episode_0039

“Uh, uh… Inspector Iharu, you can’t barge in!”

The host’s urgent voice echoed throughout the room.

And the safety personnel who were originally deployed rush to remove me, the risk factor.

Oh, I see… Well, I guess they wouldn’t have conducted the examination without a safety officer.

“Let’s go.”

Two security guards grabbed my arms and dragged me away.

In the first place, I didn’t even have the energy to walk on my own feet. Maybe it was because I was relaxed or because of the strange feeling I had earlier, but I couldn’t move my body the way I wanted.

“I like the righteous personality, but I’m worried that he’ll get in trouble someday.”

As I returned to my seat with the help of the security guard, Justice looked at me with a bitter smile.

“… Sorry.”

Come to think of it, Justice was right next to me.

The shame came belatedly. If it had been a truly dangerous situation, Justice would have been the first to step forward.

“Ahem, then let’s proceed with the review.”

The host announced the resumption of judging, and Tachibana, who had been standing there blankly, finally started to move.

A red stream of blood extends from a pure white hand. The drops of blood that float in the air in liquid form eventually form into some kind of shape.

Sickle.

In an instant, Tachibana was holding a large scythe the size of his body in his hand.

“It’s unfair. I’ll hear people say it was an unfair game.”

“Me, because of me… .”

“I don’t care if you get called by the branch manager.”

Justice made a playful joke, and I made a sad face.

Tachibana’s change was caused by me running away. I wondered if it had something to do with the strange state of my body that had suddenly appeared, so I rubbed the back of my neck, and a faint trace of blood appeared on my palm.

Blood from Tachibana’s hand. It’s probably not unrelated.

“Don’t worry too much. The judges’ eyes aren’t slits. They’ll take that into account when evaluating.”

“Then I feel so sorry for the participants… .”

Justice’s warm comfort touched my heart. On the other hand, a cold tension hung in the examination room.

“No, if you weren’t there, Tachibana Serika wouldn’t have been able to do the judging itself. If that had happened, then naturally, it would have been difficult for Park Han Na to receive a proper evaluation. However, the lack of preparation was clearly a factor in lowering points… .”

Justice’s pen is busy. I also wrote that it was a huge mistake not to prepare the elements necessary for the manifestation of abilities like Justice.

There are some heroes who need a medium due to their ability or psychological factors. If this had been a real situation, Tachibana would have definitely lost his life.

As I was adding content to the overall review, the two participants finally started to come together.

Tachibana swung the scythe, which seemed too heavy to even lift, with great skill. It was a sight you wouldn’t expect from someone who received a C- in the strength evaluation. It was as if he was swinging wooden chopsticks.

On the other hand, Park Hanna was struggling to block Tachibana’s fierce attacks. Park Hanna raised her guard with both arms, strengthened from the elbows to the fingertips. Every time the scythes clashed, a strong metallic sound rang out, and Park Hanna stepped back.

Beep─

And soon after, the final whistle blew.

“Participant #25. Participant #26. Thank you all for your hard work.”

Park Han-na was pushed out of the competition area located in the middle of the testing room. Park Han-na looked down at the floor with a bewildered expression, then her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head toward the examiner’s seat.

Tachibana confronted Park Han-na’s abilities head-on and won, relentlessly pushing forward without any tricks.

Although the lack of preparation was regrettable, there was no doubt about his ability.

From a layperson’s perspective, it seemed comparable to the future. Of course, this only applies to ability.

Thorough preparation, cuteness, and the cool and wonderful appearance that is shown from time to time. Well, those things are incomparable.

Overall: Given the nature of the large scythe weapon, it seems very suitable for dealing with demons. However, preparation is needed for the ability to be unleashed, and the lack of preparation is evident. If you can just cultivate the mindset of a hero, you can expect it to be a great force. Reevaluation after training is required.

The last one was written with Tachibana in mind as an academy student.

If you finish the basic training at the academy right now and take the exam again, you will definitely get good grades in the evaluations other than the written and practical tests.

The practical test scores were given to both Serika Tachibana and Han-na Park as B-.

Tachibana had a feeling that he had gained an advantage due to the variable, and although Park Han-na’s movements were slow, she withstood Tachibana’s attacks without a single scratch.

Their roles were different from the beginning. Park Han-na would be a little better at holding on and protecting.

“Then, contestant number 27. Contestant number 28. Please come in.”

As soon as I finish writing, the next contestant comes in. Halfway there. I wonder if I can hold out with the stamina and concentration.

* * *

“Thank you for your hard work.”

After the lengthy evaluation, I headed out of the judges’ booth and said hello to Justice.

“You’ve had a hard time too… … .”

“I didn’t know Haru was such a hot person. This girl was so impressed!”

A woman who interrupts Justice’s words. She has blazing red hair and is once known as Justice’s rival, Blaze.

So you might ask, why would Blaze interrupt Justice, the hero of heroes, but wouldn’t it be different if she were Justice’s wife?

Yes. The two people who gave Stella a ray of hope with their equal skills, secretly developed feelings for each other while going through countless battlefields together, and eventually, shocking many, admitted to being in a relationship.

Although there is some of my own bias in the middle, the content is generally accurate.

From rivals to couple. It’s a love story that makes your heart flutter just by hearing it.

So Blaze has announced her temporary retirement due to the effects of childbirth and childcare, and is now training new heroes at the guild. Our future also owes her a week.

“It’s hot… It’s a nuisance, haha… .”

Even if it passed without any major incidents, the examiners will all remember it. Thinking about that makes me feel depressed. I’m sure I’ll get scolded a lot by the branch manager…

“Why is he like this? Did you notice?”

“Don’t give me any clues… .”

“I see you’re grumbling like an old fart again. I told you not to do that, didn’t I?”

Even though he terrifies the devil with his blond hair fluttering, he becomes a docile lamb in front of his wife. His firm abs become useless as his fingers pinch his sides, and a small pain takes over his usually stern face.

“Oh, no! Justice comforted me! Don’t worry, I’m in great shape!”

I waved my hand in a hurry to clear up the misunderstanding. I wondered if it would be okay to say that I was energetic in front of two people who were entering middle age, but for now, my priority was to reduce Justice’s suffering.

“Oh my, you’re so kind. If my husband starts nagging again, tell me, sister. Really?”

“Yes, yes… Thank you for your concern.”

Only then was Blaze’s suspicions dispelled, and Justice was able to be freed. It felt like he had been pinched for more than a minute, but he didn’t rub his side even once. He was truly a hero among heroes, a man among men. You couldn’t help but admire him.

* * *

“Mr. Haru, you’ve worked hard. Was it hard?”

“A little bit… . But I guess it’s okay to this extent.”

When I returned to my seat, the other employees had already finished preparing to leave work. In fact, I guess I should consider my work time to be over. There was less than a minute left until I left work.

“… … .”

Tick, tick. The hands of the clock hanging in the lobby moved, and the staff sat there swaying their butts in silence.

“Thank you all for your hard work! Okay, let’s go!”

A minute that felt like eternity passed, and the employees rose up with a tidal wave of momentum. But why was the atmosphere more excited than usual?

“Today, we will have a company dinner to celebrate Mr. Lee Haru’s promotion, a farewell party, and my birthday party, Shin Ha-kyun’s!”

Why are there so many purposes for company dinners?

… But who is this dinner for?

“Yes, yes?”

“Mr. Haru, you can’t run away this time. I heard your younger sibling entered the academy too? Don’t you think you’ll understand if you go in a day late? And kids that age like to be alone. If you go home too often, you’ll be hated?”

While I was panicking, Im Seul-gi grabbed my arm. I tried to say something, but it was so noisy around me that I couldn’t hear it well.

“Oh, no. That promise… .”

“Did you hear that? I told you that my little brother needs some time alone too.”

This guy… has already decided that he has made a promise with the future.

She told her colleagues that Mirae was her youngest sibling. In the past, Mirae would always call her “Mom,” but as she got older, she would adjust to the situation, so she rarely got caught.

“I made a promise with a friend, not with the future… .”

“Hey, no matter how much I hate company dinners, that’s not right.”

“Oh, no, really… .”

Was life without friends this sad? As soon as the word friend was mentioned, consideration disappeared from Im Seul-gi’s eyes. These were eyes that thought it was a complete lie.

“Mr. Lee Haru, today is my Shin Ha-kyun birthday! It only comes once a year! On top of that, all the heroes who were gathering around Mr. Lee Haru have dispersed, so we’ve had a hard time, right? This is a company dinner, right? We should hurry up and go, right?”

It must have been hard. Maybe it was because it was a secret corner seat at the end, but there were a lot of heroes who only came to my seat.

No, then I’ve been working more than usual. I’m sorry I missed you today, but isn’t that too much?

“I’m really, really sorry. Today is the day my friend comes back for the first time in a year. So I have to hurry up and go to the airport. I have to pick up my younger sibling too… .”

People who have finished preparing to leave work gather one by one in the center. The lobby becomes chaotic in an instant. There are fewer and fewer holes to escape through.

“Oh my. Mr. Lee Haru, you keep getting left behind, I can’t forgive that Shin Ha-kyun anymore.”

“What if I can’t forgive you?”

Although Im Seul-gi mistakenly shot, Shin Ha-kyun quickly shook off his embarrassment and continued speaking.

“Ah, no, I’m not saying that you want to do anything. I’m just upset… This is it.”

“But it’s true that I’m still upset. When will I ever have a dinner with Mr. Haru?”

There is a total amount of rejection. In fact, I can’t drink and I’m uncomfortable with company dinners, so I’ve run away many times using the future as an excuse. Since it’s not a culture that forces company dinners, no one really said anything.

But not revealing it doesn’t mean it never happened. The rejections I’ve been receiving have been building up, and they’ve finally exploded today, when the slopes are stacked up.

“Ah, so… Then I’ll just go and see your face… If you send me a location… .”

Is this right? I didn’t feel like saying it. It’s not that I don’t like my coworkers. But I really wanted to welcome Hanna Yeon, who had come after a year.

But what can we do? If the best plan doesn’t work, we’ll have to try the second best plan.

“If you say so, then what… .”

Shin Ha-kyun’s momentum has died down.

The second best option I chose with tears in my eyes. There was still a corner of my heart that was uncomfortable.

“Hey, it’s mine.”

At that moment, someone grabbed my wrist from among the people.

A hand that is tightly gripped to the point of being slightly painful. A low, calm voice. A unique way of speaking that makes it difficult to understand the intention.

I could tell without even having to turn around to check.

“… Who is your sister?”

Also, the cold voice that followed was very familiar.