Yuhyun gently brushed Yujin’s forehead, which was resting on his knee. It was the sa movent he had made when caring for his younger brother’s first cold. The sofa was much larger now, but it felt cramped for the two of them. As if forgetting everyone else, Yuhyun’s gaze remained fixed on his brother.
“Yeah, so please don’t pick up your phone, hyung,” Yerim whispered, keeping Ppiyak balanced on Yujin’s head.
“I don’t want to wake him up either.”
[Understood. He should be fine for now. His vitals look stable. If Director Han Yujin takes good care of him, it might even be beneficial...]
Over the phone, Section Chief Seok’s voice trailed off. He found it hard to trust Yujin’s abilities—so did the many viewers of the broadcast. Most accepted that he had the right to attend the party. A few insisted the invitation was fabricated or stolen, but they were a minority.
However, few expected much from Yujin. Even those sympathetic thought it reckless; so argued he should be protected from participation altogether, saying competing among S-Ranks was far too dangerous.
[If anything happens, I’ll contact Hunter Park Yerim.]
“Yes. I’ll text you when he wakes up.”
Park Yerim hung up and looked at Yujin and Yuhyun.
“He’s letting you rest because of you.”
“You’ve grown up so much, Yerim.”
“I seriously can’t do without you, sister. If it’s about hyung, I’d drop everything for him.”
Haeyeon was ford to protect Yujin—if she abandoned everyone for him, it wouldn’t be surprising. Others might wonder who’d stay behind, but Yuhyun didn’t care.
Moon Hyun-ah looked down at Park Yerim with affection.
“Yuhyun seed unusual at first, but as a high schooler, he was presentable. Since hyung supported him, though, things have felt increasingly odd.”
Previously, although blunt and unsociable, she hadn’t thought him strange—just young and awkward. But now, Yuhyun by Yujin’s side hid nothing of his abnormality. What seed odd to others was normal for him.
“I didn’t really know the young master either,” Seong Hyun-jae agreed, “but only at surface level.”
“Only Han Yujin could create a human Yuhyun and fully accept a non-human one,” Moon Hyun-ah added.
“Saying that makes hyung sound strange too.”
“To be honest, he is a bit odd. That’s why Yuhyun acts that way—it leaves dumbfounded ten tis a day.”
“You’ve had a hard ti, Yerim,” Moon Hyun-ah said sympathetically.
“I thought I might end up with foreigners, but never imagined living with another species.”
“It’s okay if you think their species is just different,” Park Yerim said.
“After multicultural, cos multispecies. When my spirit is born, thanks to Yuhyun’s experience, I’ll treat it better.”
“Erin’s unique too,” Moon Hyun-ah noted.
“Right. Her way of thinking is so different.”
“When will the spirit hatch?”
“They say the egg’s nearly translucent; once it looks like a droplet, it should hatch.”
Park Yerim smiled at the thought and then turned to Noah.
“Is it okay if I ntion Riette to you too, Noah oppa?”
“Yes. She and my sister are very different. I never understood them—they felt like living with lions or tigers.”
“Right, Riette is a bit of a wild beast. And Guildmaster Sesung...”
Moon Hyun-ah spun to Seong Hyun-jae, who smiled elegantly like a model.
“He’s just old, that’s all.”
“That’s harsh.”
“His age lets him pass as normal—next to Dali, the difference is stark. It’s creepy.”
“The face is the sa, though.”
“Dali’s plumper. Cuter. Sha on you—turning forty soon.”
“Right, Dali did feel younger, you said.”
“I agree. I felt more at ease with her than with Guildmaster Sesung.”
“One of my allies is asleep...”
Seong Hyun-jae looked at Song Taewon by the entrance. Taewon quietly averted his gaze. Moon Hyun-ah, watching him, laughed softly and brushed her hair back.
“We can’t help hyung.”
Her words made the mood briefly heavy.
“We might clean up afterward, but we can’t act directly. That’d be pointless. Reminds of when hyung offered to help .”
Now the roles were reversed. Moon Hyun-ah gave a bittersweet smile.
“Hyung’s beco the F-Rank representative, whether he likes it or not.”
If he succeeds, F-Ranks will be seen as capable; if he fails, F-Ranks will remain F-Ranks.
“Rank discrimination is severe. Many ignored him at first.”
“Yes. But Awakening eased so forms of discrimination.”
Awakened have existed only around four years, but research has been active.
“Discrimination by race, nationality, gender, class persists. Once you’re fixed into a lower group, it’s hard to move up—you need far more effort than those in higher groups.”
In developed countries, average standards can place soone in the upper class of developing nations.
“But Awakening has no such barriers—you can reach the world’s top one percent overnight. Though social prejudices remain, soon people will only see grades.”
Moon Hyun-ah shrugged.
“So there are people interested in equality among Awakened...”
“Completely eliminating discrimination is nearly impossible,” Seong Hyun-jae said. “Like how the caste system vanished but wealth beca hereditary. Unless abilities equalize and resources distribute perfectly, inequality persists.”
“It’s complex. Still, Awakening grades aren’t fixed or inherited, so so prefer grade-based discrimination.”
An F-Rank could have S-Rank children and vice versa; rank diversity existed within families.
“...In any case, we can only support hyung.”
Park Yerim said dejectedly.
“Even if we could help, we’d have to be cautious.”
“That’s right, as long as we’re S-Ranks.”
“I wish I didn’t have to care about any of it! I still don’t understand. I’ve been ostracized, insulted over my parents’ jobs, even confronted for having no parents.”
“Who did that?”
“I fought him and won! I don’t know why people do that. I’m an S-Rank now and living well—I’d never discriminate.”
Moon Hyun-ah threw her arms wide and hugged Park Yerim fiercely. Ppiyak floated up and chirped as Moon Hyun-ah ruffled Yerim’s hair.
“You’re absolutely right, Yerim!”
“Ouch! Sister, that hurts!”
—Ppiyak.
Ppiyak landed on Seong Hyun-jae’s head.
“It’s idealistic, but problems drive change. A perfect world would stagnate.”
“What a twisted guy. Bored, maybe?”
“It’d be dull otherwise.”
Seong Hyun-jae turned to Yujin with a warm gaze.
“Being asleep isn’t bad. But seeing him in action is the most beautiful sight.”
“Soone stitch your mouth, Seong Hyun-jae. You just want your own amusent.”
“Not at all. Though Han Yujin does entertain .”
He approached the sofa and reached for Yujin, but Yuhyun, never lifting his gaze from his brother, swatted Seong Hyun-jae’s hand away as if flicking a mosquito. Seong Hyun-jae tried again but t the sa response.
“Hunter Seong Hyun-jae, let him sleep.”
Song Taewon intervened gently.
“You clearly don’t want to wake him—you’re just jealous of the young master.”
“Don’t pretend you’re not jealous.”
Seong Hyun-jae advanced on Taewon with a mischievous glint. Taewon looked to Moon Hyun-ah, who grabbed Seong Hyun-jae by the scruff.
Lighthearted chatter and the occasional serious talk continued. All S-Rank Hunters, each mont precious, yet they let ti pass as if ready to wait not just one day, but two, three, or more.
“Yerim, you froze the Jenga block seams again.”
“No I didn’t. It’s the civil servant’s turn.”
“...”
“Even Director Song struggled, huh?”
“See this damp spot?”
“I didn’t do it. Right, Noah oppa?”
“From what I saw... it was odd to hold up.”
“The young lady’s control is dazzling—she made it seem natural.”
“Yuhyun sotis misses cues—no, I’m innocent.”
Park Yerim grumbled but straightened her shoulders. She’d barely frozen moisture to hold light wooden blocks—a slim effect even a sensitive S-Rank would miss. Its power was just enough to montarily stabilize a light block.
“How’s he doing?”
Yuhyun, still staring at his brother, answered softly, without lifting his head.
“He should wake soon. He stirred a bit.”
“When he wakes, let’s eat lots of good food—ice cream, macarons, anything.”
“Okay.”
Ti passed and Yujin opened his eyes. Seeing his brother’s gentle smile, he half-smiled back.
“Hyung, you’re awake?”
“...Yeah. Now.”
Yujin’s face froze, then he sat bolt upright. Startled, he t the gazes of those around and paused.
“Um, before I fell asleep...”
“Hyung, anything you want to eat?”
“...Huh?”
“Aren’t you hungry? Let’s go to the villa. Seong Hyun-jae will cook.”
“Breaker guildmaster said he’ll help cook too.”
“I’ll help—should we call Myung-woo hyung? He said he’d co.”
Yujin blinked in surprise. Yuhyun reached out and draped an arm around his shoulder.
“Did sothing go wrong? Is that why?”
“No, not at all! Everyone is okay with your attendance.”
“Section Chief Seok said there’s no issue. He’ll alert us if anything happens.”
“The Awakened Managent and Hunter Association approved. They reacted positively.”
Yujin tilted his head in doubt—was it reassurance or truth? Seeing Taewon confirm, he seed convinced.
“Then, so...”
—Ppiyak!
“Right, Ppiyak. Noah, if you don’t mind, could you bring Myung-woo and our pets when you go?”
“Let’s go together, Noah oppa. I want to bring Mare too—is there a pool at sister’s villa?”
“Yes. It’s large.”
“I’ll go get ready.”
Park Yerim started toward the door with Noah, then paused.
“Hyung, you were amazing.”
“Huh? Th-thanks.”
“ too, Yujin. You were amazing.”
“...Thank you.”
With the two gone, Yujin looked around—he relaxed his clenched fist slightly. Moon Hyun-ah pulled out her phone.
“Hyung, tell anything you want to eat.”
“Well... Yerim likes at.”
“Barbecue is a given! What about you, hyung?”
“I really don’t mind anything.”
“Hyung can’t eat fish. Prefers Korean food over Western, but likes pastries.”
“No, I don’t really like bread... I just eat it because it’s there.”
“Okay—non-fishy Korean food.”
“Ah, Director Song likes sashimi! You’ll co too, right?”
“...Yes. I’ll feel better attending.”
“Co on, make yourself comfortable.”
“You’re not asking ?”
“Seong Hyun-jae is cooking, right? Of course you have to co.”
Brightening, Yujin rose. He reached for his phone, then put it away.
“Let’s turn off our phones today.”
Seong Hyun-jae opened the door and Moon Hyun-ah led the way. Yujin walked ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) out, followed by Yuhyun. Once everyone left, Song Taewon closed the door.
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