You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 215

You Have Been Defended – Episode 215

The sudden blackout plunged the surroundings into darkness, making it impossible to see anything.

The fire alarm going off didn’t necessarily mean there was a fire.

Sometimes it’s pressed as a prank, or by mistake.

But this time, it wasn’t something to simply dismiss, especially since the lights had gone out too.

“Is there a fire?”

The crowd’s agitation grew.

If it was truly a mistake, the fire alarm should have been silenced, and the lights turned back on.

But the alarm continued to blare, and the lights remained off.

Then, someone pulled out their phone and used it to illuminate the surroundings.

And with that as a starting point, others also took out their phones.

However, even that didn’t fully brighten the venue.

In the sudden darkness, people were busy searching for their companions.

Some, in an attempt to evacuate, jumped up and ran through the venue, tripping over tables or chairs.

Even a table stacked with champagne was overturned, soaking the carpeted floor.

“What’s that smell?”

Just then, someone shouted loudly.

The voice cut through the incessant blare of the fire alarm and echoed through the venue.

Everyone began to sniff, trying to catch the scent.

A burning smell.

It was a fire.

The fire was happening outside.

“Fire!”

And right on cue, someone shouted loudly from outside.

“Fire!”

Along with the urgent footsteps running through the hallway outside the venue, someone shouted incessantly.

“Fire?”

“Fire, you say?”

People who had been holding their ground with a sense of disbelief cried out.

“Th, there’s smoke!”

And, in the darkness, someone shouted.

In the light of the phone screens, a smoky haze was seen slowly gathering in the venue.

From that moment on, everyone in the venue jumped up and started running towards the exit.

“Evacuate in order! This will only increase the damage!”

The foundation staff in charge of guiding the event shouted at the people swarming towards the entrance.

As expected, it was utter chaos as people rushed to the narrow entrance, each trying to get out first.

“Everyone, cover your nose and mouth with your sleeves and lower your heads! Then evacuate in an orderly line!”

While the foundation staff shouted and tried to organize the situation, Lee Jung-chan, who was panicking and didn’t know what to do, heard the voices of his aides.

“Chairman! Chairman Lee Jung-chan!”

They were searching for Lee Jung-chan, shining their phone lights.

Pushing through overturned chairs, one of the aides approached Lee Jung-chan.

However, Lee Jung-chan’s gaze was fixed on the stage.

Even though everyone was in a frenzy to evacuate, Lee Jung-chan, with trembling legs, barely managed to stand by holding onto a table, shining his phone light towards the stage.

Soon, the aides who reached Lee Jung-chan grabbed his arm.

“Did you find Se-hyung? Where is Se-hyung!”

“Chairman, we need to evacuate first!”

“Where is Se-hyung! Find Se-hyung too! We need to evacuate Se-hyung too!”

Lee Jung-chan shouted as he was led away by his aides.

“I’ll go find him! So please evacuate quickly!”

“Se-hyung… Make sure you find Se-hyung!”

“I’ll take care of him, so please evacuate, Chairman!”

One of the aides who was supporting Lee Jung-chan shouted and ran towards the stage.

He fumbled for a while, unable to find the stairs to get on the stage, but eventually hurriedly climbed the stairs.

“Welfare worker Lee Se-hyung!”

He searched the wide stage, shining his phone light.

As time passed, the venue filled with smoke, making it impossible to see even with the light.

The burning smell was also getting stronger.

At this rate, the flames might spread here.

The aide suddenly looked around the venue.

A little while ago, there were scattered phone lights, but now it was all dark, as if most of the people who were going to evacuate had already left.

“Welfare worker Lee Se-hyung!”

“I’m here!”

Just then, Lee Se-hyung’s voice came from the front.

The aide covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve and looked ahead.

He saw Lee Se-hyung standing on the stage, looking lost and unsure of what to do.

“You need to evacuate quickly!”

The aide said, grabbing Lee Se-hyung’s arm.

He, too, had been hesitating, wondering what to do in this situation.

He repeatedly shifted in his wheelchair, unsure of what to do.

Judging by the fact that he couldn’t feel any heat yet, the fire seemed to be far away, but it seemed dangerous to evacuate in a wheelchair.

But if he walked out on two legs, he would definitely be noticed by people.

“Get up quickly and take my hand!”

“Sh, shit, what about the wheelchair!”

Lee Se-hyung shouted in a trembling voice.

He knew it himself.

Now was not the time to worry about the wheelchair.

He might die.

Why at a time like this? Why this kind of accident!

“This is not the time to pretend you have paralysis in your lower body! It’s going to be really dangerous if you keep this up. I’ll take you to a place where you won’t be seen by people, so hurry!”

The aide shouted once again.

Lee Se-hyung squeezed his eyes shut and stood up.

“Cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve, keep your body as low as possible, and follow me!”

At the aide’s words, Lee Se-hyung lowered his waist.

The burning smell was getting stronger and stronger.

He swallowed hard and followed the aide, who was walking ahead with his back bent, only looking at the aide’s heels while holding his wrist.

How long had he been walking like that?

Faint light began to appear in the distance.

“Hah, hah, are there no people there?”

“You may not have known, but whenever we go to events like this, we always secure places like this in case of an emergency. As soon as we go outside, we’ll cover your body with a blanket, so you can get into the wheelchair we’ve prepared right away.”

“Ah, okay. Shit, why the hell is this happening!”

Still, he was relieved that he seemed to have evacuated safely without getting hurt, as the surroundings were gradually getting brighter.

The thick smoke gradually thinned, and clear air was sucked into his nose.

Before he knew it, the scenery outside the building came into view beyond the aide’s lower body.

“This way!”

The aide grabbed Lee Se-hyung’s wrist and ran out of the building.

Lee Se-hyung also diligently moved his steps to match his running.

Now the smoke had completely cleared, and the streetlights installed outside the building were shining brightly.

Lee Se-hyung slowly lifted his bent waist.

“Everyone, Lee Se-hyung is now walking out on two feet!”

At that moment, someone shouted.

Lee Se-hyung felt like his heart was sinking and grabbed his chest, trying to check his surroundings.

However, he couldn’t open his eyes properly because of the bright lights that were pouring down on him as if to blind him.

He reflexively raised his arm to cover his eyes.

“What is this……”

“Didn’t they say Lee Se-hyung had paralysis in his lower body?”

“He was in a wheelchair until just now.”

The murmuring of the people struck his ears.

Even though his eyes were covered, his hearing was sensitive.

People had seen it.

This sight of him standing on two feet.

His heart started beating like crazy.

Should he sit down now?

His mind was complicated.

He couldn’t bring himself to lower his arm covering his eyes and face the truth.

But, if he kept standing like this, he might be exposed to more people.

He carefully lowered his trembling arm and looked around.

“……”

A man with a camera was standing right in front of him.

As if he had set it up in advance, bright LED lights were constantly shining on him.

He had been told that they had separately secured a secluded evacuation route, but instead, everyone at the event was gathered here.

Everyone was staring at Lee Se-hyung, who was standing perfectly on two legs, with shocked expressions.

“Lee Se-hyung. I’m reporter Choi Jong-hyun. The scene of you walking out on two feet has been captured on camera. What’s going on? Weren’t you paralyzed in your lower body, as it’s known to the public?”

Choi Jong-hyun held out a broadcasting microphone in front of him and fired off questions.

Lee Se-hyung was completely panicked.

He was still standing firmly on the ground with both feet.

His legs were a little wobbly, but he didn’t look like he had paralysis in his lower body to anyone.

Lee Se-hyung urgently began to look for the aide who had brought him here.

However, he was nowhere to be seen.

“Lee Se-hyung! People who participated in the event said that you were in a wheelchair even at the event. How could you walk out like this?”

“……”

“Answer me!”

Choi Jong-hyun shouted, holding the microphone even closer to Lee Se-hyung.

And the people who were standing far away and looking at him also looked at him with expressions as if to tell him to answer quickly.

“……”

Lee Se-hyung made eye contact with the camera lens that was capturing his image as it was.

And then, men in black suits rushed towards Choi Jong-hyun from somewhere.

“What are you!”

They snatched the camera from Choi Jong-hyun’s hand and threw it to the ground.

And they subdued Choi Jong-hyun, tying his arms behind his back.

Another aide quickly approached Lee Se-hyung, covered his head with a blanket, and hurriedly disappeared with him to a secluded area.

“Ouch, ouch! Ouch! Oh, these guys are catching a reporter! Hehe, but it’s no use. It was being broadcast live. Everyone who was going to see the scene of Lee Se-hyung walking out on two feet has already seen it.”

Choi Jong-hyun said, chuckling at the man who was pressing down on his back.

“And even if it wasn’t broadcast live, it doesn’t matter. Everyone who was going to see it has already seen it. Isn’t that right, everyone?!”

Choi Jong-hyun shouted at the people who had evacuated outside the building.

They didn’t answer, but the murmuring still didn’t stop.

“Let go of me, you bastard. Before I call my lawyer! Do you know how much that camera costs?!”

Choi Jong-hyun shouted at the aide who was tying him up.

The camera had already cracked, scattering fragments from the moment it fell to the ground, but he didn’t regret it at all.

“Yes, yes. I understand.”

Just then, the aide muttered something, as if he had received a radio message through the earpiece in his ear.

And after glaring at Choi Jong-hyun once, he threw him to the ground with all his might.

“Ouch.”

Choi Jong-hyun rolled on the ground, but laughter still seeped out from between his lips.