Chapter 136. < Surviving (1)>

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Translator: Seven Editor: Yahiko (+ thursdays as of 6/5/2021) PR: LightBrin

1.

The Black Dragon Master stared at me.

You went around calling him the 2nd-year loser of s.h.i.+nseo High School or whatever, Kim Gongja. Thanks to you, some weird stuff is happening in our cla.s.s

The Black Dragon Masters eyes held deep contempt.

But this contempt was short-lived. The Black Dragon Master frowned for a moment before her face returned to its previously expressionless state. It was as though her own feelings made her tired. Even a sigh would not look as expressionless as that face.

Forget it. I dont even want to talk to you about this. Just talking about it makes me feel bad. Dammit! I would have gone to a different high school if I knew thered be bullying here.

Youre the cla.s.s president. Youre responsible for what happens in the cla.s.s.

So what? Are you trying to say its my fault?

The Black Dragon Masters tone dripped with sarcasm.

How amazing. I heard that youve been hanging out with lately and meeting other students one after the other. [Kim Gongja repented. Kim Gongja has changed.] Even the teachers were complimenting you in the staff room. Good for you.

There was a cold sneer on the Black Dragon Masters face.

It must be nice to have it easy like you. Its fine to hurt someone as long as you apologize afterwards, right? Forgive me because I apologized a lot, and then its over. Everything I did wrong was a mistake. The hurt I inflicted was just a joke.

.

And even that should only happen once or twice. But can you say that your whole life was a mistake or a joke? If you stop making jokes or mistakes, will you get ill? Do you think the world is a dump that accepts your mistakes and that people as trashcans to receive your jokes? Sick b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Sc.u.m

She dropped it. The Black Dragon Master closed her lips.

Once again, she stopped just before her emotions became too intense. The Black Dragon Master looked down at her shoes like she was nervous. Since coming to the rooftop, she hadnt looked at the Constellation Killer even once.

Cla.s.s President.

Dont do this to me, muttered the Black Dragon Master. Dont bring me to a place like this with . Youre trying to make me apologize or admit that I did something wrong. I didnt do anything wrong. Youre the one who did

You dont think so.

.

When the Constellation Killer committed suicide in the last trauma, the school desperately turned a blind eye. The cla.s.s used all kinds of tricks and methods to overlook the [incident].

He sent that sort of text. Wasnt he really crazy?

Thats right. In retrospect, hes always been a little weird.

The Constellation Killer was crazy. He was a weirdo.

We, on the other hand, were normal.

Perhaps we sent a text like that to the Constellation Killer as a mean joke. But it was only a joke. It was just a brief deviation from the norm. Everyone made jokes and slipped sometimes, so we were still normal.

Maybe we made fun of the Constellation Killer once. But that was a mistake. We didnt mean it. We didnt do it on purposewe were just swept up into the atmosphere and laughed with the others. We did nothing wrong.

Think carefully about whats important to you and pull yourself together.

Yes, teacher.

And so, the cla.s.s pushed one of our cla.s.smates aside.

Even death or suicide hadnt been able to awaken our guilt.

+

The one that murdered me was you.

Dont forget.

You killed me.

+

Except for one person.

The Black Dragon Master was the only one who didnt say, Yes, teacher. She said nothing,

only bowed her head without a word.

Seriously, dont do this to me

One single bystander remained silent while numerous perpetrators stood proudly.

I did my best. I tried to stop it when I was a first-year. Dammit.

And there were hundreds of reasons why someone might remain silent.

Because of you guys, I decided to do some investigating Did you know? This school is affiliated with Seryun University. There are 10 board members. And among them, Kim Gongja, is your girlfriends parents. You didnt know, I bet. You didnt even know that, but you just bullied like it was natural, right? Even the President of the Seryun Presbyterian Church is on the board. Thats my familys church! We attend every weekend!

The Black Dragon Master covered her forehead with her hand.

Why did I have to learn all of this because of the s.h.i.+t that you guys did?! Just dont do so much, please. Im a second-year now, too I sleep for four or five hours a day because of studying. Im busy. I entered the school as a scholars.h.i.+p student just like I dont know how you guys can just laugh and enjoy your school life!

Ill will was easy.

I dont know if you hara.s.s others without thinking, but!

Goodwill was impossible.

I was so desperate! This school has a f.u.c.king scholars.h.i.+p committee, and our oh-go-great homeroom teacher is there as the second-year students head! You didnt know that, did you? I bet you dont even need to know. Id.a.m.nI mentioned to our homeroom teacher and Please. Stop it. I dont want to know this! Its all disgusting. You, our homeroom teacher, the school, everything Im busy with my own life, so take care of things yourselves!

Sorry.

One reason was enough to commit an act of ill will.

But you needed hundreds of reasons for goodwill.

Sorry? Ha. How sorry are you, really? No. f.u.c.k. Its too late. Dont apologize to me. Dont you dare apologize, Kim Gongja. I dont need an apology, and I dont deserve an apology. And you dont deserve to apologize. Youre trash. Just die as trash. Live as trash until the day you die. Im begging you, never cross my path after we graduate.

Im sorry.

I said dont apologize, you trash b.a.s.t.a.r.d!

The Black Dragon Master kicked my s.h.i.+n. Creak. My bones rattled slightly. Then, she huffed and slapped me in the face.

Violence like curses continued.

I let the Black Dragon Master do what she wanted to my body and said,

This boy. He tried to commit suicide.

The Black Dragon Masters hands stopped.

He would have jumped a month ago. From this very spot.

Silence descended upon the rooftop.

.

The Black Dragon Master turned her head.

It was only then that she looked at the Constellation Killer for the first time.

Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out.

Is thistrue?

She was stiff.

Like it was difficult for her to talk to the person in front of him.

You tried to die?

She spoke carefully.

The Constellation Killer looked at the Black Dragon Master with a blank expression.

Thats right.

.

I dont know how Kim Gongja knew, but hes right. I tried to die.

.

I had no idea that that was what you were thinking, Cla.s.s President.

The rooftop became silent once again.

Slowly.

The Black Dragon Master covered her face with both hands.

Im not sorry

A quiet sob leaked through her fingers.

I dont feel sorry for you. Its just When I was a first-year, I accidentally found out about the schools Board of Directors. I gave up because I thought nothing would come of it even if I revealed everything. During our second year, I tried to talk to our homeroom teacher, but I gave up in the end. Im just that kind of person. Please remember me as that kind of person.

.

But, dont die. Dont die Why must you? You cant die. You cant die because of trash. You cant, . You have to live. Yeah? If you live, you can get into a good university, make money, and get out of this G.o.dforsaken city

I thought about that too, muttered the Constellation Killer. But I thought that these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds would forget.

.

I thought that they would live well while pretending that nothing ever happened. No, I dont think theyd even remember. I hated that the most. I wanted to spite these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Since theyd forget it anyway

The Constellation Killer looked at the Black Dragon Master.

Im sorry, Cla.s.s President.

.

I wasnt trying to hurt someone like you.

The Black Dragon Master fell to her knees. She held her breath, her face covered. She clenched her teeth and tried to hold back any sounds. The force of her silence caused the Black Dragon Masters shoulder to shake.

The Constellation Killer opened his mouth.

There was someone.

He bent his knees.

I didnt think thered be anyone.

Lower.

Until he was the same height as the Black Dragon Master.

Im glad that I didnt die a month ago.

The Constellation Killer slowly wrapped his arms around the Black Dragon Masters shoulders. The Black Dragon Master flinched. The Constellation Killer leaned his head a bit closer to the Black Dragon Master.

Im glad there was even a single person who was worth my forgiveness.

.

Im so glad.

The Black Dragon Master stopped holding her breath. She broke down. The Black Dragon Master couldnt hug the Constellation Killer. She just remained kneeling, letting out the cries that tore out from her heart. The Constellation Killer hugged his cla.s.smate as she did.

Im sorry

The Black Dragon Masters body began to crumble away.

Im sorry, . Sorry. Sorry. Im so sorry.

But it was just her skin that melted into shadows. She did not become a specter.

The Black Dragon Master, whose face melted off to reveal someone else, cried out, Dont die. Please. Im begging you You have to live.

It was the face of someone I knew.

And it was a voice I heard from somewhere.

You can live. We can live. We can live better lives. You have to live, . Ill try a little harder, and because Ill try harder, together lets

[The degree of the traumas implementation is decreasing.]

The iron door to the rooftop was being devoured by the Void.

Black fog slowly crept through the cracks on the iron door like tentacles. Soundlessly, they grabbed the iron door.

Then, they swallowed it.

The void, which had devoured the fifth floor, climbed up the school wall and flowed onto the fence of the roof.

No one cares about you. No one, n.o.body, not one of them You cant die because of those beasts. You have to live. You cant let them ruin your life. Struggle and survive, study, yeah? Enter university, and Go to another city.

I could see the person beneath the Black Dragon Masters skin.

Lets live for all the unfortunate children

At that moment.

Lets make time for children who are less fortunate than us. We can do it. I know we can. Ill help you I, I did a lot of research. I studied. It isnt some dumb dream. If we really try, we can

Something cut into my back.

first, go to the Department of Social Welfare. I need a license.

An electric current surged in my head.

To live here, to survive in the world, we have to be strong. . You have to surround yourself in armor so that other people wont look down on you or bother you. Lets study together. Ill help you I can help you.

Ahh.

What university you go to, what qualifications you have They might seem useless right now, but you can do a lot more with it than without it. We can do what we want to do. its power. We have to become strong first.

Ah.

Lets help the children together. On my own It would be difficult. Yeah. I might not be able to bear it. I might scar the children. But with the two of us. Three. If four people join in, we can do anything. Well be able to do anything.

Director.

Lets work hard

The director of my orphanage.

This world is not everything. It cant be. . We can make a world. Small Lets start small. We can make a world with just the two of us. Please dont die Together. Lets live in a different world together.

The young directors face.

Dont.

You havent done anything wrong.

His voice overlapped with the directors long tired voice.

Now that I thought about it, the director had always been too wary about showing that he loved us.

Dont get twisted because of a guy like me.

He always seemed afraid.

.

The Constellation Killer stroked the young directors head.

I dont think we can make much money.

We wont make much

It seems like itll be hard.

Itll be really hard

However, I think it would be better than now.

The Constellation Killer smiled.

I havent been studying since the second semester of our first year. Itll be a bit tough.

Its all right. Its not too late. Right now, its not too late for anything.

Yeah. Cla.s.s President. In this world

[The degree of the traumas implementation is decreasing.]

Lets survive together.

[The data cannot be recovered.]

The rooftop collapsed.

The school melted.

And the bell announcing the dismissal rang.

[Trauma implementation has ended.]

The possibilities and what-ifs were swallowed by the black Void. Even the Constellation Killers smile. Even the directors childhood, which I never knew about. Even the two cla.s.smates, one crying and one smiling.

The past.

The time of the failed past. The regret. The remorse.

[Confirming that the subjects psyche is maintained.]

It all disappeared.

[The penalty is ending.]

The world was immersed in noise.

.

,

,

.

I opened my eyes.

~~~

(Seven: Hey guys, Seven here.

As you know, Ill be helping thursdays for a bit as they take a break. Im not too familiar with the current progression of the novel(although I read the last few chapters) so if there is anything I missed or perhaps mistranslated, then please dont hesitate to point them out to me.

Ill be doing a chapter every three days effective from 02:30 May 21. Meaning the next chapter will be around 02:30 May 24.

See you next time ^-^.)