RE: Player again

301

[Chapter 096] [Silently, Steadily (3)]

Coffee spilled on the uniform dripped onto the floor.

Yoo Do-joon, who was blankly looking at his uniform, soon turned to the sneering students with a smiling face.

"No, it's my fault for not being careful. Are you guys okay?"

"W-we're fine..."

"Really? That's good then."

The students who had deliberately spilled coffee on him responded with bewildered faces.

Not expecting Yoo Do-joon to respond with a smiling face.

Moreover, he was even worried about them, and eventually took out his wallet from his pocket.

"You couldn't drink your coffee because of me... I'll buy you guys coffee. Here, take it." "...Uh... th-thanks..."

"It's nothing. We're in the same group after all. We should help each other." """"......"""""

Yoo Do-joon holding out his sponsor card.

The students hesitantly took his sponsor card while flustered.

As they turned away after receiving the card, they burst into laughter, mocking Do-joon's gullibility.

The content was irritating even for Eun-ha to hear, let alone Do-joon.

"...They have no manners."

Mok Min-ho who was watching from afar clicked his tongue at the students turning their backs.

Then he added.

"Yoo Do-joon just gets pushed around too... It's an eyesore to see a direct descendant like that."

Mok Min-ho seemed displeased not only with those who attacked Yoo Do-joon, but also with Yoo Do-joon's response.

He who frowned told Eun-ha that the students who attacked Do-joon were children receiving sponsorship from Eternal Group.

"You know that too?"

"I don't know everyone who receives sponsorship from which group, but I keep track of important people. Those kids are related to Eternal Group affiliates."

Eun-ha nodded.

He had expected it to some extent.

Though Yoo Do-joon wasn't treated properly in Eternal Group, a direct descendant was still a direct descendant.

Other students shouldn't treat him that way.

The act of attacking Yoo Do-joon was the same as attacking Eternal Group.

Students receiving sponsorship from other groups couldn't touch him out of fear of that.

They're spitting on their own faces.

But it's different if they're students related to Eternal Group affiliates.

Yoo Do-joon had to be lenient towards students related to affiliates for the sake of honor shown to others.

Above all, he was a person aiming for the chairman position of Eternal Group.

He couldn't be caught on even the tiniest things.

And they acted that way towards Yoo Do-joon because they knew that.

They must surely belong to a faction supporting another direct descendant of Eternal Group.

"Ah, those guys? They're from Eternal Card. The kids following the eldest brother tend to be like that. Don't worry too much since this isn't the first or second time he's been treated like this." "Does this look like something not to worry about?"

Sure enough, Yoo Do-joon plainly told them they were another successor's faction.

Meanwhile, the male student who returned after running errands for him to buy coffee showed an unpleasant face.

Hwang Myung-ho. He who wore glasses got angry on behalf of Yoo Do-joon.

"Ah, thanks. I'll enjoy the coffee." "Can you drink coffee now?"

"Then what should I do? Even if I say something to them, will they listen to me? Won't they just run and tell the eldest brother as if they've been waiting for it? Endure it, enduring is winning."

"But still...!"

Yoo Do-joon grinned.

He was aware of how weak his current position was.

That's why he was smiling.

While grinding his teeth inside.

"You really..."

Eun-ha sighed. Then he drank the coffee Hwang Myung-ho bought for him instead.

Anyway, Hwang Myung-ho wasn't in the mood to drink coffee now.

"But why are you smiling?" "Huh?"

"I think it's strange that you can smile in this situation. To my eyes, you just look like a loser."

"...Are you done talking?"

"Why? Am I wrong?"

That's when it happened.

Mok Min-ho sneered.

Do-joon was still tilting his head and grinning.

On the other hand, Myung-ho who had been wiping Do-joon's uniform suddenly snapped at Min-ho.

The two had a staring contest.

Do-joon was smiling as if even that was amusing.

So Eun-ha had no choice but to intervene between the two.

"Stop it. Don't you see people are gathering? Both groups would be very happy if you cause trouble?"

""......""

Eventually the two backed down.

It wasn't that he didn't understand their feelings.

The authoritarian Mok Min-ho obviously wouldn't like Yoo Do-joon who couldn't properly control his subordinates.

Even the rogue Choi Ga-in wouldn't let subordinates push her around.

Moreover, Mok Min-ho kept discipline tight.

On the other hand, Hwang Myung-ho who swore loyalty to Yoo Do-joon didn't like Mok Min-ho insulting Yoo Do-joon.

"Yoo Do-joon. How are those kids I told you about before doing?" "Those kids? I'm working on them now." "Then hurry up and make them. That way these things won't happen right?"

"...I guess so. Yeah, okay."

"And those guys. Are they helpful to you?"

"Those guys? The ones who spilled coffee on me?"

"Yeah, them." "Hmm... I don't think they'll be particularly helpful. Myung-ho, what do you..." "I don't like those kinds of kids." "Yeah, they probably won't be helpful."

"I see."

I've already remembered their faces.

Eun-ha who nodded asked Mok Min-ho to watch the seats and wait.

"If you're going to drink coffee, drink with my money!"

"Where's your card now..."

Eun-ha who was about to leave turned back and asked.

Then Yoo Do-joon shrugged and replied.

"Aren't you going to scold those guys on my behalf?"

"...You're quick-witted."

"If I wasn't quick-witted, I would have lost the successor position long ago? Anyway, I left my card with them so use that to drink coffee." "...Alright."

Yoo Do-joon didn't stop him any further.

Mok Min-ho watched with a blank face, but was about to secure seats as told.

Let's see.

They went that way...

Eun-ha passed by the cafe.

To find the students who spilled coffee on Yoo Do-joon.

Considering the time they stopped by the cafe, they probably hadn't gone to class.

They must be nearby.

That Yoo Do-joon is really amazing.

Just smiling no matter what happens...

Just earlier, Mok Min-ho had sneered seeing Yoo Do-joon smiling.

It was understandable.

Smiling in a situation where one should be angry proved he was a pushover.

Min-ho's words weren't wrong either.

In fact, Yoo Do-joon was treated as a pushover by people in politics and business until he became chairman of Eternal Group in his previous life.

Because he smiled in any situation.

It must have been infuriating from the perspective of people following him.

Even Eun-ha who followed him for sponsorship was inwardly displeased.

'My mother told me. That you should smile to receive blessings.'

'You smile just for that reason?'

Eun-ha had asked him once in his previous life.

Why he was smiling.

Then Yoo Do-joon who was left alone shrugged and said nonchalantly.

But even his nonchalant words weren't light when you heard the content.

'While my mother was being poisoned... as she was dying, she told me. To live smiling. That if I smile, blessings will come someday.'

'......'

'My face is quite handsome right?'

'...Bullshit.'

'Why are you like this. I'm so popular... Anyway, there was something my mother always said when she was alive... That I'm very pretty like my mother, so people will flock around me just if I smile...'

At that time, Yoo Do-joon smiled slightly.

He who had lived only smiling until becoming chairman while inwardly grinding the blade of revenge became unable to make any other expression after becoming chairman.

The life of having to smile forcibly made him that way.

Yoo Do-joon smiled brightly even when people following him returned as corpses.

He didn't lose his smile even when other successors insulted those corpses.

By living that way and barely surviving, he obtained the throne of Eternal Group.

'What I lack isn't money but people. So I have to smile. That way people will flock around me... and other successors will look down on me right?'

In some sense, he and Yoo Do-joon had similarities.

The aspect of being willing to do anything for revenge.

Perhaps that's why he followed him.

Surely all the people who followed him harbored such feelings.

'So you smile too. Your face will stiffen if you keep putting on airs all the time.'

"Look who's talking..."

Eun-ha grumbled recalling what Yoo Do-joon said before the regression.

In the end, Yoo Do-joon's smiling face became his face, and Noh Eun-ha regained his own face.

"...Found them."

Smiling isn't everything.

He had no intention of mocking Do-joon's life in his past life.

Because Yoo Do-joon silently and steadily worked hard to achieve what he wanted to achieve.

That was also one way of life.

But Eun-ha preferred a different method.

Show the smiles you'd give to others only to your people.

It's only fun when you laugh together.

Seo-na had said before.

That she treats kindly those who treat her kindly.

That her heart isn't broad enough to spare kindness for people who don't treat her kindly.

Eun-ha agreed with her words.

The same went for smiles.

He really didn't want to smile while getting slapped when he should receive something in return for smiling.

"...Ow, hot...!"

"What. Are you just going to hit and run?"

"Hey! You did that on purpose right!?"

So he had no intention of smiling at them at all.

Eun-ha carefully looked at the students who were chattering among themselves and then met with misfortune by him.

One student who spilled coffee on his uniform.

Two students on either side of him.

Among them, the big student approached him with large strides.

"Hey, who are you? You hit me on purpose right?"

"So what?"

"What...?" "So what are you going to do about it."

The big student stood for a moment as if forgetting what to say.

Eun-ha looked at those standing behind him and burst into laughter.

He couldn't smile, but he was confident he could mock others better than anyone.

"Okay, let's say I did. So what are you going to do?"

"Uh, what do you mean what... Of course you should apologize quickly! Don't you know I almost got burned!?"

The scrawny one standing next to the student who spilled coffee hurriedly shouted.

His intention was obvious.

People started gathering hearing the commotion.

"Wow, this is really ridiculous. Hey, Noh Eun-ha have you really gone crazy? How can you hit someone passing by like that!" "Shit... it's really hot."

He even put on airs.

Regardless, Eun-ha passed by the big student and approached the two.

The big student reached out to grab him, but his hand just groped the air.

Chicken.

The big student was wiser than he looked.

If he had tried to touch him, he would have broken his wrist right there.

Moreover, he even lowered his head as soon as their eyes met, so he could be said to be unexpectedly quick-witted.

On the other hand, the scrawny one making a fuss and the student adding comments were stupid.

"I'm sorry. But wasn't it your fault for being there?"

Eun-ha returned the same provocation they had given Yoo Do-joon.

Of course, the two's faces turned bright red.

"Hey─!!"

The scrawny one who came forward shouted at the top of his lungs.

The resounding voice stopped students passing by.

Students whispering about his wrongdoing increased here and there.

"Noh Eun-ha, is that what you call an apology? Who would think that's an apology when you speak so rudely?"

"I didn't know you were like this, but now I see your personality is really terrible? Really... I'm disappointed."

Disappointed.

Eun-ha was inwardly dumbfounded.

Just what had they been thinking about him all this time.

He was really curious about that.

He thought he had clearly shown them about himself over the past year.

"Hey... forget it. Let's just stop and go. Eun-ha apologized so let's just go quietly, hurry."

"Hey! Why are you suddenly acting like that? Did we do something wrong? He's the one who did wrong!"

"He seems to be acting like that because he has some skills... but he's still just one of us in the end."

"You guys aren't wrong but..."

If it was himself before the regression, he would have thrown punches first without a word.

Even if the opponent was a direct descendant.

In fact, he had taught a lesson to some students not long after entering 1st year high academy.

If he thought he was being attacked, he immediately used violence no matter who the opponent was.

Because all he had then was just violence.

Yoo-jeong had a hard time back then.

But how about now?

If Noh Eun-ha before the regression was just a problem child rather than a promising talent, the current him was classified as the most promising talent in the 031st class.

The power he could mobilize had increased even more than before the regression.

"You're not better than me in anything. Right?" "...You bastard!"

"Skills... of course you don't have any."

"...Ugh...!"

Eun-ha lightly tapped the cheek of the scrawny one who stepped forward.

It probably didn't hurt.

But what the scrawny one got hit on wasn't his cheek but his pride.

When the guy whose pride was scratched burst out angrily and tried to rush at him, he used his center of gravity to knock the guy down to the floor.

While the scrawny one who fell forward was awkwardly getting up, Eun-ha stood in front of the student who had spilled coffee on Yoo Do-joon.

"If you don't have skills in the academy.... Do you have something else you're relying on?" "...You...!"

"Otherwise you wouldn't try to talk back like this."

Just then, the scrawny one rushing from behind.

Eun-ha who dodged to the side tripped the guy's feet again.

This time he fell properly after getting tripped.

The guy who fell face down on the floor screamed and writhed his whole body.

It seemed his leg was broken.

"You should have fallen better."

Eun-ha clicked his tongue.

He looked at the male student standing in front while the big student checked on the scrawny one's condition.

"You must have something you're relying on to get angry at me."

He lightly hit the male student's chest.

The student whose complexion had turned pale now was pushed back weakly.

He hit him again.

The male student staggered backwards.

Even though he didn't put much strength into it.

"...You... have you really gone crazy? Do you think you can act recklessly like this just because Sirius protects you?"

"What happens if I act

"Ah, so Eternal Group was what you were relying on? I thought it was Eternal Card." "......"

The male student couldn't back up any further.

His back was touching the wall.

Nevertheless, Eun-ha pushed the male student.

The pushed male student hit the wall and came forward again.

Eun-ha quickly pushed the male student.

This was repeated.

Like playing with a bouncy ball.

Finally, the male student gritted his teeth and pressed his back tightly against the wall, ending the childish game.

"Well... what difference does it make if it's the card or the group."

Eun-ha lightly tapped the male student's face with the back of his hand.

He tried to swat away the hand in anger but hesitated when facing Eun-ha.

He was scared.

Seeing the sudden stiffness, Eun-ha found him cute and pinched his cheek.

"Do you think they'll retaliate for you if you're treated like this?"

If it was himself before the regression, he would have been retaliated against by the group for recklessly using violence.

Even before the regression, instructors had a hard time smoothly resolving problems because of that.

"Do you really think so?" "......"

But how about this life?

There was no one in the 031st class who could oppose him with skill.

Moreover, he was even receiving sponsorship from Sirius.

And not just simple sponsorship, but very extensive sponsorship.

"If a fight breaks out between groups... Would it be more beneficial to abandon you... or to protect you to the end?"

He would just get lightly scolded by Han Seo-yeon.

Above all, his father was also an influential figure in Sirius.

Though not a direct descendant, he was in a position to be treated somewhat like a direct descendant.

But what about the male student in front of him?

The wavering of his eyes with closed mouth was answering for him.

"...I'm... sorry..."

"Seems you have some brains after all?"

Eun-ha ruffled the hair of the male student whose clenched fists were trembling.

The male student silently accepted the rough touch.

Because he realized he would be the one cast aside if a problem occurred between Sirius Group and Eternal Group.

Eternal Group was internally festering.

Though Eternal Group still held the 3rd place among business groups, internally the successors were constantly causing succession disputes.

A situation where power was torn apart as much as possible.

In such a situation, if he was caught, the successors would try to cause conflict again seizing this opportunity.

And the successor he follows would surely abandon everything related to him to avoid leaving room for attack.

"What's your name?"

"...Kim Ji-hoon."

"I see... Ji-hoon."

Eun-ha who had been intimidating the male student suddenly spoke to him in a friendly manner.

The student who introduced himself as Kim Ji-hoon suddenly made a suspicious face.

That face soon crumpled miserably.

"Let's get along well from now on, okay?" "......"

"Don't catch my eye unnecessarily." "...Okay. I'm sorry..."

In front of many watching students.

Eun-ha poured the coffee he was holding onto Kim Ji-hoon's head.

Kim Ji-hoon's eyes widened as the murky liquid flowed down from his head. Tears quickly filled his face, but he nodded while holding back his crying.

Regardless, Eun-ha reached out to pat his head.

Then he awkwardly stopped his hand.

Ah, it's dirty.

He wiped his hand on Kim Ji-hoon's shoulder.

Because coffee had gotten on his hand.

"Ah, right. You have Yoo Do-joon's card. I'll return that for you." "...Okay... here."

"But how did you drink coffee to end up like this? I should buy you coffee out of pity. Here, use this." "......"

Eun-ha who received Yoo Do-joon's card soon took out Sirius' sponsor card from his wallet.

Kim Ji-hoon blankly received it.

"Use that to buy and drink some coffee with those guys. Don't spill it on your clothes next time."

"......"

"No answer?" "...Yeah... th-thanks..."

It didn't seem like he would be able to get the card back.

He would probably have to issue a new sponsor card as soon as he returned.

"But I was going to drink coffee with Min-ho too. Want to go together if you're heading that way?" "...No. I'll go somewhere else."

"Is that so? Alright then."

Kim Ji-hoon smiling awkwardly.

Eun-ha who turned his back met eyes with the scrawny one collapsed on the floor.

He was already averting his gaze.

"Sigh... you should watch where you're going. Hey, get treatment with that card too." "Ah, no... I'm fine."

"Really? Then never mind."

If he was declining, that was fine.

He didn't want to spend money on them.

It wasn't his money anyway.

Eun-ha stepped towards the gathered crowd.

Students nearby averted their eyes and made way.

They seemed to think they could end up like those guys for no reason.

This just ruined my mood.

Whispering was heard from behind.

It must be the sound of people cursing him.

But Eun-ha didn't care.

Throughout his past life and this life.

His reputation was not important to him.

If they want to curse, let them curse.

Eun-ha had no intention of changing his ways.

No matter what the world said.

I should go drink some coffee...

My throat is dry from unnecessarily exerting myself.

He decided to quickly go to the cafe and drink some cool coffee.

Just then, a message came from Ha-yang.

"Ha-yang": Myths and Folktales

You're coming right? (3:45 PM)

The next class will start soon.

At this rate, he won't even be able to drink coffee.

Eun-ha who was lost in thought for a while holding his smartphone moved his fingers.

Sorry to Ha-yang but...

Let's just drop it.

I couldn't even rest because of those guys.

My throat is dry.

So I'll drink coffee with Mok Min-ho.

Eun-ha sent Ha-yang a message saying he was sorry.

Thanks to that, he had to appease Ha-yang who was sulking for several days.