rush of loss, I thought, ‘ Why couldn’t you at least appear in my dream? ‘, and then, I heard a different voice.

“Why do you get so alarmed every time you wake up, Yutae-ya?”

When I turned my head toward the direction of the voice, I saw Choi Jeokhyeon’s face. He spoke to me with a voice tinged with a smile and handed me an open water bottle.

‘…What time is it?’

But then, a thought struck me, and forgetting all about the water bottle, I grabbed his collar in a hurry.

“You, what did you do!”

The water bottle that the guy had handed me fell to the floor, its contents spilling out with a sloshing sound. But I didn’t even notice, too busy vomiting out my deep anxiety.

“You didn’t do anything weird, did you?”

I was afraid of what Choi Jeokhyeon might have done while I was asleep. My hand, which was gripping Choi Jeokhyeon, began to tremble against my will.

“It’s okay. You were with me that day, hyung. Right?”

The thought that he might have committed a socially unacceptable wrongdoing for me , like Jay did, felt absolutely unbearable.

“…Please, don’t do anything! If you guys get dirty because of me…….”

After hearing the sharp words I uttered, Choi Jeokhyeon calmly blinked his eyelids, then quietly lowered his body as I tugged on him. He rolled his red eyes, looking back and forth between my hand and face, and then spoke.

“I didn’t do anything. ”

“…Really?”

“Yeah, it’s only been less than 20 minutes since you lost consciousness, so I haven’t even had the time to do anything. I’ve been by your side the whole time. I talked to Yoo Jay and sent him back. So, you can rest easy.”

His tone was twice as calm and gentle as his usual one. It sounded almost as if he was coaxing me to calm down, and I realized I’d made a mistake and withdrew my hand.

“I’m sorry. I’m just out of my mind right now…….”

I apologized frantically and tried to get up to wipe the wet floor. However, Choi Jeokhyeon quietly reached out to stop me and said, “It’s okay.”

“…Why?”

When I blankly raised my head and asked like that, he repeated the same words again.

“It’s okay, just calm down.”

“…….”

For some reason, those words made the tension in my body fade all at once, and I slumped down onto the bed. “…Ah, okay.” I responded with a weak answer. I knew I had to say something, but I couldn’t think of the right words.

As I remained still for a while, staring at my trembling hands, Choi Jeokhyeon asked me in a soft tone.

“Do you regret it?”

“…I don’t.”

I unconsciously moved my throat, which felt deeply submerged, and made that sound. I was momentarily startled by an answer I hadn’t anticipated, but soon I realized why I had been so shaken upon hearing news of Lim Seunghoon.

“I don’t regret it, never.”

Granted, I never expected the accident to go so badly that Lim Seunghoon would never be able to walk again. However, even if I had known that this would be the outcome, would I have acted any differently?

No, even if I could turn back time knowing the outcome now, I would make the same choice again.

“…If I hadn’t gone this far, I don’t think I would have felt at ease.”

I was disappointed in myself for abandoning social norms and my beliefs, terrified of the irreversible actions I had committed, and burdened with guilt, but I didn’t regret it. I didn’t even feel sorry for having ruined someone’s life.

“They’re the people who murdered Seo Yuseong.”

That was what horrified me.

Part of me was also afraid that Jay would find out about it.

When I quietly told him the truth, Choi Jeokhyeon answered calmly without the slightest disturbance.

“Yes. That’s all that matters, Yutae-ya. That’s what’s important.”

“…….”

“Don’t think too deeply about anything else. It will only make you more miserable.”

I closed my eyes for a long time, following Choi Jeokhyeon’s whisper.

And then I recalled Lim Seunghoon’s face.

‘You know, hyung. When you betrayed us … how did you feel?’

I was just curious.

I wanted to know if he felt this horrible.

***

After the accident, Lim Seunghoon barely regained consciousness and, after a short recovery period, received information from the police about the arrested culprit.

“…Kim Youngki?”

As soon as he learned his name, he exploded with rage.

“The person who hit me was Kim Youngki?”

He had assumed that the person who hit him was just a complete stranger who had accidentally caused the accident and ran away out of fear of dealing with the aftermath, just like most hit-and-run cases. But the moment the hit-and-run driver was caught and he learned that the culprit was someone he knew, all those thoughts were completely overturned.

“He intentionally caused the accident to kill me, that psychopath bastard!”

He came to suspect that the accident was intentional.

What were the odds that someone you thought would eventually resent you and take out his frustrations on you would accidentally cause an accident that harmed you? Especially when they used the exact method you had instructed them to use to kill someone else.

The odds of an ordinary accident occurring were already low, so such a coincidence was practically out of the question.

The accident resulted in a serious outcome, paralysis of his lower body. It was a devastating where he had to give up everything; his life, his job, everything he had ever known until now.

“…I knew something was off when he just ran away without even showing any sign of panic!”

Even if it had been an ordinary accident, the victim wouldn’t have been able to forgive the perpetrator. So, when they realized that it was all a planned crime, most people would be filled with rage.

And Lim Seunghoon was no exception. He burst out in fury, demanding that justice be served through punishment.

It was truly laughable that Lim Seunghoon, who had committed even worse acts to the Prism members, now acted as if he could just flip a switch and change his attitude. However, since Lim Seunghoon had already gone through hundreds, thousands of cycles of self-rationalization, which Seo Yutae had always avoided, by telling himself ‘ I don’t deserve it ‘, there was no hesitation in the process.

“This isn’t just a traffic accident, it’s an attempted murder!”

In the end, following Lim Seunghoon’s strong insistence, the investigation authorities proceeded with the investigation without overlooking the possibility of a planned crime.

And as a result, they successfully found footage of Dalli from the CCTV near Lim Seunghoon’s workplace and residence.

***

“The oldest son of that teacher’s family? I heard he’s always wandering around doing weird things ……. He’s old enough but stays holed up at home, can’t even make a living for himself. He’s a bit strange. Ever since that rumor spread last time, whenever people look at him, he starts yelling and acting out.”

“Hit and run? Oh my, I didn’t know he could even drive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him driving before? He always wears the same clothes every summer and winter because he’s broke, so how did he manage to get a car? His parents’ cars are here, in perfect condition.”

In addition, after compiling information from the early stages of the investigation, including Dalli’s previous stalking conviction and fines, as well as residents’ statements that he rarely drove and frequently exhibited violent and impulsive behavior, Dalli was arrested and charged with attempted murder and other offenses

‘Uh, what should I do?’

Dalli had never anticipated that this standard investigative process would take place. From the start, he had believed that if he hit Lim Seunghoon, fled, and hid, he would soon be able to fully return to his normal life.

From the beginning, Dalli had judged that everything would be fine simply because Seo Yutae, who seemed the smartest in his eyes, didn’t point out any flaws in his plan.

However, it was extremely rare for traffic-related crimes to go unsolved in South Korea, and contrary to Dalli’s belief, Seo Yutae was not his ally, so such expectations were meaningless.

Ultimately, Dalli was left with no way out and was tormented by the authorities’ persistent investigation. And at some point, he began to crumble under the immense pressure he was feeling.

“So, I already know you’ve been in contact with Lim Seunghoon-ssi long before this happened, right? The evidence is all there, so why are you lying about something that’s bound to be exposed?”

“…….”

“You approached him on purpose, didn’t you?”

“…Please give me some water. I’m really thirsty.”

“You’re not actually thirsty. You’re lying again. I keep telling you I know everything, yet you keep doing this. It’s useless, I’ve said it so many times. If you keep acting like this, even if we want to help, we won’t be able to.”

[(MEMO) Suspect: Kim Youngki. 28 years old. Male. Unemployed.]

All suspects would be wary of making any statements that could be used against them in court. Nevertheless, crucial confessions were often obtained during the course of the investigation because the investigators, experts trained in professional negotiation techniques, put the suspect under extreme pressure.

It meant that even if someone had been severely brainwashed, it would be nearly impossible for them to perfectly cover up all the crimes.

“Th-then, please let me go to the bathroom. I’m not lying this time!”

“Why do you keep trying to avoid it? If you just tell the truth and speak properly, this will be over quickly. All you’re doing is dragging the investigation out. We’re not going to give up.”

Dalli was so cowardly that he couldn’t even bear the responsibility for the crimes he committed and would shift the blame onto others, no matter the circumstances. He was a small-minded person.

“Uh, uhuhuhuhuhu, ugh …….please, I’m having a hard time.”

“How can you be having a hard time over something like this? The victim can’t even feel his legs right now.”

While one might be able to tell a lie once or twice, it was impossible to consistently uphold a single lie throughout the lengthy investigation process, and due to his lack of intelligence, his lies were full of contradictions.

“…It’s not my fault. I did everything because I was told to.”

Unable to withstand the growing pressure, Dalli eventually broke down.

It was for this very reason that Yoo Jay was so desperate to create an alibi for Seo Yutae.

“…By whom?”

[★ There’s a possibility of third-party involvement.]

But did Seo Yutae truly not foresee that the situation would turn out this way?

You can support this translation through Buy Me a Coffee or Wishlist!

PREVIOUS

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.