The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 193

193. Director (3)

I prefer comfortable clothes. Something a little oversized, loose, and without any unnecessary frills. Lightweight and soft materials are even better. Anything tight-fitting is just not my style.

‘I hate suits.’

Custom-tailored suits that accentuate the figure… well, they do look decent. But I was also told to have all my casual wear tailored to fit as well. They wouldn’t interfere at home, but outside, I was supposed to be mindful even when going to the nearby mart.

When entering dungeons, I had to wear tight-fitting clothes to avoid getting my sleeves caught, but I want to live comfortably in my daily life. Even though it’s September, the weather is still hot. It’s just too tiring, both physically and mentally, to dress properly.

‘The atmosphere is already exhausting.’

Sitting alone in the back seat of the armored car, I kept getting distracted by random thoughts. The driver and the attendant in the passenger seat were also dressed in black suits. Both were A-Rank Hunters sent by Haeyeon Guild.

Originally, I was planning to go with Noah, but Seok Si-myung said that bringing an S-Rank Hunter as an attendant when meeting another S-Rank Hunter could be seen as a provocation. Like I was showing off, saying, ‘I even boss around S-Rank Hunters,’ and starting off with a preemptive strike.

Thanks to that, silence filled the car. It felt awkward to start a conversation first.

I took out my phone and checked the time. There was still well over 30 minutes until the appointment. Because I was young, low-ranked, and socially inexperienced, it was better to arrive early and wait.

‘Sung Hyun-jae is the type to arrive on time, though.’

Seok Si-myung told me that he wasn’t the type to try to gain the upper hand by playing with appointment times. Still, he warned me to be careful in case he showed up late with the intention of suppressing me.

Even while teaching me all sorts of things, Seok Si-myung seemed to think that Sung Hyun-jae wouldn’t take me seriously. I somewhat agreed.

It wouldn’t be surprising if he showed up at the meeting place and said it was just a whim and he was already bored. There was even a chance he might not show up at all.

‘…Feels like I’m going for a job interview.’

Like a high school graduate with no qualifications barely scraping through and having to face the chairman of a large corporation instead of just the HR department… well, it’s not that different. Thinking about my past life makes me even more pathetic.

When I arrived at the hotel where we were supposed to meet, a staff member was waiting to greet me. The luxurious lobby was lined with hotel staff standing at attention. Surely they didn’t empty the entire hotel? Even on a weekday, there would be guests with reservations.

But throughout the entire elevator ride, I didn’t see anyone who looked like a guest. Not just a conference room or a restaurant, but the whole place was rented out.

‘…He’s the kind of guy who blows away a cruise ship, so, whatever.’

Even so, this is excessive. How much did this cost? Can’t he play within the bounds of common sense?

“From here, only Han Yoojin-nim can enter.”

The Sesung Guild member waiting at the entrance of the hallway said as I got off the elevator.

“The escorts will wait here.”

I was told that even the Sesung people wouldn’t go inside. Only a few non-awakened hotel staff with verified identities were allowed. With a slightly nervous heart, I walked alone. The soft carpet on the floor muffled my footsteps under the dim lighting. There were still about twenty minutes left until the appointment time.

‘Go in first, sit down and wait, and when Sung Hyun-jae appears, naturally get up and greet him.’

I repeated what Seok Si-myung had taught me in my head as I opened the door. A wide, quiet lounge appeared before me. The darkening sky was visible through the glass windows that filled the wall. I took a few steps and then stopped abruptly.

‘…This wasn’t in the plan.’

The man was sitting by the window with a clear view. He was leaning back casually in his chair, his gaze fixed on me. His long legs were lightly crossed.

Unlike me, he was so relaxed that it was slightly irritating. But why is he already here? I started walking again, racking my brain. Should I apologize for being late? But I’m not late. Should I ask if he’s been waiting long? But I’m not late. I came early.

I reached the table. Sung Hyun-jae looked up at me with a faint smile, without saying a word.

“You must have been bored.”

The words came out reflexively, without thinking. Honestly, he looked like he had nothing to do. Should I have said, ‘You’re so diligent’? This also feels a bit sarcastic. Or just a normal greeting, like, ‘You came early.’ No, I should have just greeted him normally.

“Um, Sesung Guild Leader-nim.”

‘How have you been?’ is not right, and ‘Have you been well…’ it hasn’t even been a few days. ‘Did you have a pleasant time in confinement?’ is a gauntlet [a challenge or provocation]. Don’t just stare, say something. Please.

“I heard you never come this early, but this is unexpected.”

“I couldn’t possibly neglect my first meeting with my partner.”

“So you emptied out the entire hotel?”

“It’s a small token of my sincerity.”

Your and my concepts of size seem to be very different. I suppressed the urge to keep snapping back. I’ve gotten too used to it.

Anyway, he didn’t stand me up. He even came out first, so I can take it as a positive sign. Of course, I can’t relax yet. As I sat down in the opposite chair, Sung Hyun-jae straightened his posture.

“Recently, I’ve been thinking about the breeding center……”

Before I could finish, I suddenly remembered the business card. I was planning to bring up the breeding center naturally while handing over the card. But Sung Hyun-jae had to appear later… Ah, whatever. Renting out the entire hotel might have been a form of psychological warfare from the start.

“Please accept my business card first.”

I took out the business card from my inventory and handed it over. I’m sorry, Seok Si-myung-ssi, but it seems like I’m doomed from the start and can’t follow your instructions. There’s no way I can suddenly pretend to be a competent and polite businessman overnight.

“Han Yoojin, Director.”

“Sesung Guild Leader-nim, please give me one as well.”

Isn’t that how it’s usually done? Sung Hyun-jae handed me his business card. Neat. The contact information on the card was different from what I knew.

“As you may already know, we plan to reorganize the Giseungsu Breeding Center. Therefore, I would like to revise some of the existing contract terms.”

Haeyeon was fine, and Moon Hyun-ah gave a positive response from Breaker Guild. MKC was ruined, so the only ones left were Sesung and Hanshin. If I could get Sesung’s agreement, Hanshin wouldn’t object either.

“There aren’t many major changes. The main focus is to change the security, which was previously handled by each guild, to be directly under the breeding center.”

I said there weren’t many changes, but in the end, it meant reducing the interference of each guild. With the current security of the breeding center being handled by the hunters of the five major guilds—now four—information was bound to leak. They would know everything about who I was meeting and what I was doing.

It was to prevent that.

“I refuse.”

I almost asked, ‘Excuse me?’ but I managed to hold it back. His leisurely voice continued.

“There’s no reason to disadvantageously revise a contract that’s already been completed, of course.”

That’s true. The problem was that there wasn’t a suitable bait to get Sung Hyun-jae to accept the proposal. I racked my brains with Seok Si-myung, but we couldn’t come up with any good ideas.

“Please tell me what you want.”

“As expected, Han Yoojin-ssi is still green.”

“…Pardon?”

“Sit up straight again.”

At Sung Hyun-jae’s words, I reflexively straightened my back. I had been leaning towards the table without realizing it.

“Once when you entered, twice in front of the table, and three times after sitting down. In a short amount of time, Yoojin-gun’s expression faltered a total of six times.”

I unconsciously touched my cheek. I was flustered a few times, but was it that obvious?

“So, am I disqualified?”

“I’m not cruel enough to throw a fledgling out of the nest. My partner is still young and immature.”

He smiles, pretending to be generous. I appreciate him thinking that way.

“But Han Yoojin-gun, you can do whatever you want with my possessions. They can be flawed or shabby. Even if I’m holding a crudely carved promotional pencil instead of an expensive pen in my hand, people’s gazes towards me won’t change. Everyone knows that the Sesung Guild Leader can buy as many pens worth tens or hundreds as he wants. Rather, the value of the pencil might increase.”

Sung Hyun-jae’s hand moved gently, as if pointing at me.

“On the other hand, a partner is different.”

The chair quietly slid back, and he stood up. He was already tall, but looking up at him while he was sitting made him feel even more gigantic.

“We stand on equal footing and acknowledge each other. In other words, if Han Yoojin-gun appears lacking…”

Sung Hyun-jae moved. He walked around the table towards me. I forcibly caught the gaze that followed his movements. The hem of his suit disappeared from my sight, and a hand was placed on my shoulder.

“That influence will also affect me. Above all, Yoojin-gun is my only partner. If someone I acknowledge and accept as an equal is incompetent, then my judgment will ultimately be questioned. There’s also the saying ‘birds of a feather flock together,’ isn’t there?”

A low chuckle scattered above my head. Imagining myself standing side by side with Sung Hyun-jae made my head spin. If I didn’t have fear resistance, I might have shouted that I quit. I’m obviously lacking, of course.

As if knowing what I was thinking, his voice continued.

“So, if you can’t even reach the minimum standard until the end…”

The hand on my shoulder turned, and a long finger lightly touched my neck.

“I’ll have no choice but to drag you down from a place that doesn’t suit you.”

I let out a short breath, as if exhaling. He’s putting on the pressure in a scary way.

“Should I start worrying about my life now?”

“Oh dear, did I make you misunderstand? My affection for Han Yoojin-gun remains unchanged, so don’t worry. Only the position will change.”

“Like before? Or will it be worse than that?”

“It will change a little. It’s annoying if the leash breaks again.”

He’s going to thoroughly trample me so that I can’t even think of resisting, is he? It seems he hasn’t completely acknowledged me. He’s just giving me a chance.

That’s probably true. It’s no different from a pampered pet suddenly claiming human rights. It’s amazing that he’s even yielding this much.

Still.

“I’m sorry, Sung Hyun-jae-ssi.”

I tilted my head back as if leaning on the backrest. My eyes met his, which were looking down at me.

“Even if I am lacking compared to you, there will be no going back to the way things were.”

The golden eyes smiled thinly, as if telling me to keep talking.

“Even though I may not look like it, I’m not alone. If you rashly claim ownership, even the great Sesung Guild Leader-nim will be bitten painfully. You might even suffer a fatal wound.”

I don’t want to harm the people who cherish me. If I were to clash with Sung Hyun-jae, I would inevitably be greatly hurt, whether I won or lost. Thinking about the future, the losses would be great. It’s not right to fight internally when there’s an external enemy. It’s foolish to waste power unnecessarily.

So, the best way is for me to yield. The best thing to do is to do what Sung Hyun-jae wants and appease the people around me, I keep thinking.

‘In the end, it’s the way that’s easiest for me.’

I want to sacrifice myself. It’s comfortable. It’s also a quick way.

But I’ve seen the people who worry about me, suffer, and tear at their hearts in pain because of me. No matter who the opponent is, even if there’s no chance of winning, they’re the ones who will pick up weapons and create them for me. They’re the ones who will be happier to do that.

So, what can I do? I have no choice but to hold hands, put our heads together, and struggle until the very end. If there’s no other way in the end, I might waver. Because I’m not that strong. But it’s still okay.

“At the very least, it will be impossible to get me in a normal state. Whether it’s me or you.”

“…It’s difficult when you seduce me like that.”

Sung Hyun-jae muttered. What nonsense is he talking about again? Don’t tell me he’s more drawn to the idea of a big fight. …Should I take back that it’s not what I meant, even now? Peace is the best. Let’s talk it over.

“My dear Director Han, I recommend enrolling in university first.”

“Yes?”

“I believe Seok Si-myung advised you to do so. It’s best to minimize flaws.”

Sung Hyun-jae said as he walked back towards the table.

“…Even if I get in through special admission, it won’t look good.”

“Privileges are also a form of ability. You may be dissatisfied, but your evaluation will be higher than if you remain a high school graduate. People surprisingly accept it easily if it’s a position you’ve acquired through your own power, no matter the process or means.”

His gaze swept down me, observing me, as he stood across from me.

“Then, simply put, let’s examine Yoojin-gun’s current state.”

Sung Hyun-jae spoke like a teacher. Can I refuse this class?