WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Incarnation of the Malevolent Star ◈
Chapter 79: Part 1 - Whispers of the Dark Brother (79)
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#79.
Being gloomy was one thing. Being glad was another.
Onik had been alone, blankly passing the time amid a tangle of thoughts. Even without much energy, he welcomed the members of Truffle Candy with a smile.
“Welcome, ladies! I’m really happy to see you again!”
The twenty-three-year-old idol who had given up on suicide meant a great deal to Onik.
He had not eavesdropped on purpose, but... if the wonderful news Legal Hunter had mentioned was what Onik thought it was, then it was truly something to be happy about.
He was also amazed that Legal Hunter had actually carried out the plan that had seemed so grand it made Onik wonder if it was possible.
Normally, he would have shown his surprise much more openly.
But Onik’s listless smile soon turned to confusion.
“...?”
The four-member idol group, which had hidden so that they could creep out after Legal Hunter covered the country boy’s eyes, revealed themselves beyond the raised main gate.
The veteran rookie idols all wore gloomy expressions.
The four of them trudged over and naturally surrounded Onik.
A shadow fell over the boy at their center.
“...?...???”
The boy, who found it difficult to look people directly in the eye, still did not understand why the older girls he had been so glad to see were acting this way.
Not knowing what was going on, his eyes simply darted this way and that.
Sera looked at him with eyes that were almost sad.
“Onik.”
“Yes?”
“We’re really happy to see you again too, Onik. We are, but... tell me, can you smell us?
“Can you tell we’ve arrived even when we’re still quite far away?”
“Ah.”
Only then did Onik realize his mistake, and he hurriedly tried to patch things up.
The lingering effects of the long, lonely time he had spent staring blankly into space had delayed his judgment.
Until moments ago, a large part of Onik’s mind had been occupied with worry for Teacher.
The intermittent flashbacks of his second murder brought him additional anguish.
“No, it’s just that I’ve always had a good nose... You know, did you watch the mushroom-identification video? If you did, you’ll know. Or maybe one of the herbalist vlogs.
“My nose is really good. It’s not that you ladies smell any stronger than other people.”
“I see... Our Onik has a good nose, but no tact...”
“Ah, ah...”
After Sera, the other members joined in questioning him.
“Onik. Isn’t having a good nose different from remembering smells? If you knew we had arrived just by smelling us, that means you remembered our scents from before...”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true. Onik isn’t merely lacking tact. He’s a pervert who likes sniffing people!”
“So Onik liked the way we smelled? Enough to remember it clearly even after a whole season had passed since we last saw each other.”
“I’m disappointed, Onik. We didn’t know you had such creepy tastes.
“Secretly sniffing us, then carefully carving our scents into your memory. Eugh, that gives me chills.”
“Jo Onik, you scary child...!”
“Ah, ah, aaah...!”
Cornered in an instant, Onik’s eyes spun wildly from side to side. He was so flustered that his complexion visibly changed.
The boy desperately waved both hands as he explained.
“No, no, no! It’s not like that! I don’t just have a good nose, I have a good memory too!
“It’s not that I tried to remember! I didn’t even need to remember on purpose!
“If I’ve smelled something even once, I just know it! That’s why!”
To be exact, the frightening boy never forgot the scents of things he could kill, or things he could have killed.
Apart from those, he was also very good at remembering the smell of death itself, or scents that carried the possibility of death.
For example, the olfactory information of things like gunpowder and poisonous mushrooms.
It was the talent of a born killer.
Mina, the youngest, narrowed her eyes.
“Hm. You didn’t even need to remember?”
“Yes!”
“So what you mean is that we were such unimportant people that we weren’t even worth making an effort to remember?
“How can you say that? I’m hurt.”
“No! Absolutely not! That’s not what I mean, so please don’t be hurt!”
The veteran rookie idols continued questioning him, while the cornered country boy continued explaining himself for a long time.
Having spent so much time together, the idols silently understood one another and enjoyed the situation. Then, as though they had agreed on it beforehand, they suddenly burst out laughing.
“Uh...?”
The boy, who had been desperately defending himself, wore a bewildered, stunned expression. That only put the idols in a better mood.
Sera had laughed so hard that her stomach hurt. Wiping tears from her eyes, she spoke.
“Ah, that was fun!”
“...?”
“Onik. We’re not really upset! Well, honestly, we were a little shocked at first. But teasing you made it all go away.”
“Ah...”
“I’m glad our Onik seems to have a little more energy now.”
“...That was mean. I was really flustered.”
“Come on. Think of it as the price for lacking tact.”
“Yes... I was wrong about that.”
“Hehe. I wasn’t saying it to get an apology.”
Sera gently patted the country boy’s head.
“Once again, it’s good to see you, Onik. We missed our Onik so much.”
She wanted to pull him into a tight hug containing all her gratitude, joy, and affection at once, but... that was not something she could do in front of other people.
“I’m happy to see you too!”
It was a joyful reunion that had arrived without warning in the midst of his gloom.
Onik let his gaze drift aside and smiled faintly.
#
“Wow. You made this tea yourself, Onik?”
“Yes! I learned how to roast green tea on a field trip once. Grandfather told me that Korean stewartia shoots can be roasted into tea too, so I tried it, and it came out really well. Since then, I pick the shoots and make tea whenever spring comes around.”
“That’s amazing. Our Onik is really talented...”
“Thank you for the compliment!”
Sera, the other Truffle Candy members, and Legal Hunter chatted warmly with Onik among them.
They drank handmade Korean stewartia tea brewed by the kind country boy over a Japanese-style tea brazier.
“Um, Boss. Is the first thing we can do together with the ladies... build the Guest Rest Pavilion and the Guest Lodging Pavilion?”
Legal Hunter savored his tea, then nodded with the expression of a Buddha.
“Not a bad idea.”
“Right?”
“If four sophisticated city ladies appear on camera, the gloomy screen will brighten right up.
“It’ll be fresh to see four delicate young ladies helping with difficult construction work. Admirable, too.
“And the workers from the construction company will probably feel more energized as well.”
Sorin, Truffle Candy’s second member, looked at Onik with a puzzled expression.
“Guest Rest... what?”
“The Guest Rest Pavilion and Guest Lodging Pavilion!”
“What are those?”
“They’re both accommodations for guests. They say that every such house belonging to people who held high office or were very wealthy during the Joseon era had one. They’re also different from an outer residence!”
“Oh.”
“The Guest Rest Pavilion is a place where people sit and rest for a while before leaving, while the Guest Lodging Pavilion is for staying overnight. People often use the two terms without distinguishing between them!”
“I see. I learned something new!”
“Grandfather said our head house used to have a Guest Lodging Pavilion too.”
“Really? I guess one of your ancestors held high office?”
“Yes! Our head family has been called the independence fighter’s family since my great-grandfather, Independence Fighter Jo Yang-jin, but before that, people called it the Minister of Personnel’s family. One of our ancestors served as Minister of Personnel!
“Grandfather said the king personally granted the house to us. That’s why our province designated it as a historic structure.”
“That’s amazing! Onik’s family is even more distinguished than I thought! It wasn’t just Independence Fighter Jo Yang-jin who was amazing!”
“That’s right! We’re a distinguished family!”
Sera, who listened to the country boy’s chatter as though it were music, asked with a warm expression.
“But those Guest Rest Pavilion and Guest Lodging Pavilion... what does it mean that you’re building them? Do you really need them? Staying at Onik’s head house was really nice!”
Yesul, the third member, added, “That’s right! Is it because Onik’s grandfather finds having guests in the house uncomfortable?”
Onik immediately shook his head.
“No! Grandfather doesn’t dislike receiving guests! He says it’s the duty of the head family!”
“Then why?”
Legal Hunter answered for him.
“More and more people are showing up in the village uninvited.”
“They come without being invited?”
“Yes. You know, celebrities have similar experiences, don’t they? People come to see where famous people live.”
“Ah...”
“They come all the way to this remote backwater without sending word, and if we keep letting such people into the head house, trouble is bound to arise.
“No matter how much receiving guests may be the duty of the head family, this isn’t the Joseon era anymore.”
“You must have had a hard time.”
“Haha. It hasn’t been that difficult yet.”
Legal Hunter waved a hand.
“It’s simply that their numbers are steadily increasing, so we want to prepare in advance.
“With the internet these days, it would become a headache if word spread that people could come here and be treated for free.”
“That’s true. So you’re trying to make paid lodgings?”
“Exactly! Seen negatively, they’re troublesome guests who show up uninvited. But seen positively, doesn’t it mean there’s tourist demand even in this isolated village?”
“Ah, now that you put it that way!”
“Since things have turned out this way, we thought it would be good for everyone if we prepared lodgings and gave people something to enjoy as well.”
“I see! If you make content out of the construction process and naturally explain the situation while working away, there won’t be any trouble either!”
“Heh, that was exactly my thought! Miss Yesul really knows what makes good content!”
“Hehehe, this much is basic stuff! I may look like this, but I’m an experienced idol!”
Yesul, who had been quietly listening, asked another question.
“Onik. So are you building an entirely new house? I watched a show like that when I was little! Sadly, it ended really quickly, though!”
Onik shook his head.
“No! We’re going to fix up an existing house and use it!”
“An existing house?”
“Yes! There are empty houses all over our village anyway!”
“Oh.”
“Did you see the two-story wooden houses when you entered the village? We’re going to fix up one of those first!”
“Two-story wooden houses?”
It was not difficult to picture the houses the country boy meant.
Wooden structures clustered in dreary colors along a prime spot in the increasingly aging village.
To outsiders, these structures left a very strong impression, though not in a good way.
Yesul’s expression naturally turned uneasy.
“Um... those abandoned houses that look like ghosts might come out of them?”
The boy, who was consciously recovering his spirits through the conversation, or rather consciously putting his mask back on, answered brightly.
“Yes! They were built during the Japanese colonial period, so they’re almost a hundred years old. But if we fix them up properly, they’ll become lodgings with a distinctive feel!
“And there aren’t any ghosts there! They’re just ordinary abandoned houses! This tea brazier came from there too! It’s something Japanese people actually used!”
“I-I see. But... can they really be fixed up?”
“I wondered that too! But Boss said it would be fine! The contractor uncle who consulted with us said the condition was better than it looked!”
Yesul and the other idols all turned to Legal Hunter. Their eyes asked, Is that true?
Legal Hunter nodded with the same Buddha-like expression.
“Maybe it’s because powerful landlords lived there long ago, but they used good lumber and used it thickly.
“They controlled all the farmland around here, including the land belonging to our head family. Of course they must have had plenty of money. Back then, this place wasn’t as remote as it is now.”
“Ah...”
“Anyway, even though it looks blackened and ugly now, they say the color will come alive with just a little sanding.
“They also said this area has dry, harsh winters, so there was no termite damage. Most of the original lumber can be reused, which will save us quite a bit of money. Hahaha.”
He did not mention it aloud, but the bad adult saved money in many ways beyond this.
His firm belief had always been that business should be done with other people’s money whenever possible.
The local construction industry was going through dark times.
Even mid-sized construction companies that had long dominated this region were dropping like flies. The circumstances of smaller companies were obvious without even looking.
People in the industry felt terribly wronged.
「Why do housing prices keep rising only in Seoul? Unsold units just keep piling up here...」
They were not asking because they did not know why. They were asking because it felt unfair even though they knew.
「You government bastards! You said you’d bring Seoul housing prices under control! Is this even a country? Help the provinces survive too!」
There was no one easier to squeeze dry than a person cornered by the world. The more desperate they were, the more could be wrung out of them.
The cold-hearted businessman Legal Hunter used advertising value as bait and drove down the contractors’ rates.
「From what I hear, everyone’s wallets are thin these days, so DIY and semi-DIY interior work and renovations are becoming more and more popular.」
「We happen to be planning some semi-DIY content, so why not advertise through us? If you open a breathing hole this way, won’t things improve a little?」
「Ah, don’t worry. I, Jo Cheol-sang, am not such a hard-hearted man. Advertising fees? No need. I won’t take a single penny.
「What else are fellow locals for? We’re not strangers, are we?」
「Just do the work cheaply for us instead. That’s all I need. Hahaha!」
The small and medium-sized companies, which needed to keep their funds circulating even by taking jobs that lost them money, had to accept Legal Hunter’s price-cutting with gratitude.
It was better than having no work at all.
And just as Legal Hunter had tempted them, perhaps they could hope for advertising effects and an expanded market...
The bad adult’s money-saving did not stop there.
「Team Leader Jang, is there any way to make this work? I heard that if a Japanese colonial-era house is designated as registered cultural heritage or local cultural heritage, there’s a program that supports repair costs with national or provincial funds.」
「Oh, is that so? This is the first I’ve heard of it. It isn’t under my jurisdiction.」
「Come on. Even if it isn’t, you can still mention it, can’t you? The power of the task force directly under the governor!
「Since you’re already supporting us, please support us properly. Later, we’ll make a big splash and repay you for it! You know our Onik is a lottery ticket guaranteed to hit!」
「Hmmm...」
「I understand that the county council members and the county governor are paying close attention to students and parents coming into the township.
「But if they want those newcomers to stay for a long time, there has to be something to do, some cultural life, like in Seoul. Isn’t that right?」
「Hmmm...」
「Team Leader. I’m telling you, this will really work! We aren’t just making lodgings!
「Even now, when there’s nothing here, people are finding their way here by word of mouth. If we set up all sorts of proper attractions, how many more tourists will come in the future?
「And the publicity effect will be incredible! Publicity is your area of responsibility, isn’t it? Publicity!」
「Hmmm!」
「I swear on the name Jo Cheol-sang that there is no more worthwhile way to spend government money than this!
「How many times have strange monuments been built in the name of reviving local economies, only to become eyesores?」
「Well, you know there are circumstances for people above us...」
「Anyway! Support us! A sure investment that shows results before it even begins! Onik Uncle and the Hapless Chief! Today is the cheapest day to invest!」
「...I’ll pass the suggestion along for now. Don’t get your hopes up too much, and wait. As I said, it isn’t my area of responsibility in the first place.」
「Even that is enough. Thank you! I knew I could count on you, Team Leader!」
It was truly the mouth of a devil.
Anyone doing business in this country could never leave out cozy arrangements with public officials.
Anyone who carried out business honestly through their own abilities alone was truly a fool.
The matter of designating the Japanese colonial-era house as local cultural heritage and supporting its repair costs began moving smoothly once word reached the county governor and county council.
「We were already worried because the only things that township has to boast about are a Lotteria and a small movie theater...
「Let’s call in that fellow, Jo Cheol-sang or whoever he is, and hear him out.」
Called before the county council, the bad adult once again ran his mouth spectacularly.
「Honorable council members! First, please accept a copy of this business plan!」
「Hmmm...」
「Onik and I are not simply trying to make lodgings! There has to be something to enjoy!
「These days, all sorts of businesses are shutting down even in the city, let alone the township! So we’ll buy game machines from closed arcades and put them there for people to play! We’ll buy karaoke machines from closed karaoke rooms and put them there for people to enjoy! We’ll buy computers from closed PC cafés and...!」
「Hmmm...」
「Our Onik, you see! He’s receiving an incredible number of offers to appear on shows these days!
「Among the offers currently on the table is that program all of you know! That famous reality-variety show that brings crowds of tourists to every place it films...!」
「Hmmm!」
「Now, while they’re the ones showing interest first! If the honorable council members put in just a little effort! The moment repairs are finished, we can film there right away!
「Then enormous numbers of tourists will come in! And people newly arriving in the township will want to stay longer too!」
「Okay. That’s enough. Looking through this proposal, it seems this isn’t something that ends with repairing a building.
「The plans for mutual prosperity with local residents are beyond expectations too... We should discuss this among ourselves.」
「Yes! Honorable council members, I ask that you make a wise decision!」
What the bad adult had asked the county council members to help with was securing the filming location for the reality-variety program.
There was one fact ordinary people did not know.
Terrestrial variety programs in which contestants completed missions in different regions usually held competitive bids among multiple local governments when choosing filming locations.
The broadcaster then selected a location from among the local governments offering the best terms.
The resulting influx of tourists was generally only temporary.
But how much Local Extinction Response Fund money had disappeared without even producing that temporary effect?
Considering that, attracting a variety program was a reasonably profitable use of funds.
There was no reason to complain about government money being spent on something like this.
Not in this bleak country, where population decline and regional extinction had become national emergencies.
The Local Extinction Response Fund for basic local governments was structured so that districts or counties made spending plans, which the province approved.
After careful discussion, the county governor and county council made their decision.
「It’s annoying how obvious Jo Cheol-sang’s intentions are, trying to fill his own pockets...
「Still, it’s been a while since something this promising came along. Let’s go ahead with it. What the hell, we can take one fewer overseas trip.」
「Tch. That’s a shame. I was thinking of visiting Hokkaido this time.」
「If Jo Cheol-sang is a man who knows courtesy, he’ll show his appreciation later. It’s not as though he’ll benefit from our help only this once.」
「That’s true. When there’s such a promising young businessman, we should let him taste a little sweetness first. Then he’ll humble himself on his own, expecting more next time.
「Even aside from that, once tourists come in, there will naturally be more opportunities to skim something off.」
Overseas trips by public officials that were really vacations were a beautiful custom that displayed the warm affection of Korean people.
The Korean people, overflowing with affection, had no complaints at all about this custom.
What could be wrong with rewarding public officials who devoted themselves day and night for the country with luxurious overseas vacations funded by national money?
The reason it only appeared that the public had many complaints was because Koreans were all tsundere.
This was, after all, a country where people knew that “spring potatoes are delicious,” as in Kim You-jeong's classic short story “Camellias.”
When asked to name suitable travel destinations for council members from regions at risk of population extinction, supposedly so they could study population policy, the neighboring country and morally advanced nation of Japan naturally came first.
The county council members had been fully prepared to go to Japan on a free overseas trip this year.
But this time, they decided to give up their rightful entitlement.
It was a spirit of sacrifice that could not be witnessed without tears.
The county residents ought to recognize such sacrifice...
The Local Extinction Response Fund spending plan, passed by the county council and approved by the county governor, received final approval in the governor’s office.
「This sounds fun. Push It Through.」
And so, with this one move, Legal Hunter Jo Cheol-sang achieved two things at once. He pulled in government money for repair costs and brought the reality-variety program in with government money as well.
The bad adult judged his performance as the business partner of his young associate to be entirely above reproach.
Business was best done with other people’s money, and among other people’s money, nothing was sweeter than government money.
Not knowing any of this, the veteran rookie idols worried that the new business of Legal Hunter and the country boy, who both seemed so innocent and good-hearted, might fail.
Sera asked cautiously, “Um, will it really be all right? Even if you reuse the lumber, it can’t cost just a little money...
“It would be good if many people came, but if they don’t...”
Ah, this was naturally a chance to show off his capabilities.
Legal Hunter grinned.
“Please don’t worry, Miss Sera. Once construction is finished, we’re in talks to film one very well-known! TER-RES-TRI-AL! reality-variety show there in a big way! Hahahaha!”
Sera’s eyes widened.
Footnotes:
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