ReLife Player

Unlocked chapter (1/13)

Thanks atranok!

[When the Fox Rain Stops (8)].

Seona has been admitted to Alice Hospital.

She won’t be coming to school for a while to stabilize her mind.

It was understandable.

There was a constant stream of slander against her from within the school, and outside, parents were campaigning for her to be expelled.

Some of the most vocal people even criticized the church where she lives, saying it should banish her from the community.

«…Please, write down your names!»

In such a situation, there was limited Minji could do.

She collected signatures from the children to oppose Seona’s expulsion in response to the parents’ campaign.

It was also contradictory to her mother, who wanted Seona to be kept away.

Still, Minji persistently continued the movement without her parents’ support.

«What’s this about?»

«I’m collecting names to prevent Seona’s expulsion!»

«…Seona? Um…, just writing down the name, right?»

«I’ll write too. Seona doesn’t seem like a bad kid.»

«It’s a bit pitiful…»

Seona standing in the school wasn’t completely destroyed.

The kids who knew her before were just waiting to see what would happen without getting swept up in the unfounded rumors.

So Minji was the first to engage the kids who were taking a passive stance.

«Did you hear that Yeom Jae-jin lied to you?»

«I kind of thought so. There’s no way Seona would do that.»

«Cho Yeona said that she stole Minseon purse! That’s really creepy.»

At that moment, the kids who had been tormenting Seona from beneath the surface revealed all the facts.

Of course, the spreading rumors couldn’t be completely eradicated.

But it was crucial that the direction changed.

«Teachers, please sign the petition too! Don’t expel Seona!»

«Minji is really trying hard, can you give it to me? I’ll go talk to our class.»

«Can you give me one too?»

«Minji, give me one too.»

The teachers were in a position where they couldn’t move hastily.

They, too, knew that Seona wasn’t as dangerous as the parents were shouting.

The teachers welcomed Minji’s signature movement and subtly suggested to the students in their classes that they should participate.

«…Give it to me too.»

«Teacher, please talk to others too.»

«…Got it.»

Im Dohon wrote his name on the list with a slightly annoyed expression.

After receiving the new list from her, he said he would recommend it to the faculty.

«Sign it, please! Put your name down!»

Having built up some supporters, Minji went around the lower grades to collect signatures.

It didn’t take long to convince the younger kids.

«…Okay.»

Now it was time to convince the fifth graders.

Minji headed to fifth grade class as soon as recess was over.

She took a deep breath as she stood in front of the classroom.

The key to the petition was to get the support of the fifth graders.

The majority of those calling for her expulsion were parents of fifth graders.

She needed to challenge the argument to remove her from the school for the sake of their children’s safety.

She needed to collect signatures from fifth graders no matter what.

«We’re collecting signatures against Seona’s expulsion!

You guys have heard that all the rumors about her are lies!

She’s really nice and she’s a really good girl!

Please write your names here!»

Minji lowered her head towards the kids standing by the teacher’s desk.

The kids, who had been chattering noisily, fell silent the moment she entered the classroom.

Minji raised her head after a long time had passed.

The children were watching her cautiously.

Also, the gaze of the child who was the center of this class.

«─Why should I?»

There was a sharp edge to her tone.

Minji stiffened as she recognized the girl sitting in the back of the class.

Dressed in something resembling a dress, she stood up from her seat, shooing away the children around her.

«Why?»

The president of Class 1 in 5th grade, Jin Sena.

Four years had been enough time for her to regain her position.

She crossed her arms and glared at Minji.

«Coming into our class without permission and making noise, is that all you can do? If you have something good to say, speak up. Otherwise, get lost.»

Jin-sena snorted and giggled.

She turned to the kids behind her and said, «Don’t you think so too?» looking for agreement.

None of the kids answered.

But she didn’t care.

In this class, silence was consent.

«…Please, write your name down.»

«I wish she’d leave school already, because just the thought of being in the same school as a kid who might turn into a monster at any moment gives me goosebumps!»

Jin-sena giggled as she swept her arms in an exaggerated gesture.

The girl she hated so much was backed into a corner.

Even No Eunha, who had kept her quiet all this time, was in a state of silence and couldn’t move the kids.

She didn’t want to lose this unexpected opportunity.

«But still… Seona is our friend, right?»

With a smile, she added a hint of disapproval to Minji’s suggestion.

Minji frowned for a moment.

Her intentions were obvious.

«Writing down our names… that’s not too hard, so I can do it.»

«…»

«But Kim Min-ji… you and your friends, don’t you think you owe me an apology? Don’t you?»

«…I can figure something out…»

Even though she knew it was an obvious ploy by Jin-sena to prank her, Min-ji couldn’t ignore the possibility.

If she didn’t convince Jin-sena, she wouldn’t be able to collect the signatures of the entire fifth grade class 1.

«Yeah, what can we do? But that’s for you to figure out.»

«…Tell me. What should I do?»

«Your tone is a bit off, isn’t it? Alright, forget it, I don’t want an apology forced out of you.»

«I’m sorry! Really… I’m sorry.»

«Is that how someone apologizes? It seems like you should express more sincerity and politeness… well, go ahead, even kneel if you have to.»

«…What?»

«What, is kneeling so difficult? Weren’t you willing to protect her to the point of giving up your pride?»

«……»

«I don’t need an apology anyway. Instead, Jin Seona is the one getting expelled. If you had just given up your pride, it wouldn’t have come to this.»

Min-ji clenched her fist, suppressing her anger.

Her eyes turned red.

But she couldn’t cry.

She somehow moved her trembling lips.

«…Fine, I’ll do it.»

She knew.

Even if she kneeled down, Jin Sena wouldn’t write the names.

She just wanted to see Minji submit.

Still, she had to kneel.

She had no other choice.

Her mother denied Seona’s existence.

She couldn’t let Seona be seen like this.

She had to catch at least a straw.

«…Please… sign it.»

«Start by kneeling and saying it. The teacher might come if you keep this up.»

Minji was about to start kneeling in front of Jin Sena, her fist-clenched hand resting on her knees.

She tried to press her knees onto the ground, overcome with helplessness and humiliation.

«─Give me something to write my name on it.»

At that moment, the boy who grabbed her was Kim Do-myung, a classmate in second grade.

Kim Do-myung, whose father owns a small tire company, caught Seona’s eye and held Minji back from kneeling.

«This is it, right?»

As if being handed a baton, Shin Min-young took the list of people who opposed Seona’s expulsion.

«You guys write your names down, too. You don’t want to see Seona expelled like this, do you?»

After writing her name on the list, Shin Min-young handed it to a nearby child.

«Shin Min-young, Kim Do-myung, what are you doing in front of me?»

«I’m trying to stop my friend from getting expelled from school.»

«Are you crazy? Who do you think you’re asking for permission from….»

«Why do I need your permission? Ha, I guess being a class president means something?»

Shin Min-young snorted back.

Meanwhile, Kim Do-myung, who had written down the names, spoke to the still hesitant children.

«I was in the same class as Seona in the second grade. Jin Seona, she’s not a bad kid like the rumors say.

She cleans the classroom even when no one asks her to, and if you don’t understand something, she’s the kind of girl who will tell you.»

«Don’t you guys remember last year’s retreat, when Seona was running around telepathically to protect us?»

Shin Min-young chimed in.

For them, last year’s retreat was a trauma they didn’t want to remember.

But they remembered.

They remembered how Seona had soothed them from panic over the monsters.

Her telepathy had been a salvation to their closed eyes and deaf ears.

«I took the bravery test with Jin Seona last year! How was she back then…»

«Come to think of it, the pillow fight we had at the retreat was really fun… Seona ran to the boys with two pillows…»

«Once, Seona made cookies and shared them. How delicious were the cookies back then…»

«I remember seeing Seona come to school early and water the flowers! Even though everyone hated it…»

One by one, the kids started talking about Seona.

Minji looked at them wide-eyed as they began to talk animatedly.

«I want to write my name down!»

«Me too!»

«Give me a copy over here!»

«I’ll collect this one!»

The children wrote down their names to join the petition.

As Minji watched the children raise their hands for another copy, she couldn’t hold back the tears.

«Why are you crying over this?»

«Aren’t you supposed to give them to the other classes? I’ll take care of our class. I’m the vice president.»

Min-young smiles and comforts Minji.

After receiving the new list, Do-myung shrugged, saying he would be in charge of Class 1.

Minji wiped away her tears with her fingers,

«─Thank you, guys.»

She smiled for the first time today.

☆

Meanwhile, Jin-sena, who hadn’t signed the petition, went looking for the kids who had spread the slander about Seona.

«You there.»

It wasn’t hard to find Yeom Jae-jin.

He was yelling that the rumors were wrong.

The corners of Jin-sena’s mouth twitched as she watched him grab the kids and tell them the truth.

Yeom Jae-jin was visibly shocked when he turned around.

She didn’t care if he did or not.

All she cared about was the person behind him.

She had a feeling.

A hint that her interests would align with his.

☆

I saw colors in people.

I don’t remember when it started.

By the time I realized it, seeing colors had become a second nature.

‘What about me?’

‘Unnie is white with yellow.’

‘Yellow? Why is that?’

Yellow is curiosity and interest.

Black for malice and enmity.

White for goodwill and favor.

Red for all kinds of desires.

Pink is love and happiness.

Blue for worry and sadness.

I saw many other colors.

When people looked at me, they held colors.

I felt nauseous every time I caught a glimpse of the emotions they couldn’t hide, no matter how hard they tried.

That’s why I hated people.

I wanted to stay away from people.

I couldn’t stand being in crowded places.

‘I’m wasting my life.’

That’s when he entered her world full of colors.

He held no colors.

It was as if he had no emotions.

I couldn’t find any emotion in him.

‘…You’re bothering me. Why don’t you go eat by yourself?

Of course, he wasn’t completely devoid of color.

It was just that he showed it very infrequently.

Even then, it was mostly a color of irritation and annoyance. However, when it came to his family, warm colors naturally emanated from him.

‘But why am I your noona anyway? Just call me comfortably.’

It’s hard not to be bothered.

Especially with the compassionate light blue, yellow with a hint of white, that sometimes shone through whenever he saw me.

«Do you just show up at someone’s house unannounced?»

«…I apologize for showing up unannounced. Next time, I’ll tell you in advance.»

Now a child who knew him came to visit.

Although I was annoyed that she came unannounced, I couldn’t treat her harshly when I thought about him.

«So, why are you here?»

«…….»

«I’m busy. If you’re not going to talk to me, I’m going back to tutoring.»

«Wait!»

The kid in blue was hesitating to say something.

I didn’t have the heart to listen to this child’s worries and concerns.

Even if it was Alice’s child.

In my eyes, she was just one of the colored people.

My time was precious, and I had no time for her.

Normally, I would have kicked her out, not even let her in.

But she wasn’t just anyone. She knew him.

«Lend me your strength…, please.»

And with that, when it was time to leave,

Just in time, Alice’s child said the words she had been holding in her mouth.

«…Ha.»

After hearing the story, I couldn’t help but sigh.

I was stunned and speechless.

No Eunha, what are you doing?

He’s the one I take with me.

It was ridiculous that I had to hear the story of what happened to him through someone else’s mouth.

I was annoyed.

Yeah, he’s always been like that.

He probably didn’t even think of coming to me.

My pride was bruised.

The only reason I had always carried him around was so the other kids wouldn’t say anything to him.

No matter how good he was with mana, there were things that happened between people that mana couldn’t control.

It was also an unspoken warning to the other kids not to touch him.

But Hong Jin-woo had touched him?

And it was just a kid from Dangun Construction?

I was angry that No Eunha’s friend had been attacked by those kids.

I wanted to retaliate against the kids who dared to touch him, including Hong Jinwoo. But the pretext was weak.

The child who was directly attacked by the children of Dangun was not him, but an Ain, who I had seen at last year’s party.

«Seona, it’s Jin Seona.»

«I don’t care who she is.»

The girl Alice’s child is talking about is a girl who has nothing to do with me.

I couldn’t just move without a good reason.

It was the same for Alice’s child.

Moreover, the Alice Group had a close relationship with the Dangun Group.

The Alice Group had too much to lose to go against them to protect one little girl.

«So you’re asking me to lend you my strength?»

«…Yes.»

But Sirius was different.

Although Sirius had a close relationship with the Dangun, it was the Dangun Group that had the most to lose in a fight.

And Sirius was willing to protect the child of the person who could become his father’s right-hand man, even if it meant accepting losses.

«…Fine.»

The problem was that Dangun and the child weren’t directly involved.

Fortunately, Alice’s child gave me a reason to intervene.

Part of me wanted to pat this kid on the head.

Yes, in my heart.

Alice’s child offered a deal.

We sitting here shouldn’t handle the issue solely based on emotions.

This is not the place for that.

This is the place where we should sit with reason, calculating gains and losses.

Here, I am Sirius’s person, and this child is Alice’s person.

We shouldn’t act based on emotions; it had to be reason, understanding, and calculation.

More than anything, practically speaking, it’s not me and this child who are acting, but the people from the group we’re against.

We shouldn’t simply accept it as a given that they will act.

As long as we are sitting here, we should move considering the group’s interests at any time.

«I’ll lend my help. But what are you willing to pay as compensation?»

«….»

«You didn’t come without thinking about it, did you?»

«That’s not true.»

Alice’s child smiled wryly.

That’s a relief.

When I met her at the party last year, she hadn’t seemed to have any idea of her influence, but she has improved.

«I’m….»

«I don’t expect much.»

«…What?»

I was paid enough.

A reason to intervene.

That was enough for me.

I was going to take whatever this kid had to offer.

If she realized that a cause could be a price, so much the better.

In fact, I’m kind of looking forward to it.

That Alice’s child will realize.

Of course, I don’t plan to tell her.

That’s what this is for.

The other kid…he, might not realize it, but this kid should.

«I will join your faction.»

«…What?»

The color attached to Alice’s child was an unblemished, pure white without any chance of other colors mixing in.

I don’t know why she’s doing this.

I didn’t expect her to be so irrational as to say that she was willing to give herself over.

It was too much.

Too much is poison.

That’s why the deal couldn’t go through.

This child was clearly a fool.

But then she said something that made me think otherwise.

«If I join your faction, doesn’t that mean Alice and Sirius will become close?»

«It’s not a false statement, but it means that Alice could also become a subordinate group under Sirius. What if I tell you to unconditionally obey my future orders?»

«Will that happen?»

«….»

It won’t.

I don’t have the power to move Alice, unless is my sister.

«You wouldn’t be able to do it.»

«How do you know that?»

«Because I’m close to Eunha.»

«…….»

It was unbelievable.

I understood why the pure white attached to Alice’s child was shining so brightly that it might blind someone.

This child was undoubtedly a fool.

«Do you still not know how much influence you possess?»

«Like you said, I don’t know. I don’t know much, but I do know this.

This isn’t going to end here.

The reason you lend me your power is because of Eunha.»

«…….»

This kid knows.

Why I move, and what I’m doing for.

And yet, she’s offered a price that’s too high.

Including Alice’s future.

«In Dangun Group, they might use this incident as an excuse to attack Alice Group again later. And at that time, Unnie, who knows if you can lend your strength?»

That’s a valid point.

This time, this child merely intervened.

If Dangun Group attacks Alice purely because of this incident, it’s Alice’s problem.

I didn’t know all the details.

It was obvious that the relationship between Dangun and Alice would sour after this incident was over. So, this child proposed not just a one-time deal but a continuous solidarity.

«I know Sirius is famous for their player devices.»

«We don’t have as much influence as Dangun Group in the player industry.»

«Lies.»

Yes, it’s a lie.

The position Sirius Group holds could be said to have spread throughout South Korea, following Galaxy Group, in the player industry.

No matter how influential Dangun Group is in the player industry, they can’t ignore Sirius, which has the power to shake a whole country.

Moreover, Sirius Group’s devices are gaining enthusiastic support from players even without aligning with Dangun Group.

They’re currently collaborating with Pine Group to develop a new player library.

«I don’t think it will be bad for Sirius.»

Not bad.

Something her father and unnie would say.

It’s clear that in the near future, Alice Group will rise as a powerful force in South Korea.

When that happens, it won’t be unreasonable for Alice to join hands with Dangun and dominate the player industry, replacing them.

Young child, you are not stupid.

«There’s a lot I want to learn from Seohyun unnie.»

«I’ve never told you to address me informally… I don’t think I’ll let you call me as you please, will I?»

«Then I’ll tell Eunha.»

This child is just naive.

She trusts his presence too much in crucial moments.

What if I betray him?

Even then, can this child look at me with her confident colors?

«I’ll just go around with Eunha, then.»

I gave up thinking.

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

«…Alright, fine. From now on, follow my orders.»

«Yes!»

Taking Alice’s child under my wing was not the end.

Carrying around such a child could become an unnecessary obstacle.

There was so much to teach.

The first thing to teach was that this child still didn’t understand her own worth.

If I had considered Alice’s future, I should have proposed an equal relationship instead of a dependent one.

«Seo-hyun-un-nie?»

If this kid went somewhere and said that, I’d be laughed at.

That couldn’t happen.

Now that this child had chosen to follow me, I had to consider Alice’s future as well.

«From now on, just call me by my name. And what’s your name?»

«…You didn’t know my name?»

«Why should I know your name? Knowing you’re Alice’s child is enough.»

It was a lie.

I just needed to hear it again.

Not through someone else’s mouth but directly from this child’s─.

«…I’m Jung Hayang.»