Chapter 368
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 368
Chapter Title: The Black Star Constellation (4)
“Hahaha! To think my dear brother Oh-jin is dating a constellation! I never would have imagined it!”
“…Haaah.”
*Thump! Thump!*
A hand slapped against his back.
Oh-jin, wearing an expression like a rotting old tree, let out a deep sigh that seemed to sink into the ground.
“By the way…”
Sakaki, who had been roaring with laughter, glanced over at Ha-eun and whispered in his ear.
“Wasn’t Miss Ha-eun your girl?”
“Ah, well… it’s a bit complicated.”
“Hoh. Don’t tell me you broke up with Miss Ha-eun?”
“No. It’s not like that.”
“…Hm?”
Sakaki tilted his head, then snapped his fingers as if he understood, letting out another hearty laugh.
“Bwahahaha! So it’s true what they say about heroes and beautiful women!”
“…Let’s just drop it.”
Sighing deeply once more, he turned his head toward Vega.
[S-sob… a misunderstanding… it’s a misunderstanding.]
Vega was sobbing, her face hidden between her knees.
She looked as wilted as boiled spinach, as if the shame of her spectacular self-exposure in front of Regulus and Aldebaran was unbearable.
[A-a lover for Lady Vega?]
[And a human one at that…]
Regulus and Aldebaran stood with shocked expressions, their mouths agape, unable to form words.
Among the constellations, Vega was an object of reverence, so the news that she had a human lover must have been quite a shock.
‘Should I just leave them be for now?’
Anything he said now would only make things worse.
Oh-jin shook his head and approached Sakaki.
“Shall we head inside now?”
“Ah, my apologies. Please, come in.”
Guided by Sakaki, they entered the Kuroshi clan’s mansion.
The traditional Japanese-style estate had a refined and elegant atmosphere, like being in a high-end ryokan.
“Well then, let’s have a meal first.”
“No, you can just tell us about the Black Star Constellation right away…”
“You need a full stomach for whatever you do, don’t you?”
“Hmm. Understood.”
He decided to fill his stomach first, as Sakaki suggested.
“Here, please sit wherever you’re comfortable!”
Led into a large tatami room, the kind often seen in yakuza films, Oh-jin’s party took their seats on cushions.
Sakaki naturally sat at the head of the table and let out a short sigh.
“It’s been a while, so I’d love to have a drink… but let’s save that for after this is all resolved.”
“Yes.”
“Hehe. Instead, I’ve acquired some fine tea that aids in mana circulation. Let’s wet our throats with that for now.”
Sakaki called outside for the tea to be brought in.
*Screech.*
The sliding door opened, and a woman dressed in a kimono entered.
She looked to be just about twenty years old.
She was a beauty with an ethereal air, possessing silky black hair and skin so fair it seemed pale.
‘Is she Sakaki’s wife?’
No.
She seemed far too young for that.
“I’ve brought the tea.”
The woman in the kimono moved around the table with a teapot adorned with a luxurious pattern, pouring tea into each cup.
As she went around one by one, it was finally Oh-jin’s turn.
“You’re Mr. Kwon Oh-jin, correct?”
The woman in the kimono asked, looking at Oh-jin.
“Ah, yes. I am.”
“I apologize for the trouble my unworthy older brother caused you before.”
“Older brother?”
As he tilted his head in confusion, a blushing Koshiro shot up from his seat.
“Y-Yoko! What are you suddenly saying in a place like this!”
“Please stay quiet, brother.”
The woman, called Yoko, glared at Koshiro with cold eyes.
Koshiro flinched, his shoulders trembling, and instantly shrank back into his seat.
“If you’re Koshiro’s younger sister…”
“Yes. Thanks to you defeating the Seahorse’s Executor, I was able to have the poison cured.”
Yoko smiled faintly and bowed gracefully to Oh-jin.
He might have understood if she had simply bowed her head, but Oh-jin hadn’t expected a full, formal bow. He smiled awkwardly and shook his head.
“I only did what needed to be done.”
“Mr. Oh-jin, you are the savior of my life, and the benefactor who stopped my unworthy brother from going down an even darker path. By rights, I should repay you separately… but I’m afraid all I have to offer is this humble body of mine.”
Yoko looked down at herself with a sorrowful gaze.
Though she called it humble, the sight of her gently lowering her tear-filled eyes was, for a moment, breathtakingly beautiful.
“If you need, I would like to take care of you during your stay here, Mr. Oh-jin.”
“No. It’s alright.”
Oh-jin hastily shook his head, declining her offer.
With Sakaki already looking at him with that certain *look* after his ‘heroes and beautiful women’ comment, he couldn’t very well accept Yoko’s proposal.
Besides, he wasn’t in a position where he needed looking after.
“In that case…”
Yoko bit her lip, her eyes filled with sadness.
“Is my help… not needed?”
“Your words of gratitude are more than enough.”
“Hah. Yes, if that is your wish, Mr. Oh-jin, I will abide by it.”
Yoko carefully rose to her feet and bowed deeply to Oh-jin once more.
“Then I shall take my leave. I will be waiting outside, so please feel free to call if you need more food.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
Unaccustomed to such devoted treatment, Oh-jin nodded with an awkward expression.
After filling all the teacups, Yoko paused on her way out and approached the seated Koshiro.
“Your shirt is wrinkled, brother.”
“Ah, huh? I-Is it?”
“Really… you’re so careless.”
Kneeling gracefully in front of Koshiro, Yoko smoothed out his wrinkled shirt with her hands.
A faint smile graced Yoko’s lips as she straightened his shirt.
“Thanks, Yoko.”
“Hehe. You really can’t do without me, can you, brother?”
Yoko gently pinched Koshiro’s cheek and stood up again.
“Well then. Everyone, please enjoy your meal.”
Backing away carefully, Yoko exited and closed the sliding door.
“Hmm. For siblings, their vibe is completely different.”
Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and glanced at Oh-jin, who was sitting beside her.
She gave his side a little pinch and asked sharply.
“Don’t you go trying anything with her, you hear?”
“What do you mean, ‘try anything’?”
“Hmph.”
Ha-eun snorted and picked up a piece of braised potato with her chopsticks.
“Whoa, what is this? It’s damn good.”
“Hehe. Yoko made all of it. Since Koshiro returned, she’s been in charge of our organization’s kitchen.”
“Hmm.”
Ha-eun frowned, looking displeased for some reason.
The image of Yoko’s face, a picture-perfect traditional Japanese beauty, lingered in her mind.
‘No way… it can’t be, right?’
She shook her head, trying to banish the anxiety that was creeping up her spine.
“Alright, let’s hurry up and eat, then talk about that horse-headed bastard!”
Ha-eun decided she needed to handle this business as quickly as possible and get out of Japan, stuffing rice into her mouth.
* * *
After the meal was finished.
They got down to business while sipping the tea said to be good for mana circulation that Sakaki had prepared.
“Have you all seen the video?”
“Yes, we have.”
“According to Lord Aldebaran… it seems the Black Star Constellation has appeared in Japan.”
The manifestation of the Black Star Constellation.
Although it wasn’t a complete manifestation, a transcendent being, fundamentally different from humans, had appeared on Earth nonetheless.
And he had brought an army of what appeared to be his subordinate demonic beasts with him.
“Have you figured out where those Seahorse bastards are?”
“We haven’t pinpointed their exact location… but we have a place where we suspect they might be.”
Sakaki took a tablet out from his pocket and opened a map application.
“Hm? What’s with that look?”
“…It’s nothing. I just pictured you using an analog map, that’s all.”
“Haha. Who uses such an old-fashioned map in this day and age?”
That’s not something a man from a country where fax machines are still in active service should be saying.
Well, anyway.
“See this small village on the coast here?”
He pointed to a village shown in a satellite photo.
It was a small fishing village that looked like it had no more than 200 households.
“It’s the closest village to the coast where they appeared.”
“Are you saying they’re hiding there?”
“We don’t know that for sure yet… but we received a report that a vehicle delivering food supplies to this village suddenly lost contact two days ago.”
In that case.
“…There’s a high probability the entire village has already been attacked.”
“That’s what we’re thinking as well.”
Sakaki nodded with a grave expression.
“I think it would be best to start our investigation in this village.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
With limited information, they had no choice but to go there themselves.
“I’m sorry for not being able to offer you proper hospitality right after your arrival… but would you be able to depart right now?”
“Of course.”
He would have preferred to gather more information and start the investigation more slowly, but with the high possibility of civilian casualties, there was no time to waste.
Even Oh-jin wasn’t so cold-blooded that he could stand by and watch ordinary people without Stigmas be slaughtered by demonic beasts.
“Hahaha! I knew you’d say that!”
Sakaki let out a hearty laugh and rose to his feet.
“The vehicle is already prepared outside! Let’s leave immediately!”
“Understood.”
Oh-jin’s party followed Sakaki out of the mansion.
“A-Are you leaving already?”
Yoko followed them out, asking with a worried expression.
“Yes, sitting around here won’t solve anything.”
“But you just arrived…”
“We were treated to a hearty meal, so it’s more than enough.”
“Huu.”
Yoko looked at Oh-jin with a disappointed expression.
Ha-eun stepped forward and possessively grabbed Oh-jin’s arm.
“I’ll take care of *my* Oh-jin, so you can mind your own business, okay?”
Ha-eun glared at Yoko with wary eyes.
Yoko felt the guarded gaze on her and tilted her head.
“Ah, yes. You must be Mr. Oh-jin’s wife? Please take good care of our benefactor.”
“Huh? O-Oh. But we’re not married yet.”
“Hehe. Seeing you two, you already look like a loving married couple.”
Yoko smiled brightly and looked between Oh-jin and Ha-eun.
“I-Is that so?”
Ha-eun, who had thought Yoko was interested in Oh-jin, tilted her head at the unexpected reaction.
‘Did I get it wrong?’
While she was pondering this.
“You be careful too, brother.”
“Yeah! Don’t you worry!”
Yoko approached Koshiro, her eyes welling with tears as she gripped his collar.
“You can’t come back hurt again, brother.”
“Haha. Have you forgotten what kind of Stigma I have? I’ll come back without a single scratch, so don’t cry.”
Koshiro smiled brightly and wiped the tears from the corner of Yoko’s eyes.
“Ah…”
Yoko bit her lip and hugged Koshiro.
“N-No, I can’t! Don’t go, brother!”
“W-What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
“I saw that video too! The thought of you fighting those horrible monsters…”
“Haha. Oh, Yoko.”
Koshiro stroked Yoko’s hair as if she were being silly.
“It’s about protecting people.”
“…Brother.”
“The Oyabun took me back, so I have to fight with everything I’ve got. Right, Yoko?”
“Hic. I understand.”
Yoko wiped the tears from her eyes and held Koshiro’s face in her hands.
And then.
“Come back safely, my love.”
She pressed her lips to Koshiro’s.
“…Huh?”
“Wh-What the?”
Sakaki, looking accustomed to it, showed no reaction, but Oh-jin and Ha-eun stared with wide eyes, their expressions blank as if they’d been hit over the head with a hammer.
“O-Oh-jin, weren’t… weren’t they siblings?”
“Uh… that’s what I thought.”
The way they were passionately kissing looked nothing like siblings and everything like devoted lovers.
Ha-eun’s eyes widened in shock as she tugged frantically at Oh-jin’s arm.
“O-Oh-jin! Is this that, what’s it called! Is this that infamous Japanese culture?!”
No.
“This is… wincest! That’s what they call it, right?!”
It’s not.