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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: GS24 Yeonhui Branch
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With trembling eyes, convenience store owner Min Do-hoon scanned the online news article.
[Last Month's 4-Time First-Place Winner Wins First Place Again!]
[Purchased 100,000 Won Worth of Tickets, All with the Same Number. Winnings Total 12 Billion Won.]
[Five Consecutive First-Place Wins Amount to 68.5 Billion Won. An Overnight Billionaire is Born.]
[What's the Secret to Winning First Place Five Times in a Row? When Asked, Winner Claims the Numbers Came in a Dream…]
'Came in a dream?'
Frustrated, he scrolled down to the comments, which were a real spectacle.
└Wow, I'm so f*cking jealous. If only I could get the numbers just once…
└The lottery gods aren't gonna give you numbers when you can't even get them from a girl…
└You son of a bitch.
└Looks like you're one incredibly lucky person. In that spirit, how about you spare me 100 million…
└The guy above is dumb enough to ask without even leaving his account number. For reference, my account is Nonghyup Bank 291-2894-9311-110.
└To the winner, if you're reading this, please spare me a little something. Kihyup Bank 281-293099-39-001.
└Crazy bastards. Look at them begging so shamelessly. Nonghyup 291-2919-3999-912, Park Bong-chul.
└Can't leave me out. Woohyup Bank…
└Is this place full of beggars?
└You're all clueless. You think the winner has nothing better to do than come here and read comments? He's probably off on a cruise, spending money like water.
└In times like these?
└What's the point of having a lot of money? Not when everyone between 15 and 29 has their life on the line.
└Doesn't matter if you're over 30.
└Maybe he's a Player and used an ability? Like seeing the future…
└An ability like that would be a total game-changer. He could probably win the lottery dozens more times.
└Hey, guy above, that's not happening. Did you see the breaking news that just dropped? They're suspending lottery sales after this round to ensure fairness.
└Huh… for real?
"Sigh."
While the commenters were shocked, the news only made Min Do-hoon sigh.
He had just received a call from the franchise headquarters moments ago.
Lottery sales were being suspended, and he was to process refunds for any customers who had purchased tickets yesterday or today.
That was why he was scanning the article with a pounding heart.
He had to see it with his own two eyes.
And sure enough.
[Breaking News! All Lottery Sales to be Suspended Effective Tuesday, February 1st.]
-The government has decided to suspend the sale of all lotteries and similar tickets, effective today.
The official reason cited is that selling lottery tickets is inappropriate at a time when the global economy is reeling from the deaths of 900 million people and the world is in a state of mourning.
However, this is merely the public reason. The actual cause is believed to be the public backlash from non-Players, who have raised concerns about fairness following the emergence of Players.
Players each wield special abilities through a power called Runes, but the problem is that these abilities are causing significant social disruption.
For instance, there is speculation that the winner who monopolized nearly 70 billion won in prize money over the past month is a Player in his twenties.
This controversy over fairness has been brewing ever since the winner began his streak of consecutive first-place wins.
For reference, all citizens between the ages of 15 and 29 are Players.
There are approximately 870 million Players worldwide, with about 4 million in South Korea.
Customers who purchased tickets on Sunday or Monday can receive an immediate refund by bringing their lottery slips to the place of purchase.
The article about the lottery suspension was on the main page of the portal site.
It was only natural that Min Do-hoon's face soured.
"Hah… what am I going to do? My sales are about to be cut in half."
The GS24 Yeonhui Branch was a convenience store that also sold lottery tickets.
With no other lottery vendors nearby, business was particularly good.
'Plus, I got a huge promotional boost recently as the place where the 100-ticket winner bought his tickets.'
But now, in a twist of irony, that very winner was the reason he could no longer sell them.
"Hoo… It's already tough enough trying to cover labor costs and everything else…"
Min Do-hoon had a daughter who was about to graduate from high school.
After his business failed, he divorced his wife and was drowning in debt. His daughter was the one treasure who gave him strength.
'I need to earn several times more than I do now to send our Ju-ri to college…'
And now, just when he was strapped for cash, he couldn't even sell lottery tickets.
"Hoooo…"
As he was letting out one heavy sigh after another.
*Jingle—* The door opened, and his daughter, the apple of his eye, walked in.
"Oh, Ju-ri, you're here?"
"Dad, why are you sighing like that?"
"Hoo… well, it's… nothing. It's nothing."
"Nothing? It's written all over your face that you're having a hard time. Come on, tell me."
At Min Ju-ri's urging, Min Do-hoon reluctantly began to vent.
He felt sorry for burdening his daughter, but he felt like he would suffocate if he didn't complain to someone.
"They suspended lottery sales?"
"Yeah… There are so many expenses. I don't know how we're going to get by… Hoo…"
A look of concern shadowed Min Ju-ri's face at her father's sigh.
Having helped out at the store during every school break, she knew all too well.
She knew just how much of the store's revenue came from lottery sales.
Min Ju-ri forced a bright smile.
"Don't worry, Dad. I'm graduating now, so I can help out all the time, not just during breaks. That way we can at least save on labor costs…"
"Don't say that. I already feel bad enough making you work."
"Did you make me? I help because I want to."
"Still, no. We made a promise, right? Once you graduate, you're done with the store."
"Then I'll get a part-time job somewhere else and help with living expenses…"
"Tsk. A student's job is to study, not work part-time. I'll send you to college no matter what it takes, so you don't need to worry about any of this."
"But our living expenses…"
"Ahem. I'll handle the money, so you just focus on your studies, okay? You have good grades, you're not going to skip college, are you? Becoming a doctor is your dream."
"Dad… that dream is from so long ago. I gave up on it."
"What?"
"Besides, who's thinking about school in times like these? We don't even know if we'll survive the next round…"
"Ah."
For a moment, Min Do-hoon felt a shock, as if he'd been struck on the back of the head.
He'd been so preoccupied with making money that he'd forgotten the reality his daughter was facing.
"Ah… right. Money isn't what's important right now… I've been so out of it lately. I'm sorry, Ju-ri. I'm sorry I can't be of more help…"
"What do you have to be sorry for, Dad? It's a situation we can't control, like a natural disaster."
"Still…"
"I'm really okay. I survived the first and second rounds. I can get through the next one, too. I even got a Job this time."
"A Job?"
Instead of answering, Min Ju-ri raised her hand.
A bright cluster of light appeared and seeped into Min Do-hoon's head.
"Wh-what is this?"
"It's a skill called Bless that I got when I became a Buffer. It raises overall stats, but for non-Players, it's supposed to have a revitalizing effect."
"Haha, what a fascinating ability. I really do feel a surge of energy all over."
Min Do-hoon said, rolling his shoulders.
His shoulders, which were always stiff, now felt perfectly fine.
"To think my daughter has become such a capable person. I'm truly amazed."
"I'll cast this skill on you often. So cheer up, Dad."
"Okay, thank you. I'll do my best, too."
He said the words, but the worry on Min Do-hoon's face didn't fade.
'You pathetic fool! My daughter could die at any moment, and I'm worried about some stupid lottery tickets!'
Min Do-hoon shook his head, berating himself.
Now, his daughter's survival was a far greater concern than the convenience store's sales.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Let's switch. I'll take over from here."
"No, it's okay."
"What do you mean, okay? You've been here all night."
"I can stay a little longer. Thanks to that buff you gave me, I feel like I could go another three hours easily."
"Still, go home and rest. Come on, hurry."
As Min Ju-ri was pushing her dad out from behind the counter.
The convenience store door opened, and a customer walked in.
"Welco—."
Min Ju-ri, who had greeted him out of habit, suddenly froze, her eyes wide like a startled rabbit's.
Min Do-hoon was just as surprised.
"Huh? That customer is…"
"What is it, Dad? Do you know him?"
"That's the guy. The first-place winner who bought 100 tickets with the same number from our store."
It was rare for someone to manually buy 100,000 won worth of tickets.
He remembered the customer clearly because he had looked so young that he'd even checked his ID.
The customer, Ryu Min, saw the father and daughter and walked over.
Min Ju-ri stared at him intently, but Ryu Min didn't even pretend to notice.
"Hello, sir. Do you remember me? I bought 100,000 won worth of lottery tickets here about a month ago."
"…"
Min Do-hoon simply stared back instead of answering.
Up close, it was definitely the same customer.
'Why is he here? Don't tell me he came to say thank you.'
Occasionally, customers who won second or third prize would come back to thank him, calling the store a lucky spot.
But this customer's case was different.
'He picked the numbers manually, so there's no reason for him to thank me.'
Min Do-hoon stared, trying to read his intentions, before replying with a grim expression.
It was hard to look favorably upon the cause of his declining sales.
"Yes… I remember. What can I do for you?"
"First, I'd like to apologize."
Ryu Min suddenly bowed his head, and Min Do-hoon stared at him with wide eyes.
"Wh-what is this? All of a sudden?"
"I saw the news. Because I won first place consecutively, lottery sales have been suspended. I apologize for unintentionally causing harm to your business."
"Ah…"
His polite greeting was momentarily disarming.
"It's fine, it's fine. It's not your fault. It's not like we'll starve because we can't sell lottery tickets."
Min Do-hoon brushed it off coolly.
The unexpected apology washed away the resentment in his heart.
"And when you think about it, it's not your fault, is it? The numbers came to you in a dream, what could you do? I would have gone all-in on the lottery, too."
"Still, I feel bad that you've suffered because of me. In that spirit…"
Ryu Min held out a white envelope he had prepared.
"I'd like to offer you some compensation, however small."
"Wh-what is this?"
"It's ten million won."
"Wh-what?"
Startled, Min Do-hoon frantically waved his hands.
"Y-you don't have to do this. Please take it back…"
"I'd appreciate it if you took it. In any case, it's a fact that I've caused you damages. I'll be going now."
With only those words, Ryu Min walked out of the store.
"H-hey! Wait! Sir!"
He was gone before Min Do-hoon could stop him, leaving him flustered.
"My goodness, how could I possibly accept this much money…"
"Dad, I'll run after him and give it back right now!"
"Huh? O-okay, do that!"
Grabbing the envelope, Min Ju-ri ran out of the store.
Fortunately, the customer hadn't gone far.
"Excuse me, wait a minute!"
Hearing a voice from behind, Ryu Min turned around.
Min Ju-ri ran up to him, panting.
"Ryu Min! You're Ryu Min, right?"
"Who are you?"
"You don't know me? Min Ju-ri! We're in the same class."
"Oh…? Really?"
At his reaction, which suggested this was the first he'd heard of it, Min Ju-ri's face fell with disappointment.
"You didn't even know we were in the same class all this time?"
"Sorry. I'm not good at remembering faces."
It was a lie.
Ryu Min already knew that Min Ju-ri was in his class and that she was the convenience store owner's daughter.
'And that she's a Buffer, a Unique Class.'
He hadn't known at first.
He didn't realize the convenience store where he bought the lottery tickets was run by Min Ju-ri's father.
'It wasn't until the 20th regression that I found out.'
And he learned it not in reality, but by chance after becoming friends with Min Ju-ri in the Otherworld.
'To become friends in the Otherworld, not even in our own class.'
Ryu Min had been quite surprised when he later found out they were in the same class.
He couldn't believe such a coincidence existed.
'I have to get Min Ju-ri on my side and take her with me to the 20th round.'
A Buffer was a Job that would be of immense help.
"Should we go somewhere and talk for a bit?"
At Min Ju-ri's suggestion, Ryu Min grinned.
"Let's do that."
His calculated approach, disguised as a coincidence, had worked.