The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 215 Japan Trip (3)

Translated by: Ddomigan

The schedule for the match between Korea’s Park Yerim and Japan’s Iwahata Kakuto was roughly as follows.

After a conference and dinner at the hotel, they will take the day off, and then move to the Shizuoka region on the second day. They will spend another day at a hotel in Shizuoka so that they can familiarize themselves with the stadium before the actual match on the third day.

‘After which we just have to go to the Black Crow Forest to gather ingredients for the stamina potion and return home.’

The schedule included a sightseeing tour after the match, but the atmosphere in Japan would probably be messed up if they lost, so Yoojin decided they would just go back home after the match. As for the ingredients for the stamina potion, he planned to reveal them only after they returned to Korea. But if he did that, some chaos might be inevitable judging from Shishiou’s attitude. However, Yoojin trusted that the Sesung guild leader would take care of it.

The hotel room that was assigned to them was huge. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spacious living room, a dining room, and even a study room. Although each room was assigned to one person, Yoojin, being an F-class hunter, decided to share a room with Yoohyun. Yerim expressed her dissatisfaction, but since they were away from home, Yoojin didn’t see why he couldn’t share a room with Yoohyun. Well, their current accommodation was pretty spacious though.

- Bbiyak!

Once Chirpie was inside the hotel room, it immediately headed towards a sofa in the living room. Velare followed right behind. The jewel snake bent its body and leaped onto the sofa as if it was bouncing.

- Bbiyakbbiyak.

Chirpie scanned around as if looking for a remote control. It’s not like Chirpie could understand Japanese... that being said, it probably couldn’t understand Korean either. Yoohyun carried Yoojin’s luggage into the bedroom and searched a drawer for the TV remote. Just then, the door creaked, and Yerim burst in through it.

“Ahjussi!”

Yoojin thought the door locked automatically. Or did it not?

“I just heard something about the guild leader’s name from Hyuna unnie.”

Yerim said with a giggly smile and continued.

“She said that Shishiou means ‘Lion King’.”

“...What?”

“A ‘Lion King,’ like rawr!”

Uh, wait a minute. Lion. Yoojin recalls that the pattern of their guild uniform also looked like a lion.

“...So, you’re saying, that’s not just an alias, he’s using that as his real name...?”

“That is how it is.”

Pfft, an airy laugh escaped Yoojin’s mouth, he was completely dumbfounded. Wait, what’s this? Is the Amaterasu guild leader for real? Is he really using the name... Lion King? It’s not even his nickname as a hunter, but his actual name? Really? The Lion King?

As Yoojin recalled the guild leader’s appearance at the airport and his obsession with Peace, the cringe became all too hard to bear. That’s seriously crazy. Really, pfft. Yoojin wonders how he was going to face the ‘Lion King’ now, he felt that he’d just burst into laughter as soon as he saw him.

“Even s-so, it’s not nice to make fun of someone’s... pfft-”

“Ahjussi, your expression is completely unconvincing.”

Ugh, seriously. Crazy. Yoojin buried his face in a cushion. No way, he’s this cringe at that age. He wasn’t a teenager, that’s for sure. He just looked like a man in his 30s who’s having difficulty transitioning from his 20s. Just thinking of Sir Lion King’s face made Yoojin burst out in laughter again.

Yoojin was going to die from laughter. He was contemplating whether to just say he had a stomachache since it was almost time for dinner.

“Hyung?”

- Bbiyakbbyak!

“W-wait, Chirpie.”

It turned on the TV with the remote control Yoohyun found. And then...

[This is a photo of Hunter Han Yoohyun when he was 17 years old!]

[Oh~~]

Hmm? Why is a Japanese broadcast mentioning Yoohyun? Well, on second thought, of course they would. But, why of him at 17 years old? Confused, Yoojin turned his gaze towards the TV. The picture on the screen was small and blurry, as if it had been taken from a distance. In the picture, Yoohyun was surrounded by ruins of buildings, as if a dungeon break had occurred.

Unreadable captions appeared along with the chatter of the Japanese people on the TV screen. Yoojin briefly wondered what those captions meant. Other past photos and videos of Yoohyun then started appearing chronologically. Yoojin remember seeing those back in Korea...

[High school S-rank hunter who controls flames! He was so amazing back then.]

[I completely fell in love with him as soon as I saw him too, and I’m still very in love with Yoohyun currently!]

As the recent videos of Yoohyun were shown, Yoojin released the breath that he had held in and listened closely to the chattering voices.

Hmm... Somehow, the atmosphere feels very different from the Korean broadcast’s. But more importantly, Yoohyun was at the age of a college student. He’s twenty years old. Why did the broadcast keep calling him a high school student? And what’s with those excessive compliments? Dazzling... Beautiful... Youth of the century... Uhh... Sure, his younger sibling is handsome, but...

[Oh, I’m also a fan of Sung Hyunjae. He has a mature and dangerous charm. He’s very cool.]

[Yes, that’s right, that’s right. He’s perfection itself! Doesn’t he resemble a divine being of thunder that descended from heaven?]

The continuous compliments made Yoojin cringe. While it’s true that Sung Hyunjae is great, wasn’t that a bit excessive? It’s much more so, considering that he’s also a hunter from a foreign country. Yoojin had been expecting insults instead since they were here to fight. So, why were the Japanese acting like that?

[Oh, Park Yerim! She’s so cute~! A beautiful middle school girl as well as an S-class Hunter! To see her handle ice with such a cute face, the contrast is just so lovely!]

They were full of praise even towards Yerim who was their opponent in the match. The continuous compliments on her cute appearance and her bravery in overcoming the loss of her parents was awkward to the point of being embarrassing. Similar words were being spoken about Yoohyun too, and before he realized it, Yoojin’s story came up as well. Ack!

As he couldn’t bear the embarrassment, he changed the channel.

[Dragon! A gold dragon!]

[It was simply fitting of the word ‘beautiful’! Next to it is the owner of the golden forge. A great artisan~ The protagonist of the golden hand who can create S-class weapons!]

[Wow, I can see Hunter Han Yoohyun over there. He has such a cold face.]

[I see that he’s an icy young man. Oh, looking at his elder brother next to him-]

Why are they talking about him again, crazy. Yoojin changed the channel once more, but the Korean hunters were still the ones being discussed on TV. At least on this channel, they were talking about Sung Hyunjae and Moon Hyuna in a slightly calmer manner. Wow, their popularity was for real.

“I appeared on TV too, right? What did they say about me?”

Yerim, who did not carry a translation item, asked. Since translation items are rare, besides the one Yoojin received, one was left in reserve among the other two Haeyeon had as a precaution. Yerim and Yoohyun had decided to share the remaining one, and Yoohyun was holding onto it currently. On the other hand, Myeongwoo had agreed that Noah would interpret for him.

“Uh... They said you were cute and pretty.”

Yoojin couldn’t bring himself to say ‘pretty middle school girl’ out loud. He was surprised at how they could give such lavish praise to not just Yerim, but to Yoohyun as well, especially since they were strangers. Yoojin does praise his younger brother, but not to that extent... And not out loud, at least.

The Japanese sure are impressive. Yoojin was grateful for their compliments.

Yoojin gave the remote control to Chirpie and walked away from the TV. Even though Yoohyun probably understood all that, he still wore a calm expression as usual. As expected from the ice prince... not. Damn, they changed the channel.

“I heard the view from the rooftop swimming pool here is great. They say you can see the rainbow bridge clearly.”

Yerim was begging Yoojin to go swimming with her. She’s so full of energy.

“But, there is a dinner at the conference today. Let’s go tomorrow morning. After which we’ll have lunch and depart to Shizuoka.”

“Morning? Then how about going out at night? Since we came all the way here, I also want to do some sightseeing!”

It’s understandable that Yerim wanted to sightsee since it’s her first time in Japan, but personally, Yoojin preferred to just stay in the hotel.

“How about going out with Yoohyun? I’ll lend you the translation item. I’ll just stay with Noah.”

As Yoojin said that, both Yoohyun and Yerim narrowed their eyes.

“I don’t have any intentions of sightseeing.”

“I’ll just go with Hyuna unnie.”

Although it seems like the kids have become closer than when they first met, they are still quite difficult. Yoojin would love to see Yoohyun, Yerim, and Noah-ssi holding hands and having fun together while laughing. Just imagining it warms his heart. It would be a beautiful sight.

Feeling sorry for having declined Yerim’s suggestion to leave the hotel room, and not wanting to spend the rest of their time inside, they decided to go sightseeing around the hotel. He left Velare with Chirpie and went out of the room with only Peace in his arms. All the hotel staff greeted him politely every time he crossed paths with one. The hotel staff in Hong Kong were just as friendly, the difference being that here in Japan, he was too embarrassed to even hold his head up.

As recommended by the hotel staff, Yoojin headed to the lounge where a connoisseur of traditional refreshments was invited. They claimed it’s a spot that specializes in traditional refreshments, but the lounge’s decor resembled that of a Western palace. And when Yoojin saw a flag imprinted with the lion crest hanging prominently on one wall, he barely managed to hold back his laughter.

Was this hotel built like the palace of the Lion King? Even the guild building looks like a medieval fortress.

“Those chairs are so pretty! I wish I brought my dolls.”

Yerim expressed regret as she touched the fancy chair. The table set would go well with a large doll in a dress. She would probably like it if she went on a trip to Europe, such as the Palace of Versailles. It was partially destroyed before the regression, but it should still be intact right now.

“Yo, Hunter Park Yerim.”

Before they could take a seat, someone approached them. It was a man with a sword in a Japanese outfit. His appearance didn’t seem to match the lounge’s décor.

“It is I, Iwahata Kakuto.”

“Yes, hello.”

Yerim nodded and fiddled with the decorations on the table.

“Yerim, it’s your opponent in the match.”

“I know.”

So, she knew. Kakuto shut his mouth tightly.

“You are being rude by ignoring a worthy opponent like that.”

“But I returned the greeting, didn’t I? Then again, why do all the hunters in this town talk informally? Even the Amaterasu guild leader used honorifics with me.”

Despite the significant age difference between him and the guild leader, Kakuto, who appeared to be in his early twenties, was still using informal language. The Lion King seemed to be annoyed by it. Even though Yerim was young, she was still an S-class hunter that was invited as a guest. Considering that this was a formal occasion and not a casual gathering, it was inappropriate for Kakuto to be using informal language.

“Hey, Kakuto. If you don’t want to turn this hotel into a showdown site, just back away quietly.”

“I can’t believe a mere 3-month-old infant girl got orphan-”

CRASH!

At that moment, Kakuto’s figure disappeared. Reflexively turning his head towards the direction of the sound, Yoojin saw Kakuto slammed against the wall, and the impact had broken a decorative pillar.

“Han Yoohyun, stop it! He’s mine!”

Yoojin was barely able to grasp the situation when Yerim shouted. So, it was Yoohyun who had landed the blow. The seats clattered as the Japanese people in the lounge stood up all at once. Yoohyun looked at them with his mouth curled up.

“As a guild leader, I can’t just sit back and watch while someone disrespects a precious member of my guild.”

“I said that he’s my target, seriously.”

Yerim made a dissatisfied expression at being called ‘precious.’ Kakuto dusted off the dirt on him as he got up from the ground. He didn’t seem all that affected despite being attacked by an S-class hunter. Yoojin hailed the frozen hotel staff who was moving towards their direction.

“May I know what’s delicious here?”

‘Let’s grab some refreshments before the lounge is destroyed,’ Yoojin thought. However, Kakuto did not follow up with an attack. He simply glared at Yerim and Yoohyun fiercely before returning to his group.

“I was going to throw the next punch, but he didn’t come at me.”

With a disappointed expression, Yerim took her seat. Yoohyun’s face looked slightly refreshed.

“Hey, was there an accident or something?”

Perhaps having heard the loud noise, Moon Hyuna turned up in the lounge muttering as she came over to them while Yoojin was observing the dents caused by Kakuto’s body.

“It was supposed to be my opportunity, but someone snatched it. Anyway, unnie, would you like to go shopping tonight? There should be a Hunter’s Market here too. We might find a lot of items that aren’t available in Korea.”

At Yerim’s words, Moon Hyuna shook her head and frowned.

“This place is at least three times worser than in Korea. It’s already a struggle in Korea to find items that suit a female hunter, but in Japan, it goes five steps further. These crazy people add ribbons and laces to perfectly good gear and even change the colors of items to be bright and bold, all specifically for female hunters! And then they charge more for it.”

“Seriously? Wouldn’t those be too flashy and attract the attention of monsters?”

“It’s very popular among female hunters! They talked about the appeal of the item, but I just thought that they were crazy. Most usable items have been monopolized by the large guilds anyway. In Korea, transactions between guilds are minimized while transactions through the market are promoted as much as possible. But here in Japan, there is no such thing.”

And that’s why the market itself wasn’t very active. Moon Hyuna mentioned that low-level hunters might find something useful there, but as high-level hunters, they would just end up wasting their time.

Noah and Myeongwoo had also come down curious of the commotion. Breakfast was already set up on a long table. Myung-woo, who had been sleeping throughout the flight, let out a small yawn.

“Why don’t you sleep a bit more? I don’t think anyone would complain even if you missed a schedule.”

“I’m going to the sauna later. I heard there was hot spring water.”

“Saunas are nice. I wonder if the ones in Japan are similar to those in Korea.”

He hasn’t been to one lately, but Yoojin does prefer public baths, and since there are few guests staying in the hotel, the water would probably be clean whenever he chooses to go. Yoojin figured that he’d head to the sauna at night and sleep afterwards. Just imagining the hot and humid air is making him feel relaxed already.

Yerim and Moon Hyuna invited Noah to go out with them together at night. Noah nodded his head saying he would buy souvenirs for himself and for Myeongwoo. Yoojin thought that it’d be nice if Yoohyun could go along with them, but then there wouldn’t be anyone to protect him... Though, there is still Sung Hyunjae.

‘Come to think of it, he’s been quiet.’

Yoojin wondered if he already knew about what happened in the lounge. He hesitated for a moment before putting his phone back in. ‘Should I message Chief Song and assure him that no major issues have arisen yet?’

Later, Sung Hyunjae and the Amaterasu guild leader had turned up together for a conference that was arranged before the evening dinner. Yoojin wondered if the two had a private conversation. Perhaps they had a discussion on cooperating in the future management of the dungeon.

As soon as Yoojin met with the Lion King, he promptly smiled broadly. It was a simple ‘Nice to meet you, Shishiou-ssi’ kind of smile. Yoojin didn’t think it looked like a mocking type of expression. It was just a simple smile. Fortunately, the Lion King didn’t seem to notice anything strange about his expression, and he smiled back at Yoojin.

Yoohyun and Yerim seemed to look at him a little strangely, but, oh well.

At a second glance, Shishiou’s hairstyle appears to resemble a lion’s mane. It looks cool and suits him. Nevertheless, he had the appearance of an S-class Awakener, and he looked westernized, it made sense. Yeah, it’s okay. He was very Lion King-like. Nothing to laugh about.

Yerim and Kakuto sat side by side in the center of the conference. Apart from a journalist that muttered nonsense about how well the two of them matched each other, the meeting went smoothly.

At the dinner that followed, Shishiou appeared in imperial attire. It was fortunate that he did not wear a fur-lined cloak. At this point, Yoojin just assumes that he’s enjoying his life happily. Yoojin liked that he prepared a special seat for Peace and brought Peace high-grade monster meat that was fresh and specially flown in.

‘Though, it’s a bit burdensome for him to keep staring at Peace.’

Since Peace refused to sit in its designated seat and instead sat on Yoojin’s lap, both he and Peace were receiving heated glares. Even Yoohyun’s expression was getting colder. ‘Please just act appropriately,’ Yoojin thought as he moved Peace to the opposite side of the table insistently.

“I’ve heard of 3W before. They are a pair of white wolves, very cool. Haeyeon was really lucky to have caught them. It’s enviable.”

“Since there are many of them, they shouldn’t be too difficult to find.”

“But still, lions are the best.”

Ah, yes, Sir Lion King. The scent of the Lion King’s desire to devour the Horned Flame Lion Dungeon wafted through the air and it being used as bait was ever plausible. And with that thought, a tiny bit of fondness for the Amaterasu guild leader bloomed in Yoojin’s heart. He must have a lot of good things in his possession, he’s no different from the King of Japan after all. Yoojin was truly appreciative of the Thunderbird’s Robe. He wondered if the Lion King had any more of those SS-rank equipment.

After soaking in the baths for a while after dinner, it was then past 9 o’clock. The lights flickered outside the window as it became completely dark. As it was too early for sleep, Yoojin was pondering whether to watch some TV shows when a text message came in.

[To my partner. I shall request a meeting.]

Yoojin had a feeling something like this would come. It was a message from Sung Hyunjae.