Chapter 38

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 38

Chapter Title: Conditions for Violence

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[Sub-quest ② "Take Them to a Karaoke Spot They'd Love" has been successfully completed.]

I'd successfully cleared the second sub-quest.

"Whew, that was fucking exhausting."

Every moment of singing had been pure agony.

If I'd messed up the vibe even once, the quest would've failed outright.

Even if it hadn't been a total failure, clearing the Inssa Mock Exam with an A+ would've been impossible.

A+ grades in college weren't something you could just grind for, either.

"I'm never coming to karaoke with these girls again."

This was the most grueling karaoke session since the first time with my ex-wife.

If I ever ended up here with them again, I'd chop off my own hand.

I ignored the status window that was completely misreading the situation.

Satisfied with my steadily rising Inssa Force and dropping Assa Force, I finished up in the outdoor restroom outside the karaoke place and headed back to room 6.

Room 6 was tucked in the back, so I had to turn a corner to see it.

"Um~ yol man~ um yol man, my dear~ ta da dit ta, even today~♪"

Humming "Um Yol Man," which had already taken over my brain, I rounded the corner—

-Hey, same uniform as us? What year? What class?

-Kyaaak, ptoo! Did you fucking go to school with your head up your ass? Looks like first-years, first-years!

—and voices that absolutely should not have been coming from room 6 reached my ears.

-Huh? You milk-scented first-year brats with barely dried blood on your heads. You know what this place is and you stick your faces in here? Do you even know where you are before you start singing?

-Jang Jae-won’s flipping out again.

-P-please, don't...

And that sound signaled the start of the final trial.

I checked the floating status window right away.

"...Yeah, so this is how it goes."

With a grimmer expression than ever, I opened another status window.

"Good thing I didn't use any during the singing."

There was no hesitation.

I dumped every last point I had.

I chugged all three in an instant.

Flutter!

I stripped off my top.

My upper body, transformed by the boosted physique, was now exposed...

"...Ah, the tracksuit."

Mom.

This is why I asked for a short-sleeve uniform instead of this tracksuit.

Do you know how much bullying I got in my first life because of this see-through lower tracksuit?

"Gotta buy my own clothes from now on."

Finally realizing I should've done that from the start, even as a kid.

I roughly yanked off even Mom's too-tight tracksuit.

Whoosh, swish, tight.

I twisted the tracksuit pants and spring-autumn uniform top into knots and wrapped them around my fists.

Just like a protagonist in a fighting manga brutally pounding a tree for training.

"Himalaya +3 toughness... Nah, don't need it."

Since I wasn't the one getting hit this time.

So Durability? Unnecessary.

"Daring to mess with my quest NPCs?"

Quest or Inssa Mock Exam or whatever.

These were the girls I brought here.

For what I've done...

Step.

I have to take responsibility.

After Kyung-jun's flawless "Um Yol Man" performance,

and while he was in the restroom handling business,

"Do you even know what this place is before you start singing?"

thugs burst into room 6 like it was scripted fate.

Of course, "thugs" here were just fellow middle schoolers.

This karaoke spot was a favorite haunt for Sinnong Middle School delinquents.

Being middle schoolers made them even more hot-headed and reckless.

Elementary kids were too young to cause real trouble,

while high schoolers had grown enough to watch their backs.

"Kuhuhu, you goodie-two-shoes types look like you wanted to play hard, huh? Right, you bitches? Admit it?"

"P-please, don't..."

But these guys were middle schoolers with adult-sized bodies but immature brains.

And no matter what they did—even murder or sex crimes—they were protected as juvenile offenders.

Where else in Korea could you find more dangerous outlaws than these?

"Jang Jae-won’s flipping out again."

"Shut up, you pussy. Wanna get your balls busted too?"

"...Crazy bastard. I'm stepping out for a smoke. Don't go too wild."

"Get lost, fucker. Oh, grab a Melona on the way."

Among them, Jang Jae-won was the most dangerous breed.

First-years might not know him,

but every third-year did,

and even second-years had heard the name.

Sinnong Middle's psycho.

That was the polite version; third-years called him the ultimate mad dog.

His craziness didn't discriminate by target, age, or gender.

He didn't just hit—he picked acts that humiliated and degraded.

For example,

"Hey, first-year milk-stink bitches. Wanna see my buddy's balls get crushed?"

Crude talk was standard,

"Fuck, I once smashed some lackey's nuts—felt fucking great. How 'bout it? Come on, come on?"

threatening boys and girls alike without restraint,

and he didn't shy from sexual harassment.

That was Jang Jae-won, the total nutjob.

"Eek... D-don't..."

A second-year to boot, and timid Han So-mi at that.

All she could do was shrink back.

"Ha, fuck."

But that only fueled Jang Jae-won's sadism more.

"Hey, fuck, you hate me? Can't I like you? Huh? Can't I li—?!"

As Jang Jae-won menaced with lines from some adult flick and raised his hand,

that's when it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠happened.

"No, you don't."

In an instant, blinding speed.

Whoosh!!

A fist flew in.

Thwack!!

The sound was muffled thanks to the wrapped shirt.

"Guhek?!"

Splat!

But the impact sending him sprawling was massive.

First time I'd ever hit someone.

I thought I'd hesitate, lose steam midway.

Surprisingly, nothing like that.

In reality, hitting someone requires:

The courage to hurt another,

and the guts to risk the same in return.

Both were things I lacked.

In my first life or this regressed second one, no difference.

Regression didn't change my core.

Except,

"Sorry."

If it's not for me, but for others,

people can readily harm for their sake.

Flutter.

I unfurled the bundled shirt in a flash and draped it gently over Han So-mi's head.

Blocking her view softly, banishing the terror for now.

"For letting you go through this. It's entirely my fault."

"Ah..."

It might smell a bit sweaty,

but for her, threatened in every way, darkness would bring some comfort.

"Yu Eun-ha, take care of her. And the others."

"Y-yeah..."

Yu Eun-ha hurried to Han So-mi's side and held her hands.

That seemed to steady So-mi's trembling shoulders.

Confirming that,

I eyed the guy still sprawled on the floor, out of it.

"Urk... ugh... Which fucking... bastard... uuurgh..."

I'd nailed him good.

His brain was rattling; he kept trying to stand and flopping.

Drag him outside first?

Grab.

As I seized Jang Jae-won's ankle,

"F-fuck... what, what is it...! Let go, you fu—"

the bastard started thrashing again.

"—Guhek?!"

Thud!

I lightly punched his gut to extend the stun.

Not too hard.

Vomit would stink.

We had 30 minutes left on the room,

and I hadn't claimed the bonus yet.

Drag, drag, drag.

Grabbing his ankle, I hauled the dazed, curled-up punk out the door.

From here on, it's 18+ restricted.

Can't show you kids.

"Huh?"

Creeak.

But room 6's door slid open like automatic.

"Hey, you psycho Jang Jae-won. Your rep's already trash, quit groping around or we'll all get banned from the PC bang... Guhek?!!"

I served the door-opener a full dose too.

"Whoops, startled me."

Looked like he was trying to intervene.

Joint liability, though.

Should've stopped it from the start and left.

Thud!

"Gurgle..."

Unlike Jang, this guy's Durability was trash; he foamed at the mouth and passed out instantly.

Luckily, face-down outside the door, the girls couldn't see.

So, restricted content protected?

"Alright, you girls."

One thug out cold in the hall,

the other ankle-dragged away.

"Wanna sing by yourselves for a bit?"

Asking them to sing in this avant-garde setup.

They panicked,

but

"...What song? Something loud?"

Lee A-ram got my intent right away.

Truly the brains of the Han So-mi group.

With some study help, Seoul Science High, then lab rat in grad school—she'd excel.

After ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this, suggest prepping for science high together?

"Yeah. 'Um Yol Man' like I sang."

Nothing keeps the energy up and loud like that track.

"Don't just play it—belt it out hard."

Then,

"In... this... situation...?"

A shaky voice from beside Lee A-ram, fighting tremors.

Yu Eun-ha.

The bubbly smile she always showed me was gone.

Even a bright girl like her couldn't smile through this.

That's why I told her:

"The worse it gets, the more you smile and amp up."

I pointed at Han So-mi, still shaking between Yu Eun-ha and Lee A-ram.

And,

"The kind who makes even a crying kid laugh, awake or asleep."

My gaze fixed on the rigid Yu Eun-ha.

"Your ideal and idol—"

I continued,

"—isn't that what you wanna be? An idol?"

Yeah.

If you're gonna be one, sparkle with starstruck eyes.

Someone's ultimate bias.

"Right?"

Plus, unlike her facade,

『Um... you okay?』

not fake smiles,

『Hang in there! I-I can't do much about Lee Ho-kwon, but...』

『Yeah, there must be someone out there helping you. Maybe even right now.』

『...-Excerpt from 1st Life Records-』

Even to my first-life self,

『So~ keep fighting, okay? Hehe~』

she'd flashed genuine grins,

『Azaza~ fighting~! Ham Kyung-joo fighting~☆』

Well, she botched the name, but back then.

"Ah..."

Yu Eun-ha looked like she'd realized something.

She gripped the mic tight,

body still quaking with fear,

but with resolved determination,

"Yeah. Got it. I'll do it."

She nodded, steeling herself.

"I'll help, Eun-ha."

"Yeah, it's fine."

"...You sure you're okay alone?"

"Yeah. A-ram, Ja-hee, watch So-mi."

Lee A-ram, who'd waited patiently, glanced at Hong Ja-hee, then queued the song without hesitation.

Double X, 051.

Eun-young Karaoke, track 46493.

"Um Yol Man," again.

♪~~♬ ~♩ ~♭ ~~♬

Thumping beat,

male idol's swaggering backing track.

Bzzz.

Yu Eun-ha boldly raised the mic.

Eyes fixed on the screen, not me.

"No matter what noises come, I'll sing loud enough to drown them out, non-stop till you return, Han Kyung-jun. So—"

Of all the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lines she'd given me,

this felt the most heartfelt,

"—Hehet~ The rest is on you, okay? Kyung-jun~☆"

Finally looking my way, she winked.

Right then.

"Put your phone down and~♪ Hold back the tears in your eyes~♩"

The girl's song began.

And I,

with the truest expression I'd shown them,

just smirked,

nodded more confidently than ever, and stepped out alone.

"..."

She'd never know.

Her personal cheer only I recalled,

"...Azaza, fighting. Yu Eun-ha fighting."

I muttered softly.