Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Bear Dolls' Beatdown
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60.
Thanks to our super-strong first Bear Doll, we were able to take down that massive lump of flesh in one clean strike without a single scratch.
‘Good job. Our first Bear Doll!’
And then.
……Ugh!
Showered by the filthy muck and chunks of meat from the thing that went down in one hit, Park Yeon-jeong was currently.
Uuuugh!!
He’d almost thrown up just now.
A bitter taste rose in his throat, and his vision spun. It felt like he’d dry-heaved dozens of times inside already.
And that was just the start?
Splat-!
He desperately wanted to peel off the rotten, decaying flesh stuck to his face right then and sprint to the showers to scrub his entire defiled body clean.
But stinging gazes had been pricking the back of his head ever since earlier.
‘My head’s gonna get pierced.’
He couldn’t put on a show like that in front of all these watching eyes.
He forced a calm smile.
Hansol and the GRA agents, along with the Pierrot siblings, were all staring at him with eyes wide open.
……Endure it.
No matter what, he had to endure right now.
If he couldn’t hold back here and spewed up disgustingly in front of everyone in that moment.
The true face of Park Yeon-jeong would be exposed.
Ugh!!!
…….
One……just one dry heave wouldn’t be so bad, right?
It was really, really hard to hold back.
He was seriously deep in anguish over whether to hurl or not.
Boom!
!
Suddenly, another explosion rang out from behind, and he whipped his head toward the sound.
There.
“H-Hey, I did it! I actually did it!”
Hansol, covered head to toe in flesh and blood, clenched her fist tight and beamed with thrilled, resolute eyes.
“…Well done.”
That’s probably the response she wanted.
Yes, yes, you did great, Miss Hansol.
It reminded him of that time when he’d gotten overly excited, mistakenly thinking he’d awakened while wearing his Bear Doll during the Match Girl capture.
‘I get how you feel.’
But……just this once, he wished she’d grasp the simple truth.
This feat wasn’t thanks to Miss Hansol—it was thanks to our ‘excellent’ Bear Doll.
So.
‘Good job, our second Bear Doll!’
He praised his second Bear Doll at least in his mind.
As a bit more time passed, Park Yeon-jeong managed to suppress the churning in his gut.
He slowly turned his gaze toward where the Pierrots were.
And the first one his eyes locked with there was—
Love Mask.
【♥…Y-You’re seriously amazing! You’re the first guy to take out our cuties this fast! I want you even more now! You’re gonna get even cuter, right?!】
Love Mask hyped him up in an utterly giddy voice, and even Tear Mask, who’d been quietly observing until now, let out an exclamation.
【♣To wipe out Sis’s performers this quick……Kid, you’re the real deal.】
Tear Mask’s gaze slyly flicked toward his brother, gauging his reaction.
【♣Bro, what now? Send ’em back to the audience?】
【♦…….】
Tch!!
With a tongue click.
Zzzt-
Amid the mic’s garbled static, a sharp metallic voice rang out.
【♦…Ha! What a goddamn boring show. You two! Get off the stage now! Unless you wanna die.】
Hansol double-checked with him after hearing the mic.
“Is it……over?”
“…Yeah, seems like it for now.”
“Then let’s hurry back to our seats!”
“…….”
Hansol was thrilled.
The spark of hope that she could return alive glittered in her eyes, and no one was happier.
But one man knew.
Even if they went back to the audience seats from here.
The master-servant dynamic wouldn’t change.
That much was obvious.
So he didn’t move.
【♦…….】
A heavy silence.
But he was waiting there for someone. For the one person who’d find his defiant stance grating.
Until that person spoke to him.
He waited.
And at the end of that wait.
Scraaaape-!
‘Yeah, that’s more like it.’
A grating, ear-piercing crunch came through the mic, along with a man’s rough voice.
【♦……Hey. Didn’t I just tell you to fuck off?】
‘……You did.’
Gulp.
He raised his stiff shoulders and arms toward the ceiling as naturally as possible, cranking up his voice to hide the quiver in his lips.
“But. I don’t think I can go back just like this.”
He acted as smug as possible.
Dripping boredom from his voice.
Targeting one specific person, he spat it out with a mocking lilt.
“The show was way more boring than I expected. I had high hopes……kinda disappointed.”
Crack-!
【♦……What?】
Yeah.
Glare at me like you wanna kill me. Make sure I keep getting under your skin.
‘But don’t go too overboard, please.’
Zzzt-
“If I’d known the show would be this dull, I wouldn’t have bothered joining.”
Fizzle-!
Grabbing something that could no longer be called a mic, Angry Mask muttered.
【♦You……fucking……did?】
Rage boiled through just the voice on the mic.
The more it came, the calmer he sounded as he fanned the flames of that fury even higher.
“Might as well join you for this show! Make it a bit more fun for me!”
‘Of course, I don’t mean it.’
The first to react to his gamble-laced line.
Unexpectedly, it was Love Mask.
【♥You……crazy? Even if our dumb bro looks like a pushover, he’s not! Our bro’s strong. Insanely strong.】
Love Mask replied in a warning tone.
But he’d already known the danger for a while.
However…….
If he didn’t do this, they’d die by your hands anyway!
He swallowed bitter tears inside.
Shing!
And spat out the line to cap off the finale.
“With the audience asking like this, you wouldn’t refuse, right? Angry Mask?”
“Hey, you!”
Grab!
Someone seized his wrist.
He looked down at the sensation.
Hansol, who’d been silently listening until now, rushed over desperately, grabbed his arm, and glared.
“Are you kidding?! Why decide something that big alone…….”
“Human.”
He knew.
That his unilateral decision had dragged her in.
But.
If he didn’t…….
‘We die here.’
So.
This time, he wanted her to trust and follow him.
“Let’s enjoy the show a bit more.”
“……You’re all insane.”
Think whatever for now. But no more solo acts.
She’d become a wild card.
That’s why he needed a safety measure to keep Hansol in check right now.
“And I forgot to mention, that Bear Doll mask. One word from me, and it pops.”
“!!”
……Her big pupils dilated massively at his words just now.
And
!!
Not just Hansol was shocked by his words. His second Bear Doll looked stunned too.
‘Sorry for lying. You get it, right, Bear Doll?’
But this was the best way to make Hansol obey.
“So let’s enjoy it. This fantastic show.”
“……….”
Hansol shut her mouth.
But she didn’t show the same defiance as before.
Zzzip-
……Though her eyes held a murderous glint. He could endure that much now.
Thud!
During their brief struggle.
Something massive dropped onto the stage, kicking up a fierce sandstorm.
As the sand settled and visibility returned.
Angry Mask, who’d been on the trapeze just moments ago, now stood on their stage.
He didn’t miss the moment, pressing his habitual taunt.
“To think you’d humor my rude request. You really are a……pro.”
【I’ll rip out that sneaky tongue first. Hey! Start the countdown! Now!!】
Angry Mask bellowed for the countdown the instant he hit the stage.
Tear Mask had somehow grabbed a fresh mic.
【Why’s it always me for this……10.】
The countdown began.
Crunch-crunch.
Angry Mask started limbering up.
With clear intent to murder.
He had one last thing to confirm with Angry Mask.
“No matter what tricks, as long as I win, that’s fine, right?”
【Do whatever! You’re the one who’ll die anyway!!】
A voice brimming with cocky confidence.
“With stakes like that, you sure?”
Park Yeon-jeong had reached the realm where habitual taunts flowed naturally.
【Look at you, all smug in that ridiculous Bear Doll mask. Even ‘three-to-one’ is overkill for trash like you!】
Arrogance dripped from every word. So he offered some advice in return.
“You shouldn’t underestimate our Bear Dolls. They tear through anything, by the way.”
【4…….】
He slipped one hand into his Employee ID and continued explaining to Hansol.
“Human.”
“…….”
“When the countdown ends, charge straight at Angry Mask.”
“……Pardon?”
That expression full of bewilderment.
He knew.
It sounded like he was using her as a meat shield.
But if Hansol didn’t move here, they were in trouble.
So what was needed now.
A safety measure, of course.
“That Bear Doll mask really will pop.”
“………Got it.”
!!
He swallowed his apology to his second Bear Doll, who flinched again.
【2……1……Ah, I said it all this time.】
Thud!
The instant the countdown ended, Hansol bolted toward Angry Mask just as instructed.
He followed right behind.
【That’s your big plan? A diversion?!】
Crunch-!
Angry Mask slammed both hands into the ground he stood on and heaved it up.
!!
Losing balance on the upheaving earth, they got swept into the surging wave of dirt.
【Get crushed and die!!!】
Insane strength that flipped over more than half the stage.
Smirk-
A grin spread across Angry Mask’s lips.
He was certain.
Staring at the mangled stage folded like paper, certain of their deaths.
No need to look further.
Grab!
【!!】
Until he saw Hansol in her Bear Doll mask clutching his wrist.
【……Guess you’re the speedy type?】
“…….”
He answered Hansol’s silence.
With the Bear Doll’s strength, blocking his right arm went smoothly.
Crunch-!
But he’d only blocked the right.
His uncaught left hand tensed powerfully.
【Die! Fuck off!!】
It balled into a fist in an instant and shot toward Hansol’s face.
Crack!
Park Yeon-jeong’s body shot forward reflexively, clamping Angry Mask’s right arm with a fierce impact as the Bear Doll hand wrenched it down, then snatched and twisted the left arm back.
【!!】
“Your strength really is something.”
But.
【…So, what now, genius? Gonna hold on forever? Idiot?】
Angry Mask was right.
Even if they bound the hands of someone with such overwhelming power.
If they couldn’t attack, it was meaningless.
They’d tire out first like this.
“We’re definitely short on hands…….”
Pat-pat-pat.
Along with an adorable tapping sound drumming his ears, a faint smile spread across the face of the man in the Bear Doll mask.
“So I called in a friend.”
Bang!
Suddenly appearing before them.
Their third Bear Doll mask.
【……Why’s there another one.】
Why, you ask.
Our Bear Dolls were always three to begin with.
“And you know, they say ‘three’ is the most perfect number in the world.”
【Let go, you bastard! Three-on-one ain’t fair! You coward!!】
Angry Mask struggled to break free from them.
Cowardly?
Crunch-!
If they hadn’t done this, your fist would’ve erased us without a trace.
“We’re just playing by your rules.”
【……Let go, you coward bast.】
He murmured lowly toward Angry Mask.
“‘Survive by any means necessary.’”
【!!】
“So, I’ll be watching. How long you can squirm.”
【W-Wait!!】
Thwack!
And so, the Bear Dolls’ pummeling began.