The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 119

119. Grade S Bait (2)

The viewership ratings will skyrocket.

During an interview with the world’s only monster caretaker, the Haeyeon Guild Leader appeared, showing a rare side of himself, followed by a sudden declaration of arrest. And it’s all live on air.

I wish I could have watched this spectacle in front of the TV. Unfortunately, I can’t pop popcorn because this is about me.

‘Oh, my life,’ I lamented inwardly and turned off my Fear Resistance skill. At the same time, Song Tae-won’s gaze felt heavy on me.

“S-suddenly, an arrest……?”

I stood up, utterly flustered. Peace, who had been jumping around on my lap, whimpered softly. Blue tilted his head, not understanding the situation.

“Um, I…….”

Song Tae-won took out a pair of handcuffs with an inventory sealing function [handcuffs that prevent the use of inventory skills]. It’s been a while. First time since the regression. I thought I’d be living a life far removed from such things now, but my first experience is live on air, my life.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Yoo-hyun stepped in front of me, blocking the way, and spoke coldly. Impressive acting.

“If you didn’t hear, I’ll say it again—”

“I heard your ridiculous nonsense loud and clear. To pin such an absurd charge on a stat F-rank Hunter who hasn’t even been awakened for two months.”

“If you’re confident of his innocence, he’ll be released immediately. Step aside.”

The power struggle between the two intensified, and I trembled slightly. Good thing I don’t have to act.

“Yoo-hyun, calm down. Maybe I, maybe I did something wrong.”

“Hyung!”

“I don’t know exactly, but don’t do this because of me. You’re the Guild Leader.”

I stepped forward with a frightened expression. Is the camera capturing this well? I’m too embarrassed to do this twice, so I need to cement this image this time. Even an S-rank Hunter can be this ordinary and human.

Yoo-hyun grabbed me as I approached Song Tae-won. I think this is enough. I muttered inwardly, then turned around, and my heart sank. The facial expression is a bit too much.

“Hey… it’s okay. I’ll be out soon.”

“Can’t you just not go? I’ll figure something out.”

No, Yoo-hyun. We agreed to show that you uphold the law, even if you’re shaken.

“I don’t want to cause you trouble. …I’m sorry.”

My gaze fell to my feet as I uttered the word ‘sorry.’ Is it because I turned off Fear Resistance? I feel uneasy. As I shook off my brother’s hand, Peace approached me this time.

– Kkeuung.

He made a plaintive sound as we practiced. Our Peace is so smart. I bent down and stroked Peace.

“Good boy, Peace. Dad will be back soon, so wait patiently.”

– Kkiung.

“Blue, don’t cause any trouble either.”

– Kkyau?

He gestured, not understanding what was going on. The contrast with Peace was perfect. It was an exaggerated farewell scene for just a brief detention, but I needed to sow some melodrama for what’s to come.

After patting Peace, I turned back to Song Tae-won. As soon as the handcuffs were placed on my outstretched wrist, other characters appeared.

“Yoo-jin!”

“Yoo-jin-ssi!”

Myeong-woo and Noah rushed over with expressions of utter shock. I told them that those two didn’t need to step up, but they insisted on seeing me off as I was being arrested, so I included them.

“No, what power do you have to put handcuffs on him!”

“It must be stuffy in the detention center, and there aren’t any windows…….”

Noah, who had experience in detention centers, looked worried, saying it was humid because it was summer. At that, Myeong-woo jumped up, asking if there wasn’t even a dehumidifier. The facilities are good, but of course, there wouldn’t be in a detention center.

“I’ll come to visit you right away.”

“I’ll go too.”

“But why are you really putting handcuffs on him? Isn’t it too much for an S-rank to do that?”

Myeong-woo glared at Song Tae-won. Everyone is acting so well. …Is it acting?

“It’ll be okay. Thank you for worrying about me. Thank you too, Noah-ssi.”

“Let’s go now.”

Song Tae-won grabbed my arm.

“Hyung!”

– Kkeuang!

“Yoo-jin!”

“Yoo-jin-ssi!”

…That’s enough. Anyone would think I was going to die. They trailed behind me as I was dragged away by Song Tae-won. The camera followed, not wanting to miss anything. The parking lot was on the building side, so there were quite a few people staring at me along the way, which was embarrassing. It’s hard to maintain a frightened expression. I should have at least thrown on a coat.

Fortunately, the car was a special police car, not a compact car. It was a vehicle made sturdier for Hunters. But even a mid-level combat Hunter could easily smash it.

I got into the car amidst the gazes of pity. I hope things go as planned.

* * *

It was a bizarre sight.

The young man standing in the rain was an ordinary human. An ordinary person who could be easily crushed like wet mud with just a light press.

But on either side of him, monsters stood guard, monsters that even Song Tae-won would have trouble handling. They had affectionate eyes, like well-trained dogs.

At first, it was surprising. There was also suspicion. Were those things putting a leash on a stat F-rank, who was easy to use, and treating him generously as if he were a pet?

However, the ordinary person among the monsters, that seemingly harmless young man, was the one who wasn’t normal.

Han Yoo-jin’s gaze clearly contained affection. He adored and cherished the monsters prowling beside him, and even worried about them with his eyes.

Very normally. As if he were treating ordinary people.

“…I understand. I will make an announcement as quickly as possible.”

Song Tae-won hung up the phone and sighed briefly. The aftermath of the live broadcast was significant. A stat F-rank. The sight of a person, no different from an ordinary person, being arrested by an S-rank Hunter while terrified was quite stimulating. Even his family, animals, and friends were mobilized.

‘At least there were no young children.’

If Park Ye-rim had been there, public opinion would have swayed even more violently. Even now, complaints were piling up.

Song Tae-won slowly stroked his chin. A human who embraced monsters like his own children and was satisfied. He was still having trouble figuring out how to deal with it.

He sighed again and moved his feet.

* * *

‘I mustn’t get hurt.’

Of course, handcuffs weren’t comfortable things to wear. They were heavy, perhaps because they were for Hunters. I moved my wrist back and forth on the table for no reason.

My brother, of course, opposed the idea of me cleanly playing the role of bait to expose the rotten roots of the Association. I had to write several agreements and contracts to persuade him.

‘If I get injured to the point of bleeding, I agreed to stay put quietly from then on.’

Myeong-woo and Noah even joined in and took one each. What started as ‘I’ll be safe, I won’t get hurt’ eventually evolved into something like a waiver of bodily rights.

Even if I get injured, I can just heal it with a potion, but it’s best not to bleed. There are three waivers of bodily rights that will be shoved in my face if I get caught. If Ye-rim were here, there would be four.

Squeak.

With the sound of a heavy steel door opening, Song Tae-won entered the interrogation room. He always has a stiff face. He’s handsome as an S-rank, so he’d look much softer if he just had a little smile. But maybe that face is better for work.

“You carry a gun.”

“For dealing with non-awakened people.”

A short answer came back. A person who could easily throw a rock is carrying a gun. It’s not like he can’t control his strength.

“First of all, I plead not guilty. This isn’t being recorded, is it?”

“There is no recording. Was the Black Dragon a Riet Hunter [a monster that appears in a Riet dungeon]?”

“It was just a passing monster.”

“What happened to Han Yoo-hyun Hunter was clearly wrong, but you went too far.”

“What can I do if it collapsed due to bad luck? It has to be rebuilt.”

“About half of it is taxes.”

I felt sorry for a moment. Taxes, it’s taxes. I guess so.

“…I’m a B-rank, so I pay all my taxes. I’ll be getting a lot of work from overseas in the future, and I’ll be paying a lot. Haeyeon said they’d take care of the tax processing, but I’m just going to pay it honestly.”

I’d be satisfied if I just earned enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life. There’s not much use for a lot of money. I’ll be a high-income, honest taxpayer, so please be lenient.

A brief silence flowed. Song Tae-won, sitting across from me, opened his mouth with an inscrutable expression.

“It hasn’t been decided yet whether you will cooperate. I can send Han Yoo-jin-ssi back as is.”

In order for me to play the role of bait, I had to escape from near-perfect protection. I could just wander around the streets alone like an idiot, but that would be like shouting that it’s a trap. If they have any sense, they’ll notice the suspicion.

So, the method I chose was detention. The Hunter detention center is heavily influenced by the Association. Also, if Song Tae-won leaves his post, only mid- to low-level Hunters will remain.

It’s easy to sneak someone out. Moreover, imprisoned Hunters often attempt to escape, so it’s a good excuse for me to disappear. A few days ago, I had Noah knock out the Hunters and make a false report about a gate, so I could create a suitable charge.

“You can’t do that now.”

But if I’m imprisoned, Song Tae-won will protect me because of my importance, so I needed his cooperation. He needs to leave his post appropriately so I can be kidnapped.

“Aren’t I helping you cut out the rotten parts of the Association?”

“I didn’t agree to raise the reputation of the Haeyeon Guild and incite distrust in the Association. If Han Yoo-jin-ssi goes missing in the current situation, the repercussions will be great. Since you even broadcast it on purpose, you have no intention of hiding the disappearance.”

Song Tae-won said coldly. Well, it’s true that I was trying to get some extra benefits.

“I’m sacrificing myself, so I should get that much in return. If the Association had been clean in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened. It’s your own fault.”

“Isn’t the Haeyeon Guild Leader’s image improvement enough with the broadcast? Please cover up the disappearance.”

“You’re overly protective, Song Tae-won-ssi. You know very well that the Association has been doing stupid things. They were trying to open the Awakening Center without any measures. And yet, you want to take their side? If you’re a civil servant, you should think of the people first, not the Association.”

It hasn’t happened yet, but the Association is trash enough just with the Awakening Center incident. From the start, the incompetent higher-ups were the problem.

It wasn’t like this from the beginning. It was great that they created a shopping mall, an official item exchange, and established a Hunter registration base. The dungeon auction and management system were also well-organized.

But as soon as they were about to get a foothold, they pushed out the working-level employees. The current higher-ups have only been in those positions for less than half a year.

“The people?”

The corners of Song Tae-won’s lips twisted slightly.

“If the Association loses its power, the S-rank Hunters will be the first to run wild. Han Yoo-jin-ssi, isn’t that what you want? While deluding yourself that you’re on equal footing with those guys.”

It was a heavy, sharp voice. If Fear Resistance hadn’t blocked it, I would have felt considerable pressure.

“You’ve got me all wrong.”

It would be nice for the kids to play if the cumbersome Association disappeared.

“I think it’s okay to have a healthy Association. An Association with proper working-level employees sitting at the top. Like Song Tae-won-ssi.”

His gaze towards me became even colder. Should I use Grace? I think it’s okay for now.

“Just because you’re an S-rank Hunter.”

“It’s not just—”

Thud.

The chair I was sitting on was pushed back. It was because Song Tae-won grabbed my collar and pulled me. I blinked, half pulled over the table. That was fast.

“What do you want?”

“World peace?”

He looked like he would strangle me if I said another word of nonsense.

“There are many things I want, but they are things that I can’t achieve from my position.”

“How much greed do you have that you can’t achieve it even from your position?”

“It’s trivial.”

“Tell me.”

“There are many things, but what I want recently is for Yoo-hyun to go to school like a normal person. Make friends and date. Sometimes he’ll drink too much and come home late. I’ve never seen him drunk.”

The day I can slap him on the back and say, ‘Why did you drink so much?’ will never come.

Song Tae-won’s expression, which had been consistently cold, crumbled slightly.

“That’s…….”

“It’s nothing, really. But who would listen to that?”

I have to turn the world upside down again, so I have to be a god. I really didn’t want much. I just wanted things that would naturally be achieved if I lived diligently.

I smiled at his confused face.

“Song Tae-won-ssi, I don’t care about squeezing into a compact car, taking the subway, or carrying a gun. What I want is the same as before. But what can’t be done can’t be done.”

The hand that was grabbing my collar lost its strength. I sat back in my seat and adjusted my collar.

It was clear that Song Tae-won was tied to his past before awakening. It’s like a tiger who believes he’s a cat. He’s sitting blankly with only one foot in a cardboard box that he could comfortably curl up in when he was a cub.

‘How do I get him out of there?’

I’m not in a position to talk. I’m a fool who couldn’t let go of his regrets even now, after suffering for years and regressing to live a new life. Still, I’m roughly adapting to the changes. Does Song Tae-won need to regress once to change?

“…I will cooperate.”

“Ah, then go on a date tonight. I’ll be kidnapped in the meantime.”

“Also, I will take responsibility for the disappearance. It is a serious negligence and mistake to have left my post despite knowing Han Yoo-jin-ssi’s importance and the past kidnapping incident.”

…This guy, really.

“Do you want to be criticized that much? I think you’re already getting a lot.”

Song Tae-won didn’t answer. But there was no sign on his face that he was reluctant to bear the heavy responsibility, receive criticism, and be dragged down. Maybe he’s even welcoming it.

I thought that this person was also very twisted.

* * *

The stage was set, but there was no guarantee that news would come right away. I was worried about what would happen if my time in the detention center got longer, but fortunately, the guest I was waiting for came the next night.