ReLife Player

[Pepero]

Among his friends, there was no one who didn’t pass the first round of exams for the Player Academy.

Jin Parang, who had belatedly dedicated himself to studying, also managed to pass the written exam safely.

It was inevitable that the kids who passed the test with a high competition rate would sing victory songs.

I didn’t even think the second round of exams would be more challenging.

The kids would manage on their own.

It was mid-November.

There was only a week left until the second round of exams for the academy.

Whether they knew it or not, the kids were caught up in the aggressive marketing of Luminous and YH Group, even at school.

Kids who came to school in the morning were carrying Pepero, exchanging them with anyone they met, regardless of gender.

“See? I told you it would be good to bring Pepero!»

“I told you last time. This is just a marketing strategy by big companies. I’d rather eat rice cakes…»

Unable to beat Minji’s persuasive arguments on the way to school, Eunha ended up buying a few Pepero sticks at the convenience store.

Even though he didn’t feel the need to buy them.

But seeing the kids in his class carrying Pepero, it seemed that this year’s trend was quite strong.

“It’s our last year as elementary school students. Since we’re doing it, let’s make it fun enough to be memorable.»

“So, are they fighting with Pepero swords to create memorable memories?»

“….»

Eunha scoffed, pointing at the boys playing with Pepero sticks.

Minji, who lost in the Pepero game on the way to school, sighed openly when she spotted Eunhyuk holding two large Pepero sticks, playing with them.

She let out a curse word.

“Didn’t I tell you not to swear?»

“There’s nothing wrong with swearing, even the kids in the lower grades swear like it’s nothing, and I’m at a good level!»

“If I told you not to use it, don’t. Why are you using bad language at this age?»

“I’ve been swearing since I was a kid…. Isn’t this totally arbitrary?»

As Minji said, there were quite a few kids at Doan Elementary School who used vulgar language.

He was surprised when a child in his class bumped into him the other day and swore at him without apologizing.

Eunae shouldn’t be like that.

I’m so anxious for next year….

Next year, Eunha will go to a player academy and Eunae will go to an elementary school.

The Player Academy requires students to live in dormitories.

That meant I wouldn’t get to see her in elementary school.

He worried about his sister’s ability to maintain her good manners in the midst of foul-mouthed children.

“Why are you guys fighting in the morning? Here, this is Eunha’s. This is Minji’s.»

Seona approached, tail wagging.

The two, who turned away from each other, received the Pepero she offered gratefully.

He suddenly wondered.

“Come to think of it, didn’t the teacher tell us not to bring food to school?»

During Valentine’s Day this year, Im Dohon told the kids not to bring food to school.

Even if he was in fifth grade back then, he became the homeroom teacher for the sixth grade, so he couldn’t just ignore it.

But Minji and Seona just shrugged their shoulders, acting like it was nothing.

“There’s a school store at school, so the rule of not bringing food doesn’t make sense.»

“Besides, they said they’ll allow it this year.»

“Why?»

“Alice Group decided to distribute Pepero to the entire school.»

“…So, there was a connection.»

Eunha accurately pinpointed what Seona was saying.

There was no Hayang in the room.

As a direct member of Alice Group, she was probably leading the affiliate kids to distribute them to the entire school.

To maintain the information network planted in the school until graduation.

Also, to gain Alice’s favor with the kids.

Ever since the incident with Seona a while ago, Hayang didn’t hesitate to use Alice’s name at school.

Apparently, the Alice Foundation prioritizes students from Doan Elementary School for scholarships because of her relationship with them.

As long as they had some ability.

“Me and Eunhyuk have to go help the others, so we’ll go first.»

The results of the Conglomerate Group’s scholarship selection were announced on the same day.

Seona, Eunhyuk, and Minji were, of course, sponsored.

In a sense, they had fallen under Hayang’s protection.

From now on, they would see each other at every gathering organized by the Conglomerate Groups.

Seona and Eunhyuk didn’t like it.

But they reluctantly accepted.

Eunha told Seona that the player she wanted to be are the ones who live in that world.

Seona wanted to be a player that no one could ignore.

To do that, she needed to understand their world and have the power to stand above them.

She needed to use Alice’s name to her advantage.

Would she be able to do it?

Perhaps thinking along similar lines to Eunha, Eunhyuk agreed to accompany her, saying he was worried about sending her alone.

“But you don’t have to go with them, do you?»

“Come on, do you think I’m not going to do anything?»

Minji opened her bag.

The bag was filled with Pepero sticks; no notebooks or stationery could be found.

“I’m going to give them to the teachers and staff. Don’t you know the division of labor?»

“…Uh, yeah. Do your best.»

Minji’s personality wasn’t going anywhere.

Bewildered, he waved as she left the classroom, carrying the bag.

☆

“You go first.»

“What, you’re not going home, where are you going?»

“I need to buy something. See you tomorrow.»

“Okay, I’ll go first. See you tomorrow.»

Class is over.

With plenty of Pepero received from the kids, Eunha, unable to eat them alone, parted ways with Minji at the crossroads.

Having also parted ways with Eunhyuk and Seona midway, he headed to the city center.

“What’s so urgent?»

As he walked, Hayang suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

He had to go through the city.

Hayang was on her way to help her father at Happiness instead of her mother taking care of her younger brother.

So Hayang was walking with him through the city.

“I’m buying Pepero to give to my family.»

Eunha pointed to the bag on his shoulder.

The bag filled with Pepero was quite substantial.

While exchanging Pepero with the kids, the bag had inflated this much.

Eunhyuk’s Pepero had even popped out through the unzipped part of the bag.

If he hadn’t known it was Pepero Day today, he might have just gone home, but he received this much.

Also, he had already bought his friends’ share in the morning, so it was right to buy his family’s share too.

“…That’s mean.»

“What’s mean about it?»

“You gave me Pepero that they sell for a thousand won at the convenience store….»

Not long ago, as part of a new business venture, the Luminous Group aggressively acquired well-known confectionery shops nationwide.

Luminous Sweet Seongbuk-dong Branch.

The store, which had been one of the top three bakeries in Seoul before the Fairy government took over, now displayed a statement made with a symbol of the daisy.

It hadn’t existed in his previous life.

“Originally, I was going to buy yours here, too, but I ran out of time, so I bought it in a hurry….»

“Lying.»

As soon as they entered the store, Eunha took out a tray. He made excuses to the following Hayang.

She quickly saw through his lie.

Puffing out her cheeks, she glared at him with a disgusted expression.

“Seohyun told me.»

“…What kind of affair did she have with you again?»

“Eunha, you need to filter your words. At least half of what you say is either blurted out without thinking, or it’s a lie.»

“…That noona really won’t work. How can she turn me into a liar in her eyes?»

Eunha frowned.

Stabbed in the back, he tried to convince her with a deliberately frustrated face.

But she remained steadfast.

“Eunha, you’re lying.»

“…I’m not lying.»

“You think I don’t know?»

Hayang stared at him with round eyes.

For a moment, Eunha realized that she had an excellent sense of reading information through mana.

No, no.

Reading information and reading my mind are two completely different things.

That’s not what her gift does.

Eunha had an idea of what her gift might be.

The gift of being able to take in countless amounts of information without overloading her mana power.

<Multitasking>.

She couldn’t read the emotions.

“I just know.»

“Are you like my mom?»

“Not as much, but…, I’ve been watching you. And don’t you think I know that?»

The words were subtly persuasive.

Eunha chuckled as he saw Hayang, who was self-assuredly holding a ribbon.

He claimed to know her, but he really didn’t know much about his friends.

They were always the ones who approached him, not him.

“So your lies don’t work on me, Eunha.»

“It seems like just yesterday you were crying in kindergarten….»

“I was a kid then.»

“You’re still a kid now.»

“Tch, that goes for you too.»

Eunha didn’t reply to Hayang, who pouted her lips.

He picked his favorite snack with tongs and chose Pepero to gift to his family.

“Hayang, you don’t have to buy Pepero, right?»

“I’m going to make Pepero at home later. I’ve prepared all the ingredients, so it’s okay.»

Eunha took the snacks on the plate to the counter.

As his appetite led him, he ended up filling the plate with snacks.

Fortunately, it was an amount he could afford with his allowance.

“Are you going home now?»

“I’ll give you a ride.»

“Yeah!»

The weather was chilly.

The two who came out of Luminous Sweet put their hands in their jacket pockets.

They chatted, bumping elbows as they walked.

Before they knew it, they were climbing up a hill.

Ahead of them, they could see Happiness’s cabin in the woods.

“That’s it. Thank you.»

“Be careful.»

“Go inside safely.»

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.»

“Oh, Hayang, wait a moment.»

“Yeah?»

Hayang, who was about to run towards Happiness, stopped at Eunha’s call.

He extended the Pepero he had secretly kept aside while choosing his family’s share at Luminous Sweet.

“I’m giving this to you only. Don’t tell the others anywhere else.»

Hayang stared at Eunha with wide eyes.

As long as she stood there obediently, he handed her the Pepero.

Only then did Hayang break into a bright smile.

“Thank you, I’ll enjoy it!»

She replied with a cheerful voice and hurriedly ran up the hill with quick steps.

Turning back midway, she waved to him, watching her enter Happiness.

Eunha also waved back.

He intentionally took a longer route home.

To preserve the neighborhood where he was born and raised.

From next year, he had to stay in the academy dorms.

For six years until he graduated from high school.

He would come home whenever he had time, but there wouldn’t be many days when he stayed at home like before.

Since the moment he became a player, there would be consecutive events shaking the country.

He had no intention of being a mere spectator or being satisfied as a supporting character.

He aimed to be the center.

To become the center and eliminate all the nuisances that interfered like waves sweeping everything away.

That was his thought.

To dive into the whirlpool called the world.

No matter how difficult and arduous the path might be.

“I’m back.»

Time passed, and it was the day when the second round of exams for the Player Academy was about to begin.

Notes!

1. pepero (in Korea), pocky (in Japan), chocolate covered/dipped pretzels (other countries)

2. PEPERO is a kind of snack. It has chocolate on it or almonds. There are many kinds of it like original, nude, almomd, blueberry yogurt, black choco…etc.