Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
57. On stage (6)
Kwon Lena’s biological sister according to the family register, Lee Yeoreum.
Last Chuseok, because of Kwon Lena’s strange attitude after meeting Lee Yeoreum, I investigated her.
As a result of the investigation, she had no particular problems.
She was such an upright person, it was difficult to think she was a biological daughter of the adoptive parents, who tormented Kwon Lena.
‘If you just exclude the fact she belongs to Namkung Products, what’s more, otherworld company team 1….’
But I couldn’t say that even an employee, who was just hired, was an accomplice of Dark Mastermind, because there were problems with the Namkung Group’s upper echelons.
Just considering the number of employees not in the whole Namkung Group, but Namkung Products alone, it was over whooping fifteen thousand people, with the expansion of otherworld industry, that number kept growing.
“You know that Person?”
“Yeah, it’s my unnie!”
“Ah, You mean that unnie, who bought Lena’s weapon item, correct?”
At the mention of Kwon Lena’s unnie, the class children looked at Lee Yeoreum with faces full of curiosity and joy.
Lee Yeoreum, who looked somewhat tired, stood blankly, and then belatedly noticed Kwon Lena and lightly waved her hand.
But Lee Yeoreum couldn’t come to us right away.
It seemed she was asking her superior if she could go for a moment to greet her dongsaeng and her friends, her superior seemed to express disapproval to Lee Yeoreum’s words.
“She can’t even go greet someone? That’s shit tight.”
“It’s not even working hours, why are they acting that way?”
“Aren’t they acting as a group to be like that?”
The 2nd year class 0’s senior bastards clicked their tongues, saying that, but I thought everything they said was right.
Luckily, as if the talk with her superior ended well, Lee Yeoreum headed towards us, but I saw two or three people, whose expressions twisted with a grudge.
‘I can understand that they behave sternly if they act as a group. But even so, the atmosphere seems particular.’
Though sorry, Kwon Lena greeted Lee Yeoreum with joy.
“Hello, unnie! Can You talk right now?”
“Yeah. Your friends?”
“Yes! Ah, teachers-nim also came with us.”
Kwon Lena quickly introduced the group.
Lee Yeoreum handed to each member of our group a business card asking to contact her if something happened to Kwon Lena.
“Was unnie interviewed perhaps?”
“No, I was running an errand for a moment… in fact I didn’t meet with Him, so it would be difficult for me to answer any questions.”
“Uh? Are You in the same department?”
“Though we work at the same department, He often works outside, so I didn’t particularly have a chance to run into Him.”
The conversation didn’t continue for long.
A bit sharp voice cut off Lee Yeoreum’s words.
“… Lee Yeoreum-ssi, are You still not done with your greetings?”
“Apologies! Just a moment… Then, see you next time.”
Letting Lee Yeoreum leave, Kwon Lena made a regretful face, but she endured and sent her away.
“They aren’t even elementary school students, is it necessary to trouble themselves staying in a group like this?”
“There are superiors who throw a fit if someone at a company dinner or outing leaves their place. Aren’t there levels even above that?”
“Hm, it doesn’t seem quite like that.”
Yong Jegeon said a word to GeunChan&WangChan’s comment.
“It seems that Yeoreum-ssi was acting separately a moment ago. Was she not in the building all this time perhaps? Unlike with other people, her clothes don’t have a cold energy.”
“It seems she was running an errand inside the building while they had an interview outside, eh?”
Hwang Jiho also added a word, and I agreed with that.
It might be because Lee Yeoreum was a new employee, but she looked somewhat like an outsider.
“Rather, the conversation would be a bit more comfortable probably, if we met while she was running that errand.”
“True. I want to talk with Her a bit longer next time.” [1]
I pushed back the feeling of incongruity, and moved to the allocated to us seats, while conversing with the class children.
Yong Jegeon looked around the stage, looking for Yeom Junyeol, and Hwang Jiho talked, targeting Han Yi, and laughed. Looking at that scene, I thought I was uselessly worrying for no reason.
* * *
The final round was broadcasted live, but the time necessary for changing the stage, lighting, costume and equipment was filled up with the pre-filmed stages or talks with participants.
During the live broadcast they would sing a new contest song they received from the composer, and the three would perform a group show, while during the pre-recorded section they would each sing one of the songs they wanted.
Although it was pre-recorded, it would look better to have an audience, so all people participating in the interviews were mobilized for the recording process.
The first pre-recorded stage was that of the main character Yeo Raehun.
“Uh, this song…!”
“I guess they arranged the free-style rap battle song from the first day!”
At first, hearing the unfamiliar accompaniment, they didn’t recognize it, but as the song continued, the people, who recognized it, kept appearing here and there.
What Yeo Raehun recited was kind of a provocation to extend that rap battle.
Then on a screen at the side of the stage, the hip-hop musician, who had the free-style rap battle with Yeo Raehun, was shown pushing away other judges and climbing the stage.
Considering how the camera followed smoothly, it seemed it was staged beforehand.
The two rappers, who climbed up the stage, looked at each other and fiercely exchanged raps for around one minute, but their unison was perfect.
The hip-hop musician high-fived Yeo Raehun, naturally left among the cheers. After it, Yeo Raehun’s solo stage[2] continued.
“… Thank You!”
Even after Yeo Raehun finished the stage, put his hands together to thank the monks and believers, who came to cheer for him, and left the stage, the cheers continued.
The energy of cheers, which couldn’t be felt through the screen, was amazing.
“Wow… it was really good.”
“Excellent stage. I almost felt inspiration for a second.” [3]
“… Not as much as our Miro! Nothing like that~!”
“… traitors-ah, cheer for Miro!”
“Please stop it and sit down!” [4]
The 2nd year class 0’s senior bastards said something to us, as if they felt threatened, but in fact it was those bastards who lost their souls watching Yeo Raehun’s stage.
“Whose stage is next?”
“The Person working at the same office as Lena unnie.”
“Oh, then Miro’s stage is the last?”
“It’s pre-recording. The order may be different during the broadcast.”
While the next stage was prepared, the props and equipment on the stage were replaced.
I saw the equipment being changed under the stage, but as if the security procedure was complicated, I heard the distant quarreling voices of the Player in charge of the security and the stage equipment outsource company.
Maeng Hyodon observed that scene with a somewhat sour face.
“…”
“Hyodon-ah, what’s the matter?” [5]
“What? Are you hungry?”
“No, it’s just… I thought the security procedures to enter here are shit complicated.”
What is the problem with that?
As if Sawol Seeum had the same thought as me, he looked at Maeng Hyodon with a doubtful face.
Maeng Hyodon hesitated, and then said:
“… A place that is difficult to enter is also difficult to leave. It’s just that.”
“Ah…”
The faces of Sawol Seeum and Maeng Hyodon both turned dark.
Considering the stage one could climb only after complicated security procedures, it seemed that Sawol Seeum thought of the Fantasy Auction venue and Maeng Hyodon of the Fight Club.
Seeing that sight, my mind suddenly buzzed.
‘… Most of the people here right now are people being targeted.’
Sawol Seeum and Maeng Hyodon were under the Dark Mastermind’s influence sphere and escaped.
It wasn’t just those two.
The one Dark Mastermind certainly targeted was Yong Jegeon, and there was Jegal Jaegeol, who Choe Pyeondeuk’s followers tried to eliminate but failed.
‘And there are many people connected to the Namkung Group too.’
Before, considering the Namkung Group development involving the Power of Earth Terminal, there was an enemy targeting the Eungwang Brilliant Light Children’s Home.
Our class children were swept up in that case.
Han Yi, at whom the Namkung Group aimed and failed.
Kwon Lena and Min Geurin, who went to do volunteer work and were swept into it.
Hwang Jiho of Hwang Myeong Group, which was actively protecting the Eungwang Brilliant Light Children’s Home after that.
‘And I don’t know if it’s related to Dark Mastermind yet, but Mok Uram is surely being targeted by the Three Knights’ Pledge.’
It wasn’t a common event for such people to gather in an enclosed space other than Eungwang School at a certain time.
If I was being strict, as it wasn’t an official school event, the power to deal with opponents and opponent’s surprise attacks was less than when compared to the Eungwang School’s outside events.
‘If I was the Dark Mastermind… I wouldn’t miss that opportunity.’
Up till now, almost all moves Dark Mastermind played were blocked thanks to me.
Considering the Dark Mastermind’s last actions, I couldn’t say that avoided checkmate with the blocked moves, but Eungwang School was safely protected anyway.
Supposing I was the Dark Mastermind, if I had all my moves related to Eungwang School blocked, I would slowly design new moves.
The bold moves, that weren’t necessary to play in PMH.
‘It’s not like there were no signs.’
I recalled what Song Daeseok and Hwang Jiho said in my head.
— I guess something happened in the research institute.
— They observed something through the Moon Palace Technique.
— It seems that exact coordinates weren’t pinpointed yet, but… this broadcasting station is included.
I had an ominous premonition.
I quietly asked Hwang Jiho, who sat beside me.
“Are the observation results not out yet?”
“Let me check.”
Hwang Jiho, who checked the device, wrinkled his forehead.
“… The communication’s status is bad, eh? I’ll check through an alter-ego.”
At the words that the communication was cut off, I was certain.
Someone was targeting us.
* * *
Because people were considerate of Yeom Junyeol, while he was memorizing the script, and left the place, he was currently alone in the waiting room.
Yeom Junyeol, who finished memorizing the script, checked the clock.
Looking at the analog clock hanging on the wall, the time to come out again was slowly getting closer, but the Yong, who took on the role of Yeom Junyeol’s manager and bodyguard, didn’t call him.
Yeom Junyeol said, while approaching the door.
“Noona? Are You there? I think it’s time…”
“… Don’t come out!”
Sharp voice was heard.
Hearing that voice, Yeom Junyeol immediately took his hand off of the door.
Yeom Junyeol didn’t do any silly actions like asking whether it’s okay or opening the door.
‘Something is happening. I’ll call others!’
Making such a judgment, Yeom Junyeol tried to send a message through the device, but it didn’t connect.
‘The device communication was cut off in the broadcasting station?’
Judging it was not an ordinary thing, Yeom Junyeol hardened his resolve.
Paaat!
The shock of powerful superpower waves clashing spread out through the waiting room.
As the superpower wave clashed on equal footing with the Yong’s superpower wave, the opponent didn’t seem ordinary.
“Noona, I’m going in!”
“Junyeol-ah, don’t! The opponent…!”
But those words couldn’t continue.
Kwakwakwang!
The door broke, a shadow was seen behind the heavily injured and staggering Yong.
At the same time, the Hongryong, who Yeom Junyeol tried to summon, disappeared without a trace.
Swish…
Seeing Hongryong futilely disappearing, Yeom Junyeol was terrified.
Yeom Junyeol knew that feeling very well.
The feeling right now was exactly the same feeling he had when facing against the Yong tribe.
* * *
The moment I figured out the communication was cut off, I informed Yong Jegeon and Jegal Jaegeol, who had positions of guides.
“Communication was cut off?”
“It seems that the internal connection is fine. Most of the staff right now seems to be moving receiving instructions through earrings.”
“Then it’s the situation where we have no connection with the outside. Did some problem occur on the base station around?”
“The easiest way would be to come out and check, but…”
Yong Jegeon, who had Flight skill, was the best candidate to go check outside, but he obviously hated to go out.
Yong Jegeon, who opened his narrow eyes and was on the brink of making his ecstatic expression, suddenly stood up from his seat.
As if Hwang Jiho also faintly sensed something, he was looking towards the studio’s wall.
‘… I have a feeling of superpower waves flickering over there.’
At that moment, as if the preparations were finished, the Namkung Products’ employee participant climbed the stage.
Holding a mic, his face was white pale.
“Everyone…”
He fixed the grip of his trembling hands on the mic and spoke.
“Please run, immediately get outside the studio, no, outside the building…!”
Kwakwakwang!
I heard the sound of something exploding.
It seemed that it exploded close enough, that the sensation of superpower wave was felt as a physical vibration.
“It’s in the direction of Junyeol-yi’s waiting room.”
Yong Jegeon opened his eyes wide and stared in the direction of the origin of the explosion with cyan eyes.
Strange phenomena didn’t end there.
“Wh-what?!”
“What’s the matter…?”
I heard the flustered voices of the children, who instinctively grabbed the weapon item cards and stood up.
“The weapons can’t be materialized!”
*~*~*
[1] “True. I want to talk with Her a bit longer next time.” — Sawol Seeum’s sentence.
[2] solo stage — just a fun note, solo stage is ‘독무대 (dok-mu-dae)’ in Korean, and you may remember that 독 (dok) also meant poison (it doesn’t mean it here, here it means alone) and is also the part of Dokgo Miro surname.
[3] “Excellent stage. I almost felt inspiration for a second.” — Mok Uram’s sentence.
[4] “Please stop it and sit down!” — Jegal Jaegeol’s sentence.
[5] “Hyodon-ah, what’s the matter?” — Sawol Seeum’s sentence.
Translator’s note: There is only one type of stage Jo Uisin likes to appear on, and it has come!
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