Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
46. Under stage (1) [1]
Since she was young, Dokgo Miro had one dream.
If someone asked young Dokgo Miro about her future hopes, she would reply without a moment of hesitation.
Idol.
Whenever she heard them sing, do anything or saw them on the stage, everyone looked cool.
Dokgo Miro was quite good at moving her body since she was young, and though she didn’t sing very well, her voice wasn’t bad.
Her parents, who judged that Dokgo Miro had a talent, decided to support their daughter’s dream.
— Miro, it will be difficult, will you be alright?
— I heard that these days kids become trainees since elementary school!
— Miro learned all kinds of languages and cultures to communicate with fans all over the world in person without an interpreter since she was in kindergarten… wouldn’t the life as a trainee be less difficult compared to that?
The precocious Dokgo Miro was preparing for her dream since kindergarten.
There were many voices of concern for Dokgo Miro, who was taking steady steps towards her dream.
Midst worries, Dokgo Miro, who just became an elementary school student, submitted her profile to the famous entertainment company and soon received a lot of positive responses.
But no company accepted Dokgo Miro as a trainee.
— I didn’t hear that You have superpowers.
— A Player is a bit… Please contact us when Your superpowers disappear.
— If she possesses such strong superpowers at a young age, it seems the superpowers will remain even when she turns 17.
— Why do You want to throw away such a precious ability?
Players were certain to have a job related to superpowers.
After the Dark Age, such unwritten law existed in the society.
It was ambiguous for those whose superpowers were too weak to be able to deal with Enemies or had body disabilities, but for powerful Players it was difficult to be open about their dreams.
Of course, there existed exceptions like Korea’s best painter Hong Gyeongbok or Blue Violinist Kwon Jane.
But that was possible because they had precious and rare talents recognized by the artistic community, their superpowers based on the usage of that artistic talent, and they were also born into well-known artistic houses.
For Dokgo Miro, who came from an ordinary family and the only outstanding and eye-opening thing was her superpowers at the time, it was impossible to take their bus.
— People possessing as strong superpowers as Miro aren’t common! However, an idol? There is not a small number of kids who are as cute, good at dancing and singing as Miro.
— Do You have any idea how many audition programs a year there is in Korea alone? The number of people who debut without an audition program? There are many singers and idols in Korea.
— Shouldn’t Miro’s parents-nim give better guidance to Their kid? There are articles about insufficient number of Pro-Players all year round.
— If a Pro-Player graduated from our school, wouldn’t it be good for the school, our teachers and even Miro’s parents-nim?
Finally, starting with the elementary school homeroom teacher, the number of people, who tried to make Dokgo Miro give up on her dream, gradually increased.
Because Dokgo Miro’s parents respected Dokgo Miro’s will to the end, the homeroom teacher used the power he could yield.
He instigated the class children.
Opportunely, there wasn’t any other child that was able to use superpowers in the class, so it wasn’t difficult to isolate Dokgo Miro, who was born with outstanding superpowers.
When Dokgo Miro sung or danced in the corner of the playground, the children would notice immediately and either call a teacher or throw pieces of toilet paper at her.
After a bit of time passed, children started moving to just harass Dokgo Miro as the goal changed from just making Dokgo Miro give up on her dream.
When the grades changed, there was not even one child who wanted to pair up with Dokgo Miro.
But even when the teachers joined the harassment, Dokgo Miro didn’t waver even a bit.
— Toxic bitch.[2]
When the grades changed, even though she heard homeroom teacher say that, Dokgo Miro smiled.
Because her dream and goal had no teachers and classmates of lowly character, it was on the stage unfolded in the distance.
And when she went up a year, Dokgo Miro was put in the same class as a child, who was excluded for a different reason than her.
The name of that child was ‘Han Yi’.
* * *
Under the bright sunlight, the hair of intertwined two tones of glossy pink shined with exquisite[3] color.
It was also because of Dokgo Miro’s hair color, but thanks to the eye-drawing appearance and atmosphere indeed worthy of an aspiring idol, the passing people took one or two glances.
‘She is wearing just a dull t-shirt and shorts, but she feels like an entertainer.’
Though of course my Playable Characters were just as cool.
Dokgo Miro, who looked at the clock tower engraved with the school symbol, seemed to be waiting for someone.
‘Should I talk to her?’
However, before I could talk to her, Dokgo Miro smiled brightly as if she discovered something and started running.
Even though it wasn’t Min Geurin’s match, as if she possessed considerable leg power, Dokgo Miro rushed off at an amazing speed without any skill.
Her destination was Gong Cheonghwon and Han Yi, who were walking while having a conversation.
“Cheonghwon oppa! Han Yi! I wanted to see you!”
There was a bit of a surprise at Gong Cheonghwon’s virtuous face and Han Yi’s was openly hateful.
Han Yi attempted to run, dragging Gong Cheonghwon with her, and soon the three people disappeared in the midst of it.
It seemed they would have a chase inside of Eungwang School, but I decided not to follow after them, because I had a prior appointment in the afternoon.
‘Well, I should be able to learn what happened to them during the afternoon plans.’
* * *
Central zone, General Club Hall, one of the Newspaper Clubrooms, the freshmen room.
Before the summer break ended, all the 1st years decided to gather to examine the materials and article drafts that piled up.
As I expected, Mun Saeron brought up a story about Dokgo Miro.
“I saw the kid from our school who appeared in the ‘Playlist’ teaser video~! I saw her jump around the school today, sir~!”
It seemed that the informant Mun Saeron noticed Dokgo Miro’s visit to school.
I expected that if it was Mun Saeron, when the pink hair who appeared in the ‘Playlist’ came to school, she would pay attention.
“It seems that she went to eat lunch with teach Cheonghwon-nim and Han Yi. It seems she was acquainted with those two? Suspicious vice class president-nim, don’t you know anything?”
“She is a kid from our class.”
“Oh, name?”
I guess Mun Saeron still didn’t figure out the name and detailed profile of Dokgo Miro, who didn’t come to school even once.
After asking me and Hwang Jiho about this and that, Mun Saeron made a satisfied face.
“She graduated from the same elementary school as Han Yi? It seems to be that school in Gwangli Neighborhood about which a big article exploded.”
“What article?”
“Because the teachers and kids there kept making trouble, chaos broke out. And it was the first elementary school to be fixed by Eungwang District’s man Nation’s Matchless.”
Wasn’t the Nation’s Matchless referring to my Playable Character, assemblyman Seong Gukeon?
How was Seong Gukeon related to the elementary school attended by Han Yi?
“It wasn’t long after the Nation’s Matchless was elected and started his term.”
“Ah, that? There was amazing article about when we were in 6th grade.”
“Because of that, the chaos also broke out in our school~.”
The 1st year club members each put a word.
If even the children, who were in the elementary school 6th grade at the time, knew about it, I guess it was a pretty big incident.
“…”
On the other side, the expression of Hwang Jiho, who listened to the story, looked pretty displeased.
I guess as a bastard, who made a thorough investigation related to Han Yi’s records, he roughly knew what happened there.
‘It would be difficult for a deaf child, who had no parents, lived in a children’s home and possessed a powerful ability, to safely attend elementary school.’
Among the children with those conditions, there was almost none who spent their elementary school days without harassment and discrimination.
The exceptions were extremely lucky, but it didn’t seem that there were many children, who were considerate towards Han Yi, among the elementary school students who just entered the society.
“Even so, wasn’t it a happy ending? Everyone who tried to put false charges against the elementary school student were removed from their positions.”
False charges against the elementary school student?
I didn’t know exactly what happened, but I became certain it wasn’t anything good.
“It was said they were only temporarily removed from their homeroom teacher positions when they were under ‘removed from their positions’ status, so it seems it’s possible for them to return someday.”
“If it gets quiet, wouldn’t they appoint them once again?”
“They would eat well and live well as before, right? Won’t they bring it up like a heroic story when drinking and serving side dishes?”
“Ah, I think I got it. ‘I tried to screw up with the life of a dump and no-background student and almost ended up ruined, but I’m fine now.’”
“They stretch their legs and sleep without a single thought, huh?”
It seemed that the children of the Newspaper Club were well aware what would happen after attention on such a big incident died down.
When the atmosphere darkened, Hwang Jiho suddenly opened his mouth.
“Don’t worry. They won’t be able to eat well or live well. And no longer they will stretch out their feet to sleep.”
Considering what he said, I guess Hwang Jiho did something.
‘As it seems to be a matter related to Han Yi, it wouldn’t be a lie.’
Per those words, it was possible that the bastards, who caused the incident, wouldn’t be able to eat well because they had their teeth or stomach destroyed or they wouldn’t be able to stretch their feet and sleep well, because they had no feet to stretch.
The children questioned what kind of sound that was, but they said ‘If so, then that’s good’ and let it go, perhaps because they didn’t think too deeply about Hwang Jiho’s remark, who was famous as a lunatic.
As we finished the private conversations, we talked about the articles written by the 1st years when the 1st semester was in full-swing, and about the gathered materials.
Many of the best materials were from the strange coverage trip with the 2nd year class 0.
The guys, who were swept up in all kinds of incidents, floated up the pictures and videos and had a heated discussion about ‘how the hell should we use it in the article?’
“I’m thinking about that thief, sir! We should give the first article to ‘Phantom Thief’!”
A chill ran down my spine at the word ‘thief’ from Mun Saeron.
In the picture my Playable Character was defeating enemies with bombastic moves in a glittering chaquetilla.
While my hands shrunk, Mun Saeron continued to speak:
“And do you know what this thief did? Have you looked into what happened to the items that appeared at that secret auction?”
Mun Saeron floated up a hologram of the press conference held by the British government and famous museum.
In each picture, there were red words, all of them English titles of the artworks.
“He returned all artworks to their original owners or if there was no owner, he donated them evenly to government and museums. This action… doesn’t it seems like the thief who became famous in Korea at the beginning of the year? If we write a comparing article, wouldn’t the attention skyrocket?”
It was rare that I wanted to cover my Playable Character’s mouth.
I felt cold sweat on my hands.
Finally, that word came out.
“Red Wall Phantom Thief!”
* * *
The Heaton Park in Manchester, also called the Second City of the United Kingdom.
Seodol, who was slowly walking around the Haeton Hall, stopped and listened to his subordinate’s report.
A smile didn’t disappear from Seodol’s lips even when he heard the report through the device.
The Seo tribe member, who acted as a potter looked at that smile with unease.
“The Pledge of Three Knights were made for such a reason? How fun, sir.”
“… The Pledge of Three Knights’ homepage only mentions ‘subjugation of Enemies scattered across Europe’ as a foundation goal.”
“Then they should have stuck only to Europe, why mess with me in China, sir?”
Wasn’t it the opposite, and it was more of Seodol who messed with the Pledge of Three Knights?
The only thing was that Seodol, who went to China on a whim to look for fun, was swept up in the incident and attacked someone who looked to be a member of the Pledge of Three Knights.
Seodol seemed to be facing a dilemma.
“The Pledge is to kill that ‘thing’?… What should I do? I wanted to cooperate a bit, sir.”
*~*~*
[1] Under stage — Stage will have similar analogical meanings as in English, like ‘the setting/ the background of the story’ or the space one is active in. The homonyms of ‘stage’ are as follows: ‘wide belt of fog’, ‘someone stupid and lowly (literally referring to a character from Chinese novels ‘Outlaws of the Marsh’ and ‘The Plum in the Golden Vase/The Golden Lotus’)’, ‘in tujeon*, a situation where there are no cards to play because all cards are ten or twenty’, ‘water current’, ‘not receiving a price or pay’, ‘in farming, cultivating a fruit tree without putting a fruit bag’.
Under can refer to being at the bottom or to being a subordinate, it can also mean later/after. ‘Stage’ is a possessing noun for the ‘under’, so you could also interpret this title as ‘subordinate of the idiot’ for example.
*tujeon — a traditional Korean card game from the Joseon time. I tried to understand the rules, but understood nothing, sorry. But the suit names are interesting…
[2] Toxic bitch — ‘dok 독’, a part of Dokgo Miro’s surname means poison.
[3] exquisite — could also mean mysterious.
Translator’s note: … … … I’m sorry you said what to an elementary school student? You said what to a 10 year old something?!
Patron thank you note
Thank you patron, Nobody, please accept this Zexmenia buphtalmiflora’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Al, please accept this Zaluzania augusta’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Luca, please accept this Xylorhiza tortifolia’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Amy Peters, please accept this Xanthisma spinulosum’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Dust, please accept this Wedelia acapulcensis’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, Maru, please accept this Wilkesia gymnoxiphium’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Thank you patron, kamisonk, please accept this Volutaria muricata’s flower as a token of my sincere gratitude.
Links to advanced chapter (Patreon & Kofi)
> Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LibraryKeyTranslations
> Kofi-Euro: https://ko-fi.com/wanthetranslator
> Kofi-USD: https://ko-fi.com/wanthetranslatorusd
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
Leave a Reply