151

[1]

Friday's morning

When I was about to leave the dormitory early, I saw a message arrive from Seong Gukeon.

[Seong Gukeon] (article link)

Web article early in the morning?

Even though I was dubious, I pressed to check it.

["Taxpayer's precious money is leaking" Uncovering ledger corruption and public funds embezzlement of around 50 public middle schools in Gyeonggi Province]

[Gyeonggi Province Education Office "Enforcement to investigate all public middle school in the whole province"]

Gyeonggi Province, public middle schools, embezzlement and corruption.

The moment I heard those words, I recalled Tallae middle school from which Maeng Hyodon graduated.

After my civil complaint was buried the previous time, I asked Seong Gukeon for help, so it seemed that he dealt with that well.

As a bonus, corruption in other places besides Tallae school was discovered. As expected, my Playable Character was different.

[Me] Thank you.

[Seong Gukeon] I did what is expected from the national representative. It should be me thanking you.

[Seong Gukeon] Contact me again if you need something.

I left the chatroom and checked the list of schools revealed thanks to current Seong Gukeon.

From about 600 middle schools in Gyeonggi Province, about 500 of them were public middle schools.

Among those, about 50 were caught.

After checking the names of those 50, I had a faint feeling of incongruity.

'It seems that the location of all caught schools are all in the vicinity of Tallae middle school. Considering Seong Gukeon's personality, he would have checked the ledgers of all middle schools in Gyeonggi Province, if not in the entire country…'

As I opened a holographic map and checked their locations, I became even more sure.

The middle schools which came out in the list were all in the vicinity of Tallae middle school.

'… Is it a coincidence?'

I tried to think about it, with the information from the game and the information I obtained right now, but it was hard to draw a conclusion because there were so few clues.

"Uisin? I thought you were a dormitory student."

"Hello!"

At the quiet main gates as it was an early hour.

The two members of the Guideline Club, who were in charge of the school gates' guidance, Oh Hyeji and Ma Jinseung, saw me and spoke up.

"Hello."

After I greeted them, Oh Hyeji smiled faintly.

"I heard Sihu's story from Su-hyeok."

At the Cymopoleia, Oh Hyeji actively stepped forward to stand up for Tao Sihu.

It wasn't revealed in the game, but it seemed that the two were quite close.

"I heard that if Uisin didn't call, Sihu would almost have a bad accident when acting like a fool. I'm truly thankful."

"No, I didn't do anything. Teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim was the one who found Tao Sihu and Jang Namuk was the one who dragged that guy back."

"Even so, if he was brought by the Student Department's head-nim, his school or home may have been contacted, you know? If not for Namuk and Uisin, Sihu may have been in trouble. I truly… owe a deep debt of gratitude to Namuk."

Oh Hyeji thanked me one more time, with her eyes filled with gratitude and worry.

As I didn't know what would be a good answer, I turned my gaze down and abruptly her wrist watch caught my eye.

A leather strap wrist watch finished with the rose gold bezel and lug.

The hands pointing hours, minutes and seconds made from platinum[2] and metric decorated with diamonds grabbed my eye.

'Even as a Player with great accomplishments and a young lady of chaebol, it was strange for Oh Hyeji to wear such an expensive wrist watch, but… what bothers me is the sand pink leather and dial.'

Didn't she hold a sand pink burning ceremony together with Ju Su-hyeok not so long ago?

Why trouble yourself wearing a wrist watch in this color?

"Uh? Something wrong?"

"That wrist watch design is cool. Can I ask what the name of the brand is?"

I wanted to dig into its origins, but as I couldn't ask directly, I threw the most indirect question.

"Ah, this? It is…"

Suddenly Oh Hyeji's cheeks blushed faintly as she spoke:

"I heard that this is a custom-made watch, made by Neuru. No design is the same."

You're saying it's a watch not from any other place, but from Neuru, which would make it only once?

Two 0s may be added to the previous watch price I predicted.

'There is no way she would personally choose a sand pink color. She would receive it as a gift.'

Oh Hyeji wasn't in a situation where she was so poor that she would jump at expensive accessories and seeing how she was wearing a sand-pink accessory, I guess she liked the person who sent the gift a lot.

'Wasn't she caught by some strange bastard…?'

Who the hell caught the eye of Oh Hyeji, when even the perfect title hero Ju Su-hyeok couldn't do that?

When I was deeply worrying if I shouldn't investigate it more thoroughly.

"Ack! Isn't that the 1st year class 0's guy?!"

Ma Jinseung's voice raised.

At the side of the main gates, I saw Song Daeseok walking with a depressed face, which somewhat didn't harmonize with his high height.

'Min Geurin said she was going to the art studio early in the morning these days, right? Looks like he is depressed, because not only he can't follow her to school, he also can't see her throughout the morning, huh?'

These days Min Geurin was busy testing all kinds of art supplies provided at the art clubs.

As the club activities will be canceled starting next week, because of the exam period setting off, she was using all the time she could and was absorbed in work.

Because he knew the situation very well and couldn't interrupt her, Song Daeseok seemed even more depressed.

"It's the class 0 bastard, who wasn't attending school for real at that time and then returned wearing a school uniform, right?!"

Ma Jinseung's booming voice smacked my ears.

Song Daeseok stared at Ma Jinseung without hiding his wariness and replied:

"Right. What is it?"

"Are you going to attend school?"

Because Song Daeseok was wearing a t-shirt that was sold at supermarkets rather than the school uniform shirt, the hint that he was wearing a school uniform wasn't conveyed well.

Song Daeseok stared at Ma Jinseung, who blocked his way, as his words continued.

"The pants are a part of the school uniform. I'm not breaking the school rules, so get out quickly…"

"You decided to go to school, huh!"

Ma Jinseung looked at Song Daeseok and spoke loudly and lively:

"Okay, have a nice walk to school! If something happens, call the Guideline Club. Because we're more capable than the Student Council!"

Ma Jinseung spoke with a friendly tone as if he forgot how he was roasted by Song Daeseok in plain clothes and felt unfair about it.

In front of Ma Jinseung with such an attitude, Song Daeseok's spite immediately subsided and he closed his mouth.

I heard the sound of Oh Hyeji mumbling quietly 'Jinseung's hogu[3] is showing up just like before'.

"Then we will go. Hey, let's go."

I was waiting for Song Daeseok to come.

I said goodbyes to the two Guideline Club members and dragged Song Daeseok away.

Song Daeseok, who didn't know how he should respond to Ma Jinseung, obediently followed.

"What, aren't you a dormitory student? Why are you at the main gates?"

"Because I have something to give you."

I wasn't even making a particularly suspicious face, but maybe because of the situation and words, Song Daeseok stared at me as if I looked very suspicious.

"I heard that you explained the satellites well to others the previous time. It seems you're interested in that."

"And what about it?"

"I thought that if I sent a message, you wouldn't check it, so I decided to show it to you in person."

I showed him the intern recruitment notice put in in the Player's Association's notice section.

Song Daeseok, who was frowning before while looking at the hologram, opened his eyes wide.

"If you become an intern at PlayerSAT-K's control room at the Association, you will be able to see it in person."

Song Daeseok, who was walking at my side, stopped.

It seemed that he himself may not have known that his feet stopped.

"Think about it well."

While I said that, I sent a notice link to Song Daeseok.

Leaving him, who stood frozen with a dumbfounded face, behind, I started to hurriedly walk towards the classroom.

***

Just about when the lunch break was about to end.

While I was watching news on the device at the walk trail where humans were rare, I suddenly heard a voice.

"Student Uisin, you're at school today."

Teacher Gong Cheonghwon-nim who appeared without a trace.

There was a hidden meaning in his virtuous and clear voice.

Jamsil Baseball Stadium ticketing, Teacher's Day's visit to Tallae middle school, Heavenly Sacred Tree of the Transcendental Universe.

I said that it couldn't be helped, but I often skipped the Introduction to Enemy Studies class which didn't have many students.

As I was the only one who was skipping the class, he would be worried.

'But how the hell did you find me?'

Thanks to the spot where I usually go being robbed by Hwang Jiho, I changed the location to a new one.

There is no way that teacher Gong Cheonghwon-nim, who recently became a full-time teacher, had the authority to track students' devices.

"Let's go."

"… Yes."

There weren't many classes remaining in this first semester, but I promised myself that I would sincerely listen to the Introduction to Enemy Studies classes as I followed behind him.

The children, who were listening to the same class, similarly to Han Yi, didn't say anything, but as I committed many sins, my conscience hurt.

***

After classes.

After winning a match against the Theater Club ace, Yeon Garam, who came with the support of the entire 2nd year class 0, we arrived at Kim Yuri's house.

"If Uisin didn't stop me, I would have called everyone!" [4]

"Agreed."

"We should have called them!"

I won, but Sawol Seeum and other children, as if they were frustrated that they were pushed away in the cheering war, had regretful faces.

The grade was different, but it seemed that there was a faint sense of rivalry, perhaps because they were also a class 0.

"There aren't so many seats in the match room, you know? This place may be insufficient."

"If there is no space, I can fly!"

"I can't fly, but I can stand."

At Sawol Seeum and Maeng Hyodon's words, Hwang Jiho added a word:

"If it becomes cramped, I can rent a gym, you know?"

Wouldn't getting permission to rent a gym take a lot of time?

But if that bastard personally rents, he would get a rent free pass, no problem, what permission.

"Jiho is right. I wanted to see those fluorescent card stunts that class 0 seniors said they made."

"Even though I wouldn't be able to come, I can paint a support painting for you…"

"… Sorry, I'll call you next time."

As Kim Yuri and Min Geurin also spoke like this, I started to think that I did the wrong thing.

Our classmates wanted to see, so shouldn't I have called them?

"When is the next match?"

"There won't be any for the time being…"

"Even so, shouldn't we make a plan?"

"We should!"

"… Didn't you come here to study?"

Song Daeseok asked like this, but no one paid him any attention.

In the end, until the time to eat dinner, we spent it designing a cheering plan against the 2nd year class 0.

***

National Museum of Modern Korean Art.

On the brink of closing time.

"Painter-nim, hello."

"Uh? Who is this? Isn't it Gukeon?!"

Assemblyman Seong Gukeon and painter Hong Gyeongbok.

Two people ran into each other at the entrance.

"I had no idea you came to Seoul. I would come to visit you personally."

"You're a busy person, what visiting? Hehehe."

Hong Gyeongbok looked at Seong Gukeon as if looking at his own grandchild, while smiling.

"Do you have an interest in art?"

"Yes, I wanted to see painter-nim's painting in person."

"Then I'll guide you."

"Hahee, it's too much for painter-nim to take the role of curator for me."

"Come quickly. I will show you the 'Death of Imoogi' I painted with my disciple. Thanks to the guys I teach increasing these days, I think a lot about the past…"

Seong Gukeon was joking, but Hong Gyeongbok pretended he didn't hear and walked without hesitation.

The sound of Hong Gyeongbok's footsteps, who was walking through the corridor, rang out very cheerfully.

Finally, Hong Gyeongbok stopped in the deepest part of the art museum.

Opposite of him, who stopped, he saw a frame inside of the reinforced glass.

'Is this the Death of Imoogi?…"

It was said to be the collaboration between the master and his favorite disciple, but he didn't feel anything special.

While hiding the disappointment, the superpower wave entered Seong Gukeon's eyes, which received the blessing of a higher being.

Paaa…

After Seong Gukeong examined the painting for a few seconds, the superpower withdrew straight away.

Even with those eyes, it looked like nothing but a simple painting.

'Is it something I can't figure out with those eyes? It would be better if I could hear the story from painter-nim.'

When Seong Gukeon thought so and glanced at Hong Gyeongbok.

Hong Gyeongbok was making a face similar to the time when he lost his disciple in the past.

"Painter-nim?"

Hong Gyeongbok didn't reply to Seong Gukeon's call.

Instead, he turned to the person wearing an art museum staff name tag and spoke with a face alternating between bright red and pure white.

"Call the supervisor. And the police."

"What happened, painter-nim?"

Just in time, the supervisor, who heard that Hong Gyeongbok and Seong Gukeon visited the museum and came to greet them in person, appeared straight away.

Before the supervisor could bow, Hong Gyeongbok yelled.

"How the hell are you managing this place?!"

"Painter-nim, what happened? The management…"

"I don't know how you can manage this place with those eyes. Haaa…"

Furious Hong Gyeongbok pointed at the 'Death of Imoogi' behind the glass wall.

"It's fake. This crude doodle is not the 'Death of Imoogi' me and my disciple painted!"

*~*~*

[1] No chapter title — 'Final test (7)' =-=

[2] platinum — literally 'white gold'

.

[3] hogu — a slang for pushover, someone foolish

[4] "If Uisin didn't stop me, I would have called everyone!" — Sawol Seeum's sentence

Translator's note: What happened to the true Death of Imoogi? Who is behind this atrocious crime and how is it connected to the Dark Mastermind? Will Seong Gukeon solve this case… Find out in (not) the next episode!! *ad break*