Ch.13Back to Work Right After Discharge, That’s Me – 2

“Normally, my steps toward the Academy would have felt heavy.

But today is different. No, from today onward, everything will be different forever.

At the Academy, Arbiter Seojin Baek will be there.

He said he’d come to work right away today after being discharged yesterday.

My benefactor who tried to save someone as insignificant as me from that terrifying person.

Unlike ordinary, worthless me, he’s truly someone special.

That moment is still vivid in my mind.

The image of the Arbiter blocking The Elder’s path and telling me to run.

He wasn’t a professor, nor a security guard, just an ordinary arbiter.

He was just a civil servant, even more ordinary than a student.

Yet in that moment, he jumped in to save ‘me,’ someone who was nothing.

“Soohyun, could you take this with you when you go to the Academy tomorrow?”

“It’s an energy tonic made from troll blood. Please give it to Arbiter Seojin Baek.”

“Ahem. Hmm. It’s nothing special. I’m just looking after him since he got hurt saving you, Soohyun!”

Grandfather was clearly concerned about the Arbiter.

Though I don’t understand why he asked me to convey his apologies as well.

I arrived at the Academy a bit earlier than usual.

The Arbiter was nice in the hospital room, but I thought he would look cool at work too.

I wanted to see him arrive. And my prediction wasn’t wrong.

‘It’s the Arbiter.’

I can tell. That person coming over there is Arbiter Seojin Baek.

I instinctively wanted to run to him, but I took a light deep breath instead.

‘Now he knows who I am. If the Arbiter feels burdened by me…’

Hospital visits were one thing since I was worried about him getting hurt because of me.

But if I keep doing that at the Academy, it might make the Arbiter uncomfortable.

‘No. I don’t want to make things awkward for him because of me.’

I deliberately held back my quickening steps. I clutched the gift Grandfather had prepared.

This way, it would look like I’m giving him a discharge gift, right? That would make it less burdensome for him.

Yes, this is enough. This way, I can approach the Arbiter and…

“Huh?”

He disappeared. He was clearly passing through the main gate just a moment ago.

I quickly looked around but couldn’t see him anywhere.

‘Where did he go? He was definitely right there!’

I came early just to see him. I was preparing to greet him.

I need to find him. Where did he go? Did we miss each other? Did he go somewhere else?

‘Is this okay? Is it really alright for me to look for him?’

I worried that the Arbiter might feel burdened or dislike it.

‘…No.’

If it’s the person who welcomed me warmly when I visited him in the hospital.

If it’s Arbiter Seojin Baek who saved me from The Elder, he wouldn’t mind.

Yes. Even if I’m insignificant, he’ll surely welcome me warmly.

That courage Grandfather always talked about. I decided to try having it.

Though I’m still nervous and worried, I gathered my courage and followed the Arbiter’s traces.

I could faintly sense where he had gone.

“Arbiter Seojin Baek?”

How much time had passed?

Finally, I found him in a secluded corner of the Academy.

“Oh… Soohyun? Why are you here…?”

But next to the Arbiter stood a blonde woman I’d never seen before.

*

Soohyun Kim appeared in a place I never expected.

I remember there being hardly any people around, almost none.

I didn’t even feel like someone was following me, so how?

“Ah, I…”

Soohyun Kim rolled her eyes around, clearly at a loss.

Seeing that expression, it seems she misunderstood that she was interrupting something.

She frantically turned her body, trying to run away.

As expected, her inner issues were manifesting again.

If I let her go like this, it would only lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and lower self-esteem.

“Soohyun!”

I managed to catch her at a truly critical moment.

“A-Arbiter.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Soohyun. Actually, I got lost again. You saw it before, right? When I came to the training ground and almost got hurt. Now I’ve ended up in another strange place and was asking for directions. But…”

I looked at Rina Lee with pleading eyes.

Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations, but she is an S-class ability user after all.

I thought she might help in some way, being perceptive.

“Oh. You came. Other person! You show! Right way!”

And true to her unpredictable nature, Rina launched into improvised acting.

She really looks like a foreigner who would shout “I speak little Korean!” to anyone watching.

In reality, she speaks Korean well enough to put native Koreans to shame. No, that’s not right.

She just looks Western but is Korean through and through.

“I go! We see! Next time!”

With those words, Rina turned away as if nothing had happened.

After walking a few steps, she turned back to look at me.

“I want! Still, your answer!”

I could feel it in her eyes. Another monster, different from The Elder, wanting an answer.

She’s backing down obediently now, but her look said there wouldn’t be a second time.

“…Who was that person?”

After Rina disappeared, Soohyun asked with a slightly anxious voice.

The reason neither I nor Soohyun recognized Rina immediately.

In the media, Rina always appeared with long straight hair and in uniform.

But now she was in casual clothes with her hair tied back tightly and wearing glasses.

“Well, about that. Um… she seems to be someone visiting from abroad for observation.”

“Observation?”

I thought it was a reasonable excuse. There are many people who visit academies from different countries.

But Soohyun tilted her head as if something was strange and said:

“You were asking for directions from someone who came to observe?”

…Right. Even I think it’s a rather foolish answer.

“Ah… Ah! What’s that in your hand?”

I quickly changed the subject. And the effect was excellent!

“This? It’s a discharge gift for you, Arbiter.”

“An energy tonic? Wait, is this made from troll blood?”

Troll blood is used in most recovery potions due to its healing properties.

An energy tonic made from such a high-demand ingredient? Of course it’s effective. It’s popular. And expensive.

I didn’t expect to receive so many as a gift. As expected of the Chairman. He’s generous.

“Yes. Grandfather asked me to give it to you.”

“Chairman Minseong Kang? He told you to give me something this valuable?”

“And he also asked me to convey his apologies… Did something happen?”

Something did happen. Your grandfather made a confession of conscience.

He admitted that the tragedy of me coming to work the day after being discharged, surprising both you and the security guards, was because of him.

Thinking about it now, I understand why he sent such a precious gift.

‘He sent something expensive and good, so he wants me to keep it a secret.’

It was a moment that showed how much Minseong Kang cares about Soohyun’s feelings.

Someone had already come on my discharge day and put something in my arms.

They said it was a discharge gift from the Chairman, and when I checked it after returning home, it was a jaw-dropping amount.

The fact that he’s even sending something like this shows he really wants to keep it a secret.

‘Some crazy people might think about how to extort more from this situation.’

But I’m neither a villain nor a scoundrel. I’m an ordinary person who knows when to be satisfied.

They say unnecessary greed brings trouble. It’s right to keep my mouth shut about this for the rest of my life.

“What do you mean, what happened? The Chairman was just very grateful that you saved Soohyun.”

“…Is that so.”

I expected her to be happy. Or perhaps embarrassed.

Thinking her doting grandfather was beside himself with love for his granddaughter.

But Soohyun neither rejoiced nor showed embarrassment.

“Soohyun? What’s wrong?”

“…I feel sorry.”

“Sorry? Why?”

“Unlike my cousin brother or sister, I’m hopelessly pathetic, and it seems Grandfather suffers because of me every time. He always takes care of me… but each time, I feel more miserable.”

There she goes again. Almost always belittling herself in thoughts, words, and actions.

It’s exactly as Minseong Kang said. Being around such outstanding people, she’s not just shrunk back, but now she’s practically tied herself up and imprisoned herself.

‘It’s quite severe. It’s bad now, but later it will be even worse…’

Suddenly, I recalled the information about Soohyun Kim that I saw with The Third Eye.

Inferiority-Driven Genius. A characteristic that fits her current state perfectly.

– Activating The Third Eye.

◎ Soohyun Kim

: Inferiority-Driven Genius

◎ Detailed Information

: All abilities are temporarily reduced.

If she doesn’t quickly escape from her inferiority complex, permanent loss of superpowers may occur.

If she awakens incorrectly, it could lead to fatal consequences.

The temporary reduction of all abilities can be attributed to her psychological weakness.

The phrase “if she awakens incorrectly” probably refers to turning to darkness or mental transformation.

‘The biggest problem is the second part. Permanent loss of superpowers if she doesn’t escape her inferiority complex.’

Soohyun is already in a precarious position. If this continues, she might barely hang on at the Academy.

If she loses her superpowers, she could be expelled, and then she’d be completely buried in that inferiority complex.

‘No. If that happens, she might follow some path to become The Crimson Witch.’

The lives of over 500,000 people and my efforts that were crushed by The Elder are at stake.

Soohyun needs to grow stably at the Academy and become an excellent ability user.

She must escape her inferiority complex and not deviate due to any disturbances.

Only then can we ensure that one of the worst villains, The Crimson Witch, never appears.

If there was a ‘system,’ a window like this might have popped up in front of me:

Be careful to ensure Soohyun Kim doesn’t become The Crimson Witch!