Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: 12. Proclaimer Selection (1)
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Morning was no different from usual. The clone headed to work to experience daily life, the guardian was doing the dishes, and Yoo Ji-tae simply put on neat clothes.
If Gaeul weren't there, today would have felt like an utterly peaceful ordinary day.
Sitting in the living room, Bom showcased her skills on Gaeul. She applied various creams, then spent about an hour fussing with eyeliner, mascara, shadow, curler, and a dozen other tools.
It looked so natural that when asked, she said she'd learned it while living in Europe.
"Smile. Kimchi."
"...Ee."
A soft pink tint was applied to Gaeul's cheeks.
"Hum a tune."
"Hum, hum."
Finally, color was added to her lips.
Curious, Winter alternated between looking at the cosmetics and Gaeul's face.
"Phew, done. Ajusshi, take a look?"
"Sure."
Bom removed the hand covering Gaeul's face.
The chick cautiously opened her eyes.
The atmosphere had changed noticeably. Normally, she seemed somewhat lacking somewhere, but it was a bright, unadorned face.
Yet the made-up Gaeul looked surprisingly calm.
"Wow... Is this really me?"
"Yeah. Looks good?"
"Unni! How about running a cosmetics store?"
But her surprised expression in the mirror was unmistakably Gaeul.
Yoo Ji-tae took them all outside. Even Yeoreum, who'd been holed up in her room, came along dressed in tracksuit.
They headed to the declaration audition venue.
Even on the way out of the residential district, grabbing a taxi and squeezing in toward the academy district, Gaeul was reading her script.
The taxi glided smoothly to the audition hall.
A weekday morning. Even during break, many were commuting, so the area bustled. But the audition was closed to media, so stepping inside brought only silence.
It was a small stage.
They'd arrived ten minutes early, but it seemed they were still late. Opening the door, dozens of gazes locked onto them.
They were applicants—cadets—along with same-clan family members, dorm mates, or guardians. Their stares weren't friendly at all.
"What're you staring at? Wanna gawk?"
At Yeoreum's words, some averted their eyes, others scowled.
"Yeoreum."
Bom restrained her.
Sitting in the corner seats, the cadets began chattering in groups of twos and threes. Talks of how they'd prepared, whose help they'd gotten for coordination. They seemed like people who'd known each other beforehand.
As Yoo Ji-tae blankly watched the scene, his eyes focused.
Near the guardian waiting area, Wei Lian was facing him.
"Applicant cadets to this side, guardians to that side, please!"
'I'll do well.' Gaeul left alone with a worried look, and Yoo Ji-tae stood to head to the guardian seats.
It happened to be next to Wei Lian.
Wei Lian greeted him with a friendly smile.
"Long time no see, right? Yoo Ji-tae-ssi. Hope you've been well."
"Long time."
"I was a bit surprised not to see you at the first round. Let's watch well together."
Wei Lian extended his hand. Yoo Ji-tae gripped it without a word. For a moment, the impulse to crush it swept through, but it was bearable enough. He casually released and crossed his arms.
"Meeting in a place like this must be fate—how about getting acquainted with the other guardians?"
Wei Lian said that, then suddenly turned to the other guardians. "Everyone, this is guardian Yoo Ji-tae."
"Ah, yes."
"Heard of you."
The guardians' gazes were mostly prickly. Likely because Gaeul had suddenly entered the finals.
One guardian chuckling covertly shrank back with an "Ahh, that..." when nudged. He seemed to have heard something.
He ignored it.
By the way, there should have been thirteen guardians, but only nine were here.
The mood among the cadets was similar to the guardians'.
"Hey."
A black-haired Asian female cadet stepped forward to call Gaeul. Her eyes were upturned, but her expression was amiable.
Yoo Ji-tae recognized the face. It was Gong Ju-hee.
"Yeah. Hi."
"Right. Who are you? Didn't see anyone like you in the first round."
"Yoo Gaeul. You?"
"No, what I asked is how you got here."
"Oh, the PD told me to try the audition..."
"PD? Who."
Gaeul named Ha Jun-su.
"Wow, fancy. Rich family?"
Rich? Thinking, Gaeul giggled.
"Dunno."
The amiable expression creased slightly.
"Yeah, looks like it. Look at that skin. Face has money slathered on. Got a good salon, share with me."
"Huh? What's that?"
"Look at her? Everyone in this biz knows."
"Hmm... Dunno."
As Gaeul giggled again, annoyance flickered on Gong Ju-hee's face. What is this?
She snorted and continued.
"Whatever. Anyway, you look innocent but kinda brazen."
"...Huh?"
"Everyone here except you passed the first round."
"Ah, yeah."
"Not sorry at all?"
"......?"
The suddenly kind expression flipped. With her sharp look, the watching cadets' faces started feeling similar.
"If I were you, I'd be so sorry. Some pulled all-nighters for lessons, tensed through tests to stand here. You just bank on your face, PD says audition~ and chill."
"Ah..."
"Aw, I'm fine. But others might hate it?"
Gaeul's face filled with bewilderment.
The cornered chick smiled awkwardly.
"Um, uh, sorry..."
"No? Not saying you should be. Maybe you're not the sorry type in this situation?"
"......?"
"Might differ from common sense. But said it since you stayed quiet. I'm fine."
Then she smiled as if truly fine.
Gaeul was stuck, at a loss.
She'd been completely overwhelmed in the mental standoff.
"Ah, and..."
As Gong Ju-hee tried to continue.
"Hey."
"...?"
Gong turned at the rough voice.
It was a girl in a blue tracksuit.
Strikingly, her hair was fiery red.
Not an applicant, Yeoreum had come straight from the family seats.
"What."
"Come out a sec."
"Why me? More like, who are you to butt in?"
"Come."
"Ears clogged? Who asked you?"
"Not coming?"
Then her hand shot out. Yeoreum tried to grab Gong Ju-hee's hair. Just before the quick hand touched the black locks, Yoo Ji-tae, who had appeared, seized Yeoreum's wrist.
"......!"
Yoo Ji-tae, who'd been observing, stood the moment she did. He'd been watching and intervened.
Surprised eyes from around fixed on them briefly.
Yoo Ji-tae spoke.
"Kids. Let's go see Team Leader Yong."
"Ah, Team Leader Yong? Wow!"
Sensing the off vibe, Gaeul nodded and pulled Yeoreum.
"G-Go. Sis."
Yeoreum finally regained sense, deflating. She grinned brightly at Gong Ju-hee.
"Oops? Oh dear. Sorry, that was a mistake, black-hair unni. Your hair's so pretty, wanted to touch. Got it?"
"You, you...!"
Gong Ju-hee, sensing killing intent, scowled. She could put out a fierce aura too.
She shrieked.
"Don't bullshit. Think I didn't see the strength in your grip!"
"Misunderstanding. Was swatting a mosquito."
"......!"
Yeoreum then made mosquito wing sounds nasally: "Bzzz~. Bzzz~."
Utterly infuriating expression.
Unable to watch, Yoo Ji-tae spoke.
"Yoo Yeoreum."
"Yeees~. Ajusshi's calling. Shall we go, lil sis?"
"Ah, yeah. Team leader's waiting."
Yoo Ji-tae took them outside. On the way, eyes met with Gong Ju-hee's guardian, who glared uncomfortably but said nothing more.
Perfectly timed cut.
"Fucking bitch. Snake-tongued slut. Wanna smash her skull."
Out immediately, Yeoreum spat curses and stormed off somewhere.
Yoo Ji-tae looked at Gaeul.
"You okay?"
"Yes. Thanks, ajusshi. Whew... First time with stuff like this, got a bit shocked."
"Can't handle, we can leave."
"No way! Prepared so much for today."
The cornered expression from moments ago gone, Gaeul beamed.
"I can do it."
Until the audition properly started, Yoo Ji-tae stood by Gaeul waiting. Applicants glanced dissatisfied but didn't approach. Like an invisible wall hung.
Gong Ju-hee's guardian also stood by Yoo Ji-tae. Glancing at him with displeasure.
There were three judge seats: left for personnel selection, right for Lair's high-ranking academic official.
And finally.
In the center sat PD Ha Jun-su.
Stern expression. Unkempt beard. Ha Jun-su eyed the applicants as if none pleased him.
Soon, the first cadet went up and began the declaration.
By the time declarations continued, Yoo Ji-tae felt something off. Faintly, like the scent of the abyss wafting.
His nape chilled. It was instinctual.
In Yoo Ji-tae's vision, good and evil were distinguished.
No issues among the staff.
Personnel selector? Light evil. Normal for people. Ha Jun-su was light evil too.
The problem was the next one.
The third judge.
Lair's high-ranking academic official. Name: Oh Min-seong.
Scales Eye marked him extreme evil.
Standards for good and evil weren't firm despite long life. Rarely, humans eviler than demonkin. Even he himself saw extreme evil in the mirror sometimes.
But in such cases, usually demonkin.
Around then, the first cadet finished her declaration. Judges began discussing it.
Overhearing words exchanged, Yoo Ji-tae turned his gaze. Wei Lian, spotting it, smiled with eyes and looked to stage.
The official was likely tied to Wei Lian and his organization, Non-Visibility.
Regressor instinct.
With context grasped, anger started boiling.
Anxiety never erased from heart's depths amid daily drag. Is this complacency okay? So many to kill now. Sustain daily but kill what must be killed?
It reared again.
Two potential demonkin before eyes. Watching stirred boiling emotion. Tempting to summon secretly, rip jaw. Gouge eyes, give two chances. Demand Non-Visibility members. Hand over names and IDs of nurtured demonkin.
Rationality knew impossible. Demonkin far tougher. But rising anxiety from gut, sludge-like rage pushed impulse.
So if his eyes hadn't met Winter, nestled in Bom's arms, smiling brightly, he might've barely lost to impulse.
After watching awhile, eyes met, Winter beamed.
Look ahead.
She mouthed.
Sulky, Winter nodded vigorously and turned away.
Only then did Yoo Ji-tae exhale deeply.
Heat still burned inside, but somehow suppressible now.
While the regressor sulked not-pathetically in the corner. Fifth turn, Gong Ju-hee finished reading.
Thunderous applause erupted.
"Whoaaa!"
"Wow! Great job!"
Wei Lian beside shot up clapping.
Stark contrast to others.
Of all things, next was Gaeul.
Yoo Ji-tae slipped out to approach her.
"Yoo Gaeul."
"......"
No reply despite call.
Just slowly. Golden eyes turned to meet his.
The exact expression when he'd first told Gaeul of his second round memories.
Why was she like this again?
Thinking, he suddenly realized.
Gaeul's expression perfectly mirrored his old self.
The one forced to submit before immense power.
Who had to kill a loved one with his own hands.
Who'd cursed himself more than the world for his weakness.
That young Yoo Ji-tae's face.
Was on Gaeul's.
With slow movements, Gaeul rose.