Ex Rank Supporting Role's Replay in a Prestigious School
Chapter 836: Side (2)

A Korean restaurant located near Tanlae Middle School.

Maeng Hyo-don met with his middle school teacher, Tak Geo-san, at the restaurant.

Maeng Hyo-don had been exchanging messages with his teacher and had spoken on the phone several times, but it had been a year since they last met in person.

Despite the awkwardness and the usual remarks like “You should visit more often,” the teacher simply treated him warmly.

His middle school teacher, who was very thin, kept pushing a grill of charbroiled pork in front of him, saying he should eat well to grow bigger.

Maeng Hyo-don, who was shy and hesitant in speech, had to list everything he ate at Eun-gwang High to ensure his teacher didn’t eat too much of his portion.

"So, you eat cafeteria food in the morning and then have snacks with your friends?"

"Um... that is... the class president often brings snacks..."

The middle school teacher, though pleased that Maeng Hyo-don was eating well, seemed particularly happy to hear that he was eating with his friends, nearly to the point of tears.

Back in middle school, Maeng Hyo-don had always been an outsider due to his poor family circumstances, shabby clothes, and his small stature and contrasting athleticism.

The teacher had made constant efforts to bridge the gap between Maeng Hyo-don and the other students, but it had ended in failure.

Moreover, one of the kids in that class happened to be the child of Tanlae Middle School’s PTA president, who had made it clear that no one should get close to Maeng Hyo-don due to his family issues. This message had spread among the students, and as a result, Maeng Hyo-don was always alone.

The middle school teacher asked carefully, “By the way, how are the friends you came with last time? Oh, I’ve seen both of them in the news a few times.”

“The vice-president said he’s busy today... I didn’t ask Joo Su-hyeok, but he did ask what I was doing today... Ah, the one who taught me math is the vice-president.”

Though Maeng Hyo-don stammered in his explanation, it was clear that he was still close to both of them.

The topic of conversation shifted to Maeng Hyo-don’s math challenges.

The middle school teacher knew well the state of Maeng Hyo-don’s intellect and was deeply moved hearing about his progress.

“That unit is difficult, even the good students make many mistakes! You really worked hard...”

“My student worked hard. I was worried his head might explode from all the effort,” Tak Geo-san added, having listened silently up until then.

Maeng Hyo-don, biting into a dish of ginseng braised short ribs, swallowed down his embarrassment.

Though being praised for his math skills didn’t embarrass him, being complimented for his hard work made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

When the plum punch for dessert was served, the middle school teacher brought up a topic unrelated to Maeng Hyo-don for the first time.

With a troubled look, the middle school teacher said, "I have something to ask for your advice..."

"Go ahead," Tak Geo-san said willingly.

Tak Geo-san knew that without this teacher, Maeng Hyo-don wouldn’t have made it to Eun-gwang High. Therefore, he was ready to help in whatever way he could, even if it meant making a somewhat heavy request.

“It seems another student from Tanlae Middle School will be attending Eun-gwang High this year,” the middle school teacher said.

Maeng Hyo-don wracked his brain.

If someone from Tanlae Middle School were to attend Eun-gwang High this year, they would be two years younger than him.

That meant the student was in their first year when Maeng Hyo-don was in his third year.

That meant they must have attended Tanlae Middle School at the same time.

"From our school? I don’t know much about how things work around here, but was there such a player?"

There were no talented students at Tanlae Middle School.

Maeng Hyo-don’s name had never even been mentioned on a banner due to how poorly he was treated.

If another student from Tanlae Middle School were to go to Eun-gwang High, Maeng Hyo-don’s name would likely have been omitted, replaced with something like “and another person.”

“There were always students who were good at studying or sports, and I was compared to them... If there had been anyone in the younger grades who could go to Eun-gwang High, I’m sure it would have been brought up.”

Maeng Hyo-don couldn’t think of anything further.

If this student the teacher mentioned was a transfer student, that could explain it, but Maeng Hyo-don couldn’t imagine such a possibility with his current limited knowledge.

As Maeng Hyo-don pushed the chilled plum punch into his mouth, trying to cool his overheating brain, Tak Geo-san spoke up.

“Ha, looks like our student will have a junior soon. Do you think we’ll get to see them fight once?”

Tak Geo-san, sensing the middle school teacher’s intentions, made a comment that made the conversation easier to continue.

As a legendary master of unarmed martial arts, anyone who brought up a talented student was most likely asking for his guidance in martial arts.

Tak Geo-san didn’t care much for connections or affiliations, but if the middle school teacher asked for guidance on the student, he would gladly provide it.

But seeing the teacher’s unnatural smile as he replied, “I’ll help in any way I can,” Tak Geo-san felt that his guess was likely wrong.

The middle school teacher continued.

“This student has just manifested their powers this year.”

Tak Geo-san widened his eyes in surprise.

“Did you say they manifested their powers in their third year? And they’re qualified to come to Eun-gwang High?”

“Yes, until last year, they weren’t a player. But their ability is definite. Hyo-don researched a lot about the youth power tests while preparing for the Eun-gwang High entrance exam...”

The middle school teacher’s words didn’t sound exaggerated or false.

The teacher listed the power levels and physical abilities, and it sounded like a promising candidate for Eun-gwang High.

Maeng Hyo-don couldn’t understand the numbers, but seeing Tak Geo-san nod in approval, he decided to go along with it.

“Is it common for powers to manifest in third year?”

He vaguely recalled that during common player theory classes, it was said that the time of manifestation could vary.

But that was all.

Maeng Hyo-don gave up trying to recall any theories and just listened to the story.

“There’s something a bit strange about this. When we used the power testing kit on them...”

Before the middle school teacher could finish, both Maeng Hyo-don and Tak Geo-san abruptly stood up and moved as quickly as the wind.

Maeng Hyo-don immediately blocked the doorway between the teacher and the door, while Tak Geo-san took position near the doorframe.

The middle school teacher froze in surprise, staring at them with a bewildered expression.

It had been so fast that it looked as if the two had teleported.

Tak Geo-san silently raised his hand and slowly slid open the sliding door.

Creeeak.

There was no one there.

The restaurant looked the same as it had when they first arrived, but not a single customer or staff member was visible.

Without a word, Maeng Hyo-don pulled out a protective item card, manifested it, and equipped it.

Tak Geo-san muttered quietly.

“We’re surrounded.”

Surrounded, but there was no one in sight?

The middle school teacher, confused, looked towards the restaurant's front door.

Peering through the glass, the teacher immediately noticed something unusual had occurred.

Although the sun hadn’t yet set, the outside appeared completely dark.

In the afternoon, the central district of Eun-gwang High.

Two adult men in suits walked across the campus with a carnation bouquet in hand.

It was Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-young.

On a weekday at this hour, they would have been easily spotted, but today being Saturday, the campus was almost deserted.

Seong Guk-eon spoke.

“Fifteen years ago, no, now it’s sixteen years. Do you remember? We held the silent protest here.”

“Of course.”

Seong Guk-eon, while surveying the central district, turned his head toward the old school building.

The students who participated in the plan to expel the dormitory supervisor had usually held their strategy meetings outside the school or in the old building where there were no recording devices.

Thinking of the colleagues who excitedly discussed their plan to get back at the supervisor made him smile, but remembering those who, caught by the supervisor, ended up crying and begging for help made his stomach churn even now.

“That dorm supervisor, who was nothing like the others, got our student council president hooked on drugs, and we had to go to the other world for the antidote?”

“Of course. The student council treasurer was blackmailed by his family, so we had to move cautiously. I remember I wasn’t allowed to participate in the operation.”

“If you had been there, no one would have gotten hurt.”

“I can’t say for sure.”

At that time, Jeon Mu-young was a first-year student, so he needed permission from his homeroom teacher and the board of directors.

The homeroom teacher seemed inclined to give permission, but when Ham Geun-hyeong opposed it, the homeroom teacher sided with him, causing the plan to fall through.

Ham Geun-hyeong suggested he would go in place, but Seong Guk-eon didn’t trust him and rejected the offer.

At that time, Seong Guk-eon had only trusted one teacher at Eun-gwang High.

“Ham Geun-hyeong was such a stickler back then.”

“If he hears this, he’ll probably tell you he’s still a stickler.”

As they walked and talked, Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-young stopped in front of an analog bulletin board.

There was a paper flyer posted on it.

Things that weren’t in the replay.

“Ah...”

Jeon Mu-young exhaled in surprise and blinked his eyes, tearing up.

Seong Guk-eon pretended not to notice.

“Mu-young, don’t you have someone to give the carnation to?”

“...Yes, right.”

“The teacher won’t be in today, so leave it with the second-year office.”

“I’ll take care of it. I’ll be right back, sir.”

Jeon Mu-young went to leave the carnation with his teacher.

Seong Guk-eon, who was still holding the bouquet, had to continue holding it, since the teacher had not yet revealed their identity.

A moment later, a man appeared empty-handed.

“I’ll be going now. The teacher doesn’t like wasting time, after all.”

“....”

Still holding the bouquet, Seong Guk-eon led the way toward the parking lot.

It was time to leave the school.

In the dark, the one with bent horns, Do-cheol, was observing Eun-gwang High.

It wasn’t Do-cheol’s power, nor the “eyes” of the great demon race, that allowed him to see Eun-gwang High.

It was through the sense of chaos.

He had connected the sense of chaos to Do-cheol’s eyes through a connection.

As expected of the strongest sense among the Four Horrors, the area around Eun-gwang High was clearly visible, even if the school itself was not.

“Seong Guk-eon is on the move. His assistant is with him.”

Seong Guk-eon’s air sedan started moving.

He followed the expected route and timeline.

The surrounding area was cleared, so all he had to do was trigger the trap to swallow Seong Guk-eon.

But before activating the trap, there was one thing he had been told.

“Before swallowing, I must check the surroundings with the power of the driver. And if I find ‘that,’ I must change the plan.”

Do-cheol’s hand was resting on the connection to chaos.

He raised his empty hand and placed it on the surface of the sealed furnace where the driver was contained.

The heat from the furnace burned his palm, but there was no damage to his skin.

The furnace ignited with a whoosh!

As the flames rose, Do-cheol poured his power into the furnace, and the flames flared up as if resisting.

He couldn’t tell whether the driver was resisting, but regardless of what was happening, the outcome wouldn’t change.

The driver couldn’t stop his power from being drawn out through the furnace.

As the chaos power was added to the driver’s force, the vision began to cloud, as if a fog had been cast.

The vision blurred, but things that had previously been unseen began to come into view.

“...Red mist!”

The red mist moved beneath Seong Guk-eon’s air sedan.

This was one of the things he had been wary of.

“Just as predicted, the hojo clan must be reading our movements!”

Someone had placed an enemy near Seong Guk-eon using the red mist to hide their presence.

Do-cheol now observed Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-young closely.

Though Seong Guk-eon holding the carnation was hard to see, Jeon Mu-young’s face was clear in the driver’s seat.

Using the power of the driver, Do-cheol noticed an odd feeling from that face.

“There are traces of reverse alchemy. The great one said that Cheong-ho was a master of reverse alchemy, and his disciple is among the hojo clan.”

The enemy had revealed themselves exactly as Do-cheol had predicted.

Seong Guk-eon and the hojo clan had prepared fakes and placed a disguised enemy nearby.

And Do-cheol had been told what to do when the hojo clan made their move.

Do-cheol used the driver’s power to examine the surroundings once more.

As he focused his power, the furnace screamed and blazed once again.

The furnace’s roar echoed as Do-cheol shouted.

“There it is! The real one!”

Finally, Do-cheol found Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-young.

They were watching the fake air sedan burning in the distance.

They were the real ones, with no trace of reverse alchemy to be found.

Do-cheol watched them closely, even while adjusting the coordinates for the ability’s activation.

Then, he sensed something strange.

“This is odd. For some reason, that congressman is acting... strangely.”

To Do-cheol, Seong Guk-eon looked suspicious.