Labyrinth Exploration 101 - Chapter 88

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Labyrinth Exploration 101 Episode 088

 

An Ordinary Day(4)

 

│Kim Du-gyeom, School Violence Controversy?│

 

│From Seol Ha-woon to Kim Du-gyeom… Explorer’s Past Controversies│

 

│Kim Du-gyeom Opens Up About His Feelings Through SNS.│

 

@kimdugyum

 

Hello. This is Kim Du-gyeom.

 

I’m sorry for causing worry to many people due to the recent stories and controversies surrounding me.

 

However, I have never bullied anyone during my school days. The allegations made are not true, and I am also very bewildered by this situation.

 

I don’t know what misunderstandings and grievances the person who suddenly made these revelations has, but I will make efforts to have conversations and set the record straight to resolve this issue. I sincerely thank those who have believed in me.

 

I will always move forward with a mature attitude. Thank you.

 

Kim Du-gyeom wrote a post on SNS. Though he had panicked for a moment, he quickly regained his composure and responded.

 

The revelation was the work of just one bastard. He even had an idea of who that bastard was.

 

Except for that damn human scum, the rest had taken money and would keep their mouths shut.

 

In other words, if he could somehow bury this bastard, he would win…

 

With that thought, Kim Du-gyeom lied. To his guild manager, to his boss, to the production crew of Labyrinth Exploration NaN, and to the one person he absolutely should not lie to,

 

“So. Kim Du-gyeom, you’ve never bullied this friend?”

 

Main PD Yoon Sa-hyuk.

 

“Yes…”

 

Kim Du-gyeom nodded with a sad face.

 

“There’s no one else who exposed me except for that kid. He’s probably jealous of me… that’s what it is.”

 

Yoon Sa-hyuk stared intently at Kim Du-gyeom.

 

“I’ll ask you one more time.”

 

Thud. He set down a mix coffee in front of Kim Du-gyeom. The dark brown surface rippled.

 

“Kim Du-gyeom.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Kim Du-gyeom met Yoon Sa-hyuk’s eyes. They were excessively dark pupils.

 

Darkness where even the wrinkles of the iris couldn’t be seen. Could human eyes be this deep?

 

“You’ve never bullied this friend?”

 

Ah, but fuck, why does he keep asking if I’ve never bullied him. I haven’t. If I haven’t, then fucking believe me.

 

“…Yes.”

 

Then Yoon Sa-hyuk sighed. Tap. Tap. After tapping the table, he placed his smartphone on it.

 

“I’m sorry about this. Since this kind of leak is the production crew’s fault, you can take legal action if you want.”

 

“What?”

 

Kim Du-gyeom blinked. What the hell is he suddenly talking about?

 

Yoon Sa-hyuk, who had sipped his mix coffee, pressed his smartphone firmly.

 

──That fucking bastard!

 

Kim Du-gyeom’s shoulders flinched at the sudden outburst of profanity.

 

──Should I kill him, that fucking bastard. That fucking cripple, where does he think he’s acting up. I’ll snap his fucking neck…

 

His eyes widened.

 

──That fucking bastard with one broken leg, fucking bastard, fucking bastard for real!

 

A voice all too familiar to Kim Du-gyeom.

 

His own voice.

 

“This… this is some kind of voice synthesis, right? I heard AI has advanced…”

 

The corners of his mouth trembled as he forced out the words.

 

“When you went into the Scout.”

 

Yoon Sa-hyuk continued calmly.

 

“There was no camera, but it seems the recording worked.”

 

“…What? No, no, this is…”

 

Kim Du-gyeom hurriedly looked at the smartphone screen.

 

│Kim Du-gyeom Scout Profanity Leak│

 

It wasn’t a recording file, but a video already uploaded to YouTube. The view count was rising in real-time, and comments were pouring in.

 

“No, no. This is, uh, what?!”

 

“It’s our fault. Since it’s a recording file that could only be obtained by the production crew. The production crew must have leaked it.”

 

Yoon Sa-hyuk stared right through Kim Du-gyeom.

 

“Personally, I’m disappointed. I guess one of the production crew members was disappointed. By the sight of you lying.”

 

“No, no! This shouldn’t happen, this shouldn’t happen!”

 

Kim Du-gyeom shouted as if having a seizure. The desk rattled and the mix coffee spilled.

 

Yoon Sa-hyuk asked quietly.

 

“Why shouldn’t this happen?”

 

“You, you should protect the cast members! That’s the production crew’s duty. Even if there was no camera, leaking is… even now, please announce that this is AI manipulation-”

 

“The production crew’s duty is to produce explorers chosen by the people.”

 

Yoon Sa-hyuk gripped the paper cup.

 

“Sorry, but we have no clause requiring us to protect cast members or anything.”

 

──Fucking hell. Why are there so many people here.

 

The recording still flowing. Kim Du-gyeom hung his head in a daze.

 

“You can decide for yourself.”

 

Yoon Sa-hyuk stood up from his seat.

 

“If you want to hold out until the first tally, you can do that. I won’t stop you.”

 

Though it seemed like he was respecting Kim Du-gyeom, it was a declaration that it was over no matter what he did. Dry and bleak eyes.

 

Yoon Sa-hyuk left Kim Du-gyeom alone and came out.

 

In the corridor were Kim A-rang and four or five writers. Kim A-rang approached first.

 

“…I didn’t know Du-gyeom was that kind of kid. But this, the YouTube views are already at 330,000. It’s been uploaded for about 10 minutes.”

 

“Next week’s ratings will go up a bit more.”

 

“What? No, more than that. Shouldn’t we really find out who leaked this?”

 

“Leave it.”

 

Aaaaaargh!

 

Some beast roared from inside. It was Kim Du-gyeom’s scream.

 

Kim A-rang, who had flinched, scratched the back of her neck for no reason.

 

“Well… tsk. PD Yoon.”

 

“What.”

 

“What would have been the best option? For us and for Kim Du-gyeom too.”

 

“The best option would have been not to leave such a past behind.”

 

Yoon Sa-hyuk answered briefly while making mix coffee.

 

“I don’t understand people who waste the past. It’s the only thing in this world that can’t be changed.”

 

He gestured toward the room where Kim Du-gyeom was.

 

“Well then, good work.”

 

It was a way of saying to handle it himself.

 

“…Yes.”

 

Just as Yoon Sa-hyuk was about to leave, Im Hyeong-uk appeared from around the corner of the corridor and bowed to him.

 

“Good work!”

 

“Get to work.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Im Hyeong-uk approached as if taking over from Yoon Sa-hyuk.

 

“…PD Kim and everyone were all here. I still don’t understand what this is all about. Haha. Damn.”

 

He laughed in disbelief.

 

“But listen carefully. We absolutely have to remove him from the show. This exposé is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve been contacted by second and third victims.”

 

Im Hyeong-uk has an unnecessarily wide network. So most information from the explorer community goes through Im Hyeong-uk before articles break.

 

“The sexual assault is also fact. This bastard Kim Du-gyeom has done this more than once or twice. He paid money to silence them—”

 

“Shh.”

 

Kim A-rang placed her hand near her lips.

 

“He’s still inside.”

 

“…Really?”

 

Thud—

 

At that moment, the sound of something touching the floor.

 

Im Hyeong-uk, who turned to look that way, gasped and stepped backward like a thief caught red-handed.

 

It was Seol Ha-woon.

 

Thud. Thud.

 

His coat tails fluttering, he approached with a particularly pronounced limp today and nodded to Im Hyeong-uk and Kim A-rang. Im Hyeong-uk pushed Kim A-rang’s back.

 

“…What’s the matter?”

 

Kim A-rang faced Seol Ha-woon.

 

“If possible.”

 

Seol Ha-woon asked carefully.

 

“If there’s no separate filming schedule, would it be alright if I took a vacation for two to three days?”

 

A polite request. Kim A-rang and Im Hyeong-uk were a bit surprised. Especially Im Hyeong-uk, who expected him to say something like ‘serves him right after going around badmouthing only Kim Du-gyeom.’

 

“…Yes. We’ll have to cancel even if there were any. It doesn’t matter, so go ahead. But exactly three days. Starting today.”

 

“Yes. Thank you.”

 

Seol Ha-woon turned around immediately.

 

Several writers watched his limping figure from behind with somewhat melancholy expressions.

 

“Vacation… I thought he had a mentality that would be fine even if scratched with a sword. This incident must have been quite hard on him.”

 

The writers each talked about Seol Ha-woon.

 

“Maybe it’s more because his past and personal history were revealed to the public? Someone like him would hate receiving sympathy even more.”

 

An orphan from an orphanage. Registered at the orphanage when his grandmother died at age five.

 

He became a soldier as soon as he became an adult, and though his abilities were recognized by the country, Seol Ha-woon ultimately lost everything.

 

His life is full of misfortune.

 

“He must have been hurt a lot, right?”

 

Someone muttered. Kim A-rang frowned. She turned to look at him sharply and stated the principle.

 

“If that were the case, he wouldn’t have appeared in the first place, would he?”

 

He revealed himself to the world because he wants something, because he desires something. So sympathy is a useless emotion. There’s nothing more meaningless than pitying others. Use that time to worry about yourself instead.

 

“The public will put a price on his misfortune. We’re just helping him get the highest price possible for it.”

 

Kim A-rang gestured to the writers.

 

“Go do your work. We have to proceed normally.”

 

* * *

 

I left the Mitamnan dormitory and sat at the bus stop.

 

│Scout Kim Du-gyeom Swearing│

 

770,000 views · 1 hour ago

 

Someone leaked a recording from inside the Situation Labyrinth and uploaded it to YouTube. The comments were in chaos too.

 

─Wow Kim Du-gyeom so it was all acting..

 

─That bastard should get an Oscar

 

─Seol Ha-woon is getting serious reevaluation.

 

─Du-gyeom, you won’t get far. Get lost

 

─Did the truth-teller see through this too?

 

I was reading comments while waiting for the bus when rustle! The grass swayed and someone appeared and sat next to me.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

It was Seo Ji-woo. I put away my smartphone.

 

“On vacation.”

 

“…Phew. You’re not leaving the show, right?”

 

“Why would I leave? It’s over.”

 

It’s over. Kim Du-gyeom got screwed, and I survived.

 

But I feel strange somehow. It’s not entirely good, and I feel somewhat melancholic.

 

It was unexpected help.

 

Kim Jun-seok. A subordinate who wasn’t very reliable because he was too old and didn’t have much stamina.

 

Lee Do-hyeon. Honestly, I can barely remember his young face, and I don’t even remember his voice – a younger brother from the orphanage.

 

Am I someone who deserves to receive this kind of help from them? Do I really have that right?

 

“…You know. I’ve been thinking about it.”

 

Suddenly Seo Ji-woo rubbed her hands together and spoke.

 

“What you said. It might not be bad.”

 

“What are you talking about.”

 

“What? You don’t even remember what you said?”

 

Thanks to that, I remembered right away. I calmly brushed my hair.

 

“…Ah. That? My mind’s been elsewhere.”

 

“Well. You have reason to be distracted.”

 

“So?”

 

I asked Seo Ji-woo back. Seo Ji-woo looked at the road and hemmed and hawed, then nodded as if she had made up her mind.

 

“A love line. Let’s try filming one.”

 

Excuse me?

 

I was flustered but didn’t show it.

 

“It feels a bit like deceiving the viewers, but in the end we’re providing entertainment, right?”

 

She means let’s try fake romantic tension.

 

Why is she acting like this?

 

But if I push her away here, it won’t fit my concept.

 

Probably, Seo Ji-woo is suspicious of me. She’s making this proposal because she suspects me.

 

If I refuse, I lose.

 

“I’d be grateful.”

 

“Right? Then, shh.”

 

Seo Ji-woo placed her hand near her lips. Then she gestured somewhere. A camera had approached without me noticing.

 

Seo Ji-woo, who had been swinging her legs like she was throwing a tantrum, opened her mouth.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

The atmosphere changed in an instant.

 

Camera action. Acting begins.

 

I adjusted my tone as well.

 

“…It’s none of your business.”

 

“Well, it really isn’t my business.”

 

Seo Ji-woo shrugged her shoulders. She acts well.

 

She fidgeted with her fingers and muttered.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“For what.”

 

“For not… contacting you.”

 

She brushes her hair back as she says this. She can’t stay still as if embarrassed. This acting… no, this is real. Sweat appears on her palms.

 

“I guess… I was scared too. I guess I couldn’t trust you. I thought you weren’t that kind of person, but…”

 

Even though it’s acting, the situation itself of saying these things is embarrassing, so it’s actually becoming Method Acting.

 

“…It’s okay.”

 

I said to her.

 

“I’m used to it.”

 

(With a bitter smile) I’m used to being the villain…

 

Just then, the bus arrived. I quickly got up from the bus stop bench. Seo Ji-woo grabbed my sleeve with her finger.

 

“When are you planning to come back?”

 

“Three days, or maybe two.”

 

“What are you going for?”

 

“Just. There’s something I’m a bit worried about.”

 

The bus stopped in front of me. Finally, Seo Ji-woo let me go and watched me until the door closed. I didn’t avoid her eyes either.

 

…This is fucked up, so fucked up.

 

I sat in the very back seat of the bus.

 

Outside the glass window, the VJ films me, and Seo Ji-woo waves her hand. She also moves only her lips to say ‘take care.’

 

Vrooooom.

 

The bus slowly moves away.

 

When they were no longer visible, I closed my eyes. I gritted my teeth. I leaned my head back and rubbed my throbbing temples.

 

“…She’s really not ordinary either.”

 

As expected of Seo Ji-hyuk’s sister.

 

I’ve got one more troublesome situation on my hands.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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