WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Plague Doctor in a Peaceful World ◈
Chapter 17: I’ll Treat Anyone
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“How was the play? Was it fun?”
The bar was noisy with customers. Seong Eunji, who had joined us late, asked with shining eyes.
“Yeah. It was really scary. Weren’t you scared while acting, Eunji?”
“It was creepy at first, but after doing it over and over, I started focusing only on the technical parts.”
“You really sound like an actor when you say that.”
“Hehe. I only have a few lines so far, though.”
I told my classmates, “I’ll pay for Eunji’s share.”
“Ooh! What’s gotten into you, Kang Bongsik? Don’t tell me...!”
“It’s payment for the quilts and blankets Eunji donated to the shelter. Eunji collected a ton of them for me.”
Seong Eunji openly looked disappointed.
“Of course. I thought spring might finally be coming for me too.”
“Shouldn’t you be more worried about Christmas, which is only a few days away? By the way, I think the actor playing the turtle ghost had a cold. Are they okay?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. They seemed to have a fever.”
“They had on so much pale makeup that it probably didn’t show much. How did you know?”
I answered shamelessly.
“I could feel their cold aura.”
“There’s an aura like that too?”
“Kang Bongsik, are you drunk already?”
With so many people around, the topic of conversation changed quickly. We sat there longer, and the number of empty bottles grew.
It was around midnight when I said goodbye to everyone and returned to our apartment.
It had been a while since I had gotten this drunk.
I bowed.
“Thank you. Work less and earn more.”
“Yes, thank you.”
After getting out of the taxi, I headed not for the apartment entrance, but for the convenience store.
Jingle.
“Welco... me.”
“Hello.”
I bowed to the familiar part-time worker, picked out some hangover medicine, and loaded up on snacks for Arong too.
I needed to get that little guy to forgive me for upsetting him.
“You don’t need to give me a bag.”
“Okay.”
Beep. Beep.
“That’ll be 18,000 won.”
“You didn’t scan the hangover medicine.”
“This... is on me. To thank you for driving that strange person away before.”
“Oh. Thank you.”
I bowed and handed over the cash.
“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry I called you mister back then, too... I’ll pay for the bag as well. I have a feeling you’ll drop one or two while carrying them home.”
“You don’t have to. Thank youuu.”
I bowed again as I accepted the bag.
“Good night.”
I bowed.
“Yeah...”
I tied the bag handles together, swung it as I walked home, and passed the apartment guard station.
The window opened.
[Contagious Disease Patient]
“Student from 503, heading in now?”
“Hello, sir. Do you have a cold?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“Your voice. Didn’t you say you had a dog too? I bought a lot of dog snacks.”
I approached naturally.
The security guard was seated, so I pretended to show him the bag and casually raised my hand.
[This is a Contagious Disease Patient. Would you like to treat them?]
[(Expected MP Cost: 80)]
I noisily rustled the plastic bag.
“Let’s see what I should give you... Treatment, yes.”
“We don’t have a dog at home.”
[System]
- You used ‘Plague Treatment’.
- ‘Plague Treatment’ Proficiency +1
- Experience +3.94%
[MP 40/120]
“Really? Maybe I was thinking of someone else. Then would you like this instead?”
The security guard smiled.
“It’s hangover medicine. Shouldn’t you be drinking that? It’s fine, so go on inside. It’s cold.”
“Yes. Thank you as always.”
I bowed.
“Ho ho. Sure, sure.”
When I entered the house, Arong happily wagged his tail and came to greet me at the entrance.
“I’m home, Kang Arong.”
I scooped him up and rubbed my face against him.
“You’re not a kid. Why are you swinging a bag around on your way home...?”
My sister came out, turning on the living-room lights.
She looked pale and weak.
“Why do you look half-dead?”
“I got indigestion from eating the bread you bought.”
“That’s what you get for stuffing your face.”
“What did you say, punk? Ugh... I took medicine, but I feel like I’m dying...”
My sister clung to the wall and groaned.
I grinned.
“Want me to prick your finger?”
“You?”
“If you don’t want to, forget it.”
“...Do you even know how?”
“I learned from a senior in the army.”
That was a lie.
After hesitating for a moment, my sister nodded.
“Fine. Give it a try. If it works, I’ll make bean sprout soup tomorrow.”
“Deal.”
“But Mom and Dad are asleep right now... Hey, why are you bringing a needle out of your room?”
We went into my sister’s room so we would not wake our parents.
She refused to go into mine.
“Ugh, you smell like alcohol. I’ll kill you if you deliberately pretend to be drunk and hurt me.”
Remembering what Grandma had done for my sister before, I started by massaging her shoulders. Then I lightly patted and stroked downward along her back and left arm.
When else was I supposed to raise Bloodletting Proficiency?
I did not know if there was any need to raise it, but it seemed best to do so whenever I had the chance.
“Hehehe.”
“Damn it, I’m regretting this already.”
I rubbed her left thumb to gather the blood there, then wrapped thread around it several times. After that, I picked up the needle I had sterilized with alcohol beforehand.
[System]
- Needle equipped.
- You can use the skill ‘Bloodletting’.
Several bright red circular markers appeared over my sister’s body.
And over Arong, who sat beside us with his head tilted.
“Here I go.”
Without chanting to activate Bloodletting, I boldly jabbed the spot beneath my sister’s left thumbnail with just the right amount of force.
Poke.
Dark blood quickly welled up in a round drop.
[System]
- ‘Bloodletting’ Proficiency +1
- Experience +1.8%
“Huh?”
My Proficiency and Experience had risen more than when I activated the skill and stabbed an octopus.
Was it because the target was human?
But when I had accidentally pricked myself, the increase had been tiny.
Maybe that was because it was me.
“Hey. That’s way too much bloo...”
Buuurp.
My sister let out an enormous burp before she could finish speaking.
It sounded like the roar of a dinosaur.
I recoiled in horror.
“What are you doing right in my face? Damn, I almost started swearing.”
My sister seemed startled by the sound of her own burp too. After glancing around, she smiled shamelessly.
“Heh.”
“Ugh, gross. Ugh, it stinks.”
“Hehe.”
“Wipe up the blood.”
I returned to my room.
Still, that was interesting.
They said pricking a finger for indigestion was folk medicine with no scientifically proven effect, but judging by that refreshing burp...
Anyway, I had gained 1.8% Experience without using any MP.
I could not decide whether that was stingy or reasonable.
Woof!
“Yeah, Arong. Want a snack?”
The next day, my sister kept her promise and made bean sprout soup.
“It tastes bad.”
“Healthy food always tastes bad.”
Our parents had gone to work early, so only my sister, Arong, and I were home.
“Is that your only outfit? The collar’s all stretched out, and there are kimchi soup stains on it too. Tsk, tsk.”
“It’s just clothes for home. What does it matter? And I don’t have money to buy clothes.”
“You have a part-time job. Mom and Dad pay all your academy fees.”
“How much do you think I make working only a few hours? Besides, clothes won’t improve my credentials. I just need to dress well when I go to interviews.”
I drank my bean sprout soup while looking at my sister.
Slurp.
“...”
“What are you staring at?”
“You’re ugly.”
“Want to die? Anyway, what are you getting Mom and Dad for Christmas? Were you going to give them spending money?”
“Yeah. That’s the most practical thing.”
“How much?”
“300,000 won each?”
My sister’s chopsticks stopped.
“...”
“I’ll say you chipped in too.”
My sister’s expression fell a little as she nodded.
“...Yeah. Thanks.”
* * *
Christmas Eve.
The SBC music audition program Unknown Singer, featuring Happy Quokka and Ju Hye, aired.
The first round of preliminaries had ended last week, and the second round began today.
Both original songs and covers had been allowed in the first round, but everyone would sing cover songs in the second. Arrangements, however, were free.
Was our Happy Quokka good at arranging too?
Maybe she would be fine without arranging anything. She was already a good singer.
“Mom, isn’t she a good singer? She’s still in middle school.”
My sister said this to Mom as we watched Ju Hye appear on the broadcast.
“Yeah, she is. Her voice is so fresh and unspoiled.”
“I saw online that her nickname is ‘Today’s Ad Girl.’ When they asked her to say something after passing the first round, she suddenly went, ‘Today’s ad~! Ad, ad~.’”
“Why did she do that?”
“How would I know?”
“...”
It was because I did not subscribe to YouTube Premium.
Ju Hye finished singing.
The judges gave their comments, and voting began with the audience.
The judges had decided who passed the first round, but only the top ten vote-getters would be chosen in the second round. There was no room to relax until the very end.
Usually, early performers were at a disadvantage in situations like this, so I was a little worried.
“Her parents must be proud. She’s still so young, but she’s on television and singing so confidently.”
“I heard she doesn’t have parents. She lives at a child welfare facility.”
“Oh my, really? I hope she does even better. Can’t we vote for her?”
“I think we can starting from the third round.”
[We will now announce Miss Ju Hye’s voting results.]
I clasped my hands and stared at the television.
Happy Quokka could become her rival, but I still wanted Ju Hye to do well.
[247 votes!]
Ju Hye bowed repeatedly and left the stage.
Only then did I see it.
The little crow doll hanging behind Ju Hye’s waist.
“...”
I had a feeling she considered me a lucky charm.
Happy Quokka only appeared briefly in next week’s preview. But the second round had been prerecorded, so the results must already have been decided.
Would she tell me if I asked her in a DM?
Or should I wait another week in anticipation?
“Where are you going at this hour?”
Mom asked as I came out wearing my coat.
“Just for a walk.”
At the word walk, Arong sprang to his feet.
“No. It’s cold for Arong.”
“I can carry him inside my coat.”
“What if Arong catches a cold?”
“He won’t.”
Even if he did, I could cure him.
“Arong, shall we go?”
Woof!
I dressed Arong in clothes and shoes, put on his leash, and tucked him inside my coat.
Mom, who had been silently watching me, looked sympathetic.
“On Christmas Eve, instead of going on a date, you’re taking your dog for a walk.”
“Haha. I’ll be back.”
My breath fogged when I went outside.
Walking a little faster, I muttered.
“Skill Window.”
[Kang Bongsik (Plague Doctor Lv.7) Skills]
[Passive Skills]
- Immunity Lv.1
[Active Skills]
- Plague Treatment Lv.1 (99/100)
- Bloodletting Lv.1 (5.9/100)
- Divine Punishment Lv.1 (0.1/100)
That morning, I had treated two animals at the animal shelter and reached 99 Plague Treatment Proficiency.
[MP 86/120]
Thanks to the Silver Cross Necklace’s equipped effect, my MP had recovered to 86.
Considering that treating an ordinary cold consumed 80 MP, it was the perfect amount.
I opened my eyes wide and looked around.
“Anyone, get in my sights. Anyone.”
I would use our adorable Arong as an excuse to approach them naturally, then treat them.
I passed the convenience store I frequented.
A vivid green message was visible in the distance.
[Contagious Disease Patient]
I smiled brightly without realizing it.
“Rudolph, Rudolph~. Rudolphphphph, yop.”
“...”
It was a strange drunkard.
I simply put on my mask and walked past.
It would be a waste to treat just anyone.
Footnotes:
“Today’s Ad Girl” comes from Ju Hye’s unexplained chant of “Today’s ad!” during her acceptance remarks. The narrator blames his own lack of a YouTube Premium subscription for her advertising chant.
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