RE: Player again

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[Chapter 104] [A Monster with Worn-out Emotions (5)]

At first, the atmosphere was really good.

The sensation of walking while being conscious only of each other's existence in a space bustling with people.

A feeling like melting into the whole, yet as if only you and her exist in this world.

Such emotions were surely not felt by him alone.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"J-just... somehow... Why are you smiling all the time, Seona?"

"Me? Just somehow."

The smile that made his heart race, eyes sparkling whenever their eyes met, seemed to tell that her feelings were no different from his own.

However, the emotions that made them unaware of time passing quickly cooled down.

"─Hello? It's been a really long time."

""......"

Because of Jin Seona, KK Pharmaceuticals' direct descendant.

Being so conscious of each other, the two hadn't thought Jin Seona would be beyond the crowd they emerged from.

If he had known of her presence beforehand, Eunhyeok wouldn't have brought Seona here.

Because he knew well that Seona disliked her.

No, it wasn't just her.

"Yeah, hello."

He and his friends didn't like Jin Seona either.

They disliked her.

In case Seona might be uncomfortable, he stepped forward and greeted Jin Seona.

However, she retorted sharply.

"Are your eyes crooked? I wasn't greeting you."

"......"

"Come to think of it, I heard you're still acting as Noh Eunha's lackey?"

Jin Seona snorting.

Eunhyeok was momentarily at a loss for words.

He never expected to hear such words.

His pride was subtly hurt.

Especially because he heard such words in front of Seona.

But Eunhyeok couldn't pick a fight with Jin Seona.

Before her being KK Pharmaceuticals' direct descendant, Dangun Group's direct descendant was beside her with shining eyes.

Dangun Group's direct descendant Hong Jinwoo.

He was looking at him as if looking down on people.

[Then you have no pride? Your rumors have spread all over the academy. The rumor that you're Hong Jinwoo sunbae's second concubine.]

"......!"

But Eunhyeok didn't know.

While he and Hong Jinwoo were exchanging glances.

Seona sent telepathy to Jin Seona, wanting to take revenge for Eunhyeok.

Telepathy is a means of communication for ains that can be sent unilaterally limited to desired people.

In other words, people who didn't receive telepathy couldn't detect its existence.

[Hello. I missed you too. Have you been well?]

"Where are you acting so friendly!?"

"Jin Seona?"

"Ah, oppa, this is..."

[Why are you raging alone? This is telepathy only you can hear, so acting like that will only hurt you.]

"...Ugh...!"

[So kid. Do you want to say you're great after wagging your tail to men?]

Eunhyeok is covering for her.

Seona used that to send consecutive telepathy to Jin Seona.

Moreover, her skills had noticeably increased compared to last year.

Now she could handle telepathy to the extent that sparks wouldn't easily be visible while playing dumb.

It meant she wasn't selected as the grade winner in the division competition for nothing.

[I was curious how you'd live after always calling me vulgar, but that's the way of life you chose. Do you think you'll become something by parasitizing someone better than you like that?]

The Jin Seona who only got bullied no longer existed in this world.

Seona smiled brightly.

Wagging her fox tail.

On the other hand, Jin Seona couldn't say anything with a red face.

That must have been painful for her.

Moreover, Seona didn't even try to give her time to regain her senses.

[Your life seems really pitiful. Even if you struggle and flail to climb up like that, you won't become happy...]

[Even if you're incorporated into Dangun Group's direct line, you'll just be a concubine who can't even be registered in the family registry, right?]

[Honestly, if you're discarded because he's tired of you, that's the end, right? I don't understand what's so good about that.]

[Ah, right. I talked too much, didn't I?]

[But you seem to be having a hard time lately. Your face seems full of dark circles, are you sleeping properly?]

[I learned a spell to become comfortable when tired in class recently. I'll teach it to you this time. The spell is quite long so it would be good to record it.]

[Ah, that's right. This was telepathy. Then it would be good to memorize it.]

[Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra. When Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva practices the profound Prajna Paramita, he illuminates that the five skandhas are empty and crosses over all suffering. Sariputra...]

"Stop! Please stop...! I'm going crazy!"

"Jin Seona! What's wrong with you!?"

Eventually, Jin Seona couldn't overcome the telepathy shaking her mind.

She who had been enduring well until now suddenly clutched her head as if having a panic attack.

Hong Jinwoo hurriedly embraced her who was crying out.

Many people's attention gathering was a bonus.

Hong Jinwoo, who couldn't create rumors that his fiancée went crazy in front of many people, passed by without even glancing at Seona and Eunhyeok.

"Aaaaaargh!!"

The sound of Jin Seona writhing could be heard from far away.

Because she had to hear Seona's telepathy while being supported by Hong Jinwoo as she left.

Rather, Seona kept sparking without needing to mind her surroundings after Jin Seona disappeared.

"...Seona..."

Now he understood what happened.

Eunhyeok, who witnessed the sparks occurring between her triangular ears, called her in a dazed voice.

Then she stopped the telepathy and turned around.

Smiling brightly like before.

"Whaat?"

"...It's nothing."

Seona must have been holding in a lot until now.

Eunhyeok resolved to treat her well from now on.

☆

Hoshimiya Kaede was known as an unusual figure in the academy.

She who aimed to be a ranger made Korean traditional bows her main weapon.

In an era where firearms exist and their destructive power and loading speed are dominant.

All the students mocked her.

Saying that even if she's called a promising rookie with outstanding skills, there are limits to traditional bows.

Nevertheless, she never let go of traditional bows since entering middle school academy until now.

If this method doesn't work then like this...!

So Minji was partly relieved when she met her in the 2nd year finals of the ranger division competition.

Even if Hoshimiya Kaede had outstanding skills, Kim Minji also had unwavering faith in her own skills that were considered promising.

Moreover, she had been trained by Eunha since a very young age.

Even if she fell behind other friends, she had pride in being strong within the same grade.

Especially in the ranger division.

"...This can't... be..."

At least there shouldn't be any classmates who could beat her yet.

Her hopes were being shattered as she faced Hoshimiya Kaede in the finals.

"Did you see that just now? Is that possible?"

"Wow, shit... That's no joke. Did she just destroy the trap in that position with a bow?"

"Although the loading speed is a bit slow, her accuracy is outstanding?"

Ranger division competition 2nd year finals.

Unlike other divisions, the competition that started in the afternoon was held in a place surrounded by obstacles.

Obstacles hastily created by instructors.

The two had to complete three laps of the arena with obstacles and traps installed.

Participants could also check their opponent while completing laps of the arena.

Also, the terrain of the arena was transformed each time a person completed one lap.

In a way that made it more difficult.

Why, why, how...!

Is the gap widening even more!

So once you fell behind, the difference kept widening.

Before she knew it, Hoshimiya Kaede was running far ahead while Minji had just entered her second lap.

The skill difference was too great.

Although there wasn't much difference between the two when the competition just started, the gap widened this much as soon as traps were activated.

While Minji was trying to disarm traps, Hoshimiya Kaede instantly disarmed traps.

Besides that, Hoshimiya Kaede quickly found and disarmed hidden traps, and shot arrows at traps showing signs of activation.

On the other hand, Minji could only find traps at close distances, and sometimes only recognized traps' existence after they activated.

Eventually, she activated the Gift she realized in last semester's final evaluation.

A Gift that automatically activates when internal mana reaches a certain level.

The Gift that made her body lighter and increased movement speed the more mana was consumed pushed her back.

It seemed the gap was narrowing like that.

Where is this...!

However, the moment she jumped from a tree, something flew and bound her body.

Paper folded into swallows.

Hoshimiya Kaede's trap.

Several swallows unfolded their bodies and deployed magic to block her movements.

Minji whose acceleration dropped had to somehow undo the swallows' magic formula.

Why is the magic formula so dense!

Minji irritably undid the sealing magic.

Then she used the swallows to reversely launch traps at Hoshimiya Kaede.

Just then, Hoshimiya Kaede was moving her footsteps to the point where she had set traps earlier.

"......!"

Double trap.

Her eyes went to the swallows flying from behind, then she was startled by the trap activating under her feet.

Minji smiled with satisfaction.

A noisy explosion magic.

But that was enough.

Because loss of hearing meant loss of sense of direction.

Hoshitori (Star-catching)

Right at that moment.

There was one arrow soaring towards the ceiling.

An arrow that pierced through the explosion flew up, and Hoshimiya Kaede grasped the trajectory of light drawn by the arrow and soared into the sky.

Then she fell from midair, aiming an arrow at Minji even as her head faced the ground.

"...Ugh...!"

The arrow accurately targeted her.

Minji who barely blocked the arrow with a barrier let out a short groan.

She who had landed on the ground was already running through the arena again.

As if Minji wasn't even in her mind.

Minji found it so frustrating, but in the end she couldn't do anything until the competition ended.

That day, Hoshimiya Kaede proudly won the ranger division.

☆

"Are you okay now?"

"...Yes. Thank you."

A place far from the cultural festival area.

Hong Jinwoo handed bottled water he got from a vending machine to Jin Seona leaning on a bench with closed eyes.

She who smiled faintly slowly drank the water.

"If something like that happens again, tell me. I won't let those bastards off next time."

"...Yes."

Almost 2 years now.

The two's engagement was formed out of necessity.

Jin Seona who learned that Hong Jinwoo harbored resentment towards Noh Eunha quickly sought him out.

Because their purposes aligned, the two joined hands like that.

At the time, Hong Jinwoo didn't have any particular doubts about her feelings either.

"Can I ask one thing?"

"What is it?"

But now he had doubts.

The emotions Jin Seona showed towards Noh Eunha at the gathering in summer could be overlooked.

Because he disliked him too.

However, Jin Seona not only that, but greatly disliked people around him.

Especially just now, she looked at the fox ain with a gaze close to hatred.

Before engaging to her, Hong Jinwoo separately investigated Jin Seona's past but couldn't understand why she got so angry to this extent.

Why did she get so angry at Noh Eunha, and especially at the fox ain Jin Seona more than Noh Eunha?

"It might be my personal misconception, but you seemed to be more obsessed with that ain than Noh Eunha."

It was strange to ask now.

Nevertheless, Hong Jinwoo placed his hand on Jin Seona's hand and asked.

Their first meeting was just for mutual benefit, but Hong Jinwoo became interested in Jin Seona as they met repeatedly.

A very faint interest.

But the process of getting to know someone starts from even a speck of small interest.

"Long ago... a child was born in a certain family."

And Jin Seona opened her mouth to Hong Jinwoo's question.

As if talking about someone else's story.

She laid out her story with a gaze looking far away.

"They were very pretty twins. But one of them, an ain with a tail and ears was born."

"......"

"You know what happened next, right? They say the mother begged the father crying to raise the fox ain, but she couldn't beat the father. In the end, they say the mother persuaded the father saying she wanted to at least give the baby a name."

Jin Seona spoke calmly.

While fidgeting with both hands holding the water bottle.

"They say the mother named the ain born first 'Seona'. And they say the father wrapped her in a blanket and abandoned her in front of a church."

"Then is that child that child?"

Hong Jinwoo asked quietly.

Jin Seona shook her head and answered "I'm not sure about that either."

"But it must be. Our birthdays are similar, that child's name is Seona too, and she's a fox ain."

She said.

After the 1st grade elementary school sports day ended, her father told her this story.

Her father seemed to have realized something, and urged her not to approach Jin Seona anymore.

"Then why..."

Hong Jinwoo tried to ask.

If that child is your sister, why are you trying to treat her so harshly.

Then Jin Seona snorted and retorted.

"─Oppa think about it too. If you found out you were a twin, and learned your blood-related sibling was an ain, how would you feel? Do you think you'd be happy?"

"......"

"That's right, I feel the same as oppa. I felt really bad. It was so horrible that such a child was my sister."

"......"

"Why did mom give birth to a child like that? The same blood flows in me and that child? Then am I a monster too? I absolutely couldn't accept it."

She sneered while gripping the plastic bottle so tightly it crumpled.

The reason she disliked Jin Seona since childhood stemmed from the fact that she and her were blood-related.

It was horrible.

When she realized that fact then, Jin Seona was seized by a sensation like bugs crawling all over her body.

"I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely can't accept it. I can't accept that child trying to be happier than me, that child constantly appearing before my eyes, thinking that child is alive, I can't accept any of it. I really hate her."

Jin Seona said that while recalling meeting Jin Seona earlier.

At that time, she was smiling with a face she had never seen before.

When she always lived like a runt with a gloomy face before.

She didn't like that.

It felt like her share of being able to be happy was stolen by her.

And her hatred for her was the same as when she first met her.

No, it became even stronger.

"That's why I joined hands with oppa."

Honestly, Jin Seona now hated Jin Seona more than Noh Eunha.

That's why she joined hands with Hong Jinwoo.

Even becoming the third fiancée.

She wanted to ruin Jin Seona's life as much as she gave up her own life.

[Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra. When Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva practices the profound Prajna Paramita he reflects on the emptiness of the five aggregates and transcends all suffering.]

─Shit.

She was distraught because of the telepathy Jinsuna had sent her a little while ago.

Rather than feeling at ease, I was tired.