Chapter 186 - Tossed Coin (5)
After the shock-filled way that I woke up, I hugged Olmu and opened my device to check the pile of unopened messages.
[Geum Chansol] Hey, Hoobae, I heard the retreat was a mess. Is that true?
(T/N: Hoobae means junior, Sunbae means senior.)
The first message in the list was very straightforward.
It’s true that the retreat was a mess, but it would hurt more if I hit him with the details and facts.
Out of anyone, why is the message from the sunbaes the first one that I checked…
[Wang Chansol] I bet it’s true.
[Wang Chansol] I heard from Gyungu Ong that this nobleman is not one who lies about things.
[Geum Chansol] That’s fair. Anyway, congrats for making it back!
[Wang Chansol] ‘Grats!
It seems like the sunbaes, who recently started talking with Saeum of April because of the retreat, were worried about their hoobaes.
Anyway, is Kwak Gyungu’s real name ‘Ong’?
Considering Kwak Gyungu’s immature appearance, ‘Old Man Ong’ kind of suits him.
(T/N: The word ‘Ong’ was translated from a Chinese character, and it literally means ‘old man’ or ‘father’)
The next message that I opened was from the Class Two students.
[Yeom Junyeol] Hi teacher.
[Yeom Junyeol] The weather this week is expected to be consistently nice. The daytime temperature is cooler than usual, so it’s the perfect day to go outside.
[Yeom Junyeol] I don’t have any schedule today and the weather is really nice, so if it’s okay with you teacher, I can drop by the school to take some classes!
[Yeom Junyeol] (Stamp)
It was a stamp that shows the Hongryong with its fists closed under the sun.
Yeom Junyeol sent another message.
[Yeom Junyeol] I heard about the retreat. It’s a relief that everyone got back safe.
On the other side, the teachers’ messages were about the weather as usual, and they said that the seniors asked if junior Jo Euishin was alright.
As expected, their students were good and polite kids who were worried about their juniors.
As I answered their messages, I noticed something common between the people that messaged me.
‘All of them are people from the school.’
They were mostly people who didn’t participate in the retreat.
From the members of the newspaper club and Park Seunghyun, Sung Siwan, Man Jisung, and even Cheon Dongha.
Although massive reports have been blocked so far thanks to the pressure from the association and the Tiger Clan, it was inevitable for rumors to spread around the school.
Therefore, the messages of these people, who sent them knowingly even though they knew that I was not strongly related to the school or the association, caught my attention.
[Jang Namwook] (Link)
[Jang Namwook] (Link)
[Jang Namwook] (Link)
……
……
…..
All the links sent by Jang Namwook were short reports of the observed transition between the two worlds, and the unusual weather occurring in Seokmo Island.
It must’ve been difficult to find these on purpose though.
[Jang Namwook] Euishin, Sanghoon, isn’t this where you went for your retreat? What’s happening there?
[Yoo Sanghoon] Yea.
[Jang Namwook] So it’s true! Did you fight enemies there too?
[Yoo Sanghoon] Yea.
[Jang Namwook] Did you get hurt anywhere?
[Yoo Sanhoon] Nope.
[Jang Namwook] That’s a relief. Euishin, is there anything up with you?
[Yoo Sanghoon] Huh?
Rather than a conversation, it seems like it was a one-way exchange by Namwook, but the communication took place anyway.
Seeing that Sanghoon only answered with one syllable, Namwook must have been very curious about what happened to me.
I was busy taking care of the students from my class who were boarding the Cheonja at that time, so I didn’t have time to talk with him properly.
[Me] I’m safe too. Thanks for worrying about me.
The Shapeshifter, right hand man of the Bear Clan Head, dealt some considerable damage to me, but I didn’t bother mentioning it.
[Yoo Sanghoon] Saw you bleeding through your clothes tho.
Sanghoon broke the news with his long message.
[Jang Namwook] What? I knew you got hurt!
[Jang Namwook] Euishin! I’ve told you this many times, but no matter how powerful your abilities are, you shouldn’t overdo yourself! It’s only a moment when a person’s life is on a line! What do you mean you’re safe when you were bleeding through your clothes?!
For some moments, the chat window was filled with Jang Namwook nagging at me in one blow with his message.
Yoo Sanghoon slipped in a one-syllable ‘Tru’ every once in a while.
I felt mentally exhausted after reading the messages and moved to eat my breakfast.
“Good morning Jo Euishin. Why do you look tired? You didn’t sleep well?”
“No. Just because.”
The breakfast menu was once again prepared personally by Hwang Jiho. It was pumpkin soup and grilled watermelon salad.
I felt energized after eating the seasonal breakfast.
After I cheered on Olmu who drank his morning medicine and played games with the children, the promised time to meet the class Zero students came near.
“Euishin oppa….. Are you going out?”
“Euishin hyung…. It’s rest time for you, isn’t it? Let’s go play some more.”
Ehhhh…
At the front door.
The descendants and Olmu wore sad faces as they were about to send me off.
“Jo Euishin has some plans today. Let’s look forward to his next visit.”
Hwang Jiho, who was preparing to go out with me, said a word to the descendants.
“Are you going to work with the Yellow Tiger nim?”
“Does Yellow Tiger nim make Euishin oppa do many things?”
“Yellow Tiger…”
Bark! Bark bark!
“….Why are you guys looking at me like that.”
Hwang Jiho had been busy with his negligence, while also busy with dealing with the people around him.
I don’t know much about the situation since the post-war era but Hwang Jiho, who had been good to these children and Olmu, must have felt sorry for neglecting the people around him.
Thinking that it was my fault, I shut my mouth and let Hwang Jiho soothe these children.
Watching that made me feel refreshed from the fatigue that I accumulated early in the morning.
* * *
In front of the Hwangmyeong Eungwang Hospital.
The other kids arrived first and were waiting for me.
Maeng Hyodon, Kwon Lena, and Hani came from the dormitory and were seen holding two cookie gift sets sold at “MITRON” as gifts for the people we were going to visit at the hospital.
I asked them to avoid giving flowers or fruits that might go bad immediately, so they seem to have settled on giving the cookies as their gift.
“Hey, Euishin! Hi! Hello to you too Jiho!”
Saeum of April, who did not stay in the dormitories yesterday, also came early and greeted in a tense tone.
It seems like he’s still trying to get a grasp of the fact that I am ‘that word’.
‘Everyone’s face doesn’t seem fine.’
Kwon Lena was gripping the gift set tightly.
Hani looked quite relieved as she looked at me and Jiho.
I think everyone is worried about Kim Yuri and Song Daesok who were still hospitalized.
Especially Maeng Hyodon who looks like he hadn’t slept a wink last night, judging from his bloodshot eyes.
“Did you not sleep?”
“…. Meh.”
Seems like he really didn’t sleep.
I couldn’t sleep on the day of the incident too.
“It’s because the pseudo-saint didn’t come…”
Maeng Hyodon must have waited for Tak Geosan after we went back to Eungwang High.
‘Maybe it’s good to send Hyodon somewhere he can’t be active for a while.’
If Hyodon had been sent to the place where Joo Soohyuk or Yoo Sanghoon was, he would have played a vital role in defending against the transition, and if he were sent to where Daesok was dispatched, Hyodon would have fought until his body couldn’t move anymore.
It would have left good results either way, but I decided to send Hyodon to the opposite place.
‘He couldn’t do anything even as Kim Yuri collapsed in front of him. That must have upset him really bad.’
Hyodon has a strong resolve to fight now.
“Sorry! I’m a bit late!”
Min Geurin appeared with a bunch of stuff.
Holding a bag full of pillows, clothes, and other household items, she seemed to have stopped by Daesok’s house.
“Geurin?”
“Hmm? Why? Let’s go inside now, quick.”
The kids looked at Geurin with surprised faces.
Min Geurin was not wearing her AR glasses.
She was wearing a hoodie and a cap, but her face looked exposed.
“Ehem.”
Painter Hong Gyungbok coughed once in the back before the students pointed out the fact.
“Ah, hello.”
“I heard about the retreat. You’ve all worked hard.”
The students hesitated and nodded as Hong Gyungbok smiled and said those words with a good-hearted facial expression.
Geurin felt the awkward atmosphere and said something.
“I heard non-players are not allowed on the ward on the top floor where the Player’s Special Hall is located, but Daesok’s parents were able to visit him even though they’re not players so….”
Upon hearing Geurin’s words, it seems like Hong Gyungbok came with her as a guardian of Daesok and Geurin.
Hwang Jiho took the lead after everyone else arrived.
“I ordered the secretary to standby. We’re going to ride in the VIP elevator as we don’t want to be seen by anyone.”
“…Jiho really is a relative of the chairman of Hwangmyeong Foundation!”
“That’s right…”
“Hahaha! As if it’s new information!”
Everyone looked sympathetic to Kwon Lena and Saeum of April.
Hwang Jiho’s face looked cute, but it’s true that the current situation seems a bit incompatible with his image.
Ding.
The elevator stopped at the top floor.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Min Geurin was the first to get off.
However, she couldn’t figure out where to go in this large ward, so she stopped in her tracks and had no choice but to look around.
“This way.”
“Let’s hurry.”
As Hwang Jiho lead us in one direction, Geurin looked for the door that contained Song Daesok’s name, while painter Hong Gyungbok and the other kids followed closely behind.
Daesok’s hospital room was a single room located relatively close to the elevator.
It was a room that medical staff can visit easily.
Slide—
We saw Song Daesok as soon as the doors opened.
Daesok had electrodes and needles connected all over his body.
The EKG monitor checks his electrocardiogram and oxygen saturation, and the elixir detector checks the stability of its function. There’s also an infusion pump where he can receive drugs. Daesok was obviously a patient receiving intensive care.
Close.
“Daesok….!”
Geurin dropped her luggage and ran towards Daesok…
I politely had my two hands in front of my stomach as I looked down at Song Daesok who had his teary eyes closed.
“Wasn’t Daesok in a stable condition already?”
“Yeah. His condition is stable based on the numbers. Yoo Sanghee treated him with her light skill, borrowing the powers of Akea. All these things connected to him are just safety devices.
We owe this to Yoo Sanghee again.
It would have been difficult for her to heal everyone with her light skill as there were a lot of people injured.
“So, he’s just asleep right now?”
“That’s a relief…”
“Bastard, you scared us!”
Everyone looked relieved as they organized Daesok’s stuff on behalf of Min Geurin.
Because the hospital room was wide, everyone could move around freely.
All his things were organized inside the cabinet.
“Wait.”
Hani looked at Daesok as if she felt something.
As Hani predicted, Daesok was opening his eyes slowly.
“Daesok!”
Upon hearing his name from Geurin, Daesok blinked a few times before she looked at her.
“…Geurin?”
“Daesok! B-because of me… Because of me! I’m sorry….”
“Geurin! Why are you crying!?”
Geurin, who couldn’t do anything except to look at Daesok, bowed her head and started crying.
While Daesok was embarrassed because he couldn’t understand the situation, Geurin cried even more which made him more panicked.
“Daesok. I, and Geurin, were very worried.”
“Ah, Painter nim?”
As painter Hong Gyungbok explained the situation calmly, Daesok and Geurin both calmed down.
He stroked Geurin’s hair, with his hand connected to the IV, as he comforted her for a while.
Daesok shortly gazed at us who were standing at a distance, unable to intervene in their own world.
He seem to have said something as he looked at me.
“…How long was I asleep?”
“Why do you ask?”
Daesok’s face hardened as he saw the digital clock in the wall.
The digital clock revealed the time and date.
“Hey, can I be discharged today? As soon as possible.”
“No! What are you saying!”
Following Geurin, Hwang Jiho and Hong Gyungbok also expressed disapproval.
“The trauma has been cured, but your physical and mental strength have been considerably consumed. Even if you’re hospitalized for about two more days, I’d still recommend you to take care of yourself at home and rest for three more days.”
“Daesok, your energy wave’s condition is still unstable. Manseok is at home, but if your energy wave gets out of control, your family could be hurt.”
Why was Daesok acting like this?
Observing his attitude reminded me of something.
‘Could it be….!’
I had an eerie feeling.
“Is your interview today?”
“…..”
Daesok nodded.
Today was his interview as an intern for the Player’s Association.
‘What did I do to my playable character!’
We can’t send Daesok to that interview.
It’s regrettable, but it’s already too late.
Should we contact the association and ask them to move the intern interview?
No, even if the circumstance is like this, there’s a possibility of a scandal arising if it’s revealed that such a thing was done for the convenience of hero Song’s grandson.
“Jo Euishin?”
“What’s wrong, Euishin?”
I didn’t register what Jiho and Saeum asked me.
I had to come up with a solution.
Slide—
The door suddenly opened.
Two people entered.
The great Iron-armed Hero Song Manseok, and team leader of the satellite management team, Im Jihwa.
“How did you guys come here? I heard Daesok’s grandfather would come but…”
Seeing Jiho frowning, he must’ve not expected Im Jihwa’s appearance.
“I apologize. I heard that visitation was allowed today, so I asked Iron-arm sunbaenim if I could come along with him.”
“He’s a member of the association already, so is it an urgent matter? It hasn’t been very long since Daesok woke up. You can visit again another time.”
Hong Gyungbok spoke in a strict manner.
Im Jihwa did not step back and responded with a polite voice.
“I understand Daesok’s situation, but we have to make a decision as soon as possible due to security reasons of the screening schedule. That is why I, the team leader, came here myself.”
Jihwa spoke as she glanced at Daesok.
“Let me tell you this first. I would like to invite Song Daesok as a guest researcher at a research institute run by the Player’s Association’s satellite management team.
