Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: How to Backstab Erina Esnatia
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"Hey, Siwoo... no, Seonghyeon."
"Why?"
Yoon So-ah was following my request perfectly.
Bringing her in at the entrance ceremony had definitely been the right call.
"I-Is this the place?"
"Yeah, this is it."
[Your Grandma's Homemade Cheonggukjang]
"Why here...?"
"Can't handle cheonggukjang?"
"No, it's not that..."
"Don't worry, it's delicious."
The setting docs said so.
If she couldn't eat it, oh well.
I didn't know what Yoon So-ah had expected, but I had to come here no matter what.
"Truth is, this is the place I always come to when things get tough."
"When things get tough?"
Yoon So-ah looked up at me with her big eyes sparkling, like she was hanging on my every word.
"As you know, I've only got one skillbook. People laughed every time I tried hard to become a hunter anyway."
"Siwoo..."
"Tsk."
"Ah... Seonghyeon."
Yes, perfectly trained.
I liked it.
"One day, when reality had broken me and I was about to give up, I ended up eating the cheonggukjang here. That's when I first realized how good it could be. So I vowed not to give up if I wanted to keep eating this delicious stuff. Then one day, the grandma owner said she wouldn't take my money anymore."
"She wouldn't take your...?"
Yoon So-ah swallowed hard, completely immersed in the story.
This was fun.
"She must've pitied me, scraping together coins every day just to pay. Things were rough, so after that, I got free meals. I don't know how it looks to you... but it was really hard back then."
"Sniff... hic..."
Yoon So-ah was already sniffling, her eyes growing misty.
Why was this so entertaining?
"So I made a promise. To never forget the warmth of that cheonggukjang the grandma gave me. That if I passed the academy entrance, I'd come back proud and proper. If it weren't for this place, I never would've made it in."
"Hic, th-then... you have to... come here... hic... I'm so glad you brought me to a place this meaningful... hic..."
...Did Kim Si-woo have a backstory like this?
He probably did.
It wasn't a lie.
My guess.
A thatched-roof shop like something out of the academy countryside.
I carefully pulled open the tattered rice-paper door.
"I love the vibe here. No modern feel at all..."
As I got lost in my own acting and opened the door,
the inside was modern and sleek, with automatic doors.
....
A concept, huh.
Why make it so confusing?
Yoon So-ah turned to look at me.
"She was a trendy grandma keeping up with the times. I loved that about her."
"Ah... okay."
She bought it.
"Alright, shall we head in? Their cheonggukjang is out of this world. I wanted to introduce it to you! You're the first friend I made at the academy."
"Friend...?"
She looked touched by my words.
"Let's go in, Siwoo... no, Seonghyeon!"
We sat at a suitable table inside.
'The inside is straight-up modern.'
The outside was pure thatched hut, but how'd they make the interior like this?
This must be [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy]'s production value.
I called out toward the kitchen.
"We're ready to order!"
Then an ajumma came out to take the order.
Ajumma?
The name was clearly [Your Grandma's Homemade Cheonggukjang].
Why an ajumma?
The name's a concept too?
Isn't that cheating?
Even Baek* Won ajusshi would get flak for that.
Yoon So-ah turned to me with a trembling voice.
"S-Siwoo?"
I spoke in a steady tone again.
"She passed away. I hoped she'd watch from heaven."
No reaction from Yoon So-ah.
...Was that too much?
I cautiously checked on her.
"Yoon So-ah?"
...!
Her pupils were trembling in confusion.
"Uh... so... Siwoo came here a lot... trendy modern grandma... but she actually passed away..."
System overload, apparently.
Yeah, that was enough.
"So-ah, forget all that for today. I just want to enjoy the cheonggukjang."
"Ah... s-sorry. Yeah, let's do that."
Soon, the ajumma brought out the cheonggukjang.
"Dig in, dears."
Two steaming bowls of cheonggukjang.
Bubbling thickly over the earthenware pots.
'This has to be good.'
Yoon So-ah looked tempted too.
I took a spoonful and said,
"Delicious. Just like back then."
I didn't know what "that taste" was,
but it was good, that much was true.
Yoon So-ah took a spoonful too and looked at me.
"It's so good... I can feel the grandma's warmth. She must be happy."
...Yeah, if only.
I felt a bit sorry for Yoon So-ah playing along.
Maybe take her to that hidden dessert spot from the setting docs for some afters.
Of course, I didn't come here just for cheonggukjang.
There was only one reason I had to come here.
'Erina Esnatia.'
Her skill would clear this tutorial: [Encounter with C-Rank or Higher Boss Monster].
My key.
Erina Esnatia.
One of the few foreigners in [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy].
From America, the macho nation that reveres strength, she was the daughter of a famous noble family.
'So why come to Korea?'
Smitten by the strength of a prince from a fairy tale she saw as a child, she was searching for a groom worthy of her.
'What fairy tale has a prince so buff you fall for his power?'
Overthinking it meant defeat.
Anyway, unable to find a match in America, she studied abroad in various countries before landing in hunter powerhouse Korea.
A decent girl, she tried enjoying the local culture.
'And her first Korean food here is cheonggukjang.'
Whoever recommended it, her intro to Korean cuisine was cheonggukjang.
A chance to show a delicately raised American lady the wonders of Korean cheonggukjang.
'Damn right.'
Either way, her choosing Korea wasn't wrong—Lee Seong-hyeon was here.
She must've heard the rumors too.
But the Lee Seong-hyeon she'd meet was me.
I had zero intention of letting her connect with the real one.
Me!
Fake!
Lee Seong-hyeon!
Not a scam.
She'd fall for it willingly.
My lips curled up without me noticing.
"Seonghyeon...?"
Erina Esnatia ate her first lunch in Korea here.
She should be arriving any minute.
Then, the door opened, and a bold voice announced a girl's entrance.
"Hello! Korean traditional foo-ud. An-nyong ha-se-yo!"
Long wavy blonde hair, deep blue eyes unlike Baek A-rin's clear ones.
Tall enough I had to look up a bit while seated, with a glamorous figure.
The epitome of beauty—no, she could rival Western models.
"She's pretty..."
Yoon So-ah stared, entranced.
'Yep, Erina Esnatia.'
She plopped down on a cushion.
"This is K-chair! So comfy! Definitely Korean tradi-tional food! Made of beans! Gotta try it! Probably soft like tofu! Auntie! One cheonggukjang please!"
Half-assed K-wave vibe.
She spoke clumsy Korean.
She shoved her nose into the fresh bowl and inhaled deeply.
"This is! K-foo... WHAT THE?"
Her face slowly twisted.
"Flavor might be different abroad."
Her pioneering spirit was impressive.
"Guaaaah!!! BULLSHIT!!! K-FOOD!!!"
"Oh... dear."
Yoon So-ah looked at her with pity.
A beauty crumbling was quite the sight.
...But that wasn't the point right now.
I whispered to Yoon So-ah.
"So-ah, from now on, call my name a lot?"
"Si..."
"No, not that."
"Uh... Seonghyeon?"
"Louder."
"Seonghyeon!"
Erina's gaze snapped our way at Yoon So-ah's voice.
"Seonghyeon?"
I enunciated clearly, loud enough for her to hear.
"Because of the skill-book! It's tough getting all this attention!"
"Uh... don't worry about it."
So-ah replied like she felt bad for me.
But to Erina Esnatia, it would've sounded different.
"SKILL BOOK, lots? Seonghyeon LEE...?"
Yes, I was one of [Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy]'s top five national pride elements.
PaiX, KimXah, SonXmin, SaX, and finally, Seonghyeon LEE.
At least to her, that's how I had to appear.
"Now that I look, that MAN seems similar..."
Not quite Lee Seong-hyeon's level, but with dark hair, black eyes, similar features—a foreigner like her might mistake me for him at a glance.
'Yeah, keep thinking that.'
The key was planting the suggestion that I was Lee Seong-hyeon.
"Already wearing ear-rings... DAIJOBU. Symbol of strong MAN."
...Japan too, huh.
Erina approached like she wanted to talk.
"Time to go, So-ah."
"Huh...? Oh, yeah."
That's when Erina rushed over and asked,
"Wait a sec! Are you Seonghyeon LEE?"
What to say?
A girl fallen for a fairy tale prince.
Something fitting would be best.
"We'll meet again. It's destiny, Juliet."
"...."
Yeah, too much.
"Destiny! Got it...!"
She said that and turned away.
"...."
'Juliet at a cheonggukjang shop. Fresh and perfect. This is K-fairy tale.'
As we left the restaurant, Yoon So-ah asked, bewildered.
"Siwoo, did you know her? She was super pretty..."
"No idea."
"Huh???"
Her face screamed question marks.
'This should be enough for now.'
For the moment, planting strong suspicion in Erina that I was Lee Seong-hyeon was plenty.
The payoff would come in Professor Sin So-ah's first class, not here.