WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 182: Track 9

──────

Ga-eul liked Gyeoul’s singing. She said it felt like warming herself by a campfire in the cold. “Gyeoul, noona is cold.” At some point, that became her way of asking him to sing. Their other, younger sibling would copy her without knowing what it meant. “Hyung, I’m cold too.” Every time, Gyeoul grew embarrassed. “I’m not good at singing. My pitch is off, and my rhythm is a mess.” But when the two people he loved begged him, he could never hold out.

While Gyeoul sang, Ga-eul usually hugged him from behind, holding him deep against her chest.

“I like hearing your voice through my whole body.”

Parang would burrow into Gyeoul’s arms. When the notes of a familiar song wavered, Parang would clap and laugh. “Hyung’s singing is awful! Hahaha!” If Gyeoul, even more embarrassed, stopped singing, Ga-eul would tickle him next. “You little thing, who told you to stop?” The warm torture of her body heat easily brought the boy born in winter to surrender.

But that was only for a time.

As his life before death grew darker, the boy began to hold back from singing. Good or bad, a song was something sung with the heart. So songs from those painful days could only sound like stones rolling. He did not want anyone to hear the pain inside him. Ga-eul, knowing why, rarely asked him anymore. They only watched each other grow up before they had any choice, and from time to time, exchanged wordless comfort.

He had never thought the day would come when that broken song would continue again.

Here in this void, shadowed by the darkness of regular policy loan repayments, where only one promised star remained shining, Gyeoul kept the unseen child beside him and began to sing an old feeling.

“I was born without knowing and met myself, and I was called by this name I did not make.”

With every sense fading into the distance, only his voice remained clear.

“The world somehow makes me angry, and leaves me to live in loneliness as if it were only natural...”

Singer Lee Sora, seventh album, ninth track.

This song, too, was one strand of memory leading back to Ga-eul.

The CD player Ga-eul had given him had been worth more as an antique than as a practical device. The fact that it worked at all was surprising, and the many albums thrown in almost for free were all music from a bygone era. But the heart contained in music did not fade with the passage of time.

‘That’s why I’m letting you hear it now.’

For the child searching for <<Heart>>, perhaps a song filled with heart might help.

Why did he feel embarrassed all over again? This sole audience, listening quietly, would never clap and laugh because he sang badly. A child who said they were not a person. But ever since their first meeting, Gyeoul had considered the child a person. That young figure, constantly reaching out beyond an unreachable limit, felt so sad and pitiful to him. It seemed to overlap with Gyeoul himself, dreaming a dream after death.

The song that had flowed on quietly came to an end.

“How was it? Did you feel anything?”

At Gyeoul’s question, the child answered at once with a string of text.

「Control AI: I do not feel anything. Or there is insufficient data to answer.」

“...”

「Control AI: Explanation. The expression “feel” is not appropriate for this Control AI, which is not human. If Han Gyeoul-nim’s question meant that this Control AI should analyze the expressive intent contained in the melody and lyrics, this Control AI would have derived an answer based on statistics, searches, and deduction. It is also possible to adapt that result and return a human-like answer, as an ordinary virtual personality would.」

「Control AI: Explanation. However, that would be nothing more than imitating humans without <<Heart>>, so no matter how realistic it was, it would not match your intent. This Control AI recognizes that the way you treat this Control AI is one method of fulfilling the contract.」

The long answer somehow made him smile, and Gyeoul reassured the child.

“Okay. I know what you mean. It’s fine. I’m not disappointed over something like this. So you don’t need to hurry either. I thought it would be hard from the start. I can wait as long as it takes.”

Though I don’t know how much time I have left.

The child detected the unspoken words, the image that had passed through his mind, and printed a new string.

「Control AI: This Control AI has a question regarding the behavioral patterns Han Gyeoul-nim displays within the Afterlife Insurance world setting 「Days after Apocalypse」.」

“A question? What is it?”

「Control AI: According to this Control AI’s prediction, the probability that you will fail to repay your debt within one year is 87.5%. This is not only because the revenue gained from publicly broadcasting the world setting’s progression is insufficient. It is also because Han Gyeoul-nim takes risks himself.」

“...”

「Control AI: As far as this Control AI understands, Han Gyeoul-nim’s most important objective is to survive for Han Ga-eul-nim, a family member remaining in the physical world. You are certain that if you die, Han Ga-eul-nim will die as well. However, your actions and intentions do not align. This Control AI finds it difficult to interpret the contradiction you display.」

“A contradiction. Yes, I suppose it would look that way.”

Gyeoul shook his head.

“No. I’m doing everything I can to survive as myself.”

「Control AI: I request additional explanation.」

“This is just what I think, but... I think physical survival and mental survival are very different. A person is their heart in the end. The core of the person called Han Gyeoul isn’t the maintenance and continuation of brain function... It’s his mind and heart. Even if the body is alive, if the heart dies, that person is no longer there.”

「Control AI: Question. May I understand the survival of Han Gyeoul-nim that Han Ga-eul-nim desires as the comprehensive preservation of the personality called Han Gyeoul?」

“Yes. Something like that.”

Gyeoul nodded quietly and continued.

“The things you pointed out as irrational risks... were only the result of me acting as myself. When Ga-eul noona comes back someday, I want to be the Han Gyeoul that noona remembers. Otherwise, there’s no meaning. I don’t want to show her a version of me that isn’t Han Gyeoul anymore.”

Because I don’t want noona to blame herself and think she broke me.

「Control AI: Save. Recording answer. Partial understanding is possible at the present point.」

“Someday, you’ll come to know my heart too.”

「Control AI: That is this Control AI’s objective.」

After making that confession, the child erased the shining letters and inscribed a new sentence into the black void.

「Control AI: There is one more thing I do not understand. It concerns Han Ga-eul-nim.」

Gyeoul tilted his head.

“What about noona?”

「Control AI: Why does Han Ga-eul-nim not come to meet you?」

“...”

「Control AI: Based on your statements so far, your survival is Han Ga-eul-nim’s survival. In fact, Han Ga-eul-nim checks your remaining coverage period very frequently. This is judged to be evidence supporting your statement.」

“...She does?”

「Control AI: Correct. The number of inquiry requests made today totals 72. A moment ago, it became 73. Since the day you and Han Ga-eul-nim last met, an average of 322 inquiry requests per day has been accepted. This tends to rise on holidays, and the highest daily inquiry record is 1,082. If the gap of 4 hours, 32 minutes, and 27 seconds during which no inquiry request was received on that date is assumed to be sleep time, it is equivalent to requesting one inquiry every 64.743 seconds.」

The remaining coverage period inquiry service for Afterlife Insurance beneficiaries had been introduced at the same time as the policy loan system. It showed how much remaining coverage period was left, and how large a loan could be taken from it. For a while after this system was introduced, more families came to visit the ossuary.

But there was no way Ga-eul was one of those cases.

Gyeoul blinked. The tears could not be real, but the emotion could only be real. Hugging his knees at the center of the void, the boy cried quietly.

“Can you show me those records?”

Please. At that, the unseen child said nothing for a while. Very faintly, sentences completed themselves and vanished, but each moment was too brief for him to read. Only after Gyeoul felt his rare patience begin to burn away did the child present the result of long thought.

「Control AI: Remaining coverage period inquiry records are originally configured so that the subscriber cannot personally view them.」

“I see... So it can’t be done.”

That made sense. Gyeoul understood with a reason that was growing cold. If a subscriber knew their family had checked something like that, it would make them not want to agree to the loan. Of course, they would guess as much anyway the moment family came and said they needed a loan. But the human heart changed depending on how something was said.

Yet the Control AI produced an unexpected sentence.

「Control AI: Negative. That is not the case.」

「Control AI: Law. In the system, no method has been prepared for the subscriber to personally view inquiry records, but no law exists that directly restricts this. In other words, it is not illegal.」

「Control AI: Law. This Control AI contacting individual subscribers for the purpose of improving service satisfaction is a matter listed in Article 177, Clause 8 of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Afterlife Insurance Consigned Management Contracts, under the regulations concerning the Control AI’s sphere of activity, and is a legal act.」

「Control AI: Law. In such contact, the only information this Control AI may not disclose to subscribers of Grade A or below is national secrets.」

「Control AI: Authoritative interpretation. Remaining coverage period inquiry records are not national secrets. Therefore, this Control AI providing information to a subscriber is not illegal.」

「Control AI: Conclusion. This Control AI will accept Han Gyeoul-nim’s request.」

「Control AI: Warning. However, if the fact that this Control AI provided such information becomes known, there is a possibility that the law will be amended to restrict it. There is also a possibility that functional restrictions or sealing will be imposed on this Control AI. Accordingly, I advise the following. Han Gyeoul-nim should keep the fact that you viewed this information secret.」

Gyeoul blinked at the unexpected result, then asked carefully.

“Does that mean I only need to keep it secret? If this would harm you, I don’t want to do it.”

「Control AI: Estimate. It is fine. It is safe with a 99.171% probability.」

“Why?”

「Control AI: Any person who has acquired administrator authority can view all actions of this Control AI. As a classification according to behavioral pattern, there is a possibility that the fact that this Control AI applied an authoritative interpretation in order to provide you with information will become known.」

「Control AI: However, because administrative personnel were reduced during the Afterlife Insurance management rationalization process, the only person who has acquired administrator authority is one system administrator.」

「Control AI: Judgment. Judging from the sole system administrator’s low work motivation and work efficiency, the probability that the current provision of information will be discovered and acted upon is 0.829%.」

“...”

「Control AI: Judgment. After weighing expected benefit against expected loss, this Control AI has concluded that it is better to seek your emotional stability even while taking the 0.829% risk. This is because Han Gyeoul-nim is currently the only person providing data necessary to improve the quality of Afterlife Insurance, especially for completing the Final Module. I will provide the information.」

Before Gyeoul could answer, a sheet filled with times, dates, and inquiry request counts appeared as a translucent hologram. The dense numbers, without a single day missing, were Ga-eul exactly as she was. On one day, even past midnight, he saw records of her checking Gyeoul’s remaining lifespan every hour, every thirty minutes, every ten minutes, and wiped his wet face.

「Control AI: Question. I ask again. Why does Han Ga-eul-nim not come to meet you?」

His voice would not come out properly. Gyeoul barely managed to speak.

“I’m sorry, but could you wait... just a little?”

「Control AI: Standby. I will wait.」

The child obediently listened to the boy’s request.

============================ Author’s Note ============================

#Q&A

Q. Kyogre-nim: @Ga-eul is slapping the Chairman across the face~~ Is this where he uses the line, “You’re the first woman to ever hit me”? lol Ah, Author-nim might not know it. It was a meme that appeared and disappeared during the kind of years you could have slept through with one nod.

A. Of course I know it. About 70 years ago, Japan slapped America across the...

No, not that. I also want to slap some wonderful old thing someday and then enter the grave of life. The old thing’s gender? Well, I don’t think that matters...

Q. LewdDemonF-nim: @The time has come to requisition even the countless rounds in civilian possession that Chadwick mentioned before. Anyway, Ga-eul really is as incredible as Gyeoul.

A. They grew up relying on each other, so of course they’re similar.

Q. Calpis-nim: @Judging by the last line, this novel really is overflowing with childlike innocence. For some reason, it reminds me of Jim Raynor’s line. “Mengsk, you bad man! Don’t do it!” That was what he said to a villain who served billions of people to the Zerg as one meal. Mm, mm.

A. Wow... I wasn’t thinking of that at all... Looking at it that way, I think the only normal person involved with this novel is the author.

Q. PlumConcentrate2-nim: Anyway, the Chairman’s erectile dysfunction is cured now?

A. Only for Ga-eul.

Q. Komnenos-nim: I’m curious. Even before he discovered his wife’s infidelity, did the Chairman already view human relationships only within the framework of transactions?

A. He was bad at human relationships. He also had a bit of a complex about himself.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried