S-Rank is My Side Character (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9

“But, but even the Guild Master likes Mr. Rude! And I also want to work with Mr. Rude…”

“Most guilds in Korea would jump for joy if I joined them. Do you think only Seongjeon is like that?”

“Still, there are definitely problems you can’t solve alone…”

“I’m the strongest, so I can handle everything by myself!”

“A-ah, no, but… still…”

Kang I Hyeon couldn’t find more words and lowered his eyes. Na Ri squinted slightly. No—suddenly, resentment welled up inside her.

“Wait, that’s suspicious. You sound like a salesperson or something?”

“…Huh?! Me?!”

“Why were you in that dungeon at that time? Everyone knows it’s my shift, so nobody else comes.”

As previously mentioned, Rude’s active hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. Without missing a single day for six years—faithfully.

Six years ago, the world-ranking No. 1 S-rank hunter, the King of Madness, appeared abruptly. Initially, many hunters tried to cooperate with him…but…

Na Ri recalled again her debut stage—the video that always appears first whenever one searches for Rude on video sites, holding the record for the most views among Korean hunter content.

[This is the timeline separator]

「Rude Breaks 14-Year-Old World Rank Record, Gives Hunters a Harsh Lesson」

“Get lost. This dungeon belongs to me.”

Crack! Rude’s scissors blocked the dungeon entrance. Other hunters hesitated, visibly flinching. Rude emanated a menacing aura as he barred any intruders.

“You might not know since you’re newly registered, but this Level 5 gate in this zone is under our guild’s jurisdiction.”

“Ha, seriously… Do you think gates are private property or something?”

Rude sneered. Among the hunters, someone who seemed relatively senior stepped forward.

“Ahaha, you must not know since it’s your first time entering a gate. It’s an unspoken rule among all guilds to have assigned zones and levels.”

“So what?”

“We’re responsible for Level 5 in this zone. If we fail, other guilds will step in afterward. As a freelance hunter, you’d usually sign a contract with another guild and join as a mercenary…”

“No, so what do you want me to do about it?”

“Huh?”

Rude slammed his golden half scissors into the ground with a loud thud and stared at the hunters. His dark eyes locked onto each of them. After a pause, he finally spoke.

“Unspoken rules? What nonsense. I could break that in under twenty minutes. And you guys look totally corrupt.”

“…”

“Wouldn’t it make more sense if I handled this gate myself? What do you think?”

Instantly, silence fell over the gate area. The senior hunter spoke again.

“…Alright. Then let’s temporarily form a contract with our guild for this occasion. We’ll draft the paperwork later…”

“Did you not hear me clearly? Or are you just slow to understand?”

Crack! Rude pulled another black half scissors from behind his back and drove it into the ground. The two crossed half scissors silently conveyed his resolute refusal. Rude sighed and spoke again.

“Get lost! I don’t need any of you!”

Rude’s roar caused several guild members who met his eyes to sink fearfully onto the floor. An oppressive, dangerous atmosphere prevented anyone from approaching recklessly.

Rude pulled out his scissors one by one, turned around, and walked into the gate. His final words echoed quietly through the silent gate area.

“I don’t cooperate with weaklings.”

[This is the timeline separator] [The Ruler of Chaos gives a thumbs-up, saying, “His arrogance never fails to impress me.”]

“Shut up… Thinking about it now just makes me cringe…”

Because Rude himself strongly avoided cooperation and crushed everything with raw power, an unspoken agreement gradually formed among southern Gyeonggi hunters: never touch gates during the early morning hours.

Although most guilds operated on a three-shift system… after Rude appeared, nighttime shifts in southern Gyeonggi became practically meaningless.

“He’s not some rookie hunter either. He must’ve known my personality—there’s no way he’d intrude without reason.”

With that conviction, she glanced sideways at Kang I Hyeon. Na Ri had lived such a chaotic, tumultuous life that she couldn’t even consider the possibility he might genuinely want to assist Rude.

“A-ah, no! It’s just… ever since I learned Mr. Rude’s mind control is addictive, I thought being together with me would be fine… I’ve been following you diligently every evening just to say that…”

“What nonsense. Nobody moves for such silly reasons. I know for sure you’ve got some shady ulterior motive!”

“A-ah, no, it’s just… I’m strong, right? I thought maybe you’d cooperate with me…”

“Oh really? Look at this! Be honest—why did you come to that dungeon? Did Seongjeon send you on purpose to find my weakness?!”

“No, no! Absolutely not! Never!”

Kang I Hyeon, fiddling with his fingers, glanced furtively at Na Ri. He spoke in a dejected tone.

“Actually… the Mass… I kind of wanted to skip it a bit…”

“…Huh?”

“I mean, Father finds me really burdensome during evening hours. Lately, I’ve had to go in the evenings because of shift schedules, while normally I go at dawn… It’s just… awkward…”

“…Just for that reason?! You didn’t go to save people?!”

“W-well, of course that’s true too! And I also wanted to see Mr. Rude! But that reason… was maybe… a little bit… there?”

Kang I Hyeon glanced at Na Ri, who stood with her mouth agape, and spoke with an embarrassed expression.

“Don’t stare at me like that. Do you have any idea how hard it is to attend Mass while riding on an Archangel disguised as a Constellation? I can literally see the priests getting nervous in real time when they look at me!”

“Well… I guess that might be true…”

[The Ruler of Chaos nods, saying, “It’s like presenting in front of executives as a junior staff member.”]

“Yeah… If he were a new hire, at least he could rush in with sheer audacity.”

Apparently, he had his own troubles. Only after hearing such an ordinary, everyday reason did Na Ri finally sigh deeply in slight understanding. Kang I Hyeon spread both hands and continued.

“But it’s also true that I wanted to see Mr. Rude! Making the proposal to work together has always been my dream… Every time I entered the dungeon before, you’d already cleared it and left… I was lucky today.”

Suddenly struck by a headache, Na Ri pressed hard against her forehead. Just as she was about to sigh and shout that she was done,

Bzzzt—

The phone on the table rang. It was Na Ri’s phone. The caller ID clearly displayed: [Don’t Answer]. Na Ri’s expression twisted sharply.

Snatching up the phone, she frowned deeply and said,

“…I’ll take this call and come right back. Wait here. We’ll talk afterward.”

[This is the timeline separator]

“…Who could that have been?”

[Constellation, the Staff of Purification looks worried.]

“I hope it wasn’t something serious… I’m a bit worried about Mr. Rude.”

From what Kang I Hyeon had observed so far, Rude was quite defensive—strongly rejecting interaction with others and tending to solve everything on his own.

Even his refusal to sell high-tier items reflected that. Despite needing to rely on others for such transactions, he chose to live entirely alone—perhaps indicating deep distrust toward other people.

“But… Mr. Rude is a good person.”

The Rude that Lee Hyeon understood was fundamentally kind-hearted. Even if it meant enduring public criticism or being unable to sell valuable items, he kept clearing gates while concealing his true identity.

That level of effort couldn’t be explained by money alone—quitting hunting altogether and getting a regular job would’ve been far more stable.

“…Love ya!”

Suddenly, a muffled shout from the room where Rude had gone reached Lee Hyeon’s ears. He must’ve been speaking quietly, aware that Lee Hyeon was in the living room.

But as an S-rank hunter, Lee Hyeon heard it clearly. His eyes widened at the sound.

“I can’t give you any more. I’m broke too—I don’t have any money either!”

“…Are you kidding? You’re not even my family anymore. You abandoned your daughter just to be with that woman!”

“Aren’t you ashamed to borrow money from your daughter? How many times has this happened?! I told you not to get into that crypto stuff!”

“…Hang up. Let’s talk face to face. Please, Dad, get a grip. I’m seriously begging you.”

Bursting out of the room, Rude’s eyes were red. His face was full of tears. Suddenly, Kang I Hyeon recalled a post he’d once seen on social media about illusionists.

Rude’s Dog @DogofLud 2h

Illusionists’ skill and integrity are usually inversely proportional. That’s just a fact.

Their mental strength stems from psychological pain—that’s why they often escape reality, and when they awaken, they become illusionists. Rude probably had something traumatic in his past. Otherwise, his skill level wouldn’t make any sense…

Rude took his coat from the hanger and put it on. Turning away, he pressed his sleeve hard against his eyes, clearly trying to hide the fact he’d been crying.

Before Kang I Hyeon could say anything, Rude turned abruptly and replied in a trembling voice.

“…I’ve got an urgent matter—I’m leaving now. You just go home too. Don’t tell anyone. If even a whisper gets out to the media, I’ll kill you first. And I’ll destroy Seongjeon too.”

“Mr. Rude, wait just a moment…”

Unconsciously, Kang I Hyeon stood up and moved toward Rude. The instant his hand touched Rude’s arm, Rude roughly shook it off. His tear-reddened eyes glared fiercely.

But there was no hostility—only the look of a cornered hedgehog bristling its spines in defense. Rude huffed and spoke.

“…I’m Shin Bit Na Ri.”

“…Huh?”

“My name is Shin Bit Na Ri. My mom is Kang Ha Na. Ten years ago, she caused that huge scandal through trolling. She’s literally dubbed ‘The Nation’s Troll’ online!”

“…”

Kang I Hyeon fell silent. Indescribable thoughts swirled in his mind.

Shin Bit Na Ri—he knew that name. The daughter of the legendary hero Kang Ha Na, still infamous across social media as “Earth’s strongest troll.”

In that moment, Kang I Hyeon finally understood why Na Ri operated under the alias Rude.

Na Ri roughly put on her coat and spoke sharply to Kang I Hyeon.

“But me joining Seongjeon? Cut that garbage talk right now. You can go anywhere else, but never—ever—join Seongjeon! Never!”

“Ru—Mr. Rude…”

“I’ll live alone for my whole life. I won’t repeat my mom’s stupid mistake of getting involved in something like that. The next time a gate above Level 2 appears, I’m leaving the country immediately. So don’t ever make that kind of proposal to me again. Go home now. I’ve got something to take care of.”

Thump thump. As Shin Bit Na Ri quickly grabbed her white eco-bag and headed for the door, Kang I Hyeon reflexively grabbed her arm.

She turned and glared with furious eyes. Calmly, Kang I Hyeon continued.

“…I, I’m talking to you, Ms. Na Ri.”

“…What? Spit it out and go.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve got nothing else to say. But… I can help you whenever you need it. Not as Rude and Kang I Hyeon—but as Shin Bit Na Ri and Kang I Hyeon.”

“Shut that mouth of yours.”

“Here, take this.”

Kang I Hyeon firmly pressed a small slip of paper into Na Ri’s hand. She absentmindedly looked down—it was his personal business card, with his phone number written on it.

Na Ri, unsure what to say, looked up. Kang I Hyeon gave a faint smile.

“…There are things in this world you can’t solve alone, Ms. Na Ri. If you ever feel that way—if you ever need my help—please, please contact me.”

“…”

“I told you. I… I came here to help you.”