Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
17. Beginning of May (2)
A few days ago.
Ju Su-hyeok, who had finished his activities in the Guideline Club and was on his way home, spotted a familiar face while leaving Central Zone Guideline Club Hall.
Far away, An Dain and Kim Yuri were leaving the Student Council Hall together.
The two of them conversed while smiling happily at each other.
The moment he saw An Dain’s smile, it felt as if a warm wind filled his chest.
‘After classes she looked depressed, so I was worried. I’m glad.’
Looking at the distant An Dain, Ju Su-hyeok agonized for a moment whether to talk to her or not.
‘Seems like you’re going out to play with a friend, so I shouldn’t disturb you.’
It’s absolutely not like he is lacking the guts to speak to her.
…He said to himself as if to assure himself.
Because the last time they had a very natural book appreciation meeting!
But he decided to think it was too late to ‘go greet her’.
“You’re here.”
“I’m back, Cheol hyung!”
In front of the quiet south gate.
Ju Su-hyeok climbed the air stretch limousine which was here to pick him up, while giving a bright greeting.
“Instructor Gwak-nim was held back by the martial art performance program he was in charge of as a substitute today. The night training schedule was canceled. You will participate in the Ju-Oh Foundation 29th Celebration event with Miss Oh Hyeji in exchange.”
“Yes? I heard that the number of people is ambiguous, so it doesn’t matter if I skip it… I often meet with Hyeji noona these days.”
After Ju Su-hyeok’s second older cousin’s fiance, Oh Hyejeong, ran away and went missing, there was an idea of trying to tie together Ju Su-hyeok and Oh Hyeji.
He didn’t seem to notice it yet, but if it’s clever Ju Su-hyeok, he would realize it soon.
It was a useless talk if he would lose the trust of the president like this, so he couldn’t help Ju Su-hyeok here.
‘But there is no need to worry if it’s Su-hyeok.’
What Kim Cheol believed in was that even in such a deadlock, Ju Su-hyeok would hold on to his own future and love without any difficulty.
Kim Cheol didn’t know the pathetic reality of Ju Su-hyeok who couldn’t even say hi to his crush.
On the other hand, Ju Su-hyeok regretted: ‘I don’t know when we will run into each other again, I should have just said hi’.
Like that, the two people in the air stretch limousine driving in automatic low-flight mode arrived at their destination.
Before Ju Su-hyeok stepped out, Kim Cheol said:
“Please make sure to participate in the Children’s Day schedule. Your younger cousin personally visited to ask me this.”
“Haha, Suri did it, huh? I also had a video call yesterday, she should have told me in person like that. Can I bring friends?”
“I’ll check the reserved seats. If it’s a friend, are you speaking about Tao Sihu-gun?”
Ju Su-hyeok shook his head.
“No, a school friend. There are friends that I couldn’t play basketball with. Please tell me if you can get at least two seats.”
Before Ju Su-hyeok’s eyes was a hologram with Jo Uisin and Maeng Hyodon’s group chat.
***
In the past being a Player was treated like a 3D job.
It was a reality where, let alone the conquest information, you couldn’t even assume item support and Players could only trust in their abilities when conquering otherworlds and fighting Enemies.
There were also many people who feared being marked as a Player and hid their supernatural abilities.
As Players shrunk back, the conquest of otherworlds gradually slowed down.
For that reason, people dying increased and the avoiding phenomena became more frequent, continuing a vicious cycle. The Dark Age.
Even so, a hero appeared who forcibly subjected the otherworlds one after one, ending that period of darkness.
That great hero who led Player’s world to the dawn was Iron Arm Song Manseok.
“Yeah, long time no see, Geun-hyeong.”
He had a helmet, goggles, gloves and racing shorts used for road bikes.
The attire worn by Song Manseok was a perfect cycling wear, worn on the sturdy body which was hard to believe to be in the 70’s.
‘I didn’t expect Song Manseok and Ham Geun-hyeong to know each other.’
Looking at the two people greeting each other, I heard our class children’s whispers.
“I only saw the name ‘Song Manseok’ in textbooks before.”
“Isn’t it a person with the same name? No way that a person appearing in textbooks is still alive, right?”
Shut up, he is alive and well.
Though, sometimes it was surprising to think that the person appearing in the modern political history textbooks is still alive.
“It’s been a long time since I saw him.”
Did even Hwang Jiho personally meet with Song Manseok?
But it would be nothing good if the context of the current conversation reaches Song Manseok’s ears so I hoped they would all shut up.
“Time to go to school?”
The thin jacket Ham Geun-hyeong had was a bit opened, so I guess the text was visible.
Song Manseok, who saw Ham Geun-hyeong wearing a class t-shirt with big text in Gongseo font, was dubious.
“It’s a class motto. I made it.”
The great hero had an expression as if he couldn’t say anything.
Also, as expected, my Playable Character’s mindset is truly different.
Song Manseok, who was chatting with Ham Geun-hyeong, suddenly looked in our direction.
‘… Surely, you didn’t hear anything, right?’
Because of the goggles I couldn’t quite see what type of expression Song Manseok was making.
Song Manseok looked around us and then turned his head.
“Did you go out to play with children from your class?”
“Yes.”
“Did Geurin also come? I heard she went to school the other day.”
“Min Geurin immediately went home that day.”
“… Right.”
Is that so?
I could roughly guess what the story was about.
Among the 1st year class 0 children who didn’t come to school were two Playable Characters.
One of them was Song Manseok’s grandson, Song Daeseok, the other one was Song Daeseok’s childhood friend Min Geurin.
‘During the first day of mid-term exams, she covered her face perfectly, so I didn’t recognize her. So that day the one who came was Min Geurin, huh?’
Both of them refused to come to school in the game, so they didn’t appear during the 1st year, but they were mentioned to be class 0.
They were characters of the importance of an extra[1].
So in the story, they were possible to be played for an extremely short amount of time, but as they were people related to Song Manseok, they left a deep impression on me.
“Then I will be going… Geun-hyeong, you’re careful even with students, so go play well.”
“I’ll do that.”
“Ok, you stay safe.”
“Yes, yes.”
He suddenly spoke towards us and the class children also hastily bowed their heads.
The great hero, Song Manseok, looked at us, nodded once and then disappeared.
Somehow his back looked small.
Song Daeseok and Min Geurin, he probably saw those two people in us and had many thoughts.
‘As for Song Daeseok and Min Geurin… I was indebted to Song Manseok for various reasons, so I want to help him.’
Song Daeseok and Min Geurin belong to 1st year class 0.
I will have to figure out what moves to put for the two.
After Song Manseok completely disappeared from our sight, Kim Yuri shouted brightly:
“Then let’s start 1st year class 0’s 1st outing!”
With Kim Yuri’s powerful voice, the schedule of the outing started.
But what was that about the 1st? I guess that means there will be the 2nd and the 3rd.
It was the same thinking circuit as Geun Chansol.
‘Kim Yuri is also a class 0, huh?’ I once again remembered that.
“After we get to Seonyu Island Yanghwa Park’s Dock, we will race on duck boats for the right to decide the chicken flavor! We’re going to draw lots for the group!”
With a randomizer application, the conclusion of random group drawing was:
1st group: Me, Lee Lena.
2nd group: Kim Yuri, Maeng Hyodon.
3rd group: Hwang Jiho, Sawol Seeum.
4th group: Ham Geun-hyeong, Han Yi.
The result of group allocation was chaos, but in any case, we decided to obey the choices of the randomness god.
The 1st year class 0 wearing protective jackets set their sights on the right to choose the chicken flavor and the duck boat race started.
As we were all Players, our speed was overwhelming compared to other duck boats.
However, there were differences between each group.
“Uisin, let’s work hard!”
“Okay.”
With Lee Lena who worked hard with her legs, the 1st group to which I belong to steadily moved towards the goal.
“Hyodon, if you sit on the outside like that, the boat will tilt and the water will pour in. Come towards me!”
“Um, um.”
Because of the male highschooler, Maeng Hyodon couldn’t meet Kim Yuri’s eyes at all and sat as far as possible, the 2nd group was lagging behind.
“Jiho, I ca-can’t match you. It’s too fast!”
“Hahahaha!”
“Ack, it seems we’re capsizing. It’s capsizing, stop!”
I guess Hwang Jiho, who had recently become a workaholic, was relieving stress.
As even his usual time to rest was blown away by the ancient book interpretation recently.
Sawol Seeum had an expression saying he wants to escape with the Flight skill right now.
As if it was fun, Hwang Jiho just stepped on the pedals without care.
Because the 3rd group’s lever moved according to Hwang Jiho’s movements, it was moving in this and that direction, like a zigzag.
“…”
“…”
The 4th group of Ham Geun-hyeong and Han Yi was advancing forward in perfect harmony without even sharing a word.
Han Yi had a strong determination to eat a sweet chicken for sure and Ham Geun-hyeong was showing consideration towards her.
‘It ended as expected.’
1st place belonged to the 4th group which diligently raced in silence.
2nd place was our stable 1st group.
3rd place was the crazy driver 3rd group.
The single worst performer was the 2nd group.
“What a shame…!”
Lee Lena had a disappointed face.
As a matter of fact, the only ones racing properly were our group and 4th group and it was a close match, so it was disappointing.
Before taking off the safety jackets we took a few group pictures and then went to eat chicken.
“We’re lucky that today’s weather is good. I’m completely soaked!”
“Yes. I didn’t expect water to splatter like this.”
As we got completely wet during the duck boat race, we took off the outerwear we were wearing on the class t-shirts.
For that reason, the class t-shirts’ texts became even more attention grabbing, but I stopped caring about that before I even noticed.
Adaptability is scary.
“Let’s sit here.”
“Yes, teacher-nim!”
“I have a sedge mat. Vice president, hold it there!”
“Maeng Hyodon, it seems to be a little twisted over there.”
We spread a sedge mat in the corner of the Han River park, settled there and then activated a delivery app to search the chicken menu.
“Wow, there are so many kinds of honey chicken, huh?”
“It’ll be delicious.”
One garlic chicken, one butter chicken, one fried chicken…
And Han Yi, who received a right to choose chicken flavor, selected sweet chickens with a bright face.
The worst performers, Kim Yuri and Maeng Hyodon decided to be in charge of the trash during today’s outing.
But after eating everything, the eight people who had nothing to do all cleaned up together.
“I have no idea what game to start with…”
“Let’s do them all in order they’re piled up.”
“All right. I wanted to try them all!”
After eating chicken, we decided to play games.
We came up with an idea to play analog party games rather than device games and prepared a lot of party board games.
“I don’t know the rules at all…”
“I’ll explain them to you, teacher-nim!”
After Kim Yuri’s rules explanation, we started playing.
The ‘Cheating Moth’ where you draw cards like in the one-card game, while using various ideas to get rid of or hide the cards.
The friendship destroyer ‘Citadel’ game where you have to survive amidst rampaging tricks.
The ‘CodeNames’ game in which you have to reason and share the information with your side, while receiving clues to find out who the spies and assassins of the opposing side are.
Etc.
While laughing heartily and getting resentful, we played all the games we had prepared until the time the sun began to set.
“Teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim, you’re too strong!”
“You didn’t even know the rules until a while ago, that’s cheating!”
“Won again. Whoa…”
The one boasting the highest winning rate was unexpectedly Ham Geun-hyeong.
He faced the games seriously and happily, without looking out for the kids. As expected from my Playable Character.
“Hahaha! I continue to be the worst!”
The worst win rate belonged to Hwang Jiho.
I guess even after living for such a long time, there was a part of human psychology that he couldn’t understand.
But it seemed that he didn’t just have luck.
With silent Ham Geun-hyeong as MVP of today’s outing as a definitive center, the curtain safely came down to our 1st year class 0’s 1st outing.
***
Monday.
As the repeat exams schedule was announced before the weekend, there were a few students at school who looked depressed.
Even during holidays, I sometimes saw students walking with the hologram with memorization cards opened.
‘In our class the only exam repeater is Min Geurin, huh?’
It seemed that all guys in our class who had a remote exam avoided failing grades.
Even Min Geurin just missed an exam, so she wasn’t a talent who would fail otherwise.
She would be regretting that she didn’t apply for a remote exam from the start.
‘… Because of it, she won’t come to school any more.’
Min Geurin already didn’t come to school, but she would refuse to come to school even more furiously and strongly now.
If it was Playable Character Min Geurin I remembered, she would be kicking her sleeping blanket while regretting it.
When I organized such thoughts and headed towards the simulator, the surroundings turned noisy.
“Hey, the 2nd years are going to fight!”
“Who with who?”
“Senior Red Dragon with Ma… Sorry, what was that? Anyway, senior Red Dragon didn’t give him any face, so he continued to confront him and they ended up fighting!”
“What are you acting like that at school during the holidays?”
Are they talking about Yeom Junyeol and Ma Jinseung?
Belonging to the Student Council, Little Red Dragon Yeom Junyeol.
Belonging to the Guideline Club, who had yet to receive an alias at this moment in time, Ma Jinseung.
Among the two, Ma Jinseung was the one who proclaimed a rivalry in a one-sided craze.
‘… Both of them are my Playable Characters so I can’t take a side!”
Okay, I’ll cheer for both of you then.
But just like during the Bread Shuttle Match, the guys in our school seemed to really like to watch fights.
In this world, the best spectacle was said to be watching fire plays and fights.
Yeom Junyeol could do both things, so it naturally drew attention.
‘Ma Jinseung’s superpower is the ability to manipulate plants… it’s at odds with Yeom Junyeol who uses fire. Doing things like that…’
Ma Jinseung who did all he could to conquer his weakness.
Lee Lena and Maeng Hyodon who studied until they were dying to free themselves from the swamp of exam repetition.
It’s time for me to follow after my Playable Characters.
Before I started training.
I opened the page on the device hologram, which I had saved and then continued to turn my face away.
[Application form to the school chess competition hosted by the Chess Small Group.]
Let’s also take a step to conquer my weakness.
Soon the ‘Registration complete’ notice opened on the hologram.
***
Sunday, after I finished my plans and the training schedule, in my dormitory room.
As the canceled tickets for the Children’s Day game didn’t appear, I was continuously refreshing the page in vain hopes when a message arrived.
[Ju Su-hyeok] Uisin, Hyodon. Are you busy on May 5th?
[Maeng Hyodon] No
[Ju Su-hyeok] Won’t you go to the baseball match then? I have three seats!
Something I couldn’t expect.
Ju Su-hyeok sent the Jamsil baseball stadium seat arrangement in the group chat and directly displayed it.
Worthy of seats reserved by the great-grandson of the Ju-Oh Group’s head, it was middle seats just behind the catcher…!
[Me] I’ll go!
[Maeng Hyodon] Then I’ll go too
[Ju Su-hyeok] Great. Then let’s meet up beforehand so we can go out to eat lunch together.
The problem got resolved in an unexpected way.
I thought about resolving it with a request for Ju Su-hyeok from the start, but it seemed too shameless so I tried to just resolve it on my own.
‘Not only the good seats were reserved, but I also get to move together with Ju Su-hyeok. Best of luck.’
At last I was liberated from the ticketing hell.
I clenched my fists and then refunded the outfield tickets.
I felt as if the burden had been lifted.
I usually sleep well, without dreams, but today it seemed I’d be sleeping extra well.
Just when I was about to go to sleep with a light mind, a not so light message arrived.
[Hwang Jiho] Finished interpreting the ancient book
*~*~*
[1] extra – Once again, the same thing as with Hong Gyubin, author uses ‘importance of the extra grade (/rank) character’.
Translator’s note:
*A Playable Character obliterates little kids in a board game without care*
Jo Uisin: My Playable Character is so great and good!
Did you see a mistake? 🐞
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