S-Rank is My Side Character (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 1

“It’s him!”

People simultaneously looked up and cheered in unison. The gate forcibly opened, and black sparks crackled and popped.

A tall man with black hair, black eyes, and a black trench coat that matched his coloring floated in the sky above. The terrified crowd erupted into cheers.

“It’s over now! He’s here!”

“He came to save us!”

Despite clearly being trapped inside a dangerous Level 4 gate, the people’s attitudes were oddly light-hearted—as if they were watching a theme park parade, not a deadly dungeon.

The all-black-clad man in the sky raised a gigantic golden half-scissors.

Black trench coat, raven-black hair, swirling black mist, and a golden half-scissors.

World Rank #1 S-Class Illusionist. Nicknames: “Black Illusion” and “Lucid Dreamer.”

These were the symbols of the abbreviated name “Rude.”

Hero of the Great Awakening Era and the Great Gate Era.

Pride of Korea and a Hunter coveted by the entire world.

“Kyaaah, Lord Rude!”

“He looked over here! Lord Rude looked at us!”

“No, he looked at me! Lord Rude looked at me!”

Men, women, young and old—all shouted with excitement. When Rude winked at the crowd, the reaction grew even more frenzied.

Someone even pulled out a banner from somewhere.

「Rude, you’re my only dream.」

When Rude smiled at the man holding the banner, the man collapsed as if overwhelmed with emotion.

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

Rude’s voice boomed powerfully throughout the gate. He raised the golden half-scissors toward the sky.

“You can rest easy now! Your hero, I—Rude—have come to rescue you!”

“Kyaaaaah!”

“Rude! Rude! Rude! Rude!”

It honestly felt less like a dungeon gate and more like a concert venue. Rude swung the half-scissors downward—and that was it.

[Verified] Attended Rude’s concert live today (153)

Seriously, is this real? I was just hanging out with a friend near Seohyeon Station when we got trapped in a sudden Level 4 gate.

I was praying we were doomed—then out of nowhere, Rude appeared!

Wow, I genuinely thought I’d entered another dimension.

Suddenly, the dungeon turned into a theme park. Regular mobs instantly became balloons, and with just a snap of his fingers, Rude made the boss mob explode right on the spot.

Kinda brutal, to be honest.

I never really believed people when they kept saying, “Rude is insane! Rude is insane!”—but now I totally get why they say that.

Honestly, when I first got stranded inside the gate, I was terrified beyond words… That fear was indescribable…

But when Rude treated gate-clearing like a show, all that tension just vanished. It felt reassuring?

And he’s ridiculously handsome. His build is perfect too—like a real-life model. First time I’ve ever seen a guy pull off a trench coat that flawlessly…

His voice was so smooth I thought he was a voice actor.

I just stared at Rude’s face inside the gate the whole time, eyes glued.

They say getting trapped in a gate gives you PTSD—but I was just LOLing happily the whole time… Rude… sigh…

Oh right, Rude also gave stranded survivors dog-shaped balloons (photo attached).

[Comments]

—Dude, I’m so jealous… I just wanna see Rude once in my life.

—Seriously though, Rude’s genuinely hot. To meet him in person, I’d risk even a Level 1 gate, not just Level 4!

—Geez, he’s seriously hot, and his voice is amazing too… Plus his stage presence is flawless. Who even are you?!

—If you had to date either Rank #2 Kang I Hyeon or Rank #1 Rude, who’d you pick?

  I’d replace that “vs” with an “x.”

   LMAO HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

—Still, you should go to the hospital. Survivors rescued from Rude-cleared gates reported hallucinations for several days. Experts say Rude has an extremely powerful evil alignment—just being near him affects others.

  That’s malicious rumor-mongering by anti-fans. Yes, evil-aligned skills can influence others, but most people recover fully after a few days. Don’t worry.

   No, seriously—it’s true. My friend entered a gate while Rude was clearing it and had nightmares for weeks, barely slept, shivered from cold even in summer, heard voices… Only calmed down after getting meds at the hospital. You really should go check yourself.

  Yeah, I’ve heard similar things a lot, so I was already planning to go. Thank you for worrying! Not that I’m saying anything specific—it’s just better to be safe!

—But who even is Rude, really? Nothing’s been revealed, so I’m super curious.

  It’s surprising—his face is all over the place, but not even one school photo has leaked.

  No paparazzi shots, no guild affiliation, no sightings whatsoever…

  Honestly, if Rude’s true identity turned out to be a criminal, I’d be heartbroken. I’d rather he stay a total mystery… I like him just as he is now.

   Respect Rude’s privacy, everyone.

Rude turned off his phone screen and let the corners of his mouth—previously curved in a smirk—drop.

In an instant, his cheerful clown-like expression shifted into that of an office worker who’d just snuck out to the restroom. He slipped his phone into his pocket.

“Yeah. Please keep respecting my privacy from now on.”

With those words, Rude gracefully descended from the black sky onto the rooftop and scanned his surroundings. After carefully checking for any people nearby, he slipped into the building. A black indirect message appeared before his eyes.

[The Ruler of Chaos says: “I told you there’s no one around here.”]

“I know.”

Of course—he’d spent so much time specifically choosing a building with no people and no CCTV. After glancing around once more, Rude went down a few floors via the stairs. Black mist slowly began seeping out from him. Gradually, just like being erased by an eraser, ‘Rude’ started fading away.

“I got quite a few low-tier items too, so I can probably stay holed up at home for a while.”

[The Ruler of Chaos shakes his head and says: “But you’ll just run off excitedly again the moment another gate pops up, won’t you?”]

“That’s beside the point. As the Rank #1, I can’t possibly allow some random bone fragment rolled in from who-knows-where to loot my territory while I’m standing right here.”

Rude’s voice also began thinning and growing higher in pitch. His firm leather shoe steps—tap, tap—turned into the soft shuffling of worn-out sneakers.

Soon, ‘Rude’ had completely vanished. In his place stood a petite girl with a ponytail.

“Ugh… I’m really getting tired of this act…”

[The Ruler of Chaos asks: “But you’ve had fun doing this for six whole years! Wasn’t this the most entertaining thing for you?”]

“My main body being a high school dropout NEET with this attention-seeking male character… If anyone found out, I’d seriously kill myself.”

[The Ruler of Chaos gives a thumbs-up and says: “Nah, our Na Ri would never get caught!”]

“Whatever. I just wanna strike it rich and retire as soon as possible…”

A woman wearing a ‘BS25’ vest exited the abandoned factory and walked down a dark alley. She’d told her coworker she was just going to the restroom, so she needed to hurry back.

World Rank #1 S-Class, strongest Illusionist, Lucid Dreamer—shortened to ‘Rude.’

That persona belonged to Shin Bit Na Ri—a high school graduate, convenience store part-timer, and NEET.

[This is the timeline separator]

“11,500 won, please. Would you like a bag?”

“No, so you expect me to carry all this without a bag?”

“…Bags cost 20 won. Do you have any discounts or points?”

You bastard. Don’t ever come back again. Na Ri beeped loudly as she scanned the beer cans and snacks. While the payment processed, she unfolded a bag and slipped the cans inside.

Once payment was complete, Na Ri returned to the stockroom to check if anything was missing or extra from today’s delivery order.

She periodically went into the cooler to restock any missing drinks. Her shift ran Monday to Friday, from 3 PM to 10 PM.

“Na Ri-ya. Here, have something while you work.”

“Ah… Manager, thank you so much…!”

Na Ri bowed deeply and accepted the canned coffee the store manager offered her.

This elderly gentleman had been running this convenience store for a very long time.

He always paid her weekly holiday pay on time, got her a name tag… and, most importantly, was the only employer who’d hired her when everyone else had rejected her. Thus, he was practically the only person Na Ri truly opened up to—and also why she’d been a long-term employee for six years.

“By the way, Na Ri—was something wrong yesterday?”

“Huh? No, not really…”

“Well, Hee Jin said you suddenly went to the restroom and were gone for 20 whole minutes, so she got worried.”

“Oh…”

“It just so happened that a Level 4 gate opened nearby yesterday, and Rude showed up and cleared it in 20 minutes. Since you disappeared exactly then, she wondered if you got caught up in it.”

“Oh, no! At that time, I—I was… ugh… hit by a big… big wave. I’d eaten something really spicy for lunch, so I was… um… stuck in the restroom!”

“Is that so? That’s a relief. I was worried too, you know.”

Just then, the small TV mounted on the counter played yesterday’s news broadcast—reporting that a Level 4 gate had appeared near Seohyeon Station but was swiftly eliminated by Rude.

On screen, interviewees mostly expressed gratitude toward Rude and declared themselves his new fans.

“Is Hunter Rude really that strong…?”

“He’s S-Class! There are only five S-Class Hunters in all of Korea!”

“I don’t really get all this. I only learned about Constellations and such a few years ago. Guess I’ve lived too long.”

Na Ri, feeling butterflies in her stomach hoping her manager would praise Rude, proudly stuck out one finger. Even though it had been 20 years since gates first appeared, there were still many people with limited access to Hunter-related information.

“So the strongest person in the world is Rude! Like Grade A milk!”

“The strongest person is Rude? I thought it was our Lee Hyeon…”

Ugh—Na Ri’s outstretched finger instantly retracted. Kang I Hyeon, Korea’s top-ranked holy man—nicknamed “Church Oppa.”

The nation’s Rank #2 Hunter, beloved by everyone for his kind personality and handsome looks.

While many adored Rude, many others criticized him for his carefree attitude and for treating dungeons like his personal playground.

In this era, Hunters were as famous as celebrities. Thus, Hunters often became topics of gossip behind people’s backs—so Na Ri considered such criticism perfectly natural.

Until she heard someone praise Lee Hyeon over Rude.

Everyone loved Kang I Hyeon. Seriously—everyone. While Rude avoided media exposure, Kang I Hyeon appeared frequently on broadcasts, so most people knew him far better than Rude.

Moreover, compared to Rude, Kang I Hyeon projected a much more upright image—so generally, people favored him more.

‘Even the manager doesn’t really know Rude and prefers Kang I Hyeon instead…’

[The Ruler of Chaos chuckles: “Looks like you got beaten by a bean. Try harder.”]

Suddenly, jealousy toward Kang I Hyeon surged within Na Ri.

Online forums constantly hosted Rude vs. Kang I Hyeon debates—but hearing someone right next to her say they preferred Kang I Hyeon was an even bigger shock.

[The Ruler of Chaos displays an image and says: “But Kang I Hyeon actually likes you. Don’t hate him too much—look at this.”]

An interview from a specialized Hunter magazine appeared before Na Ri as an indirect message.

「Q. You’re currently Rank #2—what do you think of the Rank #1 Hunter? Are you aware that comparing the two of you has become a minor pastime online?

A. Haha, not at all. Compared to him, I still have a long way to go. He’s truly amazing. All I can do is rescue people—but he can even calm survivors down. That’s something I really admire. I hope to become a Hunter with that kind of composure someday. I’d love to meet him in person—and if he’s willing, maybe even ask if he’d consider joining our guild…」

Na Ri swiped the indirect message away with a hand gesture. Of course he’d say that—it was just for his public image. And she knew his comments section would inevitably be flooded with praises like “God I-hyeon!”

Yeah. No way. I’ll never join. Never meet him. Accept humbly the sin of stealing my manager from me. Plus, I’ve always hated ‘Seongjeon’ anyway.

While Na Ri grumbled inwardly, the manager spoke up again.

“By the way—is Rude a foreigner? Is ‘Rude’ his real name?”

“No, it’s just a nickname. His real name… nobody knows. No one knows where he lives either. He keeps it completely hidden.”

Actually, that person is standing right in front of you. My name is Shin Bit Na Ri, I’m 25 years old, and I work part-time at a convenience store.

“Really…? Someone that strong would normally brag about it everywhere—why hide it?”

“Well… everyone has their own reasons, I guess. He must have his own.”

“…Oh dear, I’m sorry, Na Ri.”

“No, it’s fine! Really, Manager! I’m totally okay—no sadness or anything!”

The manager apologized with an awkward expression, apparently thinking Na Ri was a big Rude fan. Na Ri shook her head vigorously.

‘I can’t exactly say: “It’s my alt account, so I can’t reveal it. If they asked for my payment account, it’d show ‘Shin Bit Na Ri’—and then everything would be exposed. As a law-abiding citizen, I can’t possibly open a fake bank account.”’

Unable to dispel the awkward atmosphere, Na Ri absentmindedly opened her status window. Her own info scrolled into view.

Awakener Profile

Name: Shin Bit Na Ri

Age: 25

Alignment: Evil

Avatar Name: Fragment of the Primordial Dream

Class: S

Overall Stat: S

Skill Aptitude: Reality Manipulation, Mind Control, Illusions

Occupation Aptitude: Trickster (Class) – Illusionist (Occupation)

Contracted Constellation: ◼◼◼◼

Traits: Fragment of the Primordial Dream (Mythic), Natural Lucid Dreamer (Common), Daughter of a Failed Hero (Rare)

*Current Status Ailment: “Social Phobia.” When using skills in your true form in front of others, effectiveness is greatly reduced.

“Daughter of a Failed Hero”—and the resulting status ailment, “Social Phobia”—were precisely why Na Ri operated the S-Class alternate persona ‘Rude.’

‘My mom was a hero—but she failed.’

Hunter Kang Ha Na. Ten years ago, she entered and failed to defeat the Level 1 gate that appeared in the East Sea—and died.

The moment she entered, the gate’s door opened even wider. Monsters poured out from the expanded portal—and Hunter Kang Ha Na never emerged again.

Because of her failed gate suppression, countless people perished. Ultimately, the incident was only resolved when the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master of ‘Seongjeon’—the frontline guild at the time—sacrificed themselves to seal the gate.

Later, it was revealed that Hunter Kang Ha Na had disobeyed the official operation plan and acted on her own unilateral judgment—causing the Level 1 gate to open far earlier and much wider than anticipated.

In other words, Korea suffered a massive catastrophe due entirely to her trolling behavior.

Thus, Hunter Kang Ha Na—Na Ri’s mother—became a national traitor. Since she’d never held a particularly favorable public image as a Hunter to begin with, her downfall into treason after a single mistake was practically inevitable.

And Na Ri’s ordinary life was destroyed along with her mother’s reputation—solely because her mother was Kang Ha Na.

As Korea’s strongest Hunter at the time, her family details had inevitably leaked—so after the incident, Na Ri was harassed so badly she couldn’t even attend school for a long while. Naturally, she developed the “Social Phobia” status ailment.

Years later, when trying to find part-time work, store owners who recognized her immediately rejected her. This job was the only one she’d barely managed to secure.

Then Na Ri realized: Hunters were less like heroes and more like entertainers—a profession where a single failure could drag you to ruin faster than hundreds of heroic frontline sacrifices could earn you praise.

So the moment she reached S-Class, she created an illusionary alter ego. With an alt, if she failed, it wouldn’t be “her” taking the blame—and she could continue living as Shin Bit Na Ri. It was the best solution she could devise.

Yet she couldn’t just live quietly with this double life—she needed to save money.

All the money her mother had saved, plus the proceeds from selling their house, had been donated entirely to the families of victims lost in the East Sea gate incident. The remainder was seized as fines.

Only after that could she barely afford a small rented studio—and even then, paying monthly rent was a constant struggle. Naturally, buying her own house was out of the question.

But as an Awakener, she’d live a very long life—so surely she deserved at least a home of her own? Thus, ever since awakening, she’d been tirelessly clearing gates with her alt while secretly living as her “concealed main body.”

Registered with the Management Bureau? Of course—as Rude. Fortunately, Na Ri’s illusions could even deceive the latest-model ability-measuring machines.

She’d registered separately as a D-Class Illusionist, while a nameless man was officially listed as the S-Class Illusionist ‘Rude.’

Technically, that wasn’t a lie—until six years ago, Na Ri really had been a D-Class Illusionist.

[The Ruler of Chaos says: “The higher-ups are still desperately searching for Rude’s true identity.”]

They’ll never find it anyway—just a waste of effort.

Na Ri never intended to reveal her identity to the public—not in her whole life. Especially not to “higher-ups.”

“Oh my, Na Ri—it’s almost time to clock out. Go on home now.”

“Ah! Yes, thank you! I’ll be going, Manager!”

“There are leftover meal boxes today—take some with you!”

“Yes! Thank you!”

She bowed politely, went into the storage room to prepare for leaving, and—remembering the manager’s tip—carefully took the leftover meal box.

She also grabbed the beer she’d quietly paid for earlier. If the manager knew, she’d worry—so Na Ri had to sneak it out. At home, she’d enjoy the meal with a can of beer while watching streamers. A perfectly decent way to end her day.

“See you tomorrow, then! I’m off!”

The manager waved in farewell. Na Ri smiled and bowed again—then dashed out of the convenience store, black bag in hand.

As she stepped outside, her previously cheerful expression slowly turned blank.

“Ugh… damn it… so cold.”

It was early winter, yet unbearably chilly.

‘Annoying.’

Na Ri popped wireless earbuds into both ears and sat down at the bus stop. Since the bus wouldn’t arrive for 13 more minutes, she immediately opened a video site.

Thanks to the algorithm, a new video appeared at the top of her feed.

「You MUST watch this! Why Seongjeon is the best! The truth behind the East Sea Gate 10 years ago (feat. epic trolling)」

Hunter Kang Ha Na was photoshopped together with a monster troll in the thumbnail. The view count had already surpassed 800,000. Even after ten years, traces of her still haunted corners of the internet.

‘Well, I guess Mom deserves the hate…’

Knowing the video would inevitably mention Kang Ha Na’s family at the end, Na Ri’s rage meter shot up.

[The Ruler of Chaos says: “Let’s report it immediately.”]

Damn algorithm. Hating that it even boosted the video’s visibility, she sighed and hit “Report.” Not that it’d actually get removed.

Just as she was about to switch to dog videos and scroll through her subscriptions, an indirect message appeared before Na Ri’s eyes.

It was red—the emergency summon visible to all Hunters.

「Hunter Management Bureau, Gyeonggi Branch – Emergency Notice: A sudden Level 4 gate has appeared at Migeum Station, Seongnam. Civilians are currently trapped inside. All available Hunters ranked B-Class or higher are requested to gather at Migeum immediately.」

‘Money stream… No, a gate!’

[The Ruler of Chaos chuckles: “Here we go again—our Na Ri’s eyes are spinning!”]

Na Ri shot upright, eyes wide. To reiterate: she lived as Rude—the concealed main body—solely for the dream of owning her own home.

She stored her late-night snack in her inventory and sprinted toward the subway station—to clear the gate, the money stream! To refill her perpetually empty bank account once more!