ch 10
Became a Swordsmanship Instructor at the Academy
Chapter 10
Actually, I Was a Member of an Evil Organization?
"Choi Seo-ra?"
"You finally recognized me? Well, I guess I look quite different from when you saw me before. I dress like this at school because I'm a teacher now."
To think that Seo-ra, the only junior saved in Kang Shin-hyeok's phone besides the guild, was this Choi Seo-ra....
Choi Seo-ra was someone he knew even without Kang Shin-hyeok's memories.
She was originally a middle school physical arts instructor who gets transferred to the high school division when the protagonist enters, becoming his homeroom teacher.
Moreover, Choi Seo-ra isn't just a supporting character who serves as a homeroom teacher. She's a member of the international criminal organization called 'Antagonist' that appears in the middle of the second volume.
Most people shorten it to 'Antas,' a terrifying group that attacks and kills hunters while claiming to promote 'anti-hunterism.'
Every country and the International Hunter Federation have designated them as a terrorist organization and are desperately trying to catch them, but they're so elusive and thoroughly organized into cells that there's been almost no progress according to the setting.
HAAH... How could this be happening?
"Senior, why are you making that face? I told you this place is fine."
According to the memory that just came to mind when I heard Seo-ra's name, I'm also a member of Antas.
This is too shocking.
I didn't thoroughly analyze everything with that intention, but I read through to the end with focus, and I don't remember seeing any content about Kang Shin-hyeok being a member of Antas.
Wait a second, could it be that?
After finishing the novel, I saw an author interview mentioning work on a side story.
They said many settings that weren't revealed in the original work would be disclosed, so look forward to it.
HAAH... This is driving me crazy.
New memories are coming to me in real-time.
I thought he had always worked alone in the guild, but according to the memory that just came up, he had a colleague in the beginning.
Someone who is no longer in this world....
Two years ago, while hunting with a colleague at Gwanak Mountain Portal as usual and coming down, monsters suddenly poured out in huge numbers.
He immediately requested support from the guild, but there were accidents with other teams at the time, and they couldn't receive any help.
In the end, Kang Shin-hyeok survived, but his colleague died.
His colleague's name was Kim Changsu, three years older than Kang Shin-hyeok, and they were quite close.
They had known each other since childhood from the same orphanage, and Shin-hyeok joined the guild through Changsu's introduction.
The guild said they didn't have the capacity to provide support because other places were in chaos.
They made excuses saying that monsters had also escaped into the city, so they had to sacrifice the few for the many, but in the end, it was a faction issue.
Both Kang Shin-hyeok and Changsu were from non-hunter schools, so they weren't treated well in the guild.
After learning the real cause and feeling disillusioned with the guild, Kang Shin-hyeok applied for an overseas assignment.
After completing a year-long assignment in China and returning, he was considering leaving the guild when Choi Seo-ra, whom he had been in contact with as a graduating intern, invited him to join Antas.
So this girl is the culprit who enticed me to join a criminal organization.
"Why do you look so surprised? I'm the one who should be surprised."
Wouldn't you be surprised if you were in my shoes?
Just when I thought spring was finally coming, to find out I'm a member of a criminal organization—it's truly maddening.
"Uh? W-what?"
"When you said you were quitting the guild to come to the school, I thought it would take at least two years. I know your skills, but getting appointed to a hunter school is so difficult."
"Is... Is that so?"
Kang Shin-hyeok got in on his first try though.
"You're so bland. How's school life? Is it manageable?"
"Uh? Well, it's just okay."
"With your personality, it must have been difficult to adapt... Have you made any friends?"
I wanted to say that I was trying to, but you've ruined everything, but I barely held it back.
"No...."
"I thought so. Don't tell me you're eating alone too?"
"Well... I am. It's still the beginning of the semester, and it hasn't even been a month yet."
"It's almost been a month, and people who were going to become friends have already become friends by now. There should be teacher clubs in the high school division too. Why don't you try joining one of those?"
What clubs are you talking about when I can't even leave work on time?
I heard explanations about such things, but adapting to the job was the priority.
"I'm busy trying to adapt."
"How busy can you be? Come to think of it, why haven't you contacted me at all this time?"
I was busy looking for Giyeon, and I didn't save the numbers in the phone myself.
It's the only saved number, so it must be someone you're close with, but I didn't want to risk contacting first and making a mistake in conversation that could be troublesome.
If I had known these circumstances existed, I would have prepared in advance....
"Sorry. I've been distracted."
"It's okay. You must have had your reasons. By the way, did you stop the donation?"
When I hear the word donation, another memory comes up... Oh god.
Kang Shin-hyeok, this guy is definitely out of his mind.
After joining Antas, he had been sending half of his income to Choi Seo-ra as a donation for Antas.
It's not even mandatory to donate when you join Antas, it's voluntary to give if you want to or not if you don't, but is this guy a sucker?
"Ah, that... I was planning to stop the donations now."
"Well, you've been giving a lot all this time. It's not mandatory anyway. Besides, even if you say you don't have other expenses, a teacher's salary isn't much."
I was worried about what to say if she asked me to continue donating, but thankfully she's being understanding and even making excuses for me.
"That's... Right."
"Why are you stammering unlike yourself?"
"Ah, that's...."
"Are you feeling bad about cutting off the donation? As I said last time, Antas never forces donations, so it's fine."
Ugh, Kang Shin-hyeok, you sucker.
My blood is boiling.
"Yeah."
"The organization knows your situation perfectly well, so don't worry. If anything, your evaluation probably went up since you passed the school recruitment in one try."
Wait a second. Then the school is also... Another memory surfaced.
The reason Kang Shin-hyeok took the hunter school appointment exam in the first place was because of Choi Seo-ra.
When he told Seo-ra he wanted to quit the guild, she suggested coming to the hunter school to help with her mission, and that's how he ended up here.
He's completely a puppet.
By the way, as for the mission content, it must be that, right?
Usually, in academy stories, the purpose of criminal organizations hiding in schools is terrorism.
But although Antas is a criminal organization that antagonizes hunters and even kills them, they don't kill without reason.
Their bylaws also state that hunter school students, who aren't official hunters yet, shouldn't be touched except in special circumstances.
Choi Seo-ra's role is to recruit promising pre-hunters into Antas as a recruiter.
This is something I know from reading the novel, not from Kang Shin-hyeok's memories, but it seems she hasn't informed Kang Shin-hyeok of his mission yet.
"Hey. So what am I supposed to do from now on?"
"For the time being, just focus on adapting to school life. Make some friends too."
"I'll do that on my own, but can't you tell me at least roughly what I'll be doing? I need to know to make plans."
"This isn't something that happens in a short period, and you're the only one in the high school division, so it's fine. If I need your help, I'll contact... Actually, let's meet regularly. We can meet here."
"Huh?"
"It's better to talk in person than through communications that leave records. Is this your first time here?"
"No. I come here almost every day after work when I don't have anything else to do..."
Lately, I couldn't come because of frequent drinking gatherings, but usually, I exercise here for an hour or two every day.
"Every day? That's so like you. I come occasionally, but there's never anyone here when I do."
"Still, sometimes there are one or two people on weekends."
"Will you improve by training a little bit on weekends? This place was built with our blood-like tax money. Anyway, you said you come every day, so we just need to set a time."
"Are you planning to come every day too?"
If that's the case, I'm thinking of giving up training for a while.
"No way. I have my personal life and work to do... Too often wouldn't be good, but once a month should be fine. How about 9 PM on the last Tuesday of every month?"
"The last Tuesday of the month?"
"There are hardly any company dinners on Tuesdays. And if you have a dinner or something else, you might not be able to come either. So, see you often."
I had many more things I wanted to ask, but Choi Seo-ra left the training hall after those words.
***
I returned to my quarters earlier than usual because I was bothered by the fact that Kang Shin-hyeok was a member of Antas.
After washing up and lying in bed, sleep wouldn't come, so I opened my notebook.
This is the notebook where I jotted down the original story as much as I could remember on my first day in this world.
I read it thoroughly again, but there was indeed no mention of Kang Shin-hyeok being a member of Antas anywhere.
Should I just give up everything and run away right now?
If I write a resignation letter and hide somewhere in the countryside... That would be meaningless.
No, it might be even more dangerous.
The reason he quit guild work and came to the school was because of Seo-ra's suggestion, who is an Antas member.
What if I suddenly quit?
Antas wouldn't leave me alone.
And it's not just Antas that's a problem.
The possessed protagonist would also think it strange if I disappeared, unlike in the original story.
If by any chance, a connection to Antas is detected in that process, my life would be over that day.
I considered revealing to the protagonist that I'm also possessed like him, but that won't work.
The possessed protagonist is a typical web novel protagonist of these days.
The recent protagonist trend is, to put it nicely, someone faithful to their desires, but seen differently, they're no different from self-centered trash people.
Of course, if such a person existed around me in real life, I'd cut them off a hundred times out of a hundred, but novels are different.
The biggest reason people read web novels is for vicarious satisfaction.
Unlike reality, which is tough and requires a lot of consideration and thought, novel protagonists are not indecisive; they plow through decisively and handle everything themselves.
Considering such a protagonist's personality, revealing that I've been possessed is certainly not a good choice.
He might even say it's a good thing and send me away, associating me with Antas.
A protagonist with strong possessiveness wouldn't look kindly on me, someone who knows the future besides himself.
In the end, I have to solve this alone...
HAAH.
I can't help but sigh at this overwhelming situation.
Well, what else can I do?
There's an old saying that even if you enter a tiger's den, you can survive if you stay alert.
Realistically, a tiger wouldn't spare you just because you're alert, but if you don't want to die, you should at least struggle.
It's not my mess but Kang Shin-hyeok's that he made generously, but since I've become Kang Shin-hyeok, I have no choice but to clean it up.
***
"You said we'd meet on the last Tuesday of every month, so why are you contacting me after just three days?"
"I have something to say."
I've prepared in my own way over the past three days.
"What is it?"
"Can I quit Antas?"
Choi Seo-ra's expression changed instantly.
I expected it, but it feels like a bitter north wind is sweeping through.
"What are your intentions in saying such a thing?"
Despite feeling a bit intimidated by the completely different cold tone from just a moment ago, given Antas's emphasis on security, if I were to know about Choi Seo-ra's mission as well, it would be harder to get out afterward.
"The reason I joined Antas was because of discrimination against those from non-hunter schools. But now..."
"Do you think hunters will recognize you just because you won one duel?"
She seems quite upset, cutting off my words and snapping at me.