The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 622: Happy Ending (1)

“Let’s get along this year too! My little brother is already twenty–one. You’re stuck overseas and couldn’t even have New Year’s rice cake soup.”

I took out the New Year’s card I’d prepared ahead of time. Unlike in Korea, there were no sunrises, cranes, or lucky pouches on it. It was a Happy New Year card that doubled as a Christmas card, with baby Jesus and angels drawn over snow–covered trees. That’s just how New Year’s cards were around here, what can you do. I slipped a little spending money inside as well.

“Here. You get New Year’s money until you graduate college.”

“Thanks, bro. You too, happy New Year.”

When Yuhyun also handed me a New Year’s card, Yerim’s eyes went wide.

“Did you buy these before we came? I should’ve bought a card too!”

“Happy New Year to you too, Yerim. Go to school a bit more diligently this year. Good thing you’re on break.”

“Yes, Mister, you too. This is Versailles, right? I’ve always wanted to go.”

“We can stop by for a bit before we head home.”

It’d be a waste to come all the way to France and not see Paris. Yerim happily peered closely at the New Year’s card with the concept of a teddy bear inside a gorgeous palace. She kept muttering about how she should’ve brought her stuffed animal and whether she should buy one in France. Then I handed New Year’s cards to Gyeol and Peace, and to Noah and Chief Song as well.

“They’re all just French scenery, so you might be a bit sick of it by now, Noah.”

“Not at all. It’s actually nice to see. Thank you, Yujin.”

“Chief Song, thank you for all your hard work last year.”

“…I graduated a long time ago.”

Chief Song handed back the envelope of New Year’s money I’d given him along with the card.

“That’s not money, look.”

I opened his envelope and pulled out the paper inside.

[One Free Session with the Head of Dodam Breeding Facility]

“Packed full of my apologies for last year, it means I’m going to listen to you even more carefully this year, Chief Song! You can use it to request the list of contraband in my drawers. Or to make me ‘sit quietly for a whole day.’ The reflection period can be up to one week!”

“…”

“What the, Mister! Me too! I want a coupon instead of money!”

“Bro, me too.”

“Dad, Gyeol too!”

Sorry, kids, this one is Chief Song–exclusive. That year–end contraband festival really pricked my conscience. Chief Song sighed, but still kept the coupon. And then, one more person. I turned around. Seong Hyunjae was looking down at me with a smile, as if to say it was his turn.

“Happy unlucky thirty–nine! You’re seriously turning forty any day now!”

I felt a little bad as soon as I shouted it. If this had been a normal wedding, I would’ve just left him alone. I walked up the steps and politely handed him a New Year’s card. Seong Hyunjae flipped through it, then looked back at me.

“I only get one?”

“At your age, what more are you expecting? I’m the one who deserves the coupon, honestly.”

You didn’t even give me a wedding invitation. And you still get a New Year’s card from me – you should be grateful. The more I thought about it, the more it felt like I was way too nice to Seong Hyunjae. Next year I really should half–ass it.

“Hey, you know you’re not supposed to get married in an unlucky year like thirty–nine. You’ll meet another good match as you live. Next time, at least date someone over thirty~”

I stepped in a bit closer to Seong Hyunjae and lowered my voice as much as I could.

“What happened? You weren’t planning to hold the ceremony without any countermeasures. Did someone interfere?”

It was just that he was sitting there dressed so neatly and behaving so calmly. Seong Hyunjae also spoke quietly.

“It’s not that I didn’t have an objective, but I find this situation plenty entertaining as it is.”

He raised his voice back to normal and continued.

“The marriage prospects of a man about to turn forty will, of course, be in the hands of the Head of Dodam Breeding Facility.”

“Buddy, I can’t even manage my own situation! I’ve been single for thirty–one years, what do you want from me. Someone who’s at least been called a groom–to–be and stood in a wedding hall is already better off than I am!”

I didn’t think he’d really dated properly, but he must have been hit on a lot. You have to treat other people as equals to even be able to date.

The fireworks had gone off with a bang and several minutes had passed, but no one was bursting into the venue. When Do Hamin checked with the help of the rats, he said there were quite a few high–rank Hunters around, so it seemed they were being blocked from entering no matter what kind of commotion happened.

I turned and looked at Mari, who was standing there stiffly. Her wide, round eyes met mine. She’d been as rigid as a statue the whole time, but now she suddenly scrunched up her face, ripped off her veil, and threw it onto the floor.

“You ruined everything!”

She sounded angry, but not desperately so. It felt more like a kid throwing a tantrum than someone who’d just botched something vitally important.

“Ms. Mari.”

I hopped down the steps. The moment I said to her, “I love you,” a message window popped up.

[The target is under the influence of another similar skill! Keyword application is impossible.]

The exact same message I’d gotten when I tried to apply the keyword to Park Hayul. In other words, Mari wasn’t Big Sis. She was one of the awakened under the skill of the person I called Big Sis, like Park Hayul and Chloe. And then—

‘Park Hayul and Chloe were both a little off, weren’t they.’

Park Hayul had seemed a bit, uh, like he’d left out a screw from the very first time we met, so it was hard to tell with him, but once Chloe was added on top, it got suspicious. Of course, I’d only ever seen Chloe on broadcasts, and it’s common for media and reality to be different, but still, she’d never struck me as someone who would easily sacrifice others.

‘My skill also had that extra effect that made people see me as a caregiver.’

It was entirely possible that Big Sis’s similar–type skill also came with some kind of mental side effect. I’d thought surely not, but meeting Mari in person only made me more certain of my hunch.

Mari glared fiercely at me. I walked up to her.

“Happy New Year.”

I held out a New Year’s card. Mari’s eyes went round again. As her expression relaxed, she looked even younger. You conscience–less human being, Seong Hyunjae. Even if this was a kidnapping marriage, you should’ve helped her run somehow – even if she’d been tied up tight, she should’ve crawled away, and yet she had two perfectly fine legs and just sat there until she walked into the wedding hall? I oppose this marriage, absolutely not.

“W–what is this!”

“A New Year’s card. Do you not like doves?”

“…I do! But you ruined my wedding! You’re so shameless!”

Even while yelling, Mari took the card. It was a pretty card with a pair of white doves embossed in silver foil. It seemed she really liked it.

“You’re supposed to marry someone you actually care about, right?”

I held out the envelope of money as well. She looked younger than me. Probably around Yuhyun’s or Noah’s age. As expected, Seong Hyunjae yadda yadda, conscience–less yadda yadda, I object.

“Ms. Mari, do you really like the Sesung Guild Leader?”

“I do, of course.”

“Honestly, his personality sucks.”

Mari clamped her mouth shut as she took the money envelope. Yep, thought so. I mean, they’d spent almost a month together… hmm.

“If you had to stay with him all the time, wouldn’t you hate it?”

“…He was okay when he was quiet.”

“What kind of person do you want to live with, Mari? Someone you’d want to stay with for a long time.”

Mari’s eyes rolled around. She snuck quick glances at me and the people around me. Fiddling with the edge of the New Year’s card, she spoke.

“I like… gentle people.”

Personality’s important. Mari leaned in close to me. Yuhyun reflexively moved as if to step in front of me, but I raised a hand to stop him. I had Grace, and we were overwhelmingly superior in numbers. She seemed to want to talk in secret, so I lowered my head for her. Mari whispered to me.

“Honestly, Mr. Seong Hyunjae feels too big. I like about that tall. Over on the far right.”

“Noah? Noah seriously looks like a prince out of a fairy tale.”

“And that kid too.”

Yerim really did have total main–character vibes.

“But me…”

Mari backed away. The hem of her long dress whispered as it slid over the red floor.

“I have to reach the ending.”

The dove card fluttered down between the lace. Powerful mana swirled around her. I instinctively stepped back as well, and Yuhyun and Chief Song moved in front of me. As I backpedaled and climbed one step up the stairs, Peace came to stand by my feet.

Jrrrrrrr─ The glass beads hanging all around us shook in unison and the candle flames went out in an instant. Moonlight seeped thickly into the suddenly darkened hall.

“Ms. Mari, there’s no way you can win anyway.”

Even if she’d been born S–class, with our current forces we could easily capture her. I was worried about how she seemed to be used as a tool, and I also needed information about the person we called Big Sis, so it’d be great if she just gave up. But the mana I felt from Mari only grew stronger.

Bzzzt!

My phone rang. Huh? I reflexively pulled it out; it was an alarm. The one I’d set for exactly twelve o’clock, midnight, just in case. …Hold on.

‘It’s midnight already?’

We’d jumped down maybe ten minutes ago, and at most five minutes could’ve passed since the fireworks finished going off. But the wedding was anyway—

The moonlight thickened. My vision went black. I instinctively closed my eyes and then opened them again.

“…Where…”

I was in darkness where stars flowed. As I looked around in shock, a large hand wrapped around me.

Seong Hyunjae felt it first. The golden eyes that had been holding a relaxed smile froze in an instant as they fixed on Han Yujin’s back. Right after, Han Yuhyun spun around. But he couldn’t do anything. Because it was his older brother.

Song Taewon was the same. Instead of moving to block the sudden threat, he reached toward the boy floating in the air. Almost at the same time, he dove and snagged Park Yerim with his other arm.

“Mister!”

“Dad!”

Park Yerim and Han Gyeol shouted. A beat late, Han Yuhyun grabbed Peace by the scruff of his neck. At the same time, Noah cast a healing skill and a buff skill.

Vwoooom─

The air rippled around Han Yujin. An invisible force crashed down over the S–class Hunters. Thud! Song Taewon’s body, lifted into the air, was slammed into the wall as if struck. The same happened to Han Yuhyun and Noah. Far down the long corridor, Mari rolled a long way before collapsing in a pale heap. On the spot where she’d been standing, the veil, bouquet, and New Year’s card were scattered.

“…Hyung!”

Han Yuhyun shouted as he tried to stand, only to fall again. His knees buckled far too easily and sank into the flowers. Red petals were crushed, spilling their fragrance like a scream. Peace growled from within the pile of roses, but he couldn’t even drop his intangibility, much less leap out.

“This mana…”

Noah, wings half–unfurled, panted. He’d managed to use his healing skill in time, but he couldn’t move any more mana than that. It felt like he was submerged in a dense liquid, firmly pressed down and bound tight. Song Taewon, who had protected Park Yerim and Han Gyeol, also collapsed among thick hydrangeas. Wisteria blossoms pattered down over him. Park Yerim and Han Gyeol couldn’t escape from the flowers, tinted pale lavender and light sky–blue.

Han Yujin’s eyes curved in a faint smile. His pupils shone silver. With light, tapping footsteps, he walked down the stairs and lightly stretched out one hand. The veil that fell into that hand lifted, and he turned again.

“Hi.”

White shoes, matching his formalwear, stepped down the stairs. At the end of the gouge carved into the marble where a toe had skidded on the platform, Seong Hyunjae was kneeling. A translucent veil was placed over his head as he struggled to look up.

“My little moon.”

She whispered. Silver seeped between the black strands of hair that swayed with a soft rustle. The moonlight pouring in through the broken ceiling began to take on a metallic sheen. The fingertips of the hand Seong Hyunjae had braced on the floor twitched. Something faintly black welled between his long, pale fingers. Looking down at it, Crescent Moon took a step back.

“You’re a clever child, so of course you wouldn’t want to miss this chance.”

It was Han Yujin’s voice that spoke. Seong Hyunjae let out a long breath.

“The power from before your regression, scattered in pieces somewhere inside you. Especially the shadow of the eclipse. You’ve been quietly searching for it all this time, haven’t you.”

The power that had driven Crescent Moon back inside the dungeon before the regression. Outside the dungeon, with Crescent Moon only borrowing the body of an S–class Hunter, even just a fragment of that power would be enough to drive her out again. At Crescent Moon’s words, Seong Hyunjae’s lips curled.

“I only thought I should at least say hello. How should I address you?”

Seong Hyunjae rose to his feet. The veil slid down his back, trailing all the way to his toes. The moon’s mana was thick, but he was able to grow used to it quickly. Unlike the others, who were suddenly plunged as if into deep water, it was like he’d already learned how to breathe underwater long ago.

His eyes looked straight at Han Yujin – at Crescent Moon. Once he’d adjusted to the changed atmosphere, the being before him didn’t feel absurdly strong. She was hemmed in by all sorts of restrictions, and the body she was using was originally only F–class.

Seong Hyunjae took a step forward. Han Yujin’s face looked up at him. On that familiar face was an utterly unfamiliar expression, unfamiliar eyes. Even the tiny movements of each muscle felt alien.

“If you won’t come back with me…”

A large hand closed around Crescent Moon’s – around Han Yujin’s – throat.

“Then kill this child.”