Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
53. Second attempt (5)
The 3rd quarter Student Representative Meeting progressed slower than usual.
As a basic, the meeting was preceded by each autonomous organization and class activity report, but as it was actually the last activity for the 3rd years, they seemed to meticulously report everything for a smooth transfer.
Moreover, as the exchange with the Military School was held for the first time during the 2nd semester, it took a long time to report the manpower and budget used during that time, and the execution process.
“Next, I’ll announce the results of the survey carried out through the devices.”
On the Student Council’s side, they did a survey targeting teachers, students and ordinary people in the audience, about the next exchange.
The first exchange was chaotic, but they even thought this far? It was the planning power worthy of the Student Council with many of my Playable Characters.
Yu Sang-hui, who was in charge of the Student Council’s report, in addition to describing the graph collecting the total results of the survey like flowing water, she revealed a following matter:
“From the proposal details, the most requested item was to increase the number of disciplines. The opinion about including the requested ones, from basic disciplines like athletics, swimming, gymnastic…”
I heard they had a hard time with the schedule because there were quite a lot of disciplines, but the disciplines will increase during the next exchange?
The efforts of my Playable Characters from the Student Council were painted in front of my eyes.
At that moment, Yu Sang-hui, who was explaining, while looking forward, for a moment turned her gaze down and glanced at me.
“To the mind sports like chess, go, janggi, e-sport in the exchange disciplines, it was shown to be positive. We plan to discuss this part with the Military Academy Highschool department later.”
When chess was mentioned, not only Yu Sang-hui, but everyone gazes turned to me.
Geun Chansol and Wang Chansol were looking at me with very dissatisfied eyes, as if they recalled the 2nd year class 0’s Yeon Garam’s loss.
It seemed that the majority of the students thought that as I won this year’s chess tournament, I should naturally step up.
‘Then will Cheon Dongha also step up?’
As it was an exchange with another school, it certainly would be a team match.
I thought it would be fun to be on the same team as Cheon Dongha and plan a group strategy.
That thought didn’t continue for long.
Because besides chess, there was a word that bothered me.
‘But E-Sport… It would mean playing a game. As for the game popular among the highschoolers.’
Even right now there were famous games tournaments held on the national scale, but according to the development in PMH, a mega hit online game that would turn the world’s game market upside down would be released next year.
As it would draw sensational popularity even at Eungwang School, there was a high chance it would be picked as the exchange E-Sport discipline.
‘… PMH was a national game wreck, but the in-game game was a god game[1].’
That game had all key points to be a god game.
Looking at the in-game description, I even doubted ‘Even though PMH developers knew the god game’s key points, why did they make this game wreck of PMH?’.
“The Korea-China-Japan Exchange will be held next year at the strong request fromChina’s side. The Japan side kept requesting to draw the schedule closer, but Eungwang School judged holding an exchange here this year would be too much, so….”
Yu Sang-hui didn’t explain the matter in detail, but the Newspaper Club, who went to personally gather news in China, roughly knew the reason.
At the same time when the Newspaper Club visited China Player training center, there was an attack inducing a Player’s runaway.
The police figured out that the cause of runaway was external, closed up the Player training center and was carrying out a large scope investigation.
The investigation’s progress was currently not well known.
In such a situation, there was no way to hold an exchange.
‘I can guess the reason why Japan wants to pull the schedule forward.’
It would be because of a certain new and outstanding Player, who was said to be the most famous in Japan at the moment.
Articles about activities of her, who entered a girl school this year where only those with Kazoku status were permitted, sometimes came out even in Korea.
‘They would want to inform the whole world about such genius when she is still young.’
Anyone would guess the reason, looking at the interviews with her spokesperson always emphasizing her age.
The younger the age of the child, who made such achievements, the bigger the attention from people.
I knew, because I experienced it.
Because in the headlines of the articles about my chess game results, my age was always attached.
‘Even so, with Ju Su-hyeok and An Dain here, it was impossible to become the world’s sole genius of this age.’
Thinking about the title hero and title heroine, who showed off even more splendid performance after receiving aliases, my heart swelled up.
As they showed such results, even while doing classes at the same time, the words ‘as expected of my Playable Characters’ often came out.
“Next item on the agenda, the matters related to preparation for this year’s school festival.”
Amidst of it, the most awaited subject among the student representatives sitting here came out.
“In the festival’s case, there are no changes to the schedule. The school festival will be held a week after the final exams. Please note down that the 4th quarter Student Representative Meeting will be held after the festival ends.”
At the word festival, Kim Yuri made an excited face.
Thinking about the things which would happen after the festival ends, I couldn’t be just excited, but looking at the excited children, the expectations for the festival grew bigger.
“… Then lastly, I’ll introduce the next student representatives.”
Before the Student Representative Meeting ended, Tao Wonu spoke like that, and the next student representatives, chosen though the election, climbed on the podium.
The next Student Council president, Yeom Junyeol.
The next Guideline Club president ,Cheon Dongha.
The next Earthly Wings Council president, Gye Idam.
The next General Club Council president, Heo Chaea.
Among the four, all of them were my Playable Characters, except Gye Idam.
Tao Wonu, who finished introducing the student representatives one after one, gave his thanks and goodbyes to the audience.
As next time Yeom Junyeol would stand in this place, it was the last time Tao Wonu would lead the Student Representative Meeting.
“I wish You will lead the school well together with the Eungwang School’s new student representatives. With this, the 3rd quarter Student Representative Meeting ends. Thank You.”
A faint smile showed in the corner of Tao Wonu’s lips, who gave a neat last goodbye, it contained bittersweet feelings.
Standing straight, looking from the chairperson seat, he was like the perfect prestigious highschool’s Student Council president that appeared in PMH.
It was an appearance suited for Eungwang School’s Student Council president, but I felt somehow dubious.
‘… He isn’t corrupt today too.’
Did something happen perhaps?
I had doubts, but as I couldn’t nitpick with ‘why aren’t you acting ugly?’, I decided to observe first.
Usually, when the meeting ended, everyone would quietly leave, but today everyone sent out an applause together.
It was still the middle of October, so the 3rd years had many days left to attend school, but in the future they would be busy with preparation for exams and career path, so it would be difficult to see their faces.
At that thought, I looked at the faces of the 3rd years in the spokesperson seats, and was also filled with emotions for a while.
But the 3rd year class 0’s senior bastards weren’t here.
Ding.
When I left the meeting and headed to the dormitory, a message arrived.
[Hwang Jiho] Did the Student Representative meeting ended?
The timing was exquisite.
The geezer sent the message as a question, but that phrase read as ‘Everyone knows that the Student Representative Meeting ended’.
But although the Student Representative Meeting ended, what did Hwang Jiho had to do with it?
When I just glanced at it and headed to the dormitory again, additional message came.
That message was difficult to ignore.
[Hwang Jiho] About to stealthily try a second attempt.
At the word ‘second attempt’, Kwon Lena standing on the rooftop flashed in my head for a second.
Why did that bastard use such word choice?
I figured out it was content related to the ‘Replay’, which I was unable to use in the meantime, but I was bothered for no reason.
But another additional message was even more difficult to ignore than the one above.
[Hwang Jiho] As there is something to talk about the Long Tail, don’t ignore messages and come.
* * *
That day, her heart felt stuffy and pounding, and she couldn’t concentrate on the performance.
She was shocked when she received news about her niece’s exam failure, but she heard that it seemed that she wrote answers in a hurry, so she should pass the re-test without problems.
Even so, her mind continued to be anxious.
Midst of it, Jo Uisin asked to come pick up Kwon Lena at a late hour.
Jo Uisin didn’t explain what happened, but Kwon Jane didn’t ask and ran to the Eungwang School straight away.
There, seeing her haggard niece, Kwon Jane felt her heart broke.
— …. What happened to Lena?
After Jared Lee sat Kwon Lena in the air limousine in shock, she closed her eyes right away.
It seemed that Kwon Lena reached her physical and mental limits.
— I don’t think I should be the one talking about it.
Ending on such words, Jo Uisin didn’t say anything more about what happened.
She had all kinds of thoughts in her head, but because she couldn’t press Jo Uisin, who did his best by calling her, she headed to the team building on her own.
Kwon Lena, who opened her eyes the next day, confessed a certain fact to Kwon Jane.
“… Do You know about the Fantasy Controversy?”
There was no way she didn’t know about something that made her niece suffer.
If she knew about it just a bit faster, it would be Kwon Jane’s hand which broke the Fantasy Auction.
After Kwon Jane nodded, Kwon Lena confessed one after one, starting with those words:
“In fact, I… I attended the Fantasy auction as a participant. I should have told You before becoming Your disciple, but I hid it, I apologize.”
After Kwon Lena repeatedly apologize, Kwon Jane revealed a certain fact straight away.
“… I knew.”
“Yes?”
“Before inviting you to the team building, I investigated all 1st year class 0’s children.”
It was true that she investigated the 1st year class 0’s children before inviting them.
But strictly speaking, she asked Cunning to do the background check on Jo Uisin and Kwon Lena, because of the incident, where Jared Lee ended up accompanied by the Association’s members.
Because Jo Uisin, who acted with the Ho tribe, while conquering the Seokchan Lake’s underwater otherworld, was suspicious.
And because she was worried what she went through after learning that Kwon Lena’s adoptive parents were involved in the Fantasy Controversy.
Kwon Jane didn’t lie, but she also cowardly didn’t reveal the truth.
“… Then do You know about Seeum perhaps?”
At Kwon Lena’s words, Kwon Jane nodded, while tightly grasping her hand, which was clenching the hem of her clothes.
Kwon Lena’s hand trembled slightly, so Kwon Jane grabbed it even tighter, putting quite a bit of strength.
“Yeah. I knew that you were self-blaming yourself for that child’s matter, but I couldn’t say anything. I’m sorry.”
“No! It’s me who was genuinely wrong, senior Kwon Jane-nim has nothing to apologize for.”
Kwon Lena couldn’t continue to speak for a while.
While looking at her silent niece, Kwon Jane fell into thoughts.
‘… But why was Uisin with Lena? It’s strange. If she needed consoling, wouldn’t she ask the kind Yuri or Han Yi, who lives on the same dormitory floor?’
In a moment she recalled Jo Uisin, who said he can’t talk about it with his own mouth.
And the incident, which happened at the first day of school.
‘No way, a second attempt…’
Kwon Jane felt her vision turn dark.
A situation where Kwon Jane and Kwon Lena just held each other hands and couldn’t say a word continued for a while.
The one to break the silence was Kwon Lena.
“I want to talk to Seeum and apologize to him, but it’s difficult to speak… so what should I do?”
Kwon Jane admired Kwon Lena’s strong mindset.
She felt pathetic, of not being able to properly think of talking about being blood-connected family between them just like before.
‘… From the beginning, Lena didn’t do anything wrong.’
Kwon Jane couldn’t come up with what she should say to her niece.
At that moment.
“Ah…!”
Kwon Lena, who stayed blank for a while, carefully suggested,as if she realized something.
“That, would that be okay…?”
After Kwon Lena’s following words, Kwon Jane nodded without any questions.
Kwon Lena’s idea was cool by itself, but what Kwon Jane liked the most was the fact that she could help her in the process of it.
*~*~*
[1] god game — this is slang for the best of the best game. It doesn’t use Korean for the word god, but rather borrows the English word.
Translator’s note: Oh, look what a suspicious game is mentioned here~ But gods, finally, they’re talking. Author-nim really love estranged family members.
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