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SSS-Class Suicide Hunter (Web Novel) - Chapter 284: Final Vote (5)
Chapter 284: Final Vote (5)
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml
Translator/Editor: Ryuu
Snip.
The hairdressing scissors crossed in mid-air.
“…Are you sure you want to leave it to me?”
“Yes."
My reflection in the large mirror nodded back.
Over my shoulder, the orphanage director wore an unconvinced expression.
“I want you to cut it, Director. It’s a strong wish of mine.”
“The phrase ‘strong wish’ always sounds odd to me. It's as if a wish doesn’t come true unless it's strong. Interestingly, right now, you are tied with a white cloth around your neck, and I hold quite sharp scissors in my hand.”
“Ah. Considering I’m an A-rank Hunter and you’re F-rank, it becomes even more interesting.”
“Sigh…”
The director exhaled expressionlessly. Snip. The scissors made another unnecessary swing through the air.
“It’s not too late to change your mind. Black Dragon Witch has prepared a professional hair designer for you. It’s disrespectful to her if I, an amateur, handle this for a press conference.”
“Director, think about it.”
“Here we go again…”
“If you cut my hair, first of all, the hair designer will be happy. He gets paid without working, as he’s already called to standby outside right now. You mentioned it’s disrespectful to Black Dragon Witch, but she's close friends with me. A little discourtesy like this is fine. After all…”
“Enough. I get it.”
The director sounded weary.
“I shouldn't have encouraged debate during your lessons. You all became slick talkers despite being fools at heart.”
-Indeed. You were the culprit behind his slick tongue…
Guardian Spirit commented, as if solving a decade-long mystery. But since the director couldn’t hear, she kept mumbling.
“Kim Han-Bi was even flying around on broadcasts. Sometimes, I wish I could stitch his lips shut.”
Kim Han-Bi, formerly known as Kim Han-Bi-Ja. Who exactly is he?
Seems like a guy who would star in a spin-off, playing a politician engaged in blackmail, violence, and betrayal…
“So… are you really going to make me cut it?”
“Yes."
“Don’t blame me if it turns out badly.”
“Of course."
“It’s not my fault if you look bad. It’s just your inherent ugliness showing.”
Isn’t that a bit harsh?
“Relax. I won't let it get to you.”
Snip—
The scissors cut through my hair.
"......."
I watched the mirror impassively. The director was also expressionless, focusing on the haircut. Recalling the old times made my lips curl into a faint smile.
“You used to cut our hair, Director.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Volunteers used to come from the nearby barbershop, didn’t they? Why did you bother learning it yourself?”
“Volunteering isn’t always free. They sometimes require paperwork, and it's only right to treat them well when they come. Plus, you have to give them a tip. If they come from far away, you have to pay for their taxi fare too.”
“I see…”
“I thought it would be better to learn and do it myself.”
Snip.
"......."
"......."
Snip.
“Did it embarrass you?”
“Maybe a bit…”
I cautiously nodded.
“A bit, I guess.”
“Because of the school kids?”
“Yes. I couldn’t even say our Director cut it…”
“Understandable. Even kids who have their hair cut by their parents feel embarrassed at that age. Surprisingly, children care a lot more about their hair.”
“I think I used to say a sister or brother I knew cut it.”
“That makes sense.”
“Kids can be cruel, right?.”
“What do you mean? They become even more venomous when they grow up.”
Snip.
“I learned it diligently, knowing they’d be embarrassed. Was it for about 2 years? I think I became quite skillful, but just the fact that it was cut at the orphanage made them self-conscious.”
"......."
“Doing good is always like that.”
Snip.
Black clumps of hair fell.
“Gong-Ja, even the best intentions can’t overcome a single point of someone else's embarrassment. No matter how hard you try, the process of your efforts is never painted in the other person’s mind. Volunteer work is always seen as clumsy, and people easily mock it.”
“Is that a downside to accept?”
“No.”
Snip.
“You just have to be more thorough.”
The sound of hair being cut resembled silk being sliced.
“Thinking back, I shouldn’t have cut hair in the director's office. While cutting, other kids would peek through the window. That’s why they felt embarrassed. I should have cleaned an unused storeroom, covered it with proper curtains, and set up a system to use it only for haircuts.”
"......."
“That’s how much calculation goes into cutting a child's hair once. You must anticipate the child’s embarrassment, analyze why they feel that way, and create a system to prevent the cause of embarrassment.”
“Ah."
I blinked.
“That’s why a beauty room was made when we entered middle school?”
“Yes. I bet it was the prettiest room in the whole orphanage.”
“Right."
I recalled how my juniors enjoyed visiting that room.
“It’s fascinating… something…”
“Clever?”
“Yes, and…”
“Diligent.”
"......."
Hmm.
I’m beginning to see where half of my personality comes from.
In the mirror beyond, the Guardian Spirit seemed to have realized something too.
“Remember, Gong-Ja. Good deeds, virtue, don’t materialize just from good intentions. Instead, plan as if you're about to do something really bad.”
“Something bad…?”
“When trying to help someone, plan as if you're plotting their murder. In your mind.”
Snip.
“Murder isn’t achieved just by intention. It doesn’t happen automatically, never. But if you must commit murder, what should you do?”
“You prepare the tools first.”
“And then?”
“Choose the murder location and time.”
“And then?”
“You learn about the victim's lifestyle. That way, you can murder them when they're most off-guard, and there’s the least chance of getting caught.”
“And then?”
“…After the murder, you think about the body. Where and when to dispose of it, how to ensure it doesn't get discovered by the world, preparing an alibi in advance. And if the police come to investigate, you plan the expression, face, gestures, and words you'll use…”
“And then?”
“If you get caught, you think about that too. Escape routes, lawyers, defense arguments, or maybe a public opinion campaign, psychiatric evaluations…”
“That’s right.”
Snip.
“Even villains put that much effort into a single act of evil.”
"......."
“Gong-Ja, if you want to do good, you must be more thorough than any villain.”
Creak.
“Don’t expect your kind heart to comfortably change the world for you. It’s not your intentions that create miracles. It’s your actions. Actions are better the more thoroughly they are calculated, analyzed, and implemented.”
"......."
“Did you calculate thoroughly?”
Thud.
“Don’t overlook the emotions others might feel due to your frank attitude and good heart, even unconsciously.”
Thud.
“Have you considered potential enemies to your plan? Did you simulate the smallest to most annoying possibilities? Do you know the identity of your enemy? The media? Public opinion? Your image?”
Thud.
"You need confidence, Gong-Ja."
Thud.
“Goodness is like water, but it’s not a river that flows gently down the mountain, nor a waterfall that breaks everything in its path. If goodness is water, it’s simply a well. When the season is dry and the land parched, you have to break the soil and shatter the rock to finally draw a bucket of water from the well.”
Thud.
“Kill them.”
Thud.
“Proceed with your good deeds as if you’re about to commit a murder.”
Thud.
“Then, finally…”
Thud.
“Those who stand with you will feel proud.”
Yes.
Director.
I understand.
Now, where to?
To do some good.
“Ah! Master!”
Heretic Inquisitor.
“The venue is ready! Ahaha. Preparing in just a day was indeed a challenge. For this past week, we mobilized all the manpower of the Temple of All Gods to set up the space!”
Did you consider the presence of a traitor within the Temple of All Gods?
“Yes! I even deliberately baited them, thinking they might plant a bomb or something. Hmm. No bites, though. It seems they are more meticulous than I thought.”
Right.
But they won’t be more meticulous than us.
“Ahaha. Of course!”
Good.
Bambolina.
Let's go.
“Security is perfect.”
Black Dragon Witch.
“Just between us, Black Dragon is actually composed of four separate organizations, each working independently. They compete and scheme against each other. I had them take turns inspecting security, promising to cut the funding of any group that misses a loophole by half. They were all eager, but nothing was found.”
You still have a ruthless way of working….
“So what? That's who I am. Don’t like it?”
Having a reliable friend like you is a fortune in my life.
“Oh my. Thanks for telling me the truth."
My pleasure.
Anastasia.
Let's go.
"......Your attire is the same as usual. It doesn’t look shabby."
Paladin.
“Your hair looks a bit roughly cut. Are you really okay with that? Most of Babylon's residents are coming to see you, maybe even to speak, and probably to curse at you.”
The Director cut it for me.
"Hmm?"
She used to do it often when I was young.
"......."
I’m thinking of bringing it up when I get the chance.
"......?"
This is the most comfortable for me.
It feels like the Director's warmth is still on the ends of my hair, reminding me where I came from, where I am. It’s comfortable.
I wanted to meet everyone in my most natural state.
—Something like that.
“Really……. Is it intentional?”
Yes.
“A good strategy. Even better because it's not a lie. You’re exploiting your orphanage background to create a strong impact on people. That’s......"
“Hmm. Since everyone in the Tower has lost their hometown, it should resonate strongly.”
Countess.
“While it may sound harsh, your background isn’t a negative but a huge plus in the Tower. There are many who've lost their families. Losing a country applies to all residents. Being an orphan symbolizes losing everything from birth. But…”
Overdoing it could backfire.
“Oho?”
My background is just a slight catalyst for empathy to start the conversation. That’s it.
Dragging out the orphan story will bore or even annoy the audience. We are people who, despite losing much, decided to live anew.
“Right. A very apt observation....Hmm. I thought you were just going to show a naïve face at the press conference, but you're not that type. I trust you a bit more now.”
Pioneer.
“Hmm?”
We’re not refugees or exiles.
‘Residents of the Tower’ sounds too bland.
People here, they need a name.
"......."
From now on, I’ll refer to those living in the Tower as [Pioneers].
“Ha."
A name defines a person's life.
How one greets the day changes.
Waking up in the afternoon thinking, ‘I'm unemployed’, versus waking up at dawn thinking, ‘I'm a working person’, changes the day. Accumulated days transform into different lives.
Countess.
We will be Pioneers.
Starting today.
"......."
“…What to say about that.?
"Hmm."
“It’s truly a thought befitting your real name.”
“Such a Kim Gong-Ja* remark.”
*Reminder that his name means Confucius.
Let’s go.
Patricia.
Nisha.
“I've decided to oversee the meeting’s security myself.”
Sword Saint.
“As the Vice-Captain, you should join the stage and take questions. For now, I’ll act as the Captain of the Vigilante Corps and oversee the security inside. Don’t worry about any accidents, as long as you’re there.”
Thank you.
Mr. Callenbury.
“We’ve finished checking everyone entering the meeting.”
Viper.
“Using skills really makes it easier. Detecting weapons, explosives, poisons, just positioning those with such skills does the job. Haha! Though there were hundreds of thousands lining up, our guys managed to clear them all efficiently. It’s a good time we live in.”
“Internet around here will be down for a while. I asked the Wide-Area Communicator, ranked ninth, for a favor. Even if someone secretly records, they won’t be able to broadcast it. So..."
“The meeting will be like a small, isolated island. If the Tower is an isolated island from the outside world, then within that island, another secluded island is being created, perhaps?”
“Hey, hey, don’t interrupt me. Anyway, that’s right. We’ve confiscated all smartphones and recording devices at the entrance. People were so annoyed! Our Celestial Martial Guild members nearly died out there, man.”
“You only know how to use brute force. We have to find some way to use you.”
“Huh? Are you challenging me to a guild war?”
“Look at him, getting all high and mighty just because he sparred with Kim Gong-Ja….”
Ahaha.
"Huh?"
No, I’m just happy.
"......?"
Let's go.
Liǎofàn.
“Leave it to me!”
Great.
“However, there’s a huge crowd at the meeting. Wow. It spilled from Babylon Square to the alleys?”
“Ho, are there really so many people? We were so focused on the preparations that we didn’t notice the current situation!”
“Yeah! Basically, everyone living in the Tower is there. It’s a whole different level from when you first held a press conference.”
Thud.
“Hmm… Since the public can ask questions too.”
“The fact that they can see all of us together adds to the appeal. The media has already started spreading ridiculous stories. Claiming that the five great guilds are about to unite into one...”
Thud.
“Ahaha. It's easier to think of it as preheating the grill for us!”
“In case the meeting runs long, we’ve cleared all buildings, accommodations, and hotels nearby. No problem. Most of them are owned by me anyway. Be it half a day, a full day, two days, three days, or even four—"
Thud.
“Let them talk as they wish, Kim Gong-Ja.”
Okay.
“We are always ready to support you.”
Everything is ready.
Alright.
Don’t forget to smile.
Even if it won’t be recorded or remembered.
We are about to converse with all the [Pioneers] living in the Tower.
"......."
Politely.
With respect.
Even if they see us as demons, monsters, blackmailers, agitators, we will always treat them as individual humans.
“…That’s a tough conversation.”
“You're talking about it so casually. Really.”
Can we do it?
“I’ll try my best.”
“I'll give it my all.”
Okay.
Good.
Then, Bambolina.
“Yes! Master!”
Open the door.
“Understood!”
Creak—
