RE: Player again

328

[Chapter 102] [The Storm Will Eventually Pass (3)]

["...They were all kids who've been close since they were young. I thought of them like younger siblings since they always called me noona, unni... I didn't know they would leave like this."]

Seeing herself on screen was still an unfamiliar experience.

Han Seoyeon remembered being surprised when she first appeared on broadcast, checking if she looked fat or if her voice really sounded like that.

But now she was crying and wailing on screen.

While calculating the angle to make her face look pretty for the camera.

["...I hope you'll be happy. Let's meet again next time."]

Herself sending a video message to the camera, dropping one last tear.

She was watching it impassively in her room.

There was no cringe.

There was no guilt from the start.

Perhaps because it had already aired a few days ago, the emotion was less now.

["─Next news."]

The screen changed.

The anchor was showing people gathered at Gwanghwamun Square staging a sit-in protest today as well.

They were all parents of middle school academy students who lost their children due to the monster wave, and those who sympathized with their sorrow.

However, the tents of those who had filled Gwanghwamun Square a month ago now only appeared sparsely on screen.

"...They're persistent."

Han Seoyeon, who had been unable to take her eyes off the screen for a while, opened her mouth while holding a steaming cup with both hands.

Persistent.

That wasn't just her thought, but also the thought of the citizens.

A month's time was enough to turn the sympathetic public opinion towards the parents upside down.

"They should stop now... It's obvious they'll end up on the streets, but they still can't back down?"

She recalled what had happened over the past month.

At first, public opinion was very favorable towards the parents.

Parents who couldn't accept their children's deaths, saying there were problems with their children's deaths, staged protests with people who sympathized with their cause.

The mass media showed the protesters several times a day.

However, as time passed, people wanted to move on from sadness, forgot their interest in others' deaths, and finally expressed irritation at the repetitive situation.

They felt sick of the articles that the mass media kept putting out several times a day.

Moreover, rumors even surfaced that most of the people participating in the protests were so-called well-off people.

Thinking about it now, maybe the reason the Fairy government was responding passively was because they anticipated things would turn out like this.

That's what she thought.

From that point on, all kinds of tip-off videos rained down on the mass media.

["...Another case of gapjil has been reported today. The president of YH Sugar..."]

It could have been the government's doing, or not.

However, someone who had been waiting for this opportunity spread corruption, irregularities, and gapjil of financial groups to the world the moment public opinion reversed.

People realized that the mother who had been wailing over her child's death was someone who made other people's children kneel in department stores, and they became angry.

An employee who had to follow the president's words had to s*******r live chickens with real swords as part of company training, and some were beaten in front of other employees.

An executive of a certain company was arrested on the spot for committing illegal acts at an entertainment establishment, and someone related by blood to a deceased person was caught using drugs at a club.

There were plenty more besides these.

Moreover, it was revealed that those who participated in the protests held hunger strikes during the day but invited the opposite s*x to their tents at night for drinking and merrymaking.

People who were originally negative towards chaebols raised their voices to judge them, using this incident as an opportunity.

Then the Fairy government, as if they had been waiting, began to pressure the political and financial circles.

"They should have managed well from the start, or at least practiced self-restraint if they couldn't manage well. Sigh..."

If you don't know anything, just stay still in the storm.

Han Seoyeon couldn't help but sigh as she saw the gapjil behavior of someone she knew on screen.

This wasn't something the Fairy government accomplished alone.

It could be called a collaboration with those who benefited from the deaths of academy students.

Intelligent people used the storm to blow away parts they had been reluctant to show others.

Some passed off their corruption, some killed those who had been threats to solidify their position.

["...The Fairy government said they plan to conduct an audit to check if there are any disqualifying factors for YH Sugar."]

The same was true for Sirius.

Her father successfully used this opportunity to completely erase traces of people who had become her grandfather's limbs.

And unlike other groups, he quickly blocked media attacks and organized things so the internal structure wouldn't shake.

I heard Euna's father suggested it.

The person who helped prevent Sirius from being put on the chopping block of the media in advance was none other than Noh Euna's father.

He, who could be called her father's right-hand man, pointed out aspects that even she and her father hadn't thought of.

If it hadn't been for that, Sirius Group might have been embroiled in gapjil incidents by now.

Thanks to that, Sirius Group was able to escape being subject to an audit by accepting a few regulations from the Fairy government.

But Yoo Dojun, this guy is amazing unlike his appearance.

I felt it when he asked me to build a bridge so he could attend the gathering before too, but...

A genius is a genius after all.

The screen changed again.

Han Seoyeon directly connected the news about Yeongwon Group to Yoo Dojun.

The content was that Yeongwon Card was also subject to an audit. Besides that, several affiliates of Yeongwon Group wouldn't be able to avoid audits either.

The reason the Fairy government pointed to Yeongwon Card and said they would thoroughly search several affiliates was because of gapjil incidents.

The first video reported to the mass media was because the eldest son of the second son of Yeongwon Group's chairman caused a violent incident while partying recklessly at a club on the day he participated in the joint memorial altar.

And someone, as if trying to bring him down, reported the young man's misdeeds to the media every other day.

Then an article even came out that a young man who had just become an adult in Yeongwon Group had taken an executive position.

Suspicions of parachuting were raised as well.

The suspicions cast on the young man in this way were not just one or two.

Even though the young man expressed his intention to resign, public opinion was shouting to thoroughly investigate the relationship between the young man and Yeongwon Group.

"Does this mean he won't hide anymore..."

Yeongwon Group was severely criticized for this incident.

She was certain it was Yoo Dojun's doing.

That Yoo Dojun, who had expressed his intention to participate in the succession battle of Yeongwon Group by attending the gathering of direct descendants, had finally decided to move in earnest.

Because while Yeongwon Group's stock price was recording daily declines, Yoo Dojun's exploits were reported in the mass media at that time.

The heartwarming story of him trying to protect those who were dying from monsters after entering the Player Academy without using the group's power 'at all' resonated positively with the public.

It was laughable.

Yeongwon Group had been repeating the phenomenon of its stock price going down and up due to two direct descendants for days.

And while someone was falling, someone made a splendid debut in the succession battle with public support.

I wonder what Sirius should do.

Who should we push as chairman for our benefit?

Han Seoyeon recalled the faces of people likely to become the 2nd generation chairman of Yeongwon Group one by one.

She decided to newly add his face after them.

She decided to take an interest in Yoo Dojun from now on.

It might be an impossible thing, but she thought that maybe Yoo Dojun might become the 2nd generation chairman of Yeongwon Group by defeating the formidable successors.

"─Huh?"

That's when it happened.

Her smartphone vibrated.

She tilted her head and read the message that appeared in the group chat of gathered chosen direct descendants.

"...This oppa has a surprisingly bold side, doesn't he?"

The direct descendant of Galaxy Group.

Choi Jeonghun, who was one year older than her, notified the direct descendants in the group chat.

That the gathering scheduled for summer would not be canceled and would proceed as planned.

However, in memory of those who died, they would hold a prayer meeting before the conference.

So he said he wouldn't limit the number of people who could accompany for a plausible prayer meeting.

Bring along as you see fit.

"─This will be interesting."

The storm will pass before long.

The place where that storm passes will be a wasteland.

That's why Choi Jeonghun is saying this.

Nevertheless, let's show that we're still intact.

The prince of the top group in the country was trying to show the dignity of royalty as always, and show arrogance.

Well, Galaxy can afford to do that.

Sirius Group wasn't the only group that prepared for the storm in advance.

Among groups ranking in the top 10 in the industry, Galaxy Group, Luminous Group, and Alice Group also weren't swept up in the fierce storm.

The four groups including Sirius could be said to be relatively safe in this situation.

As well as people in political and financial circles who had nothing to do with this incident.

That's why direct descendants who like to show off their wealth will attend the prayer meeting bringing many children.

"Hmm... Then who should I bring?"

The first semester was coming to an end.

Han Seoyeon decided to skim through the profiles of people under 25 years old for the gathering in summer.

☆

A month's time changed too many things.

Students who returned to the academy erased their memories of the dead by returning to their original lives as if nothing had happened.

Maybe because only those who would remain were left.

Those who couldn't forget their friends' deaths eventually chose to drop out.

Moreover, students who remained at the academy had to spend busy days as the final exam period approached.

They tried to forget that way, and tried to shake off their sense of helplessness that way.

"...A semester passed quickly."

Before they knew it, the first semester had ended.

Eunha, who had dinner after finishing the last exam, looked back on the semester that had passed in an instant.

However, Eunha could only recall the incident that happened during the final evaluation.

Because he had only been looking at that this semester.

Ah, I'll be late at this rate.

I should hurry.

Then he soon started walking again after stopping.

Currently, the academy was the subject of public attention.

Even if citizens were angry at the gapjil behavior of the political and financial circles, they weren't fools.

They were saying to thoroughly investigate whether there was any corruption in the academy designating the location for the final evaluation, whether it was carried out following exact procedures.

In response, the Fairy government decided to intensively investigate the academy according to public opinion.

They'll probably just poke around a bit and move on.

Or they might go after the people who slipped money to the academy.

The Fairy government was currently using a strategy to kill chaebol groups.

They would hit groups that came under public scrutiny with audits, attaching suitable pretexts.

This was no exception for politicians.

In this way, the Fairy government was extracting what they wanted from them.

Eunha could easily imagine Im Gaeul dancing with joy.

Anyway, although the Fairy government's investigation of the academy was a formality, the academy decided to cancel the end-of-semester party scheduled for this semester to avoid any possible aftermath.

In the first place, they couldn't hold a party when students had died.

Instead, the academy left a notice that all students should attend an event to commemorate the dead students that they would hold.

As a result, Eunha couldn't go home right away even after the exams ended and was heading to the playground.

It's fortunate that the influence of the political and financial circles could be reduced anyway.

No group escaped the storm unscathed.

Even Galaxy and Sirius suffered some damage.

Alice Group was the same.

Alice Group only minimized damage while tightening internal control.

It's good that Alice Group is friendly.

But they've grown too much.

If he wanted, he could have conveyed the flow of events to Alice Group in some way, as he had told his father.

But Eunha didn't.

Because Alice Group's growth was too steep in this life.

Companies pursue profit.

The reason Alice Group is taking a friendly stance towards the Fairy government is because that aligns more with the company's pursuit of profit.

Companies don't swear loyalty.

Therefore, Alice Group wasn't being loyal to the Fairy government.

The relationship between companies and the government was nothing more than using each other.

Therefore, he had to consider the possibility of Alice Group turning its back on the Fairy government.

He couldn't push power one-sidedly to any one group.

So Eunha used this opportunity to cut down Alice Group's growth momentum.

"─Eunha, are you going there too?"

"Yeah. How did your exam go?"

"Hmm... I think I did okay."

That's why Eunha felt sorry towards Hayang whom he met on the way.

She had been having a hard time lately.

Because some children of Alice Group affiliates who were close to her also lost their lives in this incident.

In this situation, she would have also seen her father and grandfather busy trying to prevent discord in the group.

"Your face has become half. Who told you to become so oval like an egg?"

"But it'll return to normal now that it's vacation."

"Still, your cheeks are sagging."

"Ugh... don't tease me..."

Jung Hayang who had become somewhat thin.

She who only looked cute before was showing a mature side after losing weight.

However, Eunha preferred her round and cute appearance.

It wasn't as fun to stretch her cheeks either.

"It's vacation now, what are you going to do, Hayang?"

The academy decided to light bonfires at night and have students release colorful balloons to commemorate the dead.

Eunha, who was going to the playground with her, felt the sound gradually becoming boisterous.

"I was originally planning to rest at home... but I'm going to return to the academy after resting a little to train."

"You'll become half-faced again doing that. Take care of your health while you do it."

Many students felt powerless because of this incident.

Hayang was no exception.

The reason she decided to stay at the academy during vacation was probably because of that.

Not just her, but Mok Minho and Choi Eunhyeok also decided to stay at the academy.

There was no need to mention Bae Subin.

"Hey─, Eunha."

"What?"

The campfire came into view.

Eunha, who had gone out to the playground, responded to Hayang's words who had gone ahead.

Hayang, who was looking at those holding balloons in front of the huge campfire, continued speaking.

"I decided this time... I'm going to become stronger, even stronger than now. So that I never lose the people I love again. And─"

The event began.

Students released the balloons filled with helium gas at the instructors' signal.

Colorful balloons flew into the night sky.

Those who had been chattering noisily now forgot about being loud and were blankly looking up at the night sky.

"─I'm going to become a navigator."

Jung Hayang with her back to the night sky.

Eunha took his gaze off the balloons flying up behind her and stared into her eyes.

Eyes suppressing sadness were looking directly into his eyes.

"I'm going to become a navigator and become someone who can be helpful to you, Eunha. So that you don't fight alone anymore, I want to be your strength."

The child who used to cry at the drop of a hat in the past had become an adult before he knew it.

Eunha discovered a firm will in the eyes holding sadness.

"I'm going to make sure things like this don't happen again."

But she was misunderstanding.

He had caused this incident.

As if reading that thought.

"Even if something like this happens again, it's okay. Because I still want to be your strength."

She smiled sadly.

Eunha quietly looked at her, then turned his gaze to the night sky and closed and opened his eyes.

"─Alright. Thank you."

He had left her to struggle with her feelings

I didn't believe she would endure it.

It's just that I didn't know what to say to her.

But in the meantime, she came up with her own answer.

That's why he felt sorry for her and grateful at the same time.

“Let’s do better in the future too.” “Okay.”

Now the storm has passed.

But the storm won't end here.

The galaxy looked up at the balloon disappearing into a dot and thought about the future.