Chapter 16 – Seeing You Earlier Than Expected

These days, I have a great worry.

It was none other than my concern for a student.

Han Sijoon, who coughed up blood, saying that he didn’t have much time left to live.

After observing him for about two weeks, I deduced that he was much more talented than I imagined.

For half an hour, I was showing the students the behaviors of the Werewolf, which emerged from the gate, during the Introduction to Monsters course.

“Monsters come out of the gate. Among them is a Werewolf, which has the appearance of a wolf, but is also similar to a human. Is there anyone who can explain the distinct characteristics of this monster?

It was a simple question to see who was diligently studying in school, and to determine their prior knowledge.

“Anyone?”

There was a moment of silence in the classroom.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like there were any students passionate about their studies in my class.

That was when a male student put his hand up.

“Han Sijoon? Do you know the Werewolf’s characteristics?”

“Yes. I do know it to a degree.”

He was skinny, his body shape resembling a female’s. With those doe-eyes of his, he’d probably win the award for being a playboy who’d make many girls cry in the future.

There were rumors of him entangled in a relationship with two girls.

However, he was an unlucky student with only a few years left to live.

“Then, can you explain what kind of characteristics they have?”

I was curious about how much study this student put in.

But his knowledge on the topic surpassed my expectations.

“Werewolves act independently, but they form packs. When the Werewolf encountered the hero in the video, it inflicted a wound on itself. What could be the reason for that, everyone?”

As he explained the Werewolf’s characteristics, he simultaneously drew in the students’ attention with a question.

It was an act to grab the students’ interest.

This was one of the methods I employ often as a teacher, and here he was displaying a considerable amount of confidence while he was doing so.

“The way I see it, their main purpose is their exceptional sense of smell. They spread the scent of their blood in the air to alert the others. Had the Werewolf howled to call upon its allies, the hero would surely have noticed. The monsters are undergoing an evolution as well.”

While the Werewolf was doing reconnaissance, it discovered an enemy. Werewolves injured their bodies to inform their other allies.

I, a former A-Rank hero, also found that fact out from a thesis on the evolving Werewolf.

All of a sudden, I became curious.

Where did he obtain this kind of knowledge from? 

He came from a fairly ordinary household. 

There was no way someone would’ve told him.

“Oho… What a splendid explanation, Sijoon. Such a secret is indeed hidden within the Werewolf’s blood. Where did you learn that from?”

The simple question I asked made him begin to hesitate.

I wonder why?

Is it that difficult to say that you studied ahead of time?

A shocking reply came out of his mouth.

“I just…knew.”

Since ancient times, geniuses used to say things like this.

“It just worked when I did it.”

An action as easy as eating for geniuses.

The world calls that talent.

He grasped the Werewolf’s behavioral pattern in only 30 minutes and explained in detail the rationale behind it.

If that’s not talent, then what could it be called?

He could’ve potentially left a mark in the Patternology of Monster Behavior had he been able to live a long life.

However, even if I imagined the future, Han Sijoon was not in the picture.

The truth made me begin to feel sad.

“…Sijoon, you may take a seat. That was a very impressive answer.”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Sijoon left as he received applause.

Geniuses are short-lived.

That truth cut deep to the heart.

“L-Let us take a five minute break, and we’ll resume the class.”

A young boy who accepted his death in the flower of his youth.

How should I treat him as a teacher?

It was quite a time of many worries.

 *** 

 “…What’s going on?”

The class with my homeroom teacher, Shin Sihwa, went unexpectedly. 

I was easily able to answer her question since I remembered the Werewolf’s characteristics from the game.

I was in a good mood getting the answer right, but Ms. Sihwa’s reaction…

It weighed on my mind a bit.

The teacher said we’ll take a break before resuming.

Why did she say look at me with sad eyes before saying we’ll take a break?

I recalled what happened in the nurse’s office, but doubting it, I decided to erase it from my head.

Yeah.

What could it be?

If this was the former A-Rank hero, Shin Sihwa, she wouldn’t hold such an absurd misunderstanding.

She overpowered the enemy villains in the game. She was a character who you could rely on to watch your back and trust with confidence.

There was no way she’d be a slipshod of a person.

I should prepare for the exam.

A group exam which started at the beginning of the semester. It was a course to evaluate how cooperative the students were.

A mock gate exam.

The students headed towards the always open gate, which was supervised by the academy.

The ultimate goal was what needed to be obtained there.

Extracting the Golem’s core.

It was the starting point of the game’s first episode. There was also a hidden piece.

If I just had that, I could use my ability without incurring as many penalties.

Whilst I was having an important moment, Yoo Hayeon hit me with a jab on my back.

Thump!

“Hey! Han Sijoon! Which group are you in?”

“…Do you have to hit me before you ask?”

“Ah, sorry!”

Those are definitely not the look of someone who’s sorry.

There was a devious glint in Hayeon’s eyes.

Damn, that hurts a lot.

I rubbed my aching back as I said, “I’m in Group 4, you?”

“Why am I not in Group 4?”

There was the number 1 written on her paper.

That’s a shame.

There were a total of 40 people in our class and with one group for every 10 people.

It would’ve been much easier to procure the hidden piece with Hayeon, but unfortunately she was in a different group.

It’s okay though.

Since I still have Na Yoona left.

If I had to pick the strongest people in our class, they were Yoona and Hayeon.

If those two stood at the top, then the rest of the students were ranging from B-Rank and C-Rank.

I approached Yoona, who was staring at the paper with an indifferent expression.

“Yoona, what group are you in? Tell me it’s 4.”

”.…..“

Yoona stared at my desperate self with a look of pity.

“Did you…want to be in the same group as me that bad?”

Nod. Nod.

I put my soul into it as I sent her a gesture of affirmation.

Pleased, Yoona smiled with content.

Her twitching ear looked like a butterfly flapping its wings.

“W-Well… If you’re that serious about it, I’ll show you the paper…”

The probability was one of four.

It’s highly unlikely she’d be put in the same group as Hayeon.

Then, the remaining probability was one of three.

Yoona unfurled the paper, brimming with confidence.

Flutter.

“There. I’m in Group 2… Why do you look like that?”

I wouldn’t know since I didn’t have a mirror, but my expression was probably full of despair.

I wanted to be in the same group with at least one person I knew.

Why is this happening to me?

I felt how cruel fate was at that moment.

Yoona said her farewells to me with an incomprehensible look on her face.

“…I don’t really get it, but do your best.”

“Alright, you too.”

I should get energy from the word of encouragement, but why is no strength coming to me?

It could be because of the mood of Group 4 who were waiting for me.

Among them, a female student with glasses approached and spoke to me.

“Han Sijoon. We’re going to start a meeting now. Why don’t you come over here?”

A sharp cutting tone.

She wore round glasses and looked like a model student.

What was her name again?

Didn’t it sound similar to the class president?

Anyway, she looked like she believed the rumors about me and was wary of me.

But I don’t really want to go over there.

Nine pairs of eyes were staring at me.

Their gaze was definitely not friendly.

The man who was entangled with both Na Yoona and Yoo Hayeon.

The unpleasant rumors.

I shut my eyes tight then said, “Hey. Guys…?”

I did greet them, but can they stop with those glares?

It’s scary.

Their gaze was as hostile as ever.

 ***

A chandelier with glittering lights.

It completely illuminated the spacious living room.

“Vice-captain! A request has come in. What do you want to do?”

The flippant voice belonged to a man.

He was the one in charge of fund management in this organization, and he acted as an oil to get things rolling smoothly in their group.

She replied in a listless voice, “Please bring it over.”

If it’s fun, she’ll take it.

If not, she’ll reject it.

That was her working mindset.

She checked the client from the man with a frivolous tone.

“Hero academy…? You’re telling me to go to a place like this?”

A space where little chicklings grew up.

It was obviously not going to be fun, her interest instantly faded.

But when she checked her client, she was a bit curious.

She asked the man.

“How long has it been since they sent us a request?”

“Hm, 10 years? About that long? They’re asking something about disposing of someone. In any case, they paid a lofty sum.”

“Really…?”

She began to read the documents again.

One by one.

What was their objective and what did they desire?

How much was the pay?

And was it going to be fun?

She smiled as she replied to the man.

“Contact him and let him know I’m taking this request.”

Han Yoowol got up from her seat and peered out the window.

She saw the nightscape of the sparkling city.

The people looked the size of an ant to her.

“…I’ll be seeing you earlier than I expected, isn’t that right?”

She smacked her lips as she recalled the male student from the picture.

A kiddo whose flavor was on a much different level from others.

It appeared he was a student at the academy.

Her body seemed to be burning hot at the thought of being able to taste him again.

“No one has lived after seeing my face twice.”

Everyone, all but her coworkers, had been killed.

What about the kiddo then?

Huhu.

Yoowol drank blood from a wine glass, full of anticipation.

That was the day before Han Sijoon’s exam.

It happened at night.