Chapter 456: Another candidate (8)

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Central area, Nurse’s Office 1.

Gye Idam lost consciousness as soon as he was loaded on a transport device, and he only opened his eyes again after his examination and treatment were over.

He was puzzled, not having any idea where he was.

His whole body was tingling and he could smell the stark scent of disinfectants; he thought he was in a hospital because of another car accident.

‘Ah, I’m in Eungwang High’s nurse’s office.’

Gye Idam had a lot of experience bringing students to the nurse’s office, but this was his first time being brought here as a patient.

He felt chills when he remembered how Jo Euishin mercilessly made him roll around.

Jo Euishin, as far as Gye Idam remembers, was a self-righteous and polite man who endures everything no matter how unreasonable he was treated.

He never imagined that Jo Euishin would be so good at making someone roll.

‘…Well, considering what happened back then, it’s not so strange.’

Considering what happened in the army, and the hate comments he left on the game that Jo Euishin was willing to die for…

But doesn’t he at least have the right to curse the game that he also plays?

No one in Korea’s gaming community tries out a game without cursing it out at some point, for reasons like dying just before clearing a level, failing to get a desirable item, and so many more.

Moreover, it was PMH, the Nation’s Failed Game that seems to possess every single characteristic of a ruined game.

If only Gye Idam could turn back the time, he would choose not to bully Jo Euishin, but he would give PMH a worse and more novel double whammy.

‘But Jo Euishin seemed angrier about the comments than what happened at the army…’

To be fair, Gye Idam was a little too persistent and passionate about cursing PMH.

However, it was all because Ahn Dain, the heroine of Gye Idam’s life, was trapped in that crazy failed game.

Knots began to form in his mind again at the thought of Ahn Dain.

Before Jo Euishin left the gym, he said something related to Ah Dain.

— If I catch you trying to get closer to Ahn Dain…

Jo Euishin went out of the gym without finishing that sentence.

Considering how Jo Euishin was fuming the entire time they were inside the gym, it might’ve been for the better that Gye Idam didn’t hear the latter part of his words.

Feeling like it suddenly got cold, Gye Idam tried to think of something else.

‘After Jo Euishin went out, Siwan hyung came, and then Yong-ssaem smiling so wide, and then Yeom Junyeol said something too…’

It occurred to him that Yeom Junyeol openly showed hostility.

It was clear that there was some kind of relationship between Jo Euishin and Yeom Junyeol.

‘…Yeom Junyeol was investigating the Red Wall Thief. Is that it?’

Gye Idam was ignorant of the fact that Jo Euishin and Yeom Junyeol had a student-teacher relationship, but he guessed the situation to some extent since he knew about the Red Wall Thief’s identity.

He felt bitter that he might lose one of his classmates whom he somehow grew close with.

“Idam-ah, are you okay?”

Along with the sound of the curtains being pushed aside, Sung Siwan appeared.

It looked like he was waiting in the nurse’s office all along.

“…Yes.”

“Tell me now if you feel something wrong. I’ll call the nurse right away.”

Sung Siwan dragged a portable chair next to his bed.

Gye Idam thought that he’d leave after confirming that he was awake, but his nosy sunbae seemed to want to stay next to him.

After checking Gye Idam’s injuries and the state of his energy waves, Sung Siwan spoke.

“About Euishin, can I offer any help?”

It was so like the nosy Sung Siwan to offer such a thing.

But this case cannot be helped by his power.

Gye Idam knew that if he dragged other people to mediate for no good reason, it would only fan Jo Euishin’s already burning anger.

Jo Euishin might be considerate to the mediators that he’d choose, but only more terrible revenge and deeper resentment would await him once those mediators were gone.

“No.”

“Okay… Alright. But if you will have another battle with Jo Euishin, you have to tell me in advance. I’ll get the transfer device on standby.”

Sung Siwan was indeed nosy, but he knew how to respect a line that was drawn.

To appeal that he has no intention of pushing any further, Sung Siwan changed the subject.

“The chairman was there earlier, did you see him?”

“…Chairman Hwang Myeongho?”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen him appear in front of students in a long time.”

Gye Idam wasn’t well-versed in the PMH storyline, but he remembered a few characters.

One of them was Hwangho, the head of the Tiger Clan who takes the form of Chairman Hwang Myeongho.

Of course, he also knew that Hwang Jiho of Year One Class Zero was also Hwangho.

‘No, why would the Tiger Clan’s head come here? …Is it because of Jo Euishin?’

In this world, there has been very little contact between Chairman Hwang Myeongho and Gye Idam.

In the first place, Gye Idam doesn’t know much about the chairman.

Before he regained his memories, Gye Idam only knew the chairman from a search result on their school’s website.

He heard rumors that the chairman doesn’t do his job well, but it’s already common in Korea that those in high-ranking positions do not work much.

‘There was something strange about the chairman too.’

When Gye Idam lost all his memories related to PMH, he noticed something strange about the chairman.

It was during the series of attacks from last year’s Year Three Class Zero on the old school building.

Hwang Myeongho, the chairman of Eungwang High’s board of directors, disagreed with the plan to remove the old school building even though the graduating Class Zero begged to remove it.

‘Wait, wasn’t there a time when the head of the Tiger Clan was involved in Ahn Dain’s quest?’

When he was playing PMH, Gye Idam devoted all his efforts and time to growing the character Ahn Dain.

When Ahn Dain was in her sophomore year, a hidden quest was opened.

Gye Idam was excited to clear the hidden quest, thinking that he’d get an unreleased illustration, some sort of skill, or rare equipment for Ahn Dain.

‘I looked for information on that quest but I couldn’t find it.’

Even jo2god111, the die-hard PMH fan who he believes was Jo Euishin, did not post any blog regarding the hidden quest.

Although he didn’t know for sure what conditions needed to be met in order for the hidden quest to be available, Gye Idam guessed that it involved Ahn Dain being the highest-level playable character among the rest.

Jo2god111 was the loser among the losers who fostered the numerous playable characters evenly, so it was highly unlikely that he’d see Ahn Dain’s hidden quest.

If that was the case, then it’s possible that only Gye Idam, Ahn Dain’s biggest fan, was the only one who accessed the hidden quest.

Gye Idam felt excited at the thought that he was the only fan who cleared Ahn Dain’s quest at that time.

However, that hidden quest’s portion wasn’t very large.

‘I thought that crazy failed game just tricked me again… Anyway, maybe it’s…’

In the hidden quest, Hwangho actively intervenes.

Gye Idam didn’t like how the fine-looking character was intertwined with Ahn Dain, so when Hwangho appeared, he roughly passed the story.

Ahn Dain liked Joo Soohyuk so much that Gye Idam accepted it broad-mindedly, but as a huge fan of Ahn Dain, male characters other than Joo Soohyuk were unacceptable.

Anyway, he remembered that he felt relieved that Hwangho did not appear anymore after the hidden quest that ended blandly, but it left him with questions.

‘…I don’t think the Tiger Clan head appeared after that.’

When Gye Idam was trying to remember his vague memories…

“Idam-ah, are you okay?”

“Oh, Professor Kim Shinrok!”

Someone unexpectedly arrived.

Seeing the face of the Jiikhoe adviser, Gye Idam felt both relieved and sorry.

He was glad that the friendly adviser came, but he was also sorry that he, the president of Jiikhoe, caused such a fuss.

Unaware of Kim Shinrok’s identity of being a descendant of the Tiger and Bear clans, Gye Idam was not at all wary.

“I heard what happened. I heard you got hurt in a battle with Euishin… Is it true?”

“…Yes. I’m sorry, sir.”

“May I ask what happened?”

Kim Shinrok, a professor who draws a clear line between himself and his students, suddenly asking like so made it difficult for Gye Idam not to speak.

He decided to explain the situation as vaguely as possible.

“It’s… well, it’s something wrong that I did in the past…”

“…The past.”

Somehow, Kim Shinrok murmuring the word ‘past’ sounded bleak.

It made Gye Idam look up in wonder if he heard it right.

But he only saw the usual kind Jiikhoe adviser in front of his eyes.

***

Hwangmyeong Mansion, in the annex where Eunho was staying.

‘Why is Baekho-gun here?’

It’s late, but did he come out here for a walk?

The mythical tiger was good at reading presences and always comes outside to meet me every time I visited the mansion, but I think this was the first time I saw him obviously waiting outside.

Baekho-gun stared at me silently.

‘…Is he using a glare skill?’

A white light flashed through Baekho-gun’s eyes and disappeared in a moment.

He may have been wary that I got hurt while battling that Gye Bastard.

I should punish and make that Gye Bastard roll harder next time.

And then, I saw something running from behind.

Woof woof!

My angel showed up from way over there!

He must’ve been running around the grounds of the mansion.

I felt very proud seeing him play so well alone.

I interrupted his alone time, but I felt warm when I saw him running over to greet me.

My angel welcomed me even though my visit was sudden.

Olmu’s tail was wagging as he stood around my feet, and his tail wagged even more vigorously when I picked him up.

Holding Olmu while he’s expressing his joy through his whole body made me happy as well.

My body and mind which seemed to be contaminated by the Gye Bastard were purified in just a second.

“It’s cold outside. Let’s go in.”

Hwang Jiho, in the appearance of Hwang Myeongho, asked us to go inside, but I didn’t move.

First, I gently let down Olmu back to the ground.

…Woof?

Olmu looked at me, asking to be carried again, but I managed to stop myself and just settled with patting his head.

I looked at Baekho-gun and spoke.

“We need to talk for a moment. You go ahead first.”

Hwang Jiho squinted and looked at me and Baekho-gun.

“I was wondering why you voluntarily came to the mansion… Is it because you had something to say to Baekho?”

“Yeah.”

I thought about what more I should say, but fortunately, Hwang Jiho gently backed down.

“Alright. I’ll prepare some tea, so don’t stay out too long.”

Olmu looked back several times with disappointment, but the good angel calmly entered the annex first.

I wasn’t able to prepare a present for him since my visit was unplanned, but I decided to prepare a gift for next time.

When the front of the annex turned completely quiet, I spoke to Baekho-gun.

“I want to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

I should’ve asked Baekho-gun this right after the situation happened.

I didn’t have the freedom and the situation at that time was urgent, so I missed the right time to ask the question.

It may be very late, but I asked it anyway.

“On that day when the Bear Clan attacked, how did you get there?”

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