Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Alumni Are Scary (4)
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“Sh-sh-shiver...”
“...”
“Sh-sh-shiver...”
“Oppa, what are you doing...?”
“Shaking 'cause I'm scared of the reunion... Sh-sh-shiver.”
“Ugh, seriously. You gonna keep embarrassing yourself like this?”
“Ah, come on~ It's just us here. I can do this sometimes.”
I scratched at my belly. Lying around the house all day shouldn't attract bugs or anything, but somehow everything starts itching. Back then, sure, I slept in places crawling with actual bugs, but now it's a fancy high-rise apartment.
“Oppa, stop scratching your belly too... At least do it when you're alone! They say if it leaks inside, it leaks outside for a reason, you know?”
Well, it's gonna leak one way or another, so why stop? I scratched even harder.
“Argh, this damn stuffy house! I'm heading out!”
“Think imitating drama lines is gonna make me go easy? Get out!!”
Sob...
“Sihyun-ah, I'm hungry.”
“Knew you'd say that, so I ordered some nakgopsae. Hurry up and wash. Ah, and stop scratching your belly...”
My sister really knows me best. I patted her shoulder with the hand that had been on my belly and quickly fled to the bathroom.
- You little sh...
Gotta wash up clean.
“Enjooy~ your meeal...”
The feeling of my cheeks stretching was subtler than expected. My body's so tough that there's no pain, but the sensation of my skin being forcibly pulled still felt... something.
Ah, yeah. It felt affectionate. You wouldn't do this unless you trusted someone enough to hand over your body. I felt this weird warmth from it.
“You know what you did wrong?”
“I knoow~ scratchin' my belly~ in front~ was wronng...”
It was good being babied, but admitting fault would get it over quicker, so even with my cheeks squeezed and slurring my speech, I begged for mercy.
“Haa... What am I gonna do with this rascal? Feels like I'm his mom or something...”
“Moom~!”
“You little... Don't pick up bad habits from the internet. Sit down and eat already.”
“Okay~”
I thought it was a sweet word, but apparently not. I sat at the table and shoveled in the still-boiling hotpot. A hero doesn't yield to mere heat.
“Hm...? Oppa! You're gonna burn the roof of your mouth! Blow on it slowly!!”
“I won't bow to something as trivial as heat. Only the weak blow on their food.”
“Oppa, say ah~”
“Ah~”
“You idiot, you burned it all...'
Eh, it didn't hurt. Was it really burned?
“I won't yield to such pain. Move aside, I'm eating more... Ack! My bad!”
Pow- Thwack-
“Even when I'm worried!! Huh? Why do you keep messing around!!”
Pow-
“Ack!”
Sister, your brother feels wronged...
“Eat well...”
“Yep.”
The meal resumed normally after that. She looked so upset that I didn't feel like joking anymore.
“Oppa, when's the reunion? Tonight?”
“Yeah, 7 PM tonight. Probably going with that Kim Jaehyun guy.”
“Hmm... You sure you'll be okay? I feel like I pushed you into it for no reason.”
“It's fine~ I was bored lately anyway and needed something to do. Think of it as making new friends.”
“Good then... Or should I come with? I could stick by you.”
Her concern touched me, but it sounded just like talking to a kid on their first picnic. She doesn't remember, but she's not clueless... Was I supposed to feel moved or sad? Ambiguous.
“Nah~ That Jaehyun guy said to stick with him if I'm awkward around others.”
“Alright. Just be careful going and coming back. Call if anything happens, got it?”
“Yes, Mom!”
“...Sigh, whatever. Hurry and eat so you can get ready.”
What? Why do you sound defeated?
Don't give up.
“Be careful going~! Call if you're gonna be super late!”
I headed out with Sihyun's worried send-off. Dressed neatly, I looked almost human—like when I visited the columbarium. I'd planned sloppy clothes and slippers, but she dragged me back to the room and made me change into neutral tones.
Should ask her for important outfits from now on.
The cooling evening breeze chased away thoughts of it being too warm. As the day warmed up, the sun slowly dipped, painting the sunset red as twilight approached.
This ambiguous time between day and night. I stared blankly at the beautiful sky. Standing still in the bustling weekend street, sounds faded, and random thoughts filled my head.
A new meeting—new only to me—awaited ahead. When I first returned, I only wanted family, but now I felt like reconnecting with old ties. I shoved down the reluctance in my heart.
Ah, kinda miss Seren today. And Sio too. Thinking of meeting new people reminded me of first meeting them, stirring nostalgia. Wonder what they're up to. Heroes who saved the world—probably living luxuriously.
The phone buzzed, scattering thoughts as I returned to the noisy street. Seeing 'Jaehyun' on the screen, I answered.
“Hello~”
- Hey! Where are you? Everyone's here, what're you doing?
It was 6:50. Still 10 minutes left, but okay.
“7's still a ways off~”
- A ways off my ass. We've been waiting 10 years and 10 minutes—that's a ways off. Hurry up!
“Alright~”
I quickened my pace after hanging up. The promised spot appeared. They rented out a whole BBQ joint for this hot weekend, and the lively interior was already visible.
Balloons, cheer sticks—what's that? Confetti?
Do they do reunions this weirdly now?
Full of questions, I approached. Jaehyun waved frantically at the door. He grabbed my hand and pulled me in.
The packed seats meant I was last. As we entered, everyone fell silent, staring.
The sudden quiet made me self-conscious, but Jaehyun shoved a drink into my hand.
Then cheers erupted.
- Ansiu!! Welcome back!!! Cheers to the madman's return~~
Roaring cheers. Unified toast. Clinking glasses.
The quiet reunion turned into a stadium firing off fireworks. Staring blankly,
“Welcome back. You did well. You rascal.”
At the voice beside me. At all the faces toasting me.
I couldn't help but smile.
Good thing I came back. Good thing I came.
So I thought.
Flooded with questions and welcomes, I hid behind Jaehyun, dazed. Strangers shoved faces in, chattering, but nothing I could answer, so I downed drinks.
Like last time, alcohol loosened my tongue more than expected.
While others sipped, I chugged bottles. Cheers erupted at my antics, but I was too shrunk to respond.
After enough booze, I started answering.
- No memories? This guy's a fake? From a gate—doppelganger or something~
Didn't know who, but no way.
- Siwoo, you don't remember me? We were close...
Me...? With her...?
“Bullshit, she got dumped by Siwoo~ Look at her hitting on him right away 'cause he's hot~”
Good, wasn't me then.
- Hey! Why say that!
Ignored their bickering.
- But why haven't you aged? We're all old and wrinkly. Why you still look 20...?
Uh... Hero, no skin aging? Would they buy it?
“Maybe time flows different between worlds...?”
- Whoa... Wanna go there for 10 years too.
“Ahaha...”
As stories flowed and facades dropped amid drinks, the door opened again.
- Yo~ What's this~ Reunion without me~?
The thick voice tensed the room. Noisy chatter hushed; some faces soured.
“Jaehyun, what's up? Why's everyone like this?”
I whispered. He grimaced awkwardly.
“He's an alum, but... a hunter.”
“Eh, me too.”
“High-rank, big guild. Personality's...”
“Ah, age stuck up his ass~”
“Hey hey...! Hunters hear well. Careful.”
Hear well? So what. Can't do shit anyway.
- Hm~? New face? Hey, who're you?
Eh. Me?
I tilted my head, glancing around.
“Me?”
“Haa... Yeah, you...”
- Hey, answer when I call you. Who're you?
“Me?”
- Yeah, who? Gotta say it three times? Retard?
Murmurs grew; even drunk, the mood soured.
“Me, Ansiu? Don't know you, but hi.”
- Ansiu? Thought you died?
“Nope~”
- Huh? Then why call me age-up-my-ass?
“You hear well...”
Jaehyun sighed beside me, but I didn't back down.
“Ah, just seemed that way. Acting like this at 31? Maybe I was right?”
“Hey hey...! Crazy?”
He stormed up, pissed.
“What~? Wanna die again?”
“Ah, sorry sorry. Drunk slip. My bad~”
Didn't wanna ruin the fun, so I bowed apologetically.
Ptooey-
Sticky glob on my head. Touched it—phlegmy spit. Real asshole.
“Gross?”
“Nah~ I started it, so fair.”
Ptooey-
This time on my clothes. Hmm, Sihyun picked these.
“Hey, don't wanna die? Stay low. Don't act up.”
“Got it, drunk mistake. Sorry~”
Better if it ends smooth.
“Ah~ Right. If you're really sorry, introduce your sister? She's cute. Lemme have a taste?”
Ah.
Won't end smooth.
“Push it after holding back.”
“What? Wanna die?”
You'll be the one dying.
Smite
The holy strike crashed onto his head. Meant for demons, monsters, evil—it barely affects normals. But the divinity churning violently in me meant he was close enough to evil.
So you'll suffer months.
Shouldn't touch what you shouldn't. Fucking mentioning my precious sister.
Holy light flooded the BBQ joint, his scream mixing in. When it faded, only a foaming, collapsed brat remained.
No.
Dozens of eyes stared blankly at me too.
Whoa.
"How about everyone pretends they didn't see that?"