Ranker's Return

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...

‘Arena... Arena...’𝘧𝓇𝒆𝗲𝓌𝙚𝙗𝓷o𝘷𝒆𝘭.𝐜𝚘𝒎

His thoughts were complicated. He said he wouldn’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 wouldn’t be able to make a living right away. Moreover, he didn’t have the money to buy the expensive A-Cube.

“Chanel...”𝒇𝔯e𝚎𝘄𝑒𝑏𝙣𝑜𝚟𝗲𝑙.c𝘰𝚖

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

“It is too expensive... I can’t afford it.”

The price of the shoes he looked at was ridiculous. No, it wasn’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.

‘I took such expensive things for granted... My family is really ruined...’

He felt the downfall of his family even more.

“Hah...”

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 wouldn’t be able to pay his father’s medical bills. At this moment, a voice entered Hyeonu’s ears, “Jihye, do you like this?”

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

“Yes, Oppa. Thank you. Do you want a kiss?”

“No? Something better than that.”

“What is it?”

“Later, a mo... eh? Are you perhaps?” The young man pretended to be friendly to Hyeonu. “Who is this? Aren’t you Gang Hyeonu?”

However, Hyeonu couldn’t remember this young man. “Who are you?”

“Hey, you don’t remember. Are you saying that I’m not worth remembering?”

“Who are you?”

“It's me. Jung Hanbaek.”

“Jung Hanbaek? Ah!” Hyeonu remembered the moment Jung Hanbaek said his name. Jung Hanbaek—he was a sheep-like boy Hyeonu’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. That’s why he didn’t remember this person.

“What? The son of the ex-president of Damsur Construction can’t remember a person like me?” Jung Hanbaek blatantly wanted to start an argument.

“What are you saying all of a sudden?” Hyeonu wondered.

“What do I mean? Kuk!”

“...”

“It is nice to see the gold spoon son after a long time. Kuk, kukukukuk!” It was a bad laugh.

“Buy what you want to buy and go home.” 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.

“Ah, right? I am buying something. What about you?”

“...?”

“Aren’t you buying something? No, you don’t have the money to buy it?”

“What does that...”

“Or can you still buy it? If your family is bankrupt, you shouldn’t appear in a place like this.”

“How do you know that...” Hyeonu was startled. How did Jung Hanbaek know about the fall of his family? He had only just told his close friend Yeongchan.

Jung Hanbaek’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.

‘I wanted to see his face become distorted just once.’

The backstory that Hyeonu was unaware of started to flow from Jung Hanbaek’s mouth. It was a story that stabbed at Hyeonu’s heart.

“How do I know…? It was actually my father who ruined your family, so it is impossible for me not to know.”

“What???” Hyeonu felt a heat rise in his body at Jung Hanbaek’s derisive words. He couldn’t figure out what this person was saying. It was Jung Hanbaek’s father who destroyed his family? “Don’t tell me...”

There was a place that his mind went to.

“The man who struck my father in the back of the head... It was your father?” He threw out the question he wanted to ask.

“Yes.” Jung Hanbaek didn’t deny it. “My father. He suffered a lot in the rear. He has been bending over for decades, so isn’t it now time for him to get something? Isn’t that right? Hyeonu?”

“...!”

“Brat, you were a gold spoon and strutted around arrogantly with your shoulders up. You should enjoy life as much as you can, enjoy it!”

“Enjoy...? What the hell...?”

“Isn’t it the pain of a dirt spoon? Become a beggar and live like a dog. Kuk!”

“...”

“Then, shall I see you next time?” Jung Hanbaek changed his expression and tone while talking like he was an actor in a play. He looked really happy and cheerful. “Let’s go, Jihye.”

“Yes, Oppa.”

Jung Hanbaek turned around. Then he talked to himself, “Stupid son of a bitch... He must’ve lost courage now that he has no money... His mouth is shut despite listening to those words...”

He deliberately did it loudly so that Hyeonu could hear.

“Son... Son of a bitch...” These words became the bomb that caused Hyeonu’s anger to explode.

Snap! Hyeonu grabbed Jung Hanbaek’s shoulder and pulled it. Then Jung Hanbaek’s body spun around. Next was a punch! Hyeonu’s first slammed into Jung Hanbaek’s face.

“Ack!!”

“O-Oppa!”

Jung Hanbaek screamed in pain.

“W-What?”

“Over there, come on!”

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

“L-Let go, you bastards! Don’t stop me before I kill him!!”

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

“Stop it, that person is President Jung’s son!”

“Catch him!”

“You jerk! Stay still!”

The staff at the department store weren’t on Hyeonu’s side. Jung Hanbaek was a VVIP while Hyeonu was a man in his 20s dressed in shabby clothes.

Money...

His money...

‘Money’ was word that made him angry and it was also the thing grabbing at his ankle.

...What was that fellow’s money for?

“What are you doing? Aren’t you reporting it to the police? Quickly!” 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?

“Mother, it’s me. Is Father okay?”

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

“I’m doing well. I’ll go to the hospital on Mother’s birthday. By the way, regarding Father’s business—was it Uncle Jung who betrayed him?”

-T-That...! His mother started to stutter like she was surprised by Hyeonu’s sudden question. -Y-Yes, how did you...

“Really?”

-That... Hyeonu...

His mother’s answer was a sigh. All types of frauds... The things that Jung Hanbaek’s father had done to Hyeonu’s father weren’t things a human could do. Hyeonu hurriedly hung up at his mother’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 couldn’t have been done by him alone. There were surely helpers.

‘Somehow… I’ll get revenge... no matter what method I use...’

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.

‘Son of a bitch... wait and see... It will never end like this.’

The anger, that was like an active volcano, wouldn’t go out. Nevertheless, he had no way to do it. How could he get revenge?

‘How... How....’

There was no answer from working part-time day and night due to the tight costs of the hospital and living expenses. He hadn’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? Hyeonu’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 Hyeonu’s ears.

-That player—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.

Hyeonu’s footsteps paused.

‘Yes, this is the only answer...’

There was still an ember of hope. Hyeonu immediately pulled out his phone. “Yeongchan? It’s me.”

Then he stated, “I... Arena—let’s start it again.”

Arena’s strongest player, the 1st place in the rankings, and the protagonist of Arena’s undefeated myth—he was considered as one of the best players in the game. Now, he wanted to return to Arena.