Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
43. Things, which don’t change (6)
“Then we’ll be on our way. Uram-ah, if you need anything, contact me through a device.”
“…”
“Yes, goodbye!”
“Stay safe.”
Did they think Mok Uram would be more comfortable talking casually among the 1st year students?
The Earthly Wings Council’s senior said goodbye to the other children in the dormitory lobby and left.
‘But why was Bak Seung-hyeon with Seong Siwan and Gye Idam? There were no close people with the Playable Characters among the Earthly Wings Council’s members…’
He had little importance, but Bak Seung-hyeon was also a Playable Character.
On the other hand, there were no Playable Characters or important NPC connected to the Playable Characters in the Earthly Wings Council.
If we had to pick an existing NPC, there was no one but Choe Pyeondeuk, who took the position of the advisor, instead of the current advisor Kim Sinrok.
But…
‘This is Earthly Wings Council’s badge, you know?’
Looking closely, there was an Earthly Wings Council badge on Bak Seung-hyeon’s t-shirt.
But it was in the corner of the t-shirt’s hemlines, and not very visible.
“Did you join the Earthly Wings Council?”
“… Uh.”
Bak Seung-hyeon grabbed the t-shirt’s hemlines, hiding the Earthly Wings Council’s badge in his fist.
Bak Seung-hyeon spoke as if giving an excuse.
“The number of kids who joined the Wing Council from among the 1st years this year is small. Opportunely, they put a recruitment notice during the summer break, so I applied. All Earthly Wings Council’s seniors are good people and… Looking at the Wings Council history, I thought that its foundation process has a deep meaning…”
Thinking about it, there was such a set-up.
Usually at the Eungwang School, the prospective candidates are evenly divided between the Student Council, Guideline Club and Wings Council, but this year was different.
It was because of the existence of Ju Su-hyeok and An Dain, who were admitted this very year.
Ju Su-hyeok joined the Guideline Club, An Dain joined the Student Council, but the students, who were drawn in by the two’s charisma and thought ‘I want to work with them’, and ‘I want to befriend them’, rapidly increased and the applications to join poured into those two places.
‘It may also be one of the reasons why the Earthly Wings Council disappeared the next year, right?’
The situation where the number of 1st year candidates seeking to join the Earthly Wings Council was relatively small.
And in the midst of it, the annihilation of the Earthly Wings Council with the PMH’s concrete collapse incident scenario.
‘… then the following year, under Choe Pyeondeuk’s leadership, the Earthly Wings Council was abolished, and the dormitory director system was brought back.’
The Student Council and the Guideline Club, who should have actively come out to stop it, didn’t have any power to use.
It was because the 3rd years, with the Student Council’s president Tao Wonu and the Guideline Club’s president Oh Hyeji in the center, all died, and because the 1st years and 2nd years kept dying.
The only ones who actively stepped out to block the Earthly Wings Council’s destruction were Eungwang School’s graduates.
But the power they, who already graduated, could exert on the school was limited.
In addition, in the game, the director board which operated the school was in a tight grasp of Choe Pyeondeuk’s gang, and as its chairman Hwang Myeong-ho was acting lazy, the Wing Council was powerlessly dissolved.
‘It was also because he was acting lazy, but at that time, he would be moving to take revenge on the ones who harmed Jeok-ho, right? He wouldn’t have time to bother with stopping the elimination of one of the student self-governing groups at school.’
I thought like this, but as I thought about that incident, my heart hurt.
“Uisin, you have no thoughts of joining the Earthly Wings Council? It would be nice if you could do it alongside the Newspaper Club.”
Bak Seung-hyeon suggested with a bright voice.
It was a look completely different from a game.
Bak Seung-hyeon was always depressed because he suffered at the hands of the illegally admitted guys.
I couldn’t imagine that he would voluntarily join the Earthly Wings Council, or that he would suggest other students joining the Earthly Wings Council.
It was a happy offer given by my Playable Character who was unlike the one in the game but I refused with my mind full of pity.
“It seems difficult because the Newspaper Club is busy.”
“Okay… Tell me if you have spare time.”
“I’ll do that. Ah, did the friend you go out with join the Earthly Wings Council with you perhaps?”
“Uh. He attends it together with the Soccer Club, but…”
It seemed that the 1st year student, who walked around in the gym clothes and hung out with Bak Seung-hyeon, was picked up by a representative of the Soccer Club for the exchange with the Military School.
I thought he was busy as I didn’t see his face excluding the times when he went out to eat with Bak Seung-hyeon these days, but it seems it was because he was busy with training.
‘Yu Sang-hun also should be busy.’
As Yu Sang-hun as usual only communicated in the chatroom with ‘y’, ‘n’ and ‘?’, or read and ghosted repeatedly, it was difficult to know if he was busy or not.
Even so, as it was clear that he was going all out with the basketball training, should I throw him some snacks as a support when I have time?
“Ah, our chat got long. Sorry… So… Ah, I’ll guide you around the facilities and tell you what to be mindful of.”
“Yes! I’ll kindly request it!”
Bak Seung-hyeon explained everything to Mok Uram, while looking at the notes in the hologram, perhaps because he was still not familiar with the Earthly Wings Council.
Mok Uram nodded energetically while listening to Bak Seung-hyeon’s explanation.
I felt he especially concentrated when he was listening about the dormitory rules.
“… And those are the key dormitory rules. I’ll give the special dormitory rules notice for the class 0’s residents when I print it on paper. It’ll be together with the supplies sent by the school.”
“Yes! I’ll make sure to check it and read it carefully.”
At Mok Uram’s sincere reply, Bak Seung-hyeon made a very relieved expression.
He just joined the Earthly Wings Council, but an unknown class 0 student suddenly entered the dormitory, so there was no way he wasn’t nervous.
“Are you perhaps curious about the dormitory operation? You listened extremely carefully. You’ll be welcomed if you want to join the Earthly Wings Council!”
“I have no interest in the Earthly Wings Council at all.”
Mok Uram spoke flatly.
“Rather, I’ll do my best to preserve discipline and courtesy in the dormitory where I and the muse live.”
Bak Seung-hyeon’s expression turned blank.
He would be realizing anew that Mok Uram is a class 0.
“Uh… Then is there nothing you need? Should I help you with baggage?”
“It’s okay. I don’t have any baggage or possess anything. All my property is the box of supplies given by the school.”
“… Do you really not need anything?”
As if Mok Uram didn’t even have casual clothing, he was wearing the school’s gym uniform.
It was the summer break but under the reason that they were comfortable, there were many dormitory students who were wearing gym clothes even at the dormitory, so it wasn’t so eye-catching.
He currently had 0 won at hand, but Mok Uram seemed mentally satisfied, thanks to the thought that he would be living in the dormitory together with his muse, Kwon Lena.
Bak Seung-hyeon forcibly put the list of supplies for the dormitory students given by the Earthly Wings Council into Mok Uram’s hands, but Mok Uram didn’t look particularly interested.
“I heard you received a device. I plan to stay at the dormitory throughout the summer break, so if something happens, please call me.”
After Bak Seung-hyeon, who guided Mok Uram to the 17th floor which he was allocated to, tasted the majesty of the class 0 and left.
‘Because he has no baggage, there is no need to give him time to organize baggage, right?’
Mok Uram looked at me with an expression as if his mouth was itching.
It was obvious what he was thinking.
“Do you want to go out to play right now?”
“It would be welcome! Can I hear the story of Le-Lena-nim?”
No way, was he planning to call Kwon Lena ‘Lena-nim’ even after meeting her in person?
* * *
Player’s Association.
Hong Gyubin, who returned from the vacation earlier than expected, was drowning in work.
As if he stayed up all night, working overtime from yesterday, he had the same clothes as yesterday.
The employees who arrived first, early in the morning, noticed this fact and were terrified.
“He was on vacation, but not now.”
“I heard that team leader Hong-nim went on a trip to China, but…”
“I heard that He got buried in a few incidents in China. Isn’t it related to that?”
“The relationship between the government and the Association isn’t good these days, you know? The Otherworld Ministry openly wants the Player’s Satellite and is picking up fights…”
“There really is no time to rest.”
At that moment, the Association’s employee, who was scouting the entrance, using a hand mirror, knocked on the partition.
The signal sent was ‘- • – -’, the Morse code ‘Y’.
‘Manager Yun-nim!’
‘Manager Yun!’
Everyone shut their mouths and sat down in their seats straight away.
It was an early hour and there were still some employees who haven’t come, but no one wanted to touch the nerve of manager Yun who was very pricky these days.
It was because manager Yun’s ex-girlfriend started to date PR Team 2’s team leader Bak, and from that point on, team leader Bak, who built up a grudge against PR Team 1, was openly showing off in front of manager Yun.
“Team leader-nim.”
Following the warning of the employee, whose role was to scout, manager Yun soon appeared.
Manager Yun, with eyes sunken from stress, approached Hong Gyubin straight away.
“Please speak, manager Yun-nim.”
Hong Gyubin with the eyes analyzing the documents about the projects of all affiliates of the Namkung Group like before, answered.
Manager Yun reported with a low voice.
“The captain of the Gwangli Police Station, who was hospitalized at the police hospital, committed suicide.”
Hong Gyubin abruptly raised his head.
‘Committed suicide at the police hospital…?’
Inspector Kim, the Gwangli Police Station’s captain, lost his hand in the explosion of the superpower gun and needed regeneration surgery.
At first, although he was injured, Inspector Kim actively testified selling ‘Director Choe’.
But after inspector Kim realized that he was played around by a figurehead of a fake ‘director Choe’, he started to avoid the Association’s interrogations under the excuse of the regeneration surgery.
He knew that the card in his hand was insignificant and would be trying to make a way for his survival.
‘That guy isn’t someone, who would commit suicide. There is a possibility it is a murder disguised as a suicide…!’
As if manager Yun had the same thought as Hong Gyubin, he quietly asked.
“I heard that the Ho tribe is involved in this case. Could it be the Ho tribe’s intrigue[1]? The Ho tribe could be taking revenge for messing around in their territory.”
Hong Gyubin thought about manager Yun’s words, but he shook his head.
“The Ho tribe doesn’t kill people easily. Even if they kill someone, they wouldn’t reveal it so openly.”
“… Ah, up till now, the people involved in this ended up crippled[2], correct?”
“If they wanted to give him a great punishment, they would kidnap him without a rat or bird knowing.”
Hong Gyubin knew that the Ho tribe had a deep relationship with the Eungwang School, where Jegal Jaegeol was working.
After Jegal Jaegeol was employed at the Eungwang School, Hong Gyubin investigated everything which was said to be incidents related to the Ho tribe.
Hong Gyubin figured out the Ho tribe’s methods to a certain extent.
‘Inspector Kim had to notice something. If that guy didn’t have any cards, there is no way that he would have an incident at the police hospital.’
In his head, Hong Gyubin recalled the face of director Choe, who was smiling without any ill will.
It was an expression that wouldn’t feel incongruous even if it was featured in an interview within the successful entrepreneur column of the news magazine, but if he thought about what he had set up, it was endlessly creepy.
That day when Hong Gyubin went to visit director Choe, the only thing Hong Gyubin obtained was ‘There is no evidence of the Namkung Group being directly involved in this matter’.
A thick feeling of fatigue flooded in.
After he started to investigate this case, the clash with the Otherworld Ministry became more severe.
In addition, as he was facing the Namkung Group, the weight on his shoulders felt even heavier.
“Inspector Kim was a Player to begin with. The Regulation Enforcement Department has the duty to investigate, correct? Manager Yun-nim please take charge in inspector Kim’s case. And… when moving on this incident, make sure to take employee Jeong-nim with You.”
“…”
“Is there more to report?”
Manager Yun looked at the window behind Hong Gyubin, as he spoke.
The shades weren’t raised, so what was outside wasn’t visible.
“On the way to work, I saw a teacher-nim I know.”
“… Yes?”
“Didn’t He say something that He was waiting for His disciple at the Association who would be coming to work to talk with Him for a moment? It seemed that according to this teacher-nim’s personality, He came without contacting because He was worried about His busy disciple.”
Hong Gyubin immediately turned and raised the blinds.
Player’s Association, the entrance to the media and PR building.
Jegal Jaegol was standing there.
“But it seems that He couldn’t meet Him, because that disciple didn’t get off work yesterday.”
Before manager Yun’s words ended, Hong Gyubin immediately left his seat.
‘I heard that because the departure schedule was delayed, they would be coming back home today or tomorrow…!’
While running, Hong Gyubin madly adjusted his clothes.
Hong Gyubin, who ran without stopping to the place where Jegal Jaegeol was, smiled with surging happiness as he greeted him.
“Teacher Jegal-nim! What did You come here for? If You contact me, I would see You straight away.”
“I came for a moment because I had some time. I planned to say hello when I run into You on the way to work, but… looking as You’re still at the Association, it seems that You’re busy.”
“I’m not busy! I just left work.”
Jegal Jaegeol looked at Hong Gyubin with a worried face for a moment and then said:
“I heard the story from Uisin. He said that You helped Uisin with Uram’s case.”
“Uisin?”
Why would Jo Uisin tell Jegal Jaegeol that story?
He couldn’t figure out Jo Uisin at all, but he vaguely noticed that he was a secretive person.
Why he, who had a tight mouth and never said unnecessary things, troubled himself to tell Jegal Jaegeol about this?
“I heard that if You didn’t lend Your power this time, it would be difficult for Uram, who was hurt to cross the borders because of the problem with ID. And that You helped a lot even after coming to Korea.”
Jegal Jaegeol stretched out the paper bag he was holding.
“What is it?”
“I didn’t know how I should offer my thanks, so…”
“This was something I should naturally do. There is no need for teacher Jegal-nim to bothe…”
However, he couldn’t bear to refuse the moment he saw the content.
“This…”
It was the 1st print of the Jegal Jaegeol’s special magazine made by the Newspaper Club.
Besides the wrapped 1st print edition, it also included the draft version, which Jegal Jaegeol probably received during the planning process.
*~*~*
[1] intrigue — a fake event.
[2] crippled — I’m sorry for using insensitive language, but raws are like that… ㅠㅠ
Translator’s note:
*Sees Morse code* No! Is there a Morse code hidden somewhere in the novel?!… No. Wait. Probably not.
*Looks at the ‘* * *’ dinkus* Damn it. *goes to research letter ‘S’*
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