Chapter 248
Chapter 248
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 248. Necklace of Truth
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After the church incident wrapped up, honestly, nothing much happened.
Just a string of meaningless daily routines.
Amid that routine, the only special thing was occasionally hearing updates about Eileen.
"If she lost her memories, do you think she forgot about me too, sis?"
Park Ye-eun looked at me with a worried expression.
"Were you two close?"
"I... I don't think it was bad..."
Her voice grew quieter and quieter.
Even she lacked confidence in her own assessment. Claiming closeness with someone usually requires a certain level of assurance.
If Yoo Daon, Jang Chaeyeon, or Song Arin suddenly lost their memories, could I say for sure they'd still remember me? I couldn't give a definite answer.
Still, it was best not to voice such thoughts.
"Don't worry."
Park Ye-eun was still young. No need to stir up fear or tension unnecessarily.
"Even if Eileen forgot you, we can just make new memories."
"Yeah... I guess so?"
"And she might not have forgotten."
"...I hope so. She was one of the few close sisters I had."
Having received frequent lessons from Eileen, that made sense.
Park Ye-eun glanced at me cautiously.
"Are you okay, oppa?"
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine."
"Kim Jaeheon, don't worry too much."
Up until then, Yoo Daon had been listening to our conversation with a small smile, but now she checked my complexion.
"Eileen's strong. She'll pull through."
"Yeah, she will."
Was my expression that bad?
I touched the corner of my mouth and looked at Yoo Daon and Jang Chaeyeon.
Jang Chaeyeon was diligently working on her computer.
"Are you okay, Chaeyeon?"
"I..."
Jang Chaeyeon looked up from my words and stared straight at me.
"Honestly, I didn't have much connection with her."
Right.
Jang Chaeyeon and Eileen had only spoken a handful of times.
"But that doesn't mean I'm not worried."
Jang Chaeyeon muttered as she gazed out the window.
"If anyone lost their memories, you'd know the sadness or confusion they'd feel."
"Why are you looking at me?"
Jang Chaeyeon glanced at Yoo Daon, who tilted her head and met her eyes.
"Anyway."
"Hm?"
Jang Chaeyeon turned back to me.
"The team leader isn't something just anyone can wear. Don't worry."
"So what is our Team Leader, then?"
"I can hear you!"
The Team Leader rolled up a piece of paper and threw it at my head.
"By the way, where's Arin?"
"Oh, yeah."
Yoo Daon responded while looking around.
"I saw her leave earlier because someone called her."
"You saw her?"
"She's gone now."
"..."
I pondered it briefly, then shrugged it off.
Song Arin wasn't the type to cause trouble wherever she went.
There had been a time when I thought that.
*
"A necklace that makes you honest?"
"Yes."
"Do you need a necklace to be honest?"
"Agreed."
Yoo Daon and Jang Chaeyeon stared at Song Arin like they couldn't comprehend, and Song Arin raised her fist at their gazes.
"What're you looking at? Lower your eyes before I cave in your face with my fist?"
"You're not any different."
"Maybe she's always been honest with us."
She really hadn't changed at all.
Wasn't this a scam?
As I reached out my hand, Song Arin leaned back sharply from where she was perched on the desk.
"I said hands off!"
Song Arin clutched her neck and glared at me.
"Okay, okay. I won't."
"...You're really not going to?"
"Yes. I won't."
I nodded, and she slowly lowered her hand.
"Should I attack now?"
"Hold back."
After stopping Yoo Daon, Song Arin stared at me intently, let out a huff, and opened her mouth.
"I have something to say."
As she spoke, Yoo Daon sidled up to Jang Chaeyeon, who nodded and stuck close to her side.
What on earth was she about to say?
"You. Why've you been so cold to me lately?"
"Oh..."
Had I been cold to Song Arin?
I closed my eyes and reflected on the past, but I didn't recall acting any differently.
I'd treated her the same as always, it seemed.
"You don't even remember right now."
"Yes."
At my words, Song Arin glared daggers at me, and a faint headache hit.
"Don't hypnotize me!"
"It doesn't even work anyway!"
Wasn't this less "honest" and more "drunk"?
"After how coldly you've treated me!"
"...Ah, yeah."
Song Arin pointed at me accusingly again, and as I shrugged, her gaze shifted to Jang Chaeyeon.
"You and Whitey over there act all lovey-dovey like lovers!"
"Me?"
"Lovers aren't that distant."
As I muttered in disbelief, Jang Chaeyeon furrowed her brow and replied.
Ignoring Jang Chaeyeon's words, Song Arin jabbed her finger at Yoo Daon next.
"And you stick to Black Hair like you'd die without her!"
"Me?"
"Want me to knock you out?"
I stopped Yoo Daon as she pulled out a needle and looked at Song Arin.
"Yeah!"
"But Arin, that's a bit unfair."
Yoo Daon listened quietly before tilting her head and responding.
"Kim Jaeheon's the only one he jokes around with like that."
"That's..."
"It's true. He used to joke with me, but not lately."
That was because Yoo Daon took my jokes seriously.
But saying that would probably make her take this seriously too, so I lacked the confidence.
"...I'll try joking with you more from now on."
"Thank you!"
Yoo Daon beamed, and Jang Chaeyeon tugged at my sleeve.
"Me too."
"...Got it."
Now I had to practice joking around evenly.
They say girls can instantly spot favoritism among friends. Was this that?
It'd be nice to have someone who could give advice on this.
Ah.
I glanced at Park Ye-eun, but she shook her head.
"Don't look at me."
"..."
"Team Leader, buy me coffee!"
"No coffee for kids. You'll have trouble sleeping."
"Buy me a green grape ade then!"
"Sure. Let's go."
Soon, the Team Leader took Park Ye-eun and left the office.
How was she so good at slipping away like a ghost?
Fine. I'd just joke around more evenly.
But was I so desperate not to act lover-like with Jang Chaeyeon or cling to Yoo Daon?
Did it look that way to others? That was a bit shocking.
"No."
"Hm?"
"It's not like that."
Jang Chaeyeon shook her head as if reading my mind.
"She's just overreacting."
"Ah, okay."
"Yeah. Honestly, I wish Kim Jaeheon relied on me more, trusted me more."
"I already trust you, Daon."
"Hearing you say that makes me so happy, but..."
Yoo Daon smiled faintly.
-Zing.
Another migraine hit.
I turned to look at Song Arin, who was staring at me with a sulky expression.
"Talk to me. Me."
"Ah, yeah. So, what should I do for you?"
"..."
Song Arin closed her mouth.
"...I'm struggling."
Soon, she slowly opened her mouth again.
"I don't even know what I am anymore."
Silence followed Song Arin's words.
Yoo Daon and Jang Chaeyeon looked at her, and Song Arin cast her eyes downward.
"I'm scared. Scared that I might go crazy anytime. Or become... that thing."
That thing?
"The Extremist Director?"
"...Yeah."
Song Arin nodded slowly.
Had seeing her own future self shocked her that much?
"That's not going to happen."
"..."
We'd caught the Extremist Director.
From what I'd heard, he was now contained in the underground levels, completely docile with no will to resist or fight. Borrowing the branch chief's words, he was a model prisoner.
"..."
Song Arin looked at me.
"Don't abandon me."
"Huh?"
Suddenly?
As I stared at her in confusion, Song Arin hopped down from the desk and looked up at me.
"Never abandon me."
"As long as we're on the same team, of course I won't."
"...Not that."
Song Arin stared intently at me.
"Don't leave me behind. At least make sure I don't turn into a monster."
"..."
"And if I do become a monster, kill me for sure."
What must it feel like to see your future self as a monster?
I turned my gaze to Yoo Daon.
She tilted her head at me, then smiled with an "Ah" and closed her eyes.
"I'm fine."
"..."
"I trust you."
She placed her hand over her chest.
"As long as I'm with you, Kim Jaeheon, that future won't come. I believe that."
She opened her eyes.
Her steadfast gaze met mine.
"And if you hope that future doesn't come, I'll make sure it never does. No matter what it takes."
"...I'm a bit different."
Jang Chaeyeon cut in and looked at me.
"I..."
Jang Chaeyeon still didn't know about her own future.
Not just her.
I didn't know mine either.
I had no idea what an Observer even was, or what horrors might unfold.
"...I just believe."
She looked at me.
"That as long as you're by my side then, nothing bad will happen."
"...Thank you."
I looked at Song Arin.
She gazed back with an anxious expression.
"...Hold me."
Song Arin extended her hand to me.
"Huh?"
"The others held hands."
"Me?"
"I don't remember."
"Me neither."
"You did."
Song Arin scowled at their words.
"Hurry up."
"...No matter how you look at it, this isn't a 'truth necklace'—it's more like she's drunk..."
In the end, I voiced my hypothesis and took Song Arin's hand.
"..."
"..."
Song Arin stared at me intently, and just as her gaze started feeling burdensome,
-Click!
The choker unclasped with a snap, and Song Arin's expression went blank.
"Whew."
"Good job."
Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon exchanged looks and high-fived.
Yoo Daon held the choker in her hand, and at the same time, Song Arin froze like she was malfunctioning.
"...Aaaah!"
Soon, she yanked her hand away from mine as if grasping lava.
She stared at her own hand, then glared at me.
"Forget it."
"Yes. I'll forget."
"Hey! At times like this, you say you won't forget!"
"But... you told me to forget."
"You're so clueless!"
Even when I did as told, she complained.
Song Arin huffed, spun around, and snatched the choker from Yoo Daon.
"I'll... return this myself."
"...Where'd you borrow it from?"
At my question, Song Arin furrowed her brow slightly.
"I'll tell you later."
With that, she stormed out of the office like a gust of wind.
"Anyone want green grape ade!"
At the same time, Park Ye-eun came back in with the Team Leader.
I sipped the green grape ade, lost in thought.
Where'd that thing even come from?
*
Management Bureau exclusive hospital.
Of course, it was open to civilians too. A hospital with top-tier facilities staying closed to the public would only draw more media attention.
I rode the elevator with Park Ye-eun and pressed the button.
Top floor, the so-called VIP ward.
"Sis... she'll be okay, right?"
I nodded at Park Ye-eun's worried mutter.
"She'll be fine."
Ding. The elevator stopped, and we headed to the room as directed.
"Here."
I slowly opened the door to the room. Against a backdrop of the cityscape, disheveled blonde hair fluttered.
Eileen was gazing out the window.
The reflection of her face in the glass was utterly expressionless, devoid of any emotion.
"...Eileen."
We'd gotten permission to visit right away.
Was she okay? Worry gnawed at me.
"...Ah."
Eileen turned to look at me.
Her blank face lit up brightly.
"Kim Jaeheon!"
Light returned to her dull eyes as she strode toward me.
"No injuries? No memory loss or anything?"
"I'm fine."
"I heard you were okay, but it's such a relief you weren't hurt."
She let out a sigh of relief.
"Uh, sis."
Park Ye-eun cautiously spoke while watching Eileen's reaction.
"Are you... okay...?"
"Ah, um..."
Eileen examined Park Ye-eun's face, tilted her head, and grabbed my arm.
"Who's this?"
Park Ye-eun gasped, and Eileen looked at her.
Her expression was filled with hostility.