WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 141: Latecomer (3)
──────
★.
Therefore,
Let’s talk about my defeat.
The role of the protagonist.
For the first time, I, who only played the role of a hero, became a villain who deserves to be overthrown.
Defeat was never an option for me.
Because each defeat was fatal.
If I had been defeated, the entire harem district would have been engulfed in flames and burned to the ground. My defeat meant the fall of the Empire. My defeat meant the end of the martial world. And my defeat, my defeat......
For the first time,
My defeat doesn’t signify doom.
This is the story where I finally face defeat.
A tale where the human 'I' must sink for the ending to arrive.
[Your immersion rate is currently 100%.]
Now then.
However, ‘I’ am strong.
‘I’ am thoroughly cunning.
I don’t know how you remember your school days. Were they happy? Joyful? Was the classroom small enough to be embellished with the ignorance and excuses of youth, painted in a pretty sepia panorama?
‘I’ am not.
‘I’ am more sly than you. More cunning. Perhaps there was no one like me in your school. Or maybe, you just don't remember. But ‘I’ am definitely here.
The one who framed a classmate.
The one who plotted and fabricated evidence to slander someone.
The one who threatened classmates into silence.
A person with exactly those memories. ‘You’ are my comrade. At least ‘you’ might suspect that I exist, and if I am lucky, you might even understand me.
Right. When other students were naively patching up their youth with so-called [school days], ‘you’ and I, ‘we’, easily hunted those foolish minnows.
Our hunting is secret.
So, people don’t remember it.
Our [skillful] hidden hunts are often misunderstood by most people as the opposite. They believe that students are [too immature] to engage in sophisticated hunting.
Too immature? Us? ‘We’? What a ludicrous misconception.
They are the ones who can’t even remember what happened right before their eyes.
First, I'll confess the secrets of hunting to such people.
This is a story that happened before ‘I’ was possessed by someone else.
“At school, the student hierarchy is divided into two. First, there are students who study well. But studying well requires effort. Above all, students hate to make an effort.”
On the other hand,
“It’s easy to look down on and ridicule others.”
It doesn’t require effort.
“Since mockery takes no effort, every student can participate. This is the decisive difference between [studying] and [mockery]. What is that difference? It is how many students can easily participate.”
To raise a test score by 1 point, you have to study for at least 10 minutes.
In contrast, it takes less than 10 seconds to mock and ridicule someone.
“[Who studies better] is far less interesting than [who mocks others better]. It’s much easier. Therefore, it’s much more powerful. Unlike studying, anyone can easily join this game. That’s why [mockery] is a standard in every school.”
This is where the dynamics of bullying are created.
“First, the scapegoat must stand out.”
Is someone conspicuously richer than the other kids? Or conspicuously poorer? Does their face look strange to everyone? Do they smell odd when you get close? Do they speak painfully awkwardly? Are they excessively earnest? Any of it will do. It does not matter what.
Mockery is powerful because it’s easy.
The victim of mockery must always be easy to ridicule.
“Kim Yul.”
There’s a reason why Kim Yul was chosen as prey.
“He’s poor.”
Noticeably.
“He’s distinctly poor. When you get close, there’s a bad smell.”
Poverty can’t be hidden by monochrome school uniforms. It’s outwardly visible, and that’s the terrible thing about poverty. Everyone could see that Kim Yul was poor. Anyone who approached him could smell the bad odor.
Everyone could easily mock him.
“Hey.”
That’s why it’s easy to start.
“It might be a bit harsh to say this, but when you get near that guy…”
“Ah, right. It does smell a bit. Poor thing…”
Level 1.
It starts lightly.
As ‘you’ know,
you mustn’t reveal your true intentions from the start. That’s foolish.
“I heard he got in on a scholarship?”
“I’ve known Kim Yul since middle school, and even then…”
Gossip.
It’s appropriate to start with simple gossip.
“Should I tell you a secret? Actually…”
Gradually increase the number of students participating in the gossip.
“He lives there? Wow. That place is like a garbage dump.”
“His dad collects waste paper.”
“Oh, could the man who collects waste paper from our house be the same person?”
“Eh, I doubt it…”
That’s how you slowly raise attention.
At this point, the instigator must be careful not to reveal any malice. Not yet! ‘You’ know it’s not time yet.
Look.
“Don’t you find Kim Yul a bit annoying?”
Rather than saying this,
“Hey. Wow, it’s true. The man who collects discarded paper from our house really is Kim Yul’s dad!”
This is much wiser.
“What, really?”
Of course, it’s a lie.
“How did you know?”
“I wasn’t sure at first either. But on Sunday, I saw the guy collecting waste and asked, [Are you Kim Yul’s father? I’m Kim Yul’s school friend]. He seemed a bit flustered and just asked me to take care of Kim Yul.”
“Wow…”
“Really?”
Lying is a basic skill for ‘us’.
Classmates look at me with half-belief but sparkle in their eyes. That attention, that interest is the proof of success. You’ve successfully drawn people into the story about [Kim Yul].
“Kim Yul! Is your father’s job, by any chance...?”
“Hey, hey. Why say that? Don’t say it.”
“Ah, why? Is it really a lie?”
“It’s not that. Anyway. Sorry, Kim Yul. It’s nothing.”
"......."
Level 2.
Observation phase.
From here, malice naturally takes its course.
“Pfft.”
No one is free from making mistakes, especially students. Now, classmates will pay attention to every move of Kim Yul, scrutinizing his mistakes as if under a magnifying glass.
“Pfft…”
And they laugh.
Dropping a volleyball during gym class and having to run far to fetch it.
Dozing off during the fourth period and still being asleep during lunchtime.
Stuttering a bit when answering a teacher’s question.
“Pfft…”
Even very minor mistakes don’t matter.
It should be easy. It should be noticeable.
Always remember the dynamics of [mockery].
“Hey, Kim Yul always goes behind the school every lunchtime. Is that…”
“Feeding the chickens? Really?”
“Look out the window. I’m telling you it’s true.”
It should be easily observable by everyone.
It should be easily joinable by everyone.
“Kim Yul- Look here-!”
“Ah, he’s really looking.”
“Maybe they give him a chicken for free once it grows up?”
“Ew."
Ultimately, create a [game everyone can participate in].
As ‘you’ know.
Most bullying stops at this level.
Up to this point, it can arise spontaneously. There does not have to be an identifiable ringleader. There do not even have to be accomplices. As long as there are people willing to go along with it, level 2 can happen anywhere.
Level 2 bullying includes the following: light violence once every two weeks, group assaults once every three months, public beatings once every six months, one small, permanent scar that doesn’t fade, lasting from one semester to three years. Occasionally, a student temporarily and momentarily leads the violence, but there’s no long-term instigator...
And as ‘you’ know.
“Hey.”
‘We’ don’t stop there.
“Let’s try something.”
We go a step further.
“What?”
“Watch this. These are my new shoes. Brand new.”
If you’ve successfully led up to this point, you’re surely adept at lying. Now, you have to perform a little magic for your classmates.
“Look, I drew a star under the shoe with a marker. See? You all saw it, right?”
“Yeah. So?”
“I’m going to leave it in front of my house with the waste paper.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Stupid. Kim Yul’s dad collects our trash, right?”
It is a lie. The waste-paper collector who passes your house is not actually Kim Yul’s father. But that does not matter. You know one route Kim Yul’s father follows on his rounds.
“If there is a pair of brand-new shoes with the waste paper, will the man give them to Kim Yul or not? Watch. If Kim Yul’s dad really is a waste-paper collector, Kim Yul will come wearing these shoes tomorrow.”
“Uh…”
“Really?”
“I bet Kim Yul will wear these shoes tomorrow.”
There.
You’ve secretly prepared two identical pairs of shoes.
“There, look. I threw them away right here. You saw that, right? I am absolutely not touching them.”
One pair was left in front of your house where your friends could see.
"Hmm."
And the other pair was already placed on Kim Yul’s father’s route a day earlier.
Of course, both pairs have ★ drawn on the soles.
You just wanted to show off some plausible magic to your friends, pretending to draw ★ in real-time. If you’re more careful, you’ll spend the whole day playing with friends, creating a perfect alibi.
“Hey, hey. Check it out!”
Next day at lunchtime, in the classroom.
“What if you get caught looking at this?”
“Just look at it quickly!”
“Just a quick look…”
While Kim Yul is away at the cafeteria, we all huddle around his desk. On the hook hangs his indoor shoe bag.
The students' eyes sparkle. They lift Kim Yul's indoor shoe bag, pretending it's just a joke. They take out his somewhat cleaner shoes.
"Wow."
Of course.
“It's true?”
A ★ is drawn on the soles of the shoes Kim Yul wore to school.
“Wow. Shit, then Kim Yul took the pair you threw away...”
“You didn’t plan this with Kim Yul, did you?”
“No. This guy was with us the whole time yesterday and today.”
“So it really is…”
The students look at you. They have seen a fascinating magic trick. Now, you have many lines to choose from, depending on your personality and taste. You could boast, 'See, I was right,’ or slowly reveal your malice, 'It feels a bit bad.’
"Wow."
But I recommend this line.
“It really is true...”
Just blend in with the crowd.
“What if that man lied about being Kim Yul's dad?”
Pretend you didn’t know either.
“So I wasn’t 100% sure it was true either.”
Laugh as if it’s ridiculous. Check the shoes again, act as if you've witnessed something unbelievable, and refine your tone as if you just realized the truth.
“But wow, it was really true…"
And then step back.
“Hey, hey. I know nothing about this. Forget the bet. I’m not taking anything. You guys should just pretend you do not know either. This stays between us. No, forget it. Anyway, I know nothing.”
Inexperienced instigators always try to create the drama alone. As you know, this is foolish impatience. They become anxious because they feel their fabricated evidence is sloppy, and the magic is unimpressive.
So you must perform perfect magic from the start.
“What's going on?”
Just in time for lunchtime.
Classmates return to the classroom in pairs and groups.
“Hey, about Kim Yul, actually..."
“Huh? What about him?”
Of course, you deliberately chose lunchtime for your magic show. You can’t waste such a trick on mere break time.
During lunchtime, classmates return in pairs and groups. There’s plenty of time. It's perfect for whispering and spreading the ‘incident’ that just happened.
"Wow."
Classmates check Kim Yul's shoes.
“Crazy. It was true?”
‘As if it was.’
You sit in the back, pretending to sleep with your eyes closed.
You’ve become cautious.
You never spread the story yourself. You don’t overstep. You know the virtue of a lion that shares its prey with the pack.
“What are you all whispering about?”
“Come here quickly.”
“What about Kim Yul's shoes?”
You leave the joy of spreading rumors to others. Let them believe they've discovered the 'truth' themselves. Let them chew and enjoy the blood-dripping meat.
“Ugh. Then maybe he picks up and uses other things too?”
“Yeah. I never said anything before, but Kim Yul’s dad really is a waste-paper collector. We went to the same middle school. There was this time when we had to tell the class what our parents did...”
Trust human malice.
“That’s kind of filthy...”
Trust in the power of mockery.
Trust in the magic of the ★.
“Wow. Does he just recycle everything and use it?”
“Recycling, huh? Recycling.”
“Pfft.”
★.
“Poor, but filthy. Seriously.”
“Ugh, his feet stink. Weren’t these supposed to be new?”
★.
“Hey, Recycling is here. Hide it.”
★.
“Kim Yul. Done feeding the chickens?”
“Your shoes looked a little cleaner today!”
“Snicker.”
★.
“...?”
After school.
You form a pack and head down to the front gate, following Kim Yul. Kim Yul tilts his head, unable to understand what is happening, but that does not matter. Then, the moment Kim Yul takes the shoes from the indoor-shoe bag and changes into them...
“Pfft!”
The ★ is complete.
“Pfft, ngh...”
“Hey, Kim Yul! Those shoes...”
“That’s the pair Eun-seo threw away in front of the house yesterday!”
“Look underneath them!”
The young beasts are intoxicated by the pleasure of exposing a ‘truth’ Kim Yul did not know. You are actually a filthy child. Denying it will do you no good. We have ‘evidence.’
“...”
The truth is that Kim Yul’s father found a new pair of shoes and brought them to his child. The truth is that Kim Yul’s father held the shoes and carefully examined them from every angle to see how new they were, then cautiously gave them to his child after deciding they were still good enough. The truth is that Kim Yul knew all of this and silently accepted the father’s gift. The truth is the father’s hesitation, the silent expression, and Kim Yul’s silent eyes.
But the beasts lack the imagination to think of that.
They will not even make the effort.
“...”
Because mockery is so much easier.
Armed with the evidence you created, the beasts easily enjoy the ★.
“Got nothing better to do?”
Kim Yul speaks without expression.
“Is this fun?”
The voice is calm.
“If you’re bored, mind your own business. Stop taking an interest in other people.”
Then Kim Yul turns away and leaves school.
“Uh...”
“...”
The classmates fall silent for a moment.
If someone were to say, ‘Hey, this isn’t fun. Let’s stop,’ much of it might die away in that silence. All someone has to do is push the mood toward, ‘We’re already in high school, and we’re bullying someone again?’ As ‘you’ know, saying that takes courage.
“What’s with that attitude?”
“It was just a joke...”
When no one says what needs to be said...
“What a jerk.”
“Walking around in garbage shoes.”
“I didn’t know Kim Yul was like that...”
Level 3.
Violence against the scapegoat is officially sanctioned.
“Hey, someone buy a pair of indoor shoes and throw them away. Let’s see if Kim Yul comes wearing those too.”
I do not know how you remember your school days.
“Kim Yul leaves the bag behind at lunchtime. Put this pencil case in it then.”
“You’re seriously awful.”
“Whatever.”
Were they happy? Were they joyful?
“Huh? That’s the pencil case I threw away yesterday.”
“What? Kim Yul recycled something again?”
“Pfft.”
Was the classroom small enough to be dressed up in the ignorance and excuses of youth, so that everything that happened there was prettily colored into a sepia panorama?
“Ugh. It smells like spoiled milk...”
“Quick, hide it under that kid’s desk.”
“Quickly! The class is starting!”
I’m not like that.
“…Where’s that weird smell coming from?”
“You too?”
“Yeah. It was hard to bear during math class.”
“Wait. I'll check. Sniff, sniff.”
“It seems to be coming from the back row.”
I’m more sly than you.
“Yul, why are you washing the rag? It’s still a rag even if you wash it.”
“Poor thing. He must feel sorry for the rag…"
Perhaps there was no one like me in your school.
Or maybe, you just don't remember.
[Your immersion rate is currently 100%.]
But I am definitely here.
"......."
In this city.
In this school.
Sitting in this classroom, holding a mechanical pencil.
“Class president, what are you looking at?”
The class president looks at me strangely.
“…Gong-ja.”
"Huh?"
"......."
The class president trembles slightly. It’s a small vibration. It seems like he’s disgusted about something, or maybe lamenting. But his strange behavior ends quickly. He clears his throat and speaks.
“No. It’s nothing. I just suddenly couldn’t remember your name. What was it again?”
“What? Are you already getting senile, class president? It’s Hwang Eun-Seo, Hwang Eun-Seo.”
“Ah, right.”
He murmurs, recalling the name.
He doesn’t usually interact much with our group.
“Your girlfriend is running for the student council election, right?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I think I’ll be running too. Tell her I look forward to working with her.”
“You’re running for student council president? You only study, class president.”
“To get into Seoul National University, I need a recommendation. It's easier if you’re the student council president.”
Is that so? It makes sense.
It is a little funny to openly say the whole point of becoming student council president is to get into Seoul National University. Well, that is the class president for you. An honest kid. I decide not to make much of it.
“That’s cool. Good luck, class president. I’ll vote for my girlfriend, but still, do your best.”
The class president nods expressionlessly.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
I am strong.
I am thoroughly cunning.
Therefore,
“...I was already planning to try very hard.”
Let’s talk about my defeat.
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