< The Association Head Is (1) >
Sizzle!
An egg landed lightly on a pan with oil.
“Sunny side up? Over easy?”[1]
“I would like sunny side up, please.”
I answered, slightly blankly. I hadn’t even dreamed that I would be able to see the sight of the Seseong Guild Leader making a fried egg for me to eat. If a fortune teller had predicted this scene for me before the regression, I would’ve gotten angry, telling them to at least keep a limit when saying charlatan-like nonsense.
Then, the smell of bacon frying wafted to my nose.
“Would you like to drink coffee? Or fruit juice?”
Noah said, holding up and showing a basket with mangoes, bananas, and oranges. When I asked for juice, he peeled the fruit with skilled hands. The sound of a mixer working rang out noisily in the kitchen.
For Noah, there was no need to say twice, and that person, Sung Hyunjae, also was excessively good looking and handsome, so it felt like I was seeing some 4D kitchen advertisement. If the two of them worked in a cafe or something, the business would probably go well even if it tasted super bad.
Unlike my expectations, this place wasn’t a hotel, but a vacation home. Apparently we had moved to a personal-use vacation home so that we wouldn’t stand out, since there was a commotion over the Kraken case.
“…What is it that you want?”
My gaze helplessly kept on going toward the burn exposed between the collar of his shirt. I asked Sung Hyunjae, as I used a fork to poke and burst the yolk that was less cooked, like I asked for. Reply that you protected Yerim because you had some other goal.
“You’re saying something saddening.”
“It is not good for my mental health to just decide that you simply helped out for my sake, while even resolving to take injuries. I have to be bothered by it and it feels dirty, so I think I will be restless in my sleep for about a week.”
“I won’t say that I’m a virtuous person.”
“…I was almost about to throw up[2].”
Noah, who was sitting next o me, also had a sour expression. Sung Hyunjae continued speaking with a hint of laughter.
“But I’m a type that’s generous toward a possession that has enough worth. And it’s embarrassing not being able to properly protect your things.”
“I am not Sung Hyunjae-ssi’s. In the first place, wasn’t it a just a joke?”
“I was always sincere.”
“Please do not say something scary. If it is sincere, I will run away.”
“I’ll wait about a day for you to hide.”
I have no intention of playing hide-and-seek with you. It definitely should have been a joking conversation, but because he said he was sincere or whatever, I needlessly felt concerned.
“Anyways, thank you for protecting Yerim, and I will also pay the price for the injury.”
“Let’s say I didn’t hear the last part. You’re welcome. It was something that was right for me to do, for Han Yoojin-gun.”
“So what do you want?”
“It’d be good if you stay fine until I get bored. I’m talking about mentally.”
“And my body does not matter?”
“If the bulk decreases then it’ll get easier to carry around.”
For a moment, I wondered what he was saying, and then I frowned. It was an F-Rank body, so I acknowledged that it wasn’t particularly useful, but still, that was too much.
“Your words are harsh.”
Noah became furious instead of me. But Sung Hyunjae didn’t even glance at him. That person was solely ignoring Noah.
“If someone is speaking, you should at least look at them?”
“Is there any need with the owner here?”
…What bullshit was this now. I tried complaining that Noah-ssi wasn’t a kiseungsu and didn’t have an owner and was a perfectly independent person, but it didn’t get through at all. It was to the point that I felt wronged over the fact that I was agitated for a moment about him taking care of Yerim while getting injured. As expected, his personality was bad.
***
“Noah-ssi, will you please give us a moment?”
I said to Noah, after finishing the simple breakfast.
“Yes, I will be in the backyard.”
Noah left, and I brought up the matters from last night.
“Did you take care of the things to take care of?”
“Thanks to you. A few high rank Hunters tried to run away, but there wasn’t anybody who slipped away. Since the hotel was completely flooded, not being able to find the corpses wouldn’t be seen as weird either.”
Sung Hyunjae said, satisfied.
Most of the people who had been at the hotel had fallen into his hands. Whether they were alive or dead. Seeing how he was taking everything including the corpses, it seemed like there was a Hunter who had a skill similar to Yerim’s White Corpse at Seseong.
“Please do not forget to share any usable information.”
“Didn’t you not only say you have no interest overseas, but even insist that I not even think of dragging you in? Though if you changed your mind, it’s welcome.”
“Of course I am not even going to glance at it, but you can pass it onto Haeyeon.”
I was tired with just the matters within the country, so why overseas? I was just going to scoop out the stamina potion from Japan and Hunters from China, and then end my interest there.
“And please gather the items that were worn and send them over.”
It was hard to take items that were inside inventories. On top of that, if you died, the items all disappeared along with your inventory. That was why I purposely made them hand over items during the auction. It was too much of a waste to leave them to disappear.
“You’re also frugal. It really is praiseworthy.”
“You should take the possessiveness out of your gaze.”
If you’re going to insist that I’m your item, why don’t you trade with skills? He was completely trying to take advantage[3]. Wasn’t he a thief?
We had a conversation about post-cleaning besides that, when,
“Ack! It’s Han Yoohyun! Ahhh!”
There was the sound of Yerim’s voice screaming like she had touched a cockroach. At one point, she had said he was a good looking and capable oppa, but it had changed a lot, huh.
“Ahjussi! When did you wake up?”
Yerim rushed out of the bedroom, letting out loud stomping footsteps.
“If you’re at the level of not realizing at all when an F-Rank moves next to you, then that’s a problem.”
“It was because I was so tired. Is there bread?”
“Here. I’m saying that getting exhausted to that extent itself is a problem. Since it means there was a burden on your body. If that piles up, even if you’re S-Rank, you’ll get sick. In a situation where your life is at risk, there’s no helping it, but don’t go overboard if you can help it. You too, Yoohyun.”
I said, looking at my brother, who was coming into the kitchen with a face that still at a little bit of sleepiness left.
“Don’t do something like crawling into an S-Rank dungeon with just one person.”
“Yeah. But you’re the most severe in going overboard, hyung.”
“That’s true. And you faint at the drop of a hat. On top of that, you are stat F.”
At the drop of a hat, she said. It didn’t seem like it had happened that much. Wasn’t it about three times? It wasn’t a lot.
“Am I, who is cooped up at home, and you guys, who go around dungeons, the same?”
“How many dungeons do you think you’ve gone around in lately, hyung? If you really just stayed at home, I wouldn’t even worry.”
Um, it was just somehow. I had also had absolutely no intention of frequenting dungeons this diligently. Things didn’t always go the way you planned in life.
“Eggs for me too! Over easy!”
Yerim shouted toward Yoohyun, who was taking out eggs. Even while frowning, displeased, another egg was held in Yoohyun’s hand.
“I’ll do it for you. Sit.”
“It’s okay.”
Irin appeared on top of Yoohyun’s shoulders as he held a pan. I tried waving hi to it, but there was no particular reaction. Was it not that it just couldn’t speak? Maybe intellectual abilities were also restricted, because it acted like a normal lizard.
“Seseong Guild Leader, thank you for the coat. Still, please do not forget about what you agreed to take care of!”
“Of course.”
“…Take care of? Of what?”
At my question, Yerim replied like it was nothing as she ripped the bread.
“I helped a little in moving the corpses and people yesterday. The part time job pay for that!”
“What? Why would you get a kid to do something like that?!”
“It was simply a transport part time job.”
“What do you mean simply-!”
Tuk, the blade portion of a kitchen knife was grabbed in Sung Hyunjae’s hand. Yoohyun placed the plate of fried eggs on the table. Both of them were sunny side up.
“I said I wanted over easy!”
“Our house only deals in sunny side up.”
At the cold words telling her not to eat if she didn’t like it, Yerim grumbled as she put the fried egg into her mouth. Still, I felt like they had gotten a little closer than before. Was it really that kids became closer as they fought?
Sung Hyunjae lightly tossed the kitchen knife that had flown toward himself back to Yoohyun. A fork hit the kitchen knife and the knife that spun in the air struck down on the table. It was a marble table, but that went in near halfway.
“Someone who is an adult should not play around at the dining table.”
“Though the young master started it first.”
“Yoohyun, I get that it’s irritating, but you can’t throw knives in the kitchen.”
“Yeah, sorry.”
And then he hesitated for a moment, before looking at me with eyes like a scolded puppy.
“…I was in the wrong yesterday. You kept your promise, but I acted however I wanted, so I’m really sorry.”
My brother was good-hearted, as expected. See how he apologized right away.
“It’s okay. Well, it’s fine if people didn’t get hurt.”
Sung Hyunjae quietly raised his hand. So what. Still, when the burn mark entered my eyes, I was a liiittle sorry and my conscience was pricked, so I spoke again.
“There wasn’t anybody who died, so it’s okay. So what if someone get a little hurt. There’s potions and healers.”
“Wow, what is that. There really is no doubt that ahjussi will just say it’s okay even if the world collapsed because of Han Yoohyun, as long as he apologizes.”
I mean, even if it’s me, to that extent…… If the world collapsed, then it would be uncomfortable for Yoohyun to live too, so I should block it before that.
“And it’s also because of the elemental. Fire elementals are normally a bit like that. Like, when you use the power, your self control gets weaker and you get aggressive. You’re not used to it yet, so it’s even more like so.”
Umm, and. Did I have to say it? Irin stared straight at me as if urging me on. Or it could just be looking at me.
“Well, even if you make a bit of trouble. Even so, I love you, Yoohyun. So don’t pay too much mind……”
…Rin, hyung is struggling. I’m doomed if I get embarrassed. Calm down. Let’s act calmly, like it’s nothing much. Thankfully Yoohyun didn’t say anything else and grinned.
“Ahjussi, what about me!”
“Of course I love you too, Yerim. Though number 1 is my brother.”
“Ah, that’s of course. If you said he wasn’t, then it would be more surprising.”
Was it to the point of being a matter of course? Just then, Sung Hyunjae looked at a message on his cell phone and stood up from his seat.
“They’ve arrived. Will you come over for a moment, kids’ dad?”
Then he went out toward the front door. When I followed, wondering what it was, the door opened, and Kang Soyoung and,
-Kkiaaang!
“Peace?”
Peace jumped into my arms.
-Kkiooong.
“There, there. How did you come all the way here?”
“I brought him over.”
Kang Soyoung said with a tired face.
“Peace… because Han Yoojin-nim was not there, he was little… cranky. Still, he might have understood that we were going to you, so he did cooperate, but…… I could not bring Blue as well.”
“Thank you. You have worked hard.”
She smiled weakly and said it was okay. When I got back, I should quickly raise Comet for her first. I was sorry.
“You said Noah-ssi is here as well, right? Can I come in for a moment?”
“Ah, yes. He went toward the backyard a while ago.”
“Thank you!”
Kang Soyoung, who had regained her energy in one breath, ran toward the backyard. I faintly heard Noah’s surprised shout. Please calm down, Soyoung-ssi. In my arms, Peace was wagging his tail without a break, happy to see me.
“I was planning on going back quickly, but it took a long time. Sorry, Peace.”
-Kkeuang, kkyang!
Soothing Peace, I turned to look at Sung Hyunjae.
“Um, thank you for your consideration.”
Even though it felt dirty that the kindness was excessive, I was truthfully thankful that he brought Peace over.
“Now the star rating should be about three.”
“I will put it as that.”
“I hope that your seawater allergy also disappears. As you know, this neighborhood is an island. Adding on, the tour this time is definitely no-option and no-tip.”
“Is the accompaniment of three kids and a pet also possible?”
“Of course.”
If the terms were that good, then I couldn’t refuse. It would be sad to just go back after coming here with the kids anyways. I worried that we might stand out too much, but since there was an excessively amazing tour guide, clearly he would know to take care of it on his own.
“Really? I thought we would go back right away! Please wait, I will search it up a bit! I should buy souvenirs, too!”
When I went inside and said we should go sightseeing in Hong Kong, Yerim jumped around excitedly. Yoohyun seemed like he was pleased, too. I woke up the still sleeping Chirpie, and joined with Noah and even Kang Soyoung, and we went outside.
It was too little with one day, so we had a fun time until the next day, too. There were slight incidents here and there in the middle, but a big problem didn’t occur. It wasn’t like there were only one or two kids, so having no incidents was impossible.
And then we got on the plane back home.
The news that I was rescued due to the Haeyeon Guild Leader was revealed to Korea, and the airport was filled with people. More than I had expected.
‘It’s something I brought onto myself but……’
Still, the interest was too much. It felt like my face was becoming hot on its own. I shouldn’t go outside with my face uncovered for about a month – it was embarrassing.
[1] he actually asks lit. ‘half cooked? fully cooked?’ bc that’s how you phrase it in krn but I wanted to used egg terms. and yeah I kno ‘over easy’ is still technically half cooked, but not a lot of ppl use ‘over medium’ or ‘over hard’ anyways so it’s not as readily understandable.
[2] it’s more like ‘have an upset stomach/indigestion’ but I think this tl is more understandable in eng. Ppl do say things like ‘feel like I’m going to throw up’ in krn, too, though.
[3] lit. ‘eat raw’ which is a slang/rude way of saying ‘doing sth or getting sth without using effort’ which isn’t quite ‘take advantage’ but I couldn’t think of a more similar turn of phrase