Chapter 2: Reboot (1)

A lazy morning.

With about five minutes left until lunchtime, I gazed out the window with a bored look.

I knew that expressing my anger wouldn't get me anything.

In the end, I had failed the 'Last Mission' once again and had regressed.

Do you want to challenge the high career?

Y / N

Death

For some time now, I had been seeing mission windows like this in front of me.

The good thing is that the Last Mission can be carried out in the season of my choice.

However, it would automatically proceed if I turned thirty.

Well, if I failed, I would die.

Whether I died from a basketball, a mad dog, or a broken neck from someone's swing.

I would repeatedly die and return to my 18-year-old self.

What a life at eighteen!

"Okay, this is called the sum of a geometric sequence. It means the first term is 2, and the common ratio is also 2."

The math teacher was tapping the chalk on the board, speaking in a way that was hard to understand.

'Maybe the problem is that I've been estranged from studying since I was in my mother's womb.'

Still, I couldn't figure out why I was trapped in this eternal cycle.

I had only tried and tried to break this system.

Actually, I was a complete novice at soccer.

During my school days, when the PE teacher threw the ball, I would sit on the stone steps and watch.

I was also introverted and couldn't get along with my friends.

But that was before I experienced regression.

Think about it.

After already repeating regression 14 times, how could a person not go crazy and learn?

Even in my previous life, I was squished like a pancake by a piece of space debris.

Survival should be the priority, right, whether I'm introverted or not.

My mental state had not just broken; it had been completely restructured.

I had become a personality disorder to survive the incomprehensible and extremely difficult system.

'Even if I work hard to get items, they all reset when I regress.'

Why, didn't the protagonist in the movie complain?

If someone had told me I would be locked in a room for 15 years, it wouldn't have been as hard as this.

That's how I feel now.

Isn't it ridiculous?

Then.

Thud!

A piece of eraser flew from somewhere and hit my forehead.

"Ugh!"

"Phew!"

The sound of suppressed laughter pierced my ears.

Two boys, one with the latest wolf cut and the other with a shaggy cut, were hunched over their desks, shaking with laughter.

'This has happened 14 times, and now it even feels familiar. These half-grown brats.'

I let out a sigh.

But my eyes burned with anger.

It was always at this point, right after I had died and come back to life, that they played such pranks.

I needed an outlet for my anger.

I wanted to punch them every time I saw them.

The space debris must have been quite shocking.

I wanted to put them in a sandbag and beat them for ten hours with a baseball bat, then blend them in a mixer.

These bullies had tormented me from elementary school to high school, even though the memory is now blurry.

Thud!

Even now, despite my intense gaze, they used a ruler as a slingshot to throw a piece of eraser, twice as big as before.

"What are you looking at, punk?"

The class was still in session, so the hawk-eyed Kwon Jung-hyun whispered a curse at me.

His eyes were full of strength.

"That kid is scared."

"Let's meet behind the cafeteria at lunchtime, you idiot."

They decided I was scared and threatened me again.

'Adorable brats.'

In the early stages, I would have turned my head in fear and apologized as soon as the bell rang.

'They were the ones who caused the trouble...?'

Thinking back, I was pathetic.

However, after dying and coming back to life 14 times, it became meaningless.

Just seeing them made me feel a surge of anger towards fate.

To me, they were like the Bosingak Bell, signaling a new beginning.

Why the Bosingak Bell?

Because it needs to be struck hard to announce a new beginning.

They were just that significant.

They were also my current targets for venting.

Shall I go ring the bell?

Creak!

The sound of my chair being pushed back drew the attention of the math teacher and the other students.

"What is it?"

The math teacher, who was tapping the chalk on the board, frowned at me standing up.

Regardless.

Thud.

I took a step forward.

In one hand, I held a metal pencil case.

"What are you doing?"

The math teacher raised his voice, feeling his class was being disrupted.

But I was relentless.

I moved forward and approached Kwon Jung-hyun.

Only then did Kwon Jung-hyun and Shin Sung-woo notice something was off.

"What is it? Why are you...?"

Smack!

"Aaah!"

Kwon Jung-hyun screamed in agony, clutching his head and falling to the side.

He couldn't even speak, just groaning in pain on the floor.

"You, you lunatic...!"

Smack!

Shin Sung-woo, who was sitting next to him, tried to stand up but my hand with the pencil case was faster.

I swung my hand like a backswing and hit his jaw with a satisfying thud.

The feeling was exhilarating, and my lips curled into a smile.

I might have even been making a blissful expression.

Before anyone could speak, a torrent of curses burst from my mouth.

Like a bombardment,

"Such damn bastards! You parasites, you only live to talk! Damn, eat some shit and rot, you half-grown brats!"

A wave of chaos swept through the classroom.

* * *

After repeating regression 14 times, I realized something.

Living life recklessly without any stress would make me both mentally and physically comfortable.

While this led to bitter realities at times, it could also be sweet depending on my mindset.

And I'm the type who finds chocolate 98% cocoa to be sweet.

Then.

"Hey, Homariu! What are you doing here?"

I looked up to see the PE teacher, who was also the student advisor, staring down at me with a very angry face.

I stared back and wiggled the spoon in my hand.

"Eating lunch."

"Really? Is the food going down your throat now?"

"Yes, it's going down very well."

"Even so! Get up now!"

In the past, I wouldn't have dared to say a word to this student advisor.

He was known for making students lie down and drawing a world map on their butts with a paddle.

'My butt became American thanks to this guy.'

Anyway, I had sent the two bullies to the hospital and was eating lunch in the cafeteria.

The menu was sweet and sour pork, pork and pepper stew, kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, and black rice.

Hmm, even on the 15th time, it's unbalanced but quite delicious.

I finished eating in five minutes.

"Come to the office right now!"

The student advisor shouted, making sure everyone could hear, and even pointed at me.

"You better be prepared. This isn't a normal situation, you know? Hey! Where are you going? This way, not that way!"

When I headed for the back door instead of the front, the student advisor called out in a panicked voice.

But I had no intention of going to the office.

Why would I bring my bag if I wasn't?

"The back door is faster."

"What?"

"I'm dropping out. No need to come and see me off."

I had planned to drop out from the beginning and beat up the bullies.

Since I was only going to play soccer, academic credentials were unnecessary.

I could take the high school equivalency test if I needed a diploma.

I learned in the 4th cycle that the student advisor was even receiving regular bribes from the parents of the bullies.

I told him all my difficulties in the 4th cycle and ended up being beaten.

I'm getting angry just thinking about it...

Phew!

Anyway, as soon as I reached the back door, I smiled brightly and waved.

'Goodbye, my miserable times.'

First mission cleared.

* * *

"Hey, Mario!"

Just as I was about to leave the school gate, a sharp voice stopped me in my tracks.

Turning around, I saw Kim Mi-jung, who looked good with her short black hair, approaching with a determined look, only three steps away.

I knew she would come, so I greeted her with a smile.

"Wow, Mi-jung, you're always beautiful, sexy, and gorgeous."

"What...! Are you on drugs?"

"No? I had pork and pepper stew and sweet and sour pork."

"What... No, why are you like this?"

Standing at 170 cm, Mi-jung was already receiving offers from several entertainment agencies at 18.

She was also my only close friend since childhood.

Well, I was unilaterally in love with her until this cursed system was applied.

Sigh.

She was still beautiful.

After 14 cycles, my first love is still you.

I'm a decent romantic.

However, she was looking at me with a mix of worry and anger.

Why?

"Why did you do that?"

I licked my lips and rolled my eyes to the right and then to the left, thinking hard.

But nothing came to mind.

I'll just pretend I don't know.

She's cute even when she's angry.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why did you suddenly act so recklessly? Why did you hit those kids, and why are you dropping out of school? You've been holding it in for so long!"

Ah, that's why.

Sorry.

I said I would drop out this time, but it's already the ninth time I've hit someone.

Anyway, if it's about that, there's only one thing I want to say.

"Mi-jung."

"Go on. Speak. No, go apologize to the teacher right now! Tell them you couldn't bear the bullying. They'll forgive you. I'll help persuade them! The ones who should be expelled are those kids. Why do you have to leave?"

"I'm going to be a soccer player."

"What? Go apologize... What?"

Her eyes widened in surprise at my unrelated response.

Regardless, the touch of her skin made me swallow hard.

I wanted to hug her right away, but the cursed penalty mission wouldn't allow it.

A Korean monk

Challenge 1000 days of celibacy!

.

.

Penalty

.

.

Even a light kiss makes you a penalty.

Penalty if the mission fails.

'Not even a kiss?'

The more I think about it, the angrier I get.

The only consolation is the reward for completing 1000 days of celibacy.

Unmatched stamina

'Unmatched stamina' is a good thing.

It means endless stamina.

I have to get this.

It's essential for soccer.

It's not because of other desires.

Really.

"Did I hear you wrong?"

Seeing the flustered Mi-jung, I smiled kindly.

Even before the cycles, she was the only one who always stood up for me.

She was the one who stopped me from being dragged by Kwon Jung-hyun and Shin Sung-woo.

She was also the one who told me when they were dragging me.

But the world is cruel.

Despite her warnings, Kwon Jung-hyun and Shin Sung-woo continued to kick and bully me.

'Well, that's over today.'

One reason I like Mi-jung is that she truly loves soccer.

Her father is the head coach of Gyeongnam FC.

That's why.

Mi-jung grew up watching soccer and had a romantic admiration for soccer players.

"Why are you silent? No, what did you just say? What does that mean?"

Seeing her still confused, I placed my hands on her shoulders and made my 9th confession.

"I'll become the best soccer player for you. At least a legendary player with 7 or more Ballon d'Ors! So, will you bear my child? How about naming them... Hobaudo, Ronaldo, or Ronaldinho? I'll only have three sons. That's the plan."

Like Luis Suarez promised to his future wife in his early days.

I also promised her love as I faced her.

'So cool.'

Is there a more emotional romantic than me?

"Such... @#$%!"

But unlike my self-praise, a string of curses I had never heard before burst from her beautiful lips.