The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 346

“I studied hard too, in my own way.”

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the face looking down at me. A soft, gentle voice continued, tickling my ear.

“Back then, before I met Hyung [older brother/term of endearment], being a Hunter just seemed cool. But actually, it’s all a manufactured image. The higher-ranked Hunters’ messes are all hidden from the public.”

“That’s…”

It was true. Especially S-Rank Hunters, being nationally important figures, had most of their issues swept under the rug. If they failed to manage an S-Rank dungeon and it burst, hundreds, thousands, or even more people would be sacrificed. They couldn’t afford to lose an S-Rank Hunter over relatively minor incidents.

“When Hyung got caught up in the S-Rank Hunters’ business and ended up in the hospital…”

“I didn’t get caught up. I wanted to go. If anything, the S-Rank Hunters got caught up in my business.”

I said that, but Park Hayul didn’t seem convinced. Well, to other people, it probably just looked like I was being dragged around by the S-Ranks. Who would believe that an F-Rank was leading S-Ranks? I even made it look that way on purpose.

“They wouldn’t even listen to an unawakened person. Not even at the Management. I just wanted to ask if Hyung was okay.”

“That’s… sorry, because my stats are low, it’s for safety reasons…”

“Why are you apologizing? It’s the S-Rank Hunters who aren’t treating you like a person.”

“It’s not like that.”

“It was the same at Sesung Guild Leader’s cruise, wasn’t it?”

Park Hayul said with pity. A cruise? Security would have been tight.

“…How did you know about that?”

“I heard it from someone I know. Everyone treated you like baggage that came with the S-Ranks, and the Sesung Guild Leader even dragged you away and knocked you out.”

That was… true.

“Aren’t you angry? Hyung, aren’t you?”

“No, they treat me pretty well, in their own way.”

“I heard they play with you for a bit and then throw you away.”

…You know too much. He said he’d just lose interest rather than throw me away. Park Hayul sighed, looking upset. Seeing that made me feel sick.

“Even now, when they’re supposedly treating you well, they’re still like that. I heard they’re ruthless even to high-ranking Hunters, so it must be easy to take advantage of you with F-Rank stats.”

“…It’s really not that bad.”

“Hyung, even if you drag a dog around on a leash and knock it out, you’d get criticized for abuse.”

“Well, but…”

Thinking of it as a puppy instead of me made Sung Hyunjae seem fifty times worse. I guess that’s about the difference in stats. He even threw me in the water. I should call Song… but Song also choked me once. I’m a person, though.

“Why do you say it’s not bad when you’re being treated like that? Hyung, that’s Stockholm syndrome. The S-Ranks are powerful figures you can’t even think of resisting, so it makes sense. What can you do no matter what they do? You have to accept it to survive.”

“Did something else happen to you?” Park Hayul whispered softly. I wanted to push him away, but my body wouldn’t move.

“Nothing happened. It’s in the past, and it’s not like that now.”

“Ah… Hyung. You could be in trouble again at any time. Especially the Sesung Guild Leader is more dangerous. High-ranking Hunters can at least protect themselves, but you can’t. He’s so cold. He’s been interested in you for a while, so he’ll probably get bored soon. He’s famous for not lasting long.”

“…I know. I’ve heard.”

I turned away, telling him he didn’t need to tell me, but Park Hayul grabbed my shoulder. He’s stronger than he looks. I’m an Awakened, even if I’m F-Rank, and I’ve raised my level a bit. Has my body really gotten that weak?

“You’re worried about having to rely on the S-Ranks, aren’t you?”

If you ask if I’m worried, of course. Honestly, I was always anxious around Sung Hyunjae. I’m confident in my value, but it’s not purely my ability… The reason I’m worried about revealing that I regressed is also a big part of that.

The original me was nothing special. It’s hard to say, “Actually, I don’t have anything.”

“Aren’t you scared? Of being abandoned someday.”

“I have my skill. No one will abandon me.”

“No matter what, how many talented people were around the Sesung Guild Leader?”

“It’s natural to be scared,” Park Hayul said gently, patting my shoulder. My body flinched.

“Even ordinary people are anxious about being excluded. They force themselves to attend company dinners, care about trends, and drink and smoke even if they can’t handle it. But you’re F-Rank and have to keep up with the S-Ranks, so how hard must it be? Being next to the most talented person among the S-Rank Hunters would be intimidating.”

“…He is pretty talented. That guy.”

“You’ve probably been compared a lot, even though you’re just ordinary.”

Park Hayul sat next to me. For some reason, my spine tingled.

“There are a lot of people who criticize you for being F-Rank and sticking with S-Ranks because you got lucky with a good skill. It’s not your fault.”

“I don’t really look at those things.”

“It’s better not to. The S-Ranks are scary, so they can’t easily say anything and just criticize you, who’s easier to pick on. They just treat you like an item, not like a fellow Hunter.”

I’m getting criticized for the same things as before regression. But I’m managing the Knights now. Well, I can only deal with online comments, not stop people from talking.

“You know I’m good at keeping secrets. Tell me anything if you’re having a hard time. Okay?”

Park Hayul said with a soft smile. I nodded unconsciously. But there’s too much to hide to tell him everything. I can’t talk about those things.

“It would be nice to go out for a change of pace. Hyung, you have a stealth skill, right? Can’t you really go out secretly today?”

“Uh… I can’t.”

“Can’t you sneak out for about three hours, or even just two hours, without getting caught?”

Two hours should be enough. What time does Yerim get out of school today? I sent her a text, and she replied immediately.

[I’m going to a new cafe with the kids. Why?]

[No, it’s nothing.]

More importantly, isn’t she in class right now? Is it okay to text? Don’t they collect phones?

“I think I’ll have some free time after lunch.”

“Really? Call me, and I’ll come right away!”

Park Hayul said excitedly. He didn’t forget to tell me to keep it a secret from others. Well, if we get caught, I’ll be in trouble, but Park Hayul will be banned from the Management. …It’s a bit strict. It has to be, but I felt a bit suffocated.

Going out for a bit should be fine. It’s only two hours.

Park Hayul left, saying he’d see me later, and soon I got a call from Yoohyun. He said he had come to the Association for work related to the Japanese dungeon, so he suggested we have lunch nearby. I went to the parking lot after he said he had sent a car, but a familiar face was waiting.

“…Don’t tell me you’ve transferred to Haeyeon already?”

“I might consider it if it were the Management.”

Sung Hyunjae smiled gently. I looked around, but the Haeyeon Guild member Yoohyun said he sent wasn’t there. The parking lot itself was empty.

“I have a prior engagement.”

“I told you to be careful, but why are you alone?”

“That’s…”

Come to think of it, why did I come out alone? The person Yoohyun sent wasn’t an S-Rank Hunter, so I should have been with Noah or Peace. Yoohyun must have thought so too. Sung Hyunjae strode towards me. I frowned unconsciously.

“Anyway, you said you were busy.”

“Not so busy that I don’t have time for lunch.”

“I was going to eat with Yoohyun.”

Sung Hyunjae felt strangely uncomfortable, so I took a few steps back. No, I tried to. But before I could move, my arm was grabbed. My body was pulled, and golden eyes looked down at my face as if observing me.

“The Young Master will be busy for a while longer. I’d rather stop him before he flips the table because his precious Hyung is waiting.”

Instead of answering, I took out my phone. I contacted Seok Simyeong to confirm Sung Hyunjae’s words, then texted Yoohyun that I would eat at home. As soon as I did, I got a call.

[Hyung, I’ll be done soon. Not much left.]

“Don’t lie. You’re planning to have dinner there too. Eat properly.”

[But…]

“I’ll take a picture of my lunch and send it to you. You send one too.”

Yoohyun reluctantly agreed. I hung up and tried to pull my arm away. Of course, it didn’t budge.

“I’m going home for lunch.”

“Since your appointment has been canceled, allow me to escort you.”

“I refuse.”

Sung Hyunjae pretended to be disappointed at my words.

“You’re a cold partner today. You said you had something to tell me.”

“…I don’t. It’s gone.”

“Han Yoojin.”

“Let go of me. Or are you going to drag me? I can’t resist anyway…”

I stopped talking. My stomach felt twisted. I felt a bit nauseous. I frowned, and a slightly cold voice was heard.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing was wrong. It’s been really peaceful lately.”

I met the people I was grateful to before regression again, talked to Noah, and told Yerim about the past. Everything was fine. My physical condition is fine too. I got scolded by Myungwoo, but I ended the conversation well. There’s even someone among the Transcendent who will take my side, and he said he would teach Yoohyun.

Mostly good things.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“It doesn’t seem like it-”

“Just worry about me appropriately. I don’t think I’ll last that long anyway. You’ll lose interest soon, so you don’t need to waste your time.”

I have to talk about the Crescent Moon anyway. Then it’ll be over. He said he was going abroad anyway, so that’s good. You get forgotten quickly when you’re out of sight. Sung Hyunjae’s eyes hardened slightly at my words.

“Yesterday? Or today?”

“What?”

“Is the system connected?”

“Not yet.”

“Then it must be a person. Who is it?”

Sung Hyunjae kept pressing. No, what the- Then my phone rang. As I took out my phone, Sung Hyunjae’s hand suddenly snatched it away.

“Give it back!”

“It’s the Young Master.”

The call button was pressed, and Yoohyun’s voice flowed out.

[Hyung, are you there right now-]

“I’ll make sure he eats properly, so don’t worry.”

Sung Hyunjae hung up before Yoohyun could answer. Then he held the phone out in front of me.

“Unlock it for me.”

“…Will I unlock it?”

“Then I have no choice.”

With a crackle and a spark, my phone turned black. Even the SIM card wouldn’t have survived. The phone was completely crushed in Sung Hyunjae’s grip, and the charred remains fell to the floor. The sight was so absurd that my voice burst out a beat late.

“What are you doing!”

“I was thinking of having a housewarming party today. How about staying overnight?”

“My phone just broke, so I don’t think I can receive the housewarming invitation! I can’t even buy toilet paper.”

“Toilet paper?”

Sung Hyunjae tilted his head. What, did he not understand? Anyway, let go. What are you doing all of a sudden?

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“It seems like a bug has latched onto my precious partner, so I have to disinfect it.”

“What bug?”

“Han Yoojin, can’t you feel anything strange about your attitude right now?”

What’s strange? I frowned and looked up at Sung Hyunjae. He called me cold. Normally, I would have gone out with him when he said he wanted to have lunch. …Wait, is he acting like this because I’m being curt with him? Breaking my phone? Damn it, I’m going to swear.

“Yes, yes. The great S-Rank. If you’re not happy, try pressing me again like before. Tell me to give you the answer you want.”

“……”

Sung Hyunjae closed his mouth. Just as he was about to say something-

-Grrr!

“Peace!”

Peace jumped in, growing in size. Sung Hyunjae let go of my arm and stepped back as sharp claws swung at him. Peace growled and stuck close to my side.

“How did you get here?”

[Hyung, are you okay?]

Peace can’t talk! It was Yoohyun’s voice. It’s the phone around Peace’s neck. My phone is out of service, so he contacted Peace. But the portal is free to go out, but how did he open the door? Did he break it?

“I’m okay. Only my phone is broken.”

[I’ll be there soon.]

In the end, he flipped the table and came out. I sighed and turned to Sung Hyunjae. Our eyes met. His eyes and expression were coldly hardened. Is he angry at me? Or is he newly disappointed?

“You’re leaving the country soon anyway, so let’s go our separate ways nicely. We won’t be seeing each other for a while. Let’s not leave any grudges-”

“That’s troublesome, really.”

“…What?”

“I think I should force you to open your mouth now, but.”

I don’t want to, he said, and I laughed in vain. What’s new. Then flames flared up along the entrance of the parking lot. The fire, stretching out like blades, engulfed Sung Hyunjae’s car in an instant. An explosion rang out, and a sleek car ended up like my phone.

That’s a perfect example of an eye for an eye.