ReLife Player

[A Hope Named Fairy].

«Hah….»

Im Gaeul rubbed the corners of her eyes as she signed the paperwork.

Her shoulders and back ached.

She had been sitting in her chair for a long time.

From the beginning of the year to the middle of March, she had been overwhelmed with work.

She couldn’t help it.

Last year was so eventful.

In the first half of the year, she was busy dealing with the terrorist attack by Byung-in, and in the second half of the year, she was busy dealing with the public opinion that condemned the failure to reclamim Uijeongbu.

The problems that occurred in the second half of the year were still ongoing.

Although the immediate fire had been extinguished, several large embers remained.

Among them, the documents spread out on the table represented the biggest ember.

『─ Year 7 of Seonryeok─ Selection and Appointment Policy for Second-term Twelve Seats Candidates』

«…Giving me a headache.»

She buried herself in the recliner chair.

Not content with that, she unfolded the footrest and reclined the backrest.

Lying on the chair, which had been transformed into an almost bed, she shaded her eyes with the back of her hand.

«…I have to draw lots.»

Im Gaeul muttered in a tired tone.

Only a sigh escaped her.

She could see the vested interests trying to seat players that benefited them in the six vacant seats.

She had to keep them in check and select the players who would be the sword that would defend the fairy.

«The candidates are….»

She reached out and flipped through the papers.

The colors of a fairy were nowhere to be seen.

Im Gaeul flipped through the documents one by one, much like an actress reading a script, her body sinking into the recliner.

The players who were nominated were those with a Mana Management Organization rating of A or higher and a Clan or Party rating of A or higher.

At the bottom of the dossier, they outlined their family ties, their influence, and the wealth of the group they belonged to.

«…Not bad.»

It was her impression after skimming through the candidates.

She placed the documents on her stomach and closed her eyes.

She was tired from signing documents since the morning.

Just as she was about to take a brief nap—

«─It’s not time to sleep. There’s more than just papers there for you to approve, fairy.»

She frowned at the casual tone of Park Sang-jin’s voice as he approached, his footsteps inaudible.

Bringing steaming coffee and cake, he neatly organized the disheveled papers.

«Oppa, you don’t change even if you get older.»

«I’m the Fairy’s escort. This is the Oval Office, have you forgotten?»

The man, who was once the manager of actress Im Gaeul, said to her as she returned her chair to its original position.

She deliberately responded with a scoff, as if telling him to listen.

She didn’t bother to cut the cake with a tiny fork, but instead began to shovel it onto her plate.

«I know you’ve been busy lately, but I hope you’ll bear with me, and I’ll try to arrange a day off somehow….»

«When?»

«…Not right now.»

She pouted her lips in frustration, but Park Sang-jin didn’t back down.

In the end, she was the one who gave in.

She had no choice but to relieve her exhaustion with a cake that was crushed on her plate.

Park Sang-jin drew a smile on his lips.

«Why are you smiling?»

«Nothing, the way you eat cake whenever you’re stressed won’t change even if you get older….»

«Escort Park Sang-jin. Are you sarcastically telling me that I’m old but act like a child?»

«No, that wasn’t my intention at all, but I apologize if it offended you.»

«Fine, just go and bring me a latte.»

«You mean a caffe latte?»

«And if you can, make some latte art. Don’t use that cheap coffee bean for me. And for the milk, use the ratio I like….»

Park Sang-jin blinked as he listened to her string of orders.

The man who had once been the manager of actress Im Gaeul couldn’t do anything even when she was throwing a tantrum.

Based on experience, it was better to just comply when she was throwing a tantrum.

«…Yes, I understand, I’ll relay what you said to the secretary’s office.»

«Escort Park Sang-jin will take care of it personally.»

«I’m Ms. Im Gaeul’s bodyguard. I can’t leave her alone….»

«Then I guess I can call bodyguard Lee Jung-hyun?»

«Mr. Lee is on vacation today, so….»

«…Vacation?»

Im Gaeul’s expression changed.

A cold gaze pierced Park Sang-jin.

«The bodyguard’s duty is to protect the fairy, isn’t it? But why is someone busy working since this morning, and someone else went on v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n?»

«It was arranged long ago….»

«Nice. Someone doesn’t have to postpone their vacation, and someone else can’t even rest because of work…»

«I’m going to get a bodyguard Lee Jung-hyun right now.»

«Tell him to show up right in front of me immediately. If he doesn’t, I’ll even tell him that his vacation is revoked.»

«…Yes, understood.»

Park Sang-jin left the office with a serious face.

It took less than half an hour for Lee Jung-hyun, who had been on vacation since then, to return.

«…Lady Im Gaeul. You can’t do this. No matter how much Sang-jin is unlikable, it’s unnecessary to put me on the line.»

«Did you have a good vacation?»

«Does this look like a good vacation, huh?»

«Do you want me to count today’s vacation as used, not returned?»

«Please tell me anything. I, Lee Jung-hyun, will accept any order for the sake of you!»

Lee Jung Hyun’s change in demeanor was swift.

Im Gaeul was satisfied.

Standing up, she unlocked her personal cabinet.

Inside the spacious cabinet for personal use were neatly hung various clothes.

«…Lady Im Gaeul?»

«Escort Lee Jung-hyun. If you listen to me, I’ll give you an extra day of vacation. A reward vacation, don’t you want it?»

«I’m your bodyguard, and I’ll do anything for you!»

«I like that answer. You must keep this a secret from Park Sang-jin.»

«Yes! Understood!»

«I’m going on vacation from now on.»

«…What?»

Lee Jung-hyun doubted his ears after hearing the last words.

Without looking back at the dumbfounded Lee Jeong-hyun, Im Gaeul went through her clothes.

«Wait at the door until I call for you.»

«Excuse me, fairy. If you can tell me what’s going on here, I’ll be able to….»

«Are you going to watch me change?»

Gaeul unbuttoned the buttons.

For a moment, Lee Jung-hyun, who had shifted his gaze, didn’t want to experience the mana pulsating in his heart.

He shouted, «Understood!» and ran out of the office like a maniac.

A moment later─.

«─Gaeul, she’s at it again….»

When Park Sang-jin found the office, no one was there.

There was only a post-it note on the table.

『I’ll be back today, so don’t look for me.』

The man who was once the manager of actress Im Gaeul sighed heavily, not for the first time.

☆

«»Wow, it’s YH World!»

«…You really are sisters.»

Eunha clicked his tongue when he saw Euna and Eunae already running around as fast as they could as soon as they entered YH World.

The sisters were spinning in circles with their arms spread out like airplanes, as if they were so happy to be at an amusement park after so long in Jamsil.

«But why is Dad taking a vacation after so long?»

«Chairman asked him not to go, but he has to use up his designated vacation days. I guess everyone must be working hard right now.»

Eunha looked back at his dad, who was interlocking fingers with his mom.

His dad had been a workaholic.

Since the beginning of the year, he had been busy reorganizing the group and organizing personnel, becoming the closest aide to the second chairman of Sirius Group, Han Do-young.

Oh my God, my dad is the secretary general of Sirius Group….

Eunha still couldn’t believe it.

His dad, who used to play with Eunae at home wearing a mask and pretending to be a villain, had become the general secretary of Sirius Group.

«Isn’t the chairman just having a hard time without you?»

«I don’t think so, it’s more like utter chaos. I heard it was a real disaster in the end.»

«Really?»

His dad’s words might not have been a complete exaggeration.

Sirius Group is in the midst of an internal reorganization.

Not just Sirius Group.

It wasn’t just the political circles that were crying out for reform, but the clans as well.

The past year has been eventful.

Sirius Group was engulfed in corruption scandals, Dawn Group was reorganized, and Changhae Clan was absorbed by Dangun Clan.

In addition, the clans and sponsorship groups that participated in the reclamation of Uijeongbu were severely damaged.

The Korean Mana Management Organization announced that they would not be adjusting clan and player ratings this year.

The player industry will not be able to take a break to prepare for the ratings review at the end of the year.

«Huh? Where’s Euna and Eunae?»

«They must have disappeared again. I’m sure Euna is fine, but…, where did she go?»

«Is she answering her phone?»

«I have her phone, she left it with me earlier.»

Eunha heard his parents’ conversation and came to his senses.

Euna and Eunae were nowhere to be seen.

He hadn’t noticed because he was lost in his thoughts about his dad’s work, but Euna and Eunae were gone.

«I knew this would happen. Mom, Dad, I’ll go find Euna and Eunae.»

«Can you wander around by yourself? You’re not going to disappear too, are you?»

«Dad, who do you think I am?»

«Then Eunha, Mom and Dad will be waiting for you at the cafe over there, and you should come back as soon as you find Eunae, and take the smartphone with you.»

Eunha took Euna’s smartphone.

There was no way he didn’t know her smartphone password.

I knew it.

It was their birthdays.

Feeling satisfied, Eunha took a picture of the cafe his mom had pointed out.

«Where are my sisters….»

Separated from his parents, Eunha wandered around the attraction.

They wouldn’t go outdoors.

Surely they must be around here….

Maybe they were having a problem and that’s why they were late?

Eunha turned on his sensors.

His instincts for finding his sisters had never failed him before.

But this time, to his surprise, he couldn’t sense them anywhere.

In the vicinity of the Viking ride, he found them.

Huh? Who’s that guy trying to hold my sister’s hand?»

Away from the Viking ride queue.

Euna was surrounded by men who looked to be in their 20s.

The mood of the men as they confronted Euna was tense.

Euna positioned herself protectively in front of a woman they were targeting.

The woman in a floppy hat tried to fend off the approaching men.

But a man in a black suit grabbed her wrist.

«Look at that»

It didn’t matter if the woman in the floppy hat was grabbed by the men or not.

The problem was that one of the men was trying to intimidate Euna, and the other man knocked Eunae over as she struggled to say, «Don’t bully my sister!»

«You guys are all dead….»

«What are you doing to her!»

The woman in the floppy hat shouted in a clear voice.

She shook off the grabbed wrist and pulled Eunae closer to her.

And Euna said,

«─Why did you knock down my sister?»

The men, who felt people’s attention, were about to say something, but without giving them a chance, Euna kicked them.

This was her third year at the Secondary Academy, so knocking down ordinary people wasn’t a difficult task.

Three at once.

«My sister’s the best!»

The woman in the floppy hat patted Eunae on the butt.

Eunae screamed at Euna, who landed smoothly without any flaws.

Noona is indifferent to her own business, but when it comes to me and Eunae, she doesn’t care.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment, Euna, who had lost her temper, stared at the fallen men.

The men who received people’s attention had their faces flushed.

The men who had just stood up mumbled something and ran away without looking back.

And unfortunately, they were running in the direction where Eunha was coming from.

«I would have let you go if you hadn’t come to me….»

Eunha gathered mana in his eyes.

Looking at the eyes of the approaching men one by one.

Stygian Eye

«Uh!?»

«W-what is it?»

It was a simple illusion spell.

The men must feel like they’re running through a tunnel with only one light.

The spell will be broken when they reach the end of the tunnel, but until then, they will feel the terror of running through a blackened world.

The Skillstones left behind by Stygian Glum provide the magic that allows him to instill fear in those who see him.

If he so chose, he could imprint a mind-crushing fear.

That is, if he could break through the target’s mana resistance.

He couldn’t use dangerous magic against normal people.

That was enough.

«Noona, why do you disappear?»

«…Sorry, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to an amusement park, so I was in a good mood….»

«Oppa, don’t bully my sister.»

«…Eunae, you too.»

«…I’m sorry.»

Eunha scolded Eunae, who had shrunk with a stiff expression.

Eunae had a sullen face, probably looking out for her sister.

«What happened?»

Eunha asked, glancing at the woman in the floppy hat.

The woman’s face was hidden by the hat.

«She said she didn’t want to play with us here, but those guys from earlier didn’t leave, so…»

I see what happened.

Eunha sighed.

It meant that the sisters couldn’t ignore the woman in trouble and went to help.

«Noona, I told you, take care of yourself before you think about anyone else.»

«…I’m sorry.»

«…I was wrong.»

Euna and Eunae bowed their heads again.

That was enough scolding.

Eunha decided to take his sisters back to his parents.

Then,

«You two have such a strange relationship, don’t you? The younger brother scolded the older sister….»

The woman who had been silent the whole time spoke up.

«Thanks for the help. That was a nice kick.»

«…What? Oh, no….»

The woman thanked Euna, then bent down to make eye contact with Eunae.

«Are you sure you weren’t hurt?»

«Eunae is fine!»

The woman examined Eunae closely.

Then, her eyes met Eunha’s.

…She seems familiar.

He recognized her from somewhere.

Where have I seen her before?

«…Ah…!»

Eunha let out a short gasp as he recognized the woman’s face again.

He couldn’t believe how different she looked with just a little eye makeup.

Her braided hair and the dress she was wearing gave her an air of innocence.

If I hadn’t met her in person before the regression, I wouldn’t have noticed.

«Why are you looking at me like that?»

Eunha continued to stare at her without answering.

Why are you here?

Eunha blinked in surprise.

Because she was the fairy Im Gaeul.