Ch.59Episode 11. Midterm Exams (End)

“It’ll take about a week for all the grades to come out.”

I addressed the Special Class students sprawled out before me. They couldn’t even maintain their dignity.

For the record, Bin Yoon was no exception.

Although Bin Yoon wasn’t combat-oriented, she was a student with the potential to develop A-grade physical abilities. That’s why I had no intention of exempting her from learning to protect herself.

“H-how… did our e-evaluations turn out?”

They stammered their questions while desperately trying to drink water, barely able to hold themselves upright.

“Your evaluation scores are all A+. Originally, second-year students should be evaluated on newly developed skills, but since I’m the one doing the evaluation anyway, I changed it to my own method.”

Even if I hadn’t been the one evaluating them, Yeon Muhui had already mastered “Hong Yu Hwa Seom,” and Yu Ari had learned “Shadow Movement.”

No matter what, they would have received A+ grades regardless.

“Yesss…!”

Their reactions varied, but everyone in the Special Class was genuinely happy.

I looked them over as a group and pondered.

Their preparation to become heroes was steadily progressing. If they develop a few more skills before graduation, there shouldn’t be any major issues with them reaching S-grade ranks.

However, one problem remained in the process.

The fact that Akcheon wouldn’t give up on the Special Class students who were destined to become S-grade talents.

We’ve only overcome the first crisis.

Several more crises will come before they graduate from the academy.

Perhaps the second crisis would involve their “families.”

If they were as strong as Yeonhwa-ryong, they wouldn’t lose even against executives, but the others weren’t like that.

Once Akcheon starts targeting them, there’s no solution.

Even though the academy protects the students, their families could be reached by Akcheon’s grasp at any time.

The fact that they’re keeping an eye on the Special Class means they’ve already finished investigating everyone around them.

And there was one more problem.

The timing.

As the story begins to change, it’s impossible to gauge how much has deviated from the original plot.

Yet I couldn’t provide 24-hour security for their families either.

I planned to act based on the approximate timeline from the original story, but if no solution emerged, I intended to either ask the Association Chairman for help or hire people with money.

Nevertheless, my response would inevitably be somewhat delayed.

Especially in cases like Jeong Iyeon or Gu Yeonhwa, whose parents would be directly murdered—if I was even slightly late, there would be no remedy.

I needed to think about ways to narrow this gap.

“W-what are you thinking about so hard?”

Yu Ari asked from a position one seat away from me. I was puzzled to see her keeping her distance when she usually sat right next to me.

Hmm. We shouldn’t have become strangers again.

“Why aren’t you sitting next to me?”

“I-I might smell of sweat. I’m completely soaked.”

Ah. So that was the reason.

She spoke with a reddening face and a shrinking voice. She seemed to feel embarrassed.

“I don’t mind.”

“B-but I do.”

Does that mean she sees me as a man too?

I changed the subject while looking at the A+ grades I had checked on the evaluation sheet.

“Do you think you did well on the exam?”

“I t-think I did well. But I’m not sure about my grades…”

“I’m sure they’ll be good.”

“D-do you hope they will be?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Because your e-evaluation as an instructor will go up?”

“No? Because I can help you all graduate safely.”

I didn’t care about evaluations since I wasn’t planning to make a living as an instructor. Even if the Special Class beat Class A in grades and achieved a reversal.

I just wanted them to graduate safely.

You need to become heroes safely so I can become unemployed. Mm-hmm.

“But if I g-get good grades, you’ll have to g-grant my request, right?”

“What are you going to request?”

“Umm. That’s… a bit d-difficult to say right now.”

“Anything is fine as long as it’s not too troublesome.”

“It m-might be troublesome.”

She fidgeted with her fingers while watching my reaction.

Now I’m starting to get curious after she’s said this much.

“Really? You won’t tell me even if I ask now, right?”

She nodded repeatedly while glancing around.

She seemed to think the other four could hear what she was saying.

“L-later when we’re alone… Then… yes…”

“Alright. I understand.”

Considering Yu Ari’s passive nature, she would probably tell me if I kept asking, but I didn’t want to force her.

Instead, I decided to ask a different question.

“Yu Ari.”

“Yes?”

“What’s most precious to you?”

“M-most precious…?”

The speed of her fidgeting gradually increased. She glanced at me more frequently too. I quietly observed as she grew restless, seemingly feeling anxious.

“W-well…”

Well.

Her answer is vague.

The fact that she didn’t immediately say “family” could be grounds to assume that her most precious thing isn’t her family.

Considering how Yu Ari’s family treated her, it makes sense.

“I just… I’d like to c-continue learning from Instructor Yujin… and living together like this?”

“Is that so?”

“Anyway, now I only need Instructor Yujin.”

There was something strange about Yu Ari’s muttered statement.

Was it the pitch of her voice? Or the nuance?

It felt as if a different emotion had seeped in compared to before.

“…I-I’m just saying, that’s all.”

When I remained silent, Yu Ari hastily filled the empty audio. She waved her hands back and forth as if to say “don’t misunderstand.”

“I see.”

The only response I could give was a moderate affirmation.

After a few minutes passed, the students who had recovered enough strength to move began to stand up one by one and approach me.

“Let’s end today’s closing ceremony here. Go home and get some rest.”

I said this as soon as they gathered. They responded casually while turning around, clearly showing signs of exhaustion.

“Ah, and one more thing before you go.”

They turned back to look at me as they were trudging away.

“You know you’re supposed to report to your supervising teacher or instructor when you go out, right?”

“Yes.”

“Make sure to let me know when you go out. Where you’re going. Just send a call or text message.”

In the end, Akcheon is targeting these children.

Whether they threaten through family or try other tricks, they’re just waiting for these kids to leave the academy.

In other words, ‘when they go out = when Akcheon has contacted their families’ would be a fair assumption.

* @ *

“Hey, you crazy bitch! If you borrowed money, you should pay it back by selling your body or organs!!”

A man’s voice echoed through a residential area on the outskirts of Seoul.

The man shouted and kicked around nearby objects, breaking them. She struggled and grabbed the man’s hands, begging profusely, unable to resist the one-sided violence.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry!!”

“Don’t apologize, give me the money, you bitch!!”

“J-just a little! Please give me a little more time! I-if I sell these luxury items, I can get some money!”

Kim Soyang, a pink-haired woman, desperately shouted to avoid the situation. However, the man, not listening at all, raised his fist.

“Cut the crap. Bitches like you always try to buy time and then run away—it’s an obvious repertoire.”

Tap, tap.

A gentleman entered the house with the sound of dress shoes, leaning on a cane and raising the corner of his mouth.

“That’s enough. How ungentlemanly of you.”

“…Who are you?”

“How rude of me.”

The man in the suit removed his fedora and smiled meaningfully. He was a middle-aged man with graying hair among his brown locks.

“I happened to turn my steps here because of the noise as I was passing by.”

“Haa. Who is this person?”

“I-I don’t know!”

“Fuck. Can’t you speak properly?!”

“Indeed. I don’t know this lady either. I just meddled because she seemed to be in danger.”

The man frowned at the relaxed tone that remained composed despite the chaotic situation.

“Hey, mister. Cut the bullshit act and get lost. I need to settle things with this damn woman today or my manager will have my hide.”

“Ah. So it’s about money?”

“I said leave. If you don’t want to die.”

“Even loan sharks can be arrested by heroes if they use violence. Did you know that?”

“You fucking bastard.”

The man walked briskly toward the gentleman. The gentleman faced him boldly, maintaining a subtle smile.

“…Please don’t swear. I think I can solve this problem.”

“What?”

With those words, the gentleman took out an envelope of money from his inner pocket.

“Five million won. Five million should be enough to give that woman some time, don’t you think?”

The man received the envelope and counted the money. Seeing that it was exactly five million won, he smiled.

“Huh. What’s your deal? What is that woman to you that you’d do this?”

“I have no obligation to tell you that. You do your job, and I’ll do mine.”

“Sure, sure. Ha~ good. I like that you’re reasonable. Hey, Kim Soyang. I’m taking this month’s payment. I’ll specially give you a month. Pay back the rest of the money. If not, I’ll sell you to a brothel.”

After warning Kim Soyang, the man heartily patted the gentleman’s shoulder.

“Good job, mister.”

The gentleman spoke softly as he watched the man leave leisurely.

“Mae-do, please track that man and meet the person called ‘manager.’ Extract more information from him. I’m counting on you.”

A woman with purple hair who had been watching from behind nodded.

“Got it. In return, break that woman properly, okay?”

“Don’t worry. That woman will be used by us without even being able to make rational judgments.”

The gentleman took off his shoes and entered the room. He extended his hand to Kim Soyang.

“Are you alright, madam?”

“Thank you.”

Kim Soyang took his hand and stood up, bowing at the waist.

“I ended up receiving help like this. I’m sorry. I’ll definitely pay back the money.”

“You can take your time. I understand. It’s a tough era these days. Shouldn’t we help each other?”

“Thank you for understanding.”

The gentleman’s expression twisted unpleasantly as he looked at Kim Soyang, who kept bowing and expressing her gratitude.

Kim Soyang didn’t even ask why he had helped her. She didn’t suspect anything.

She had no room in her thinking to do so.

More precisely, she couldn’t think because she was too busy blaming external factors for her situation.

‘If only that damn instructor hadn’t been there, I could have gotten potions from Bin Yoon and made money…!’

Kim Soyang’s resentment toward Yujin, who had tried to sever her relationship with Bin Yoon, was growing stronger.

What she should have been thinking about was suspecting the gentleman who gave her money and breaking her habit of extravagant spending.

The gentleman smiled gently as he observed Kim Soyang, who didn’t even suspect him.

‘It’s because of filthy humans like this that this world continues to rot. The sooner we exterminate all such humans, the better this world will become.’

“Your house is quite messy. Let me help you.”

“Ah! Thank you.”

‘This is why villains are good. You can use them as you please and then discard them. Those pathetic heroes would have unnecessarily sympathized and shown mercy in this situation. Disgusting.’

Once again, Akcheon’s movements began in a place beyond Yujin’s sight.