The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 318

“Welcome, Noah!”

He looks alright. There were many things I wanted to ask, but I held back for now. It’s a holiday, after all. We should spend it comfortably if possible. If Noah wanted to talk first, I would listen, of course, but he didn’t seem to want to. He even looked a little anxious.

He doesn’t want to talk about it yet.

“We’re about to make songpyeon [Korean rice cakes], so you came at just the right time. It would be nice if you wore a hanbok [traditional Korean clothing] too, should I ask them to send you one?”

When I suggested he wear a hanbok tomorrow if possible, Noah hesitated and then nodded.

“Yes.”

“Do you have a favorite color? I think you’d look good in a dopo [a type of traditional Korean overcoat].”

He’d look good in anything, with his looks. I pulled Noah over and sat him down in a chair at one of the tables. On the table were songpyeon dough and fillings. We bought a songpyeon-making set, so all we had to do was make the dough into different colored balls and add the fillings.

“Is all that’s left is to season the vegetables?”

Myungwoo looked around as if he was about to wash his hands. Ye-rim noticed and made a water ball for him.

“Just tell me if you need water~”

While Yoohyun was frying pancakes, Myungwoo started preparing the vegetables. He took the bowl of vegetables away for a moment and came back with them blanched. I felt sorry for Ismualt for constantly using her for cooking.

Before long, the finished pancakes and vegetables were neatly packed into plastic containers and the lids were closed. Then we all sat around the table and started making songpyeon.

Myungwoo’s skills were a given, and everyone else made pretty songpyeon too. Then Ye-rim got bored and gradually increased the size of her dough.

“Look, it’s a bunny.”

Ye-rim smiled, holding out a round, crouching pink bunny.

“Cute. It’s too good to eat.”

“I’ll give it to you, Mister.”

Then she started rounding the songpyeon to make a chick. It won’t cook well if it’s too big.

“Hyung.”

Then Yoohyun held out a songpyeon too. White, hmm.

“A puppy?”

“Yeah. I’ll give it to you, Hyung.”

“Thanks. You made it well, it’s cute.”

My little brother is so talented. I put the puppy next to the bunny, and this time a songpyeon made of yellow dough was pushed out.

“Me too, this.”

“Wow, a dragon? Is it Noah?”

“I didn’t make it thinking of myself, but I wanted to give it to Yoojin.”

“Thank you. It’s cool.”

I put the dragon next to the bunny. I wondered if it was Myungwoo’s turn, but Myungwoo was making ordinary-shaped songpyeon. Then he noticed my gaze and smiled.

“You’ll only want to eat the ones I made anyway.”

Myungwoo put down the songpyeon, showing confidence that the shape didn’t matter. It wasn’t even steamed yet, but I unconsciously drooled. It’s just songpyeon, the ingredients are ordinary, but it won’t taste ordinary.

The finished songpyeon were placed in a steamer lined with pine needles. Myungwoo disappeared with the steamer, saying he would steam them at the smithy. In the meantime, we tidied up the rooftop garden.

“Oh, Mister. Hyunah asked if she could take refuge here tomorrow.”

“Refuge?”

“Yeah. She said she’s going to run away, saying she has business at the breeding center.”

She’s trying to avoid nagging.

“Of course, she can come.”

I wonder if there will be enough food. I should take out some of the meat we got as a gift.

“Will the egg take long to hatch?”

“Hmm? I wonder.”

“I wonder what kind of spirit will be born. I hope it’s not a lizard like Rinn.”

-Of course not!

Rinn, who had crawled onto the back of my hand, said.

-The reason Rinn came out in the form of a lizard is because the form of the Fire Spirit is most famous as a lizard in this world!

If it’s the most famous, is it a salamander?

“Then will the Water Spirit be born as an Undine? What does an Undine look like?”

“A woman,” Ye-rim said, having searched for information about Water Spirits.

“Kelpie, which looks like a horse, is also famous. Kelpie might be cute, but…”

Ye-rim’s expression darkened slightly. It seemed she didn’t like either of them.

“Rinn, do you unconditionally take the form of a famous spirit in that world?”

-It’s because Yoohyun didn’t want any form, Hyung. I didn’t even know Rinn was being born. If I had known, I would have looked exactly like Hyung! Yoohyun doesn’t think about anyone but Hyung.

A Fire Spirit that looks exactly like me. That’s a little, well.

“Then will the Water Spirit be born in the form that Ye-rim wants?”

Rinn reluctantly nodded, puffing out her cheeks.

-Yeah. Hmph. I don’t like it.

Then she scurried off to Yoohyun. Ye-rim smiled brightly at Rinn’s words.

“The form I want! Mister, what would be good? A bear? A bunny? Since it’s a spirit, can we combine them?”

“Whatever you want, Ye-rim.”

“It won’t be born right away, will it? I need to think about it. How about adding fairy wings? Soyoung said your new dragon is super cute.”

Ye-rim got excited and brought out all sorts of animals. Water Spirit Bunny Bunny Bear… I hope it doesn’t infringe on copyright. In the meantime, Myungwoo came back. The glossy, steamed songpyeon were placed on the table.

“My bunny’s ear!”

“The puppy’s tail…”

“The dragon’s tail too…”

The pink, white, and yellow trio each spoke with injuries. We took them all out and put them on a plate, saying we were going to eat them anyway. And.

“Let’s play rock-paper-scissors.”

I said quickly, as if to stop them. The gazes staring intently at me clearly showed they were competing to see which one I would eat first. If I left it as it was, about half of the garden would be destroyed. At the words rock-paper-scissors, Ye-rim rolled up her sleeves.

“Let’s go fair and square, Hanyoohyun. Best out of three.”

“Finish it in one go. The songpyeon will get cold.”

“Include me too!”

The three of them got up and moved to the side. The way they were clenching their fists looked like they were about to have a big fight. I hope they don’t break the rooftop floor.

“Watch while you eat, Yoojin.”

Myungwoo held out a plate of ordinary songpyeon. I don’t know if I can call this ordinary. Look at that shine. It must be delicious. But no. …Should I just eat one?

“The last one to put it out is unconditionally the last place!”

I don’t think they’ll know because they’re all heated up. Ugh, ugh.

“…Let’s eat those songpyeon first.”

“Okay. Well, it’ll taste bad if you eat mine first.”

Then I heard the sound of wind cutting through the air. Then, thump, and the floor sank slightly. The aftermath of rock-paper-scissors.

“I practiced a lot with Hyunah!”

Ye-rim, who had put out scissors, shouted. Yoohyun and Noah were fists. The two winners played rock-paper-scissors again, and the final winner was Yoohyun. Rock-paper-scissors would be more advantageous if your stats were high.

“Here, Hyung.”

Yoohyun confidently held out the puppy songpyeon. It’s delicious. Then I ate the dragon and bunny in turn. Finally, the songpyeon made by Myungwoo was, well, indescribably the best. Songpyeon can be this delicious.

“Mister, it’s almost time for the broadcast.”

At Ye-rim’s words, we all went inside. Noah hesitated a bit, but he didn’t refuse the gesture to come quickly. We brought the food to the kitchen and sat on the sofa. I hugged Peace, who jumped onto my lap, and turned on the TV. Before long, a familiar face appeared.

[Greetings, citizens. This is Song Taewon, head of the Awakened Management Division.]

Wow… stiff. He’s frozen. He’s usually a bit stiff, but now he’s like a wooden block with added stiffness. He was wearing a loose, dark-colored durumagi [traditional Korean overcoat], but the chest area didn’t look loose at all. It just fit perfectly.

“Director Song really doesn’t like broadcasting.”

“I know. He’s staring at the camera too much.”

[…Do not forget to equip your vehicle with safety supplies in preparation for a dungeon break. In the event of a dungeon break, check the location of the shelter in advance, and if the distance to the shelter is far, the doors and windows…….]

It was like reading a book. Judging by the fact that his eyes weren’t moving at all, he seemed to be saying everything from memory. Director Song, who diligently gave precautions for the Chuseok holiday, gave his final greetings. I felt like I should give him a round of applause.

“Isn’t Hyunah going to be on the broadcast?”

“Um, no. I guess she’s not coming out. Wow, it’s a mess. The recording spread, and people are cursing the broadcasting station for not letting her do it.”

Ye-rim said, looking at her phone. I wonder why she’s not on the broadcast. What’s wrong with it? She looked cool wearing a dopo.

Some time later, it was finally our turn. Ye-rim and I stood in front, and Yoohyun and Myungwoo stood diagonally behind us.

“Mister, you look nervous.”

“He looks fine for that much. You were criticized for smiling too much, Ye-rim.”

I was more awkward than nervous. My appearance holding Peace was reflected on the TV screen. The hanbok I was wearing was a half-sleeved dapho [a type of traditional Korean robe]. Yoohyun said he was recommended to wear a dapho that made my shoulders look a bit broader since only my upper body would be shown anyway. In addition to that, he gave me an ordinary hanbok and a kwaeja [a vest worn over hanbok] like his.

It certainly looks a bit bigger than usual, but… still, the two on either side are too, well.

“Hello.”

I said. The other three greeted in turn.

[Are you having a good Chuseok holiday? Many of you may have been surprised by the sudden appearance of monsters, but fortunately, it is a bountiful Hangawi [another name for Chuseok] as in previous years…….]

I did most of the greetings alone. Ye-rim chimed in with three or four words, Myungwoo said one word, and Yoohyun was quiet. Finally, I lifted one of Peace’s paws and shook it, and the holiday greeting broadcast ended.

“Well, it was filmed well.”

I was a little embarrassed. But the kids came out pretty, so I should keep the recording safe.

On Chuseok morning, two ancestral rites tables were set. One was made by Ye-rim herself, and the other was taken over by Yoohyun after he sat me down. Fire sparked from Yoohyun’s fingertips, and the four candles were lit with a crackling sound.

“I don’t know if the order of placing the food is correct.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s the thought that counts. Let’s bow, saying we’re doing well.”

The three of us stood side by side and bowed. Peace and Bbyak looked at us, wondering what we were doing.

“Next, do we burn incense and offer alcohol?”

It’s my first time properly preparing it either. We performed the ancestral rites like that and cleared the table. I felt like I had finished one thing. Now what.

“No, why is it all ‘mo’!”

All four yut sticks were on the back side. Moon Hyunah swept the yut pieces with her hand and laughed.

“One more time!”

“Isn’t this a victory if you get the lead? Look, it’s ‘mo’ again!”

Ye-rim and Noah got something different a few times, but that was only for a short time at the beginning. As soon as they got used to it, everyone except me and Myungwoo got ‘mo’ [the highest score in Yutnori, a traditional Korean board game].

“No re-throwing even if ‘mo’ comes out! No, S-ranks have to throw with their eyes closed and their non-dominant hand!”

“I closed my eyes, Hyungnim. Heave-ho!”

“Ah, why again!”

It’s a scam. I couldn’t help it this way.

“There’s also Hwatu [Korean playing cards], but…”

“It’d be perfect if the kids left. Four people is fine, should we call Director Song?”

“Eh, he must be busy.”

“Coming here is a vacation. He’s probably just being a bodyguard for high-ranking officials.”

Is that so. I hesitated and picked up my phone.

[Director Song, we’re gathering at my house to play Hwatu, would you like to come?]

He won’t come if I just ask.

[500 won per point. The unit is 10,000 won. Four S-ranks. The Seseong Guild Leader might join in too. So the probability of a fight is about 88 percent?]

Before long, a reply came.

[I will confirm.]

Once he comes, it’s over. Moon Hyunah took a blanket out of her inventory, folded it, and laid it on the floor. I also took out the Hwatu cards and shuffled them.

“Myungwoo, do you know how to play Hwatu?”

“I can see the cards, but I’m not good at calculating the score.”

“Before Director Song comes, Do-ryeon-nim [term of address], do you want to join?”

“Unnie [term of address]! I know how to play Hwatu too!”

“What? Why do you know how to play Hwatu, Ye-rim?”

“It was a trend in the classroom for a while last year.”

Wow, Hwatu in middle school.

“Or do you have more Hwatu cards so we can play among ourselves?”

…I do have them, but should I give them to her? Yoohyun and Noah are adults, but Ye-rim is too young.

“Noah, do you know how to play Hwatu?”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

I knew it.

“Yoohyun, you?”

“I don’t know.”

I knew it. I can’t believe it, only Ye-rim knows. Kids these days. Ye-rim took out a new set of Hwatu cards and looked at Yoohyun and Noah with a smug look.

“Okay, look at the pictures carefully. They all have pairs.”

…The way she puts down the Hwatu cards is unusual too. While Ye-rim was teaching the rules to the two of them and I was teaching Myungwoo how to calculate the score, the bell rang. It was Director Song. He was wearing a stuffy suit, as if he really came from work.

“Director Song! Just one round!”

A heavy gaze looked down at me. Then he looked at the other people in turn and opened his mouth.

“…I can’t.”

“Don’t forget the gift set when you leave. If you forget, I’ll deliver it to your house myself. It’s cheap.”

“Hanyoojin.”

The short call seemed to melt a complicated feeling. He must have a lot of thoughts in many ways. But today is a holiday.

“Ah, Song Director, what are you doing, hurry up and sit down. 500 won per point if Song Director is here! 50 million won per point if he’s not!”

Moon Hyunah shouted. 50 million is a burden for me too. The house will fly away in the Hwatu game. In the end, Song Taewon sat down on the condition that he would not bet money. The cards in his hand look like miniature toys.

Unlike the one-turn-kill Yutnori of destruction, there was no special way to win at Hwatu, even for S-ranks. Especially for Director Song.

“Ssa! He ssa-ed again!”

Moon Hyunah laughed heartily. Song Taewon, who had ssa-ed [a term in Hwatu] in a row, looked at his cards indifferently. He was too unlucky. And next to him.

“Ah, Guild Leader, don’t be stingy, let’s bet mana stones, mana stones! A-rank or higher!”

Ye-rim was trying to make a fortune. Kids, Director Song is right behind you.

We tried Yutnori again by changing the rules, ate hard, and tried to grab Director Song’s ankle as he was leaving, and before we knew it, the sun had set. We went to the rooftop garden in a crowd, saying we should look at the moon and make a wish. We could see a big, round moon.

I don’t have any special wishes. Just. I hope it’s always like today. And no one is lost, and everyone who is supposed to return returns.

Then a text message came.

[I thought you were going to bring it.]

I laughed at the news that there was no news. He woke up.

[The kids ate it all. There are ingredients left, so come fry them yourself. I’ll bake you some bread.]

And tear off the edges yourself.

And some time later, there was a bit of a commotion, but fortunately, no one was caught by Director Song.