As I and Cheon Dong-ha sat down, a white tiger suddenly appeared.

Because of # Nоvеlight # its large size, a shadow was created and fell over the chessboard.

Cheon Dong-ha glanced at the suddenly appearing mythical lord and nodded lightly.

Judging from the fact that he didn’t seem too surprised, Cheon Dong-ha seemed to have gotten used to the white tiger’s appearance.

Eun-ho sat down in the spectator seats that seemed to have been prepared in advance and spoke while pouring tea.

“Baek-ho hyung will be the referee today. He volunteered, so you don’t have to worry.”

Referee? It’s not an official competition, so all you need is a chess clock, but he just came to watch from up close.

That white tiger would read my mind anyway, so he didn’t need to come here, so I don’t know why he suddenly volunteered to be the referee.

Baek-ho just smiled in my direction and didn’t say anything.

I felt sad seeing that smile, but I didn’t have the time to accept it.

So, they started playing chess while the white tiger was watching them.

The tea Eun-ho gave them was warm enough to soothe their dry throats because of the air conditioning, and because they felt choked up when they saw the white tiger, their hands didn’t get cold as much even when they played chess.

“Check.”

Cheon Dong-ha declared checkmate.

This match ended with Cheon Dong-ha’s victory.

Cheon Dong-ha wasn’t an easy opponent to beat while thinking a lot.

Knowing that, it was a mistake to not focus.

The more I reviewed it, the more I realized how unfocused I was, and it made me miserable.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

Cheon Dong-ha said as he moved his bishop.

Every time we play chess, we play at least three games, but we’ve only played one game.

I felt bad because I thought Cheon Dong-ha had lost his will to play because he played such a bad game.

“Actually, I haven’t been able to focus since earlier. If we keep doing this, Yishin won’t be able to play a game worth studying. Let’s review this game and finish it.”

No matter how I looked at it, I was the one who couldn’t focus, but Cheon Dong-ha said it as if it was his fault.

Hearing that made me feel even more sorry.

Cheon Dong-ha pretended not to know and continued.

“There are many things going on inside TC that are intertwined with the research lab and related business matters, and there are many times when we need someone with special abilities to resolve the issue. Usually, in these cases, we hire a team of professional players or hire mercenaries to resolve it, but considering security and efficiency issues, it’s better for me to step forward rather than bring in an outsider.”

Cheon Dong-ha slowly explained why he’s been busy lately.

At first glance, it seemed like Cheon Dong-ha was listing his situation, but when I thought about the context, it sounded like he was trying to ease my burden.

“That’s why I want to talk to Yishin today rather than play chess. Do you have anything to say?”

“......Yes.”

In the end, I decided to prioritize my conversation with Cheon Dong-ha over playing chess.

The white tiger, who had been standing tall a little bit away from me as if he was watching the referee, sat down across from Eun-ho and received a cup of tea.

In the conversation that followed, they exchanged information.

Cheon Dong-ha must have heard some stories from Eun-ho, but he also asked me questions about things he wanted to hear directly.

However, Cheon Dong-ha, being a good senior, did not ask me about sensitive topics like nightmares, so I had to volunteer to speak.

“I have something to tell you about the school trip that the third-year seniors will be going on.”

When I finally got to the main point, Cheon Dong-ha’s eyes widened a little.

“Senior?”

“Oh, it’s just because I didn’t expect it.”

“As expected?”

“I thought Eui-shin would bring up something else.”

Cheon Dong-ha knew that I was going to talk about something difficult, so he relaxed and led the conversation.

After thinking about it for a while, he guessed what Cheon Dong-ha was thinking.

“Are you talking about Dokgo Mi-ro?”

“Yes. Should I say Cheong-ho... Since Han-i, you’ve been very concerned.”

“Dokgo Mi-ro and Cheong-ho are fine. They both looked really good during the final opening of PlayerZ.”

I said this while thinking of Dokgo Mi-ro’s smile at Cheong-ho on stage and Cheong-ho’s equally bright smile.

Their relationship was so fine that I wondered if I could even be worried.

However, Cheon Dong-ha’s expression clouded as if he didn’t understand what I said.

“What I was worried about was you, not their relationship.”

“Huh?”

“If you don’t want to bring it up right now, I won’t press you. Yi-shin, you said you had something to say about the school trip, right?”

Cheon Dong-ha adjusted his half-rimmed glasses and changed the subject.

When the topic changed so blatantly, I hesitated for a moment, but I didn’t bother to pick up on the topic that had already passed.

There was something else important right now.

“First, let me tell you about the school trip that I know about.”

“That school trip from the game called Plumago.”

Cheon Dong-ha figured out what I wanted to say with just a small clue.

After actively cooperating with the clan, Cheon Dong-ha grew.

He gained more information, had more opportunities to actively use his eyes, and exchanged advice with his wise younger brother Eun-ho, which made his insight even greater.

Just hearing the word school trip, Cheon Dong-ha quickly figured out the situation.

“The only people that Yi-shin could use his power on were playable characters, and I was one of them. And in that game, all playable characters were supposed to die. I guess I died on that school trip.”

Eunho and White Tiger, who had been quietly watching, opened their eyes slightly wide in admiration at Cheon Dong-ha’s words.

They were not only surprised by his insight in predicting the ending of his own game, but also by his courage in not being afraid even when he spoke of death.

Thanks to Cheon Dong-ha’s cool words, I also became calm.

“That’s right. If we don’t prepare anything, a similar or worse situation will occur.”

“I don’t think Yishin would have called me here without any preparation. However, judging from the fact that he can’t speak easily, I think what I have to do is difficult or hard.”

Comparing the playable characters of Plumago and this world, those in this world, who usually lived peacefully, were usually less developed.

However, Cheon Dong-ha was an exception.

Cheon Dong-ha’s thoughts were getting faster and deeper.

“Tell me, Yishin. If something happens on the school trip, it means that the children and teachers who went with him are also in danger. If there is something I can do, I will do it.”

Through the glasses, Cheon Dong-ha’s eyes met mine, full of determination.

Thanks to that strong determination, my mouth and heart became a little lighter, making it easier to talk.

Even after hearing the outline of the disaster that would occur during the school trip, Cheon Dong-ha’s eyes did not waver at all.

“In order to prepare for all of this, I need information. However, even though I went to Jeju Island myself, there wasn’t much I could get.”

“TC has been involved in otherworldly industries in Jeju Island in addition to the hotel industry. They even created a separate training center, so there might be information that could be helpful.”

Cheon Dong-ha seemed to suspect TC as one of the people behind the scenes.

Cheon Dong-ha came into contact with the darkness of TC through the lab incident.

And he learned that there was something even more terrible than the factional strife that usually exists within companies.

‘TC’s hotel business is doing well enough in the Jeju region to be considered one step ahead of Geum Chan-sol’s Icarus. Even on Christmas Eve, when I called Cheon Dong-ha, I called him to Jeju Island.’

If you were to name the number one company in the tourism and accommodation industry on the Korean Peninsula, everyone would think of Icarus, but there were regional differences.

‘Snow and Air,’ one of the affiliates of the TC Group, was doing well in Jeju Island.

There was a possibility that Cheon Dong-ha could find something through TC, but I was somewhat skeptical.

‘Cheon Dong-ha borrowed the power of Hwangmyeong Research Institute to protect his younger brother. The mastermind would know that, and he would know that I was going on a school trip this time. He must have prepared for it.’

Eun-ho probably thought the same as I did.

In the end, I had no choice but to say that difficult request.

“I want to use the power called ‘replay’ on Senior Cheon Dong-ha.”

Cheon Dong-ha immediately understood the word ‘replay.’

When we shared information about the attempted assassination of Seong Guk-eon, he had already heard about replay.

Instead of looking embarrassed, Cheon Dong-ha made a happy expression.

“Yes, there was a way! If something like that had happened, I would have definitely used Gwang-rim to respond. I must have seen a lot.”

When he said it so brightly, his mood darkened even more.

Cheon Dong-ha even looked excited.

“It would be good to see Jun-yeol, who is at the center of the incident, too, didn’t you say?”

“Hwang Ji-ho told me that it was related to the descendants of the Dragon Clan. The Blue Dragon and the Red Flame Emperor will tell Senior Yeom Jun-yeol.”

“Procedurally, you are right, but Jun-yeol would have been happier if you told him.”

Was it something to be happy about using Replay?

If Cheon Dong-ha had refused, things would have gotten very complicated, so he should have been happy, but his heart was heavy.

Besides, he still had a favor to ask of Cheon Dong-ha.

“I want to use Replay on another witness to that incident. I will ask Senior Cheon Dong-ha to mediate.”

“The people who participated in the math trip and the Jeju residents must have all been witnesses, but since you mentioned it, I guess you must have seen the important moment.”

Cheon Dong-ha thought for a moment and then said.

“Your ability is practically the same as seeing the future. Even though you’ve changed a lot, it doesn’t change the fact that you can experience the future with that power. I can trust anyone who uses that precious power, and it means that you’re the witness needed for this move.”

Cheon Dong-ha seemed to be thinking of his classmates one by one.

Cheon Dong-ha first thought of Kwak Kyung-gu, Yeom Jun-yeol’s close friend.

“The first person that comes to mind is Kyung-gu. Is that right?”

“Senior Kwak Kyung-gu was also in Jeju Island at the time of the incident, but he and Senior Heo Chae-ah were in charge of the evacuation of the students and residents. Senior Yeom Jun-yeol was studying abroad during the election period, so Senior Kwak Kyung-gu became the student body president and led the evacuation as the school representative.”

“Then what about the teachers or the kids in Class 0?”

“At that time, there weren’t many teachers left that I could trust. And the seniors in Class 0 don’t go on school trips.”

Cheon Dong-ha seemed to have guessed something from what I said, but I insisted on asking.

The voice I was asking was a bit stiffer than before.

“They’re throwing away the opportunity to go on a trip with Teacher Jegal Jae-geol?”

“Teacher Jegal Jae-geol passed away at that time. Since then, the seniors in Class 0 haven’t been very active in school events. Even when they did participate, it was in the form of memorials.”

Cheon Dong-ha stopped talking at my answer.

Even though I knew that I had intervened and changed a lot of things, I didn’t think he realized how desperate the situation at Plumago was.

I spoke up to ask Cheon Dong-ha.

“Please call Senior Ma Jin-seung. I’ll be able to figure out what he saw at the last moment.”