Chapter 207
Shin Da-eun spoke strictly, solemnly, and seriously.
“The defendant, state your name.”
“…Wait, Joanie. What are you doing? Let’s put this down and talk, okay?”
“Kim Do-hyun. His name in Silia is Pine.”
“…Why are you blurting out someone else’s name like that?”
“You can just look it up anyway.”
“That’s true, but—”
“Order in the court!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Da-eun used the wooden sword Yuki was holding as a gavel and struck the floor with it.
Kim Do-hyun, the man whose name Yuki revealed, seemed like he wanted to say something but gave up and closed his mouth.
Perhaps it was because he felt the pressure from Yuki’s hand gripping his arm tightly.
Crunch, crunch.
From my pocket, I pulled out a snack and munched on it while observing the farce.
Director and lead actor: Da-eun.
Supporting actors: Yuki and Do-hyun.
Audience: Just me.
Watching this, it felt like a play performed solely for my entertainment.
The best part? I wasn’t involved in the farce.
When Do-hyun reluctantly shut his mouth, the scene quieted down.
Satisfied with the silence, Da-eun nodded with approval and raised the wooden sword.
“The verdict is… death penalty.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“…Excuse me? How is that a verdict? What kind of judge makes a ruling based solely on a name?”
“Oh.”
That’s quite a reasonable reaction.
While one could argue it’s a bit clichéd, it felt refreshingly straightforward compared to what I was used to with Da-eun.
“Are you serious? Have you already forgotten that I helped you last time?”
“…Your Honor, the defendant is making irrelevant statements to distract from the trial and is insulting the judge.”
“What? When did I—?”
Hissss.
If I had to guess the word Do-hyun said most often in the gym, it would undoubtedly be “What?”
Despite how exhausting it must be, he insisted on challenging everything Da-eun and Yuki said.
“…Ahem.”
“Your Honor?”
Still, his efforts weren’t entirely in vain. At the very least, he managed to momentarily throw off Da-eun’s momentum.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Defendant, please watch your words moving forward. Now, let us resume the trial.”
“Didn’t you already hand down the verdict?”
“That was the first trial. Since the defendant appealed, this is the second trial.”
“Oh, I see.”
Yuki pretended to understand. Do-hyun’s face grew even more incredulous, but no one seemed to care about his expression, including me.
I merely continued observing as the trial-disguised play unfolded.
“What are the defendant’s charges?”
“Child abuse, incitement to murder, attempted murder, assault, and several other charges.”
“…Are you trying to make me look like trash?”
“Order.”
“What the—”
“The court will now pass judgment.”
“….”
What on earth is going on? Do-hyun wore an expression that openly conveyed his thoughts but obediently stayed silent.
Da-eun solemnly pronounced her verdict.
“Death penalty.”
“…It’s the same as before!”
“Did you really think you could commit such heinous acts and be forgiven?”
“I never did any of that…!”
“Prosecutor.”
“Yes.”
The prosecutor, defense attorney, security officer… to sum it up, Yuki spoke.
“Does the defendant admit to conspiring with others to harm the victim?”
For the record, I was the victim in question. Realizing this, Do-hyun’s gaze briefly swept over me.
“…I did, but that’s—”
“Furthermore, does the defendant admit to wielding a weapon with the intent to harm the victim and engaging in malicious behavior?”
“That’s true, but… just listen to me for a second—”
“That’s all.”
“Defendant, do you have any closing arguments?”
“…So this wasn’t just a trial; it was a people’s court.”
Finally understanding the reality of the situation, Do-hyun let out a bitter laugh.
Yeah. It really is fortunate that I’m not in his position.
Rip!
I opened a new bag of snacks and nodded in agreement.
“It’s just a game! I only did it because it’s a game! I’m not some crazy psychopath who’d do that in real life! Or are you saying that because I did it in a game, I’d do it in real life? Can a game streamer even say something like that?”
“…The defendant is currently making irrelevant statements to confuse the judge.”
“Does it even matter when I’ve already been sentenced to death?”
“Defendant, you still have the third trial left. Don’t lose hope.”
“Could you make up your mind? And what assault? I kept getting hit and killed over and over. If anything, I should be the one filing a complaint!”
“Are you denying the charges?”
“I’m not denying them; I’m telling the truth.”
“With the victim suffering like this, don’t you have any shred of conscience as a human being?!”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, the accusations were directed at me. Tilting my head in confusion, I wondered.
Wait, is this some kind of interactive play for the audience?
As the three pairs of eyes turned to me in unison, I looked at them one by one.
Crunch.
I placed a piece of snack in my mouth, pretending I didn’t hear anything.
“The victim suffers from the memory of that day and can’t even eat properly!”
“No, I think she’s eating just fine.”
“…She’s barely surviving on snacks because she can’t eat meals.”
“Oh, come on, say something that actually makes sense….”
Do-hyun brushed his hand over his face, only to realize he was still being held by Yuki.
With a weary sigh, he seemed to age a year more than when he first walked in.
“Haven’t you had enough? Can’t you just explain what’s going on here? What is all this? Is this a hidden camera prank?”
“You already know, don’t you? I’m Kana. My full name is Canaria.”
“So, it’s cosplay? Wow, the synchronization is amazing.”
“No, it’s not cosplay. It’s really me.”
“Didn’t we agree to stop joking around?”
“I’m not joking. Kana?”
“Yeah.”
Slurp.
I licked my fingers clean of grease and, before Da-eun could scowl and say something, I quickly summoned mana.
Unlike how Da-eun struggled earlier, I effortlessly released a breath—or rather, in the blink of an eye, the pink mana swirling around my hand transformed into the shape of a long sword.
“…Huh?”
I heard a confused voice, but as the saying goes, if you draw a sword, you might as well cut something.
I wasn’t planning to stop here.
If I ended it now, he might not believe me, so I needed to make it clear.
And no, it wasn’t because I’d feel regret if I put the sword away too soon.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t any radish or similar object in the gym, so I looked for something else.
My eyes landed on a punching bag hanging in a remote corner of the gym.
I swung the sword lightly, putting in as little strength as possible.
Whoosh.
The movement seemed playful, like a child’s game, but the outcome was anything but lighthearted.
Slash.
Thud!
The clean sound of slicing filled the air, and the punching bag, cut in half, fell to the floor.
It had been installed quite close to the wall, but the sword’s energy cleanly split it in two before dissipating.
“Hmm.”
I nodded, satisfied.
It was a perfect display of controlled power, even if I said so myself.
As I reverted the mana sword, I glanced around.
“….”
Do-hyun stood frozen, his mouth agape.
“Kana, that was amazing!”
Da-eun cheered with sparkling eyes, clearly impressed, though it seemed she didn’t realize how precise my control had been.
Well, that was typical of Da-eun.
I pursed my lips slightly and turned my gaze to Yuki one last time.
Surely Yuki would notice, right?
“….”
Yuki silently stared at the punching bag.
Unlike the other two, she neither showed shock nor cheered.
Instead, she appeared to be deep in thought.
“Kana.”
After a long time, Yuki finally spoke, her eyes still fixed on the punching bag.
“Yes?”
She must have noticed. As expected, while she may be a nuisance, her talent was undeniable.
Perhaps I’d reward her by sparring with her today.
Or so I thought.
“That thing was expensive.”
“….”
The words that came out of Yuki’s mouth were completely unexpected.
“…How expensive?”
“Hmm, about….”
Yuki spread her hand wide open.
“…Fifty thousand won?”
“Fifty.”
“….”
A mere punching bag cost fifty thousand won? I couldn’t believe it.
I stared into Yuki’s unwavering eyes.
Since Yuki was notoriously bad at lying, I could tell she wasn’t making this up.
“….”
“….”
Yuki continued to look at me without saying another word.
Ironically, that silent gaze felt like it was demanding accountability from me.
Rustle.
I searched my pockets but only found snack wrappers. …Of course.
I’d never been paid, so it wasn’t like I’d have money on me.
Even if I did, it wouldn’t be fifty thousand won in cash.
Resolving myself, I spoke with a desperate expression.
“Da-eun… help me….”
…I know it’s shameless of me.
But in this cold, capitalistic society, all I have is my body.
There’s nothing else I can do.
I should’ve said yes when Edel asked if I needed money….
As always, regret came too late.
—
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