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Gye Sangjung.
Gye Idam liked his name before.
The character “Sang” in his name meant luck.
It was a name that he was attached to in his way, but the name felt strange in his ears now.
Sung Siwan knew his name from the memories shown by the former head of the association, but hearing his senior call him “Sangjung” made him want to stop him.
“Please don’t do that. You don’t have to speak with honorifics.”
Gye Idam spoke as if he was wringing out the words from his mouth, but Sung Siwan replied sharply.
“I heard you talk about senior to Euishin while you were in the military. You asked him to keep his manners in check.”
Sung Siwan only politely told the truth, but Gye Idam felt like he was slammed to the floor.
In his mind, he formulated words of excuses and self-pity.
But he knew how shameless it would be to verbalize those words.
Gye Idam decided to save Sung Siwan’s time.
“Why are you here when you’ve already seen it all? I’m a completely different person from what you know.”
“That’s correct. Sangjung hyung and Idam are very different. You say that they’re different people, Idam-ah, and I want to believe that.”
Gye Idam spoke as if he wanted to drive away Sung Siwan, but the latter only replied casually as he sat down on a chair next to his bed.
‘…He wants to believe we’re two different people?’
Gye Idam thought about pretending to be crazy, but he gave up on the idea right away.
Gye Idam and Gye Sangjung are the same people.
He lost his memory when he came to this world, but that was it.
“I’ll probably never understand what Sangjung hyung did for the rest of my life. I’ve seen Sangjung hyung go through a hard time, but I’m still more worried about the other people who went through pain because of him.”
What Sung Siwan said was reasonable.
Gye Idam agreed with the idea, something that he wouldn’t do as Gye Sangjung.
So he kept his mouth shut and recalled what he had been prepared for from the moment he decided to stand in front of the former head of the association.
‘I prepared the data for transition if he asks me to leave Jiikhoe. If he tells me to stop attending Eungwang High, I’m prepared to drop out and take a qualification exam. If he asks me to cut contact, I’m ready to accept it and…’
Gye Idam was prepared to do whatever Sung Siwan would say.
Looking at him in agony, Sung Siwan spoke.
“Jiikhoe was gone when Dain became a sophomore. Instead, there was a memorial for the Jiikhoe. I must’ve died without appearing in the game.”
The former head of the association focused on Gye Idam’s past and the information he wanted to convey to Jo Euishin.
Jo Euishin has more in-depth knowledge of PMH, so the memories reproduced only showed what he didn't know.
There was little information, but Sung Siwan guessed that he died in the game.
He didn’t look surprised learning that he would die.
Perhaps he’s always kept it a possibility since he’s a player after all.
‘He’s not even surprised that he found out what kind of person I am…!’
Sung Siwan asked while continuing to observe the silent Gye Idam.
“Did you refuse to get involved with people because you knew we’d die anyway?”
“No!”
Gye Idam denied it firmly, tasting iron in his mouth.
However, there was some fact to it.
If Gye Idam knew from the beginning that Sung Siwan and the others were going to die, he would’ve refused to get involved and run away.
He denied it, but he couldn’t think of any excuse after that.
In the end, he fell silent again.
“…Sangjung hyung and Idam really are different people.”
Sung Siwan said as he watched Gye Idam’s response.
“I’ll keep bothering you from now on, Idam-ah. I’ll make sure you won’t become like Sangjung hyung.”
Gye Idam doubted his ears.
Sung Siwan suddenly dropped honorifics.
He spoke in the same tone he uses before he was shown Gye Idam’s past.
He said that he wanted to keep him despite seeing his disgusting appearance as Gye Sangjung.
“Sangjung hyung didn’t change even if Euishin’s close dongsaeng scolded him. It won’t be enough just to be punished. I’m worried that you’ll turn into Sangjung if I don’t watch over you, Idam-ah.”
Gye Idam looked at Sung Siwan, utterly speechless.
“Everyone has something ugly that they hide. But you showed them all. It’s something that Sangjung hyung wouldn’t do. I want you to forever stay as Idam.”
Tears fell from Gye Idam’s eyes.
He gasped as he tried to hold back his crying.
Sung Siwan continued to speak in a strict tone unlike usual, and he didn’t soothe the crying Gye Idam at all.
And yet, strangely enough, everything seemed so comforting that it shook Gye Idam’s spirit.
“I hope you’re truly sorry to Euishin. But I think it’s already late and Euishin doesn’t seem willing to accept an apology, so it’s impossible to ask for forgiveness.”
“Yes…”
“A big deal is going to happen on Christmas, right? I’m not going to run away. You fight too.”
“Yes…”
“But why did you pick a gun as a weapon when you couldn’t handle it well in the army or PMH? I guess you really liked Dain that much, huh? There will be a lot of dangerous things happening in the future, so you should change your weapon.”
“Yes, yes…”
“How about a hammer-based weapon, Idam-ah? You’re good at swinging a hammer.”
Sung Siwan wasn’t the type of senior to force his junior to change his weapon of choice, but he was doing so for the first time.
Still, all Gye Idam could do was nod his head and express agreement.
When his tears stopped, it was already bright before he knew it.
And Sung Siwan was still in front of him.
Seeing the scene, Gye Idam was reminded of something he’s heard countless times.
He didn’t want to admit it, but he had no choice but to accept it.
“…I’m very lucky.”
Even if Sung Siwan becomes stricter than before, becomes wary of him, and despises his time as Gye Sang Jung.
He was too lucky for Sung Siwan to remain with him like this.
***
The second day of the festival.
I was a little drowsy in the morning, but as I walked into the festive atmosphere, my condition quickly recovered.
‘I slept for a few hours though.’
The silver hero asked me a favor yesterday.
Following that, I got new information in return for the unpleasant experience of seeing Gye Idam’s memories.
After weaving the two together and revising my plan, my sleep time considerably decreased.
Though I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get much rest.
“Good morning, Euishin-ah. Maybe because I worked overtime yesterday, but my eyes hurt when I saw the sun.”
In the central area, in front of the association booth.
Dressed up in a coat that wasn’t dusty, Hong Gyubin still gave me a pungent expression with his bloodshot eyes as he greeted me.
Unlike yesterday, Hong Gyubin seems to be in charge of the crowd at the association’s booth.
It was crowded with visitors, and Song Daesok looked excited as he explained some things and distributed handouts and data chips.
Looking at the handout, I saw the letters “PP,” an abbreviation for Player Point.
‘They must’ve put player points on participating in the booth event. I can’t believe they got approval for that in a day. Hong Gyubin really worked hard.”
Player points are given by the association based on a player’s performance in subjugating otherworlds.
It can be used in association stores or auctions held by the association.
On top of that, the association’s booth is currently holding an event that rewards a small amount of PP for doing simple missions like downloading the satellite app, participating in briefing sessions, and solving quizzes written by Song Daesok.
Many people came to see the booth with a light heart as they enjoy the festival and get PP.
“Hahahaha! There are a lot of people in the association’s booth today.”
“Let’s take a picture again.”
“That would be good. There were no visitors in the picture we took yesterday.”
While taking new photos for the article, Kim Yuri and Kwon Lena, who had just finished their duty at our class screening, came to the association’s booth.
“Wow, the line’s really long.”
“Isn’t it because of us that it’s crowded?”
The two seemed to have come here at Min Geurin’s request.
She saw the disastrous situation of the association and Song Daesok’s discouraged appearance yesterday, so Min Geurin asked me to stop by.
It looks like I wasn’t the only one she asked though.
‘Min Geurin must’ve felt more sorry because her booth was a huge success.’
Before stopping by the association’s booth, I looked at Min Geurin’s joint exhibition and saw many people right from the start.
The number of works presented in the exhibition wasn’t that large, but it was enough to showcase Min Geurin’s genius.
It was a wonderful experience to be able to share the world with someone who can put on paper their experiences so well.
Even if Hong Gyubin puts on PP as bait for participation, it will be difficult to beat Min Geurin’s booth in terms of visitors.
“Do you remember Lee Lena’s sister who came to the broadcasting station last time?”
Hong Gyubin lowered his voice and asked me.
At the end of his gaze were Kim Yuri and Kwon Lena who were talking to Song Daesok.
‘Is he talking about Lee Yeoreum?’
I remember her, of course.
Kwon Lena’s sister, Lee Yeoreum.
She’s a part of Namgung C&T Otherworld Industry Division 1 and was present at the time of the broadcasting station incident.
Hong Gyubin investigated that division.
“Yes.”
“Of course, you have a great memory, Euishin-ah.”
Hong Gyubin didn’t say much after.
He withdrew from all investigations on Namgung Group because of his affiliation.
There must be something he’s come to know though.
‘He’s telling me to wait and see if anything happens.’
Kwon Lena appeared as a villain in PMH during the second grade.
And Lee Yeoreum, her older sister, is one of the people that Hong Gyubin is keeping an eye on.
Is there a connection between these two?
As I formulated hypotheses in my mind, Hong Gyubin said something as he shuddered.
“Now that I’ve worked hard, I’m going to take a rest and go see Professor Jegal!”
Is he going to see the real one or the fake one in the exhibition?
Either way, it had nothing to do with me so I decided it was time to bid goodbye.
“Professor Jegal?”
I thought Hong Gyubin was hallucinating from exhaustion, but it turns out Professor Jegal was really there.
Hong Gyubin patted down his clothes as he ran to Jegal.
“Professor Jegal! How are you? I am the association’s PR Team 1 Team Leader, Hong Gyubin.”
“I know.”
“I’ll show you around.”
“It’s alright.”
Hong Gyubin firmly introduced himself firmly and did his best to talk to Jegal.
I don’t think Jegal is here to collect PP, so I wonder why he came.
Is there a problem with the association’s booth?
As if getting the same idea, Hong Gyubin asked the question.
“What brings you to the association’s booth? The plan for the additional event was communicated to the school though…”
When Hong Gyubin’s words began to subside, Jegal also hesitated to answer.
Having Thoth’s order, Jegal can only tell the truth.
If he doesn’t want to say the truth, he has no choice but to not say anything or make his words ambiguous.
Jegal tried to do the former, but he couldn’t let the scrunched-faced Hong Gyubin be.
“…I just wanted to look at what my student prepared.”
Seeing Jegal visiting the booth, Song TB came over and said something tactless.
“I don’t take that teacher’s class though?”
“Ah, Daesok-ah! Something is confusing about the app’s settings!”
The tactful Kim Yuri talked to Song Daesok to pull him away as soon as she heard the comment.
Song Daesok was the only student working at the association’s booth, and the rest are all researcher players from the association.
Among them, the exhausted Hong Gyubin was Jegal’s student.
‘As expected, Jegal is a good professor.’
with a pleased heart, I headed to the freshmen area where I couldn’t look around properly yesterday.
The freshmen district’s atmosphere though was ready for war.
“Thank you for participating in this event, Professor Jegal.”
“Thanks for the invitation.”
Yong Jegun smiled, his eyes slightly opening, at Ahn Dain’s greeting.
All of the freshmen kids standing behind Ahn Dain were holding item cards that seem to be weapons.
It wasn’t the atmosphere of a festival.
— In a few minutes, the battle between Class 1-0 and Professor Yong Jegun will take place. Those except the contestants, please step out of the barricade for safety.
The announcement for the battle was heard.
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