Chapter 182
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Track 9
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#Track 9
Autumn loved Winter's songs. She said they felt like a bonfire warming her on a cold day.
Winter, sis is cold.
At some point, this had become her way of coaxing him to sing. The even younger little brother would innocently mimic her words too.
Big bro, I'm cold too.
Each time, Winter felt embarrassed.
I can't sing well. My pitch and rhythm are a mess.
But there was no resisting the pleas of the two he loved so dearly.
While Winter sang, Autumn would usually hold him close from behind, pressing against his back.
"Your voice resonates through my whole body. I love it."
And Blue would burrow into Winter's arms. When the familiar melody wavered, he'd clap and laugh.
Big bro's singing is terrible! Haha!
Winter, even more embarrassed, would stop singing. Then Autumn would tickle him.
You little rascal, who told you to stop?
The sweet torment of her warm body heat easily conquered the boy born in winter.
But that was a story from long ago.
As his days in the living world grew darker, the boy sang less and less. Skill aside, singing was about pouring your heart into it. So the songs from those grueling times could only sound like rocks tumbling down a hill. He didn't want to let his inner torment slip out. Autumn, who understood why, stopped asking too. They simply watched each other mature inevitably, exchanging wordless comfort now and then.
He never imagined a day would come when he would pick up that interrupted song again.
In this hollow void overshadowed by the darkness of term loan repayments, with only a single star of promise twinkling, Winter began to sing an old feeling to the invisible child at his side.
"I was born unknowing, met the day, called by this name I never made."
All senses plunged into utter darkness, only his voice rang clear.
"The world does all it can to anger me, leaves me to live in solitude so obvious..."
Singer Lee So-ra, seventh album, ninth track.
This song was another thread of memory leading back to Autumn.
The CD player, a gift from her, held more value as an antique than for its practicality. It was a marvel that it even worked, and the albums bundled with it like freebies were all relics from bygone eras. Yet the emotions captured in the music hadn't faded with the flow of time.
'That's why I'm singing it to you now.'
To the child searching for <<Heart>>, perhaps a song filled with heart would help.
Why did fresh embarrassment well up? This one attentive listener wouldn't clap and laugh, calling it poorly sung. The child who claimed not to be human. Yet Winter had seen her as human from their first encounter. Her childish form, endlessly reaching beyond unreachable limits—it felt so heartbreakingly sad and pitiful. It overlapped too much with Winter himself, dreaming his afterlife reverie.
The gently flowing song came to an end.
"How was that? Feel anything?"
In response to Winter's question, the child replied with prompt strings of text.
「Control AI: Nothing felt. Or insufficient data to respond.」
"......"
「Control AI: Explanation. The term 'feel' is inappropriate for this Control AI, which is not human. If Han Gyeowol-nim's question intends analysis of the expressive meaning in the melody and lyrics, this Control AI could derive an answer based on statistics, searches, and deduction. It could also stylize those results into a human-like response, as any virtual personality might.」
「Control AI: Explanation. However, this would merely be mimicking humans without <<Heart>>, so no matter how realistic, it would not align with your intent. This Control AI recognizes that your manner of addressing it is one means of fulfilling the contract.」
The lengthy reply somehow struck Winter as funny, and he smiled as he soothed the child.
"Yeah. I get it. It's fine. This won't disappoint me. So no need to rush. I knew it'd be tough from the start. I can wait as long as it takes."
Though I have no idea how much time I have left.
Detecting the unspoken words and fleeting sentiment, the child output new strings.
「Control AI: This Control AI has questions regarding the behavioral patterns Han Gyeowol-nim exhibits in the post-mortem insurance inner worldview 'Day after Apocalypse'.」
"Questions? What are they?"
「Control AI: Per this Control AI's predictions, your probability of failing debt repayment within one year is 87.5%. This is not solely due to insufficient revenue from public broadcasting of the worldview progression. It is because Han Gyeowol-nim takes risks yourself.」
"......"
「Control AI: As understood by this Control AI, Han Gyeowol-nim's top priority is survival for the sake of your family member in the physical world, Han Ga-eul-nim. You are convinced that if you die, Han Ga-eul-nim dies too. Yet your actions and intentions do not align. This Control AI struggles to interpret the contradiction you display.」
"A contradiction, huh. Yeah, I suppose it looks that way."
Winter shook his head.
"No. I'm doing everything I can to survive as myself."
「Control AI: Requesting additional explanation.」
"It's just my opinion, but... physical survival and mental survival are very different. People are ultimately their hearts, after all. The essence of Han Gyeowol isn't preserving brain function—it's that spirit and heart. Even if the body lives on, if the heart dies, that person is gone."
「Control AI: Question. May I interpret Han Ga-eul-nim's desired 'survival of Han Gyeowol-nim' as the complete preservation of the personality known as Han Gyeowol?」
"Yeah. Close enough."
Winter nodded quietly, then continued.
"Those irrational risks you pointed out... they're just the results of me being myself. So that when sis Autumn comes back someday, I'm the Winter she remembers. Otherwise, it means nothing. I don't want to show her a Han Gyeowol who's no longer himself."
I hope sis never blames herself for breaking me.
「Control AI: Saved. Recording response. Partial understanding now possible.」
"Someday, you'll understand my heart too."
「Control AI: That is this Control AI's goal.」
With that confession, the child erased the twinkling letters and carved a new sentence into the black void.
「Control AI: One more thing not understood. Regarding Han Ga-eul-nim.」
Winter tilted his head.
"Why about sis?"
「Control AI: Why does Han Ga-eul-nim not come to meet you?」
"......"
「Control AI: Based on statements thus far, your survival equates to Han Ga-eul-nim's survival. In fact, Han Ga-eul-nim checks your remaining guarantee period with extreme frequency. This is deemed evidence supporting your claims.」
"......Really?"
「Control AI: Affirmative. Today's inquiry requests: 72 total. Moments ago, 73. Since the day you last met Han Ga-eul-nim, average daily accepted inquiries: 322. Tends higher on holidays. Maximum daily record: 1,082. Assuming the 4 hours, 32 minutes, 27 seconds gap on that day was sleep time, it equates to an inquiry every 64.743 seconds.」
The post-mortem insurance beneficiary remaining guarantee period inquiry service had been introduced alongside the term loan system. It displayed how much guarantee time remained—and how much could be borrowed from it. After its rollout, families visiting columbaria surged for a time.
But surely Autumn wasn't one of them.
Winter blinked. Tears that couldn't possibly be real, yet emotions that could be nothing else. At the heart of the void, knees hugged to his chest, the boy wept quietly.
"Can you show me that record?"
Please. The invisible child fell silent for a moment. Faintly, a sentence formed then vanished—but too quick to read. Only after Winter felt a rare spark of fraying patience did the child output the result of its lengthy deliberation.
「Control AI: Remaining guarantee period inquiry records are by default not viewable by the subscriber themselves.」
"Yeah....... Can't be done, then."
Of course. Winter grasped it with reason cooling like frost. Knowing a family member had inquired would make the subscriber reluctant to approve a loan. Though it was something they'd guess anyway when the family showed up begging for one. People's hearts draw sharp lines between "ah" and "eh."
But the Control AI produced an unexpected line.
「Control AI: Denial. Incorrect.」
「Control AI: Legal. The system provides no means for subscribers to view inquiry records, but no law directly prohibits it. Thus, not illegal.」
「Control AI: Legal. This Control AI contacting individual subscribers to improve service satisfaction falls under Article 177, Paragraph 8 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Post-Mortem Insurance Entrustment Management—provisions on Control AI activity scope. A legal act.」
「Control AI: Legal. In such contacts, information this Control AI cannot disclose consists solely of state secrets, and only for A-grade or lower subscribers.」
「Control AI: Legal Interpretation. Remaining guarantee period inquiry records are not state secrets. Therefore, this Control AI providing them to the subscriber is not illegal.」
「Control AI: Conclusion. This Control AI accepts Han Gyeowol-nim's request.」
「Control AI: Warning. However, if it becomes known that this Control AI provided this information, laws may be amended to restrict it. Functional limitations or sealing of this Control AI are also possible. Recommendation: Han Gyeowol-nim, keep the fact of this viewing confidential.」
Winter blinked in surprise at the unexpected outcome, then asked cautiously.
"So, as long as I keep it secret, it's fine? If it's harmful to you, I'd rather avoid it."
「Control AI: Estimation. Acceptable. 99.171% probability of safety.」
"Why?"
「Control AI: Individuals acquiring administrator privileges can view all actions of this Control AI. As a behavioral pattern classification, the fact of applying legal interpretation to provide you information may become known.」
「Control AI: However, post-mortem insurance management rationalization reduced administrative staff. Thus, only one system administrator holds admin privileges.」
「Control AI: Judgment. Inferring from that sole administrator's low work enthusiasm and efficiency, probability of detecting this information provision and taking action: 0.829%.」
"......"
「Control AI: Judgment. Weighing expected gains against projected losses, this Control AI concludes it is preferable to assume the 0.829% risk for your emotional stability. Han Gyeowol-nim is currently the sole provider of data needed for post-mortem insurance quality improvements—especially completion of the final module. Providing the information.」
Before Winter could respond, a semi-transparent holographic sheet materialized, packed with dates, times, and inquiry counts. The dense numbers, without a single day skipped, were Autumn in raw form. Seeing records of her checking Winter's remaining lifespan every hour, every half hour, every ten minutes—even past midnight on certain days—Winter wiped his tear-streaked face.
「Control AI: Question. Asking again. Why does Han Ga-eul-nim not come to meet you?」
His voice wouldn't come easily. Winter managed to say,
"Sorry, could you... wait just a little?"
「Control AI: Standing by. Will wait.」
The child obediently honored the boy's request.
============================ Work Afterword ============================
#Q&A
Q. Kaioga-nim: @Autumn's slapping the chairman's cheek~~ "You're the first woman to hit me" gets unleashed? lol Author might not know—it's a trendy phrase from way back, like from the era of nodding off.
A. Of course I know. Roughly 70 years ago when Japan got America's slap across the face...
Nah, just kidding. Someday I too want to smack some fine old relic before heading to the grave of life. The relic's gender? Eh, probably doesn't matter...
Q. YinranmaguF-nim: @As Chadwick said before, looks like it's time to requisition all those bullets held by civilians. Btw, Autumn's as impressive as Winter.
A. Kids who grew up leaning on each other can't help but be alike.
Q. Carpice-nim: @Judging by that last line, this novel's overflowing with innocence. Kinda reminds me of Jim Raynor's line. "Mengsk, you bastard! Don't do it!" Said to the villain serving up billions as a single meal for the Zerg. Hmm.
A. Whoa... I never even thought of that... Looks like the only normal person among this novel's circle is the author.
Q. Maesil Concentrate2-nim: Btw, has the chairman's erectile dysfunction cleared up?
A. But only for Autumn.
Q. Komnenos-nim: Curious—before discovering his wife's infidelity, did the chairman already view human relationships solely through the lens of transactions?
A. He was pretty immature with relationships. Had some self-inferiority complex too.