Ch.61Episode 12. Because We’re Still Family (2)

“I must save them.”

Though she hesitated before answering, her voice was unwavering. It was the kind of response that could only come from someone with firm conviction.

“Why?”

“Isn’t it stranger to ask for a reason?”

That’s right. It is strange to ask for a reason.

There was certainly irony in questioning why a child would want to save their parents.

But if it were me, I would never save them.

I’m no saint who can forgive everything, and I don’t forgive anyone who stabs me in the back, even if they’re my flesh and blood.

“…Is that so?”

“Haha! I’m not saying your thinking is wrong, Instructor. Since you know quite a bit about my past, I understand why you’re skeptical. It might make me look like a pushover, showing mercy to those people!”

“I didn’t go that far.”

“But… they’re family. It can’t be helped.”

It can’t be helped…

Can it really be dismissed so simply?

Her parents used her to make money, and her father disappeared after the divorce. Her mother, as we’ve seen, was garbage who only demanded money.

I’m not sure if that’s something that “can’t be helped” or deserves forgiveness.

“Even if they’re trash parents… if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have been born, and if I hadn’t inherited abilities from them, I wouldn’t have received a recommendation to the Academy. I’m very upset that they exploited me… but let’s consider it payment for giving birth to me. That’s all.”

“I see.”

Her answer wasn’t satisfying.

Knowing her future, I had hoped Bin Yoon would respond coldly. I wanted her not to be swayed by sentiment or relationships.

But it seemed difficult to expect that from someone who didn’t yet know her own future.

“Do you trust your parents, then?”

“Come on. How could I trust them after being backstabbed so badly? I actually trust you more, Instructor Yujin.”

“Good. That’s a relief.”

I was worried she might blindly trust them like a fool even after what happened, but it seemed she wasn’t that naive.

This puts my mind somewhat at ease.

Eventually, as time passes and the hand of Akcheon draws near, she’ll come to realize it herself.

When she crashes to the bottom once more, her parents will bring her bitter disappointment.

Of course, in this world, she won’t fall to the bottom.

That’s why I’m here.

“Hmm~ A relief…”

Bin Yoon muttered while carefully observing my reaction.

“…So will my parents really die?”

“I told you. It’s hypothetical.”

“If you came all the way here to ask this question personally, it doesn’t seem like just a hypothesis.”

Unnecessarily perceptive, isn’t she?

“Come to think of it, during the parent visit, you told my mother not to do anything shady. If she wanted to live with dignity.”

Damn it. Does she remember that?

If I’d known this would happen, I shouldn’t have said anything. I was just trying to give her the slightest bit of caution.

“You know something about my mother’s situation, don’t you? Or have you met her before?”

“It’s nothing like that. I just noticed she looked unwell and butted in.”

“No way. Even if that were true, you know quite a bit about my past, right? Then you must also know something about my parents.”

“I just… happened to pick up various pieces of information here and there.”

“That seems like more than just ‘picking up information.’ You seem to know my personal history better than I do.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“You can’t even make a proper excuse!”

I’m frustrated too, you know?

I can’t exactly tell you I read part of your life as a novel.

“I won’t ask you to tell me everything. Could you at least tell me about my family? I might be able to help.”

“…I’ll tell you when the time comes.”

“Won’t that be too late? Isn’t prevention better than cleaning up after an accident?”

If she knew that Akcheon actually wants her, she wouldn’t be saying this.

“It won’t be too late. Because I’m here.”

What kind of vanity possessed me?

I chewed over the words that had reflexively slipped out and flinched. I quickly looked at Bin Yoon. She was staring blankly with wide eyes.

“No, this is—”

“—Pfft!”

Just as I was hurriedly trying to explain, she burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! That’s right. That’s right. Because you’re here, Instructor? Ah~ I really can feel at ease.”

She regained the smile that had disappeared during our conversation. She was holding her stomach as she laughed.

…Is it really that funny?

“Are you mocking me?”

“Of course not. But it’s a bit cheesy, isn’t it? Aren’t you being too confident? Hehehe.”

She covered her mouth as she laughed and playfully hit my arm. I turned my face away, overwhelmed by a sudden rush of embarrassment.

“Shut up, kid.”

“Ah. You’re embarrassed.”

Bin Yoon approached me and tried to peek at my face that I had turned away. I quickly turned my head to the opposite side again.

“Go away.”

“Aw~ Show me your expression! Your ears are so red.”

“Haah.”

I pushed her face away while fanning my heated face. Bin Yoon, struggling against my strength, suddenly grabbed my arm with both hands.

“…But somehow, hearing you say it really does make me feel strangely reassured.”

“You think I’m joking?”

“Then I’ll take it seriously. Please take good care of my family.”

“I will.”

I said, releasing the pressure from my hand that was pushing her away.

As I gently removed my hand, Bin Yoon’s soft smile appeared. For a moment, she looked unburdened, having shed all her worries.

“…”

Does her trust in me mean I’ve built up that much credibility? Or is she just foolishly and carelessly trusting people?

Either way, I…

“I won’t disappoint you.”

Yes, I won’t disappoint her.

I won’t ruin the expectations of those who could have been the protagonists of this world.

“By the way, I thought you’d be feeling down because of your grades, but I’m glad you’re doing better than expected.”

“I’d like to say grades are just grades… but honestly, when everyone else received wish tokens from you, I felt left out not getting one.”

“…If you had gotten C+ in all subjects, what would you have asked me for?”

“Ah… I recently developed a potion. It happened completely by chance while I was trying to maximize the efficiency of healing potions. It’s a rather special healing potion.”

“A special healing potion?”

She eagerly pulled out a light pink potion from inside her coat and showed it to me.

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the sight of the liquid, which was light pink like a strawberry shake.

I couldn’t mistake this liquid.

After all, this potion was the first catalyst that led to her having her copyright stolen by the Academy and joining Akcheon.

Actually, the Academy was also being used by Akcheon in this case, because the entity that claimed copyright for Bin Yoon’s potion was a ‘villain’ who had infiltrated the Academy.

They had worked with a disguise artist to carry out a plan to make Bin Yoon distrust the Association.

In the end, according to Akcheon’s scheme, the Academy took the copyright, which became the trigger for Bin Yoon’s descent into darkness.

However, the Chancellor had already eliminated all the villains hiding in the Academy, including the disguise artist.

In other words, if we could just protect her copyright properly, this first trigger could be smoothly avoided.

“I injected it into a mouse with a wound, and while the healing effect was much weaker than a regular healing potion, interestingly, the virus disappeared from the mouse.”

The mention of the virus disappearing confirmed it.

This was a status ailment recovery potion.

It was a potion that hadn’t yet been released to the market and could counter the epidemics or poisons that Akcheon would spread in the future.

The best approach wouldn’t be preparation, but preventing Paris from spreading epidemics or poisons in the first place.

“Focus on this drug from now on.”

“Pardon?”

If time flows as it did in the original story, Akcheon would have started moving by now.

It would take Bin Yoon about a month to optimize this drug to its highest efficiency.

During that time, Akcheon would approach Kim Soyang.

They would build up and break down Kim Soyang over the course of a month.

Of course, many details were omitted in the original story, so I don’t know exactly how they built her up.

But they likely used dirty methods.

Money for debt.

Sex for loneliness.

Drugs for depression.

They would numb her reason through various methods and make her easy to manipulate. If she refused to comply, they would turn all their previous kindness into debt.

Eventually, trapped in the quagmire, she would have no choice but to use Bin Yoon, and when she was no longer useful, she would meet her death.

It was truly the worst possible outcome.

But having promised Bin Yoon that I wouldn’t disappoint her, I had no choice but to intervene directly.

The entity currently approaching Kim Soyang was likely not from Moonlight, but from Paris’s direct subordinate unit ‘Paradise’ (樂園).

Paris would need Bin Yoon’s alchemy to develop the eX potion.

However, considering that they had gone through an executive meeting, I needed to consider the possibility of other executives’ involvement as well.

“Let me know when you’re confident about the potion’s condition.”

I should contact the Association President in advance.

I had two requirements.

One was to protect Kim Soyang.

The other was to protect Bin Yoon’s copyright.

I will never surrender to the flow of the story.

In this world, not a single special class student will ever join Akcheon.

“I’ll request clinical trials from the Association President.”

“Ah… yes.”

“This time, let’s protect it. The potion you’ve worked so hard on.”

I said, patting her shoulder. The highlights in her eyes grew larger as she looked up at me.

“Yes!”

She responded energetically, exhaling through her nose with enthusiasm.

Good. Now that I’ve instilled motivation in her, all that remained was to ensure she could focus on the drug without worrying about anything else.