Chapter 15
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Who's That?
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Galleria Foret in Seoul Forest.
"Woooow..."
Ryu Won couldn't stop marveling at the luxurious, 45-story residential-commercial complex.
"This place looks amazing."
"It's a huge step up from our old place."
"I couldn't tell from the pictures, but seeing it in person... I'm speechless."
Leaving his gawking brother behind, Ryu Min informed the security guard of their move-in.
"Where's your luggage? Didn't you bring any?"
"No. We threw everything out."
After checking their IDs, they were allowed inside.
Another security officer stationed inside checked their identification once more in front of the elevator.
The sight drew another gasp of admiration from Ryu Won.
The security was ironclad.
"Wow... they have separate security staff here?"
"The security here is better than most places."
They soon arrived on the 43rd floor and entered their new home.
"Wooooooooow..."
Stepping inside, Ryu Won couldn't seem to close his mouth.
"B-Bro. How big is this place?"
"3,500 square feet."
"Gasp..."
Moving from a 350-square-foot multi-family house to a 3,500-square-foot luxury apartment.
Ryu Won felt like he was dreaming.
"Bro, is it really okay for us to just show up like this?"
"Of course, it is."
Though they called it a move, the brothers had arrived with hardly any luggage.
"It might look a little empty, but all the necessary appliances are built-in. We can buy daily necessities downstairs, and I've already ordered all the furniture, so it should arrive today. In the meantime, take a look around."
"Okay!"
Ryu Won wandered around, exploring the apartment.
"Whoa... how many rooms are there?"
"Four. And four bathrooms."
"Gasp! Each room really has its own bathroom."
Still in awe, Ryu Won gazed out the window.
The nearby Seoul Forest was visible at a glance, and even the Han River was within sight.
Being near the top on the 43rd floor, the view was undeniably fantastic.
"Bro... isn't this place a little too big for just the two of us?"
"We have plenty of money. We should live in a place like this."
"How much did you sign for?"
"A 500 million won deposit and 22 million won a month in rent."
For a moment, Ryu Won's eyes looked like they would pop out of his head.
"W-What? The rent is over twenty million...?"
"With management fees and utilities, it'll be another two million won."
Adding in a million won for living expenses, didn't that mean a fixed monthly outflow of nearly 25 million won?
For Ryu Won, who used to tremble just buying a 5,000-won convenience store lunchbox, the number was staggering.
"Isn't that too expensive? Wouldn't it be better to live somewhere cheaper?"
"No. This expense is necessary. The security is just that good."
On the first of every month, Players fell into a narcoleptic state.
The time they were most vulnerable was when they were asleep.
'No matter how skilled you are in the other world, if you die in reality, it's all over.'
There was no guarantee that a fire, earthquake, or other natural disaster wouldn't occur while they slept.
Therefore, when the time came, Players had to prepare to cross over to the other world from the safest place possible.
This was why Ryu Min had moved to such an expensive apartment.
'Later on, Players will start targeting each other.'
Of course, since they all fell asleep and woke up at the same time, Players couldn't target each other directly...
'But they can hire regular people to commit murder.'
It had happened in his previous life.
A Player had hired an assassin to eliminate a competitor.
This was why one had to hide their nickname, no matter what.
"So? Do you like the place?"
"Is that even a question? It's amazing!"
Ryu Won shouted, elated.
A smile naturally formed on Ryu Min's lips.
"I'm glad you like it."
He'd gotten a fortune through a lucky dream and bought an expensive house.
That's what his brother would think, but he would never know.
He would never know that this wealth hadn't been obtained without a price.
That he had already paid the price of 99 deaths and was now preparing for the final game.
Perhaps he sensed the bitter look behind Ryu Min's smile.
Ryu Won's joyful expression faded.
"I shouldn't be like this... I'm sorry, bro."
"For what?"
"Next month, you'll be dragged back to the other world to fight again. And here I am, just being happy... I'm sorry. I was being thoughtless."
"It's fine."
He understood his brother's immaturity.
He was, after all, still just a middle schooler.
If anything, it was Ryu Min who had matured far too early for his age.
'No, it's not that I matured early, but that I've gotten so old.'
He might look 20, but in reality, Ryu Min was over 110 years old.
Seeing his brother's downcast face, Ryu Min patted him on the back.
"Why the long face? Are you worried I won't make it back from the next round?"
"...You never know."
Ryu Min scoffed.
Failing in the second round?
For him, the only one who had even made it to the 20th round, the thought was laughable.
"Don't worry about useless things. Let's go downstairs, check out the shopping arcade, and get something to eat. I heard the Korean restaurant on the second floor is good."
"Okay."
He decided to walk around the complex's shopping arcade to lift his brother's spirits.
*Vibrate— Vibrate—*
In the meantime, a call came from Hwang Yong-min, but he simply blocked the number.
'He must have found out I moved by now.'
He already knew from past experience that the man would come looking for revenge.
And also that they would never cross paths in reality again.
'In the other world, though, that's a different story.'
Ryu Min smiled and slipped his phone into his pocket.
***
Wandering through the shopping arcade, Ryu Won's mood didn't improve.
'I was so caught up in the lottery winnings that I forgot. My brother is getting dragged away next month...'
His brother becoming a Player wasn't something to be simply amazed by.
Moving into a nice house wasn't something to be unconditionally happy about.
Survivors were dragged to another world every month to be tested.
Next month, and the month after that.
It was, in a word, living on borrowed time.
His brother acted as if nothing was wrong, but it was just the calm before the storm.
'He's not showing it, but he must be so worried and stressed. He probably feels like he's standing on the edge of a cliff.'
In reality, Ryu Min wasn't worried at all, but Ryu Won once again berated himself.
'You stupid idiot! Your brother is in danger, and you're just grinning because you moved into a nice house!'
How could he be of help to his brother?
Reflecting on his actions, Ryu Won came up with an idea.
'I'll help with the housework. That's the only thing I can do right now.'
For the time he had left, Ryu Won decided to take over all the household chores so his brother could rest comfortably.
"Bro, if you have any laundry, give it all to me. I'll wash it!"
"Bro, I'm going to clean, so it might get noisy. You should rest in your room!"
"Bro, I was thinking of going grocery shopping. Could I have some money for..."
"Won."
Unable to watch any longer, Ryu Min spoke with a smile.
"I appreciate you helping with the chores, but you don't have to try so hard. We can just eat out, so there won't be any dishes, and doing laundry and cleaning once a week is enough."
"But I have to do something to help..."
"You really don't have to. Just act like you normally do. But you'll still need living expenses, so I'll give you a card."
Ryu Min pulled a card from his wallet.
"There's 50 million won on it. It should be more than enough for living expenses. But don't go crazy with it."
"Gasp. Th-Thanks, bro."
Though his brother took the card, Ryu Min knew.
He wasn't the type to waste money on useless things.
If anything, he knew his brother would be frugal with such a large sum, so he wasn't worried.
'He'll probably keep trying to do the housework, too.'
Even if he was told not to, his brother would insist on managing the household.
It hadn't changed in 99 lifetimes, so it would be the same this time.
'Thanks to him, I never had to worry about the house, which was convenient.'
His mind at ease, Ryu Min checked his crypto account.
The 14 billion won he had invested had grown to 16 billion in just a few days.
He had earned a profit of 2 billion won just by sitting around.
'I need to buy a lottery ticket this weekend.'
Just like before, he would buy 100 tickets with the same numbers.
And, without fail, he would win first prize and gain nearly 15 billion won.
The world would be shocked, but he needed to grow his money now, so he didn't care about public opinion.
'This month, I'll focus on making money.'
A dark smile touched Ryu Min's lips.
***
The day after they moved in.
Ryu Min looked at his brother, who was up early, with a puzzled expression.
He was dressed to go out.
"Where are you going?"
"Oh, I ordered some rice cakes, so I'm going to pick them up."
"Rice cakes?"
This was a deviation from his brother's usual pattern, and Ryu Min furrowed his brow.
'This never happened before.'
Repeating his life didn't mean the exact same situations would always occur.
Just as one's mood could be good one day and gloomy the next, patterns of behavior could change slightly depending on emotions at the time.
'Of course, the main storyline is the same, even if the side branches differ.'
Ryu Won feeling sorry for him was one such case.
That part had appeared in every single regression.
Ryu Won always wanted to be a source of strength for him as he participated in the rounds.
So, he had often seen him cleaning first thing in the morning or buying simple snacks.
'But buying rice cakes is a first.'
It seemed the change in his emotional state had created a new branch.
"What are the rice cakes for?"
"We just moved in, so shouldn't we give some to the neighbors? It'll help them see us in a good light..."
"Ah."
Ryu Min quickly understood his brother's intention.
'He's trying to build a good local image.'
Giving out rice cakes would at least prevent them from being seen as rude.
He must have been thinking long and hard about what he could do to help.
'There's no harm in having a good reputation.'
It was certainly something he himself wouldn't have bothered with.
Unlike his brother, Ryu Min didn't care about what others thought of him.
"Giving rice cakes to the neighbors... that's a good idea."
"Right? They're our neighbors, so we'll probably run into them in the elevator. If we talk about the rice cakes, it won't be so awkward, and also..."
Was it because he was happy to be acknowledged by his brother?
Ryu Won chattered on excitedly.
Ryu Min watched him with a fond expression.
"I'll go pick up the rice cakes and hand them out, so you just stay home, bro."
"No. If we're going to greet the neighbors, we should do it together."
'I can't let my brother do this alone.'
Besides, he didn't have anything else to do.
"Let's go. To get the rice cakes."
***
After picking up the rice cakes, the brothers went from door to door.
They planned to visit the units below, next to, and above them, but it only amounted to a few households.
*Ding-dong—*
After they rang the doorbell, a voice came through the intercom.
-Who is it?
"Hello. We're your new neighbors who moved in yesterday."
A moment later, the door opened, and a woman in her 50s, dressed elegantly, peeked out.
Ryu Won bowed politely.
"Hello. We just moved into unit 4302. We hope to get along well as neighbors."
"Oh, welcome. You two look alike. Are you brothers?"
"Yes. This is my older brother."
"Hello."
Ryu Min bowed, and the woman bowed in return.
"Nice to meet you."
Perhaps because she was wealthy, she carried an air of grace.
Ryu Won quickly offered the plate of steamed rice cakes.
"Here, please have some rice cakes. We just picked them up this morning, so they're nice and warm."
"Wow, you didn't have to... Thank you. I'll enjoy them."
A smile bloomed on the woman's face.
Having accomplished their mission, the brothers turned away with proud faces.
They had definitely left a good impression on their neighbor.
"Bro, let's go to the next house like this."
"Alright."
Together, they went to the next door and rang the bell.
Some homes didn't answer, but since it was morning, most people were home.
"We're your neighbors. Please have some rice cakes."
One by one, the neighbors accepted the rice cakes with words of thanks.
Seeing the recipients happy made the givers feel proud as well.
Finally, the brothers headed to the unit upstairs.
"This is the penthouse. It takes up the 44th and 45th floors."
"Wow... so only super-rich people live here?"
"Well, I don't know the details, but I heard it's chaebol heirs or celebrities."
Listening to his brother, Ryu Won pressed the doorbell.
But there was no response, making the place seem empty.
"Are they out?"
Tilting his head, Ryu Won pressed it again.
He waited, but there was still no answer.
"I guess no one's home. Let's go, bro."
Just as they gave up and turned to leave.
"Huh?"
Ryu Won couldn't help but be startled.
A woman with a face so beautiful she could be an angel was staring at them with wide, rabbit-like eyes.
Next to her stood a well-built man in a suit, scowling.
"Who are you? Are you fans?"
"Huh? W-We're the new neighbors from downstairs...?"
"Downstairs?"
The man's eyes fell on the rice cakes, and he frowned, deducing the situation.
"And here I was wondering."
"Here, please have some rice ca—"
"That's enough. She doesn't eat things like that. Let's go inside."
The man opened the door, and the woman glanced at them before stepping inside.
As the front door closed, Ryu Min was flabbergasted.
"I don't know who that guy is, but he's incredibly rude."
Ryu Min muttered and looked to his side.
His brother stood in a daze, as if in shock.
"To think a guy like that lives in the penthouse. Won. Don't pay any attention to him."
"Huh? I'm fine. More importantly, did you see her? That was incredible..."
"See what?"
"What do you mean? You saw her too. Seo Ah-rin."
"Seo Ah-rin?"
Ryu Min replied with an indifferent face.
"Who's that?"