42 – Haerin Kang (42)
Haerin Kang (42)
My first meeting with PD Ban Yu-ri was the worst.
“Ah, that’s right… Now, author… You must have been…”
PD-nim Ban Yu-ri smiled awkwardly and said as if trying to move his mouth muscles stiff from tension.
It wasn’t until I suddenly made excuses about the ‘scene’ of Kang Hae-rin holding a knife that she seemed to give up trying to escape through the front door.
To be precise, it was safe to say that she almost subdued her trying to run away with force and threats.
I blocked the entrance and made an excuse by saying in a quick voice that I was a writer, ‘Kang Hae-rin’.
In the process, I grabbed Ban PD by the waist and threw him down, and the situation became even more serious.
‘Please help me, forgive me, huh. please. I mean, I still haven’t gotten my boyfriend. There are too many people who haven’t been able to do it. Help me…’
Ban PD-nim begged me with his eyes wide open as tears and runny nose flowed out.
As soon as I understood what I had become, a sense of relief and bewilderment came over me, and I too was bewildered and my heart was beating fast.
Without Kang Hae-rin’s help, I would have been the attempted murderer of my lover.
“… PD, you are my boyfriend. Writer Haerin Kang… I am Haerin Kang in real life, and Haerin Kang is the pseudonym over there…”
Kang Hae-rin was frozen in the corner of the kitchen where I tried to stab her, so I couldn’t see her as she blocked the front door to stop PD Ban.
But she said it in a low voice.
he defended me
… Me in this process too…
Sorry, guilt, and questions about misunderstanding Kang Hae-rin began to swirl at once.
‘I was mistaken.’
I conceded.
I mistakenly thought that Kang Hae-rin would have killed PD Ban, like in a B-grade movie featuring a psychopath.
He said that he even fed it to me, thinking that the round and juicy meat was Ban PD-nim’s lean meat.
Even though cannibalism is a subject I have never directly used in my novels.
However, even in the process of my misunderstanding, I was confused because the image of Kang Hae-rin, who was particularly calm and made no excuses, came to mind at the same time.
‘Help me.’
Haerin Kang said so.
what the hell
she said so too.
‘It’s you who made me like this.’
When I hear these words, I can’t resist the urge and call the PD ‘
It looks like Kang Hae-rin, who killed me, is trying to apologize to me or shift the blame.
It’s not just an excuse.
There was an ambiguous corner to her words.
You must apologize, but you must hear the reason.
The atmosphere was also different from usual.
I didn’t think PD Ban’s stay at this house would make any difference to her.
There is no way that she, who suffers from congenital insensitivity, was stimulated by someone other than me to perceive her problems and try to correct them herself.
Anyway, PD Ban is alive.
‘thank god.’
The sky seemed to fall because of the fact that Kang Hae-rin eventually committed murder, but although there were many questions, the broken heart was restored, even if it was attached with bond.
Yet she is a normal person like me.
The dozens or hundreds of murders she committed only exist in fiction and do not exist.
It is questionable how someone who has a job is staying at Kang Hae-rin’s house for a few days, but the priority now is to clear up her misunderstanding.
“Yes, I am ‘Kang Haerin’. Writer Kang Hae-rin…”
I said.
“I’m sorry for showing you this rudeness. I’ll explain again with Harin. You may not believe it to a third person, but we often play like this.”
dog sound.
Even when I thought about it, I laughed awkwardly, hahahaha, while making excuses that made no sound.
Of course, this bullsh*t works because Kang Hae-rin, who was a ‘victim’ of violence, sided with me.
If she had been determined, she could have put me in a predicament, but I was grateful and sorry.
Kang Hae-rin, the ‘victim’.
In my novels, she had never appeared as an underdog, so the composition was quite unfamiliar.
Of course, I wonder if she was really stabbed by the knife I wielded without any resistance.
Maybe, if Ban PD-nim hadn’t appeared, I might have been hit by a counterattack before the tip of the sword reached Kang Hae-rin’s abdomen, and I would have been the one to bleed.
No, wouldn’t that be more likely?
I never imagined Kang Hae-rin being murdered.
“… I was really surprised. suddenly…”
Ban PD-nim looked at me and said.
However, it seems that it is difficult to communicate properly, probably because the whole body is tense.
I understand.
I woke up and smelled a delicious smell and came down, but a man was threatening the owner with a knife.
Embarrassed, surprised and shocked by the new truth, I was also bewildered, but I had to reassure her.
So I repeated my excuse.
“You look like this… I’m ashamed of you.”
“No, wow, when you’re dating, you do jokes, right? Yes? I, uh, don’t like scary pranks, but now, since you’re the writer… you’re the writer of 『Journal』… hehehe, I’ve never been in a relationship… but, ah, TMI, I’m sorry. hahahaha… I mean, if you listen to what your friends say, it’s like that.”
Ban PD talking gibberish.
But just not crying more, calling for help louder, or continuing to struggle to escape made me very grateful.
“Anyway, this incident is in many ways…”
I apologized again and approached her, but PD-nim shrugged and made a noise.
“Sa, sa, sa, save me…!”
… Ah, you didn’t understand.
I backed away and realized I was still holding the cleaver in my hand.
crazy guy Because of this…
Ban PD-nim’s eyes were also on that direction.
“… I will throw this away. sorry. really.”
Took.
I put the knife down on the floor with an awkward motion.
And pushed it towards Ban PD.
“Please believe me. If you don’t mind, take this.”
“……..”
However, PD Ban only looked at Haerin Kang, shaking his body like a pitiful prey animal.
Are you relying on them more than me?
On my side, my vision was cleverly cut off, so I couldn’t tell what kind of glance they were exchanging.
All I can read is PD Ban’s black pupils swaying violently in the late afternoon light, and his chest swaying as if he had run 100m.
She sent her eyes to Kang Hae-rin as if asking for help and shook her head.
It was an unreadable sign.
I don’t know who the killer is.
Well, objectively, it was my fault.
I am Kang Hae-rin’s attempted murderer.
I calmly accepted the reality.
Anyway, Haerin Kang hasn’t committed her ‘first murder’ yet, so I have no reason to hate her.
Let’s clear up any misunderstandings.
“self.”
After a while, Kang Haerin’s voice was heard.
She spoke calmly, as if completely unaware of the fact that her life had just been threatened.
It seemed that the tone was slightly lower than usual, but unlike the class PD who trembled like a goat, she was calm, so she gave everyone peace.
“Would you like to go upstairs for a minute? No matter how much it was a joke, I think it would be better for PD-nim to calm down. Stay up.”
“… Yes, Haerin-ah, I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry about? It’s a joke. self. If you listen to Ban PD, you will misunderstand. is not it?”
Kang Hae-rin burst into laughter.
But I couldn’t help but laugh.
There was no doubt that she was acting like that, conscious of the class PD-nim’s gaze, and to match my endless excuses.
Wouldn’t it be easier for even the most numb psychopath to laugh at himself to protect the man who just tried to kill him?
Dejected, I did as she told me.
When I turned right from the front door, I saw the stairs going upstairs, so I moved my steps there.
There were so many rooms, I didn’t know where to go.
However, as the person who wrote the novel, I had a rough idea of which room was used for which purpose.
Most of them will be empty.
In the morning, I went to a room with good sunlight.
It wasn’t that bright right now because the sun was already going over to the other side, but the open view made my mind a little more comfortable when I opened the window.
Here you can see the ‘visitor’ well.
Kang Hae-rin must have seen me pressing the intercom and talking to the neighbors here.
When I leaned out of the window, the inside of the wall where I was talking with the lady was captured without exception.
Even though it is a wealthy village, it did not have a good view because it was Seoul with a high population density, but seeing the clean streets, neat gardens, and yards, I felt even peace.
‘Let’s sincerely apologize to Haerin.’
I thought about it.
I didn’t know if it was because I was excited before, but if I were in her position now, I would feel very bad, no, I would feel a serious sense of betrayal.
I will keep asking myself in my head.
‘Did Lee Dong-min really try to stab him?’
It must have been shocking to know that the man he believed to be his creator and only lover had murder intentions without properly checking it because of ‘prejudice’.
‘Let’s apologize.’
My decision became clearer.
Since I was the one who set Kang Hae-rin as the murderer, and under the pretext of preventing her from killing, I suspected and questioned her more than anyone else.
‘I’m in charge.’
It may be a cheeky idea, but Kang Hae-rin is the woman I will be responsible for for the rest of my life.
If I had been in charge of Kang Hae-rin, Park Se-young, Baek Yoo-ram, noona, and Ban Yuri PD-nim, there wouldn’t have been any misunderstandings and there wouldn’t have been any problems.
‘I just need to do well.’
When I made up my mind, a smile came to my mind.
Isn’t that too simple?
Haerin Kang is a perfect woman.
Even if ‘perfection’ comes in different ways for each individual, Kang Hae-rin was more perfect in that she was a perfect woman who was thoroughly customized for me.
why do you reject her?
‘I’m living with Kang Hae-rin.’
Then everything is fine.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I suddenly realized that a man was looking at me from the corner of the street.
“… what?”
Black mask and hat.
Black leather jacket and trousers.
He also wore black gloves on his hands.
It’s a suspicious look no matter who sees it.
Even from a distance, he was quite tall and slim, but even though our eyes met, he didn’t lose. He glared at me for a while, then turned around.
He got on his motorcycle and disappeared with a noise.
“……”
In an instant, I remembered that a neighbor’s lady had said that there was a man ‘following’ Kang Hae-rin.
I got an unknown feeling.
Kang Hae-rin, who is objectively beautiful, has already become famous enough to be known by the entire S University within a month of entering the school, so just walking on the street will attract attention.
From the face to the body, there is no corner that falls out.
So it wouldn’t be terribly strange if a stalker came along… but that doesn’t mean I should condone it.
As a boyfriend, aside from being in a bad mood, he could die while hanging around Kang Hae-rin.
“… uh?”
For a moment, I had a ridiculous illusion that I had seen the man somewhere, but just as the conversation between PD Ban and Haerin Kang ended, I was called down.
Ban PD-nim, who was trembling with anxiety about what kind of magic he had performed, was drinking tea with a much more comfortable face.
There may have been stabilizers in that car.
Because Kang Hae-rin used such auxiliary materials well.
Haerin Kang said.
“Baby, can you take the class PD?”
“… uh?”
“Because the class PD has a car, you can ride it.”
“Isn’t that… I’m taking you there?”
“I just wanted to see you off. Originally, the reason PD-nim came was to see him. PD-nim suddenly felt unwell, so he told me to rest, but I’m fine now…”
“Can we talk here?”
“Well, that’s a bit… you know I like being alone. You’ve already lived with PD-nim for a few days, and you’ve spent a lot of energy?”
“It’s too much, Mr. Harin.”
At Kang Hae-rin’s words, PD Ban stuck out his lips.
… You two have become quite close.
“…Are you okay, PD?”
As expected, I was concerned about what I had done, so I asked the PD and got an ok sign.
Ban PD-nim made finger gestures so cheerfully that I didn’t know what the hell he had seen and changed so suddenly.
“Sure, writer. It is an honor.”
This is probably the nature of this person.
Even when answering the phone, he was basically lively.
Compared to me, who is mentally unstable in many ways, I can say that he is a very stable and calm person.
So I went out with Ban PD.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
I could see Haerin Kang waving her hand in a tone that made it unclear who she was talking to, PD-nim Ban or me.
“……”
bang.
I closed the passenger door.
After a moment of awkward silence, the engine started, and the car moved forward smoothly.
What should I say?
Earlier, I was flustered and stammered to say anything, but that was an excuse, not a conversation.
Originally, I’m not good at conversation.
Especially if you are a first-timer.
That’s why I always tried to keep my distance even though PD-nim showed interest in me and was kind to me, and I didn’t even try to actually see it.
Did it last like 5 minutes?
When you’re far enough away from Kang Hae-rin’s house.
Ban PD suddenly parked the car on a corner, checked the surroundings, and whispered to me.
“… Writer. Did you know?”
“… what?”
The face came so close that I backed away feeling a little embarrassed.
‘Ban PD-sama, you’re quite busty…’
I glanced down and then looked back at her.
No matter how ‘visible’ it is, this would be rude.
“……”
“PD?”
“A stalker.”
“yes?”
“Did you know of a stalker near Harin’s house?”
“……”
“I don’t know what the writer will think. You might think I’m crazy.”
What are you going to say?
“I was grateful that Mr. Harin took care of me when I suddenly felt unwell, so I purposely stayed there. But it wasn’t just about that.”
“… then…”
“I was curious.”
“what…?”
“Kang Haerin, you are a person who arouses curiosity.”
“……..”
For a moment, I was worried that she might have found out Kang Hae-rin’s true identity.
Of course, I personally confirmed that Kang Hae-rin did not commit any crimes.
The villains and victims of the entire episode were searched on portal sites and Google.
Logically, for that to be possible, the virtual character I created would have to occupy a prominent position in the real world, which creates a lot of problems.
However, it would be doubtful that the depiction of Kang Hae-rin in the novel and Kang Hae-rin in real life is quite similar.
“I felt it while watching a stalker wandering around the house. A sense of deja vu. I’m sure this is a scene I’ve seen somewhere. No, I felt that déjà vu from the moment I entered the house. It was an illusion as if I was entering the author’s novel.”
“… I don’t know what you’re talking about. 『Journal』 is a novel. Author… hahahaha… It’s good that you like my novel, but I wonder if you’re too immersed in it…”
As I stammered, PD-nim suddenly grabbed my hand and shouted with a serious face.
“As expected, the writer felt it too!”
“……”
“Then the author will know when he sees it. The man snooping around Kang Hae-rin’s house is ‘Ban Yi-jae’!”
“…PD-sama…?”
I said with an awkward smile.
“Ban Yi-jae is a serial killer in my novel…”
“Am I mistaken?”
“……..”
When I responded that I was so absurd, PD Ban blushed as if he had come to his senses.
“Is that so, too? sorry. what are you thinking But the black outfit, the motorcycle, all of that… It’s like Ban Yijae. I didn’t know either. However, Mr. Haerin seems to be very concerned.
“……”
half Lee Jae.
He was one of the main villains in my novel.
A serial killer who made Kang Hae-rin quite difficult, who was in charge of the influx of my novel until around the first 15 episodes, but a villain who was later killed by her.
… is this really a coincidence?
Why did Haerin Kang let us go?
An ominous thought crept in.
Since Kang Hae-rin has become a reality, logically speaking, it is not impossible for other characters to appear.
If the black man is Ban Lee-jae… Does that mean that Park Sang-woo, Jung Beom-sik, Jang Hye-ok, etc. will also become a reality?
… Detective Park Seong-gang?
What is Haerin Kang going to do?
“……”
After some pondering, I realized.
The reason Kang Hae-rin asked me to ‘help’.