The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 187

“Uncle, aren’t you going to catch a cold? The weather isn’t even that hot these days, and the wind is pretty chilly here.”

Yerim said worriedly. September was just around the corner, so the heat had subsided quite a bit. It was just that I was ruining my clothes so often that I had put spare clothes in my inventory, but it was a bit much to change outside. Should I at least change my top?

“Do something about it, Guild Leader. Can’t you control the fire to dry it?”

At Yerim’s words, Yoohyun raised an eyebrow.

“Unless hyung [older brother/male friend] has fire resistance, it’s hard to dry it in an instant. Park Yerim, can’t you even drain the water?”

He said, handing Irin over to me, and this time Yerim pouted.

“…I tried it with a doll I washed, and it shattered into pieces.”

“Useless.”

“Then what about you, Han Yoohyun! You wouldn’t have even made it here without me!”

The two bickered, then asked me if I was okay, and then started bickering again. Watching them, I couldn’t help but smile. My chest tickled.

When I woke up in the morning, I heard a welcoming voice and saw a welcoming face. Both of them eagerly greeted me every morning. We ate together and saw each other off, and if there was nothing special, we ate lunch together too. Yoohyun would come alone, saying it was Park Yerim’s supplementary class, or Yerim would come alone, saying Han Yoohyun was busy. When neither of them could come, they would call without fail.

I spent my days taking care of the monster cubs, going to Myungwoo with Noah, or listening to Seok Hayan’s team’s field experiment reports, and when evening came, the house became lively again.

There were always faces looking at me, always smiling, always looking happy. That continued day after day, and the next day, and the next.

There were still many burdens, the future was uncertain, and there were things I could never let go of. Nevertheless, my heart slowly eased.

Was that why I started to dislike my attitude towards Sung Hyunjae?

‘I was really used to bowing down.’

If I had been alone this time, I wouldn’t have felt any particular aversion. But everyone says they like me. It’s true that Sung Hyunjae is great, but the people who like me aren’t far behind. But I didn’t want to carelessly throw myself away, even with Yoohyun right behind me.

It was an impulsive act of rebellion, and even now I still feel anxious.

‘But he backed down.’

I was prepared to some extent, but it was also a bit unexpected. I even spoke as if I had taken Sung Hyunjae’s fragment by force, rather than bringing it through an agreement to clearly provoke him. I didn’t expect him to accept my resistance so easily.

Suddenly, I turned my head back and saw a man looking out at the sea. He was completely soaked, so he might have looked a bit shabby, but he seemed to insist that he had no connection with such words. He noticed my gaze and turned his eyes to me, smiling silently.

That appearance… how should I put it? For the first time, Sung Hyunjae looked like a person. Of course, we were still not close. He was a human being who was as different from me as the end and the end could be. Nevertheless, he felt slightly new now.

I was a little curious. What is that person, I wondered. Skills, abilities, S-Rank Hunter, Guild Leader, etc. I knew quite a bit about those things, but I was completely in the dark about other things. Even though he must have had parents. He must have had a childhood. He must have experienced at least one difficult thing in his life. It doesn’t suit him, though.

“Don’t smile, I might get attached.”

“Weren’t you already quite attached?”

“Not at all.”

“I thought I was.”

What nonsense is he talking about again? I couldn’t say anything to his smiling face and turned my head. Ah, this is really tiring in many ways.

I entered a convenience store that was brightly lit on a dark and deserted street. It was small, but there was a table attached to one wall where you could eat. The convenience store part-timer who was organizing the shelves froze when he saw us. He must be a little embarrassed. He went inside the counter and kept glancing at us without looking.

“Is it because it’s late? There’s not much left.”

Yerim said, picking up a hot bar [sausage/fish cake on a stick]. There were no lunch boxes left, and only a few triangle kimbaps [seaweed rice balls] remained. While I was sweeping up the triangle kimbaps, Yerim took out udon [thick wheat flour noodles] and cup ramen, regretting that there was no cheese.

Fortunately, I didn’t lose my wallet, but of course it was wet, and my phone was dead, so the chances of my card being okay were low. With an apologetic heart, I carefully took out two 50,000 won bills, being careful not to tear them, and spread them out on one side of the counter.

“Please consider the change as a cleaning fee. Can I use the phone for a call?”

The part-timer kindly lent me his phone. I called Haeyeon and was soon connected to Seok Simyeong. I told him about the situation here and asked about the people who had taken refuge in the smithy.

[Yes, the rescue is already complete.]

It seemed that the rescue team had been sent out not long after the ship sank. I wondered what had happened in the middle of the sea, but Riete had transformed into a dragon and carried them. Noah, who had wings, would have easily made it to land even if a separate rescue team hadn’t gone.

I asked the part-timer for the location here and told Seok Simyeong. Fortunately, it wasn’t too far from Seoul.

“He said he’ll be here within an hour. He said he’ll contact Seseong too.”

It would be better to wait quietly at the convenience store than for us to move. While Yerim was getting hot water for the cup ramen, I laid out the triangle kimbaps on the table. I handed one to Sung Mo-ssi too. I wanted to say, ‘It’s your own fault, so starve,’ but it was still his birthday.

‘…But would he have ever eaten triangle kimbap?’

Just in case, I looked back at Sung Hyunjae again. The triangle kimbap in his large hand looked very awkward. He probably wouldn’t have. It would be his first time. I wonder if he knows how to unwrap it.

Suddenly, my heart started to beat faster.

“It’s edible, so please eat.”

Hurry up. Sung Hyunjae, who was looking at me, lowered his gaze to the triangle kimbap. Okay, quickly tear off the plastic. Should I have microwaved some popcorn?

Sung Hyunjae’s other hand reached for the triangle kimbap. He grabbed one end and slowly turned it, revealing the instructions on the bottom. No way.

“How cheap to look at the instructions!”

“Wasn’t it there to be looked at?”

That’s true, but! Still, to actually look at it here! In my betrayal-filled gaze, Sung Hyunjae pulled the red string as instructed on the packaging. Then he pulled the plastic apart on both sides, neatly peeling it off. Ah, I’m really disappointed. I couldn’t help but feel regret, and then I heard Yerim’s excited voice.

“Han Yoohyun, can’t you even eat triangle kimbap properly!”

No, why is our Yoohyun like that? I quickly turned my head and saw white rice exposed without seaweed.

Yoohyun was looking down at the triangle kimbap with a slightly embarrassed look.

“It’s okay, I’ll do it for you.”

“How do you not know? Guild Leader, have you never eaten triangle kimbap before?”

“Hyung told me to eat properly.”

Yoohyun replied to Yerim’s amazed words.

“Still, weren’t you an ordinary high school student before you awakened? You eat convenience store triangle kimbap as a snack. What about other things? Don’t tell me you’ve never eaten cup ramen either?”

“I haven’t.”

At Yoohyun’s words, Yerim opened her mouth wide. She laughed exaggeratedly, saying, ‘Oh my gosh.’

“Wow, Uncle! Is that true? Han Yoohyun has never eaten ramen?”

“It’s not that I’ve never eaten it at all, but my family sometimes cooked bag ramen at home. It’s not good for you. Besides, you have to eat properly when you’re a teenager.”

When you’re growing up. It’s better to eat properly if possible.

“…Aren’t you even curious? There aren’t many left, so I can’t show our Guild Leader the real taste of convenience store food.”

Yerim said regretfully, pushing the udon towards me.

“Have some warm soup.”

“Thanks.”

“Han Yoohyun, do you want to eat ramen? I’ll even pour the water for you. You know that you have to pour water and wait for cup ramen, right?”

“No thanks.”

“Do you know about bibimmyeon [spicy cold noodles]? It has a difficult cooking method where you have to pour out the water and then add the sauce. What about rabokki [ramen and tteokbokki]? Have you eaten tteokbokki [spicy rice cakes] Ah, don’t tell me you’ve never eaten a hamburger either?”

Hamburger… have I eaten it? I don’t remember buying it for him. But we sometimes ordered pizza or chicken.

“Sung Mo-ssi, would you like some ramen?”

You also look like you’ve never eaten cup ramen. But you still ate the triangle kimbap. You overturned the birthday table you set up yourself, but it’s still your birthday, so I feel a little bit sorry. Ramen and triangle kimbap on your birthday is a bit much. …It’s not comfortable to let a birthday pass by roughly, even if it’s for a hateful person. Even though the birthday person messed it up himself, well.

“Just a moment.”

I stopped Sung Hyunjae’s reply and turned around. There was a cake left in the display case. I picked up a piece of tiramisu cake and asked the part-timer if he had any candles. There were no birthday candles, but there were regular candles. That’s good enough.

I unwrapped the cake and put it on the table. Then I stuck the candle in the middle. Yoohyun reluctantly lit the candle. It looks funny, but anyway, it’s a cake with a candle.

“Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday, you annoying Sung Mo-ssi~”

Why isn’t anyone singing with me? It’s embarrassing. Yerim, don’t look at me like that. It’s embarrassing enough right now.

“Make a wish and blow out the candle.”

“A wish, huh.”

“Don’t you have one?”

“I don’t know.”

“Just think of something you want to do or whatever and blow it out.”

Sung Hyunjae looked at me for a moment before blowing out the candle. Kids, clap with me. I’m really embarrassed right now. Did I do something unnecessary?

Not long after, cars arrived one after another. Haeyeon, Seseong, and even the Association. When I saw Song Taewon’s face among them, I felt guilty. Of course, I didn’t cause it, but if it had passed by as usual, nothing would have happened, probably. …Or would it have? I think he would have wanted to try to detonate it.

“I feel like I’m saying this too often, but if you need any help, please tell me anytime.”

At my words, Song Taewon shook his head briefly.

“It’s okay. There are no unawakened victims, so there’s not much for me to do. I will report the field records, and the Association will issue appropriate sanctions.”

“It’s really fortunate that it was on the sea.”

“…It is fortunate.”

Fatigue quickly deepened on Song Taewon’s indifferent face. His gaze turned to Sung Hyunjae. Yes, you must be tired just meeting him. I understand.

“Chief Song Taewon probably knows more about the Seseong Guild Leader than I do, right?”

I asked suddenly. He must have been involved for nearly three years, so he couldn’t help but know. And later, he even gave him his skill. Why did he do that? I still didn’t know, and I was still curious.

“I don’t know well.”

“But you’ve seen him.”

“Even if I watch him for ten more years, not just three, I don’t have the confidence to say I know him.”

Song Taewon’s gaze turned back to me. His eyes were always deeply sunken, as always.

“Han Yujin-ssi is also difficult in a different sense.”

“I’m relatively ordinary. Compared to that person over there.”

What I want is simple and ordinary. I myself am not that special. It’s always been like that. It’s just that the people I want to embrace are special. I’m just struggling to follow them somehow. Because I didn’t want to let go.

“Han Yujin-gun [term of polite address].”

Sung Hyunjae approached this way. He was holding a cell phone in one hand. He showed me the cell phone, the screen with my number on it. The name part was empty.

“Is there something you want?”

“…Are you asking me?”

“Then who should I ask?”

The place where ‘item’ was written was erased. Sung Hyunjae’s gaze looked down at me calmly. Unlike his light tone, his gaze felt heavy. If I am not an item that he owns or plans to own, the treatment may be worse than before. One mistake could lead to merciless retaliation.

Standing side by side is like that. Bestowing generosity and showing generosity is something that applies to subordinates.

I took the cell phone. If I write the original name here again, I will go back again.

I turned my head. Yoohyun, who was talking to Seok Simyeong, was visible. Yerim, who was kicking the ground next to him, met my gaze and smiled brightly.

“Here.”

I tapped the keyboard a few times and handed the cell phone back to Sung Hyunjae.

“We’ll be business partners, I guess. I look forward to working with you in the future, Sung Hyunjae-ssi [term of polite address].”

“I’m the one who should be looking forward to it.”

Looking forward to it, that’s a scary thing to say. Sung Hyunjae looked at the cell phone and slightly corrected the name. My partner.

“…Why is that attached again?”

I protested, but he turned away without even pretending to hear. Song Taewon looked at me with a complicated expression as I sighed. He seemed to have something he wanted to say, but he quietly turned away.