Chapter 215: Trip to Japan (3)
The schedule for the match between Korea’s Park Yerim and Japan’s Iwahata Kakuto was roughly as follows:
A press conference at the hotel, followed by a banquet and a rest day. On the second day, they would move to Shizuoka. After staying a night there and checking out the arena for adjustment time, the actual match would take place on the third day.
‘And then, after the match, I just need to go to the Black Cow Forest, collect the Stamina Potion ingredients, and return home.’
There were sightseeing plans after the match, but if Japan lost, the atmosphere would be a mess. No point in sightseeing—we’d just head straight back. Of course, I would only disclose the information about the Stamina Potion ingredients once we were safely back in Korea. Shishio would probably throw a fit, but that was Sesung’s Guild Leader’s problem to handle.
The hotel room assigned to us was spacious. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room, a dining area, and even a separate study. While each person had their own room, since I was an F-rank in stats, I decided to share a room with Yuhyun. Yerim had complained, but it felt unnecessary to share a room outside of home. Even if this place was practically as big as home.
— Chirp!
As soon as Chirp entered the hotel room, he headed straight for the living room sofa. Belare followed, bouncing lightly before springing onto the couch.
— Chirp chirp.
Chirp glanced around as if looking for the remote. He wouldn’t understand Japanese… but then again, he didn’t understand Korean either.
Yuhyun carried my luggage into the bedroom, while I rummaged through the drawers to turn on the TV. Just then, the door burst open, and Yerim walked in.
“Mister!”
I was pretty sure the door had locked automatically. Or maybe not.
“It’s about the guild leader.”
Yerim grinned mischievously before continuing.
“I just heard from Hyunah unnie—Shishio means ‘Lion King.’”
“…What?”
“Lion King. Rawr.”
Wait a second. Lion. The emblem on the guild uniform did look like a lion…
“…And it’s not just a nickname, it’s his actual name?”
“Yep, that’s what I heard.”
A quiet puff of laughter escaped me before I could stop it. No way. Was this for real? I felt secondhand embarrassment just thinking about it. Lion King? It wasn’t even a Hunter title—it was just… that? Seriously?
Lion King?
Thinking back to how he acted at the airport and his obsession with Peace, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Oh my god. How am I supposed to keep a straight face when I see him again?
I was going to crack the moment I made eye contact with him. Damn it.
“T-That being said, it’s not right to, hff, make fun of someone’s name…”
“There is zero sincerity in your face right now, Mister.”
Ugh. I buried my face in a cushion.
No, but seriously. The guy was well into adulthood—definitely not a teenager. He had to be at least in his late twenties, if not pushing thirty. Imagining his face again nearly set me off into laughter once more.
This is bad. I still have to attend that banquet later. Should I fake a stomachache?
“Hyung?”
Yuhyun’s voice came from the living room, sounding confused. I waved my hand in silent reassurance. Yerim simply explained, “He’s just laughing too much.”
— Chirp chirp!
“W-Wait, Chirp.”
I found the remote and turned on the TV.
And then—
[Here’s a photo of Hunter Han Yuhyun at 17!]
[Ohhh~]
…What?
This was clearly a Japanese broadcast, so why was Yuhyun—oh, of course, he’d be on TV. But why 17?
I quickly turned my attention to the screen. The image was a grainy, distant shot. The background showed collapsed buildings, likely from a dungeon break.
The Japanese commentators were chattering away, and unreadable subtitles filled the screen. What does it say?
Then, older photos and videos of Yuhyun appeared. I recognized them—stuff I had seen in Korea before.
[A high schooler wielding flames—an S-Class Hunter! It was incredible back then.]
[I completely fell for him the moment I saw him! I still love Yuhyun so much even now!]
Next, recent footage of Yuhyun started playing. I let out a slow breath and listened more carefully.
Something about the tone felt… different from Korean broadcasts.
Also, my little brother is in college. He’s twenty years old. So why did they keep calling him a high schooler?
And what was with these excessive praises?
“A breathtakingly radiant, impossibly beautiful young man…”
Oh.
Yuhyun is good-looking, but—okay.
[Aah, for me, it’s Hunter Seong Hyunjae. He has that mature, dangerously alluring vibe. He’s just so cool.]
[Yes, yes! Absolute perfection! Like a god of thunder descending from the heavens!]
…I physically cringed at the non-stop compliments.
Sure, Seong Hyunjae was ridiculously competent, but this was overkill.
Also, wasn’t he their opponent? Shouldn’t they be tearing him down instead of hyping him up?
[Park Yerim! So cute~! A beautiful S-Class middle schooler! The contrast between her adorable face and her ability to control ice—it’s just too charming!]
Even Yerim, the actual match participant, was being showered with praise. They kept calling her a beautiful young girl, talking about how she had lost her parents yet remained strong—it was starting to feel excessive.
They were saying similar things about Yuhyun. And naturally, that led to—
Oh no.
They started talking about me.
I couldn’t take it anymore and changed the channel.
[Dragon! A golden dragon!]
[Truly a fitting description of beauty! And next to him is the Master of the Golden Forge. An incredible craftsman—owner of the golden hands that can create S-Class weapons!]
[Oh, there’s Hunter Han Yuhyun as well. Such a cold expression.]
[A young man as icy as frost. Ah, and looking at his older brother—]
Oh, for the love of— I frantically changed the channel, but it was still about the Korean Hunters.
At least this channel was a little more composed, discussing Seong Hyunjae and Moon Hyunah in a relatively calm manner. Wow. Their popularity really is insane.
“It looked like I was on TV too. What were they saying?”
Yerim asked, since she didn’t have a translation item. Those things were rare, and aside from the one I had, Haeyeon had only two others. We had left one behind just in case, and the remaining one was being shared between Yuhyun and Yerim. As for Myungwoo, Noah was handling his translations.
“Uh… they said you were cute and pretty.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say “beautiful middle schooler.”
Yerim was one thing, but the way they fawned over Yuhyun—he was a complete stranger to them, yet they praised him to an unbelievable degree. Sure, I thought my little brother was amazing too, but I didn’t go around saying out loud that he was, uh… radiantly beautiful or whatever.
Japanese people sure are something else. I appreciated the compliments, but this was… a lot.
I handed Chirp the remote and backed away from the TV. Yuhyun had definitely understood every word they said, yet his expression remained completely neutral. Not the Ice Prince, damn it. Ugh, now even I’m starting to call him that.
“They say the rooftop pool here has an amazing view. You can see the Rainbow Bridge clearly.”
Yerim eagerly tried to convince me to go swimming. She had so much energy.
“There’s the press conference and banquet today. Let’s go in the morning. We’re leaving for Shizuoka after lunch.”
“In the morning? Then what about going out at night? I want to do some sightseeing while we’re here!”
It was her first time in Japan, so of course, she’d want to look around. Personally, I just wanted to laze around in the hotel.
“Do you want to go out with Yuhyun? I’ll lend you the translation item. I can just stay with Noah.”
At my suggestion, both of them frowned simultaneously.
“I have no interest in sightseeing.”
“I’ll just go with Hyunah unnie.”
They were getting along better than before, but kids were still difficult.
I wanted to see Yuhyun, Yerim, and Noah all happily holding hands and having fun together. Just imagining it warmed my heart. Such a beautiful sight.
Since I felt bad about turning Yerim down and didn’t want to just stay cooped up in my room, I decided to at least explore the hotel. I left Chirp to watch over Belare and carried Peace as I stepped out. The hotel staff bowed politely whenever I passed. Hong Kong’s hotel staff had been friendly, but here, they practically bent over backwards.
I headed to a lounge recommended by the staff, who claimed they had specially invited a master of traditional confections. Despite supposedly serving traditional tea and sweets, the lounge’s decor looked like a European palace. The moment I saw the large lion-emblazoned banners on one wall, I nearly burst out laughing again.
Did the Lion King guy design this place like his personal palace? Even his guild building was like a medieval fortress.
“These chairs are so pretty! I should’ve brought a doll.”
Yerim pouted as she touched one of the ornate chairs. The entire set looked like it belonged in a tea party for princess dolls. She’d probably love a trip to Europe. I wonder if Versailles is still intact—before my regression, half of it had been destroyed. It should be fine for now.
“Hunter Park Yerim.”
Before we could even sit down, someone approached. A man dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, sword at his side.
“I am Iwahata Kakuto.”
“Oh, hello.”
Yerim greeted him politely, then idly played with the table decorations.
“Yerim, he’s your opponent.”
“I know.”
She did know, then. Kakuto pressed his lips into a tight line.
“To show such disregard for your rightful opponent—how disrespectful.”
“I greeted you, didn’t I? Also, why do all the Hunters here talk like this? Even your guild leader speaks formally to me in public.”
She was clearly annoyed. Shishio was significantly older, so it made sense, but Kakuto looked to be in his early twenties, yet he was casually using informal speech.
Sure, Yerim was young, but she was officially invited here as an S-Class Hunter. This wasn’t a private meeting—it was a formal event. He should’ve at least maintained some professional decorum.
“Hey, Kakuto. Unless you want the match venue changed to this hotel, I suggest you walk away quietly.”
“A mere three-month-old brat of a girl—”
Crash!
Kakuto’s figure suddenly vanished from in front of us. I instinctively turned toward the source of the sound.
He had been sent flying, smashing through a decorative pillar before slamming into a wall.
“Han Yuhyun! That was mine!”
Yerim’s outburst finally made the situation click.
Yuhyun had acted first.
All around the lounge, Japanese patrons hurriedly stood from their seats, the clatter of chairs echoing through the space. Yuhyun, lips curling into a smirk, met their stares.
“As a guild leader, I can’t just stand by and watch someone insult my precious guild member.”
“That was mine, seriously.”
Yerim grumbled, scrunching her face at the word “precious.”
Meanwhile, Kakuto pulled himself up, brushing dust and debris off his clothes. As expected of an S-Class—he didn’t seem injured at all.
I turned to a hotel staff member who had frozen mid-step and asked,
“Would it be alright if we had some tea?”
“What’s good here?”
Might as well grab some snacks before the lounge got completely wrecked.
However, Kakuto didn’t attack again. He only shot sharp glares at Yerim and Yuhyun before turning on his heel and returning to his group.
“It was my turn this time, but he didn’t even fight back.”
Yerim pouted as she sat down. Yuhyun, on the other hand, looked slightly refreshed.
“What now? You caused trouble already?”
Moon Hyunah entered the lounge, drawn by the commotion. Looking over the damage Kakuto had left behind, she muttered, ‘Should’ve done it while I was here’, before joining us at the table.
“Han Yuhyun? Park Yerim? Judging by those expressions, it must’ve been the Haeyeon Guild Leader.”
“I told you, that was mine! Unnie, want to go shopping tonight? There’s probably a Hunter Market here too. I bet they have stuff we don’t have in Korea.”
At Yerim’s suggestion, Moon Hyunah frowned and shook her head.
“This place is three times worse than Korea. Korea already pulls that ‘gear tailored for female Hunters’ nonsense, but Japan takes it five steps further. These lunatics slap ribbons and lace on perfectly good equipment, paint it in bright colors, and market it as special items for female Hunters! And they charge extra for it.”
“What? Seriously? That just makes it more cumbersome and easier for monsters to spot.”
“They claim it’s wildly popular among female Hunters! and perfect for showing off your charm! It’s infuriating. And to make things worse, all the actually useful items are monopolized by the big guilds. At least in Korea, there’s a system that encourages marketplace transactions rather than guild-to-guild hoarding. Japan doesn’t have anything like that.”
That explained why their Hunter Market wasn’t very active. It might be useful for lower— and mid-rank Hunters, but high-rankers would find little of value.
Noah and Myungwoo also came down, curious about the commotion. Soon, a variety of sweets was arranged on the long table. Myungwoo, who had slept through most of the flight, yawned softly.
“You should sleep a bit more. No one’s going to complain if you miss part of the schedule.”
“I was thinking of going to the sauna later. They say it uses natural hot spring water.”
“Sounds good. I wonder if Japanese saunas are similar to Korea’s.”
Public baths were the best. I hadn’t been able to go much lately, but with so few guests staying here, the water should stay clean no matter when we went. Maybe I should hit the sauna before bed. Just imagining the warm, steamy air already made my body feel relaxed.
Yerim and Moon Hyunah were now trying to convince Noah to join them for a night out. Noah nodded, saying he’d bring back souvenirs for Myungwoo and me. It’d be nice if Yuhyun went too, but someone needed to stay behind… Not that it mattered. Seong Hyunjae was here.
‘Speaking of which, he’s been quiet.’
There was no way he hadn’t heard about the incident in the lounge. I briefly considered pulling out my phone but ended up putting it away. Maybe I should at least text Chief Song to let him know everything was fine for now.
Before the banquet, a press conference was held. Seong Hyunjae arrived with the Amaterasu Guild Leader. Had they spoken privately? Maybe they had discussed future dungeon management.
As soon as I saw the Lion King guy, I quickly put on a bright smile.
Just smiling because I’m happy to see you, Shishio. There was no way he’d take it as mockery, right? Just a friendly smile. Fortunately, my expression must’ve looked normal enough, as the Lion King himself smiled back.
Yuhyun and Yerim gave me weird looks, but whatever.
Now that I looked at him again, I realized that Shishio’s hairstyle was literally shaped like a lion’s mane. Very fitting. To be fair, he had the looks of an S-Class Awakened—tall, well-built, and with a Westernized appearance that made it work.
Alright, don’t laugh. Stay serious.
During the press conference, Yerim and Kakuto sat side by side at the center. Everything went smoothly except for one incident—some journalist had the audacity to say they looked good together and promptly got splashed with water.
At the banquet that followed, the Lion King arrived dressed like an emperor. Thankfully, he hadn’t gone as far as to wear a fur-lined cape. At this point, I had to respect how much he was enjoying himself.
One thing I did appreciate was that he had arranged a special seat for Peace and even provided fresh, high-grade monster meat for him.
‘Though the constant staring is a bit much.’
Peace ignored the designated seat and stayed on my lap, which meant both he and I were subjected to intense gazes. My little brother’s expression was growing icier by the second. Calm down, Yuhyun. To make matters worse, Shishio had moved his seat to sit directly across from me.
“I’ve heard of 3W. A pair of white wolves—very impressive. Haeyeon is quite fortunate. Almost enviable.”
“They’re not that hard to acquire, given their numbers.”
“But still, lions are the best.”
Ah. Yes. Of course, Lion King.
I could practically smell the opportunism wafting off of him. He was already thinking about how he could use the Flame Horned Lion Dungeon as bait for a big trade.
For a moment, I actually felt a sliver of affection for him. If he was practically Japan’s ruler, he probably had access to plenty of good stuff. You gave us the Thunderbird’s Mantle, and I appreciate that. Any more SS-Class gear lying around?
After dinner, I ended up soaking in the hot springs for a while. By the time I returned to my room, it was already past 9 PM. The city lights twinkled through the darkened windows.
It was still too early to sleep, so I considered turning on the TV when a message arrived.
[To my partner. I’d like to request a meeting.]
It was from Seong Hyunjae.
Well, here we go.
–TL Notes–
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