WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Translator/Editor: Ryuu
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◈ The Little Prince of the Ossuary

00005 <-- The Little Prince of the Ossuary -->

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#Past (1), Preparing for the Transaction, The Boy

The boy ran fiercely on the treadmill, his heart pounding wildly. Sweat trickled from his forehead down to his chest. In the spacious gym, only the boy and his trainer were present. The trainer, a cold man with his arms crossed, looked on imposingly. Despite wanting to stop from exhaustion, the boy kept running, wary of the trainer's watchful eyes. It seemed the allotted time had not yet passed. Fifteen minutes of intervals felt unbearably long. It was an unwelcome exercise, an unavoidable ordeal.

The wristwatch beeped. The trainer signaled to stop.

"Enough. Move on to the next."

Panting heavily, the boy, drenched in sweat, clung to the handles of the halted treadmill. The sweat drops rolling from his forehead to his chin resembled tears. Lately, he felt more prone to tears, wondering if he was actually crying. After running for so long and then stopping, the ground seemed to keep moving. The trainer raised his voice impatiently, "Move on to the next!" It was almost like the old military regime. The kind of atmosphere recounted by tales from when conscription was in force, as his father had told him. But with the military now volunteer-based, such stories were probably second-hand to his father too.

The cycle between anaerobic and aerobic exercises continued. Despite the harsh appearance, the boy's body was carefully monitored with sensors to adjust intensity and prevent overexertion. Although the trainer was the only one present, medical staff monitored from just beyond the wall, ready to intervene. The trainer listened to their instructions through an earpiece, ensuring the boy's heart rate never exceeded 85% of its maximum. Caution was paramount since any damage to the sole 'product' would be problematic.

The 'product' was, of course, the boy's body.

Today marked the end of the physical conditioning. Everyone involved in this transaction would receive a bonus upon its successful completion, the trainer included. On this final day of 'product management,' even without visible changes in his expression, there was a slight tremor in his actions. Perhaps he was nervous. The boy had a keen sense for gauging others' feelings, and he was certain he hadn't misread it. Yet, he could find no trace of sympathy, affection, or concern in their demeanor.

They only saw him as a product.

It was sorrowful to the boy that everyone he met after the deal was made, even his parents, seemed to treat him merely as an item. He had hoped at least his family wouldn't. What was all this sacrifice for?

Perhaps that's why the boy always searched for warmth in the eyes of those he met, but it was absent. He hadn't found it yet and doubted he ever would.

Among those involved in 'product management,' the trainer had been around the longest. The boy had hoped for a different farewell.

Suddenly, a surge of suppressed anger threatened to burst forth, a familiar sensation from his childhood. The boy emptied his thoughts. The repressed emotions rolling around near his heart were submerged in the stillness brought on by his silent mind. They sank.

When the final training session ended, the boy said his goodbyes.

"Thank you for everything. You've worked hard."

The trainer replied curtly.

"Take good care of yourself. Your body is valuable."

"...Yes."

The boy hoped to be remembered with a smile, at least in the end. After all, his body would soon no longer be his to be seen by others. With that thought, he smiled, a smile that had always been well-received by his friends. Though he couldn't quite see it himself in the mirror, others said there was something extraordinary about it.

The trainer flinched. Despite his keen ability to read others, the boy couldn't decipher this reaction. If only he could have seen the trainer's eyes, but he wore sunglasses.

And so, the trainer became another person the boy parted ways with without knowing his name.

Names are so important.

The boy returned home, escorted by numerous bodyguards, along with medical staff and his family. Home. Not the one he used to live in but a strange, large, and tall one. Hearing the car approach, a small figure rushed out and clung to him first—his younger brother, who adored his elder brother.

"Wow, it's hyung! Teehee!"

The boy lifted his brother, ten years his junior, in a warm embrace. The child was pleasantly surprised; the boy could never have done this before he started training. The warmth of the small body felt strangely comforting, and the boy smiled.

"Pa-rang, you've been well, haven't you?"

"Yeah! Just like hyung said, I ate a lot and listened to Mom, Dad, and sister while waiting for you!"

"That's good, you're such a good boy."

The rest of the family greeted the boy with a bit of awkwardness. The parents seemed guilt-ridden, yet the anticipation behind that guilt made the boy feel somewhat neglected by his parents. His sister looked paler and thinner, avoiding eye contact. The boy appreciated their concern but wished they would face him squarely. He hoped they would remember him.

The father approached, scratching his head, looking more like a boy than the boy himself. He seemed unburdened by the weight of life. That had its upsides; it was like having a friend. Better a friend than a father who couldn't even manage that much. But now...

The forty-something man spoke to the young boy.

"Welcome back. Has it been a week? Today was your last day of training, right?"

"Yeah. Have you all been well?"

"What could happen to us? You're the most important. Aren't you the pillar of this household?"

"...I suppose."

The conversation stalled, and an uncomfortable silence settled. As if crushed by the atmosphere or finding it hard to endure, the mother stepped in and reached out her hand.

"We've been waiting to have dinner with you. Come on in."

The boy glanced once more towards his sister as he took his mother's hand and entered. She still avoided his gaze, but her reddened eyes were evident. The boy felt melancholic but tried not to show it, fearing it might make his sister truly cry.

His sister was born in autumn, hence named Han Ga-eul*. The boy was born in winter, named Han Gyeoul*. The youngest was born in summer, under a blue sky, hence named Pa-rang*. The reasons behind their names seemed so straightforward at the time. His sister's and brother's names were beautiful. Winter felt cold, lonely, which he disliked. But that's a story of the past.
*In Korean, 겨울 (Gyeoul) = Winter, 가을 (Ga-eul) = Autumn and 파랑 (Pa-rang) = Blue

As promised, dinner was ready, but the menu differed. A separate meal was prepared for the boy, Gyeoul. After the physical conditioning, the focus shifted to dietary management to maintain his body's condition and internal balance. The medical staff staying with the family was tasked with this, managing the boy's diet and lifestyle until the transaction day. It was a relief not to have just weekly family meetings as during the training period. Over the past four months, he had only seen his family's faces on Sundays.

His sister, Ga-eul's complexion seemed even darker. Once as bright as a rose, she had grown thorns as she aged, and now it seemed as if the flower had wilted.

Since reaching a certain age, Ga-eul had taken over the household cooking. She was better at it than their mother. Ga-eul had prepared feasts every week when they met. The medical staff didn't stop Ga-eul's cooking but analyzed the ingredients to restrict what Gyeoul could eat.

Being born during a snow-covered field, the boy still found joy in it. For the next fortnight, until the transaction was completed, he could see his family every day.

After dinner, the medical team took a blood sample from the boy. Glancing at the tablet they held, he saw various test items. Even though he didn't understand, seeing ‘Hematocrit, normal. MCV, normal. MCH, normal. VDRL, negative. Blood calcium, normal…’ reassured him there was nothing wrong. He decided not to worry too much.

He wanted to engage in longer conversations, but it was difficult. His parents kept diverting their gaze, and their restlessness indicated their discomfort. After all, this transaction was illegal, and in a way, they were selling their son's body. The boy tried to lighten the mood with jokes, but his father, usually unhelpful in such situations, dropped a bombshell.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing. How many young people commit insurance fraud to receive post-mortem benefits before they turn 65? How fun are virtual reality games? You'll just play until your brain's life span runs out, your peers would be envious if they knew. Besides, you don't have to study or take college entrance exams, right?"

Gyeoul managed a strained smile, but Ga-eul did not. She erupted in anger at their father's words.

"Dad, how can you say such things? Never to hold hands again, never to embrace again! You think it's nice to just play forever? Why? Then just sell your body!"

"Ga-eul!"

The mother raised her voice, not so much in reprimand as in caution, mindful of the watching medical staff. Ga-eul clenched her teeth visibly, then with tears welling up, she looked at her younger brother and stormed upstairs, leaving her utensils behind. The fallen tears resembled flower petals.

The father tried to smooth things over, saying it was okay. It wasn't. The boy noticed several physical signs of anger.

Did he even have the right to be angry? A rumbling sound seemed to emanate from near his heart, audible only to him.

Gyeoul spent his childhood feeling the cold, in a metaphorical sense. His ability to empathize was honed by his father. He had longed for love, suffering whenever it was absent.

His father wasn't a bad person, he was just impulsive. Capable of befriending his child but also prone to anger, fatigue, and petulance like a child. He wasn't the material of a respected parent. He might be a good father when times were affluent, but in times of scarcity, he tested the whole family.

Gyeoul wasn't sure about others, but such tests would be too harsh for Pa-rang. Even now, the child looked around in surprise, pitifully.

His father's restraint was out of concern for Gyeoul's reaction, fearing a change of heart might lead to revoking consent for the transaction.

Full-body transplantation used to mean transplanting the entire body below the neck when technology was less advanced. With advancements, it now mostly refers to transplanting only the brain and spinal cord.

Using a minor's body for full-body transplantation is officially possible only after a brain death diagnosis and a waiting period of over a month. It must be done at a legally registered medical institution, for citizens who have legally applied for transplantation, in the order of application, after testing for rejection reactions, and must be billed according to the medical fee schedule for full-body transplantation. Thus, the transaction involving Gyeoul's healthy body was illegal.

Interestingly, despite the illegality, the chairman of the Hyeseong Group insisted on the consent of the body donor himself. He claimed it was his moral principle. He argued that breaking the law was justified because the law was flawed. In other words, he disregarded the law while strictly adhering to his own moral code.

Therefore, the father, wanting but unable to express his anger, struggled to find the right words. It would take several attempts to filter his raw thoughts and speak kindly. A challenging task for someone impulsive.

"Listen, son. You know you shouldn't waver over something like this, right? Uh, erm... if you act irresponsibly... it would put us all in a very difficult position."

Irresponsible? Gyeoul silently counted. It was a habit of his. It felt as though a jagged stone rolled around in his chest. The third time today. It was too frequent. It shouldn't be like this. This knot, as old as Gyeoul himself, seemed to age with him. He closed his eyes, envisioning a snowy scene, letting the loneliness consume his anger. After calming down, Gyeoul simply shook his head.

"Don't worry."

Leaving those words behind, Gyeoul focused on his meal. He wanted to go to his sister, but the medical staff's emotionless supervision during the meal prevented it. Adhering to the contract was essential. He had to consume his allotted portion.

Thinking differently, it was Ga-eul's cooking, after all. Delicious. There weren't many opportunities left to enjoy it.

He cleaned his plate thoroughly. Brushing teeth, gargling, and showering were also contractual obligations. The body had to be maintained in top condition. Only after completing these tasks could he and Pa-rang visit Ga-eul's room.

Ga-eul was weeping quietly. Pa-rang, watching his sister and brother alternately, was on the verge of tears himself. It was an age when seeing others cry made him cry too. Before Gyeoul could console him, Ga-eul pulled the youngest close, wiped away his tears with a handkerchief, and reassured him.

"I was just a little hurt. It's all better now, so it's okay."

"Really? Noona's not hurt anymore?"

"Yes, really."

"Hihi."

Pa-rang chuckled adorably.

Ga-eul's room had two beds. It seemed Pa-rang often slept there. Of course, Pa-rang had his bed too. The money received as an advance was almost gone, but more would come with the final payment, so why not, they thought, and bought another. The mother had decided. Gyeoul, accustomed to a life of poverty, wondered if such spending was wise. He kept his thoughts to himself, not wanting to dampen the mood. Again, a clattering noise echoed near his heart, softer this time.

Pa-rang was sleepy after eating. Happy just to be together, the child soon began nodding off. After patting his head, Ga-eul moved back to sit at the edge of her bed, her gaze fixed on Gyeoul. Their eyes met for the first time that day.

Tears immediately streamed from her eyes. Gyeoul was taken aback.

"Noona, why are you..."

As he reached out to wipe her tears, Ga-eul grabbed his hand and wept quietly, her trembling body leaning into him, resting her head against Gyeoul's chest. Her shoulders shook pitifully. Gyeoul held her gently. Droplets fell, a silent sorrow. It was sad, yet it felt as though something long missing was being filled. Specifically, the human warmth he had tirelessly sought from others but never found.

Ga-eul's tearful voice whispered.

"What do we do, what should we do... Gyeoul, you..."

"It's okay. We can talk on the phone, and if you visit the columbarium, we can meet in the lobby."

"......"

Ga-eul responded by tightening her embrace.

How long they remained like that, no one knew. Then came a knock on the door.

"It's almost bedtime. Please come out."

One of the medical staff, a nurse, spoke in a detached tone.

A sharp pain struck Gyeoul's heart once more.

Footnotes:

[1] 형 (Hyung) in Korean means “older brother” and is used by males to call other males. Koreans use this word to refer to their actual brothers, family members, or friends.

[2] 누나 (Noona) is a term used to address an older sister or a female friend who is older than the speaker. It is a term of endearment and respect, and is often used by younger males to address older females. It can also be used by females to address their older female friends.

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