Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
53. Second attempt (9)
Next day, after classes.
Central zone General Club Hall, one of the Newspaper Club’s rooms, 1st year clubroom.
The moment we arrived at the clubroom, Mun Saeron scattered overseas articles to the 1st year club members.
“Isn’t that what we saw at that time~?”
Mun Saeron handed us two articles, one in English, and one in Danish.
In the pictures attached to both of them birds were flying and various types of four-legged animals were running together.
“Wait a moment. I didn’t read everything yet.”
“If you can’t read English newspaper quickly, just use a translation app.”
“Is there anyone who can read Danish?”
“I can roughly read Latin letters, but…….”
While other Newspaper Club’s members were reading articles, Mun Saeron spoke to me and Hwang Jiho.
“Ah, you weren’t there at the time so you may not know. Do you remember the picture which we said we took before arriving Ekaterinburg when we showed it to you~?”
“Yeah. You said that it was before you took the Trans-Siberian Train. It’s similar to the picture you took at that time, eh?”
“Right? All animals in this picture are only rare animals or animals known to be extinct, sir~.”
Last summer break, the Newspaper Club had a bizarre adventure with the 2nd year class 0’s senior bastards.
Majority of the events on this trip remain a mystery[1], and among them was ‘witnessing the great migration of rare animals and turtles’.
“And the explanation in the article is also like this, it’s the same thing we saw at that time?”
“No, why are animals from Siberia at the North Sea now?”
This time those animals were discovered on the North Sea’s coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, between Denmark’s Jutland peninsula and England.
“How on earth did they get there?”
“Perhaps superpowers were used? Even if they took a roundabout way, it’s strange there were almost no witnesses even though they had to cross country borders.”
“I guess England is a witness. Aren’t they moving little by little at fixed intervals?”
“Isn’t it possible that England is also only a stopover~? We still don’t know anything, sirs~.”
At the word ‘England’ I recalled the messages I exchanged with Seong Gukeon yesterday.
[Seong Gukeon] We figured out the current location of ‘Death of Imoogi’ is England.
[Seong Gukeon] It seems it will come up as an auction article during a party being held by the local rich[2] Jin tribe on Halloween.
If he figured out the location, couldn’t we go straight away?
I asked if he could inform me where it is precisely, and Seong Gukeon laughed energetically through the device message.
Considering his personality, I thought he was actually laughing loudly, while typing this message.
[Seong Gukeon] Hahaha!
[Seong Gukeon] I heard that this year 1st year class 0 is meek, but the vice president is worthy of class 0, huh?
The assemblyman, who graduated a long time ago, knew about 1st year class 0’s meekness?
As expected, there was nothing my Playable Character didn’t know.
[Seong Gukeon] The castle that Jin tribe is staying in is a bit particular. The outsiders are only able to enter on Halloween.
[Seong Gukeon] So we have to make plans until then and execute them on Halloween.
I guess the entrance points were limited.
As I thought about the school schedule and story developments in PMH tied with the Halloween schedule, Seong Gukeon sent an additional message.
[Seong Gukeon] I’ll first pass you the information I found. In exchange, promise to tell me before you move.
Feeling the great class 0’s senior-nim’s care for his junior, I gladly replied I’d do so.
Seong Gukeon was satisfied with my answer and sent the materials.
‘Jin’s party held in England on Halloween and rare animals’ great migration discovered at the North Sea… No way, is it connected?’
When I racked my brain to figure out how are they connected, if they’re connected, Hwang Jiho abruptly spoke up.
“I guess you’re having suspicious thoughts again, eh?”
What suspicious thoughts?
I was making a plan to find my Playable Character’s first artwork through the information of my Playable Characters, so it wasn’t that at all.
“Thought that Replay’s usage would take at least a week. It wouldn’t be bad even if it took more than ten days, eh?”
Hwang Jiho was a quick-witted geezer, but perhaps his information about this case was insufficient because of limits, he couldn’t completely figure out what I was thinking and planning.
It didn’t feel particularly good when he kept reading me, so I really liked this situation right now.
“Will do.”
“… Why are you obediently replying you will do it? That’s even stranger, eh?”
Ah, should I have hesitated a bit more here?
However, as I might have already spilled it, I decided to shamelessly move on.
As I ignored him and didn’t reply, Hwang Jiho continued his reasoning on his own and drew a conclusion.
“Are you worried about Kim Sinrok? Ah, thinking about attaching a bodyguard to Kim Sinrok for a time being. Even if he comes looking for you personally, Jo Uisin, there won’t be problems.”
I was able to confirm what Hwang Jiho’s words meant straight away.
Because after the Newspaper Club’s activities ended and I took the road leading in front of Hoyeon Building to meet with Kwon Lena, I ran into Kim Sinrok, who was staking out nearby the General Club Hall.
Kim Sinrok was disguised as the friendly Wings Council’s advisor and the homeroom teacher of the class next doors, like when I met him for the first time, and not as the descendant of the Ho tribe. He spoke to me.
“Uisin-ah, I have something to talk about….”
But he couldn’t continue those words.
Before he could continue, red fog crept up his back.
At the same moment, jade superpower wave made a wall around us and enveloped me and Kim Sinrok.
Paat!
The red fog coiled around Kim Sinrok’s shoulder and swallowed him in an instant.
When the red afterimage completely disappeared, there was no trace of Kim Sinrok left.
I was dumbfounded by that unexpected situation, but I soon figured it out.
‘Jeok-ho is at his side?’
I guess Jeok-ho was on the stand-by at his side, worried if his son wouldn’t try any nonsense.
“Uisin-ah, hi.”
“… Hello, teacher Yong Jegeon-nim.”
There was one more witness of this scene beside me.
It was Yong Jegeon, smiling with an ecstatic expression.
It seemed that Yong Jegeon made a barrier from an opaque space for a moment to hide the kidnapping scene from other students and teachers.
‘I guess the owner of the superpower wave that surrounded me and Kim Sinrok was Yong Jegeon.’
Because of the suddenly released superpower wave, some students ran this way, but seeing Yong Jegeon with an ecstatic face, they instantly stepped back and went the way they came again.
It seemed that they thought Yong Jegeon did something, and left.
Yong Jegeon smiled with a great satisfaction, and then headed towards the Student Council Building, as if going to pick up Yeom Junyeol.
The central zone became quiet[3] again as if nothing had happened.
‘… Let’s pretend I didn’t see anything.’
As it seemed that all Jin, excluding Kim Sinrok, were happy, I decided to pretend I didn’t see it to realize the best happiness of the most people in this case.
On the road to the Hoyeon Building, I ran into a familiar face once again.
“Aack!”
“This punk-ah, where are you going?! Why is the punk, who said he was going to the restroom, heading to the school gates?!”
“Agghh, if you finish exams, don’t you have to play for at least one week?!”
“Wicked punk! Calling heaven-like master agghh!?”
They were Bang Yunseop and Tak Geosan ascetic.
Tak Geosan grabbed Bang Yunseop’s ear with two fingers and dragged him away, and from how lightly he seemed to grab him, it didn’t matter how much Bang Yunseop exerted himself.
Even though I heard that Bang Yunseop showed pretty good results in the practical classes these days, it seemed he was at the level where it was impossible to resist Tak Geosan.
‘I don’t see Maeng Hyodon over there, so I guess he is faithfully training.’
My bread shuttle seemed the same as before, but anyways, I was satisfied as it seemed that Maeng Hydon was working diligently.
In front of Hoyeon Building I arrived after getting involved in all sorts of such matters.
Kwon Lena, holding a violin case in her arms, was waiting.
* * *
Player Military Academy’s living quarters, male dormitory.
Tao Sihu, who ate dinner early and came back to the dormitory, checked the message room with a sulky face.
“… Why didn’t you check?”
Last night, Tao Sihu sent a message to two people, Yu Sang-hun and Jo Uisin.
But the two didn’t have their messages marked as read, what more answered.
‘I have something to ask…’
When Tao Sihu informed Tao Wonu about the rumor related to Yu Sang-hui he heard, on the outside he looked like he maintained his composure.
But because Tao Sihu knew well how corrupt Tao Wonu could get about things related to Yu Sang-hui, he felt rather anxious.
‘When I asked Su-hyeok, he said that Wonu hyung was acting like usual with him…’
Following Ju Su-hyeok, he thought of hearing an opinion from Yu Sang-hun and Jo Uisin, who were closer with Yu Sang-hui, but because they didn’t see the message, he couldn’t ask.
Opportunely, Jang Namuk, who came back from the Cadet Hall, saw Tao Sihu’s dead face and asked:
“Sihu-ah, what’s the matter?”
“Uisin and Sang-hun’s talking, can you perhaps not contact them?”
“No? We exchanged messages this morning.”
Jang Namuk showed him a group chat.
Jang Namuk wrote down dozens of lines of information about the current outbreak of flu, but all of them were marked as read.
Though there was nothing but constants and short responses, Jo Uisin and Yu Sang-hun both replied to Jang Namuk’s words.
Tao Sihu’s expression became even more sullied.
* * *
Central zone, Hoyeon Building concert hall.
A few months ago Kwon Jane’s home concert was held here, and I came to Hoyeon Building to work as staff.
It was the first time I came to this place after this.
At that time it was overflowing with the members of the audience and staff, but now it was empty.
‘The impression with and without people is very different.’
The Hoyeon Building’s architecture and delicate decorations, which didn’t catch my eye because I was stuck between people and work, and the powerful presence of Kwon Jane, caught my eye anew.
Entering the scene of the artwork with an impression of waves and the glass ceiling revealing the sky, I had a feeling as if I was in water.
I belatedly came to understand why Kwon Jane passed on the much bigger hall and selected the elegant Hoyeon Building, which didn’t have even a thousand seats.
‘Excluding the size, it’s actually not bad. It has similarities with the Eternal Lake’s team building’s interior and… It seems to match Kwon Jane’s taste.’
But why did Kwon Lena say she would see Sawol Seeum here?
Perhaps she took after Kwon Jane’s taste.
“…”
Kwon Lena looked towards the door with a nervous face.
On the Hoyeon Building’s stage, was currently only me and Kwon Lena.
Kwon Jane and Jared Lee also came, but they planned to step back in consideration of Sawol Seeum.
Soon, the promised time came and the party we were waiting for arrived.
“Lena, hello! Are You okay? Uh, Uisin came too?”
“Hi.”
Sawol Seeum gave a friendly greeting, but Kwon Lena couldn’t say hello back straight away.
Sawol Seeum made a worried face, as if he thought that Kwon Lena was still feeling unwell.
Kwon Lena gave the violin case to Kwon Jane, and clasping together her two empty hands, she spoke with a trembling voice.
“Seeum-ah, I, I… so…”
Even though Sawol Seeum, who was slowly walking towards us, came just a few steps away, Kwon Lena couldn’t continue.
Sawol Seeum waited quietly for Kwon Lena to open her mouth.
“I- was there…”
“… Yes?”
Sawol Seeum made a face of incomprehension.
If you abruptly said ‘that place’, no one would understand.
Kwon Lena opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to speak, but she simply couldn’t mention what ‘that place’ was.
“…”
Finally, Kwon Lena hesitated, and then took out something.
In Kwon Lena’s hand was an item card inscribed with the gifted platinum superpower violin and bow.
Paat!
Kwon Lena, who first materialized the violin, held it in her hand and began a performance.
Pizzicato plucked with hand, without a bow.
Hearing that introduction, I recalled this music piece right away.
‘It’s the music we heard that day…!’
Kwon Lena was performing music, which Kwon Jane revealed for the first time in this location, and after that show ended, Kwon Lena recalled the chords and performed it on the spot, the song ‘Homecoming’.
In that place, besides me was Kim Yuri and Sawol Seeum.
Sawol Seeum made a happy face, as if he recognized the music piece.
And at that moment, Kwon Lena’s Gwangrim ‘Illusion Banquet’ activated.
*~*~*
[1] mystery — just noting down that the word used here was borrowed directly from English.
[2] rich — or strong, influential.
[3] quiet — comfortable.
Translator’s note: So many crimes committed in this chapter.
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