lalune9x - Tumblr blog

lalune9x · 2 days

Text

S-Classes ‘Side Story’ chapter 124 spoilers under the cut…

god I love this novel so much, it’s so funny and ridiculously endearing lmaooo 😭 (sorry I’m on mobile and don’t know how to format indented text)

—-

“Normally, I shouldn’t interfere. But since my partner has requested it…”

With those words, Sung Hyunje appeared.

“I have no choice but to comply.”

He was tiny, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and had fairy wings. It was a form I had seen once before, but still…

“…Why are you in this state again?”

Aren’t you about to turn forty? Actually, at this point, aren’t you already in your mid-forties? A man nearing fifty was fluttering around with shiny wings, claiming ‘I’m the Sesung Guild Leader~’ If he were a complete stranger, I would’ve said that people in this world had all sorts of preferences and left it at that. But unfortunately, this person happened to be my partner.

Amidst everyone’s gaze, Sung Hyunje-ssi landed on my palm. For a moment, I had the urge to clench my fist and shake it. Would sparks fly if I grabbed him?

[…]

“So that’s why you came with wings,” I said.

“The wings are because I felt Han Yoojin-gun’s interest in me has been waning a bit. I just spruced myself up a little.”

… What nonsense. When people said they wanted to spruce up, they usually changed their hairstyle, put on nice clothes, or added accessories. Why on earth would you suddenly add wings?

“… Anyway, we can explain publicly that the Sesung Guildmaster shrank due to a curse. As long as we get cooperation from the current Sesung Guildmaster, Hunter Kang Soyoung, it shouldn’t be too hard to bring Sesung Guild in line with its current state.”

“Um, excuse me.”

At that moment, Soyoung-ssi raised one arm with a serious expression. She glanced between the tiny Sung Hyunje in my palm and me before speaking.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but… in the end, the person who was a mermaid, then a captain, and now a fairy—is my boss?”

“Uh… yes? I suppose so.”

“And that thing… I mean, this person, needs to become the Sesung Guildmaster? No, wait, the original Guildmaster was… Why did I even join Sesung Guild under this person in the first place? Director Han Yoojin raised my dragon, didn’t he? And more importantly… Is that person really the Sesung Guildmaster?”

Soyoung-ssi clutched her head, looking confused. It seemed like her gradually returning memories were clashing with her current reality. Or maybe she just couldn’t accept that Sung Hyunje was her boss.

“Kang Soyoung-gun,” Sung Hyunje spoke softly to the bewildered Soyoung.

Since he was the guildmaster, maybe he would give some comforting advice to his young guild member…

“I’m a fairy dragon,” he said.

But no—he lied without even batting an eye. Had he lost his mind?

Kang Soyoung��s eyes widened as she stared at him. “You’re a dragon? For real?”

“Yes. Gyeol was born due to my influence as a fairy dragon. Don’t we even look alike?”

The self-proclaimed fairy dragon spun slowly once in my palm to display himself. Appearance-wise… he clearly did look like Gyeol. I felt sorry for Gyeol, but what Sung Hyunje-ssi said wasn’t entirely wrong. And now that he had fairy wings, his nonsense actually sounded somewhat plausible.

“So that’s…!”

Kang Soyoung cried out in awe and astonishment. Her expression went through a number of complex changes for a moment, but then she quickly calmed down and nodded firmly.

“I understand everything now.”

…Really? That was all it took?

“It all makes sense. It’s perfect. Yes! I love Sesung Guild and our Guildmaster!” Soyoung-ssi shouted with eyes full of guild pride…

Was this really okay? Sung Hyunje-ssi, didn’t you feel guilty at all? We did need to finish this mission and get out quickly, but this seemed too shameless.

#just posting my reactions to excerpts as I read #sctir side story #sctir #sctir spoilers #s classes that i raised #jinjae #jinje #hjyj #i love soyoung’s enthusiasm for her special interest

38 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 2 days

Text

SCTIR Side Story 117: The Time That Doesn't Disappear (1)

Warning: big spoilers for the side story plot, I guess?

How could he sulk over me not telling him about my condition, yet keep his mouth shut when it was the other way around?

Chapter translation under the cut.

---

Side Story 117: The Time That Doesn't Disappear (1)

As I stepped through the dungeon gate connected directly to the mini portal, my heart raced a little. Calm down. Don't get too excited just because this is the last time. Even if things seem like they might go wrong, don't push it. Just think, "It's okay, it might take a little longer," and move on.

I had already let the kids know I was safe, seen their faces, and spent the whole day with them. So, I engraved the phrase "safety first" into my heart once more.

I engraved it, but...

'...It feels like things are going wrong from the start.'

Where was I? I should've landed in the lobby of Sesung Guild, but instead, I found myself in a fog-filled, unfamiliar space. On top of that, I couldn't sense the kids. Yoohyun and Yerim had definitely entered the portal at almost the same time as me.

"Yoohyun~ Yerim~"

No response. Did I get separated from them? I waved my hand through the fog, then pulled out the Godslaying Spear. Black flames erupted, instantly pushing back the hazy mist, revealing the floor and walls. The ground and walls came into view. It wasn't outdoors—it seemed like I was indoors. As I intensified the flames, the fog thinned even more, revealing the interior more clearly.

It looked like I hadn't been thrown somewhere entirely different after all.

'It's Sesung, huh.'

To be precise, it was Sung Hyunje-ssi's house—the one I had blown up. The ceiling-high bookshelves, the large windows letting in dim light. The spines of the books were made of various materials, but none of them had any writing on them. The sight was a little eerie. If a world were to be consumed, I supposed this was how it might be erased. Not that we had to worry about that happening anymore. Our little Bin-ie wasn’t that much of a glutton.

With gentle flames surrounding me, I turned around. On the other side of the study, I noticed a figure sitting in a chair. If anyone were to appear here, who else would it be but a certain Mr. Sung? I took a few steps toward the figure lounging with his arms draped over the armrests, but then suddenly stopped in my tracks.

Something felt off. The way he looked at me, the slouch of his limbs, and the tilt of his neck—it all seemed strangely unnatural.

Because, when it came to Sung Hyunje-ssi, there was actually not a single person who could claim to know him better than I did. Though things were much more comfortable between us now, at first I had just been an F-rank beside an unpredictable and dangerous S-rank. Naturally, I'd had to stay on high alert, constantly trying to figure out what that guy was thinking and what he was going to do. Even after we got closer, Sung Hyunje’s unpredictability meant I never stopped observing him. If I'd written down all my observations in a diary and submitted it as a summer vacation assignment, I probably would've gotten five 'Great Job!' stickers from the teacher.

So, over time, I got to the point where I could tell things like, 'He’s tilting his head 5 degrees to the left, that means he’s losing interest,' or 'He's touching his left sleeve with his right hand, that means he’s not having fun but is willing to put up with it for a bit longer,' or 'His left foot is dragging slightly—he’s about to do something unexpected!' I’d become pretty familiar with Sung Hyunje-ssi’s behavior.

So I could tell that the thing sitting in that chair was a fake; just a shell that looked like him. For one thing, I had never seen Sung Hyunje sit like that before. His posture was off, with his back too close to the chair and his legs in the wrong position. Most notably, his hand was casually hanging off the armrest.

"There aren't many options to choose from, if I ask what you are. Are you a time fragment from before the regression?"

The thing wearing Sung Hyunje's form slowly opened its mouth.

"Correct."

"Oh, you can talk. Why are you wearing someone else's shell?"

"...My…?"

The time fragment hesitated, as if uncomfortable with referring to itself independently. It wasn't showing as much hostility toward me as I expected.

"For now, it is because this target retains most of... my… influence. The Sesung Guildmaster. Kang Soyoung would also qualify, but it is easier to borrow forms that are hazier in the current world's perception."

"Those two did remain mostly unchanged."

Yoohyun, Yerim, Peace, Director Song and most others had returned to their original positions, but Kang Soyoung and Sung Hyunje remained unchanged. And because Sung Hyunje-ssi stayed the same, Sigma and the Puppeteer couldn't go back either.

"Is it because his influence on Soyoung-ssi was especially strong? He did turn an A-rank into a born S-rank."[1]

"That's one reason, and Sung Hyunje also took on Park Yerim's distortion in her place."

".......Sung Hyunje-ssi, really."

I'd had a suspicion, and it had turned out to be true. Yerim had changed as much as Soyoung-ssi, but then had reverted in an instant.

"So he took on the distortion while taking on the role of the Ruler of Water?"

"Yes. That's why Kang Soyoung, who was connected to him, also remained the same."

…Reverting Yerim's distortion first was indeed the right decision given the situation. Since this dungeon was based on the Mermaid Queen's sea, Yerim being swayed by the time fragment would have been the most dangerous scenario. And if Yerim were my opponent, I would have hesitated to fight her. Even if she may have grown older on the outside, she was still a child inside.

'If I got hurt, Yerim would feel hurt too.'

With people like Sung Hyunje-ssi, Hyuna-ssi, and even Yoohyun, one could say 'as long as they're alive, it's okay' and charge forward.[2] But Yerim wasn't like that. Resolving Yerim's distortion had been the most urgent priority, but…

'How could he not say anything?'

I mean, there were probably reasons like him being worried that the time fragment would notice, but I was still somewhat upset. How could he sulk over me not telling him about my condition, yet keep his mouth shut when it was the other way around? There must have been some way he could've told me, so was this his manner of making me understand how he had felt?

But come to think of it, this wasn't the first time that guy Sung Hyunje had done something like this. Right after the Gardener died, he went off and got captured by the Crescent Moon without saying a word. Would it have killed him to say "please save me" before getting captured?

I was upset for a moment because of all the grievances that had built up, but I calmed down and looked at the time fragment again. It was being surprisingly courteous. It even explained things well.

"You're pretty good at speaking. I thought you might have some intelligence since you've manipulated the system before, but you're more human-like than I expected."

"That is because intelligence comes from the accumulation of memories. The time fragments from before the regression are more precisely collections of memory. It is natural that intelligence would emerge when those discarded memories gathered together."

— 'That's right, hyung! Intelligent beings are essentially born when they develop a foundation for passing on and accumulating memories and records!'

A familiar voice suddenly burst out. Park Hayul–I was actually glad to hear from him right now!

— 'The most common form of record is writing, but there are other forms too! There are even memories built up through cannibalism!'

The voice came from much farther below than I expected. I quickly lowered my gaze to see a small, 30-40 cm tall flower walking toward me.

Sitting on the flower's head, in the middle of its round, open petals, was a tiny version of Sung Hyunje.

...What the heck?

— 'Because one needs to be able to write precise characters, fingers or tentacles are useful. Haneul said that if octopuses had nurtured their offspring, there might've been two intelligent species on Earth.'

That damn octopus again. I glared at the tiny Sung Hyunje who had appeared so shamelessly.

Feeling my gaze, Sung Hyunje shrugged his shoulders and said, "Should I have given myself wings after all?"

"...What nonsense are you talking?"

"Because my dear partner is giving me a look as if he'll grab me and throw me at any moment."

"I'm more tempted to sew shut that mouth of yours for only ever spouting useless things. Either you don't say the things that need to be said, or you twist things around, or you laugh about things only you understand. And then you nag at me for not being honest with you? You really have no conscience."

At my words, Sung Hyunje adjusted his posture to sit more respectfully. Maybe he wasn't completely devoid of a conscience after all.

"In the future, if you're going to be kidnapped or lose your memories or arm or whatever, let me know in advance. The same goes for any similar situations. Then I'll find a way to save you somehow."

"I'll keep that in mind."

At least he answered well. Once Yoohyun got all his memories back, I would have to give him the same warning—no more running away; just talk things out. I should say the same to Yerim and the kids, too.

— 'If I give you a heads-up before getting kidnapped, will you also come save me, hyung?'

"Well, for now, yes. You've been helpful too, Hayul. But don't go staging a fake kidnapping."

— 'Hyung...!'

Park Hayul was touched and started dancing with joy, nearly dropping the tiny Sung Hyunje.

"So, what's the situation here? Are the others safe?"

— 'Yes, hyung. You're the only one who got transported somewhere else, so I came looking for you with the Sesung Guildmaster. The water has receded, but the side effect is that there's a lot of fog.'

So it wasn't just here that was foggy. The fog, based on the Mermaid Queen's sea, had made the mana flow unstable, so only the two administrators, Hayul and Sung Hyunje, could come searching for me. Yoohyun and Yerim were probably fine. Hopefully, Yilin and Coral weren't fighting again. With Hyuna-ssi and Director Song coming along this time, they should be okay.

"Anyway, it's good that we can have a talk."

I turned back to the time fragment and spoke.

"What do you want? All I want is to fix the distortion, return home safely, and live in peace. So let's try to settle this through conversation."

The time fragment shifted its gaze toward the tiny Sung Hyunje, looking slightly uncomfortable, before changing into Kang Soyoung's form.

"We merely exist. Just like the past you had thought was gone, which still lingers and influences the present and future. That's all."

"That's all, huh?"

"The time fragments absorbed into people also still exert a subtle influence. Unless there is a significant trigger, they will proceed similarly towards the forgotten future; doing the same things, meeting the same people, and having the same children."

I'd heard something similar from Myungwoo and Haneul before.

"I, we, haven't changed from what we were. Only our influence has grown stronger. The distortions you speak of are a natural result of that."

— 'That's not exactly wrong! After all, the time before the regression is part of this world's timeline too. In a way, it's not so much a distortion as a potential outcome.'

That guy Hayul said something Transcendent-like. Hey, weren't you supposed to always be on my side?

"So, you don't particularly want anything? Can I assume you'll just disappear quietly?"

"As long as we exist, we naturally have an aversion to disappearing. It's more of a reflex than a conscious decision. And, Han Yoojin, we cannot disappear."

The fragment's deep blue eyes were fixed on me as it spoke.

"Because we are the future, but also the past. So long as there are those who look back on that past and sink into regret."

"...Are you talking about me?"

"All intelligent beings in this world."

"So you're saying you'll never truly disappear."

Did anyone truly exist who had never once thought, 'ah, if only things had gone differently back then'? We all had such regrets every day, even over something as small as ordering jjajangmyeon instead of jjamppong or thinking, "I should've woken up 10 minutes earlier."

I did, too. I still had regrets about the time before the regression. Even if I told myself that turning back time was the best choice, I still could have spent the remaining time with my younger brother better. We could have reconciled earlier and spent time together before saying goodbye. No, at the very least, I could have forced myself to visit one more time, called one more time, not blocked his number, and kept sending messages. Yoohyun would surely have read them all.

Perhaps it was impossible to completely shake off such regrets. After all, it was because of those lingering attachments that I had endured until now and learned to embrace those around me more closely.

I sighed deeply, my heart aching slightly as I forced a small smile.

"Yeah. You'll remain as you are, forever lingering. Because every now and then I'll look back and feel that longing. Until the very end, without forgetting."

If anything, if someone told me to forget or offered to erase my past, I would refuse.

"But we should still weaken you back to your original state. Hayul, if what it says is true, let's update the records to say we're 'purifying' the time fragments through dungeon clearing."

— 'I'll change it to 'purification.' It seems the time fragments will return to something closer to harmless, like before.'

"Good. Nothing much has changed, then. But why did you come out here to see me in person?"

The time fragment, still in Kang Soyoung's form, stumbled slightly as if unused to handling a human body. It smiled at me while awkwardly moving its muscles.

"After all, we were born because of you," it said. "We wanted to tell you about us. And we wanted to hear from you too."

Hearing it put that way made me feel a bit guilty about trying to erase them all this time.

"Well, thanks to you all coming into existence, I was able to get another chance. And thanks to that, I've made it this far, and things will probably go better from now on. So, uh... I guess what I'm saying is, thank you for being born?"

Was that right?

The time fragment nodded at my words. "But since our time is striving to remain as it is, we cannot help you."

"If that's how it has to be, then it's okay. I can live with that."

Since it was my–our–past, what could we do? The time fragment's form dispersed into the mist. Sung Hyunje-ssi gestured for me to follow him. It was time to complete the final quest.

---

Footnotes:

[1] I don't have context for what happened so I don't know which pronouns to use here. Feel free to tell me.

[2] Same issue; I don't have context so I don't know what the right pronouns are.

#ok whatever since i already finished the chap i'm just gonna post it #im gonna skip ahead after this tho #disclaimer: a ton of things are probably wrong here just cuz i don't have context. oh well!#sctir #sctir spoilers #sctir side story #s classes that i raised #my s class hunters

23 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 2 days

Text

S-Classes 'Side Story' SPOILERS chapter 117

yoojin proudly claiming his title as the world's (universe's? multiverse's?) foremost expert on sung hyunje is amazing.

'It's Sesung, huh.' To be precise, it was Sung Hyunje-ssi's house—the one I had blown up. The ceiling-high bookshelves, the large windows letting in dim light. The spines of the books were made of various materials, but none of them had any writing on them. The sight was a little eerie. If a world were to be consumed, I supposed this was how it might be erased. Not that we had to worry about that happening anymore. Our little Bin-ie wasn’t that much of a glutton. With gentle flames surrounding me, I turned around. On the other side of the study, I noticed a figure sitting in a chair. If anyone were to appear here, who else would it be but a certain Mr. Sung? I took a few steps toward the figure lounging with his arms draped over the armrests, but then suddenly stopped in my tracks. Something felt off. The way he looked at me, the slouch of his limbs, and the tilt of his neck—it all seemed strangely unnatural. Because, when it came to Sung Hyunje-ssi, there was actually not a single person who could claim to know him better than I did. Though things were much more comfortable between us now, at first I had just been an F-rank beside an unpredictable and dangerous S-rank. Naturally, I'd had to stay on high alert, constantly trying to figure out what that guy was thinking and what he was going to do. Even after we got closer, Sung Hyunje’s unpredictability meant I never stopped observing him. If I'd written down all my observations in a diary and submitted it as a summer vacation assignment, I probably would've gotten five 'Great Job!' stickers from the teacher. So, over time, I got to the point where I could tell things like, 'He’s tilting his head 5 degrees to the left, that means he’s losing interest,' or 'He's touching his left sleeve with his right hand, that means he’s not having fun but is willing to put up with it for a bit longer,' or 'His left foot is dragging slightly—he’s about to do something unexpected!' I’d become pretty familiar with Sung Hyunje-ssi’s behavior. So I could tell that the thing sitting in that chair was a fake; just a shell that looked like him. For one thing, I had never seen Sung Hyunje sit like that before. His posture was off, with his back too close to the chair and his legs in the wrong position. Most notably, his hand was casually hanging off the armrest.

#i started reading and translating from this chap to give more context but realized it was too ambitious of me to do like 30 chaps total lol #but this part is interesting enough to share #sctir side story #sctir spoilers #sctir #jinjae #hjyj #s classes that i raised

41 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 3 days

Note

firstly, thank you for your hard work, this story is a gift from the heavens and thank god i dont have to trudge through confusing mtl for the juicy parts.

secondly, i second (lol) the anon asking for the side stories alt hjyj. I keep seeing fun fanart about them on twitter and without context i just get really sad that i cannot use naver.

though, if you dont feel like doing the side stories yet, you think you could tl the chapters with nightmare dungeon han bros? i love the han bros so much and the nightmare dungeon is PEAK han bros content, like we get twice the han bros! bc theres two of em!

of course, do what you want to, the demands of some random tumblr anon are worth like. 5 cents at best. but if you were to do my one wish i would be v happy for what thats worth. hope your crops have found you well and all that and thanks for the tls <3

thank you so much for the message!! ah then since it’s more timely i’ll skip ahead to the alt hjyj parts so people have more context for fandom content. i won’t go too polished on them though since i haven’t properly read the full story myself.

after that i’ll go back to start from christmas nightmare dungeon for main story. i do definitely want to translate han bros content, the Duckling chapter from that arc is one of my favs! after that i’ll prob skip ahead to wedding arc. thanks to everyone for the input!

#sctir spoilers #ask

13 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 4 days

Note

I hope you would consider the first moon!jin fight! From the aquarium promise till we get yoojin back. There is something peak hotness about hyj kicking shj's ass. Also, do you have access to any of the side stories? I keep hearing stuff about alt hjyj but can't find them.

omg you are so right, thank you for reminding me… it slipped my mind but I had been intending to go back and do that part!! you’re absolutely right we have to start with the aquarium promise to give proper context for their relationship, haha.

i’ve bought the side stories on Naver Series (it’s a bit annoying to buy for non-korean residents as they require you to submit proof of ID if you don’t have a korean number, though you can farm free coins if you’re dedicated). i haven’t had time to read the side stories yet aside from skimming some parts. but i will definitely translate the alt hjyj section at some point once i get through more of the main story. i think the reason nobody has shared them fully is because of how tightly naver’s app is locked down… (it also makes it really annoying to translate because not being able to start with mtl draft is really painful.)

#sctir spoilers #ask

9 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 4 days

Text

since I am finally done this arc to the point that I'd originally intended, I'd be happy to hear what people would like to see translated next. I could continue from there (the next few chapters are also fairly fun) or skip ahead. I was thinking the wedding arc or the chapters near the end of the novel with the rescue and confession would also be fun to do.

28 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 4 days

Text

SCTIR Translation - Chapter 474: The Owner of the Letter (1)

I swallowed back the words, 'I'm sorry for being late. Did you wait long?' The hall was just as dark as it had been before I entered the drawer. But something about the atmosphere was strangely different.

Chapter translation under the cut.

—-

Chapter 474: The Owner of the Letter (1)

I was in exactly the same spot where I had used the drawer. That is, a spot slightly suspended in the air. It wasn't too high, and since I had prepared, I landed lightly. At the same time, I remembered to turn off my Curse Resistance.

My socks, still soaking wet, were now covered in flower petals. White, pink, yellow, light purple, and various other colors—they were scattered all over.

Not whole flowers, just petals.

Sung Hyunje was sitting in a chair, leaning back against it. Flower petals were scattered all over his body, and beneath his long, stretched-out legs lay piles of stark green stems stripped bare of all their petals.

It looked like a graveyard of bones. That thought suddenly crossed my mind. The soft, vibrant petals were dispersed in all directions, with only the long stems overlapping here and there. He must have gathered all the flowers that had been decorating the room, as there were more than enough to bury the chair's legs.

"You… must have been very bored."

If he had burned the flowers or smashed the table, that would have been less surprising to me. Even if the entire hotel had been blown away, revealing the blue sky, I might have just rubbed my forehead. Someone suddenly disappearing without a word was more than enough reason to get angry. Maybe even to break some of the surroundings in frustration. But this… this felt like a calm, quiet madness.

I swallowed dryly.

After a brief silence, Sung Hyunje spoke.

"1 hour, 27 minutes, and 51 seconds have passed since Han Yoojin-gun disappeared. And now, precisely an hour and a half."[1]

Click. The cover of the pocket watch in Sung Hyunje's hand snapped shut. He was sitting slightly outside the hall's illuminated area, so I couldn't see his expression clearly. His face was cast in deep shadows.

"Out of sheer boredom, I decided to try flower divination. Fortunately, there were plenty of flowers."

He must have sat there, picking the petals one by one. The chains must have quietly wrapped around the piles of flowers and stacked them at his feet. It would have been better if he'd just destroyed everything. Without fear resistance, I’d probably have goosebumps by now.

"I didn't mean to be late, but an hour and a half isn't that long, is it? And we were playing tag, so you must have guessed that I was hiding on purpose."

I didn't think he would have been worried. When I first disappeared, he must have been surprised, but also found it amusing. But as time dragged on, he must have gotten a bit annoyed.

"Of course."

Sung Hyunje crossed one leg over the other and continued.

"I figured you had gained something new that I wasn't aware of. But the human mind… this brain." He lightly touched his temple with his fingertips. "It likes to imagine things. What if, perhaps, maybe, surely not… and so on. I was once human, after all, so it wasn't an entirely pleasant time."

"I… apologize for that."

"I believe I've told you before—I'm neither accustomed to nor fond of having anything taken from me."[2]

"But it's not even yours."

"Not just objects, but people and relationships can be taken as well. Didn't you once mistakenly think you'd lost your position as your little brother's guardian?"

"…I did lose it. That wasn't a misunderstanding."

"Well. From my perspective, you never lost it once." His pale-colored eyes remained the same, but the corners of his mouth lifted faintly. "And waiting, as it turns out, really doesn't suit my temperament."

Waiting, knowing nothing, unable to do anything—that was what he really didn't like. Although Sung Hyunje's voice was relatively light, I had the sense that he was more displeased than he'd ever been before.

"I've spent years like that. But no matter how much time passes, I've never gotten used to it. It's always infuriating."

Thinking about it that way made me feel even more guilty. I had just assumed that he hated waiting a long time. In any case, since we were supposed to be partners now, it wouldn't do to just suddenly go missing… Though, he had also hidden things from me.

Anyway, I had won, right? But the atmosphere didn't seem right to demand the letter right away.

"Um, I drank a bit, and finished off all of Hyuna-ssi's wine but… would you like a cigarette, at least?"

This was a non-smoking hotel, but still. Sung Hyunje tilted his head slightly and beckoned me with a finger. The gesture was disgustingly arrogant, but just this once, I should bow my head. I took out the cigarette case from my inventory and approached him.

"You're wet," he noted.

"I fell into some water."

"Oh my, and in this chilly weather."

"It was pretty warm there."

I opened the case and pulled out one cigarette, then took out another.

"It's not good for—"

"Secondhand smoke is worse, you know," I cut him off and put the cigarette in his mouth to stop him from nagging.

I couldn't touch these things in front of the kids anyway, and I rarely went anywhere alone these days. Especially recently, with Gyeol trying to stick to me all the time.

Of course, I had no lighter. I was looking around wondering how to light it, when Sung Hyunje picked up a flower that hadn't been torn apart yet.

Around the full, pale pink bloom—

Crackle.

Electricity sparked. The skillfully ignited flame enveloped the flower. Usually, something so moist wouldn't catch fire so easily.

With the flower in the middle, both cigarettes were lit. This would be the last time; truly the last.

"I received it from the King of the Mist Sea. There's a limit on the number of uses."

I spoke as I watched the smoke curl and dissipate into the air.

Sung Hyunje seemed as if he was only half-listening. The way he held the cigarette between his fingers looked like something the kids should never see. If they tried to imitate him, I'd have to cut them off. Even adults might be tempted to smoke more just watching him. He looked like a high-budget commercial ad.

In the meantime, ash fell from Sung Hyunje's other hand as the fire that had burned down to the end of the flower stem quietly fizzled out. He still didn't seem to be in a good mood.

"…Do you want to go to the aquarium? I'll buy you ice cream, too," I offered.

I wondered why I was trying to comfort him, but it was true that I had been quite late.

"What should I do with Han Yoojin-gun?" Sung Hyunje murmured as if talking to himself.

What do you mean, what should you do?

"Just leave me be. I'll take care of myself. Not everyone will turn out the way you want, you know. Take Director Song, for example."

"I recall a certain someone desperately trying to give him a baby lamb as a gift."

"…No, that was… that was just because I wanted to be of some help. Besides, well, you know about Director Song. What happened before the regression."

I wasn't trying to change someone completely. I just wanted him to take better care of himself. But even if that wasn't possible, I wanted him at least to survive.

"It's not easy to mold someone as you want while respecting them," Sung Hyunje commented.

"Look, the 'respect' part completely disappears if you're doing it 'as you want.' First of all, abandon the idea that you'll lead."

Even among natural born S-ranks, considering he’d lived for so long as a Transcendent-level being—though he’d lost those memories—it was only natural, I supposed. There was no way most people would feel like equals to him. Honestly, him calling me his 'partner' was probably not acknowledgement, but more something he was 'allowing'.

'It would be difficult for someone who's lived like that for hundreds of years to suddenly change.'

It hadn't even been six months, after all.

"Turning a blind eye to danger just to show respect is putting the cart before the horse," he said.

"Well, that's true, but…"

"What if a non-Awakened Park Yerim said she wanted to enter a dungeon?"

"Obviously, I'd stop her," I replied.

And I had also tried to stop an S-rank Yoohyun from entering dungeons. It wasn't that I didn't respect them, but… molding them 'as I want'… Then again, stopping them was an attempt to impose my will on them… It was complicated.

If they were complete strangers, it would be different, but with people around me, especially people I liked, wasn't it nearly impossible to just leave them alone? Even if it was for their sake… hmm. It was still my desire at the end of the day.

After taking a single drag and letting the smoke drift out, Sung Hyunje simply held the cigarette in his hand.

Meanwhile, my cigarette had already burned down quite a bit. As I glanced around, wondering what to do with it, Sung Hyunje held out his palm.

"…Come on."

Surely he wasn't asking me to put out my cigarette there. He was S-rank, so a lit cigarette would be nothing to him, but still I grimaced at the thought and stared at him.

Sung Hyunje reached out and pinched the end of my cigarette to snuff it out. Ash stuck to his pale fingertips. Then, he crushed his own cigarette with his hand. When he opened his fist, there was nothing left but a faint trace of ash.

Right. I could've just put it in my inventory. I followed suit and stored the cigarette butt.

"Let's say it wasn't pleasant, but it was a productive time," Sung Hyunje said lightly.

Productive? What had he been thinking about? He stood up, and the skeletal flower stems lightly brushed against his feet.

"Oh, the flower divination. What was it for?"

I was curious and concerned about what conclusions he had come to during that hour and a half.

Looking down at me, Sung Hyunje's eyes crinkled. "The little lady called."

"What? Yerim called?"

"She said she couldn't reach you and asked if I had broken your phone again. Then she asked me to tell you there's a famous dessert sold at this hotel and that she wanted to have some before leaving. And then…"

And then?

Sung Hyunje's eyes crinkled further as his smile deepened. "I told her Han Yoojin-gun wasn't here."

"T-that's—! You can't do that! So then, what did Yerim say?"

"She asked what I meant, so I told her again, you weren't here. Then she shouted for Han Yoohyun."

Ack, she told Yoohyun? Wait a minute—so the kids now…!

Sung Hyunje shamelessly continued. "When he asked where his hyung was, I honestly told him I didn't know either, and that Han Yoojin-gun had left this place about twenty minutes prior."

Twenty minutes prior? That was over an hour ago. Of course they'd be in a panic. Sung Hyunje!

"You were unnecessarily honest!"

"I only told the truth."

I quickly took out my phone. It had gotten wet but fortunately was still functioning. Thank god for waterproofing.

"Do you really want to be grabbed by the collar that badly?" I demanded.

"It seems they immediately left to look for you, so they didn't come here."

"Of course, because Chloe—Yoohyun!"

[Hyung!]

Yoohyun picked up almost immediately. There was a slight tremble in his voice.

[Where are you? Are you okay?]

"I'm fine. I'm at the hotel."

[…What?]

"It's true that I disappeared for a bit, but no one kidnapped me or anything. I was in a place kind of like Myungwoo's smithy—the drawer from the King of the Mist Sea."

I could hear him gritting his teeth on the other end, so I quickly added that Sung Hyunje hadn't known either. We didn't need the hotel to go up in flames.

[I thought you were taken while returning to the room alone…]

"You must've been really worried. But there are so many hunters around that it's hard to imagine I'd get kidnapped. Besides, if Sung Hyunje hadn't escorted me back, I would've called you."

There was no way I would've wandered around by myself without Gyeol.

"What's the situation now? You didn't announce to everyone I was kidnapped, right?"

[Of course not. We contacted the Awakened Management Office and the Association to check the airports and track Chloe Alger's movements. Only Director Song Taewon and a handful of people at the Association know.]

"Good job. Come back for now, but just ask Director Song to meet us at the hotel. Leave the Association out of it."

Even if they tried to handle it quietly, the fact that the airports had been checked meant it was unlikely the information hadn't leaked. Since things had already escalated to this point, we might as well make the best of it.

[You're not alone, are you?]

"Nope. The Sesung Guildmaster is right here in front of me."

"Don't worry, young master. I'll take good care of your hyung. You can come at your leisure."

[…I'll leave him to you for now. Hyung, stay put.]

The call ended. I quickly called Yerim next.

[Ajussiii!]

[Daaad!]

Gyeol was on the verge of tears, and Yerim was half-scolding, half-grumbling that they'd been worried sick. Poor kids. It really wasn't a big deal. But wait… Oh no, this meant…

[…Yoojin, you.]

Sure enough, Myungwoo sounded angry. His voice was heavy and intimidating.

[How on earth could you—!]

"No, really, this time nothing happened!"

[We were so worried, Yoojin-ssi. Myungwoo-hyung, please calm down.]

So the two of them were together. Well, even though this time wasn't my fault, I felt guilty since I'd worried them so many times before. I humbly apologized.

Finally, I called Director Song, who sighed heavily as soon as he answered.

"It was really a misunderstanding. I swear."

[At least you're safe. Is Hunter Sung Hyunje beside you?]

"I feel a little sorry for Director Song Taewon," Sung Hyunje said, his tone and expression showing not the slightest bit of remorse.

[Please refrain from making false reports.]

"False? I only spoke the truth. There was merely a slight misunderstanding in the process of the message being relayed."

It was annoying because technically, he wasn't wrong. But thanks to his mischief, Sung Hyunje's mood seemed to have improved a bit.

After finishing my last call, I looked up at him.

"Anyway, I won."

"I concede."

Nodding slightly, Sung Hyunje took out the letter and placed it in my hand. I hoped it wasn't just some trivial content after all this.

---

Footnotes:

[1] It says 1 hr 27 min 51 sec in the e-book as well. I think it should probably be 29 instead of 27 minutes, but… I left it as-is for now because the original number is recognizable in fandom.

[2] The lack of a word in English that captures both "things" and "people" again makes it awkward to translate this without specifying one or the other. In Korean, Sung Hyunje doesn't specify what he doesn't like losing, which is why he then clarifies that it's not just objects but people that can be taken away.

#this chapter was the entire reason i started translating this arc in the first place #i hope you all enjoyed this arc and especially this chapter as much i do!#my s class hunters #the s classes that i raised #tsctir #sctir #s classes that i raised #jinjae #hjyj

29 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 4 days

Text

SCTIR Translation - Chapter 473: Inside the Drawer

"A-are you some kind of management system for this place? More importantly, why do you look like that?!" "The default appearance is set to what Master likes most."

Chapter translation under the cut.

---

Chapter 473: Inside the Drawer

"Yoo…"

No, there was no way my younger brother would be here. But the figure that appeared beyond the mansion's gate looked exactly like Yoohyun. Even dressed just as he had been at yesterday's banquet.

"Hello, Master."

"W-What are you saying?!"

Looking like that! The voice was completely identical, too! The thing that looked like my little brother smiled faintly.

"I am Number 71."

"A-are you some kind of management system for this place? More importantly, why do you look like that?!"

"The default appearance is set to what Master likes most."

Of course, I liked my little brother—but, wait a minute.

'It's the current Yoohyun, huh?'

What I liked the most. Not how he was as a child or when he had been older. It made sense. My current little brother had changed a lot. Now he smiled more, sometimes acted a bit spoiled, and no longer seemed as anxious. Above all, he’d said he had grown to like himself.

Han Yoohyun was different from ordinary people. Even though I accepted and acknowledged that, I still couldn't help worrying whether it was truly okay. After all, the place where my brother lived and would have to continue living was human society.

But forcing him to live while suppressing his true self, pretending not to know and covering it up, would have been clearly wrong. Wouldn't it? As long as he wasn't hurting anyone, why should he have to conform? Above all, if you lived together, both sides should make compromises, not just one.

So, I definitely preferred the current Yoohyun. He'd likely only get better with time. Occasionally, he might take a few steps backwards or stray off course, but as long as he returned, that was fine. And that outfit suited him well, too.

Anyway…

"Change your appearance to something else. Like…."

Yerim was obviously out of the question, and Myungwoo or Noah-ssi would be weird too. Hyuna-ssi being that polite to me would also feel really awkward. Director Song was always respectful, but calling me 'Master' would be a bit much... Maybe that guy Hamin would work without it feeling burdensome.

"Can you turn into Sung Hyunje?"

After hearing him call me 'master' just yesterday, I wanted to try bossing around the Sesung Guildmaster for a bit.

Number 71 looked troubled at my suggestion. "With your current abilities, Master, changing settings is not possible."

"…What? You call me Master, but I can't even do that much?"

It was hard to speak harshly to something that looked like my little brother.

"It is because your understanding and control of this space are extremely low, Master."

"How low are we talking?"

"Less than 0.01%."

…And you call me Master. Even living in a monthly rental would give me more control than that. It was basically like living in someone else's house.

I cautiously stepped through the gate, glancing around. The fairly spacious garden was full of unfamiliar flowering trees. However, while there were plants, there were no signs of animals like birds, bees, or butterflies. Number 71 in front of me didn't seem to be a living being either.

"Then can you at least change how you address me? Just call me by my name."

Even 'Hyung' would be a bit much.

"Master's understanding of this space—"

"Yes, I get it. It's not possible."

Should I cover his face or something? Maybe put a mask on him?

"What exactly are you?" I asked.

"I am the management doll for the 71st Drawer."

"And you're not alive?"

"I am based on an artificial elemental, but it is difficult to consider me a living being."

An artificial elemental? Now what was that?

"Could there be anything dangerous in here? From an F-ranker’s perspective?"

"It is safe, as long as you don't touch anything first."

That Jellyfish did a good job managing this drawer. I felt a little guilty for doubting its safety. Yeah, looking back, Jellyfish wasn't so bad. Compared to that lizard brat, it was quite decent. The real problem was Chatterbox.

I wondered if about 10 minutes had passed by now. It should be fine if I was a little late. I didn't want to stay too long, so maybe about 30 minutes of looking around would be enough.

"Let me know when 30 minutes have passed since I came in. Can you do that?"

"Yes, that's possible."

"Ah, and time in here flows the same as it does outside, right?"

"Yes. To change the flow of time, Master's spatial control must exceed 80%."

So that would be possible too, if I got good enough at this. I remembered how the Newbie could manipulate time flow within the dungeon.

Walking across the yard with wet socks was unpleasant. Ugh, the squishy feeling was the worst. Number 71 quietly followed me, then went up the stairs ahead of me to open the mansion's front door. Without thinking, I almost said, "Thanks, Yoohyun," because it was so much like my brother. The mannerisms and speech were different, though.

Inside, opening the door on the right side of the long hallway revealed a spacious living room. The garden outside was clearly visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The floor gleamed like polished marble, and various orbs of light floated around the high ceiling in place of regular lighting.

"There don't seem to be any items here," I said.

"This is a place for rest. The sofas and chairs have stamina recovery functions, and the lights provide a calming effect. The food on the table will stay fresh and maintain its temperature for three days."

That was pretty nice. I almost sat down on the sofa but stopped since I was too wet. Even though the stamina recovery function sounded useful, it would be a waste to take it out of here.

"Is it true that I can only remove three items from this place?"

"Yes, that is how it is currently set up."

"And if I improve that spatial control thing?"

"If you become the complete master of the 71st Drawer, all restrictions will be lifted."

All restrictions gone! Did that mean I'd be able to take anything out? My heart raced at the thought, but…

"How do I become the complete master?"

"You must fully understand the space and be able to freely modify, dismantle, and create within it."

In other words, I'd need to reach the level of a Transcendent. How was I supposed to do that? Myungwoo said he could see the structure of mana within the Newbie's dungeon, but to me, it just looked like trees, the sky, and the ground. Maybe I should ask Myungwoo for help.

I left the living room and entered another room. The second room was a study filled with books. After confirming it was safe with Number 71, I pulled out a book and opened it.

"Hmm… must be good content,” I said. What language was this, anyway?

"This study has features that enhance focus. When reading at that desk, the contents will be easier to remember."

I should bring Yerim here! If I took this entire study out, students would line up for a chance to use it.

"There's a three-item limit on what I can take out, but is there any restriction on using the items here?"

"No. However, any items absorbed or consumed by the body count toward the three-item limit."

"…I drank some water earlier."

"The lake water is not considered an item."

So I could bring the kids here, then. But the Newbie said that without replenishing its mana, I could only use the drawer about 30 times. And that was per person. If I brought Yoohyun and Yerim, we'd only get about 10 uses.

What a waste. A real shame. I thought I'd just take the items and use this place as an emergency hideout thirty times, but this place was better than I expected!

"How can I replenish the mana of this space?"

"It can be replenished by the master. However, the connection is currently severed."

"…And to reconnect it, I need to increase that spatial control thing?"

"Yes. Basic mana replenishment requires at least 5% control. Each recharge also consumes the equivalent of ten SSS-rank mana stones."

That was a huge amount. Thankfully, I had the Mana Spring. Otherwise, I'd be sucked dry like a mummy without even filling up 1/100th of it.

This time, I walked down the hallway to the door at the very end. As it opened, a refreshing vista of bright blue water unfolded before me. The entire front wall, about three stories high, was completely transparent without any frame or seams. Beyond it, there was also a terrace built over the lake.

"It really feels like a resort."

"The 71st Drawer is designed as a place for rest. It was also recently remodeled according to the standards of Master's world," Number 71 answered.

I had suspected as much, but it really was a resting area. Had it been remodeled before being handed over to me? How considerate. No wonder the structure felt familiar. Considering the lower half of the King of the Mist Sea’s body, normal chairs wouldn't suit her. A concave design resembling a wine glass would have been more comfortable. And I guessed the interior would have been more tentacle-friendly, though I didn’t know what that would look like.

"That is why the rank of the stored items and the drawer itself are also relatively low," Number 71 added.

They did say it would be about SSS-rank. To me, it felt more like L-rank quality. It was easily worth trading for one of my L-rank skills… except I didn't have any worth trading. At first, I had grumbled about how my resistance skills were like pearls cast before swine, but they had proven incredibly useful. Not just curse and poison resistance, but fear resistance had been useful in many ways too. Not to mention my Caregiver skills. Well, except for Final Thanks…

‘That one, maybe I don't need.'

Honestly, I wanted to act like it didn't exist at all. To get revenge, though… that was a different story. I'd already used it once and gained a lot from it, but… I hoped there would never be another reason for me to use that skill again.

"…If the items here are meant for vacation, they probably won't be very useful."

They probably wouldn't be weapons or armor, but rather things with weird stats and passives. With forms like picnic baskets, beach robes, sunglasses, or floaties.

"Does the space get bigger if its rank increases?"

"Yes. The space expands, and the rank of the items that can be stored also increases. It also becomes harder to detect, track, or destroy."

"Wait, it can be found and destroyed?"

"If an SSS-rank entity has the ability to detect it, yes."

So it probably wouldn't be usable as a hideout against Transcendents. Too bad. Still, there weren't any SS-rank beings in our world. The only exceptions were the occasional SS-rank monsters. I wondered how the level of Myungwoo's smithy compared. Since the Newbie said this place was relatively unsophisticated compared to the smithy, the smithy was probably at least L-rank, maybe even Mythic.

If you compared them, the Golden Smithy was a specialized facility, while this place was more like a vacation home or storage space.

"What else is on the first floor?"

"There is a dining room, a café, and a bathroom."

"And the second floor?"

"A living room, three bedrooms, and three bathrooms."

"What about the third floor?"

"A swimming pool, a lounge, and entertainment facilities. There is also an attic and a basement."

The first to third floors sounded pretty standard. The attic probably wasn't special, so the real treasure would probably be in the basement.

"Take me to the basement."

I would have to figure out how to raise my spatial control to at least 5%, even if I had to learn from Myungwoo. This place was too good to only use a few times and be done with it. It was like a portable vacation home! Wouldn't it be great if I could make it so other people could use it too? It'd be perfect for the kids to rest in when they go on dungeon raids. Transcendents just whipped these things up like it was nothing; lucky them.

Ah, except for the Elder. The Mermaid Queen also didn't strike me as the researcher type like the Newbie or the Jellyfish. Same for the Deer and the Wolf. The Tree seemed a bit more inclined towards this kind of thing, though.

'The Newbie seems to be taking my side a lot lately. I wonder about the other Irreverents.'

The more people we had on our side, the better. Maybe next time I saw the Newbie, I should ask about the Mermaid Queen. She was the one we'd dealt with the most so far. She had even given Yerim a skill, and the Newbie referred to Yerim as 'little droplet', too.

We couldn't reach the basement via the stairs. More precisely, there were decorative stairs in the building, but they didn't seem to lead anywhere. Instead, there was a portal.

"As your spatial control increases, you will be able to move freely to any location," Number 71 said.

There it was again, that spatial control thing. We descended to the basement through the portal. Contrary to the typical underground lab vibe, the basement was brightly lit and welcoming. Inside the rows of display cases were cubical objects on display.

"Those are all items, right? Are they?"

Though they all looked identical on the outside, each cube had to contain a different item. I tried to suppress my rising excitement as I asked.

Number 71 nodded. He looked even cuter because he resembled Yoohyun! Ugh, why could I only take three items? But still, it was great.

"Is there a catalog or something? It could be dangerous to just open them blindly."

"They are safe in cube form."

"Really?"

I quickly opened the nearest display case. There was something like a name tag attached to the shelf where the cube was placed, but I couldn't read it. As soon as I picked up a cube, information about the item inside flowed into my mind.

'A-rank, Seven-Colored Turtle Shell.'

A crafting material item. Were there a lot of materials here? Maybe I could bring Myungwoo to practice with them. As long as we didn't take out the finished products, it should be fine. I picked up the cube next to it. S-rank Phillol Tree Fruit. Was this display case all crafting materials? I opened a display case on the other side and checked the cube inside.

"SS-rank shoes!"

Equipment! It didn't give detailed info on the effects, though. Maybe I'd need to take it out and wear it to find out. I put it down for now and grabbed the next one.

"This one's SS-rank too! But… a spoon?"

What was this? It couldn't be a weapon, right? Maybe food tasted better when you ate it with this? There was a mix of gear and various strange items. It really seemed like an unimportant storage space filled with random stuff. I even found a bag. The one I'd bought in Sollemnis had been pretty useful.

I moved on to check another display case.

"It's a skill!"

The shelf was filled with skill cubes ranging from A-rank to SS-rank. Ah, what a waste! Skills! And this shelf—stats? They increased your base stats? Was this even allowed? Probably because they were permanent, even a single-digit increase was S-rank, but still!

"Why only three?! Jellyfish! King of the Mist Sea! This is too unfair!"

It was like staring at a cake I couldn't eat! I stomped my feet in frustration. At the same time, a sudden sense of urgency hit me. If not just the King of the Mist Sea, but other Transcendents could create spaces like this...

'…If Chatterbox used items like this to help Awakened grow stronger.'

It could make them catch up to our level in no time. Of course, there had to be some limits, but it seemed dangerous to get complacent.

But seriously, how was I supposed to choose from all this? There was so much here.

"Do you have any recommendations? Or maybe I should bring the kids along... By the way, has it not been 30 minutes yet?"

I had been rummaging around absentmindedly for what felt like ages, but Number 71 had remained silent. When I glanced back at him, he shook his head.

"There are still 27 minutes and 45 seconds remaining."

"…What? Hold on a second!"

There was no way only 2 minutes and 15 seconds had passed! Just falling into the water and crawling out must have taken nearly 10 minutes!

"Didn't you say the time flow here is the same as outside? Has it really been only 2 minutes?"

"It has been exactly 2 minutes and 16 seconds."

"…Didn't at least 10 seconds pass while we were talking? Has it really only been 2 minutes and 16 seconds? I mean in the world I came from!"

Number 71 was silent for a moment before answering.

"2 minutes and 16 seconds is in the King of the Mist Sea's time units. In your world's time units, 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 19 seconds have passed."

So it had been quite a while after all! The time units of the King of the Mist Sea's home world were different from ours. Still, it had only been about an hour and a half, so it should be fine. Reluctantly, I put the cube down and hurried outside.

#sctir #tsctir #the s classes that i raised #s classes that i raised #my s class hunters #should i translate jellyfish's name as Mist Sea King to be more concise?

20 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 5 days

Text

SCTIR Translation - Chapter 472: Letter (3)

The central table was also decorated with flowers. A five-tiered tray was piled with various desserts. The elegant tea set was adorned with flowering vines that spilled over and cascaded down to the floor. Beyond all that stood Sung Hyunje.

Chapter translation under the cut.

---

Chapter 472: Letter (3)

'This is close to what I expected.'

It seemed to be a banquet hall or something of the sort. The overall lighting was dim, with only the center brightly illuminated. Round tables and chairs had been pushed to the edges, leaving just one table in the middle.

The air was perfumed with the scent of flowers and grass. Not only were the tables decorated with fresh flowers, but every corner of the room was adorned with them. I wondered how much all those flowers must have cost.

'Looking at this, it seems he really does like flowers.'

Director Song once mentioned that over the years, he'd received enough flowers from Sung Hyunje to fill several trucks. He also had an indoor garden at his house. Though on the other hand, Yoohyun and Hyuna-ssi had apparently never received any flowers from him. Soyoung had said she'd gotten one or two occasionally, though she'd grimaced while commenting that they felt more like a warning, the way the mafia sends messages.

Beyond all that stood Sung Hyunje. I'd often wondered before why he went to such lengths for this kind of thing. Though in fairness, he probably just gave orders while his subordinates did all the hard work.

'They must be well-paid.'

Probably something like 100,000 won an hour. Honestly, I was also kind of tempted. Imagine earning a month's salary for a single day's work. And even though those tasks could be done by a regular person, given that an S-rank hunter was involved, they probably got hazard pay too.

As I crossed the plush carpet, I couldn’t resist asking. "How much did you pay for all this labor?"

"…Hmm. I’m not sure."

"But you must have had a budget."

"It's pocket money. I don't set a budget for light hobbies. Surely Han Yoojin-gun is the same."

"No, not really. I even recorded things like the cup of tteokbokki I bought on the street in my expense journal. I set limits for how much I can spend on snacks each month."

I had been the same even after becoming an adult. Even when I bought a cup of coffee on a cold day, I'd think about how much money I had left to spend that month. Now, though, my assets were so vast that keeping track had become difficult, but I never spent money carelessly on personal hobbies. I always checked roughly how much something might cost and how much I'd already spent.

"Well, Sung Hyunje-ssi, I suppose if you went bankrupt, you'd bounce back quickly."

Even if all the Awakened and dungeons disappeared tomorrow. Maybe he could go into show business. These days, high-rank hunters were considered the new nobility, but before that, celebrities had held that status. He was Korean by nationality, but I bet if you dropped him in Hollywood, he'd fit right in, as if he'd been a child actor there who'd been successful since a young age.

It was late autumn, almost winter, but the table that I stood resolutely in front of smelled like spring.

"I was too agitated yesterday," I said, meeting his golden eyes squarely. "Because I like you, Sung Hyunje-ssi. That's why I got so angry, disappointed, and frustrated."

If I hadn't been fond of him, I would've just thought, 'Oh well, this is a hassle,' and left it at that. If I had never stepped inside the marked boundary, I wouldn't have felt suddenly pushed out. If a close friend said out of the blue, 'I'm moving away today,' of course, I'd be confused. I'd be hurt they didn't tell me sooner, and I'd worry about why. But if it were just a stranger from the neighborhood moving, I'd just think, 'Ah, those people are moving,' and end it there.

"I also like you very much, Han Yoojin-gun," Sung Hyunje said as he lifted the teapot.

"If you're sincere, then you could show me the letter. And you could also tell me exactly what you're planning."

He poured the tea into a cup.

"You said you received a proposal, but you didn't tell me any of the details."

Given that the people involved were those who had dragged me to China, I was naturally sensitive about it, but maybe the proposal was something trivial. It could just be a dinner invitation. Maybe Park Hayul's noonim even had a thing for Sung Hyunje. He did seem to be popular with older women. If you thought about it, even the Crescent Moon was older than him.

"This letter, you mean?"

Sung Hyunje put down the teapot and took out the letter. I immediately held out my hand, but of course, he didn't give it to me.

"There are restrictions, naturally," he said.

"A contract, huh? Well, there's no way someone would deliver such an important letter without any precautions. It's probably something like 'don't show or share the contents with others,' right? Come here."

It was just a contract. Surely it couldn't be SSS-rank or higher. I opened my arms as if to hug him, but he just placed the letter down on the table.

"If the contract is broken, Chloe will leave too."

Ah… Of course. Even if they locked down the airports, an S-rank hunter could easily cross borders. She could swim to China or Japan if she had to.

"Then will you help us catch Hunter Chloe?"

"What should I do?" Sung Hyunje said, the corners of his lips curling in a mischievous way. "The contract terms aren't that straightforward. Naturally, there are exception clauses."

He tapped the table lightly with his index finger, right next to the letter.

"I don't have the loyalty to be willing to risk my life," he continued. "If I can't protect the letter with my own abilities, and it gets taken from me, it won't count as breaking the contract."

"Hey, Sung Hyunje. If you don't want to die, hand over that letter."

Obviously, he didn't give it to me. That so-called exception clause was basically meaningless. How was I supposed to take the letter from him? Maybe I should butter him up and take him to meet the Elder.

"If you have time, would you like to go on a date with me? I know a nice dungeon nearby," I said. I'll treat you well.

"As much as it's a shame to turn down a rare date invitation from you, we haven't even visited the aquarium yet, so I'll have to decline."

"I think we could make do at your house for that."

Sung Hyunje put on a disappointed face, as if he was going to cry. He really could make it big in Hollywood. Just look at that detestable expression.

"Ah fine, let's go to the aquarium," I said. "How about we take everyone along?"

"If even one S-rank hunter accompanies us, taking the letter out of my inventory could result in a breach of contract."

"…That's annoying. So you can only bring out the letter when you don't feel threatened?"

"That's right. Right now, I can even place it on the table with no problem because Sung-Han Gyeol didn't come along."

"It's Han Gyeol. Maybe it'd just be easier to check the letter after we've caught Hunter Chloe."

How could I possibly take the letter from him by myself? Even if he took a few steps back after putting it down, I wouldn't even be able to touch the table before he restrained me.

"She might not come in person to get the reply," he commented.

"Then could you just... Ah, that would be a waste."

If Sung Hyunje stayed on our side, it would be better to keep the contract intact, regardless of whether Chloe came in person or not. We could dig up more information that way. So, the best course of action would be to check the letter's contents without breaking the contract.

'...But there's really no way, is there?'

F-rank stats, no attack skills, and even though I had various gear, my opponent was a disgustingly strong natural born S-rank with combat foresight. There was no way I could take anything from Sung Hyunje with my abilities. That was why he was so relaxed, knowing the contract would remain intact.

I had to take the letter in a situation where Sung Hyunje was absolutely certain he wouldn't lose it. It was like being told to go through a closed door without opening it, breaking it down, or using teleportation.

His golden eyes curved in a relaxed smile.

"Shall I add a condition that if you successfully take the letter, I'll obediently cooperate?" he offered.

Was he making fun of me now—wait a minute.

"You're annoyingly confident," I said.

I frowned deeply and tensed my legs. I glanced to the side, pretending not to look at the letter, and—

Crash!

I lunged towards the table. The letter that had seemed to be within reach vanished in an instant, and the table tilted sharply. The flowers and dessert tray came crashing down to the floor alongside me. I ended up sprawled on the carpet, covered with the tablecloth and flower vines. My thigh, which had hit the table hard from my forceful lunge, was throbbing.

"That wasn't a very commendable attempt," he chided.

I raised my head from the pile of flowers. Golden chains that had appeared out of nowhere were holding up the teapot and teacups. Not a single drop of tea had spilled. Forks and knives jingled as they dangled in midair.

"Well, I thought I'd at least give it a try," I muttered, sitting up among the heap of flowers.

Sung Hyunje lightly flicked the fallen table up with the tip of his foot. As if pulled by invisible strings, it righted itself neatly. The teapot and teacups settled smoothly back on top.

"As you can see, there's no way I can take the letter from you by force," I said. "So how about a wager? Judging by the conditions, it seems it might work."

"If there's even the slightest chance I could lose, then it's impossible."

"We'll make it something where you have no chance of losing. If I win, you hand over the letter, completely intact, with the contents readable. If I lose, I'll do one thing you want, Sung Hyunje-ssi, whatever it is. But it has to be something related only to me—nothing like handing over the Rearing Facility, or asking Myungwoo to make you a weapon, or forcing Han Gyeol to change his family name."

If Sung Hyunje lost a bet that he was absolutely certain he wouldn't lose, it would be like losing the letter by a force of nature. That level of loophole should work, and was probably why he was taking out the letter and putting it down in front of me.

"That's quite tempting."

"You can ask me to side with you, if you want. Or you could even take me with you when you leave Korea."

At my words, Sung Hyunje's eyes narrowed momentarily. Did he interpret it as me asking to be taken along if he was going to join Park Hayul's side or wherever else?

"The condition will be one I want, not one Han Yoojin-gun wants."

"In any case—what do you say?"

"And the wager is?"

"Hmm, let's play tag. It won't be for long—let's say just ten minutes. I absolutely won't go through the door, or break the walls, ceiling, or floor."

"You have teleportation items, don't you?"

"With the points I have left, I can't afford any. And teleportation can't pass through barriers. Besides, it's only ten minutes—do you really think you couldn't catch me if I jumped outside? If I receive help from anyone else, I'll automatically lose. That includes monsters."

Sung Hyunje tilted his head slightly. He knew that, on my own, I couldn't possibly escape him for ten minutes.

"Since I'm at such a disadvantage, how about you give me three tries instead of one? What do you think?" I suggested.

"I could still win even if it were just five minutes, however…" He looked at me carefully. Of course, he'd be suspicious. "You said you spent almost all your points in the Nightmare Dungeon, didn't you?"

"Before that, I blew through them buying Yoohyun a sword. I can't afford anything like an SSS-rank item, even if they're one-time use."

"You had been serious about trying to kill Director Song Taewon, too," he said thoughtfully. He seemed to be recalling the items I had used back then. The most useful one I had left was probably the Mini Mini Cookie.

"And the dungeon rewards this time wouldn't be for yourself either," he said.

"You're unnecessarily well-informed."

Sung Hyunje took out a pocket watch from his inventory and placed it on the table. A contract appeared beside it.

"If I happen to win, you can't break the contract or withhold the letter," I added.

"I don't have the loyalty to suffer a penalty. If it's taken away because my abilities fell short, I'll accept it gracefully."

Just in case, if I won, I would deactivate my Curse Resistance immediately. We each signed the contract. Right after that—

Clink!

"Ugh, wait a moment!"

In an instant, chains wrapped around my body. I was lifted lightly into the air, flower petals falling in a flurry.

"That's try one."

"Shouldn't you give me time to equip my gear?!"

"I'll give you three minutes. And of course, I won't deduct it from your time."

How generous. Just before the chains released me, I used an item. The King of the Mist Sea's 71st Drawer. My surroundings immediately shifted. I could see the bright blue sky, and beneath my feet—

"What—!"

Splash!

The sound of displaced water echoed loudly. Damn it, was it because she was a jellyfish? Why was there water here?! I had Grace activated, of course, but that didn't prevent me from swallowing a mouthful of water. At least it wasn't salty.

"Damn it—ugh—stupid Jellyfish!"

— Tweet! Tweet!

Wasn't it called a 'drawer'! Even Grace seemed startled and popped out. I floundered in the water, trying to swim, but even staying afloat was a challenge. Quickly, I pulled out a wire and threw it toward a tree that I'd caught sight of. The wire wrapped around the tree, and I used it pull myself and crawl onto land.

"Cough—that was close…"

I could just leave this place immediately, but then I'd lose. So, soaking wet, I collapsed onto the grass looking like a drowned rat. Both my shoes were gone... they had been expensive.

"No, but this… Can't I specify where I land?"

Appearing above water might not matter for the Jellyfish, but it did for me. With Grace, I'd honestly prefer a fire pit. Then again, I guess being in a fire pit could still be dangerous if I ran out of oxygen. But seriously, what kind of drawer was this…

"This drawer…"

— Tweet!

As I stood up, a building that looked like a villa came into view. It was a three-story mansion painted in bright colors that reminded me of a resort in the Mediterranean or some kind of vacation spot. It was on a small island surrounded by water, but the lake wasn't very large. The horizon curved like a dome enclosing the area in all directions. It felt like being trapped inside a snow globe.

"...Is this supposed to be small compared to Myungwoo's smithy?"

They had said it was just a simple storage room? And that it wasn't spacious?

"Grace, you'd better head back inside. It might be dangerous."

I couldn't be sure what might pop up. To kill 10 minutes, it would be better to stay put and not wander around unnecessarily.

I felt pleased at the thought of how surprised Sung Hyunje must be right now. He definitely didn't expect me to have an item like this. In terms of grade, it would probably be about L-rank. Especially since I'd gotten it from someone who had been a former enemy and who had no reason to be friendly towards me. Unless he was a fortune-teller, there was no way he could have known.

I decided to leisurely wait out the 10 minutes before going back out.

"If I can keep using this, it could really be used as a vacation home."

The weather was nice, and the water looked clean. I wondered what the inside of the mansion was like. It seemed that it would be quite difficult to replenish the drawer's mana stores, though.

As I slowly walked toward the entrance, casually glancing around, something caught my attention.

'...Huh?'

Something moved. What was that?

#tsctir #sctir #the s classes that i raised #s classes that i raised #my s class hunters #jinjae #hjyj #the imagery in this scene is so pretty... why is shj so good at romantic date setups ahhh

21 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 5 days

Text

Hmm, how should Sung Hyunje's name for Gyeol be written in English? Sung Hangyeol? Sung Han Gyeol? Sung-Han Gyeol? I guess the last one is what SHJ intends by it, even though it looks a bit weird to me since married couples' family names don't get combined like that in Korean... but since SHJ spent time overseas I guess he'd be familiar with that convention?

#han gyeol #sctir spoilers

17 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 5 days

Text

SCTIR Translation - Chapter 471: Letter (2)

Chapter translation under the cut.

---

Chapter 471: Letter (2)

"I can kind of understand it, but it seems off."

"Well, it's a free translation app."

After the usual greetings, there was some nonsense about congratulating me on getting back safely.

"What? He was worried? After disappearing without a word of warning? 'I won't forget the joyful time we spent together'… Is the translation app broken?"

Creaaak, the fork in Yoohyun's hand bent under the pressure. Noah furrowed his brows, and even Myungwoo frowned.

"What a son of a bitch."

"Yerim-ah, don't say that. It’s an insult to dogs."

Dogs were far more lovable.

"And then, 'I'll love you more when we meet again'... What the hell? The translation can’t be right."

"Hmm, it looks like he's saying he wants to dote on you," Noah said, peering at the letter.

"You know Chinese too?"

"Just a little. It's similar to what my sister wrote when we went to a dungeon in China..."

Ah. But what exactly was this jerk Huang Lin trying to pull? Even if we accounted for the translation app having major issues, this wasn’t a normal message.

"Chu Huoyun is… doing fine, it says. And he wants to… oh, Yerim, don't read this part."

That son of a bitch—sorry to dogs—apparently wanted to cut off my legs. He must've been really mad. Though it had been Yoohyun who'd sliced him up, so why did he have an issue with me? Was he pissed about getting shot?

"I should've killed him back then," Yoohyun said in a low voice, his expression chillingly cold. If Chu Huoyun were in front of him right now, Yoohyun would probably cut off his head without hesitation.

"I wasn't planning on letting him live, either," I said. "I doubt Huang Lin is holding a grudge, but Chu Huoyun must be."

He was a truly nasty piece of work from the start. And after the humiliation he'd gone through, he was surely grinding his teeth right now. The next time we met, one of us wouldn't be walking away unscathed. Given that, of course it'd be better to cut off Mr. Chu's head.

"Well, on its face… it's just a friendly letter," I remarked.

There was nothing special about the letter's contents, the stationary or the envelope. All he'd written was nonsense like, 'we had fun together back then, Chu Huoyun is trying to catch and kill you, he's doing okay though, let's meet again, you've been through a lot~.' Though I should ask Dr Hao Yuan to double-check just in case. The translation wasn't perfect, and there could be hidden messages.

"So, Hunter Chloe was in league with the people who kidnapped Ajussi, and those people were working with Huang Lin. Is that right?" Yerim asked, twisting her eyebrows exaggeratedly as she spoke.

"Yeah, pretty much. To be exact, the King of the Mist Sea helped China's military capture the Dokkaebi King. Huang Lin felt that the Dokkaebi King posed a danger, and asked Park Hayul's noonim for help. That noonim then ordered Park Hayul to kidnap me. And Chloe is connected with Park Hayul's faction."

As a result, the military had suffered a huge blow. Huang Lin played a role in that, but what was going on with Chu Huoyun? I didn't think someone with his personality would just sit still. Was Huang Lin deceiving him?

I decided to give Yoon Yoon a call.

[Hello, Captain Kim!]

"Hey, how's it going? Everything okay?" I asked.

[Of course! We've got a few more kids now!]

[Your Majesty! I'm a Mr. Kim too!]

[I miss the cat!]

[I know how to make video calls now too!]

[Captain Kim! Thanks for the food!]

[It was delicious!]

[I like jajangmyeon! And tteokbokki!]

[I didn't like the buckwheat jelly though...]

[Yeah, I thought it'd be really tasty, but it was a letdown!]

My ears hurt. When I had returned to Korea, I'd kept my promise and bought the dokkaebis all the food they wanted. To be more specific, I just provided them with money.

Yoon Yoon initiated a video call, and the screen showed a bunch of dokkaebis crowded together. Most looked like children, but there were a few adults mixed in. They had all transformed well, so they appeared to be regular humans. Well, except for the one who was too round. He looked like he had jumped right out of a drawing.

[Quiet down! Shush! I'm on the phone!]

At Yoon Yoon's shout, the dokkaebis abruptly shut their mouths, but only for a moment. It seemed Yoon Yoon was having a hard time, too.

"Someone linked with the Chinese side came to Korea," I said.

The dokkaebis were still chattering, but Yoon Yoon's expression instantly turned cold. He let out a long sigh, his shoulders rising and falling, and muttered, [Don't get angry, don't get angry.]

"I'm just giving you a heads-up to be careful, so don't worry too much. I'll send you a picture of the person too."

Although Chloe was on the side that had tried to stop the military, it didn't hurt to be cautious given her connection to Huang Lin. She wasn't the type to use the dokkaebis, but… hmm.

'…She did turn a blind eye to my kidnapping, after all.'

I still found it hard to think of her as a bad person. However, as Director Song and others had pointed out, she couldn't be called a good person at least when it came to me. If it was for the greater good, she might also take a similar attitude towards the dokkaebis.

"There haven't been any problems so far, right?" I asked.

Yoon Yoon grinned. There was no way there hadn't been any. Judging by the dokkaebis running around noisily now, they had probably caused a few incidents.

"Just keep the trouble to a level that can be resolved with money."

[Got it! And I've got lots of money too.]

"There's a limit, you know. And don't go stealing if you're short."

I could always help out, and so could the major guilds. The dokkaebis couldn't fight, but they were more than capable as supports. High-level dokkaebis could even teleport, which would be useful both inside and outside dungeons.

[Not even in other countries?]

"No."

[What about sunken treasure? They say there's a lot of sunken treasure ships!]

"Uh… maybe that's okay?"

I wasn't sure. Where had they heard about that? Anyway, I told him to behave for now and ended the call. Then, I dialed Director Song. The phone didn't ring long before he picked up.

"Director Song, did anything come up overnight?"

Like maybe any word from Sung Hyunje.

[No, nothing. All the Burn Cave Guild members have returned to their lodgings, and Hunter Chloe Alger only submitted a report to the Association about her solo activities. I don't know her current whereabouts, but it seems she did not engage in any problematic behavior.]

Chloe was probably just waiting for a reply from Sung Hyunje before leaving the country. So far, she hadn't done anything overtly wrong. Other than confessing her involvement with the kidnappers, there weren't any grounds to arrest her.

[Are you alright, Han Yoojin-ssi?]

Director Song's voice was calm, but I could tell he was genuinely concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm feeling better now."

[That's a relief. Then, about the Sesung Guildmaster─]

"I'll go see him myself."

I needed to have a proper conversation with him. I wasn't sure if he'd agree to meet me. However…

'…Will I be okay going alone?'

Just yesterday afternoon, I would've gone to meet Sung Hyunje alone at his home or guild without a second thought. Because I wouldn't have even dreamed he’d do something to harm me.

'Considering everything that’s happened so far, I’ve been far too complacent.'

Even so, I mean... even so. I couldn’t help having trusted him. Because he'd been treating me really well recently. And even now.

[Allow me to accompany you,] Director Song offered.

I swallowed before answering.

"It's okay. Honestly, I'm fine now. I think it's better if I meet him alone," I declined his offer and ended the call.

Sung Hyunje was a bit, no, quite annoying, inscrutable, wayward, and ridiculously perfect a person, so honestly, I was jealous and had plenty of other complaints. But he was still one of the people precious to me. Just like the others, I liked Sung Hyunje too. If he were to suddenly leave, I'd feel really lonely.

So I still wanted to believe in him. That was how I felt, regardless of the outcome. Even if he really had become my enemy, I didn't think he'd go so far as to threaten my life. So it should be okay, right?

"Chloe came to Korea to deliver a message to Sung Hyunje. She'll come to get his reply, so if we want to catch her, that would be our best chance," I explained.

The four people who had been watching me nodded in unison. Even Gyeol wagged his tail. Gyeol, you should stay home with me. And Myungwoo, it'd be a big problem if you got hurt, too.

"I'll go meet with Sung Hyunje first," I said.

"Are you really going alone?" Yoohyun asked with concern. "If Chloe's coming to get his reply, doesn't that mean the Sesung Guildmaster might be involved with her group? Director Song offering to go with you means he thinks the same."

I had spoken vaguely on purpose, but it seemed Yoohyun had caught on.

"It's not certain," I said.

"But that means it's possible. You can't go alone.”

"He's right, Yoojin-ssi," Noah said. "Should I accompany you? I can use my stealth skill. If I hide in a corner of the meeting place ahead of time, even the Sesung Guildmaster would have a hard time noticing."

"No, it's fine. And I don't believe the Sesung Guildmaster would harm me. If I happen to be wrong about that…"

I hoped I wasn't, but…

"If I'm wrong, please help me then. Yoohyun, Yerim, I'll be counting on you. Myungwoo, you too. If we happen to end up facing the entire Sesung Guild, help me out."

"Of course I'll help," Myungwoo replied.

"Don't push yourself. Think only about your safety, hyung."

"I've been wanting to test myself anyway. I welcome the challenge!" Yerim added.

"I'm just saying it hypothetically. It's not very likely," I replied.

Don't go brandishing your spear, Yerim. Although Yoohyun and the others were still worried, I persuaded them to let me handle it this one time. Actually, it hadn't seemed that Sung Hyunje would act rashly anyway. They all listened to me, but…

— 'I hate you, Dad!'

In the end, Han Gyeol was the one who got really upset.

— 'I don't actually hate you, but this is too much!'

"Hey, I'll be fine. Stay with your aunt and uncle. Be good."

— '…But it really could be dangerous. I'll hide well, so take me with you. I won't say a word.'

Since throwing a tantrum like a little kid hadn't worked, he now tried to calmly reason with me. But I didn't trust that he'd really stay quiet.

"How about I order you some ice cream? You said it was tasty before."

— 'I won't fall for food.'

"Hotel ice cream is probably even more delicious."

Do they even have ice cream on the room service menu? Yerim picked up the pouting fairy dragon.

"Say, 'Be careful and come back safely,'" she suggested to Gyeol.

— 'Ughhhhhh.'

Oh my, it was going to take a while to calm him down.

After apologizing to Gyeol, I headed toward the bathroom and called Sung Hyunje. I thought he might not answer, but to my surprise, he picked up quickly.

"Are you still at the hotel?" I asked. "Let's meet for a bit. I'll come alone."

[Not even giving me time to emotionally prepare? How heartless.]

"You've had a whole night. Besides, I'm the one who needs emotional preparation, not you."

What was he talking about when he was the one who blindsided me? Sure, he said he'd also found out late, but still. It wasn't like he hadn't had time to warn me.

[How about breakfast?]

"I already ate, a little while ago."

[Then let's have tea.]

The memory of the tea table under the wisteria tree suddenly came to mind. Back then, in that place, Sung Hyunje had watched over me and helped me all along. I had gotten so many points, too.

"Alright, that sounds good. When and where?"

[At this hotel. I'll text you when it's ready.]

"Okay."

I hung up the phone and picked up my toothbrush. In the mirror, a man with disheveled hair was reflected back. Maybe because the lighting was good, his face itself didn't look bad.

"…Ah, whatever."

I'd just approach this with a light heart. Whatever happened with Sung Hyunje wouldn't change the things we had experienced together. Even if he truly betrayed me, it would be less shocking than when Yoohyun left home. That had nearly driven me insane. This time, I would at least hear the reason first.

And no matter what happened, it wouldn't change what I wanted to do. It might just make it a little harder. Actually no, it might not be as hard as I thought. After all, I wasn't alone anymore. I'd get consoled by the people around me, pull myself together, and drag Sung Hyunje back by the collar.

I dressed up a bit, though in a more casual outfit than yesterday, before leaving the room.

Yoohyun followed me, saying he would escort me there. Let's not even talk about the rock-paper-scissors game that happened before that. There was nothing to be done about their difference in stats. Yerim had been understandably upset, saying they should draw lots instead. Yoohyun never lost once.

"Don't worry too much about the Sesung Guildmaster."

Yoohyun spoke as we stood in front of the elevator.

"I don't like it, but I do know that you rely on him, hyung. Even so, you'll be okay without him. You have me, and other people too… If you feel like it's not enough, I'll try harder."

"What do you mean, not enough? I don't feel that way at all."

I tapped my little brother's arm and smiled.

"I trust you, all of you, as well. Especially you, Yoohyun. I know you'll always be on my side, no matter what. So I'll also be fine, no matter what. Things might get hard for a bit, but that's all."

I could get back on my feet however many times I had to. Even when my little brother had left me, I hadn't given up. Something like this wasn't enough to knock me down in the first place.

"I'll be fine," I said. "I'm more worried about Sung Hyunje."

What was going through his head?

We took the elevator down and arrived at the meeting place. My brother said he'd wait outside, but I reassured him that I'd be back before lunch and sent him away. I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

#sctir #tsctir #the s classes that i raised #s classes that i raised #my s class hunters #i know translating 제멋대로인 as willfully mercurial is a choice but i stand by it #at least until i come up with something better #edit: i did find something better

24 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 6 days

Text

S-Classes novel SPOILERS chapter 470

some thoughts after translating this chapter. as I've translated this arc, I've become fully convinced that the confession/rejection subplot was intentionally presented in parallel with sung hyunje 'breaking up' with yoojin in order to repeatedly bash the reader over the head with the funny narrative device of "you think he's saying all this romance and heartbreak-related stuff about a woman, but he's actually thinking about sung hyunje!!"

I already explained how the korean word for 'getting rejected' also means 'getting broken up with' (차이다). so when the characters mention yoojin being rejected (by chloe), you could also read it as him being broken up with... and because korean often leaves out pronouns and the subjects/objects of actions and requires readers to fill the meaning in by context, it makes the ironic ambiguity even stronger. the story is repeatedly prompting the reader to fill in for themselves who yoojin is really heartbroken over.

then this section in chap 470 is wild, because WHY is it structured like this?

"[...] I still think it's fine to like whatever or whomever you want. No matter how it turns out." Because liking people and things brought joy and could even bring comfort. It was a positive feeling, in any case. Of course, you could also struggle because of it. I had. But even then, I didn't think I would regret any of it. Even if I were to lose it all once more, if I went back, I'd still end up liking them all again. I mean Sung Hyunje, too… He wasn't bad… well... he had put me through some crazy situations. Still, there'd been fun times too. That one time it had been delicious, yeah. That other time it had also been tasty. That one restaurant had suited my palate well. Naturally, Myungwoo's cooking was the best, but he fussed too much about my health. Though it really was amazing that healthy food could still taste that good. "Of course, I shouldn't go falling head over heels and giving up my heart on a silver platter," I said. "But I'm going to do what I like." It wasn't a big change, but how should I put it? I guess I would focus more on prioritizing myself. At my words, Yoohyun's expression became gloomier. "I understand, hyung. She's a foreigner, anyway." "…What?"

like what is the logical connection between these thoughts for yoojin that isn't 'I might have romantically-inclined feelings for this guy I keep thinking about'? how else am I supposed to read it? he's been comforting himself about how it's okay to like people, says he would like the same people even if he had to do things over again, and the one example of those people he brings up is... sung hyunje? he starts reminiscing about hyunje... cooking for him? (he doesn't even specify that the "delicious" things he's talking about are food at first)

and then right after those reminiscences about the fun times he had with hyunje, yoojin says he won't go too far in loving people, but he'll still do what he likes? he'll prioritize himself, aka act selfishly? the very thing he said he was going to do by refusing to let sung hyunje go? the story really smacks you in the face with the conclusion it wants you to draw.

also of course yoohyun misunderstands that yoojin's talking about chloe, because all of his sung hyunje-focused thoughts are internal!! even yoojin himself is confused at who/what yoohyun is even talking about at first because all yoojin's been thinking about is sung hyunje! (and maybe because in korean yoohyun doesn't specify 'she', so yoojin's thought process might've been like mine, thinking "huh, can shj really be called a foreigner?" before understanding yoohyun's just not privy to yoojin's gay inner monologue).

#also in the Q&A about yj's ideal type geunseo said that if yj dated an older partner he'd be at risk of exactly what he said he shouldnt do #giving up his liver and gallbladder i.e. giving up everything (what i translated as 'giving up his heart on a silver platter')#so at least yoojin's aware of his weak points #sctir #jinjae #hjyj #my s class hunters #jinje

42 notes · View notes

lalune9x · 6 days

Text

SCTIR Translation - Chapter 470: Letter (1)

If Yoohyun were a regular college student, he'd be at the age for things like this. They do say college students go out drinking a lot, don’t they?

Chapter translation under the cut.

---

Chapter 470: Letter (1)

My head throbbed. I thought about activating Poison Resistance but decided to let it be. Who knew when I'd have the chance to experience a hangover again? It would be hard to drink as much as I did last night. Besides, I wanted to linger in this dazed state a bit longer.

'... How embarrassing.'

I hugged a large pillow and buried my face in it. Even with my head still foggy, the events of yesterday replayed vividly in my mind. From start to finish, there wasn't a single thing that didn't make me cringe.

'Was I already drunk by the time I was at the lounge?'

I might've been. I had finished a full glass of wine, after all. And last night… um. I'd planned to only drink enough to get a little tipsy, because I'd been afraid of saying nonsense. But the wine had been surprisingly good, and the subtle buzz had felt pleasant.

'There's nothing wrong with liking someone, is there?'

I had apparently kept saying that over and over. Along with things like, 'What's so bad about it? It's better than hating someone, right?' Ughhh, why were my memories so vivid? Yoohyun kept agreeing with everything I said, Myungwoo fussed over me telling me to eat snacks while drinking, and Noah told me, "I like you too, Yoojin-ssi"... Even Yerim tried to sneak in with Gyeol at some point, but I had chased them out immediately.

Then Yoohyun had said I seemed too drunk and helped me to the bedroom. And then… I vaguely remembered saying there was some wine left and suggesting that we finish it off. At the very end, I'd felt unsatisfied and decided to turn off Poison Resistance to feel more drunk, which must have been why I had blacked out.

Hopefully I hadn't said anything weird. Just in case, I quickly checked my keyword registration list. 'Han Yoohyun'—his name was still there. Okay, everything seemed fine.

'…I should drink in moderation from now on.'

I struggled to lift my head and saw my little brother sleeping next to me. He had taken off his jacket, but his tie was only loosely undone. For some reason, the sight made me feel strangely happy. If Yoohyun were a regular college student, he'd be at the age for things like this. They do say college students go out drinking a lot, don't they?

I would be telling him things like, 'What'd you drink so much for? But at least you made it home,' then helping him wash up and putting him to bed. Although last night, I'd gotten drunk with him too… Still, I thought Yoohyun had only been slightly tipsy. Had he drunk more after I blacked out? …Surely I hadn't pushed him to drink more, right?

I activated Poison Resistance and sat up. Maybe it was because the type of alcohol last night had been special, but I could still feel a faint hint of a hangover lingering.

'…Now that my head's clearing up, I feel even more embarrassed.'

How ridiculous must I have looked? An F-rank shouting at an S-rank—no, at the strongest human—saying I'd help him whether he liked it or not, and that I'd drag him back if he tried to run.

Shit, how was I supposed to face Sung Hyunje now? Or Hyuna-ssi, or Director Song… ughhh.

But still, I didn't actually regret it. Even if I went back to that moment now, I would say the same things. Though maybe I'd act a bit more composed.

'Yeah, it's what I want to do. So what?'

Pushing others to live well could also be a selfish act, if it wasn't something they agreed with. And there was no guarantee that everything would work out. But Sung Hyunje had told me to act selfishly first, so it didn't matter, right? I was just giving him what he asked for, so he had no right to complain. Regardless of what else he'd tell me or how things would turn out!

Suddenly, I remembered Sung Hyunje's past comment about people being able to act after establishing a firm foundation, or whatever he'd said. That had also happened at a hotel, though not this one. I certainly hadn't had much faith in myself back then.

What I had faith in... was what my brother had given me. Skills that were mine but that I couldn't truly call mine. Things I had obtained with those skills.

'The me without those things…'

I had liked Chloe not only because I was a fan of her broadcasts, but because she acknowledged effort regardless of rank. She had treated even the information that an F-rank obtained from clearing a dungeon as useful. Setting aside comparisons with others, just looking at myself as an F-rank hunter, I'd had pretty decent skills too. I'd sold quite a few tips to Do Hamin at a good price. Since my environment had been harsh, I had needed to work harder both physically and mentally, which naturally made me accumulate more experience than others.

So I thought that if I met Hunter Chloe and talked with her, she might recognize my worth... Ah, looking back now, it was a bit embarrassing. But it was with that mindset that I had even applied to appear on her show before.

'But the first thing she said was that she disliked the current me.'

Maybe her opinion would change if she knew the full story, but even without that…

'It's not a bad thing.'

It had shocked me at first, but now I felt kind of glad. That someone had expressed criticism of the post-regression Han Yoojin. The current me was admittedly better. If you asked a hundred people, every single one of them would agree that the current Han Yoojin was better. But the past me—the me who'd had nothing—had also worked hard.

'The me in the other world is probably living well too.'

Even without a single special skill. And, though that version of me wasn't F-rank anymore, still being low-ranked at best.

So maybe even just the 'I' that had nothing was worth trusting a little. I shouldn't let myself waver every time Sung Hyunje acted up. …Though not wavering would be difficult. But at least I was sure of what I wanted to do.

Even if Sung Hyunje really ended up leaving.

'…It still pisses me off.'

He was the one who had erased the label for me in his contacts and handed the phone to me. Accepting the title of partner and saying he would wait for me even if I was still lacking. Hey, it hasn't even been a year yet! Forget a year—it hasn't even been six months! It had been August 30th then and it was only November now! Even financial performance was usually assessed quarterly, and he couldn't even wait three months?! If you count the altered time flow in dungeons, we might be at the three-month mark by now, but still!

I really should have grabbed him by the collar properly. Though I probably would've ended up looking like I was clinging and hanging off him.

"…Hyung?"

As I was hitting the innocent pillow, Yoohyun opened his eyes.

"It's nothing. You can sleep more," I said.

My little brother groggily sat up and loosened his tie completely, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"...It's unpleasant," he said.

"What, the hangover? Yeah, I guess it's your first one."

The alcohol strong enough to affect S-ranks had only just come out, and back in the dungeon, there hadn't been many opportunities to drink comfortably.

"It doesn't feel good, huh?" I said.

"I don't mean now," Yoohyun replied. "But last night, even though I wasn't that drunk, I felt like I wasn't fully in control."

"Hmm? But it doesn't seem like anything went wrong? Nothing got broken."

The alcohol wasn't that strong yet, so of course the S-rank Yoohyun, and even I when I had my Poison Resistance active, had only gotten tipsy at best.

"It'd be fine if I was on my own, but I could have hurt you, hyung."

"Hey, I've got Grace, remember? If you're that worried, I'll make sure to keep Grace active whenever we drink together."

"Also, I didn't like feeling like I was under the influence of a mental skill. Even if the effect wasn't that strong, I'm not going to drink anymore."

"Really? I was kind of hoping we could have a drink together sometimes."

"Only with you, hyung, only at home. Somewhere where it's definitely safe." Yoohyun frowned slightly, looking utterly against the idea of drinking anywhere else. "What about you, hyung? Are you feeling okay?"

"Me? Yeah, I actually kinda feel better." I pushed through my embarrassment and continued, "I know I probably said this yesterday, but I still think it's fine to like whatever or whomever you want. No matter how it turns out."

Because liking people and things brought joy and could even bring comfort. It was a positive feeling, in any case. Of course, you could also struggle because of it. I had. But even then, I didn't think I would regret any of it. Even if I were to lose it all once more, if I went back, I'd still end up liking them all again.[1]

I mean Sung Hyunje, too… He wasn't bad… well... he had put me through some crazy situations. Still, there'd been fun times too. That one time it had been delicious, yeah. That other time it had also been tasty. That one restaurant had suited my palate well. Naturally, Myungwoo's cooking was the best, but he fussed too much about my health. Though it really was amazing that healthy food could still taste that good.

"Of course, I shouldn't go falling head over heels and giving up my heart on a silver platter," I said. "But I'm going to do what I like."[2]

It wasn't a big change, but how should I put it? I guess I would focus more on prioritizing myself.

At my words, Yoohyun's expression became gloomier. "I understand, hyung. She's a foreigner, anyway."

"…What?"

"Park Yerim said that since she's a high-rank hunter and busy with work, she probably won't be able to visit Korea often anyway. Since I clear dungeons a lot too, a few days a month would probably be fine."

"Hey no, listen," I tried to cut in.

"But you can't ever be alone with her. Always take Peace with you. And write up a contract—"

"I told you I got rejected!"

What the hell was this kid talking about?

"And besides, she doesn't like me!" I added.

"There's no way a high-rank hunter would dislike you, hyung. You didn't do anything wrong, and it was your first time meeting her."

The Irreverent had also said that high-rank hunters tended to like people like me.

"Not everyone's going to like me," I replied. "And Chloe is connected to Park Hayul."

Yoohyun's mouth immediately snapped shut. I felt the atmosphere shift suddenly as his mood grew dangerous, so I quickly tried to intervene.

"She's already gone into hiding! I've already informed Director Song."

"... When did you find out?" he asked.

"Not long after we met her, I had some suspicions—hey, wait a second!"

Yoohyun grabbed me and pushed me face down onto the bed. Hey, what the hell!

"Look, there wasn't any dang—ow! Hey!"

"I thought the Sesung Guildmaster and Breaker Guildmaster were just going to spectate."

"Yoohy—ouch!" I yelped. That hurt!

"Hyung, because you said other people shouldn't interfere with your confession, I held back."

Yoohyun pressed down hard on my shoulders. It hurt so much that I couldn't hold back a pained cry. We were in the best room, so it was really spacious and the soundproofing should be good. But it seemed it wasn't good enough to block screams, because the door suddenly burst open.

"Yoojin-ah?"

"Yoojin-ssi!"

"It's just a simple massage," Yoohyun said casually. "I learned from a professional, so don't worry."

When did you learn that? Please don't tell me your teacher was Elder Chaos.

"Still, he looks like he's in a lot of pain," Noah-ssi commented with concern.

Yoohyun firmly replied, "Hyung did something dangerous again."

"Ah…"

"It's good for him," Myungwoo decided. "Yoojin-ah, you'll explain later, right?"

Myungwoo turned to leave, and Noah-ssi, though still looking a bit sorry, followed and closed the door behind him.

"No, ack! Aaaagh, Yoohyun, ow! Softer—!"

My goodness, you're killing your hyung, you rascal! It hurt so much I could cry, but at the same time, it did feel oddly refreshing. My brother looked down at me disapprovingly as I went completely limp.

"Ugh, it was just a suspicion, and I was cautious," I said. "Actually, I thought it'd be hard to find out for sure, so I was just going to probe a bit and tell you guys right away. But Chloe spilled everything before I could do that."

She'd said she had no intention of hiding it, but originally she probably planned to tell me and then leave right away. Maybe she would have written a letter and handed it to me at the airport just before departing. Saying something like, "Read this after I'm gone." Either way, it had been necessary to try to get some kind of confirmation. Thanks to that, we at least had a chance to catch her.

"Sung Hyunje figured it out before I even said anything, and Hyuna-ssi was there at the time too. You and Yerim would've been a bit obvious about it if you'd known. That's why I handled things that way, but it wasn't like I was intentionally keeping it from you."

"I understand. Maybe I should take acting lessons," Yoohyun said.

"You don't need to go that far… though it might be helpful."

It could be useful for social situations. Yoohyun's position was such that he had no need to perform in front of others, but it could be used in other ways. Like that time I got arrested. Though that hadn't seemed like acting.

I staggered out of bed, washed up, and went to the living room. Yerim had been staying in another room with Gyeol, but it seemed they had come over after hearing the news. Room service had also arrived in the meantime, and was set out on the table.

"I genuinely did like her. Even before the regression."

I gave them a brief explanation about Chloe. That I had liked her a lot, so my confession hadn't entirely been a lie.

"She did feel bad about using me," I added.

I relayed what Chloe said, leaving out the parts related to Sung Hyunje. As for Sung Hyunje... I'd have to meet him again and figure out his real intentions. Maybe ask for his help in catching Chloe. I wasn't sure if he would agree, but if he refused… I'd have to catch Sung Hyunje somehow, too.

"What's with her? It's kidnapping, plain and simple. Ajussi suffered so much!" Yerim grumbled in displeasure. "If she felt bad, she shouldn't have rejected you, either!"

"Well, personal and professional matters are different."

"Yoojin, you're not still hesitating, are you?" Myungwoo said, frowning slightly. "At the end of the day, she still hurt you. Just delivering that letter makes her a definite accomplice."

"That's right. Plus, the fact that she's connected to Huang Lin makes me uneasy," Noah-ssi seconded Myungwoo's words.

That was true. I pulled out the letter Huang Lin had sent from my inventory. I opened the envelope and...

"…It's in Chinese."

Did this jerk assume I'd naturally be able to read Chinese just because I was Korean? Come on, King Sejong invented Hangul to replace Chinese centuries ago. And this guy was still boldly writing to me in Chinese? Even the guy's letters were annoying.

"Should I call a translator? Anyone here know Chinese?"

I hesitated to call someone to help because of security concerns. Maybe I should ask Dr Hao Yuan?

"You could probably get the gist of it with a translation app," Yerim suggested, pulling out her phone.

"But I'd have to enter the characters manually, right?"

"Most apps can recognize writing on paper."

"Really?"

"Spread the letter out on the table," Yerim said.

I knew translation apps existed, but I didn't realize phones could even translate letters like this. Yerim held her phone over the letter, and soon, a translation appeared, though it was a bit clumsy.

---

Footnotes:

[1] This part reads awkwardly because in Korean the words Yoojin uses don't really distinguish between "things" and "people", whereas in English there's no good way to refer to both. I didn't want to simply gloss it as "people" (even though that's the most natural meaning here) because I think Yoojin does mean it in a general sense and because he's also indirectly giving advice to Yoohyun, who he knows doesn't distinguish between people and things when it comes to affection.

[2] "giving up one's heart on a silver platter" = 간도 쓸개도 다 빼주는 건 (lit. giving up one's liver and gallbladder). The Korean idiom means giving up everything for another, but unlike the romantic English expression I used, the Korean one can also be used in a platonic context and has more of a connotation of being overly self-sacrificing and willing to let yourself be taken advantage of.

#sctir #tsctir #the s classes that i raised #s classes that i raised #my s class hunters #내가 키운 s급들 #novel translation #han yoohyun #han yoojin #gonna post my hjyj brainrot analysis post of this chap separate from this #edit: fixed the tenses

33 notes · View notes