ยฉWebNovelPub
Ranker's Return-Chapter 2
Translator: rainbowturtle
Editor: LD & Jyazen
A few days later, Hyeonu stopped by a department store to buy a birthday present for his mother. By the way...
โArena... Arena...โ๐ง๐๐๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ทo๐ท๐๐ญ.๐๐๐
His thoughts were complicated. He said he wouldnโt do it, but thoughts of Arena were constantly lingering in his mind. The time he had was naturally insufficient. Catching up with the players was never an easy thing to do. There was simply no time. His life was one where time was split up between working different part-time jobs. If he touched the game, he wouldnโt be able to make a living right away. Moreover, he didnโt have the money to buy the expensive A-Cube.
โChanel...โ๐๐ฏe๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฒ๐.c๐ฐ๐
He walked through the department store as he thought and happened to pass by a brand his mother used to wear.
โIt is too expensive... I canโt afford it.โ
The price of the shoes he looked at was ridiculous. No, it wasnโt only the shoes. Everything was expensive. The shoes, bags, clothes, and so on that he had bought thoughtlessly during his rich period were now too far away for him to reach.
โI took such expensive things for granted... My family is really ruined...โ
He felt the downfall of his family even more.
โHah...โ
Eventually, Hyeonu had to pass through the store empty-handed. The 880,000 won on him was the only money he had. If he bought anything with this money, he wouldnโt be able to pay his fatherโs medical bills. At this moment, a voice entered Hyeonuโs ears, โJihye, do you like this?โ
The owner of the voice was a young man wearing luxurious clothes who was with a girl.
โYes, Oppa. Thank you. Do you want a kiss?โ
โNo? Something better than that.โ
โWhat is it?โ
โLater, a mo... eh? Are you perhaps?โ The young man pretended to be friendly to Hyeonu. โWho is this? Arenโt you Gang Hyeonu?โ
However, Hyeonu couldnโt remember this young man. โWho are you?โ
โHey, you donโt remember. Are you saying that Iโm not worth remembering?โ
โWho are you?โ
โIt's me. Jung Hanbaek.โ
โJung Hanbaek? Ah!โ Hyeonu remembered the moment Jung Hanbaek said his name. Jung Hanbaekโhe was a sheep-like boy Hyeonuโs father had introduced to Hyeonu in junior high school. Hyeonu had a bad first impression of the boy, so he had intentionally kept his distance. Thatโs why he didnโt remember this person.
โWhat? The son of the ex-president of Damsur Construction canโt remember a person like me?โ Jung Hanbaek blatantly wanted to start an argument.
โWhat are you saying all of a sudden?โ Hyeonu wondered.
โWhat do I mean? Kuk!โ
โ...โ
โIt is nice to see the gold spoon son after a long time. Kuk, kukukukuk!โ It was a bad laugh.
โBuy what you want to buy and go home.โ Hyeonu decided to ignore this Jung Hanbaek. It was no good to quarrel with such a person. In many ways, it would be less tiring to just ignore it.
โAh, right? I am buying something. What about you?โ
โ...?โ
โArenโt you buying something? No, you donโt have the money to buy it?โ
โWhat does that...โ
โOr can you still buy it? If your family is bankrupt, you shouldnโt appear in a place like this.โ
โHow do you know that...โ Hyeonu was startled. How did Jung Hanbaek know about the fall of his family? He had only just told his close friend Yeongchan.
Jung Hanbaekโs lips curved into a smile as he looked at Hyeonu. It put Jung Hanbaek in a good mood to meet Hyeonu, who ignored him previously, at the department store while buying a gift for his girlfriend.
โI wanted to see his face become distorted just once.โ
The backstory that Hyeonu was unaware of started to flow from Jung Hanbaekโs mouth. It was a story that stabbed at Hyeonuโs heart.
โHow do I knowโฆ? It was actually my father who ruined your family, so it is impossible for me not to know.โ
โWhat???โ Hyeonu felt a heat rise in his body at Jung Hanbaekโs derisive words. He couldnโt figure out what this person was saying. It was Jung Hanbaekโs father who destroyed his family? โDonโt tell me...โ
There was a place that his mind went to.
โThe man who struck my father in the back of the head... It was your father?โ He threw out the question he wanted to ask.
โYes.โ Jung Hanbaek didnโt deny it. โMy father. He suffered a lot in the rear. He has been bending over for decades, so isnโt it now time for him to get something? Isnโt that right? Hyeonu?โ
โ...!โ
โBrat, you were a gold spoon and strutted around arrogantly with your shoulders up. You should enjoy life as much as you can, enjoy it!โ
โEnjoy...? What the hell...?โ
โIsnโt it the pain of a dirt spoon? Become a beggar and live like a dog. Kuk!โ
โ...โ
โThen, shall I see you next time?โ Jung Hanbaek changed his expression and tone while talking like he was an actor in a play. He looked really happy and cheerful. โLetโs go, Jihye.โ
โYes, Oppa.โ
Jung Hanbaek turned around. Then he talked to himself, โStupid son of a bitch... He mustโve lost courage now that he has no money... His mouth is shut despite listening to those words...โ
He deliberately did it loudly so that Hyeonu could hear.
โSon... Son of a bitch...โ These words became the bomb that caused Hyeonuโs anger to explode.
Snap! Hyeonu grabbed Jung Hanbaekโs shoulder and pulled it. Then Jung Hanbaekโs body spun around. Next was a punch! Hyeonuโs first slammed into Jung Hanbaekโs face.
โAck!!โ
โO-Oppa!โ
Jung Hanbaek screamed in pain.
โW-What?โ
โOver there, come on!โ
The department store staff saw the scene and hurried over to stop Hyeonu.
โL-Let go, you bastards! Donโt stop me before I kill him!!โ
However, Hyeonu had already lost the strings of reason and was a beast. Then...
โStop it, that person is President Jungโs son!โ
โCatch him!โ
โYou jerk! Stay still!โ
The staff at the department store werenโt on Hyeonuโs side. Jung Hanbaek was a VVIP while Hyeonu was a man in his 20s dressed in shabby clothes.
Money...
His money...
โMoneyโ was word that made him angry and it was also the thing grabbing at his ankle.
...What was that fellowโs money for?
โWhat are you doing? Arenโt you reporting it to the police? Quickly!โ Jung Hanbaek finished speaking, wiped his nose, and shot a mean smile at Hyeonu.
***
A few hours passed. In front of a nearby police station, Hyeonu pulled out his phone the moment he exited the station. There was something he needed to check. It was an answer he needed to hear from one person, no one else.
-Hello?
โMother, itโs me. Is Father okay?โ
-Your father is still lying down sick... Are you okay?
โIโm doing well. Iโll go to the hospital on Motherโs birthday. By the way, regarding Fatherโs businessโwas it Uncle Jung who betrayed him?โ
-T-That...! His mother started to stutter like she was surprised by Hyeonuโs sudden question. -Y-Yes, how did you...
โReally?โ
-That... Hyeonu...
His motherโs answer was a sigh. All types of frauds... The things that Jung Hanbaekโs father had done to Hyeonuโs father werenโt things a human could do. Hyeonu hurriedly hung up at his motherโs words. It was hard to hear anymore. The uncle who once seemed like family had betrayed them. Furthermore, based on how quickly the company moved, it couldnโt have been done by him alone. There were surely helpers.
โSomehowโฆ Iโll get revenge... no matter what method I use...โ
Hyeonu quietly swallowed his anger. He clenched his fists and shuddered with a burning rage. His fists were clenched so tightly that blood dripped from where his fingernails dug into his skin.
โSon of a bitch... wait and see... It will never end like this.โ
The anger, that was like an active volcano, wouldnโt go out. Nevertheless, he had no way to do it. How could he get revenge?
โHow... How....โ
There was no answer from working part-time day and night due to the tight costs of the hospital and living expenses. He hadnโt gone to university, so there was no way to find a job. Hyeonu somehow needed to make enough money to raise his family and get revenge.
What should he do? Hyeonuโs mind was focused on revenge as he headed home. It was at this moment that the sound coming from a nearby electronics store pierced Hyeonuโs ears.
-That playerโhe signed a contract for an annual salary of 500 million won!
-The streaming revenue is said to have already exceeded billions! It is really great.
Hyeonuโs footsteps paused.
โYes, this is the only answer...โ
There was still an ember of hope. Hyeonu immediately pulled out his phone. โYeongchan? Itโs me.โ
Then he stated, โI... Arenaโletโs start it again.โ
Arenaโs strongest player, the 1st place in the rankings, and the protagonist of Arenaโs undefeated mythโhe was considered as one of the best players in the game. Now, he wanted to return to Arena.