Ch.51Episode 10. Comforting the Loners (3)

“Wow~ This is quite an interesting newspaper.”

He chuckled while covering his mouth.

“…Are you mocking me?”

“I’m expressing admiration.”

He spoke glibly as he closed the newspaper and placed it on the coffee table.

As expected, the front page of the newspaper was buzzing about me. The internet was the same.

I never thought my sparring match with Yeonhwaryong would be captured and become news material.

[Instructor Defeats S-Class! Who Is This Mystery Person?!]

[A New S-Class Appears at the Academy. This Time, an Electric Ability User!]

They were drawing attention with all sorts of ridiculous headlines.

By the way, I received a call from the Association President last evening because of this incident.

It was truly infuriating to hear his welcoming voice saying that since everything was exposed now, it would be fine for me to officially become a hero.

It’s my own fault, but recording a sparring match is going too far.

This leaves me with no way out.

“An instructor who defeated an S-Class… Interesting. It makes me want to know more about you, Mr. Yujin.”

Though his voice is gentle, the look in his eyes behind those glasses is sharp. Beyond his curiosity about me, I strongly felt he was trying to determine if I was a suspicious element.

“Judging by the Association President’s recommendation, he already knew about your power, didn’t he?”

“…Yes.”

Denying it would only raise suspicion.

In situations like this, it’s better to answer honestly but vaguely, providing as little information as possible.

“I see. Then it was at your request that the Association President recommended you to the Academy.”

There was too much conviction in his voice for it to be a mere guess. It meant he was already certain.

“…Is that right?”

“I’m not sure how this turned into an interrogation. I thought this was supposed to be a meeting to share information with each other.”

“Interrogation? That’s a bit dramatic. It’s nothing so grand.”

Yoon Kyungbin crossed his legs and interlaced his fingers. I inwardly sighed at his suspicious attitude. This wasn’t going to be easy to get through.

“So why did you come to the Academy? With the Association President backing you and that level of power, it would be more comfortable to work at the Association. And yet you chose to take charge of the Special Class, known as the most troublesome class at the Academy. It raises many questions.”

“Questions…”

“Ah, that was a statement that could be misinterpreted. I’m not particularly suspicious of you, Mr. Yujin. I’m just curious about your purpose.”

You can probably hear whether my words are true or false, so you’re testing me like this.

“From what I can tell, you don’t even have a teaching certificate. You’re not going to claim that you suddenly wanted to impart knowledge to students, are you?”

His tone suggested he already knew everything and wanted me to be honest.

He was confident in the conclusions he’d drawn from the information he had. A clumsy lie could turn him into an enemy.

“Come to think of it, villains who had infiltrated the Academy started moving after you arrived. Could it be… that Akcheon’s goal is to kill you?”

“I wouldn’t know about that.”

In the novel, they tried to scout me, but I’ve already thwarted Wolgwang multiple times. They’ve likely given up on recruiting me.

After all, they’ve lost quite a few subordinates because they couldn’t control just one person—me. They probably can’t afford to lose any more numbers in their power struggle.

“But I am one of those who wants to eliminate Akcheon from South Korea. Please don’t think I’m on their side.”

“…If you want to eliminate Akcheon, why bother entering the Academy? Could it be that someone in the Special Class… is connected to Akcheon?”

I was honestly impressed by his sharp deduction. I almost widened my eyes and gave him a thumbs up.

This guy is no joke.

“If that were the case, they would have died by my hand already. I wouldn’t nurture a villain myself, would I?”

“I see. That’s reassuring. But why do you want to eliminate Akcheon? Did they perhaps kill someone in your family?”

“…Because I want to see the story I desire.”

“Story?”

It probably sounds abrupt to him.

Usually, heroes with grudges against villains have rather extreme circumstances.

But what I said was the absolute truth.

I really need to see those five become heroes.

“…Hmm. I see.”

“Is that the end of your questions?”

“Yes. My curiosity has been somewhat satisfied. Now… it’s your turn to ask me what you’re curious about.”

“I’m curious about what information you obtained from the villains who infiltrated the Academy.”

“Information… There wasn’t much. Whether they have memory erasure abilities or have been thoroughly trained to never reveal anything under any circumstances, I don’t know. But they were annoyingly tight-lipped.”

“Is that so.”

Memory erasure ability…

Was there someone with such a power?

“If I had to mention something I did find out… it would be that Akcheon is expanding their forces.”

“Expanding their forces?”

“They infiltrated the Academy to approach inexperienced students, tempting them with promises of power to create villains. They deliberately create situations where the students have no choice but to commit crimes, then burden them with guilt until they have no option but to walk the path of a villain. It’s a truly despicable method.”

I know.

That’s how the Special Class students end up there too.

“If potential heroes become villains, it’s troublesome for the hero side. Besides losing talents who could lead the next generation, as their forces grow, they become harder to handle.”

“I see.”

“As villain forces grow, we could become a ‘stateless nation’ controlled by villains, like other powerless countries. We must prevent such a worst-case scenario, mustn’t we?”

“Of course.”

That’s why I’m here too.

I’ve already experienced that scene through text and imagination.

“So, is that all you found out?”

“Yes. For now, at least.”

For now.

So they’re still alive, it seems.

The information I gained from our conversation is nothing new to me, but it’s not without value.

As the story has changed significantly and variables have begun to appear, I needed to continue gathering information in this world.

I can’t rely solely on the novel’s information to respond indefinitely.

Still, based on what the President said, it seemed that there hadn’t been any major changes to the story flow yet.

“With you in charge of the Special Class, at least the Academy’s finest gems won’t be stolen.”

“Of course not. The only one who can touch my students is me.”

I answered promptly, as if I’d been waiting for this. The President gave a bitter smile at my bold response.

“…You seem quite possessive.”

“Not possessive, but I find it satisfying to watch those kids grow stronger.”

“I see. You’re experiencing the sense of achievement that only educators can feel.”

The conversation ended with his slight smile.

Silence passed between the President and me for a few seconds. We had finished our business with each other.

“Well, since our talk is over, I’ll be going now. Thank you for the tea.”

I emptied my cup and stood up.

“Ah, Mr. Yujin.”

“Yes?”

As I was about to leave the President’s office, he called out to me. When I turned around, he spoke with a seemingly kind smile.

“Don’t leave the Academy for a while. Unless you want to be surrounded by reporters.”

“…I’ll gratefully accept that advice.”

That’s a good point.

I’m saved because the Academy restricts outsiders. I almost had to face reporters head-on.

* * *

May 2nd.

It’s the last day of the parents’ visitation.

I’ve been contacting Gu Yeonhwa’s mother every day, but she only repeats that she’s busy and tells me to stop bothering her.

She said, “That child is my nightmare. I don’t want to see her.”

I wanted to retort, “Gu Yeonhwa hasn’t done anything wrong.”

But I couldn’t.

If I responded that way, it would mean I knew about Yeonhwa’s complicated family situation, and I couldn’t think of a convincing reason for that knowledge.

“Still… she’s her own child…”

If you’ve ignored a child desperately seeking your attention for years, that child’s heart would be not just damaged but completely rotten with countless wounds.

*Slide!*

Gu Yeonhwa boldly slid open the door to the faculty office. The instructors working inside all turned their attention to her.

“…Instructor Yujin! Ah! Found you!!”

After scanning the office, Yeonhwa pointed at me. She immediately ran over.

“Hehehe, so here you are. This must be the core power plant of the facility! There are too many powerful beings here. My hands are trembling as if I’ve come to enemy territory alone! Can you see?!”

I looked incredulously at her as she deliberately waved her arms.

Normally, I would have said, “If you’re going to talk nonsense, shut up and leave.”

But after my recent conversation with her mother, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Yeonhwa.

“It’s good that you have at least one ally in that enemy territory.”

“What?”

“You’re wearing your uniform properly. Good job.”

“Ah…”

Was my response unexpected?

She hesitated for a moment, then raised the corners of her mouth in a mischievous smile.

“Hehe! Of course! I had to wear this restraining outfit to infiltrate! Otherwise, how would I blend in with the enemy?!”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly seeing her come up with all sorts of excuses.

Watching her assign meaning to each and every action, I thought she must live quite an exhausting life.

“By the way, Instructor!”

“Yes?”

“You know today is the last day of parents’ visitation, right?! What time is my mom coming?”

“Ah, about that…”

I can’t think of any excuse to give Yeonhwa. I bit my lower lip nervously.

“She… said she’d contact us after checking her situation… She’s very… busy…”

“…Oh.”

With that short sigh, her face gradually hardened. The corners of her mouth, which had been upturned since she entered the office, dropped.

The expectation that had been building turned into disappointment in an instant, reopening the wounds she carried.

“R-right? M-mom is very busy…”

“…Should I try contacting your father instead?”

“No! Dad is not an option! It would definitely make Mom sad…!”

She urgently grabbed my clothes and shook her head vehemently.

Of course. After all, it’s because of that man that Yeonhwa became less than a stranger to her own mother.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay. So she’s not coming, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Well~ I wasn’t expecting her anyway!”

She desperately tried to compose her expression. She forced her facial muscles to smile.

To prevent her emotions from leaking out.

“Do you think someone like me, Gu Yeonhwa, would be affected by something like that? Not at all! I’m stronger than anyone!”

“…Is that so.”

“Can’t help what can’t be helped! Haha! I’ll head to the classroom first. See you later, Instructor!”

She waved goodbye with a smile and turned around. There was urgency in her steps. I sighed as I watched her leave the office with hurried steps.

“What should I do…”

Is there anything I can do for Yeonhwa?

I picked up the attendance book, thinking about how I could delve into Yeonhwa’s family situation.