Chapter 57 – You’ll Die If You Cheat?

If hundreds of monster hordes vanished before their eyes, then the price must’ve been high.

At that time, I most likely offered my memory and lifespan.

A lifespan with a story.

But I didn’t have a pleasant feeling.

What’s the point if there’s no memory of it…

In order to protect people, I cut my lifespan to kill the monsters.

How cool of an act was this? 

Yet I didn’t recall a single thing, and I didn’t remember my achievements except for a very few.

It’d feel less unfair if I at least had memories of it.

How unfair was it to say that my lifespan was gone when I didn’t know anything?

I asked President Haeyoung, “Then, the reason I was able to enter this school…”

“…There was no dishonesty in play.”

The reason I was able to be admitted into the academy with no magic and a frail body…

I assumed that Shin Haeyoung, who knew my past, helped me.

In a perspective, it could be seen as an admission fraud. 

However, thankfully I kept proving myself.

It was a huge relief that no one suspected me of fraudulent admission.

I stared at her.

…I found out about the past. The next problem is…

Shin Haeyoung.

She was not content with the Hero Association.

Should I trust her and reveal the truth that I was targeted by the association?

The answer was fixed.

“Ms. President.”

“Yes, Student Han Sijoon.”

“Are you not curious as to why I was kidnapped by Black Dawn?”

“Wasn’t it so that they wouldn’t be caught by the security system since you don’t possess a magic core…?”

To the public, the reason I was kidnapped by the Black Dawn was so that they wouldn’t get caught by the magic security system.

But in reality, the Black Dawn was commissioned by the Hero Association to eliminate me.

She had told me about my past, so I’d tell her the whole story as well.

Shin Haeyoung was someone who had plans on getting rid of the Black Dawn and the Hero Association.

She was sure to deliver the results that I desired.

“Actually…” 

When the entire store came out of my mouth, President Haeyoung’s wrinkled hands were shaking in anger.

“The association… These fucking bastards…”

“I believe they were aiming for Hayeon.”

There was no reason for the Hero Association to target me other than because of Yoo Hayeon. That was why, when I added my speculation, she seemed to be somewhat convinced.

“If it’s the association, they are capable of doing that. There have been dozens of students who have been broken by them for the sake of their agenda.”

The president was venting her complaints about the association.

If it’s her, even if I provided her intel, she’d be able to figure it out herself.

Let’s start by dealing with the damn rats.

When I was kidnapped by Han Yoowol, how did the Black Dawn know about the mock gate exam site?

That was because there was a spying rat at the Hero Academy.

There was an event in V. AGE to catch the academy spy. Clearing the event reduced the frequency in which the Hero Association threatened the students.

First, a warning has to be sent.

Since this was an event where you could catch the spy anytime, it was only possible for me to produce results by meeting the president. 

I’d say this was a golden opportunity.

“President, would you be able to trust what I’m about to say?”

 “…I cannot trust anything unconditionally. I’ll give my judgement after I hear you out.”

Perhaps because she read my serious mood, she also replied with a serious tone.

“If by chance, there was a spy at the Hero Academy, would you believe it?”

“…It’ll depend on who it is.”

The issue with people.

Shin Haeyoung was also probably suspicious.

The fact that information from the Hero Academy was leaked somewhere else.

However, she only had an inkling, she did not know who exactly was pulling out the information.

I decided to tell her about the spy suspect.

“I can’t say for certain, but all I know is that she’s a woman and one of the teachers in her 30s.”

“Where did you get that information from?”

“…The Black Dawn. I secretly overheard it.”

Shin Haeyoung couldn’t speak to the Black Dawn anyway.

I couldn’t say, “I saw it in a game,” so I sold the villain organization out.

In V. AGE, the spy was randomly set to be one of the female teachers in her 30s. Therefore, Shin Haeyoung would have to be suspicious of each woman who fit the criteria, interrogating them until she tracked her down.

In order to bring down the association, they had to be dealt with as if you were slowly clearing the fog.

President Haeyoung said to me, “…Let me process that for a moment.”

“Yes, please take your time. There’s a chance I may have misheard it too.”

Regardless, she was practically convinced that there was a spy.

Hence, she’d look into people who meet the conditions unconditionally.

It was safe to say that my work today was done.

Since I had nothing more to talk about with the president, who was brooding, I got up from my seat.

“Then, please call me again if you have something else to discuss later. I don’t like the association either.”

“Okay, Sijoon. I’ll see you next time.”

I got up from my seat and headed to the door.

I looked back for a moment and saw Shin Haeyoung deep in thought.

It must be upsetting to hear that there’s a spy among the people you trusted and picked.

It was natural for her to not suddenly take my word for it.

If a student abruptly said, “There’s a spy in your organization,” who would believe that?

Her behavior was perfectly normal.

I opened the door and exited the president’s office.

 ***

In front of me, Yoo Hayeon was sitting on a chair with her legs crossed, waiting for me

Happy to find her waiting there for me, I asked, “Did you wait long?”

“You’re late, idiot.”

Hayeon replied snappily and moved her crossed legs.

She got up from her seat and came in front of me.

“What did you talk about?”

“Just stuff. The story about the world. That’s right. Hayeon, do you remember when I was hospitalized way before?” 

After the monster extermination incident, I spent my elementary school days in the hospital.

How did Hayeon remember me from back then?

I asked that question to her with curiosity.

“I remember it. You got into a car accident and strained your heart. You said you also hurt your head too.”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

She remembered the incident as a car accident.

So it seemed she didn’t know the price of my ability and what I had done.

It was a great relief that she didn’t know that my years were numbered.

Hayeon spoke to me in a serious tone.

“I think you became an idiot because of the car accident.”

“Why am I an idiot?”

“Just because you are.”

She called me a fool for no reason.

Since I did so many wrong things without her knowing, I didn’t say anything.

“Alright, I’ll be an idiot today.”

“…What’s up? Did you eat something wrong?”

She looked at me with suspicion.

She called me an idiot so I was being one, why’s she like this now?

As we walked down the hall, I asked her, “Hayeon. If, and I’m saying, if I cheated on you, what will you do to me?”

“…Are you cheating on me?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Hayeon asked sharply.

But I had no plans on getting caught whatsoever, so I tricked her with perfect acting.

“But why are you asking that?”

“I was just curious. Since even couples make up what-if scenarios…”

Weren’t there videos of couples talking to each other about topics like, “What would you do if your lover cheated on you?!”

When I told her that, Hayeon looked as if she had understood my intent.

“If you cheat on me… Hmm…”

She tilted her head, contemplating it deeply.

Then as if she decided what she’d do to me, she answered, “For starters, I’m going to scold you and the partner you’re cheating on me with. No, I’m going to kill her.”

“R-Really…? But don’t you think it’s a bit much to kill someone?”

“Actually, I think killing isn’t enough…”

Was Hana and Seolha going to die?

But they weren’t the type who’d die easily.

Even if there was some truth mixed into her words, Hayeon’s answer was more close to a joke.

She continued.

“Also Sijoon… I won’t kill you.”

“That’s a relief. That you won’t kill me.”

Hayeon guaranteed she’d let me live since it seemed like she thought she couldn’t kill me.

However, there was a condition attached.

“Instead of not killing you, I’ll lock you up so that you can never cheat again.”

“…”

Hayeon declared that she would imprison me.

Up until now she had been slightly joking, but this time she was being 100% serious.

She actually looked like she had plans on locking me away.

I mustered up my courage and said, “Isn’t locking me away extreme? It’s like dying.”

“Why are you comparing the two? Han Sijoon, are you cheating on me?”

“…No.”

Upon talking about punishment, Hayeon drove me into becoming an unfaithful man.

Maybe I shouldn’t have brought up this topic.

I couldn’t snag a win in our conversation.

“So what I’m saying is…”

Hayeon held my small hand tightly and said, “If you cheat on me, you’ll die, okay…?”

Her words were genuine.

I had no choice but to tell her a lie.

“…Of course. Why would I cheat?”

That was a lie.

Hayeon wore a content smile on her face as she looked at me, while I was committed to never get caught cheating.