Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
65. Thing that have to be hidden (8)
A certain amusement park located in Gyeonggi Province. [1]
Currently, this park was the biggest and most visited amusement park operating in the Korean Peninsula.
In the past, it shared half of its popularity with the Namkung Group’s theme park.
But when an otherworld occurred and the Pro Player team was wiped out, leading to the ‘Seokchon Lake Tragedy’, streamed live by BJ Local Beam, the balance collapsed.
Thanks to that, people stopped visiting the Namkung Group’s theme park, and instead people visiting the amusement park in Gyeonggi Province increased.
Recently, thanks to treading through a sale procedure and installation of facilities, there was in fact no competition, so this park’s business boomed.
And inside the amusement park, which became a sea of people, as weekend came.
Among the numerous people, two people drew serious attention.
The identities of the two people were Merlin’s disciple Gu Seulbi and Phantom Thief Neon.
“So — why did we come here?”
“To prepare for our brilliant appearance, consultation and research are necessary.”
“I know that, but amusement park from all things?”
Gu Seulbi, who was playing until lunchtime without a proper break since they entered the park right as it opened, belatedly asked.
Gu Seulbi had a balloon hat distributed by a clown a top of the hat with the park mascot drawn on it, and a bag full of souvenirs.
She spoke with a dissatisfied voice, but unlike her voice, she enjoyed the amusement park a lot.
Then, the Phantom Thief Neon, who enjoyed the amusement park to the fullest with Gu Seulbi, answered while sparkling.
Gu Seulbi was frustrated because of that sparkling.
‘… I should also wear something very eye grabbing! How can I, a cool and majestic druidess, be overshadowed by a phantom thief!?’
Gu Seulbi, in a costume sold at the park’s souvenir shop and plastered with decorations, also displayed strong presence, but she couldn’t match the Phantom Thief Neon even a little.
Because the Phantom Thief Neon was currently physically glowing.
The Phantom Thief Neon’s costume concept was a ‘Pearl[2] sparkling in sand’, and he wore clothes he personally decorated with matte beads and spangles.
Under the sunlight, the pale white spangles twinkled dazzlingly and gathered people’s gazes.
The level of the costume’s perfection and design itself was amazing, but it was a clothing that no one would dare to wear.
But in this wide amusement park there was one person, Gu Seulbi, who thought that the Phantom Thief’s clothes were truly cool.
Because she even thought that the Phantom Thief Neon, who showed off such cool clothes, was just a little cool, she sunk into a sense of shame.
The Phantom Thief, perhaps not knowing Gu Seulbi’s feelings, answered with an exaggerated tone.
“Didn’t you feel suffocated spending the entire week in Eungwang School? In a big place a genius must shine even more brightly!”
The proper title was probably ‘attention seeker’ rather than a genius, but there were no people here who could tackle them.
Because Gu Seulbi also acknowledge the genius the Phantom Thief Neon spoke of, she found fault with the different part.
“Isn’t Eungwang School also big? We have failed with the class 0’s children a few times.”
“… However, isn’t it school! I think I’ll refuse spending my time restricted to a limited place.”
Wasn’t Eungwang School’s attendance free?
There were necessary subjects, but excluding those, you could freely choose your subjects.
Moreover, didn’t the Phantom Thief Neon came after making up his mind to attended?
He used school as an excuse, but it seemed that the Phantom Thief Neon had other reasons why he troubled himself to come to an amusement park.
The Phantom Thief Neon finally confessed.
“In the afternoon, the magician Player, who is visiting Korea, plans to hold a magic show. It would be a loss of a lifetime to miss it!”
“… You came here because you wanted to see your magic show, huh?”
“I can’t miss out on the magic show or preparations for the appearance, so I had to come here…!”
The Phantom Thief Neon made a big motion, expressing his suffering.
Seeing this how excited he was, it seemed that the Phantom Thief Neon was really worried about it.
It was a meaningless and useless worry, but Gu Seulbi nodded deeply as if she understood the Phantom Thief Neon’s heart and said:
“In exchange for going to see a magic show, we will ride whatever I want to ride. Let’s take the ‘Tornado Shot Rollercoaster’ one more time.”
“Good! We should take a picture just when it gets to the peak. This time I’ll attempt a different pose.”
“My next pose will be more eye-catching!”
The two people, who moved to ride a rollercoaster, were dressed extremely eye-catchingly, but no one pointed fingers at them.
As it was a particular place like an amusement park, they looked like a highschool couple that enjoyed an amusement park date with an unique concept on a weekend.
In fact, they were just a party of attention seekers, but only the two knew this fact.
Amidst the warm considerations and misunderstandings of the surroundings, the attention seekers had a lot of fun.
When the two attention seekers were about to move to see the magic show.
“Oh, they give balloons there. Do you need one?”
“I need one! Let’s go!”
The Phantom Thief Neon pointed at the place where part-timers in mascot costumes were giving out balloons to children.
But there was one unpopular mascot.
It was a dinosaur[3] mascot character ‘T-rex’, who represented the dinosaur experience center that was opened not a long time ago.
The mascot, wearing a doll mask with a tyrannosaurus motif, diligently waved their hands and play tricks for children, but there was no reaction at all.
It was because at the side of the other mascot characters who unlike it had a long history and popularity, the new mascot was just a small character who children hadn’t heard about or seen before.
“…”
“…”
Seeing this sight, the Phantom Thief Neon and Gu Seulbi thought about their own circumstances and felt like crying.
As a result of their observation, they learned that there were many famous people among the 1st year class 0’s children, and they were close with each other.
So, the two were thinking to themselves, it would be difficult to draw attention in the 1st year class 0.
The two attention seekers also felt for all the new mascot dinosaur characters besides the ‘T-rex’ who received the ‘I don’t know you’ treatment.
The two swallowed their tears and took balloons from the dinosaurs characters.
“Someday — someday the children coveting your balloons will increase! You will become popular when your history grows!”
“Other characters had their newby days too. They did a lot of advertising in the meantime, and the amusement park grew bigger, and the fans increased, and it’s going to change anyway.”
“That’s right, when new characters appear, they will become seniors[4], and then surely…!”
The two people, who watched the dinosaur characters who still had an armful of balloons remaining, were suddenly struck by an idea.
The attention seeker’s thinking circuits were surprisingly similar.
“… It seems that you thought of the same thing as me. Worthy of the partner I recognize, huh!”
“For a person who does strange things like phantom thieving you have some sense!”
Happy to at last find an answer, the two lit up.
“Let’s go to find the kids, who don’t attend school! Then we will become seniors!”
“Yeah, then there will be no need to compete with the children who attend the school right now. We’re going to stand out among the new kids!”
If ordinary people, not an attention seeker, were to hear that, it would be incompressible sounds, but the two were serious.
As such, the two resolved to find the three students who didn’t attend school.
* * *
After we ate a late lunch and drunk tea, I left Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion.
Eun-ho, who went out in front of the side building’s entrance to send us off, asked:
“Dongha hyung, are You going to school with Uisin hyung?”
“No, I’m going to the Hwang Myeong Research Institute. There are quite a lot of books related to the Gaecheon Myth at the research institute, so I want to study them.”
Cheon Dongha there were many things he didn’t understand from the conversation he heard today, so he planned to study them.
He would also be busy with work right now, but Cheon Dongha spoke with a face full of enthusiasm.
“If possible, I want to learn about ley lines and Power of Earth too. Because it’s seems to be related not only our school, but also to my dongsaeng.”
“Next time I see You, I’ll give you a book I personally wrote, Dongha hyung.”
Eun-ho happily replied to Cheon Dongha’s words.
‘You wouldn’t know at all what kind of person Cheon Dongha was as a hyung in PMH.’
Unlike his cold demeanor, he was an altruistic hardworker.
People who played PMH evaluated Cheon Dongha as such, and if the dongsaeng appeared in the game too, the opinions would be even better.
Keung…
On the other hand, the tail of Snare, who was kindly waiting outside until the end of the conversation, dropped when it saw me leave.
However, Seodol was going to raid, so it was difficult to just stay at the mansion.
As I persuaded it, saying that I have an appointment in the evening and I couldn’t help it, the kind and clever Snare brought a leash.
Woof woof!
It seemed to mean to go on a walk towards the dormitory instead.
At the actions of Snare, which were overflowing with so much genius and consideration, I decided to take the slowest path back.
After Baek Ho-gun grabbed the leash and went out, each of the tigers threw a word.
“I’m watching the Mountain Spirit. Don’t worry. Hm, the descendants said they will prepare dinner, so I should throw it to them.”
At Hwang Jiho’s words, Mountain Spirit was scared to death and tried to flee, but of course, they couldn’t escape.
When Hwang Jiho lifted a finger and pointed at the Mountain Spirit, shining golden superpower wave poured towards the Mountain Spirit.
Paat!
The Mountain Spirit struggled, trapped in the barrier summoned by Hwang Jiho, but the barrier didn’t budge.
As if the Mountain Spirit still didn’t abandon their ideas, they looked up at me with tearful eyes.
But I shook my head.
All said and done, Eun-ho’s descendants were very close to the Mountain Spirit, so I hoped they would play with them for a while.
… Though eating the descendants’ cooking might be difficult.
“There is something I want to discuss. Please come to visit, Baek-ho hyung-nim.”
Baek Ho-gun nodded to Eun-ho’s words.
Like this, I left Hwang Myeong-ho’s great mansion and headed to Eungwang School.
Today I wasn’t alone, as I had Baek Ho-gun and my angel Snare with me.
Woof woof…!
Snare, who was excitedly running around within the range the leash allowed, suddenly started to move slowly.
I guess as the Eungwang School grew closer, it felt pity that the walk was going to end.
The days were getting shorter now, but so the sun was setting, but it wasn’t late yet.
Understanding Snare’s intentions, I suggested:
“Okay, should we go even slower?”
Woof!
As if my words were the right answer, Snare started to act cute at my feet.
I and Baek Ho-gun walked very slowly.
When we moved, spending twice the time we would usually.
“Get behind me.”
Swish!
Baek Ho-gun suddenly ran in front of me.
When I thought I heard a sound of wind, Baek Ho-gun was already standing before me.
He moved as if teleporting.
Someone stood in front of Baek Ho-gun.
“Baek-ho, I have an appointment with Jo Uisin, would You please move aside?”
“…”
The owner of the voice was Cunning or Seodol, who sent me a message.
Grrrrrr…!
As Baek Ho-gun stood quiet, a low growl that echoed in my ears rang out from somewhere.
Did Seodol made this sound?
It was around school, so I hoped he would refrain from making such scary noises.
“Do you have an appointment with this guy?”
Baek Ho-gun didn’t move aside, he asked me.
Strictly speaking, it was too much to say it was an appointment.
Because Seodol willfully communicated that he is coming.
Even so, because I couldn’t inconvenient Baek Ho-gun, I nodded, and Baek Ho-gun moved a little aside.
“Jo Uisin, hello? I came as promised.”
“Hello.”
“Shall we have a conversation here? This walk trail is quite picturesque, and it’s good because there are no people?”
The walk trail we used oversaw Eungwang School from a distance, but because the road climbed a mountain and took a long time back, people were rare.
It wasn’t a road I would choose to have a conversation with Seodol, but it would do anyway.
Seodol got straight to the point.
“I have two gifts, which one You want to receive first?”
One was something that I may or may not like.
The other was something he thought I would hate.
I hated both.
As I made a complicated face, Seodol spoke as he pleased first.
“Can’t choose? Then I’ll just give You first the one I want to give You.”
“… Which one is it?”
“The one which You may like or not like. It will be useful, but the content is a bit bad.”
Seodol handed me an envelope with a brown stain.
… Wasn’t this stain a color that blood stain would turn into?
I had an ominous premonition.
‘There is a seal of the ‘Pledge of Three Knights’ on the envelope…’
In the moment I opened the envelope, Seodol simply explained the contents of it.
“Inside of it is an assassination plan of Your class friend ‘Mok Uram’.”
*~*~*
[1] certain amusement park located in Gyeonggi Province. — There is more than two amusement parks in Gyeonggi Province (that’s where Seoul is located by the way), but I’m going to assume it refers to the biggest park, Everland.
[2] pearl — 진주 (jin-ju) has some fun homonyms like: for an army to be dispatched to invade or to garrison, to report before a superior or a king, and a king who received the will of Heaven to bring peace and order to the chaotic world. There is probably some fun hanja plays possible, but I sadly lack instant ideas and don’t have time to look for them.
[3] dinosaurs — 공룡 (gong-ryong), you can play with hanja here. 공(gong) can mean ‘together, with’. I’m not quite sure what 룡 (ryong) hanja would apply for our pair here. 룡 (ryong) generally means a dragon, but other hanja include ‘to love’ and ‘to falter’ according to my very short research (I glanced only on the first page of the dictionary).
[4] seniors — as if someone who was in the place/position longer.
[?] The part with the Phantom Thief and Gu Seulbi had surprising amount of words borrowed from English. Enough that it feels intentional.
Translator’s note: Ah, I see what you’re doing with that juxtaposition with the amusement park. I see what you’re doing, author-nim.
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