Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: 81. Snowman (2)
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Hwang Dae-seop: Why? Not fun? Not funny?
No one left a comment on Hwang Dae-seop's "Wife."
No one even hit recommend.
We've been hanging out on these boards for so long that while we can't read the finer intentions of a post's author, we can usually tell if it was written with good vibes or bad ones.
Hwang Dae-seop's "Wife" was definitely the latter.
It was crafted purely to disgust us and shove the truths we're ignoring right in our faces.
Yet the recommends on "Wife" started climbing fast.
Failnet users, empathizing with Hwang Dae-seop's horrific creation, dragged that nauseating photo up to the popular posts anyway.
Amid Viva! Apocalypse!'s scorn and Failnet's fervent support, Hwang Dae-seop uploaded his next piece.
Hwang Dae-seop: Mother
The technique in this new work was identical to "Wife."
Drag the body outside, pose it, pile snow on top.
The difference from "Wife" was that he'd left the hands exposed.
The hand, missing index and middle fingers, was blackened and discolored but riddled with the deep wrinkles etched by time. Beneath that gruesome photo sat a comment from Hwang Dae-seop himself.
Hwang Dae-seop: Isn't it fun? Huh?
Who the hell would find this fun?
One thing was certain: after Hwang Dae-seop started posting his works, snowman uploads on our board came to a complete halt.
The mood on the board had grown unbearably heavy, but the real reason folks hesitated to post was the fear of clashing head-on with a freak like Hwang Dae-seop.
In the silence of the board users, Hwang Dae-seop dropped his third piece.
Hwang Dae-seop: Father
This third work used the exact same technique as the second, "Mother." No differences at all.
As before, our users offered no commentary.
The responses went to Failnet users again, but their takes weren't exactly glowing.
...
...
To us, Hwang Dae-seop and Failnet users seem much the same, but anyone who's paid even a little attention to Incheon knows there's a hierarchy among the refugees there.
Hwang Dae-seop was apparently upper crust among them.
Living in a warmer, safer spot with better food, more electricity, in a place even government thugs couldn't touch.
Maybe that's why.
His third piece made it to popular posts, but views and recommends were half what the others got.
But Hwang Dae-seop himself didn't seem to care about the reception.
Hwang Dae-seop: Fun, right? Huh? Laugh your asses off, yeah? Huh? You loser bastards!
Hwang Dae-seop had his eyes on us doomers from the start, and he's still provoking just us with his mockery.
I had no intention of picking a fight with this pitiful guy, but still.
It rubbed me the wrong way.
Failnet folks jabbing at us? Fine, whatever. But a guy like Hwang Dae-seop, who got rich insulting us, now guilting us about our consciences? It didn't sit right.
I wasn't the only one who felt that way. A few users fired back at Hwang Dae-seop.
I won't judge his words.
Anyway, from where this Park Gyu sits, Dongtanmom, Defender, and m9 all missed the mark.
Hwang Dae-seop is a dying man.
His mind must be as broken as his health.
Insults or threats won't faze a guy like that much.
I decided to hit back at Hwang Dae-seop a different way.
It started with digging into H. Sawatari's snowman collection.
Like any artist, H. Sawatari named his works.
One of them is "Girlfriend."
A woman with straight hair, dressed in a blouse and skirt, sculpted entirely from snow. Using only snow, he achieved a marble-like smoothness and stunning form.
The artist noted in the description that he used just snow and water.
Spraying water on spots needing firmness to freeze solid.
"......"
Not something I could replicate with my current skills easily.
But our board doesn't demand Sapporo Snow Festival level.
If I get it roughly right, I should get the reaction I'm after, right?
Scrape scrape---
So I started reinterpreting.
I froze the base with water, built a big lump, then used my trowel and hands to reshape the cold white grains into a woman's form.
After a full day, the piece was done.
"Phew......"
High difficulty meant some sloppy spots.
The face was a disaster—more panda than woman.
But overall, it passed as a female snowman.
I uploaded it to the board.
Title: "Wife," same as Hwang Dae-seop's debut.
Deliberately so.
Where Hwang Dae-seop slapped snow sloppily over his wife's corpse (probably) just to piss us off,
This Skeleton's "Wife" used only natural snow and water to capture the universal beauty of a human woman.
Same title, but worlds apart in intent, result, and effort.
My new work shot straight to popular posts, earning broad praise from Failnet users and board regulars alike—unlike Hwang Dae-seop's.
"......"
Just as expected.
Ecstatic reactions.
A few hate comments, but haters are the price of fame.
Habitual trolls like Dongtanmom will hate no matter what, so ignore 'em.
Of course, the real key is Hwang Dae-seop's reaction.
The true intent behind my "Wife" was a direct challenge to him.
But Hwang Dae-seop didn't respond.
He must've seen it, though.
He didn't drop a new piece for 24 hours while my "Wife" topped popular posts.
Maybe he ran out of dead family to use, halting his art. But a guy who habitually spat thorns at us would've said something.
I'm not stopping here, though.
Despite "Wife" hitting popular, I jumped into the next piece.
As always, starting from exploring H. Sawatari's works.
Something to counter Hwang Dae-seop's "Mother"?
There was one: "Witch Granny." Title's iffy, but it's the only old woman piece, and difficulty seemed right.
Ditch the pointy hat trademark, and it'd be fine, right?
I dove into reinterpretation immediately.
No drone this time, unlike two days ago, but some unfamiliar mutation prowled the distant snowfields.
Warming weather kicking off feeding time?
Cat-like, but not a cat.
Bigger, tougher vibe?
Civette maybe.
No chance it'd come this far anyway, but I prepped two rifles just in case and got to work.
In this new work, I focused extra on the wrinkles of an elderly woman and the anguish of years etched on her face.
Sadly, with my skills, it was Witch Granny and nothing else. But the board loved it.
Tons of praise, with one recurring note: it evoked an elderly mother.
Most of us doomers abandoned family.
Some prepped with theirs for the end, but from what I know, they all died in year one of the war.
The rest lost parents during wartime.
Or maybe got cut loose first.
Anyway, two straight hits, and even Viva Bot took notice.
Even opened a private chat.
"......"
Dishonest girl.
Anyway, Skeleton's H. Sawatari reinterpret snowman series was a massive hit.
Big enough to blow away the bad blood from the captain fiasco.
Of course, I know this success owes a lot to Hwang Dae-seop as the antithesis.
Anti-Hwang sentiment fueled Skeleton's popularity.
Without him, the series wouldn't have blown up like this.
While this Park Gyu basked in his second heyday, Hwang Dae-seop broke his long silence with a new piece.
Hwang Dae-seop: Son
Quick summary: A boy who never grew up, tossed on the road, snow dumped on top.
His scrawny hand clutches a pair of basketball shoes peeking from the snow—something he loved in life, it seems.
As always, Hwang Dae-seop ended without forgetting his challenge to us.
Hwang Dae-seop: Fun, right? Huh? Why aren't you laughing? Why not? Isn't this what you wanted?
Hwang Dae-seop doesn't seem like much of an internet user.
Like old folks do, resistant to new things, sticking to his comfort zone even if uncomfortable.
That's why?
He doesn't get how the internet works.
Repetition doesn't win popularity.
"Wife" shocked, sure, but he repeated the same schtick three times—with no aesthetic appeal, just corpse-desecrating gross-out that makes you cringe.
His latest must've been the heaviest for him personally, but public judgment was brutal.
"Son" didn't even hit popular posts, let alone snag Failnet praise.
Meanwhile, high expectations landed on yours truly.
Son, huh.
One more time? Can I swing it?
Topping popular, floods of comments and praise—feels damn good.
Honestly, stuff like Rebecca's mom or Defender hasn't crossed my mind lately.
"......Hmm."
One more?
Perfect material too: H. Sawatari's "Baby Angel."
Lop the wings, add a pecker, boom—son.
Scrape scrape—
Reinterpretation go.
Now a pro snowman artist, I whipped up a high-quality piece in three hours.
No need to list every reaction.
Suffice to say: ecstatic.
This the feeling of stardom?
Why didn't I go idol?
One comment catches my eye, though.
RokaGG?
Some no-name, but one of the scum who dragged down my idol John_nenon.
How's he still alive?
Losing board users is sad, but I pray RokaGG vanishes quick. Meanwhile, checked Hwang Dae-seop's reaction.
No response.
Post-"Son" flop, he posted nothing.
Meantime, hatecomment queen Dongtanmom kept hammering him.
Still a vicious one.
But my nose is stuffy—got my own problems.
A board user messaged me.
"......!!"
RokaGG.
This trash is blackmailing me.
First time in this spot—agonized over what to do, but no answers.
Right as I thought to consult Dajeong remotely,
Hwang Dae-seop uploaded a new piece.
Hwang Dae-seop: Me
End of 81. Snowman (2)