The S-Classes That I Raised - Chapter 213

Chapter 213 Japan Trip (1) 

Translated by: Ddomigan 

‘Oh, I got a reply.’ 

Yoojin had received a text message from Song
Taewon. 

[Nothing much happened. But, thank you for
your concern.] 

That was Song Taewon’s response to Yoojin’s
congratulatory message on the safe completion of the raid and a question asking
if anything strange happened in the dungeon and whether he was feeling okay.
Does that mean Song Taewon did not sense the gaze?  

‘So, it does have something to do with me.’ 

Yoojin has entered dungeons
alongside Yoohyun, Yerim, and Sung Hyunjae several times before whereas
not at all for Song Taewon. He couldn’t be entirely certain about it, but it’s
best to be cautious.  

[Please stop by the rearing center sometime. I
brought in a super cute and fluffy lamb which made me think of you, Chief Song.
But I can come to you if that’s what you prefer. It’s just really
adorable.] Yoojin messaged Song Taewon. 

Yoojin had a feeling that Chief Song would fall
in love with the lamb the moment he touched it. The
texture of the lamb’s wool was addictive. If it wasn’t for
Peace, Yoojin might have already brought the super snuggly lamb back with him.
But at home, the seat on his lap was already reserved for Peace… ‘Perhaps I
can keep the lamb with me when Peace is away in a dungeon.’ Yoojin
thought. 

Meanwhile… 

“We really can’t?” 

Yerim asked, pestering Yoojin while he was
typing his messages. Before she was able to receive a response from
Yoojin, Yoohyun cut her off and replied on his behalf. 

“No.” 

“Han Yoohyun, was I asking for your
opinion? This house belongs to ahjussi!” 

“We already have enough fur flying around with
just Peace and Park Yerim staying here.” 

“What?! Fur? Hey! Don’t you know that it’s
your hair that’s falling out? Your hair stands out the most, you know?” 

Yerim shouted as she brought the puppies closer
into her arms. The wolf cubs in her embrace whimpered softly. 

“Yerim, you know you can come see
them anytime since they live right downstairs, right?” Yoojin
said. 

“But I already like them so much. Can’t I
bring them to my room?” 

Both the white fluff balls were clinging onto
Yerim as she spoke. However, it wasn’t because they liked her, but
rather… 

‘They look scared.’ 

From a distance, Peace was slowly tapping the
ground with his tail, glaring at the puppies. It seemed Peace didn’t like
the fact that the wolf cubs had come into the house. Despite being monsters,
they were still part cat and part dog, so it didn’t seem likely that they would
get along easily for now. 

Every time Peace bared his fangs, the wolf cubs
froze in fear visibly. Even if the cubs looked pitiful, Yoojin still
can’t let them share the same space as Peace. 

“I’m sorry, but you can’t keep them inside the
house, Yerim. However, they will eventually be beast mounts that are
dedicated to you, and by then, you can be there with them while they grow up.” 

Although Yerim looked sad upon hearing
what Yoojin said, she still nodded her head obediently like a
well-behaved child. 

“I will visit often, Milky, Blanc.” 

When did she decide on their names? Could it be
that the names were taken from two of her dolls? Yoojin felt sorry for
Yerim when she turned back to look at him. Although she
had wanted to raise a puppy, the wolf cubs really just lived right
downstairs. 

– Kyaleueleung. 

As Yerim and the wolf cubs went outside, Peace
approached Yoojin and rubbed its body against his leg.
Peace seemed to be in a good mood. 

“I hear you’re taking Peace along to Japan?” 

Yoohyun turned around and asked. Yoojin
nodded as he walked with his younger brother. 

“They requested to have Peace be brought
over there. The Japanese were quite strange. I thought they might feel
hesitant if several S-classes were going, but apparently, they seem to
like it.” 

Yoojin thought of negotiating with the
Japanese so that more than two S-class hunters could accompany them on
the pretext of safety. However, it turned out that the Japanese had
already requested for Han Yoohyun to come along, and they also welcomed any
other hunters to join. 

“Since Noah and Riette are foreigners, I wonder
if we could bring them to Japan.” 

Specifically, since both of them are
freelance hunters currently, they should be able to afford to go on a
trip. Though, Riette did decline to go. Yoojin sat on the sofa while
holding Peace, and then switched on the TV. A program related to the
Japan-Korea relations was airing. They were also analyzing the Japanese hunter
who would be Yerim’s opponent. 

[I heard that Park Yerim’s biggest weakness is
her lack of experience as a hunter, however, she has an advantage in terms of
terrain conditions…] 

The news program had also criticized her for
entering the Slime Dungeon despite her lack of experience. Though it was only
briefly mentioned to prevent the program from being off-putting, the power
of the media was still frightening. Whenever they decide to conceal or
downplay certain problems and issues, most people would just accept whatever
version of the truth that’s presented to them. The opposite, however, was
also true. 

“I’m not sure about Yerim or Seonghan, but
Yoohyun, since you’re the guild leader, it would be difficult for them to whisk
you away. I wonder if they are going to offer some amazing conditions. Could
the Thunderbird Robe be something like a pretext?” 

“I’m not interested in whatever they have to
offer.” 

Yoohyun said while seated next to
Yoojin. 

“I have enough. I’ll be satisfied as long as I
can maintain my current everyday life.” 

“…You don’t need anything else?” 

“We already have a house to go back to, a home.
Unless they give me an item that can definitely keep you safe in Japan,
then who knows, but that likely won’t be the case.” 

It would be quite amusing if a world-saving item
suddenly popped up in Japan. 

“Yeah, me too… I wish I can continue living
like this.” Yoojin said. 

It would be great to live a life where the
biggest problem is something as trivial as ’you can’t bring a
dog into the house,’ and the only concern is what to have for dinner
next. 

That being said, however, when the kids go on a dungeon
raid, Yoojin would also just get anxious again. While he was already
grappling with a lot of problems, he was uncertain about what other issues
might crop up in the future. ‘Why is my life so tough?’ He thought. 

“…You know, Hyung.” 

Yoohyun cautiously brought up another
topic, and as Yoojin turned to look at him, he saw that Yoohyun’s face was full
of gloom. It made Yoojin wonder what had happened, could he have troubled his
younger brother without even realizing it? 

“During the time I awakened and the period not
long after that, I gave you a hard time, didn’t I?” 

Yoojin hesitated to speak, and his mind went
blank. That time… 

“No, that’s not true.” Yoojin said. 

“But, hyung.” Yoohyun uttered. 

“I can’t really remember it.” 

That was 8 years ago, so Yoojin doesn’t
even really think about it. The memory was distant enough to have faded. 

“That’s why, you don’t have to worry about it. I’m
fine. It’s already in the past.” 

Yoojin smiled, saying that he was okay. Because
up till this point in time, things haven’t been that bad. As for the
things that would’ve happened afterwards, they’re irrelevant as Yoohyun doesn’t
know anything about them. Only just sometimes, Yoojin would get bothered by
those thoughts. 

“That was just an argument between family
members, it happens sometimes. We’re bound to have big fights and
reconcile later since we live together. But it’s all good now, so it’s okay.” 

Yoojin didn’t think that was a memory worth
bringing up, so he shifted his gaze towards the TV. A replay of Yerim’s
interview was airing. In it, she was smiling confidently and brightly. 

“Hey, if Japan tries to take you away, just
pretend to hesitate and accept anything they offer. There’s absolutely no
need to refuse what they give. Take everything you need, wipe your lips and
just return home.” 

Yoojin was especially curious if Yerim
would bring home a barrage of new items for Myeongwoo and Noah. Since
everything he received in advance was rather pleasing, Yoojin was looking
forward to it. Then at that moment, the sound of a door opening was
heard. 

“Yerim, shake off the fur before coming in.” Yoojin
said. 

“Alright!” 

Perhaps because they’re wolf cubs, their
fur wasn’t shedding as much as one would expect for a full coat, but
nonetheless, they were still shedding. Yerim came running and plopped down
next to Yoojin. 

“Pack your things in advance tonight.” Yoojin
advised. 

“I have already packed everything this morning~” Yerim
said. 

Apparently, she was just as fast. Though
there isn’t much to pack anyway. Just in case anything happens, Yoojin had
bought three spare phones. He also reminded himself to pack separate side
dishes for breakfast in case the kids didn’t like the food there. 

It’d be nice if everything goes well. 

The airport was crowded with people. Not
only were there many reporters, but also many spectators. Yerim was busy
expressing her gratitude to the people who came to support her, she also posed
for photos and accepted interviews. 

“I will return victorious!” 

As Yerim declared while waving
her hand, a loud cheer was roused. Her popularity was like that of a famous
celebrity. In fact, she was so popular, she wouldn’t need
to feel inferior in front of other celebrities. Yerim had already received
many advertising offers even before the public knew about her match
with the Japanese, and after that fact, the number of brands that begged
her to accept their advertisement or even sponsorship deals had increased
significantly. The hat Yerim was currently wearing was a sponsorship
product personally chosen by her. 

Amid the continuous cheering, they completed the
check-in procedures and headed to the lounge. Moon Hyuna was already there
waiting in the spacious lounge. The people from the Hunter
Association were also there. 

“Director Han, you’re dressed prettily.” Moon
Hyuna greeted. 

What was ‘prettily’ even supposed to mean? 

“I wasn’t aware you were close to Hunter Riette,
Breaker guild leader.” Yoojin said. 

As S-class hunters started leaving Korea for
overseas in droves, concerns about domestic safety naturally arose. Although
the dungeons had been cleared, there was still a need for hunters who could
handle any emergencies to be around in case of a dungeon break. 

Therefore, Haeyeon had S-class Hunter Kim
Seonghan stay behind while entrusting Blue’s Master Token to him, the token of
a top-notch S-class beast mount. As for Sesung, they had S-rank Hunter
Evelyn around, so there were no issues for them. 

Breaker had encountered a problem with this
matter, but it was promptly solved by temporarily hiring Riette. 

“I get along well with her since she’s carefree
and easy-going. There are hardly any female hunters that are on bad terms with
me in the first place. I’m quite popular, you know.” Moon Hyuna said. 

“Are you saying everyone except for Hunter
Evelyn?” 

“Oh, she’s just an acquaintance. Our
personalities don’t match after all. Even if she’s skillful, I wouldn’t want to
be close to someone who likes to act behind people’s backs. It’s just too
repulsive.” 

Moon Hyuna had also advised Yoojin to be careful
in the meanwhile. 

“Please make sure that no beasts are roaming
around inside the aircraft.” 

A staff from the Association said while
eyeing Chirpie as it floated around the lounge. Of course, little
Chirpie won’t suddenly go around teleporting. Velare also seemed to want to
wander around, but Yoojin kept it on his wrist just to be safe. 

Peace was quietly sitting on a chair whereas
Yerim and Noah were going through snacks. Myeongwoo looked tired likely since
he was busy with work before going on this vacation. Instead of forging items,
he was busy helping the others practice smithing. 

Yoojin heard that the blacksmiths from Myeongwoo’s
smithy, Seo Dongbaek and Lee Minsuk, succeeded in producing a low-level items
just two days ago. The value of the completed items were low, but it
demonstrated the possibility of forging items without the need for
specialized skills. They plan to make a large-scale announcement on
this breakthrough once they are able to create mid-rank items. 

“Hyung, would you like something to eat too?
You haven’t had a proper breakfast.” 

“Hmm, maybe I should. I didn’t know there
was a buffet in the airport lounge.” 

Yoojin hadn’t stop by the lounge during his
trip to Hong Kong. Truth be told, he didn’t even know such a place
existed. Yoojin thought it would have been nice to take a flight
then. The lounge had quite a variety of food to offer, and that included
wines as well. He was thinking about having a simple sandwich when the door
opened, and through it, Song Taewon had walked in. Yoojin wondered what was
going on. 

“You must be busy, but did you come to see me
off?” Yoojin asked. 

He briefly wondered if it was okay to have so
many S-class hunters around. There are a lot of ordinary people too, though. In
response to Yoojin’s question, Song Taewon then answered quietly. 

“It’s a measure to prepare for future
contingencies. I can’t interfere with matters abroad, but…” 

While scanning through the lounge’s scenery,
Song Taewon wore an expression that seemed as if he was holding back a sigh. He
then continued speaking. 

“I’m wishing you a safe journey.” 

His expression seemed to convey the
thought, ‘Please be mindful to not get into an accident.’ 

“I’ll just be a quiet spectator on this trip to
Japan, so don’t worry. And Chief Song, since you’re doing well, please drop by
the rearing center if you have time. I’ve mentioned it to you beforehand, but
would you like to touch the baby lamb just once? It’s really cute.”  

Yoojin asked, however, Song Taewon didn’t
respond and just stood to one side.  

‘I wonder if he had a proper meal. Should I ask
if he wants a sandwich?’ 

Yoojin thought as he filled up a plate with sandwiches
while Yoohyun poured him a drink. Meanwhile, Yerim gushed about how
delicious these cookies were and put some on his plate before going to get ice
cream. Noah complimented the taste of a cake and asked Myung Woo if he would
like to have some coffee. Moon Hyuna had ordered a separate meal altogether,
expressing her confusion over the presence of chefs in the lounge, given
that they were in an airport, not a restaurant. 

It was nice to witness the ‘Going on a trip to
have fun’ atmosphere right from the start. As the smell of steak being
grilled wafted out, Yerim shouted, “Me too!” 

“Why don’t you eat too, Yoohyun?” Yoojin
asked. 

“I’m not that hungry.” 

Yoohyun has a relatively small appetite, but he
hardly ever complains about the food at home. Even when Yoojin would
offer him cookies as a snack, he was usually able to eat whatever that’s
offered to him. 

– Bbiyak! 

Chirpie cheeped just as the door opened
again. When Yoojin turned around to check if he had bumped into Chirpie, he saw
it perched on top of a nest of faded, light-colored hair. Sung Hyunjae had
walked into the lounge nonchalantly. As Yoojin was about to greet him like
usual, their eyes met. 

…But at that moment, Yoojin wasn’t able to say
anything, and he averted his gaze. 

“Are we all gathered now? What time is the
departure?” 

In response to Moon Hyuna’s question, they were
told that preparations for the flight have been completed. The sound of forks
touching plates was heard and Yerim had said, ‘Let’s finish eating and go,’
while also asking if she could take some ice cream onboard with her. Yoojin
took a deep breath before looking back at Sung Hyunjae. While Sung Hyunjae
held Chirpie in his hand, he smiled at Yoojin. It was the kind
of expression he always had on. 

“It appears Chirpie had made a mistake.
Please hand him over.” 

Sung Hyunjae approached silently and handed
over Chirpie to Yoojin. ‘…Stop staying silent, say something already.’ Yoojin
thought as he took the chirping baby bird into his arms awkwardly.
Just then, Yoohyun held onto those hesitant arms of his. 

“Let’s get going.” 

“Huh, oh, okay.” 

The group was pulled into one last photo
op as a whole before leaving the lounge to board the plane. Soon after,
the plane departed and landed in Japan a few hours later.