The S-Classes That I Raised

"You don't know?"

A curt voice came back.

"Don't you want to come in? You should clear up my doubts."

"Doubts or not, the Sesung Guild Leader should know. You said you came looking for me in someone else's form."

So Han Yujin could only say he didn't know. Seong Hyunjae tilted his head slightly and pressed it against the glass door and cloth. A chilly sensation came through the fabric.

"Then what about Director Song Taewon? He must know that I met Han Yujin."

"I don't know at first either. More importantly, we shouldn't leave Han Yujin Hunter outside."

"Can't you protect even one F-rank? When did I become Sesung Guild Leader? Huh? Han Yujin?"

Frustrated, a loud bang echoed as the glass door was slammed roughly.

"I told you to come to Sesung, didn't I!"

"Han Yujin Hunter, lower your voice."

"Did I say that?"

"Damn, you don't even remember? I thought it was a joke."

A lowered voice growled. Seong Hyunjae tapped the cloth lightly with the back of his hand.

"That's impossible. But Han Yujin probably refused."

"Why go hear more nonsense? It's Sesung, after all. They'll insult my little brother and even call him a traitor."

"I can hide it perfectly."

Seong Hyunjae spoke soothingly.

"A wide mansion with a garden spacious enough not to feel cramped, isolated from the world and safe. If you want, I can even make a pond. You can raise a dog or a cat if you want."

"...Are you crazy? Is this some wealthy person's strange hobby?"

"I said that's only for Han Yujin. I have no intention for others."

"...I will report you. The Awakener Management Director is right next door."

"You said you wanted to come in. You should behave well toward the person holding the key."

A sound of frustration was heard. Except for trying to enter the hotel, it almost didn't feel fake. Even if he didn't open the door, Seong Hyunjae felt an urge to at least lift the cloth and looked at Young Chaos.

"What happens if we let them in?"

"Nightmares are the king's minions of harmlessness. They will try to devour your memories. Starting from related parts."

"If you're still F-rank, it shouldn't be hard to block them."

"To open the door when asked is a kind of contract consent. That's why people near the Misty Sea close doors and block windows after sunset."

Don't call their names after sunset. Whoever knocks, even kind whispers of longing. The beloved have all fallen asleep; you too should rest with them.

Eventually swallowed by the mist, the world disappeared long ago.

Bang!

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed.

"Open the door!"

Han Yujin shouted urgently and sounded metal being drawn. Kaga-gak, something scratched the asphalt floor.

"Please, even if it's Han Yujin Hunter!"

Song Taewon pleaded desperately. Seong Hyunjae smiled slightly. Anyone else would have had a hard time resisting.

"What did you talk about and how did you spend the time?"

"You bastard!"

"You've probably heard that many times."

A beast's roar echoed beyond the glass. As if responding, Song Taewon's heavy footsteps pounded the floor.

"I want both of you safe!"

"Of course. You're the most precious to me."

Just these two appearing was meaningful. They were uniquely important.

"Then open it! If you won't let us in, come out!"

"There's also Han Yujin's younger brother here."

Han Yujin's shouting suddenly stopped. He muttered quietly, "That real bastard..."

"You can't come in pretending to be Han Yujin. Isn't that right?"

"Damn, now I'm... thinking about Yuhyun..."

"You've thought a lot. You probably told me too."

"...You know that?"

"If you're okay with your brother suffering, then I'll open the door."

Han Yujin took a short breath. Those words were not lies but absolute truth. If Han Yujin abandoned Han Yuhyun to protect himself, Seong Hyunjae would gladly open the door—even if it was a fake Han Yujin.

"Bullshit, seriously..."

"I mean it."

"You originally approached because I raised Yuhyun! Not just once, don't try probing people like that!"

"I don't have anything to do with Han Yuhyun anymore, Han Yujin."

That no longer mattered.

"Now I want to see Han Yujin put himself first."

"Damn, just watch me die."

Han Yujin gritted his teeth. Though he should have tempted the other to open the door, he gave up and refused the offer to be let in.

Bang! A loud explosion sounded. But it was only noise, no vibrations or magical movements. The street was probably just calm, thick with mist. Following a crashing sound came Song Taewon's suppressed groan.

"Director Song! Then help, Director Song! Tell them to come out! Seong Hyunjae!"

"You seem to know Director Song better than I thought. Have the three of us met before?"

"Yes! Ack!"

Chunks of debris flew, and Han Yujin's voice dropped sharply. He seemed to be crouching.

"Are you close with Song Taewon?"

"...He's a hundred times better than the bastard in front of me."

"I can't deny that. A hundred times is harsh though."

I'd accept twice. Han Yujin cursed loudly. A thunk sounded as he pressed his forehead to the glass.

"You really showed how little you care about people."

"Everyone felt that way."

Seong Hyunjae knelt and put his knees on the marble floor. A cracking sound broke, something was roughly thrown aside. Heavy breathing filled the ears.

"Han, Yujin, Hunter..."

Just after Song Taewon's voice,

Crack!

Seong Hyunjae's ears caught the sound of a body being pierced. The glass door trembled lightly. Could be the wind. The body leaning against the door slid down slowly.

Seong Hyunjae's eyes casually glanced at the floor and the door gap. No blood was seeping out. No smell of blood.

"Han Yujin."

"...Show me your face, at least."

"Sorry."

"I want to see Yuhyun more anyway."

My little brother.

"You ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) said you'd tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"Why Yuhyun left me. I have a guess..."

"So it was."

"...I waited."

The panting gradually grew faint. Seong Hyunjae clenched his fist tightly. It was harder than he expected. He clearly knew it was fake but felt strong displeasure.

"Thanks for buying me drinks. I said annoying things a lot... but I also... talked about my brother..."

Instead of begging to be let in to the end, Han Yujin desperately asked,

"What was the reason... Yuhyun?"

"To protect Han Yujin."

"...How foolish."

A weak laugh came.

"Han Yuhyun loved only Han Yujin from beginning to end. Even now, still, forever."

"Even if it's empty words, I'm grateful. Seong Hyunjae wouldn't say empty words..."

"Of course not."

"Y-Yeah... that's right..."

The voice cut off again after saying thanks. A scraping sound came as a body was dragged.

"Han Yujin, Hunter. Han Yu...jin, sir..."

Song Taewon called out Han Yujin's name as if coughing up blood. Killing Han Yujin first. A nightmare all too well aware of how painful it would be.

"I, I..."

"Did you still hate surviving even then?"

"I have someone to protect."

The hem of a coat brushed the floor. Fingertips scraped something. The image of embracing a corpse appeared before Seong Hyunjae's eyes.

"I promised to protect you too."

"Did I say that to you?"

"So, I..."

"What happened?"

Only heavy breathing was heard for a moment. Seong Hyunjae waited quietly. The S-rank hunter Song Taewon wouldn't die easily. Even recreated, he could hold on for tens of minutes if mortally wounded. He was still breathing and speaking, so possibly could last over a day.

Enough to want to open the door to end his breath.

"...The moon."

"The crescent moon, right?"

"Tried to interfere."

"Even outside the dungeon?"

"Seong Hyunjae, you realized the contract and..."

The crescent moon tried to reclaim the small moon almost full because of Song Taewon and Han Yujin. But before that, Seong Hyunjae noticed the contract binding him.

"That was... a plunder..."

"Tried to devour it with Song Taewon's skill."

A contract binding not Seong Hyunjae but the other. The contract itself could be considered a type of skill, so theoretically not impossible.

"You tried to enter the dungeon alone... but Han Yujin..."

"You followed me. You."

"It's not Han Yujin's fault..."

"Do you remember dying?"

No answer came back. Seong Hyunjae had intended to face his fate alone. He hadn't given up. But for him, Han Yujin and Song Taewon were too weak to drag in.

But Han Yujin found a way, and Song Taewon accepted it.

"We couldn't take the moon away. It must have affected Han Yujin too..."

"It seems he lost some memories."

More precisely, the relationships between Seong Hyunjae, Song Taewon, and Han Yujin inside Han Yujin disappeared. Some relationships tied at that time vanished as well.

"Seong Hyunjae."

"I'm alive."

A small cough came.

"I'm alive and doing quite well. Song Taewon is still struggling."

"...Me too."

Song Taewon didn't ask to open the door until the end. Even if it were open, he wouldn't enter. He asked to let in only the weak and then close it.

"...Honestly, I didn't hate it that much."

"I treated him well."

"...That's..."

With a big breath, the words stopped. Only faint breath was heard. He would die over several hours like this. Seong Hyunjae lightly tapped the glass door but didn't open it.

"Come sit down."

Young Chaos said curtly. Then suddenly looked back.

"Why did those guys come down?"

Footsteps came from the guest room elevator side. Young Chaos lightly stepped off the chair and spun around, kicking the chair with his toe.

The armchair slid smoothly across the floor, stopped sharply by Han Yuhyun's foot. Two Han Yujins stood on either side.

"Don't come any further. It'll cause trouble."

The slightly smaller Han Yujin wore an apologetic expression.

"Did I come?"

"You did."

"Seong Hyunjae."

Seong Hyunjae got up. Turning casually, he walked a few steps toward the chair he was sitting in.

"You woke up too early."

"I remembered."

"What memory?"

"I remembered Seong Hyunjae's nonsense at the drinking party."

Han Yujin shrugged.

"I couldn't sleep well, so I lay awake clearly. Suddenly, I thought—ah, that was pre-regression me."

Something about getting drunk under the full moon or something, he muttered.

"Now that I think about it, I'm not sure where I heard that. There were old men who said such worn-out things. There was an uncle who liked two hundred. If you drink once, you have to finish three hundred cups."

"Don't leave the cup empty in vain, unlike the moon."

"That came to mind. Director Song was there too. Back then."

When asked if he came along, Seong Hyunjae nodded.

"I came."

He didn't say he was still here. Unless it was Han Yuhyun, Han Yujin wouldn't notice the dying presence beyond the glass here.

"I think both myself and I were affected a little."

"Anything else come to mind?"

"No, just useless memories. How about you, Seong Hyunjae? Maybe if you hear something, you'll remember more."

After a moment of thought, Seong Hyunjae turned his chair. The long sliding chair stopped precisely in front of Han Yujin.

"Sit down first. Both of you."

If uncomfortable, Han Yujin and Han Yujin accepted Seong Hyunjae's invitation and sat down.