RE: Player again

329

[Chapter 103] [To Subjugate the Soul]

The Middle School Academy decided to exceptionally recruit an additional 031 class.

Since about one-third of the second-year students had passed away, this could be considered a natural course of action to some extent.

As a result, academy students were faced with a somewhat extended vacation.

Meanwhile, business groups announced that they would urgently recruit people to sponsor.

Business groups also had to strengthen their control over the 031 class by arranging positions for sponsored candidates to replace those who had died.

As a result, they were spending busy days.

While organizing their chaotic internal affairs, they had to survive with minimal damage from the Fairy government's plan to kill the political and financial circles.

However, business groups bowing to the Fairy government held this gathering in such a situation as if to announce that they were still intact.

Nominally, it was a gathering to pray for those who died.

"Public opinion isn't good as it is, if such a luxurious gathering becomes known to the world, there would be nothing good about it..."

YH Hotel Myeongdong Branch.

Eunha, who attended the gathering called a prayer meeting, muttered while receiving greetings from security guards with sturdy builds.

The gathering wasn't a simple one.

It was a place where direct descendants with management rights among the direct descendants of groups ranking within the top 100 in the business world participated.

Those called the direct of directs.

Moreover, they could bring along companions without limit on numbers.

It was a gathering large enough to rent the grand ballroom of YH Hotel.

"Oh my, Eunha, are you nervous too?"

"I'm not nervous."

"Seeing your face looking ugly today, I think you are nervous... Ah, was your face always like this?"

"Are you nervous too, noona?"

"Why? Is there something strange about my face? It's pretty whenever I look at it."

Han Seoyeon, the direct descendant of Sirius Group who brought Eunha along to the gathering as a companion, burst into laughter.

Wearing an office look that looked modest yet high-class, she was enjoying teasing Eunha.

Behind her, direct descendants belonging to Sirius affiliates were following.

As if flaunting Sirius' status, about twenty people were sticking close behind like a tail.

And she had Eunha on her left and Euna on her right.

Euna, who was also wearing an office look, grumbled at Han Seoyeon.

"What's wrong with my brother? He's always cute, adorable, pretty, and even sexy these days."

"Eunha is sexy? Hmm... I'm not sure if Eunha is sexy, but I can see that you're sexy, Euna."

"Huh? Me?"

She looked Euna up and down with drowsy eyes.

Euna, receiving her gaze, flinched for a moment and had a face saying she really didn't know.

However, Eunha wholeheartedly agreed with Han Seoyeon's opinion at this moment.

Of course, whose sister is she after all.

Euna was becoming prettier by the day.

Even though she was pretty to begin with.

She, who was approaching adulthood next year, had a figure that was slim where it should be slim and curvy where it should be curvy compared to Han Seoyeon of the same age.

If Han Seoyeon digested the office look intellectually, she could be said to be digesting the office look in a sexy aspect.

As a result, as soon as they entered the hall, the gazes pouring on Sirius Group soon focused on Euna.

There was no way she hadn't noticed the existence of men who were sending glances while pretending not to be Eunha.

"Look over there. The boys are focusing on you, Euna. Being with you makes me feel like a sack of barley put on display, really."

"No way... Maybe not just me, but you too, Seoyeon..."

"That means you admit you're pretty too, right?"

"...Stop teasing. I don't know how to react in these situations."

Han Seoyeon sticking close to Euna's side and secretly poking her side.

Euna blushed and couldn't properly refute when she kept teasing persistently.

But even that seemed to have made an impression on the men's eyes.

Eunha immediately frowned, but.

"But Euna, think about it carefully. Everyone gathered here are all rich kids from well-off families... Unintentionally, the age range of people attending the prayer meeting was set to 25 and under, so all the boys our age ended up attending, right? You could say all the decent groom candidates in our country have come out to this place. Surely those who came out with pure intentions could be counted on one hand?"

"Seoyeon, I didn't come out with such intentions..."

"Even if you didn't come out with such intentions, do you think they'll leave you alone saying you're not?"

"......"

"So let me give you one piece of advice as someone who often attends these gatherings... Just think comfortably. Treat the kids approaching you thinking you came to meet friends. If you like someone, get to know them slowly, that's all."

"I find that burdensome..."

"You might never meet a man if you keep that up? You're not uninterested in romance, are you?"

"Well, that's..."

Euna fidgeting and blushing.

She seemed very embarrassed, as if she had thought about dating.

And Eunha, who was watching the conversation between the two, felt his insides burning.

His sister dating?

No, absolutely not.

Until dirt enters my eyes, I absolutely can't give our noona or Eunae to anyone else.

Eunha, who was jealous of an imaginary man, decided to turn the arrow to Han Seoyeon, who brought up the topic.

"What about you, noona? Are you looking for someone to marry here too?"

"Me? I'm someone who must succeed my father someday, right? I could date if I wanted, but of course my marriage should be with someone who benefits Sirius."

"So? There should be such people among those gathered here."

"Hmm, well... At least from what I see, there doesn't seem to be anyone catching my eye yet?"

Han Seoyeon, who had been teasing Euna, examined the men sending calm gazes.

Then in a low voice, she rejected the visible men one by one, pointing out what was wrong with each.

Well, Han Seoyeon was single after all.

I married Sirius.

In his previous life, as far as he knew, Han Seoyeon vaguely didn't have anyone she was dating, and was skeptical about marriage.

She always lived buried in work and loved work more than men.

Thinking about it now, he wondered if she didn't love the opposite s*x even more because of Han Seohyun.

It was just speculation, but.

"What about you, Eunha?"

"Huh?"

"Is there anyone you like? You, Eunha, and Euna and Eunae too, are in a situation where marriage proposals are coming in. Rather than that, it might not be bad to find someone you like here and solve the engagement problem."

Han Seoyeon's counterattack.

Eunha frowned. The issue of engagement was still troubling him.

Moreover, saying they were his father's children, even Euna and Eunae were receiving marriage proposals.

Even if he could understand a bit for Euna who would become an adult next year, Eunha really went berserk when his younger sister received a marriage proposal.

I can't give noona or Eunae.

No, I won't give them.

Even his father was so angry at that time.

So much so that Eunae burst into tears saying her ugly father had become an even uglier father.

Anyway, Eunae was also receiving occasional marriage proposals, though fewer compared to Eunha and Euna.

"Or Eunha, how about me?"

"Ugh."

"Oh my, look at this kid? Your reaction is a bit off? Euna, don't you think so?"

"Our Eunha is much~ more precious!"

"Sigh... Sister and brother are the same. Euna, your brother complex... Ah, I miss Seohyun too."

Han Seoyeon, who had just said she wasn't interested in romance, playfully tried to wrap her arm around Eunha's arm.

Then Euna gasped and pulled him away.

Seoyeon, who ended up hugging the air, clicked her tongue in disappointment.

She had a face saying she didn't have fun.

But her teasing wasn't over yet.

"Well, it's understandable that the girls here don't catch your eye. You have Hayang after all. There's no one better than Alice Group's direct descendant except for direct descendants from groups within the top 10, right?"

Han Seoyeon mentioning Jung Hayang's name.

Eunha quietly stared at her.

Then she responded with a blank gaze saying isn't that right.

"Isn't Hayang a splendid bride candidate? She's capable, has a good personality, seems like she would be devoted to the person she likes, is highly regarded within the group, isn't this splendid?"

"...That's true."

"Maybe there's no one catching your eye because Hayang is by your side. Or how about Choi Yejin from YH Group? Should I build a bridge for you? Her personality isn't bad either..."

"No, Eunha's not interested."

"...Why are you answering, Euna?"

"Because Eunha's heart is my heart! Right?"

"Yeah, noona's right."

"Oh my, these sibling complex sufferers..."

Han Seoyeon sighed deeply.

She shook her head and soon left a message to her following companions to spend time as they see fit.

Then she called a few people and headed towards a space separated within the hall.

The space wasn't physically separated.

But where she was stepping seemed to have an atmosphere formed of looking down on others and elevating oneself.

Even those gathered here wouldn't lose to others, but even they couldn't approach carelessly and had to look from afar.

A space where only chosen ones among direct descendants, those positioned in the upper ranks within business groups, gathered.

They sometimes looked at people in other spaces and whispered, or had secret conversations among themselves.

"The reason this prayer meeting was created is to comfort the students who died in Hoengseong County, but that's just the external reason."

Those remaining by Han Seoyeon's side were now only those she kept close.

Han Seoyeon continued speaking while sending the same gaze to those looking at Sirius Group's appearance with interested gazes.

"The real purpose is that we gathered in one place away from the public eye."

Eunha nodded at those words.

Confirming that Han Seoyeon was thinking the same as him.

He had been suspicious from the start.

When he heard about the gathering from Han Seoyeon, he thought there was no way the intention to proceed with the gathering even in a time of unfavorable public opinion could be pure.

They were beings who doubted and checked each other from birth.

They were also calculating people who didn't move without profit.

So they had to block the chaos occurring internally due to gapjil incidents while sharpening their blades against threats that would arise externally in the meantime.

"We may appear friendly on the outside, but each of us is inwardly planning to stab others in the back."

In reality, Yeongwon Group had to suffer all sorts of attacks from outside while its internal affairs were shaken by the succession dispute.

Business groups had to check not only the Fairy government but also other business groups.

So business groups created a place where direct descendants could meet without receiving external attention to lower their guard and increase mutual trust.

To join hands to kill each other at a prayer meeting meant to comfort someone's death.

"It's a time when we need to unite."

The reason why direct descendants gathered instead of group managers was of course to prevent the meaning of the prayer meeting from being colored with other meanings, to avoid creating room for controversy.

So the people gathered here were representing their group's intentions.

"Then Seoyeon. Is it okay for us to be here now?"

"It's fine for now. We'll have the main meeting separately among ourselves anyway. When we disappear later, you can know that's what's happening."

"Ah, I see."

"I'd like you to just stay near me and make sure others don't look down on me. Those kids over there probably didn't come alone either."

The people following her nodded at those words.

Eunha nodded too.

He was willing to do that much work since she was taking him there.

If not for that, he would have had to observe their actions from afar.

That's when it happened.

"Eunha! Come here quickly!"

"...Huh?"

Suddenly, a familiar face sprang out from among the people gathered there.

Choi Gain ran over in her heels and spoke to Eunha without caring about other people.

Then she tried to grab Eunha's hand familiarly.

Eunha had no intention of holding her hand though.

"I knew I'd see you if I came here! How did you spend your summer vacation? I kept sending you messages every day but you—"

"—Huh?"

Eunha blinked at the sudden situation in front of his eyes.

While he was avoiding her touch, Euna quickly snatched his hand.

Euna, who interlocked fingers with him as if showing off to Choi Gain, looked down at her with a beaming smile.

"...You, you're from that time...!"

"Who are you calling 'you'? I seem to be older than you, shouldn't you call me unni?"

"E-Eunha! Who is this woman!?"

Choi Gain pointed at Euna.

Her finger was visibly trembling.

As if asking why Euna was here.

Euna, who was actually pointed at, was looking down at her proudly.

However, Eunha knew.

...Why...

Why is noona angry?

The women of the Noh family smiled kindly when they were angry.

As if you would die from the heat the moment you saw that smile.

And that smile was only directed at people of the Noh family.

So the reason Euna was smiling like that was all because of him, not because of Choi Gain.

"Eunha?"

"...Yeah. Noona... What?"

"Are you close with this kid?"

"No, no. We're not anything."

He had to deny it unconditionally.

Eunha strongly denied it.

However, when he denied it like that, Choi Gain, who still hadn't grasped the relationship between the two, stepped forward and protested.

"What do you mean we're not anything! We're dating!"

"When did I ever."

"...Eunha?"

Eunha hurriedly explained.

That Choi Gain was misunderstanding.

That she was misunderstanding their friendly relationship as dating in a romantic sense.

"I told you before. I said I won't date you. I said let's just get to know each other slowly like friends, didn't I?"

"But that was to slowly get to know each other and see if we suit each other..."

"When did I ever say such a thing? That's just you misunderstanding on your own."

Choi Gain's face soon hardened after hearing those words.

She seemed to have finally realized she had been used all this time.

She said "This can't be..." and denied reality.

"...Eunha? What's going on here?"

Regardless, Euna was still not withdrawing her kind smile towards Eunha.

"My goodness... Such things happened? If you were interested in Gain, you should have told me earlier."

Han Seoyeon teased him with a sly face.

As if she had found something interesting to watch after a while.

"E-Eunha, I heard wrong, right? That we're just friends... All this time I've been chasing away kids who approached you..."

"...Hah... When did I ever ask you to? Didn't you just say you'd do it on your own?"

Choi Gain tried to cling to Eunha, and Eunha was very irritated.

People nearby were watching this scene with interest.

And a young man who came out parting them spoke in a tone whose emotion couldn't be discerned.

"─What

“─There is no greater shame than humiliation.”

Choi Jeong-hoon, a direct descendant of the Galaxy Group.

In the distant future, there was the appearance of Kirin, who became the king of the Galaxy Group and attempted to turn Korea into a Galaxy empire.

In other words─.

“I told you not to do anything so shameful.”

─ He was Noh Eun-ha's enemy.