The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 542: Broadcast Preparations (2)

“Our team is definitely at a disadvantage.”

Park Yerim said seriously. Song Taewon glanced down at his wristwatch set to New York time. It was a watch sold at the Blue House gift shop, one of those that had come to the Awakened Management Office during last Chuseok. Since wristwatches were items with high loss and damage rates at the Management Office, they stockpiled several as spares. There was even more demand because it was common for Management Office Hunters to carry other communication equipment instead of expensive phones.

“It’s late. Please go in and sleep now.”

“When it comes to personal broadcasts, animals are the key. Everyone’s an amateur. So the commentary will be about the same for everyone, which means animals are what matter.”

Brushing off Song Taewon’s words, Park Yerim continued.

“Looks are important too, but we’re not lacking in that department either. But our team has no animals!”

Park Yerim exclaimed, propping one foot up on a round footstool.

“Han Yuhyun has Peace! Just one kyang would make subscriptions and likes explode. The Mister SNS that gets posted once in a blue moon is super popular. Though Mister seems completely unaware. Sesung Mister has Gyeol! Reptiles aren’t as mainstream as cats, but they have a strong core fanbase. Plus Gyeol is cute. A soft and tiny fairy dragon! Even I would subscribe!”

“…”

“And Noah oppa too—golden dragon! A gold dragon! And right now he even has feathered wings. Total angel dragon! Dragons are popular in both East and West, but if it’s gold, game over. Have you ever seen anyone who dislikes gold? Finally, Liette unnie too! She’s far from a cute and cuddly animal, but she’s a powerful black dragon! Black is popular too. Especially a giant dinosaur—kids go crazy for them. According to my friend who has a 4-year-old cousin, the more spikes and rougher they look, the more popular they are!”

Song Taewon looked at his watch again. It was a little past 10 PM, so it wasn’t that late. What time do middle schoolers sleep these days? Given his personality, it was hard for him to leave without reason since this was the team’s strategy meeting.

“So we need something special too.”

“What…”

“How about costumes? I heard they do it a lot in America.”

“…”

“I don’t really like dresses, but I’ll make up my mind and wear a sparkly sky-blue one. I looked into it, and they said high-level Hunters won’t get sued if they just sign a simple contract saying they’ll manage their image.”

Song Taewon fell silent. He had nothing to say, and it was also hard to properly understand what Park Yerim was saying.

“Chief Song, you should wear a yellow dress.”

“…Pardon?”

“It’s boring if we’re ordinary. I think it would suit you well.”

“…I refuse.”

Song Taewon felt his ironclad stomach churning. Even for him, it wasn’t easy to distinguish which parts of those words were sincere and which were jokes. Seong Hyunjae was easier to deal with… or rather, he wasn’t, but Park Yerim was no pushover either.

“Spray water in Times Square, make an ice rink, then an ice castle!”

“Absolutely not.”

“I think they’d love it though.”

“Absolutely not.”

Park Yerim sent sparkling eyes toward Song Taewon. Just once? At that request, Song Taewon swallowed a sigh and repeated that it was not allowed. To Song Taewon, Park Yerim seemed like a combination of Han Yujin and Seong Hyunjae. She caused far fewer incidents than those two, but she was difficult to deal with.

Park Yerim was also someone who couldn’t be easily handled, just like Han Yujin. A victim who lost her parents to a Dungeon Break at a young age, a minor who should be protected. She was someone who had all the points that would make Song Taewon weak. But at the same time, she was a powerful S-rank Hunter like Seong Hyunjae. In the ocean, she was a dangerous existence that any S-rank Hunter would have to yield to.

That’s why Song Taewon still couldn’t quite grasp how to deal with Park Yerim. He’d also encountered Han Yuhyun when he was a minor, but he hadn’t thrown personal emotions at him like this. He’d picked fights, but in other aspects, he was mechanically plain. Since there was no emotion, dealing with him was rather comfortable. But Park Yerim.

“Let’s decide on a team name first!”

Seong Hyunjae and Han Yujin overlapped on that bright face that practically glowed. Still, at least.

“Yesong Debate! I think I’ve heard of it somewhere.”

“…It’s a debate between the Westerners and Southerners factions during the Joseon Dynasty over etiquette.”

“Oh~ As expected of a civil servant!”

With Park Yerim, only he suffered.

“Yes Song instead of Crazy Song!”

“Shouldn’t middle schoolers be sleeping soon?”

“10 PM is evening. I’ll lift Song Mister with one hand, and Chief Song, you strike a pose. American style! Should we practice?”

This too shall pass. Song Taewon desperately watched the excruciatingly slow clock hands.

Noah landed on a decorative statue positioned at the hotel’s top. His spread wings fluttered and folded onto his back before disappearing.

[You’re still using the stealth skill, right? I can still see it.]

Moon Hyunah’s voice came through the in-ear.

[When you use the stealth skill, your figure becomes blurry and a subtitle saying ‘stealth applied’ appears. When you used stealth and deleted the wearer at the same time earlier, you completely disappeared without any subtitle.]

“It seems using stealth skills during broadcast is treated as revealing the skill. I should let Yujin know too.”

Saying that, Noah turned his head. At the end of his gaze was a man climbing the wall. When Noah turned off the broadcast and released his stealth skill, the man leaped up and approached.

“Hello, Guild Leader Ark.”

“Not anymore.”

Noah bowed his head slightly in greeting. Paparazzi, known as P—he’d been acquainted with him since his time in France. More precisely, when Noah made a guild as a support-type S-rank Hunter, he’d helped by publishing positive articles.

“So you were the one who took Han Yujin’s photos.”

“He’s the hottest topic these days! Are you going to end it like this, Mr. Luhir? You’re the only support-type who made and established an S-rank guild—it’s a waste. Still, thanks to that, several A and B-rank support-type guild leaders emerged.”

Hunter guilds center on dungeon clearing. So while it was possible for low-rank guilds, mid-rank and above couldn’t have support-types as guild leaders. Before Noah Luhir. After Ark Guild, a new form of guilds began appearing where support-types made guilds and went out to support other guilds. Along with that, the treatment of support-type Hunters improved somewhat compared to before. Because unlike before, they could band together.

“It’d be good to show your abilities this time too. Except for the A-rank you brought as your team, they’re all combat-types.”

“You’re still very interested in that sort of thing. I told you then too, but I only made the guild to survive.”

Because I wanted to get away from Liette. So now I had no particular attachment. P grinned. Though it was hidden by his mask.

“I’m just doing this while working too. Hey, Angel. Relax your shoulders. The world’s a mess, but it’s generally heading in a good direction. Compared to a few hundred years ago, today’s world is heaven.”

So even if you live somewhat moderately, things will work out roughly, P said, lightly leaping away. Noah watched him disappear over the building for a moment before returning to his room.

“Who was it?”

Moon Hyunah, who was standing in front of the TV, asked Noah.

“The paparazzi attached to Yujin.”

“Ah, the one who took the magazine photos. Someone you know?”

“Yes. There’s no need to worry.”

Moon Hyunah looked at Noah with slightly narrowed eyes.

“From the way you’re talking, he seems like a good person. The more people on Yujin’s side, the better. Here, I filmed the TV with my phone. But the quality turned out terrible.”

Moon Hyunah said it seemed like they’d set something up so you could only watch the broadcast through each channel.

“…This broadcast is important for Hunter Moon Hyunah too, isn’t it?”

Noah said while checking the filmed video. Moon Hyunah roughly nodded while rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

“There’s the guild issue, and you saw it. The racial and gender imbalance. Even though rank is most important for Hunters, it means that the people leisurely enough to participate in a party like this are ultimately set.”

Korea, where dungeons had become stable, was the only exception.

“So I’ll try to rank high enough to be in the upper ranks. Something like that.”

Noah took his eyes off his phone and looked at Moon Hyunah. As Moon Hyunah started visiting Seok Hayan’s lab often, he’d occasionally encountered her too. Every time he saw them, both Moon Hyunah and Seok Hayan were earnestly talking about something. Both were full of vitality.

“I’ll try my best too.”

He didn’t yet have anything he could call a clear goal, but even so, right now was fine. His sister suddenly came to mind. The giant dragon who, just this afternoon, had bounced S-rank Hunters away and ran wildly across the wasteland. The rough roar under the hot sunlight was vivid in his ears. …It was definitely fine.

—Now I can talk even during broadcasts if no one else is around!

The fairy dragon said, turning small and fiddling with the filming bracelet wrapped around his neck.

—I’m always going to keep the audio off.

That way, even when the broadcast was on, he didn’t need to stay silent. Of course, he’d need to be careful in front of people who didn’t know about Changeling.

“It’s time to sleep.”

Seong Hyunjae said, looking at his custom-made wristwatch worth billions. Gyeol spread his wings wide and hummed.

—I’ll handle it myself.

“Han Yujin asked me to.”

—You don’t like me either. Don’t interfere.

Seong Hyunjae made an aggrieved expression.

“I, Seong Gyeol—”

—Maybe to Dad, but not to me. Even if I’m heavily mixed, it still bothers you, doesn’t it? Right?

Seong Hyunjae reached out toward the fairy dragon bouncing on the bed. Gyeol bit down hard on his fingertips.

“I’m an adult who knows how to endure that much. Above all, it’s still quite fascinating.”

—Ugh ugh ugh.

Gyeol mumbled while biting the finger. Golden eyes stared intently at golden eyes. Seong Hyunjae wore a faint smile.

“I don’t understand why you dislike me so much. I thought I treated you well. Is it genetic?”

—Because you’re dangerous to Dad!

“I’ll admit I treated Han Yujin a bit roughly at times.”

Seong Hyunjae moved and sat down, leaning back into the single-person sofa. The fairy dragon glared at him with ears and tail standing on end.

“If we’re talking about danger, wouldn’t it be Han Yuhyun instead?”

—More than Uncle, you’re—!

Gyeol shut his mouth tight in the middle of shouting. Seong Hyunjae’s eyes narrowed for a moment. It was certain that fairy dragon was hiding something. A secret that even Han Yujin didn’t know yet.

Even if he was still young and immature, if that was part of himself, he wouldn’t be this hostile just over past events. Since the current Seong Hyunjae was favorable toward Han Yujin, he should rather be affectionate. To protect Han Yujin.

“If it’s because of what happened with Crescent Moon, I’m a victim too…”

Pretending to be sad, Seong Hyunjae pulled out his phone. Gyeol flew over in a rush and grabbed Seong Hyunjae’s phone.

—Tattletale!

“Han Yujin, our child is being fussy before sleep—”

—Dad! Don’t listen! Don’t listen!

“He bit my finger and hit me with his tail.”

—When did I! Dad, hang up! Sleep well!

[Uh… okay. Sleep well. Mr. Seong Hyunjae, don’t bully the kid.]

“I’m the one being bullied though.”

Han Yujin pretended not to hear and told Gyeol to have good dreams before hanging up. The fairy dragon growled and went to the bed, curling up.

—I’m going to sleep. Get out.

“I can’t let a child sleep alone.”

—Then sleep on that sofa.

The small body heaved as he turned his back away from Seong Hyunjae. Soon the lights went out, leaving only a nightlight. Gyeol exhaled with eyes closed. Seong Hyunjae’s presence felt unbearably strong.

‘…That thing will swallow Dad.’

If he found out, he wouldn’t stand for it. Because that thing would value himself more than anything else. Even if he pretended to care for Dad, unlike Uncle, in the end he’d prioritize himself. And Dad might accept that. A growl unconsciously escaped from his throat. So he had to hide it to the end. He couldn’t tell anyone. He had to somehow, with his own power, separate them before that thing noticed.

‘I don’t know what to do…’

There was nothing he could do except warn of danger and shout and whine like a child. Whimpering, the fidgeting fairy dragon soon fell asleep.

Quietly, Seong Hyunjae watched him. In the darkness, calmly settled golden eyes blinked slowly. As Gyeol said, to him, that fairy dragon’s existence was like a small irritating thorn. But since his interest was greater than the discomfort, he could tolerate it. On top of that, after receiving a name and separating from Han Yujin, he was gradually becoming a distinct single entity.

Within a year at most, the sense of being part of Seong Hyunjae would likely disappear completely.

‘…So I had no intention of touching him, but.’

If I brought that back into myself, could I find out what he’s hiding? Under that cold gaze, Gyeol tossed and turned in his sleep.

“Han Yujin would be angry.”

—…Dad, don’t… pretend to be close…!

Whatever he was dreaming about, Gyeol snapped angrily and flopped over, exposing his belly. Seong Hyunjae took out a handkerchief and covered the fairy dragon’s belly.