Chapter 342: The End of the Festival. A New Beginning.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 342: The End of the Festival. A New Beginning.
After watching the video of the cadet named Ga-eul following the one of Cathy, the Doctor was nearing a conclusion.
“…As I thought, he’s in a dangerous state.”
Her voice was a whisper, too quiet for anyone else to hear, but his psychological state was such a mess that even she—someone who rarely let her thoughts slip—couldn’t help but voice them.
Was the problem that he had met Ye-hwa? No, that wasn’t it.
While that conversation might have accelerated the process, the fundamental cause lay elsewhere.
No matter how she looked at it, his current condition was a type of precursor symptom.
The way his emotional fluctuations intensified as if he were suffering from bipolar disorder, and the way his obsession with certain precious things grew stronger—it all bore a striking resemblance to the precursor symptoms of that phenomenon. Considering his specific issues, it was almost a certainty.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect to be this worried.”
She considered herself to be of a cold temperament. Truthfully, while she called him her only remaining blood relative, she didn’t think she harbored any particular affection for Kang So-hyun.
If everyone else was a zero, and Cathy or those he called friends were a one, he was perhaps just slightly more interesting than that.
But had she developed an attachment to him while treating him as a test subject? Or was she finally starting to see him as family?
She felt a profound pity for the future awaiting him, and the reality that there was nothing she could do for him was bitterly painful.
“…Sister, what do you think I should do?”
As a scientist and a doctor, she knew it wasn’t particularly rational to speak to the dead.
But in this situation, she couldn’t bear not to ask.
And there was a reason for that.
-The Witch of the Time Flower smiles at you. She insists that So-hyun will be fine.
…Regrettably, her deceased sister was in a state where she could actually provide an answer if asked.
A ghost. Not a Ghost-type monster, but an actual ghost.
Could there be any nonsense greater than this?
“…In the first place, if you hadn’t egged Ye-hwa on, he wouldn’t be in this state yet.”
-She claims she didn’t realize Ye-hwa would be so bad with words.
“It’s not a matter of being bad with words; it’s a matter of having no filter.”
…Did her nephew have any idea that his mother was in a state where she could communicate freely, albeit only with a few people?
“…There’s no way he knows.”
“Doctor, why have you been muttering to yourself for a while now?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Just…”
-Ah, I’d really like our So-hyun to marry either Cathy or Ha-ni first. Or better yet, just marry them both at the same time so I can get all my grandchildren at once.
…What is this ghost even saying?
-I want to see my grandkids soon, so why do you keep giving those kids condoms? They’re supposed to be making babies, but you’re stopping them. Honestly, Cathy’s baby room, which gets interrupted every day, probably resents you quite a bit, too.
“Cough…!”
The Doctor choked on her coffee, dumbfounded by her sister’s sudden remark.
…Was this the sexual morality of a woman who was a mother of two? No, wait, Na-hyun was adopted. Regardless, was this the mindset of a mother…?
“I-I’m sorry. Did I startle you?”
“No, it wasn’t because of you.”
She didn’t know if such things were hereditary, but seeing her sister’s way of speaking, perhaps being sexually open was a family trait.
Judging by the sound of cackling laughter, it was likely half-joking, but knowing her sister’s personality, it was probably half-serious as well.
How would her nephew react if he found out his mother was someone who spent her afterlife cracking lewd jokes at her junior and her sister?
“Doctor, are you really okay…? Should I get you something to wipe that up?”
-Oh, it’s starting. That Ha-ni girl is quite refined. She’s good at cooking, close with So-hyun… it’d be even better if she were a bit less bellicose.
And if he found out his mother was watching almost his entire sex life in real-time… just imagining his reaction made her head ache.
I’m not exactly normal myself, but my sister is definitely insane.
* * *
What are your thoughts on the Naked Apron?
If someone had asked me that before I was discharged, I probably would have answered like this:
“I don’t really have any thoughts on it.”
An apron is fundamentally something you wear to keep your clothes from getting dirty while cooking. I’d wonder what the point is if you wear it on bare skin. Besides, aprons are something you see often in daily life, so I’d feel it occupies a somewhat ambiguous position as a “cosplay.”
Well, that was my stance until just a moment ago. And the fact that it was my stance until a moment ago means, ultimately, it isn’t anymore.
The Naked Apron is the greatest.
And if Ha-ni is the one wearing it, it’s invincible.
“S-So, how is it…?”
Her awkward pose was a bit unfortunate, but that lack of experience was part of Ha-ni’s charm.
“It’s so amazing I don’t even know where to start praising you.”
“Really? That’s a relief. Honestly, I was worried I’d lack impact compared to the two before me.”
Certainly, in terms of the “cosplay” label, she might fall a bit short, but this wasn’t a cosplay contest. Who cares if she lacked impact in that sense!
The previous two had their own plans, and I didn’t want to ruin Ha-ni’s.
I waited quietly to see what she would do next. Ha-ni slowly knelt down and opened her arms toward me.
…What is she trying to do?
“Our So-hyun, mam…”
“…Mam?”
“Want some… mamma…?”
As she said that while patting her own thighs, I couldn’t help but imagine it for a second.
…Is it coming out? Uh, for real?
“You had a hard day today, so lie on my lap and rest. I’ll take care of you today.”
Up to this point, it was about five hundred points out of a hundred, but to be honest, I was a little worried because Ha-ni wasn’t exactly well-versed in that area.
Her eyes were darting around nervously, too.
Well, it’s not like I was going to say no.
Without a hint of suspicion, I moved the apron slightly aside and laid my head on her exposed thighs. In that instant, Ha-ni wrapped the apron around my face.
For a moment, I was startled, wondering if this was some new form of assassination or a prank.
“…Wow.”
“D-Do you like it?”
In addition to the warm heat, the sight unfolding right before my eyes was quite incredible.
I’d thought about it occasionally before, but if she came up with this herself without anyone’s advice, Ha-ni was definitely a genius.
Truly.
“Now, So-hyun…”
“Yes…?”
“You should have your mamma, right?”
Seriously, there’s no way anyone but a genius could come up with an idea like this.
* * *
While they were enjoying the lingering warmth of the festival, there was another woman standing alone in the place where the campfire’s heat had completely faded.
By now, almost everyone had returned, leaving only a very small number of cadets.
Kang Na-hyun stared at the finished festival by herself.
Originally, she had planned to come here to see her brother after finishing work today.
If only that damn Association hadn’t stopped her.
…I should have known when they kept giving me extra work and claiming they were short-staffed.
I never imagined the Association would pull such a stupid stunt.
If I hadn’t heard the details from Ye-hwa, I’d still be foolishly blaming myself.
Everything was just so irritating.
Flash, whose eyes had changed from subtly looking down on her to looking at her as if she were something loathsome, was one thing. The way people from every faction looked at her with disdain, as if she’d attained A-rank through nepotism, was another.
Fine, I know I was picked for my face.
I know, but did I ask for the job? You guys were the ones who picked me.
…They said I’d be deployed in the next large-scale operation, so today was the last day I could play without a care in the world.
It seemed that having a heart-to-heart talk with her brother would have to be pushed back even further.
“…Maybe I should call and ask if the festival was fun.”
No, let’s not.
Looking at the photos, the festival seemed more exhausting than expected. It’d be a shame to disturb him while he’s resting.
“…’Disturb him while he’s resting.’ I really have all sorts of excuses.”
They hadn’t been that close to begin with, but ever since the day her brother got drunk and ground that pervert Flash’s face into the dirt, she had been intentionally avoiding him.
Because the sight of her brother that day resembled someone she missed so much.
She was afraid that if she approached him, she would burst into tears.
“I wonder what he’s doing right now.”
I want to see you, but I don’t want to see you. I want to see you as just you, but when I look at you, I keep remembering that person I miss.
So I want to go to you, but I can’t find the courage.
“…Was I always this foolish? Helping from the shadows but unable to approach him directly.”
[My beloved~]
As if determined not to give her even a moment to indulge in sentimentality, her smartphone began to sing in her brother’s voice.
“…Yes.”
[Ah, Na-hyun, I’m sorry, but can you come over right away?]
“I’ve already clocked out for the day.”
[There’s no such thing as ‘clocking out’ for a hero. This is something only you can help with, Na-hyun. You didn’t get to participate in the festival anyway. Ah, it was because of us that you couldn’t go, so saying it like this feels a bit wrong.]
If you know that, why don’t you just shut up? The curse rose to her throat, but she had to endure it for now.
“…Yes, I understand.”
At least until her brother graduated from the Academy, he might decide he wants to join the Association. Even if she was a failing sister, she couldn’t stand in the way of his future.
Of course, if anyone asked Kang So-hyun if he planned to join the Association, he would undoubtedly reply, “Me…? The Association…? Why…?” But unfortunately, the two of them were not close enough to have such a conversation, so she had no way of knowing.
* * *
While she was having such noble thoughts, what was Kang So-hyun doing?
“Ah, seriously. Do you like this that much? Are you a baby or something~?”
“I didn’t know either, but I think I might like it even more than a baby would.”
“Ha, I like that you’re honest~ Well then, it looks like you’ve rested enough.”
“Hmm?”
“You’ll have to prove just how much you like it, won’t you?”
“You’re going to regret this again.”
“Nope~ I won’t regret it. I definitely won’t, so don’t worry and come here.”
“When you say it like that, it makes me want to make you regret it just a little.”
It is said that he was rolling around in bed with Ha-ni, losing track of time.
* * *
The morning arrived after a festival that had been eventful in many ways.
The moment I opened my eyes in bed, I felt a sensation I had never experienced in my life, and I blankly checked my physical condition.
To be honest, I did overexert myself this time, but I didn’t expect it to hit me so suddenly.
Even if I wanted to explain it, it would be difficult because it was my first time feeling this.
If I had to force a metaphor, it felt like a jar I thought would never be filled had finally reached its limit.
Or perhaps like leaving the water running in a pool and spacing out, only to snap out of it and realize the water is not only full but shimmering as it threatens to overflow.
There was no pain.
It wasn’t agonizing or unpleasant; rather, a somewhat dazed and languid sensation simply enveloped my body.
In other words.
-It happened a bit faster than I expected.
The energy had filled the vessel that was “me” to its absolute limit, and the size of the vessel, which I had been forcibly expanding, had also reached its breaking point.
“…What should I do about this?”
-Seeing as it doesn’t hurt yet, it seems the vessel hasn’t cracked. That is a stroke of luck in the midst of misfortune.
Was it just my imagination that the word “yet” sounded like it was bound to happen soon?
Now, if I overexerted myself, recovered, and Resurrection triggered, would the vessel that had reached its limit begin to shatter?
-Do not worry so. A vessel does not break so easily. As long as you do not push yourself, you should be able to hold out for a month.
“…That’s a relief. So you’re saying I have to find a way within that month?”
-No, the way already exists. Did I not tell you? That we might have to go get the Golden Hoop.
The Golden Hoop.
Also known as the Smallest Prison, it was one of Sun Wukong’s Three Divine Treasures, sealed away in Hell.
-If you have the Golden Hoop, you will be able to suppress your symptoms to some extent. Well…
She made it sound so simple, but no matter how I thought about it…
-That is, if you can actually get it.
Going to retrieve such an item was never going to be easy.