As True as a Dream Chapter 131

“Huh?”

Dazed by his reassurance, Hae-Joo felt his fingers—which had been teasingly tracing the curve under her breast—slip away as he adjusted her bra back into place. Her heart ached at the sight of his face, now noticeably thinner and paler than before, and she frowned.

 

Yi Ho, lying close beside her, noticed her expression and raised an eyebrow before letting out a weak laugh. Then, as if to comfort her, he lightly booped her nose with his finger and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

 

“It’s fine. I’ll recover.”

 

“…But it’s worse than before, right? And it’ll… keep getting worse?”

 

Yi Ho hesitated at her question, then smiled faintly.

 

“Don’t worry. Even if I die sooner than expected, I’ll still outlive you—a mere human.”

 

“…Even as a joke, don’t say things like that.”

 

Though his tone was playful, Hae-Joo’s stomach dropped, and she quickly denied his words. Yi Ho chuckled dryly, tousled her hair, then shifted aside to let her get up.

 

As she watched him, Hae-Joo recalled the conversation she’d had with Hongo the day before about Yi Ho’s “illness” and climbed out of bed. She still couldn’t easily believe that the child she’d protected on the train and returned to his mother’s arms had been devoured by Man Insa. But after yesterday’s events, she had no choice but to accept it.

 

And Yi Ho needed that stone—the Blood Stone—that Man Insa supposedly possessed. Only with it could Yi Ho recover from his worsening condition.

 

But what even was the Blood Stone?

 

As her thoughts tangled, Hae-Joo remembered the stack of newspapers on the study desk.

 

“…Boss.”

 

Yi Ho raised an eyebrow as Hae-Joo, who had been straightening her clothes, suddenly froze and spoke up.

 

“While you were ill, something big happened in Gyeongseong.”

 

“Something big?”

 

She nodded.

 

“That Man Insa… it seems he’s been killing people. Indiscriminately. Just like… back in Sogok Village.”

 

Yi Ho frowned as she continued, relaying what Yong-joo had told her the day before in Bangaho Village—that over thirty people had been killed in just a few days.

 

“Your study is full of newspapers, and all the articles are about…”

 

“Lee Yong-joo? The reporter?”

 

Hae-Joo’s eyes widened as she was cut off. It felt absurd that his focus wasn’t on Man Insa but on Yong-joo. Remembering how Yi Ho had acted sharply toward Yong-joo back in Gongju, she hurriedly added,

 

“Yong-joo oppa is just a hometown acquaintance.”

 

“You might see him that way, but he might not.”

 

“What are you…?”

 

Baffled, Hae-Joo was about to deny it when Yi Ho’s sulky demeanor made her laugh despite herself. His expression hadn’t changed much, but to her, he looked twisted with jealousy.

 

Realizing anything she said would only lead back to the same argument, she awkwardly scratched her cheek and changed the subject.

 

“Oh, right. I need to go out for a bit this afternoon.”

 

She glanced at Yi Ho cautiously. She wasn’t a fool—after what happened yesterday, even Hongo had advised her to be careful. But she had a reason she had to go out.

 

“Where do you need to go?”

 

As expected, Yi Ho didn’t look pleased.

 

“Is it really necessary?”

 

Hae-Joo hesitated but nodded.

 

“It’s Eun-sil’s birthday today. You know what she means to me, right? Mister Hongo said he’d have crows follow me when I go out, so it’ll be fine.”

 

For anything else, she might’ve made excuses or adjusted her plans—but Eun-sil was non-negotiable. Besides, with everything that had happened, she still hadn’t delivered the brooches she’d made for Eun-sil and her mother.

 

“I’ll be careful. Really. And think about it—hiding forever won’t solve anything, right? I can’t stay indoors my whole life. Isn’t that true?”

 

She blinked at him. Yi Ho sighed and finally nodded.

 

“Fair enough. Then I’ll go with you.”

 

As he moved to get up, Hae-Joo rushed over and pushed him back down by the shoulders.

 

“You still need to rest. Don’t push yourself. Nothing will happen. It’s broad daylight, and there’ll be plenty of people around… I’ll just do what I need to and come straight back. Okay?”

 

She quickly tucked the blanket around him up to his neck, then turned toward the door—but paused when her gaze landed on the nightstand beside his bed.

 

A crumpled, stained envelope lay there.

 

The one left to her by the woman who’d been killed by Man Insa last night.

 

She’d said she was a cleaner for The Bogyeong Daily…

 

If she’d begged so desperately with her dying breath, it had to be important. Given her actions and words, it was likely tied to an independence movement group.

 

Hae-Joo pursed her lips, walked back to the bed, picked up the envelope, and turned away.

 

“Be careful.”

 

“I will.”

 

As she closed Yi Ho’s door, a complicated emotion rose in her chest.

 

The words “independence movement” were inextricably linked to her mother’s death.

 

She ran her fingernail over the envelope, then tucked it into her clothes.

 

‘I’ll deliver it on my way back after seeing Eun-sil,’ she decided.

 

 

* * *

 

Hae-Joo first stopped by her home in Ikseon-dong to grab the brooches for Eun-sil and her mother, as well as the cosmetics she’d bought as a birthday gift, then headed to Sungin-dong.

 

When she got off the bus and walked down the familiar main road leading to Eun-sil’s neighborhood, a sense of unease crept over her.

 

The entire street was shrouded in a strange, gloomy atmosphere. The usually lively road was nearly empty, and the few people out looked somber.

 

Bewildered, Hae-Joo turned into the alley where Eun-sil’s house was—and her eyes widened.

 

It seemed everyone who’d vanished from the main road had crowded into this alley.

 

Has something happened? The alley was packed. Frowning, she tried to weave through the wall of people.

 

“Excuse me, what’s going on—?”

 

Her words died in her throat when she saw the face of the woman she’d asked.

 

The middle-aged woman’s eyes were swollen from crying, her nose red as she sniffled and turned to Hae-Joo.

 

“W-What happened…?”

 

At Hae-Joo’s cautious question, the woman’s face crumpled.

 

“Oh… they’re all dead! All of them! How could this happen…?!”

 

The woman suddenly grabbed Hae-Joo’s arm and burst into sobs. As if infected by her grief, sniffles and cries rose from all around.

 

Hae-Joo stared blankly.

 

Dead? All of them?

 

“Who… who’s dead?”

 

A foreboding dread settled in her chest as she asked. The woman pointed deeper into the alley.

 

“Overnight…! Everyone in this alley died overnight! Every last one! Oh, it’s so cruel…! So unfair! What did we do to deserve this…?!”

 

The woman collapsed to the ground, wailing and beating the dirt.

 

Hae-Joo numbly followed her finger.

 

All of them… dead?

 

Everyone in this alley…?

 

“N-No…!”

 

Her gaze shot toward Eun-sil’s house at the end of the alley.

 

No…!

 

Her mind went white as she shoved through the crowd. The people she pushed past didn’t even react, too lost in their grief.

 

When she finally broke through, she saw policemen in black uniforms blocking off each house.

 

But what caught her eye wasn’t their stern presence—it was the straw mats laid out in front of each home, each covered with a white cloth.

 

Including one in front of Eun-sil’s house.

 

Her stomach dropped.

 

Her body moved on its own.