S-Rank is My Side Character - Chapter 1

“It’s open!”

People looked up and responded in unison. The gate was forcibly opened, and black sparks crackled and flew.

A tall man with black hair, black eyes, and a black trench coat that seemed to match his colors was floating in the sky. People who had been trembling in fear cheered.

“It’s done now! He’s here!”

“He’s come to save us!”

Despite it clearly being a level 4 gate where lives were in danger, the attitude of the trapped people was light. As if they were watching a parade at an amusement park rather than being in a gate.

The man in black floating in the sky held up a giant golden half-scissors.

Black trench coat, jet-black hair. Swirling black mist, golden half-scissors.

World Ranking No. 1 S-class Illusionist. Known as the ‘Black Illusion’, ‘Lucid Dreamer.’

The symbol of ‘Rude’ for short.

The hero of the Age of Awakening, the Age of Great Gates.

Korea’s pride and a hunter coveted worldwide.

“Kyaah, Mr. Rude!”

“He looked over here! Mr. Rude looked over here!”

“No, he looked at me! Mr. Rude looked at me!”

People of all ages and genders burst into cheers. When Rude winked at the people, the reaction intensified.

Someone even pulled out a placard from somewhere.

“Rude, you’re my only dream”

When Rude smiled at the man holding the placard, the man collapsed as if overcome with emotion.

“Ladies and gentlemen!”

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

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

“Kyaaah!”

“Rude, Rude! Rude, Rude!”

This was more like a concert venue than a gate. Rude swung down the raised half-scissors. That was it.

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

Is this for real? Was hanging out with a friend at Seohyeon Station when we got trapped in a sudden level 4 gate

Thought we were done for and was praying when suddenly Rude popped out

Wow, I really thought I was seeing another world.

Suddenly the dungeon changed into an amusement park. Regular mobs turned into balloons, and the boss mob exploded and died on the spot when Rude flicked his finger

It was a bit cruel actually

I didn’t believe it when people said Rude was awesome, but honestly, I get why they say that now

Honestly, when we were stranded in the gate, I was really scared… I can’t express that fear in words…

But Rude treats gate subjugation like a show, and at that moment, the tension completely disappeared. A feeling of reassurance?

And he’s super handsome. His physique is killer too. He’s totally a model. Never seen a man who suits a trench coat so well…

His voice is so sweet I thought he was a voice actor

I just stared at Rude’s face the whole time in the gate

They say you get PTSD when trapped in a gate, but I was just lol happy. Rude… ah…

Oh right, Rude also gave dog balloons to people stranded in the gate (photo)

[Comments]

−Damn, so jealous… I want to see Rude just once

−That’s true, but Rude is really handsome, right? I’d even go into a level 1 gate to see him in person

−OMG seriously super handsome and his voice is nice too… on top of that, you even have good stage manners… who are you…

−2nd place Kang Ihyeon vs 1st place Rude, who would you date?

└I want to change that vs to X

└└OMG lololololololol

−Still, make sure to go to the hospital. I heard survivors rescued from gates with Rude had hallucinations for days. Experts said Rude has such a strong evil tendency that just being near him affects people

└This is anti-fan malicious rumor, right? Originally, evil tendency skills do affect other people. But more people are fine after resting for a few days, so don’t worry

└└No no no, this is real. My friend went into a gate Rude was clearing and had nightmares for weeks, barely slept. Shivered saying it was cold even in summer, heard hallucinations, and only calmed down after getting neutralizers from the hospital. You should definitely go to the hospital too

└OMG I’ve heard a lot of those stories so I’m planning to go to the hospital ㅠㅠ Thanks for worrying! I’m not saying anything, just in case, really!

−But what kind of person is Rude really? I’m curious since nothing is known about him

└It’s a bit surprising that not even a single graduation photo has come out when he shows his face fully

└No paparazzi shots, doesn’t join a guild, no eyewitness accounts…

└But honestly, I’d rather there be no information at all… If Rude’s identity was revealed and he turned out to be a criminal, it would break my heart… Rude is good as he is now

└└Agree agree. Let’s respect our Rude’s privacy

Rude, who had turned off his phone screen, lowered the corners of his mouth that had been grinning.

In an instant, Rude’s expression changed from a cheerful clown to that of an office worker who had just avoided work in the bathroom for a moment. He put his phone in his pocket.

“Right. Please continue to respect my privacy.”

With those words, Rude, who had gracefully landed on the rooftop from the black sky, looked around. As he carefully examined if there were people around, he slipped into the building. A black indirect message popped up in front of his eyes.

[The Lord of Chaos says there’s no one around here.]

“I know.”

Of course, how much time did I spend choosing a building with no people or CCTV? Rude, who was looking around, went down a few floors through the stairs. Black mist slowly emanated from him. Like erasing with an eraser, ‘Rude’ was slowly erased.

“I’ve gotten quite a lot of low-grade items too, so I can stay holed up at home for a while.”

[The Lord of Chaos shakes his head, saying you’ll still run out excitedly when another gate pops up.]

“That’s separate. As the number one, my pride won’t allow some unknown skeleton that rolled in from who knows where to get items from my territory while I’m firmly standing here.”

Rude’s voice also started to thin and rise. Thump, thump, the sound of dress shoes changed to the sound of worn sneakers.

Eventually, ‘Rude’ was completely erased, and in his place stood a short girl with a ponytail.

“Sigh… I want to stop doing this soon…”

[The Lord of Chaos asks why, saying you’ve been doing it well for 6 years, weren’t you the one who enjoyed it the most?]

“To think that this attention-seeking male character is actually a high school graduate unemployed person… If others find out, I’ll really commit suicide.”

[No, the Lord of Chaos gives a thumbs up, saying our Nari will never be found out.]

“Forget it, I want to make a fortune quickly and retire…”

A woman wearing a ‘BS25’ vest left the abandoned factory and walked down a dark alley. She had lied to her co-worker that she was going to the bathroom for a moment, so she had to return quickly.

World Ranking No. 1 S-class, the strongest Illusionist, Lucid Dreamer. ‘Rude’ for short.

It was the alter ego of Shin Binnari, a high school graduate convenience store part-timer and unemployed person.

* * *

“That’ll be 14,000 won. Do you need a bag?”

“No, are you telling me to carry all this without a bag?”

“…A bag is 20 won. Do you have any discounts or points to apply?”

F***er. Don’t ever come back. Nari beeped, scanning the beer cans and snacks with the barcode. While the payment was processing, she unfolded a bag and put the cans inside.

After the payment is done, Nari goes back to logistics to check if there’s anything missing or extra among the items ordered today.

In between, she goes into the cooler to refill the missing drinks. This was her job from 3 PM to 10 PM, Monday to Friday.

“Nari. Have this while you work.”

“Ah… Manager, thank you…!”

Nari bowed her head and accepted the canned coffee offered by the manager.

This elderly person was the manager who had been running this convenience store for a very long time.

He paid weekend allowances faithfully, made name tags… He was even the only one who accepted Nari when everyone else rejected her employment, so he was almost the only person Nari opened her heart to. Nari had also been a long-term worker for 6 years.

“By the way, Nari, did something happen yesterday?”

“Huh? No. Nothing in particular…”

“No, Heejin said you suddenly said you were going to the bathroom and were gone for 20 minutes, so she was worried.”

“Ah…”

“Coincidentally, that gate thing burst open near here yesterday, and that Rude person came and cleaned it up in 20 minutes. She said you disappeared right at that time, so we were worried you might have gotten caught up in it.”

“Ah, no! At that time, it was, um. That… Big… I was groaning in the bathroom because of a big wave! Because I ate something spicy for lunch…”

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

Just then, yesterday’s broadcast was being aired on the small TV attached to the counter of the convenience store. It was about a level 4 gate appearing at Seohyeon Station but quickly disappearing due to Rude.

On the screen, people were being interviewed, mostly saying they were grateful to Rude and had become his fans.

“Was this hunter Rude that strong…?”

“He’s S-class, S-class! Only 5 in Korea!”

“I don’t know much about that. I only learned about constellations and such a few years ago. I guess I’ve lived too long.”

Nari held out one finger, boasting with a flutter in her heart, hoping the manager would praise Rude. Although it had been about 20 years since gates started appearing, there were still people with low access to hunter information.

“So, Rude is the strongest person in the world! If we’re talking about milk, he’s grade 1!”

“The strongest person in the world is Rude? I thought it was our Ihyeon…”

Ugh, Nari’s finger curled up. Kang Ihyeon, the top priest in Korea, ‘brother Church’.

He was the 2nd ranked hunter in Korea, loved by the entire nation for his kind personality and handsome appearance.

While there were many people who liked Rude, there were also many who cursed him, saying he had an unpleasant attitude and treated dungeons like his playground.

In a world where hunters become as famous as celebrities. For that reason, Nari thought such criticism was natural as hunters mostly became gossip fodder behind people’s backs.

Until she saw Kang Ihyeon.

Everyone liked Kang Ihyeon. Really, everyone. While Rude avoided media and broadcast exposure, Kang Ihyeon had a lot of exposure on broadcasts, so most people knew Kang Ihyeon better than Rude.

Moreover, compared to Rude, he had a more upright image, so people generally seemed to feel more favorable towards Kang Ihyeon.

‘Even the manager doesn’t know Rude well and likes Kang Ihyeon more…’

[The Lord of Chaos laughs, saying to try harder if you’ve lost to a bean.]

Suddenly, jealousy towards Kang Ihyeon welled up inside Nari.

Already, Rude vs Kang Ihyeon battles were not uncommon in internet communities, but hearing someone right next to her say they preferred Kang Ihyeon was more shocking to Nari.

[The Lord of Chaos says not to hate him too much as Kang Ihyeon likes you, and shows an image saying to look at this.]

An article from a magazine specializing in hunter interviews popped up in front of Nari as an indirect message window.

“Q. You’re currently ranked 2nd, what do you think about the 1st place? Do you know that comparing you two is a small amusement on the internet?

A. Haha, no. I’m still far behind compared to that person. They’re really amazing. I can only do rescue, but that person can even reassure survivors. I think that’s really, really cool. I hope I can become a hunter with such composure someday. I’d like to meet them sometime if possible. If it’s okay, I’d like to ask if they could join our guild…”

Nari dismissed the indirect message window with a hand gesture. It was clear he was saying things he didn’t mean because of his image. The comments were predictably full of praise like ‘God Ihyeon’.

Yeah. I won’t do it, I absolutely won’t join. I absolutely won’t meet you. Accept your sin of taking away our manager humbly. And I originally don’t like ‘Church’.

As Nari was grumbling internally, the manager spoke to her from the side.

“By the way, is this Rude person a foreigner? Is Rude his real name?”

“No. That’s just a nickname. His real name… Nobody knows, they say. They don’t even know where he lives. They say he keeps it tightly hidden.”

Actually, the person in front of you, manager. My name is Shin Binnari, I’m 25 years old, and my job is a convenience store part-timer.

“Is that so…? With that much strength, one might want to boast about it here and there, I wonder why he does that…”

“Well… Everyone has their circumstances. He must have his own reasons.”

“…Oh my, I’m sorry Nari.”

“Ah, no. Manager. It’s okay! Really. I’m absolutely not upset or anything.”

The manager apologized with a troubled expression. It seemed that through the conversation, he thought Nari was a fan of Rude. Nari shook her head.

‘It’s okay. It’s because it’s my alter ego that I can’t come out. If I call out for appearance fees and such, the name ‘Shin Binnari’ would be printed, and then everything would be exposed. As a law-abiding citizen, I can’t possibly make a ghost account.’

It’s not like I can say that.

Nari unconsciously opened her status window in the awkward atmosphere. Her information was listed out.

Awakened One Information

Name: Shin Binnari

Age: 25

Tendency: Evil

Avatar Name: Fragment of the Primordial Dream

Class: S

Overall Ability: S

Skill Aptitude: Reality Manipulation, Mind Control, Illusion

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

Contracted Constellation: ◼◼◼◼

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

*Currently affected by the status ailment ‘Anthropophobia’. When using skills in front of others in your original form, the effect is greatly reduced.

Daughter of a Failed Hero, and the status ailment ‘Anthropophobia’ based on that characteristic. That was the reason why Nari operated the S-class alter ego ‘Rude’.

‘My mom was a hero, but she failed.’

Hunter Kang Hana. She died failing to defeat a level 1 gate that appeared in the East Sea 10 years ago.

As soon as she entered, the gate’s door opened even wider. Monsters poured out from the expanded door. And Hunter Kang Hana never came out of there until the end.

At that time, her failure to suppress the gate resulted in the sacrifice of many people. In the end, the incident was concluded with the guild master and vice guild master of the guild ‘Church’, who were at the forefront at the time, sacrificing themselves to close the gate’s door.

What was revealed later was that Hunter Kang Hana had rejected the actual operation and acted on her own judgment. That’s why the door of the level 1 gate opened earlier and much wider than expected.

In other words, her trolling caused a tremendous calamity to South Korea.

Thus, Hunter Kang Hana, Nari’s mother, became a traitor to the nation. She wasn’t a hunter with a particularly goo

As she was the strongest hunter in the country, her family’s personal information had spread through word of mouth, so Nari was harassed by people to the extent that she couldn’t go to school for a while after that incident. And naturally, she developed the status ailment ‘Anthropophobia’.

Years later, when she tried to find part-time jobs, store owners who recognized Nari rejected her outright. This job was the one she barely managed to get.

That’s when Nari realized. The existence of a hunter was closer to an entertainer than a hero, and it was a profession where it was easier to fall into ruin with a single failure than to be praised later for fighting on the front lines hundreds of times, risking one’s life.

So as soon as she became S-class, she operated an alter ego using illusion. With an alter ego, even if she failed, ‘she’ wouldn’t be cursed, and she could maintain her daily life as Shin Binnari. It was the result of her own thinking.

But she couldn’t just live as a power-hiding person while leading this double life. She had to save money.

The money Hunter Kang Hana had saved and the money from selling the house were all donated to the bereaved families of the victims sacrificed due to the East Sea Gate, and the remaining money was reclaimed as a fine.

Only after that could she barely find a studio apartment, and it was tight just paying the monthly rent. So of course, she couldn’t afford to buy her own house.

But as an awakened one who would live for a long time anyway, shouldn’t she at least have her own house? Thanks to that, she was living as her power-hiding original self while clearing as many gates as possible as her alter ego since awakening.

Registering with the management bureau? Of course, she did it as Rude. Fortunately, Nari’s illusion could even fool the latest ability measurement machines.

Nari was separately registered as a D-class illusionist, and one man without an identity was registered as an S-class illusionist named ‘Rude’.

Still, it wasn’t a lie. Until 6 years ago, Nari really was a D-grade illusionist.

[The Lord of Chaos says that even now, those above are desperately searching for Rude’s identity.]

They won’t be able to find it anyway, it’s a waste of effort.

Nari had no intention of ever revealing her identity to the public. Even less so to the ‘higher-ups’.

“Oh my, Nari. It’s already almost time for you to get off work. Go ahead and clock out.”

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

“There are some leftover boxed meals for disposal, take them with you!”

“Yes! Thank you.”

She bowed and went into the storage room to prepare to leave work. She didn’t forget to take the boxed meals for disposal that the manager had told her about.

She also took some beer that she had secretly paid for without the manager knowing. She had to take it secretly because he would worry if he knew. When she gets home, she’ll eat the boxed meal with a can of beer while watching streamers’ broadcasts. It’s a pretty good end to the day.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m off!”

As she said goodbye, the manager waved. Nari also bowed with a smile. She left the convenience store almost at a run, holding a black bag in one hand.

The smiling face she had while leaving the convenience store gradually changed to an expressionless one.

“Ah, damn… It’s freaking cold.”

It was incredibly cold despite being early winter.

‘This is annoying.’

Nari put wireless earphones in both ears and sat at the bus stop. Since the bus wouldn’t arrive for 13 minutes, she immediately turned on a video site.

A new video was at the top of the list, recommended by the algorithm.

“You must watch this! Why Church is the best! The truth about the East Sea Gate 10 years ago (feat. Epic trolling)”

Hunter Kang Hana was exposed in the thumbnail, merged with a monster troll. The view count was over 800,000. Even after 10 years, traces of her still floated around the internet.

‘Well, I guess it’s inevitable that mom gets cursed, but…’

It was obvious that there would be stories about Kang Hana’s family members at the end of the video, so Nari’s anger gauge shot up.

[The Lord of Chaos says to report it right away.]

Damn algorithm. Not wanting to increase the view count, she sighed and pressed ‘Report’. Though the report probably wouldn’t be accepted.

Thinking she should watch dog videos instead, she was searching through her subscription list when an indirect message popped up in front of Nari’s view.

It was red. It was an emergency summons visible to hunters.

“Hunter Management Bureau Gyeonggi Branch Emergency Notice – A level 4 sudden gate has appeared at Migeum Station in Seongnam City. Currently, civilians are trapped inside, so hunters of B-grade or higher who can be mobilized are requested to gather at Migeum.”

‘Money… No, a gate!’

[The Lord of Chaos laughs heartily, saying our Nari’s eyes are rolling again.]

Nari stood up with her eyes wide open. To reiterate, the reason Nari lived as Rude, as a power-hiding original, was for the dream of owning her own home.

Nari put her late-night snack into her inventory and ran madly towards the subway station. To clear the money… no, the gate. To fill her bank account again, which becomes empty no matter how much she puts in!