Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
39. Tossed coin (5)
After the shocking wake-up ended, as I held Snare in my arms and turned on the device, I saw a pile of unchecked messages.
[Geun Chansol] Heard that junior-nim’s training camp was ruined. True?
From the very first message, a straightforward question flew out.
It was in fact ruined, but the fact it was true from the beginning, was more hurtful.
Why from all chatrooms the first chatroom I checked was the one with the 2nd year class 0’s seniors?
[Wang Chansol] Must be true.
[Wang Chansol] We heard from elder Gyeong-gu[1], and that noble[2] is not a lying noble~.
[Geun Chansol] That’s right. Anyhow, cg on returning home safely!
[Wang Chansol] Cg!
As they also spoke to Sawol Seeum, I guess they were worried about their juniors that went to the training camp, in their own way.
But Gwang Gyeong-gu’s honorific is ‘elder’?
Considering Gwang Gyeong-gu’s older-looking face, ‘Mr. elder’ was fitting.
The next message I checked was also sent by the student of our school’s 2nd year.
[Yeom Juneyol] Master-nim, hello.
[Yeom Junyeol] The weather this month is expected to keep being good. The daytime temperature is more refreshing than usual, so it’s good to go outside.
[Yeom Juneyeol] I have no schedules today, and the weather is good, so if it’s fine with master-nim, I can take a class at school!
[Yeom Juneyeol] (stamp)
He attached the stamp of Hongryong holding its fist up under the sun.
Yeom Junyeol sent one more message.
[Yeom Junyeol] I heard about the training camp. I’m glad you returned safely.
The message about the weather was as usual to the master, and the message asking if I was okay, was to the junior, Jo Uisin.
As expected, my disciple was a kind child, who was polite and worried about his juniors.
As I replied to both and checked the addressee list, I found something in common.
‘Majority of them are people from school.’
Almost all messages were sent by people from school who didn’t participate in the training camp.
People from the Newspaper Club, Bak Seung-hyeon, Seong Siwan, Ma Jinseung and even Cheon Dong-ha.
With the pressure from the Association and the Ho tribe, the big-scale reports were blocked until now, but the rumors spreading in the school probably couldn’t be helped.
But the message sent by a person who wasn’t related to neither the school nor the Association, but knew like a devil[3], caught my eye.
[Jang Namuk] (link)
[Jang Namuk] (link)
[Jang Namuk] (link)
….
….
….
The links Jang Namuk sent were full of brief news reports about Seongmo Island otherworlds’, outbreak and vanquishing, unusual weather phenomena, etc.
They would be especially difficult to find.
[Jang Namuk] Uisin, Sang-hun. Isn’t that the place where you went to the training camp? Something happened?
[Yu Sang-hun] y
[Jang Namuk] So it’s true, huh! Did you fight with Enemies?
[Yu Sang-hun] y
[Jang Namuk] Were you injured?
[Yu Sang-hun] n
[Jang Namuk] I’m glad. Uisin, how about you?
[Yu Sang-hun] k?
Rather than a conversation, it looked as if Jang Namuk was just talking one-sidely, but somehow communication was achieved.
Looking at how Yu Sang-hun message wasn’t just one letter, but added a freaking question mark, I guess he was very curious about the news from me.
When we boarded the Son of Heaven, each of us was busy with our class, so there was no time to talk with each other.
[Me] I’m fine too. Thank you for worrying.
I was hurt a bit when fighting the Ung’s right hand, the impostor, but I didn’t trouble myself to mention it.
[Yu Sang-hun] Saw blood on yr clothes.
But thanks to Yu Sang-hun’s very long message, my efforts were ruined[4].
[Jang Namuk] What? How were you hurt!?
[Jang Namuk] Uisin! I stressed it out over and over, but no matter how powerful your superpowers are, you can’t over do it. Human life is but a moment! Your clothes were dyed with blood, but what are you saying you’re fine!?
For a while, the chatroom was full of Jang Namuk’s nagging.
Yu Sang-hun occasionally taped in ‘ㅋ’ [5], while watching it.
When I checked all the messages, and moved to eat breakfast, I was completely mentally exhausted.
“Good morning, Jo Uisin. Why are you looking so tired? You didn’t sleep well?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
The morning menu, again prepared personally by Hwang Jiho, was a pumpkin tarak-juk[6] and grilled watermelon salad.
As I ate light food from seasonal ingredients, my energy returned.
After I cheered for Snare who drink the elixir in the morning, and played a game together with the children and Mountain Spirit, the time promised with the class 0’s children drew closer.
“Uisin oppa… are You going?”
“Uisin hyung… It’s a vacation, You know? Can’t You play more?”
Keuk….
In front of the entrance.
Eun-ho’s descendants and Snare come out to send me off with sad faces.
“Jo Uisin has an appointment. Promise the next time.”
After Hwang Jiho, who prepared to go out with me, threw a word, gazes poured towards him.
“Are You going to work with Hwangho-nim?”
“Hwangho-nim are You making Uisin oppa work a lot?”
“Hwangho-nim…”
Woof! Woof woof!
“…. You, why are you looking at me with such eyes?”
Because Hwang Jiho was committed to laziness for a while, when he got busy, the people around him also got busy.
I guess, even while they didn’t know the whole situation, the talented and kind children and Snare felt sorry for the people around Hwang Jiho being rolled around.
Thinking he brought it on himself, I shut my mouth and watched Hwang Jiho soothe the children.
As I watched it, the fatigue accumulated in the morning was refreshingly washed away.
***
In front of the Hwang Myeong Eungwang Hospital’s entrance.
The children, who arrived first, were waiting.
I saw Maeng Hyodon, Kwon Lena and Han Yi, from the dormitory, holding two gift sets of cakes bought at ‘MITRON’ as a gift for the patients.
As I requested that they avoid flowers and fruits, that are difficult to manage, and choose products with long shelf life, they seemed to decide on gifts considering those words.
“The… Uisin! Hello! Jiho, hello!”
Sawol Seeum, who didn’t stay at the dormitory yesterday, came first and greeted us with a nervous tone.
Anyhow, it seemed that he was still very much recognizing me as ‘that word’ person.
‘No one’s face is particularly good.’
Kwon Lena, who was clenching the gift set.
Han Yi, who was relieved to see me and Hwang Jiho.
It seemed that everyone was worried about Kim Yuri and Song Daeseok, who were still hospitalized.
In particular, Maeng Hyodon had bloodshot eyes, as if he didn’t get a wink of sleep.
“You didn’t sleep?”
“…. It’s nothing.”
From his words, I guess he really didn’t sleep.
On that topic, he also wasn’t able to sleep on the day of the incident.
“Because the ascetic didn’t come…”
No way, was Maeng Hyodon waiting for Tak Geosan the entire time after returning to the Eungwang School?
‘It thanks to me intentionally sending him to the place where Maeng Hyodon couldn’t play an active role.’
If I had sent Maeng Hyodon to a place where Ju Su-hyeok or Yu Sang-hun were, he would make a great performance during the otherworld conquest, and if I sent him to a place where Song Daeseok went, he would fight until his body couldn’t move because of the Superpower Poison.
He would bring quite good results, but I sent Maeng Hyodon to the opposite place.
‘He wasn’t able to do anything, even when Kim Yuri collapsed in front of his eyes. He had to be quite upset.’
Maeng Hyodon, who held a lot of affection for class children, would now have a reason to fight.
“Sorry! I’m a bit late!”
Min Geurin with her hands full of baggage appeared.
As she was holding a Boston bag full of pillows and a variety of daily clothes, it seemed that she visited Song Daeseok’s house before coming here.
“Geurin?”
“Uh? What? Let’s go quickly.”
The children looked at Min Geurin with surprised faces.
Min Geurin wasn’t wearing AR glasses.
She was wearing a hood and hat, but her face was revealed.
“Ehem.”
Before the children could comment on that fact, painter Hong Gyeongbok appeared behind her and cleared his throat.
“Ah, hello.”
“Hi, I heard about the training camp. You worked hard.”
After Hong Gyeongbok smiled with a good-natured expression and spoke, the children hesitated and then nodded their heads.
Min Geurin sensed the awkward atmosphere and spoke as if giving an excuse.
“I heard that ordinary people without superpowers are prohibited from entering the Player specialized ward on the highest floor, but Daeseok’s parents don’t have superpowers, so I came with master-nim…”
From Min Geurin’s words, it seemed that painter Hong Gyeongbok came as a guardian of Song Daeseok and Min Geurin.
After we entered the hospital, Hwang Jiho took the lead.
“I left the secretary on stand-by. To not draw eyes, we will use the medical team’s exclusive entrance and the VIP elevator.”
“… Mm, I’m realizing anew that Jiho is Hwang Myeong Foundation’s chairman’s relative!”
“True…”
“Hahahaha! It’s unexpected, eh!”
Everyone made an expression of agreement for Kwon Lena and Sawol Seeum.
Hwang Jiho’s face was full of elegance, but as he was acting like a lunatic, it was natural to have a feeling of incongruity.
Ding.
The elevator arrived at the highest floor.
The moment the elevator’s door opened, Min Geurin was the first to leave.
However, as she couldn’t straight away figure out where to go in the big hospital, and couldn’t run, she ended up just looking around.
“This way.”
“Quickly.”
After Hwang Jiho pointed the direction, as if Min Geurin discovered Song Daeseok’s name-tag, she walked fast, and painter Hong Gyeongbok and the children followed after her.
The room in which Song Daeseok was hospitalized, was a one-person room, comparatively close to the lavatory.
It was a room located in the place where the medical personnel came most often, in preparations for incidents.
Swish—
After the door opened, we saw Song Daeseok.
Song Daeseok’s body was connected to electrodes and needles everywhere.
From EKG monitoring checking the of oxygen saturation and heartbeat, the superpower wave sensor checking the stability of superpowers and medical water connected to Song Daeseok through infusion pump, anyone could see he was a patient in a serious condition.
Thumb.
“Daeseok…!”
Min Geurin, who stood at the front, dropped the baggage she was holding and ran to Song Daeseok.
As if she thought something might go wrong if she touched him carelessly, she put both of her hands on her stomach and stared at Song Daeseok, who had his eyes closed, with tearful eyes.
“Didn’t you say that Song Daeseok’s state was stabilized?”
“Yeah. All numbers are in the norm. Yu Sang-hui healed them all by borrowing Acea’s authority through her Gwangrim. From then on he was stable.”
I ended up being indebted to Yu Sang-hui again.
As there were many patients, it would be particularly difficult if she had to heal them all with her Gwangrim.
“Then he is just sleeping right now, right?”
“I’m glad…”
“Fucker, you’re freaking people out.”
Everyone made relieved expressions and organized Song Daeseok’s baggage instead of Min Geurin.
Because the hospital room was big, many people could come and go, and there would still be space.
When we finished putting all the baggage in the cabinets.
“Wait.”
As Han Yi felt a trace of presence, she looked towards Song Daeseok, as she spoke.
Just like Han Yi sensed, Song Daeseok’s started to slowly open his eyes.
“Daeseok!”
After Min Geurin called out Song Daeseok’s name, he, who blinked a few times, stared at her.
“… Geurin?”
“Daeseok, because of me, because of me, I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
“… Geurin! Why are you crying!?”
Min Geurin, who couldn’t do anything and just watched Song Daeseok, bowed her head and tears dripped down her face.
As Song Daeseok was confused as he couldn’t figure out what was going on, and Min Geurin was crying, it seemed that it was becoming even more of a mess.
“Daeseok, I and Geurin were very worried about you.”
“Uh, painter-nim?”
As painter Hong Gyeongbok slowly explained the situation, Song Daeseok and Min Geurin gradually stabilized.
He stretched out his hand, which wasn’t connected to the IV, and petted Min Geurin’s head while soothing her for a while.
The gaze of Song Daeseok, who looked around us, who didn’t dare to interrupt the two’s world and kept our distance, stopped at me.
It seemed that he recalled something when he saw me.
“…How long have I slept?”
“Is something wrong?”
Song Daeseok’s head fanatically turned around, and then he saw the digital clock on the wall and his face stiffened.
The digital clocks in this world weren’t only showing the time, but also the date and day of the week.
“Hey, can I be discharged today? As quickly as possible.”
“Can’t! What sound are you making!”
Following Min Geurin, Hwang Jiho and Hong Gyeongbok expressed their disapproval.
“You were completely healed, but your physical and mental power is pretty much depleted. At best, you will be hospitalized for one or two more days to see your state and then discharged straight way, but I would recommend recuperating for three days, eh?”
“Daeseok, your superpower wave status is quite unstable, huh? Manseok may be at home, but if you go into a runaway by chance, your family will be hurt.”
Why was Song Daeseok like this?
As I observed his attitude, I recalled something.
‘No way…’
I had a terrible feeling.
“Is the interview today?”
“….”
Song Daeseok nodded.
Today was Player’s Association’s intern interview.
‘What have I done to my Playable Character!’
I shouldn’t have sent Song Daeseok there.
It was already too late for regrets.
Should I contact the Association to request to delay the intern interview?
No, even if there are circumstances, if it was revealed that Great Hero’s grandson was provided such convinces, there was a possibility of a scandal.
“Jo Uisin?”
“Uisin? What’s wrong?”
Hwang Jiho and Sawol Seeum said something to me, who suddenly stiffened, but I couldn’t hear them well.
When I tried hard to come up with the best move.
Swish—.
The automatic door suddenly opened.
Through the automatic door, two people appeared.
Great Hero Iron Arm Song Manseok and the Satellite Management team’s leader, Im Jihwa.
“How did you come in here? I only heard about Song Daeseok’s grandfather coming.”
Seeing how Hwang Jiho frowned, I guess he didn’t know about Im Jihwa coming.
“My apologies. Because I thought that the interview would be possible today, I asked senior Iron Arm-nim to move together.”
“You seem to be a kid from the Association, but is it a very urgent matter? Daeseok woke up only a moment ago. Come again later.”
Painter Hong Gyeongbok spoke with an unfriendly voice.
Im Jihwa responded with a polite tone, without taking a step back.
“I know about student Song Daeseok’s state, but because of the security screening procedures, it’s a situation where we have to make decisions fast, even in one day. So I, the team leader, came here personally.”
Im Jihwa looked at Song Daeseok, who was lying in a hospital bed, as she spoke.
“I’ll get to the point. We want to invite student Song Daeseok as a guest researcher of the research institute operated by the Player’s Association’s Satellite Management team.”
*~*~*
[1] Elder Gyeong-gu — Gyeonggu-ong, ‘ong’ is an honorific used towards old people.
[2] noble — ‘yangban’ a nobility class during Joseon dynasty.
[3] like a devil — ‘like a ghost’ in raws.
[4] my efforts were ruined — ‘the fortune box was broken’ in raws
[5] ‘ㅋ’ — ‘keke’ laughter
[6] tarak-juk — milk rice porridge. It was a ‘healthy food’ among royals and nobles (in old times, milk was rare in Korea, so it was very expensive). Apparently during Yuan Dynasty it was called Jeho, as it was mixed with arrowroot, gaining a red color. And the name tarak probably comes from Mongolian word ‘ᠲᠠᠷᠠᠭ, тараг’ (kefir).
Translator’s note: Jo Uisin… Hiding your injuries is really…
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
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