Chapter 308 — Context of the Constellations (3)

The door shut me out. I held the door handle and glanced back. Jung Heewon was watching to see how I would act while Han Sooyoung’s eyes were oddly vigilant. Meanwhile, Lee Hyunsung looked like he would melt from anxiety.

I leaned back against the door and carefully sat down. “I won’t enter. Can I talk here for a while?”

This wasn’t anyone else, it was Yoo Sangah. There must be a reason if Yoo Sangah was refusing to meet me. The answer came back after a long time.

-...If you want.

There was no strength in her voice. In the midst of the stillness so deep I could hear people breathing, I thought about Yoo Sangah. It was Yoo Sangah when I was still at Mino Soft.

If you asked me if I was close to Yoo Sangah, I couldn’t say yes with confidence. However, if you asked me what type of person Yoo Sangah was... I might have a few words to say.

“Did I come back too late?” I spoke softly. “I’m sorry. I was a bit too much. The incident where I was late on the first day of my new job and Yoo Sangah-ssi helped me... do you remember?

Yoo Sangah was silent for a moment before replying.

-...You were late both times.

Yoo Sangah looked perfect on the surface but she wasn’t. Yoo Sangah was more sincere than anyone I knew.

“Do you remember searching in the interview?”

-I remember.

Mino Soft’s interview for new employees was quite popular in the industry. Every year, different types of ‘quests’ emerged. The most common ones were ‘raising the interview’s favourability’ or ‘finding hidden interview hints.’ For reference, the quest in the year when Yoo Sangah and I were interviewed was ‘find the interview.’

-...I think I received more help from Dokja-ssi.

“I only found the quest items. Yoo Sangah was the only who worked out how to find the path using the items.”

At the time, I teamed up with Yoo Sangah and found the interview location.

-Dokja-ssi pointed out the inefficient quest routes.

“Sangah-ssi pointed out the causal relationship with the quest upgrade system.”

The ‘quest’ wasn’t simply about clearing it. Identifying problems, weaknesses and finding the efficiency of the quest. This was the core of Mino Soft’s interview. Yoo Sangah and I passed the interview with the highest score.

“It was a pity that we were split into different departments after joining... well, it was a natural thing.”

-...

I joined the QA team while Yoo Sangah was in HR. After joining the company, we barely managed to exchange greetings.

“Yoo Sangah-ssi, I’m happy to be on the same team as you again.” I heard the very small sound of someone breathing. “Just as I did then, I need Yoo Sangah-ssi now. I need someone to help me find the way.”

Lee Hyunsung was looking at me with tearful eyes. Jung Heewon sighed lightly while Han Sooyoung turned her head away. Then Yoo Sangah’s voice was heard.

-Dokja-ssi.

“Yes.”

-I’m not such a good person.

I didn’t know what to say. If Yoo Sangah wasn’t a good person then there were no good people in the world.

-Do you remember the break room incident?

I replied to the unexpected question.

“...I remember.”

There was a case where someone sprinkled pepper in the break room. Thanks to this incident, the company was noisy for a while. The bosses were upset at drinking pepper flavoured coffee and the new employers were criticized.

-I was the one who did it.

“...Is that so?”

-...You aren’t surprised.

“Thanks to you, the newcomers didn’t have to do coffee errands for a while.”

In fact, I knew Yoo Sangah was the culprit. At the time, the QA team were given the task of catching the culprit. As the youngest member, I was mostly responsible for it. I was hiding in the break room while using the cleaning tools as a cover to read Ways of Survival. Then I saw Yoo Sangah entering alone late at night.

-It wasn’t just that.

Yoo Sangah kept talking. Most of the cases were minor but despite this, they changed things little by little. They were events where someone suffered, someone found their lost rights or someone felt happy.

“Yoo Sangah-ssi.”

She wasn’t a character. Yet in fact, before Ways of Survival arrived, she was like a ‘character’ to me. It was because I didn’t think there was anyone like her in reality.

「 “You will be killed.” 」

From the moment the first scenario started, I began to know Yoo Sangah. The person who tried to maintain ‘ethics’ that didn’t exist in Ways of Survival.

「 “I’ll do it Gilyoung. I will do it.” 」

Without Yoo Sangah, the party would’ve surely collapsed.

「 “Dokja-ssi is really good.” 」

No matter what nonsense I spoke, Yoo Sangah smiled and accepted it.

「 “Then I will live an ivory life.” 」 (Sangah=ivory)

If she hadn’t been there, no matter the story I wanted to create...

「 “I never hated Dokja-ssi like I do today. Come back, please.” 」

I wouldn’t have been able to make the Outer World Covenant with confidence.

-I really can’t stand it...

Yoo Sangah’s weak words followed.

I slowly got up. “Yoo Sangah-ssi.”

Yoo Sangah continued like she couldn’t hear my voice. I silently listened to her as I grabbed the handle again. Helping someone who didn’t want help could be a curse. However, some people couldn’t ask for help despite needing help. It was because they had never asked for it before.

...Just like the day I went to the interview.

“Wait a minute, Dokja-ssi―!”

I ignored Jung Heewon’s words and forcibly turned the locked door. The door opened and the scene of the room was revealed. Then I saw three dark faces. Lee Seolhwa, Aileen and... my mother. My mother’s eyes were saying, ‘You came.’

The three people stood on the bed and Yoo Sangah was lying on the bed. Her face was pallid. Her firmly closed lips had no colour. It was the others who had conveyed her words on her behalf.

「 So... 」

Inside Yoo Sangah, the broken stories were flowing incessantly.

***

After a while, I sat down in Yoo Sangah’s hospital room with the group.

“Since when has this been happening?”

“...It hasn’t been long.” Jung Heewon replied. It was Lee Seolhwa who gave the detailed explanation. “The side effects from the excessive use of the stigma are serious.”

I gazed down at Yoo Sangah’s pale face. Yoo Sangah wouldn’t have suffered like this if she had a normal sponsor. Right now, she had the nebula Olympus itself as a sponsor. The unusual Sponsor Contract reduced the lifespan of the incarnation. The ‘lifespan’ didn’t simply mean physical life. It was the ‘lifespan of the story.’

“The soul has fallen asleep under the consciousness and all that is left is the stream of consciousness.”

She repeatedly used a stigma she couldn’t afford and the absurdity accumulated in Yoo Sangah’s soul. Probability created cracks in her mind and body and the stories eventually started leaking out of the cracks.

Aileen added, “Story packs are constantly transfused and the broken fragments collected and re-added. Nevertheless, there is no difference.”

I couldn’t think of what to say as I watched Yoo Sangah. It was because of me. I came back too late...

“I told you not to go in because you would make this expression.” Han Sooyoung grumbled.

I bit my lips and asked Lee Seolhwa. “How much time is left?”

“3 months...”

“Is there a way?”

“As of right now... there is nothing we can do here.”

“It might be possible somewhere else.”

[The constellation ‘Guam Divine Doctor’ is nodding.]

The sponsor responded on behalf of Lee Seolhwa.

[The constellation ‘Guam Divine Doctor’ says Incarnation Yoo Sangah’s disease isn’t a human disease.

Human diseases could be treated using human power.

...Then what if it was a disease of the gods?

[The constellation ‘Demon King of Salvation’ is looking up at the night sky.]

In the dark Star Stream, several small stars shone.

[The constellation ‘Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth’ is looking at you.]

[The constellation ‘God of Wine and Ecstasy’ is looking at you.]

All of them were stars of Olympus with a connection to Yoo Sangah. Suddenly, my anger soared. Certainly, it was Yoo Sangah herself who used the power. Even so, it was Olympus who induced such an absurd contract in the first place.

[Olympus, you can bear the probability.]

My true voice headed towards the night sky. A few stars shone again.

[The constellation ‘Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth’...]

The next moment, the indirect messages were cut off by unknown sparks. The shining stars were no longer visible. Someone had interfered with the indirect message.

I spoke through gritted teeth. “If it is them, there might be a way.”

There was no one here who didn’t know who ‘they’ were. Jung Heewon’s expression darkened. “However, there is no way to ask for help. We made a few attempts but...”

The constellations were selfish and did what they wanted. They only looked at stories they wanted to see or listened to stories they wanted to hear. If Yoo Sangah was still in this state, it meant the high level constellations didn’t want Yoo Sangah’s miracle.

Han Sooyoung asked, “Why don’t you go to the Underworld like you did last time? You’re friendly with the queen.”

“The situation at that time was special. In addition, Yoo Sangah isn’t dead yet. Besides, she isn’t like Biyoo.”

In fact, I contacted Persephone but there was no answer. It was also a difficult situation. It was already lucky that Shin Yoosung could be reincarnated as Biyoo. Most deaths in this world were literal deaths. Reincarnation and regression were just miraculous stories of the Star Stream.

“You said Jang Hayoung went to perform another scenario?”

“...He went pretty far.”

If Jang Hayoung was here, I could’ve sent messages directly to the constellations... I looked at the face of the sleeping Yoo Sangah and thought.

「 How to save Yoo Sangah? 」

In the end, there was only one method. I slowly breathed in. “There is still a way. It is a bit earlier than I expected but...”

“We have to clear the 46th scenario first.”

The low and cold voice interrupted my words. I turned around towards the man.

...He appeared like he had been waiting. The group of people who had been dispatched to destroy the Gyeonggi Alliance was standing at the door. Shin Yoosung, Lee Gilyoung and Lee Jihye. In addition... Yoo Jonghyuk.

The children ran into my arms and hugged me. I stroked Shin Yoosung’s head while watching Yoo Jonghyuk. He stared at me ferociously before glancing at the other party members.

“It is time to meet the constellations.”

“The constellations?”

The wind blew through the slightly open window. Two dokkaebis appeared in the distant sky. Perhaps they were those who came to prepare for the next scenario. Beyond that, the number of constellations watching the scenarios increased. I pointed to the stars and declared. “There are constellations present in the 47th scenario area.”

The 47th scenario. It involved the interstellar cities of the constellations and the ‘constellation context.’

“Let’s go destroy Olympus.”