Ranker's Return-Chapter 2

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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...

โ€˜Arena... Arena...โ€™๐˜ง๐“‡๐’†๐—ฒ๐“Œ๐™š๐™—๐“ทo๐˜ท๐’†๐˜ญ.๐œ๐š˜๐’Ž

His thoughts were complicated. He said he wouldnโ€™t 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 wouldnโ€™t be able to make a living right away. Moreover, he didnโ€™t have the money to buy the expensive A-Cube.

โ€œChanel...โ€๐’‡๐”ฏe๐šŽ๐˜„๐‘’๐‘๐™ฃ๐‘œ๐šŸ๐—ฒ๐‘™.c๐˜ฐ๐š–

He walked through the department store as he thought and happened to pass by a brand his mother used to wear.

โ€œIt is too expensive... I canโ€™t afford it.โ€

The price of the shoes he looked at was ridiculous. No, it wasnโ€™t 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.

โ€˜I took such expensive things for granted... My family is really ruined...โ€™

He felt the downfall of his family even more.

โ€œHah...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 wouldnโ€™t be able to pay his fatherโ€™s medical bills. At this moment, a voice entered Hyeonuโ€™s ears, โ€œJihye, do you like this?โ€

The owner of the voice was a young man wearing luxurious clothes who was with a girl.

โ€œYes, Oppa. Thank you. Do you want a kiss?โ€

โ€œNo? Something better than that.โ€

โ€œWhat is it?โ€

โ€œLater, a mo... eh? Are you perhaps?โ€ The young man pretended to be friendly to Hyeonu. โ€œWho is this? Arenโ€™t you Gang Hyeonu?โ€

However, Hyeonu couldnโ€™t remember this young man. โ€œWho are you?โ€

โ€œHey, you donโ€™t remember. Are you saying that Iโ€™m not worth remembering?โ€

โ€œWho are you?โ€

โ€œIt's me. Jung Hanbaek.โ€

โ€œJung Hanbaek? Ah!โ€ Hyeonu remembered the moment Jung Hanbaek said his name. Jung Hanbaekโ€”he was a sheep-like boy Hyeonuโ€™s 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. Thatโ€™s why he didnโ€™t remember this person.

โ€œWhat? The son of the ex-president of Damsur Construction canโ€™t remember a person like me?โ€ Jung Hanbaek blatantly wanted to start an argument.

โ€œWhat are you saying all of a sudden?โ€ Hyeonu wondered.

โ€œWhat do I mean? Kuk!โ€

โ€œ...โ€

โ€œIt is nice to see the gold spoon son after a long time. Kuk, kukukukuk!โ€ It was a bad laugh.

โ€œBuy 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.

โ€œAh, right? I am buying something. What about you?โ€

โ€œ...?โ€

โ€œArenโ€™t you buying something? No, you donโ€™t have the money to buy it?โ€

โ€œWhat does that...โ€

โ€œOr can you still buy it? If your family is bankrupt, you shouldnโ€™t appear in a place like this.โ€

โ€œHow 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 Hanbaekโ€™s 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.

โ€˜I wanted to see his face become distorted just once.โ€™

The backstory that Hyeonu was unaware of started to flow from Jung Hanbaekโ€™s mouth. It was a story that stabbed at Hyeonuโ€™s heart.

โ€œHow do I knowโ€ฆ? It was actually my father who ruined your family, so it is impossible for me not to know.โ€

โ€œWhat???โ€ Hyeonu felt a heat rise in his body at Jung Hanbaekโ€™s derisive words. He couldnโ€™t figure out what this person was saying. It was Jung Hanbaekโ€™s father who destroyed his family? โ€œDonโ€™t tell me...โ€

There was a place that his mind went to.

โ€œThe 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.

โ€œYes.โ€ Jung Hanbaek didnโ€™t deny it. โ€œMy father. He suffered a lot in the rear. He has been bending over for decades, so isnโ€™t it now time for him to get something? Isnโ€™t that right? Hyeonu?โ€

โ€œ...!โ€

โ€œBrat, 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€

โ€œEnjoy...? What the hell...?โ€

โ€œIsnโ€™t it the pain of a dirt spoon? Become a beggar and live like a dog. Kuk!โ€

โ€œ...โ€

โ€œThen, 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. โ€œLetโ€™s go, Jihye.โ€

โ€œYes, Oppa.โ€

Jung Hanbaek turned around. Then he talked to himself, โ€œStupid son of a bitch... He mustโ€™ve 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.

โ€œSon... Son of a bitch...โ€ These words became the bomb that caused Hyeonuโ€™s anger to explode.

Snap! Hyeonu grabbed Jung Hanbaekโ€™s shoulder and pulled it. Then Jung Hanbaekโ€™s body spun around. Next was a punch! Hyeonuโ€™s first slammed into Jung Hanbaekโ€™s face.

โ€œAck!!โ€

โ€œO-Oppa!โ€

Jung Hanbaek screamed in pain.

โ€œW-What?โ€

โ€œOver there, come on!โ€

The department store staff saw the scene and hurried over to stop Hyeonu.

โ€œL-Let go, you bastards! Donโ€™t stop me before I kill him!!โ€

However, Hyeonu had already lost the strings of reason and was a beast. Then...

โ€œStop it, that person is President Jungโ€™s son!โ€

โ€œCatch him!โ€

โ€œYou jerk! Stay still!โ€

The staff at the department store werenโ€™t on Hyeonuโ€™s side. Jung Hanbaek was a VVIP while Hyeonu was a man in his 20s dressed in shabby clothes.

Money...

His money...

โ€˜Moneyโ€™ was word that made him angry and it was also the thing grabbing at his ankle.

...What was that fellowโ€™s money for?

โ€œWhat are you doing? Arenโ€™t 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?

โ€œMother, itโ€™s me. Is Father okay?โ€

-Your father is still lying down sick... Are you okay?

โ€œIโ€™m doing well. Iโ€™ll go to the hospital on Motherโ€™s birthday. By the way, regarding Fatherโ€™s businessโ€”was it Uncle Jung who betrayed him?โ€

-T-That...! His mother started to stutter like she was surprised by Hyeonuโ€™s sudden question. -Y-Yes, how did you...

โ€œReally?โ€

-That... Hyeonu...

His motherโ€™s answer was a sigh. All types of frauds... The things that Jung Hanbaekโ€™s father had done to Hyeonuโ€™s father werenโ€™t things a human could do. Hyeonu hurriedly hung up at his motherโ€™s 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 couldnโ€™t have been done by him alone. There were surely helpers.

โ€˜Somehowโ€ฆ Iโ€™ll 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.

โ€˜Son of a bitch... wait and see... It will never end like this.โ€™

The anger, that was like an active volcano, wouldnโ€™t go out. Nevertheless, he had no way to do it. How could he get revenge?

โ€˜How... 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 hadnโ€™t 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? Hyeonuโ€™s mind was focused on revenge as he headed home. It was at this moment that the sound coming from a nearby electronics store pierced Hyeonuโ€™s ears.

-That playerโ€”he 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.

Hyeonuโ€™s footsteps paused.

โ€˜Yes, this is the only answer...โ€™

There was still an ember of hope. Hyeonu immediately pulled out his phone. โ€œYeongchan? Itโ€™s me.โ€

Then he stated, โ€œI... Arenaโ€”letโ€™s start it again.โ€

Arenaโ€™s strongest player, the 1st place in the rankings, and the protagonist of Arenaโ€™s undefeated mythโ€”he was considered as one of the best players in the game. Now, he wanted to return to Arena.