Reset Life with Infinite Talents - Chapter 16
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Infinite Talent Reset Life Episode 16
”I’m sorry. I failed to raise my child properly.”
“S-sorry… *sob*!”
His face covered in nosebleed, trembling all over – it was a pitiful sight.
“Apologize properly!”
“S-sorry. *sob* *sniff*!”
“To the friend you bullied too!”
“S-sorry… *waaah* *waaaah*!”
Flash burst into tears again after barely stopping.
Larry and Ada lost their anger and looked at Johann.
Now all that remained was Johann’s forgiveness.
Johann approached Flash, who was pouring out tears and snot.
Flash had a fit and stepped back.
“Why, why. I-I apologized…”
“Do you like Emily?”
Flinch!
‘Huh?’
The adults looked at Johann and Flash in surprise.
Flash shook his head.
“No…”
“Then why do you keep bothering her?”
“J-Joseph said so. He said someone like me, a jock, should date a cheerleader…”
Jock, meaning an athlete.
In school, kids who belong to sports teams and have good physique and social skills are called jocks.
‘Joseph?’
‘That’s my second son. Oh my God, Joseph.’
The adults became more absorbed in the children’s conversation.
“Dating is only possible when both people like each other, right? Emily hates you though?”
“Brother Joseph said girls act cold even when they like you…”
“Would you die if this Joseph told you to die?”
“No? That’s impossible!”
“Then why do you think everything he says is absolutely right?”
“Th-that’s… that’s…”
It was something family said. For that simple reason alone, he believed it must be true.
Flash realized something after thinking that far.
“D-don’t tell me I was wrong?”
“Yeah. You were wrong. Apologize to Emily.”
“…Okay.”
“To me too.”
“…Sorry. I’m really sorry.”
He only copied what his second brother Joseph did, and if he had known it was such a serious insult that would make people this angry, he wouldn’t have done it.
Johann nodded at such a sincere apology.
‘I should be the one to endure this as an adult, right?’
What was the point of fighting more with such a little kid?
Since Larry and Ada had come, he had to wrap things up here.
He couldn’t cause them any more worry.
“I’m sorry for hitting you too. Don’t use such words and actions anymore. That’s a really serious insult.”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Johann Jefferson.”
“Fl-Flash Thompson. I’m the catcher for the Baseball Club. Um… um… you have really good Athletic Ability!”
Flash, who was searching for something to say, became sincere.
He, who was the fastest and strongest in the club, got beaten without a chance to resist. Even though he was a head and a half taller.
This was proof that Johann’s Athletic Ability was incredible.
“You had a pretty low center of gravity too?”
“Really? Hehe.”
That was a compliment for a catcher.
When the two made up, the guardians also sighed in relief.
“I failed to raise my child properly.”
“Not at all. I also failed to teach mine properly.”
The adults’ atmosphere also softened.
A mishap caused by youthful foolishness. There was no need to be hostile toward each other.
“Let’s have a meal together sometime.”
“Please contact me next time. Right now I don’t have time because of a program I’m developing…”
“…Are you a programmer?”
Michael Thompson, who had sent Flash flying with one slap.
With his sturdy build, he seemed like someone who did sports.
Michael, seemingly used to this misunderstanding, smiled and said.
“Haha. I’m naturally strong. Anyway, I’m sorry but it’ll be difficult for a while, even though you suggested it first. I’m starting a business with someone a friend introduced me to. Haha.”
“A business?”
‘At this time?’
It was still a bad time when news of companies going bankrupt came out regularly.
“It’s called a social location sharing service… Do you happen to know Fatalbook and Bluebird?”
“What American wouldn’t know those two?”
“Oh! Then this will be easy to explain. What I’m developing this time is one step more advanced than those two SNS…”
When Flash’s Father’s eyes lit up and he poured out words, Larry and Ada couldn’t help but smile.
‘He really is a programmer.’
‘Look how his eyes change when his favorite field comes up.’
That smile was quite awkward.
* * *
“Larry, Ada. Sorry.”
Even if he turned back time, he would act the same way, but he still caused them trouble.
“…Hah! You did well.”
“Larry!”
“You found it satisfying too, Ada.”
“Tsk. You did well, Johann. Don’t hold back like this in the future. Got it?”
Two warm hands stroking his head.
Ada lowered her body to meet his eyes.
“But next time, beat them up where there are no people. You can’t leave witnesses and evidence.”
“…Okay.”
“Good advice.”
“Better advice than you telling him to just hit people.”
“Yes, yes.”
Johann smiled watching the two bicker as always.
He didn’t know why. He just felt like laughing.
“Well, we’ll be going now.”
“See you at dinner, Johann.”
“Take care.”
As Johann turned around after waving his hand, Flash followed after him.
“Johann, have you thought about playing baseball? With your athletic ability, I think you could handle being a table setter or cleanup hitter!”
“Me in the upper batting order?”
Table setters are the 1st and 2nd batters who are fast and have good batting averages, able to somehow advance and create scoring opportunities.
And the cleanup trio are the 3rd, 4th, and 5th batters who can hit long balls to bring those advanced table setters home.
While it can vary depending on strategy and situation, typically these table setters and cleanup trio are collectively called the upper batting order.
“Oh, you know baseball?”
Flash’s expression brightened considerably.
Since Johann said he’d lived in the Rocky Mountains from a very young age, Flash thought he might not know about baseball.
“Well, to some extent.”
With how many lives he’d accessed through Reading, how could he not know baseball?
“Perfect! If the coach sees your athletic ability, he’ll definitely…”
‘This guy’s just a sports fanatic.’
Johann shook his head at Flash’s behavior, seeming to have forgotten they’d just fought, but at the same time felt curious.
Baseball, a sport that’s popular worldwide.
‘What kind of appeal does it have that makes people so passionate about it, and why do so many people challenge the major leagues?’
And they start at such a young age too.
Johann’s curiosity began to deepen.
“Johann!”
“Flash!”
Johann and Flash looked toward the end of the corridor.
Emily, Lucy, and Joy were quickly approaching them.
Flash’s friends were approaching from another direction. The children filling the corridor during break time hurriedly moved aside to make way.
“Flash, you…!”
“Wait a minute, Emily.”
Johann stopped Emily and looked at Flash.
Flash’s face had turned bright red as he looked around nervously.
“Let’s move somewhere else first. Flash, that would be better for you too, right?”
“Y-yeah.”
“Johann?”
Johann smiled at Emily as if asking her to trust him, then moved to find a secluded spot.
And behind Johann, the children followed while glaring at each other.
Standing behind the school building, Johann looked at Emily.
“Anyway, what happened earlier was resolved well. The disciplinary action is 5 hours of community service outside school. Flash gets 10 hours. Fortunately, there are no penalty points.”
After finishing his words, Johann patted Flash’s back and pushed him forward.
“…Phew. Sorry, Emily. I didn’t know you disliked me all this time. I won’t do it anymore.”
“My goodness. Who are you?”
Flash closed his mouth and blushed.
How could he say it was because of his second brother?
‘I’ll look like an idiot.’
Flash could only hesitate, but Emily, realizing he was sincere, looked at Johann.
“He’s sincere.”
“…Fine. I’ll accept your apology. Don’t do it again. It was extremely unpleasant.”
“Th-thank you for forgiving me!”
Flash looked at Johann as if asking if that was enough.
“Let’s greet each other from now on, Flash.”
“R-right! Ah! Think carefully about what I said earlier. You have to join a club anyway when you go to middle school, you know?”
“Got it. I’ll think about it and let you know.”
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
As Flash left with his friends, the gazes of Emily, Joy, and Lucy became intense.
“Ah, well…”
Ding dong ding dong!
Johann, who was speaking, looked at the speaker attached to the wall.
“Isn’t that the class bell?”
“…Run!”
Looking at each other, they turned pale and ran to class.
* * *
In the end, the four who were late had no choice but to write reflection papers.
“That’s how it happened.”
After Johann finished his explanation, omitting details like Flash getting a nosebleed from being hit by his father, Emily, Joy, and Lucy’s expressions became subtle.
‘Is this really the Flash I know?’
Flash, with his tall height, excellent athletic ability, and tactical understanding, had pushed aside 5th grade seniors at just 4th grade age to become the real power in the baseball club.
Flash’s nickname was “tyrant” because no one from his grade or even one grade above dared to challenge him, so he acted however he pleased.
Flash also liked this nickname and strutted around even more arrogantly.
‘And he apologized first?’
“Johann, you’re really strong, aren’t you?!”
“Did you hit him again on the way?”
Honestly, Johann had been scary when he threatened with the ballpoint pen.
But unlike other boys who acted first or couldn’t say a word properly, his calm demeanor as he explained things quietly made their tension naturally ease.
‘Johann is different from other boys!’
He was dependable like an adult.
At their reaction, Johann furrowed his brow.
“Why do you come to that conclusion?”
“Because Flash is an idiot who can’t understand words!”
“That’s prejudice.”
“Kyahahaha!”
‘Why are they laughing?’
What exactly was funny about that?
‘Like Ada, women seem to be incomprehensible creatures.’
Would he understand if he accessed more women through Reading?
‘No.’
Johann shook his head.
His instinct told him it would still be hard to understand. ‘The One Who Became a Star’ said so too.
“So when does the community service start?”
“Tomorrow, on the weekend. I just need to go with the volunteer club.”
The volunteer club had about 120 members total from middle school to high school.
Even considering Fairmont School’s student body of about 2,000 and the fact that there was no limit to the number of clubs one could join, it could be called a large club.
‘But why did they start the school year on a Friday?’
It was slightly incomprehensible.
* * *
“Call me when you’re about to finish. Don’t even think about taking a bus or taxi back.”
The next day, in front of Fairmont School’s high school campus.
Johann nodded at Larry, who was giving him stern warnings.
“Don’t worry.”
‘That’s a shame.’
The experience of riding buses and taxis that he hadn’t tried yet. It seemed like this experience would have to be postponed.
“Yes. I trust you.”
“It’s hard looking for modeling jobs, isn’t it? Things will work out soon. Stay strong.”
Rocky Management, which had some growing pains while recruiting models after Star Model Agency collapsed.
“It’s not something you need to worry about, but thank you for caring.”
Larry patted Johann’s head, got in his car and left, and another car came and stopped in that spot.
“Johann!”
Flash jumping out of the car.
“Hello, Mr. Thompson.”
“…Right. Get along well with Flash. Flash, you know what happens if you cause trouble again, right? One out.”
“Yes, yes!”
The Thompson House’s three-strike system that gives a total of three chances per year.
When he went home yesterday, his second brother Joseph got beaten terribly along with being told “one out.”
He got beaten incomparably worse than what he himself had received at school yesterday, and when the first brother tried to stop it in shock but heard the reason, he joined in the beating. Even more severely than Father’s beating.
‘If one out is this bad, what would three outs be?’
He might die then.
“I absolutely won’t cause any trouble!”
“I’ll watch him from the side, Mr. Thompson.”
“…Thank you, and I’m sorry. Use this to buy something delicious with Flash.”
“Thank you.”
After Flash’s father left, Johann looked at Flash, who let out a long sigh.
“Are you scared of your father?”
“…The most in the world.”
“Does he hit you often?”
“Not at all!”
Except for big mistakes like yesterday, he was the most gentle father in the world.
“He plays catch with me every weekend, and he never gets annoyed no matter what I ask! That’s why I like him second after Mother! What about you?”
“I like both.”
Larry and Ada, he couldn’t rank one over the other.
“That… Larry is your adoptive father, right? Then was the lady next to you yesterday your adoptive mother?”
“No, she’s still a friend.”
“Still?”
“There’s something like that. Oh, here.”
Johann split the money he received from Flash’s father in half and held it out.
“It’s better to buy what you want rather than something delicious, right?”
“…Why did I do that to you yesterday?”
“It’s good that you realize it now. Oh, Flash. Do you know this? Starting school on Friday is just a taste.”
“A taste?”
“If school starts on Monday, you have to study until Friday.”
“Ugh. I hate it.”
“Since other students react like you, they give a taste on Friday and make you really study starting next week. That’s how they reduce psychological resistance.”
“…You’re smart?”
He didn’t know what psychological resistance meant, but he could understand it well enough. School was smarter than expected.
“Hey kids over there! You’re here to do community service as punishment for causing problems at school, right?”
A tall black man approached them.
Johann’s head tilted up endlessly.
“Hi? I’m the 11th grader who’ll be leading you today.”
Similar height to Giselle Buncheon.
“Oh, hello. I’m Flash Thompson!”
“So you’re the baseball club captain? Then you must be…”
When their eyes met, Johann extended his hand.
“I’m Johann Jefferson. Please take care of us today.”
“Ah, you’re…”
The man’s gaze changed instantly. He looked at Flash, who had just greeted him warmly, with contempt, and looked at Johann as if he pitied him.
Johann, realizing the reason, furrowed his brow.
‘This person is judging based on appearance alone.’
It was clearly mutual, and this side had even won, but he was being seen as a pitiful victim.
Johann looked at Flash.
Flash, who wasn’t even a head shorter than the 11th grader. Suddenly he felt a strange sense of defeat.
‘Should I grow taller?’
He felt somewhat sad and annoyed.
* * *
A homeless rehabilitation center somewhere in LA.
When a luxury sedan stopped at the center’s entrance, the faces of people who had been restless brightened completely.
Reporters who were beside them picked up their cameras.
“Branch Manager!”
The H&M US West Coast Branch Manager who makes large donations to LA.
“I hope I’m not late.”
“Not at all. We were actually surprised you came so early.”
“Haha. Is that so? Then I should come a little late next time.”
“Hahaha.”
The Center Director laughed wholeheartedly.
Though he was the director of one of LA’s leading homeless rehabilitation centers, the H&M US West Coast Branch Manager was a big shot who couldn’t help but be burdensome.
But every time such a big shot came, support and sponsorship for the center, no, for all homeless people in LA increased, so he couldn’t help but welcome him like this.
“You’ve come a long way. Please come inside. Our Deputy Center Director will guide you.”
“Pardon?”
“Another sponsor is scheduled to arrive soon… Ah, they’re here!”
The H&M US West Coast Branch Manager who turned his head frowned.
A vehicle that looked familiar for some reason.
And an unforgettable face getting out of the stopped car.
“ZARA…”
Flinch!
The ZARA US West Coast Branch Manager who looked up also frowned, and the reporters’ fingers moved busily on camera shutters.
“I didn’t expect to see you here…”
“Who’s talking…”
Both branch managers scowled.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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