Central District Leadership Hall, Conference Room for Student Council.
After the successful student representatives’ meeting, all the members of the student council gathered together.
Oh Hyeji, president of the student council, stood in the center and raised a mug with the council’s logo to give a toast and a farewell speech to everyone.
“Everyone did a great job. Freshmen and sophomores, please continue to work hard. I’ll come look into you guys from time to time until I graduate, so don’t hesitate to ask me for help. Cheers!”
When Oh Hyeji finished her speech, the student council members clinked their mugs lightly and downed the sparkling soda.
Oh Hyeji came down from the platform and immediately headed toward Cheon Dongha.
“You’ve worked hard, Hyeji noona.”
“All the hoobaes did well, there’s nothing for me to work hard from.”
“…That’s not true, the sunbaes have suffered a lot because of the hoobaes too.”
Instead of mentioning a specific incident, Cheon Dongha only looked towards Ma Jinseung and Yeom Junyeol who were talking to each other near the door.
“Oh, you mean because of Junyeol?”
“Didn’t Junyeol’s fans complain quite a lot to the student council? The council that’s meant to stop fighting got caught in one after all.”
“I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’ve suffered because of that. I already gave Jinseung some demerits according to the school rules.”
Cheon Dongha seemed to question Oh Hyeji’s response.
Starting during the summer vacation, Oh Hyeji has looked quite tired for a while now.
That time was when Yeom Junyeol’s fans complained a lot to the council regarding his quarrel with Ma Jinseung.
Cheon Dongha believed that Ma Jinseung is the reason why Oh Hyeji looked down lately, but looking at her now, it doesn’t seem to be the case.
‘Was it just a coincidence? There must be another reason then.’
It may simply be because of the exams, career stress, or something common just as others think.
But Cheon Dongha judged that that’s not the case.
‘Hyeji noona’s career path is almost fixed already, so there should be no problem with that. Is it because of Sanghee noona then?’
Yoo Sanghee and Oh Hyeji famously don’t get along well, but the two had a connection when they were young.
It was Yoo Sanghee who caught Oh Hyeji when she almost went astray.
Even if she doesn’t express it openly, everyone around Oh Hyeji knew that she cares about Yoo Sanghee.
‘…I don’t know. If it’s something that I can’t figure out, I don’t have to do it anyway. Digging up things that Hyeji noona doesn’t want to talk about is weird too. I’m sure there’s a reason why she’s not saying anything.’
Cheon Dongha’s mind shifted to his younger sibling, and he quickly stopped thinking.
The new topic of the conversation was a person who was once a member of the student council, Gye Idam.
There was a time when she was as belligerent as Ma Jinseung, but after being completely overpowered by Sung Siwan, she had a change of heart and decided to join the Jiikhoe.
“Jinseung would’ve caused less trouble if Idam were here.”
“It’s a shame that we lost such a great talent to Jiikhoe. Siwan was really thankful. He was busy dealing with Woo Kihwan, so it was difficult to handle Year Two Class Zero at the same time.”
Gye Idem was top ten in the high-performing players list, and she had a very effective capability against players.
When she first attacked an otherworld, the association immediately took notice of her and the record on the Player SAT-K, and the Players’ Association scouted her to come work with them after she graduates.
When she became a sophomore, Gye Idam joined the Jiikhoe and used her abilities to overpower the players in Class Zero who like to cause trouble in the dorms.
And now, she’s the chairman of Jiikhoe.
‘Idam must be holding a farewell party at the Jiik Hall by now.’
In addition to the student council, the executives of each autonomous organization will be spending time with each other in their own rooms.
Oh Hyeji suddenly lowered her voice.
“Next year, we should recruit a new freshman who will enter the ‘secret passage’. We won’t have a problem if it’s you or Soohyuk, but the student association is…’
Oh Hyeji cut off her words.
At the beginning of each year, the student council and the student association choose someone to join the secret association who will enter and exit a secret passage between the two buildings.
There are three conditions to be chosen.
First, one must belong either to the council or the association.
Second, one must get recommendations from the members of the secret association.
Third, those of royal lineage or descendants aren’t allowed.
The problem is that Yeom Junyeol, who is a descendant of the Dragon Clan, was chosen as the student representative.
“…Why aren’t descendants allowed? Junyeol is kind to humans, and even his family doesn’t treat humans carelessly.”
“Well…”
Oh Hyeji hesitantly lowered her head.
She has recently developed a habit of fidgeting with her watch when she’s lost in thought.
As she was fiddling with her watch, Oh Hyeji spoke again.
“…Some seniors once took a descendant to that secret passage.”
“Then Junyeol will…”
“Stop.”
Oh Hyeji shook her head.
“There’s a trap for people of royal lineage and descendants in the middle of the secret passage. At that time, the descendant who passed through was caught in a trap and lost his mind… and when he woke up, he couldn’t remember anything.”
“What…?”
Oh Hyeji lowered her voice further.
“If the existence of an energy wave that attacks only the royal lineage and its descendants, every royal lineage would hunt that.”
* * *
At the Hwangmong Mansion.
I met with Eun Seoho and Eun Iho, who were busy preparing for the entrance exam at Eungwang High, and encouraged them when I arrived in the living room.
Today’s tea was red soup tea, and the snack was some red grapes.
Hwang Jiho, who had prepared the red tea and food according to his liking, suddenly spoke to me.
“I heard you asked Kim Shinrok to turn off all the CCTV cameras outside the dorms.”
I expected this to come up sometime, but I didn’t expect him to bring this up this soon.
‘I didn’t have time to shut him up. The matter must’ve reached Hwang Jiho’s ears immediately that day.’
On the day I hurriedly flew to the rooftop of the dorm building, I urgently asked Kim Shinrok to turn off the CCTV cameras outside.
He immediately did what I asked, but that doesn’t mean it was an easy thing to do.
The Jiikhoe periodically checks the CCTV footage.
It would be necessary to fill in the time when the cameras were off with another video, or come up with an excuse why the cameras were turned off.
“I can guess what happened. I know Kwon Jein picked up Kwon Lena that night. How was she?”
He already figured it out, so I don’t know why he wants to check it with me.
Hwang Jiho looked at me quietly before speaking again.
“That’s a relief.”
“What is?”
“That you stopped her and Kwon Lena is now safe.”
“I didn’t stop her.”
All I did was remind Kwon Lena of what she did.
It’s all thanks to her and the choices she made before.
However, Hwang Jiho flatly disagreed.
“But it’s obvious what would’ve happened if you didn’t come.”
If I weren’t there, the crazy guy who climbed the walls of the building, Mok Wooram, would’ve caught Kwon Lena.
Another incident would be added to the reputation of Class Zero, but Mok Wooram would’ve saved her.
“Even if the student of the great violin craftsman catches her, there’s a difference with actually going through with an attempt.”
So this old man knows about Mok Wooram.
I didn’t say anything, but Hwang Jiho immediately moved on to the next topic as if he knew I had no plan to answer.
“Jo Euishin, you say that skill of yours takes time before you can activate it again. When you used it on Yoo Sanghoon, Jang Namwook, and Son Mink, you said the re-initialization time was different every time.”
“Yeah.”
“How about Kim Shinrok?”
“It took longer than Yoo Sanghoon’s, but much shorter than Son Minki’s.”
“IN the middle… so it doesn’t matter whether one is a human or a descendant.”
Kim Shinrok actively expressed his opinion when Hwang Jiho finished speaking.
He said he was fine and asked to use the function on him as much as needed.
“…The human kid was fine. I was also fine last time. Jo Euishin can use that skill on me whenever he can…”
“Son, what the hell are you talking about?!”
Red Tiger immediately cut off his words.
He looked alternately at me and Kim Shinrok, worried that I would use the ability on his son frequently.
The situation was settled only after Hwang Jiho shut down Kim Shinrok’s suggestion.
“We will use it accordingly …But doesn’t that skill have a name? For skills and light skill, the user automatically knows the name of it.”
“Come to think of it, Jo Euishin never mentioned the name of the ability to make other people dream. I’m not even sure if it’s a skill or a light skill.”
“If you don’t mind, can you tell us the name?”
‘Replay’ is technically the name of the skill.
Whenever I use the now Level 5 Exclusive Menu, it reminds me of a window similar to one inside the PMH game.
That window is the list of skills, and since the Replay function is in a menu similar to that, I guess, I can consider it a skill.
“You don’t have to say if it’s difficult to do so.”
While I was in thought, White Tiger suddenly said those words.
My playable character is truly emphatic.
It’s common etiquette to not dig into other people’s abilities.
Even among the tigers, that’s the norm, so I guess that’s why they didn’t ask me too many questions about it at first.
‘…Still, it would make it easier to communicate if we give this skill a name.’
After much consideration, I decided to reveal it.
“It’s a skill called Replay.”
“…Replay?”
Replay literally means ‘to see again’.
From the perspective of someone who’s played PMH, it’s immediately obvious why the skill was named that way, but the tigers wouldn’t have known.
“It’s things that almost happened in the past. Maybe that’s why it’s called Replay.”
“…I wish it was named something else.”
“Replay…”
Kim Shinrok and Red Tiger seemed to be moderately convinced, but I don’t know about Hwang Jiho.
‘…I have no idea what he’s thinking.’
The 5000-year-old guy looked spaced out for a while.
“…Understood. Then try using that Replay skill again.”
Hwang Jiho’s hand held the golden incense we saw last time.
Kim Shinrok looked determined, but Red Tiger was visibly displeased.
“I will be using it now.”
After that, I opened the menu to select the Replay function.
In the meantime, Hwang Jiho was staring right at me.
As if he’s trying to uncover the secret of Replay.
After a few moments…
Kim Shinrok woke up from the nightmare.
‘That was faster than last time. If the nightmares are repeated, will the target of the skill be aware of it?’
I looked at the clock to check the time, while Hwang Jiho checked on Kim Shinrok.
Seeing that he’s noticeably relieved, Kim Shinrok seems to be just fine.
“His energy wave and physical condition are both more stable than when we used it in Chuseok. …Why is that?”
Hwang Jiho said he’s more stable than last time, but Kim Shinrok looked more spaced out.
“…I think I saw something I didn’t see last time.”
