Ex Rank Supporting Role's Replay in a Prestigious School

Chapter 8: Unknown Supernova (3)

"Okay, alright."

Yu Sang-hun immediately nodded his head.
Yu Sang-hui and Jang Namuk stared at Yu Sang-hun with shocked expressions.

"Hey, Yu Sang-hun!"

Yu Sang-hui's gentle mask slipped completely as she yelled.
Jang Namuk's shocked face turned from Yu Sang-hun to Yu Sung-hui.

"I'll do as Jo Uisin says."
"No, this idiot isn't such a pushover. Could you possibly forget what you had read?"

Even though Yu Sang-hui poured out fierce condemnation, Yu Sang-hun only added one more thing while looking at me.

"Explain so others understand, Jo Uisin."

The eyes of all the people in the room gathered on me.
I couldn't tell whether Yu Sang-hun read my hand or he believed in me unconditionally, but I put my thoughts into words.

"Right now, Son Mingi is receiving hero treatment. Then, us three are second fiddles who survived through his sacrifice. We can't say it's exactly the wrong conclusion."

Because of the item I threw, Son Mingi lost his right arm and leg.
'I threw my body for a friend' or something, had an outstanding effect during the interview.
Currently, Son Mingi will look like the main character of a boy-hero drama.

"It will only look like we're slandering him out of jealousy for the person who became the star if we try to testify with our limbs intact. That's why we need to secure objectivity with the help from Eungwang School's Hwang Myeong Foundation or Player's Association, but currently none of the two will come out forward."

The Player's Association purpose ended on 'Enemies' subjugation' and 'Players' protection'.
They didn't have an authority or duty to step out for us, the middle schoolers who weren't officially registered players.
That day, Hong Gyubin only came searching for me because an unregistered player participated in subjugation of the wanted Enemy.

'Hwang Myeong Foundation is in a difficult position to move.'

Son Mingi's topic received a similar level of attention like the Hwang Myeong Foundation received for Eungwang School's security management issue.
The opinion 'It's incredible Jin's interference ended with only that much' belonged only to a few, who were well informed in current players' affairs.
In the eyes of the public only the fact that middle schoolers almost died during the entrance exam to the top Highschool in the Republic of Korea remained.

"With good luck you can try to do as you said, come out with a warrant and make good progress, because of the secured exam's recording. However, Son Mingi is a middle schooler. The middle schooler getting confused in front of the Jin's family? At court, he only needs to pretend to reflect, even though he almost committed a murder, and he'll end up with probation."

The worlds' clash happened, but it's still Korea.
The teenager's rights center more on the perpetrator than on the victim.
That's because the perpetrator priority, which was wrapped under the name of rehabilitation and protection rights rather than justice, was prevalent.
Especially when it was a teenage perpetrator case. No matter what they did, the age easily bought the sympathy shield.
If the perpetrator was a golden spoon, they could even simply manipulate public opinion by exploiting the media.
Some people even intoxicated themselves with their merciful feelings towards the perpetrator.

"Son Mingi spread his articles in the media in one day. He likely has personal media contacts. If you fight fairly, you will get hurt a lot in the process, and it will take a long time. It's a fight with small chances of winning, and even if you do win, the losses will greatly outweigh the gains."

Because I was speaking for a long time, my throat ached.
I didn't speak this much even in the Rinoseron case.
I swallowed an entire cup of Green Plum Tea, which completely cooled down, to moist my throat.
The lukewarm tea that passed through my mouth tasted bitter.
It's been dozens of seconds since my words stopped, but the room was quiet.
I decided to wrap it up.

"First, please agree to the deal. And then..."

***

Son Mingi's side immediately responded to the agreement.
Son Mingi became a rising star.
The self-sacrificial spirit who gave up his limbs to a demonic beast for his friends.
The soon-to-be student of Eungwang Highschool background.
Above average looks.
Because of those conditions, the entertainment companies were sending Son Mingi their love calls lately.
It seems they thought nothing about spending hundred million units on settlement money if he will become the star player.

'Rather, they must think that if they are too slow to cut the past affairs after he succeeds, it will catch him by the ankle.'

They even pressed on the perfect silence-ban, by rising settlement money.
When it was suggested that Jang Namuk's and my mouths could be shut if they raised settlement money even more, they agreed straight away.
In return, it was Son Mingi's side who came up with the suggestion of paying 3 times the settlement money if the promise of keeping a secret is broken.
As a result, the agreement was sealed only after the Son Mingi side had to pay difficult to bear penalties, even for them who run quite a few businesses.

"Greedy bastards."

Son Mingi was unstoppable even in the presence of lawyers and guardians.
Son Mingi who appeared in the wheelchair, didn't say anything until the signing agreement was over, but showed his true colors immediately after.
Once agreement is reached, the other party couldn't easily change their stance if there were no special conditions.

'I guess he knew it, so he waited until the signing ended.'

Jang Namuk who sat together with me seemed about to say something in rage, so I stabbed him in the ribs to shut his mouth.
If Jang Namuk is like this, if we brought Yu Sang-hui, the situation would've turned violent.

"Are you really okay, Yu Sang-hun?"

Jang Namuk spoke to Yu Sang-hun who seemed absent-minded.
Yu Sang-hun replied calmly.

"Yep. Jo Uisin had the same expression as when he was explaining the strategy."

What kind of expression was I making?
I checked my appearance in the glass window reflection, but my face was the same as always.

***

Now I had a face to face appointment with the Hwang Myeong Fundation's chairman and came to the Engwang Highschool.
It was not a person who a mere student could easily meet, but since I made a request through Jegal Jaegeol, the approval came immediately.

"Chairman-nim also said he wants to talk in person."

Jegal Jeageol as a head teacher had the most opportunities to come into contact with board directors if you exclude the school's principal and vice-principal.
I was very lucky to receive his contact information that day.
In the worst case-scenario I might have to contact Hong Gyubin.

"You provided me a chance, so thank you very much."
"I did nothing besides just asking once on the phone call, it's nothing special."

It was about a minute after I arrived at school with Jegal Jeageol in the air-shuttle.
Perhaps because I took a visitor route, I almost couldn't see the school's building and facilities.
The only thing in sight were people passing by on air-boards and in air-shuttles.
It was an opportunity to see a scene from the game with my own eyes, but it's a pity.
Immediately after the exam, I was also too preoccupied with thoughts.

'In any case, if I enter the school, I will see it so many times I'll get sick of it, so it's okay.'

While I had that thought, the shuttle stopped before Eungwang Highschools main building, the 'Silver Light Building' [1].
The white building supported on gold glittering pillars was making a graceful curve in the sky.
The windows covering the outer walls reflected sunlight and made the entire building look as if it bathed in light.

'It's the same as the game CG.'

As we passed the corridor made from natural marble, while I exclaimed inwardly, I saw the door carved with tigers and the sign 'Chairman office'.

"I'll be at work, so contact me when you finish your conversation."

You have to work today, but you come out to pick up a student you saw once, and even think about sending him off.
I wanted to thank him again, but Jegal Jaegeol had already turned around and was walking away.
The chairman was absent because the meeting with the Player's Association took longer than expected.

"I'm sorry. Chairman-nim is currently absent."

The secretary suggested sitting down as I waited, and served coffee.
The sofa and the table from solid mahogany wood painted with golden dust, and the coffee cups from bone china painted with enameling technique, met the eye.
From the space itself to artworks, all of them emitted oppressive feelings.

'This also may be part of the chairman's test.'

Hwang Myeong-ho, the chairman of Hwang Myeong Foundation, was an eccentric who enjoyed observing and testing people.
If I don't catch his eye, my plans and future life as a highschool student will be difficult.

"Thank you."

I gave short thanks and sat in a comfortable position on the sofa.
The secretary smiled, but I couldn't tell what she was thinking from her face.

"The chairman-nim should arrive within 10 minutes."

Seeing that smile, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
In the game, she also smiled like that behind the chairman.
If she appeared in the game, wouldn't it be possible to check the character's data?
However...

⟨Character is not registered in the database. Cannot read character data.⟩

Likewise, in the case of students and teachers I met in middle school, the character data couldn't be checked.

'Hwang Myeong-ho's secretary didn't have even one line in the game, but she clearly appeared. Even so, she is not registered.'

Hwang Myeong-ho's secretary wasn't in the setting book.
She was referred to as nothing more than Hwang Myeong-ho's secretary only.
Perhaps, if the person didn't have a big role in the game, the future observed by the Transcendent Universe, then their character data won't be possible to read?
This guess led to a bit of a terrifying prediction.

'The future would already change drastically when people who should have died, survived. Someday there may be an opponent whose data is completely impossible to check.'

That said, I couldn't do anything about it.
Will I give up and let Jang Namuk, Yu Sang-hun and similar people die, because I'm scared of the butterfly effect?
No, I couldn't.

"Student Jo Uisin."

When I raised my head, Chairman Hwang Myeong-ho stood before me.
His gray hair showed the trace of time, but he looked so healthy it was hard to believe he was in his 60's.
No, he isn't in his 60's.

'Because Hwang Myeong-ho is one of Jin people.'

He also belonged to the mythical Ho tribe, who lived for 5000 years, before even the founding myth was recorded.

⟨Reading 'Hwang Myeong-ho' character data.⟩

[Name] Hwang Myeong-ho
[Titles] Chairman of Hwang Myeong Foundation, Member of mythical Ho tribe, Gaecheon myth's Hwang-ho (Yellow tiger), Guardian of Divine Realm
[Blessing] 'The Heavenly God gladly granted the wish'
[Gwangrim] (Inactive)
[Status] Normal
[Overall statistics] Lv. ??
[Skills]
Leap Lv. ??
Brilliant gaze Lv. ??
Roar Lv. ??
(Some loading failed)
[Description]
Hwang-ho appearing in Gaecheon Myth.
Received a power to 'exist everywhere' from Heavenly God.
His self can exist everywhere he wishes as long as it's a ground with Heavenly God's blessing.
He volunteered to guard the divine realm, which imprisoned Baekho, and Heavenly God agreed to it.
(Some loading failed)

Majority of Jin people were marked as (Unknown) in the setting book. As expected, it was applied as it was.
Before, I assumed that their details weren't released in the setting book, because the majority of Jin people weren't playable characters.

'Maybe the Transcendent Universe couldn't do a perfect analysis because of the Jin people's powers.'

Though, Hwang Myeong-ho who received power from the Heavenly God was a bit unusual even among the Jin people.

"Hello."
"Yes. Let's sit down."

I raised from my seat and bowed respectfully.
After sitting across from me, Hwang Myeong-ho invited me to sit again with a smile.

"I was greatly impressed by Student Uisin's performance. The ability to analyze the situation, the ability to take action based on this analysis, and even the skill to adapt to unexpected incidents were all extraordinary. We're happy we can accept such an excellent student like Student Uisin in our school."

The wrinkles adored the smooth face as he smiled.
If you had no idea about his identity, he would look like nothing less but a nice old man of high position.
As I was agonizing over how to start the conversation, it was Hwang Myeong-ho who took the lead.

"Did you come here to ask about Son Mingi's case?"

Hwang Myeong-ho had a nice person's smile as before.
In the game, I couldn't understand what Hwang Myeong-ho was thinking.
Hwang Myeong-ho didn't move easily, no matter what tragedy occurred.
He was only using his authority and observing.

"The recording of the events during students' practical exam are fully preserved, but we do not plan on publicizing them without warrant."

Even when the pure-white Silver Light Building was dyed red with blood.
Even when the fellow tribesman, who he spent 5000 years together with, and intimate friend Baek Ho-gun was dying, Hwang-ho didn't appear.

'In fact, one of the expected twists in the last chapter was that Hwang-ho would suddenly appear to help Baek Ho-gun.'

He didn't appear at all from some point in the game, and even in the final chapter, his face was nowhere to be seen...

"The board wants to end that controversy as quickly as possible."

I didn't understand Hwang-ho, but I definitely knew one of the principles behind his movement.
Curiosity.
If not for that, it would be impossible for a middle schooler to meet Hwang Myeong Foundation's chairman one on one.

"That's not what I came here to ask for."

The thing Hwang Myeong wants, something interesting, if I show him something unexpected, he will respond.

"I came to ask from you to not pay Son Mingi's medical bills, none of them."

His eyes sparkled a little.

"...That's the end?"
"Yes. Except for that, we'll follow the board's decision."

The directors belonging to the board are aware of Hwang Myeong-ho identity.
If Hwang Myeong-ho said to do it, the directors would never oppose it, unless their lives were at stake.
At my words, Hwang Myeong-ho made an excited expression.
The wrinkles around Hwang Myeong-ho's eyes deepen.

"But there is one condition."
"Condition?"
"You will join the class 0."

Class zero.
Popularly called special-class, it was a class which under the pretext of so-called 'students with high potential', gathered in one place famously known problem children or those which teachers should pay special attention to.

'Even if the latter is true, the problem is the former.'

Getting into the Korean Republic's most prestigious highschool, even after creating a problem, means you're fully capable of covering the problem up.
Entering class 0 was no different from embracing the timebombs, which you don't know when they will explode.
Still, my answer was fixed.

***

3 days after I made a deal with Hwang Myeong-ho.
Just when things were about to calm down a little, the topic of 'Little hero' burst out again.

'Hwang Myeong-ho moved, huh?'

I expanded the hologram from the earring-type wearable device I bought with bounty money.
I practiced according to device manual spraying the particles in the air, and deploying the hologram screen on them, by simultaneously opening and reading main news on various portal sites.

[ Eungwang School's Hwang Myeong Foundation refuses to pay 'Little hero' Son Mingi's medical bill ]
[ 'Little Hero' Son Mingi, Player insurance doesn't apply... The medical care bill alone expected to exceed 2 billions. ]
[ Tragedy of 'Little hero'. Saved a friend to go bankrupt ]
[ True face of Korea's most prestigious highschool, change their words before one week passes. ]
[ Hwang Myeong Foundation changed their words, 'We're finding the truth' ]

While several articles came out, Son Mingi's parents appeared on TV, and did an interview.

— They changed their words overnight. When foundation workers showed up, they said there is no need to worry about medical bills, and to use recovery items, thinking only about getting better quickly. They said they were very sorry they couldn't thoroughly secure the school, but now we can't even receive treatment or be discharged from a hospital without a medical bill. It's said that the limbs recovery surgery's costs only start from a few billions...

I also examined comments under the articles.

[Everyone knows how rich Hwang Myeong Foundation is. Tut tut. Those bastards are really getting worse.]
[Eungwang Highschool includes school insurance, so the insurance companies pay medical bills for events occurring on campus. Even so, they say they can't do it.]
[Good job plumbing your stocks Eungwang School. That's why I didn't go there.]
[ ^ didn't X couldn't O ]
[I can't believe Korea's most prestigious Highschool is abusing power like this. It's just too sad. I'm so ashamed!]

Under articles about medical bills, ideas about collecting donations for Son Mingi came up.

[We're starting a fund-rising campaign for Little Hero Song Mingi, the middle schooler who became crippled by fighting against a demonic beast for his friends.]
[Student Son Mingi, cheer up. It's a small amount, but I'm sending support.]
[Donated.]
[This,,,rotten bastards~~~!!! Son Mingi, hey,, I come to support you. Go go go man!!!]
[I'm going to do a one-man protest before Eungwang School... If people who perhaps think about protesting have a minute, you can come and join.]

In the two days after the articles were published.
Even as the time passed, the Hwang Myeong Foundation didn't change their stance.
At the time when media's attention reached its peak, and citizens formed a protest group in front of the Eungwang School.
The video with a dark gym in the background was released on the public broadcasts.

*~*~*

[1] Silver Light Building – if you really think about it, it could also be a 'Building that hides' or 'Building with a silver lining'.