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Chapter 56
Translator: Enuma ID
The chat blew up first.
-Kkoka : wait it wasn't a dream it was real??
-BongcheonFireFist : the thing calling her from outside the window was a person??
-LegendDrumBarrel : isn't that a stalker?? yikes
Е̊ n̄ūm̄ а̂.
-TomatoSoup : why'd the vibe suddenly turn cold
-Ertel : thought it was a dream but it's actually real?? creepy as hell
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
DreamSeeker asked in a trembling voice.
"So then...... someone really called my name?"
She added cautiously.
"Don't tell me...... is it a stalker?"
Е̄ ńù m̈а
Ji-hun didn't answer right away.
The scene from before was layering itself over his vision.
A small window facing the street.
A man crouched low beyond it.
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A worn jacket.
A face weathered like someone who'd been drifting outdoors for a long time.
Еn u̇m.а . іd̊
And an old scar beside his left eyebrow.
Even as he watched her sleeping, the man never managed to knock on the window.
He raised his hand, lowered it, called her name a few times, and then drew back.
Ji-hun spoke.
"He didn't come to hurt you."
The chat's reaction shifted.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
-Kkoka : isn't it a stalker
-LegendDrumBarrel : then what is it
-GonggiriZ : he didn't come to hurt her?
-Ertel : i almost called the cops lol
-Amariu : that's even more suspicious
DreamSeeker steadied her breath and asked again.
Е̄ n̂ù m̄а. ǐ d̊
"If he didn't come to hurt me, then what?"
"He almost knocked on the window, then stopped."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"What?"
"Worn jacket. Scar beside the left eyebrow. The moment you stirred, he backed away."
The other end of the Discord went quiet.
DreamSeeker murmured, very faintly.
Ёñ û m̌ ä
"The left eyebrow......"
Ji-hun spoke, gazing past the screen.
"That man. He's your father."
For a moment the chat slowed as if it had frozen, then the messages came pouring in.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
-Mobimoba : her father??
-Kkoka : whoa didn't see that coming
Ŵè b̌ ñо_v̆е̃l̄ Е̃_ńü mа
-BongcheonFireFist : not a stalker but her dad??
-LegendDrumBarrel : where'd the dad come from all of a sudden
-TomatoSoup : am i the only one not following
DreamSeeker couldn't get a word out for a long while.
"No."
She murmured in a small voice.
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"That can't be. That man...... he's the one who abandoned me and my mom."
Ji-hun said nothing.
"He left without a word when I was little. My mom told me. Never to go looking for him again."
The sound of a swallowed breath came over the Discord.
Ji-hun spoke.
"Go outside and check under the window."
Ė nů ḿа̌
For a moment the other end of the Discord went silent.
A little while later, DreamSeeker spoke, swallowing hard.
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"Under the window......."
She continued in a trembling voice.
"There are footprints."
DreamSeeker spoke again.
Е ňū m ā
"And the dust on the outer edge of the windowsill...... it's been wiped clean. Like someone braced a hand there."
Ji-hun said flatly.
"He braced himself there and stood for a long time."
The chat boiled over again.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
-Ertel : insane
-Saengkwi : so it was real... creepy
Е n u m̄ а
-TomatoSoup : whoa just got goosebumps
-LegendDrumBarrel : so it really wasn't a dream
-Amariu : it was actually her dad??
DreamSeeker finally worked up the courage to ask.
"Why would a man like that come looking for me now, after all this time?"
Ji-hun didn't answer right away.
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Brief scenes flickered across his vision.
A crumpled debt notice.
The rough voices of men outside the door.
A woman covering a small child's mouth, holding her breath.
And a man turning his back, slipping away down the alley.
The next part was a little different.
W е́ b́ ň о̊ v̇ е̇l Е nu m̂а̌
Worn work clothes.
Roughened hands.
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A man who couldn't lift his head for a long while even after handing someone money.
The day of a high school graduation.
A man in a gray cap.
The back of someone standing in a far corner of the schoolyard, watching another person.
Е ǹ ùm̀ a.íd
Ji-hun didn't say all of it.
It wasn't a thing to bring up on a live broadcast.
Instead he said, briefly:
"Ask your mom about that."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"......My mom?"
"Yeah."
Ën̄ŭ m̀ ă.
Ji-hun added.
"Go find your high school graduation photo."
"What?"
"There's a man in a gray cap in the back. Look beside his left eyebrow."
DreamSeeker's breathing wavered.
"My dad...... came to see me on my high school graduation day?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Ji-hun answered briefly.
"Yeah."
DreamSeeker spoke after a delay.
"......I'll try calling my mom."
The Discord connection cut off.
The chat went into full uproar.
Е̊ ňùm̌а. іd
-Ertel : argh so what's the deal
-LegendDrumBarrel : i'm asking WHY the dad showed up
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-Amariu : let me in on it too
-Saengkwi : i'm dying to know
-Karibus : tbf it's not exactly something you say publicly
-Kkoka : seriously post a follow-up on the forum later
Е̂ n ũ m а́ . і́d̈
Ji-hun watched the chat, then spoke.
"Next."
***
The next handle the Roulette landed on was CreamMaltipoo.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
The Discord connected soon after.
"Oh my, sir. It really is me, isn't it? Thank you so much."
E n̊ ü mа̇
The voice over the headset belonged to a woman who sounded somewhere around forty.
It was the polite tone that registered first.
Ji-hun cut in bluntly.
"Drop the 'sir.' You're here about college admissions, right?"
CreamMaltipoo's voice brightened.
"That's right. I'd heard you were the real deal, and you really are."
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The chat heated up at once.
-Ertel : the admissions arc has begun lol
-LegendDrumBarrel : knew this was coming
-GonggiriZ : they said the Daechi-dong moms would come and i guess it was true lol
-TomatoSoup : does he do which-college-to-apply-to readings too?
-Kkoka : it's application season so everyone's on edge
Web̊ nô v ӗ ĺ Ӗñ u m̊ а̌
Ji-hun asked.
"So what's the problem."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
CreamMaltipoo hesitated a moment, then spoke.
"It's about my child's application. Her grades are kind of borderline...... I told her to aim a little lower on the department if she has to, but apply to a school with a name."
"And?"
"But she keeps digging in that there's a department she'd rather go for instead."
É ṅ ũm а . іd
The chat stirred.
-BongcheonFireFist : name-brand vs major, the eternal debate
-LegendDrumBarrel : classic fight-starter come application season
-Ertel : you can't help caring about the school's name
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-Kkoka : and the kid's gonna want to do what she wants
CreamMaltipoo let out a sigh.
W ĕb nо̄ v̇ ê l̂ Е̂ n um ӑ
"Honestly, when it comes to college, the name is what matters most, isn't it? At the end of the day, people look at the school first."
In that instant Ji-hun's gaze sank.
What he saw first was the school CreamMaltipoo was pushing.
The acceptance announcement.
CreamMaltipoo beamed.
She called around to relatives and posted the good news in the group chat.
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Congratulations poured in.
But the daughter herself wasn't smiling.
The scene changed.
The very back of a lecture hall.
Eyes that had lost their focus.
Assignments piling up.
Ẁ ӗ_b̂ ñ о̃ v̀еl̃ Е̊ñûmа̌
A leave-of-absence form written and erased over and over.
After a moment the view changed.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Inside a cramped room.
The curtains stayed drawn.
The daughter was curled up on the bed, her phone switched off.
Ji-hun said.
Е n̂.u m̃а .id
"Send her for the name, and your daughter won't last there."
"......What?"
Ji-hun added briefly.
"I mean it literally."
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The Discord went quiet.
The chat hesitated for a moment too.
W е b n о v̌е̃_l Е nǔm à
-LegendDrumBarrel : she won't last, damn
-Kkoka : kinda hard to send her after hearing that no?
-TomatoSoup : i couldn't send her
-BongcheonFireFist : but there really are a lot of households like that
CreamMaltipoo spoke quickly, sounding flustered.
"But that school is the more recognized one. I'm just afraid she'll regret it later......."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Ji-hun cut her off at once.
"Really?"
"......."
"It's not your daughter you're worried about. It's your own pride that comes first."
CreamMaltipoo couldn't get another word out.
This time a different scene appeared.
Е_n̂ů m̄ а̃
It was the Astronomy department the daughter had wanted.
The front row of the lecture hall.
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Notes filled edge to edge.
Days spent shuttling between the library and the lecture hall.
A lab with the lights still on late into the night.
The daughter's hand flipping through presentation slides.
Е̇ nům̄ а
A scholarship certificate.
Life had returned to the daughter's face.
Ji-hun said.
"Send her to the Astronomy department."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
CreamMaltipoo asked in a trembling voice.
"And there...... she'll be all right?"
Ẇe b̃n о v̄ еl̃ Е́ ň um̌ а
"Yeah."
Ji-hun added briefly.
"There, she lives."
CreamMaltipoo couldn't say anything more.
Only after a long while did she answer in a small voice.
"......I'll talk it over with her again."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Don't get greedy."
"......All right."
The Discord connection cut off.
The chat was still loud with talk of college admissions.
-Gimkama : how'd he know she wanted to do astronomy?
-GonggiriZ : next year's gonna be even more cutthroat than this one lol
Е n u m а̀
-Ertel : you'll even have to queue up just to apply lol
-Kkoka : so going just for the name means the kid can't hold up
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-TomatoSoup : the Daechi moms are gonna swarm in as a group aren't they
-SolarBeam : whoa this is actually chilling, sobered me right up from the beer lol
Just as Ji-hun was about to spin the Roulette again.
A chat line he thought had already scrolled past snagged his eye a beat too late.
Ẁ e̊ b ñо v̈e l Еn̂ u m̌ã
-SolarBeam : whoa this is actually chilling, sobered me right up from the beer lol
An ordinary reaction.
But a faint scene flickered out from behind the handle.
An unfamiliar pension. [TL Note: a pension here is a Korean-style vacation rental, usually a standalone house or cabin in a scenic area.]
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Windows shut tight, double-paned and all.
Two children lying side by side on the bed.
Ѐ ñu m̄а̌_
A woman asleep beside them.
And beyond the wall, the low droning hum of a boiler running.
Ji-hun's gaze sank.
"SolarBeam."
The chat froze for a beat.
-Kkoka : huh? a Free Spirit Reading just dropped
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
-SolarBeam : huh? me?
-LegendDrumBarrel : what? out of nowhere?
-SolarBeam : tf what is this
-SolarBeam : why me
-BongcheonFireFist : he's screwed, yikes
-TomatoSoup : a Free Spirit Reading is the one you do NOT wanna get picked for, creepy
Е n ů m_а̀. іd
Ji-hun said curtly.
"Get on the Discord."
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The Discord connected right away.
"Ah, hello there."
A slightly drunk voice.
SolarBeam sounded dazed.
Еñu m а. і̃ḋ
"You're not home right now."
"Uh...... no. I'm not home, but."
"You're at a pension, right?"
"......Yeah."
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"Came with your family."
"Yeah, that's right."
Ӗ ṅû m̌ǎ
Ji-hun spoke again.
"Your wife and kids. They're in the inner room of the place, aren't they."
"......Yeah. They're sleeping. But why do you ask......."
"Wake them up."
"Huh? Right now? They're all asleep, though."
"Wake them up right now."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
At Ji-hun's words, the mood in the chat shifted.
-LegendDrumBarrel : why's he telling him to wake everyone all of a sudden
-BongcheonFireFist : tf is going on
-Ertel : what did he see this time
SolarBeam hesitated.
"I mean, the kids are exhausted right now...... if I wake them my wife's gonna give me an earful."
Е̂ ṅ u m̀а̊. ĭd̆
"Your head feels heavy right now, doesn't it?"
"......What?"
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
"Eyes dry and gritty, stomach a little queasy."
"Isn't that just because I had some beer earlier?"
"It's not the beer."
Ji-hun cut him off flat.
Е̌n̆ ū m̌ а
"Go to the inner room."
The sound of a chair scraping back came over the Discord.
SolarBeam's footsteps followed.
"Hold on a sec."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
As he walked, faint breathing mixed in over the mic.
A little ragged, a little uneven.
Е ń ŭm̌ а̌.ï ḋ
Then the footsteps suddenly stopped.
Thud.
The sound of bumping into something.
"Ngh......."
SolarBeam's voice wavered.
"Hold on. I'm suddenly a little...... lightheaded."
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The chat started to freeze over.
-Kkoka : what
-Ertel : no wait hold on
-GonggiriZ : isn't this actually dangerous?
Ji-hun's expression hardened.
"Brace against the wall."
Е̃n̈um̊а̀
"What?"
"Don't fall. Get to the inner room. Hurry."
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
SolarBeam sucked in a ragged breath.
"Yes, yes. Understood."
He started moving again.
His footsteps were unsteadier than before.
W̊e b ń ôv̈ еl Ӗǹǔ m̄ a
Even so, the sound of a door opening came through.
"Honey, wake up."
There was no answer.
SolarBeam called out again, sounding alarmed.
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"Honey. Wake up. Quit messing around."
Still no answer.
Е́ ǹum̌а
Only SolarBeam's breathing grew rougher.
In that instant the back of the pension flashed across Ji-hun's vision.
An exhaust vent set into the outer wall.
A joint twisted slightly out of place.
Exhaust gas that couldn't escape outside was forcing its way back in through the misaligned gap.
Then the inner room came into view.
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The double-paned windows were shut, and the three people on the bed lay deep in sleep, unmoving.
"The room's kind of...... stuffy."
Ji-hun said at once.
"Don't stay in there long."
"What?"
"If they don't respond, get out right away."
Е́nù m̀ а̄
Only then did the drunkenness drain clean out of SolarBeam's voice.
"Hold on. Let me get the window first......."
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Rattle.
The sound of him yanking at the window.
But right after came a strained grunt.
"Why won't this thing open......."
W̊ е b̌ ṅо̊ṽё l Ё n̆ū.m ã
Ji-hun cut him off at once.
"Stop fighting with the window."
"What?"
"It's carbon monoxide."
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The other end of the Discord went silent for a beat.
"......What did you say?"
Ẅе b̃n о̊ v̄ ё l̆ Е̌ ň ǔmӑ
"You can't keep breathing in there."
"Hold on. I have to wake my wife first......."
"No time to talk to her."
Ji-hun cut him off.
"Grab the kids and get out first."
SolarBeam asked desperately.
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"What about my wife?"
Ji-hun's answer was short.
"Drag her out, blanket and all."
Without leaving even a beat's gap, he added.
"Right now."
*****
Еn ú m̀а̀
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