RE: Player again

355

[Chapter 106] [The Lesser Evil Over the Worst (3)]

Students entered a brief week-long rest after finishing final exams.

Even so, there was no way they could rest comfortably.

Because the final evaluation would start next week.

Especially 2nd year middle school academy students had to gather people to form parties.

Those who already formed parties could rest without worry.

I wanted to rest too...

Unfortunately, Eunha couldn't properly enjoy rest.

Although those belonging to Mok Minho's party were spending time comfortably since he formed a party long ago.

Actually, even those who entered Eunha's party were sleeping in without any worries.

Among friends, Eunha was the only one who headed to the training building from Monday morning.

No, there was exactly one person.

"Hey, I still came out with you. You should be grateful to me."

"You just followed because you're curious who I have in mind."

"So what?"

"Remove your eye boogers before talking."

"Wow, if there were any you should have told me earlier..."

Yoo Dojun grinning with a just-woken-up appearance.

He who wore a hoodie accepted the sarcasm with a joke.

Eunha went ahead abandoning him examining his face in the mirror hung in the central hallway.

Ignoring people...

Eunha walking to the central shooting range was inwardly upset.

He who finished talking with Mok Minho last weekend immediately sent talks to friends that day.

Then he mobilized their connections to get Hoshimiya Kaede's number, and sent her a talk recommending the party too.

But Hoshimiya Kaede ignored the contact.

Calls, texts, Pine Talk, all of them.

"Is she that great? For you to throw away your pride and recommend like that."

"Would I be doing this if she wasn't?"

"I don't know. Whether it's worth drawing in an eccentric who just handles bows into your party while doing this."

Whether he knew Eunha's feelings or not. Yoo Dojun followed behind him and laid out his opinions.

Eunha didn't bother to answer.

Because at this time, Hoshimiya Kaede was just called an eccentric not much different from other promising rookies.

But Eunha who knew the future where she would someday be reborn as the Sword Saint couldn't give up on her like this.

"You don't have to put that kid in the party, anyone would rush in saying it's good if you recommend. Look over there."

Eunha who stepped into the central shooting range looked around hearing Yoo Dojun's words.

Despite it being a holiday, many people were training.

To be precise, they were out here to receive party invitations from someone.

Since all classes were over, the training building was where students could naturally gather.

Quite a lot gathered.

Eunha checked the faces of students sending gazes at him one by one.

Those from other grades just looked at Eunha with interested expressions, but those from the same grade were all looking with desperate faces.

"From what I heard yesterday, the story that you're looking for a ranger as a party member spread all over school."

"So all the people aiming for ranger in 2nd year are out here now?"

"Why? It seems almost like that?"

Eunha retorted to Yoo Dojun while turning his gaze to the students.

Yoo Dojun shrugged his shoulders.

As if it was natural.

"Actually, I spread it too."

"Why do unnecessary things..."

"What are you lacking to try visiting three times? Can't you pick usable kids among them?"

"No, it won't do."

"Wow, your standards are really high. Fine, Eunha do as you please. I'll just ride the bus, and with just you it's a given we'll get perfect scores in this final evaluation."

Even if one person is lacking.

Even if Yoo Dojun just occupies a spot.

Academy students thought Eunha's party would achieve the best grades in the final evaluation.

That consciousness was prevalent.

Because of what Eunha had shown so far.

Therefore, academy students inwardly hoped to be chosen by him while disliking Eunha.

If Eunha just extended his hand, they would surely try to grab that hand even throwing away their pride.

"I'm not interested in them."

"There are kids playing in the top ranks of the school among those there... I really want to know your standards for seeing talent."

Those who would bark if told to bark.

Those who would crawl if told to crawl.

He didn't think badly of those who didn't disobey and followed his words.

However, Eunha preferred those with ability over those with loyalty.

Because loyalty didn't matter.

Rather, if it were subjugation that would be different.

Above all, Eunha thought loyalty was a virtue that didn't suit him.

Eunha thought fear was the virtue that suited him.

Therefore, he walked to just one place without even glancing at those showing off their skills.

Ting

The sound of pulling a bowstring rang out.

While everyone else was conscious of Eunha's existence.

Hoshimiya Kaede who took a spot in one corner of the central shooting range was pulling her bowstring without paying any attention to Eunha from start to finish.

"Hello. Why didn't you answer my contact?"

Eunha liked Hoshimiya Kaede who was only devoted to her own training stubbornly.

She who stood with an upright posture nocked the next arrow on her bowstring.

She was shooting arrows as if ignoring Eunha's existence.

To this, Eunha─

─Revolver Shot

He took out the device from his holster and pulled the trigger.

The bullet that left the muzzle instantly became a huge thorn and flew.

Towards her target.

Bang─!!

An explosion sound.

The target shattered into pieces, and only then did she look at Eunha.

"...What are you doing."

"Now you speak?"

A tone suppressing anger.

He giggled seeing her putting strength in her eyes.

As if provoking.

"Ow..."

Meanwhile, Dojun was watching the two from far away.

He spoke with a sour tone.

"...Can't you just do it yourself?"

☆

Hoshimiya Kaede was in an ambiguous position at the academy.

Although she was known as a promising rookie, she had to be implicitly discriminated against for having foreign blood mixed in.

People who approached her were generally those who pretended to understand her on the surface while only thinking of using her inside.

There was no way Hoshimiya Kaede wouldn't know that.

Therefore, she didn't try to get close to anyone and kept her distance from them.

As far as Eunha remembered, her only friends were On Taeyang and his companions.

"You haven't decided which party you'll join yet, right? Right? But you still won't join?"

So Eunha had grasped in advance that Hoshimiya Kaede didn't have a single friend.

Therefore, he couldn't understand Hoshimiya Kaede who wanted to graduate with excellent grades unlike expectations rejecting his proposal.

"I think I answered sufficiently by ignoring you all this time."

"So... What on earth is the reason?"

Top floor cafe of the training building.

Eunha and Kaede were exchanging circular conversations across the table.

She who was devoted to training while ignoring him and moving targets until just earlier was taking an attitude saying to be grateful she even came out to this place.

She belonged to the Sword Saint, and therefore hated powerful people belonging to the vested interests.

From her perspective, he must have belonged to the type she disliked.

Is that why she was close with On Taeyang?

At the same time, Eunha felt he finally understood why she became close with On Taeyang in his previous life.

Before becoming the Sword Saint, he belonged to the weak who were mistreated by students at the academy.

Not just On Taeyang.

His other companions too, excluding Cha Eunwoo and Choi Gain.

"I will absolutely never join hands with you guys... especially you Noh Eunha. You're the type I hate most among the types I hate."

Hoshimiya Kaede poured out criticism about the atrocities Eunha committed at the academy so far.

Among the stories she spat out, there were some that were really true, and some that were nonsensical.

Nevertheless, Eunha just quietly listened to those words.

Because he thought she wouldn't look at him anew no matter what he said.

"─So?"

However, Eunha decided to push her with the image of himself she thought of rather than persuading her.

"Don't you want to get good grades in the final evaluation?"

"......"

Hoshimiya Kaede who stood up making a sound of pulling her chair.

He looked up at her standing with her mouth shut with indifferent eyes.

He roughly grasped her tendencies.

She was similar to Bae Subin.

A person who constantly strives by driving herself for success.

For such a person, final evaluation grades would surely be sweet.

But it was a misjudgment.

"You think I can't get that even without forming a party with you guys?"

"Why, will you receive random party selection?"

"Then what will you do?"

"What will I do─"

Eunha smiled.

Bae Subin was wise.

She didn't try to discriminate means and methods to succeed.

Hoshimiya Kaede was stupid.

She tried to walk the right path to succeed.

Not knowing that what's straight breaks easily.

"─I'll thoroughly interfere with you, of course."

"What?"

"I'm that kind of bastard like you said. If you won't listen to me, I'll just crush you."

"......"

Hoshimiya Kaede's face hardened.

Eunha stood up to meet her gaze.

She was still young.

Although anyone can easily say words, her eyes were actually terrified.

"And when I try to step on someone, I don't just let it go. I won't give you any room to survive at the academy by mobilizing my power."

"...You..."

"Why? Isn't this exactly the Noh Eunha you thought of?"

Kaede clenching her fists.

Eunha mocked her who became quiet unlike earlier.

"...You think... I'll listen to you even if I join your party?"

"Oh my, how many people don't listen to me now. There will be more in the future too."

In the end, she took an attitude of passively resisting unlike earlier.

Eunha shrugged his shoulders.

He would just beat those who didn't listen.

Wasn't he still occasionally educating Jin Parang and educating Bae Subin?

Then he would let her know it's useless even if she rebels against him, and if he puts rewards according to results in her hand, she would become unable to say anything.

To Eunha, Hoshimiya Kaede was just a mere chess piece.

Extremely speaking, a consumable to be replaced with a new one if broken while using.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are you two talking so fiercely?"

It was then.

Yoo Dojun who had been quietly drinking cafe latte intervened between the two to mediate.

"I'll be riding the bus, but what will we do if a party that will share life and death has such bad relations?"

""......"

"Let's just think easily, easily. Hoshimiya, you want to get good grades and Eunha, you want to bring Hoshimiya into the party, right."

Yoo Dojun stopping the two by stretching out both hands.

Eunha and Hoshimiya Kaede just stared at each other.

Yoo Dojun who took the silence as affirmation continued speaking.

"The problem is that you Hoshimiya don't want to form a party with us... From what I see, it seems like a bigger problem than what you dislike will occur if you don't form with us?"

"Why. What do you mean?"

When Yoo Dojun spoke jokingly, Hoshimiya Kaede retorted while frowning.

As if saying are you trying to threaten too?

He who interpreted her gaze soon shook his head while laughing it off lightly.

"You're receiving sponsorship from KK Group, right? If you're receiving KK Group's sponsorship, wouldn't that Kim Geunwoong kid naturally propose forming a party?"

"......"

"Don't tell me you can refuse that too? If you refuse, your sponsorship might be cut off from then?"

"...Kuk...!"

Hoshimiya Kaede gritted her teeth.

She didn't seem able to deny that either.

And Yoo Dojun didn't stop jabbing her.

"According to my information, Geunwoong is moving to form a party with you now. Did you perhaps not receive any contact?"

"......"

"Right? You did? I thought so."

Yoo Dojun hummed.

On the other hand, Hoshimiya Kaede could only grit her teeth.

"So you only have three choices you can make now."

Dojun triumphantly spread three fingers in front of her.

"One─"

He folded his index finger.

"─Just act as you please. Then KK Group's sponsorship will almost certainly be cut off, and Eunha and I will properly show you how hard it is to live at the academy."

"......"

"Two─"

He folded his ring finger.

Now only the middle finger remained.

"─Form a party with Kim Geunwoong. But then Eunha and I will thoroughly show how hard it is to live at the academy. We're quite vicious to the extent of being called a bit crazy. Especially this kid Eunha, even if KK Group tries to protect you, that won't be enough?"

"......"

"Last three─"

He turned his hand.

Soon he brought the back of his hand with only the middle finger raised to her and continued his last words.

"─Just join our party. But you know you're already ruined even if you join now? But you also know this choice is still better? If you're ruined no matter what you do, isn't the lesser evil better than the worst?"

"......"

Her face turned red.

But she could only click her tongue.

Silence was agreement.

"Eunha, I did well right?"

"...Uh, yeah."

Meanwhile, Eunha looked at Dojun speaking as if asking for praise while smiling brightly.

Yoo Dojun changing his face as if nothing happened looked like a crazy bastard even to Eunha.

To the extent of wondering if someone has to be this crazy to become Yeongwon Group's chairman.

"Hey, if our lives are ruined should we go around doing things like this together? Like 'We return money you can't receive' or something."

"Uh, you do it alone."

"Ah, why!"

"My life won't be ruined."

Eunha retorting indifferently.

Eunha ignored Yoo Dojun raising his voice like a child and extended his hand to Hoshimiya Kaede.

"Even if our first meeting was bad... Let's try to do well together."

"Hmph, who with you guys..."

Hoshimiya Kaede seemed to have somewhat relieved her resentment.

She made a hmph sound and grabbed the hand he extended.

I'll roll you a lot in the future.

She wouldn't know.

That the hand she grabbed was the devil's hand that could never be let go again.

That she would soon clearly know what hell is.

That she didn't choose the lesser evil over the worst, but chose the worst.