Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 364

364. It Had to Be Such a Wretched Fate (2)

October 30, 2022

“What do you mean, nonsense…? I’m serious…? I think you’re acting like this because you don’t understand the gravity of the situation…”

“No.”

Not understanding the gravity? Bullshit.

Yeon-woo could confidently say that he understood the situation better than Gabriel.

Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud.

But one thing was certain.

“It was just bad luck.”

“……”

“And you just failed to overcome it during that unlucky time and were left behind.”

“Left behind… That’s not wrong.”

“Why are you blaming yourself when the surroundings were strange from the start?”

“It’s not my fault?”

“Yes. Well, you’ve been pampered since you were young, so you might have become a bit arrogant, but what’s the big deal? If people died because of that, there wouldn’t be anyone left in this world.”

How many hopeless pieces of trash are there in this world?

As Yeon-woo said that, Gabriel cautiously asked back in a hesitant voice.

“So… is that so?”

“Yes.”

Yeon-woo said firmly.

“You said you started seeing strange things after Jennifer’s accident, right?”

“…Yeah. I thought Jennifer was punishing me for not listening to her. And that’s the truth.”

The reason why Gabriel couldn’t come to his senses after Jennifer.

One of them was that he started seeing strange things.

‘I already had a hunch, but the situation fueled it.’

The accumulated shock from childhood.

The trauma that was revived once again by losing someone close.

Decisively, a strong desire to miss the dead.

‘If I had been thinking straight back then, things might have been different…’

It’s no one’s fault.

Not Gabriel’s fault, nor Jennifer’s curse.

It was really bad luck.

Gabriel, whose mind had become as fragile as it could be, yearned to see the dead again.

It was a natural course for his spiritual eyes, which wanted to see the dead, to open.

“Even now, Jennifer is always watching me… Resenting me that… if I hadn’t gone out recklessly back then, she wouldn’t have died.”

Gabriel buried his face in his hands.

And such Gabriel…

[Why is he being such a drama queen? I thought he was a drama queen.]

‘Well, what… if you receive such brainwashing since childhood and experience such a thing when the wound is about to heal, it could happen… but… still, he’s being too much of a drama queen.’

One spirit and one human, who were very familiar with this kind of thing, were watching with a sigh.

‘I roughly understand why this human is called an unfortunate neighbor.’

Gabriel’s long story, slowly unraveled.

Listening to the old wounds of the past that he had difficulty bringing up, Yeon-woo could finally understand.

Well…

In the first place, a human with spiritual eyes cannot be anything but unfortunate.

From the moment they deviate from the ordinary, misfortune is already foreseen.

“I’ll understand even if you break off ties with me now, Yeon-woo.”

“Why are you having such useless thoughts?”

“Unlucky things can happen to you too. It was the same with this OST [Original Soundtrack].”

“It wasn’t intentional, was it?”

“But in the end, something almost happened again. Still… I thought you’d be more scared, but you’re not. …I’m glad.”

A small thank you followed after that.

Listening to those words, Yeon-woo sighed deeply.

‘Is there anything to be afraid of? That side’s horror is like my daily life.’

Yeon-woo thought.

‘First, it would be good to change that strangely twisted thought.’

Normally, he wouldn’t even think of paying this much attention.

Why?

‘Because it’s annoying!’

People’s thoughts don’t change easily.

Yeon-woo felt that painfully while living for over twenty years.

Even close friends, when they heard the story of a child who sees ghosts, would be swayed by that prejudice and distance themselves. It wasn’t just once or twice.

‘Since they won’t listen no matter how much I explain, there’s no need to explain.’

Annoying means that.

But it was different from usual in that he couldn’t do that to Gabriel.

‘Of all people, this human also has a wretched fate…’

That sense of kinship.

Having spiritual eyes is also a painful thing.

But of all people, Gabriel suffered alone across the distant land.

‘I at least had Ms. Kang, the child spirit, and the old men of the shrine…’

But Gabriel would have had no one.

The reason why his fall was faster and steeper.

It was obvious even without hearing more.

‘The difference between having someone to help you and not is also very big.’

Especially that tremendous pressure of knowing a world that no one else knows.

No matter how much you tell other people, they don’t understand.

It’s just seeing something a little different.

That alone is enough to be banished and rejected from the concept of ordinary ‘us’.

“It must have been hard.”

You can guess enough without saying anything more in detail.

Not only being treated like a crazy person.

He probably would have been treated like a drug addict too.

As much as it is a country where all kinds of bizarre drugs are circulating, it wouldn’t be difficult to frame Gabriel, who sees strange things, as an addict.

“It must have been very hard.”

In the end, all Yeon-woo could say was clumsy but sincere comfort.

“Yeah… it was very hard…”

Gabriel’s expression was complicated.

He would have accepted it even if Yeon-woo kicked him out of this place right away and treated him like a crazy person.

It was a familiar thing, even if it stung.

But Yeon-woo didn’t.

Rather.

“It’s the first time.”

He comforted him.

“There are people who ask me if I’m okay, but no one has ever asked me if I’m having a hard time…”

Gabriel’s blue eyes began to overflow.

The question of whether he was okay could be interpreted in various ways, but the ‘are you okay’ directed at Gabriel was mainly of this kind.

-Can you take a pictorial in your current condition?

-You’re not about to collapse, are you?

-Is conversation possible?

It was just a perfunctory question that was just a status check.

But Yeon-woo’s question of ‘are you having a hard time’ was completely different.

Not for the sake of interest, nor for checking the status indifferently.

It was truly filled with understanding of this side and human compassion.

It was such a warm question.

“You endured well alone.”

“…I boasted in front of you, but honestly, I’m past my prime now.”

“You said you’re going to start working again. Then you’ll be able to go back to the way you were before.”

“Is that so…”

“It’s not like you’re doing drugs or addicted to alcohol like other people say, or that you’re ruined in some way, is it?”

“That’s true. I… didn’t want to escape. Because I have a sin…”

“That’s just a case of terrible coincidences overlapping, you know?”

“But…”

Yeon-woo sighed with his arms crossed.

I understand why he’s being such a drama queen.

‘But if I don’t correct that misunderstanding, he can collapse again at any time.’

That would be a problem.

‘Of all things, the story is like this.’

It can’t be helped even if it’s empathy.

It was an irresistible force to pay more attention and feel sorry for him than others.

‘It’s not a situation where I can pretend I don’t know.’

The situation is pitiful, and the duty to raise him well has been forcibly created.

Of course, if his heart doesn’t move, he can ignore all the quests and give up.

Yeon-woo had already noticed early on that there was a kind of blind spot in the missions given suddenly.

‘There is no deadline for the mission.’

There are cases where conditions are attached to the mission itself.

For example, in the case of UTT [Unknown Talent Tournament], there is a condition that you have to win the competition.

In this case, the deadline is the time when the competition is completed.

But missions that require perfect revival, like Trevi, have a very vague period.

‘In other words, it doesn’t matter if you don’t produce results for the rest of your life.’

When you think about it, it’s not a failure.

What can I do if the song isn’t made?

You can stretch out like that.

‘It would be a very sorry thing for Trevi…’

Anyway, it meant that Yeon-woo could put it off.

He won’t be able to succeed in the mission, but he won’t fail either.

You can’t refuse a mission that is forcibly given, but you can use tricks to dig into blind spots like this.

But Yeon-woo didn’t do that.

‘It’s definitely pointing to some direction.’

I don’t know what kind of big picture those old geezers above are drawing.

But Yeon-woo has noticed one thing while following a series of flows over the past few years.

‘There is a certain flow.’

At the time of receiving the mission.

‘Are those old geezers crazy? What kind of mission are they giving me?!’

I can’t help but think that.

Besides rewards like lifespan and fever time, I also get the feeling of what the hell are you giving me.

But strangely, really strangely.

That reward will definitely be used someday in the future.

Even a very small reward did.

‘It’s like an arrangement in preparation for someday…’

It was a thought I had once before.

So in the end, I have no choice but to carry out the mission.

After all, after several experiences, I learned that it is helpful in the end.

“But… would Jennifer want only me to be happy again?”

Gabriel said hesitantly.

“Jennifer reappeared not long after you left. It’s like she’s giving me a punishment for being too excited for a while after meeting you, Yeon-woo…”

“Do you think so? That she’s giving you a punishment?”

“Yes. She died because of me. Jennifer died because I did something wrong. It’s natural for her to resent me, right?”

I don’t know.

Yeon-woo recalled one of the spirits caught in his senses.

With the senses and barrier spread out evenly, it would be difficult for any *japgwi* [minor or miscellaneous spirits] to approach.

However, ‘Jennifer’ continued to linger by Gabriel’s side despite that.

‘It doesn’t seem like she’s left as a vengeful spirit because of resentment, like that guy said.’

“Then can I get rid of her?”

“No. You can’t do that.”

“Then does that mean you’re going to continue to suffer and carry her around?”

“Jennifer has the right to resent me…”

Yeon-woo sighed with his arms crossed.

‘I wanted to see Jennifer, so my spiritual eyes opened, and because of that, I saw other *japgwi*, which strengthened that delusion… But how do I change this… Ah. Wait. Can I do it like this?’

Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

“Then how about meeting her in person?”

“Huh…? Who?”

“Who else would it be? Jennifer, of course.”

“Meet Jennifer?”

Gabriel was shocked.

In contrast, a smile hung on Yeon-woo’s lips.

*

‘Misunderstandings are best resolved by meeting in person and looking at each other’s faces.’

However, Gabriel, the person involved, had a bewildered face that didn’t know what was going on.

“Meet Jennifer… in person? How?”

“Have you ever tried to talk to Jennifer until now?”

“No… I couldn’t communicate. She just kept crying while looking at me. But the words she wants to say are obvious. She must be resenting me.”

“I don’t know.”

“…How are you so sure?”

Of course, it’s because he felt the energy of that spirit.

If it was a vengeful spirit that resented and harmed him, he would have already finished subduing Jennifer or anyone else related to Gabriel’s past.

“You can’t move forward if you’re tied to the past.”

Yeon-woo himself knew that better than anyone else.

He too was caught up in the memories of the past and was quick to be wary of his surroundings.

It was thanks to realizing the existence of those who liked him without any compensation that the wound healed.

‘If I had continued to be trapped in the past, I wouldn’t have been able to take a single step properly.’

He would have been afraid of challenges and would have only tried to hide.

And then he would have died without fulfilling his lifespan.

The end.

It would have been a very bland ending.

‘It’s the same with Gabriel. This is the fork in the road.’

Yeon-woo instinctively sensed it.

This moment, like it was for Yeon-woo, was Gabriel’s fork in the road.

Such a fork in the road that would determine whether he could move forward or not.

‘If you can’t seal the wound, you can only achieve half-growth in the end.’

That’s why Yeon-woo made Gabriel face the truth.

[Gabriel……]

A spirit shedding tears stood before him.