Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
45. If it doesn’t rain during Chushu (3)
Each of the children, who heard Hwang Jiho’s explanation and saw Dokgo Miro, had their own individual response.
“She dances well!”
“I want to draw it. Because the hair color is so pretty, every time she makes a big move the screen lights up.”
“It feels like I can hear her sighing even though I’m only watching her dance. She dances really well…!”
“I also agree with that.”
Sawol Seeum, Min Gurin and Kwon Lena praised Dokgo Miro’s dancing skills.
As a bonus, Mok Uram seemed to unconditionally agree with every opinion Kwon Lena had about her.
“Then there is ten people in our class now? And it’s a kid who appeared on TV? Wow!”
Kim Yuri was purely happy.
“It’s a summer break right now, but what is she going to shoot when she comes to school?”
“Even if they shoot it at the start of the new semester, that kid won’t be attending school.”
Maeng Hyodon and Song Daeseok spoke realistically.
As Hwang Jiho knew about Dokgo Miro beforehand, I had no particular interest in what kind of reaction that bastard had about people attending school increasing or not and didn’t observe him.
Such reactions seemed worthy of class children, only Han Yi was different.
Han Yi stopped scooping something that could be patbigsu, which drastically changed its form thanks to being extremely bloated with condescend milk and chocolate syrup, and stared blankly at the screen.
When Dokgo Miro closed up to camera and showed her face with laughing eyes, Han Yi made a disgusted expression for a moment.
“… Hmm.”
Hwang Jiho seemed to guess something.
‘The area of the King Dokgo Miro includes the Gwangli neighborhood Eungwang Brilliant Light Children’s Home, so wouldn’t those two know each other?’
Because Dokgo Miro in the game started to ditch the school again when Han Yi and Gong Cheonghwon left the stage, there was a high chance they knew each other.
As Hwang Jiho should have thoroughly investigated Han Yi’s background, he certainly knew what kind of link was between the two.
Even so, I hated to ask Hwang Jiho, so I decided to ask Han Yi directly.
Opportunely, Han Yi was sitting opposite of me, so I could directly look at her face and ask.
“Do you perhaps know that kid?”
Han Yi replied with a complicated face.
“We were classmates in elementary school.”
Dokgo Miro and Han Yi were elementary school classmates, huh?
Because the reaction was subtle, I couldn’t judge if they were in a friendly relationship or not.
“If she was Han Yi’s elementary school classmate then… Did she graduate from the elementary school in Gwangli neighborhood?”
“Wow! I had no idea there was a Han Yi’s friend among the children! What is Her name?” [1]
“Why is this kid not attending school?”
With Han Yi’s comment, the class children’s conversation’s topic centered on her.
However, Han Yi couldn’t properly answer the majority of the questions.
“We didn’t see each other too often after entering middle school. She was said to come to play in the children’s home, but I wasn’t able to meet her…”
Her words trailed off, but Han Yi replied to the questions she could reply to.
Han Yi carefully chose her words and only revealed the objective information that could be known by anyone when Dokgo Miro was on air.
Her name was Dokgo Miro.
She was an elementary school graduate.
At the beginning of the elementary school she dyed her hair which was black before.
And after hesitating, she lastly made a small addition.
It seemed she wasn’t certain if it was okay to say the last thing without the person in question being here.
“Because of stage fright, she couldn’t sing well when people were watching. She isn’t a type to be shaken by people, but I guess singing was different…. But I only could tell the difference because her expression was stiff, and the air was shaking a bit.”
Isn’t that fatal?
Because the video was taken in person by the participant beforehand, and during the preliminary rounds she would be only with a few judges, the stage fright wouldn’t be a big problem yet.
However, in the final she would compete on a live broadcast in front of the audience.
There were entertainment programs when even veteran signers were shaken and made a mistake a few times when preforming a concert for the full dome stadium.
Would Dokgo Miro, who was just a trainee with a stage fright, be able to endure it?
“Seeing how she has joined the public audition, shouldn’t she overcome it?”
At Kwon Lena’s words, Han Yi smiled faintly.
“… Yeah, I hope so.”
I couldn’t figure out what Han Yi was thinking about Dokgo Miro, but looking at that face I knew straight away.
It seemed that though the contact went silent, the two of them were friends.
After finishing breakfast, our free-time continued.
Thanks to the good weather, the majority of the students played on water attractions on the ground or in the sea.
Among the water attractions, the tornado slide, which was a four-people tube descending like a rollercoaster, and a lazy river, where you enjoyed Ju-Oh Island’s scenery while floating, were the most popular.
As our class children predicted that today those places would be full of people, we decided to enjoy other facilities at Ju-Oh island.
‘Min Geurin may take off her hood and AR glasses for the water attractions. It would be better to avoid time when there is a lot of people.’
I didn’t say that, but the children probably had the same thought.
Under the excuse that they hated being buried in people, the class children found a DIY souvenir workshop inside Ju-Oh’s resort.
There the people visiting the Ju-Oh Island could personally make a souvenir or request from the special instructor to make it.
Our class children decided to make it personally.
“Wow, Guerin is also good at sculpting.”
“I sometimes put my hand in it for a change in mood.”
“Geurin-ah, I’ll make the frame! You may hurt your hands with a wire!”
Min Geurin and Song Daeseok made chibi clay dolls of class children.
On the other hand, the instructor in the workshop suggested to the children, who didn’t have confidence in their dexterity and were worrying about what to make, to make the superpower wave crystal.
The instructor showed a lump of the special otherworld ore as she explained.
“Because of extreme softness, it’s impossible to use to produce weapons, so this otherworld ore has small value. If You inject superpower wave into it, the ore will match the color of Your superpower wave. If You use a small amount of superpower wave, it will be pale, if too much, the ore will break, so please be careful.”
While the children tried to make superpower wave crystals while following the instructor’s instructions, Maeng Hyodon said the word.
“But can’t we do it even outside Ju-Oh Island?”
“The meaning of it is to experience and make things in your trip destinations and then have something left from it!”
After Kim Yuri answered Maeng Hyodon’s silly question, Maeng Hyodon understood and started to cut the otherworld ore with his clumsy hand skills.
It seemed that Maeng Hyodon was thinking of making a souvenir in the shape of the fist, but no matter how I looked, it looked like nothing but a lump.
Perhaps making a gift for Eun-ho’s descendants, I saw Hwang Jiho shape the otherworld ore into the shape of tigers and plant his superpower wave inside them.
Seeing the shining gold tigers, the instructor praised Hwang Jiho a few times.
Hwang Jiho, who was laughing while being showered with praises, asked me.
“Jo Uisin, what are you thinking of making?”
“I didn’t come up with what to make.”
I didn’t have the dexterity to make something worthy of a souvenir.
In addition, as my superpower wave was black, if I made a superpower wave crystal it would be too dark to use as a souvenir.
“Okay? Then make stripes on the products made by this one.”
Hwang Jiho handed me the golden tigers.
I didn’t feel like doing what Hwang Jiho ordered me, but as those tiger-shaped crystals were the descendants, I decided to try it.
Because I failed to control it, the tiger figurines were dyed completely black or broke into pieces, but each time Hwang Jiho made a new crystal.
“Hahaha! So unskilled, Jo Uisin, huh? Concentrate a bit more!”
I think I would be able to concentrate if that geezer shut his mouth.
I had some rough words on the tip of my tongue, but I thought about the descendant children and endured.
Even when the time for lunch drew closer, there were only ten otherworld ore tigers remaining after a struggle, and we barely finished work.
“You worked hard. Here is your share.”
Hwang Jiho handed me a tiger crystal.
I guess one of those tiger crystals was my share.
It was uncomfortable to hold something containing Hwang Jiho’s superpower wave, but I decided to keep it to have a souvenir together with Eun-ho’s descendants.
“…”
While comparing each of the completed works, Hwang Jiho’s gaze stopped on Han Yi’s work.
The otherworld ore awkwardly imitating the shape of Taehokwon uniform was dyed blue.
Unlike Kwon Lena’s light blue that was like a color of a lake, this blue was closer to a deep blue[2].
As Taehokwon technique uses postures, which keep the superpower wave inside the body, it may have been the first time Hwang Jiho saw the color of Han Yi’s superpower wave.
‘It seems like the same color as Cheong-ho, huh?’
Throughout packing of each of the completed product and taking a group picture, Hwang Jiho stopped laughing.
But as the lunchtime came, he returned to his usual self again.
* * *
After finishing lunch, our class children decided to move towards the water attractions.
“I heard from Dain that there’s a small number of people on the water attractions right now. I guess there are many kids who fell asleep as they didn’t sleep yesterday and were playing until afternoon.”
When Kim Yuri spoke with a bright face, Min Geurin’s face turned excited.
As it was probably the first time ever or after she graduated from elementary school since she went to a water attraction, her excitement was natural.
As if Song Daeseok was also excited, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the water attractions introductory note while we were moving.
“Song Daeseok, let’s talk for a moment.”
While moving, teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim appeared in front us.
He seemed busy with the aftermath of Im Yeonhwa and 3rd year class 0’s incident throughout the morning, but did he come to caution Song Daeseok, who walked without looking forward?
I thought like this as teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim was making a graver expression than usual.
“Teacher No Yeongmi-nim wants to see you, huh. Hwang Jiho too.”
No Yeongmi, Song Daeseok and Hwang Jiho?
It was an unexpected combination, but when Hwang Jiho’s name came out, I guessed straight away why they were called.
But apart from my guess, Song Daeseok was good at throwing sharp comments and Hwang Jiho was a bastard who laughed without tact.
It seemed that the class children were starting to worry that the two people made a mistake in front of No Yeongmi.
Kim Yuri opened her mouth as a representative.
“Teacher-nim, can we come too?”
Teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim fell into thoughts for a while and nodded.
“Okay.”
In the end the class children moved as a group.
The place we moved to was a recreation room close to the lobby.
Inside there was not only No Yeongmi, but also all 1st year class 2’s students like Ju Su-hyeok, Mun Saeron and Bang Yunseop.
“Sorry for suddenly calling You. Student Song Daeseok, student Hwang Jiho.”
“… What is the matter?”
After Song Daeseok hesitated and asked, No Yeongmi smiled.
It was rare for No Yeongmi, who had an impression of being cold and calm, to make such a soft face.
“The thanks are late, my apologies. That day student Song Daeseok remained to protect class 2’s students, correct? Moreover, I heard that when a window broke, you covered the class children.”
As expected, No Yeongmi brought up the Youth Training Camp incident.
After that incident No Yeongmi and class 2’s female students were hospitalized because of the injures and Superpower Poison poisoning.
Around the time they were discharged, Song Daeseok entered the Association’s research institute, so they wouldn’t have time to express their thanks.
No Yeongmi also expressed their thanks to Hwang Jiho.
“Thanks to the two students, the class children were safe.”
Following No Yeongmi, the students, who collapsed in the accommodations that day, expressed their thanks to Song Daeseok and Hwang Jiho.
Song Daeseok had a dazed expression as if he didn’t expect to be thanked so much and Hwang Jiho a face as if it was only natural.
Bang Yunseop who observed that scene seemed to lack energy a bit.
‘Did you eat something hot? If not, is it the effect of being bitten by zombies when delivering bread?’
As the last one, the title hero and 1st year class 2’s president Ju Su-hyeok said his thanks.
“Thanks for protecting our class children.”
“Uh, uh…”
Song Daeseok made an embarrassed face, and Min Geurin, who was hiding at first because there were too many people she didn’t know, at some point stood beside Song Daeseok and had an overwhelmed with pride face.
After that, we parted with the class 2’s students and headed to the water attractions.
There were more people on the water attractions than expected.
However, perhaps she gained strength thanks to the scene of Song Daeseok receiving thanks, Min Geurin didn’t hide.
Song Daeseok had a blank face throughout our time playing at the water attractions, but he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.
* * *
Night schedule was a campfire.
Usually the campfire would be on the last day of the trip, but for the special case’s schedule, we decided to move it a day.
“Please gather by class. Ah, People from the 3rd year class 0, please follow behind the 1st year class 0!”
While teachers stepped out to organize the groups, there was one teacher I didn’t see.
‘I don’t see Yong Jegeon?’
It was common for the Game category Yong to move around as he liked, but it somewhat bothered me.
* * *
Uninhabited Island, when the sun started to set a bit.
Yong Jegeon held a lace handkerchief that didn’t suit him.
That lace handkerchief, discovered last night while searching for Im Yeonhwa, had an energy of a Jin remaining on it, though it was dim, and GPS coordinates of an uninhabited island recorded with a superpower wave.
In the situation, where the unknown otherworld was discovered, moving alone to suspicious coordinates was dangerous.
But though he made such a judgment, Yong Jegeon chose to come alone.
Because that lace handkerchief was red.
“Long time no see, Ungnyeo. Do you have something fun to inform me about again?”
And as Yong Jegeon predicted, Ungnyeo of Grief appeared in a red dress.
*~*~*
[1] “Wow! I had no idea there was a Han Yi’s friend among the children! What is Her name?” — Sawol Seeum’s sentence
[2] deep blue — 군청 (guncheong 群靑), dictionary describes it as glossy deep blue.
Translator’s note: … Jo Uisin, I understand why you say ‘fatal’ in this context, but putting you, ‘fatal’ and ‘can’t sing’ together is…
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