Chapter 157
Chapter 157
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: 51. Forgiveness
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Competition Quarter 4. Week 3 had begun.
Now the finish line was in sight. Team Mochi had scored well on their assignments. They once had to forfeit a tournament to tackle a high-scoring task, but earning perfect marks in a massive assignment with over 70 teams participating netted them slightly more points than the tournament winner.
In the meantime, Lun had sought out Yoo Ji-tae multiple times, but he kept dodging him.
Lately, he hadn't been targeting Erpan Guild much. He'd gotten his revenge plenty. Erpan's overall score had tanked so badly that the underdog system was now protecting them.
Sniping them would only hurt his own score now.
"If Zhou Lushin's ranking climbs, can I just snipe him again?"
"Sure."
"Sweet."
Yeoreum grinned. Yoo Ji-tae decided to ask.
Before the competition even started. The incident with Professor Ha Yun.
Back then, a weaker Yeoreum had sparred with Zhou Lushin. It ended in a draw. And apparently, something happened between them.
"Huh? It wasn't a big deal."
"What was it?"
"Just... after the spar, he told me I got lucky. Pissed me off back then."
Hearing that, Yoo Ji-tae finally understood why Yeoreum had been so upset.
"But it's fine now. I don't care anymore."
"Revenge?"
"Nah?"
Yeoreum chuckled.
"Luck's a good thing. It wasn't like bad luck caused something shitty. If it's good luck, just accept it happily."
"I see."
"Look at the results. I've won everything, right?"
She had a point.
Yeoreum was shaping up to be the ultimate victor in this little quarter.
Realizing Yoo Ji-tae could snipe him anytime, Lun kept trying to meet him. Unable to find his home address, he'd ask around or trail cadets to spot him.
Yoo Ji-tae had always spotted him coming and slipped away. No reason to meet.
But he didn't mind others approaching.
Walking back to the dorm with Yeoreum after class, a tiny girl blocked their path.
Her dark red hair was distinctive. He recognized her immediately.
"What do you want?"
Yeoreum spoke first.
It was Lingling from Erpan Guild. The one she'd scrapped with before.
Lingling cautiously glanced between Yeoreum and Yoo Ji-tae, then cupped her fists in a bow.
"H-hello..."
"You think we're on greeting terms? What is it?"
"Um, sorry... The thing is..."
The tiny girl spoke in a small, anxious voice.
"I hate to ask, but... could you meet our guardian just once...?"
"What bullshit is this? Scram."
"......"
Lingling had no retort to Yeoreum's cursing. She just fidgeted nervously, eyes darting.
But Yoo Ji-tae didn't chase her off. So Lingling timidly pulled out a business card and offered it to him.
Yeoreum looked pissed but glanced at Yoo Ji-tae and held her tongue. This was guardian business now.
"What is it?"
"It's his card. Sorry. We messed up..."
"Your guardian's orders?"
"N-no! It's not like that..."
The girl, even smaller than Gaeul, flailed her hands in panic.
"Our guardian doesn't know I'm doing this... Things are rough for us, he's pitiful, and I'm really anxious too..."
He took the card from her hand. It was Lun's. Lingling's eyes widened as she looked up at him.
"I gave you his card 'cause our guardian wants to apologize in person..."
She was rambling. Then again, he'd heard she wasn't great with words.
"Got it. Go."
With a gasp, Lingling bowed repeatedly with cupped fists before scurrying off.
"You're actually gonna meet him?"
"We'll see."
Yeoreum seemed a bit dissatisfied but nodded.
"Do what you want."
A sunny Wednesday night.
Yoo Ji-tae lounged on the sofa, enjoying some rare downtime.
Bom sat beside him, reading a book.
At some point, a faint fragrance wafted from the Green Dragon's body. It cleared his mind, refreshing him. For a regressor used to hazy senses, it felt like stepping alone into a lush, sunlit forest.
Wondering what the scent was, he turned to Bom.
Her gaze from the book met his.
"??"
He shook his head.
The guardian, who'd spent the day playing with the hatchling, now turned to housework.
Tying on an apron, it started cleaning.
"Miss Big Sis. Can I tidy your room?"
"Oh, thanks. I already did."
"I see. Nice and warm evening, even now."
"Summer must be coming. So hot..."
Bom fanned her T-shirt at the chest.
The scent grew stronger.
"Gruk gruk♪"
Humming, the suit of armor rummaged in the living room corner and found a broken clay doll.
It was a big, ugly rock-like thing. Winter had made it playing with Gaeul recently.
Until now it'd been in Bom's room; this was his first look in ages. Head broken and left out, probably for tossing.
With stubby limbs like bag holes. The guardian snapped off the arms and legs, dumping it in the trash.
That was the problem.
"We're hooome!"
"......!"
Winter returned from the mart, searching for the clay doll.
Bond in hand. She'd gone to buy glue to fix the broken head.
"......?"
But it was gone.
From where she'd left it from Bom's room. Winter crouched, scanning around. Peeked under the sofa. Closed her eyes, recalling perfectly. Opened them, checked the spot again.
Gone.
"......!?"
Winter turned to Yoo Ji-tae. He pointed at the guardian.
"......Over there."
Red glow lit the dark helmet.
"Yes? Little Miss."
Winter demanded the truth about the clay doll. The guardian's flustered explanation revealed it.
But what could she do? The guardian always dumped pay-by-weight bags right after cleaning.
It rushed to the trash but the truck was already gone.
"......How could this..."
Winter glared up at it displeased, then down at her glue. Sadness welled slowly.
"L-Little Miss. I'm truly sorry."
"......"
Winter's grip loosened. Glue dropped, rolling on the floor. Her gloomy blue eyes stayed fixed. She was mad. Even the guardian knew. Upset and angry for sure.
Panicked, the guardian started excuses.
"Miss. I thought it was just trash."
"......"
"If I'd known it was your plaything, I wouldn't have touched it..."
"......"
"Sorry. And the damn trash truck already..."
As its tongue dragged, Winter raised a palm to silence it. Then pointed to the living room corner.
The guardian was exiled.
Gloomy Winter ran to Yoo Ji-tae, offering her arm. Held close, she buried her face in his chest with a deep "...Hoo..." sigh.
He patted her tiny back.
"Should've stopped him."
Bom stroked Winter's head as she said it. Yoo Ji-tae had assumed the broken doll was trash too, so he hadn't.
The little mishap passed like that.
Then Bom, who'd been watching Winter's head, approached the guardian.
"Janitor Ajusshi."
"Yesss. Big Sis."
"Come here a sec..."
Bom pulled the guardian into a room. Curious, he listened. She was teaching apology methods.
— When seeking forgiveness, do it purely for the other's sake.
— That apology was just to get out of trouble, right?
— So if you apologize again..."
Apology consulting.
— Ah, I see...!
Had the magic armor ever apologized to anyone? Enlightened, it returned to Winter post-consult.
Tears beaded in her resentful eyes. As she watched, the guardian bowed properly.
"I sincerely apologize to Little Miss."
"......"
"I know it's already broken and lost, beyond fixing."
"......"
"But if Little Miss gives me a chance, I'll get clay again and remake it. Would that be okay?"
Luckily, it worked.
Pouty-faced, but Winter nodded.
She forgave the guardian.
Soon she climbed down. Late as it was, they headed out, fetched clay somewhere, and started sculpting on the terrace.
The regressor watched them awhile.
Apology and forgiveness...
Watching Winter and the guardian, a foreign thought struck him.
Is this everyday life?
Apology was unfamiliar. From his 3rd loop, he rarely regretted anything toward others.
Forgiveness was stranger. He wasn't the forgiving type.
Maybe that's why.
The guardian broke Winter's clay doll. Now atoning by making a new one together. The scene felt profoundly awkward to him.
The regressor turned to Bom's face.
He'd locked the kids in an underground labyrinth for decades. Beat them. Abused. Neglected. Drove to despair with violence. Longer than the dragons had lived since hatching, it scarred young kids' earliest memories forever. Some went mad, strangling others. Some stopped their own hearts. Worse than smashing a clay doll.
Of course, he had excuses. They chose it, right? There were times he brushed it off like that.
But reflecting now, it was tragic.
And in that tragedy, were my actions wrongs demanding apology? Inevitable doubts.
For a murder machine who'd lived ages without becoming enlightened, it was tough.
"??"
Sensing his gaze, verdant eyes met his again.
The regressor pondered.
Should I apologize?
For sins incomparable to breaking a doll, seeking forgiveness—what should I offer this child?
Or past loops don't count, no need?
No answer forthcoming. He stopped thinking.
"What? Staring holes in my face."
"Nothing."
"Lame."
But Bom smiled at him.
The next day, Yoo Ji-tae contacted Lun. Panicked, Lun arranged a meet at a Hate Ling bar. To apologize properly.
Yoo Ji-tae considered.
Having vowed everyday life, he was doing something utterly unfitting, unimaginable before.
Forgive once if sincere.
Even if it rang hollow inside.
"Welcome. Guardian Yoo Ji-tae."
But seeing sharply dressed Lun outside Hate Ling, Yoo Ji-tae's resolve cracked.
He entered the floor-seating bar.
Skirts slit from thigh to waist. Skimpy cheongsam women greeted him. Heavy makeup, half-exposed breasts.
"Hello, boss?"
"Can I call you oppa?"
Coquettish greetings as two clung to his arms naturally.
He'd been suppressing his presence lately, face blank. That's why strangers approached boldly.
"Have a seat."
No long talk needed.
Yoo Ji-tae told the women bluntly.
"You two, out."
"Huh? Don't you like us?"
"Tell us your type then..."
"Out."
His flat voice rang clear in the quiet room.
Odd chill in their legs. They glanced nervously and slipped away.
Lun's eye twitched at the immediate shutdown.
Straight to it, Yoo Ji-tae asked.
"Why the pointless setup? Say what you have to say."
"...Ah, yes. You don't like it. I apologize."
His eyes were sunken, sleepless.
"Apologize for what."
"For meddling privately in the schedule to force a spar with Cadet Yeoreum. And this now. Everything that displeased you. I sincerely apologize."
Lun bowed over the table.
"Look me in the eye."
"Pardon? Ah, yes."
"Is this apology truly for Yoo Yeoreum's sake?"
"Yes."
"Do you truly feel sorry?"
"Of course."
僞 (False)
[All responses: False]
Didn't know the full story. But this guardian had much riding on the competition. Had to bow, no choice.
Then Lun pulled a small dagger from his pocket, slamming it into the table.
"I'll cut my finger here if you say. Please, mercy."
Ridiculously, this was true.
But Yoo Ji-tae was intrigued. He stood.
"Forget it. No more contact."
"Huh?"
Lun jumped up flustered.
"Wait! What didn't suit your taste?"
Yoo Ji-tae walked out without reply.
"Sir! Sir! Guardian Yoo! Wait! Tell me what you need!"
Lun panicked.
"Hate this setup? Tell me your taste! Or hear me out. I'm desperate, I can offer much!"
"......"
"You came to talk, right? You took the card! Ah...! Aha! I get it now."
Lun continued excitedly, as if enlightened.
"Like kids like Lingling? Younger, petite ones?"
Yoo Ji-tae halted. Turned back.
Seeing it as positive, Lun raised his voice.
"She's cute, yeah. We're both guardians, right? Protecting young pretty girls, that urge—I get it. Man to man!"
"......"
"Lingling's small but strong! If you want, I'll set up a date. Yeah? She's a bit dumb, does drugs sometimes? Play right, she'll spread willingly. Just say..."
Next instant.
A fist flew.
Crashing amid shattering glass, Lun smashed through the table, slammed into the wall. Jaw caved. Teeth shattered. Blood soaked the floor. Impact burst one eyeball.
Reason? He'd annoyingly chased after the words ended.
"Guh... hack... guh..."
Probably. Thinking so, the regressor turned away.