Brother 4

It’s been over a week since Han Seoyeon pulverized Lee Yong-hyun.

There was still no progress in the relationship between Han Seoyeon and Han Suho.

The daily routine was similar.

Except for the students whispering about her whenever she passed through the corridors.

There was no need to care about it.

Han Seoyeon wasn’t the type of person to be swayed by others’ opinions.

She had no energy to care.

Han Seoyeon had more important things than that.

“Your complexion has been poor lately.”

“…That’s the second time I’ve heard that recently.”

Michaela examined Han Seoyeon’s complexion.

No matter how much she tried to brighten her expression every day, it wasn’t easy.

As time passed, her complexion only got worse.

To the point where she could recognize it herself every time she looked in the mirror.

She finds herself thinking.

About that man, and Han Suho.

Scenes of her sister spending intimate time with him.

It’s unacceptable.

Such a thing, as an older sister.

…But, what if.

If Han Suho desired it of her own will.

If that was what would truly make Han Suho happy.

─Should Han Seoyeon interfere with that?

She who is no longer even family.

“Who was the first?”

“Da-eun.”

“…That woman.”

Perhaps it’s right to let go now.

She was causing worry to the two people who cared for her.

“You’re not wrong.”

Michaela’s consolation continued.

“Clearly, the one who made a mistake wasn’t you, but that professor. That’s all there is to it.”

“Thank you, senior.”

It was a comforting reassurance that always warmed her heart.

“But that’s okay. It’s not really because of that.”

“…Is that so.”

“Yeah.”

Well, the direct cause was related to Lee Yong-hyun.

But Han Seoyeon didn’t particularly regret beating up Lee Yong-hyun.

The first class after being appointed as a professor.

It was identical to the original story without a single deviation.

Incompetent lecture.

Thoughtless use of abilities.

Students almost getting hurt because of it.

The confirmation was clear.

He remained the Lee Yong-hyun from the original story.

Or, at least, very close to it.

The point was simple.

That man was trash.

“It seems I’ve been a bit negligent about you, using the excuse of being in different grades.”

Michaela said with a slightly subdued expression.

It was strange.

There was no need for Michaela to feel guilty.

“I’m sorry. After telling you to rely on me so much before. It’s utterly pathetic.”

She tries to brush it off with a loud voice.

“No, no! There’s no need for you to apologize, senior!”

“…To think I’d become second to that woman.”

So she didn’t hear it.

The words Michaela muttered softly.

“Though late, can you tell me about your worries now?”

“…I might not be able to tell you everything.”

“I too am hiding secrets. Even so, I want to be your strength. I want to shoulder even a little of the pain you’re carrying.”

But as always, Michaela supported her.

“…Then, I’ll tell you a little?”

“I’ll listen attentively.”

“I have a friend, it seems like they’re avoiding me.”

Mixing a little lie with the truth.

Han Seoyeon opened her mouth.

“Are you talking about Han Suho?”

“…How did you know?”

“She hasn’t been seen by your side recently, has she?”

Michaela remembered.

The extent to which that woman, Han Suho, was obsessed with Han Seoyeon.

“Did something happen?”

“…She had a matchmaking meeting. With that professor.”

“…!”

So even for her, that news was somewhat shocking.

“Her, you say.”

“Yeah.”

It was unbelievable.

“Wasn’t there some misunderstanding?”

“It doesn’t seem so. She said it with her own mouth.”

After all, the object of her obsession was.

“That she’s doing it because she wants to.”

“…”

It’s impossible.

At least in Michaela’s opinion.

“You know I had some, not-so-good things happen with that professor? So, so…”

This kind, righteous, gentle.

How could anyone look away from this most noble child.

“So, Se…”

A trajectory is drawn.

A single tear.

“So, to me, with me…!”

“…”

There’s no way.

There’s no way they could look away.

There’s no way they could make this child’s eyes show tears.

“…I see.”

Michaela, pretending to be calm, spoke while hiding her trembling.

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. That.”

She doesn’t even know what to do or how to do it.

That was Han Seoyeon’s hesitation.

“I won’t say anything hasty. It doesn’t seem like an area where I should speak carelessly.”

Michaela refrained from speaking.

“However.”

However.

One thing was certain.

“At least when you show tears like this, I’ll be by your side. Always.”

No matter what process it went through.

Because she didn’t want to see Han Seoyeon’s tears.

“…Yeah.”

She decided to hold her tightly by her side.

Until the tears stop.

Even if just for a moment.

Hunter Experience Training.

This is one of the most valuable events at the Academy, a training that makes promising hunter prospects even more excellent.

One-on-one education with active hunters.

Students can even designate the hunter they want.

Of course, for popular hunters, it was first-come, first-served.

First, the third-year students.

Then the second-year students.

Finally, the first-year students.

As the first semester was coming to an end, the time for the experience training period finally came for the first-year students.

A power-up event that had a decent importance in the original story.

It didn’t catch Han Seoyeon’s eye.

She had long since finished that level of power-up.

She had no interest at all.

However, as it’s an official Academy event, there are disadvantages if you don’t participate.

Since there was no reason not to participate, she dragged her body along halfheartedly.

“Oh! My charge is student Han Seoyeon!”

The randomly matched hunter was, as in the original story, the passionate teacher, Seo Han-byeol.

“It’ll be a short time, but I look forward to working with you!”

“…Yes.”

The overall tone of his voice is high and bright.

Perhaps he was the opposite of the current Han Seoyeon.

In fact, Han Seoyeon doesn’t know much about the person called Seo Han-byeol.

Even his name, she only knew because this was reality, not the original story, and they often met as student and professor.

In terms of setting, he plays a fairly important role.

A hunter who served as the hero’s right hand.

He’s like the embodiment of incorruptibility.

As far as Han Seoyeon remembers, if it weren’t for him, the protagonist wouldn’t have even been able to enroll.

However, because of his honesty, he wasn’t popular.

His importance wasn’t that great either.

This training was the last time he had any significant role, except for just before the ending.

As a truly righteous and genuine professor, he gives the protagonist an epiphany.

A common power-up event.

Han Seoyeon was indifferent.

She had long since gained all the strength that could be obtained from this level of event.

“It might be boring with a dull professor as your partner, but I’ll teach you with all my might!”

A dull professor.

Even within the novel, Seo Han-byeol wasn’t a very popular hunter.

He is upright.

He doesn’t create incidents or accidents.

He’s just a pure hunter, not a celebrity.

Professors can be seen often, every day at the Academy.

So students mainly applied for training with celebrity hunters they usually only saw in the media.

Even though learning from such hunters would likely be all show and no substance.

The reason why they could receive guidance from capable hunters like Seo Han-byeol despite applying halfheartedly was precisely because of this.

“As a fellow swordsman, I’ve wanted to guide you at least once!”

Seo Han-byeol is a swordsman.

And a considerably strong one at that.

“Shall we start with a sparring match first!”

A sudden request for a sparring match.

Just looking at the sequence of events, it might seem no different from Lee Yong-hyun.

“Swordsmen speak with their swords. I’ll give you the first move! Because I’m a professor, after all!”

“…Yes.”

The difference is.

─Lightning Flash.

Han Seoyeon’s sword that strikes like lightning,

“Hmm! A swift strike!”

Was blocked.

By the hand of a fellow swordsman.

“An honest, yet at the same time fierce and heavy strike!”

Despite using her full strength.

Without holding back at all.

“If the artifact I possess wasn’t the principal’s special product, and if I weren’t a reinforcement-type Awakener! Even though I’m a professor, I wouldn’t have been able to block or even react to that strike!”

An accurate assessment.

A character that makes such assessment possible.

“Indeed, it’s worthy of the skill that defeated the student council president!”

“…”

He was certainly a genuine professor.

If Han Seoyeon hadn’t been troubled, it surely wouldn’t have been a bad time.

“Now, the real sparring begins!”

“…”

She swings her sword.

Randomly.

Without even a proper stance.

She just couldn’t muster any motivation.

Without Suho, without her sister.

What value does a sword have?

“Hmm!”

At some point, Seo Han-byeol withdrew his sword.

“It seems you have some worries!”

After withdrawing, he said.

“…Was it evident in my expression?”

“I don’t know about that!”

Somewhere, words different from what she was thinking.

“It showed in your sword!”

“…In my sword, you say?”

“That’s right! As a professor, I’ve watched your sword many times! I can say for certain. Your sword is not its usual self! There’s confusion dwelling in it!”

Those were the words of a professor, of a teacher.

“If you have worries, speak up! I’ll counsel you!”

“…Aren’t we in the middle of training right now?”

“Before training, I am a professor! It’s natural to listen to a student’s concerns!”

A man with an ambiguous sense of distance.

Because such a man is her counterpart, there are things she can say.

“…I fought.”

“With whom!”

“With my sister.”

Seo Han-byeol doesn’t know Han Seoyeon well.

She’s just one of the many students and professors at the Academy.

“I see! That must bring up complicated emotions in many ways!”

Because he’s such a man.

Because he doesn’t know her personal circumstances, she can talk about it.

“What’s the reason!”

“I’m not sure about that.”

Rather, it was a story she could comfortably tell because they weren’t close.

“It’s a common story! When I was young, I often fought with my sister too!”

Seo Han-byeol’s sister.

Not the hero’s right arm, but the left arm.

“Is that so…?”

Han Seoyeon knew about her.

“Of course! Aren’t siblings meant to grow up fighting each other!”

She knew about her, but this backstory was new.

“Is there a good way to reconcile?”

“I don’t know! Everyone’s disposition is different! However!”

Seo Han-byeol raised his voice.

“Seeing how poor your complexion is due to matters related to your sister, I can clearly see that you cherish your sister very much!”

Of course she did.

Han Suho, her sister, was her reason for living.

“And if a sister has such an older sister! Undoubtedly, the younger sister must also cherish her older sister just as much!”

What should she say?

That was too happy a delusion.

“…That’s not true. I’m being avoided by my sister.”

“Well! You never know! Humans aren’t creatures of perfect unity between appearance and reality!”

“Could that be…?”

“If you don’t know, there’s no choice but to confront it! Even forcibly!”

However, the one deluding herself might have been Han Seoyeon.

“Is your sister a swordsman?”

“She used to practice a little, long ago.”

“Then that’s great!”

She thought it was inevitable to be hated.

She thought she would love her sister even if she was hated.

That was hypocrisy.

That was arrogance.

It was nothing more than self-hypnosis.

No one wants one-sided love.

Everyone wants love to be mutual.

Han Seoyeon was no different.

She cherished her sister.

So she wanted her sister to cherish her just as much.

Even though she had kept thinking it would be better for her sister to cut ties with her.

In the end, didn’t she pretend to give in and attend the Academy together with her sister?

“If she’s a swordsman, try talking with swords! You’ll feel something you couldn’t normally! I guarantee it!”

Words different from those of a friend who would always support her by her side.

“…Thank you, Professor.”

Han Seoyeon sincerely bowed her head in gratitude.

Hesitation was unlike her.

As a munchkin protagonist.

No, before that.

As an older sister.

She will have a conversation with her sister.