LFG 82

Meanwhile, there were others who had become solemn in a different way.

“What, such a terrible…….”

The Teachers from the main office.

They sat around in a circle to share their opinions on the [memories] they had seen.

But no one actually opened their mouth.

They were beyond shocked; the act of ‘speaking’ itself was difficult.

It was a topic that was too difficult to talk about carelessly. Of course. They had to discuss someone else’s sacrifice, so who could easily wag their tongues?

Above all, they were more afraid because they were true adults. No matter how careful they were, people’s mouths were like that. The slightest slip could cause hurt.

So, was it even okay to say anything? They must have been complicated in their minds, reviewing and reviewing to make sure.

Of course, they were aware that Ki Jae-eon was not in this place……. But even so, they couldn’t shake off the unease. It felt like they were talking behind the back of a child who was already exhausted.

“Haa-.”

In particular, Kim Yeong’s expression was not good. He muttered, “The cause, it’s not abuse-. No, is it?” and sighed deeply with a dark complexion. Then, he took off his glasses and rubbed his face dry. His repeated sighs made the atmosphere even more serious.

“Teacher Kim…….”

“It’s understandable. We’re already feeling this bad. How much worse must Teacher Kim feel? He was the most concerned about Jae-eon…….”

The other Teachers’ consolations didn’t work either.

Kim Yeong just understood at this moment why a psychologist had said, ‘If you want to live, you have to get rid of your sense of responsibility.’

“I don’t know what to say.”

“I can’t believe it. Jae-eon, that he went through such things…….”

“If it were me, I would have run away.”

Teacher Park, who had been listening quietly, wiped under his nose and muttered in a bewildered tone. Is that something a person should do? His voice was full of sarcasm. But that wasn’t anger towards Ki Jae-eon. Rather, it was a sneer at the world that had forced the sacrifice of one person.

“……It was hard to watch.”

“Seo-myeong and the other children’s appearances too…. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“To have seen such things directly…….”

The other Teachers nodded in agreement. To be honest, it’s crazy. Someone groaned and said like a sigh.

“To think that the lives of everyone in the world are on my shoulders……. Ugh, how can you stay sane? I……. I can’t do it.”

“It’s terrifying just imagining it.”

“Jae-eon was no different.”

Kim Yeong said as if speaking for Ki Jae-eon.

“He was also scared and terrified. If he could have, he would have given up many times already. But…….”

You all saw it, right? How people acted. He rubbed his flushed eyelids. His red, bloodshot eyes showed clear traces of holding back tears.

It was because he felt sorry for Ki Jae-eon.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he didn’t feel sorry for the others. In the [memories] that were shown, the deaths of loved ones followed one after another.

Especially Seo-myeong, that child’s end was too disgusting to watch with both eyes open.

But.

In any case, to ‘us’ now, it’s just a story from a different timeline. Someone’s reincarnation is treated as just one type of parallel world to us.

Therefore, we who have experienced it indirectly will not be able to perfectly understand Ki Jae-eon’s sadness, who experienced it directly.

The only thing we can do is just this…… consolation.

“Jae-eon himself is a child with a strong sense of responsibility. He must have thought of it as his destiny.”

Teacher Park, who was listening to Kim Yeong’s words, tilted his head as if he had a headache. Then he said, “I know this is a cruel thing to say-.” and began.

“I think it would have been happier if it had ended that way.”

“Teacher Park!”

“I don’t want to say this either! But he came back with those memories, right? What could be more cruel than that!”

Teacher Park shook his head, saying that he had never seen anyone with such a dog-like story as Ki Jae-eon.

“Living as an Exorcist, I thought I had heard all kinds of heartbreaking stories…… Tsk, there’s really no answer in this case….”

“The strange behavior Jae-eon has shown… I think I know now. He endured it. He endured it to live, to live.”

The room was once again filled with silence.

It was then.

“What are the chances that the future will repeat itself in the same way?”

Breaking the sentimentality, a realistic problem came in without any warning signals.

Everyone flinched and turned their heads.

The culprit was Kim Ju-won, who was leaning against the wall. He looked over the Teachers and asked again. The gaze that stared back was as immersed in gloom as they were. But there was clearly a different light mixed in it.

“Probability.”

He was tenacious, as if that was the only goal.

But no one blamed him.

It was a problem that had to be mentioned someday.

*

Creak-.

Ryu Seong-hee quietly opened the door and came out. Ki Jae-eon, who had fallen into a deep sleep, was visible inside, where the door was not fully closed. He had used up his non-existent energy to comfort his crying mother, and then fainted.

‘Foolishly, I should have held it in.’

Ryu Seong-hee regretted it briefly.

But she couldn’t help it either.

With the memory of her son’s end already imprinted, seeing his young face… her emotions welled up.

‘The person who really needs to cry isn’t crying….’

Ryu Seong-hee thought her tears were shameless and staggered away.

‘The one who’s having the hardest time right now is Jae-eon.’

As she was reflecting deeply once again, she noticed a faint light seeping out from the end of the hallway. That’s the study? Ryu Seong-hee carefully changed direction. This was because the study was basically off-limits to servants.

‘Who’s there at this hour…….’

“No! No, this isn’t it either!”

The person who came into her sight was none other than her husband, Ki Tae-ho. He was standing in the middle of the chaotic study, reading law books as he grabbed them. His eyes quickly scanned the paper. She wondered what he was doing. That’s not it! A thick law book fell to the floor with a cry. Ki Tae-ho swept the objects on the desk with a rough breath. Bang! A palm like a pot lid slammed down on the desk nervously. Why, isn’t it there. Why! Ryu Seong-hee moved, seeing that he was about to cause an accident if she left him alone.

“Husband.”

“……!”

At her appearance, his hand stopped.

Ki Tae-ho stared blankly at Ryu Seong-hee with a pale complexion. Then he staggered.

“Husband!”

Ryu Seong-hee, surprised, rushed over urgently. Her white, small hand desperately grabbed his thick arm. Are you not feeling well? Ki Tae-ho flinched at her shaking gaze and straightened his body. He shook his head, saying that he had shown an unsightly appearance.

“…….”

But Ryu Seong-hee didn’t let go of his hand. The hand that grabbed his sleeve was trembling slightly.

Ki Tae-ho stared at Ryu Seong-hee for a moment and then deliberately softened his expression.

“Really, don’t worry. Have I ever lied to you?”

“……No, you haven’t.”

Ryu Seong-hee hesitated and let go of his hand at the reassuring low voice.

“Then why are you here like this?”

“……You know too.”

Ki Tae-ho hardened his face once again.

“Because you’ve seen it.”

“……So, you too.”

Instead of answering, Ki Tae-ho looked around the messy study. Then he muttered to himself, “It’s not here.” His empty eyes turned to the various talismans scattered on the floor.

“No matter how much I look, there’s no way to subdue ‘it’.”

“Then you’ve been……?”

Ryu Seong-hee’s eyes widened.

That’s right.

Around the time she inherited the [memories] and went to Ki Jae-eon.

Ki Tae-ho, who had inherited the [memories] in the same way, was struggling to save his son in his own way. But despite his efforts, there was no way to seal ‘it’ right away. ‘It’ was a very bad and poisonous thing. A disaster whose name was not even recorded. It wasn’t for nothing that their son, called a Genius, had spent a long time rotting away and getting rid of it. That guy was a nightmarish being that could only be subdued by bringing about many sacrifices.

But, even so.

“I have to find it.”

Ki Tae-ho couldn’t give up.

No, he couldn’t give up.

Because he was a father.

It was a matter of his sons’ lives.

“I…….”

Ki Tae-ho covered his face. His voice, which had become hoarse as if scraping metal, flowed through the gaps in his hands. This was the first time this man had shown such a demeanor recently, except for when his eldest son was brought in covered in blood.

Ryu Seong-hee’s heart grew heavy.

But she couldn’t comfort him, who was in pain.

Because it was the same as the appearance she had seen until just now.

A foolish parent who regrets only after losing their child.

Painful, but something they had to learn directly…….

“Until now, I’ve treated that child as a successor, not as my son.”

Ki Tae-ho’s hands began to tremble.

“So I made him give up a lot.”

The freedom to enjoy life.

The bond with parents.

Memories with siblings.

Precious things that a human being cannot do without.

“I took them all away.”

“Husband…….”

“I don’t regret it. Even if he hates me……. That’s the destiny he has to go through. You know too, right? That those who have power must stay in the right position to live out their lives. What happens to a guy who has to live as a tiger if he can’t even show his fangs!”

That’s right. Having been born into this family, Ki Jae-eon’s fate had been decided.

“It was all for that Jae-eon bastard!”

Ki Tae-ho’s voice gradually rose.

Then, as if unable to contain his anger, he slammed the desk! It was so rough that his skin turned red.

“……Honey.”

“I did it so he could live well!”

“……”

“I didn’t do all that so he could end up like that!”

What was so lacking that he hanged himself?

How could he do such a dog-like thing in front of me!

Ki Tae-ho’s shoulders slumped.

“It’s my fault……”

Then, finally, for the first time in his life, he admitted his ‘wrongdoing’.

“I pushed him to the cliff.”

“……”

“I shouldn’t have gone that far. I should have given the kid a breathing hole, a way to escape.”

It was the same regret as Ryu Seong-hee.

She carefully buried her face in his large back, which was emitting sorrow.

And so, only long sobs echoed.