The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 393

391. A Christmas Carol (5)

Silence fell between the two Park Yerims. The older one carefully scrutinized the younger one.

“You look a lot like I did when I was younger. Are you some kind of monster?”

“I’m not the monster—”

Park Yerim stopped mid-sentence, swallowing her words. She thought the people inside this dungeon were the monsters, but she hesitated to say it out loud. Instead, she quickly came up with another excuse.

“I came from another world.”

“Another world?”

“Like, you know, a parallel universe. You and I are the same Park Yerim, but we’ve changed a bit. You don’t remember me looking like this, right?”

The younger Park Yerim spread her arms out. Even at fifteen, Park Yerim was already an Awakened [a person with supernatural abilities]. Her hair was short, and she was taller. The blue gem earrings she wore were also new to her. Her weapon and many other things were different.

“…There are too many differences for you to be a monster or a Hunter impersonating me.”

“Exactly. If I were trying to pretend to be Park Yerim, I would have made myself look exactly like you! But I’m different. Of course, I am me, Park Yerim, but there are differences.”

The older Park Yerim frowned deeply. A version of herself from a parallel universe suddenly appearing was hard to believe, but the world had already changed too much to ignore it. Dungeons and Awakened beings would have been unbelievable fantasies in the past.

“For now……”

The older Park Yerim glanced at the Guild building and said,

“Let’s move to a place where we can talk quietly. You’re not an enemy! I’ll investigate, so wait here!”

She shouted loudly to the Guild members and started walking ahead.

“Cover your face again, and let’s go to my place.”

“Home? Where do you live?”

The younger Park Yerim looked around excitedly. She was satisfied with her current home, but this Park Yerim’s home would be a place she had created entirely on her own. A home that Park Yerim had earned by working and becoming independent. The thought made her heart flutter slightly, and she felt strangely grown-up.

She’s probably living alone. Is it a studio apartment? Upper-level Hunters make good money, so maybe it’s a fairly large apartment.

“When I was in high school, I wanted to get a part-time job and become independent, so I looked at houses a lot on real estate websites.”

“They wouldn’t let me because they said they were short-handed at the store.”

“What? Uncle is so stingy! He doesn’t even pay for my labor! Did he pay you when you were in high school?”

“Just a pittance.”

“Unbelievable! He’s still the same, really!”

Park Yerim grumbled, and Park Yerim chuckled. The two walked side by side, crossing the street and turning the corner. They were almost there when they stopped at the crosswalk.

Thud!

“…Huh?”

Park Yerim stopped as if blocked by something. A transparent barrier faintly appeared and then disappeared. Park Yerim, who had unknowingly stepped over the barrier, turned around.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s something here.”

What is it? Park Yerim waved her hand in the air. A solid barrier appeared where her hand touched. Both Park Yerims’ eyes widened simultaneously.

“What, what is this? I can’t grab it!”

“A barrier? Some kind of enchantment?”

A spear appeared in Park Yerim’s hand. The cold tip of the spear was swung forcefully at the barrier.

Thump!

A loud noise rang out, but the barrier didn’t budge. Then, the Park Yerim outside the barrier used a skill. Ice spikes appeared and flew toward the barrier, passing right through it and freezing and shattering the pavement.

“My attacks just pass through… Oh, I’ve seen something like this before.”

The memory of rescuing the goblins flashed through Park Yerim’s mind. Back then, there was also a transparent barrier, and only the goblins could freely pass through it.

“This is a dungeon……”

“It’s similar to a dungeon barrier. No, it’s the same. Especially……”

The Park Yerim inside the barrier bit her lip and continued,

“The kind of barrier that traps monsters in a certain area.”

“Oh, well, that’s……”

“Come to think of it, there’s no one around.”

Park Yerim looked around with cold eyes. The empty street came into view.

“There’s no way there wouldn’t be cars or people at this time. This is inside a dungeon.”

She’s been found out. Park Yerim watched Park Yerim, who was trying to calmly understand the situation, looking flustered. What should I do? What excuse should I make? Then, Yoon Yoon suddenly appeared beside her.

“I’ve heard of those dungeons! So, the monsters can’t get out, right?”

“Yoon Yoon!”

Yoon Yoon tilted her head as if asking why she was being scolded. The Park Yerim inside the barrier looked at Yoon Yoon with curiosity.

“You’re a goblin, right? I’ve never seen your face before. Aren’t goblins not allowed to enter dungeons?”

“That’s right! I’m a monster that looks like Little Mister Kim became Big Mister Kim. Originally, I couldn’t enter.”

“Stop calling me a monster!”

“Why?”

“Am I a monster? Really?”

The Park Yerim inside the barrier said unexpectedly calmly. There was almost no change in her expression.

“Well, that’s, it seems like that’s the case… Are you okay……?”

“Actually, it doesn’t really feel real.”

Park Yerim took a few steps back, watching her younger self, who was panicking.

“Is it a doppelganger species? It feels strange, but it doesn’t feel bad. Is it because I’m perfectly fine?”

Her fifteen-year-old self, who had Awakened and joined a large Guild, stood before her. If what she said earlier was true, she seemed to be close to other high-ranking Hunters. She called Kang Soyoung, Evelyn, Han Yoohyun, and even Sung Hyunjae casually.

“You really joined the Haeyeon Guild? When I was fifteen, I thought I would join the Break Guild.”

“…Because the Haeyeon Guild Leader is Uncle’s younger brother.”

“Uncle… Oh, right, what’s the Training Center Director?”

“It’s Han Yoojin Uncle. Uncle came to me because he said I had potential. That’s how I Awakened.”

“Uncle did?”

“You also call him Uncle… Oh? Wait a minute. Uncle said he never met me?”

He clearly said he had only seen her on TV, not in person. But the Park Yerim from before the regression was calling him Uncle quite affectionately. Park Yerim was about to ask more questions but turned to Yoon Yoon instead.

“The story we’re about to tell shouldn’t be heard by others. I’m sorry, but can you leave for a moment?”

“Okay. I won’t eavesdrop, so don’t worry, Little Mister Kim!”

“Thank you.”

Yoon Yoon disappeared in a flash, and Park Yerim continued,

“Do you know Han Yoojin Uncle? Have you met him?”

“Even if I have, it’s not relevant to you. You and I are different.”

“That’s! So, that’s! Ugh, well, it’s inside a dungeon, and it’s before the regression anyway, so it’s okay, right? Actually, you are my future and my past!”

“…Huh?”

“Han Yoojin Uncle went back to the past. He regressed [traveled back in time]. Originally, I would have become just like you, but Uncle came to me in the past, and that’s why I changed. This is a dungeon, but it’s probably the future and past people who actually existed that appeared as, well, monsters.”

Park Yerim made a face, saying she couldn’t explain it well herself. The Park Yerim inside the barrier, who had been lost in thought for a moment, nodded slightly.

“So, I’m not a future illusion created by the dungeon. I actually existed.”

“Yes! That’s right!”

“Going back to the past, he could even do something like that. I know Han Yoojin Uncle. I’ve met him a few times in person.”

“Really? But, Uncle doesn’t remember at all……”

Given Han Yoojin’s personality, there was no way he would pretend not to know. He had even revealed the fact that he had regressed. There was no reason to hide the fact that he knew Park Yerim. Seeing Park Yerim looking puzzled, the Park Yerim inside the barrier frowned.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. Uncle told me not to come because it wouldn’t be good for me to be associated with him! And I haven’t heard from him at all for the past year. Before that, he would at least reply to my HunterTalk messages. Did the Haeyeon Guild Leader do something?”

“Han Yoohyun is definitely capable of that.”

Park Yerim seriously agreed.

“Did he lock Uncle up in his house and completely cut off outside contact? Still, I don’t think he would erase his memories.”

During the Choi Seokwon incident, many people lost some of their memories. So, it was possible that an item that could manipulate other people’s memories had appeared. But it didn’t seem like Han Yoohyun would go so far as to tamper with Han Yoojin’s memories.

At Park Yerim’s words, Park Yerim gave her a look that said, “What are you talking about?”

“Lock him up in his house? Han Yoohyun doesn’t even look at his brother. He seems to dislike him. He never came to see Uncle. I’m sure of it.”

“There’s no way! Han Yoohyun would give his life for Uncle. When Uncle was captured, he cried and tried to chase after him without even treating his wounds. Riete said she thought she would have to clean up two corpses.”

The Park Yerim inside the barrier was startled and asked back.

“…Cried? The Haeyeon Guild Leader? Really?”

“Yes! And he’s completely attached to Uncle. If he weren’t the Guild Leader, he would follow Uncle around all day long. He looks so happy when he’s next to Uncle, it’s really funny……”

Park Yerim’s voice trailed off. She remembered Han Yoojin’s words that they hadn’t reconciled as quickly as they had now before the regression.

“…Could it be that the two of them haven’t reconciled yet?”

Park Yerim had Awakened at the age of eighteen and had established herself as a Hunter to the point where she had become the Vice Guild Leader. So, she must have been a Hunter for at least a year, which meant it had been a whopping four years.

It was hard to believe that the two had been separated for over seven years, considering Han Yoojin and Han Yoohyun, whom she had been watching for the past few months.

“It seems like they’ve reconciled now.”

“Oh, yeah. They’re really close.”

“Uncle probably accepted him, as always. It’s obvious.”

Park Yerim grumbled, but she still muttered that it was a relief.

“Anyway, since I’m a monster—”

“Don’t call yourself a monster! For now, I’ll treat you with respect! You’re older than me, so you’re basically my older sister. And I’m the one who came in here, and I’m also your junior as a Hunter, anyway!”

Park Yerim, Dangye, said. They could be divided into past and future, or before and after the regression, but she didn’t want to do that. Park Yerim just liked being Park Yerim. Dangye took a deep breath as if organizing her complicated feelings.

“I don’t know why Uncle doesn’t remember me, but could it be that something remained in his subconscious? Is that why he came to find me? Not just a simple coincidence.”

Was it because he already knew her, that’s why he came to find her? Park Yerim shrugged at the words that contained a hint of hope.

“I don’t know. What exactly did he say when he came to find you?”

“Just that he knew I would become an A-Rank Hunter in the future. He needed someone to protect him at that time.”

“So, whether he remembers or not, he came to find you, me.”

“But!”

Dangye shook her head vigorously.

“There are many A-Rank Hunters! Hundreds of them. Over a thousand? So, if he doesn’t even remember, it just feels like a coincidence and luck… I feel a bit, how should I put it, insecure. I received so much from Uncle. Uncle came to pick me up, so I left Uncle’s house early, and I met many good people.”

Dangye poured out the things that had happened to her. Park Yerim listened attentively to the messy story, where the time and place were all mixed up.

“So, the Hunter that Uncle wanted might not have been me, and that’s a little scary and sad.”

“That’s not true.”

Park Yerim said firmly. Dangye’s eyes widened.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I’m the best.”

A confident voice followed.

“Even if I had never met Uncle, even if we were strangers, what A-Rank would catch his eye other than Park Yerim? I Awakened, I worked hard, and I became a remarkably outstanding Hunter.”

She had heard several times that she was as good as an S-Rank. She was also told that she wouldn’t be inferior to any A-Rank with similar experience.

“Because I’m amazing, that’s why he came to find me.”

“…You?”

“Me.”

Park Yerim smiled.

“I’m you.”

Because it’s Park Yerim. Because it’s me, not anyone else. Park Yerim also smiled belatedly. Her eyes were filled with tears, but her face was bright.

“It’s because it’s me that Uncle came to me. Because I worked hard. Because I was so good that I left an impression.”

I created my own place. It was Park Yerim’s place that Park Yerim had created.

“Thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me when you’re me?”

“Still, I actually thought that if Uncle hadn’t been there, then I would have been more tired, lonely, and more pathetic than I am now. But you’re really cool. I was living well.”

“Of course.”

“I’m living really well, so that’s why I exist.”

Park Yerim said to Park Yerim, Dangye, who was smiling brightly.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“Huh?”

“You can only clear the dungeon if you catch the monster.”

Ah. Dangye’s expression instantly hardened.