Translator: Wan ED/PR: novio
9. After the rain stops (2)
One of the landmarks in the Eungwang District was the mansion, which captured Hwang-ho’s aesthetic, and was located close to the Eungwang School’s campus.
The golden walls were woven with a barrier much stronger than that of Eungwang School.
The garden maze was so big that it was easy to get lost in.
In its center, the 5-story mansion was a home of Hwang Myeong-ho, the chairman of the Hwang Myeong Foundation.
“Come in, Baek-ho, Jeok-ho.”
In the mansion, three Ho tribe members gathered.
Sitting in the seat of honor, Hwang-ho welcomed his two close friends, as he opened his mouth:
“Has it been 30 years since the three of us gathered? Or was it 50? Why did the two of you look for me at the same time?”
“Hwang-ho, that…”
“Wait a moment. Let me guess.”
Hwang-ho put down a teacup without a sound and fell into thoughts for a while.
He received an aftermath report about Eungwang District’s purification case from Jeok-ho.
This case was already closed.
He couldn’t figure out what business they came with, but he could guess why they came.
“Did Jo Uisin request it?”
He heard no denial.
‘Amazing.’
A 17 years old highschool student who wasn’t attending the Eungwang School for more than a month, Jo Uisin.
To Hwang-ho’s understanding, Jo Uisin saved at least five people up till now.
At the entrance exam, Jang Namuk, Yu Sang-hun and Son Mingi.
On the first day of school, Lee Lena.
And this morning, even Maeng Hyodon.
‘But there he might have rescued more people in a place I don’t know about.’
Hwang-ho, who looked like a teenager, drew an arc around the corner of his lips.
Seeing Hwang-ho’s smile, Jeok-ho made a bit of a surprised expression.
Hwang-ho’s eyes sparkled as he continued his words:
“The information wealth which knows about our existence, the guts to face the Jin people, mysterious Gwangrim and skills, and unimagined insight from a 17-year-old. Jo Uisin is outstanding in every aspect. Enough for you to pay attention to.”
Hwang-ho’s gaze passed Jeok-ho and reached Baek-ho.
“Hahaha! It’s enough to drag out Jeok-ho, who protects humans, but even Baek-ho. It’s been 15 years since I’ve been so happy.”
Hwang-ho recalled, with a big smile, a private meeting 15 years ago, requested by a certain shrewd and headstrong Student Council President.
“So what has Jo Uisin asked for?”
“To hold a 12 Zodiac Alliance meeting, Hwang-ho.”
At Jeok-ho’s proposal, Hwang-ho’s eyes twinkled.
“It won’t be easy to gather those guys… Good. Instead, there is a condition.”
As he has lived for a long time, precious people died or fell asleep.
Even the eyes of his remaining close friends changed.
After seeing those dead eyes, Hwang-ho lost all his motivation and started to pursue moment-to-moment pleasure.
‘Jo Uisin changed those two, he moved them.’
His two best friends, who had now come looking for him and asked for help, were different from before.
After a very long time, they had the eyes of the warriors who stood shoulder to shoulder with him at the deadly battlefield in a hazy and distant past.
“Baek-ho, Jeok-ho. Both of you stop wandering around and come under me. From now on this chairman’s house will be your base. That is my condition.”
The two Ho tribe members responded without any particular dissatisfaction.
“Okay.”
“Understood, Hwang-ho.”
He thought Baek-ho and Jeok-ho would want to observe Jo Uisin actions up close, and so they would agree easily.
Hwang-ho thoroughly understood their feelings.
“In addition, Baek-ho. A name and place at Eungwang School was prepared for you. Come if you’re ready.”
“Name?”
“Even the family register was already made. Your name registered in the database is ‘Baek Ho-gun’. Since you and the previous Ho tribe head were brothers, I added ‘gun’[1]. Even during the Korean Peninsula’s last dynasty, the king’s brother was given a title with that word.”
Hwang-ho’s eyes twinkled as he gave a smile just a drop of evil.
“Won’t it make you laugh sometimes when they call you ‘Baek Hogun-gun’? After you lost your true name, you had never smiled. I have to leave the possibility of a smile, even if it’s a fake name.”
Baek-ho stared at Hwang-ho with his frost-like eyes.
Even at Hwang-ho’s words, Baek-ho didn’t seem particularly offended.
“I’ll think about it.”
Baek-ho’s words concluded three Ho tribe members’ short meeting.
[2]
***
“Blue Sky Archer[3] Ham Geunhyeong-ssi. Hello.”
“Hello, team leader Hong-nim.”
Hong Gyubin and Ham Geun-hyeong exchanged greetings.
‘Those two seem to be acquaintances.’
Even after setting up an alias, I sometimes kept in touch with Hong Gyubin.
Hong Gyubin messaged me periodically, but I usually answered one out of three of them.
“Team leader Hong Gyubin-nim. It’s been a long time since we met in person. For what work have you come to school for?”
I could guess why the Player’s Association came to school, but I still asked.
The Association’s goals were ‘Enemy subjugation’ and ‘Player protection’ and the case this time was concerning both at the same time.
It’s the case that the Association had to come forward.
“Hahaha, what work? Precisely because of ‘work’.”
Hong Gyubin had a cheesy smirk, as usual.
But looking closely, he had deep, dark circles around the eyes and his eyes were bloody red.
Hang Gyubin looked extremely exhausted.
“You couldn’t sleep, perhaps?”
“Yes. Can’t sleep. Because of the Fantasy Controversy we had to work overtime this year, but this Friday night…. No, this Saturday morning, the all-up emergency call came down, so all the team leaders had to stay up all night.”
Even in this situation, Hong Gyubin’s hair was well groomed and his coat and shirt were without even one wrinkle.
He looked much more proper and sophisticated than me, who, as usual, slept without any dreams, a deep and sweet sleep.
“We detected an abnormality with the PlayerSAT-K and the Association went into the emergency. That is because the satellite didn’t send any warnings at all, when Blue Sky Archer-nim subjugated Enemies around the Eungwang School, yesterday.”
Hong Gyubin spoke with an eternal smile, without even taking a breath.
“Among the Association employees fired during the Fantasy Controversy case, was a lunatic who disturbed the satellite signal. For your information, that lunatic was discovered seriously injured and naked under the crumbled building. He is now completely crippled, both in mind and body.”
Likely that lunatic was one of the perverts I had smashed.
It seemed I had achieved adjusting that patient mind and body balance.
He said that not only the mind is gone, but even the body is crippled.
“If Blue Sky Archer-nim didn’t subjugate them all, all employees of the Satellite Management team above manager rank would have to write a resignation letter. But even so, they had to write an apology letter. Hahahaha!”
Today, Hong Gyubin was a bit scary.
He was smiling like a person with a sick body and mind.
Even Ham Geun-hyeong seemed to think so, as he pulled my shoulder and put a bit of a distance between me and Hong Gyubin.
Hong Gyubin’s monologue continued like a downpour, or machine gun’s shooting.
“We had tried to confirm everything in the accessible recording devices, but we only confirmed that one Player escaped from the crumbling building, towards Eungwang School, while being chased by the Enemies. And that the landlord is Choe Pyeondeuk, the teacher at Eungwang School. Also, the escaping Player was the Eungwang School student, the 1st year class 0, Maeng Hyodon. I thought ‘it can’t be him, right?’ Uisin is also 1st year class 0. Wouldn’t you say Hyodon was attending school well up till now? Doing well at school?”
The Ung’s family Enemies.
The Association’s employee involved in the Fantasy Controversy.
The disruption of the Player Satellite signal.
The teacher at Eungwang School, Choe Pyeondeuk’s ownership over the building.
The permanently expelled Players discovered in that building.
The escape of Eungwang School’s student, Maeng Hyodon, who possesses remarkable reward achievements.
With so many clues, the Player’s Association would figure out what happened to Maeng Hyodon.
‘Hong Gyubin seems to be keenly aware of it.’
Hong Gyubin raised vain hopes, attempting to escape reality.
However, Ham Geun-hyeong shattered his hopes.
“It’s Maeng Hyodon’s first day at school. Today he will be busy.”
If you interpret Ham Geun-hyeong’s words, it means: ‘Your reasoning is correct. Today you are also working overtime.’
“Hahahaha, overtime work through the entire weekend confirmed!”
Hong Gyubin interpreted Ham Geun-hyeong’s words on his own. His eyes lost light and filled with despair as he smiled.
“We decided to discuss Choe Pyeondeuk’s case with the Foundation’s PR team. So please cooperate with us on the Maeng Hyodon’s case. As Maeng Hyodon’s homeroom teacher, Blue Sky Archer-nim.”
Was it just me who heard the words ‘Save me’?
“Maeng Hyodon is currently undergoing a full medical check. Talk with me instead. Let’s go in first.”
“Yes, I’ll be obliged. Manager Yun-nim, employee Jeong-nim. Please go to take materials about the Choe Pyeondeuk case. The Foundation PR team should arrive within 15 minutes. I’ll join you later.”
Hong Gyubin instructed two men with school visit permits hanging from their necks.
“Ok, team leader-nim.”
“Yes, team leader-nim!”
The person, presumed to be manager Yun, immediately turned around and headed towards the Silver Light Building.
However, the younger looking man, employee Jeong, didn’t move.
Instead, he stared at me and Ham Geun-hyeong with a serious face.
‘What…?’
Suddenly, employee Jeong strolled towards me and Ham Geun-hyeong in firm footsteps, after opening a hologram.
Ham Geun-hyeong moved like the wind and stepped in front of me, in my defense.
‘Why is he coming here?’
The person assumed to be employee Jeong, opened his mouth:
“Great Archer of Blue Sky-nim, can you please give me an autograph? I also wish to take a picture together with the Unknown Supernova, and the two of your device codes, please.”
What are you talking about right now?
As if Ham Geun-hyeong had the same thoughts as me, his expression was more threatening than usual.
The manager Yun made a U-shaped return and grabbed employee Jeong by the neck.
“Let’s go.”
“Ack, manager-nim. Let me go, please! It’ll only take a second, really, a second! Great Archer of Blue Sky-nim! Unknown Supernova-nim! Manager-nim, ah, really!”
Manager Yun kept extremely lively employee Jeong’s neck in a headlock as he started to drag him away.
Looking at those two carefree people, they somehow were worthy of being Hong Gyubin’s subordinates.
“… Employee Jeong is a little bit of a huge fan of Eungwang School’s Players. Please ignore it. Hahaha.”
Hong Gyubin’s laughter felt soulless, as if he suddenly died inside.
***
In the reception room of the central Exalted Tiger Hall in the central zone.
Because open performances were sometimes held in Exalted Tiger Hall, there was a reception room, which also acted as a private VIP waiting room.
‘Can I really be here, though?’
Currently in the reception room were three people: me, Ham Geun-hyeong and Hong Gyubin.
It was unnatural for me to be here, but both Ham Geun-hyeong and Hong Gyubin agreed for me to sit with them.
“It’s a common case. Parents who treat their Player child like a slave show up every year. After the Clash of Worlds, more people thought about having children as if it was scratching a lottery ticket appeared. But trash who sell them to fighting clubs are rare.”
Hong Gyubin spat out sharply, after Ham Geun-hyeong briefed him about Maeng Hyodon’s situation.
“We will immediately cut the connection with his father and prepare a defense lawyer to deal with the debt problem. We will also prevent student Maeng Hyodon’s name from leaking to the press. Instead, we will mainly steer the interviews towards Blue Sky Archer-nim as a smoke screen.”
“I understand. I’ll prepare for the interviews with the Hwang Myeong Foundation’s PR team.”
Ham Geun-hyeong and Hong Gyubin discussed future countermeasures.
To summarize the conclusion, Maeng Hyodon’s case would develop like this in the future:
The jobless debtor who sold his child as a slave
VS
The defense counsel of the Player’s Association and Hwang Myeong Foundation
There were no loose ends.
If this situation happened in the game, the level of difficulty would be too low, so it would be treated as a hypewreck.
It seemed Maeng Hyodon’s case would be resolved without problems.
“I want to have an interview with student Maeng Hyodon, but today will be difficult, right? I wish to meet him straight away when he stabilizes.”
“Okay. Please contact Maeng Hyodon through me, team leader Hong-nim.”
“Hahaha, I knew Blue Sky Archer-nim would say something like this. Then I’ll be going now.”
Hong Gyubin added a word as he stood up.
“The person who destroyed Choe Pyeondeuk-ssi’s illegal entertainment business. Who could it be? They weren’t properly recorded by recording devices.”
“I’m not sure.”
Ham Geun-hyeong answered without sincerity.
Hong Gyubin looked at Ham Geun-hyeong and me alternatively, then grinned.
“Though there are one or two eccentrics among Players who hide their face and act as a vigilantes. Like the Red Wall Phantom Thief.”
That damn Red Wall Phantom Thief.
Why is that embarrassing title coming out here again?
However, it’s related to the Fantasy Auction, so it probably came out naturally.
As if Hong Gyubin didn’t think about pressing us any longer, he stood up from his seat.
Crack.
At that moment, the doors of the reception room opened, and someone entered.
The entering person… no, the entering descendant of the Ho tribe, was Kim Sinrok.
‘What move did you use to get involved in this?’
However, it would be easier if Kim Sinrok was here.
And he truly was one of the people involved.
‘He is just like an ordinary teacher.’
The current Kim Sinrok completely lacked the inhuman gloominess he had when arranging the writing supplies.
He was making an expression just like a usual kind teacher.
“Long time no see, Kim Sinrok-ssi.”
“Hello, team leader Hong-nim. Are you heading out?”
“Yes, see you next time.”
Hong Gyubin and Kim Sinrok seemed to be acquainted as they bid each other a light farewell.
And before Hong Gyubin left completely, he said:
“Then let’s meet next time, Unknown Supernova.”
Hong Gyubin gave me a meaningful smile and departed.
Anyone would think that it’s strange for a student to be here, but I couldn’t help it.
‘… If someone is stubborn, I can insist I sat here as the vice president of the 1st year class 0.’
However, I wasn’t the only one who was weird. Hong Gyubin was also weird.
‘It’s weird that someone of the team leader rank keeps running in the field. Is it the Player’s Association’s special work philosophy?’
It was a trivial incongruity, but there was one more thing.
Unlike Jegal Jaegeol, he didn’t call Ham Geun-hyeong and Kim Sinrok ‘teacher-nim’.
When Hong Gyubin called them, he added ‘ssi’ or used a Player alias.
Though there were zero problems with that, as he used honorifics and respectful speech properly.
“Student Department Head-nim[4]. I sent the information you requested through the device. As well as Hyodon’s examination results. There are still a few more things to check, which I should receive, but… Why won’t we go to the infirmary as we talk?”
“Okay. Jo Uisin, let’s go.”
After listening to their story, Kim Sinrok ‘accidentally’ discovered Ham Geun-hyeong and Maeng Hyodon heading towards the infirmary and ended up helping out after hearing about the incident.
‘He probably followed Ham Geun-hyeong and caught the timing to jump in.’
Maeng Hyodon would soon be admitted to the dormitory.
So the involvement of the Wings Council Advisor, Kim Sinrok, in this case, wasn’t exactly weird and worked out rather well.
“Hyodon came out of the examination room. It seems that CT scans and MRI scans are finished.”
Kim Sinrok, who was walking ahead of us, said it as he opened the infirmary door.
Ham Geun-hyeong and I followed him inside.
‘This is the infirmary?’
It was a central zone infirmary worthy of Korea’s best Player special highschool founded by a mega-rich foundation.
The medical equipment wasn’t as if they smeared the very money on it, but melted it and made it into the equipment.
In terms of the equipment alone, it wasn’t worse than the Hwang Myeong Foundation’s general hospital, which I visited with Jang Namuk and Yu Sang-hun in the past.
‘So that’s why he didn’t go to hospital and went through a medical check at the infirmary.’
Maeng Hyodon was sitting in the corner of that shining infirmary.
He was wearing very oversized clothes, probably borrowed from Ham Geun-hyeong.
“Maeng Hyodon.”
Maeng Hyodon, who was sitting at the laboratory table, swung his head.
After seeing my face, he suddenly opened his mouth wide.
“You, you. You’re safe? Vice class president, Jo Uisin!”
He saw my real face in the Student ID, so he recognized me straight away.
Patpatpat!
Whoa, you can run like this even in slippers?
Maeng Hyodon jumped down from the laboratory table and came before me in a flash.
He looked energetic, so I guess he really wasn’t injured at all.
“I thought I was gonna die, vice president bastard!”
“It’s fine as long as you’re not hurt. Did you eat?”
“I still have to starve, because there are tests remaining.”
“Is that so? I ate before coming here.”
“This bastard?”
Maeng Hyodon bad-mouthed me, who joked around, but his expression was a mix of smiles and tears.
I was glad he was relaxed enough to laugh at least a bit.
I didn’t want to see something like Maeng Hyodon’s crown, when he powerlessly bows his head, ever again.
I gave Maeng Hyodon the most important words I had to tell him.
“Hey, keep the fact that I had saved you a secret.”
“Why?”
Because it will be embarrassing if someone finds out I’m the Red Wall Thief.
“Anyway, pretend you don’t know. Because I smashed everything there. It will be annoying if you get involved without reason.”
“… Okay.”
Maeng Hyodon had an expression of incomprehension, but nodded his head.
Feeling at ease, I chatted with Maeng Hyodon about a few things.
Did he sleep well, what does he want to eat for dinner, when will he officially enter the dormitory?
We talked about such trivial things.
Ham Geun-hyeong and Kim Sinrok watched the two of us chatting with delighted and somewhat longing expressions.
Somehow, it sent chills down my spine.
It was that same feeling when I saw the title ‘Red Wall Thief’ for the first time and my hands, feet, space and time shrink.
“… It’s as if he hides his good deeds.”
What is Ham Geun-hyeong talking about?
The biggest reason Unknown Supernova hides his power is because the Red Wall Thief title is embarrassing.
“Yes. Uisin is an outstanding student.”
Even Kim Sinrok made an expression that didn’t look human for a moment when he said it.
I had no idea what this Jin’s descendant was thinking.
‘If I interfere here without reason, the story of the Red Wall Thief may come out.’
I decided to keep quiet.
That day me, Maeng Hyodon, Ham Geun-hyeong and Kim Sinrok ate dinner in the dormitory cafeteria.
Eating out was difficult because of the going out ban issued on Maeng Hyodon by Hwang Myeong Foundation’s law and PR teams.
‘But I wanted to feed him something delicious outside…’
Fortunately, Maeng Hyodon seemed very satisfied with dormitory meals.
“Hey, vice president… Were meals at the dormitory here always so delicious…?”
Maeng Hyodon spoke with an excited voice, after he brought the bowl filled with food and ate it all.
He ate dinner with a very happy face.
I was worried he would upset his stomach, so I had to keep him talking to slow down his eating.
‘I feel full just by looking at him.’
Dormitory cafeteria operated on the buffet basic, so I didn’t know the exact amount, but Maeng Hyodon seemed to eat at least 5 servings.
Thanks to him eating so well, my meal also felt delicious.
Among all the meals I had in the dormitory, this one felt the most delicious.
And on Sunday.
The article about that incident showed up.
*~*~*
[1] gun – now it’s usually an honorific given to a friend or a younger person you’re friendly with, but in the past it was an honorific given to the relatives of the king.
[2] About conversation between Hwang-ho, Baek-ho and Jeok-ho – Both Hwang-ho and Baek-ho use the casual tone, while Jeok-ho uses the formal tone. But! He doesn’t uses honorifics towards them, as you may have noticed.
[3] Blue Sky Archer – He says Ham Geun-hyeong’s entire title ‘Great Archer of the Blue Sky’, but it’s like a one word in Korean. Please forgive me for shortening it.
[4] Student Department Head-nim – The full address was: ‘Student Department Head Teacher-nim’ in raws…
Translator’s note: … All those casual mentions of very important things… And then there is Jo Uisin just dimension twisting because of embarrassment.
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