Chapter 1: Return?
Chapter Text
[What's going on? Why is time rewinding so much faster?]
[Stop it now! Honey's body won't be able to take the weight of so much time!]
[We have to do something. We have to stabilize Honey.]
[...Huh? Chain?]
...
Yoohyun!
Only when the shout escapes my mouth do I realize that my arms are empty. My dead brother is gone. My wounds are gone, too. This isn't the distorted D-class dungeon I was in, but the home Yoohyun and I had lived in when we were kids. This is my bedroom.
I no longer have a cripple. I'm back, truly back to five years ago. The date, the date...what day have I returned to? When I'm going to check my phone, I suddenly hear the sound of someone washing up in the bathroom. Five years ago, I shouldn't have let anyone set foot in this place. What's going on?
I instinctively take a spear out of my inventory, but the weight feels wrong. I...why am I wearing a bracelet that adds to my strength, and why do I have a B-class spear in my inventory? Is it a reward from the system?
Soft footsteps come from the other side of the door. My senses recognize the sound before my brain can register it, and my heart races.
"...Hyung?" My brother, the brother who was dead in my embrace only a moment ago, walks out of the bathroom with a look of concern. He looks much younger, yet taller than he was five years later. I don't understand what's going on, but my brain is occupied wholly by a single thought: my brother's alive! He hasn't died because of me!
Overwhelming emotions prompt me to cast the spear to the side and throw my arms around him. I don't know how much of the tears welling up and overflowing from my eyes stem from regret, and how much from the joy of recovering what I've lost.
"What's wrong, hyung? Did you have another nightmare?" Unlike how Yoohyun should've reacted at this point in time, my dear brother holds me like he would have done before his awakening and pats my back. "You don't look well, hyung. Why don't I skip work today and stay with you?"
"You shouldn't just skip work—" When the response falls out of my mouth, I sense a greater inconsistency. Only then do I check the date on my phone. It's the next day after my failed attempt at awakening. I should have had a falling out with Yoohyun already. He shouldn't be treating me like his hyung, and he shouldn't be here like he's never left home.
Looking around, the bedroom is different from what I remember. It's clean and tidy. The framed photos haven't been put away. There are actually more put on the walls. The window is installed with security items I shouldn't be able to afford. And the coat hanging on the chair at the desk can only be Yoohyun's.
"What's going on, hyung? Is it because I'm heading to the dungeon after work today? We discussed it before—"
Work. Going to the dungeon. We've discussed it.
"Yoohyun-ah." I wipe my tears. "I've told you about my nightmares, haven't I?"
Yoohyun nods meekly. His complexion looks better, and his cheeks are fuller, too.
"Hyung sometimes has dreams about me dying in a dungeon. But I'm only going to a C-class dungeon today. The monsters there can't even hurt me."
There's no reason for an S-class hunter to enter a C-class dungeon.
"It's late. Why don't I take you to work today?"
Yoohyun cocks his head. So he could be this expressive at this age.
"The nightmare this time is a little... I want to stay with you longer."
Yoohyun nods, visibly brightened. "I'll make breakfast. You should wash up, hyung."
"...Yeah."
As soon as he leaves the room, my heart and breathing quicken again. I rush into the bathroom. The face in the mirror does belong to a younger me. There are two cups and two toothbrushes. As I roughly brush my teeth and wash my face, I call up the status window for confirmation. Perhaps it's because of my return to five years ago, I'm already awakened when I get here. I have two Legendary titles: Dragonslayer and Perfect Caregiver.
Perfect Caregiver... The names of the skills are a little stranger than my past skills. The only influenced target listed is Han Yoohyun. When did that happen, though? And the keyword has been changed to "I love you". Did I apply the keyword to Yoohyun in this changed past?
Please explain, System.
I can't have Yoohyun wait for too long, or he'll think something's wrong. I get changed and head to the living room. With an apron on, Yoohyun's sliding a perfect sunny-side-up onto a plate.
He turns to me with an expectant look. My lips curl into a smile automatically, and the habit I don't remember moves my feet forward, compelling me to pat him on the shoulder.
"Well done."
Compliments. What would've stumped me before my return seems easy now.
Satisfied, Yoohyun hands me a fork. My eyes prickle again when I pop some egg into my mouth. I hastily school my expression, chewing slowly.
"Are you not going to the Association today, hyung?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm...taking a sick leave."
Association. The Hunter Association?
"That's good. You haven't had any rest for too long."
"Yoohyun, you shouldn't push yourself if you don't feel good, either."
"I'm an S-class, hyung."
"So what? You're still my little brother."
It feels like a conversation we have repeated countless times.
...
Yoohyun puts on a pair of glasses before leaving. Although he still looks the same, his presence has weakened substantially. No one turns to look at him as we walk to the parking lot, which should be impossible for an S-class. In fact, men with such height and good looks should be drawing eyes. Are the glasses an item that influences cognition? What is Yoohyun's work? Where does he go to work?
"The key—ah." I cut myself off when I see Yoohyun walk to the driver's side. I get into the passenger seat.
Right. I don't have a driving license yet. But has Yoohyun gotten his already? This early?
"I said I was going to take you to work, but you're still driving."
Yoohyun shook his head. "It's okay. I said it before that hyung didn't have to get a licence. I like driving you."
"But I'd like to let you rest sometimes, too."
Where are we heading? It's not the direction of Haeyeon, neither is it the Association or a dungeon. The fact that Yoohyun uses an item to conceal his presence means that he's working as a lower-class hunter or even a regular person. In this timeline...we seem to have achieved the goal I had wanted to achieve but ended up pushing Yoohyun to leave home for: not having Yoohyun becoming a tool for beating dungeons as an S-class.
There's no other clue to be found in my status window, and the system offers no explanation. I can only play by the ears. If I had replaced the Han Yoojin of a different world, Yoohyun would've noticed, right? If I had simply returned to the past, though, why would things be so different, and why can't I remember anything about it?
As the thoughts run through my mind, we enter a region I knew before my return but rarely approached. This neighborhood... It can't be. It's absurd. Yoohyun...seems to be driving toward Seseong.
With a dose of wishful thinking, I glance at every possible workplace we drive past. Perhaps Yoohyun's working at a broadcast station. Perhaps Yoohyun's become a regular doctor. Perhaps Yoohyun's working part-time at a cafe. But no, the car drives into the Seseong Guild and parks in the employee parking lot. Yoohyun hasn't established Haeyeon and become a guildmaster. He...is a member of Seseong.
"Oh! Why are you here with your brother today?" As soon as we enter the lobby, a blond woman notices us and comes over to greet us. It's Kang Soyoung, the A-class hunter rumored to be dating my brother before my return. "Is it something to do with the Association? Oh! I haven't...gotten into trouble lately, have I?" She lowers her voice and covers her mouth. "Or did Guildmaster do something? Did Chief Song send you?"
"Oh, no. I just wanted to accompany Yoohyun here." I'm not used to such friendly treatment from an A-class hunter. Although I rarely crossed paths with Seseong before my return and thus didn't receive great hostility from its members as I did with Haeyeon, F-classes are still a bunch that are often ignored. "Then we'll be going now. Yoohyun, you should greet her too."
Yoohyun nods at her with an impassive face and leads me to the elevator. After only a few steps, though, something makes me turn around, unbidden. Yoohyun has already turned to the left with a frown, scowling.
The light-colored hair and golden eyes seem to carry the sunlight. The man is meant to draw the eyes. Even though I'd only ever seen the face from afar and in broadcast before my return, my impression of him is unusually clear. He's someone who can't be more distant from an F-class hunter.
Or he should be.
"Did you not sleep well last night, Yoojin-ah?"
He speaks to me familiarly, and those around him don't seem surprised at all.
I don't know why I'm smiling, or why the address falling out of my mouth is "Hyunjae-hyung."
Sung Hyunjae, once the top S-class hunter before my return and later suspected of committing a crime and leaving Korea, comes up to me with increasing curiosity, his golden eyes narrowing.
[Fear Resistance activated!]
"Ah." He smiles. "Something interesting seems to have happened."
Chapter Text
"Hyung?"
Yoohyun drags me behind him with a look of concern and confusion. I smile at him and shake my head. "It's okay. Go to work. Don't be late because of me."
After some hesitation, Yoohyun nods. "Are we having lunch together?"
"Yeah. Let's." I wonder how good the food at the cafeteria is. With a guild as rich and powerful as Seseong, even the food provided to the employees should be pretty good, right? "Tell me when your lunch break starts."
"Okay." Yoohyun nods obediently, his expression darkening into a scowl when he turns to Sung Hyunjae. He shoots the man a warning glare, but there's little hostility and wariness.
The fact that even Yoohyun shows a rare trust in Sung Hyunjae shooks me the most for some reason. While Yoohyun has been acting completely differently from before my return, we have been close before his awakening. Sung Hyunjae, on the other hand, is a different story. He was once a stranger to us, yet he's apparently become someone Yoohyun trusts enough to leave me with.
I can sense Sung Hyunjae's gaze on me. He hasn't looked away even after Yoohyun's departure.
"Why don't we have a walk in the rooftop garden?" Sung Hyunjae suggests gently, but it doesn't sound like a suggestion.
I nod at him. Has he noticed already? Does he know what has happened to me? Why has Yoohyun not noticed anything, but the man figured out there's something wrong with a single glance?
The two of us ride the elevator alone. He doesn't seem intent on speaking now, while I do my best to discern my feelings. Although my Fear Resistance activated for a moment earlier, I'm unusually relaxed now. I should be alerted when I'm with an S-class hunter who isn't my brother in an isolated space.
Looking at Sung Hyunjae, I have an unexplainable feeling that he's in a sour mood. Nothing shows in his expression and body language, yet I can somehow read him.
"Have you had breakfast?"
It's a trivial question, but I want to ask him.
And he answers, "What if I say no?"
"Again?" The complaint is out of my mouth before I can think about it, and my eyebrows furrow on their own. "...Is Seseong going bankrupt? The Guildmaster can't even afford to buy food?"
He laughs. For some reason, his mood has taken an upturn.
"If I'm broke, would you keep me well-fed, Yoojin-ah?
"If you do house chores for us, I'll pay you."
"How cold. You'll raise your brother without asking for anything, but I have to work for my keep."
"And how old are you now?"
...It really is strange. It's one thing that I'm speaking so boldly to him, but it's another thing that he's playing along in such a friendly manner; in fact, he seems to be enjoying the bickering.
The garden on the rooftop is larger than I would ever imagine. I can even have a good jog here, let alone simply have a walk. With one hand on my back, Sung Hyunjae leads me to a shade under a tree with appropriate strength. Then he takes a picnic blanket out of his inventory and lays it on the lawn.
"Sit."
I don't know how he does it, but my body voluntarily sits down once he pushes on my shoulders. I shoot him a reflexive glare. He chuckles again.
"What happened from last night to this morning, Yoojin-ah?"
I hesitate. Can I really trust him and tell him the truth? Yes, he does appear to be quite friendly, and the fact that Yoohyun has become a member of Seseong means that the man was involved in some way in hiding Yoohyun's class and keeping him around me. However, I don't know what has happened between him and "me". I don't know if I'm "me", either. If I take one wrong step, not only I but also Yoohyun can be in danger.
A large hand lifts my chin, and golden eyes meet mine. He can break my neck with barehand if he wants to.
"It's different from your usual nightmare."
He knows that I have nightmares about Yoohyun.
"You cried after waking up today. Your hands... Have you not noticed that you'd dug your nails into your palms?"
He takes out a bottle of healing potion. They're just indents in my palms, not even bleeding. Is that worth wasting an expensive consumable over?
"You even forget to put on Eunhye."
Eunhye...?
"No." He puts his fingers around my wrist. "You don't remember at all."
[Fear Resistance activated!]
"Don't be scared." He doesn't snap my arm like I was worried for a moment that he would, but instead rubs circles on my pulse with his thumb at a soothing rhythm. "How old are you, and how long have you been awakened?"
I want to pull my hand back and retreat, but he doesn't let me escape. He puts his other arm around my waist.
"Twenty-five. Awakened for...a day."
He smiles. It's so beautiful that it pisses me off.
"Right answer, but a lie. Do you know that you walk differently, Yoojin-ah? You brace one of your legs reflexively like it's been hurt before. When you walked into the guild, you looked around, paying particular attention to the exits and windows. You also looked at Hunter Kang Soyoung like you don't know her." He pauses. "And we fought yesterday. When you saw me, you should light up but quickly put on a scowl and stomp on my foot before everyone."
"...If you want to get stomped on so badly I'll do it now."
"You may twist your ankle, so please don't."
"You really are annoying."
"You said a few years back that Hyunjae-hyung was your favorite."
"Lies. My favorite will always be Yoohyun."
"Yeah, I lied." Sung Hyunjae let go of me. At some point, I've relaxed without realizing it. "Are you willing to tell me now? The truth?"
I purse my lips. My sentimental side tells me that I can trust this person, but the rationality made up by my memories prevents me from speaking up easily. I don't even understand what's going on anyway. I need information. The easiest option is to ask the man before me, or I can find the answers myself.
...If Sung Hyunjae lets me find the answers on my own, that is.
I have to trust him to tell him the truth, but it seems that not telling the truth will require even more trust. How much leeway is he willing to give me?
"It's probably...a side effect of my awakening. My memories have been messed up since this morning. You know I often have nightmares about Yoohyun. I felt like I had just lost Yoohyun in a dungeon one second, and the next second, Yoohyun was there. I braced my leg reflexively probably because I was injured in my dream, and I was alerted because I got Yoohyun killed in the dream."
Sung Hyunjae looks at me. When I meet his eyes, he exhales a soft sigh.
"Of course. I understand." He rises to leave, but a strange panic compels me to grab onto the hem of his coat. I know that I can't keep him here no matter how hard I try, yet he stops for me.
He seems to have seen something on my face, and he puts on a dramatic look of disappointment with a hand on his chin, shaking his head. "Well, the phase of rebellion has a long time coming. You're not even willing to have a heart-to-heart with your favorite hyung now. But what can I do when I treasure you this much, Yoojin-ah? Alright, I'll wait for you to sort it out on your own. Tell me when you're ready to tell me."
"...Breakfast." I tug at his coat again. "Finish it before going to work."
He stares at me for a good while. I try my best to not look away.
"Ah, it seems that Yoojin-ah still loves me." Sung Hyunjae blabbers nonsense as he sits back down, taking out a picnic basket from his inventory and assembling a sandwich with the ingredients inside. Why does he have so many things made with dungeon materials? And he's even making a sandwich with dungeon products. What a wasteful man.
"Why didn't you cut off the crusts?" Why should the crusts be cut? So the Seseong Guildmaster is a picky eater. "You're still testing me. You said that you'd wait for me to sort things out."
"I'll test you on my end, and you'll sort things on your end," he says shamelessly as he neatly slices off the crusts. He hands me half of the sandwich.
It's so delicious that it pisses me off, and he's playing dumb and being so gentle with me that it pisses me even more.
It's such a strange thing, that I want to depend on him so much.
Notes:
Today's theme is Sung Hyunjae is a sensitive bastard.
Chapter 3: Differences
Chapter Text
"...Are you bored, Guildmaster?"
"You've forgotten to ask for sick leave from the Association, Yoojin-ah. Your Taewon-hyung called me."
"Yoohyun-ah, you're eating too little. Here, have my chicken leg. Hyunjae-hyung, you stand out too much. Why don't you eat in your office? I'll call Taewon-hyung later."
"Thanks for the compliment. Don't worry. They aren't going to look at you with me here. And you should call him now. I think Chief Song suspects me of kidnapping you again."
"Again... Right..."
"Hyung, you should have more protein. And I prefer your cooking. The lunchbox is enough."
"Really? Why don't I borrow the kitchen—"
"If you don't call him now, Song Taewon is going to come here personally. That's perfectly fine, of course. It's been a while since we last fought."
"You should reflect on the reason Taewon-hyung trusts you so little. Yoohyun, you have time to have dinner before going to the dungeon today, right? I'll cook. Anything you'd like to eat?"
"I like anything you make, hyung."
"And Yoojin-ah likes anything I make."
"Please stop butting in, ahjussi."
The food provided by Seseong is even better than I expected. Perhaps due to its many foreign members, there are many types of cuisines to choose from. The Korean food alone offers many varieties. I ordered soft tofu stew with potato slices, while Yoohyun reheated the lunchbox I had apparently prepared for him last night. Sung Hyunjae, on the other hand, is having fried chicken and pickled radish, which doesn't go with his image at all.
I heard that I have been quitting fried food. I suspect that his lunch of choice is a purposeful flaunt against me.
I have to thank him for discreetly telling me what I have to know during our conversation, though. I take out my phone and find Taewon-hyung from the contact list. I'm just about to stand up and find a more private spot to make the call when Sung Hyunjae hands me an item that blocks out sounds. He taps on the table with his finger.
...Right. I don't know the present Association well, and I don't have memories of interacting with Chief Song Taewon in person. As an S-class, the man must be quite a keen one. It's safer to have Sung Hyunjae here, who has more or less guessed what's going on with me.
Still, I can't help but kick Sung Hyunjae's foot under the table. His eyes crinkle at me.
"...Are you alright, Yoojin-ah?" A deep voice came from my phone. It's serious, but not as matter-of-fact as I expected.
"I'm fine, Taewon-hyung. Hyunjae-hyung must have said something weird again, didn't he? I just felt a little under the weather this morning, so I came to Seseong with my brother to relax."
"Bad sleep?"
"Yeah."
"Then you shouldn't enter the dungeon with Hunter Han Yoohyun tonight."
Sung Hyunjae turned his phone to me. It said on the screen, "After the argument with me, you got Song Taewon to agree to secretly enter the dungeon with you. He's playing bodyguard."
If it's a secret, why do you know it so well? Wait, Yoohyun heard Song Taewon, right? Indeed, my brother turns to me with a look of hurt. Yoohyun-ah, although I don't remember it, I must have made the decision out of concern.
"The nightmare got me even more worried. I can't not follow Yoohyun, Taewon-hyung. Even if you don't go with me, I'll follow Yoohyun into the dungeon."
I'm not sure how I'm going to sneak into a dungeon without my S-class brother noticing, but there must be some items in my inventory of countless items that will be of use. Since the Association doesn't pay that well, and Yoohyun is registered as a B-class hunter, most of the items must have come from a certain rich guy by my side.
"I understand." Song Taewon sighs deeply. "Don't do anything reckless on your own. I'll go to the dungeon with you later."
He sounds tired. Before my regression, Chief Song Taewon was known for being an S-class hunter who served as a civil servant dutifully. After he died in a dungeon, outside of the theory that Sung Hyunjae killed him—which the current me considers to be total nonsense—there were also speculations that he might have accumulated too much injury after long years of nonstop dangerous work and died to a boss monster in the end.
I don't have the heart to put a greater burden on him, so I hurriedly say, "Why don't I have Hyunjae-hyung come with me? You should rest when you can, Taewon-hyung. If he doesn't agree to accompany me, I'm not giving him his birthday present this year."
Sung Hyunjae presses his hands to his chest. You're phoning it in, old man. Still, I knock my elbow against his. If the past me did prepare a gift, I'm still going to give it to him.
"...No, I'll go with you. Hunter Sung Hyunjae...may find an excuse to start a fight with Hunter Han Yoohyun."
"If he dares to, I'm never speaking to him again!"
What a childish threat. Why did I say that? However, there's a voice telling me that it's one of the few threats that actually works on the man.
Surprisingly, Song Taewon laughs. It's only a huff of breath, but I know he's laughing. "It's okay. I'll come to you this evening... It's been a while since we last met each other outside the Association."
"Oh, okay. See you later, Taewon-hyung. Remember to have lunch."
After the call, I stare at the group photo on my phone screen for a while, momentarily lost.
This morning, I did some research online and went over the photos and messages on my phone. Yoohyun isn't that popular here. He has some fans who like his looks as a regular Seseong member, but that's it. And I'm only a dime a dozen team leader at the Association, sometimes mentioned in discussions about Chief Song Taewon and Sung Hyunjae as their "nothing special but beloved dongsaeng". There are sightings of us together, but no picture is ever taken of us.
There are, on the other hand, many photos in my album, mostly of Yoohyun. There are quite a lot featuring Sung Hyunjae, too, and even some featuring a much younger him. I was shocked when I saw the photos. Sung Hyunjae feels like he's popped up in this world as a fully grown man. I struggle to even imagine him with parents. He's looked like the way he looks now for a long while, though. As Yoohyun and I continue to grow, he's been staying the same.
I also saw pictures of Song Taewon, Moon Hyuna of the Breaker Guild, Kang Soyoung of Seseong, and many more unfamiliar faces. During the time Yoohyun and I grew up, there seemed to be a lot more people around us than I imagined.
I cannot fathom how the changes came about. Is it because I'm different, or someone around me is different?
I didn't do a good enough job before my return, did I?
"Hyung, you promised me... I told you I'd be fine. There's no reason for you to enter the dungeon too."
I break out of my thoughts and say, "I'm just worried about an accident happening. It's fine, Yoohyun. I have Eunhye. I won't get hurt. And Taewon-hyung's going too."
Sung Hyunjae, who will never in a million years be called ignorant, chimes in ignorantly on purpose, "My two favorite people are doing on a date. I have to go with you, naturally."
"Hyung..." Yoohyun lowered his eyes. "I know you've always been worried about me entering a dungeon, but I want the power to protect you. We can't always rely on outsiders."
Sung Hyunjae cocks his head at me. "Yoojin-ah, your brother calls me an outsider."
"You..." I can't just call him that, so I go for a middle ground. "There are degrees of kinship. Yoohyun is my brother. You'll be...something like an older cousin?"
"To become Yoojin's direct kin, I'm willing to adopt you as a father."
"Are you out of your mind?!" I blurted out in casual speech. Not only doesn't he seem offended, he seems to find it refreshing. I hurriedly add, "Hyunjae-hyung, Sung Hyunjae-ssi, Seseong Guildmaster-nim, please stop making weird jokes."
Sung Hyunjae splays his hands. I turn to Yoohyun. "I understand your feeling, Yoohyun-ah, but you understand mine, too, right? In my nightmare...a monster at a level that shouldn't appear in the dungeon showed up. That's why I'm so worried. I can't lose you, Yoohyun."
Sung Hyunjae raises an eyebrow, seemingly realizing something. He's annoying for being this observant.
Yoohyun nods and says seriously, "But don't lie to me next time, hyung. If you sneak into a dungeon and something bad happens, I'll never forgive myself."
"That's my mistake. I'll talk it out with you the next time even if I have to fight with you."
Yoohyun smiles a little and reheats my tofu stew for me, which has gotten a little cool during our conversation. "You should eat while it's hot, hyung."
My brother's the best.
"I've recharged your phone to 100%, Yoojin-ah." A certain someone just has to speak up for attention.
"...I don't really need the service, but thank you."
Chapter Text
Yoohyun and I have a place in Seseong, and it's bigger than our actual home. Not only is there a well-equipped kitchen, there is also a training room. According to Sung Hyunjae, it can endure the attacks of regular S-class hunters. As Yoohyun grows into his power, though, the training room is no longer good enough. That's why my brother wants to go to more dungeons. Even a C-class dungeon will give him more room to explore his power.
Now that I've awakened, the training room becomes mine to use. I don't have much use for it, though. After all, I retain my experience from before my return, and my newly acquired titles and abilities include no offensive skills, but mainly support skills used on others. If I give Yoohyun a buff, he'll probably tear the place down with a hit. Should I try it before he enters the dungeon today? But how am I going to apply the keyword to him with five people as witnesses?
...Right. So many unexpected things have caught me off guard since the morning that I had neglected the fact that my keyword is now "I love you". Did I already say that to Yoohyun even though I only awakened yesterday? Since we had never grown distant, it was probably not that difficult to say the words to my brother.
Five people... So I'll need three people in addition to Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon. Should I invite Kang Soyoung? But wouldn't I be damaging my future sister-in-law's impression of Yoohyun by saying that? It's rare for brothers to say "I love you" to each other, isn't it? Should I seek out other colleagues of Yoohyun's?
Forget it. I don't know if something unexpected will happen in the dungeon. It's better not to involve anyone else. As long as Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon don't get into a fight with each other, there should be no threat they cannot deal with. And with Eunhye nullifying damages for me, I can act as Yoohyun's shield.
"Are you mad, Eunhye?" The blue gem-like bird hovers above my head. An extravagant necklace falls onto my head like a waterfall. Although I checked the information on Eunhye before lunch, I didn't take it out of my inventory until now. I didn't expect a defense item to fly like a living thing, and it's mad that I forgot it.
"I'm sorry. I'm going into a dungeon with my brother later. Can you turn into something simpler and lighter? I'm...not used to this."
I'm already wearing a bracelet that increases strength on my wrist (It was Yoohyun's gift for me after receiving his first paycheck. Although it isn't a lot, I'm told that I've always kept it on). My red earrings increase my magic stat and grant a simple shielding skill (Apparently it's a gift for my awakening from Sung Hyunjae. He gave them to me yesterday, and although I had a fight with him and slammed the door as I left, the earrings were on when I woke up this morning. I must like the gift despite our argument.)
In the end, Eunhye turns into a silver chain with a small blue pendant.
It can nullify damage no matter the level for 10 minutes. I'd never heard of an L-class item before my return, let alone one with such a cheat-like function. It must have been given to me by Sung Hyunjae too. I should ask him how he got it... And I only awakened yesterday, why would I already have an exclusive item? Before I can have that conversation, though, I'll have to tell him the truth.
Yoohyun is already put in a safe environment in this timeline. What else should I do? While Korea doesn't have Haeyeon now, Seseong is bigger in scale than before my return. Sung Hyunjae is still Seseong's only S-class hunter in Korea, but there are almost double the number of A-class hunters compared to other guilds.
To make sure Yoohyun may lead a peaceful life, should I seek out more talented people for Sung Hyunjae? Surprisingly, Kim Sunghan is already a member of Seseong with his own team. I'm not sure where the other Haeyeon members are. Bak Yerim should still be in middle school, right? Should I find her? I wonder if the Hunter Association is in a better state than before my return. For Yoohyun if nothing else, Korea has to be safe and stable.
...Did I make too much for dinner? Yoohyun should be able to have a lot. And Song Taewon should join if he hasn't had dinner. Sung Hyunjae will find an excuse to have his share, too.
Dong-dong. The doorbell rings. Yoohyun will let himself in. Is it someone else? I hurriedly wipe my hands and rush to answer the door.
"Taewon-hyung."
The man is as tall as I remember before the return. Although Sung Hyunjae is taller, Song Taewon is wider. His shoulders almost fill the door, and his shirt and buttons are struggling to keep him from exposing himself.
"Are you making dinner, Yoojin-ah?"
"Yeah. Have you eaten, Taewon-hyung?"
The man gives me an awkward look.
"I knew it. You didn't have lunch, either, did you? You bunch are all the same. Come, sit down and have some food first. I'll wait for Yoohyun."
He shakes his head. "I'll help you. Then we'll eat together. Are you feeling better now?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Don't worry." I scoop up a piece of potato that's already cooked through for him. "How does it taste? Should I season it more? I've been standing here for so long that I can no longer taste the difference."
"It's good." He rolls up his sleeves and takes over mixing the japchae for me. It's such a marvel. Although I've already seen posts about it online, it seems that we really have a close relationship. While his expression doesn't change, he is relaxed. It's as if he's returning home to help with the cooking.
Did we get close...because of Sung Hyunjae? After all, Song Taewon pays special attention to all S-class hunters in Korea. Once he found Sung Hyunjae getting close to a (fake) B-class hunter and an unawakened person, he would have investigated out of duty, right? Chief Song Taewon is a good person. It makes sense that I would take a liking to him. Perhaps we got close naturally after that.
However I think about it, Sung Hyunjae seems to be the strangest element here. Why would he cross paths with me and Yoohyun so much earlier and decide to get involved for some reason?
...Does he remember something about his life before the return? Did he take Yoohyun under his wing to make Seseong the dominant guild?? And he took me in too because Yoohyun would never leave me behind?!
"...Yoojin-ah?"
"Hm?"
Song Taewon says hesitantly, "If you're still angry with Hunter Sung Hyunjae, remember to use Eunhye before yanking his hair, or your hands will be injured."
I touch my face reflexively. Song Taewon clears his throat, "When you have this look on your face, it's usually because of Hunter Sung Hyunjae."
"I'm not going to tear his hair out." I actually did that? Amazing, me. "He wanted me to stomp on him though."
"You'll twist your ankle."
"...Yeah, I know." And I also know that Sung Hyunjae wouldn't have taken me and Yoohyun under his protection for such a ridiculous reason. Judging by his behavior, moreover, he cares about me more than he does Yoohyun. In fact, Yoohyun is the additional one in the package deal for him... Why does that make me mad, too? What's wrong with my little brother?
Song Taewon, who has a much keener hearing than I do, suddenly turns around and says, "I'll get the door." Then he makes it to the doorway with only a few steps with his long strides. It must be Sung Hyunjae.
"Oh, you arrived early today, Taewon-hyung. Here to have dinner with us?"
"...Hunter Sung Hyunjae."
"You're the oldest here, you lunatic!"
I can't help but yell at him from the kitchen. Sung Hyunjae comes up to me with a smile and puts his arms around me, resting his chin on my head.
"Yoojin-ah is mad at me again, it seems. Is this really a belated phase of rebellion?"
"Stop being a bother. And why did you get off work earlier than Yoohyun?"
"Isn't it quite normal for the employer to get off work earlier than the employees?" He takes the spatula from me. "To earn the brownie points I lost, though, your hyung is going to make your favorite jeon. I'm not touching the potato and short rib soup and japchae you made for your brother."
"Then will you let go of me already?"
"Don't worry. I can hold Yoojin and make jeon at the same time just fine."
"I'm the one feeling troubled, ahjussi."
"You used to call me pretty hyung, but now I'm an ahjussi to you."
"You're thirty-eight. What does that make you if not an ahjussi?"
As soon as he lets go of me, I escape his arms. Yoohyun happens to arrive then and opens the door. He beams at me happily as he comes in.
"Hyung!" His smile is soon replaced by a look of concern. He touches my forehead with a hand. "Do you have a fever? Are you sick?"
"I'm fine. I'm fine. It's just the cooking. Sit, Yoohyun-ah. The food is almost ready. We're going to the dungeon later. You should eat more. I made the soup and the japchae."
"Okay. Thank you for the meal, hyung..." After taking a few steps, Yoohyun turns back to me in confusion.
I hide my flushed face behind my arms. I can almost hear my pulse.
When I look up, Song Taewon, who's setting the table, is looking at me in surprise, and Sung Hyunjae, who's put on an apron at some point, is staring at me with his golden eyes widened. The jeon on the spatula falls back into the frying pan with a plop. It's a little funny.
What? Have you forgotten what you look like? Isn't it normal for my heart to race a little after getting a surprise hug from you? I don't have my memories yet! Of course I wouldn't be used to that face! So I'm blushing. So what?! It doesn't mean anything!
Sung Hyunjae blinks. His expression turns troubled for a moment before a familiar gentle smile returns.
"You should also have a seat and start eating, Yoojin-ah."
"...Right."
Don't think too much of it, you jerk.
Notes:
It always cracks me up that Yoojin never stops being the biggest fan of Sung Hyunjae's face.
Chapter 5: Found You!
Chapter Text
There was a time when the sight of a gate alone made me nauseous.
Why did I stubbornly go to dungeon after dungeon despite the torment my body and mind were under? An F-class hunter doesn't receive a high enough pay to justify that. If I had stayed away from dungeons wisely like Yoohyun had told me to before my return, perhaps I would've led an easier life as a regular person. I wouldn't have been subject to the derisive glances thrown my way. I wouldn't have been used. I wouldn't have survived with the sacrifice of others and then got the brother I wanted to reconnect with killed.
Maybe it was because I wasn't confident in living after giving up on my brother. Maybe that was why I insisted on chasing after him even though I was already covered in wounds. Even if we would only fight after seeing each other, even if the once pure love had given rise to resentment, what terrified me more was that I could've disappeared from his mind already, and that I would one day stop caring about him, too.
It was scary to be loved and later lose the love, but even more so to love and then stop caring.
"What's wrong, hyung?" Yoohyun turns to me, holding a long sword in his hand. "Nervous? This is your first time going into a dungeon, isn't it?"
I smile at him. "Why would I be nervous when I'm just going to be watching you? What about you, Yoohyun-ah? Are you nervous now that you're going to fight for real?"
Yoohyun shakes his head. "I've never entered a dungeon, but with the mounts Seseong's rearing, I know the gap between C-class monsters and me. That reminds me, hyung." He hands me a gate stone. "If you think things are getting dangerous, just teleport—"
"What danger can there be?" I shove the gate stone back into Yoohyun's hand, trying my best to steady my trembling voice. "If Seseong Guildmaster can't even protect an F-class in a C-class dungeon, he should just resign."
"I promise to stay right beside Yoojin." Sung Hyunjae comes up to me and takes off the dark red coat he wears to put it around my shoulders. "Your brother may have trouble controlling his power later. You should keep this on, Yoojin-ah."
Wings of Fire Dragon Silekia. Should SS-class equipment be handed to someone else so causally? I'm not much of a threat to him, though, and I wouldn't be able to run with the coat even if I wanted to.
"I have Eunhye. And don't say that about someone's brother." I throw the coat back to him. "Keep it on...and don't get hurt."
Sung Hyunjae stares at me for a second before lifting the coat and hugging me from behind, wrapping the coat around me. "How about this? Then we'll both be protected."
"Neither of us will be well-protected, you mean." I slap him away disapprovingly and hide behind Yoohyun's back before the man can get even more touchy-feely. What's wrong with him? Can he not hold onto something? Thanks to him, though, the weight on my chest lifts somewhat. I glance back at him and see that he's still staring at me.
What now? Is this another test? Perhaps I don't even have to come clean to him. He can piece together the truth on his own.
Being this observant will scare away friends. A romantic partner, too.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Having finished his call with the Association, Song Taewon comes up to us and stays behind my side. "Please go ahead, Hunter Han Yoohyun."
"Don't get too far from them, hyung. If there's any danger, use them as shields."
I clap Yoohyun on the back resignedly. "Don't say that, Yoohyun-ah. And I'm the one with Eunhye here."
"I hope you're not planning on using yourself as a shield should something happen, Yoojin-ah."
Sung Hyunjae interjects suddenly. Yoohyun and Song Taewon both frown at me at that. Stop speaking irresponsibly, Sung Hyunjae. Although I did consider that, you didn't have to point it out.
"No, why would I use myself as a shield? Alright. Let's head in. Let's make it quick and go home early."
Yoohyun steps through the gate first.
...
Boom! Beautiful blue fire bloomed like flowers. Starting from making wide-range sweeps, Yoohyun now has the fine control to make precise attacks with his fire. His technique with a blade is a little too by-the-book, clearly formed through sparring rather than real fights, but it's more than enough for a C-class dungeon given his inherent physical abilities.
So Yoohyun's fire is blue. It's different from his black fire from before his return. It's equally destructive, but seems much freer.
He looks happy, our Yoohyun.
"Yoojin's brother isn't a simple S-class," Sung Hyunjae suddenly says from beside me. "After awakening, he's quick to adapt and grow stronger. His control of fire is also impressive. Unlike an adult consciously learning a skill, he learns to wield fire as naturally as a child learning how to walk on two feet."
"Thanks for the compliment." I side-eye him. "Should you really leave all the dirty work to Taewon-hyung? What are you even here for?"
"Song Taewon's happy to do some heavy lifting to keep you safe. I'm here as an insurance." Sung Hyunjae smiles. "And that's not a compliment. You'll know if you check your brother with your skill, Yoojin-ah. Your brother's born different than other people."
When I turn to him in surprise, he says, "You looked at quite a lot of hunters during lunch like you were reading something. Is it a skill granted by your title?"
"...Did I tell you?"
"A title related to caregiving. And you said you didn't understand how you met the requirements and when. Although you didn't tell me the detail, I can infer who the title's related to."
Unbelievable. How much did I trust this man? I even told him that? My attempt to hide things from him meant nothing, then. Even I would be able to infer the possibility of a time rewind based on a title that doesn't fit what I had been through.
"Was it fun to toy with me?"
"That wasn't my intention." Sung Hyunjae shrugs. "I simply had something to confirm first, so I spent some time observing you."
"And your conclusion is?"
"I don't have to change the way I treat you."
[Fear Resistance activated!]
He sighs softly and walks a circle to get on one knee before me, looking up to hold my gaze.
I'm not a child. I was thirty before my return, and even after my return, I've been an adult for quite some time. However, I have to admit having him lowering himself on purpose out of his care for me makes me yearn for more, and subconsciously, I know that this is far from the first time he allowed me to look at him from this angle.
"Is the Sung Hyunjae in your memory such a difficult person?"
"I don't even know the kind of person the Sung Hyunjae in my memory was."
"I pity him. His life must be a bore."
"Speaking like you weren't Sung Hyunjae." I lightly kick him in the knee. "Get up, or Yoohyun and Taewon-hyung are going to misunderstand."
"That I'm proposing to you?"
"Stop speaking nonsense." When Sung Hyunjae shamelessly remains on his knee, I sit down before him instead, looking over his shoulders at Yoohyun. My brother glances my way every few minutes even when experimenting with his skills, while Song Taewon, who's closer to us, keeps an eye on both sides, making sure Yoohyun's safe and that no enemies are slipping through him.
I wave at Yoohyun, telling him to focus on the fight.
"Sung Hyunjae-ssi."
"Aren't you going to call me Hyunjae-hyung anymore?"
"I don't know what I should do, Sung Hyunjae-ssi." The problems I should solve seem to have been solved, and even what I regretted and thought impossible to change are now changed. Everything is as wonderful as a dream.
"Hands."
I unclench the hands I've balled into fists at some point. "I don't know if I can continue to be with all of you like this."
Those who have been strangers to me show me favorable treatment. They care for me like they don't need anything in return.
"Does Seseong need more hunters? I can help you look for more. Is the Association functioning normally? It seems that hunters are still in charge, but there can be bad apples among them, too. I have to look into it. Oh, Yoohyun said that Seseong's rearing monsters for mounts. Perhaps I can be of help. I have to try if Caregiver works on the monsters—"
"Yoojin-ah," Sung Hyunjae interrupts me. "You once complained that I'm so observant I'm never getting married."
...Right. I share the sentiment.
"It's always been you. It's just that for some reason, Yoojin, who's lived for more than twenty-five years, lost more than twenty years' worth of memory. After his awakening, he recovered the lost memory, but forgot how he got here instead."
"How can you be sure—"
[Found you!]
A system window suddenly pops up.
[I'm sorry, Honey. Thankfully, you remember alright. Father's been worried.]
[I can't tell you much. Honey should be able to piece things together by talking to Chain. And you'll slowly recover all your memory. Don't worry too much!]
[This is a world born from wish and love, Honey. Don't be too anxious. Live happily!]
...I can't understand it at all.
The windows popped up suddenly and disappeared just as suddenly. I turn around to find Sung Hyunjae looking my way.
"Did you see that, too? The messages from the system?"
"Yes, I saw." Sung Hyunjae turns to the side and grabs me, jumping high into the air with me in his arms.
Yoohyun and Song Taewon are rushing our way. The ground trembles suddenly, and the air ripples in an unnatural way.
"Yoohyun?!"
"Hyung! Stay with that one. The original boss monster got eaten!"
The memory of my brother's death is still fresh in my mind. I struggle in Sung Hyunjae's embrace and shout at the top of my lungs, "Yoohyun! Come back! You can't—"
"Don't be scared," Sung Hyunjae whispers into my ear. "Do you trust me, Yoojin-ah? Trust that I can protect you while helping you and your brother kill your first boss monster?"
Do I have a choice? He seems to always know what I want to hear, and he knows that even though I'm an F-class, even though there are three S-classes present, I can never leave my brother on his own.
"Help me."
He laughs and unfolds a pair of wings.
What the hell, he can even do something like that?
Chapter 6: Well-loved Mother Hen Teacher
Chapter Text
"Yoohyun! Do you have access to Blue Willows already?"
"Hyung?! What are you doing here? Don't get any closer! It's dangerous!"
"Answer me!"
"I got it after leveling up."
"It can not only be used to blind enemies, but also as a flying skill by stepping on the leaves!" Eunhye morphs into a bow. The weight is perfect in my hand. "Catch this, Taewon-hyung!" I shoot an arrow attached to a sturdy steel wire at Song Taewon. He catches it easily and moves in tandem with Sung Hyunjae's flying to wrap around the monster's two left wings on the left side of its body, yanking it toward the ground.
Flames splatter in all directions like rain as the monster struggles. Sung Hyunjae whirls around and shields me from them with Silekia's Wings. This man. I told him I had Eunhye and an A-class monster can't hurt me, but he doesn't need a reminder; he's simply doing things as he wishes.
"Yoohyun! Aim at the head, but watch out for the beak!"
Yoohyun's steps on the willow leaves are still unstable, but with Song Taewon restraining the monster's movement, the height Yoohyun can reach is more than enough.
The long blade enveloped by blue flames hits the monster on its whipping long neck, leaving an ugly gash, but not enough to kill. I hurriedly make a shot at one of the monster's eyes. While it does no damage, the explosion of ice shards with a delay catches its attention for a moment, and Yoohyun seizes the opportunity to jump over the monster's head, raising his weapon to make a downward stab.
The monster shrieks while trying to shake Yoohyun off its head. Sung Hyunjae easily paralyzes it for a brief moment with a stroke of lightning. It's clear that Sung Hyunjae can take out the A-class monster at any time. He's simply been helping me and Yoohyun kill our first boss monster as he said he would, as if he were teaching cubs to hunt.
Bam! The monster's head hit the ground. Red flames quickly give way to Yoohyun's blue flames. The fire devours the monster whole, not even leaving the magic stone behind.
Yoohyun stands where he is with a blank look on his face. The sword he wielded failed to endure his fire and ended up melted and evaporated. The moment Sung Hyunjae lowers me to the ground, I run up to my brother. I don't stop even when Song Taewon calls out to me.
"Are you hurt? Do you still have enough mana? Are you dizzy?"
"I'm fine, but hyung, you said that you wouldn't do anything—"
"How could I not do anything?!" I throw my arms around Yoohyun, my hands trembling a little. "Thank God you're okay. Thank God..."
Song Taewon comes over then. Sung Hyunjae must have stopped him from approaching for a moment. Outside of the slight tears on his clothes, Song Taewon is completely unscathed. "An A-class monster isn't much for us, Yoojin-ah, and an S-class hunter fresh out of a fight or a dungeon is dangerous. Don't approach them recklessly."
"Yoohyun is Yoohyun." I look at him and then over his shoulders at Sung Hyunjae. Sung Hyunjae nods to answer the question I didn't voice. "I've welcomed you back when you two got out of dungeons before, haven't I?"
"...You have." Song Taewon sighs and pats me on the back. "I've never seen boss monsters getting replaced like that. Thankfully, it wasn't too strong."
Sung Hyunjae looks at the gate that's shown up. "Why don't we get out of here first? In case something else goes wrong."
Yoohyun nods eagerly, a rare occasion where he agrees with Sung Hyunjae. He follows me every step of the way like a shadow. Sung Hyunjae just has to budge in and stick close to my other side. Song Taewon gives me a look that says he's used to this and takes the lead.
[Reward acquired: Well-loved Mother Hen Teacher (SS)]
...Come again?
Well-loved? Mother hen teacher?
...
Yoohyun isn't really hurt, only got some dirt and the monster's flesh and blood splattered on him. After a shower and a change of clothes, he looks like he hadn't gone to a dungeon. I don't even have a speck of dust on me since I was wrapped in a certain someone's coat the whole time. I only sweated a little. It's unthinkable for me before my return. Every time I entered a dungeon was akin to marching into war.
Yoohyun sits down on the bed. I kneel behind him to dry his hair for him with a towel. He obediently lets me like a big puppy.
"Yoohyun-ah." I can't help but ask. "Don't you think there's something strange about hyung?"
He turns to look at me. "I know hyung is hyung. I only want you to be safe and healthy."
"That so?" I sigh and smile slightly. "I only want you to be safe and healthy too, Yoohyun-ah."
"But hyung, you can tell me anything." He pauses. "You don't have to turn to anyone else. I can help you."
I pat his head and take off the towel.
"I know. You're always the person I trust the most, Yoohyun-ah. It's just that I haven't sorted my thoughts out yet and I'm not sure how I should explain things. Give me some time to figure things out."
He makes a sound of assent.
When we leave the room, Sung Hyunjae is whisking eggs in the kitchen. It suits and doesn't suit him. He seems out of place because he doesn't look like the kind of person who ever has to do anything with his own hands, but at the same time, he's doing everything with practiced ease. Where does the pink apron even come from, though? Wasn't it blue? Why does a pink apron look good on a 38-year-old man anyway?
"Where's Taewon-hyung?"
"An A-class hunter is stirring up trouble."
"Aren't you going to help?"
"Song Taewon won't see it as me helping."
"What are you making?"
"Pancakes."
"The flat kind?"
"The soufflé pancakes you've said you wanted to try."
What's that? And shouldn't an S-class's pride stop you from using an electric hand mixer?
"Do you want to join me, Yoojin-ah? When you first had the dessert I made for you as a kid, you insisted on me teaching you because you wanted to make your brother a birthday cake. Although you weren't happy with the result, you said he liked the cake. The year after, you made me an apricot cupcake for my birthday."
"You're reminiscing like an old man." I go up to him. He immediately hands me another pink apron. "What do you have against blue?"
"Yoojin is the one who likes pink."
"I don't like pink." I watch him beat egg white until stiff. Then he adeptly mixes in the other ingredients. I take out another large bowl and repeat what I've seen him do. "Yoohyun-ah, I'll make some for you. It may not be as well-made as his."
Yoohyun shakes his head. "Whatever you make will be the best, hyung."
I chuckle. My hands are more familiar with the motion of splitting egg yolks from white than I expected.
"Did you like the cake too? The one for your birthday?"
"Of course. It was my first birthday cake."
First...? How old was he? Was he an adult yet?
Before my return, I was the one to raise Yoohyun alone after my parents gave up on him. After my return, I seemed to have done the same with the support of many more people, but generally speaking, I'm still Yoohyun's caregiver. What about Sung Hyunjae? Does he have a loving caregiver? Does he even care?
He puts the fluffy batter into a piping bag and squeezes a perfect circle into the frying pan. He then puts on a lid and comes over to correct my technique. Whatever he's doing, he always seems perfectly poised. He's even good at teaching. Under his guidance, I created a serviceable batter, and his pancake is already the perfect color on both sides. He serves it on a plate with a douse of honey.
"Produced in a dungeon. A gift from Song Taewon."
In comparison, my pancakes look a little wonky, but at least it didn't flop.
I push my plate to Yoohyun before taking the fork Sung Hyunjae hands me. I cut into the soft pancake and pop a bite in my mouth. I rarely had any desserts in the past, so I thought I wouldn't be used to the taste. My worry was unfounded, though. Pushing aside the philosophical question of whether someone's taste lies in the body or the memory, Sung Hyunjae's pancake is the perfect sweetness to start with. I would've liked it even if I had eaten it before my return.
"Yoohyun-ah, you're still going to enter dungeons going forward, right?" I ask as I eat the pancakes. The sweetness seems to help keep my emotions stable, and I manage to stop my hands and voice from trembling. "If you don't want your true rank to be discovered, though, you can't join a regular team and attack dungeons. You can't hide that you're an S-class once you get into a real fight."
"Hyung, actually..." Yoohyun hesitates. "It's fine for me to be discovered now. I want to accumulate real strength."
"How is that fine?!" I almost throw the fork , but I manage to put it on the plate properly. "S-class dungeons are dangerous! And no matter what happens, you'll be expected to take a stand. Are you trying to set up your own guild? Many will see you as an eyesore, and if you get attacked because of that—"
"I'm not starting a guild, hyung." Yoohyun looks frustrated when he says that. "It's the truth that Seseong is the most powerful group in Korea right now. Even if I go independent, I won't be able to protect you better than Seseong can. Instead, you may become a target because of me. If a Seseong member is discovered to be an S-class hunter, though, it won't be that big a deal. Seseong can take the backlash."
"Few will dare to get their hands on a member of the guild," Sung Hyunjae says with an irritating smile. "And there's no point in that. Robbing Seseong of an S-class hunter isn't going to shake our position, only get on my bad side for no good reason."
I finish the last of the pancake, chewing slowly to calm myself down. Things are different now. Yoohyun doesn't have to distance himself for my safety, and Seseong serves as a shield for him from outside attacks.
No matter how much I wish that Yoohyun were a regular person who could lead a regular life with me, the world is no longer a normal one, and he is still S-class. If he continues to be forced to play a role that doesn't suit him, he'll never gain real control over his power. That'll be difficult for him, too, right?
After all, Yoohyun looked so happy when he was fighting today.
"...Alright, I understand. But we have to come up with a proper plan first. We'll figure out a story for why you've kept your rank hidden until now."
I don't want Yoohyun to be criticized as irresponsible. The general public has a tendency to not treat a higher-class kid as a kid.
"I envy Yoojin's younger brother for enjoying such unconditional love from him." Sung Hyunjae sighs dramatically with a hand on his chin.
"Cut the nonsense. You should be thinking about what to do with the backlash. It's your guild. No one will believe that you were in the dark."
Sung Hyunjae gives me a smile that's probably bright enough to generate power. I can't even look at his face straight.
"I'll have a proper explanation."
Why does it worry me so much to hear him say that with such an expression?
Chapter Text
"Sung Hyunjae! Why did you agree to let Yoohyun enter a dungeon? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Yoojin must be really angry. You didn't even call me hyung."
"Stop changing the subject!"
"I" strode up to Sung Hyunjae's desk and grabbed his collars. Although he couldn't have been unable to fight an F-class' strength, he still played along and steadied himself with a hand on the desk, blinking up at me innocently.
"It was rare for Yoojin's little brother to seek me out for help of his own accord. It makes sense that it'd be hard for me to turn him down, right?"
"Stop lying. You never care about Yoohyun that much. You only did the bare minimum for him."
"And your brother only accepts me into his world a little for you, so I only offer him the right amount of support for you." Sung Hyunjae smiled. "Be it father and son or two brothers, the relationship between a caregiver and the one being taken care of is never one between the protector and the protectee. Yoojin's brother wishes to have power of his own. It isn't so that he can leave home, but so that he can always return home."
"I know that!" Pinpricks of pressure came from my scalp. One hand let go of Sung Hyunjae's collars to pull at the hair instead. "I know, but..." A shaky inhale. "That's my little brother, the brother I'll lose if I even take one wrong step." A pair of large hands found me. "Hyunjae-hyung...I awakened."
"I noticed."
Why? Why does being treated gently make it easier for one to break down? "Caregiver... I'll lose Yoohyun in a dungeon. I've been dreaming of the same scene again and again since I was little. I can't lose him. Yoohyun...is my life."
Sung Hyunjae didn't ask any question, but instead said, "I know."
"I'm the older brother. I should protect him, yet I'm the source of his anxiety. I make him feel like he must get stronger to keep going. It was you who could protect him when he awakened. It was you who hid him. It was you who taught him how to control his power."
"I'm sorry. I seem to be a source of your anxiety, too."
Face pressed against his sturdy shoulder, I shook my head a little. "I'm grateful to you for becoming someone we could rely on when we needed it. It's just..." I hate myself for not being able to do anything. The words weren't given a voice, but Sung Hyunjae read them loud and clear.
"You did very well as your brother's caregiver." Sung Hyunjae easily lifted me onto his desk, pushing all the documents he had been going through aside. "Without you, Han Yoohyun would've lost who he was as Han Yoohyun. He would've never learned to coexist with others and only lived to destroy. You are Han Yoohyun's world."
He seemed to always know what I needed to hear.
"...Don't talk about someone's little brother like a natural disaster."
Sung Hyunjae chuckled. "He is. Yoojin-ah can't see it because you're blinded by your love for him."
"Still, you shouldn't have kept it a secret from me! You were just curious how I would react!"
Sung Hyunjae didn't get mad about having his ear grabbed and twisted. Actually, he was practically beaming. "Isn't that the role of the oesamchon? To be partners in crime with his nephew?"
"How old are you again? And you're not his oesamchon, but samchon."
Sung Hyunjae squeezed the fingers pinching his ear and took an accessory box out of his pocket.
"Then as your hyung, I should give you something for your awakening."
He picked up the crimson earrings with long fingers.
"Why don't you put them on?"
...
Sung Hyunjae, you called that a fight?
...
"Did you have another nightmare, hyung?"
"No. You should go back to sleep, Yoohyun-ah."
I gently pat Yoohyun on the back until he falls asleep before getting off the bed. Last night, he shared the bed with me, saying that he was worried I would have another nightmare. In truth, he must have noticed that I wasn't in the right state. And with him here, I did have better sleep. I only woke up because of the recovery of a piece of memory.
I walk out of the bedroom and see a certain someone's long legs dangling from the armrest of the sofa, too long to be tucked in.
This guy. I told him to go back to his place. Even if he was spending the night here, he could've used the other bedroom. Why did he sleep on the sofa in the living room?
He must have heard my footsteps, but he doesn't sit up, and he keeps his eyes closed even when I walk up to him. The blanket about to fall off really bothers me. I tuck him in properly, and he opens his eyes then.
"You would be an actor if not a hunter, Hyunjae-hyung."
"What did you remember, Yoojin-ah?"
"...Or a psychic."
I sit down on the floor with my back against the sofa, tilting my head to look at Sung Hyunjae's face. He looks younger with his hair tussled from sleep. Even though he's been sleeping on the sofa, he doesn't look unkempt. His eyelashes are so long that they cast shadows on his cheekbones.
I can't help my curiosity and reach out to pinch his ear.
"Ah, so you remember what happened yesterday."
"Yeah, how was that a fight? And I didn't slam the door and leave."
I'm probably stating the obvious here, but even Sung Hyunjae's earlobes are soft.
"Did you not remember the rest of it?" Sung Hyunjae turns slightly to the side to offer me his right ear. No, that won't be necessary. Your right ear isn't going to feel different from your left ear.
...It shouldn't, right?
"What do you mean? What else did you do after giving me the earrings?"
Sung Hyunjae thinks for a moment. "Nothing. I think you were just so embarrassed that you got mad."
"That doesn't sound like nothing."
Sung Hyunjae's lips quirk up. He doesn't explain it.
I grab his other ear too and pull both downward, finally succeeding in making him look a little silly. Does the age of one's brain affect their maturity? I think I've gotten more childish.
Speaking of which, Sung Hyunjae seems more than five years younger compared to the man before my return. His appearance isn't different at all, but his temperament is. Before return...Sung Hyunjae seemed cold even when he had a gentle smile on his face, just like a perfectly crafted statue. I can't imagine that man making anyone desserts or allowing anyone to play with his ears. Well...is that the difference between guildmaster-nim and hyung?
"You've more or less guessed it, haven't you? What happened to me." I let go of him and turn my back to him. "You didn't even give me a day before piecing everything together on your own."
"My love for Yoojin-ah runs too deep. I'm sorry."
"What? Does love grant someone mind-reading power? Then why can't I hear Yoohyun's thoughts?"
"Perhaps it's a lack of practice. I'm willing to be Yoojin's practice partner."
I laugh and lean back to rest my head on his abdomen. He doesn't seem surprised, and I decide not to move away.
I thought his belly would be hard because of his abs, but it's actually soft. After all, the muscles are relaxed now.
"I'm thirty, having been awakened for five years."
"Has thirty-year-old Yoojin hurt his leg?"
"There was a slight cripple because of a lack of proper treatment."
"You've had it hard. The great difference between the two sets of memories must have made the process of merging difficult. Still, it's not something time won't resolve."
"Right, things can't be more different. I would've fled Korea were Yoohyun not with me."
"That wouldn't do. I was right to keep Yoojin's brother around."
"Speaking like it was your decision to make."
Ah, so that's how it is. Things changed too much after my return, so the discrepancy I felt after regaining my memory of my old self pushed out the memory of my new self. Or it'll be more accurate to say that the memory has become background information I need time to digest. But why did I lose my memory after returning? And why did I return to more than five years before, resulting in changes being introduced way before that?
"What do you think about the system's messages? A world created from wish and love... And it told me not to worry. What does all that mean?"
"Perhaps it's just that."
"Things can't be that simple." I stare at my hands. There are much fewer scars, and my fingers aren't calloused on the palms from holding a spear, but calloused on my middle finger from holding a pen and chopsticks. "Effort and sacrifice must be made... To hold onto someone's hand, I must let go of something."
Sung Hyunjae wraps his bigger hands around mine.
"You don't have to be the one to hold onto everything, Yoojin-ah."
But what if the other person let go? What if the other person can't hold on? If I even relax my grip, it feels like I'll lose Yoohyun as I did before my return. And if my hands are empty, it feels like I will be, too.
I have to find out why the dungeon changed before my return. Perhaps it's the same reason why the dungeon we entered earlier changed. If there is a threat, I have to find a way to eliminate it. If the threat hasn't emerged, I have to try to prevent it.
"There's a skill I want to try. Don't resist it."
Sung Hyunjae makes a curious sound. "Not even a little?"
"Right. I should see how bad the impact will be if the target resists. Then I'll know how the skill works with an enemy."
"Hm, I changed my mind."
"You're fickle."
I check the newly acquired skill again. It has a weird name, and the first half and the latter half of the description seem penned by different people.
Well-loved Mother Hen Teacher (SS): The kids love me too much. What do I do? If you want to help and be the kids' power, use this skill to become their most reliable support! (◕ᴗ◕✿) Allow the user to form deep connections with and between the targets of the skill with the user as the central node. Requires willpower and mana. The effect scale with the user's relationship with the targets. If the targets resist, the user will experience a backlash.
The extra magic stats granted by the earrings should be enough for me to use the skill on Sung Hyunjae, right? Even if my mana turns out lacking, Eunhye will help.
I take a deep breath before slowly exhaling, keeping my eyes closed as I use the skill on Sung Hyunjae.
"Ah." He looks down at me. "So this is what it feels like."
I've forgotten to pull my hands back, and they are still held in his grip. The feelings of me having my hands held and him holding my hands mix together. It takes effort to consciously differentiate them. Looking at myself through his eyes, the face shares more similarities with Yoohyun's than I perceive. Only the lines are softer, the eyes are bigger...the skin is fair, making the dark eyes look even prettier. Looks good with the red earrings...
Wait, some of that seems to be Sung Hyunjae's thoughts. What the hell has the man been thinking? Who describes an adult man as pretty—I mean, he is pretty, but the word doesn't suit me, does it? Forehead? What about my forehead? It's just a regular forehead with nothing special about it—
When I read what he's going to do, I hastily cancel my skill, stunned into inaction with wide eyes.
He drops a kiss on my forehead. His lips are softer than his ears.
"I did this yesterday, after I gave you the earrings," Sung Hyunjae said with smile in his voice. "Are you going to run away and slam the door behind you again?"
Me from yesterday, it wasn't enough to slam the door on him. I should've blown his office up with a bomb.
Notes:
oesamchon is a maternal uncle, and samchon a paternal uncle.
Chapter Text
"Taewon-hyung, have you had breakfast... I think not. Let's eat and talk."
"Are you really alright with the memory issue? Are you unwell in other ways?"
"No, I'm fine. Don't worry. My memory is slowly coming back, too."
In addition to my "fight" with Sung Hyunjae, I also recovered some of my memories regarding my work at the Hunter Association, but only for the past few days and nothing beyond that. Since I can't predict how long it'll take me to recover all my memory, I figure I should talk to Song Taewon about it. While I only remember the few exchanges we had at the Association the past few days, I believe he's a dependable man, and Sung Hyunjae has said that I can rely on Song Taewon...
He was shamelessly lingering at the door after getting kicked out by me. "Song Taewon will support Han Yoojin well."
Sung Hyunjae is quite trustworthy when he isn't stirring up trouble, but he tends to act out.
I asked Song Taewon to meet me at the coffee shop near the Association before going to work. I ordered a cup of mocaccino. Song Taewon ordered black coffee and a croissant. He doesn't even frown when he sips on the coffee.
"What do you remember about your work?"
"I've been studying the rise in difficulty of the dungeons recently, as well as how hunters as a whole should respond to the change." It's odd. Not only have I become a member of the Association, I hold quite a high position with my own team, responsible for developing the ways to clear dungeons of different types.
"The higher class hunters rely too much on their physique and skills and aren't utilizing strategies fully. The middle to lower-class hunters limit themselves and neglect the particular scenarios where their abilities can shine... Ah, I'm talking too much."
Song Taewon shakes his head. His lips are slightly curled up.
"You've always been perceptive about the way hunters and dungeons work. Even without personal experience, you made many useful suggestions, and you contributed a lot to the management system imposed by the Association and the best practices for clearing dungeons. That was why you were made a team leader before you awakened."
Ah...that's because I cheated. Although I'd forgotten about my return, my experience and judgment seemed to have been retained, and since I knew the future to some degree, I was able to make more accurate predictions.
"Team Leader Seok Hayan trusts you a lot, too. You've been studying the changes of the dungeons with her recently. And the information collected by the dokkaebis helps, too."
"Dokkaebi...s?"
"Yes, Yoon Yoon has made quite a lot of subjects. While I don't know the reason, they are friendly to humans. They especially like you and Bak Yerim."
So dokkaebi isn't the title of a hunter, but the name of a species? Did they get born out of objects like the myths said...
"Wait, Bak Yerim?"
Song Taewon responded after a pause, "She has been under Hunter Moon Hyuna's care as custodian and ward after her awakening. She's likely to join the Breaker Guild in the future."
"And her class is?"
"S-class."
That further compounds my confusion. Why would an A-class hunter before my return become an S-class hunter? And I never heard about Moon Hyuna becoming her custodian... Wait, I saw the picture of Moon Hyuna and a young girl on my phone before. Was that Bak Yerim? She looked so different in the photo that I didn't recognize her.
"Yoojin-ah." Song Taewon frowns slightly. "It seems that your memory issue is more serious than I thought. Do you not remember Bak Yerim?"
"Yes...I don't really remember Taewon-hyung, either." Seeing the way Song Taewon's expression crumbles, I hurriedly add, "It's really temporary! And I still trust Taewon-hyung instinctively, for real!"
Song Taewon nods after a second. Shit, why do I feel so guilty?
"I like Taewon-hyung! You're the hyung I love the most!"
[Awakener Song Taewon is now registered!]
Wait, what? Oh, right. The keyword for Perfect Caregiver. Was it applied so easily? Is it because we've been close for a long time?
Thankfully, Song Taewon doesn't seem bothered. He simply clears his throat and gives me a small smile.
"As long as you'll remember. I'm more worried about you." Seemingly thinking of something, he suddenly frowns. "Do you not remember Hunter Sung Hyunjae either? Has he taken advantage of your memory loss and done something strange to you?"
"Although I can't say he hasn't—"
Song Taewon shoots to his feet. I quickly grab him. "No, he did something weird before I forgot him—I mean, nothing is strange by his standards, and I don't actually hate—Anyway, he hasn't done anything to warrant an arrest. I'll just leave a bomb or something in his office next time."
Song Taewon gives me a strange look. "If it's meant to be a protest...I'll advise against it. You bombed his home once."
Amazing, me.
"He was quite happy about it."
...Amazing, Sung Hyunjae.
Song Taewon sighs deeply and appears to have aged in the span of a couple of minutes. He hands me a napkin and points at my mouth, saying in a serious tone, "If he ever does something against your will, please let me know. I'll do my best to make him pay for it."
"Ah, okay."
Will half of Korea be gone by the time they are done with it? Or perhaps the world will just end? That's something to be prevented. So Sung Hyunjae-ssi, please do things in the right order. Don't be a frivolous man.
...We seem to have known each other for a long time, though. Have we gone on dates already?
...
Luckily, my work in the morning went uneventfully. Although seeing Seok Simyeong at the Association left me shocked and aggrieved for quite some time, doing analysis comes more naturally to me than I expected—oh, and apparently, I went to college and graduated already. I'd like to recover those memories sooner rather than later.
Song Taewon came to me at noon and said that Moon Hyuna and Bak Yerim had come to have lunch with me and talk to me. Although I'm a little anxious about it without my memory, I can't run away from it, can I? I'll just have to use the excuse of a memory problem if they find out. I hope they won't be too shocked.
"...But why are you here?"
Yes, Sung Hyunjae has invited himself. And he's bringing a bouquet of pink flowers. They don't seem like roses. I don't recognize the kind.
"These are crabapple flowers."
"What, so you're here to apologize?" I mutter and take the bouquet from him. While the one giving the flowers is annoying, the flowers are innocent. "I'm meeting someone. You're free to go."
"You're meeting Bak Yerim and Moon Hyuna, aren't you? Don't you need me there?"
"Taewon-hyung will be there."
Sung Hyunjae sighs. "Right. Song Taewon's the hyung you love the most. I'll have to work harder."
"How did you—have you bugged me?!"
"Song Taewon boasted." Sung Hyunjae takes out his phone with a smile. On the screen are the messages he's exchanged with Song Taewon... Wait, what kind of a nickname is Shepherd Dog? Change it to something more normal, you jerk. "Yoojin's saved as 'My Kitten'."
"No one asked. And who's a kitten?!"
"Oh? Not going to protest the 'my' part?"
"Change that part, too!"
Sung Hyunjae's exchanges with Song Taewon go about as expected. Most of the messages are Sung Hyunjae harassing Song Taewon in one way or another and Song Taewon ignoring him. After his conversation with me in the morning, Song Taewon sent Sung Hyunjae a message that's quite long by his standards: You're thirteen years older than Yoojin. Please don't do anything you can't take responsibility for. You're not in second place.
"How is this boasting...?"
"He said I wasn't second place, and Han Yoohyun is forever your first place." Sung Hyunjae smooths my collars for me. "Song Taewon's changed quite a lot, too."
My heart skips. "Is that so?"
Sung Hyunjae seems surprised by his own observation. "The feeling doesn't seem to stem from a comparison with this timeline, but a comparison with a past I don't remember—or should we say it's a present and future I don't remember?"
What does that even mean? Is he talking about the time before my return, or not?
Sung Hyunjae strokes his chin bemusedly before giving me his usual smile.
"I'll walk in with you. Then if you ask me to leave, I will."
I relent. Walking into the restaurant with the bouquet, I meet Song Taewon's eyes first. Then Moon Hyuna and Bak Yerim, sitting across from him, turn around at the same time. One of them waves at me casually, and the other waves her whole arm at me with infectious energy. In a bright voice, Bak Yerim calls out, "Yoojin-oppa!"
So she calls me oppa. She's different from the Bak Yerim before my return. Her smile is bright, and her short hair and clothes emphasize her sunny disposition. Compared to ice, she's more like the ocean in summer. It seems that Moon Hyuna has taken good care of her.
"Yerim-ah." I sit down next to Song Taewon, my mood brightening as I look at Bak Yerim. "Have you been adapting well after your awakening?"
Bak Yerim scratches her head, a little embarrassed. "I couldn't control my strength well in the beginning and broke the TV at Hyuna-eonnie's home."
"Don't worry about it. And I told you already, it's your home now." Moon Hyuna hooks an arm around Bak Yerim's neck. "If you get it wrong again, I'm gonna tickle you!"
"I get it." Bak Yerim sips on the colorful soda before her. "What's Seseong-ahjussi doing here? Are the flowers from him?"
"It's my gift, yes. Have you decided which guild to join, young lady?" Since there is no seat for him, Sung Hyunjae stands behind me and rests his hands on the back of my chair. "You may make the decision that's the most advantageous to yourself. Don't succumb to pressure from your relationships with others. The Breaker Guild hasn't gained a strong foothold after breaking away from its sponsors."
Moon Hyuna shoots back, "Hey, are you asking for a fight?"
"My dear Yoojin is still here. How can you not consider his safety, Hunter Moon Hyuna?"
Song Taewon interjects, "...Hunter Sung Hyunjae, please refrain from taunting Hunter Moon Hyuna for no reason."
"Yeah, didn't a certain someone say that he would leave after walking me in?" I grab Sung Hyunjae's hand and drop it off the back of the chair. "Please do our job, Seseong Guildmaster. My brother is still a member of the guild. It'll be bad if the guild falls apart."
"Seseong will function properly even without me, but I'll do as my dear Yoojin said." He pinches my ear and nods at Bak Yerim. "I'll be there to congratulate you when you're officially registered as an S-class hunter, young lady. Expect a gift from me."
With that, he strides away. Moon Hyuna shouts at his back, "You don't have to! I'll do it!"
Bak Yerim is honest with herself. "Bye, Seseong-ahjussi! I look forward to the gift!"
I can't help but chuckle. It seems that Sung Hyunjae's quite close to them, too. Bak Yerim appears to like Sung Hyunjae. Their relationship is probably one of a girl and an uncle who brings her gifts often.
"Taewon-hyung said that you have something to talk to me about. What is it?"
"About where I should go. I'm considering between Hyuna-eonnie's guild and the Hunter Association."
I'm a little surprised. "The Association?"
"Hyuna-eonnie and Association-ahjussi said that a guild will give me a better offer, but isn't what Yoojin-oppa has been doing important? I heard you talked about it a few times. Although I can't understand fully, it's a job that'll help many, isn't it? I want to clear dungeons like Hyuna-eonnie does, but I also want to support Yoojin-oppa's work. You need the help of a high-class hunter to study how they can better clear dungeons, don't you?"
Bak Yerim's head lowers more and more as she speaks. "And there's only one Association-ahjussi. He can't be in two places at the same time. Won't it be safer for you to have a second S-class?"
"That's her position." Moon Hyuna shrugs. "Yerim-ah, you don't have to join the Association to help your Yoojin-oppa. The association is working with the guilds now."
I nod. "As the S-class of the Association, one important work Taewon-hyung does is stopping high-class hunters from getting into and starting trouble. That's a task you shouldn't take on yet, Yerim-ah."
Bak Yerim purses her lips. "Because I'm young?"
"Attacking people is an entirely different matter to attacking monsters." I know that very well. "Moreover, monsters don't hold grudges, while resentment stemming from conflicts between humans never ends. I don't want you to become disappointed in people at this age, Yerim-ah. I promise that you'll be making a great contribution as a guild member. If I ever need help, I'll ask you and Hyuna-ssi, okay?"
"Okay..." Bak Yerim looks a little down. "But if one day you leave the Association, Yoojin-oppa, I'm going with you. And once I have enough experience, I'll decide if I'm joining the Association."
"Hey, is joining my guild so bad, kid?" Moon Hyuna ruffles Bak Yerim's hair into a messy nest. Bak Yerim laughs and begs for mercy at the same time, shouting, "I like Hyuna-eonnie too. I want to marry someone just like you in the future!"
"Sweet talker!" Moon Hyuna gives me a discreet thumbs-up.
I really cannot wait to recover my memory.
Notes:
As many of you probably know, 사과, the Korean word for apple, is the same as the word for apology.
Chapter 9: Han Yoohyun's Reality
Chapter Text
It snows.
Han Yoohyun likes snow. He was born in the season of snow, and every year, his brother celebrated his birthday even if he had to use up all the allowance he'd carefully saved up. Since learning how to make desserts, his brother has made many different flavors of birthday cakes. Han Yoohyun likes them all and always finishes the whole cake, his joy further fueled by the happy smile on his brother's face.
Han Yoohyun bends down for a handful of white snow. Only then does he realize that it isn't snow, but white cotton—no, it's feather. As soon as he opens his hand, white feathers scatter in the air.
This is a dream.
Han Yoohyun rarely dreams. Once in a while, he'd dream of a talkative fire that prattles along nonstop. He isn't too interested in it, but it does feel a little familiar.
There is no wind, yet the feathers all around him fly around like they've been swept by a gust and slowly come to form a snow-white tree with falling feathers as leaves. Han Yoohyun looks around. His only thought is to wake up as soon as he can and return to the reality where his brother is.
Uncle. He seems to hear a voice call out, but no, there is no disturbance in the air. He only senses the call to him.
Uncle? That's what people call their father's brothers. Hyung doesn't have a child.
...will slowly remember...
...for Dad...
...last gift...
He catches a flash of flapping wings from the corner of his eye, then a tentacle softly glowing blue. Han Yoohyun blinks. He's suddenly awake, back to the real world. A strange thought comes to him, unbidden: he wants to hear hyung sing him happy birthday when the day comes.
Strange. It's something that happens every year, yet he suddenly feels a strong yearning for it. There's still half a year before his birthday. Such a long wait.
It's six in the morning. His brother must not have woken up yet. Han Yoohyun decides to make a big breakfast. Before going to the kitchen, though, he quietly walks to his brother's bedroom to check on him. Han Yoohyun sighs in relief when he sees his brother sound asleep.
He doesn't know why he's relieved.
"...Yoohyun-ah..."
"I'm here, hyung."
"...Stop playing around, Sung Hyunjae..."
Han Yoohyun frowns. He doesn't like the man who's suddenly barged into their world and has been sticking to his brother like gum ever since, but with him around, his brother is much safer, and the burden on his shoulder lighter.
Still...
"Why do you like him, hyung?"
The sound-asleep man does not respond. Instead, he rolls himself into a kimbap with the blanket.
Han Yoohyun stands outside the room for a little longer before walking away.
...
"To prevent a public backlash, the most effective solution is to tell a good story. The story between you and Hunter Han Yoohyun is captivating as it is, Team Leader Han Yoojin. You and your brother only ever had each other. And you, merely five years older than your brother, raised him like a father. How could you not be worried about your brother when the dungeons started appearing? And Hunter Han Yoohyun simply didn't want to hurt his hyung. Thus, he pretended to be a lower-class hunter."
"No, that's not enough. Let's say Yoohyun got attacked for being found out as an S-class not long after awakening. I got dragged into it, which cemented my resolve to hide Yoohyun's true class."
"By whom?"
Yoohyun, who had been listening quietly, chimes in, "Yoon Kyungsoo from Soodam."
So that actually happened? Why would he go after my still underaged brother? Was it because we already had a relationship with Seseong then, and he wanted to make sure Seseong didn't get a second S-class? Or is there another reason?
"Hunter Yoon Kyungsoo?" The PR head of the Seseong Guild is a little surprised. "He died in a dungeon a few years back. If it's brought up, there may be conspiracies that Hunter Han Yoohyun has gotten his revenge."
"...Yoon Kyungsoo got killed by monsters when there were many witnesses. Guildmaster knows the details."
Ah, so it was Sung Hyunjae's doing. That's a clean way to go about it. Good job.
"If Soodam protests...no, Soodom doesn't have enough power to start anything." The PR head nods to herself. "Hunter Han Yoohyun has a cold image, but when someone likes that shows a vulnerable side, it'll be even more enthralling to the public. Would the two of you mind putting on an act? No, that's not necessarily an act. You only have to tell your stories in front of the cameras."
Cameras... I thought I would feel an aversion to the prospect of talking to cameras, but it doesn't actually bother me that much. It must also be a result of the past I don't remember yet.
"I'm fine with it. Let's do the press conference before Yoohyun changes his registration. Are you okay with that, Yoohyun-ah?"
Yoohyun nods.
"Then I'll make the arrangements. And we should have a rehearsal before the press conference. I'll list the questions and send them to you, Team Leader Han Yoojin. Please think about what you and Hunter Han Yoohyun are going to say."
"Thank you." I hesitate for a moment. "Seseong will be criticized for this, too. Is that alright?"
"Guildmaster...often toes the line of legality on a whim. The impact on Seseong will be minimal. Please don't worry too much."
"You've had it hard." I can't help but apologize for a certain someone in his absence. Please be more considerate to your subordinates in the future, your thirty-eight-year-old oversized kid. You could've done everything neatly like you did with Yoon Kyungsoo, right? Why must you stir up trouble openly?
Well, I know what his answers could be. "There's no need", or "I don't want to". He can be so immature sometimes.
"Oh, no. I should do something to deserve the paycheck after all." The PR head laughs. "And Guildmaster is quite reliable when it really matters."
"I suppose."
I accompany Yoohyun to the rearing facility in Seseong. His previous work was preventing the monsters from hurting the guild members training them as mounts, but he's going to become the head of a dungeon-clearing team now. Unlike Yoohyun, who doesn't feel any attachment to his old post, his soon-to-be former colleagues throw him a celebration and farewell party.
I'm pleased that Yoohyun has a surprisingly good relationship with his colleagues, but then I hear the talks and realize that outside the few who think Yoohyun's face alone is enough to spark joy, all the others are sad because I'll no longer be visiting the facility regularly.
It's said that I often swing by with the healthy snacks and sweets personally made by their guildmaster to share with everyone, and for some reason, the monsters love me. I manage to solve problems they encounter while taming monsters every time I visit.
"Would you not consider leaving the Association for the guild, Team Leader Han? Seseong gives really good benefits, and Guildmaster will treasure Team Leader Han for sure."
"Oh, no. Becoming a subordinate of your guildmaster is a little..."
"Don't worry! As long as it doesn't interfere with the work, Seseong doesn't prohibit office romance!"
That's not the problem.
"Um, Yoohyun said that you've been trying to train higher-class monsters recently. Any results?"
"Right, we started raising a young thorn-winged dark dragon. Hunter Kang Soyoung has high hopes for it. Even with its master's token, though, the training doesn't go very well. It's not aggressive, no, but it doesn't listen to instructions at all..." Yoohyun's colleague sneaks a glance at him. "Would you mind having a look at it for us, Team Leader Han?"
"Hyung!" Yoohyun immediately steps between us and glares at his colleague. Without the item concealing his presence, he exudes a much greater pressure, and his colleague yelps before taking several steps back.
"Yoohyun-ah, it's alright. Have you forgotten about Eunhye? The young dragon isn't going to hurt me." I pat Yoohyun on his stiff shoulder. He turns to stare at me with pursed lips. What's wrong? He seems more anxious than usual. "Why don't you go in with me? It's still your job to protect the caretakers, yeah?"
Yoohyun hesitates after a moment of hesitation.
The moment I take the master's token, I receive the notification that Perfect Caregiver enhances its effect. The small baby dragon dives toward me. I hurriedly stop Yoohyun from overreacting and allow the dragon to perch on my arm.
"Good kid." I turn around and ask, "Does it have a name?"
"It's Comet!" The voice that responds to my question is brighter. Kang Soyoung runs up to me with a wide beam, her blue eyes almost sparkling. "Hyung-nim, if you can help raise Comet well, I'll be eternally grateful to you!"
"Oh, then it'll be great if you can speed a little less. Taewon-hyung is quite troubled."
"In exchange, I'm willing to use a vehicle!"
"That's a bit much... Are you planning to ride dragons around instead?"
Kang Soyoung grins and doesn't respond.
I spend some time teaching Comet a few simple instructions with its caretaker. It is a high-class dragon at the end of the day. While its level is still low, it learns well. It's just that its high intelligence gives it a stronger will, which makes it more difficult to train it. That's where the Perfect Caregiver shines.
Having a mount will help greatly in a dungeon. Should I do something? If Yoohyun gains a fire element mount, he'll be safer when clearing a dungeon... Forget about Sung Hyunjae. He's a mount himself.
Should I ask Sung Hyunjae for help? Yoohyun's a member of Seseong, and Sung Hyunjae has watched over him for years as he grew up. It's only right that Sung Hyunjae gives him something to congratulate him, isn't it? And Yoohyun officially joining Seseong as an S-class hunter will push Seseong to greater heights.
Let's have Sung Hyunjae find Yoohyun a suitable mount on the condition that I help train monsters for Seseong.
"Hyung...is this really okay?"
I look at Yoohyun and his sour face. "Hm? What's wrong?"
"Me being a Seseong member... No, nothing." Yoohyun slowly exhales. "I've never parted with hyung. It's good."
Is he brooding because of Sung Hyunjae? I pat his head, and he meekly bends down to make it easier for me. He looks a little embarrassed.
"You'll always be my top priority, Yoohyun-ah."
He nods and sticks closer to me.
Chapter 10: Public Confession
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The next few days, I recover a few more of my memories—generally in reverse chronological order. That gradually smooths out the feeling of alienation I feel about the world around me. There are still things that I'm not used to, of course, such as the compliments and care those around me shower me with, as well as my much larger social circle. Although the number of people who recognize me is lower than that before my return, most of the gazes that land on me are positive.
From today on, there will be more people who recognize me, but when they call me Hunter Han Yoohyun's brother, their tone should be free from malice against a stranger like I was used to before my return. Still, I want to be better. I want to be good enough that I can stand beside Yoohyun and other remarkable people without embarrassing them.
"Yoojin-ah, you seem to be worrying needlessly again."
"Is your mindreading power working so well even during the day?"
"Since my love for Yoojin is growing by the day."
"No one likes a disingenuous smooth talker."
"Would you like to use the Mother Hen Teacher skill on me?"
No. He's gonna turn it into an opportunity to harass me again.
I've never dressed as formally as I do now. For Yoohyun's middle school graduation ceremony, I did wear a suit, but it was a cheap one that didn't fit me. The shirt and suit pants on me now, on the other hand, are probably worth as much as my assets combined. In addition to the fine craft itself, the materials used are all dungeon products, granting the suit the function to regulate temperature and a certain degree of defensive power. It was Sung Hyunjae's coming-of-age gift for me.
Put aside the fact that I've apparently not grown any taller since turning eighteen, I'm really curious what the total value of all the gifts from Sung Hyunjae are, and how much I've repaid him.
If I ask him, he will wipe fake tears and accuse me of treating him like a stranger.
"Aren't half of the reporters here for you? You're the reason the press conference became bigger than it should be."
"I'm still the Seseong Guildmaster at the end of the day."
"So you remember. You show up at the Association almost every day. I thought you'd become one of ours."
"I'm yours alone."
"Enough with that." I paused, noticing something. "Sung Hyunjae, your suit seems to be the same design as mine?"
Sung Hyunjae smiles. "You once said that suits don't differ outside of their colors."
"Yes...I still think that way, but—" I frown, flipping my lapels to check the winding golden line sewn into the underside. The colors of the outside and inside of my suit jacket are the perfect inverse of his suit. "I'm not blind."
"The suits were tailor-made at the same time. I wore this to Yoojin's college graduation ceremony."
"How about Yoohyun?"
"You took Han Yoohyun to make his first suit. He didn't want a gift from me."
Alright. The cost of having a suit tailor-made is nothing to Sung Hyunjae. Since it was Yoohyun who refused to accept the gift, I'll drop the issue.
As today's star, Yoohyun is still undergoing a makeover from an army of stylists. Although my brother looks good even without any touch-ups, Seseong's PR head said that it would be better for his image to be softened by makeup and costumes. I don't know a thing about fashion, so I decided to trust the expert here. I told Yoohyun to work with them. Then Sung Hyunjae called me away with the excuse of going over the questions that would be asked at the press conference.
This man doesn't actually consider the press conference anything important, though. He smoothed out my collars then put a handkerchief into my breastpocket. If he didn't look as good as he does, people would assume he's my stylist.
"Will you really be okay, though? The Association has decided to only give a slap on the wrist, but do you not care about the public opinion?"
"With enough power, others will justify your actions for you," Sung Hyunjae says carelessly and starts working on my hair. "Isn't that the case based on your experience?"
"There's still a limit to that. And don't people instinctively focus more on the negative comments?"
Sung Hyunjae says after a beat, "Things were hard for you before. Was it because of your brother?"
"Turn off your mindreading power," I complain and knock him on the head. "Why must you be so tall? Can't you transfer some of your height to me?"
"You like tall people."
"And you decided to grow so tall before you even met me?" I grab Sung Hyunjae's wrist and look at his watch. "It's about time. I'll check on Yoohyun—"
"Yoojin-ah." Sung Hyunjae grabs me and cups my face with both hands. "Good luck."
Then he kisses my forehead. I've lost count of the number of times he found excuses to do something like this. I grumble about him being shameless under my breath and poke him in the forehead. He takes it with a smile.
It's annoying that no matter how much force I use, I can never leave even a red mark. How high must my strength stat be to leave a mark on an S-class's skin? Is there an item or a potion that will temporarily lower an S-class to an F-class?
My nerves have quieted down at some point, and my hands warm up. I walk to the preparation room Yoohyun is in. Sung Hyunjae's never a few more steps away from me.
"Hyung."
"Yoohyun-ah, are you ready?"
My brother nods. He glances at Sung Hyunjae before turning away broodingly.
As soon as we walk into the venue for the press conference, the quick flashes of the cameras make me turn away. I don't know how Sung Hyunjae does it. He maintains a smile even when being assaulted by all the light, not even blinking. Is that something all S-classes can do? Yoohyun can't give me an answer since his eyes are never on the reporters but on me. Even after we get seated, his body is still angled toward me.
I pat him on the knees to tell him to face forward, and he reluctantly obliges only after putting his fingers around my wrist, like he's monitoring my pulse.
We start with the statements we have prepared beforehand. Yoohyun only has to recite the script. While his tone remains even with little emotions, at least it doesn't sound robotic, and the fact that he keeps glancing at me is in line with the image he should project.
After that, it's my turn to fill out the meat of the story. Although it feels a little awkward, I have made public safety announcements before the camera during the time I still don't remember about, and I complete my mission without issue.
Sung Hyunjae's part is simple, too. He thanks the press for coming and then expresses Seseong's expectations for Yoohyun's contribution. Perhaps thanks to his face and his manners, he has the full attention of everyone in the room.
During the following Q&A session, most of the questions are ones that have been screened by Seseong's PR department, and we can easily answer them. There are some questions that are meant for entertainment, such as if Yoohyun knows that he has a fan club with an increasing number of fans after the statement's released today, Yoohyun responds to it better than I expected.
Still, there are inevitably more targeted questions.
"Mr. Han Yoojin, your brother might not be mature enough when he awakened for being underaged, but you were already an adult. Haven't you considered how many lives had been needlessly lost due to your hiding your brother's true class all these years?"
Yoohyun looks ready to burn the reporter. Sung Hyunjae keeps a good poker face, but those who know him will see that he's displeased.
I'm happy.
Before my return, I was all on my own when surrounded by cameras and questions that were meant to cut. I didn't know that Yoohyun hadn't actually turned his back on me. It felt like the entire world was telling me, "It's better that you don't exist." But that wasn't true. It still isn't. Even without my complete memory, I can see that fact in those around me.
"I've explained my reason, so I won't try to convince you with another sentimental story. Please do check the statistics on dungeons, sir. Although the dungeons' difficulty has been on the rise, the frequency of dungeon breaks in Korea has been decreasing since the Association revolutionized the management system. The mortality rate of hunters has also seen a sharp drop. I won't claim the whole credit, but I have made quite a contribution in the process, and even today, I'm still working for the benefit of the public."
"I admit I've made a decision many will consider a mistake out of the selfish desire to protect my only family, but in addition to myself, my brother has been doing what he can, too. He's been helping rear monster mounts that greatly improve the efficiency of clearing dungeons. Whether one is an unawakened person, an F-class hunter with limited power, or a B-class hunter with support abilities instead of offensive ones, their contribution should, without exception, be acknowledged."
Sung Hyunjae waits until I finish before opening his mouth. "Mr. Han Yoojin is a core member of the Association at the young age of twenty-five, and Seseong and Breaker have both received his help on many occasions. He's done his best to make the best decision he can make at different stages of his life, and he's done things that many with nothing but power cannot do. Any hunters working on the frontline can see his value."
It's embarrassing to hear such a serious compliment from him, but I have to admit it makes me feel good.
Most of the other questions are directed to Sung Hyunjae, asking him about Seseong's future plans. He responds to all the questions with the same calm composure. No wonder his image is so well-maintained. While I can't help but want to call him pretentious, he is a good representative of his guild.
Finally, an accusation against Seseong inevitably comes. The reporter posing the question sounds ready to throw up. I wonder if he's lost a game of rock paper scissors and is forced to be the one to challenge Sung Hyunjae.
"Let's put aside Han Yoojin's and Hunter Han Yoohyun's actions for now. Isn't Seseong, a well-established guild, challenging the authority of the Association and betraying the trust of the public by hiding the truth?"
That's a big claim. I tamp down the urge to frown and turn to Sung Hyunjae, who's still smiling. Amazingly, he doesn't seem fazed at all. It's as if he can never do any wrong.
"First, a correction of facts. The Hunter Association has always maintained that they and the guilds are in a collaborative relationship between two equal parties. The rules of the management system are upheld by all guilds. The Association never claims to be an authority ruling over the guilds."
Sung Hyunjae relaxes his posture. "Then, a clarification for my stance. I didn't help Han Yoojin as the head of the guild but myself. It's motivated entirely by my selfish desires."
Wait, what selfish desires? Just when alarm bells start ringing in my head, the reporter asks a follow-up question. "Would you give a concrete explanation for your motivation?"
"Of course." Sung Hyunjae looks my way. "People want to do well by the one they fall for, don't they? How could I not offer a hand when he was in trouble?"
Hey, bastard, what bullshit are you spouting? Is it right for a thirty-one-year-old to fall for an eighteen-year-old?
"I didn't understand my feelings back then, though. I thought I only saw him as a younger brother. It wasn't until recently that I started wooing him officially."
Wooing?! What have you done outside of buying me flowers? Well, okay, you made me desserts too, but that shouldn't count—wait, have you been showing up at the Association with flowers every day and asking me to eat together for that...?
Wait, is it right for a thirty-eight-year-old to pursue a twenty-five-year-old? Although I'm actually thirty—that's not the point. Do you really have to say all that before all these cameras?!
The PR head watching from the side buries her face in her hands. If not for me stopping him, Yoohyun would have grabbed a sword and made a slash at Sung Hyunjae's neck. Sung Hyunjae, who has turned the press conference to announce Yoohyun's class into a public confession, doesn't seem affected at all. Despite the thunderous camera flashes and the shocked chatters from the press, he continues with his spiel.
"Whatever Han Yoojin's answer may be, he's someone I treasure dearly. Please do not twist my intention around." Sung Hyunjae narrows his eyes, his smile gaining a threatening edge. "Those who have taken pictures without permission and spread untrue rumors will be subject to lawsuits I personally file for."
Huh, so strange rumors are going around already? I think I can guess what they will be... But it's all because you keep bringing me flowers in public, you jerk!
I feel wronged here. I haven't even noticed that Sung Hyunjae's been pursuing me, and there's already fake news that I've seduced him. How am I even supposed to seduce him?
"Any other issue?"
Yes, I have loads of issues, all because of you.
If Taewon-hyung or Yoohyun try to assassinate you in your sleep, I won't stop them. I secretly tell Sung Hyunjae that with my skill, and he responds with a laugh that only I can hear.
I'll try my best to prove myself, he tells me silently.
And this isn't your best? Is the situation not chaotic enough as it is?
Notes:
Originally the story isn't supposed to go in this direction, but I suppose Sung Hyunjae always has the power to bend things to his will :P
Chapter 11: Dark Cyan Fire
Chapter Text
"Go to a dungeon with me."
"Yoojin-ah, your brother wants to go to a dungeon."
"We can't fight here. Go to a dungeon with me."
"Yoohyun-ah, this man has been awakened for ages, and he has fire-resisting equipment. It's a bad matchup—"
"I won't lose."
"Yes, my brother is the best... It's just that the man has dawdled in this world for a little longer—oh, Taewon-hyung, did you see the broadcast too? Um, he was a little overly dramatic—"
"Yoojin-oppa! Are you dating Sesong-ahjussi? Should I not call him ahjussi then?"
"Yerim? Why are you here too... Let's move this elsewhere, yeah?"
The man responsible for all the chaos put his hand on my shoulder despite the glares thrown his way.
"Why don't we go to a picnic together? Seseong owns a dungeon with quite a nice view."
What a mess.
The dungeon Sung Hyunjae picked does have a nice view. Beside an otherworldly ruin sits a large lake the color of the setting sun, surrounded by a vast grassland. Further beyond it is a light gray bluff.
As soon as we enter the dungeon, Sung Hyunjae takes out a picnic blanket from his inventory and places it on the ground. Then, as if they agreed upon it beforehand, he and Yoohyun move away. One unfurls his wings and flies toward the bluff in the distance, while the other gives chase by stepping on blue willow leaves. I don't even have the time to stop them. And Song Taewon, after some hesitation, decides to stay with me and Yerim.
I sigh and sit down on the blanket, taking out a bag of madeleines Sung Hyunjae made and handing them out to Yerim and Song Taewon.
Rumble. Sung Hyunjae and Yoohyun are already fighting. Sung Hyunjae doesn't use his signature lightning power, but instead hovers around Yoohyun with his wings and wielding a spear. I've never seen him fight with a spear. How's he so good at melee combat, too? He seems able to always react to Yoohyun's attacks even before they come. Still, Yoohyun is doing well, too. He's gotten much better at moving with the willow leaves. His sword technique is also—
Wait. I frown. Yoohyun seems like a different person compared to the last time we entered a dungeon. His control over his power has improved too much. And his fire...seems darker in color. Is it only in my head?
"Whoa, amazing," Yerim marvels. "I almost can't follow their movements."
Song Taewon seems bemused. "Hunter Han Yoohyun has improved a lot."
"...Taewon-hyung, may I borrow your eyes? I have a skill that allows me to create a mental connection with someone else. I'd like to see them better. You may find it a little strange, but I hope you'll trust me and accept my skill."
Song Taewon nods without hesitation. Yerim excitedly chimes in, "Yoojin-oppa, can you use the skill on me too? I want to know if there's a difference between what I see and what Association-ahjussi sees."
I nod. "Two people should be doable."
I use the skill on both Song Taewon and Yerim and close my eyes, linking Song Taewon's senses with Yerim's. Through Song Taewon's vision, I can clearly see every move Yoohyun and Sung Hyunjae are making as they fight. That proves to me further the gap between an S-class and an F-class.
Yerim says quietly, "Whoa, it's so cool." She eats the madeleines as she spectates. Compared to her, Song Taewon is much calmer if a little concerned.
"Hunter Sung Hyunjae is getting serious."
I can tell, too. Sung Hyunjae started out like he was toying with Yoohyun, but now, outside of not using lightning, he isn't pulling any punches. What's happening? Like he would do before my return, Yoohyun uses his power freely and attacks with a viciousness that suggests he's taken lives. He throws away his melted sword and triggers an explosion to retreat temporarily. Then he slices his forearm with a dagger.
No way, how could he...
His blood turns into black flames before morphing into the shape of a long sword. Song Taewon is shocked for a moment, and Sung Hyunjae seems to have sensed the threat of the black flames. He replaces his spear with his lightning-powered chains.
"Has Hunter Han Yoohyun acquired a new skill?" Song Taewon asks in a low voice. "The fire seems different."
I'm already running before I can figure things out in my head. "Taewon-hyung, please take me to them."
"I can help!" Yerim immediately raises her hand. "I have a flying skill!"
"But...Yerim, do you think you can carry me and Taewon-hyung at the same time? Taewon-hyung has a skill that adjusts his weight. How we're going to go about it is a question, though."
"Association-ahjussi will carry Yoojin-oppa, and I'll hold onto Association-ahjussi."
"But you must lower us and get away once we're near, Yerim. Understand?"
"Copy that!"
One hand held by Yerim, Song Taewon carries me like a child with his other hand, steady and dependable. It feels a little awkward, but I can't afford to think about it now. My attention is on the two men's fight.
Yoohyun's flames are getting more and more muddled in color, and his attacks grew fiercer and seem to blend together with the flames. Sung Hyunjae wraps the chains around him and, for the first time since the fight started, uses his lightning.
Soon, dark cyan heatwaves push away the chains. While hiding himself with the willow leaves, Yoohyun thrust the sword of black flames at Sung Hyunjae. Sung Hyunjae dodges it agilely. The flames chase after him like living things.
"Yoohyun!" I shout, telling Yerim to lower Song Taewon down at the same time. "Stop!"
The teacher skill easily applies to Yoohyun. My temple throbs. The flames that will burn everything override his rationality. Not only does he want to devour the enemy before him, he also wants to devour me, who's linked to him. Sensing Yoohyun's intent, Song Taewon readies his plunder power. He descends toward Yoohyun and Sung Hyunjae with me secure in his arms.
"Wait, Taewon-hyung." I use the skill on Sung Hyunjae too. Although it's a little straining, I can endure it. "Yoohyun, what's wrong? Hyung is here. Let's go home together, okay? What do you want for dinner? I'll make it for you."
"...Hyung? You're alright... Why are you in the dungeon too? No, it's dangerous—"
The moment the fire surrounding Yoohyun wavers, Sung Hyunjae grabs his neck and electrocutes him.
I hurriedly catch the unconscious Yoohyun, while Song Taewon supports me from the back.
"I did as instructed." Sung Hyunjae cocks his head a little. "Yet Yoojin's still mad."
I purse my lips. "Thank you for the help."
I take off my suit jacket and place it on the ground, gingerly laying Yoohyun down on it. Outside of the cut he left on his arm, there's no notable injury, and his physical condition seems stable.
Based on the skill Yoohyun just used and what he just said... It can't be.
"Han Yoohyun's fire reflects his nature. It doesn't seem like the two fires are in conflict, but are actually in the process of merging gradually. Unlike Yoojin, Han Yoohyun's world is built upon one person alone. As long as the foundation stays the same, his world will, too. I believe you'll be able to talk properly once he wakes up."
"...Thank you, I mean it." I grab Sung Hyunjae's hand. "Are you hurt?"
Sung Hyunjae lets out a dramatic sigh and squeezes my hand reassuringly. "My heart aches. I'll only get better if Yoojin agrees to go on a date with me."
I can't help but laugh. "Then you're not hurt. A date...let's decide on a time after I talk to Yoohyun. Where do you want to go?"
"The aquarium."
"You're inner child is alive and well." I slowly exhale and place my other hand on Yoohyun's chest, feeling his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his breathing. "Do you like it because you like fishing?"
"I'm not sure, but the first time I saw an aquarium, my first thought was that I must go with Yoojin."
"Have you not gone at all?"
"I haven't."
"Ah, I went with Yoohyun and Yerim on separate occasions."
Sung Hyunjae hugs me from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder. Finally, he spares the top of my head. Perhaps it's because his legs are disproportionally long, he isn't that much taller than I am when he's crouching.
"Are you coming with, Song Taewon? To the aquarium?"
"...If you're going on a date, it'll be inappropriate for me to be there." Song Taewon squeezes my shoulder. "Bak Yerim's back."
Before Yerim reaches us, I mutter a quiet apology to Sung Hyunjae. He chuckles by my ear. "Well, it's only natural that the one who falls harder has to give a little more."
I pinch his ear before turning to Yerim as she flies to us. I wave at her.
"Yoojin-oppa, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Take your time, Yerim-ah!"
No hurry. Things are already different now, much different.
The same thing isn't going to happen again.
Chapter 12: System Managers
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It snows.
No, it's not snow, but cotton-like feathers. They aren't cold to the touch and are weightless as they fall on the hands. A gentle exhale, and they scatter around. Is that a tree? The snowy white reminds me of the Christmas tree I saw with Yoohyun on Christmas Eve. It's a treat to the eyes that even children with no money can afford to enjoy—lights lit up the city at night, and the tree covered in snow flickered colorfully, as if they were celebrating my baby brother's birthday with me.
"Yoojin-ah."
A tall slim man with long hair emerges from the dark, standing under the white tree. Although I don't recognize him, something about him strikes me as familiar.
"Honey!" a boy with long ears called out from beside the man. Although someone else would have compared him to a mini lop, somehow, I know that those are the ears of a fox rather than a rabbit. "We've finally connected to your dream, Honey. Don't worry about your brother. His fire just got a little unstable temporarily as his memories merged. Once he's sorted it all out, he won't be losing control again. We wanted to wait until he gained better control over his power before returning his memory to him, but he was getting impatient."
"Haneul, you're getting ahead of yourself."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have any questions, Honey? The master of dreams is powerful, so you don't have to worry about any disturbance. This is a safe place."
Dreams. Right, I had been staying by Yoohyun's side ever since we left the dungeon. Did I fall asleep without realizing it?
"...Are you the system managers?"
"Yeah, I'm Haneul!"
The boy skips his way to me, his ears flapping. "You know that you've lost your memories after returning, right, Honey? Since you returned to a young age, you weren't able to endure the weight of all your memories. That's why we sealed them temporarily. It's the same thing with your brother. We took his memories so that his fire wouldn't go wild."
"Wait, what does that mean? Yoohyun's returned with me?" I grab his shoulders in the heat of the moment. "But wasn't Yoohyun—he—"
"Master of Curse and Poison Dragons hid him and resurrected him, planning to use him to threaten Honey, but Honey's brother followed you as you returned, never straying far against the flow of time."
"Threaten me?"
Haneul, the system manager, nods. "Honey is the only person capable of bringing back the Curse and Poison Dragon Clan, the only perfect caregiver in countless worlds."
"He had a contract with Han Yoohyun. The moment Han Yoohyun remembers him, he will find Han Yoohyun." The man smiles calmly. "Don't worry, however. He's...a necessary process to go through for the desired development. It's near time for him to exit stage left."
"What do you mean?" I frown. "Was he...was he responsible for the appearance of Rauchitas in the D-class dungeon?"
"Yes. But take care of yourself even if you want revenge." The man gives me a wistful look. "Please live to at least five hundred years old this time, Yoojin-ah."
I look at him with confusion. He waves a hand, and Eunhye flies out of my necklace, hovering above my head.
"I debated if I should give you Eunhye, but in the end, I still wish for you to have its protection. I hope you don't jump into fires just because you have it, Yoojin-ah. Eat well and exercise well. Try to break free of the restraints of your class slowly." He pauses. "That guy should be working hard for that, too."
Haneul nods. "Please rely on those around you and us more, Honey!"
"Do you both know me?" They've been speaking too familiarly to me. That's not how one treats a stranger, especially when there exists such a large gap in power between me and them. "Why would the system managers help me? And Eunhye's such a cheat-like item..."
"Haneul told you before. This is a world born out of the wish of one and the love of many." The man taps Eunhye on the beak. "Your brother's about to wake up. Until next time, Yoojin-ah."
"See you, Honey!"
"Wait! Hey, system mana—"
"Just call me Myeongwoo."
"Myeongwoo. How should I contact you?"
"Knock thrice on a dungeon gate before you enter. We can contact you through dreams, too."
"Rest well!"
Haneul waves me goodbye, and Myeongwoo nods at me.
When I open my eyes again, I'm already back in the real world, lying at Yoohyun's bedside.
"Hyung."
My little brother timidly takes my hand, his eyes reddening.
...
"Seems like you've had your talk."
"...Yeah."
"What do you want for dinner?"
"Fondue."
"That'll be a little too high calorie with regular ingredients. Why don't we do that once I get cheese products made from dungeon ingredients?"
"It's just one meal."
"Can't be helped. I'd like our Yoojin to live until he's a thousand years old."
"Why's the number doubled?"
"Pardon?"
"Nothing." I wipe the corners of my eyes, still stinging from all the crying from earlier. Dragging my feet into the kitchen, I stare at Sung Hyunjae's wide, dependable back. He's making desserts again, filling a tart crust with lemon filling. I lean against his back and wrap my arms around him. His hands shake, and he accidentally spills some lemon filling on the counter.
"Haha."
Cute. Just a little.
Sung Hyunjae swiftly cleans up the counter and fills up all the tarts before putting them in saran wraps. Then he fridge the batch.
I cling to him all the way, face pressed against his back. The fabric of his shirt is fine, more so than even my pillowcase, I think. His cologne is mellow. I can smell it better while holding him now than when he was the one holding me.
Oh, I think it was my gift for him for his last birthday.
"Although Yoojin's always been good with aegyo," Sung Hyunjae says, "You seem more affectionate now."
"Who's doing aegyo? I just want to hold onto someone."
"Someone, or me?"
"You. Happy?" I poke him in the side. "You've hugged me so many times. What's wrong with me hugging you once?"
"It makes me happy. I feel like doing something ahead of where we are now, but I also want to wait until our first date."
"You're surprisingly pure."
"Don't you like that?"
I don't not like it, no.
After confirming that Yoohyun's memories match mine and talking it out with him about what happened before our return, I feel much lighter. Turns out I had been hung up on it. Not only did I want my brother back, but I also wanted to resolve the misunderstanding between us and acknowledge the pain we'd brought each other so that we could forgive each other—Yoohyun didn't think I'd done anything wrong, though. He believed his immaturity and lack of power was to blame.
I asked him about the contract, but he immediately shut his mouth. There seems to be a clause for confidentiality, and the binding power of the contract remains after his return. I do have L-class curse resistance, and the contract was made by a Poison and Curse Dragon. In theory, I should be able to void the contract for him. However, the contract owner will notice. It's best we try that once we're prepared.
Killing the contract owner will be the safest option. And we'll resolve the problem once and for all with that.
Anyway, I feel much more secure now. I've determined our enemy and a concrete goal rather than having to blindly feel around in the dark, waiting for my slowly returning memories to maybe give me an answer. Of course, I still want to remember, but for a different reason—I simply wish to be able to treat those around me with the same emotional weight.
I asked Yoohyun about Sung Hyunjae, too. He had nothing to say about the man other than that he acted strange and that he was useful.
"Is what you said at the press conference true? Did you only see me as a little brother?"
"I'm willing to be someone different to Yoojin, and I want to become someone different to Yoojin." Sung Hyunjae pauses. "However, my instinct tells me that if I did feel any desires for you before, you'd look down on me on principle."
"And your instinct would be right."
"Thirty years old is the right age."
"It's acceptable. And I'm going to age faster than you do anyway."
"I did say that Yoojin's going to live until a thousand."
"That'll be a little difficult... I'll try my best." I let go of Sung Hyunjae to check what's in the fridge, but he pulls me back, putting my arms back around his waist. "You're clingy."
"You're going to let go of me once your brother wakes up again." Sung Hyunjae opens the fridge for me. "Like a parent too embarrassed to let his child find out about his relationship."
"Doesn't matter who's around. I just don't have thick skin like you... There is so much seafood. I think you've made paella before, haven't you? I remember it being delicious."
"It'll take some time."
"It's fine. Then Yoohyun can have it once he wakes up... He should be willing to eat it as long as I feed him."
"I envy him."
"Why would you when it's my little brother?"
Under Sung Hyunjae's insistence, though, I still fed him a spoonful after the paella was done.
Yoohyun happened to see us after getting up and walking out of the bedroom. Fortunately, they didn't start fighting.
Notes:
Myeongwoo and our beloved volleyball turned little fox are here ^^
Chapter 13: First Date
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Hyung, can you not go?"
"Yoohyun-ah..."
"I've recovered my memories. It won't take long for me to start a guild now. And it'll be fine even if I work as an unaffiliated hunter. I can protect hyung properly. You don't have to—"
"Yoohyun-ah, perhaps, have you misunderstood something?"
Yoohyun scowls.
"Didn't hyung get involved with Seseong Guildmaster for me? I didn't oppose it because hyung had too much on your shoulders... And once I was a little older, you've already been acquainted with him for a while."
Yoohyun doesn't even call Sung Hyunjae "guildmaster" now, but Seseong Guildmaster.
"Although I haven't recovered all of my memory..." How does a parent explain to their child that they are dating again? Is there a guide somewhere online? Sung Hyunjae...doesn't even have someone to explain to. At most, he has to convince Song Taewon that he's not messing around. "I put up with people I don't like for specific purposes, but I don't take care of them."
Yoohyun purses his lips. It's quite interesting how he's gotten more reserved after his memories merged, but his emotions are still plainly expressed—at least that is the case for me.
"Anyone else will think that I'm the one getting lucky when they hear that I'm going on a date with Sung Hyunjae, right?"
"Hyung's the best. Those who think hyung's the one getting lucky are the problems."
"Um, wait. Although he's a little difficult personality-wise, isn't he ridiculously good-looking?"
Yoohyun looks confused. It's as if he doesn't understand what I'm talking about at all. Can he really not judge Sung Hyunjae's appearance objectively? Pushing everything else aside, it's honestly difficult to spot any flaws on that face.
"Yoohyun-ah, what do you think about your own appearance?"
"I wish I looked more similar to hyung."
"How about Sung Hyunjae's face?"
"Annoying, but hyung seems to like it a lot."
"Taewon-hyung?"
"Hyung seems to like his build."
How do you kn...I mean, it seems that Yoohyun really doesn't care about one's appearance, but that isn't the point. The point is how I'm going to convince Yoohyun, who embodies the opposite of lookism, that Sung Hyunjae is a catch.
"Sung Hyunjae takes better care of people than expected, doesn't he? He's a good cook and makes good desserts, and he keeps it nutritious and healthy. He gives birthday gifts with care. Outside of his occasional out-of-control moments, he's more or less a dependable man."
Yoohyun's expression darkens further.
"Does hyung not find me dependable?"
"That's not what I mean. My brother is of course the most dependable." I scratch my head. Should I take Yoohyun with me on the date? Will that make him feel more at ease? But if I do take Yoohyun, I feel like Sung Hyunjae will start trouble on purpose. "Yoohyun-ah, there must be someone you like before—"
"I only like hyung."
"I'm not talking about liking someone in that way. It's..." How do I explain it? Outside of attraction, what's the difference between affection for a family member and infatuation in a romantic context? "Wanting to establish a one-on-one exclusive relationship with someone..." But there seem to be people who are polyamorous. Quite common in Western countries, I think—
Anyway, let's not overthink this. "I...quite like him. Not just wanting to rely on him like I was before, but wanting to start something with him as an equal."
Yoohyun lowers his eyes. "Is hyung going to get married?"
"Huh? Wait, we're not at that point yet. It's just the first date—"
"Is hyung not going to live with me after getting married? I'll have to move out. We'll only see each other when hyung has time for me."
"You'll always be my top priority, Yoohyun. That's never going to change."
"Even if he asks for it?"
"How dares he?" I pat him on the head. "Yoohyun-ah, hyung will be back soon. Call me if you need anything."
Yoohyun makes a muffled sound of acknowledgment. He still seems reluctant, but he doesn't stop me.
As soon as I open the door, I find myself drowning in pink roses. Holding a bouquet in his hand, Sung Hyunjae has been waiting outside since god-knows-when. His hair is let down rather than combed back like he usually does at work. And he's wearing a simple V-neck t-shirt and jeans even though he enters dungeons in full suit. No one will doubt it if he says he's a college student.
It's so different that I can't help but stare at him for a while. He only has to put on a baseball cap for him to be unrecognizable.
"Good afternoon, Yoojin-ah." He gives me a gentle smile and produces two glasses that disturb cognition. He puts a pair on me before putting on his. "Ready to go?"
"Oh, but it'll be a little inconvenient to take the flowers to the aquarium, right? I'll leave it—"
I turn around and see Yoohyun trying to glare holes into Sung Hyunjae's face. I have a feeling that if I leave the bouquet at home, it's gonna be ashes when I come back.
Sung Hyunjae rests a hand on my shoulder and smiles. "These aren't roses of this world, but flowers from a dungeon. You may store it in your inventory."
"Won't that be expensive?"
"I made the bouquet myself. Should be quite valuable."
"Narcissist." I put the bouquet in my inventory. Since it'll be a little of a shame to not see it at all, I pluck out one of the flowers and put it in the breast pocket of Sung Hyunjae's t-shirt. Why does this ahjussi look so good with flowers?
"I'm leaving, Yoohyun-ah. See you later."
"...See you later," Yoohyun mumbles. He never stops trying to burn Sung Hyunjae with his glare even after I close the door.
I sigh and follow Sung Hyunjae to the elevator. "Aigoo. You must have annoyed Yoohyun a lot in the past. Although you're all S-class, he's never this hostile to Taewon-hyung and Moon Hyuna."
"Isn't it because I'm the one you're dating, Yoojin-ah?"
"That so? If I go on a date with Taewon-hyung—"
Sung Hyunjae muffles me. "Even if my number one is going on a date with my number two, I'll still get jealous."
I peel Sung Hyunjae's hand off my face, or he allows me to.
"Jealous of Taewon-hyung or me?"
Sung Hyunjae laughs. He flips his wrist and holds my hand, weaving his fingers through mine. His skin is so smooth. I can't feel any callouses. Is it because of him being an S-class? Not even wielding weapons every day will leave traces on him, it seems. It'll be difficult to scar him, too.
Ugh, he never breaks composure. I haven't locked fingers with people like this before.
"Neither have I," said Sung Hyunjae. I should stop being surprised by his keen observation that may as well be mind-reading. "I did hold hands with you a lot in the past."
"Whatever I don't remember isn't real."
"Then Yoojin-ah is taking my right hand's virginity. I'll give my left hand's to you too later."
"Can you not put it that way?"
"But the heart is racing."
"Yours or mine?"
"Both."
Really? I have the sudden urge to put a pulse monitor on him. After all, I can't just sense the changes in heartbeat from holding hands like he does.
Sung Hyunjae drives us personally to the aquarium. He's made some effort to keep a low profile and picked a black car. Judging by the glances thrown our way when he's parking, though, the price must be astronomical still. Are the unassuming T-shirt and jeans expensive, too? I have seen white t-shirts that are more expensive than they have any right to be online. If it's a brand Sung Hyunjae has endorsed, even simple cotton clothes are going to sell at a high price.
It's the weekend. Many families with children are visiting the aquarium. There are couples, too. Sung Hyunjae and I stand out in the crowd, but he doesn't seem to mind. He takes my hand as soon as we get out of the car.
"Sponsored by Seseong?"
"Donated a few fish."
"Caught in dungeons?"
"I caught one whenever I saw a fish that I think Yoojin would like. Unfortunately, you always prioritized giving your time to your brother and the young lady. And you never permitted me to go with you. The kids would feel awkward, you said."
"...I feel a little bad."
"I did follow you to the amusement park, though. Dragging Song Taewon with me."
He must have forced a chance meeting with us openly. Suddenly, I don't feel bad at all. If this man wants anything, no one can stop him. He's not the kind of person to suffer losses.
"Yes." His eyes crinkle. "Because I want to come to the aquarium with you alone."
I drag him inside. "Congratulations on your wish coming true."
Should I say as expected of a place sponsored by Seseong? The word "aquarium" fails to paint the right picture. The large round water tank is about four to five stories tall with various marine creatures coexisting inside. Some are big enough to swallow a man, and others so small that one has to get close to see them. Colorful corals, anemones, and seaweeds form colonies at the bottom of the tank. It looks as if a part of the ocean has been moved indoors.
There is a large fish tank in Sung Hyunjae's place, too. He must like marine creatures. Is it because he has had access to it at home since he was little that he never visited an aquarium?
Why would the birthday cake I made him be his first one?
"Ask away."
"Hm?"
"There's something you're curious about, but you're worried about spoiling the mood."
"Well...have I ever asked you about your family?"
Our intertwined hands shake naturally as we walk. I thought it would be awkward with our height difference, but Sung Hyunjae has been adjusting to my stride length naturally.
"Although I have parents, not all caregivers are like you and accept an outlier. And there's a divide between a butler and his master."
I remember my parents' instinctual aversion to Yoohyun. Is that the case for all born S-classes? They receive no love due to being different, and they have to learn from others and imitate others to adapt to society. While Yoohyun doesn't care about being shunned, I still feel like I should shower him with more love and care. I don't want him to consider himself a problem.
Perhaps my sympathetic feeling is entirely misplaced, and so is my concern for Sung Hyunjae.
"So you're a young master." I squeeze his hand. "When I see your butler, will he tell me, 'It's been a long time since Young Master smiled like this.'?"
Sung Hyunjae chuckles. "He already did. When you first celebrated my birthday."
"I even visited your place?"
"A shame that you didn't stay the night."
"Don't be greedy. And I'm not spending the night today, either."
"I can take your couch."
I elbow him. "Stop testing Yoohyun's patience... This is our first date. First date."
"Yoojin has been testing my patience."
"Huh? By doing what?"
"By existing."
"That's way too corny. Two and a half stars for the line."
Saying that he should improve his rating, Sung Hyunjae started giving me a tour. At every stop, he leans in and whispers into my ears about the different marine creatures and ecologies. My ears get ticklish because of it.
Since the fish Sung Hyunjae donated were caught in dungeons, they are kept in their own tanks. Every single one is vibrant like tropical fish, making it evident that he has picked them carefully. Then we enter a long tunnel with glass for the ceiling and the floor. In the water that looks black in the dark, jellyfish of different shapes and colors swim. They are pretty despite the tentacles.
"I used to think jellyfish feels alien. Who would've thought that creatures from other worlds would actually appear in the world?"
"But Yoojin doesn't feel any aversion to an existence that doesn't belong to this world."
"Please don't compare someone's little brother to a jellyfish."
"I'm talking about myself." Sung Hyunjae stops to look sideways at me. "Like a foreign object transplanted to the world. Yoojin's the only one who likes me in a mundane way."
I don't quite understand. "Aren't you close to Taewon-hyung?"
"What attracts Song Taewon to me is my alien side, yet Yoojin felt terrible for me that no one was celebrating my birthday."
"Who feels—" I swallow my protest when I see how serious he is. It's dark here, but his face is clear to me. Under the cool light of bioluminescence, his hair and eyes look silverish blue, not a color that naturally occurs in this world.
It suits him.
"I can accept being second to Yoojin's brother, but I only hope for the gap to be smaller. Even if it's only once in a while, perhaps you'll choose to stay with me longer rather than doing what your brother says."
"...What's this all of a sudden? Wait, did you hear my conversation with Yoohyun?"
"I was simply waiting for my date to come out of the door. I happened to hear you talk."
"Shameless." I pinch his cheek. "And you're only eavesdropping selectively? I said I liked you differently. There's no reason to compare apples and oranges."
"I'd still like you the same way even if I were your younger brother."
"What the hell are you saying?!"
He nuzzles my hand. "I told you before that I'd like to be everything to you, Yoojin-ah, be it a romantic partner, a sibling, a caregiver, a ward, or even an archenemy. As long as I'm still me, and you're still you, even if you come to hate me, I'll still like you in my own way—of course, I'm confident in treating Yoojin well always and forever, and I do prefer to have Yoojin hold positive feelings for me."
He so openly shows me the side that's completely at odds with human nature. How should I interpret his feelings under the framework of human understanding? If he acts jealous, is it out of a possessiveness one feels for their lover or belonging? When he takes my hand, is it to express his feelings, or to mimic the common way of expressing feelings? Once we get more intimate physically, will it be out of the desire to be closer to me, or simply to satisfy my needs?
Although I have questions, I see him. I don't treat him mundanely because I think he's the same as others, but because I don't see why I should treat him like he's different.
"Is that a warning?"
"It's a disclaimer before you enter an agreement."
I snort softly and use the Teacher Skill on him. He accepts it easily.
"Ah." He blinks and breaks into a smile. "My bad. I didn't realize that you've been restraining yourself, too."
I've never been particularly patient after all.
I grab his collar and kiss him.
Notes:
The alien side of these characters is always so interesting to me, especially Sung Hyunjae's. He's odd and unpredictable and alien, but in some ways, he also feels deeply human. And while Yoojin's a very human character, his ability to accept anything and everything with those he loves can feel very alien. That's one of the reasons I love their dynamic.
Chapter 14: Kisses
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
My heart's beating faster than expected. It's not out of nervousness, I don't think. Is it because of infatuation? Quickened breaths mingle in the infinitely small space between us. The heat seems greater than it actually is. Sensory stimuli mix together. It feels like we were one rather than two at this moment. It's only a shallow kiss, yet the heady feelings are overwhelming enough to make my head spin.
From his vision, I see myself with my eyes closed, lashes fluttering slightly. With the ability to see clearly in the dark, the gaze is drawn to the faint freckles on the cheeks.
"...Why do you have your eyes open?"
"Don't want to miss this moment."
"You can see this clearly from such a short distance? Do S-classes not get cross-eyed?" A cross-eyed Sung Hyunjae. I want to see that. When I open my eyes, though, he's looking ahead normally with a faint gold glint in his eyes. "Your heart's beating faster, Sung Hyunjae."
Our lips touch gently. His tall nose misses mine and rubs at my cheek. "I don't lie to Yoojin." He pecks me on the lips again and again, like he can't get enough of it. "This makes me happier than I expected."
"What are you? A woodpecker?" I can't help but laugh. At some point, my hands have migrated from his collars to the back of his neck, and his arms are around my waist. Our bodies are pressed together. "You don't lie to me, but you may omit the truth sometimes, hm?"
"From now on, I'll talk if you kiss me."
"Geez, you want a kiss even when you don't tell the truth?"
He cocks his head slightly. "Can't I?"
Why is he acting cute all of a sudden? Well, he's quite cute, I have to admit. After all, he has an incredible face, and he's not acting all pretentious like he usually is, but seems to simply seek affection.
He's the top-ranking hunter in the world. Very few will turn him down if he wants someone, right? Why would he need to actively ask for love, and why would he find mundane affection only in me? I thought he would be experienced with this sort of intimacy, and he would have to surrender the control to me, but no, everything is new to him. Even now, our kisses never go beyond shallow pecks and touch between the lips.
Through the connection established by my skill, his sense of wonder spreads to me, too. Every kiss leads to a bloom of pleasure like popping candy. I've been nervous, at ease, and discomforted when kissing different people before my return, but none makes me want to smile so much that we kiss in starts and stops.
It feels better than expected. And I like kissing him more than expected.
Only he's too tall, and my neck's getting sore from craning.
"I've been inconsiderate." He lifts me off my feet before I can voice my feelings. He looks up at me, his long curled lashes fluttering.
I drop a kiss on one of his eyes. He blinks and tilts his head to offer the other.
I laugh, kissing him on the cheek.
"You're devious, Yoojin-ah."
"Do you have a weird compulsion? I have to hold your left hand after holding your right, and I have to kiss your left eye after kissing your right?"
"I worry that my left eye will feel left out and decide to leave me."
"What kind of reasoning is that?"
Still, to avoid him doing something strange, I kiss him on the left eye.
"Alright. Let me down." Although I'm reluctant to stop here, like a kid wishing for the candy in my mouth to last a little longer, a responsible adult should control himself. "We're in public, and there are parents with their children here."
"I don't mind."
"Of course you don't with your thick skin." I slap him on the shoulder—gently, of course. I don't want my joints to pop from the counterforce. "This won't be our only kiss."
He lowers me and sighs. "Should I have adopted you after all? Then I could carry you around without issue."
"Without issue? You shouldn't be kissing me if you had adopted me."
"Before same-sex marriage was legalized, there was a tradition for gay couple to become family through adoption."
"Is that so? People had it hard in the past." I pull him to the other end of the tunnel. "Come on. We've driven all the way here. There are still many places we haven't checked out."
Only when he rubs my hand with his thumb do I realize that I've intertwined our fingers like it's the most natural thing in the world.
...
When we leave the aquarium, it's already sunset. Sung Hyunjae's wearing a shark hat that I put on him as a prank, but he bought it and hasn't taken it off. Although it doesn't suit his usual image at all, it doesn't seem out of place with his look today.
A good face will indeed make anything look fashionable. I'm curious what he'll look like with different styles of clothes. Although I know nothing about fashion and frankly don't care to learn, maybe I should go to a department store with him next time.
"I'd like to invite Yoojin to dinner." Sung Hyunjae stops. "But it seems that someone's run out of patience."
"Huh?" I drag my eyes away from his face and realize that Yoohyun's standing in the parking lot, joined by Moon Hyuna and Yerim. "Why are they—" Noticing the polar bear ears on Yerim's and Moon Hyuna's heads, I turn to Sung Hyunjae in horror, eyes widened.
He nods. "Yes, they have been following us for a while."
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I didn't want our date to be disturbed."
"Back then...in the tunnel..."
"They hadn't come then."
I sigh in relief and let go of Sung Hyunjae's hand in embarrassment, walking up to a scowling Yoohyun, a beaming Yerim, and Moon Hyuna, who's trying so hard to contain her laughter that her face is flushed.
Sung Hyunjae immediately expresses his dissatisfaction by hugging me from behind and following me every step of the way.
"Calm down, Yoohyun-ah! Um, why are you here?"
I don't have to ask to know what happened. It's not surprising that Yoohyun would follow us here. Moon Hyuna and Yerim must have learned about our date somehow and come here for the spectacle, and they ran into Yoohyun.
Still, it's awkward. How do parents with children date, really? Should I ask someone with similar experience? Is there anyone at the Association or Seseong who can give me advice?
"I heard...Soyoung say...pfft hahaha! I can't hahahaha!" Moon Hyuna burst out laughing before she could give a proper response, holding her belly with tears leaking out of her eyes. "You thirty-eight-year-old ahjussi! It's one thing to go for a young pretty face, but you're dressing to look younger now? And what's with the hat? It doesn't suit you at all hahahaha!"
"Really?" I cock my head and mumble, "I think it looks quite good..."
"I noticed before," Yerim says while grinning. "Yoojin-hyung really likes Seseong-ahjussi's face."
Sung Hyunjae rests his chin on my head. "You have keen eyes, young lady."
I don't plan to protest, but with the shark hat, there are now a total of three heads stacked together. It looks ridiculous, doesn't it? I elbow him, but he simply tightens his arms around me.
"Tsk, hyung-nim has other admirers, too. Why must you choose this one?"
Moon Hyuna sighs. Yoohyun nods in agreement.
"Can't help it if hyung-nim likes him, though. If you ever get tired of him, maybe consider me?"
Yoohyun shoots Moon Hyuna a disapproving glare.
"Hyuna-eonnie, do you like Yoojin-hyung?!" Yerim asks in shock. "I've never noticed!"
Moon Hyuna wipes away tears that aren't actually there. "Yeah. Unfortunately, hyung-nim was taken under the wing of a certain bastard a long time ago. Yerim-ah, you must not date someone like him in the future—"
"Seseong-ahjussi has been in love with Yoojin-hyung for so long?!" Yerim seems genuinely curious. "And Hyuna-eonnie, what about Evelyn-eonnie? Aren't you dating?"
"Who, who's dating whom?!"
Moon Hyuna grabs Yerim and has a private chat with her on the side. Yoohyun grabs my arm then and grumbles, "Let's go home, hyung."
"Oh." I turn around. Sung Hyunjae lets go obediently and gives me a gentle smile.
"You'll feel troubled if we make your brother unhappy, won't you?"
"I mean, yeah, but..." I turn to Yoohyun. "We used to have dinner together, didn't we?"
"When Han Yoohyun was certain of being your top priority, he could endure me encroaching on your private space to some degree. Now that he considers me a threat occupying you..."
"Hyung said that I'll always be his number one," Yoohyun interrupts him. "But you have occupied hyung for long enough."
Sung Hyunjae spreads his hands and smiles resignedly at me.
No, I'm only dating one person. Why does it feel like I'm balancing between two partners? Is Yoohyun really worried about losing me? Or does he simply not want me to date Sung Hyunjae?
I need another heart-to-heart with Yoohyun to figure out the problem here, it seems. Things can't go on like this.
But why do I feel so guilty leaving my date to go home with my brother? Now that I think about it, I did get water splashed on my face for a similar reason before my return.
I don't think Sung Hyunjae would do that. He'd sooner pour water on himself.
"Then...I'm returning with Yoohyun now."
Moon Hyuna and Yerim have finished their private chat. I do my best to ignore the three pairs of eyes looking my way as I hook an arm around Sung Hyunjae's neck and kiss him.
"See you tomorrow, Sung Hyunjae. I like the flowers and the date."
Ugh, it's so embarrassing. I turn around and flee the parking lot. Only when Yoohyun grabs me do I realize that he must have driven here, and we're going to drive home, too.
Yerim and Moon Hyuna put their heads together and start whispering among themselves again, but keeping it loud enough for me to hear on purpose.
"Hyung-nim must know that guy's acting pitiful on purpose."
"Oh, really?"
"Adults can be devious. Sung Hyunjae's not the kind of person to suffer losses."
"But Yoohyun's being too nosy, isn't he? I won't stop Hyuna-eonnie from dating others."
"The problem is who he's dating. What if I'm dating someone like Sung Hyunjae?"
"What about Yoojin-hyung then? Is Seseong-ahjussi using Hyuna-eonnie as a substitute for Yoojin-hyung?"
"Yerim-ah, what drama have you been watching lately?"
I look over my shoulders. Sung Hyunjae is still standing in the same spot, rubbing his lips with a thumb. When he notices me looking, he picks up the flower I've put in his pocket and kisses it.
Why is the man acting out a movie on his own? I rub my flushed cheeks and slowly let out a breath.
"Hyung—" "Yoohyun-ah—"
We speak up at the same time. Then after a pause, the same happens.
"I'm not doing this without reason—" "Hyung knows you must have your reasons—"
I chuckle, patting Yoohyun on the back.
"Let's talk once we get home."
Yoohyun nods meekly.
Notes:
I support the Hyuna/Evelyn agenda. And the Sung Hyunjae has not been intimate with anyone in any way belief that the author's more or less confirmed.
Chapter 15: Amusement Park
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"So, Sung Hyunjae and I knew each other before our return."
"Yeah. He lied to hyung from the beginning, and hyung didn't know his true identity."
"But something happened. Chief Song died, Sung Hyunjae went missing, and I seemed to have lost my memory of them."
"The last few years...I didn't have much direct contact with hyung, so I could only speculate based on hyung's behavior. You lived on like nothing had happened."
"You believe Sung Hyunjae had done something to me and taken my memory? But what could I give him? Actually, there was no reason for him to approach me before my return, right?"
"After the return, too. Why did he approach hyung so much earlier this time? Isn't it because he wants something from hyung?"
What could he possibly want...? Love and attention? A kiss? Custody over me?
If I had heard that before my return or right after I remembered my return, I might have considered Sung Hyunjae the biggest threat. However, I cannot make a judgment now without taking into consideration our interactions after my return. No matter what he did before my return, he must have his reason. And I don't believe what he's shown me so far to be false.
He may put on a friendly face for his goal, but I don't think he'll fake interest and affection.
Of course, having genuine fondness for me doesn't mean that he didn't approach me with ulterior motives.
"I understand your concern, Yoohyun-ah, but many things are different after our return. It's not just Sung Hyunjae. Taewon-hyung's different, too. Yerim has turned from an A-class to an S-class. And I...met the system managers. This isn't a simple return. You said you dreamed of a tree with feather leaves, right? And someone called you uncle?"
Yoohyun nods.
"Uncle...could they be my kid?" Would I even have one? Under the circumstances? Even if I hadn't entered a different relationship with Sung Hyunjae, very few would be willing to accommodate how important Yoohyun is to me, right? Even before my return, I'd more or less given up on starting a family, at least not in the traditional sense. "I'll talk to Sung Hyunjae. Things most likely aren't as bad as we imagine." I remember the system managers, who have been unusually friendly to me. "Perhaps this is a chance for us to start over for real."
"Hyung..." Yoohyun goes quiet for a moment and sighs. "You accept beings that aren't human too readily, be it him or me—"
I swat his head gently. "What are you talking about? What if you're a born S-class? What if you're not technically human? Even if you were a dragon, Yoohyun-ah, you'd always be my brother as long as you are the little brother I raised."
As long as I'm still me, and you're still you, even if you come to hate me, I'll still like you in my own way. I can't say that my mentality is the same as Sung Hyunjae's, but perhaps our feelings are similar. Even when I believed that Yoohyun hated me, I never stopped loving him and chasing after him. If one day Sung Hyunjae loses interest in me, I—
Ugh, the possibility alone makes me angry. Should I prepare enough bombs beforehand? If he dares to ghost me, I'll wipe his home from the map.
"Thank you for being worried, Yoohyun-ah, but your hyung isn't a fool, and I do have the means to fight back."
Yoohyun nods reluctantly. "I want to be there when you confront him, hyung."
"Oh? Oh, right." It should be fine. We're just going to talk. I hope Sung Hyunjae behaves himself then. "It's late now. You should rest, Yoohyun-ah. I'll go to bed after making a call."
Yoohyun rises to his feet unhappily. He probably has guessed who I'm calling. After taking a few steps, he returns to me and bends down.
I laugh, stroking his head. "Goodnight, Yoohyun-ah."
He looks somewhat appeased. "Goodnight, hyung."
Once Yoohyun's in his room, I go to the living room balcony and make a call—I've changed my contact from Hyunjae-hyung to Sung Hyunjae. For some reason, I find it a bit odd to keep calling him Hyunjae-hyung. He picks up after one ring and calls my name with a smile in his voice. I can also hear the water rippling.
Is this man getting obsessed with acting out a movie? After the farewell scene, he's now picking up my call while taking a bath.
"You haven't been in the bath since you got home, have you?"
"How did you know?"
"Really? Do you have to be this committed? Has your skin turned into raisin? Aren't you bored?"
"Unfortunately, no, and I'm not bored. After all, I've been thinking about Yoojin and—"
"Sung Hyunjae!"
He laughs. "What did you think I'd say? I've been simply thinking about Yojin and texting Song Taewon."
"Please stop harassing Taewon-hyung."
"I didn't want to disturb your conversation with your brother."
Perceptive bastard.
"Are you free tomorrow at noon? I'll go to you. Yoohyun will be with me, too."
"You must know that my office is always open to you." Sung Hyunjae does something, and there's another splash from the other end of the line. "What a shame that your brother's going to be a third wheel."
"I'm going to have a serious talk with you. No one's gonna be a third wheel." I rub my nape reflexively. My body's getting a little hotter. "That's it then. See you tomorrow."
"Oh, are you already imagining my naked—"
"Shut up!"
"Want a look? Video chat or a photo?"
"Do you even have shame?" It's not that...not that I'm not curious or interested. "We just had our first date!"
"And you called me pure. It's okay, though. Yoojin's cute when he's shy, too."
"...Let me yank your hair when we see each other tomorrow."
"Wow. I'll welcome it as long as you don't hurt yourself in the process."
Don't make me imagine... Ugh, this man. He can be so considerate that I feel overwhelmed with soft feelings one second, and then at the drop of a hat, he gets so annoying that I want to tear out his hair.
Yet he always knows how far he can go and how much the other can take. He knows when to stop—if he wants to, that is.
"Goodnight, Yoojin-ah. Sweet dream."
"Goodnight, Sung Hyunjae."
There was the sound of a kiss.
...What drama has this guy watched?! Don't learn strange things!
...
Perhaps it's because of the call I made before going to bed, the memory I recovered after falling asleep is about Sung Hyunjae. It was Yerim's birthday. I promised to go to the amusement park with her. When Yoohyun learned about it, he joined us despite Yerim's complaints. Then we "ran into" Sung Hyunjae and Taewon-hyung there.
Yoohyun and Sung Hyunjae almost got into a fight. Taewon-hyung stopped them. Yerim, on the other hand, was bought by Sung Hyunjae's birthday gift—a basic battle course that was open to non-awakeners, too. It was clear that Yerim was interested. She gave Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon special permission to come with us.
Although it's nothing exciting for most hunters, everyone still went on all sorts of rollercoasters and rides with Yerim, or it would be more accurate to say that I went with Yerim, and the others followed suit. It might be due to her natural inclination, but Yerim especially loved the activities about water. Her smile was one for ads when the ride dove into the water, proven by the photo snapped at that moment—by the way, Yoohyun and Taewon-hyung were entirely expressionless in the photo, while Sung Hyunjae smiled like a noblewoman would.
When our boat capsized, which I suspected was Sung Hyunjae's doing, Yerim didn't seem bothered at all, but instead kept laughing.
It made me happy to see her laugh and have fun like those at her age. A child shouldn't suffer for an adult's wrongdoing.
Since we were all drenched, and the water wasn't clean, we bought clothes at a souvenir shop and got changed. Only I, Yoohyun, and Yerim changed into the same t-shirts, though. There weren't any clothes that would fit Taewon-hyung at the shop, and he said that he wouldn't catch a cold. He could just squeeze his suit dry. It would also be difficult for Sung Hyunjae to find a change of clothes due to his height, but he might just be unwilling to put on poorly made clothes from unknown sources. He kept the wet clothes on.
Wait, could he be trying to get attention? Just so that I would nag him while finding a towel to dry him?
I dried Taewon-hyung's hair for him, too, but Taewon-hyung wouldn't act pathetic on purpose like a certain someone.
Sung Hyunjae wore a white shirt that looked out of place in the amusement park that day. Even after his body was dried, the shirt looked a little translucent. And he didn't have a suit jacket on like Taewon-hyung. Wherever he went, he looked like he was doing a photoshoot.
I couldn't take it any longer, and I told him to cover himself with a towel, at least.
He still looked damn fine like a model.
"Is that really okay, Yerim-ah? Isn't he a little..." I swallowed my words when I met Yerim's innocent eyes. Was I the problem?
"I'm heartbroken. Yoojin still wanted to drive me away even now." Sung Hyunjae put an arm around me and rested his chin on my head. (When did he start doing that, seriously? It was his fault that I didn't grow taller.) His slightly damp shirt was a little cool when it touched me, but his body was warm.
"Have I not done enough today? Yoojin had me pay with my card. Young Lady's backpack is on my back. And I provided the free snacks."
"It's the price of you joining us uninvited, but the snacks are delicious. Thanks." Geez. Why did he always get so touchy-feely with me? I never saw him do this with anyone else. Was it because I was the perfect height? "Can the Seseong Guildmaster not work at all?"
Sung Hyunjae's laughter hit my neck. "I'm simply spending my time on those that deserve it."
"You don't understand, Yoojin-oppa. That's how CEOs are. They should have a lot of work, but they always have time when it's an important plotline or romantic event." Yerim might as well be speaking an alien language, but she seemed to know what she was talking about. "Although Seseong-ahjussi isn't a CEO, he feels like that kind of character."
"So coming to the amusement park is an important plot?"
"In a certain type of games, amusement parks are where important developments happen." Sung Hyunjae's chin moved slightly against my head as he spoke. I could feel vibrations from where his chest pressed against my back. "I couldn't miss it, of course."
"You play games? And let go of me. My clothes are getting drenched."
"Alright," he said disappointedly and let go of me, putting some distance between us. "I did some homework before investing in a game company."
"...Can I give my savings to you to make investments?"
"Although I don't usually provide investment service, I'm happy to make an exception for you."
"If there's any losses, you have to make it up."
"I've never lost money."
Amazing that he could say that so confidently.
When Yerim spotted an ice cream stand and dragged Sung Hyunjae along, who offered to pay voluntarily, I took a few deep breaths and waited for my body to settle down.
Oh.
Did it start two years ago? Or maybe much earlier? I managed to hide it from Sung Hyunjae. Amazing.
Still, Sung Hyunjae should be judged.
Notes:
In this timeline, Yerim started playing dating sims because Moon Hyuna's on-and-off relationship with Evelyn facilitates her :P
Chapter 16: Special
Chapter Text
When Yoohyun and I walk into Sung Hyunjae's office, he's standing by his desk and pouring tea. There are a total of five stacks of finger food on the desk. The lower two plates are occupied by quiches, and the upper ones by an assortment of desserts. He turns to the door and smiles when he meets my eyes. Like a magician, he's suddenly holding a flower, and he sends it to me with some sort of skill.
Yoohyun looks ready to burn the flower. I pat his arm to calm him down.
"You came at the right time. The tea's just done." Sung Hyunjae pulls a chair for me. It doesn't seem like he's going to pull the other chair for Yoohyun.
I've given up on improving their relationship. It's enough for me that they can coexist in peace.
"So what are you here to ask me about, Yoojin-ah?"
I pull the other chair for Yoohyun and sit down, taking a sip of the tea. It's black tea. Although it's not sweet, it's not bitter, either.
"Sung Hyunjae, you don't remember anything about yourself before your return, right?"
Sung Hyunjae nods. "Although I have a general sense of what remains the same and what's changed, I don't have the actual memory." He cocks his head and smiles. "Are you going to make sure if I'm lying with your skill?"
"I trust—"
"Hyung."
Disapproval is written all over Yoohyun's face. Alright. Since Sung Hyunjae offers, he must not find it hurtful, right? It's not that I don't trust him. This is to assure Yoohyun, which will benefit Sung Hyunjae, too.
I build a connection between myself and Sung Hyunjae. Yoohyun points at himself.
"I don't doubt you, hyung," he hurriedly explains. "But he's cunning."
I nod in resignation and get supplied with mana from Eunhye while using my skill on Yoohyun, building a connection between him and Sung Hyunjae, too.
Yoohyun frowns slightly, while Sung Hyunjae doesn't seem bothered.
"I don't have the actual memory. Only a sense of deja vu every now and then," Sung Hyunjae repeats himself before continuing, "Not often, though. Most things are fresh in this life, especially things related to Yoojin. I have a good time."
He's telling the truth. That must be why he looks much younger than he had been before our return. His presence is entirely different now.
"Um, it's not that I think you're responsible, but before our return, you entered the same dungeon as Taewon-hyung, and then there was the news of Taewon-hyung passing away. You disappeared from Korea after that. And I seemed to know you two then, but I remembered nothing about it before my return."
Sung Hyunjae blinks, his eyes crinkling.
"You must have been shocked the day you recovered the memory of your return."
What, do you find this interesting? I kick his foot under the table. He doesn't even attempt to pull away.
"Han Yoohyun believes I had something to do with that, and I sought you out way earlier after your return for the same thing I wanted from you before the return. Is that so?"
I nod.
Sung Hyunjae strokes his chin. "It sounds like I was quite different before the return. No, many things have changed."
"Yes, and it can't be explained by Yoohyun and my return alone."
I briefly tell him about my conversation with the system managers and the differences in Yerim's class. Sung Hyunjae thinks for a moment.
"When I first saw Song Taewon in this life, I had a feeling that he shouldn't be this stable. How should I describe it... I had a feeling that he would be special to me, that he could be my end."
I frown. "What does that even mean?"
"Jealous, Yoojin-ah?"
"You know I'm not." I kick him again. "Stop playing around."
"I find a possible explanation in myself: this isn't my first life." Sung Hyunjae curls his finger, and a piece is cut off from the quiche. He lifts it to my mouth. "I'm an existence of a great amount of accumulation, only my core self refuses to waver. In theory, it should be difficult for me to control the power from my forgotten past, but I can easily access all those skills I used to have."
He has a rare look of confusion on his face. "It took me quite some time to find out the source of that control. It's a memory that isn't mine."
"Accumulation? Are you alright now?"
"Yes. Don't worry."
"Didn't you say you remember nothing about the time before the return?"
"Because the memory doesn't belong to Sung Hyunjae." He looks down at his hands. "In the memory, someone grabbed my hand and wrote my name on my palm."
"You mean that before your return, your existence might be unstable."
He nods. "That may have caused Song Taewon's death and your loss of memory. But this time, both I and Song Taewon are stable. It's not because of the return, but the intervention of some other factors." He points at Eunhye, the necklace around my neck. "This is another result of that intervention. I acquired Eunhye when clearing a dungeon. The item was already exclusive to you then even though you hadn't awakened."
I touch the pendant in surprise. The system manager—Myeongwoo—called this a gift for me.
"This is a world created by the wish of one and the love of many." Sung Hyunjae smiles and puts his hand on mine. "If I'm not mistaken, both the wish and love are meant for you, Yoojin-ah."
"Just so that I could...start over? Just so that we could all have a second chance?"
Sung Hyunjae shrugs. "I don't know the exact reason, but it doesn't matter."
I turn to Yoohyun. He happens to be turning my way, too.
Can I just accept it? Accept that the world is benevolent to me, and I can lead a peaceful life after dealing with the other party of Yoohyun's contract?
"How about me?" I turn to Sung Hyunjae. "Did you encounter me earlier because of the same intervention?"
"Perhaps."
"Did you get a strange hunch when you first met me, too? How did it feel?"
"Other than finding you cute?"
"Sung Hyunjae." Don't make Yoohyun draw his sword here, jerk.
He chuckles. Before he puts his thoughts into words, I already know what he's going to say, and my heart races and pounds prematurely.
"You'll be the purpose of my living."
The first time since we started the conversation, I felt a strong surge of emotion from Yoohyun.
He's shocked, by how deep Sung Hyunjae's feelings run.
I am, too.
"Sung Hyunjae, you..."
He takes my hand and kisses the back of my hand. This time, Yoohyun doesn't reflexively attack Sung Hyunjae, still dwelling on what he's just learned.
"I can deal with an enemy around SS-class on my own at the moment, but the one Han Yoohyun's signed a contract with is stronger than that, yes? We need some time to accumulate more power."
"...Yeah." My mouth feels dry. I don't know how to explain the emotions filling my chest. Anxiety colored by anticipation got wrapped in a dependence stemming from affection. It hesitates in the face of greater love and care than expected. "The system managers said that they would help."
"I'll get stronger too," Yoohyun speaks up with his eyes lowered.
"You will," Sung Hyunjae says matter-of-factly before giving me a kind smile. "If there's nothing else, you should have your lunch, Yoojin-ah."
Although my mind is cluttered with complicated feelings and thoughts, Sung Hyunjae's cooking is as good as ever, and I gradually focus more and more on eating.
Yoohyun's having the lunchbox I prepared for him. He doesn't say anything.
Sung Hyunjae extends a leg and teasingly hooks it around my calf, watching me eat with a hand propping his chin.
I'm exasperated, but I can't pretend to hate it even if I try.
...
After lunch, I walk Yoohyun back to his office. This is a time for him to get to know his future team. The next week, they'll be entering a dungeon together.
Yoohyun's been deep in thought since earlier. Before we reach his new office, he stops to look at me, head lowered.
"Yoohyun-ah?"
He purses his lips and doesn't say anything for a while.
"Hyung, are you happy when you're with him?"
"Quite...I'm really happy."
"Okay." He nods and goes quiet for a few seconds. "If he does anything you don't like someday, I'll help you."
I can't help but laugh and wrap my arms around him.
"Thank you. My brother's dependable."
Congratulations, Sung Hyunjae, for winning the recognition of your brother-in-law.
Chapter 17: Curse and Poison Dragon
Chapter Text
"Congratulations, Yerim-ah...ah, it should be Hunter Bak Yerim now."
"Just call me Yerim, Yoojin-oppa. Seseong-ahjussi, thanks for the gift."
"You're welcome. Seseong doesn't have much need for high-ranking ice and water-type items."
"How about wind?"
"Tell Hunter Moon Hyuna to negotiate a deal on her own."
Yerim shakes her head with a grin and skips her way to Moon Hyuna, who's talking to the reporters.
Today's the day Yerim will officially register as an S-class hunter. Not only is her class different from before the return, but her skills are slightly changed, too. For offense, she now has water-based skills in addition to ice-based ones. According to Moon Hyuna, Yerim has been using every chance to practice at home recently. Moon Hyuna never gets to even fill her own glass with water when she wants to drink some, and after a shower, her hair gets automatically dried.
Yoohyun's entered a dungeon and thus can't make it to this occasion. I was disappointed at first. I wanted him to spend more time with Yerim. After all, I've always wanted Yoohyun to befriend young people like himself. After he recovered his memory, though, Yoohyun's actually twenty-five now. There's a bigger age gap between him and Yerim.
I hope he'll get along well with his new team during this dungeon clear, at least. Worried that he won't eat anything, I looked up some recipes and made him snacks with a longer shelf life.
In the end, I attended Yerim's debut with Sung Hyunjae. He was going to prepare new matching suits for us, but I told him not to steal the spotlight. This isn't his personal fashion show.
When Sung Hyunjae said, "Wouldn't it be more like a wed—" I interrupted him.
He's dressed in a causal suit with no tie on. He left a few too many buttons loose at first, and I forced him to button his shirt to the second one. He brought flowers again when picking me up. It's not a bouquet this time, though, but lilies to be worn on the shirts. He had put one on his collar. I looked at mine a few times before pinning it to my bag.
He gave me a disappointed look, but it'd be embarrassing to wear the same flower as he did in public.
As compensation, I let him hold my hand the whole walk, and we got stared at for that.
I should've just put on the flower.
Sung Hyunjae's celebratory gift for Yerim is a water-type trident. Yerim seems to enjoy the slightly over-the-top design. I was going to give her an item, too, but Yerim told me what she wanted: five hang-out-with-me tickets. It's a childish gift, so a better gift when I think about it. I'll just give her items if I find any good ones in the future. Doesn't have to be her birthday.
"Taewon-hyung."
"Yoojin-ah." Taewon-hyung nods at Sung Hyunjae, too. "Hunter Sung Hyunjae."
"It's the young lady's big day. Aren't you going to dress up for her, Song Taewon? Wear a suit that isn't black?"
He says calmly, "I'm here to maintain order. This is work."
"How about I have a pink suit tailor-made for you for your next birthday?"
I'd like to tell Sung Hyunjae to stop harassing Taewon-hyung, but at the same time, I'd also like to see Taewon-hyung wear different colors. I think he'll look good. He's fit after all.
Noticing my expression, Sung Hyunjae adds with a smile, "Yoojin-ah, you think so as well, right? If it's a gift from both of us, Song Taewon will at least be willing to put it on for his birthday."
"Doesn't have to be pink. How about baby blue? I think it'll suit him."
"Print suit is another trend lately."
"Oh? Really?"
"It may look unexpectedly good on him."
Taewon-hyung sighs deeply. "My birthday is a long time away. We'll talk about this later."
"True. Then don't forget about my birthday, Song Taewon." Sung Hyunjae grabs me and whispers into my ear, "I only need you as a gift, Yoojin-ah."
I shove his face away. "Do you have to say that in public? And I did prepare a gift. You'll take it."
He smiles with every part of his face. "Looking forward to it."
Taewon-hyung, while watching us, goes from stiff to confused to bemused. Then he seems to have sorted out his thoughts. His expression becomes calm again.
"You seem more relaxed recently," Taewon-hyung said to me. "I've been unnecessarily worried."
Sung Hyunjae smothers a laugh. "Yes, it's all thanks to me."
I knock him with a fist. To avoid me hurting myself, he catches my hand easily and looks to me for compliments.
Yes, good job, but that doesn't change the fact that you were speaking nonsense.
"I haven't told you, Taewon-hyung. It has...something to do with Yoohyun. I'll explain later."
Taewon-hyung pauses before nodding in understanding. He must have guessed a few things. He was there when Yoohyun and Sung Hyunjae got into a fight.
"Okay. If there's anything else, tell me anytime."
"Including badmouthing Sung Hyunjae?"
He cracks a small smile. "You'll be welcome to do that."
"I'm hurt that you're excluding me." Sung Hyunjae holds his hands to his chest. "If you two want to badmouth me, you should invite me to listen."
I snort and poke him in the side.
"What kind of maso—"
Bam!
A loud bang comes from not far from us. A few cars are flying our way. Taewon-hyung promptly moves out to block them before rushing to the source of the noises. My eyes dart around for Yerim, and fortunately, Moon Hyuna is right by her side. Sung Hyunjae, who's shielded me from the broken stones and glass shards with his coat, glances at me and nods.
He picks me up, unfurling his wings to take flight.
...
At the heart of the commotion is a tall black-haired woman. As soon as I see her, I get a notification. Against curse and poison-type dragon Dio Valshesis, all of my skills double in effect. Is she related to the master of curse and poison dragons the system managers brought up? Is she another one who's signed a contract?
"A born S-class, but she's only caused property damage for now," said Sung Hyunjae.
Yes, that is strange. As the name suggests, the curse and poison dragon clan should have skills related to curses or poisons. Whatever the case, she has to be capable of more than hurling a few cars and breaking a few walls. She hasn't even hurt anyone. It seems that she's been targeting the high-class hunters on purpose when throwing things, like she's simply trying to draw attention.
"Han Yoojin!" she shouts suddenly. "Which one of you is Hunter Han Yoojin?"
I'm her target? So she must be related to the master of curse and poison dragons. Taewon-hyung and Moon Hyuna are already ordering the hunters to help evacuate the crowd. Then Taewon-hyung rushes up to our uninvited visitor. They grapple.
"Ahahaha! Good! This is it!"
"Why are you here?"
"Me? Oh, I'm here to find an F-class hunter as payment. Do you mind—"
Taewon-hyung cast steel wires to tie around her forearms. When she throws him away, he increases his weight to slam her onto the road instead.
Beep—beep—
The cars parked by the road blare here and there. I use the Teacher skill on Taewon-hyung and Sung Hyunjae at the same time. Taewon-hyung's reaction is immediately quicker. He makes the most optimal move like he can see the opponent's next action. Just when I'm wondering if I should take advantage of the crowd and give Taewon-hyung a buff, a golden figure comes out of nowhere and dives down with dragon wings, using a buff skill on Taewon-hyung.
"Stop, Sister! I'm really sorry. It's Chief Song, isn't it? I don't have an offensive skill. I'd have to trouble you to subdue her."
"You're as cute as ever today, Noah!"
"Stop messing around, Sister!"
With the help of battle foresight and the buff, Taewon-hyung successfully subdues the black-haired woman—at least it seems that way.
Sung Hyunjae brings me down to the ground and whispers to me, "Noah Luire, Guildmaster of the Ark Guild in France. His older sister is Riette Luire. She doesn't belong to a guild."
"If I'm the one she wants, I—"
"It's not necessary." Sung Hyunjae keeps his arm around me. "Look."
"Mon dieu! I got arrested. Is it time for interrogation now?" Riette grins and hooks her arm around Noah's. "Can my dear little brother come with?"
Noah sighs. "Apologies again, Chief Song. Allow me to explain our situation."
Taewon-hyung confirms the situation with us through the skill's connection and drags Riette toward the Association, followed closely by Noah.
"Sung Hyunjae."
He nods and makes a call to arrange a dungeon we can enter.
Chapter 18: Younger Brother
Chapter Text
"Honey! Oh, Chain's here, too." The long-eared boy waves at me and runs up to me to hand me a pack of cookies. "I made these. Dad checked them and made sure the mana sugar was the right concentration so that it wouldn't be addicting." He glances at Sung Hyunjae and grumbles, "I'm still not as skilled at it as Chain, though."
"You don't have to compare yourself with an exception." Myeongwoo pats him on the shoulder from behind him. "Did something happen?"
I blink at the cookies and thank Haneul before eating one under his expectant gaze.
"It's really good. Thank you." I turn to Myeongwoo. "Can I speak freely here as I did in the dream last time? Will a disturbance happen with the boss monster like that time in the dungeon?"
"Don't worry. This is my realm. It isn't as easily infiltrated." Myeongwoo smiles. "And someone is watching over us."
"Someone's watching over us...?"
Myeongwoo shakes his head. "Just know that you can speak freely here. Now...did Noah and Riette show up?"
"You know them?"
"Noah is a friend."
"Riette stirred up some trouble and claimed that she was going to grab me. Then Noah intervened and helped stop her." I pause. "They seem to be putting on an act to give us information. Riette is related to the master of the curse and poison dragons, right? The one you mentioned last time to have a contractual relationship with Yoohyun."
Myeongwoo nods. "A transcendent."
"What level of existence are transcendents? Can you tell me? Sung Hyunjae said that he could deal with an opponent at about SS-class, but given that the master of curse and poison dragons can influence the dungeons, they must be stronger than that, right?"
Myeongwoo side-eyes Sung Hyunjae with an expression totally unlike the friendly face he shows me. It seems that he doesn't hold much goodwill toward Sung Hyunjae.
"Yes. Even the weakest transcendents usually surpass the level of power that can be defined by the system, but they aren't impossible to deal with. As long as he intervenes with his main body, the power of the world's system will limit him and weaken him." Myeongwoo calls up a window with the description of the Teacher skill. "And there are ways to utilize power greater than what you have in the real world. Through a mental connection, you may replicate powers you have experienced before."
Sung Hyunjae suddenly speaks up, "This seems to have happened before, and you seem to know how the desired result should be achieved."
Myeongwoo ignores him. "If you still find it necessary to personally take revenge, do it after you're fully prepared. If you no longer need revenge to be at peace, however, you can leave the trouble to someone who'll be more than happy to deal with it for you."
It's obvious that he's talking about Sung Hyunjae, but he never even spares him a glance.
So Myeongwoo knew me and Sung Hyunjae. While he cares about me as a friend, he has an obvious dislike for Sung Hyunjae...?
"I understand. I'll consider it."
"Contact me anytime if you need help." Myeongwoo takes out another pack of cookies and hands them to me. "These are items that will shrink you down once consumed. If you need more after using them up, Haneul and I can make more. And go clear dungeons, Yoojin-ah. Clear an F-class and D-class dungeons each on your own, and the skills that should be yours will be given to you."
"Okay. Thank you, Myeongwoo-ah. And you, Haneul."
"Happy to help, Honey!" The fox-eared boy jogs up to me. Then he takes a step back like he's just remembered something, his face flushed. "Oh, and Chain, you should take care of Honey well!"
Sung Hyunjae smiles. "Yes, Yoojin has promised to live until he's a thousand years old."
Myeongwoo looks at Sung Hyunjae with less hostility than before, and he finally addresses him directly, "Don't be the reason he pushes himself this time."
"It seems that I've caused a lot of trouble." Sung Hyunjae uses that as an excuse to kneel before me and declares in a dramatic tone, "I apologize for the other me, honey. I swear to make you happy this—"
I pinch his troublesome mouth close like a duck's beak. His eyes curve as he smiles.
Dang it, he's a little cute like this.
"Thank you again. We'll be on our way. Gotta learn what's with the Luire siblings." I unthinkingly pat Haneul on the head. He doesn't seem offended at all, but instead beams brightly at me. "If you need any help..."
Myeongwoo laughs, the sound of it warm.
"You really... We'll tell you if there's anything you can help us with."
Did I see it wrong? His eyes seem a little red.
...
When we meet up with Taewon-hyung, Riette is cuffed with a device to prohibit item use. Sitting in the interrogation room, she's letting Noah feed her, looking totally at home. No, is she enjoying the justification to have her brother take care of her? Although Noah seems exasperated, he still patiently feeds her the food and the dessert, giving Riette water every now and then.
I turn to Taewon-hyung. "Thank you for the hard work. What did they say?"
"According to Hunter Noah, Hunter Riette signed a contract with an existence for him, and she was ordered to grab you. They only pretended to play along when they are seeking to work with us and take care of the existence."
"How can they be sure that we'll work with them?"
Taewon-hyung shakes his head. "Hunter Riette said that it was her hunch. While she'd never met you, she had a feeling that you were in a similar position as she was."
The position of wanting to protect the younger sibling? Just like Sung Hyunjae said, it feels like everything's falling into place to reach a predetermined destination. Another born S-class comes to us, contracted to an enemy we must deal with. Noah's an S-class, too, and a rare support-type S-class at that. If we can make sure that they are on our side, they will be valuable assets.
I'll get new skills by clearing dungeons, and with the Teacher skill, I can increase the number of abilities available to me in a mental world. Sung Hyunjae seems to have accumulated a great variety of skills in his many lifetimes, so I'll get a lot from him alone. And I...remember how it feels like to have double Yoohyun's power when Last Compensation is applied.
Or I can confess to Sung Hyunjae before a hundred people and see if he can deal with the master of poison and curse dragons with his power doubled.
...I should start with clearing a few dungeons.
"Are they...going to just stay here?"
"The transcendent may seek out Sister. She'll try to humor him, but if she gets taken over by force, I hope you'll help stop her," Noah says as he walks out of the interrogation room. "Hello, Hunter Han Yoojin. I apologize for causing all of you trouble."
I shake my head. "No, we share the same goal. If Hunter Riette gets controlled...I may have a way to lift the brainwashing. If not, we can still stop her."
I suddenly feel my heart clench. "Wait, if the transcendent turns to Yoohyun instead—I shouldn't have let him go to the dungeon with his team on his own. He—"
"Has a gate stone. If he's in danger, he won't refuse to leave just because of his teammates. He has to come home." Sung Hyunjae puts an arm around me and starts typing with his other hand. "Oh, what a great timing. The dungeon's cleared. Han Yoohyun will come out soon."
"Sorry, I..."
Noah shakes his head. "Don't mind us. Go find your brother."
"I'll leave the rest to you, Taewon-hyung." I run outside. Sung Hyunjae catches up to me and pulls me into his arms before taking flight all in one motion. He flies fast while flapping his wings.
Despite his speed, his hold around me remains steady, and since he's been paying attention to the altitude changes as he flies, I feel almost no discomfort.
"Were I the one in a dungeon today, would you be this nervous, too?"
"Please don't try to compete with someone's little brother." I swallow the anxiety in my throat and use the Teacher skill on Sung Hyunjae. Shifting my attention to the way he flies more or less eases my mind, and the indulgence conveyed to me is as warm as his embrace.
"...I would. I would be worried about you, too. Not to the same extent, but very close."
Sung Hyunjae chuckles.
"That makes me recall the time you cried when you saw me coming out of a dungeon with injury."
I grab his ear. "You must have done that on purpose. It wasn't as if you couldn't afford potions."
"It was a precious reaction to be on the receiving end of, after all."
"Don't ever do that again."
"As you wish, honey."
The familiar banter calms me.
"...Sung Hyunjae, why do you keep calling me honey now?"
"Didn't the system manager call you that?"
"Right...just don't call me that before other people."
"No promises."
I can see the portal to the dungeon now. Even from this distance, I can easily recognize Yoohyun as he walks out.
"Yoohyun!"
"Hyung?"
As soon as Sung Hyunjae makes a landing, I rush up to throw my arms around Yoohyun.
Chapter 19: Five Star Rating
Chapter Text
It turns out that Yoohyun didn't run into anything unusual during this dungeon clear. Although there was little teamwork between him and the other hunters—he mostly just draws an area and takes care of everything inside it, while the other hunters deal with the strays—the dungeon clear is efficient. Yoohyun can probably take care of the dungeon on his own, in fact.
And they found a manticore cub in the dungeon, placed in the rearing facility in Seseong at the moment. It's a high-ranking fire-type monster. If it can be tamed, it'll be a valuable mount. Yoohyun is the highest-ranking fire-type hunter in Seseong at the moment. It'll be good if they can become companions.
I contacted Noah afterward. He said that there was little a transcendent could do outside of dungeons, that they relied on contracted agents to exert influence on our world, so they are more annoying than anything, but I'm still uneasy.
Yoohyun seems concerned, too, but not in the same way. He looked ready to find a place to spend the night alone outside, worried that whatever came for him would hurt me, too.
What solved the issue in the end was Sung Hyunjae volunteering to stay as our bodyguard. Yoohyun seemed irritated, but he said yes faster than I did.
"Your brother's attitude toward me seems to have softened somewhat."
"My brother's kind like that."
"He simply thinks you'll be safer this way."
"Why are you sitting on my bed?"
"Because Han Yoohyun has entrusted you to me."
"And I've entrusted Yoohyun's safety to you. If the transcendent does show up, you'll react quicker if you're in the living room, right?"
"But the sofa is a little small. It doesn't seem appropriate for Yoojin to sleep on top of me before we have our second date."
"Who says I'm going to sleep with you?"
Sung Hyunjae smiles and leans in to kiss me on the forehead. "Good night, Yoojin-ah," he says. Then he promptly rises to walk out of my room, closing the door gently behind him.
The room is quiet. I can only hear the rustle of clothes as I move. The spot he was sitting on is still a little sunk in, and the blanket is a little wrinkled.
...I wouldn't be this hung up if he had insisted on staying in my bed.
I put the blanket around me and get off the bed. Pressing my ear to the wall separating my room from Yoohyun's room, I hear nothing coming from his side. Yoohyun must have gone to bed. I was going to stay in his room, but he vehemently opposed it, going so far as to say, 'I'd rather you share a room with that one.' Before our return, he did go quite far to separate me from the transcendents, even willingly making me resent him. My safety will always be his priority.
But I feel the same. If the transcendent had sought me out before and made a trade with me with Yoohyun's safety as the bargaining chip, would I have agreed to it?
It doesn't matter now. My brother and I are doing well. The transcendent is nothing but a target to be eliminated. I'll go to the dungeon tomorrow. As long as I pick the right one, I'll be able to clear it with a few high-ranking poisonous bombs. And Eunhye can protect me well.
Yoohyun will be worried, but I'll carry a gate stone, and I'll clear the dungeon quickly. Let's have him wait for me outside. Will Sung Hyunjae be worried, too? If he also waits for me outside, I wonder if he'll get into a fight with Yoohyun.
"Ah, do you miss me already?"
"I've never met anyone who loves themself as much as you do."
"Yoojin should try that too."
"Try what? Love you?"
"That will be welcomed, but I mean loving yourself."
I huff and throw the blanket at him, sitting down on the floor. He immediately grabs the blanket and wraps it around me, pulling me into his arms and lying down on the sofa.
"Hey, what are you—"
"Your bad habit acts up again, Yoojin-ah. If anything threatens someone you care about, especially if that someone is your brother, you won't be able to stop thinking, always planning what to do next and what to do after that."
I frown. "Isn't that normal?"
"It is." Sung Hyunjae rests a hand on my back and gently rubs at my nape. "But you insisted on helping with the procedures after the dungeon clear, followed Han Yoohyun to Seseong, insisted on making dinner after coming home, checked all the security devices here, spent an hour studying the history of the Luire siblings, and then spent two hours looking over the list of dungeons in Korea and abroad. You don't have to do everything on your own, Yoojin-ah, and you don't have to do them now. Rest when you should rest."
I only realize then that it is midnight, and my eyelids are feeling heavy. It's just that my anxiety has been preventing me from relaxing. I keep thinking that I should do something.
"...I can't sleep."
"Not even me being here can put you at ease?"
I shake my head. "Sung Hyunjae, the me you've known for over a decade may seem stable, but that was because my greatest trauma had been covered up by my 'amnesia'." But the wound has always been there. Although the years I spent surrounded by people who care about me put me in a better place than before my return, and I can sense the influence the different past I've been through has on me, it doesn't mean I'm completely fine. I may never be as steadfast in who I am and as confident in myself as Sung Hyunjae.
"You haven't always been stable. You were crying when I met you the first time." Sung Hyunjae touches the corner of my eye. "Later, you cried because of nightmares, too, and when you sought me out after Han Yoohyun's awakening, you looked terrified, like the sky was falling. You also cried when I came out of a dungeon injured."
"You talked about that last one already. You didn't have to repeat it."
"If you can't depend on those around you, depend on me. If you can't depend on me, use me for now." Sung Hyunjae smiles. "I'm head over heels with you. Just give me a kiss, and I'll be at your service. If you feel guilty about me in the process, even better. Make amends to me after everything's over."
"Can you not be serious for more than five seconds?" I cup his face and press my forehead to his. "I'll go to an F-class dungeon alone tomorrow. It'll be quick."
He waits for me to continue.
"I was going to go straight to a D-class dungeon, but I have a feeling that'll get a lot of people to nag at me. Even you will find a way to make me take a break."
"I'll make sure you are so tired you can't even walk in the gentlest way possible."
"You sure talk big for a virgin." I kiss him on the corner of his mouth. "I'll go to the D-class dungeon the day after tomorrow. Then I'll make plans according to the skills I get." To satisfy his obsession over fairness for the right side and left side of his face, I kiss the other corner of his mouth, too. "I still want to check on the manticore. If it can be a mount, it'll also benefit Seseong."
"Yoojin seems to be making me forget that he's still not resting by kissing me."
"What skills do you have? Show me when you have time so that I can record them with the Teacher skill." His chin is clean-shaven, or does he not grow stubble at all? What razor does an S-class use when shaving? "Let me go to your next dungeon clear. I have to get used to the feeling of applying my skills to multiple people."
Does it really make sense for a thirty-year-old to have such fair skin? Even the skin of his neck is baby-smooth. "Actually, I should go to a dungeon with you, Taewon-hyung, and Yoohyun, right? I need to be able to apply the skill to multiple S-classes. Oh, Noah too. His support skills will help a lot."
"Yoojin-ah." Sung Hyunjae suddenly covers my mouth with a hand. "Not even I can control my physiological reaction perfectly."
I blink and realize suddenly that at some point, I've gotten beyond simple pecks. Although I haven't left any hickeys since it's physically impossible for me to do that, there are parts shiny with saliva from my sucking on his neck.
He has a rare flustered look on his face, and his breathing is a little heavier than usual. Were the circumstances different, I might do something in the heat of the moment.
I want to see more of what he hasn't shown anyone else.
"Ah, you look ready to devour me."
I laugh into his chest. "This isn't the right time. What a shame."
"Truly a shame." He puts his arms around me. "For you, who can't sleep, I'll make a special offer of an S-class mattress for free. It comes with a security function."
"Since you've given me a freebie, I'll give you a five-star rating this time."
"What an honor."
That night, the transcendent didn't come.
Chapter 20: Future Son
Chapter Text
Things get busier the next few days, but with the substantial progress being made, I feel more and more settled. I cleared an F-class dungeon owned by Breaker and a D-class dungeon owned by Seseong. They gave me a skill to double clear rewards and a skill to double attack power respectively. The latter is especially important. With the cookies to shrink me down and Eunhye, I can more or less turn into the most valuable item in the world, able to double rewards, double damage, and help with teamwork. When necessary, I can even serve as a shield.
(Sung Hyunjae told me not to talk about myself like an item, but as a wish-granting fairy. And doesn't 'Fairy Yoojin' sound cuter? Sometimes, I really have to question his taste.)
I talked to Noah again. He and Riette awakened as S-classes at the same time during a dungeon break. Then for some reason, Riette ran away and refused to meet Noah. It was only after Noah found her and fought her—he lost the fight without offensive skills, of course, but talking through punches worked wonders—that the siblings made up.
But then the Master of Curse and Poison Dragons set their eyes on them. While the siblings were clearing a dungeon, the boss monster was suddenly replaced by Dio Valshesis. After a difficult fight, the siblings acquired the ability to transform into dragons, but Riette turned into a ready puppet for the transcendent, too.
When the transcendent was going to force Noah to sign a contract with Riette as the bargaining chip, Riette talked it into believing that Noah would only rejoice in her death, and that the transcendent should contract her instead; she would force Noah to comply. After getting the order to capture Han Yoojin alive, they came to the conclusion that they could work with me. That was what led to the show they put up.
Now, Riette was still under Taewon-hyung's watch. I heard that Noah warned her to never use violence carelessly. Seemingly seeking a different type of release, Riette started to aggressively flirt with every member of the Association she came across, no matter the gender. In the end, Taewon-hyung agreed to spar with her every few days without using their skills. Noah scolded her for that and apologized to Taewon-hyung.
And I told Taewon-hyung about the situation with me and Yoohyun. He didn't spend much time to wrap his head around our return. When he heard about my reconciliation with Yoohyun, he said with a smile, "That's good." Then when I said that we had to take care of the transcendent, he frowned in concern, but only said that he would do his best to help in the end.
Today, I had a meeting at Seseong on behalf of the Association. I swing by the breeding department afterward to check on the manticore. Although the caregiver title does buff the owner token, it still surprises me how meek the manticore is with me. It can even understand many instructions already. Is it because of its higher class? It's learning faster than Comet is, almost like it can already understand human language.
"Good job, Peace! You're the best!"
Yep, as Peace's future companion, Yoohyun entrusted me to name the manticore.
Perhaps even a lion-like creature from a dungeon is a big cat like regular lions. Outside of being a little more destructive, Peace shares many habits with a cat. It licks its claws. It's drawn to moving targets. It moves with impressive agility. It'll be a remarkable mount and a battle companion. I can already picture Yoohyun fighting alongside it.
And it's cute. Really cute. Its cuteness can melt anyone's heart.
"Aw, so cute I can die."
"Should we discuss the merch with the PR department?"
"I wonder how it'll look like once it matures. Must be really cool."
The other employees at the breeding department quickly fall for Peace's charm. However, it seems that Peace never acts cute to anyone other than me. For that, they wish I'd visit more frequently even more.
"Team Leader Han, is there any initiative that will require us to work with the Association long-term? Seseong will be happy to offer support! Let us walk a long way for a long time together—eep!"
"I wonder if I may have the honor of a lunch date with you, Yoojin-ah?"
"Could you not invite me like a normal person and just say, 'It's time for lunch.'?" I turn around as I said. I'm not even surprised when Sung Hyunjae bends down and kisses me. He always kisses me when he meets me these days. Don't foreigners do that? Kiss people on the cheeks as a greeting? Only he's kissing me on the lips.
I still don't really understand why the Seseong members fear Sung Hyunjae so much. I mean, I'd get it if it were Sung Hyunjae before his return, but now? Isn't he just a househusband addicted to kissing? He's just prettier than most, stronger than most, and more influential than most.
Whatever understanding he's reached with Yoohyun, the two of them are now making sure that I eat and rest at different times of the day. Sung Hyunjae, who will be staying with us until the transcendent is dealt with, now makes all of our meals. Even Yoohyun accepts Sung Hyunjae's cooking because he doesn't want to tire me. He only asks me to be the one to put the food on the plate.
And Taewon-hyung is roped into the weird circle of people whose goal is to keep me well-fed. When I work at the Association, he shows up at my office every noon to remind me to have lunch.
I really don't want to describe the lunchboxes Sung Hyunjae prepares for me as 'love bento', but that is what it is. Did he learn to make lunchboxes from a Japanese mother? Although the food is all great, there really isn't a need to make rice into pandas, cats, rabbits, and other animals. And the sides are garnished in various ways, too. If I tell him to make Peace, he can probably easily do it, too.
Hm, now I'm warming up to the idea. A Peace lunchbox will be cute.
"You're entering an S-class dungeon tomorrow, aren't you? Take me with you. Let's experiment with my new skills. And I can record your skills, too."
"I have no intention to let more people know about Yoojin's skills."
"I can shrink down and hide in your pocket."
"That's appealing, but if you're going to try the skill that doubles attack power, having other Guild members with us will only get in the way."
"You never need other members, do you? If you can take on an SS monster on your own, clearing an S-class dungeon alone should be a piece of cake."
"It's meant to give them more experience. Once Soyoung becomes a proper dragon rider, she can take over the team."
"I don't know how long it'll take for Comet to mature... Oh, does Soyoung know about Noah and Riette?"
"It'll be interesting if she knows. Should I tell her?"
"Please get permission from the people involved, first."
Sung Hyunjae leads me into his office and takes out the lunchboxes he prepared. Today's main course is fish fillet. The rice in my lunchbox is made into an orange cat and a black cat with seaweed sheets. Is he really not preparing for a different career? Character bentos like these will be popular, right? And the food is amazing.
"You seem to have found a new passion."
"This is preparation for childcare."
"Huh?"
"Our future son visited me in a dream. It's a cute kid like me."
"Are you developing dementia already?"
I ignore his increasingly strange nonsense and swap my orange cat with a few chunks of the regular rice in his lunchbox. As I eat, I say, "If you're not taking the guild members, then let's just go ourselves. Let's have Taewon-hyung and Noah with us, too. Yoohyun...would like to go. Hm, but then the chance of the Master of Curse and Poison Dragons getting involved will be too great, won't it?"
"Han Yoohyun will stay outside to avoid posing a risk to you."
I scratch my head. "I don't like this. Let's just hurry and deal with the trouble."
"Yoojin-ah."
"I get it. You've been banding together and forcing me to rest. How can I possibly overtax myself?" I shot him a sideways glance. "And since when have you become so close to Yoohyun? You even watch me in shifts."
Sung Hyunjae smiles. "Are you jealous? Of whom and for whom?"
"Who's jealous? I'm just curious."
"I became a tiny part of Han Yoohyun's world because of you. That's it. If one day I pose a threat to you, Han Yoohyun will try to erase me without hesitation."
Although I'd like to counter that, I know Sung Hyunjae is right.
"But Yoojin won't just give up on me." Sung Hyunjae feeds me a piece of sweet and sour pork with a smile. "You always hold those you like so tightly in your arms."
"Don't speak in such a self-satisfied tone. It's annoying." I shove a large piece of tofu into his mouth. "After lunch, I have to go back to the Association to deal with the rest of the work. Just let me know if you're taking the guild members or not. I'll check it with Noah then."
Sung Hyunjae makes a sound of agreement and looks up at me expectantly after finishing the tofu.
I sigh. "If our imaginary child gets born in your imagination, you must be a dad who always fights the child for my attention."
Sung Hyunjae gives me a strange smile.
"It's yet confirmed whether the child will be willing to call me Dad."
Speaking like we actually have a kid.
Chapter 21: Confession
Chapter Text
Simply put, Sung Hyunjae is a game-breaking cheat character.
Yes, he did say that he had been through many lives before becoming Sung Hyunjae and thus accumulated a great amount of experience that exceeded that of even some long-living beings, but isn't he capable of using too many different types of skills? Be it melee or ranged, offensive or control, whatever skills one could think of, he could use them, only his mastery over each skill differs.
It would be fine if he couldn't pull out the skills at will like he said he couldn't in the past, but with the memory he had gotten from whoever stabilizing his condition, it is simply ridiculous. Were this a game, someone would be complaining about the poor balance. And who even was the one that wrote his name on his hands? His past lover? A friend? Was he capable of making friends before?
"How does it feel, Noah?"
"I'm good now, I think!"
He could even teach Noah how to fly—albeit through my skill. What, was he a dragon in one of his past lives? An electric dragon?
Due to safety concerns, in the end, only I, Sung Hyunjae, and Noah entered the dungeon. Yoohyun is waiting outside (But he said that he would barge in if we don't get out of the dungeon by evening). Meanwhile, Taewon-hyung is keeping an eye on Riette (Taewon-hyung looks ready to pop a vessel).
Due to me and Noah playing support, the dungeon clear is more or less Sung Hyunjae's one-man show. In order to let me record more skills, Sung Hyunjae's almost never repeated the attack methods he used. The only underlining throughline seems to be his inability to use elements outside of electricity and light.
Most of the regular threats are gone, leaving only the boss monster. I hide in Sung Hyunjae's breast pocket and look at the vast ocean-like desert through his vision. I've confirmed with Yoohyun. The boss monster for this dungeon is a giant scorpion with great reach above ground but limited vertical range. However, there's a possibility that it may change due to outside intervention.
Here it is. Sung Hyunjae's senses are shared with me and Noah through my skill. The sand above ground is sinking in large swathes, signifying the emergence of a gargantuan monster.
"Hm...it seems that it's not a scorpion, but an inedible bug."
"It wouldn't be edible even if it were a scorpion."
I give Noah an instruction through the skill, and he immediately lends his magic stat to Sung Hyunjae. At the same time, the giant monster hiding underground finally shows itself. It looks like a gigantic millipede but with a large maw filled with dense rows of teeth as a head and two long fangs on the sides to hold onto prey.
Quite disgusting, all things considered.
"It can reach up in the air, watch out—"
Sung Hyunjae and Noah dodged in opposite directions at the same time. The long, thin worm shot to where we had been like a snake, its fangs clanging. Sung Hyunjae was already sending out his chains. Crackling with lightning, the chains shot through the worm and left charred marks with double the damage, courtesy of my buff.
The worm whipped around in struggle, making whooshing sounds, but soon, enhanced gravity brought it to the sandy ground. Rumble. The chains that had tied around the worm tightly at some point began to shake. The worm let out a pained shriek. Then it flattened like its insides had melted.
That's why I said Sung Hyunaje is a game-breaking cheat character. Even though he got extra magic stat from Noah and a damage-doubling buff from me, it shouldn't be this easy to just kill an SS-class monster.
I revert to my original size and land with Sung Hyunjae's help. I find a magic stone from the carcass of the dead monster. "So?" I turn to Sung Hyunjae. "How does it feel to have your offense double in power?"
Sung Hyunjae clenches his fists before loosening them.
"Don't ever use the skill on any other S-classes, Yoojin-ah." He loops his arm around my waist and buries his face in my neck. The unusual aggression in his tone makes me hold my breath. "They will steal you. They'll try to, anyway."
"...What's wrong with you? If necessary, I'm gonna use the skill on Yoohyun for sure. Taewon-hyung, too."
"Song Taewon will control himself...but not your brother, not yet. Wait for his fire to stabilize more, or he may lose control and swallow you."
"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?"
"I," Sung Hyunjae gnaws on the flesh between my neck and shoulder. It's not gentle, but he isn't biting me hard enough to draw blood, either. "Will hold back."
"This...hm...is you holding back?"
"Yoo—Hunter Han Yoojin!" Noah worriedly comes up to us and raises his weapon at Sung Hyunaje. "Please let go of him, Hunter Sung Hyunjae."
"It's fine, Noah. Um, would you put a little distance from us? He's a bit like a dog marking its territory now. If you get too close, he'll think you're trying to take me from him. Get yourself together, Sung Hyunjae! Are you drunk from the skill or what?"
"I wish there weren't so many people occupying your time and love, but what can I do? This is the kind of person you are, Yoojin-ah. I'll never be your number one priority." He whispers as he gnaws on my neck. "If you can give me less than half of your time, live a little longer, Yoojin-ah. Live until you're a thousand, and give me four hundred years of your life."
"Sung Hyunjae...?"
He slowly lets go of me. When I turn to face him, I seem to catch his eyes turning silver for a fleeting moment. But when I get a good look at him, the eyes boring into me are still a familiar gold.
"My apologies." Sung Hyunjae smiles at me. "My emotions seem to have gotten amplified for a moment. It's alright now."
I frown. "Are you sure? Does this have something to do with the accumulations you mentioned?"
"My power is stable." He shakes his head and gently touches the marks he's left on my neck. "These will have to be erased, yes? Even though it'd be a shame."
"Yes, they have to be erased." I sigh. "Noah's here. And Yoohyun's waiting outside."
"I'm sorry."
I purse my lips and lean into Sung Hyunjae's ear to whisper to him, "Just don't leave marks where my clothes won't cover in the future."
He blinks and smiles with his beautiful eyes crinkling.
"I love you, Yoojin-ah."
...
"Are you alright, hyung?" Yoohyun grabs my shoulders and turns me around, checking me for injury. "Why's your face so red? Your heart's beating fast, too. You aren't poisoned, are you? Sick?"
"I'm okay, Yoohyun-ah. Just a little hot. It was a desert inside."
Yoohyun leveled Sung Hyunjae with a sharp stare. Sung Hyunjae smiled in response without flinching. Outside of taking a few bites on my neck, he hasn't done anything strange but said, "I love you." I've told Yoohyun that more than once. I even called Taewon-hyung the hyung I love the most. I must have used the word "love" with Peace many times, too. It's not as if I didn't know how Sung Hyunjae felt about me. No big deal.
"Why is your face getting more flushed, hyung?"
"Um, Hunter Han Yoohyun, surprisingly, it's not what you may suspect."
"Then what—"
Before Sung Hyunjae can expose himself because he's proud of what he's done, I quickly hook an arm around my brother's shoulder. "Yoohyun-ah, has anything happened while we were gone? Is Taewon-hyung alright on his end?"
"I haven't gotten a call."
"No news is good news. The boss monster in the dungeon was replaced, though. Perhaps—"
My phone rings. It's from a colleague of the Association.
"Team Leader Han! Hunter Riette and Chief Song got into a fight! They seem to be serious this time—gah!"
"Evacuate the neighborhood. We'll be right there!"
I throw Sung Hyunjae a pack of minifying cookies. He nods at me without missing a beat.
As expected, the enemy wasn't just going to sit around and wait for us to strike. No plan can be executed as is without meeting unexpected changes.
Chapter 22: Hello, Goodbye
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When I arrive at the Association in a rush, half of the building has collapsed. Thankfully, the place was evacuated in time, and restrictions lines have been placed to stop people from entering and getting hurt, manned by members of the Association.
I quickly spot Riette, who was lured to an empty place by Taewon-hyung. Well, it would be strange if I didn't spot her. After all, she's now a giant black dragon. She looks like a monster through and through, and Taewon-hyung, who's been keeping her occupied, looks like a human challenging a giant in mythology. While he can put up a fight, he's struggling. To make things worse, Riette can use poisons and curses.
I hurry up to Taewon-hyung to help him up when he falls to the ground, cleansing the poison that has spread to the rest of his arm.
"Stay away, Yoojin—"
"Nonsense. It's me she wants, right?"
"Yoojin—"
Taewon-hyung suddenly goes numb and drops to his knees.
"Taewon-hyung!" I shake his shoulders before turning to shout at Riette, "Hey, you lizardman who doesn't dare to show your face without hiding behind a contractee. You want me alive, don't you?"
"Turning so big, don't you worry that you'll accidentally step on me and kill me?" I take a big step toward the black dragon. "Do you know how weak an F-class is? I can die if I fall and hit my head, I can die if someone drops a potted plant from their balcony and hits me, I can die if I get a cardiac arrest from seeing such an enormous, terrifying monster."
The giant black dragon lowers its head, staring at me with reptilian eyes.
"Oh dear!" I hold a hand to my chest. "So scary."
The eyes shrink, and cold scales are replaced by human skin. Riette has turned back into her human form. She's watching me with icy eyes.
"Han Yoojin."
"Yes, that's me. It's very touching for you to have someone come all the way from France to get me. But if you want someone to bear your children, you should woo them first, right? Don't you know how humans do things? Be gentle, be romantic, give expensive gifts."
Riette stares at me for a few more seconds before grabbing me by the collar and flying into the air. The sudden change in altitude makes me dizzy. The experience is terrible. I'm not giving the service even half a star.
She's moving toward a more remote dungeon. It's owned by...MKC, I think. Since they weren't that strong to start with, most of their jurisdictions were transferred to the Breaker Guild as it rose in power. I never paid much attention to them. Does their guild master have something to do with the Master of Curse and Poison Dragons? Or is he simply used?
Riette drags me into the dungeon and wipes the whole area clean with poisonous mist. The few stragglers are taken out by her blade.
"Are you not showing your face yet?"
"Oh, you're waiting for the dungeon gate to close. You're more thorough than I expected."
"Did you contract the MKC Guildmaster, too? Why? The guild is close to disbanding. Is it because you have no other choice?"
"What did you propose to them to have them sign a contract? Or do you mainly coerce people into being your agents?"
"I don't have to think to know that Yoohyun signed a contract with you for me, but what did you promise him?"
"Han Yoojin."
Finally, an unfamiliar voice says. I turn to see a humanoid dragon covered in gray scales walking up to me, its eyes flickering a red light.
I retreat to next to Riette. My skill tells me what it is: Curse and Poison Ancient Humanoid Dragon, Vicus, SS-class. The transcendent is speaking to me through it.
"I can leave you brother alone, Han Yoojin, as long as you sign a contract with me."
Ah, that makes my blood boil. Who was the one who took my brother from me? First, it made it so that Yoohyun had to stay away from me. Then it interfered with the dungeon and got him killed.
"How about you voiding your contract with Yoohyun now?"
"You're the one asking for something here, Han Yoojin."
"Really? Why do I feel like it's the other way around?" I press a dagger to my neck. "Like I said, an F-class is incredibly fragile. If I die here, there's no way to bring me back. Can you find another Perfect Caregiver?"
"You—"
Riette is manipulated to subdue me. I press a bleeding line into my neck.
"An F-class isn't so slow that I can't kill myself before you stop me."
"...I only need you to rear a dragon of my clan every once in a while, Han Yoojin. You stand to lose nothing."
"Can't you create spawns as well?"
"They are flawed products with no will, not my actual kin."
"How are you so sure that I can satisfy your need?"
"I've seen the result."
"Oh?" When? What result? "So how often do you plan to have me rear a kin of yours? F-classes are fragile. If it's going to be a burden to my body, I can't do it too often."
"Once a year—no, how about three years? That is a good enough offer."
"Once every three years until my body can no longer take it? Not even breeding pigs get exploited like that."
"Five years, no longer."
"You lack perspective. You should be coaxing me into signing a contract with you by offering me more benefits."
"What do you want? Power? Wealth?"
I sigh. "So you don't know my situation at all. To tell you the truth, I lack none of that. I'm surrounded by people with power, and I only have to curl a finger for wealth and power to fall on my lap."
"...Although I don't know why the source here stopped devouring worlds, I can promise your brother's escape once the source resumes its old habit."
Source? Devouring worlds? Was that why Yoohyun signed the contract before his return?
"You'll only promise my brother's safety?"
"...And the S-classes around you."
Oh, so not F-classes. That'll explain why Yoohyun acted the way he did.
"What is there to talk about when you can't even ensure my safety?" I sigh in feigned disappointment. "You said that the source isn't devouring our world. If I sign a contract with you, I'll be a real idiot."
"That's—" It pauses. It must have noticed it. "Han Yoohyun's fire. You were buying time—"
I wrap my arms tightly around Riette and lift the curse on her. The moment Vicus charges at me with a battle cry, Riette jumps backward with me in tow. The curse of violating the contract is offset by my doubled curse resistance.
At the same time, cyan flames put a hole into the space in the dungeon. Yoohyun, Taewon-hyung, and Noah rush in. Sung Hyunjae jumps out of my pocket and reverts to his original size. His golden chains morph into arrows of light and make a pin cushion out of the humanoid dragon.
"Han Yoojin! You think a few S-classes are enough to defeat me?!"
"Thank you for waking me up, mon chéri."
"Hyung! Where did the cut on your neck come from?"
"Sister, let's apologize to Hunter Han Yoojin together after things settle down!"
"The plan's too risky, Yoojin-ah."
"My Yoojin is so popular."
Anyhow, no one is listening to the Master of Curse and Poison Dragon.
"Who's yours?"
I link everyone with my skill. The mental burden isn't too bad, probably because I'm close to three out of five of them.
Although this is the first time this combination of people ever fought alongside each other, their teamwork is perfect with the coordination of my skill. With Sung Hyunjae's battle foresight as the foundation, they are able to back the SS-class humanoid dragon into a corner without the use of my damage-doubling skill. Sung Hyunjae has said that he can deal with an SS-class enemy on his own after all. The humanoid dragon before us isn't the real threat, but the transcendent behind it.
My desire for revenge is no longer as strong as it was, or I'd say I want Yoohyun to have the chance to deal with the transcendent personally so that he can rest easy. In the end, I decided to face the threat with everyone.
...
During the few minutes of me rushing to the scene after receiving the call, I discussed with others what to do.
Since the transcendent wanted my ability as a Perfect Caregiver, my life wouldn't be threatened. I might not even get hurt. The surest way to make the transcendent show themself from behind the scene was to let Riette take me. Although things happened a little suddenly, I'd long rehearsed in my head how these people should fight together. And Sung Hyunjae assured me that everyone would be safe in the end, including himself.
It would sound like an empty assurance from anyone else, but I couldn't help but believe him when he said so.
"The transcendent will likely only show up after the dungeon gate's closed. You and Taewon-hyung should come in only after that. Yoohyun-ah, you said that you tested it out, right?"
"I tested it when you were in the dungeon earlier, but hyung, there's no telling that the transcendent will wait until the gate's closed for certain. It's too dangerous. You should just bring us with you."
"No, They will notice. Our effort will all go to waste if that damn transcendent doesn't show up."
"They won't notice me," the minified Sung Hyunjae said why holding onto the edge of my breast pocket. "I'll go to the dungeon with you."
"Are you certain?"
"I am."
"Alright." I said to Yoohyun, who was rushing to the Association with me in his arms, "Once you get everyone into the dungeon, Yoohyun-ah, grab me first. I checked with the system managers. My curse resistance is at a high enough ranking that I can offset the punishment of your contract violation. Then we'll play by ear. If the transcendent's level is still too high after getting weakened, throw me to Taewon-hyung. I'll use the doubling skill on him."
It was a shame that I'd shared the doubling skill with Sung Hyunjae earlier and couldn't do it in another fifteen days. Still, Taewon-hyung's plundering skill would work well after getting doubled. With him further weakening our enemy, the rest of us could make the final blow.
"...I can do it."
"It's not that I don't trust you, Yoohyun-ah..."
"Your black flames and cyan flames have yet to merge completely, Han Yoohyun. If you lose control when your power is doubled, I won't be able to stop you without critically injuring you. Then Yoojin-ah will hate me."
Yoohyun frowned and called out in a low voice, "Hyung."
"Our Yoohyun is the best. You only need more time to get used to your power." I pet his head. "This ahjussi has lived for millions of years. He was forty-three before our return, and he's thirty-eight in this life. You'll surpass him by thirty, Yoohyun-ah. Doesn't that make you so much more amazing?"
"You broke my heart, Yoojin-ah."
"Serves you right for always taunting my brother."
"Your brother is acting pitiful on purpose."
"And you aren't?"
So that was how the initial plan was formulated.
Before we reached the Association, I told Yoohyun to put me down. Then he ate a cookie and hid in my hand, while the similarly minified Noah hid in the inner pocket of my jacket. Sung Hyunjae stayed in my breast pocket. When I saw the crowd by the barricade tapes put up by the Association, an idea occurred to me. It was embarrassing, but this wasn't the time to care about that.
"Team Leader Han!"
"Good work. Is everyone alright?" I patted a few of my colleagues on the shoulders and gave the civilians who had come to check out of worry a reassuring smile. "Don't worry too much. My brother and the Seseong Guildmaster have gone ahead to support Chief Song. It'll all be resolved soon." I took a deep breath. "My brother's the best and most reliable hunter. Love you, Yoohyun-ah."
[Activated My Brat is the Best(SS)!]
[Influenced individual Han Yoohyun's stats and skill effectiveness +40%]
Although that's far from the ceiling of the skill, it's a nice increase in power. Noah can give Yoohyun more buff in the fight.
A certain someone's being quiet in my breast pocket and doesn't even use the chance to complain, but I can't help but stop after a few steps and turn to say, "Seseong Guildmaster has always been a dependable pillar of Korea, too. Love you, Sung Hyunjae."
[Keyword applied!]
[Activated My Brat is the Best(SS)!]
[Influenced individual Han Yoohyun's stats and skill effectiveness +42%]
What? Where did the two additional people come from? How could he receive a greater buff than Yoohyun... We didn't have time. I had to find Taewon-hyung and Riette. I turned on my heels and ran toward the black dragon.
I must find a chance to compliment Yoohyun before a hundred people at some point.
...
It doesn't take long for the SS-class humanoid dragon to turn into a charred corpse, leaving behind a magic stone. Sung Hyunjae picks it up and gives it to me. Then he pushes me to Taewon-hyung and extends a protective arm. The corpse on the ground stands back up like a puppet being controlled. It takes a staggering step forward. Then another.
"Mere S-classes!" It throws up black blood as it howls. "This doesn't even count as a part of my being—"
The space in the dungeon shakes.
Overwhelming pressure is suddenly upon us. The sky looks like it's been torn open, revealing a black veil that resembles the cosmos. No, that's a scale. It's so large that I can't see the whole of it. It's an existence that can crush a world with its mere movement, at a completely different level than us, who exist within this world.
Riette's guarding Noah, and Yoohyun and Taewon-hyung stand protectively in front of me.
Sung Hyunjae looks up. And he chuckles.
"How rude. Shouldn't you be asking for permission from the owner before entering someone's world?"
His chains turn into light silver threads and wrap around the existence exceeding a world. The great transcendent shrinks to a size that's only a little bigger than Riette's dragon form, and its presence becomes less pressuring.
"You, you're—the source?! No, that's not right. But this world—"
"Hush." Sung Hyunjae waves a hand, and the transcendent loses their voice. The dungeon stabilizes, too. "This is time for my dear partner to resolve his lingering regret."
He turns to look at me. His silver hair flutters slightly. His eyes curve into two moons as he smiles.
"Hello, Han Yoojin-gun. Goodbye."
He drops to his knees all of a sudden. Once the silver light dissipates, his hair and eyes revert to gold. He's so weak that he can't even get back to his feet. I rush to him. There's no time to ask him what the hell is going on. I pop a minifying cookie into his mouth and tuck him safely in my breast pocket, jumping onto Taewon-hyung's back.
"Noah, magic stat! Taewon-hyung, plunder! Yoohyun and Riette, make the final blow!"
As the transcendent swings their arm around and growls silently, Taewon-hyung leaps off the ground with me on his back.
Notes:
For those who have gotten far enough with the main story to know contracted Sung Hyunjae (?) who became Yoojin's opponent because the game is rigged against him, aka the most tragic version of Sung Hyunjae of them all, "Hello" and "Goodbye" is a callback to the most traumatic two identical lines of "안녕" with different meanings and completely different implications I've ever read in my life.
It can be "hello" or "goodbye", and it can be the sendoff of an individual wishing for his end and the return of someone who wants to stay. Or in this case, it's both hello and goodbye from someone who's only here to do one last thing before leaving.How this world came to be and how our Sung Hyunjae was involved will be explained later. And there will be a bonus chapter from his perspective because that was the first thing I came up with with this story ^^
Chapter 23: I Love You
Notes:
The latter part of the chapter and the next chapter are what make the story go from just a little necking every now and then to being rated Explicit, so be warned😅
Chapter Text
He was born with the knowledge that he was different, other. He was something that did not belong to this world.
He didn't care that his supposed caretakers were afraid of him. It was enough to have his basic needs taken care of. He didn't need teaching. Even with books alone, he could easily learn knowledge and skills. No matter what he did, he always got good at it almost immediately, only the process bored him, as if he had repeated it countless times.
Genius. He could hear those whispers around him. Monster. Those who feared him always outnumbered those who admired him.
Even their fearful gazes bored him. It was better to make them like him with his given gifts. Then at least his life would be easier.
It wasn't difficult. He knew that he was beautiful even as a child. While people would joke that ugly children were adored more, they showed more patience and care to pretty ones. He only had to hide his inhuman side, and the eyes on him would warm. They would even question why they had feared him in the first place. Then they would treat him with even more care out of guilt.
It was easy to make those who couldn't see him for what he was like him.
People were strange. They often developed contempt for those they did not fear at all. With someone they instinctively feared, however, they easily developed respect or even adoration if he spared them a little attention. Fear. He did not feel a trace of fear for any humans around him. Only when he looked up at the silver crescent moon in the night sky would he feel an unease he could not place.
Then, if the moon gave him some love, would he come to love her as well?
Life was dreadfully boring. He spent years with an unshakeable feeling of deja vu. The world around him seemed like sketches losing all but the rough shapes under strong light, and he felt like a piece of clothing that had become faded after repeated wash; his form remained, yes, but not his colors.
He could tell that he was walking on a set path. No matter what turn he made, he would end up at the same destination. What was the point of trying, then? Perhaps he could defeat all things in this world, but he couldn't even touch a celestial body outside the world.
Then one day, he opened his eyes, and everything seemed different.
Freedom. He couldn't explain the change with any other term. It was as if the invisible strands tangling him had been cut. Not only could he achieve anything, he had the freedom to do anything. Unfamiliar anticipation filled his chest. Something was waiting for him. He would find his fate. He would find his colors in his world.
When he realized it, he was already on the street, following his unexplainable instinct and going in a certain way. While it was similarly a feeling he could not put into words, it didn't bother him. Perhaps because it came from within him. He knew he wasn't being driven by an outside force.
He saw a boy bawling while looking for something.
"Yoohyun, Yoohyun! I'm sorry. Where are you? Don't hide from hyung. Please—"
His big round eyes were red from crying, and tears covered his face. He fell many times as he ran around, voice hoarse from all the shouting. Yet the boy continued to pick himself up and repeat the same name as loud as he could with his brittle voice.
"Hello." When the boy fell again, he went up to catch him. "Are you looking for someone?"
Reddened eyes looked up at him. They were swollen, but pretty.
"My brother! I, I didn't keep a close enough eye on him. No, I dropped him on purpose, I did. For some reason, I blacked out after that, and now I can't find him."
"Don't worry. I'll help you."
"Really?"
"Really. But you hurt yourself. Let me carry you."
He picked the boy up.
"I'd like to accept, really."
"But Sung Hyunjae-ssi, it's too late."
"If you'd told me that ten years—no, twenty years ago, when I was six or seven, I would've gladly gone with you, even bringing my brother."
Faintly, he seemed to remember something, but the snippet of memory quickly sank back into the bottom of his mind. He didn't have the ability to recover it just yet.
Holding the boy in his arms, however, Sung Hyunjae had a strong hunch.
This person would become his purpose in living.
...
"What are you, Sung Hyunjae, the sleeping beauty?"
"It's been three days. Are you gonna sleep until your birthday?"
"Yerim and Moon Hyuna visited. The lipstick was Yerim's doing. Don't put it on me after you wake up. And seriously, you're turning forty soon. Why does pink lipstick look so good on you?"
"Taewon-hyung visited you even though he's been busy cleaning up the mess. You should buy him a meal after you wake up."
"Noah and Riette returned to France, but they said they would visit Korea when they have the chance."
"Soyoung asked after you, too. She explained your absence by saying that you went on a secret vacation with me. Then I got forced into taking a leave, too. What exactly have you been teaching her?"
"Even Yoohyun came to visit. Well, he came to visit me. He kept asking when I was going home... I went home every day. I just spent the nights here."
"What happened exactly? Was that...you, too? Would you black out again?"
"Sung Hyunjae, I'm going to elope with Taewon-hyung if you don't wake up now."
The hand in my grasp flips around and catches my wrist, pulling me onto the bed. His strong arms wrap around my waist.
"How cruel. You plan to get married with Song Taewon behind my back." Golden eyes blink. Traces of exhaustion linger. "Pink lipstick. I'll put it on every day if you like it."
"What are you saying now?" I pinch his face. "When did you wake up?"
"When you were talking about lipstick."
"Then you should've opened your eyes!"
"I was a little curious."
"You—"
"Sorry for making you cry."
"I didn't cry."
"Of course. You didn't."
He cups my face gently and kisses the corner of my eye, then my cheek and chin. I pin him to the bed and bite his lips to vent my frustration, but it only serves to make my teeth hurt. I get so mad that tears burst out of my eyes.
"Don't you know how to open your mouth when you kiss?"
"Yeah."
"Close your eyes."
"Okay."
His mouth tastes like toothpaste. I was the one to bathe him and brush his teeth. Although it seemed like his body didn't really need taken care of in the short term, I didn't know when he would wake up, and I washed him because I didn't want him to be uncomfortable. Seriously, I never thought I would see him naked for the first time under such context. I was so worried about him that I wasn't in the mood to appreciate how he looked.
Whatever. Although it seems to be a wasted effort given how soon he woke up after that, I would remind him that I've done that for him if he dares to find me troublesome once I get old.
"It seems," he learns quickly and is already kissing back, "that things are truly resolved."
"The contract is...hm...voided." His tongue enters my mouth and licks around curiously. "Myeongwoo, the system manager said...that we don't have to worry anymore...hmph...that tickles."
His hands reach under the hem of my shirt, warm palms pressed to my sides and thumbs rubbing circles on my skin.
"Wait, Sung Hyunjae, you haven't told me what happened." I try to sit up, but he's holding me firmly to him. "Was the one calling me a partner you, too? Why was he able to restrain the transcendent? I thought the system managers would be the ones to step in."
"He was me, but with a much bigger existence." He puts his lips around my Adam's apple and sucks when I lift my head. I gasp. "Since he was me , he could use his power through me. However, it seemed that he was only a fragment of consciousness. It's gone, now."
Is that why he told me hello and then said goodbye? Does this world I'm in owe its existence to that Sung Hyunjae?
"Let's stop talking about him." Sung Hyunjae sits up with me in his arms, quickly unbuttoning my shirt and lowering his head to lick a wet stipe along my sternum, sucking a little mark under my collarbone. "I'll get jealous."
"Didn't you say it was you—hah... Do you get jealous of yourself?"
"What do you think about me doing this with another Han Yoojin?"
"You dare?!"
"I wouldn't dare." He chuckles lowly and mouths my nipple, nibbling it while looking up at me closely for my reaction.
I thought I felt nothing there, but when he sucks and nibbles on me like he's tasting some delicacy, my heart threatens to jump out of my chest. Pleasure ripples in waves. I have to cover my mouth to smother my moans.
"Let go." Sung Hyunjae's voice turns low and hoarse from desires. "I want to hear it, Yoojin-ah."
He moves to my other nipple and starts thrusting his hip, his obvious hard-on rubbing against me. I pant and let him out. He's much bigger than I thought when I bathed him now that he had an erection.
"Were you...a donkey in a past life?"
His silent laugh sprays on my sensitive nipple, making me shudder.
"Perhaps I've been a centaur. I'm not sure."
"...Is a centaur's genital attached to the front or between the rear legs like a horse's?"
"If the lower body is the horse, the genital should be between the rear legs, I believe."
"Wouldn't that would make positioning quite difficult?"
"If you're curious, I'll find a way."
"Don't." I yank my pants down and press our members, already slick with precum, together. "I don't want a trip to the ER."
"Don't worry. I'll take very good care of you."
His hand is much bigger than mine, able to hold both of us together and jerk us. At the same time, his lips find mine again, parting to invite me in. I can feel his pounding heartbeat from his chest, pressed against mine.
He once said "I love you" like it's the easiest thing in the world, but it's not because his feeling is shallow, but because it's natural to him. He said he loved me like he would say it was raining, with no hesitation or delay.
I think I now understand how he felt. The first time I used the word love with him, it was with my skill as an excuse. This time, though, I simply want to express the feelings filling my chest with words.
"I love you, Sung Hyunjae."
Chapter 24: Future
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Have you licked me enough, Sung Hyunjae...hm..."
Although I'm not the most experienced in sex, most people should be eager to get to the penetration part when they are excited, right? Sung Hyunjae, however, reacted quite the opposite. After giving me a long, strong hug, he pinned me to the bed and devoted himself to exploring and marking all parts of my body with kisses and licks. No skin below my neck was left untouched, and hickeys bloomed all over me, especially the chest and the inner thighs. But he just refused to touch where I wanted him to touch, and he stopped me when I tried to touch myself.
"Sung Hyunjae, I'm going to be too sensitive—"
"Cute."
"Hah—!"
It feels like all the nerve endings in my body are ignited. I ejaculate the second time without him even touching my flushed hard-on. It droops limply by his cheek, yet the wicked man continued to suck on my inner thigh. When I'm rendered a shuddering mess, he lifts my legs and licks my legs clean of my come, making sucking noises. Then he seems to have noticed something. He presses a thumb to my taint.
I can't help but scream, kicking at his face uncontrollably as I struggle with a pleasure so strong it feels a little like dying. He doesn't even move away, but instead tilts his head to lick my face, even taking a toe in his mouth.
"Sung Hyunjae! Are you a dog or what?!"
"Do you like roleplaying like that?" He looks at me through his long, curled eyelashes, his golden eyes bright with thick desires. The look makes me want to scold him but also shake in excitement. "I want to make you smell like me all over, Master."
"Don't use a strange line like that!"
He chuckles lowly. "It's the truth. Do you hate it?"
Do I? I'm positively slick with his saliva. While he has obediently refrained from leaving marks where my clothes won't cover, where they will cover is a right mess of hickeys, bitemarks, and hand prints. Even my elbows and knees, which I don't think anyone will consider sexy at all, are not exempt.
"...I don't hate it, but if you continue like this, I'm going to get milked dry before getting to the main thing."
He blinks at me. "What main thing?"
"Don't play dumb!" I kick him lightly. "Who's the one stopping me from touching myself?"
His eyes curve as he bends down until his warm breaths spray on my sensitive cock. It jumps in response.
"I don't want you coming so many times that you hurt, so I tried to prolong our intimate time together while keeping you from reaching climax, but you are more sensitive than I expected."
And I'm more sensitive than I expected. I'm not going to say that, though, or he'll be too full of himself.
He can probably tell all the same. The bastard is way too sensitive in another sense.
"So...before I get licked into raisin...just—"
The tongue I thought would make contact with my cock touches the hole below instead.
"Sung Hyunjae! What are you—"
"It's for the main thing you talked of. This is where a man will receive penetration, is it not? It's too small. I'm a little worried."
"Still, you don't have to...don't have to lick it like that..."
"I have a feeling that I'll get a lovely reaction from you, so I did it. And I'm Master's dog, am I not?" He lifts my legs over his shoulders and licks deep into me. The intrusion is still new to me, and it feels odd, but the mild discomfort is quickly overtaken by even more foreign pleasure.
I barely recognize the sounds escaping my mouth. It's sweet and high-pitched, like I were an animal in heat. My whole body tenses uncontrollably. Even my toes are trembling.
"It's...it's strange...but..."
Why does it feel so good? Is it just because I'm sensitive, or is it because my excitement further ignites my body when I see him pleasure me with his tongue with such devotion? He's been hard the whole time, his erection too big for me to not notice, yet he hasn't touched himself for quite a while, fully concentrating on me.
"It...feels good," I tamp down my embarrassment and shyness to say, covering my face with my arms. "It's just that..." I gulp. "I want you to be inside me when I come this time."
Sung Hyunjae pauses. When he pulls his tongue out, I can feel my body trying to keep him inside.
"Oh dear." He covers his eyes and laughs. "I'm going crazy."
"Are you not crazy enough—wha, what?"
I feel something being inserted into my body. He's opened me up quite well, so whatever it is gets easily sucked in. Then his fingers follow, moving inside me.
"Fruit for lubrication. Produced in a dungeon."
"Can you not use regular lube like a normal person?"
"I can't possibly. You deserve the best, Yoojin-ah. I don't want to make you hurt—unless you want me to give you the right kind of pain in moderation."
It makes me mad that I can't do the same to him.
"With some time, perhaps I can find a skill to adjust my class temporarily."
"Turn off your brain! Think about it later! Shut up and fuck me!"
He chuckles and removes his fingers from me. Then something bigger and thicker presses against my hole, slowly stretching me wide.
I reach out to him without thinking. He bends down to let me hold him while kissing my ears in reassurance.
"Yes, you're doing well," he whispers. "If you don't want to continue, just tell me anytime."
"And you, huff, will just stop?"
"I will. I promise."
"What if...it's you who don't want to continue?"
He laughs lovingly.
"...I'm doing all I can to not pound into you and break you." His voice is so unbearably soft. "But thank you for asking me that."
He enters me slowly while whispering into my ears, "I love you."
He's too big. Soon, he reaches depths I cannot reach when experimenting with my fingers, and my body is stretched to a point that it scares me a little. The moment I call out to him nervously, though, he stops at once, giving me an inquisitive look. That eases me.
"Nothing." I shake my head and tighten my arms around him. "Keep going."
I can't possibly push him off me if he doesn't allow it. I can't hurt him at all if he insists on taking more and more from me. If I claw him with my nails, it's my nails that will break. If I struggle, I'll only break my bones. There exists an objective gap between our strengths. It's not a gap I can just bridge because I want to.
Yet he's always touching me with care and self-control, even in a moment of heat like this. I can tell it's not as easy as usual for him. Veins are popping up on his forehead and neck. He's trying hard not to go too hard.
"I'm said to be on a vacation with you, right? Neither of us has to go to work tomorrow." I bury my face in his shoulder and wrap my legs around his waist. "You can let go a little. Just a little, though. I don't actually want to get broken."
"Of course." His laugh is so very fond. "Curse me out if it stings. Don't break your teeth."
"You're annoy—" He suddenly goes a lot deeper into me and takes my breath away. It doesn't really hurt, but the feeling of being exposed and splayed makes me shudder. "Why...must you be this big?"
"Should I find a way to shrink it?"
"That's not...what I mean." I'm stretched to the point that my body can no longer tighten around him. "...Are you all inside or not? How much more is there?"
"You don't have to take me whole—"
"Just get in." I pull him toward me with the legs wrapped around his waist. He obliges and pounds into me.
Whatever he touches, it makes me scream and cling to him. The powerful pleasure my brain cannot begin to comprehend makes me lose a moment.
"It's all inside. Good boy." Loving kisses fall on my forehead. He's breathing heavily now. "You did well. You're making me feel so good."
I don't know that's a thing that excites me.
Even though my body is screaming and slipping from my control, I still manage to sit up by holding onto him and start riding him with difficulty.
Surprise makes him stop for a moment, but then he bites my shoulder and props me up with both hands on my hip, thrusting in as I move myself downward.
I've gotten used to being filled up, but I don't think I'll ever get used to the pleasure of having him pound and rub against where it feels too good in my body. Tears brim in my eyes. The pleasure is so overwhelmingly powerful that I feel like running away, but at the same time, I can't help but chase the feeling. His low moans and pants drive me mad. I take him whole again and again, holding him tightly like I want to make him part of me.
What's his face like now? I pat him on the back of his head to let me have a look. His pretty blond hair is ruffled like a bird nest, a few strands sticking to his sweaty face and forehead. The flush in his cheeks can be attributed to his effort to control himself or his arousal. His golden eyes, darker than usual, are staring right at me.
Would he feel better with an S-class because he would be able to let go then? No, he wouldn't be interested. And even thinking about it irks me. Even if he has to control himself every moment he makes love with me, he just has to do it. Endure it for me.
"Like last time." Sung Hyunjae presses his forehead to mine. "You look like you're going to devour me, Yoojin-ah."
"I'm already...devouring you." I blink away the tears of overstimulation and grab his hair, kissing him. "I must be your only one, Sung Hyunjae." I bite him on the bottom lip. "Or I promise that you'll never see me again in your long, long life. You may even forget me altogether. I'll find a way."
"Sounds like a proposal to spend a lifetime together."
"Feeling pressured?"
"No." He nudges my cheek with his nose. "I'm happy."
...
I'm exhausted.
After the sex, I became a dead fish. I didn't even have the strength to get up and clean myself. Sung Hyunaje didn't have the problem, of course, but he seemed content with holding me and snuggling me. After wiping my body, he took me to another bedroom to lie down. He didn't seem intent on taking care of the beddings we've messed up.
"'I must be your only one, Sung Hyunjae.' Your dominant side makes the heart flutter, Yoojin-ah. I should've recorded it."
"'I'm Master's dog.' I didn't know you were a masochist."
"Depends on the person. If it's you, I'll happily get shot by you."
"Never in reality...but maybe we can fight in the mental world."
"I won't be able to stop myself from shamelessly taking advantage of you if you keep indulging me, Yoojin-ah."
"Don't you do that enough?"
I comb his hair with my fingers before giving in to the urge to mess it up again. He doesn't resist, but instead leans closer to let me do it.
"Yoohyun's most likely going to visit after work. Taewon-hyung too. We need to clean up before evening."
"They'll notice immediately."
"Well, we can't just not clean up the mess... That'll be inappropriate."
"Let's just burn everything."
"You're not getting married if you stay wasteful."
"Okay. I'll change my way."
"That easy?"
"It's not too early to get married at twenty-five."
"It's too early to get married before even the second date."
"Where do you want to go?"
"A mall, or just any shop selling clothes. To buy something for you. Have you ever gone shopping like that for yourself?"
"No." He thinks for a moment. "I haven't taken the bus or the subway, either."
"As expected of the young master of a rich family." I poke him in the chest. Then I can't help but poke a few more times because the feel of it is addicting. There are many parts of his body I haven't explored properly. I should cuff him next time. Although he can easily break out, he'll play along if I ask him to.
His large hands start massaging my sore waist. I groan and lie on him. While my body is exhausted, my mind is clear.
"Yoojin-ah."
"Hm."
"You like children, don't you?"
"Hm? Yeah. Human children are cute, and so are young monsters."
"Do you want a child?"
I look up at him with wide eyes, surprised.
He curls his lips into a smile and continues to massage me with one hand, his other hand pressed to my chest.
"Do you remember what I said about our future son?"
"You said he visited you in a dream."
"It's an illusion fairy dragon, most likely the perfect result the transcendent mentioned. It looks like a child combined with a piece of me, reared by you. He looks like me, but resembles you more in heart."
I pause. "Do you want a kid, though? If not for the dream, you wouldn't think of having another existence that resembles you, would you?"
"Perhaps not." Sung Hyunjae looks a little confused himself. "To be frank, I don't want more people fighting for your attention, but he's a special child. He'll help you a lot." He pauses. "And we seem to have spent quite some time together. When I saw him, I had the thought that I'd willingly take care of him and love him."
"It's a little odd to have a child in order to recreate a specific child."
He chuckles. "As long as you have a child with me in this particular way, the child will be him. It's not the other way around. Even so, the decision is in your hand, Yoojin-ah. I'm only letting you know about the option."
Children...it's not that I've never thought about it. Due to our differing lifespans, no matter how hard I try to exceed the constraints of my class, I may still leave Sung Hyunjae alone in this world for a long time. If there's a child keeping him company, won't he be a little less lonely? Still, it seems selfish to bring a life into this world for that reason alone.
"Don't think too much." He pulls me back into his arms. "If you want a child, have one. If you don't, you don't. Just let me know once you make up your mind."
"...You said he looked like you when you were young. Must be adorable."
"Yeah."
"It's good that his personality resembles me more."
"True."
"And you just agreed?" I nuzzle him with my face. "It's a little too early to consider that. Let's think about our next date first."
"You're right. After all, for you to willingly have a child with someone, they must be gentle and romantic to you and give you expensive gifts."
I choke. "I was just saying whatever then."
"I think you make a lot of sense." Sung Hyunjae's bright smile makes him look much younger. He looks like a college student like that. "Dates come first. Then the proposal. Is the entire Seseong expensive enough as a gift? If not, I do have quite a lot of assets overseas. How about a wedding in Europe? I have a mansion that'll serve the purpose well."
"This is you being shameless!"
But I can't help but laugh, too. Even just talking about the future fills my heart with anticipation.
Notes:
Sung Hyunjae and Yoojin will definitely continue to have insane banter while having sex and you can't convince me otherwise.
Also, the literal power imbalance between them always fascinates me. It's something Yoojin had to come to terms with all throughout the original. Hyunjae, too, learned to love someone as an equal.
Chapter 25: The Wish of One and the Love of Many
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Yoojin-oppa! Are you back from your honeymoon with Seseong-ahjussi?"
"Honey—ack, ack... Yerim-ah—ack, ack, ack—we aren't married yet."
"Water, hyung."
"You alright, Yoojin-ah?"
"Hm...it seems that hyung-nim hasn't had much sleep the past two days."
"Huh? Why? Are you losing sleep, Yoojin-oppa?"
"...You'll know in the future. Moon Hyuna, stop corrupting her."
I take the thermos Yoohyun offers and drink some water. Sung Hyunjae claps me on the back and keeps his hand on my nape afterward, rubbing circles on my skin like he's doing it unconsciously.
Yoohyun shoots him a glare but doesn't comment on it. He simply rests his hand on my elbow. Meanwhile, Taewon-hyung alone carries two large baskets and a backpack in the back. I feel guilty looking at him.
"Hey, Sung Hyunjae. Weren't you carrying one of the baskets?"
Sung Hyunjae whispers into my ear. "You still seemed sore, so."
Yoohyun shoots him another glare, while Moon Hyuna, walking in the front with Yerim, turns around to give me a teasing look.
Seriously, are we the only ones with a sex life in this group? ...Well, Yerim and Yoohyun are still young, so they don't count. Taewon-hyung...doesn't seem interested in things like that. Is he asexual? Moon Hyuna should be good at flirting and dating though, right? And Yerim said that she had a special relationship with Hunter Evelyn.
"I can still walk."
"If you couldn't, I would be carrying you."
"Yoohyun won't let me fall."
"The culprit should take responsibility, right?"
"And you want to take responsibility so much?"
"I do."
Yoohyun exhales slowly before giving me a gentle smile. "Hyung, I'll carry things for Chief Song."
"Our Yoohyun's the best." I pat him on the head. "Unlike a certain someone who's always creating trouble for his friend."
That someone rests his whole arm on my back once Yoohyun moves to the back to share some of the things Taewon-hyung is carrying. He doesn't seem embarrassed at all when he says, "Lover before friend. Song Taewon won't mind."
"I thought it's hoes before bros."
"You're too important to me for the word to apply, but you can be very erotic when you want to."
Moon Hyuna, who's covered Yerim's ears, lets out a dramatic series of fake coughs. Yerim looks at up her with confusion. She shakes her head and points at Sung Hyunjae, making to vomit.
Well, although this man is quite shameless, he's genuine when he confesses and compliments me, and I'm not averse to his praises.
Before entering the dungeon gate, I knock on it thrice on behalf of everyone before leading the way in. The space we enter is somewhat similar to the dream I had. Before us stands a tree as white as snow. Every leaf is a pure white feather. Fallen on the ground, they look like snow. The space around us isn't a black void, though, but ocean blue with colorful corals and seaweeds covering the ground. The picture painted is quite magical and dreamlike.
It doesn't feel like we're breathing underwater, and there's no resistance as I walk. Is this an illusion?
"Honey! And Chain and Eclipse. The brother is here, too! Oh, so are Master of Ocean and Guardian of the Little Moon!"
...Those are some impressive titles. I wave at Haneul and the man standing behind him, Myeongwoo. I introduce them and my group.
"Haneul, Myeongwoo, you seem to know my friends already, but I'll still introduce you just in case. This is my brother Yoohyun, our beloved Yerim, and her guardian Moon Hyuna, as well as Taewon-hyung, who's been an invaluable support. These two are the system managers, Haneul and Myeongwoo. The past couple of months—no, all this time, they have been helping me a lot."
Haneul blushes a little and breaks into a wide beam. Myeongwoo nods with a gentle smile.
"I came to thank you properly. We were in too much of a rush to leave after dealing with Diarama and didn't talk much or say thanks in the right way." I scratch my face. "Um, can you eat our food? Why don't we treat you to a meal? You baked us cookies, so I assumed you could eat our food, and Myeongwoo came from a world like ours, right?"
"We can eat." Myeongwoo nods and pats Haneul on the head. "Is this a picnic?"
I poke Sung Hyunjae in the side. He takes a few picnic blankets out of his inventory and places them on the ground—the visuals of blankets on corals are fascinating, I must say. Taewon-hyung and Yoohyun lower the large baskets in their hands. Inside are a great variety of food Sung Hyunjae prepared yesterday.
"Whoa, that's a lot! And the kimbap! Is this Peace?" Yerim takes a kimbap made to resemble Peace's paw. "And the black cats!"
Moon Hyuna checks the wine bottles. "Tsk, it's one thing to not prepare alcohol for awakeners, but really? Carbonated drinks with no sugar or alcohol content?"
"Drinking is bad for health," Yoohyun and Sung Hyunjae say at the same time before exchanging a strange look. Actually, no. It seems that Yoohyun's the only one feeling disturbed.
Taewon-hyung nods in agreement, and even Myeongwoo seems to share the sentiment. Moon Hyuna blinks before breaking into a laugh. With a swipe of her hand, she opens a bottle, pouring the foaming non-alcoholic drink into the glasses.
"Might as well. Yerim can't drink yet, and you...Haneul, is it? You're underaged as well, aren't you?"
"I'm really old," Haneul grumbles. "Older than all—most of you."
Myeongwoo hands a riceball to Haneul and mixes the bibimmyeon for everyone. "No transcendent will intervene with this world now. You may rest easy. While the dungeons will rise in difficulty for a while, it'll stop once reaching SS class. By then, most S-class hunters will have grown to reach SS-class, too, so the dungeons won't be harder to manage than they are now."
"That'll be great." I sit down next to Yoohyun. Sung Hyunjae immediately claims the seat on my other side. "I was worried about the rising difficulty and had been considering how the Korean S-classes should be organized. Then I got the Teacher skill, but the same practice wouldn't be replicable overseas."
"Are you not worried about losing your job, hyung-nim?" Moon Hyuna teases, handing me a glass of carbonated drink.
"There will always be things to do, and I can always raise mounts instead." I wait until everyone's got their glass of drink. "Finally, we settled things once and for all. Thank you all for your help. May the world continue to have peace."
"Yoojin-oppa didn't ask for my help," Yerim mutters.
"He has the excuse of finding you too young, but not telling me either? Unforgivable." Moon Hyuna ruffles Yerim's short hair. "There's no second time, Han Yoojin."
"Things were chaotic at the beginning. There won't be a next time."
I raise my glass to toast everyone. Moon Hyuna joins naturally. Yerim sneaks a few ice cubes into my glass and grins at me. Yoohyun very carefully touches my glass only. Taewon-hyung looks a little awkward, but he joins the toast. Myeongwoo, looking nostalgic, keeps his eyes on me. Haneul has to lie down a little on the blanket and raise his glass with difficulty due to having shorter arm.
Sung Hyunjae doesn't even have his glass. He just drinks from mine after the toast.
What are you smiling so prettily for? You're still childish.
Then Moon Hyuna drags Taewon-hyung into a conversation, while Yerim seems curious about Haneul and bombards him with questions; Haneul answers patiently. Outside of having the food I hand him, Yoohyun simply stares at me. Sung Hyunjae, on the other hand, makes it a mission to feed me and to take food from my mouth.
Myeongwoo remains quiet behind Haneul, seemingly listening in on the boy's conversation with Yerim. Every now and then, Myeongwoo would look over at me.
"Um, I'm going to chat with Myeongwoo."
"Hyung...is that okay?"
"Don't worry. They can be trusted. Sung Hyunjae, be good while I'm away."
The incorrigible man looks up at me and blinks his pretty eyes, letting out a bark.
The others look over at us with strange expressions. I swat Sung Hyunjae on the forehead and jog up to Myeongwoo. He only has to wave to bring us to the shade under the feather tree.
"What is it?" Myeongwoo asks softly.
"Um, you said before that the world was created by the wish of one and the love of many. Was the one Sung Hyunjae with silver hair and eyes?"
Myeongwoo nods. "He was created to replicate a Source. While he does not become the beginning and end of countless worlds like real Sources, he's enough to support one world, and his wish created yours."
I nod, not fully understanding. "What is his wish? Although he created this world, he's a different entity from my Sung Hyunjae, right? Only a small piece of him remained with Sung Hyunjae, and that disappeared when dealing with Diarama."
"It's a long story." Myeongwoo sighs softly and sits down with his back against the tree trunk. He pats on the ground next to him. "There was once a Han Yoojin who lost his Han Yoohyun."
I sit down, my chest feeling tight.
"He walked a long, long way and overcame a great many difficulties, suffering much before saying farewell to one Han Yoohyun."
"One?"
Myeongwoo turns to me. "When you returned, your Han Yoohyun returned with you, but that wasn't the case for his Han Yoohyun. The moment he returned, he regained a brother while losing another."
Even thinking of the possibility makes it hard for me to breathe. If my Yoohyun had not returned with me, what should I do?
"You were already Han Yoohyun's sole world and will always be. Wherever you go, he'll go with you." Myeongwoo then explains, "That Han Yoojin changed countless world in the process of his long farewell to the brother he lost. Because he lost his brother, no Han Yoojin would lose theirs. Although painful, he accepted it. He led a good life with the brother who was five years younger than he was, and he was surrounded by those who cared about him."
"He had questioned if he made a mistake when he was led to return under falsehood, but without that past, there would be no present where countless Han Yoojin could be safe together with his brothers." Myeongwoo shakes his head. "But a man wished to create a world that's been through a rewind, where Han Yoojin didn't lose his brother after returning, where he wouldn't face so many difficulties and suffer so much, where he would grow up surrounded by love."
"...The Sung Hyunjae of that Han Yoojin."
"There's also the possibility he simply wished to claim almost as much space in your heart as your brother." Myeongwoo huffs. "He's an egocentric man after all."
I think back to the Sung Hyunjae who appeared briefly. What was he thinking when he greeted me and bade me farewell in the same breath? What was he feeling when he smiled?
"Whatever the reason...I'm grateful to him."
I look over at Yerim, who's playing rock paper scissors with Haneul for some reason, Moon Hyuna, who's spectating, and Taewon-hyung, who's moved to be a human wall between Sung Hyunjae and Yoohyun. Yoohyun hasn't looked away from me, and when I look at him, he cocks his head in question. Sung Hyunjae, ever the keen man, notices my gaze and mouths at me: I miss you already.
"I'm doing well. I'm happy. Although it feels weird to depend on people like this, it's not a bad kind of weird."
Myeongwoo glances at me. "He has done better than expected."
I snort. "You seem to dislike him."
"Every Han Yoojin is too soft."
"Isn't my Sung Hyunjae doing quite well?"
"It's because the world has changed that he managed to do what he did, and the change of the world and certain individuals had nothing to do with him."
"Ah, is that because of the love of many?"
Myeongwoo nods.
"...I suddenly feel reassured." I prop myself up with my hands on my knees. "Not a lot of people can say that they have the support of the system managers, let alone the whole world. And I'm living the way I am now because many wish for me to be safe and happy, right?" I chuckle. "I have to do right by them and live a healthy life until I'm five thousand."
After a pause, Myeongwoo lets out a bright laugh I haven't heard before.
"Yes, please strive for that."
Notes:
The part about one Yoojin losing a Yoohyun so that the countless Yoojin wouldn't have to part with his brothers is from the original side story. I love that part so much I just had to include it here. Again, S-class really is a story about love at its core.
Chapter 26: Epilogue
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Who else would hold a birthday party on a ferry? And invited so many people, gathering almost all the high-ranking hunters in the world in one place. It's impossible for nothing to go wrong. While this isn't Korea and the ferry has left its territorial sea, Taewon-hyung will be running himself to the bones to maintain order. The birthday boy is a troublemaker who'll happily watch things burn after all. He won't do anything as long as the world and the few he cares about are safe. Actually, he may stoke the fire to induce a clash.
Speaking of the man of the hour, don't invite so many people if you're bored entertaining the guests. Seseong doesn't need to build more connections, does it?
Wonderful. He's ignoring the guest while making a cocktail. I have a feeling that he'll do something strange if the guest continues to bother him, such as putting the stem of the mint into the guest's pocket with the leaves picked off.
To avoid traumatizing an innocent guest and giving Taewon-hyung a worse headache, I weave through the group to the man who stands out even among A-classes and S-classes. When he looks at the mint stem in his hand like he's debating whether to put it in the guest's pocket or through the skull, I shove a sandwich, sans crust, into his mouth.
The guest talking at him sucks in a shocked breath and takes several steps back, even taking out a defense item. I wave at him with a smile before getting pulled into Sung Hyunjae's arms.
"I mishoo."
"Don't talk with food in your mouth, and don't act cute."
He chews the sandwich in his mouth with a smile, looking quite adorable with bulging cheeks, dammit. Once he finishes the sandwich, he hands me the cocktail he's made and bends down to kiss me.
The guest who's stepped back stumbles.
"Don't make things so big next time. It's troublesome, and you don't like it."
"This is for Soyoung."
"Oh, you're really thinking about retirement?"
"I'm thinking about stepping behind the scenes. Soyoung has the ambition and capability to lead the guild."
"Are you sure you aren't doing this because you find guild matters troublesome?"
"Many tried to get something from the Seseong Guildmaster." Noticing my reaction, he takes my hand with a beam. "I've dealt with them legally. Don't worry."
"Why can't you be a nobody with no job?"
"Is your dominant side showing again, Yoojin-ah?"
"Or be a poor model. You only need your face and your body."
"Thanks for the compliment." He leads me to the deck. "Now that you no longer need powerful support, I'll happily have you as my sugar daddy."
An A-class hunter falls off the stairs. Hmm, as long as the floor isn't broken.
The party started in the afternoon. It's now deep into the night. A silver moon hangs in the sky. Sung Hyunjae told me that he once despised the moon when he was little, but looking at it now, he only thinks, 'Yoojin will find it beautiful.'
And it is beautiful, the moon, and him under the moonlight. His frame is rimmed silver, and his eyelashes catch the luminance.
I pull him to an empty corner and hand him the glass of cocktail, spending some time to kiss him thoroughly.
"Yoojin seems to be treating me as a glass stand."
"This is me trusting your self-control."
"Are we using handcuffs next time, too?"
"Sung Hyunjae, if you keep talking like this, someone's going to fall into the ocean."
"That's not for me to care about."
I laugh and put a pair of cufflinks on his sleeves.
"This is a gift from me before I regained my memory. They can be taken into a dungeon." The cufflinks are golden roses, a little flashy, but suit him perfectly. "Still, cufflinks are a little...like gifts for Father's Day, right? And you don't wear a suit every day now."
He quietly holds my gaze, waiting for me to continue.
"So, well..." I clear my throat. "Give me your hand."
I take out a ring from my inventory and put one on him. The design is simple since the other one of the pair is mine, and I'm really not used to overly extravagant accessories, equipment or not.
"Myeongwoo said that it worked similarly to the gate stones, only the teleportation would take one ring to the other. It's limited to one teleportation per day, and every use costs quite a lot of mana. The teleportation range is almost limitless, though. Unless you somehow end up in a different world for some reason, we will be in range to go to the other instantly. Myeongwoo doesn't like you much, but—"
"Yoojin-ah."
"—he still trusts you to protect me and thus willingly created the rings for me. What?"
"Where's the other ring?"
"Well, here."
He takes it and slowly puts it on for me before planting a kiss on my finger, now wearing a ring.
"Is this marriage?" he asks.
"Wha-what?"
"My thanks to the system managers. I'll send them the celebration candies as soon as possible."
"This is your birthday gift!"
"And it just so happens to be rings, fitting our ring fingers perfectly."
"I mean, we're gonna wear one sooner or later, and wouldn't it be better to not waste money on making another pair of rings? Also, this is much more practical."
"This is our engagement, then. I must tell Song Taewon now."
"Sung Hyunjae, give me your phone! Hey!"
He waves a hand, and the glass of cocktail is sent away to the deck not far from us. He pulls me into a kiss.
Because we cannot stop smiling for the life of us, the kiss keeps getting interrupted. We even knock teeth once.
It's ridiculous. But we can't be happier.
Notes:
And this is the end of the main story. There will be three bonus stories after this. ^^
I'm leaving for work soon and won't be able to translate anything for quite a while, so I'm rushing a little. I want to get to the first bonus story before that.😊
Chapter 27: The Birth of a World
Summary:
On how the world came to be.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Young lady."
The sobbing face was still youthful, but no longer childlike. For the past few decades, Sung Hyunjae had witnessed her change as the spouse of her caretaker. He wouldn't call himself her caretaker for that, but he had shown her care indirectly, and that had resulted in personal feelings. Thus, he was able to kneel before Bak Yerim and hug her tight at this moment.
Bak Yerim didn't cry for too long. She extracted herself bashfully after calming down, removing the tearstains she got onto Sung Hyunjae's collars with a curl of her fingers.
"Thank you," she said quietly, swaying with her arms around her knees. "Are you alright, Seseong-ahjussi? Is what's happening inside...finished?"
"Just about. Gyeol's seeing the guests off." Sung Hyunjae smiled. "He sent me to seek you out."
"Oh, Auntie should've done better, Gyeol. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just run off—"
"Don't worry. No one will blame you, young lady."
Bak Yerim nodded, tilting the head resting on her knees to Sung Hyunjae with her lips pursed.
"Hey, Gyeol must have been worried about Seseong-ahjussi too to send you after me. Do you hate staying inside?"
Sung Hyunjae wasn't too surprised. After all, when he was watching Bak Yerim, Bak Yerim was watching him, too. Time spent together didn't necessarily crystallize into feelings, but it would come with understanding, especially when the interactions had been genuine. He wasn't surprised that Bak Yerim could read him to some degree.
"It's irritating, to have these many irrelevant people here."
They used Han Yoojin's name with familiarity, saying, "He'd helped me a lot," "He was my role model," or "It was a great loss." Sung Hyunjae wasn't easily affected, and he was good at ignoring those whose existence meant nothing to him. However, he found himself unable to do that today. His keen hearing caught every comment about the man he had said goodbye to. Even benevolent comments got on his nerves.
Why would those who had only met Han Yoojin a couple times cry for him? Why would those who only interacted with him at work speak as if a corner of their worlds had crumbled? Their feelings were so small, yet they expressed everything in the loudest voice and action.
"Was it...because they were all staring at Seseong-ahjussi?"
Sung Hyunjae blinked. "No. And they were staring at you as well, were they not?"
Not out of malice. They simply looked at those Han Yoojin was closest to without thinking: children, partner, friends. Were Han Yoohyun here, he would be under the most scrutiny, but he wouldn't have cared. And he was granted the privilege to depart from this world after Han Yoojin. The brothers had built themselves around each other as the core. Han Yoojin wasn't that much different than his brother in this regard.
Sung Hyunjae's core would always be himself, but what kept him whole while holding onto his identity were precious memories lent to him.
Now, a much greater volume of memories from the same source filled his existence—Han Yoojin's parting gift.
"Let them stare. It's not the first time, and more will be looking at me moving forward, right? I'm now the guildmaster after all. Seseong-ahjussi...would it be Dodam-ahjussi from now on?"
"Seseong's been Soyoung and Gyeol's for a while. You need not change your address for me now. And Gyeol shares ownership over the rearing facility."
"That's tough. Although Gyeol will do very well."
"He will."
Bak Yerim watched the dispersing mourners quietly for a moment.
"I kept thinking if there were things I could've done better. If I had been of greater help, would ahjussi not be as exhausted? If ahjussi could've pushed himself less, would he have stayed with us for a little longer?"
"Then wouldn't that make me the greatest offender?"
"I didn't mean it that way. It's just that—" Bak Yerim shook her head. "Ahjussi worked so hard. Solved one problem, and he was already thinking about the next. Once a Source was stabilized, he worried about another Source. When he could finally rest , he only had a little more time. If only he didn't have to push himself. If only there were people taking care of him like he took care of us."
Sung Hyunjae gave that a moment. "Then let's create it, a world like that."
Bak Yerim looked up with surprise.
"I got a gift—it's close to the entirety of Han Yoojin's memories. As a semi Source, while I cannot prop up countless worlds like Han Bin and young master, I should be able to create one world." Sung Hyunjae pressed a hand to his chest and felt his jittering heart settle down. "As a special privilege to the one who inspired the idea, what do you want your relationship with Han Yoojin to be in that world, young lady?"
"Huh? Can I just choose?" Bak Yerim scratched her head. "Well...although I want to be special to ahjussi, I don't want to burden him further. Han Yoohyun alone is a big enough trouble."
Sung Hyunjae chuckled. "But you need a guardian at a younger age. How about Moon Hyuna?"
"Is Hyuna-eonnie going to be my real sister?"
"Following the logic of you calling Yoojin ahjussi, shouldn't she be ahjumma to you?"
"Shh—don't get into a fight with her here!"
Sung Hyunjae laughed.
"Aren't you sad? That Yoojin gave his memories to me."
"Seseong-ahjussi has to walk a long way on your own. It makes sense that ahjussi would be worried." Then Bak Yerim seemed to have an idea, looking at Sung Hyunjae with bright round eyes. "Can you take my memories, too? That Bak Yerim may like Hyuna-eonnie more, but I hope she'll like ahjussi, too."
"Of course. And with a little shard from you, that Bak Yerim should awaken as an S-class."
Bak Yerim beamed. "Even better. That Bak Yerim will surely become stronger than Han Yoohyun earlier! She'll be someone ahjussi depends on!"
"That'll be difficult, the part about being someone Yoojin depends on."
Bak Yerim's face crumbled. "Why?"
Sung Hyunjae's eyes curved in a smile.
"Because that will be my role."
*
"I heard that you were no longer satisfied with making a guild and making a child, but are now thinking about being a creator god."
"That's a little dramatic. I'm simply making sure that the accumulation of this existence does not go to waste."
"I've known you for many years, and I still don't get half of the words out of your mouth."
"Once I return to Yeonri when meeting my natural end," Sung Hyunjae said, "I will become a feather of the endless wings, able to carry the weight of a single world."
Moon Hyuna clicked her tongue with a hand propping her chin. "Put simply, once you die and return to the Source, the world you imagine will grow out of your dead body."
"I won't put it that way, but the idea is there."
"How terrifying is the love of an existence like you." She shook her head and sipped on her wine. "Crescent Moon destroyed worlds for love, the White Bird saved countless worlds with the sacrifice of one person for love, and now you're creating a world for your love... Alright, at least you're not making too much trouble for others. I hope the me of that world will cross paths with you less."
"It seems you don't want to be part of Yoojin's life. I'm glad to have one less person taking up his attention, but it'll be irresponsible of you as young lady's guardian."
Moon Hyuna blinked. "Wait, I'll be Yerim's guardian?"
"Young lady wish for that Yoojin to have a lighter burden."
"But it'll be a shame for hyung-nim to no longer be Yerim's guardian, won't it? Oh, I know." Moon Hyuna smiled. "It won't be a problem if hyung-nim and I get married, right? I'll raise the children with him as his partner. Don't worry—hey! I just got a haircut!"
"Shave it before it all falls off." Sung Hyunjae narrowed his eyes. "Yoojin will be under the care of the other me as he grows up, and he will keep you away."
"Is it just me, or have you become more possessive?"
Because he missed him.
During the hundred and some years after he met Han Yoojin, how much of Han Yoojin's time belonged to Sung Hyunjae? He knew Han Yoojin would always prioritize his brother, and Sung Hyunjae was at most as important as Bak Yerim, Gyeol, and the other children. How many days in a year were allocated to him? Did he have thirty years of Han Yoojin's whole life, or less? He didn't like suffering losses, yet he could foresee that in the long years ahead of him, he would be missing the man he lost for the less than thirty years they had had together.
The bitter feeling would turn into nostalgia one day, and he would even find it a happy occasion to visit and clean up the tomb. Because that was the kind of existence Sung Hyunjae was, because that was what Han Yoojin was to him.
Sensing the change in his mood, Moon Hyuna sighed and extended a hand.
"Take some of my memories, too. Memories that'll make sure that I take care of Yerim well as her guardian."
"Not now. I'll do that when you're leaving this world."
Moon Hyuna snorted. "What, are you moonlighting as the Grim Reaper now?"
She poured wine into the empty glass before Sung Hyunjae and raised her own glass.
"Hyung-nim asked me to take care of you and Song Taewon for him. I was wondering why someone like you would need any taken care of, but he did know you the best."
"You'll pass away before the young lady."
"I don't need the reminder." Moon Hyuna touched his glass. "I can't believe this is coming from me, but you don't have to let Yoojin stop you, Sung Hyunjae. You have a long life ahead of you."
Sung Hyunjae raised an eyebrow.
"Yoojin said that," he said. "When you, him, and Song Taewon were drinking together. He told you he didn't mind me having a relationship with other people after he left."
"How did you—right, he gave you his memories."
"If I get together with anyone, that would be me doing what he would want rather than what I want." Sung Hyunjae finished his wine and stood up. "I'm not planning on letting him go."
"...You'll be twenty when he's seven. Please don't do anything strange."
Sung Hyunjae smiled.
"Don't worry. I'll treasure the time when I can take care of him as a child. If our relationship is to change, it has to be him taking the step to change it."
Moon Hyuna shot back, "And you don't plan to seduce him at all?"
"I'll be seducing him by simply being in his life." Sung Hyunjae let out a low chuckle when he remembered a moment in the past. "I'm his ideal type."
Moon Hyuna kicked him out with a gust of wind. Sung Hyunjae left through the balcony.
*
Sung Hyunjae wasn't surprised when Noah sought him out.
It wasn't for him, but for the one who had left. Every time Sung Hyunaje crossed paths with Noah, it was because of Han Yoojin, and the reverse was also true. They didn't care about each other at all.
For Sung Hyunjae's ideal development, it would be better if that Noah's was a higher class, so he accepted Noah's promise to give him his memories. Riette wasn't in for giving Han Yoojin's a different life, no. She merely wanted a chance to reconcile with her brother earlier, and thus she picked memories that would bring her fear.
Kang Soyoung, when hearing the news, hinted that she would like to be someone with a dragon in that world, too. The system managers, now father and son, threatened that they would be watching him and didn't say much else. Puppeteer, whom Sung Hyunjae had informed simply to see how he would react, didn't care about what Sung Hyunjae was going to do. But Sigma did send a message: he wanted to make sure that the Sung Hyunjae and C-class of that world wouldn't get into as much trouble.
Seol and Byeol, who had been going all over the world since a long time ago, didn't get involved. Byeol thought it would be nice to be a dragon in her next life, and Seol only cared about Byeol. If Byeol would not get reborn out of a magic stone, Seol found no reason to be Han Yoojin's child again.
Gyeol seemed saddened by that, but didn't argue. They only became siblings in this world as a result of countless coincidences. Even his birth was not something bound to happen by fate.
"Are you not going to say it?"
"...What?"
"Say that you want to be Dad's son again."
Gyeol scrunched up the face that was identical to Sung Hyunjae's but gave a completely different impression. "What if I say it? I'm Dad's child, not yours."
"According to Yoojin, I've made a fingernail worth of contribution, and you are my son legally."
"That's only because you and Dad—" Gyeol made a face like he had bitten into a lemon, scowling because of the undeniable truth. He looked so much like Yoojin when he heard something he hated. The nostalgia made Sung Hyunjae chuckle.
Gyeol looked panicked. Then he blinked in confusion.
"Your expression—"
"Yes?"
"Nothing." Gyeol pursed his lips and stayed quiet for a long moment before saying, "Dad only gave birth to me in order to take Uncle home, but I don't want Dad to be that tired anymore. Isn't that why you want to create a different world?"
"You don't have to be born for power."
Gyeol blinked at him.
"You can be born simply because you are wanted. The child will be born under anticipation and grow up with love."
While he looked like an adult, his widened eyes had not changed from when he was a child.
"Just because..." Gyeol's voice wavered. "Just because Dad wants a child?"
Not the result of a plan he started in desperation but would never be able to carry out, not a life born in this world to be killed. They needed not feel guilty about each other or doubt themselves.
"Is that...possible?"
Sung Hyunjae nodded. Gyeol's breath hitched like he had forgotten how to do it properly. With a blink, his tears fell.
Gyeol hadn't cried after Han Yoojin's passing and at his funeral. He calmly took care of the funeral affairs, welcomed the guests, and gave a speech, even sending Sung Hyunjae, who had lost his calm, to comfort an equally shaken Bak Yerim. It wasn't because Gyeol was numb, but that his emotions had filled his heart to such a brim that a touch would break the dam.
Gyeol had been hiding from everyone for days. Sung Hyunjae only saw him by chance when seeking out Seol and Byeol.
"Come to my dream tonight."
"...Why?"
"Because I'll dream of Yoojin."
"Just, just because you have Dad's memories." Gyeol wiped his tears and shoved Sung Hyunjae, then he mouthed "sorry" like he regretted it. "Why? Why did Dad give you his memories?"
"It's probably because I'm the greatest trouble, and Yoojin was most concerned about me." Sung Hyunjae gently held Gyeol in his arms. "So you don't have to be an obedient kid next time. You don't have to worry about losing the love of your dads."
"Don't, don't use plural."
"But our Gyeol is going to be born under anticipation and love, right?" Sung Hyunjae chuckled. "Yoojin and I fall in love. He wants a child with me because he loves me. Then he finds out that he can do just that with the power of the Caretaker title. And thus, our Gyeol is born."
"Dad! Why must you like someone like this?!"
"If you don't like the name Sung Hangyeol, how about Han Sunggyeol?"
"Marry Uncle Taewon instead, Dad! Just get some memory from this one! That won't count as cheating!"
"Our Gyeol will like me, too. We'll be a happy family of three."
"Dad! Don't get fooled by this face again!"
"But Gyoel takes after me appearance-wise because Dad likes the face, right?"
"Please shut your mouth!"
Although they started bickering once more like they usually did, Gyeol never broke out of Sung Hyunjae's embrace, and all of his tears got onto Sung Hyunjae's collars.
*
"What a rare surprise."
"...May I come in?"
"Of course. I welcome the visit of my night anytime."
That had not been true for a while. Although Sung Hyunjae treasured Song Taewon, he valued his time alone with Hang Yoojin more, and he had on some occasions hung up on Song Taewon or kept him outside.
But now, Sung Hyunjae did welcome his night to visit anytime, be it Song Taewon or his ending.
"Have you eaten? Want a cupcake?" Sung Hyunjae took a tray half filled with cupcakes from the fridge. "Gyeol didn't take a lot. I made too much."
Song Taewon hesitated. "Thank you."
The small red velvet cupcakes made Song Taewon's hands seem even bigger by comparison. Although the man didn't have a sweet tooth, he had gotten used to being fed by Sung Hyunjae and Han Yoojin; he could even call each dessert by name, now.
Sung Hyunjae pulled a chair across the table and patiently waited for Song Taewon to open his mouth—even though he knew what Song Taewon was here to say already. After all, harassing this man had been his few sources of fun.
"About you creating a world," Song Taewon only started after finishing the cupcake with proper chewing. "Won't that have any negative effects?"
"On the Source?" Sung Hyunjae asked even while knowing the answer.
"On you. An S-class's life can be continued in a next life, but you..."
"I've existed in many worlds and witnessed many worlds' destruction. It doesn't matter to me if there will be a next time. I'm going to choose my final life." Sung Hyunjae smiled with a hand propping his chin. "And Song Taewon, you can sense that you're going to live a long time, can't you? I'll live even longer, seeing off Han Yoojin, Han Yoojin's children, those he's ever cared about, and finally you. Only my young master, the second Source, will be there to witness my end. The world born then will be a gift to myself and my dear partner, as well as my young master."
His eyes curved. "And who knows? Perhaps the Yoojin of that world will do something unpredictable and allow our memories and lives to live on in a different way. My young master will be able to see it, I'm sure. He can see what change the different beginning will bring."
He handed Song Taewon a tissue. "Don't you have a wish, Song Taewon? Perhaps I can fulfill it for you."
Song Taewon was silent for a long time. Although the man had gotten better at it, he was still bad at expressing what he wanted. And he was often unsure about his own feelings. When Yoojin was still around, he was the one to get nosy more often than not. Then the job became Sung Hyunjae's. He and Song Taewon lost their spring on the same day, but at least Sung Hyunjae could continue to be Song Taewon's trouble, until the day the man who was no longer the eclipse built a strong enough sense of self.
"I'm not sure that I'll be able to change the past of you losing your older brother, but with some of your memories, I should be able to make you more stable. If I encounter Yoojin earlier, you will learn about his existence earlier, too. How long will it take for him to make you like him? Probably not long, since Yoojin's easy to love like that. And with the influence of your memories, you'll likely become a dependable hyung to him."
Song Taewon didn't say anything, but it was clear on his face that he wanted that. Sung Hyunjae chuckled. Were Yoojin here, he would've told Sung Hyunjae to secretly snap a picture.
"If I help him hide his brother, will he join Seseong or the Association? Although it's very likely that he'll go independent later no matter the case, he'll be under your and my care for a long time. It won't be a bad idea for him to prove himself in the Association like he did before his return. Only we will have to make sure to root out the corruption."
Sung Hyunjae smiled at Song Taewon. "If you're more stable and influenced by Yoojin, you won't go against us like you did this life, will you?"
Song Taewon looked regretful. He really had become more and more expressive.
"If possible...it's best to stop the Association from getting corrupted from the very beginning. Then there won't be a need to clean the house with extreme methods. Hopefully...no abduction will happen at all."
"Of course. I'll never allow anyone to steal Yoojin from me."
"...You shouldn't kidnap him either."
"Aigoo, how is it kidnapping when it's between the guardian and the ward?"
Song Taewon frowned deeply. Sung Hyunjae swore with his fingers extended. "I'll be gentle with a child I care about, and I have the power to protect him until he gains the power to protect himself. Besides, Song Taewon will be there, too, right?"
Song Taewon was quiet for a moment. "If I ever become a threat..."
"Unlikely, but I'll deal with it."
Song Taewon nodded and extended a hand.
"Hm? Do you want to hold hands, Song Taewon? If it's purely platonic, I'll be more than happy to comply. If you harbor feelings for me that's not platonic, however, I'll have to regretfully inform you that my heart for romantic love is already written with someone else's name."
Song Taewon sighed deeply. Yoojin called it a sigh that expressed his regret for making the wrong kind of friend, and he insisted that Sung Hyunjae was the only one who made Song Taewon look like that.
"You don't have to give me the memories now," Sung Hyunjae said. "I'll be there when you're going to leave. Give it to me then."
Song Taewon nodded.
"Staying for dinner?"
Song Taewon looked ready to shake his head reflexively, but then he made a sound of assent.
To thank the man for his concern, Sung Hyunjae wrote Song Taewon's name with ketchup on the omelet rice.
Song Taewon sighed once more while carving out the ketchup heart.
*
The boy who had insisted on staying a boy was crying.
The being with Han Yoojin's face but a different existence wailed in the embrace of his favorite grandfather. Although he was the second Source, carrying countless worlds, he looked no different from a regular child when he cried. His immeasurable power long forgotten, he cried and wiped his tears, hands clutching Young Chaos' clothes. His heartbreak broke Sung Hyunjae's heart.
His young master, the child he had raised, the being he couldn't help but like due to sharing a beginning with Han Yoojin, the being who had come to mean something different to him for being different, and the being he had come to love for being his eventual destination. Sung Hyunjae knelt beside him and looked up at his tears-streaked face, gently taking his hands and wiping his tears.
When Han Yoojin died, Yeonri Yoojin learned the meaning of death, but it took a long time for him to understand that his grandpa and ahjussi would one day meet their end, too. While they would live much longer than a regular person could imagine, their lifetimes were but a blink to a truly eternal Source.
And the child had seen their ends between one blink and the next. Since he was an existence that truly transcended time and space, he was experiencing the future where he lost his loved ones at this moment.
It must be disorienting, losing them while he still had them. Whether he was looking at a star or the light of an already destroyed celestial body far, far away solely depended on where he was looking from.
Sung Hyunjae understood and not, he could imagine but also could not. After all, he was no real Source; only a poor replica of one.
"Gran-grandpa and ahjussi, Gyeol as well, everyone...you will all be gone. You are already gone."
"But Han Bin's still around, isn't he? Young master's brother is a Source. He will be with you forever." Sung Hyunjae stroked his face lovingly. "And if you look back a little, we're all still there, right? Ahjussi's Yoojin, too. Young master's still going to kindergarten with Gyeol, then primary and middle school. When you sneakily held hands, Byeol saw you."
"You and your mouth." Young Chaos rolled his eyes at him, shaking the teenage boy who was the source with practiced ease, like he had done all the time to put him to sleep in the past. "Yeon-ah, Grandpa told you before that growing up is the process of losing, but all those who have lived in Yeon's worlds will return to Yeon in the end, just like how Han Bin's father returned to Han Bin."
"But, but then no one will be holding me like Grandpa."
"Grandpa was the one being held, but once I grew older, I became the one to hold Yeon. When you grow up, Yeon-ah, you'll be a Source embracing countless worlds. You'll see them grow up before returning to you." Young Chaos knocked on Sung Hyunjae's shoulder. Sung Hyunjae let out a dramatic "ouch". "The world this guy's going to create, too. Yeon-ah will watch ahjussi's world grow up, taking care of it like we've taken care of you, right? This guy can't be trusted with it."
"Yeah, I'll need your help," Sung Hyunjae cupped Yeori's face and said. "Another me will be there, as well as that Sung Hyunjae's Yoojin. They may give birth to Gyeol. Auntie Yerim and Uncle Taewon will be there, too. It's my treasured world. Can you see it now, Yeon-ah?"
The boy sniffled quietly for a moment.
"...Did you give that ahjussi a small part of you, ahjussi?"
"Yes, I think I'll do that. Because I want to meet my Yoojin's earlier."
"Ahjussi seems happy. Unlike now, when you're always a little sad."
"Yeah, because I miss my Yoojin very much."
"Will that happen to me too? Will I always be a little sad?"
"Perhaps, but there will be things to be happy about, to be excited about, to look forward to." Sung Hyunjae exhaled softly. "Don't look too far, young master. Go slower, much slower. Read one page at a time and one book at a time like those story books Grandpa and I used to read you. Feel the anticipation at the beginning of a book, be happy, nervous, or sad for the development in the middle, be reluctant to close the book for reaching its end, but look forward to the next book."
He gently kissed the boy's head. "The world is the book ahjussi will be leaving you with. I hope our Yeon will have a good time reading it."
"What if I don't want to put it down?"
"It's okay. You can take it slow. You can go read other books before returning to the end of this one."
"What if I'm heartbroken after reaching the end?"
"Then read it again. You can do it, Yeon-ah. Reread the book when you miss us."
The child in Young Chaos' arms seemed to have calmed. He grew a little taller after telling his grandpa to let him down, tall enough to hug his two caretakers at once.
Sung Hyunjae knew he would continue to grow, until his childhood ended on the day Young Chaos left or the day he left. Just like how Han Bin had become an adult the day Han Yoojin passed away.
"I like happy stories, ahjussi."
"Yeah, me too."
"I want everyone to be happy. Ahjussi should be with the person you love for longer. Then you won't be sad for such a long time."
"That is my hope."
"That Gyeol won't be my Geyol, but I like every Gyeol. Ahjussi should treat him better."
"Do I not treat Yeon's Gyeol well enough?"
"Ahjussi is always teasing him."
"Yeon-ah teases him, too."
Young Chaos sighed. "And wasn't that your influence?"
Sung Hyunjae didn't deny it. He extended his pinky to the boy.
"Ahjussi will do my best. Please help me, Yeon-ah."
Yeonri Yoojin nodded, hooking his pinky and shaking it.
*
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the transcendent attempting to break into the world, planted here from memory due to its insignificance. Now that he had become a branch of the second Source, the transcendent was merely a bug in his eyes, but he was a bug that Han Yoojin had to crush for his peace of mind.
Of course, it was to fulfill his promise to Gyeol, too.
The treasured memories he carried resonated with the person not far behind him. Sung Hyunjae had been watching the story of the Sung Hyuanje and Han Yoojin in this world unfold. He did feel some envy, but the more prominent feeling was content.
He turned around. Han Yoojin, who looked healthy due to his different past, looked at him with concern—no, he was looking at the Sung Hyunjae this body belonged to.
Familiar yet foreign. He was Han Yoojin, but not his Han Yoojin. Sung Hyunjae took a deep breath. At this moment, he finally said goodbye to the owner of his treasured memories.
"Hello, Han Yoojin-gun. Goodbye."
It was the story of him creating a world that loved Han Yoojin for the Han Yoojin he loved.
He wished for it to be a happy story both he and his young master could read for a long, long time.
Notes:
Yes, I wrote another Sung Hyunjae saying goodbye to Han Yoojin story for this alternative timeline. Because apparently it's my thing. And because it's always in the background as the main story unfolds. If you can't tell already, I love exploring how loss and love work for beings with a long lifespan or actually eternal. I love writing the conversation between Yeonri and Sung Hyunjae for that reason (even though you'll have to read the side stories to even know Yeonri🤣)
As I said, I'll be going away for work for some time, so the last two bonus stories will come a bit late. I hope you enjoy this one, which I find to make the story more complete.
Chapter 28: Surprise Wedding
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
This is a wedding.
More precisely, it's a surprise wedding that all but Sung Hyunjae know about.
I thought I wouldn't be nervous, at least not for the wedding itself. I should only be worried about failing to surprise Sung Hyunjae because he isn't one to be easily fooled. However, I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, and my heart has been racing throughout the day. Yoohyun got so worried that he dragged me to get checked by a hunter with healing ability at the Association. The diagnosis is: "That's just how grooms are."
Yoohyun was confused. I got a blush and an even quicker heartbeat.
For the surprise, no hunters at Seseong were informed of the wedding. Thus, my team members at the Association were the ones who had been helping with the preparations amid their busy schedules. I had wanted to entrust a wedding service to organize a simple wedding; I have little romantic ideas about a wedding, after all. However, given I'm trying to propose and get married at the wedding before Sung Hyunjae does it, the wedding shouldn't pale too much in comparison to his plan.
I don't know if a certain Mr. Sung had gotten some strange inspiration from those TV dramas Yerim used to watch. He ordered fireworks, arranged drones, reserved a restaurant, picked all the flowers in a dungeon, and prepared a honeymoon on a desert island. To avoid a social suicide, I must get everything done before he makes a move.
(I have to thank Yoon Yoon and the other dokkaebi for the information. I'll do my best to find them more materials for birthing their kind.)
A large part of the savings I haven't had much use of these past few years was spent to reserve a wedding venue that wasn't one of Sung Hyunjae's many properties. The flowers decorating the venue are provided by Haneul. The cake is a sugarless one made specially by Myeongwoo—although he said he didn't really like baking, he was skilled at it. Hyuna provided the wine, which even S-class hunters can get a light buzz from. Since Yerim would like to help, too, the bottles of wine are put in ice sculptures rather than buckets, modeled after different monsters. And there are other ice decorations at the venue. The bouquets made with Haneul's flowers are especially beautiful.
Noah and Riette joined with those from the Ark Guild, bearing many gifts. The members of the Association, in addition to helping with the setup, arranging catering, and other work, also help fill many tables. Almost everyone is holding a camera or their phone. Seseong members won't be notified until Sung Hyunjae gets here. Whether they can reach the venue in time to see their guildmaster get married will depend on them.
Soyoung and Yoohyun are the only two Seseong members who know about the wedding. Yoohyun has been controlling himself to allow my wedding to go smoothly. Good job, Yoohyun. Soyoung sold out her guildmaster for Comet and the dragon siblings, agreeing to help us with the act.
"About done, Yoojin-ah?" Taewon-hyung delegated the work of fooling Sung Hyunjae to Soyoung because he didn't think he was a good actor. Once Sung Hyunjae gets here, he'll be his best man.
"About done. I'll make the call." My best people are Yoohyun and Yerim. Both look good in suits. They look like brother and sister. I hope they will get along well in the future.
"Aren't you worried, Hyung-nim?" Moon Hyuna had said no when I asked her, Wouldn't you be Sung Hyunjae's friend just to even the numbers for this instance? She said it was Sung Hyunjae's fault that he didn't have any friends outside of Taewon-hyung. Instead, she volunteered to be the wedding host. She looks cool in a cropped top and suit jacket. "That guy isn't one to submit to crowd pressure."
"Not worried. Sung Hyunjae has wanted to get married to me for a long time." I tug at my clothes. Although everyone said it looked good on me, I'm not used to wearing such fitted and extravagant clothes. Do I really not look weird like this? "And he's not the kind of person who cares about who does the proposal. He won't mind the arrangements he made going to waste."
"You aren't really holding this surprise wedding because you didn't like Seseong-ahjussi's plan, are you, Yoojin-oppa?" Yerim grins. "You're not just nervous. You've been excited the whole day."
I blink. Excited? Maybe a little. I want to surprise him for once. I want to see his reaction. If I fail to catch him off guard, it'll be disappointing, but it's fine, too. After all, he's someone whose keen instinct leaves him almost friendless. I'll forgive him after using the disappointment as an excuse to make him do as I said a few times.
"Sometimes I do wonder if Hyung-nim is the one with a strange kink instead of Sung Hyunjae," Moon Hyuna says with a nod.
Yoohyun shoots back reflexively, "Hyung isn't weird."
Yerim clicks her tongue. "You don't really know what Hyuna-eonnie is talking about, do you, Han Yoohyun?"
"And you shouldn't know, Yerim-ah. Do I need to install some filter on the internet at home?"
"Hyuna-eonnie, you know what girls exchange at school."
"...What do you mean? What does that have to do with Hyung?"
Please stop corrupting my little brother. It's not that he doesn't have the objective knowledge; his mind just doesn't go in that direction.
"Oh, Soyoung's message." I go to the stage and make the call. "Please get ready."
The moment Sung Hyunjae picks up, he says with smile in his voice, "Good afternoon, Yoojin-ah."
"I think I'll get off work early, Guildmaster-nim. Why don't I find you at Seseong?"
"I'll pick you up. A mere S class wouldn't dare to make Han Yoojin-ssi come all the way to find me."
"Please stop giving your unfinished work to your subordinates all of a sudden. Before you turn over your title officially, you're still the guildmaster."
"I really wish to be Yoojin's boy toy already."
"Don't say things like that when you're on a call in public."
"My office isn't public."
"My office is." I wave at the others as a signal. "Just wait at Seseong like a good boy. Once I get off work, I'll—"
Ice explodes within wind barriers, making loud noises. The Association members chosen for the best scream after an internal competition scream my name. My phone drops to the floor. Yoohyun kicks it to the wall, making a hole in it.
I suspect it's because Sung Hyunjae gave me a new phone before he could after my old phone died. Let Yoohyun get the next one, Sung Hyunjae.
One, two. I haven't even counted to three before the ring on my hand heats up. A mana disturbance precedes a teleportation.
Sung Hyunjae picks me up as soon as he gets here. Then he pauses.
Given how keen he is, I didn't have to worry about him destroying the venue.
Instead of lowering me, he looks up at me, eyes curved in a smile.
"Seriously, your reaction is smaller when you're actually surprised than when you're just pretending to be surprised," I mumble and smooth his hair for him. "Welcome to our wedding, Sung Hyunjae."
The others pull the party poppers. Golden and silver ribbons fly in the air, many falling on Sung Hyunjae's head—since Yerim and Moon Hyuna aimed theirs at him. Yoohyun stands quietly beside me to block the ribbons for me. Taewon-hyung stands a couple of steps behind Sung Hyunjae, looking more like a bodyguard than the best man.
Sung Hyunjae's eyes remain fixed on me.
"Congratulations, Seseong-ahjussi!"
"Yeah, Sung Hyunjae. Congratulations on finding a man who wants to marry you."
"Hyung, your clothes are wrinkled."
"Hunt...Sung Hyunjae, congratulations."
"Congrats on marrying your number one outside of yourself, Sung Hyunjae." I pat him on the face. "You aren't broken, are you? Why aren't you saying anything? You—"
He continues to hold me with one arm while he brings my head down for a kiss with his other hand.
It's not the kind of devouring kiss he sometimes gives me during sex, and it's not a peck that usually accompanies his greetings. The kiss feels like a confession translated into action. It's thorough and sensual. His tongue tangles with mine, and our breaths mingle. The arm around my waist keeps me trapped in his embrace, while the big hand on the back of my head gently combs through my hair.
"Hm...Sung...you..." It takes me a while to recover from the kiss-induced haze. I push him and say, "Later, later we'll kiss more."
"Yeah." He rubs my face with the tip of his nose instead, but still holding me up. "Apologies for the tardiness, and my clothes leave much to be desired, especially compared to yours."
"Don't I look weird?"
"You look good."
"Are you not going to put me down?"
"Do I have to?"
"Who gets married like this?"
"We do."
In the end, Sung Hyunjae and I complete the ceremony amid hackles and cheers just like this, with me held up in his arms. Since we already had our matching rings, we didn't take them off and put them back on, but replaced that process with injecting each other's ring with mana.
He has a pretty smile on his face throughout. Although he's always been unreasonably handsome, he looks even better when smiling like this. It's been so long. I should've gotten used to his face. But when he keeps staring at me with that smile, I feel like averting my gaze but can't at the same time. My hands keep finding their way to his brows, eyes, his hair.
"Hyuna's wine tastes good. I'll only have a little today."
"Okay."
"I made the cake with Myeongwoo. I only helped, though."
"You did well."
"They all helped a lot with the wedding. We should thank them properly."
"Of course."
"Cancel the firework and drone advertisement. The honeymoon plan is fine."
"We'll do as you say."
"Although this is a little ill-mannered, I really want to devour you right now, Sung Hyunjae-ssi."
"They'll understand." Sung Hyunjae chuckles, expanding his wings and taking flight with me in his arms.
"Hyung!"
"Hey, you irresponsible newlyweds!"
"Seseong-ahjussi, remember to return the manga to me after you're done!"
Song Taewon sighs at the hole we put into the wall.
"Sorry!" I shout and laugh at the same time. "Thank you all for your help. Enjoy the free lunch. Take care when going home. Don't drunk drive and don't speed—"
Sung Hyunjae soars in the sky and swallows the rest of my words.
...
Deeper, deeper still. Finally, he pushes past the part that has stopped him from getting into me completely. My brain, hazy from the lovemaking, can no longer differentiate between pain and pleasure. The overpowering stimulus drags a scream out of me. I come, and my tears fall.
I've stopped feeling ashamed of the tears during sex; he gets off on seeing me cry from pleasure, the pervert.
My whole body seizes up. I bury my face into his shoulder. Since biting him will break my teeth, I suck on his skin instead, feeling his racing pulse. His pants seem to hit my eardrums, making me feel pinpricks numbness in my scalp.
"Sung Hyunjae," I speak while licking him, my voice coming out in starts and stops due to him pounding into me. Even I can hear the way my tone sweetens from the pleasure. "You, hah, when are you going to find the way to adjust your physical stats? Hm...I want you to..." He easily accepts the connection formed by my skill. His breathing and movement stutter for a moment, ending up pushing further in me. The resulting pleasure hit both of us. "Want, hm—I want you to go as hard as you want..."
He takes a deep breath, his voice hoarse with the effort of holding back.
"Just that? I have a feeling that Yoojin wants very much to break me."
"Hm...maybe not break you." I lick the sweat beading on his skin. "But making you malfunction for a while will be nice."
I want to leave marks on him. I want to tease him while he's still sensitive. I want to make him scream. I want to give him pain that'll intensify his pleasure. I want to make him cry.
...I won't say that I have stranger kinks than he does, but perhaps we're peas in the same pod.
"I have some idea now. Give me a little more time."
"But don't harm yourself."
"Of course."
"Once you find a way, we'll go on our honeymoon."
"Should I be worried about myself?"
"Nah, I'm still an F-class. Although I'm trying hard to get my physical to E-class."
His one hand reaches into the wedding shirt still on me, fingertips gliding down my spine and rubbing along the individual bone, all the while his other hand kneads my ass. Then his fingers get close to the hole his cock tugs at with every pound. I hold my breath when I realize what he's going to do. My tremor is more excitement than nervousness.
A finger gets sucked into the body that should've been filled to the limit. Sung Hyunjae stares at me. His dilated pupils almost make his golden eyes seem amber. His breath holds for a second.
"I." The hand he presses on my back is shaking. The feeling of being clenched down and being stretched to the max ignites both of us through our mental link. "Very much love your greedy side, Yoojin-ah."
"The greedy one," I cling to him and pant, feeling his long, slim finger pumping in and out of me along with his cock. "Is you, isn't it? You want to be my brother and guardian...but also lover...and even the father of my child."
"Perhaps it's because I didn't have you for countless lifetimes and countless worlds." Sung Hyunjae wickedly stops his pounding and moves only his finger in and out of me. The feeling is impossible to ignore, yet not enough to satisfy my now bigger appetite. "That's why I want to do everything now."
"You—" I try to move on my own, but he stops me with the hand on my back. His finger curl and rub inside me, purposefully avoiding the sensitive spot he knows very well. "At least a sex doll won't tease me like this."
"Yoojin loves teasing. You teased and neglected me for half an hour that time."
"So adjusted for our class differences...hah...I'll give you thirty seconds..."
Sung Hyunjae laughs lowly, pushing another finger in. "I'm doing the experiment for you. Weren't you watching porn of taking two at once?"
My eyes widen. "That, that was a mail from Riette. I thought it was about work—"
"Yoojin didn't close the video immediately, but finished it."
"...I was just curious."
"Well, I am, too." He fingerfucks me and licks my chest through the shirt at the same time. "Can you take two, here? Of course, I won't allow anyone else to touch you, but toys are fine. Or I'll find a way."
"You...will find a way to this, too...?"
"Maybe I was once a snake." He extracts his fingers. "It's been thirty seconds."
He starts pounding again, pushing right past the curl inside me, and the feeling of getting squeezed hard by my almost spasming body hits me through our link, mixed with the pleasure of getting filled and fucked hard.
This time, the climax that tears through me is almost violent. I reflexively bite down on his shoulder, but he stops me with a finger. I whine from not being able to close my mouth, saliva dripping down the corners of my mouth.
"Should I buy something to stop you from biting?" He lightly scratches my palate. Pulling his finger out, he kisses me. "But then you won't be able to speak. That'll take away a lot of the fun."
I pant, waiting for my breathing and heartbeat to recover. "I should block your mouth instead, to stop you from saying strange things without warning."
"You like me saying strange things."
"There's a limit." I can feel his cock still erect and hard inside me. I frown. "Are you taking longer to come now? On purpose?"
"Just leave it."
"But it's strange. It's like I'm the only one feeling good."
"Haven't you sensed it? How good you make me feel," Sung Hyunjae says without a hint of bashfulness. As desires fade, his expression turns loving once more. "I just want to stay connected like this for longer. No one's closer to you than I am now, and we'll be true partners from now on."
"Well, our distance is minus twenty-something centimeters. That'll be difficult to achieve for regular people." I snort and stroke his sweat-drenched hair. I shouldn't find a thirty-year-old adorably pure, should I? And he's not that pure; he's doing strange things to my body now. He switches mode after sex, though, and he's looking up at me with such an expression. It's difficult to not find him cute.
"Should we get the registration done tomorrow?"
"Let's have the staff of the household registration office come to us instead."
"Don't make others work harder."
"It's a reasonable request to avoid causing disturbance, isn't it? And they have always made special cases for those who cannot make the trip due to illness or other reasons."
When I think about it, he's not wrong. And I suspect I may not be able to walk right tomorrow; this won't be our last round of sex today.
"Alright. I'll let you make the arrangement."
He waves a hand and turns the tap in the bathroom sink. Then a wet towel flies into his hand. He wipes me down without even pulling out of my body. He buttons my shirt back up afterward.
Watching him smooth out the wrinkles on my shirt when my pants and underwear remain dangling on my ankle, all the while our lower bodies remain connected, I can't help but laugh at the ridiculous contrast. And his insistence to keep the shirt I wore at the wedding on me pleases and amuses me. Maybe he's perfect in the eyes of the general public, a total weirdo in the eyes of those who know him well, but he's my weirdo, my imperfect ideal.
"Sung Hyunjae, the magic stones should be placed near my heart, right?"
He doesn't even need a moment to realize what I'm saying. He puts my fingers on me. "Will you let me put them in?"
"I'll turn off my Poison Resistance temporarily. Don't make it hurt."
"Is it intentional?" Sung Hyunjae's eyes curve. "You put it like I'm actually getting you pregnant, Yoojin-ah."
I swat him on the forehead. "Don't make it sound strange."
He chuckles lowly and takes potions for anesthesia and healing from his inventory. I take out the magic stones.
I've been considering it for months. I only made the decision when I saw him at the wedding. I'm not keen like him to be able to tell the discrepancies from other lifetimes, and I've never met the future child he said we would have. I just developed feelings for him mundanely, realized how deep the feelings ran mundanely, came to want a family with him mundanely, and have the not-so-mundane ability to create a life.
He's quick and precise. I feel little pain before the magic stones are put inside me. With my title and skills, I easily combine the two magic stones. And he quickly heals my wound with a potion, pressing a hand to my chest.
As his memory and mana go into the magic stones, I can sense an existence appearing. They will take some time to grow before they can enter the world.
Although not in the traditional sense, they will still be our child.
"I think they are a little impatient." I laugh. "The birth will be four months—no, three months away?"
"Probably want to be born before your birthday." Sung Hyunjae thinks for a while before pressing a kiss to my chest. "Take your time. Dad's going to live to five thousand years old this time. We'll get to celebrate more than four thousand birthdays."
"What?" I mess up his hair while laughing. "Don't make the promise for me... But Dad will try my best to live until five thousand years old. At least I should live until three thousand years old so that we can have many birthdays together."
The impatient mana settles down like the child can hear us. I put my arms around Sung Hyunjae and rest my head on his shoulder.
"Happy wedding day, Sung Hyunjae."
He tightens his arms around me and kisses me on the forehead.
"Happy wedding day. I love you."
Notes:
I have returned after a work trip and surprise babysitting duty. Apologies for taking so long. Here's the wedding! Only one bonus story left now.
Chapter 29: A Child Born to be Loved
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Sung Hyunjae, he...he's talking to me!"
"Our child?"
"He said he's almost ready! I should, should—"
"He's not a regular child, Yoojin-ah, and you're not pregnant in the traditional sense. Don't worry."
"That's exactly why I'm worried! We have nothing prepared outside of a room!"
Sung Hyunjae pulled Han Yoojin into his arms, amused, pressing a kiss to the man's forehead.
Although Sung Hyunjae had no concrete memory of his past lives, he was pretty confident that this was a fresh experience for him: to be shaken awake by his spouse at midnight, told that their child had spoken. His large, bright eyes were nervous, but the more pronounced emotion was anticipation. While he had not met the child claimed to be from a future past like Sung Hyunjae had, he seemed to have already put in a deeper love.
That was probably Han Yoojin's greatest power. It wasn't the title of a Caregiver shaping his nature, but his instinct to love giving rise to the Caregiver title.
"He's a bright kid. Let's ask him what he wants."
"Just ask? Well, kiddo, your dads have prepared your room—hm? You don't like me saying 'dads'?"
Sung Hyunjae chuckled. That would be because the child didn't like him. While he did care about Sung Hyunaje, he often found him irritating, too.
"Seems like I should work harder." Sung Hyunjae stroked the faint scar on his dear partner's chest, smiling. "Our kid doesn't want to call me 'dad'."
Han Yoojin looked at a loss. "But why doesn't want to call you 'dad' before he's even born? To avoid confusion? Should we be Dad One and Dad Two? Or Father and Dad?" He paused. The child must be speaking to him again. "You think that man's been bullying Dad..." Han Yoojin blushed, eyes darting around. "Can it be—um, Dad's not getting bullied. Dad's sometimes the one bullying him—anyway, don't worry about it. We love each other a lot—"
He frowned, most likely agonizing over whether they should stop getting intimate until the child was born or come up with other solutions.
I can control myself, Sung Hyunjae mouthed with a smile.
I can't. Han Yoojin responded with exaggerated mouth movement, pressing a hand on Sung Hyunjae's hand on his chest. "Kiddo, can you fall asleep in Dad's body? Whenever Dad kisses your other dad, will you go to sleep for a while?"
Han Yoojin must have gotten a confirmation if his sigh of relief was anything to go by. Then he said, "Where were we? Right, I and your other dad prepared a room for you. Since we didn't know what you would like, we bought everything. What color is your favorite? Your other dad said that you would like pink. Hm? You like white, but hope I like pink? Dad...has nothing against pink."
Sung Hyunjae's eyes curved as he parted his robe.
Han Yoojin blushed and mouthed, Don't harass me now.
"Name? Oh, you'll bring us into your dream once you're ready. We'll give you your name, and you'll be born." Han Yoojin repeated the child's words for Sung Hyunjae's benefit. Then he patted Sung Hyunjae's hand. "Dad and your other dad will think about it carefully. Have a good rest. Don't tire yourself." He cleared his throat, his voice softening. "We both look forward to seeing you."
"Yes." Sung Hyunjae leaned toward Han Yoojin's chest. "Even if you don't like me, Dad will still love you."
"...There's nothing wrong with the content of your words, but why did it sound like you were teasing him?"
"That so?" Sung Hyunjae put his arms around Han Yoojin, kissing his chin then the tears rolling down his cheek like pearls. He wasn't crying in heartbreak and panic like when they first met, but he clearly couldn't stop anytime soon. His nose and eyes were both reddening.
Pretty, and made Sung Hyunjae feel a pang in his chest.
"Ah, strange. I feel..." Han Yoojin rubbed his eyes. "Happy, but also guilty. And...relieved? I'm not sure." He shook his head, placing his hands on Sung Hyunjae. "Name. What name should he have?"
"No rush. Take your time."
"You know I'm bad with coming up with names. He..." Han Yoojin lowered his eyes. "Not for any purpose, coming to this world only because we want him. No matter how he's like, he'll be the best and most beautiful kid..."
"He will be beautiful whether he resembles you or me," Sung Hyunjae said, and got a swat to the forehead for it.
"Gyeol..." The pronunciation seemed to strike Han Yoojin as familiar in ways he didn't understand. He repeated the name a few more times. "Gyeol (潔) for integrity and clarity. What do you think?"
"Good." Sung Hyunjae rubbed his ear affectionately. "He'll like it. It's a good name."
"If he looks like you, should we call him Sung Gyeol?"
Sung Hyunjae shook his head and chuckled. "Best not. Although that should get a fun reaction from him, he wants your surname more."
"Then he'll be Han Gyeol?" Han Yoojin looked troubled. "If...we have another child, we'll give them your surname?"
"Do you want two children?"
"Well, isn't it better to have playmates? Of course, we'll have to ask Gyeol what he thinks. Let's talk about it later, all three of us." Han Yoojin rubbed his eyes and buried his face in Sung Hyunjae's chest, nuzzling him. "When Gyeol is older, let's all go to the aquarium together. Since he's a dragon, he should be able to fly, right? Maybe I should ask Myeongwoo about a flying item...or I'll be the only one who can't fly in this household."
"I can fly while carrying you."
"It won't be the same. Ah, but I can use my memory of you or Noah to fly in the mental world."
"Please do use my wings."
"You get jealous over everything." Han Yoojin yawned, lying on top of Sung Hyunjae in the comfortable posture he was now used to. "Gyeol is already speaking very well. Is it because he's a dragon that he matures so quickly? I was ready to get paternity leave. I even consulted Taewon-hyung."
"I can stay at home and take care of him."
"I thought I would regret it if I wasn't there when he first called me Papa or Dad, but then he called me Dad earlier. I wonder how old he will be in human form."
"I've prepared clothes from infancy to eight years old."
"Eight years old. That's a bit much, isn't it?" Han Yoojin snorted in amusement, bursts of laughter making his body shake against Sung Hyunjae's chest.
Sung Hyunjae had seen different kinds of smiles on Han Yoojin, fierce one, complicated one, threatening one, angry one, false one, resigned one—whether it was a smile fueled by positive or negative emotions, Sung Hyunjae would treasure all of them as precious memory, even if the memories might come back as dull blades cutting him open in the future.
What made it most difficult for him to look away, though, was the serene and content smile on Han Yoojin's face now. His eyes were half closed from drowsiness. One of his cheeks, pulled upward by his smile, was slightly smushed against Sung Hyunaje's chest.
It was as if the pain he had suffered had healed. It was as if he no longer had to build and hide a tomb in his chest. As if he would do his very best to stay in this world, to stay with those he loved.
"Sleep, and sweet dreams."
Han Yoojin made a sound of assent. "Let's have dinner together tomorrow after work."
"I'll pick you up."
"I'll pick you up."
"You're going to do more work when you're at the guild."
"Checking on Peace isn't work, and isn't Yoohyun going to a dungeon with Peace?"
"I'm heartbroken. You aren't coming to the guild for me."
"Nonsense. Your relationship with Yoohyun isn't that bad... You haven't fought behind my back, have you?"
"Well."
"Hey."
"No, but Han Yoohyun cut me when he learned that his dear brother was bearing a child."
"Huh?"
"Oh, I'm so tired. I'm falling asleep."
"Hey, tell me what happened, Sung Hyunjae... Don't play dead! Hey! How am I supposed to have a good dream like this??"
Sung Hyunjae laughed, trapping Han Yoojin in his embrace, feeling their heartbeats slowly becoming in sync.
"He misunderstood when he saw the wound on your chest. I've cleared it up." He only told the story because he wanted Han Yoojin to feel bad, but he didn't want Han Yoojin to actually feel guilty, so he made it clear that he was joking. "Make it up to me, Yoojin-ah. Date with me tomorrow night, and I'll consider us even."
"...Did you tell me about it to have dinner with me alone?"
"I did."
"And you're being honest now." Han Yoojin poked at his chest, mumbling, "The lipstick seems too pink. Those don't look like hickeys."
Sung Hyunjae laughed so hard that his chest vibrated. He wasn't sure how often he laughed out loud in his forgotten past, but at least in his memory, every time he did, it was because of this man.
"Goodnight, Sung Hyunjae," Han Yoojin said sleepily. "Goodnight, Gyeol."
Han Yoojin and their yet-born child fell asleep in his arms. The thought filled him with surprising contentment.
"Goodnight."
...
"Dad!"
Just like the child Sung Hyunjae had dreamed about, Han Gyeol looked identical to him when he was little, only the child's hair was pink. The way his face scrunched up in tears and smiles was very much like Han Yoojin.
Han Yoojin held the little boy tightly, and Han Gyeol did his best to put his short arms around Han Yoojin, holding onto him like finally recovering a treasure he had lost. Sung Hyunjae smiled, holding them both in his larger embrace. Han Gyeol grumbled, but grabbed him with a hand.
"Do you still not want me as your dad?"
Han Gyeol's hair was soft, and his cheeks were smushed between them. His large eyes brimmed with tears. He was an existence similar to Sung Hyunjae, but completely different at the same time.
Sung Hyunjae stroked Han Gyeol's hair gently. Han Gyeol stared at him in terror like he was questioning what he was doing. Meanwhile, Han Yoojin's eyes darted between them worriedly.
"Um, because I sort of gave birth to him, he feels closer to me... And because parts of him come from you, same repel...?"
Han Gyeol shook his head, his little face scrunched up from thinking so hard. In the end, he tugged at Sung Hyunjae's sleeve lightly and held him too with visible reluctance.
"...You can be 'the other dad'."
Sung Hyunjae chuckled, hooking an arm around Han Yoojin's neck to kiss his cheek before making to kiss Han Gyeol's forehead. Han Gyeol swatted him away.
"Ahhh! Don't do this if you're not used to doing this! Only Dad can kiss me!"
"Aigoo, that breaks my heart. Our Gyeol doesn't like the other dad your dad loves the most."
"Dad doesn't—Dad—" Han Gyeol pouted. "It's not that I don't like..."
"It's okay," Sung Hyunjae said. "Gyeol can accept me for Dad, and I can love you for Yoojin. We'll slowly learn to be father and son."
Han Gyeol blinked. After some time, he twisted around and awkwardly rested his head on Sung Hyunjae's shoulder.
Sung Hyunjae met Han Yoojin's eyes. Han Yoojin had the content smile on his face Sung Hyunjae so loved.
Good job, Han Yoojin mouthed at him.
Sung Hyunjae leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips.
Notes:
In the original, Gyeol's hanja is 結, meaning conclusion/ending, since he's meant to be a means to an end, to achieve the ending Yoojin wished to achieve. Here, I picked another hanja with the same pronunciation for this Gyeol since he was brought into this world under very different context—simply to be loved.
And this is the last bonus story for this fic! Somehow I thought I had already posted this. I was being dumb😂
Pages Navigation
Yellabelly on Chapter 1 Fri 26 Jul 2024 06:39AM UTC
Comment Actions
Adrelle on Chapter 1 Sat 27 Jul 2024 01:38AM UTC
Comment Actions
InBooks on Chapter 1 Sun 28 Jul 2024 03:37AM UTC
Comment Actions
Stella_Vierenne on Chapter 1 Sun 18 Aug 2024 12:29PM UTC
Comment Actions
thebirdofthechapel on Chapter 1 Thu 22 Aug 2024 01:03PM UTC
Comment Actions
izuahcie on Chapter 1 Tue 17 Sep 2024 12:05PM UTC
Comment Actions
InBooks on Chapter 1 Sun 22 Sep 2024 12:24PM UTC
Comment Actions
mist_shadow on Chapter 1 Mon 14 Oct 2024 12:00AM UTC
Comment Actions
Soleil4 on Chapter 1 Thu 07 Nov 2024 03:12PM UTC
Comment Actions
Croki_Innit on Chapter 1 Sun 25 May 2025 09:03PM UTC
Comment Actions
Aikukekeke on Chapter 1 Tue 12 Aug 2025 07:12AM UTC
Comment Actions
Yellabelly on Chapter 2 Sun 28 Jul 2024 01:17PM UTC
Comment Actions
InBooks on Chapter 2 Tue 30 Jul 2024 07:16AM UTC
Comment Actions
Aki_Yuu on Chapter 2 Sun 28 Jul 2024 03:05PM UTC
Comment Actions
thebirdofthechapel on Chapter 2 Thu 22 Aug 2024 01:09PM UTC
Comment Actions
InBooks on Chapter 2 Fri 23 Aug 2024 06:17AM UTC
Comment Actions
Pinepickled on Chapter 2 Mon 02 Sep 2024 07:15PM UTC
Comment Actions
mist_shadow on Chapter 2 Mon 14 Oct 2024 12:07AM UTC
Comment Actions
InBooks on Chapter 2 Tue 15 Oct 2024 08:42AM UTC
Comment Actions
cryptidcrawly on Chapter 2 Tue 15 Apr 2025 05:02AM UTC
Comment Actions
CraveSweets on Chapter 3 Tue 30 Jul 2024 07:28AM UTC
Comment Actions
InBooks on Chapter 3 Wed 31 Jul 2024 07:37AM UTC
Comment Actions
CraveSweets on Chapter 3 Wed 31 Jul 2024 07:56AM UTC
Comment Actions
thebirdofthechapel on Chapter 3 Thu 22 Aug 2024 01:20PM UTC
Comment Actions
Pinepickled on Chapter 3 Mon 02 Sep 2024 07:20PM UTC
Comment Actions
mist_shadow on Chapter 3 Tue 15 Oct 2024 05:03PM UTC
Comment Actions
mist_shadow on Chapter 3 Tue 15 Oct 2024 05:01PM UTC
Comment Actions
CraveSweets on Chapter 4 Thu 01 Aug 2024 05:05AM UTC
Comment Actions
InBooks on Chapter 4 Sun 04 Aug 2024 03:38AM UTC
Comment Actions
CraveSweets on Chapter 4 Sun 04 Aug 2024 04:12AM UTC
Comment Actions
Aki_Yuu on Chapter 4 Thu 01 Aug 2024 10:23PM UTC
Comment Actions
Pages Navigation