"The discharge procedures have all been handled on this side. You can go back immediately. You've really been through a lot."

The man in a suit who was in charge of security here said that. Perhaps because I've been going in and out of the hospital like it's my own home, now everything goes smoothly. The country is also trying to provide maximum convenience for me now.

"How about taking the rank measurement again? No matter how I look at this..."

In the meantime, there were signs of hoping I would be S-rank. In this world, the number of S-rank ability users directly means national power. The government that lost two of that highest military power must be very anxious.

In such circumstances, I appeared, fighting equally with those two traitorous S-ranks. Naturally, they'd want to advertise that they gained an ability user more amazing than Hyeon Sujin or Kwak Hyuk. But I refused, saying the result would be the same even if I was measured.

'Becoming S-rank would be troublesome in many ways.'

I don't need to look far, there are good examples like Han Jiyoon and Irina. I've seen that kind Han Jiyoon cursing "Damn, damn" several times, buried in work.

She's already busy as an Academy professor, clan master, with mountains of work. On top of that, as an S-rank, she's on emergency standby and support whenever something happens. I even heard she's been doing VIP security since the Elders' surprise attack on Britain.

Han Jiyoon's personality is fortunately not rough anywhere. If she had excessively high pride like the Elders... hmm, she would have gone Elder immediately.

'And Irina is...'

Actually, it was really strange that Irina didn't become an Elder. She has tremendous pride, and she doesn't particularly want to mix with society.

While other S-ranks want to live as people among people. For that reason, they endure and persevere while silently doing their jobs. Irina could be said to be the type who doesn't have any particular attachment. So I was curious why that woman continues to remain as an ability user.

But from yesterday until today when I was preparing for discharge. I could understand why Irina didn't become an Elder.

"Give it to me. Mom will carry it."

"I said it's fine! I can do it, so please go down."

At first glance, it looks like a child's tantrum telling not to touch my luggage. But unconsciously, a glimpse of caring very much about her parents was faintly revealed.

My goodness. To think that Irina was trying to be a filial daughter. I'm really curious what people in the world would say if they knew this fact.

'They'd probably say rather than that, be moderate with accidents as your parents say, right?'

It's really strange. She seems to care about her parents like that. Yet sometimes she absolutely won't listen to her parents and causes incidents. I'm confused whether she's just a filial daughter or a fire-attribute filial daughter.

"Excuse me."

Someone pokes my arm with "poke poke."

Looking back slightly, Irina's father was standing there.

"Come to think of it, we haven't properly introduced ourselves."

"Ah... Yes. That's right. I'm Baek Seojin."

"I'm Lee Chang."

Lee Chang? Lee Chang?? Um, isn't there another word in the middle or end? I'm not a childish guy who says something about names, but still, a little...

"Ah, ah. My name is a bit strange, right?"

Did I fail at expression management again? You noticed right away. Or maybe mind reading is a hereditary family trait?

"My original name was Spears, but using that as a name was awkward, so I made it Lee Chang (spear)."

So there was such a story. Hearing that, I understand immediately. Spears. Lee Chang. Hmm, it's still a bit strange though.

"By the way, my wife's name is Park Yeonju. Her original name was Harper. Ah, was that TMI?"

"No. Not at all. Anyway, it's nice to meet you."

I almost naturally added "Father" as a title at the end. If I had really said "Father," Irina would have immediately rushed over. And then she would have said "You said Father, right? Right?! No take-backs!" and made a fuss.

After exchanging a light handshake, Irina's father opens his lips.

"I heard a lot of stories about you from Rina. And I saw a lot on the news too. You're an amazing person."

"You're too kind. And if we're talking about amazing, your daughter is much more amazing."

"Is that so?"

Of course, I mean it in a positive way, so please don't misunderstand.

"Um, Seojin. If you have time, how about having lunch together?"

"Lunch?"

Certainly, after finishing discharge procedures, it was exactly lunchtime. So I was going to buy something simple for a meal on the way home.

"Don't refuse. From what I heard from Rina, you jumped into that dangerous place to help our Rina. Thanks to that, Rina caught an Elder without much trouble."

Wait, there. She had such terrible wounds with a hole in her stomach and her left arm black with poison, didn't she? How exactly do you look at those two injuries and call it 'without much trouble'?

I newly thought that the two parents in front of me might be fighting a battle as difficult as Irina, or perhaps even more difficult. Irina. You're not doing filial piety for nothing. If you're going to do it, do more.

"It's too big a favor to repay with just buying one meal... but I still want to repay you like this."

So let's go together. Yes? Let's eat together, he keeps trying to pull me along. If it were someone my age doing this, I might not mind, but when people who are exactly my parents' age do this, it's a bit bewildering. All I could do was give an awkward "haha!" laugh.

If Irina had come forward forcefully, I would have refused immediately. Or if it were a government official, I would have politely declined saying you can't do this.

But what they're showing is no matter how I look at it, just a well-mannered middle-aged man's behavior. And currently, I'm not a government official, just an examiner working at the Academy. In this situation, refusing becomes a little... no, quite difficult.

"Will you accept my request?"

"Yes... I understand. Let's have lunch together."

In the end, I couldn't refuse and nodded at that opinion.

Since it's not just one or two, but four most important people moving together. As Irina's family moves, black security vehicles follow in a line behind us. A ridiculous security detail of twelve A-ranks and thirty-five B-ranks.

No, at that level, it's not security personnel but a corps. There are too many. They could sweep away most Gates or monsters without rest.

Except for Elders, even villains couldn't dare approach at this level.

Even the president probably doesn't receive this level of security personnel. If someone received such personnel deployment, they'd immediately become the center of controversy. Excessive security, wasting personnel who should go to Gates, and other various things.

But if they knew who the security targets were this time, no one could say anything. Irina's parents. Non-ability users. If something happens to them, that's when real disaster begins.

They say even those crazy Elders couldn't handle Irina so they didn't reach for her parents. But some truly insane villains might really turn crazy and plot kidnapping or murder. Having this level of personnel mobilized as preparation for that was natural.

'...Still, this seems a bit too much?'

To the extent that security vehicles followed us so much behind our car. It was unintentionally causing traffic congestion in the area.

The picture of black sedans continuously moving following one vehicle. This is like... should I say it looks like a boss of some huge organization moving?

"Rina. Aren't there too many following behind?"

Irina's mother also seemed to have the same thought as me. She keeps looking back from the passenger seat with obvious discomfort. Then Irina immediately took out her phone.

"...Yeah, it's me. Remove all security personnel. Don't worry. Today I'm with my parents. And Seojin oppa is here too. With this much, four Elders would have to come to handle it. You guys are just baggage, so just tell them to go home today. Yeah. I won't say it twice. Hang up."

If I didn't hear wrong, there seemed to be the secretary's desperate scream from beyond the phone. It's unfortunate, but there's nothing I can do about it. Honestly, this side was also uncomfortable with too much security personnel.

"Seojin. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

Irina's father, who was driving directly, asks a question. I was going to reflexively say 'anything is fine' but closed my mouth.

I had a premonition that if I said anything, I'd end up eating something burdensome from lunch.

"Whatever you say. No matter how expensive, don't worry..."

"Chicken galbi."

"...Huh?"

"Chicken galbi. Let's have that for lunch."

It's definitely tasty but the portion is a bit ambiguous to buy with my own money. But I can't forget that seasoning taste or the fried rice at the end. Being such a menu, I decided on lunch without much thought.

"Um, Seojin? The, the menu is a bit..."

"You can suggest something better!"

"Of course there are many better things. But right now I really crave chicken galbi."

Do you know what's most painful when you're in a hospital? It's that you can't eat any stimulating food at all.

I understand it's for your physical condition. But usually, things that are good for your body aren't tasty. The peak of that is hospital food. Just imagining it makes me feel sick.

In that state, chicken galbi with sweet and salty sauce based on red pepper paste is the truth!

"Sit here."

The two parents who recommended seats sit on one side. And I somehow ended up sitting on the same side as Irina.

"Let's order. I'll go to the bathroom for a moment!"

Irina quickly disappears to the back. I wish she would just get called somewhere like that and leave. She's still supposed to be resting, so she'd be excluded from calls.

While thinking it's a shame and setting up spoons and chopsticks. Suddenly a pure white hand lightly taps the table next to me.

"Seojin."

"Yes?"

"Well... if our daughter is threatening you, please tell us now."

Irina's mother says that with a very worried expression.

Nod nod—

And the father nodding as if agreeing. The trust level for Irina could be said to be rock bottom.