ReLife Player

[friend or supporter].

It was shortly after Eunha turned two years old.

Her mother was hanging out the laundry when, out of the blue, she said.

«Why don’t we go visit Eunha’s friend today?»

«Friend?»

Did I have a friend?

Eunha stood still and scratched his head.

Before the regression, he hadn’t been the kind of person to open up to others.

All he wanted was for himself to die or for the monsters to die.

Furthermore, the world of players who made their living destroying monsters was not an environment for socializing, as the saying goes, betray them before they betray you.

There were a few people I could relate to, but it wasn’t really a relationship, just a shared sense of purpose in killing monsters.

They would eventually run out of breath as the battle intensified.

So the one person I can call a friend before the regression is…

…Lee Yoo-jung.. (E/N: I love her)

Although they had spent time together as close as siblings, even going through thick and thin, because of the age difference between them, they could still be referred to as an older brother and younger sister.

I’m sure Baekryeon herself would throw a fit if she heard that.

And as for Yoo-jung…

Even now, in his second life, he couldn’t figure out what she was to him.

Too light to be called a friend,

Too vague to be a comrade-in-arms,

Too light to be a friend, too vague to be a comrade-in-arms, too lacking in something to be a lover.

What did she think of me?

The two had graduated from the academy and spent over ten years together. Emotions that sprouted in the changing times of Kangsan could not be simply defined by the same words like love or friendship.

«Eunha?»

«Oh, yeah.»

Realizing her mother’s worried gaze, Eunha decided to change the subject.

«Do I have any friends?»

«…Well, how many friends do you have that Eunha doesn’t know about?»

Oops, that was a bad choice of words.

It wasn’t appropriate for a child who had just turned two.

But she was a mother.

She could only marvel at the fact that her two-year-old was so articulate, but she didn’t question the question as if he had spent his life without friends.

«There’s a girl your age right next door, Eunha, and I heard she wants you to come over once.»

«Next door?»

Even though he could walk now, Eunha was still a toddler. He hadn’t been out of the house much, so there was no way he knew who lived next door.

«There’s a very cute little girl living there~»

What more could I ask for from a two-year-old?

The idea of going to meet a girl his own age didn’t excite him. I didn’t know if he’d be able to talk to her, or if he’d be able to communicate with her, and I just hoped he wouldn’t be like Euna.

Instead, he was attracted to the idea of going outside the house.

It was next door, just a few steps out the door.

Eunha’s family lived on the second floor of a four-story rowhouse. Two households are allowed to live on each floor, with the exception of the landlord’s grandfather, who used the entire fourth floor for his book collection.

Euna said that her neighbors were all friendly and fun people.

I wondered how unusual they must be for Euna to say they were fun, and in that sense, I was a little curious.

«Minji’s mom, it’s me.»

Her name is Minji-jina.

I didn’t remember anything about my next-door neighbors.

Including the unusual ones Euna had mentioned.

Well, maybe I couldn’t remember.

It was unavoidable.

Before the regression, I had left the neighbourhood before I graduated from kindergarten. Left alone at a young age, I was forced to grow up with my maternal grandmother in Incheon.

The trauma of losing his family left him distraught for years, so he doesn’t remember much of his childhood.

«Are you Eunha? Hi, Eunha!»

«Eunha, you should say hello too»

«Hi.»

So it’s safe to say that the people I’m going to meet will be new to me.

«Wow, he’s really good at saying hello even though he’s the same age as Minji.»

«Eunha learned to talk quickly.»

«I heard he took his first steps early. When I heard it on the playground, I thought your mom was bragging, but now I see it’s true.»

«Oh my God, you didn’t believe me?»

«I can’t believe it. You were saying that he was walking and talking when he was only a few months old. I thought, who in the world learns that fast?»

«No, we’re not the smartest or something like that, we’re pretty ordinary.»

«Okay, okay, but he’s so cute! He’s got a great face, cutie!»

«Auwau…»

She was a very awkward neighbor. She seemed like someone who could live well no matter where she fell.

By the way, don’t pinch my cheeks. I don’t want to stretch them.

You think my cheeks are glutinous.

Eunha ducked behind her mother to avoid Min-ji’s mom touch.

«He’s still a kid. Is he still wearing a pacifier?»

«I tried to take it off, but Eunha wouldn’t let me.»

She’s not trying to take mine off, is she?

After 12 months of age, children are supposed to outgrow their pacifiers.

But Eunha couldn’t give up his pacifier, and when her mother tried to take it away a few days ago, he defended it, even crying.

I don’t know anyone who hasn’t tried it.

No, no one who doesn’t remember doing it has any idea!

«Look at him, he won’t take it away, so don’t do that.»

«Are you bored? Mommy is having coffee with Minji’s mom, so why don’t you come play with Minji?»

«Minji is playing by herself inside. Can Eunha play with her?»

«Yeah, okay.»

Desperately holding on to the pacifier, Eunha nodded.

His second life wasn’t without its inconveniences: he could walk and talk and learn to talk, but there were some things he couldn’t do without the absolute sanction of age.

Cigarettes and alcohol, for example.

Before his regression, he smoked mindlessly and had a drink before going to sleep, but alcohol and cigarettes were too hard to resist.

He hadn’t touched them in over a year.

He was forced to quit smoking and drinking semi-forcibly in order to regress.

The pacifier was a substitute. Putting it in my mouth and chewing it hard gave me a strange sense of security that I was here.

It was also addictive in a different way than the cigarettes I used to smoke to take my mind off a hard day.

So I wouldn’t take out my pacifier until I sucked on a Chupa Chups! (E/N: There’s a picture below!)

But Eunha’s pacifier was taken away from his, much to his chagrin.

«This is my pacifier.»

«What!»

From a neighbor of his own age.

Minji Kim, 2 years old.

Minji was playing with a toy in her room when she was snatched up at a speed you wouldn’t expect from a baby.

He was caught off guard, not expecting to be attacked by a 2-year-old.

«It’s mine, give it back.»

«It’s mine.»

Minji took it in her mouth.

There was a look on her face like she had the world.

Eunha, on the other hand, felt like he had lost everything.

I never thought I’d get it gone right in front of me….

I can’t believe I’m being defiled by someone else…!

He never thought he would see his pacifier in another child’s mouth.

In a world of players where the maxim is to take it before it’s taken from you, he never thought it would be taken from him so easily.

«Minji, didn’t Mommy tell you not to take it anymore?»

«But Mommy, it’s Minji’s.»

It’s because of you, you forced her to stop taking it, so she took it from me.

Eunha glared at Minji’s mother with resentment.

Whether she was aware of his gaze or not, he was furious that she took the pacifier away from Eunha.

«My Eunha is a good boy, so he can handle it, right? It’s okay, we have plenty at home.»

If it weren’t for his mother’s appeasement, he would have joined the fray.

Hah, it can’t be helped.

It’s not hygienic to take back something that’s been in someone else’s mouth.

Better to be generous and give it up.

I’ll have to go home and bite the newly sanitized one later.

«Shouldn’t Eunha play quietly with Minji?»

In the meantime, the fight was over.

Min-ji, who had finally gotten the pacifier, clung to Eunha and whined back and forth.

Perhaps it was fascinating to meet someone of her own age, but Minji scratched his face with her nails, kept trying to touch his face, and tried to pull his hair…

Don’t you hate me?

You don’t like me, do you?

It was a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. He couldn’t live with the loss, so he tried to do what Minji had done.

«Stop it.»

Minji said in disgust at that moment.

If he laid a finger on her, she threatened that she would call her mom right now.

Huh, she’s a player, a real player.

And it didn’t suit him at all.

«You’re disgusting.»

«Well, we can agree on that one. I hate you too.»

He agreed.

In less than an hour of interaction, the two realized that day.

That they were water and oil that couldn’t mix.

Maybe things wouldn’t have been so bad between us if you hadn’t stolen from me.

No, we just weren’t meant to be.

You’re just speeding up the process of getting to know each other.

I can’t do this anymore.

I’m not going to have any hair left on my head with this girl.

«Mom, I want to go home!»

Eunha called out to her mother,

«Have a snack before you go!»

Minji’s mother didn’t want to send them away right away, so she held out a snack to Eunha.

It was a toddler snack from her house. It had a bland flavor.

As an aside, it was one of the hardest things to bear, not being able to eat the snacks sold at convenience stores because they were said to be too irritating for babies.

Eunha and Minji, who were of the same age, momentarily had conflicting intentions about approaching the table with the snacks. Eunha was already able to walk, while Minji still preferred crawling. This difference became the standard for determining who would get the snacks first.

«Aah! Mine!»

It’s revenge!

Savor the moment when what’s yours is no longer yours.

After living as a baby for two years, even his mind had become a child.

«We should share and eat nicely. It’s not good to do it this way.»

If it weren’t for her mother’s restraint, he would have taken them all.

In the end, Eunha had to split the sweets with Min-ji.

«This one’s mine.»

And yet, this girl.

This bad one who coveted Eunha’s share of snacks was still there.

«This is mine.»

Eunha didn’t want to be unnecessarily stubborn with one snack, but he didn’t want to give in to Minji.

But he had to back off again.

She was so strong, and he, who had been increasing the mana in his body, was pushed back. She even had the cowardice to pull down his pants.

A match made in a flash.

The winner was Minji, who reached for a snack while Eunha was putting on his pants.

At her age, she’s already using such cowardly tricks to win.

Sucks, really sucks.

«Wow, you two are really close.»

Mother, we’re not close at all.

I’ve just met the enemy next door.

«I see. I guess you two will be hanging out a lot from now on.»

Please don’t involve me with this idiot, auntie.

I don’t know. Let’s give up the sweets.

Eunha decided to give up after picking up a few sweets from the floor.

But what kind of girl is so strong?

Curious, Eunha checked Minji’s mana.

The amount of mana was normal, nothing compared to Euna, who was blessed with mana, or himself, who was increasing his mana.

And yet, to be so strong──I wonder if she was born that way.

─Maybe she was born that way. That’s a bit scary.

Both he and that auntie should be careful.

Or maybe she’s a voracious eater.

«Mukminji*» ( E/N: basically says Eat-Minji)

«Huh?»

«You’re a munchkin* (glutton), so I’ll call you Mukminji* (Eat-Minji) from now on.» (EN: It’s a game of words!)

«munchkin?»

She probably doesn’t even know what «munchkin» means.

«I won’t teach you, nyah~» he said, feeling superior.

«I’m not a glutton!»

«You are a glutton, you glutton. Mukminji*»

Minji glared at him.

Eunha didn’t stand still. he grabbed the bowl of snacks and continued to tease Minji.

It’s like calling poop, poop, and calling a glutton a glutton!

He didn’t think he could ever get along with Minji.

And neither did Minji,

«Mom. I want this.»

«Huh? That’s Eunha’s….»

«Give it to me. Wahh.»

Minji threw the pacifier she’d been biting on to the floor as dirty.

«I want this!. Wahh.»

Wow she really….

He had to watch as the pacifier, which had been taken away from him by someone else, was thrown away like a bonfire of one night.

«Sh-, haaaa, sigh….»

─I really can’t get along with her.

«먹보» Mukminji-munchkin/EN: basically he’s saying that she eats a lot like a glutton. Just like my sister.

Here’s the image!