Chapter 99: Do you really believe you know about ? (4)
[The current estimate for civilian casualties has risen past one thousand. However, this figure is expected to rise even further, as nurous missing persons have not been accounted for, as well as the fact that there could be deaths not yet reported to the police. The governnt has expressed deep regret and sorrow, and will offer to the victims and their close relatives........]
“Aigoo....”
Park Seon-Duk slowly shook her head.
Without a doubt, this event was the worst catastrophe this nation had suffered post-Black Monday.
Every ti she turned the TV on, all she heard about was the news related to this event; every single channel had canceled their regular programming – dramas and variety shows – to continuously broadcast the rescue efforts of the victims unfolding in real ti.
She didn’t lose hope and changed the channel just in case, only to run into yet another news broadcast.
[It has been finally confird that the identity of the serial killer was indeed an ability user. It has also been confird that the KSF had cooperated with the National Police and pursued the culprit, only to let him escape at the last mont. The police, anwhile, has released a statent saying that the KSF did not consult with them and acted on their own, which led to the killer’s......]
Click.
Park Seon-Duk simply turned the TV off.
No matter which channel it was, not one of them was telling good news.
What with all these bad things happening in a row recently, it was a little wonder that people were murmuring that only the politicians were having a good ti nowadays.
And for so reason, it felt like that every news report seed to point the fingers of bla in the KSF’s, or more specifically, in the NDF’s direction, who had, according to them at least, failed to “resolve” the situation in a satisfying manner.
“How can anyone act this ungratefully, I wonder?” (Park Seon-Duk)
It felt like the whole world had turned on its head overnight.
Only yesterday, the TV was full of people singing the praises of the ability users. Yet, today, those very sa people couldn’t stop slinging mud in the direction of the users. Not one idol or actor with ability user backgrounds could been seen on screen, too.
Of course, the latter could be attributed to the fact that every program related to entertainnt had been canceled, but still....
She switched her smartphone on and browsed the web. And almost every single comnt she read was filled with the dissatisfied and angry voices denouncing the uselessness of the ability users.
So of them were full of hostile, negative reactions, implying that every single user was no better than that serial killer. While so others were having a serious discussion on whether there was anything anyone could realistically do if ability users ford criminal gangs and went on a cri spree.
However, she still could not find a single voice among them who was willing to defend the ability users.
“....My son...” (Park Seon-Duk)
Park Seon-Duk got up from her seat and cautiously made her way to Yi Ji-Hyuk’s room.
He worked so hard (?) yet the end results ca to this. How terrible must he be feeling right now?
‘I hope he didn’t read any of these comnts yet.’ (Park Seon-Duk)
It’d be for the best if he hadn’t read any of those vitriolic comnts. He’d only feel bad about himself if he did.
If they were constructive criticism, then one might take those comnts as a bitter dicine. But no, those negative, hate-filled comnts were simply others venting out their emotions. Nothing more, nothing less.
Park Seon-Duk cautiously peeked around the doorway and into her son’s room.
And, as soon as she saw Yi Ji-Hyuk’s sitting posture, her expression beca rather unreadable. That posture, where his a*s was sticking out, one hand grabbing his mouse, while the other busy pounding away at his keyboard....
That was undoubtedly Yi Ji-Hyuk’s signature posture, perfected through the past several months.
“You’re playing that ga again?” (Park Seon-Duk)
“Hah!!! I said! Stop! Coming over here to gank !” (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
“Mm?” (Park Seon-Duk)
“I told you to stop coming over to this side, yet why the hell?! We’ll end up dying together, you dumba*s!!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
“....I guess I didn’t have to co, then.” (Park Seon-Duk)
“Argh, how can you be this deaf?! I said, go away!!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
“Indeed, I’m sorry for....” (Park Seon-Duk)
“Get looooost!!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
“You insolent little?!” (Park Seon-Duk)
Flas lit up in the eyes of Madam Park Seon-Duk.
***
“Whew....”
Jeong Hae-Min spat out a lengthy groan as she began recalling a conversation she had earlier in the day with her manager.
“We don’t have anything scheduled?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“Things turned out that way.” (the manager)
“No, wait a minute. Even if we aren’t going to broadcast right away, we still have to tape the shows, don’t we? Are you saying that all scheduled tapings have been canceled, too?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“Well, the scheduled tapings are going ahead, but....”
“But?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“Only we got excluded. I tried to talk to the producers, but no one’s listening. I asked around to find out if anyone else’s interested, but none of them wanted us.”
“How can that be?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“It’s not just us, however. It seems that other folks are having the sa issue, too. But, what can we do? The public sentint is at the worst possible point right now. Since it’s just a passing downpour, we might as well keep our heads down in the anti. You guys also take a couple of weeks off, reflect on your actions or sothing...” (the manager)
“But, we haven’t done anything wrong to reflect on, though?!” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“It doesn’t matter if one was in the right or wrong as long as you’re in the entertainnt industry, you know. All we can do is to lower our heads when people are criticising us.” (the manager)
“It’s just illogical....” (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min knew that her manager’s words were correct, realistically speaking. However, even if she did understand, that didn’t an she agreed with the sentint.
So, she was left feeling angry and frustrated.
Whenever she felt like this, she needed to do sothing fun to relieve her pent-up stress, but currently, there was no place for her to go.
Well, if she went around to have fun under the current atmosphere and got her pictures taken, then the arrows of criticisms aid at her would be swift and ruthless.
She didn’t want to give anyone ammunition to go on a witch hunt, after all.
But still, she couldn’t stay cooped up at ho the whole day forever, so she took a stroll, and sohow, ended up in the residential area for the ability users.
Since regular civilians weren’t allowed to enter here, even the most dedicated paparazzi wouldn’t be able to sneak in.
‘That is all true, yet why....?’
When she realised where she was, she couldn’t help but inwardly ask, why here?
Jeong Hae-Min’s feet stopped in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk’s house and she spat out yet another lengthy groan. She stared at the front entrance for a long while, before walking closer to stand before the gate.
After taking several deep breaths, she pressed the bell.
Ding dong.
Ding dong.
She waited for so ti, but there was no response.
Buzz~
Although there was no reaction on the intercom, the gate still buzzed and showed signs of opening. Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head and continued to stare as the door indeed cracked open slowly.
“Eh?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
Behind the open door, she spotted the mini Oh-Sik standing on all fours and looking back at her with a slightly pouting expression.
“....When did you start living here?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
Wasn’t this creature supposed to protect the NDF building or sothing?
Oh-Sik yawned out disinterestedly, then trotted away to a wooden dog house located in the corner of the front yard.
“And he doesn’t even have a leash, too. What a good little boy....” (Jeong Hae-Min)
That Ogre sure was sothing.
No thieves would ever enter this house, I guess.
Still, shouldn’t sothing be written on the front gate or sothing?
“Beware of the Ogre: Your lives not guaranteed.” (Jeong Hae-Min’s inner monologue)
“Wait a minute. That’s not important, is it....?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why did Oh-Sik open the door, instead of a human being?
Was there no one ho?
She approached the front door and turned the doorknob, and much to her relief, found it unlocked. Jeong Hae-Min cautiously pushed the door open and entered the house.
And then.... she saw “it”.
She saw the world’s most powerful man who, only yesterday, managed to single-handedly prevent the city of Seoul from getting wiped off the face of the planet....
“Ahhh!! Mom?! My ear!! Ear!! It’s, it’s falling off!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
“Aigoo!! Why did I give birth to a thing like this boy?! Why!! Just why!” (mom)
“No, wait, mom!! ....I didn’t an that! That b*stard, I told him to not gank , but he kept on coming at !! Ouch, my ear!! Moooom?!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
“Why are you still playing video gas at your age?! Just how old are you?! Ah? Grow up already!!” (mom)
“What?! People play gas even when they are 50 nowadays! So what if my age is.... Ah, right, it’s a lot, isn’t it.... In any case!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Being subjected to the terrifying combination attack of mom pulling him by his ear while her free hand landed consecutive palm strikes on his back, making the Bringer of Apocalypse wriggle and writhe like a dried up squid on top of a hot grill.
“....Uhm, mother?” (Jeong Hae-Min) (TL note at the end)
“Mm?” (mom)
Spotting Jeong Hae-Min and her dazed expression standing by the living room’s entrance, Park Seon-Duk’s expressions beca rather awkward as she quickly released her son’s ear.
“Oh my goodness! How long have you been there?” (mom)
“Well, mother....” (Jeong Hae-Min)
I ca a little while ago.
But, I think I ca a little too early, though. No, wait – maybe I should’ve co here much, much earlier. (Jeong Hae-Min’s inner monologue)
“And you didn’t even warn us beforehand that you were coming. Ng? Was the front gate left open, I wonder?” (mom)
“Oh-Sik opened it for .” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“Oh-Sik? Who is he?” (mom)
“....He’s your puppy.” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“Ohohoho~. Miss Hae-Min sure know how to make funny jokes. I’m impressed.” (mom)
She said it was a funny joke. A joke....
Jeong Hae-Min could only pinch her thigh to control herself, since she couldn’t really decide whether laugh or cry.
Mother....
There’s an Ogre living in your front yard.
You didn’t know that, yes?
Yes, perhaps that’s for the best.... (Jeong Hae-Min’s inner monologue)
“What brings you here today?” (mom)
“I was wondering if Ye-Won is ho.” (Jeong Hae-Min)
By this ti, Yi Ji-Hyuk had finally recovered from all the damage received and found the voice to shout out loudly.
“Since when did you get friendly enough with Ye-Won to enter my house willy-nilly, ah?!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
SLAM!!
Spittle exploded out from Yi Ji-Hyuk’s mouth as he flew away from mom’s lovingly-placed middle kick. anwhile, Madam Park Seon-Duk coldly spoke and made her opinions known.
“This is my house.” (mom)
....Of course it was.
Although his ribs were sohow still okay, Yi Ji-Hyuk still checked them out thoroughly to make sure nothing was broken before sighing heavily in relief.
“Mom, you’re getting too violent nowadays!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
“It’s your fault! You made like this!” (mom)
“Others are watching, you know!” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
“Oh my? You’re right. Ohohoho~. I’m so sorry. We showed you sothing so uncouth....” (mom)
“Oh, no. It’s fine, mother. Don’t mind . I actually enjoy watching you interact with your son like this.” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“Mm? Really?” (mom)
“Yes. You see.... I don’t have a mother.” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“Oh, my?” (mom)
Park Seon-Duk looked at Jeong Hae-Min with a sympathetic expression.
“What happened?” (mom)
“She passed on when I was very young.” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“Ah, I’m sorry. I should’ve minded my own business.” (mom)
“Oh, no. I’m fine with it. I don’t mind it, actually. I thought that, by being too conscious of discussing this matter, it felt like I was being embarrassed about my mother’s passing, so.... So, I wish to speak more openly about it, without holding back. Always.” (Jeong Hae-Min)
Park Seon-Duk ford a warm smile as she gently patted Jeong Hae-Min’s back.
“You’re a good daughter.” (mom)
“Not at all. In any case, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk’s the sa as , in so aspects.” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“....Pardon?” (mom)
Jeong Hae-Min lightly wiped the edges of her eyes.
“I always thought that you’re such a wonderful person and often thought that it’d be great if you were actually my own mother. I an, I even thought about introducing you to my dad, you know?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
“Pardon ?” (mom)
Smash!
Jeong Hae-Min was frightened out of her skull when the sound of a plate shattering suddenly ca from behind her, and so, she hurriedly turned around to take a look.
And she found an unfamiliar middle-aged man wearing an apron and a pair of rubber gloves standing there, trembling like a leaf.
“In, introduction?!” (dad)
“Excuse , but who are you?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min ended up shouting out a question after seeing this unknown person, but this middle-aged man didn’t even give her the ti of day and simply ran over to Park Seon-Duk, before desperately clinging onto her.
“D, dear?! What is this all about? What nonsense is this “introduction” about?! Tell what is going on!!” (dad)
“Oh. You were ho? I thought you went out in early in the morning, though....” (mom)
“What do you an, went out?! I’ve been here all this ti!” (dad)
Park Seon-Duk’s expression beca rather strangely unconvinced as she looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk to ask.
“Did you know your father was ho?” (mom)
“Nope, I didn’t. Isn’t he supposed to go to work today? Dad, how long have you been ho?” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
“What, you ungrateful little...!! Didn’t I bring you fruits to your room just now?!” (dad)
“Oh.... I was wondering where those fruits ca from, actually.” (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min dumbfoundedly asked.
“You... had a father?” (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, why didn’t I know that?
I’ve been here so many tis already and all! (Jeong Hae-Min’s confused inner monologue)
“Deeeaaaarr?!” (dad)
Seeing his own dad cling to Park Seon-Duk’s legs and plead like that, all Yi Ji-Hyuk could do was to spit out a lengthy groan.
So like, why did you even get married in the first place? (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)
And so, Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up rejecting his own existence.
***
In the office of a certain important man....
“Did you just say that Alpha and the Mine made contact?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Son of a b*tch.... Didn’t I tell you to make sure that such an event would never happen?”
“As you may know, Alpha isn’t an existence which we can control, sir.”
“D*mn it, nothing’s going right!”
The man roughly sliced the tip of the cigar, lit up, and deeply inhaled the resulting blue smoke.
“Whoo.... Fine. And what happened next?”
“It seems that Alpha tried to befriend the Mine, but ended up getting killed by the latter, instead.”
“Obviously, that wasn’t his real self, yes?”
“Yes, sir. We haven’t ascertained yet whether that was a parasite-controlled host or a clone, but it was not the main body.”
“Indeed, it wouldn’t be. Even if it was the Mine, the real Alpha would prove to be a truly difficult opponent to survive against, anyways. So, that ans, their relationship isn’t an amicable one, so to speak. Should I be relieved by this news?”
“We haven’t confird it yet, but it is safe to assu that they are not on friendly terms, sir.”
“Hmm. Do whatever it takes and ensure that the secondary contact between the two never happens. Those two joining hands will be the worst situation imaginable.”
“Understood, sir.”
“Okay. What else?”
“An anomaly has been detected in the way Gates appear, sir.”
“What kind of an anomaly?”
“About an hour ago, several Level 5 gates have begun appearing simultaneously throughout the country, sir.”
“Level 5s, you say? How many?”
“....Around 20, sir.”
“....What?”
“And also, one of them has been rated to be at least Level 6, sir.”
“I see. So, that’s how it is. Within our borders, no less....”
“Should we ask for assistance from our allies?”
“Assistance?”
The man smirked.
“Even if we asked , do you believe soone will show up? It’s a Level 6, isn’t it? Weren’t you implying just now that it could actually be higher than that? So, just who would step forward to lend us an aid now? Russians? The British? I’d be glad if they didn’t clap their hands in happiness, instead!”
“There is South Korea.”
“....You an, the Mine?”
“Yes, sir. If he cos, it’d be of great help.”
“The Koreans.... The Koreans, is it...”
Considering the diplomatic ties between the two nations, asking the Korean governnt to lend assistance wouldn’t be hard at all. No, it would actually be very easy.
However....
“It’s too risky.”
“But, sir!”
“No. Think about it. Bringing the Mine over here increases the odds of him encountering Alpha again. You can never predict what might happen in the future. And I’d like to avoid such an eventuality at all costs.”
“If our country is done for, then we won’t have a reason to be wary of Alpha’s existence, sir.”
“I concede that those words certainly makes sense. However, let us not forget that he is called the Mine for a reason. I can’t feel happy about bringing in a volatile explosive into our cities.”
“We shall control him to the best of our abilities. We can also use this opportunity to scout him to our side as well.”
“Hmm....”
The man deliberated on this matter for a long while, before gravely nodding his head.
“Fine. I’ll approve it. However, do rember that the weight you will carry if things go wrong will be enormous.”
“Of course, sir.”
The determination filled the eyes of the man as he nodded his head once.
“I wish you godspeed.”
And so, they lodged a request for Yi Ji-Hyuk’s presence. But no one could predict just how the situation would develop.
Not even Yi Ji-Hyuk himself.
< 99. Do you really believe you know about ? -4 > Fin.
(TL: I don’t fully understood what “ganking” is, but from what I can gather, it’s a tactic in League of Legend where you ambush soone in a lane or sothing. I think.... Anyways, the Korean term for gank is “gang.” I could’ve TLed the line as “Don’t gang up on ” due to the way the author wrote the line. What do you all think? Comnt below.)
(TL: Rember, this “mother” is used to not denote one’s actual mother, but it is a term of respect for an older female who’s old enough to be your mother.)
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