WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 130: Compatriots (3)
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5.
“Hurry, hurry! Cherish your relationships! How could one of the leads in a romance that made history at Shinseo Middle and High School keep his lover waiting?”
I was practically chased out of the library by the Heretic Inquisitor. My mind was in a daze. I didn't know how to respond.
While I was hesitating, thud, the library door closed behind me.
“Uh…”
The school was quiet.
The gray granite floor of the corridor was slick. It gleamed red in the sunset. No one walked the halls, and only the cries of “Pass! Pass!” and the sound of students kicking a soccer ball reached me from the distant playground.
“What’s happening here…?”
I walked as if in a trance.
『The Student Council President is probably waiting for you at the school gate!』
『Don’t make your girlfriend angry!』
I had never attended high school, but I did go to middle school for about two years. The school environment was somewhat familiar to me.
‘Let’s head to the school gate.’
The pillars and walls of the corridor were white. Painted with light green paint. The light green wasn’t pretty; it was a color that seemed incomplete. Even that tacky, artificial color felt strangely familiar.
‘Stairs. There should be stairs nearby. Ah. Found them...?’
That was when I sensed someone's presence as I reached the stairway. I looked up toward it and saw:
The staircase leading to the rooftop.
A student was standing right in front of the metal door.
"......?"
It was a small child. The student stared blankly at the door that would not open, apparently studying the chain and padlock wound around its handle. The student seemed to sense my presence too, and our eyes met.
A face I had never seen before.
"......."
The student nodded slightly and then silently walked past me down the stairs.
As the student passed, I saw the collar of the school uniform shirt. The white collar was stained with old grime. From it, I caught a familiar odor: the smell of poverty. Of course, it was only a fleeting glimpse.
The student disappeared down the corridor.
[Behave respectfully♪]
[Live joyfully♪]
[Feel happy♪]
In the empty space the student left behind, colorful slogans hung over the stairway. They said nothing worth saying and were consequently worse than silence. Rather than words, they were a failed object.
A monstrosity.
Desperately trying to hide its uselessness, the slogan's font was cute, and the colors were adorable. It took me a while to snap out of it.
“...Right. I should go too.”
I arrived at the school gate.
There was a black limousine parked outside.
"......"
Wait a minute.
Let me explain what I just saw. I normally walked down the stairs, passed by the ordinary sandy playground, and reached the gate, which should be ordinary.
But why? Why was there a black limousine, a luxurious one like from a movie, parked at the gate?
“Hmm. You're a bit late today.”
And the person closest to my heart was standing next to the limousine.
“R-Raviel…?”
“It’s a lovely evening, Gong-Ja.”
My love spoke calmly.
“The sunset becomes even more beautiful upon seeing your face. The sunset seems to turn red just to hide your blushing cheeks.”
There were still students in the playground who hadn't gone home yet. Students playing in the basketball court, those taking a short walk before entering the evening self-study room, students kicking a football. All of them stopped what they were doing and looked our way.
“Look over there. That senior…”
“Oh, that’s the guy dating the chaebol girl…”
“I'm fucking jealous...”
“At the festival, he confessed in front of everyone…”
Crazy.
“Why such a dazed look, Gong-Ja? While your clueless expression is part of your charm, it's a bit too much right now. Have you decided to explore new charms?”
“Raviel... were you a chaebol heiress?”
My head was spinning. What was this insane trauma trying to show me? Was it a gift of seeing Raviel in a school uniform? Should I take a picture? Preserve it forever? Has technology developed in this day and age to transfer recordings from trauma to reality?
“What strange talk... my boyfriend. I was born into a chaebol family and still live as a member of one.”
Crazy.
Raviel just called me her boyfriend.
Boyfriend!
What should I do? Record video? Record audio? Film it? Has modern science developed a way to transmit footage recorded inside a trauma into reality? What are scientists doing? Are they slacking off and shirking their work?
“R-Raviel. Sorry, but how old are you now?”
“...I am a second-year student at Shinseo High.”
“And me?”
“Butler, make an appointment with a psychiatrist at once. My boyfriend appears to be suffering from mild amnesia. And to answer your question, of course my boyfriend is a second-year student like me.”
“Ah, to have met Raviel since high school... To share school days with Raviel, what is this? Such a tremendous blessing...? I'm the happiest guy in the whole world…”
“Butler, cancel the appointment. My boyfriend is his usual self.”
We had a brief moment of affection in front of the school gate. It was a happy time. Even though screams erupted from the playground, I didn't mind. According to the Heretic Inquisitor, we were the official couple of the school.
“In another life, even if we are reborn, I will love you, Raviel…”
“I love you from my past life to my next. The name of love will always be replaced by the three letters, Kim Gong-Ja. But for now, let's live in the present. Get in the car. I'll take you home.”
Home.
To me, home meant the orphanage. Could it be that she's taking me to the orphanage? No, but this [Trauma World] was clearly different from [The Outside World]. I had never attended high school, and I had never heard of Shinseo High.
What would my home be like here?
“Something big happened at my boyfriend's house yesterday.”
Raviel said as we got into the limousine. The inside of the limousine was spacious and comfortable. But we deliberately sat close to each other.
“A big incident?”
“Hoo. Is such an event not significant enough? Well, my boyfriend has always disliked talking about that person. I dislike it too... But family is family. I've handled it, so tell your mother and father not to worry. No. It's better if I tell them myself.”
"......"
I didn't understand what she was talking about. It seemed like an incident had occurred, and Raviel had taken care of it. But the words that shook me were [mother] and [father].
‘My parents.’
I had called the orphanage director father as a child. I had called a volunteering sister mother. But all were born out of a child's ignorance and play.
The parents Raviel spoke of... were not like that.
‘In this world, I have a home and parents.’
That felt strangely unfamiliar.
‘Raviel did arrange an adoptive father for me for one day at our wedding...’
I was happy then. But it was more like the joy of being given something fleeting by the person I loved.
But parents who had always existed and would go on existing were something else entirely.
‘I can’t even imagine what that feels like…’
The limousine stopped. Looking out the window, I saw a small, shabby detached house in an old neighborhood.
“Oh.”
And in front of the house, a burly man was sweeping with a broom.
“Are you back?”
The long-haired man grinned broadly.
“Wow. Your girlfriend even gives you rides in a limousine. My son sure has it good. It's all thanks to the looks I passed down to you. Always honor the father who made sure you were born handsome!”
It was the Sword Emperor.
".............."
My mind was reeling.
“Were you well? Father.”
“Oh, don’t bow your head, young lady. Someone as precious as you shouldn’t bow to a person like me. But, about our son, did he do anything rude? This guy is inherently good but has a bit of a crazy streak…”
“It’s alright. I cherish every aspect of Gong-Ja.”
“Heh. How can every word from the lady be so gracious? Hey! Hey! Kim Gong-Ja, you scoundrel! Bow down and pay your respects right now. If you dare mistreat the lady, I’ll cut off our relationship that day. Understand? Just like that. You’ll be erased from the family register!”
I was dizzy with the realization.
“Come on, let’s head home.”
We headed inside the shabby, old house.
The inside was small but filled with warmth. In the living room, a woman was cooking. She had a gentle smile and a kind face, much like how a mother would look in an old movie.
“Welcome back, Gong-Ja.”
“Mom…”
I called her mom without thinking.
This strange and unfamiliar feeling filled my heart. A feeling of having a family, a place to return to, parents waiting for me.
This trauma, this illusion, was giving me a taste of what I never had, a normal life. It was both beautiful and heartbreakingly painful.
Raviel and the Sword Emperor were chatting amiably.
The scene of their conversation was real.
I passed out right there.
"Um."
Raviel gently caught my falling body.
"Today, Gong-Ja is acting quite strange, Father. Earlier, he even asked me about my age.”
“That boy has always been a bit strange. Let me tell you, when he was five, he.... Ah, would you like to stay for dinner? I prepared cockles, and they are really good.”
“Yes, I wouldn’t refuse.”
“You’re such a kind person! Gong-Ja, what are you doing? Haven't you bowed yet? Shall I bend your knees for you?”
We entered the house.
“Welcome home, Gong-Ja.”
My master was sitting on the sofa, reading a newspaper.
“How was school today, my son?”
".............."
I fainted.
“Oh? You even brought your lover home. Welcome, Miss Ivansia.”
“Please call me Raviel, Mother. The foreign name is more comfortable.”
“Is that so? Hmm, alright. The customs of today’s kids are hard to understand.”
Mother.
MOTHER.
M.
O.
T.
H.
E.
R.
“Honey, you don’t know anything. Gong-Ja wouldn’t dare invite a lady home. I invited her. I tempted her with my cockle dish.”
“Ah, indeed, darling. Our son couldn’t possibly do such a thing. It's about time for dinner anyway. Let’s eat together…”
Honey.
Darling.
HONEY.
DARLING.
Honeyyyy!?
Darlingggg!?
-Continuing with the news about the popular singer Yoo Soo-Ha.
The TV in the living room announced with the voice of an anchor.
-After shocking the public with an assault video where singer Yoo Soo-Ha was seen assaulting an individual, a twist has emerged. The video was revealed to be fabricated. Surprisingly, the whistle-blower who reported the violence admitted the manipulation.
I blankly watched the TV screen. On it was a long-haired, ponytailed handsome man.
-The whistle-blower said, ‘I reported it as a joke. I didn’t know it would blow up like this. I sincerely apologize to everyone affected by my actions’...
Photos of Preta and Goldencup appeared on the screen. So, images of Flame Emperor, Preta, and Goldencup were displayed in sequence.
-Meanwhile, group members Estel and Silvia have refrained from officially commenting.
Footage of the singers dancing appeared. Preta and Flame Emperor were dancing, and Goldencup was singing.
-However, the concert scheduled in 10 days has been abruptly canceled. It’s expected that the group's activities will be disrupted for some time.
Crazy.
Isn’t this insane?
Has everything gone crazy?
I said, has everything gone crazy?!
“Hmm.”
My master nodded slightly and put down the newspaper. She looked at Raviel with a serious expression.
“We have a lot to talk about at the dinner table. Gong-Ja, go call your brother. Let's have a family dinner together after a long time. Is that alright with you, Miss Raviel?”
“Certainly.”
Brother? Not just Father and Mother, but I have a brother too?
“Where is my brother?”
“He's in your room.”
My master indicated the bedroom door with her eyes. I felt an inexplicable fear. Father was the Guardian Spirit. Mother was my master. Then who in the world was about to appear as my biological older brother?
Creak.
I cautiously, slowly opened the door.
"Huh?"
A man was lying on the bed, crunching potato chips. In one hand, he was reading a comic book from a rental store. Seeing my face, he lazily greeted me with his chip-covered hand.
“Long time no see. Fuck, did you see the news? Your big brother got completely fucked yesterday. Seriously. The constant stalking pissed me off, so I hit them once, and of course someone filmed it. Shit. I almost kissed my singing career goodbye.”
It was the Flame Emperor.
"............."
I fainted.
“Good thing that fucker tucked tail and ran this morning. Whew, Mom chewed me out like hell... Huh? Hey? Are you okay? Your face is blue. Kim Gong-Ja? Hey, little brother. Have you lost it? Why the fuck are you staggering around...?”
“Die!”
I lunged at the bed.
“Die! Just die, you maniac!”
“A-are you crazy? Hey, calm down!”
“How can I calm down when you just called my master 'Mom,' you bastard! Die! Apologize to my master with your death!”
“What the hell are you talking about... no, wait, huh? What the hell? Since when did you get so strong... ack, ugh, aargh!”
I strangled Yoo Soo-Ha. In earnest. Suppose I let the Guardian Spirit appearing as my father slide. I could never actually let that slide, but suppose I did. But this bastard was my biological older brother? This psychopath was my biological older brother?
“Dieee!!”
“Mom! Help!”
Yoo Soo-Ha gasped for air and screamed.
“Gong-Ja is hitting me! Mom!”
This is insane.
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