The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 461: I’m a Fan! (1)

[Then we’ll go with this dungeon!]

Newbie said. It wasn’t easy for the three of us—including me—to line up our schedules for Yuhyun and Yerim’s training. We each had our own work, and more than anything, once we started a dungeon run we’d be away for days. So Newbie decided that, for one designated dungeon, Yuhyun and Yerim would be allowed to enter here alone.

[Just keep this key with you. Unlike Honey, anyone can come in as long as they have the key, so don’t lose it! And unlike Honey, it only applies to the holder.]

A flat, square, blue gem–like thing was handed to Yuhyun and Yerim. The two who received it looked pretty worn out. After activating the mana they’d been suppressing, they’d had another round with Young Chaos.

“Thanks, Newbie. Elder, we’ll be counting on you from now on too. Do you need anything? Just say the word. Should I bring you some snacks or something?”

Teaching us without even taking tutoring fees. And not just some SKY kid—world–class, literally number one. Our kids are of course amazing too, but compared to Young Chaos, they’d be like students who keep taking first place nationwide. In high school, that’s something; in middle school, people might just think they’re prodigies.

“Are you tired? Want me to massage your shoulders?”

Chaos glanced at me.

“Take care of your own body. Exercise.”

“Of course I should. Naturally.”

“Speed.”

“Huh?”

Young Chaos grabbed my wrist. I bent at the pull. Those small yet firm fingertips brushed my forehead and tapped it lightly.

“First, you have too much affection.”

“It’s not that bad…”

“Of course liking someone is far better than hating them. I’m not talking about right and wrong. If hatred grows, someone gets hurt, so even simply put, it’s a loss, isn’t it?”

Having seen countless worlds, the voice was young yet not young.

“So I won’t stop you from embracing even the weird ones. But take care of yourself, too. You, too.”

“I told you, I really will exercise.”

“Value yourself first. It’ll feel awkward. To keep others from worrying, to want to be seen as only agreeable, to think if only I have it a bit rough then everything’s fine. People often end up making a habit of pressing it all down like that.”

“That’s…”

“But if you keep that up and grow weary, get sick, and end up going wrong—what use is any of it? Lean more on the people you like. Just as you don’t want to lose them, they won’t want to lose you. If they’d leave because you whined a little or said something they didn’t like, then they weren’t worth liking in the first place.”

…Showing I’m having a hard time—yeah, that’s hard. Even since I was a kid, with no dungeons or anything like that in the picture.

“The world, you see, isn’t that easy. ‘I don’t want to hear you say you’re having a hard time’—that’d be a blessing, comparatively. Some people even use that as a weakness.”

“Die this way, die that way—same difference.”

Well, that’s a bit… extreme.

“If you’re going to wither away from bottling it up over that kind of thing, then blow up and grab each other by the collar. At least you won’t die.”

“Easy to say.”

“Acting is oddly easier. I’m not saying don’t endure. Endure appropriately. Endure about half and you’re a good person, but if you endure absolutely everything, mm, what is it.”

[ A pushover! They say a pushover! ]

Newbie suddenly butted in.

“Right, it’s like voluntarily sticking your head into a tiger’s mouth. Just because there’s nowhere obvious to run doesn’t mean you should offer up your head to be bitten off.”

“Hey, I don’t endure to that extent.”

“First, are you the only one who has to endure and hide it?”

Uh, well. That…

“If I were alone, I really wouldn’t endure, but I’ve got a lot of people depending on me… Besides, I’ve caused my share of trouble and brought a few down, you know.”

I didn’t endure and I hauled plenty in. Shook a lot out of them, too. …Thinking on it, not much ended up mine. But I do have buildings, and I get called Director of the Breeding Facility—that’s plenty.

Chaos narrowed their eyes and finally grabbed my ear and twisted. Ow. For real.

“Give some of that affection to yourself, too.”

I even caught a smack on the back. Young Chaos waved a hand, telling me to send the kids off, and Newbie went, See you next time, Honey! Then the surroundings shifted.

“Let’s clear this quick and go home to rest. You must be tired—want me to handle the monsters?”

When I pulled out the gun, Yuhyun and Yerim shook their heads in unison.

“It’s fine, hyung. You stay with Peace.”

“That’s right, Mister. Even if I got twice as tired as now, I’d still be faster than you, Mister.”

– Khrng.

Peace enlarged his body as if in agreement. The monsters here were on the slow side, so I could handle them just fine, too. I could replenish mana through Grace and just shoot from afar.

Yerim took off, saying she’d sweep everything clean, and Yuhyun seated me on Peace’s back.

“Just like Elder said, take care of yourself first, hyung. We’re really fine.”

“Okay.”

I nodded and stroked Peace’s nape.

‘…Even if you tell me to give affection to myself, too.’

Honestly, that’s not easy. I’m doing pretty well. I’ve gained a lot and changed a lot. But the past doesn’t change, and it stays vivid, impossible to erase.

Above all, having already lost once—if only I hadn’t been F–rank, if only I hadn’t been weak. And if I hadn’t existed. To completely escape thoughts like that… is still hard. I was just ordinary, there was nothing I could’ve done, and I shouldn’t call it my fault, but still.

‘At least not until I bring my brother back…’

It’ll be hard. Until then, I don’t think I’ll like myself very much.

‘I’m newly jealous.’

That guy in the dungeon—in that new world now—he’ll be different. He perfectly saved his brother, reconciled, too. He must be living well without a shadow of hesitation. Good for him. I should’ve stuck to him properly and given him a few more whacks.

“Yuhyun, you don’t dislike yourself anymore, do you? No matter what you are.”

My brother blinked and looked at me, then smiled gently.

“Yeah. Because you accepted me, hyung.”

“No matter what happens from now on, I will. So don’t go through pointless heartache.”

I… I’ll be able to put an end to it someday too.

We cleared the dungeon quickly and went outside, and a few texts had piled up on my phone.

[ During meals, he suddenly jumps. About 50 cm to 1 m 15 cm in height. Is this abnormal behavior? ]

Chief Song contacted me again because of Song-i. Jumping up during a meal is normal. It means it tastes good. A curt yet diligent rookie dad.

“How is it—isn’t this perfect? I mean the place he’ll stay.”

A spacious room unfolded in front of me. Calling it a room felt strange, but technically, it was.

“I prepared a bouquet first, but maybe food would be better? Ugh, I’m so excited. My heart’s pounding. He won’t hate it, right? I hope he likes it. The room feels too small!”

“Isn’t it plenty big?”

“A wild hamster’s activity range is several kilometers! Those tiny guys roam 3 km, and our Geumdong is even bigger!”

Do Hamin thumped his chest—still too small, apparently. Geumdong’s quarters in front of us had originally been for commercial use. Nearly twenty pyeong of wide–open space, laid thick with soil and sand. To match the Gold Hamster dungeon environment as closely as possible, we’d planted grass, set small trees, added rocks, and even installed an artificial pond—a gigantic habitat—and he says it’s cramped. One wall was special glass, so it was flooded with daylight. Full climate control, too.

“And those flowers are dungeon-grown, right.”

“I heard rodent-type monsters like them, but the dungeon environment is different! It’s still lacking, way too lacking. Why Africa, of all places! There’s almost nothing we can bring!”

Do Hamin wailed about wanting to bring the plants, sand, and water from Geumdong’s dungeon. But hauling sand from an African dungeon, of all places, wasn’t easy. At best, a few plant species would be coming in with Geumdong.

“Don’t worry. They said you can sprinkle magic-stone powder on dungeon-grown insects or nuts.”

“But for diet adaptation—still, the native region, the environment, the water, even that dungeon’s average temperature or seasonal changes or day–night differences, etc.—we don’t know any of it—!”

If only someone would cover Do Hamin’s mouth.

“Monsters are sturdy. He’s D–rank boss–class, sturdier than you.”

“A sudden environmental change causes stress! Do you know how many animals die during long–distance transport!”

“He’ll be in first class on the plane.”

Do Hamin grumbled about pressure changes again. D–rank, I said, D–rank. He’s sturdier than me. If we fought without gear, I’d lose. Even if the two of us jumped him together, we’d lose.

“I knew you loved hamsters a lot, but…”

Even Noah looked a little overwhelmed. It was like he was going to meet his ideal type he’d been pining after for ten years, not a hamster.

“You even got your hair done and had new clothes tailored for a hamster?”

“First impressions are everything.”

“…Then why not wear gold clothes? He might like you for matching colors.”

“Gasp! I should’ve! Why say it now!”

Do Hamin clicked his tongue and shot Noah a wary look.

“I’m really sorry, but until Geumdong acclimates to me, could you not approach him?”

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

Noah nodded with a beatific smile. As if a hamster would see Mr. Noah as a fellow kind. Even if he could do beast speech—he’s a dragon and that’s a mouse. I dragged the whining Do Hamin away when he wanted to fuss more with Geumdong’s house.

“You’re looking a bit glossy yourself.”

“Me? Well… Is it that obvious?”

“You did your hair, too. And you’re dressed to the nines—why are you calling me out.”

“Hey, I’m going to meet a person. It’s even my first overseas contract.”

Is that the same as a hamster.

“Even with a low rank, since it’s a monster being brought in from overseas, he has to go through quarantine. If you wait here, they’ll eventually bring him.”

“Of course I’m going to the airport!”

Fair enough. Hence why we came to pick him up with Mr. Noah.

“He’ll get off on the airfield side, go straight through quarantine there, then head to the Hunter Association. He needs to be registered.”

Hearing Noah would accompany him, Do Hamin gave him another cautious look.

“A hat… would you wear one? A turban works, too.”

This guy, seriously. But kind Mr. Noah accepted Do Hamin’s unreasonable request.

“Sorry, Mr. Noah. If it weren’t for the cultists, I’d just send a decent high–rank Hunter to escort.”

It was an airport with lots of foreign visitors, which made me uneasy. The Hunter Association was a major terror target, too.

“It’s fine. Protecting the people here is my job.”

Mr. Noah really is an angel.

I paired Mr. Noah with Do Hamin and headed for the airport too. Yuhyun was already coming along, but—

“Yerim, you’re coming too?”

Yerim had arrived at the parking lot as well.

“Yes! Aren’t you curious? The Hunter you’re such a fan of that you even did some grooming, Mister.”

“…No, that’s not it.”

I didn’t intend to tell them, but both Yuhyun and Yerim found me suspiciously overinvested in grooming and eventually figured it out. Yuhyun, standing by the car, spoke with a sulky face.

“Hyung, you never went to that kind of trouble to meet me.”

“You’re family, family! I see you every day!”

“Even if I’m family. Mister, when we go out to eat or hang out, you always dress however.”

“…Isn’t it fine among family?”

“No? Maybe at home, but when we go out I put in some effort.”

D-did you? But whether they threw on anything or not, Yuhyun and Yerim always looked properly put together.

“Sorry. I’ll be mindful from now on.”

“No, hyung. I like you comfortable.”

“…That’s different from what you just said.”

“I mean I’d like you not to care about other people. Broadcast–wise is unavoidable, but if it’s a personal meeting, why are you grooming? If anyone talks crap about that, I’ll handle them.”

“Right away,” Yuhyun added. Huh, does he dislike me trying too hard to look good for others? To be fair, I’d dislike it if Yuhyun or Yerim did that too. Our kids are already brilliant as they are.

“It’s not exactly personal—we’ve got a contract. They’re coming in from overseas, and, well, I do want to make a decent impression.”

“You’re always decent. Cool.”

“Thanks.”

But Yuhyun says anything I do is fine, so…

When we got to the airport, on top of Moon Hyunah, even Seong Hyunjae was camped out. Since a foreign high–rank Hunter was entering the country for a special contract, even Chief Song had shown up.

“Hyung! You really dressed up pretty today!”

“It’s not that much… Why are you two here again?”

“They say it’s Han Yujin’s first love—how could I not be curious?”

“It’s not, okay!”

Why did it turn into first love out of nowhere! At Seong Hyunjae’s words, Ms. Hyunah grinned wide.

“At this point it’s first love. Or second? Hm?”

“Just a fan, a fan. Yuhyun, Yerim, it’s not like that. Why are you looking at me like that.”

And even if it were a first love, did you all have to swarm here like this! What’s it to you, seriously.