Holy B-Class Life

#027

Even if there was no particular malice, it was speech bordering on power harassment. Especially after it was revealed that Yoon Pa-ran was a hunter.

Only 0.2% of the population awakened as hunters. Moreover, only hunters could resolve gate issues. These factors were enough for hunters to establish themselves as a privileged class.

The middle-aged man who was taking out his business card blushed again. Yoon Pa-ran belatedly realized that his words must have sounded quite unpleasant, but he didn’t particularly care.

There was no need to show consideration to bastards who barged in like this, expecting to find a female director alone.

He naturally expected the middle-aged man who stepped forward as the representative to lose his temper and lash out. However, surprisingly, the man quickly composed himself. He even held out his business card with both hands.

“Ahem. I’ll put in a word with the elder. I’ll arrange a meeting soon as well.”

After hesitating, he approached and whispered obsequiously to Yoon Pa-ran, with his back to Yoon Seul. He was acting as if he might extract a monster’s mana stone on Yoon Pa-ran’s behalf.

The watch on the wrist of the man who came close to whisper glinted. It was unexpected from someone who looked like he had spent his whole life bullying others.

Perhaps it meant that this ‘elder’ was that impressive.

It was indeed an ominous sign. Yoon Pa-ran frowned but took the business card the man was offering.

[CRO Investment CEO Lim Hyun-sung]

“Is this your name?”

“Yes, yes… I’ll quickly match the elder’s schedule and come back.”

Though he didn’t understand why the company name was written entirely in English, Yoon Pa-ran smiled crookedly.

I’ll start beating them up from here.

“Alright. Tell them to at least show their face once.”

“…”

The atmosphere was murderous, as if he would slit the throat of anyone who was brought, elder or not.

In reality, the person in front of them was a hunter with both the will and ability to carry out such actions. As a seasoned con artist, Lim Hyun-sung was well aware of the dangers posed by hunters.

Lim Hyun-sung trembled slightly at Yoon Pa-ran’s ominous aura from the moment he appeared. Had he perhaps misjudged the situation?

When the elder had thrown this job his way, he had heard that a B-rank hunter was attached to the orphanage. While a hunter was certainly a notable variable, Lim Hyun-sung hadn’t paid much attention to it.

Among B-rank hunters, those who were evaluated as being on the verge of A-rank needed to be cautious of. But upon investigation, this wasn’t a well-known hunter.

Moreover, he was originally from this very orphanage.

It was a bit unusual that the orphanage director had adopted him only after he became an adult. But Lim Hyun-sung just found this fact amusing.

He thought it might be just a relationship of lending his name since he became a hunter. For tax purposes or something, given that it’s a high-income profession.

So he thought this type would easily break away if he casually mentioned his client. Or it could be a ploy to get some scraps, knowing there was a client involved.

He had certainly thought so, but things were unfolding differently from his expectations. To begin with, he hadn’t assumed that a hunter would so naturally involve themselves in orphanage affairs.

Even if B-rank, he was still a hunter. For such a person, there was no practical benefit in protecting a crumbling orphanage like this.

They’re not even real family anyway.

“…I’ll come back another time.”

After swallowing dryly, Lim Hyun-sung racked his brains.

“Don’t come.”

Despite the blunt, curt response, he forced an artificial smile.

It was a dim-witted orphanage with no backing. He had planned to undercut the elder’s words and increase his margin, but he realized it wouldn’t work like this.

Lim Hyun-sung bowed obsequiously once more before disappearing outside. As he left, the burly men occupying the director’s office also rushed out.

“…”

Throughout this, Yoon Pa-ran had a bad feeling. As he was frowning, wondering what to do about this dirty feeling, Yoon Seul, who had been silent until now, spoke with a worried voice.

“Pa-ran.”

“Yes?”

“Mom is so worried. If this backfires on you…”

He already knew what she was going to say next. That it was out of concern for him.

But Yoon Pa-ran didn’t want to hear it.

After he was adopted, especially after he became a hunter and decided to take care of his siblings and the orphanage, everyone said it. Why go to such lengths?

Even the bastard who just came in acted that way as soon as he realized Yoon Pa-ran was a hunter. Naturally assuming that he would easily betray Yoon Seul who was beside him.

Yoon Seul was the same. She kept telling Yoon Pa-ran to live his own life. Of course, her motives were the opposite of others, but still.

Every time this happened, a corner of his heart felt suffocated. As usual, he cut off his train of thought abruptly instead of continuing it. Rising thoughts only brought anger and weren’t helpful for action.

He couldn’t get angry at Yoon Seul either. So he just changed the subject.

“Why did you open the door to guys like that? You should have called me right away.”

Noticing his mood, Yoon Seul closed her mouth. Even knowing that her words had been cut off abruptly, she just smiled faintly.

“I knew you’d be back soon.”

Then, as if nothing had happened, she indulged Yoon Pa-ran’s complaints. Seeing that smile, Yoon Pa-ran’s anger subsided helplessly.

How could he not understand that she was doing this out of concern for him?

Anyway, it was fortunate that the recent incident didn’t seem to be a great fear for Yoon Seul either. Come to think of it, Yoon Seul had maintained a fairly composed face even among those burly men when they entered.

It was obvious when he would return, and raising children in such a rundown neighborhood was never easy to begin with.

Yoon Pa-ran, who had been gauging the situation, let out a faint sigh. Then he casually dropped a comment.

“Remember that security company I mentioned before? I’m going to apply for it.”

“But Pa-ran, the cost of that…”

The director, who would have immediately objected under normal circumstances, tried to gently persuade him, probably because of what had just happened.

But this time, he really couldn’t back down. It would be truly dangerous if those guys came back with a bunch of thugs like that again.

“Those bastards will come again.”

“…”

Moreover, when he enters a gate, he can be out of contact for up to two days at a time.

Thinking about that made him anxious as he started to have a bad feeling in earnest.

“It’s just for the time being. Only until the danger passes.”

“…”

“I can’t even enter gates if it’s like this.”

“Alright…”

The director, who had been contemplating, nodded slightly with a faint smile. She probably couldn’t help but worry when thinking about the children.

Yoon Pa-ran just looked down at the small hand gently grasping his, without pushing it away.

“…”

After staying silent for a while like that, Yoon Pa-ran awkwardly turned his head.

“I’ll go check if the kids have eaten and come back.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Warmth lingered on his fingertips until he left the director’s office.

“Sigh…”

That sensation was quite ticklish. Even though he was alone now, Yoon Pa-ran wrinkled his nose and needlessly smoothed the back of his hair.

Although there was a separate nutritionist for the children, he planned to check if they had eaten their vegetables well while he was at it.

Just then, the mobile phone in his pocket rang loudly.

Gate Safety Notice

We inform you that the gate that occurred in Ansu-dong (S-class―Identification number S584) was safely processed around 14:05.

Gate Management Office

It was processed incredibly quickly for an S-class gate. It might be one of the fastest clear records since the beginning of gate history.

It seemed that the policy of the Special Administrative Safety Department, which was roughly shared yesterday, was working well. There were even rumors that two S-class hunters had entered together.

Dan Joo-hyuk probably went in too.

He didn’t like how his thoughts naturally flowed to Dan Joo-hyuk. This must be because his mind was so troubled due to the system message.

He would probably have to frantically clear gates for a while too. He was also worried about a gate break occurring near the orphanage.

Even without this incident, he had been planning to hire a security company for the orphanage for the time being. Those guys who came earlier inadvertently helped with that.

What will become of the world from now on?

“Hah…”

As he was letting out a deeply worried sigh, his mobile phone rang again.

Is it another safety message about a gate opening? Why are these coming as notification messages when most gates don’t? Surprised by the frequency, Yoon Pa-ran hurriedly checked his mobile phone.

Where are you?

“What…”

It was a message from Dan Joo-hyuk. They just said an S-class gate was cleared a moment ago, did he send this right after coming out?

No way. That can’t be.

It seems he was assigned to a different S-class gate from the start. Yoon Pa-ran thought simply as he looked down at the message with an ambiguous expression.

Maybe because the sender was Dan Joo-hyuk, it strangely felt like he was picking a fight. As if he was asking why Yoon Pa-ran was having such trivial thoughts.

This too was just a delusion arising from his troubled state. Shaking his head briefly, Yoon Pa-ran simply replied:

What do you want to know for?

After kindly informing him not to ask casually, he started walking again.

Yoon Pa-ran wasn’t one to dwell on useless thoughts for long. However, since yesterday, even he had been incredibly worried.

With troubled eyes, Yoon Pa-ran looked up at the sky. Steeling himself for what was to come.

However, Yoon Pa-ran’s solemn resolve crumbled spectacularly from the very next day.