ReLife Player

[kindergarten hero].

«Haaa, haaa, haaa….»

The long summer vacation was coming to an end. Although the heat had subsided, the time when the sun started to scorch the ground had come, so sweat began to pour down.

Wiping the sweat from his face with the back of his hand, Eunha ran to the water source..

«Hey! Eunha, what are you doing there? Come on!»

Why were the children so restless?

The children were so lively.

Eunha was too tired to play anymore, but they were having fun in the sun.

If he played one more game of «Ice Thump» he would surely collapse from exhaustion.

Eunha deliberately ignored the children’s calls. He decided to take a break in the shade to cool off.

Meanwhile, the children had found another child to join them in playing «Ice Thump.»

«Whew….»

The cicadas cried as they burned the last of the summer. Eunha sighed as he listened to the nonstop chirping.

Steadying his breathing, he raked the mana from the air. The mana gathered in the image of a rake floated around him, fusing with the mana in his body.

Eunha had been increasing his mana in this way for as long as he could remember. At first, there was no change in his body’s mana, but after manifesting the Gift, the vessel that held it had grown. Moreover, as his physical capacity to store mana increased, he could collect more mana than when he was young.

However, he had no intention of becoming a player.

Eunha had already changed the future, so he had no reason to become a player. The reason he collected mana during his free time was that as time passed, the world would become increasingly dependent on mana. If he didn’t want to be controlled by others, it was better to collect mana while he could.

«No Eunha! Did you rest enough? Come on in!»

«No Eunha, you’re it first!»

How long have you guys been resting? Am I out of shape or are they not normal?

«Guys~, let’s cool off with some ice cream!»

Just then, Mr. Tayo arrived with a large bowl of ice cream, and the sweaty children began to cheer enthusiastically.

«I want merona!»

«I want a bread pudding!»

Line up, you guys. If this continues, there might not be any ice cream left.

Eunha waited patiently until the rush of kids had gotten their ice cream and disappeared.

«Haha….»

Teacher Tayo’s appearance after being tormented by the children was something else. His hair was disheveled in an instant, his glasses were on top of his head, and his apron was untied and swinging back and forth.

«They’re just kids.»

Who was the person who was just having fun and playing until a moment ago?

Minji was watching the situation with her arms crossed like Eunha. She was acting like an adult, but she couldn’t stop the sweat from rolling down her cheeks.

«Eunha and Minji, eat ice cream.»

«Mmm….»

«Hmm….»

There were only a few flavors of ice cream left in the bag.

This was where Eunha and Minji were bound to clash. As their eyes locked, they could almost instinctively recognize that the ice creams they had chosen were the same.

The one who quickly grabbed it would win.

They both came to the same conclusion almost simultaneously and reached for the bag.

«Let go of this, Mukminji, this is mine.»

«The one who grabs it first is the winner. Why don’t you let go?»

«Because I grabbed it first. Why don’t you let go?»

«Hmph! You’re just a man who can’t handle the heat and comes out like this?»

«What does being a man or a woman have to do with ice cream! Can’t you just be generous?»

The last remaining ice cream bar. There was no way I was going to give up the opportunity to eat a portion that could feed two, eat it without getting it all over my hands, and drink the coffee I wasn’t allowed to drink as a child.

«I thought I told you guys not to fight, and now you’re fighting over a ice cream bar….»

«Ah…!»

«Sir!»

«Here, I’ve broken it in half. You can eat it together.»

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t eat it in half, but that it tastes better whole.

The two people who accepted the halved ice cream protested with their eyes.

«We’re supposed to share, right?»

«»Yes….»

Knowing that Ms. Tayo was not pleased, they had no choice but to give up. They had to take what they had.

«What do you think, Minji? Should we play rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to eat the rest?»

«That’s fine. Are you sure you won’t regret it?»

«I’ll say that after I win.»

«Rock, paper─.»

«─Let’s just eat it peacefully?»

«Yes…»

In the end, the two of them had no choice but to eat quietly while being watched by Ms. Tayo. When they ate it all together, it was enough to cool off the heat, but when they divided it in half, it wasn’t enough to cool their throats.

Meanwhile, Eunha was able to find Hayang, who was pacing around looking for something and approaching Teacher Tayo.

«Excuse me, Teacher. Have you seen Eunhyuk?»

«Eunhyuk? Well, let’s see. Maybe he’s playing in the flower bed?»

Hayang seemed concerned that Eunhyuk wasn’t around, even though he played mean pranks on her. She was considerate of him even though he wasn’t there.

«If it’s him, he’s probably swinging his sword somewhere again.»

On the other hand, Minji, whom she disliked, continued to slurp and sulk as she ate the remaining ice cream. Ever since the boys at the kindergarten started fighting with knives, Eunhyuk always carried a sword with him. Since that day, he no longer brought the boys around with him like his subordinates, and he stopped bothering the other children. He just swung his sword alone in the flower bed when he had time.

Yes, he was caught red-handed by me.

«I know, but why is he swinging a sword in a flower bed?»

Minji didn’t understand the story of swinging a sword in a flower bed by herself, but Eunha could understand a little bit.

You’d want to do something like that where no one could see you.

«Don’t bring him anything. He’ll find his own way when he wants to eat.»

«But… it’s not fair to eat alone when we’re all eating together.»

«Hayang, you’re too kind-hearted, you know.»

Hayang wiggled her fingers and looked at Minji’s eyes.

Minji sighed and put her hand on Hayang’s head. She had started to imitate Eunha’s behavior.

Hayang, who had gotten used to having someone’s hand on her head, giggled and clung to Minji.

«Then Hayang, can you get ice cream for Eunhyuk?»

«Yes, teacher!»

«Should we go together?»

They couldn’t send Hayang alone.

Even though Eunhyuk had stopped bothering the kids lately, he could still cause trouble.

Hayang had gotten used to children’s pranks, but she was still clumsy with bullies.

«No, it’s okay.»

After a long pause, Hayang shook her head. Taking Eunhyuk’s share from the envelope, she waved to the two of them and ran to the flowerbed.

She might fall if she keeps running like that.

Ah, see. She should be careful.

«Throw all the eaten ice cream here!»

Mr. Tayo made them throw the finished ice cream in the empty bag. The children who were running around with Chuchu popsicles* heard that and came to throw their ice cream away too.

«Who wants to chop ice?»

The children had the stamina of steel. The children with tanned skin were busy running around the kindergarten playground without getting tired.

«You should get up too.»

«No thanks, I’m done playing for the day.»

«But then they’ll say they don’t want to play with you.»

«You don’t have to worry about that. You can go play by yourself.»

«No. Euna asked me to play with you.»

Minji pouted her lips in protest.

My older sister is really like that.

A while ago, after hearing about Eunha’s kindergarten life from Teacher Tayo, Euna promoted him by asking other kids to play with Eunha.

Apparently, Minji, who lives next door, is no exception.

«Do you want to go or not?»

Minji had the upper hand. She was enjoying the situation, teasing Eunha with her chubby gaze and giggling.

Unable to help himself, Eunha got up from his seat.

Since this is the way things are going, I’m going to hang out with you for the rest of the day. I may have to suffer the heat later, right?

«If you don’t come out, you’re it! Rock-paper-scissors! Okay! Eunha is it!»

As soon as the rock-paper-scissors game was over, the freeze tag* began.

Eunha tried to catch Minji, who was nearby, but she escaped at the right moment by shouting «Freeze!» Eunha had no chance of catching her.

There was no way Eunha couldn’t catch her.

It was a fake, and he walked right past her and grabbed the kid behind her.

The tables had turned so quickly.

Eunha had no intention of running from him now.

His revenge was about to begin.

«Tag!»

Eunha touched Minji, who had been frozen just before the pursuer caught up with her. Minji, who had defrosted according to the rules, was grabbed by the pursuer as he followed her.

«No Eunha, you!»

Minji was now «it.»

Spending time in an icy state was like being in the sewer. If he stayed still, he didn’t know what tricks Minji would pull.

Eunha’s choice was to run away. As the most athletic of the boys, there was no way she could catch him easily.

«Don’t play with yourselves!»

Minji was also a competitive child. She was so upset that Eunha had gotten away with it that she pushed the other kids aside and ran to catch him.

Naturally, a chase ensued between the two.. Eunha thought he could get away from Minji until lunchtime.

That’s when it happened.

«Huh?»

Something smelled foul. His senses, which had been asleep, grabbed his ankle.

There was no way he didn’t know that feeling. He’d come close to death countless times on the battlefield, and he could almost instinctively sense life force coming from somewhere.

But in a kindergarten?

Eunha was puzzled as he realized the life force had landed in the kindergarten.

«Tag Eunha, you’re the boss now! What are you doing? Why are you still?»

Ignoring Minji, who finally caught up to him, Eunha deployed a mana detection net centered on the kindergarten.

Two monsters were caught in the net.

«Damn!»

Why are monsters here!

Eunha quickly turned his head in the direction of the life force.

«…Huh? What?»

Two shapes appeared out of nowhere and landed on top of the kindergarten fence.

The children playing in the immediate vicinity froze in place as they saw the monsters hanging from the fence.

«Goblins…!»

Goblin, a seventh-ranked monster capable of committing felonies like murder and rape. With small axes in their hands, they stared at the children with their mouths pulled up to their ears.

Kiruk

Krugs

They giggled, their faces covered in wrinkles. They realized there was no threat around.

«Ah- ah-….»

«Waaa waa….»

«Uhhh, mommy….»

The children were frozen in place as they watched the goblins leap from the fence. Some of the children’s legs gave out and they just lay there, while others stood up and peed themselves.

Dangerous.

It didn’t matter where or how the goblins came from. The most important question was how to protect the children from them.

Eunha couldn’t take on the monsters while protecting the children, who were too small to move.

«Waaahhh Mommy…!»

The goblin’s actions were swift. Recognizing the children as nothing more than food, they pounced on them without warning.

Eunha wasn’t one to just stand there. He had been alert since the goblin’s feet left the ground and was running to protect the child it had spotted.

«Everyone run!»

Minji shouted, coming to her senses late. Her face was white as a sheet, but she realized that if she burst into tears, there would be no one to move them.

But Minji was still a child, and her half-panicked brain couldn’t think of where to run from the goblins.

«Go to the auditorium!»

It was Mr. Tayo who noticed the situation. He too was running towards the goblins to protect the children.

If only I had a weapon…!

The only thing he could use as a weapon was the ice cream stick that had fallen to the ground. He coated the surface of the stick with mana in his mind..

Kiruk

The goblin was no pushover. It glanced at him as he charged, and then smashed his stick with its axe.

The goblin behind him turned to face the defenseless Eunha. It had concluded from his earlier attack that he would be a distraction.

«Annoying….»

Irritation rose in his voice as he struggled against the goblin. The fact that the goblins saw him as prey also contributed to his anger.

I can beat you without a weapon.

The problem was, in between dealing with the goblin who had belittled him, he had to deal with another goblin who had jumped on the child.

«How dare you!»

Wow!

The goblin who had been lunging at the child was hit with a broom by Mr. Tayo, who was unable to dodge the broom from the side, and he fell to the ground with a blow to the head.

«Eunha, hold still!»

Turning around, Teacher Tayo threw the broom at the goblin as if it were a javelin.

The goblin was no match for the blind broom.

However, Mr. Tayo wasn’t aiming for the goblin from the beginning. He picked up and ran away with Eunha while the goblin was retreating to avoid the broom.

«Teacher, did you play baseball?»

«I would have made it to the majors if it weren’t for the <End of the Century Destruction>.»

«Oh, I see.»

I guess you can make a joke out of a situation like this.

Sighing, Eunha glared at the pursuing goblins.

How dare they.

Gathering his mana like an elixir, he sowed life.

If they come near, they die.

The goblin reaching for Ms. Tayo stiffened for an instant. Falling from the air, it collided with the one following it, knocking it completely away.

«Huff huff huff….Principal, where are the others?»

In the meantime, the two were able to evacuate to the auditorium. As soon as they entered the auditorium, Mr. Tayo, who was lying on the floor, was breathing heavily. Blood was trickling down one of his legs from where he had punched the goblin earlier.

«All the children have been evacuated, but did the goblin really come out?»

In the auditorium, children from other classes and teachers were gathered. The children were screaming, so there was no way the people in the kindergarten didn’t know.

«Yes, there are two of them, I think they’re the ones they missed a few days ago. I never thought they’d show up at the kindergarten….»

«Why of all places…»

The principal furrowed her brow. She called the mana management office in Seongbuk-gu as if she was having a hysterical fit while scratching her head.

«…I’ve made a report, but we have to wait here until the players show up.»

«Then I’ll block the door with the other teachers.»

The two teachers thought they would have no problem killing time until the players arrived.

Even though they didn’t think they would.

«Teacher, I don’t see Hayang and Eunhyuk!»

Minji, who had been calming the kids in the Evergreen Pine class, jumped up and shouted.

The other children began to pour out information one after another.

«I saw them in the flower bed earlier!»

«Hayang said she was going to bring Eunhyuk some ice cream!»

«They must be in the flower bed!»

«Hayangi and Eunhyuk are missing!»

No wonder the teachers’ faces contorted.

«…I’ll go get them.»

«No, Mr. Tayo should stay.»

Mr. Tayo was the only male teacher in the kindergarten. In his head, he knew he should bring the children, but the other teachers didn’t want to send him out to secure the auditorium.

«Teacher, we need to bring them in!»

The children in the class were acutely aware of the seriousness of the situation. The girls, especially Minji, were clinging to the teachers’ pants.

As they cried, the other kids in the class did the same.

When they cried, the other kids cried too.

No wonder the auditorium became chaotic.

The teachers tried to calm them down and continued to have conflicting opinions about who should leave and who should stay.

And Eunha-.

«What am I doing?»

He jumped from the window and ran out of the auditorium.

Notes!

E/N: Chuchu popsicles* It’s a korean ice cream. Really yummy. Here’s a picture!

Freeze tag* It’s a korean game basically what the name says lol in Spanish we call it «Congelados» well at least in my country.

I was a litle busy with stuff from school so I couldn’t update! I think I’ll need to add a schedule release…

A note from your girl bibell