Chapter 37

Translated by boilpoil Edited by boilpoil

When she has figured out the strategy the show is adopting, Ococo is rejecting it from the bottom of her heart.

It is true that Grizzlybear is well-known right now, and he is a popular candidate for the championship, but the animal protection groups have already seen him as their absolute nemesis. He is infamously shitty online. To make her big cat pair up with him is nothing but disaster.

While Ococo is thinking up ways and the words she is going to use in counter-argument, someone has said something faster than her.

“It’s too much of a stretch! Number 199 has fought with Grizzlybear. The audience is not stupid enough to buy this. It would’ve been better to pair him with number 56 in a CP!”

Ococo recognises him. He’s a post-fx editor of the show, named George or Joey or something. For some reason, he is agitated emotionally.

And then, another person speaks. It’s the agent of number 56, “true. I think Piers will be happy to oblige, he has always been interested in number 199.”

The name of Piers makes some people who are supportive of the proposition at first waver. Ococo knows that Piers has quite the background. She heard his father is at the top of the hierarchy of Outer City. Apparently, he and his father has fallen out so he is here for something to take his mind off.

The meeting room grows silent. Afterwards, the Director breaks it by calling on Ococo, which he seems to be fond of doing today, “Coco, what’s your view?”

Ococo wants to object, but she knows this meeting is purely a formality. The upper brass has already decided. Under the desk, she holds the rims of her clothes in a tight grasp. She can feel the shape of the plastic needle in her pocket with her hand.

“Oh. I think it is beneficial for the show,” she finds it difficult to speak at first, as if her throat is being choked; but the drugs remind her that she is only marginally better than the slaves. She is in no position to give her opinion, “we can shift the focus from the animal protection groups, and vent their dissatisfaction by way of the conflict between number 199 and Grizzlybear. As long as they are able to put themselves in Bright’s shoes and decide to support him, they will become the most loyal audience the show has. Each day that number 199 is alive, every time they pray for him to defeat Grizzlybear, they will have to play by the rules of the show. It will not only effectively quell the hostile actions against the show, we will be able to make them foot the bill for shaping Bright into a pro-conservation figure in the show. It will increase the net profit of the show.”

“Clever girl,” the Director praises her, “I trust you will find no difficulty in making number 199 obey, right?”

“Yessir, it’s my job.”

The meeting is over. Ococo walks into the bathroom and fixes up her make-up.

A used needle lies quietly in the trash can.

“It’s fine, Coco.”

Bright understands the arrangement the Show has set up when Ococo relays it, then he soothes his agent whose emotional state is utterly down in the dumps in return.

Nobody in the world is anything good, anyway. It’s fine to pair up into a CP with anyone.

Yet, under the pressure of both the external factors and the drugs, Ococo seems to be recalling certain past experiences that were seriously painful. Her eyes are out of focus, her body is having profuse cold sweats, and you can hear her teeth clattering.

She seems to be mistaking Bright for someone else. Her black fingernails tightly gripping Bright’s hand, “you shouldn’t listen to me. I did this to you… You joined those society functions and accompanied those Inner City residents, even though you really loathed doing that… You still died in the end… I was too useless. It’s all me. It’s all my fault…” In the end, she plunges forward into Bright’s arms, crying as if she has suffered a mental breakdown.

“I don’t blame you.” Bright says in a tenderly voice, trying his best to calm her emotions.

When Ococo has calmed down, Bright is told Ococo’s older brother was a contestant from the third episode. He died in a tragic manner in the show.

“He has never been an excellent contestant. I only see that now,” Ococoo says, repeating herself, “I only see that now.” Therefore he had to die. Only one person lives out of all 500. He couldn’t become the last one. She murmurs, “if only I knew earlier…”

“Will you have convinced him to give up?” Bright asks.

Ococo bites her lips before shaking her head. He would only have died even more quickly. Even little worms would know to struggle. He would never have felt satisfied without trying.

“Your advice has been professional and very helpful to me.”

“Then why did he die in the end?” Ococo is being stubborn.

Bright helps her to find an excuse, “your brother only had bad luck.” Bad luck in incarnating into the right body.

“Just bad luck?”

“Yes.”

“What about your luck?” Ococo asks with hope in her eyes.

“Unparalleled.” Not just anyone could be so unlucky as to transmigrate here.

Ococo seems to have been soothed one way or another. Her composure relaxes.

They discussed things related to their career. When Ococo is preparing to leave, Bright stops her and asks, “can you help to try to contact the animal protection groups? Don’t let the show know.”

Ococo can feel her chest tightening up, and looks at Bright with a shocked expression, asking, “what do you plan to do?”

“I’m property of the show. What can I do?” Bright retorts.

In the calm but resolute sight of Bright, Ococo puts her finger near her mouth, as if wanting to bite her nails again.

The man does not let up and continues staring at her with that expression. The latter becomes frightened and leaves in a hurried manner.

This is his test to Ococo.

She fears the show. She is controlled by the show. She even has to control the behaviour of biting her nails in anxiety when facing her boss and her coworkers. She is only somewhat relaxed when faced with people below her in status, showing her anxious side; you can see how deep her fears go.

Yet, apparently a product of projecting, she seems to have grown to treat Bright with a specific kind of emotion. It is probably because she has lost her older brother and that everyone needs a principal support they rely on mentally; Bright probably has some similarities to her brother.

Is she to continue to wallow in her sea of sorrows or to be forced into action by the environment? Her fate will be in her own hands.

Bright understands clearly as well that for Ococo, it might not be salvation to help him. It is quite possible this will land her in even worse circumstances; however, she must hold deep resentment towards to show, she must resent how it took away her dearest. If she has even let go of her hate, she wouldn’t have needed the drugs.

Because she can recall, she is in pain; because she is unable to take revenge, she needs numbing.

Hopkin knows about this earlier than Bright. He knows it is the Director’s deed.

The old fart is probably warning him that the show is his and not to butt his hand in where it doesn’t belong. Additionally, the Director also seems to have become interested in number 199. After watching the video of his fight with Grizzlybear, he has seen the potential to become a champion on Bright. He is interested in all contestants that show such characteristic.

“Gentleman, what do you think?” The Inner City aristocrats know each other well, and being the clever lot they are, they have read something from the actions the Director has taken, and is probing Hopkin indirectly.

“The Director must have good reason to do what he does.” Hopkin gives a fake chuckle, suppressing his inner dissatisfaction.

“Naturally so.” That person then mentions Bright, asking for Hopkin’s comment on him after use.

This is the second time he has shown interest in Bright, beyond the amount their social etiquette would allow. Hopkin’s inner dissatisfaction has grown into a rage, but his rational side is telling him that this is nothing, that he should not be emotionally affected because of this. It is probably only because a prey of his has attracted attention even before he has taken a sample, and his possessiveness of his prey is too great, that he is acting abnormally.

It is a good thing that the Inner City aristocrats are socially bound, and respective, supportive of each others’ interests. They may probe each other but not go beyond that.

They continue discussing in a cordial manner, “I have to say I’m surprised. Number 199 managed to hold your attention for so long.”

“One of the contestants who has a high probability of winning the championship that he is, I believe he would have some unique qualities.”

Hopkin makes his excuses indifferently, and left the societal function.

After he has left, the chatter between the Inner City aristocrats continues.

“He’ll get bored eventually. If it were me, I’ll probably wait until number 199 becomes champion or is utterly defeated before I take it or throw it away, like the Director.”

“Oh, that vile guy,” his tone is one of total praise. He says to another person, “the Alpha is good too. It must feel like quite the achievement to tame it. Is that not so, Statistician?”

“57.42%.”

“… How did you arrive at the decimal points?”

When Hopkin makes his way to the show, Bright is currently in the middle of shooting a video. Complying with the show’s demands, he has to have a set of scenes with Grizzlybear that showed his displeasure at Grizzlybear’s torturous slaughter of animals and to mask an attempt to have a duel with him in the name of learning by fighting.

To increase the amount of conflict between the two, they will tear at each other’s clothes in the process of the fight. To make them lose more of their clothes as they fight, giving the audience the feeling of combining violence with sexual desire.

“There’s not enough sweat, Grizzlybear. Come here, I’ll give you a touch.”

Grizzlybear hates this fake fight to such an extreme extent that you seem to be able to see the blackness of his emotional state swirling about him. What’s worse is that the make-up artist assigned to him works especially diligently in pursuing his vision, and hopes that the actors would be able to perform at their best in front of the camera, while Grizzlybear is the one who couldn’t care even a smidgeon less about things like these. His attacks have been interrupted time and again and time and again. He is visibly on the verge of blowing up.

Bright represses him in just in, “after the video, we can find some time to have a trial fight?”

He understands his own weakness well, which is that he has insufficient fighting experience. Grizzlybear Andy will be able to rectify that well.

The suggestion pacifies Andy. The large man narrows his eyes dangerously, before cracking his lips open in laughter, “I’ll break all the bones in your body.”

Bright is wondering if bones have played some adversarial role in his life so much so that he is sending people to the orthopaedics at every possible opportunity.

The shooting is over. Bright goes to the usual room at the orders of the staff of the show.

“How long have you been waiting?” He asks Hopkin. Then before he gives the order he goes into the bathroom, appearing self-conscious. Through the door, he can hear the arrogant voice of Hopkin, “making your master wait is grounds for you to be punished.”

Hopkin does not prepare clothes for him; the last set of clothes he wore has been destroyed while shooting the video earlier. Bright is only in his bathrobe.

He has become more and more used to not wearing clothes. To_Continue_Living_With_A_Smile.jpg

Unusually, Hopkin does not sit on the sofa, but on the bed. Realising how this meeting is going differently, Bright’s pupils darken for a bit.

He walks in front of Hopkin cautiously, looking at him with inquisitive eyes, as if asking what was going on. His right hand is holding Hopkin’s, and his fingers on his pulse as if on purpose.

“How do you want to punish me, master?” The content is respectful but the tone mocking. The rising tone of the end syllable reminds Hopkin of tails swung high by animals of the cat family.

“A slave does not require clothes.”

Bright removes his bathrobe obediently.

When Hopkin wants to give his second order, Bright advances towards him, rising up until he is face to face with him. Their distance closing until their breathes cross each other.

“You’re good at ordering people. Inner City resident?” Bright throws a straight question at Hopkin, who is too smart and always sees through his probing. He might as well ask him directly and see how he reacts when he is not defensive.

The two people are very close together, and any reaction of Hopkin does not escape Bright’s attention. His black pupils contract a bit while his pulse increases. This is the direct response his body gives. Bright obtains his answer and feels his mood dropping slightly.

Hopkin sees that his identity has been busted. He remembers that electric whip from before. If it were on his hand right now he would have given him his due punishment, but no. He cannot counter this. All he can do is go with the flow and admit it. He also remembers the guy who keeps mentioning Bright in the last societal function, and lies maliciously, “yes. I’m ‘Detective.'”

Inner City residents have nicknames besides their names. This fits with what Bright has read from that novel at first. He believes him mostly; out of wariness against Inner City residents, afraid he’ll become alert, Bright does not continue beyond that. Hopkin has probably also grown defensive by now, and he’ll not get much information. So he does not try to investigate further.

“Do you want to continue?” He asks seductively.

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