Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Hwaryeon Can't Hold Back (1)
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S-rank hero's son got beaten by a girl named Yi Hwaryeon!
Word like that started circulating around the elementary school.
Kim Si-hu had to make a statement about the rumor.
"Hey, Kim Si-hu! Is it true you lost to Yi Hwaryeon?"
"Yeah, I lost. Definitely. Yi Hwaryeon is stronger than me."
Prideful Kim Si-hu admitted it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
That meant the rumor was true.
And then.
"Seriously? That Kim Si-hu lost?"
"Does that mean Yi Hwaryeon is the strongest in the first grade?"
About a month passed.
"That's her! The one who beat Kim Si-hu!"
"Look at her eyes. They're scary!"
Hwaryeon had become the undisputed boss of the first graders.
She basked in the gazes pouring her way and declared with satisfaction.
"Hmph! Humans worship the strong! All of you, worship me!"
"Woooaaah!"
"Shower me with cheers!!"
Hwaryeon strutted to school like a king.
Unlike Hwaryeon, who raised her hand confidently as she entered, Suryeon and Choryeon trailed a step behind.
"All eyes are on us. What the heck is Hwaryeon unnie doing?"
"Right? Hwaryeon unnie draws way too much attention."
Not wanting the excessive spotlight,
Suryeon and Choryeon walked a bit apart.
Of course, Hwaryeon loved all that attention.
"Humans! I'm the strongest! Got it?! Remember the name Yi Hwaryeon!"
But.
Too much attention draws eyes.
The upperclassmen, who had been quietly heading to school, whispered among themselves.
"Hey, these new kids are getting too cocky lately, huh?"
"What kind of education did they get to act up first thing in the morning."
"Think it's about time we taught them a lesson."
In a Confucian society, a young punk strutting too much isn't a good look.
Hwaryeon might have been reigning as the first-grade boss,
but she'd unintentionally drawn the ire of the older kids.
"What's their deal, staring at me like that!"
Of course, Hwaryeon wasn't one to back down.
"Should I just bite them! Rawr!!"
***
Break time.
The boring class finally ended.
All the boys flocked to Hwaryeon's side.
It was the most fun spot for them.
"Hwaryeon, did you watch Game Ranger yesterday?"
"Hmph, of course! Game Ranger Black betrayed them yesterday! This is why you can't trust black guys!"
"I-Isn't that racism, Hwaryeon?"
"Hmph, it's not racism, it's dragon-type discrimination! Black dragons are the worst! Come here, you!"
How dare you attack me!
Hwaryeon flicked a knuckle on the head of the boy who'd gone after her.
Thwack!
"Ow!"
"That was light! Don't cry!"
"Y-Yeah..."
The boy pressed his crown, desperately holding back tears.
Hwaryeon flashed a satisfied smile at the sight and patted his head.
"Good job! Crying means you're not a man! You get strong by enduring that pain! Got it!?"
"Y-Yeah... Thanks, Hwaryeon..."
The boy smiled as Hwaryeon stroked his head.
The other boys thought to themselves at the scene.
'M-My turn next... The boss is petting him...!!'
She might have a straightforward, boyish personality,
but Hwaryeon was still a girl.
An exceptionally pretty one, at that.
And without realizing it, the boys had all fallen for her.
'Who wouldn't like such a cool, tomboyish girl...! She's cute, pretty, refreshing, carefree, and awesome...!'
Of course, Hwaryeon had zero interest in them—it was all one-sided.
But the boys were happy just playing with her.
Oblivious to their feelings, Hwaryeon rubbed her belly and said.
"It's third period now, right? I'm getting hungry..."
"I'll go to the shop and get some!"
"No, let me! You like cream buns, right? Be right back!"
The kids competed to buy her bread.
"Halt!"
Hwaryeon stopped them and declared.
"I'm your boss! And you're my minions, right!"
"B-Boss!"
"A boss doesn't send her crew on bread runs!"
"As expected of the boss!!"
Clap clap clap—
The kids applauded from the heart.
"Hmph."
Hwaryeon shrugged with puffed-up shoulders.
"Well, if you wanna buy bread for me, I won't stop you!"
"...Boss?"
"I'm hungry! I want bread!"
"..."
The kids fell silent at Hwaryeon's words.
In the frozen atmosphere, no one offered to fetch bread.
Suddenly, Kim Si-hu, who'd been sitting up front, stood up and said.
"Yi Hwaryeon."
"Yeah?"
"Want me to go get some bread now?"
Kim Si-hu.
Son of the K Group chairman.
Son of an S-rank hero.
"Break's almost over. Should I go?"
He stepped up first and offered to buy it.
Hwaryeon gave a slight smile and replied.
"Oh? You've finally decided to become my minion!"
"...Since I lost to you back then."
"Hmph, fine then, I won't stop you! You've got money, right?"
"It's my dad's money, but yeah, plenty of it."
Satisfied with the answer, Hwaryeon pointed at the door and yelled.
"Then you go buy it! Break's ending soon! Hurry!"
"I'll get cream buns. But in exchange."
"Exchange?"
"Teach me how to get stronger. I'll buy you as much bread as you want."
Kim Si-hu volunteered as bread shuttle and asked to train.
Hwaryeon nodded and said.
"Hurry up and get the bread! Break's gonna end!"
"Got it."
Dash dash dash—!
And so Kim Si-hu bolted out of the classroom to buy Hwaryeon's bread.
The temporary class rep who always parroted "No running in class" and "No making noise,"
but today he tossed dignity aside and sprinted off.
The kids were pretty shocked.
"K-Kim Si-hu as the boss's bread shuttle..."
"Boss! Since when did you recruit him?! Was this your plan all along!?"
"You're amazing, boss! As expected!"
Sudden wave of worship.
Hwaryeon blinked in confusion for a sec,
then scratched her head bashfully and said.
"R-Really? Am I that awesome? Haha!"
She hadn't planned it.
But hey, she felt great.
***
Today, I got assigned to close a B-rank dimensional gate.
"Heading in."
B-ranks are a real pain.
Mana warps the terrain, gravity crushes you differently.
Worst if you run into a "phenomenon" that breaks the world's laws.
Luckily, this gate had no such phenomenon.
"Ugh, time to warm up then."
I did some quick stretches and charged forward.
Doing gate-closing work nonstop, I'd gotten good at sensing the core's location.
'That way, huh.'
I ran through the ruined medieval cityscape.
This dimension looked like it'd been wrecked by monsters.
Probably had people living here before it fell.
"Monster."
-Grrr?
A massive wolf staring at me.
Building-sized thing opened its maw wide.
'Wolves are kinda gross.'
I clenched my fist and smashed it right into its mouth.
Crack—!
My fist burst through the giant wolf's jaws.
I brushed the bit of blood off my clothes.
"Tch, B-rank monsters are getting boring."
My skills are probably top-tier A-rank now.
Physically, I could hang with S-ranks.
The difference? Track record.
"I stick to light gate-closing gigs, they hog the big ones. Figures."
Still pisses me off.
I fight well too!
I'm strong too!
Why am I stuck at A-rank!
'Whew, calm down. It's just inferiority complex from my poor days.'
No more envying others.
My life's the happiest.
Girlfriend aside.
"Sigh, ruined my mood for no reason. Better head home."
Gotta clean and prep dinner.
With that in mind, I activated Dragon Fear and tore through the B-rank gate in a flash.
Leapt across the medieval ruins.
Found what looked like an underground lab—smashed the core.
Only then did the chaotic dimension start collapsing.
"Gotta get out before it all crumbles."
I bolted for the gate exit.
As usual, I stepped out and said.
"Good work."
"As expected of the top gate-closer—"
"Ahem."
"...the Dimension Closer."
"Yeah, that's the one."
My self-made nickname.
Looked it up online since I suck at English.
Hwaryeon and Choryeon called it lame; only Suryeon liked it.
"With a cool name like that, I'll be famous soon."
Status message is "Waiting for your call."
Pretty celebs will hit me up any day.
I chuckled to myself.
Not a sleazy laugh.
Bzzz—
Phone buzzed right then.
'Who at this hour?'
I checked the caller.
"Homeroom teacher's. What's up?"
Bad feeling.
I answered immediately.
"Hello?"
-Yes, is this Hwaryeon's father?
"Yes. Did something—"
-Hwaryeon got into a fight with some upperclassmen, so I'm calling. Can you come to school right now?
Knew it. She caused trouble.
Least troublesome of my daughters, though.
Took a whole month for this call.
Gotta praise her for that.
'At least she's adapting to human society. Small mercies.'
Since I'd seen it coming, I replied matter-of-factly.
"Yes, on my way."
Hope the other kid isn't hurt bad.
Hwaryeon's the type to hit, not get hit.
'Gotta change into clean clothes first.'
Can't show up to elementary school like this.
Post-mission grime had my outfit filthy.
'Hang on just a bit, Hwaryeon. Don't beat up more kids.'
Worried, I hurried toward the school.