Trash of the Count's Family

Choi Han felt no emotions about returning to the day he fell into this world and the Forest of Darkness.

“It is an illusion, but it feels real.”

The feeling of the leaves rustling and crunching under his feet, the breeze brushing past his cheek, and the scent of the forest mixed inside the breeze. Everything felt real.

The scent of the forest.

Although it sounds beautiful, a fishy and rotten scent was mixed inside that scent of the forest.

It was the scent of the Forest of Darkness that was a mix of the fresh scent of a forest and the cruel and vicious creatures inside it.

The breeze blowing through this place where weak creatures and monsters could die at any moment had the fishy scent of blood within it.

Choi Han had not known what these scents were when he first arrived, but the now older Choi Han knew the identity of these scents too well.

He had seen a countless number of deaths.

That was why he was feeling nothing right now.

Choi Han lowered his head and continued to look at the family picture inside his wallet.

“…This.”

However, the blurry faces of his family members stabbed at him as it reminded him of his forgotten past.

“This is a bit painful.”

He was sad about all the time that had passed rather than the illusion itself. He could calmly talk about it, but he could not hide the feelings.

‘I did get much older.’

Choi Han realized that he had aged quite a bit as he became nostalgic about the past.

‘But I'm relieved.’

Choi Han was thinking that ‘relieved’ was the best word to describe his feelings right now.

He was relieved because he had seen the older versions of his family through Choi Jung Soo's memories. There were none of his direct family members and he had only seen older versions of some of his cousins, but he was thankful for that.

Choi Han’s hand holding the wallet grew weak.

“…I told you to carry a wallet.”

He didn't remember her face, but he remembered his mom’s voice.

His dad had given him some allowance as he quickly grabbed the wallet after hearing her comment.

‘I remember that.’

Choi Han carefully put the family picture back in the wallet and safely put the wallet in his pocket. He then started to walk.

‘I need to quickly get out of this illusion.’

It was obvious how bad it would be for Cale who was left alone while he was in this illusion. Of course, the situation could be different if Raon quickly made it over.

‘Still.’

Choi Han now had Kim Rok Soo, no, Cale, as his family.

He had considered Cale to be like family for a while, but Cale became his true family after seeing through Choi Jung Soo’s memories.

‘Oh, come on! Kim Rok Soo, why do we share the same birthday too?!’

‘I'm quite annoyed that we were born on the same day so shut up.’

‘…Wow, I'm hurt. Kim Rok Soo, you're so cold.’

‘Shut up.’

Choi Jung Soo and Kim Rok Soo had the same birthday.

‘Hey, hey, Rok Soooooooo.’

‘Don't call me in such a disgusting way.’

‘Ah, it’s such a pity the more I think about it. I could have taken you as a dongsaeng if you were born later than me.’

‘Talk to the wall if you're going to continue with this nonsense.’

‘Wow, team leader-nim! Listen to the way Kim Rok Soo is talking to his one fellow employee! He’s so cold!’

‘Cold my ass.’

Choi Jung Soo had considered Kim Rok Soo to be his brother. He considered Kim Rok Soo both as his dongsaeng and his hyung.

felt similarly to Choi Jung Soo that Kim Rok

than Choi

just seen Choi Jung Soo’s memories but had even experienced them first hand,

the things he

was Choi Jung Soo's

Rustle.

turned his head

the trees inside the forest. Choi Han noticed the gaze of the enemy hidden inside the shadows of

old me couldn’t

past self was in such panic walking around the forest in confusion that he had not

and ran

to escape that wild animal. He didn't care that his uniform pants ripped after being snagged by a tree branch as he

to breathe

He just kept running.

He had then fallen.

rolled on the ground, got back up, and continued running without realizing that

memories of the

moment those memories filled Choi

“Ah.”

Choi Han’s sight changed.

surroundings had

“Grrrrrrr-”

had just recalled started to replay

while running could see the wild animal leisurely

approached him as if it was savoring the final

blankly stared at

Han of the past had cried

‘Soooooooooob. Ugh.’

have the courage to get back up and

‘…Dad, mom……’

he was too scared

he had trained in ancient martial arts and developed his strength since he was young, this moment had been too scary

to drop

Choi Han of the past could not drop

needed to get

get back up replayed itself

Crack.

been stomped by the wild animal's large paw. The past Choi Han had recalled his family picture

riled

to survive! I need to

a nearby rock and throw it at the wild animal and thankfully

to keep running away thanks to

had tried to find his wallet again after a few days but the wallet that was

the wallet

“…No.”

knew it was an illusion, no, maybe because he knew it was an illusion,

hit the wild animal's eye as

“Roooooooooooooooar!”

and

seeing the animal's reaction. He then quickly

the

should be stomped on like this. He would save it this time. Choi Han did not want to go through his memories, as he had accepted his lost

“Ah.”

out a

He stepped forward.

move. He was just walking in place. He tried to move his foot forward with everything he had, but his feet only

I can't change the past

Boom. Boom.

approach the wild animal no matter how hard he

Han slowly started to frown. However, his feet did not follow his will. The wallet was crushed

inside would crumple

‘…Dad, mom……’

Han’s ears. His gaze was focused only on the wallet. The forest surrounding him slowly

at

Chhhhhhh-

that were continuing to try to approach the wild animal were caught in red chains. The red chains stealthily but quickly tied Choi

“Ah.”

pulled

animal as the young Choi

“Damn it!”

to remove the chains. However, it was useless. He used

Chhhhhhh-

were soon caught by more red chains that came out of the darkness. Choi Han saw red chains cover his legs,

slowly moved away from the wild animal as he had done in the past and watched as the world

the night he faced after barely managing to escape from the wild animal on his first day inside the Forest of Darkness. It was the night he barely survived as he shivered in fear that something else might appear and kill him. It was the night he cried while thinking about his family picture. It was the night he continued to say the names of his family members

Han after moving away

“…Ha, haha-”

started