The Second Coming of Gluttony Chapter 361:
Chapter 361 . What It Means to Change (3)
Inside, a woman was sitting on a bed staring helplessly into the air .
She seemed unaware of the saliva dripping from her open mouth, and appeared mentally ill .
Seol Jihu followed Jang Maldong’s gaze into the open room and frowned .
The patient looked oddly familiar .
He knew he’d seen her somewhere before .
“Julian Clara . ”
Jang Maldong read her name from the file .
‘Ah . ’ Seol Jihu groaned inwardly .
“I believe she was Samuel’s teammate… . Do you recognize her?”
Seol Jihu unwittingly nodded his head .
“It says here she died when she was Level 2 . She spent about seven months on the other side . ”
“Only seven months?”
“She’s one of the lucky ones . ”
Jang Maldong emphasized .
“As you said, she didn’t resort to making any extreme decisions because her time in Paradise was relatively short . But she’s not exactly fine . The disease of the mind is a terrifying thing . It grows quickly and devours its host from within . ”
“…”
“Although… it really depends on the person . ”
It was then .
A sudden sound caused Jang Maldong to stop .
It was quite a loud noise, but Clara didn’t react at all .
Seol Jihu hurried to the bathroom down the hallway, the source of the noise .
There, he saw a black man lying down on the floor, moaning and shaking .
A couple of nurses rushed to the fallen man and helped him up .
The man was tall but scrawny like a skeleton .
He had foam at his mouth, and his face was covered with age spots . He clearly didn’t look normal .
With a stiff face, Jang Maldong watched the patient leave and said .
“…Let’s go . ”
He began walking again .
Seol Jihu looked back at Clara and hesitated for a moment before he hurriedly followed the old man .
Together they left the main building and headed for the hospital’s charnel house .
Hundreds of pots containing cremated remains were neatly placed in cabinets behind a glass window .
Jang Maldong, who was rummaging through the file, soon took off his fedora and stood in front of the window .
Seol Jihu became speechless again .
He recognized a lot of faces .
“Samuel, Grace, Alex… Even Miss Veronica!”
A groan escaped Seol Jihu’s lips when he saw Veronica’s smiling face in a photo taped to the window .
They worked on the Ramman Village case together . She was Mikhail’s teammate . She must have died as well .
“For Level 4 Earthlings, the mortality rises dramatically to 50% . For Level 5, it further increases to about 60-70% . This means that six to seven in every ten people die . ”
Jang Maldong spoke calmly .
“I’m not making this up . This is what the statistics say . ”
At that point, a face flashed in Seol Jihu’s mind .
“Master . About Dylan—”
“…You’ve already met him . ”
“Huh? When?”
“At the bathroom . ”
Seol Jihu’s eyes instantly widened .
The Dylan in his memory was nothing like the man he saw earlier in the bathroom .
Dylan was a big man with a strong build and large stature . He could even pass as an NBA player .
“No— No way . How can Dylan… . ”
“He’s hooked on drugs . ”
“Drugs?”
“Yes . I suppose he turned to drugs to relieve his pain and emptiness . But he went too far . ”
Seol Jihu stepped back unconsciously before turning around .
“What can you do even if you go?”
However, Jang Maldong’s voice stopped him .
“I went to see him a long time ago when I first heard of his death . So did Chohong and Hugo . But he wasn’t in any condition to talk . Dylan doesn’t remember us . ”
“I— I had no idea . No one told me . ”
“Of course not . What good would that do?”
Seol Jihu’s face trembled slightly .
Jang Maldong sighed at the look on his face .
“…Jihu . ”
He called in a soft voice .
“You know, sometimes I feel like you’re treating the other world like it’s a game . ”
“Me? You feel that I think of it as a game?”
“I know you don’t . But your behavior makes me think you do . ”
Jang Maldong said, turning around to face the pots .
“That place is definitely not a game . It’s a different kind of reality . Your death on the other side will certainly affect your life on Earth . ”
“That’s… . ”
“But you don’t care about yourself as much as you care about Paradise . ‘So what if I die? It’s only a game . ’ Frankly, that’s how you act . ”
Seol Jihu shut his mouth tight .
“There’s a good reason why a lot of people who spend time there travel back to Earth regularly . In that sense, they perceive Paradise as a reality much more than you do . ”
Jang Maldong continued .
“Many who undergo treatment still end up dead somewhere down the road . You saw it yourself . The mortality rate isn’t the only problem . Even if you survive, you’re likely to suffer from mental illness . It suffices to say that most former Earthlings develop some kind of problem post-death . ”
“…”
“You can’t stay that way . If Paradise becomes safe again, then maybe things could change . But as of now, you shouldn’t be thinking of settling down in Paradise . ”
Jang Maldong emphasized twice .
“…That’s what I wanted to tell you . ”
He pressed his fedora down over his head, turned around, and left the charnel house .
Seol Jihu didn’t follow him .
He stood dazed in the middle of the room, his eyes slowly scanning the hundreds of pots enshrined in the charnel house .
He still couldn’t believe that Samuel, who was always so cheerful, and Alex, who was so optimistic, committed suicide because they couldn’t stand the desolation of their lives .
And Grace, too . Clara now had a mental health issue, and Dylan… .
“…”
The truth was, Jang Maldong’s words shocked him more than anything else .
[Sometimes I feel like you’re treating the other world like it’s a game . ]
He would’ve refuted that claim right away had he not seen what he saw in the hospital .
After coming face to face with reality, he could no longer be in denial .
He knew there was a penalty to death, but he never imagined it would be so horrible .
Seol Jihu bit his lips, his eyes turning again to the pots containing the remains .
*
It took Seol Jihu a while to pull himself together and leave the charnel house .
Jang Maldong was waiting for him outside .
The two men left the hospital without saying a word .
Both Seol Jihu and Jang Maldong’s hearts were heavy .
Instead of heading back to the hotel, Jang Maldong led Seol Jihu to the streets .
“…Well, not everyone dies . ”
The old man finally broke the prolonged silence .
Seol Jihu raised his eyes .
The street was dark, except for one streak of bright light .
“There are people who managed to return to their normal lives, some through sheer effort, and some because they were born stronger than others . ”
Jang Maldong slowed down and pointed his finger forward .
When they got to the door, Seol Jihu could see a small space inside .
It looked like a secondhand bookstore, lined with bookshelves full of old books .
A man who looked to be the shop owner sat behind the counter, his eyes fixed on the TV screen .
The screen showed a scene from a Japanese anime .
“Uhehehe . ”
The old man, dressed in an oversize robe, tilted his head back and laughed .
Seol Jihu’s jaw slowly dropped as he watched the old man from the door .
He remembered that laugh very well .
“M-Master Ian?”
The old man quickly turned his head towards the voice .
The face that was revealed was undoubtedly Ian’s face .
Ian got up from his seat and hurried to open the door .
He seemed surprised to find the two men standing on the other side .
“Mister Jang? What are you doing here?”
“I came here on a vacation, so I thought I’d pay you a visit . ”
Jang Maldong answered in fluent French .
“At this hour? You should’ve come earlier!”
Ian chuckled, stroking his long beard .
But then he looked at the young man next to Jang Maldong and tilted his head to the side .
“I don’t think I’ve seen this young man before… . ”
“You don’t think? So you’re not sure?”
“Well, he feels oddly familiar . It’s strange . Why do I like him already? I’m not that kind of person . ”
“Huhu . You’re still as quick-witted as ever . He’s the one . ”
Ian’s eyes widened .
“No way!”
“Yes, he’s the main character of the novel you’ve been writing . You said you wanted to meet him, so I brought him here . ”
Ian quickly spun around, as if he had been stung by a bee .
“Ah, come in, come in!” he said in a hurry .
Seol Jihu carefully went inside and sat down in the seat designated by Ian .
“Let’s see . I know I put it here… . ”
Rummaging through his desk drawer, Ian pulled out a notebook and smiled triumphantly .
Well-thumbed and faded, the notebook appeared to have been used for a long time .
“Huhu, so this day has finally come . Thank you, Mister Jang . ”
“I should be thanking you for staying alive . ”
“Damn you . Don’t jinx me . ”
With an upbeat smile, Ian turned to the young man .
Seol Jihu was looking at the old man with slightly wet eyes .
His heart felt heavy with indescribable emotion .
He was glad to see Ian and, like Jang Maldong, glad that Ian was alive, especially because he had just come back from the hospital .
“Uh… . Could you tell him to stop looking at me with such passionate eyes? I’m not interested in men . ”
Jang Maldong gave a light chuckle .
“…You look well . ”
He translated Seol Jihu’s words, and Ian smiled .
“So you know who I am?”
“Yes, of course . You’re Ian Denzel . ”
“Hmm? Did I tell you my name was Ian Denzel?”
“Pardon?”
“Sheesh! I can’t believe I was so immature . ”
Ian slapped his forehead and groaned .
He then bowed his head politely .
“‘I apologize . The name Ian Denzel is actually an alias . My real name is Muah-Muah Tsaerb . ’ He says… but muah is a kissing sound and tsaerb is… well, try reading it backwards . ”
Jang Maldong explained, clicking his tongue .
Seol Jihu read it backwards and burst out laughing .
He wiped the tears from his eyes and calmed his breath .
“You haven’t changed at all, Master Ian . ”
“Jeez . It’s no fun if you tell him . ”
“Still, I’m glad . I really am . ”
“Huhu . That’s right, how’s the pink princess doing?”
Seol Jihu’s eyes brightened .
‘He remembers Teresa?’
“She’s doing fine . But how do you remember her? Don’t tell me—”
“If you’re going to ask me if my memories are intact, the answer is no . ”
Ian snickered .
“Honestly, I don’t recognize your face . Today is my first time seeing it . My, as in me, who’s here and now . ”
“Then… . ”
“But I’ve got some sense of the situation . ”
‘Where should I start?’ Ian closed his eyes, stroking his long beard .
“One day, when I opened my eyes, I realized something was wrong . I woke up with most of my memories of the last few years gone . It was literally driving me crazy . ”
Recalling those days, Ian smacked his lips .
“It was incredibly painful . I suffered from a severe headache for no reason and felt so very empty that I almost lost my will to live . And then a note caught my eye . ”
“A note?”
“If one day you wake up and feel a sense of alienation, find the diary at your desk and read it . Read it, and replace the memories you’ve lost with the contents of the diary . What’s written in it is not a lie, it has actually happened… . I saw these notes all over the house . So I went to look for the diary, and it really was there . ”
Ian tapped lightly on the old notebook .
“I opened it and found a novel inside . A full-length, blockbuster novel . I couldn’t help but admire it the whole time I read it . It was well-written, sure, but what caught my eye more than the author’s writing skill was the fact that this novel was so surprisingly realistic . I've never read such a realistic novel in my life . ”
“So the diary helped you overcome your sense of alienation?”
“Perhaps . I can’t say I’ve fully overcome it yet, but… at least I know for sure that I was the one who wrote the diary . The entries described in detail the habits that only I know . ”
Seol Jihu smiled . He felt like he knew what those habits were .
Ian scratched his cheek .
“Anyway, I read the diary from cover to cover . I read it whenever my sense of alienation began to creep in . And then, people I don’t remember began to visit me . This finally made me realize that the diary wasn’t just a novel, but a reality . Mister Jang is one of those people . ”
Ian gave a warm smile, and Jang Maldong coughed awkwardly as he translated Ian’s words .
“Thanks to my previous efforts and help from dedicated friends, I now have a goal . ”
Seol Jihu listened attentively . It still felt surreal to him that he could see Ian and hear Ian’s voice .
“To complete a novel based on my diary . ”
“A novel?”
“Yes . The story stopped in the middle, but I want to see it through . And, to do that, I had to switch the main character . ”
Ian paused and winked at Seol Jihu .
“You mean me?”
“Correct . The diary says your name is Seol?”
“Yes, that’s me . ”
“But Mister Jang said that’s not your first name . ”
“Yes . Seol is my last name and Jihu is my first name . Seol is the last name character, Ji means strong and Hu means jade . ”
“I wondered, why did you only reveal your last name?”
“I was embarrassed . ”
“About what? It’s a great name!”
Seol Jihu smiled broadly .
“You said the same thing back then . ”
“Back when?”
“Just before you passed away . You asked me the same question . ”
“Oho . So that means you were by my side when I died… . ”
Ian squealed in glee .
“Good, that’s good . That part wasn’t in the diary . You’ve seen my death with your own eyes, which means you can tell me about it in detail . ”
He opened the diary, giggling as if he was having all the fun in the world .
“Let’s see, where did it end… . Ah, right, since you’re here, can I ask you a couple of questions?”
“Of course . As you wish . ”
“Good, good . I know you can’t talk to me about the names of people and places because of penalties and stuff, but I still have plenty of questions for you besides all that . Also, there’s something I really want to tell you . ”
“Me…?”
“Hold on . Where is it… Ah, this part . ”
Ian put on his reading glasses and pointed at a passage in the diary .
It was written in French, so of course, Seol Jihu couldn’t read it .
“The first thought that crossed my mind when I read this was… Why? Why did I say this? Was I drunk or something?”
“?”
“Of course, it’s only natural that what I used to think is different from what I think now . My past self had different knowledge and was in a completely different situation from mine . ”
Suddenly, Ian’s face became serious .
“This part bothered me a lot as I read my diary . If you were to ask me the same question now, I’d give you a slightly different answer . And now I finally have a chance to do just that . ”
Ian spoke .