The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 476

474. The Owner of the Letter (1)

It was exactly where the drawer had been—slightly above in the air. Not too high, and because I was prepared, I landed lightly. At the same time, I didn’t forget to turn off Curse Resistance. Flower petals were stuck to my still-soaked socks. White, pink, yellow, light purple, and so on. They were scattered everywhere.

Not flower blossoms, but just petals.

I swallowed the words, ‘Did you wait long? It took a little longer than expected.’ The hall was as dim as it had been before entering the drawer. However, the atmosphere was subtly different. I blinked slowly. Sung Hyunjae was sitting back in his chair. Flower petals were scattered all over him, and beneath his outstretched legs, a pile of bright blue stems, stripped of all their petals, was visible.

It looked like a bone graveyard. The thought suddenly occurred to me. The bright and soft petals were scattered everywhere, and only the long stems were overlapping here and there. It was as if he had brought all the decorated flowers from around the area, enough to bury the chair legs.

“Looks like you were very bored.”

If he had burned the flowers or smashed the table, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Even if the hotel had been blown away and the blue sky was visible, I would have just touched my forehead. If someone suddenly disappeared without a word, it would be more than enough to get angry. And then, they might smash things around them. But this… it seemed like he had calmly gone insane.

I unconsciously swallowed hard. After a brief silence, Sung Hyunjae opened his mouth.

“It’s been 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 51 seconds since Han Yoojin-gun [Mr. Han Yoojin, using a formal title] disappeared. And now, it’s exactly an hour and a half.”

Clack. The lid of the pocket watch in Sung Hyunjae’s hand closed. Because it was slightly outside the area illuminated by the light, Sung Hyunjae’s expression was not clearly visible. A dark shadow was cast over his face.

“I was so bored that I even tried telling fortunes with flowers. Fortunately, there were many flowers.”

Sitting in that spot, one petal at a time. The chain would have quietly wrapped around the flower pile and piled it at his feet. It would have been better if he had just smashed everything. If I didn’t have Fear Resistance, I would have been covered in goosebumps.

“It’s not that I was deliberately late. An hour and a half isn’t that long, is it? We were playing hide-and-seek, so you must have guessed that I was hiding on purpose.”

I didn’t think he would have worried. When I first disappeared, he would have been flustered but also amused. But then, when it got too late, he would have gotten a little annoyed.

“Of course.”

Sung Hyunjae continued, crossing one leg over the other.

“I thought you had gained something I didn’t know. But humans… this head.”

Sung Hyunjae’s fingertips lightly touched his temple.

“Because they imagine things. If, maybe, perhaps, just in case, and so on. I was also human, so it wasn’t a pleasant time.”

“That’s… I’m sorry.”

“Didn’t I say it before? I’m not used to being deprived, and I don’t like it.”

“It’s not yours.”

“Not just things, but people and relationships can be taken away. Han Yoojin-gun also mistakenly thought he had been deprived of his younger brother’s guardian position.”

“…I was deprived. Not a mistake.”

“Well. It doesn’t seem like you were ever deprived in my eyes.”

The light-colored eyes were the same, but the corners of his lips were slightly raised.

“And waiting, it’s not really my thing.”

Especially without knowing anything, without being able to do anything. Sung Hyunjae’s voice was relatively light, but I had a feeling that he was feeling more displeasure than ever before.

“I’ve been doing that for years. But far from getting used to it, I get pissed off every time.”

Thinking about it that way, I felt even more sorry. No, I just thought he didn’t like waiting for a long time. Anyway, we’re partners now, so if I suddenly disappear, it would be troublesome… He was hiding something from me too. Anyway, I won, right? The atmosphere wasn’t right to demand the letter right away.

“Um, I drank some alcohol. Hyun-ah’s wine is all gone. Want a cigarette?”

The hotel is non-smoking, though. Sung Hyunjae tilted his head slightly and flicked his fingertips. It was a disgustingly arrogant pose, but I had to bow down this time. I took out a cigarette case from my inventory and approached him.

“It’s wet.”

“I fell into the water.”

“Oh dear, and it’s chilly.”

“It was warm there.”

I opened the case. I picked up one cigarette and then took out another.

“It’s not good for your health-”

“Secondhand smoke is worse.”

I told him not to nag and put a cigarette in his mouth. Anyway, I can’t even touch them in front of the kids, and there’s almost no chance to come out alone like this. Especially recently, Gyeol tries to stick to me no matter what.

Of course, there’s no lighter, and I was wondering how to light it when Sung Hyunjae picked up a flower that hadn’t been torn off yet. Around the light pink, full flower.

Pajijik-

Electricity crackled. The skillfully lit flame wrapped around the flower. Because there was a lot of moisture, the fire wouldn’t normally catch so well.

With the flower in the middle, two cigarettes were lit. This is the last time, the real last time.

“I received it from the King of No Harm. There’s a limit to the number of uses.”

I said, watching the scattering smoke. Sung Hyunjae’s expression was indifferent. The way he held the cigarette between his fingers made it seem like the kids should never see it. They’d try to copy it and get cut off. Even adults would be tempted, and cigarette sales would skyrocket. It was like an advertisement in short. A very expensive one at that.

Meanwhile, ashes fell from Sung Hyunjae’s other fingertip. The fire that had burned down to the end of the flower’s stem slowly died out. He still didn’t look happy.

“…Want to go to the aquarium? I’ll buy you ice cream too.”

I wondered why I had to appease him, but it was true that I was very late.

“What should I do with Han Yoojin?”

Sung Hyunjae muttered to himself. What do you mean, what to do?

“Leave him alone. Then he’ll live well on his own. Not everyone can be the way you want them to be. Even Chief Song is like that.”

“I’m reminded of someone who was struggling to give a baby lamb as a gift.”

“…No, that’s. Well, I just wanted to be of some help. Besides, you know Chief Song. What happened before the regression.”

I wasn’t trying to completely change the person. I just wanted him to take care of himself more, but even if that’s impossible, he should at least survive.

“It’s not easy to make someone do what you want while respecting them.”

“Hey, respect disappears without a trace in ‘what you want,’ you know? Stop thinking about leading them from the start.”

Even among the born S-ranks [Hunters with the highest potential], he’s been through so many years as a transcendent, even without his memories, so it’s only natural. It’s impossible for most people to feel equal. Honestly, the fact that he calls me a partner is not recognition, but ‘giving’ it.

‘It’s going to be difficult for someone who’s lived like that for at least a few hundred years to suddenly change.’

It hasn’t even been half a year.

“Ignoring even the danger in order to respect them is putting the cart before the horse.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“If Park Yerim, who is not an Awakened, says she’s going to enter a dungeon.”

“I have to stop her, of course.”

And I tried to stop Yoo Hyun, who is an S-rank, from entering the dungeon too. Of course, it’s not that I don’t respect Yoo Hyun and Yerim… But still, doing what I want… But then again, the act of stopping them is trying to make them the way I want them to be… It’s difficult.

If it’s a complete stranger, it might be different, but isn’t it almost impossible to leave someone nearby, someone you like, alone? Even if it’s for the other person’s sake, well. In the end, it’s what you want.

I took one last puff of smoke and exhaled, and Sung Hyunjae just held the cigarette. On the other hand, my cigarette had decreased a lot. I glanced around, wondering what to do, and Sung Hyunjae held out his palm.

“…Look here.”

He’s not going to put out the cigarette, is he? He’s an S-rank, so a cigarette burn wouldn’t matter, but still, when I looked at him with a disgusted expression, Sung Hyunjae grabbed the end of my cigarette with his fingers and put it out. Ash stained the tips of his white fingers. And he clutched his own cigarette in his hand. The hand that had been clenched and opened was empty, with only a trace of ash left.

Right, it goes into the inventory. I also put the cigarette butt into the inventory.

“Let’s just say it was an unpleasant but beneficial time.”

Sung Hyunjae said lightly. Beneficial, what? What were you thinking? He got up, and the bony flower stems were kicked at his feet.

“Oh, what kind of fortune did you tell with the flowers?”

I was curious and worried about what kind of conclusion he had come to alone for an hour and a half. Sung Hyunjae narrowed his eyes, looking down at me.

“A little missy called.”

“Yes? Yerim did?”

“She said she couldn’t get through to you and asked if I had broken your phone again. She told me to tell you to eat the famous dessert at this hotel.”

She did. Sung Hyunjae’s smile deepened a little more.

“I replied that Han Yoojin-gun was not here.”

“Th, that’s not good! So, what did Yerim say?”

“When she asked what I meant, I said again that you weren’t here, and then she shouted for Han Yoohyun.”

Huh, she told Yoohyun? Wait a minute, then the kids are! Sung Hyunjae continued shamelessly.

“When he asked where his brother was, I honestly told him that I didn’t know and that Han Yoojin-gun had left this place about twenty minutes ago.”

Twenty minutes ago, it’s been more than an hour. It must have been a mess. Sung Hyunjae!

“You were really unnecessarily honest!”

“I only told the truth.”

I quickly took out my phone. Fortunately, it was wet but still alive. Waterproofing for the win.

“Did you want to grab me by the collar that much?”

“He didn’t come here, probably because he went to find Han Yoojin-gun right away.”

“Because Chloe- Yoohyun!”

[Hyung!]

My younger brother answered the phone as soon as the signal went through. The end of Yoohyun’s voice trembled slightly.

[Where are you? Are you okay?]

“I’m fine, I’m at the hotel.”

[…What?]

“It’s true that I disappeared for a while, but it’s not like someone kidnapped me. You know Myungwoo’s smithy? I went into a place similar to that. In the drawer given by the King of No Harm.”

At the sound of teeth grinding, I quickly added an excuse that Sung Hyunjae didn’t know either. The hotel shouldn’t burn down.

[I thought you had returned to your room alone and…….]

“You must have worried a lot. It’s hard to get kidnapped with so many hunters around. Besides, if Sung Hyunjae hadn’t taken me, I would have called you.”

There’s no way I’d be wandering around alone without Gyeol.

“What’s the situation now? You didn’t tell everyone that I was kidnapped, did you?”

[Of course not. First, I contacted the Surveillance Department and the Association to check the airport and track Chloe Alger’s movements. Only Chief Song Taewon from the Surveillance Department and a very small number of people from the Hunter Association know.]

“Good job. First, come back. However, only tell Chief Song to come to the hotel and leave the Association alone.”

Even if they tried to handle it quietly, the possibility that the word wouldn’t leak out was low, given that they had even checked the airport. Now that it’s come to this, I have to use what I can.

[You’re not alone, are you?]

“Yeah. The Seseong Guild Leader is right in front of me.”

“Don’t worry, Young Master. I’ll take good care of your brother. You can come at your leisure.”

[…I’ll trust you for now. You have to stay put, Hyung.]

The call was disconnected. Then I quickly called Yerim.

[Uncle!!]

[Daddy!!]

Gyeol was sobbing and Yerim was half angry, grumbling that she was very worried. Oh my, kids. It really wasn’t a big deal. Huh, if this happens… Could it be.

[…Yoojin, you.]

As expected, Myungwoo was angry. His voice was heavy, scary.

[Honestly-!]

“No, well, nothing really happened this time!”

[I was really worried, Yoojin-ssi. Myungwoo-hyung, calm down.]

They’re together. Anyway, I was wronged this time, but I bowed down and apologized because I had caused them a lot of worry. I unconditionally apologized. Finally, I called Chief Song. As soon as he answered the phone, a heavy sigh came out.

“Well, it’s a misunderstanding. It’s true.”

[That’s a relief for now. Is Sung Hyunjae Hunter next to you?]

“I feel a little sorry for Chief Song Taewon.”

Sung Hyunjae said with an expression and tone that didn’t show even a fingernail’s worth of apology.

[…You must not falsely report a crime.]

“False? I only told the truth. There was just a slight misunderstanding in the process of the words being conveyed.”

It wasn’t wrong, so I was annoyed. Still, thanks to his mischief, Sung Hyunjae’s mood seemed to have improved a bit. I finished the last call and looked up at Sung Hyunjae.

“Anyway, I won.”

“I concede.”

Sung Hyunjae nodded slightly and placed the letter on my palm. I hope it’s not something insignificant after all this.