The S-Classes That I Raised Chapter 6

< My Dongsaeng is Weird (4) >

At the time when the world adjusted to dungeons, ‘Hunter’ became a job famous for earning a lot of money.

I don’t even have to mention S-Ranks, even B-Ranks really made a lot of money[1] per month. C-Rank also had a huge[2] yearly income and even D-Ranks could earn about 100 mil. Lower than that, not to mention E-Rank, even F-Ranks had better income than office workers of small to medium-sized businesses if they had an aptitude for fighting.

Magic stones from dungeons became a new energy source, and by-products became ingredients for new medicines and materials. Not only that, magic and science were combined to form various new technologies.

In that kind of world, was there any need to explain the popularity of the tall and handsome Guild Leader Han Yoohyun of the Haeyeon Guild that showcased the fast growth rate of S-Rank Hunters? With his age at barely 20 years, he was promising on top of being young.

Only one interview needed to come out for ratings to skyrocket, and magazines that published his picture became sold out.

‘If it becomes known that that kind of guy is so domestic, the reaction will be explosive.’

I mumbled to myself, watching Yoohyun’s back as he lowered a pot onto the induction stove in the wide kitchen. When he said to eat dinner together, I had thought he meant eating out. To think that it would be something he made himself in his home.

For reference, Yoohyun’s home was in the upper level of Haeyeon Guild’s building. I didn’t know exactly which floor due to security reasons, but apparently it took up half of a floor. It was a place that didn’t have any stairs or elevators or doors attached to it, and that you could only access through a super expensive mini portal.

“I didn’t know you could cook well.”

I suddenly said, sitting on a dining table chair and watching my dongsaeng finish cooking.

“I got better, cooking[3] to live.”

“Huh? Why? You have a lot of money.”

Like, I thought for sure that starting from his Awakening, everything he wanted to eat was something bought, and that he made enough money to hire a first-class chef. At my question, this guy answered a little bashfully.

“Now, I have detoxification or de-cursing[4] items, but back then I didn’t. So, it felt safer to do things like make my own food. Even now, I take dried rations that I’ve made when I go into dungeons. Since it’s the most dangerous inside dungeons.”

“……Detoxification? De-cursing?”

What was I hearing right now. As in, there were bastards who would put poison in or cast curses on his food so he had to make his own… that kind of thing.

“……”

I really didn’t know. Back then, I had thought that this guy was just an amazing, overflowing-with-luck S-Rank Awakened Person, and after the regression, just left it at thinking he must have struggled a little. I’d never even dreamed that he would be in that kind of mess, where he is in danger of losing his life.

Since, to me, Yoohyun was so strong I couldn’t even look at him. Since he was so amazing and received everyone’s attention as soon as he Awakened. I just looked at the name ‘S-Rank’, and closed my eyes to the things under the surface.

“Don’t put on that kind of expression. It’s the results I choose, after all.”

Yoohyun, who had come over to the dining table, said in a soft voice.

“The sharp rock gets hit by the chisel.[5] Did you think a guy saying he’d make his own guild would be looked on kindly, between major companies and conspiring large guilds? If I had meekly gone into an appropriate guild, then I wouldn’t have had any cause to be in danger for my life.”

I didn’t do that. This guy smiled bitterly.

“That’s why breaking down my relationship with you was constantly on my mind. In the name of protecting you, keeping watch over you, bothering you, tying you down, all of that was because of my choice. Even knowing that those guys would lay a hand on my one and only family, I made my own guild.”

“……Why didn’t you say anything.”

“At first I didn’t want to burden you and later… I didn’t think you’d understand[6].”

…If it were me before the regression, I definitely would have thrown a huge fuss saying that I could take care of myself and to leave me alone, or resented my dongsaeng.

“But my thoughts were completely wrong. You were still thinking of me and worrying over me, like when I was little. But I really didn’t know that and misunderstood you. I’m sorry.”

Uck, my conscience hurt. After regressing, I was just going to live easily and play. If you talk like that then I’d look too much like trash.

“……I wasn’t that great either.”

“You received my interference even without knowing the reason. That was more than enough.”

My heart was itchy. As I lifted a spoonful of the cooking my dongsaeng prepared for me, the warm tickling sensation became even stronger.

Turning back time was a good decision.

It was the best choice of my entire life.

“I get the situation more or less. But wasn’t today a bit too much? Locking me up and not letting me leave, it wasn’t necessary to go that far. There hasn’t been anything big yet.”

Loosen up a little, as soon as I said that, sitting on the other side, Yoohyun’s expression grew hard.

“No.”

“Why? I’ll go carefully. It was okay until the morning.”

“The situation this morning and the situation now are different. The reason why you were safe until now was because I had thoroughly cut all ties with you. An Awakened Person messing with an Unawakened Person is a major crime, and I made them think there was no value in putting you through that kind of danger.”

He continued in a lower voice.

“But if I directly order your self and home to be brought into Haeyeon Guild, my enemies will actively start to aim for you. Even with you just coming over to my house, people will slowly start to watch you.”

“Then isn’t it better to pretend we still have a bad relationship?”

“But you said it’s okay.”

“……What?”

When did I. I didn’t have a shred[7] of memory of giving permission for an imprisoned life.

Yoohyun answered with a shameless expression.

“You said you were sorry and that you love me. It’s actually my fault and my responsibility but you took all of it onto yourself. That’s pretty much the same as permission.”

T-that’s how you interpreted that? This brat is definitely weird!

“Don’t make me laugh, I absolutely refuse to live confined!”

“Bear with it for just 3 years. I’ll clean it up in 3 years.”

Don’t smile while saying something so brutal! And it’s not 3 years, it’s 5! It takes 5 years!

Shit, best choice my ass! I was beyond angry[8], but I took a long and deep breath and tried to calm myself down. The guy in front of me was an S-Rank Awakened Person, before being my dongsaeng. And a Guild Leader who had gone through many hardships. Even if I emotionally lunge at him, I wouldn’t be able to land a scratch on him.

I couldn’t win by force so I had to resolve it through words.

“Even so, how am I supposed to live confined for 3 years? Being cooped up in a room for even one month will be depressing. Even if there are guys targeting me, it’ll be hard to pull anything in broad daylight. And if that really doesn’t work, then I’ll go around with a protector. I can go around with someone like Sunghan-ssi.”

“Of course, I’ll let you go out from time to time.”

“How often?”

After saying that, I came back to reality. I couldn’t believe I was sitting there, negotiating times I could go out with not even my parents, but my young dongsaeng. At my age, even parents wouldn’t be able to say anything about it, so how did this even happen.

“It’ll change depending on schedule. When we attack dungeons, I won’t be able to assign an Rank to protect you. It’d be risky to hand you over to a B-Rank.”

In conclusion, he meant it’s fine if there is an Rank when there is time free. I confidently opened my mouth.

“Then, if I find an exclusive Rank guard, let me go around freely.”

“…You’re going to go find an Rank?”

“That’s right.”

Yoohyun’s suspicious eyes suddenly became sharp.

“Hyung, so you’ve Awakened.”

“……Um?”

H-how did he know? This brat sure is sharp.

“Just this morning, you were going to go meet a broker, so you must’ve been Unawakened then, but now you’re Awakened? Right before you met with me? Right after? That’s why you so obediently gave up on meeting the broker. And your destination going out must’ve been the Hunter Association.”

…I had no words. Lay down a mat.[9]

“It looks like your stat rank is D-Rank.”

“You can tell that?”

“C-Ranks and higher can’t adjust well to their excessively changed body’s abilities, so some awkwardness is obvious. Especially if Strength is over B-Rank on average, in a few days, there wouldn’t be anything around them. Since they break things because they can’t adjust their strength.”

That made sense.

“Were you like that?”

“Yeah. But maybe adaptability is high starting from S-Rank, because I was ok in just a day. Of course, in situations where your Mental or Mana are extremely high, it wouldn’t be obvious for even C Ranks or higher.”

“I’m on average F.”

“Are your initial skills special skills? Since you’re confident you can bring over an Rank, you must be able to see scheduled Awakening ranks or Awakened skills or both. At minimum, they must be C-Rank.”

He was definitely an S-Rank. In front of this guy, I couldn’t say anything. Looking at Yoohyun’s super sour expression, I felt it really would be better to downplay my skills.

“You were right about the Awakening special skills and it being C-Rank. I can Awakened Unawakened people and vaguely predict Awakened ranks.”

“How accurate is it?”

“It’s about fifty-fifty. Like, telling if you’re strong or weak. I can’t tell the difference between you and Sunghan-ssi. It might not be able to separate out B-Rank either. The waiting time for accurately checking once is 30 days. If it weren’t for the waiting period, it’d probably be around Rank.”

At my words, this guy nodded his head. The shadows on his face also became slightly brighter.

“If it’s only that much, then even if it’s revealed, you won’t be targeted too much. If you can tell B-Ranks or higher ahead of time, then it’s pretty useful, but since the waiting time is so long, even if Ranks or S-Ranks come find you, there’s no guarantee that they’ll form a contract. Awakening Centers are going to form, so being able to Awaken someone won’t work as bait.”

“Awakening Centers?”

I asked, pretending I didn’t know what he was talking about.

“The mechanism for Awakening has been approximately figured out. So it’s scheduled for Centers to start construction soon. It’s the Association’s goal to ensure a safe Awakening for anybody in half a year. The word has already gone around Gak Guild’s upper management and they made an investment. I did too, to a certain amount.”

“That’s impressive. The number of Awakened People will probably increase a lot?”

“The official announcement is in 4 months, so don’t go around telling people.”

“Are you going to let me meet people to talk to in the first place?”

Instead of answering, his smile returned. This crazy asshole, why don’t you just put me in solitary confinement.

“At any rate, I’m going to go find the Rank who’ll protect me so just give me the chance to.”

“If it’s just once per 30 days, it won’t be easy. And Ranks aren’t that common.”

“But it won’t take 3 years at least. If my luck is good, I might be able to find one right away.”

Of course, I didn’t need something like luck. I already knew who’s Rank.

After thinking it over for a while, Yoohyun opened his mouth.

“Fine. If you really contract with an Rank, I don’t have to excessively try to protect you. They just have to be combat- or defense-based.”

Finally, I got his permission. He’s such a strict dongsaeng. He stuck in another condition but Bak Yerim was famous as a combat mage, so it wasn’t a problem. The problem was the keyword, shit.

[1] specifically he says ‘amounts of 억 (100 mil won = ~100 thousand usd)’ which is also just a way to say huge amounts of money

[2] i.e. the same phrase as [1], and then when talking about D-Ranks in the same sentence, it says they earn 1억

[3] he actually says ‘eating to live’ but I thought it made more sense in Eng to clarify the “cooking” part

[4] 해주: this is a made up word (ya I kno all words are made up but u kno what I mean) that I’m assuming is analogous to ‘detoxification’ bc the word for that is 해독 (where 독 means poison) & I’m assuming the -주 stands for 저주 (curse)

[5] a saying meaning that if you stick out, you’ll be in trouble.

[6] Krn uses a lot of compound verbs so the specific verb here is lit. “understand and give” which gives a connotation “be understanding of (what I did, why I did it, etc.)” in this case. It’s softer/more pleading than just “understand”.

[7] lit. “as much as eye gunk” which is used to refer to something that is very tiny, or when you really don’t have any thoughts about something

[8] lit. “temper shot up so that the back of [my] neck pulled up” which is just an expression to mean you’re really extremely angry, because when you’re really angry, the back of your neck tightens up from the blood pressure.

[9] back in day, fortune-tellers used to lay down mats at markets and such to do their work, so this is a saying that implies that Yoohyun is a fortune-teller. I didn’t know how to make that get across in Eng so I used the lit. tl

Chapter end