The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 425: Midnight Visitor (2)

“I don’t know.”

The response came back blunt and flat.

“Don’t you want to come in? You need to clear my suspicion.”

“It’s not my place to know—it’s for the Sesung Guild Leader to know. You said you came to me wearing someone else’s face.”

So Han Yujin had no choice but to remain ignorant. Seong Hyunjae tilted his head slightly, pressing it against the glass door through the cloth barrier. Cool sensation seeped through the fabric from the other side.

“Then what about Chief Song Taewon? Did you know I was meeting with Han Yujin?”

“I don’t know about the first time either. Besides, we shouldn’t keep Hunter Han Yujin standing outside.”

“Can’t you protect even one F-Rank? When did you realize I was the Sesung Guild Leader? Hm? Han Yujin.”

THUD. The sound of someone slamming the glass door in frustration echoed through the space.

“You said you wanted me to join Sesung—you said it yourself!”

“Hunter Han Yujin, please keep your voice down.”

“Did I really say that?”

“Damn it, you don’t even remember, do you? I thought it was some kind of joke, but…”

The voice dropped to a growl. Seong Hyunjae tapped the top of the cloth with the back of his hand.

“Of course I didn’t. But you must have refused, Han Yujin.”

“What would I hear if I went there? And it’s Sesung, no less. They’d say I betrayed my little brother after spending so much time criticizing him.”

“I could hide you perfectly.”

Seong Hyunjae’s tone turned coaxing.

“Safely tucked away in a large mansion with a garden that won’t feel confining, completely cut off from the world. If you want, I’ll even build you a pond. You could have a dog or a cat.”

“Are you insane? Is this some weird hobby of a rich person with too much money and time on their hands?”

“When it comes to Han Yujin, let’s just say it is. I have no intention of doing that for anyone else.”

“I’m going to report you. The Awakened Management Office Chief is right there next to you.”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to come in? You should stay on the good side of the person holding the key.”

A sound of frustration escaped from outside. Apart from the fact that he was trying to get into the hotel, there was almost nothing that felt fake about the performance. Though he wouldn’t open the door, Seong Hyunjae felt the impulse to at least pull back the cloth. He glanced back at Young Chaos.

“What happens if I let them in?”

“The nightmare serves the King of Harmless. It will try to devour your memories, starting with the parts connected to them.”

“If it’s still F-Rank, it shouldn’t be hard to block.”

“The act of opening the door after being asked to enter becomes a kind of contractual agreement. That’s why the people near the sea of mist sealed their doors and windows when the sun set.”

‘Don’t call my name when the sun sets. Who is it that knocks on the door? To a nostalgic greeting, to a gentle whisper. All the lovely ones are asleep, so go and rest with them.’

In the end, it had been a world swallowed by mist and lost long ago.

BOOM!

A thunderous roar suddenly shattered the air.

“Open the door!”

Han Yujin shouted urgently. The metallic ring of a weapon being drawn echoed through the space. SCRAPE—something dragged across the asphalt.

“At least let Hunter Han Yujin in, please!”

Song Taewon’s voice carried desperation. Seong Hyunjae’s lips curved upward slightly. It would have been difficult for anyone else to endure this.

“What else did we talk about? How did we spend our time together?”

“You son of a bitch!”

“I must have heard that several times.”

GRRRR. The rumbling of a beast echoed from beyond the glass. Heavy footsteps—Song Taewon’s response—pounded against the floor.

“You said you wanted me and Chief Song to be safe!”

“Of course that’s right. I cherish you two the most.”

Just from the fact that only these two had appeared. They were the only two people who truly mattered.

“Then open it! If you won’t let me in, then at least come out!”

“Han Yujin’s little brother is here too.”

Han Yujin’s shouting voice cut off abruptly. He muttered softly.

“You real son of a bitch…”

“If you’re going to pretend to be Han Yujin, you won’t be able to get in. Isn’t that right?”

“Damn it, I… right now… Yuhyun’s feelings…”

“You must have thought about it a lot. You must have told me about it too.”

“You know, and you’re still doing this?”

“If it’s acceptable for your little brother to be in danger, I’ll open the door.”

Han Yujin drew a sharp breath. Those words weren’t a lie—they were absolute truth. If Han Yujin were to abandon Han Yuhyun and prioritize his own safety, Seong Hyunjae would gladly open the door. But even if this was a fake, as long as he remained Han Yujin…

“That’s complete bullshit…”

“I’m serious.”

“You approached me in the first place because I raised Yuhyun! Not once, not twice—don’t test me like that!”

“It has nothing to do with Han Yuhyun now, Han Yujin.”

Such things no longer mattered.

“Right now, I’d rather see Han Yujin putting himself first.”

“Fuck, just tell me to go die or something.”

Han Yujin’s teeth ground together audibly. Even though he was an existence meant to tempt his opponent into opening the door, he gave up. He refused the offer to have it opened.

BOOM! An explosion erupted. But it was only sound—no vibration or movement of mana could be felt. In reality, it would just be a peaceful street with thick fog flowing through it. Following the sound of something colliding, Song Taewon’s suppressed groan leaked out softly.

“Chief Song! Then at least help Chief Song! Come out, Seong Hyunjae!”

“It seems you know Chief Song Taewon better than I expected. Have the three of us met before?”

“Yes, we have! Ack!”

THUD. Scattered fragments rolled across the ground. As if struck by debris, Han Yujin’s voice dropped low. He seemed to have curled up protectively.

“Are you very close to Song Taewon?”

“He’s a hundred times better than the son of a bitch standing in front of me.”

“I can’t deny that. Though a hundred times might be excessive.”

‘I’d accept about twice as much.’ At the leisurely response, Han Yujin burst out with curses. THUD—the sound of his forehead hitting the glass door.

“The way you look down on people was always so obvious.”

“Everyone felt that way.”

Seong Hyunjae bent down, placing his knee on the marble floor. CRACK—something shattered and was roughly thrown aside. Heavy breathing filled his ears.

“Han… Yujin… Hunter…”

Immediately after Song Taewon’s voice rang out—

CRUNCH!

Seong Hyunjae’s ear caught the precise sound of a human body being pierced. THUD. The glass door trembled slightly. It could have been the wind. The body that had been leaning against the glass door slid further down.

Seong Hyunjae’s eyes unconsciously searched the floor, the gap beneath the door. No blood had seeped through. There was no smell of blood either.

“Han Yujin.”

“At least… show me your face.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I want to see Yuhyun more anyway.”

‘My little brother.’

“You said… you would tell me.”

“What is it?”

“Why Yuhyun… left me. That you had a theory…”

“I did say that.”

“I was waiting.”

The labored breathing gradually faded. Seong Hyunjae’s hand clenched into a tight fist. This was proving more difficult than he’d anticipated. He was clearly aware it was fake, yet the sense of displeasure ran deep.

“The alcohol you bought me… thank you. You said a lot of annoying things, but… I also… my little brother’s story…”

Instead of asking to be let in until the very end, Han Yujin pleaded desperately.

“What was… the reason? Yuhyun.”

“To protect Han Yujin.”

“How foolish…”

A powerless laugh drifted through the door.

“Han Yuhyun loved only Han Yujin from beginning to end. Even now, and forever.”

“Even if they’re just empty words, thank you. But you’re not the type to say empty words, are you, Mr. Seong Hyunjae?”

“Of course not.”

“Right… yes… that’s right…”

With another word of thanks, the voice cut off. The sound of a body being dragged followed.

“Han Yujin… Hunter. Han Yu… jin… sir…”

Song Taewon called out Han Yujin’s name as if coughing up blood. To kill Han Yujin first—it was a nightmare that understood all too well how to make the scene even more agonizing.

“I… I…”

“Did you still hate being alive back then?”

“A person… to be protected.”

The hem of clothing brushed against the floor. A fingertip scraped against something. The motion of embracing a corpse played out vividly in Seong Hyunjae’s mind.

“You also said you would protect me.”

“Did we have conversations like that?”

“That’s why… I…”

“What happened?”

For a moment, only the sound of ragged breathing filled the air. Seong Hyunjae waited quietly. Song Taewon, an S-Rank Hunter, wouldn’t die so easily. If he’d been recreated exactly, he would endure for dozens more minutes even with a fatal wound. Since he was still talking and breathing, it could go on much longer—even more than a day.

Long enough that Seong Hyunjae might open the door just to end the suffering.

“The moon…”

“You mean Crescent Moon?”

“Interference… it tried to interfere.”

“Even outside the dungeon?”

“Seong Hyunjae… you. You noticed the contract, and that…”

Crescent Moon had tried to collect the little moon that had nearly been completed by Song Taewon and Han Yujin. But before that could happen, Seong Hyunjae had noticed the contract binding him.

“That… with plunder…”

“Was it an attempt to swallow it using Song Taewon’s skill?”

Not Seong Hyunjae himself, but the contract that bound him. A contract could also be considered a type of skill. So theoretically, it wasn’t impossible.

“You were… going to enter the dungeon alone. But Mr. Han Yujin…”

“He followed me. You did.”

“It’s not Mr. Han Yujin’s fault…”

“Do you remember dying?”

No answer came back. Seong Hyunjae had tried to face his fate alone. He probably hadn’t given up—it was just that to him, not only Han Yujin but also Song Taewon were weak beings who would be dragged down with him.

But Han Yujin had thought of a way, and Song Taewon had accepted it.

“The moon… I couldn’t remove it. It must have affected Mr. Han Yujin too.”

“It seems he lost some of his memories.”

To be precise, the relationships between Seong Hyunjae and Song Taewon that had existed within Han Yujin had disappeared. Along with his connections to some of the people he’d been involved with at that time.

“Mr. Seong Hyunjae.”

“I’m alive.”

A small cough echoed.

“Alive, and living quite happily. Though Mr. Song Taewon is still suffering.”

“I also…”

Song Taewon also never asked to be let in until the very end. He was the type of person who wouldn’t come in even if the door stood open. He would have let only the weak enter and asked them to close it behind them.

“Actually… I didn’t hate it that much.”

“I did treat you well.”

“That’s…”

With a deep breath, no more words followed. Only faint breathing could be heard. He would die like this over the course of several hours. Seong Hyunjae’s hand tapped lightly against the glass door. He didn’t open it.

“Come and sit.”

Young Chaos spoke bluntly, then suddenly looked back.

“Why did those guys come down?”

Footsteps echoed from the direction of the guest room elevator. Young Chaos, who had lightly stepped down from his chair, spun his body and kicked the chair with the tip of his foot.

SWISH— Han Yuhyun’s foot caught the armchair that had slid smoothly across the floor with a THUD. On either side of him stood two Han Yujins.

“Don’t come any closer. It’ll be a mess.”

The Han Yujin with the slightly smaller build made an apologetic expression.

“Was I here?”

“You were.”

“Mr. Seong Hyunjae.”

Seong Hyunjae stood up. He turned around as if nothing had happened and walked a few steps toward the chair he’d been sitting in.

“You woke up too early.”

“I remembered something.”

“What did you remember?”

“The memory of Mr. Seong Hyunjae spouting nonsense at a drinking party.”

Han Yujin shrugged his shoulders.

“I couldn’t sleep well, so I was just lying there. Then suddenly I said that—I mean, the pre-regression me did.”

The “wanwoljangchwi” or something like that—he’d muttered that they’d had a similar conversation before.

“Come to think of it, I don’t really know where I heard it. There were old people who talked like that. There was also an old man who liked Li Bai—the one who said you have to empty 300 glasses once you start drinking.”

“Don’t let the golden goblet be empty in the moonlight.”

“I remembered that. Chief Song was there too, back then.”

When asked if he had come with them, Seong Hyunjae nodded.

“I was there.”

He hadn’t said he was still there. Han Yuhyun might be able to tell, but at this distance, Han Yujin wouldn’t be able to sense the dying presence beyond the glass door.

“I think the other me and I were influenced a little.”

“Did you remember anything else?”

“No, just useless memories. What about you, Mr. Seong Hyunjae? Did you hear anything? Maybe I’ll remember something more if I hear it.”

Seong Hyunjae considered for a moment, then turned his chair and pushed it forward. The chair slid for a long distance before stopping exactly in front of Han Yujin.

“First, sit down. Both of you.”

“Isn’t it uncomfortable?” Han Yujin and the other version of himself settled into the chair at Seong Hyunjae’s suggestion.