Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Reverse Tribute and Mafia Games
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I woke up early in the morning and sent a message to our manager.
I wanted to call, but I remembered him saying he was practically living at the company these days, having taken on the training of a new road manager.
[No coffee truck today.]
“Ah.”
A sigh escaped me as I read the manager’s reply.
“That’s a shame, but I guess it can’t be helped.”
“Yeah.”
Just as I was about to turn away in resignation, a ‘ding’ sounded, and another message arrived.
[Actor Wi Yeo-jun is sending a coffee truck today as a gift to BRAVE.]
The members’ eyes all turned to me at once.
“This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
I immediately called Wi Yeo-jun to check.
—Hello.
“Hey. Are you busy right now?”
—Nope. On my way to the gym.
“Did you say you were sending a coffee truck to our fans?”
—Yeah.
Wi Yeo-jun’s reply was concise.
“Why?”
—Because your fans sent me a gift first.
This was news to me.
‘I haven’t seen anything about that on social media.’
I considered myself a frequent social media user.
It was the best way to see what the fans were thinking.
But I hadn't seen any posts about them sending a gift to Wi Yeo-jun.
“Our fans? What did they send?”
—They sent a coffee truck to my filming set, asking me to stay good friends with you. The banner said, ‘A bribe for actor Wi Yeo-jun, Yoon-seul’s friend.’ Your fans are hilarious.
I could hear Wi Yeo-jun’s laughter through the phone.
—So I just sent a coffee truck back in return. Nothing major.
“Why would you send something like that without telling me?”
—Did I have time to tell you? I suddenly got pulled into additional filming for the movie, so I had no time. And you said you were on vacation, but then you suddenly started preparing for a comeback.
“Still, you could’ve sent a text. You surprised me.”
—I’ll do that from now on, so don’t worry. Anyway, I have to go to my personal training session, so I’m hanging up.
“Okay.”
And with that, the call ended.
“Our fans sent a coffee truck to Wi Yeo-jun. He said he’s sending one back as a thank you.”
“We might have unintentionally lost our turn, but in a way, this could be for the best. This is our first reverse tribute, so we should prepare something special.”
“That’s true.”
“Food is nice, but I wish there was something useful that fans could carry around with them.”
Park Ji-ham said, stroking his chin as if deep in thought.
“How about a blanket?”
Lee Ho-jun cautiously offered his opinion.
“A blanket?”
“Yeah.”
“They can use it at school or work.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“You’re right. It’s getting chilly soon, so they might need one.”
It was the perfect gift for the season. We were transitioning from fall to winter, and while the days were still cool and autumnal, the temperature dropped sharply in the mornings and evenings.
It was clear the weather would turn cold soon.
“Alright, let’s go with blankets and look for a supplier. Should blankets and snacks be enough?”
“What about hand cream? I saw my sister always carrying hand cream in the fall because her hands get chapped.”
“Let’s include that too. Hand cream should be easy to get.”
“Sounds good.”
And so, the list of items for our reverse tribute grew longer.
***
2 PM on a weekend.
A BRAVE was lounging on her bed, enjoying her hobby.
“Lying in bed on the weekend watching RE-V. This is the life. Isn’t this why I’ve been working so hard?”
She hadn’t gotten into the music show recording today either, but she was soothing her sorrow by watching RE-V videos.
*Ding.*
A notification popped up on her phone, a preview showing that a new video had been uploaded to RE-V’s official YouTube channel.
“Whoa!”
The BRAVE sat up.
She wanted to watch the newly uploaded YouTube video on her computer, not her phone.
She quickly turned on her computer.
“Ah. Come on, hurry up.”
Feeling like her computer was booting up slower than usual today, the BRAVE anxiously bounced her leg.
“It’s on! Once this promotion cycle is over, I should save up and get a new one. Oh, wait, I can’t. I have to save up for the kids’ fan meeting. I’ll just use this one a bit longer. It still works fine, after all.”
The BRAVE contemplated upgrading her computer but decided to put her desire aside for the upcoming fan meeting.
She had already spent a significant portion of her salary on pre-ordering the new album, so she had no choice.
“Time to watch the video.”
[JR Entertainment MT: Find the Mafia.]
The uploaded video was none other than the next installment of their retreat series.
The thumbnail was filled with the despairing faces of RE-V, the wide-eyed expressions of Creatin, and the calm face of Leon amidst it all.
RE-V had dropped a spoiler that they would have a lot of screen time in the next video, so the BRAVE’s anticipation was through the roof.
“Let’s watch it now.”
With a reverent heart and posture, she played the video.
[We will now begin the Mafia game. One by one, please come up and draw a slip of paper with your role written on it. There are two Mafia members. The rest are Citizens.]
They were sitting in a circle in the same gazebo where they had played board games during the day.
They were still wearing the clothes they had been given at the beginning, but the colors looked a bit muted now that it was night.
[Creatin, please come up first in order of age.]
Creatin drew their papers first, followed by Leon and then RE-V.
As the youngest member of RE-V, Seo Yoon-seul had no choice but to take the last remaining slip of paper.
The papers looked quite large for just having a role written on them.
[You have all been embroiled in a murder case committed by the Mafia.]
RE-V and Creatin looked at the production staff with surprised expressions.
[As suspects, you must prove your innocence through your alibis to be confirmed as innocent Citizens.]
As the staff member finished speaking, a spotlight suddenly illuminated the gazebo.
[Please unfold the paper you drew and confirm your role.]
The camera quickly panned across the faces of Creatin, RE-V, and Leon.
From their expressions alone, it was still difficult to guess who the Mafia was.
[From now on, the Mafia will perform a peculiar action. It is a kind of signal. As soon as the Mafia gives the signal, night will fall, and one innocent Citizen will die. So, do not take your eyes off the people around you. You could be the next victim. Also, each person can call for one meeting. During the meeting, you can vote to kill a person suspected of being the Mafia. However, if a Citizen is killed, there will be a penalty. You can also skip the vote, so we recommend you think carefully.]
The rules were different from the Mafia game they knew.
It was clear the company had put a lot of effort into preparing this.
[We will now begin introductions. If you are the Mafia, please introduce yourself using the fake profession written below your role. We wish the Citizens the best of luck.]
A moment of silence fell after the staff’s announcement.
[I’ll go first. Let’s go clockwise.]
Leon raised his hand with an indifferent look on his face.
[First off, I’m a drummer. I’m out late at night, but that’s because I perform with my band at a nearby pub. That night, I had a cold and wasn’t feeling well, so while my bandmates went for a drink after the show, I came back early.]
“Wow. This is getting exciting.”
[I work the night shift at that convenience store over there. I know I’m a suspect because it’s near the crime scene, but I’m really innocent.]
Creatin’s Jae-hee raised both hands as if to prove his innocence.
[Is it my turn? I’m just a job seeker. I live next door to the victim, but I’m so busy studying that I hardly ever talk to them.]
And so, they each continued with their introductions.
[I run an academy, so I work late into the evening. Most of my students are in high school, and they come after their school day is over. As an educator, is it possible I would commit such an act?]
Jung Eun-woo said.
Even as he spoke, he kept scanning his surroundings.
[I’m a café owner. I was in my shop the whole time, baking bread for tomorrow’s business. I have to sell fresh bread early in the morning.]
Haru slowly read the words.
Despite him being a foreigner, no one asked if he understood the rules of the game.
That was because Haru’s command of Korean was so fluent that it sometimes made people forget he wasn’t a native speaker.
[I am a writer. The words weren't flowing that day, so I did go out for a walk. Sometimes inspiration strikes when I'm walking outside.]
After Park Ji-ham’s turn, it was finally Seo Yoon-seul’s turn.
[I’m a reporter. I had a scoop that day, so I was rushing to write an article in front of the police station before heading back.]
With that, all the introductions were finished.
[The introductions are now complete. You will find a point of suspicion written on your paper. Based on that, you may freely ask questions and give answers.]
A strange tension filled the air.
[I’ll ask the first question. Haru. You said you were in your shop the whole time baking bread, but I heard the lights in your café were off.]
At Jung Eun-woo’s question, Haru’s gaze shifted to his paper.
[The bakery in my café is in the basement, so from the outside, it would look like the lights are off.]
Then, Haru tilted his head.
[By the way, what does ‘directive’ mean?]
His follow-up question left everyone with a stunned expression.
He had basically just indirectly revealed that he was the Mafia.
[Ha-Haru?]
A staff member called out to Haru in a trembling voice.
[Yes.]
Oblivious to everything, Haru nodded with a bright smile.
Watching this, the BRAVE burst out laughing.
The game the company had meticulously planned had turned into a useless piece of paper in an instant.
[This can’t be happening.]
The production staff could be seen shutting their eyes tightly.
[A directive is like a command.]
Only then did Haru seem to understand the situation, blinking his eyes rapidly.
[Oops. We can’t do it over, can we?]
There was no way that was possible.
It was impossible to suddenly rewrite the professions and detailed descriptions.
[I’ll call a meeting. Haru, goodbye.]
The vote for Haru was unanimous.
He had revealed everything himself before the game could even properly begin.
[Ah, this is hilarious. I completely forgot that Haru is Japanese.]
Lee Ho-jun wiped the corners of his eyes with his finger.
It seemed he had laughed so hard he cried.
[Then, we will resume the game.]
One might have thought the game would proceed smoothly with one Mafia member quickly eliminated, but that wasn't the case at all.
As it went on, it devolved into an emotional battle of suspicion and probing.
[Hey. Isn’t it Yoon-seul? The fact that you’re so calm is making you more suspicious.]
At Lee Ho-jun’s comment, Seo Yoon-seul’s shoulders shook violently.
[It’s not me! Why do you keep trying to frame me? It’s you, isn’t it?]
At Seo Yoon-seul’s counterattack, Lee Ho-jun vehemently shook his head.
[It’s not me. If I’m the Mafia, I’ll call you my big bro for a month.]
The funny thing was, because the members of RE-V were so busy suspecting each other, Leon and Creatin couldn't even get a word in, just watching with confused expressions.