Right before I pressed the exit button to our message window, the sudden mention of my playable character made my finger halt midair.
Why is this bastard suddenly asking about Yoo Sanghee?
‘Maybe he doesn’t know Yoo Sanghee’s number.’
I thought there must be a reason why he was asking, so I decided to reply to him instead of ignoring his message.
[Me] I saw her at the student representatives meeting last time. She looked healthy.
[Do SIhoo] I see!
I waited for him to say something more, but no message came after that.
I think he’s really just trying to check if Yoo Sanghee was okay.
Before I could ask further, new messages suddenly popped up.
[Do Sihoo] How is Wonwoo hyung?
Do Wonwoo seems to be doing just fine recently.
He’s still the student representative of Korea’s most prestigious high school, and he’s still the same kid from a chaebol family, but the only thing different is that his repulsiveness seems to have disappeared.
‘I’m sure there’s a reason why he’s asking me these.’
Two of my playable characters were mentioned, so I couldn’t just let this go.
Instead of talking more about Do Wonwoo, I decided to go straight to the point.
[Me] I have something I want to ask you.
[Do Sihoo] Yup! I’ll lend you a shovel.
My fingers suddenly stopped typing when I read his message.
What the hell is this guy talking about?
[Me] Shovel?
[Do Sihoo] You said you wanted to ask something?
[Me] ?
I wonder if it’s a message meant for someone else, but I guess not.
My confusion grew.
[Do Sihoo] It’s easier to bury something on the ground with a shovel, isn’t it? Hahahaha
[Do Sihoo] Oh, do you want to bury it together? Hahahaha
(T/N: The word for “ask” and “bury” is similar in Korean.)
A pun…!
He must think this is the perfect timing for an empty joke.
If Do Sihoo was right in front of me and I had a shovel in hand, I would’ve buried him under the ground right away.
No, maybe I should ask Jang Namwook to bury him for me.
I think he’ll do it if I give him a good enough reason.
Still, I pushed down the growing wrath in me and tried to ask him again.
[Me] I have something to ask you.
[Do Sihoo] Something to ask? To bury? No, what do you want to ask? Hahahahha
It seems like he still isn’t over that lame pun he just made.
I opened another message window to help me resolve this situation.
I launch the group message room with Yoo Sanghoon and Jang Namwook.
[Me] Hit Do Sihoo once for me.
[Jang Namwook] Huh? What happened?
[Yoo Sanghoon] Lol.
[Jang Namwook] I don’t know what’s happening, but there must be a good reason why you’re asking me to do that, Euishin. Do Sihoo did something, right? Hold on a second.
As expected, Jang Namwook is a great dude.
Although he just had to send a long message before springing into action, he got the job done without needing more details.
About a minute later…
While I extinguished my anger, Do Sihoo, who seems to have been hit by Jang Namwook, sent me a message.
[Do Sihoo] TT…
[Me] I have something I want to ask.
[Do Siho] Okay… I’ll answer… TT …
[Me] Is there a reason why you’re asking about the seniors all of a sudden?
A response didn’t come right away.
I had a bad feeling about the extended silence.
[Do Sihoo] About that…
[Do Sihoo] There’s a new project started at the TC Lab, and there are a lot of people there who want to call Sanghee noona.
A new project at TC Lab?
I tried to think of what it was based on what I know from the game, but nothing came to mind.
Yoo Sanghee’s actions here are very different from those in the game, so I had little idea.
[Do Sihoo] Sanghee noona seems like she has a lot of problems, so I asked he she’s doing! Hahaha
[Me] Really? And the other one?
[Do SIhoo] Oh, I was just curious about Wonwoo hyung so I asked.
It doesn’t seem like Do Sihoo was lying, but I feel like he’s hiding something.
If there’s really nothing going on, then he wouldn’t have asked me about Do Wonwoo.
I thought so, but I decided not to press on Do Sihoo further.
‘It seems like it has something to do with the internal situation of TC Group… It would be difficult for him to tell me anything since I’m an outsider.’
I can’t figure out the details yet, but I can’t just stand by knowing that my playable characters are potentially related to this.
I closed the message window and slowly organized my thoughts, planning to dig up information and how to act on this matter.
While I was thinking, messages kept popping up in my notification window as Do Sihoo was still messaging me.
[Do Sihoo] Text me if anything happens with Sanghee noona or Wonwoo hyung!
[Do Sihoo] Huh? Why aren’t you reading my messages?
[Do Sihoo] What u up to? Hehe
[Do Sihoo] You asleep?
[Do Sihoo] TT TT
[Do Sihoo] Sleep well…
* * *
Weekend.
The original plan was to help Kwon Lena with her studies, but I ended up only dropping off snacks from MITRON to her and the others.
I headed to the Hwangmyeong Mansion.
‘I think I’m visiting too often… Still, it’s for my playable characters so I should at least be thick-faced about this.’
TC Group, one of the top four companies in Korea.
It happens to be the head of Hwangmyeong Group, also one of the four companies, who knows well about TC Group’s internal situation.
When I tried to talk to Hwang Jiho about the TC Group through his device, this old man insisted that we talk about it in person.
I couldn’t refuse since it’s for my playable characters, and so I ended up here again.
“Come in, Jo Euishin.”
At the front door.
When I saw Hwang Jiho welcome me, I unconsciously found myself regretting going there.
‘…I should’ve bought ice-cream as a gift!’
The one who welcomed me was Hwang Jiho in his elementary school student version!
This was entirely unexpected.
I felt sorry for no reason at the thought of the pine needle drink that I brought last time, one that the kid couldn’t drink.
He fell asleep from fatigue from looking at large amounts of data that day.
I thought about rushing out again and buying some snacks suitable for a child’s taste when…
Keeung? …Woof!
The voice of an angel brought me back to reality.
What the heck was I thinking?!
It’s just Hwang Jiho!
I tried to quickly pick myself up, but Hwang Jiho seems to already have noticed the strange behavior.
“Hmmm… Is it because of Shinsoo? No, there’s something else.”
Hwang Jiho squinted at me.
I desperately turned away from him.
“Let’s go in first.”
It was White Tiger who saved the day.
As expected of my playable character.
“…Hmm.”
I’m bothered by Hwang Jiho’s sparkling eyes, but instead of deep resentment, I found myself wanting to buy him snacks so he could think better.
Thankfully, that thought disappeared when we reached the living room.
The automated maid served us food, and the snacks for today were chestnut bingsoo, perhaps because the young version of Hwang Jiho likes milk.
Maybe it’s the sight of him eating well that made me think…
‘My dongsaengs eat snacks well like that too.’
They were fraternal twins, so the two didn’t really look like each other.
Our family size unexpectedly increased by two and our family situation became a little tight so as the eldest, I had to yield a lot to my younger siblings.
Everything from food, clothes, and hobbies.
But there’s only one thing that my siblings can’t take away from me – my chess set.
‘Why did I get so angry over snacks back then?’
There was I time when I was young and got really upset when my siblings stole my share of something.
Our parents often bought snacks like ice cream, rolled cakes, and castella since I stay up late reviewing chess games, but when I look away for just one second, my dongsaengs would eat everything without leaving me a single piece.
I got angry and I never apologized to them.
I turned my back and didn’t talk to them for a few days.
The snacks weren’t that precious for me to get angry at my dongsaengs over, but I did anyway and I can’t figure out why.
I didn’t realize it, but I unconsciously asked him.
“Want some of mine?”
Hwang Jiho’s eyes opened wide at this remark, and he managed to smile with bent eyes.
“Thanks, but I’m alright. I’ll order more for myself. Why aren’t you eating? Doesn’t it suit your taste?”
“I’m just taking my time.”
“…Was the bingsoo not appropriate for the season? I prepared cold food since the sun’s up high today, but I also prepared warm drinks just in case. There are other things to eat, so feel free to ask for them.”
Although he looked different, he still speaks like the usual Hwang Jiho.
I flinched at the thought that I just compared Hwang Jiho to my younger siblings, so I quickly picked up my spoon.
“No, I’ll eat it.”
“It’s a bingsoo carefully made by yours truly. It has excellent texture and sugar content.”
It’s kind of weird to hear an elementary student talk like that, but every thought was erased when the delicious bingsoo hit my tongue.
When I half-emptied my bowl, Hwang Jiho, who already had two full bowls, brought up the main point.
“I’m sure you’re well aware that Yoo Sanghoon is Yoo Sanghee’s dongsaeng.”
Of course, I know that.
Yoo Sanghee is my playable character, and Yoo Sanghoon is one of the first people I met in this world.
“How much do you know about Yoo Sanghoon’s disease?”
“…I know he couldn’t play basketball when he was young since he was very sick.”
“I see…”
Don’t tell me this case has something to do with Yoo Sanghoon too.
The young Hwang Jiho floated a hologram containing some charts.
The name written at the top was “Yoo Sanghoon”, and at first glance, it looked like an ordinary medical record.
But then, I couldn’t help but be surprised.
‘…Are those all Yoo Sanghoon’s?’
The holograms floating rapidly grew in number.
Hundreds of medical records showed how desperately Yoo Sanghoon fought the disease.
“If Yoo Sanghoon’s abilities had awakened just a year late, he would’ve probably died.
What an eerie story.
Yoo Sanghee has healing-related skills, but it’s said to only work as well as an ordinary healing item back then.
Although her light skill can also heal regular people, the so-called ‘Seogu Law’ in this world.
Players under the age of 17 are completely banned from using their light skills, and Yoo Sanghee almost had to watch his brother die at such a young age.
“The disease that Yoo Sanghoon is suffering from cannot be cured by modern medicine. It’s likely to have something to do with the abilities he was born with… Well, that’s not the point. In any case, it’s important to note that Yoo Sanghoon would’ve died if his abilities weren’t awakened at the right time.”
Another hologram floated.
It was data from when Yoo Sanghoon visited the ability center.
The place is meant to educate prospective players under the age of 17 who are said to be born with strong energy.
It’s operated with the support of several research institutes, including the Players’ Association.
There were various institutes that Yoo Sanghee visited before, but it was noticeable that there was a TC research institute on the list.
Looking closer, there was something more note-worthy.
‘Yoo Sanghee visited the center with Yoo Sanghoon?’
Among Yoo Sanghee’s access records, there’s an indication that she accompanied Yoo Sanghoon.
“Look at the date. And look at this record.”
The next record showed the time when Yoo Sanghoon’s abilities were activated.
It wasn’t far from the date when the two visited the abilities center.
‘I just asked about Yoo Sanghee’s connections with the TC Research Institute. Why is Hwang Jiho talking about Yoo Sanghoon?’
At first glance, it seems like he was just adding irrelevant information, but when I remembered a fundamental reason why I am there, I figured it out.
“Is the TC Research Institute involved with Yoo Sanghoon’s abilities awakening?”
The young Hwang Jiho had a satisfied expression.
“Correct. Yoo Sanghee owes her brother’s life to that institute.”
