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

than

but had even experienced them first hand, but Choi Han did not mistake Choi Jung Soo as

the

was Choi Jung Soo's

Rustle.

turned his head after

the gaze of

me

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

ran and

care that his uniform pants ripped after being snagged by a tree branch as

to breathe or that

He just kept running.

He had then fallen.

ground, got back up, and continued running without realizing that the wallet he had carelessly shoved back in his

of

memories filled Choi

“Ah.”

Choi Han’s sight changed.

surroundings had

“Grrrrrrr-”

he had just

fallen while running could

him as if it was savoring the final moments of its

Han blankly stared

the past had cried

‘Soooooooooob. Ugh.’

get back up

‘…Dad, mom……’

and he was too scared of this monster

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

wanted to

the Choi Han of the past

needed to get

moment he needed to get back up replayed itself in front of the

Crack.

Choi Han had recalled his family picture and the

had riled

I need to survive no matter

and throw it at the wild animal and thankfully it had landed on the wild animal's

to keep running away thanks

few days but the wallet

wallet under the

“…No.”

no, maybe because he knew it was an illusion, Choi Han picked up the rock

rock hit the wild animal's eye as

“Roooooooooooooooar!”

shook its head and could not

quickly started to run. He was running forward unlike in

away from the wild animal, but

it this time. Choi Han did not want to go through his memories, as he had accepted his

“Ah.”

let out

He stepped forward.

foot would not move. He was just walking in place. He tried to move his foot forward with everything he had, but his feet only

the

Boom. Boom.

not approach the wild animal no matter how hard

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

inside would crumple and rip as

‘…Dad, mom……’

past self's cries echoed in Choi Han’s ears. His gaze was focused only on the wallet. The forest

was at that

Chhhhhhh-

try to approach the wild animal were caught in red chains. The red

“Ah.”

then pulled Choi

was slowly moving away from the wild animal as the young Choi

“Damn it!”

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

Chhhhhhh-

that came out of the darkness. Choi Han saw red chains cover his legs, hands, arms, shoulders, and

away from the wild animal as he had done in

darkness gave him a similar feeling to 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

moving away from the wild animal and the

“…Ha, haha-”

Han started