EX-rank’s Replay (233)

Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost

 
44. After bad weather (4)

Yu Sang-hun’s home.

While Yu Sang-hun’s family sent him off, Jang Namuk gave polite goodbyes.
 

“Stay well.”

“Okay, and you come to play again.”
 

As because of the typhoon yesterday all public communication was suspended, Jang Namuk stayed in Yu Sang-hun’s house for a night.

Yu Sang-hun’s family caught Jang Namuk, asking him to eat lunch with them and then go, but the sincere Jang Namuk revealed that he planned to return to the Military School before lunch to participate in the afternoon training.

Yu Sang-hun said that he would walk him to the air bus stop and left the house together with Jang Namuk.
 

“Next time come with Uisin.”

“… Yes. See you next time, Sang-hui noona.”
 

At the words of Yu Sang-hui, who stopped at the edge of the entrance, Jang Namuk and Yu Sang-hun made ambiguous expressions.

They once recalled Jo Uisin’s voice, which the two heard on the speaker mode yesterday.
 

— … Don’t worry about that dream. You guys won’t have such a dream again.

— I’ll explain later. Sorry.
 

After ending with such words, Jo Uisin had yet to contact them.

And just like Jo Uisin said, the two people didn’t have a nightmare tonight.

There was still too little evidence to judge, but the two vaguely thought that the dream they had and Jo Uisin were connected.
 

‘The dream I and Sang-hun had was something that would happen to us if Uisin wasn’t there at the day of the entrance exam. But how is Uisin related to that dream…?’
 

Jang Namuk didn’t think even for a second that Jo Uisin had intentions of harming them.

Jang Namuk was just worried about Jo Uisin.

It was well-known that abilities interfering with the mind usually also influence the user’s mind.

Supposing that Jo Uisin possessed such a superpower, and if he even unconsciously manifested it, it was certain that his inner self was ripped apart in some kind of way.
 

“He said he would explain later, so he probably will tell us.”
 

As Jang Namuk was walking with a dark expression, Yu Sang-hun abruptly threw a word.
 

“And if something happens, we can ask Yu Sanghui-ssi to heal him.”
 

It would be difficult to heal mental damage with Acea’s Gwangrim.

Jang Namuk thought like this, but judging that Yu Sang-hun spoke while also knowing that fact, he shut his mouth.

Jang Namuk asked something that bothered him to change the topic.
 

“Ah, speaking of Sang-hui noona… Does she have a lot of patients these days?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Okay…”

“Why?”
 

Jang Namuk corrected the glasses, which were hiding the ‘Eyes of Star Maiden’ while speaking.
 

“It’s nothing. I just saw many traces of negative thoughts[1]. When one meets many people, such traces remain.”

“Is that so?”
 

Yu Sang-hun frowned and was about to say something, but seeing the air bus stop, he closed his mouth again.

He was bothered by something but couldn’t figure out the nature of the incongruity yet.
 

* * *
 
What the hell did Oh Hyeji tell Oh Hyejeong that she was now saying that she will kill Ju Su-gyeom?!

Of course, I could understand Oh Hyejeong’s feelings very well.

No, what the two talked about wasn’t important.

The problem was somewhere else.
 

‘Shouldn’t I help?’
 

Considering overall power, Oh Hyejeong was no match to Ju Su-gyeom.

Putting aside Ju Su-gyeom’s contracted bodyguards, even when we assume 1 on 1 match, it would be like that.
 

“Uisin-ah, what is it?”
 

At Ju Su-hyeok’s voice, I returned my senses.

It was just for a moment, but I almost participated in the assassination plan of the title hero’s relative.
 

‘Shouldn’t I at least stop it at a half-dead state?’
 

But if Oh Hyejeong gets captured because she went crazy, my Playable Characters, Oh Hyeji and Sawol Seeum would be sad, so I decided to change my mind.
 

“I received a message…”
 

I showed Ju Su-hyeok the message I received from Oh Hyejeong.

The face of Ju Su-hyeok, who saw the message, turned pale.

As Ju Su-hyeok knew very well about Oh Hyejeong’s actions during the engagement ceremony mess that was a natural reaction.
 

“I should go to Su-gyeom hyung. Sorry, let’s go to the Hongcheon tomorrow.”
 

It seemed just like the considerate title hero, he planned to personally step out to solve the pandemonium.

I caught Ju Su-hyeok.
 

“I’ll go with you.”

“It may be dangerous…”
 

It would look like I’m shamelessly meddling into other people’s family squabbles, but even so, I spoke resolutely.
 

“It was me who contacted Her. If it gets bigger, it will be my responsibility. So if something happens, I’ll also stop it.”
 

Though I was still a bit hesitant if I should stop it or not.

Luckily, after finishing thinking, Ju Su-hyeok nodded.
 

* * *
 
After riding an air taxi, I headed with Ju Su-hyeok to the place where Ju-Oh Group’s headquarters and key affiliates concentrated, nicknamed ‘Ju-Oh Town’.

At first glance it looked like an open office street, but looking around, I saw nothing but Ju-Oh’s logo.

Even the coffee franchise store, which specialized in take-outs, was one of the brands under the Ju-Oh Group’s affiliate.

And even the CCTV instillation notice, plastered on every building and informing about the security area range, had a logo of the security company under Ju-Oh.
 

‘… Can Oh Hyejeong pierce through this?’
 

But seeing how Ju Su-hyeok hastened his footsteps, I thought that my worries were useless.

Ju Su-hyeok seemed certain that Oh Hyejeong could come this far.
 

‘As Oh Hyejeong is also a key member of the Ju-Oh’s Group, she would be familiar with the security. The security in the engagement hall which turned into a mess would be tight, but Oh Hyejeong pierced through it and escaped. If so, she is a person who can do it.”
 

Following Ju Su-hyeok’s guidance, I arrived in the Ju-Oh headquarters building in the center of the Ju-Oh town.
 

“Hello.”

“Hello, young master-nim. We got the information.”
 

As Ju Su-hyeok greeted the employee at the 1st floor desk, he was handed a tray with a temporary entrance ID for me straight away.

No matter how I looked at the person handing the tray, they didn’t look like an employee who was usually in charge of the desk.

It seemed that because Ju Su-hyeok requested an entrance ID for me beforehand, a person from the secretary team came to give it personally.

As expected, even though we were moving for a short moment, it was worthy of the title hero to prepare so thoroughly.

After Ju Su-hyeok pressed the button of the executive-only elevator, he mumbled:
 

“… This elevator- It stopped on the floor where Su-gyeom hyung office is.”
 

No way, did Oh Hyejong come first?

There was quite a distance between Sawol family’s mansion and Ju-Oh town.
 

“Did you call?”

“I sent a message, but it’s marked as unread. Su-gyeom hyung doesn’t check private messages very often during his working hours…”
 

At my question, Ju Su-hyeok’s words trailed off.
 

“At the moment I told the sectary team that I wanted to eat lunch with hyung. Luckily, it seemed that today his lunchtime schedule was empty.”
 

Wasn’t it a bit awkward for me to be invited to lunch?

I was worried like this, but Ju Su-hyeok smiled as he said:
 

“Uisin, you fought together with me on the Jamsil baseball stadium before. Because our family was indebted to you during this event, it isn’t anything strange for you to be invited to a meal.”
 

While conversing, the elevator stopped.

The floor where Ju Su-gyeom office was located.

The elevator door opened, and we stepped out into a corridor, but no one was seen.
 

“Strange. Usually there would be bodyguards and secretaries wandering around…”
 

The executive meeting room and a lounge with a partially glass wall were both empty.

Ju Su-hyeok rushed in front of the opaque automatic door.

On the keypad with the iris scanner and card reader, I saw a name plate with ‘Executive director Ju Su-gyeom’.

When Ju Su-hyeok was about to press the call button on the keypad.
 

Wiii—.
 

Without him even touching them, the automatic door opened on their own.
 

“… Su-gyeom hyung?”
 

Clang! Claaaang! Clang!
 

Ju Su-hyeok’s voice was buried in the sound of metal clashing.

After I and Ju Su-hyeok hurriedly passed through the reception room equipped with a sofa for the guests and opened the office door.
 

Kwwwi! Claang!
 

The moment the door opened, light flashed in front of our eyes and bounced.

The office was a dog-shit mess.

Ju Su-gyeom who was smoking a cigarette with an expressionless face.

Sawol Semin who was clearly very embarrassed.

And Oh Hyejeong who was holding a sashimi knife and pounced on Ju Su-gyeom.

I had no idea what the hell was happening, but it seemed that I and Ju Su-hyeok were a step too late.
 

“Su-gyeom hyung! Hyejeong noona!”

“Su-hyeok came? Ju Su-gyeom, you unresponsive smoker fucker, Su-hyeok came, so start with taking out that annoying cigarette.”
 

Oh Hyejeong smiled brightly while dissing on him, but Ju Su-gyeom took out a cigarette filter from his mouth and flatly replied:
 

“It’s a herbal cigarette[2].”
 

Chiink!
 

Oh Hyejeong swung her sashimi knife again, but the attack was blocked together with the sound of metal ringing out again.

At the first glance it seemed as if Ju Su-gyeom blocked the knife blade with his bare hand, but he was holding a lighter in his hand.
 

‘Did you block the attacks with the lighter capsule up till now?!’
 

You were smoking a cigarette with one hand and blocking the sashimi knife with the lighter you were holding with the other hand?!

At that extremely leisure appearance, Oh Hyejeong seemed to be pissed to tears.

Even I, who had no idea what was happening, was getting pissed to tears.

As I thought about Oh Hyeji’s tearful face, who was working in the Guideline Club Hall right now, it was even more so.
 

‘His face resembles Ju Su-hyeok.’
 

Looking closely, Ju Su-gyeom was like a copy of Ju Su-hyeok.

Because his expression was pretty flat, the impression was quite different, but his facial features could be copy-pasted.
 

‘If Ju Su-hyeok didn’t meet An Dain and grew up in an unpleasant and filthy social environment, would he turn out like this?’
 

As I thought about the in-game Ju Su-hyeok, who couldn’t even become an adult and died, my favorability towards Ju Su-gyeom raised a very little bit.
 

“Su-hyeok, I guess you also came because of Hyeji, eh?”
 

Ju Su-gyeom looked at Ju Su-hyeok and opened his mouth.

The one who made my Playable Character cry calling out Ju Su-hyeok and Oh Hyeji’s names so carelessly?!

My favorability towards Ju Su-gyeom plummeted.
 

“Hahaha, half-right. Because Hyejeong noona said that she was going to kill hyung, I couldn’t just watch.”

“Suhyeok-ah, want to cooperate?”

“… Can’t we resolve it through a conversation?”
 

Claaang!
 

At the same time as Ju Su-hyeok’s suggestion, the metal clashing was heard again, canceling each other out.

Oh Hyejeong left a silver afterimage in the air and cut with the sashimi knife, but Ju Su-gyeom blocked her attack again with the lighter.

Following immediately after that, Oh Hyejeong poured out a fury of attacks, but the tip of the knife wasn’t able to touch Ju Su-gyeom.

Each time the knife blade and metal lighter clashed, sparks burst out, and the office gradually turned into a complete wreck.
 

‘Oh Hyejeong isn’t weak. Ju Su-gyeom is too strong!’
 

Ju-Oh Group’s descendants learned blades.

Ju family twin blades.

Oh family one blades.

There were pros and cons to both techniques and there were no superiority between them, but the current descendants of the Ju family were extremely powerful.

Two years later[3] a genius would appear in the Oh clan, but the genius was only a middle schooler right now.
 

“Oh Hyejeong, you can’t win against me. If you keep fighting, the secretary team will come and it will only reveal your whereabouts. Say what you want.”
 

After Ju Su-gyeom spoke bluntly, Oh Hyejeong spoke, while pointing the sashimi knife at him like before.
 

“I know that you knew about Hyeji’s feelings and made a fuss saying you’re going on a date with a prospective partner or something. But Hyeji still wasn’t able to give up on her feelings.”

“…”
 

Ju Su-gyeom didn’t reply.

He motioned with his chin as if saying go on.
 

“So, you two date for a day- hour, no, about 30 seconds and then break up with Hyeji.”
 

… A genius?

What I heard was an extremely good idea.

As expected, it was wisdom worthy of my Playable Character’s older sister.

But isn’t 30 seconds a bit long?

It would be better to shorten it to 3 or 1 second.

Ju Su-gyeom swallowed the smoke of the herbal cigarette and replied:
 

“If Hyeji wants.”
 

My anger exploded at that extremely plain answer.

Ju Su-gyeom attitude said he didn’t care even a bit.

Oh Hyejeong opened her mouth ready to pour out curses but heard the sound of people flooding in outside the door.

It seemed that the secretary team and bodyguards, handled by Oh Hyejeong before, came.

After Sawol Semin grabbed Oh Hyejeong’s shoulder, she spoke with a low voice.
 

“First, give up that idiotic date. You have no thoughts of getting married anyhow, so it’s a dog-shit sound to try to get rid of Hyeji, got it? It’s rude for the person setting up a date and the date.”

“… Just go. Because if you get caught, that date will become you.”
 

Hearing it come out of his mouth, I guess he really was going on a date just with a goal of making Oh Hyeji give up.

In my mind, the favorability for Ju Su-gyeom hit the rock bottom.

Just when the door was about to open, the two people, who I had no idea what they planned, stood in front of the window, whose glass shattered.
 

“Let’s go, Semin-ssi.”
 

When Oh Hyejeong hugged Sawol Semin, Sawol Semin blushed as he embraced her back and then jumped from the window.

It seemed that Sawol Semin used the Flight skill seeing how he flew on the other side of the window.

I thought they used the elevator when infiltrating, but it seemed like they decided for a grand exit.

On the other side, unresponsive heavy smoker kept the herbal cigarette in his mouth until the moment they left.

After Oh Hyejeong and Sawol Semin completely disappeared, Ju Su-gyeom said a word.
 

“Suhyeok-ah, let’s have lunch.”
 
*~*~*
 
[1] negative thoughts — either worries, concern or dishonest/wrongful thoughts.

[2] herbal cigarette — a cigarette made from mugwort that doesn’t contain nicotine, so it’s often used by people who try to quit smoking or by actors when playing on set.

[3] two years later — a year after the next year, so in Jo Uisin’s third grade.
 

Translator’s note: Jo Uisin… You’re the craziest dating target in this room. And I mean it both as a compliment and a concern.
 

 

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Did you see a mistake? 🐞


12 responses

  1. AnonymousForEternity

    Jo Uisin: Will Ju Suhyeok get mad at me if I kill off his relative?

    Yeah…Too many mother in laws+ would give you heart attacks every other day+ would one day leave you with a “Thanks for everything” note and disappear from existence.

    I kind of wonder what people who haven’t read the novel would think if we told them we have a MC who has a habit of strangling himself with his superpowers and spends a lot of time thinking about how to kill people. 

    Thanks for the chapter <3

    1. No matter what they would probably get idea that MC isn’t quite mentally healthy and they wouldn’t be wrong.

      Thank you for reading <3

  2. strangeirdo

    It should be herbal cigarettes not non-smoking I think

    1. Ohhh! So that’s what they’re called! (<- Literally been searching for weeks for this term.)

  3. Apasserby

    Just another day in life of Jo Uisin

  4. This chapter was hilarious! Ju Su-gyeom fighting Oh Hyejeong with a lighter made ma laugh so hard XD

    Ty for the chapter (*>∇<)ノ

    1. Glad you have a laugh!

      Thank you for reading <3 <3

  5. Anonymous

    Lol what a whirlwind chapter 😂. Thanks for the chapter! Wait, is there anyone who will target Uisin in a romantic sense?! If you could spoil me with just a yes/no that would be great 😃 .

    1. Well…Our MC simply isnt interested in highschoolers and if a 29+ person tries to hit on our MC (17) they are going to die an agonizing and slow death by the hands of sheer amount of stalkers our MC has.

      So no.

    2. As reader-nim above said. There are only some people who ship him with others. But no.

  6. Who don’t want Jo Uisin? ( as romantically, family, friend, teacher ( he’ s teach Hyo-don!), student, senior, junior, part of organization/club in school, player, leader, model, and many more… )

    Thanks Wan!

    1. Even enemies…

      Thank you for reading, Shia <3

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