Chapter 22

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Translator: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠MadScientist

Chapter: 22

Chapter Title: Huge Gain

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[Sub Quest: 『The Smart Girl's Misunderstanding』]

In fact, Lee A-ram was a quest for me too.

For reference, the quest details were like this.

As the description says, Lee A-ram is one of Han So-mi's friends.

And excluding her, I'd talked to all of them at least once.

The status window must have recognized them as my first friends.

"Friends, huh."

I clicked my tongue softly and let out a chuckle to myself.

There were people I'd met for business and worked with,

but no one I'd call a friend.

And now, in my second life, I'd finally made some friends.

"Not sure about that."

Honestly, I wasn't even sure if they were friends.

With Han So-mi, I'd just helped her out when she stubbornly took on all the cleaning to lower her Assa Force.

With Yu Eun-ha, we were in the same group for that ethics class discussion, so we had to talk.

Hong Ja-hee—we'd played a bunch of games together, so she's the closest to friend-like.

"First off, the definition of a friend is pretty vague."

Definition, not Justice.

The definition of a friend.

Usually, the ones obsessing over this stuff are friendless losers like me.

But just like in physics or math,

definitions matter.

Is it trust and reliance? Or just hanging out?

"Even after signing marriage papers and stamping seals, people get betrayed."

That was my first life.

Like this,

there are too many exceptions and counterexamples to define friendship in one sentence.

It might even require something like the Peano axioms for 1+1=2 in math,

with tons of axioms and corollaries.

I don't even like math that much anyway.

Physics, maybe.

Anyway, honestly, this Lee A-ram quest?

Clearing up her friends' misunderstanding? Not really motivated.

"But it cleared anyway."

It had just cleared right after I left Lee A-ram in the teachers' office.

On the other hand, I hadn't even tried to clear it.

Not out of rebellion against the status window.

It came from my 37 years of life experience.

Misunderstandings are like tangled threads.

The more you try to untangle them, the more knotted they get.

For a hopelessly tangled thread, it's more satisfying to just cut it with scissors.

Or ignore it altogether.

If it's gonna tangle anyway,

might as well tangle it myself and toss it.

So I did the exact opposite of what the quest said.

I piled on the misunderstanding, doing whatever I wanted.

And it still cleared?

A pretty solid A- grade too.

Whatever with Lee A-ram,

it's a huge gain for me.

Ding!

Since A-grade clears and up give extra rewards.

The group discussion was S-grade, so three choices, but A-grade means two.

"Haha, figures."

Looking at the reward window, it didn't matter if two or three.

One less choice, but identical to the group discussion rewards.

Same as when I cleared Hong Ja-hee's PC bang quest.

I held off back then too, it was so ridiculous.

And now the same ones again.

"Honestly, status window."

Even a dull guy like me gets it now.

"Your North Face side gig?"

This status window bastard.

Dead set on dressing me in that Himalaya jacket.

What's so special about it that it's an inssa essential?

Yeah, kids signaling "look at me" in the halls all wear colorful North Face puffers like Pocha guys.

But as a regressor, I know.

The numbers grow over time,

by second year, half the school wears them.

"Fine. You want me to join in?"

No way.

I went all-in on the jars for the other two, brainlessly.

I held the first one because I might need the Himalaya for Durability later,

and that "Essence of True Loserdom" might be useful somehow.

Basically, injecting my 37 years of loser power to turn that guy into a first-life me.

Ugh, pity just thinking about it.

Anyway, holding one isn't bad.

I cracked one open right away.

With a shattering effect and a flash! The result appeared.

"You crazy bastard."

I knew it'd be like this.

Says 1~3, but 1 is the ironclad rule for jar openings.

The creator should get paid in jars too.

Salary jar: 30k~5M won. Try getting 30k for 12 months straight.

Kidding.

Whoever made these jars or random boxes might be fairer than the god who made this world.

"Historic accumulation."

From quests so far plus these jars, a massive 8 Life Points.

Where to spend it?

Special shop doesn't have much worth it yet.

Of course, the answer is all-in.

All into Intelligence.

Stamina? Invest when studying tires me out.

Charm? Does a pretty face pay bills?

Well, these days faces do better than smarts.

Rebelling against the times openly.

Wanted to try it once.

Raised Intelligence.

Raised it again.

I kept using Intelligence Boost Potions.

After using four, leaving four,

A new pattern I'd never seen.

Differentiate into detailed sub-stats?

"Hm, like ETF vs. individual stocks."

Not sure, but

no split means balanced smarts,

split lets me customize.

Wonder what the sub-stats are.

"Alright, split it."

Just try it.

Safe bet is ETF,

but for max returns, pick stocks.

And soon, five new Intelligence stats appeared before my eyes.

"Whoa... insane..."

I was genuinely impressed.

Not just getting smarter,

but smarter my way.

For example,

being good at math doesn't make you smart overall.

People are smart differently.

Someone with insane memory becomes a walking medical encyclopedia in med school,

but in math or physics? They'd shit bricks on memorization alone.

Math and physics aren't just rote.

Vice versa too.

A creative, tenacious mathematician trying innovative surgery? Kill one patient, doctor's career over.

"Obvious stuff..."

Not preaching common sense.

"No way this applies... right? Nah..."

What impressed me was something else.

Hum.

Pull out a potion from inventory.

Not the Intelligence ones (bought a bunch, used 4, 4 left).

The basic reward from the ethics group quest: All Stats +1.

Thought it'd be Intelligence +1, Stamina +1, Charm +1.

But now with Intelligence split into 5 sub-stats?

"No way for real..."

Gulp!

I chugged the All Stats +1 Potion, expectations high.

Hum!

Right then.

Ding! Ding!

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Ding! Ding!

Status windows flooded my view.

"Yes! Jackpot!!"

I cheered right there,

jumping like crazy, double dutch style.

Minimal effort, maximal gain.

Insane efficiency.

For a hardcore STEM nerd like me,

this sends shivers of ecstasy.

"Hey, what's up with that guy?"

Then I realize.

"That's the kid from class 10... Han Kyung-jun..."

"Take the long way via the middle stairs. No good getting involved."

I'm mid-freakout in the middle of the hall,

and

"...What the hell are you doing there?"

Lee A-ram, heading back to class late, watching everything behind me.

"..."

Of course, she doesn't know I'm a regressor

with a status window making life easy.

Only I see it.

Even if I told her, no belief,

just "crazy" label.

"You saw, huh."

But I'm not embarrassed.

No more living for others' eyes after first life.

So, with the most serious face of my life,

staring at the clear sky beyond the window, I declare proudly.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't get it."

"...I don't even want to know... for real..."