episode_0008

*****

It is not easy to continue doing painful things for a long time, but there are some things that need to be done consistently even if they are difficult. Strength training could also be said to be one of them.

There are many people who want muscles as a result, but how many people truly like the simple repetitive exercise that is the process? It may vary from person to person, but at least not to me.

So, as indifferently as possible, repeat the movement as if you were just a machine counting numbers. If self-hypnosis is possible, even better. It’s not easy to enjoy difficult work, but isn’t it possible for anyone to feel a little less pain?

Muscles are good, muscles don’t betray you. Only muscles are on my side… . Muscles, muscles… .

“Good morning, senior. Ugh, I’m dying. … What are you doing this morning?”

“Huh… . Exercising, doing it.”

“Why are you feeling stuffy in the morning… . Ugh, the head. Senior, I’m sorry, but would you please go to the association alone today?”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t have anything like bus fare.”

Instead of answering, Sia pointed next to the TV with her finger. Next to the TV? Oh, there’s a money clip.

As if she had finished her work, Sia sank back onto the sofa. He must have been so hungover that he didn’t even seem to care that his pajamas were disheveled. Ugh, drink in moderation.

After I stopped exercising, I brought a blanket and covered it over Sia. He’s also an S-class hero, so he won’t catch a cold… . While I was doing this, I rummaged through the ingredients in the kitchen and made some egg soup. It will be of some help in relieving hangovers.

“I ate the egg soup because it was boiled. Don’t go to work too late just because you’re S-rank.”

“Today is Saturday… .”

Ah, it was the weekend. Well, I guess that’s what I drank last night.

It’s not something you should drink for a day or two, and if you leave it alone, it will take care of itself. Who would care about my subject in the first place? From a long time ago, if I were to be specific, I was the one who was taken care of.

“Now that I think about it, you are a senior. Didn’t I say anything strange yesterday?”

“… ha ha ha. No, I didn’t say anything in particular?”

“Uh, wait a minute, did you really say something strange?”

Senior, senior? And I left the house, leaving the half-corpse that was desperately looking for me. I’ll remember well the fear I felt when the film stopped. Drinking like this all the time is bad for your health.

I roughly remembered the location of this place when I came yesterday. If you take just one bus, you can get to the association in no time. I was thankful that the distance was close as I was told to come every morning for the time being.

“… … .”

But why do people keep sneaking glances at me? If today were a weekday, it wouldn’t be time for a kid who looks like a student to be walking around, but since it’s the weekend, it wouldn’t be like that.

… No, am I stupid?

Now that I think about it, he has big horns on his head. Since heterogeneous types are rare even among awakened people, if they go out like this, they are likely to attract attention.

First, I tried to hide the horns. Even though the hoodie was turned over, the horn shape still stuck out, which had the opposite effect.

Anyway, we will arrive at the association soon. I faced the crowd of gazes with a confident face and leisurely enjoyed the view outside the window.

That’s pretty much the end of what happened before I arrived at the association. Well, it would be harder for anything to happen during the 20-minute bus ride. That’s something that only the main character of the original story somewhere in the world would experience.

It was nice to arrive at the association lobby like that, but the inside of the association had changed more than I expected. What floor is the association president’s office? Can I ask the front desk?

“Hey, I want to go to the association president’s office. Can you tell me where it is?”

“Yes, the association president’s office… . Oh my.”

The receptionist, who was trying to answer normally, slightly widened her eyes. What, why are you surprised? Did you notice anything? Or is there something strange about my behavior?

“You are a cute customer. What’s going on in the association president’s office?”

“… I came because you asked me to come.”

… I was a little nervous, but I think he was just surprised to see me. Oh, what a surprise. I did something.

Definitely pretty? cute? Although it is a body. This pattern is not very pleasing. Asking about the business of coming to the association president’s office means, ‘You don’t have an appointment with the association president. What’s going on?’ It’s the same thing as keeping it in check. As evidence, the receptionist did not try to tell me where the association president’s office was.

“Unfortunately, no one has contacted me. If possible, could you please check again?”

“So, please check with the president of the association. They will definitely ask you to come in.”

“I’m sorry, but the president of the association is busy with construction right now… . Please check again before coming.”

No matter how many times I tried, the receptionist’s attitude remained stern. This is correct in terms of the manual, but I would appreciate a little more flexibility. I frowned in frustration, but the receptionist smiled brightly.

… Really, scaring people like this doesn’t work anymore. I feel like I can sigh at the gap from before.

Rather, if the president of the association told you to come tomorrow, tell the desk that much in advance. I don’t even have a cell phone or anything, so what do I do?

“You were here.”

“Ah, manager.”

“It’s okay, this child is my guest. However, please understand that this is an unofficial visit.”

“ㄴ, yes! Okay!”

It was getting tiresome and I was thinking about causing a ruckus when a rope of salvation came down. As soon as the receptionist, who was impregnable, looked to the side, she nodded several times and opened the way to the inside.

Beyond that stood a man in a suit who persuaded the receptionist. A young man with a familiar, calm voice and the conflicting impression of being sharp but gentle.

In this world, it was Lee Chang-hyuk, my best friend of 20 years—no, 27 years.

“Oh, it’s been a while~.”

“Is it correct to say, “It’s been a while.” haha. When I heard from the president of the association, I was skeptical, but really… . No, that’s not what we’re talking about here. Come on, let’s go.”

Changhyuk walked down the hallway of the association in the lead. Just before I followed him, a thought occurred to me and I turned around and made eye contact with the desk receptionist.

Swish. For some reason, he was waving his hand, so I waved at him and he smiled again. What is it, really.

“7 years have passed and you haven’t changed at all. In fact, you’re not organizing it as a group and lying to me, are you?”

“Awakened people naturally age slowly. Where are you staying now?”

“At Sia’s house.”

“Siane!? … Ah, I see. Considering how it looks now, I guess that’s right… .”

“Surprisingly, he didn’t really care, either.”

“No, it’s not that he doesn’t care, he’s probably──”

Wow, the elevator arrived at the top floor and the door opened. “It’s over there,” Changhyuk said, taking a step forward.

“Hey, we need to keep talking. It’s not that I don’t care, but what is it?”

“Let’s talk about that later while eating dinner together. Do you have any free time next week?”

“Bill… , girl? I don’t know either.”

“Then let’s talk about it then. Because this is more priority now.”

I felt a bit deceived, but I didn’t bother to find out because I thought it wasn’t polite to keep talking in front of the association president’s office.

When I went inside with Changhyuk, the president of the association was buried under a mountain of documents. Other people may not know this, but the president of the association is not someone who does this out of bravado. I guess it wasn’t just a simple refusal to say that construction was over.

“Mmm. Are you Changhyuk and Hamin? No, should I call you Miss Ami now?”

“What is Yang? Can’t you just use the name you originally used?”

“It won’t work at all, it won’t happen… . I don’t want to recommend it, as there might be someone who feels a connection to the previous you. Of course, if you really want to use your original name, I won’t stop you.”

He refused to return as Kwon Seong. Surprisingly, the president of the association readily agreed that the name itself did not matter.

Actually, I just asked, and the name change itself didn’t really matter. Is it because I have already experienced a change once? I didn’t feel that much obsession, and I felt sorry for unnecessarily increasing the president’s workload.

“Okay then, let’s just do it like this. Why did you even call me here? If you only want to do tests, a medical center is better.”

“Of course, there are matters that need to be discussed here. This room is the second most secure place in the association. It was his request, but that’s not the important part. Please take a seat first.”

Changhyuk? I glanced back and saw Changhyuk briefly nodding his head as if to say it was true.

You’ll soon find out what’s going on anyway. Changhyuk and I sat on two chairs prepared in front of the association president.

“What do you think? Have you learned anything about the current era?”

“Not yet. Because I had just had a conversation with Shia. Still, when I saw it on the way there, it was much better than before.”

“Well, it has to be that way. For now, knowing that much is enough. Nowadays, society is much more stable, and thanks to that, we have time to think about the future rather than focusing on living for the moment.”

“If you’re talking about the development process of society, I don’t think I would have understood it even if it were 7 years ago.”

“Not like that. We are establishing educational institutions dedicated to the Awakened in order to achieve social integration of the Awakened and foster heroes… . Isn’t this something that also came up with you?”

What this means is that hero schools have been established across the country.

Simply put, it is natural to reorganize the education system after society is stabilized. However, hero school was a place that had a slightly different meaning to me.

An original web novel about a past life that is the foundation of this world. Because the stage for elementary and middle school was Hero School. It is a so-called academic film.

Additionally, this flow was quite familiar. A top-level talent who has been unable to use his full power due to some circumstances. What other role can he have at the Academy?

“In other words, they want to entrust me with the job of instructor at the school──”

“You will be a student at Hero School starting next week.”

──That wasn’t true.

No, wait a minute. What did you say?

“Ha, are you a student? Not an instructor or a teacher?”

“What kind of nonsense is this when you can’t even control yourself right now? And a 17-year-old girl on paper with no experience is acting as an instructor? I know you like attention, but I’d appreciate it if you could remind me why you’re socially different.”

“Well, that’s right… .”

I had no choice but to nod my head as the president of the association continued his counterarguments. Surely, if I were to immediately become an instructor like this, it would only be like telling me to get rid of me.

But no matter how much I think about it, I don’t think it’s at the level of what I learned at school. Even if he’s not in his best condition right now, if he has past experience, the speed at which he becomes stronger again will be incomparable to that of other heroes.

If you have time to relax at school, wouldn’t it be much better to use that time to beat up villains or monsters?

“You can just debut as an official hero right away. Why bother a student… .”

“Do you really hate going to school? I guess I couldn’t go to school properly anyway because of the chaos.”

“Of course! How old am I?”

Actually, what I said now was closer to an excuse. Given the setting of this worldview, and in my experience, the age of the mind – or soul – has a strong tendency to follow the body.

Immediately after becoming aware of my past life, I was immature as a child and even went through puberty twice. The reason I treat the president of the association as an old man and Changhyuk as a friend of the same age is because I recognize myself as belonging to that generation.

At this rate, you might get used to going to school, but… .

However, that doesn’t mean they made up a story that didn’t exist. Anyway, thinking about the years I have lived, I am long past the age of going to school. As much as I’ve been there in my past life, I don’t have any desire to go there again.

“Hmm. Of course, I’m not saying you should go to school just because you’re seventeen on paper. There’s a good reason for this. The superficial reasons and the reasons that are closer to my true feelings. Which one would you like to hear first?”

“… Let’s first listen to the superficial reason.”

“Okay. Then I’ll leave it to you, Changhyuk.”

“Excuse me.”

Sigh. Changhyuk snapped his fingers and a wall of magical power surrounded the area.

It’s hard to feel the magic in detail now, but I’ve seen it so many times that I knew it right away. It is a barrier that prevents what is shared here, including sounds and mouth movements, from leaking out.

And that barrier isolated only me and Changhyuk, excluding the association president.

The president of the association is a strong supporter and benefactor who believed in and supported us when we were young even during the great chaos. There is only one topic that cannot be shared with him. Only things related to the ‘original work’.

Changhyuk Lee. He is the one person who told me about my past life and the original work.

“Normally, we would talk very carefully, just the two of us. What’s going on today?”

“Anyway, the president of the association is aware that there is a secret that you and I share. You know that I’m a trustworthy person, right?”

“Well, that’s right. So, what is the ostensible reason?”

“On the surface, this is the position of the president of the association, and to me, this is the main point. The main character appeared about half a year ago.”

“… !”

I’m not stupid enough to ask myself who the main character is here. The character who is the center of the story and the key to ending the era of monsters by confronting Genesis. Who else but the main character of the original work?

In fact, the appearance itself was not unexpected. The protagonist was born in the mid to late period of the great chaos. At the time, it was before he had a full-fledged influence on history, so I thought he must have been born somewhere.

However, the moment of his awakening as an awakened person, the process of his growth, and even the ending of the story. All of them are deeply related to Genesis. Therefore, I remember talking with Changhyuk about whether it would be difficult for the protagonist to awaken after hitting Genesis.

“Is it possible, that? In the first place, it’s hard to even awaken in your current state.”

“Not exactly… . Well, you don’t know much about the recent situation. Leave that for Sia later. Since the story is getting complicated, I’ll give priority to this for now.

Basically, the events in the original work will happen unless they are decidedly different. Don’t you remember?”

“Of course.”

Disaster Dragon Behemoth is a good example. Despite destroying Genesis and reducing it to a gathering of remnants, the Sphere Shrine ended up creating Behemoth.

Likewise, events in the original work tend to occur unless causality is twisted to a level that is ‘pretty much impossible’.

… It is inevitable that the standards are a bit vague. It’s not a rule or setting, it’s just a guess based on past experience.

“There was that intention in establishing the hero school. Even if there aren’t as many trials as the original, the main character’s power is too good to miss. If there was a chance for him to end the era of monsters, I didn’t want to miss it.”

Orphanages, schools, educational environments, etc. Changhyuk recreated the social system from the original work as much as possible. As a result, the main character actually entered school, so in a sense, it was the correct answer.

It is said that other characters other than the main character also entered the school together. The protagonist’s friends, heroines, colleagues, and even villains. At least all of the characters that can be considered major characters in the early and middle seasons appear to have appeared.

However, although the characters have gathered, the enemy has changed greatly. It’s only natural since we completely destroyed Genesis, the main villain. Will the trials the main character goes through be stronger or weaker than before, or will he even go through them in the first place? Everything is in uncertainty.

“That’s why I’m asking you to enroll. Go and protect that guy. It’s not a bad idea to raise them if you have the time.”

“Isn’t it better to just openly protect and nurture them? You know that. I’m not good at security. If you get it wrong, you could lose the main character.”

“Because I don’t want to trample on the bud of possibility. It’s okay if you get lost along the way. So, in the end, he is that kind of guy.”

All kinds of villains, as well as corporate groups, some political parties, Awakened haters, etc… . As it had a strong foundation of awakened people, the association had many enemies. In such a situation, if you wholeheartedly support a protagonist who has not yet distinguished himself, it will only draw unnecessary attention.

Support within the limits possible, yet reliable. Changhyuk said that was my dispatch.

In fact, I was secretly planning to take on the role played by the main character in the ‘ending’ of the original work. Personally, I didn’t think the final protagonist’s actions were a very happy ending. However, because of that, the main character may have been consciously excluded.

Even if he doesn’t go through the trials of the original, the main character is still the main character. With his power, he would definitely be able to help many people.

“Okay, if that’s the case, I’ll try to help you out a bit. … But wait. The reason for this is superficial? Then what is the true intention of the president of the association?”

“Take that directly from you.”

Sigh. When Changhyuk held out his hand, the wall of magic surrounding him melted into thin air and disappeared. The president of the association was processing the documents on his desk, as if he was wasting time during our conversation.

“President of the Association, the explanation has been completed.”

“Well, it was okay for me if it was a little longer. It means that you are the only one who can get rid of the noisy secretary.”

“Unfortunately, we’ve had enough conversations. Thank you for lending us your space.”

“Okay, so. What are the Chairman’s true intentions?”

“Of course, I want to let you experience school life.”

… Such a nosy old man.

Anyway, once I heard Changhyuk’s story, it was confirmed that I would accept the admission. Even if that wasn’t the case, I think I was planning to take a stab at this story.

“I know that you were a student briefly before the chaos. But think about it. When was the last time you enjoyed a peaceful life? At most 10 years old. Originally, you were thrown into the battlefield while you were playing at school.”

“It’s not just me. Everyone my age is the same, well.”

“But among them, you are the only one who got a chance to start over. Don’t feel like it’s mean. You have been on the battlefield, on the front lines, for nearly 20 years. Who could blame you for taking a break?”

“… … .”

“There are people who dislike your personality, but I respect you. Your current personality is the result of working hard to be able to use your abilities at any time. So, think about it. Now, I think it’s okay for you to relax and live comfortably.

Get some rest now. Go and fix that strange habit. Of course, I won’t force you if you don’t want to.”

“… That’s shameful, Chairman. If you say it that way, how can you refuse?”

“That’s because I’m saying don’t refuse. In fact, it’s a lie to say that I won’t force you. Next time, it won’t be a recommendation, but an order.”

I am indeed. This old man too. I made sure to add one word at the end.

I’m not sure if that’s to hide my shame or if it’s my true feelings. It could be both. Still, I felt that at least the part about the president of the association wanting me to take a break wasn’t a lie.

I myself am working like this, but I am still young and ask myself to take a break. Thank you for your concern, though.

Just one thing. I think my normal personality wasn’t distorted because of potential, but my original distorted personality was revealed under the excuse of potential… .

I didn’t really think about correcting it. I was also grateful that people looked at me that way.

“I’m glad that I ended up going to school. Hmm, I guess I heard a definite answer. If it’s okay, why don’t you just go to the medical center? I have something to talk about with Changhyuk.”

“Yes, yes. I will leave aside those who have completed their business. Changhyuk, call me when it’s over──Oh, right. I have no means of contacting you.”

“It’s okay. If you go to the medical center, they will probably give you a cell phone and ID card. I also put my contact information there, so you can contact me there.”

“Oh, nice. After all, the smart guy is the best. See you next time.”

Next is to share the accumulated stories. It seems like there are a lot of things to prioritize now. After saying hello to the two people, I quickly left the association president’s office.

… Is it school? Sometimes I want to go, sometimes I don’t want to go. It’s a complicated feeling.

If I go, should I actively hang out with the main character or watch from a distance? Thinking about these things, I walked towards the medical center.

***

“Did you go?”

“Yes, I went. You don’t have to be on guard.”

Phew. Sighing, the man who was beginning to reach old age—Jang Hyun-seok, the president of the association—leaned his forehead against his supported hand.

There was deep fatigue on his face. Just like Changhyuk sitting across from me.

“Really, I can’t get used to it. What do you think?”

“That’s right. It turned out to be quite cute. Not even a fragment of his previous appearance remains, but if we talk about him, he is Ha-min himself. To be honest, I had a hard time maintaining my facial expression.”

Hero Asura──Kim Ha-min does not have many close friends due to his circumstances. Thanks to this, it wasn’t difficult to make it seem like I was treating him the same way as before.

Even though it is ‘compared to other people’.

“He is a guy with strong pride. It would probably be quite hurtful if we showed sympathy for his situation or laughed at his actions. … If that’s really Ha-min, then yes.”

“Everything changed overnight. It would be good to have less stress. If you think about the achievements he made, this level of hardship would not even be considered… . No matter what, I can’t get used to it.”

The difference between the muscular giant with red hair weighing over 190 and the delicate blonde girl who went back and forth between 150 and up was very different. So far, I was able to recall my previous self while talking to Ha-min, but the president of the association was not sure how much longer it would be possible.

“It wasn’t my intention, but I looked gaunt due to the many scars on my face and body. The combination of his appearance and his aggressive words and actions causes people to object, and the guy gets excited and goes wild, and the opposition grows… . It was a vicious and annoying cycle, but I hope it gets better this time.”

“That’s really true. By the way, did you bring the documents?”

“Here you go.”

The president of the association received the documents from Changhyuk, scanned them thoroughly, and made approval with familiar movements.

The school that the ‘main character’ attends is a prestigious school that competes for the best among hero training institutions. Of course, the entrance exam was very fierce, and the battle beneath the surface to overcome it and somehow make a difference was also fierce. It was not a place that even the president of the Hero Association could jump into in one day.

Nevertheless, the reason why Army was able to suddenly transfer was simple. This is because the Hero Association has been preparing for it for a long time.

“Originally, it was a preparation for when the ‘Dragon Girl’ woke up, but I’m glad it didn’t turn out to be useless.”

“There is nothing more vain than wasting money.”

Payment didn’t take long. Next, the original purpose of the two’s meeting was the exchange of information that should not have been left in the form of a report.

Lee Chang-hyuk, head of the Hero Association’s Information Department. On the surface, they were collecting information about monsters and various other-dimensional beings, but it was a public fact that they were also holding on to other information. It took a considerable amount of time for the business-like conversation between the two to come to an end.

A moment after each other fell silent as they tried to organize their stories. It was Lee Chang-hyuk who opened his mouth first.

“So to what extent were you sincere?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“This is what I told Ha-min.”

Although the words came out as if nothing had happened, the president of the association felt that Lee Chang-hyuk was paying the most attention during the conversation today. The president of the association answered with a bitter smile.

“I didn’t really mean to lie.”

“Do you really believe that is Ha-min?”

“‘That’. Is it okay to call a friend like that?”

Tsk tsk. Lee Chang-hyuk glared sharply at the association president, who clicked his tongue. Of course, the president of the association was not one to flinch from that look in his eyes.

“It was a joke, so don’t look at it like that. Yes, you must be anxious too. Whether that is really ‘Kim Ha-min’ is something that no one here can guarantee. But I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

“… How can you be so sure?”

“It’s just a joke. Just guessing.”

The mission given to Kwon Seong by the president of the association was something of a whim. Even if there is a story, the person publicly insulted the deceased, so it needs to be punished in its own way. From there, he chose a suitable mission and sent him to rest. The result was quite the opposite.

It would be impossible to fertilize the soul of a being of Gwonseong level without years of research and brainwashing. The association president’s opinion was that it was unreasonable to assume that such preparations had been made in a place where Ha-min suddenly arrived.

“The opponent is Genesis. It’s not strange if they have some technology that we don’t know about.”

“I think there is a degree to that, but let’s just say that for now. The second is the issue of efficiency. How did you feel about seeing Ha-min in person?”

Although he did not mention it directly, Changhyuk could tell what the president of the association was talking about. Unlike the president of the association, Changhyuk was an awakened person, and a very strong one at that. I could tell Ami’s condition as soon as I saw her.

Twisted magical power that seems to be trapped in the body and the soul cannot function properly. Changhyuk expressed it in one word.

“… I felt weak. To a terrible extent.”

“Okay. I’m not sure, but the researchers’ story was similar. Kim Ha-min is not in a state where he can do anything right now.”

Kuuk. Changhyuk bit his lip at the resolute decision.

His friend was strong. Although they are grouped together for convenience, they cannot be compared to any foreign hero, let alone the other three Korean heroes. Changhyuk did not like the fact that his friend was in such a shabby state.

Aside from the camaraderie I felt for my friend, it was a feeling like seeing a ruined masterpiece. It may be that they don’t want to admit that something that was damaged was once a brilliant masterpiece, so they don’t let go of their excessive suspicion.

Indeed, it was so disrespectful to my fallen friend that I didn’t think much about it.

“Hmm. I’ve known him for quite a while, but nothing compares to you. I can’t help but think about something. However, I hope you will be considerate of ‘her’ as well.”

“… There is no need for the president of the association to say anything.”

“Oh my, are you angry? Hehehe. I’m sorry.”

It’s been a long time since everything we needed to talk about was done. Changhyuk left the association president’s office with a troubled expression.

The chairman, who was left behind, smiled mischievously as he remembered the rarely seen expression of a competent manager before starting his next task.

*****