Ch 101
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 101
Many people say that revenge is meaningless, that after you do it, only emptiness will remain.
But my thoughts... No, the reality was different.
While watching Bennett suffer, I didn't feel pity or emptiness at all.
Instead, I felt refreshed.
Perhaps the people who say such things are actually in situations where they can't get revenge, so they say those words.
Of course, I haven't killed her yet and right now I've just left her barely alive and loaded her in the trunk.
I'm not the one who was directly harmed.
As much as I'd like to kill her while causing maximum pain, the victim's wishes come first.
—You have arrived at your destination. Navigation guidance has ended.
Korea University Hospital. The place where Minha is.
I already know the room number.
I'm a bit worried.
Even though Minha is stupidly kind, I don't think she'll forgive Bennett.
However, there's a possibility she'll say to hand her over to the police.
Even if Minha wanted to kill her, I had no intention of letting her do it directly.
Besides, even if we hand her over to the police, Bennett will still die.
If she became an Antas executive, the crimes she's committed so far wouldn't be just one or two.
In fact, just for what she did in Korea, the death penalty would probably be sufficient.
Even in the original work, Choi Seo-ra, who was blocked by the protagonist and couldn't even execute the terror attack and only planned it, received life imprisonment without parole.
But I don't want her to face legal judgment.
If Minha refuses to kill her, I'm thinking of asking Minha's parents again.
Since they were the ones who grabbed my collar when they first saw Minha, they wouldn't say to spare her.
Unlike Minha, if the parents want it, I'm willing to allow some degree of direct torture.
But I don't intend to leave it entirely to them.
It's enough for just me alone to get blood on my hands.
[Patient Park Minha]
While thinking, I had already arrived in front of the hospital room.
I was about to knock and enter, but the door opened first.
"Minha's homeroom teacher?"
It's Minha's father.
"Yes."
"Um, I was really rude yesterday."
"Not at all. If I were in your situation, I wouldn't have been much different. How is Minha doing?"
"She keeps saying she's fine, but... How could she be fine? She's just saying that because she's worried we'll worry...."
"...I'm sorry."
"No. Minha kept talking about it. That the teacher did nothing wrong. That you weren't even at the scene.... I'm sorry for taking my anger out on you when I didn't even know the full situation."
Seeing the father who was completely different from yesterday, I can guess what Minha said.
My heart feels heavy again.
That kid Minha, when she herself must be having the hardest time....
"It's late, but I came because I have something I must discuss with Minha. May I go in for a moment?"
"Of course. Minha seems to really look up to you, so she'll be happy to see you. Please go in. My wife is also inside. I'll be back soon too."
"Yes."
I gave a light bow to her father and opened the door.
"Dad, you already bought drinks... Teacher? How did you come at this hour?"
She looks brighter than I expected, but her tone is subtly higher than usual, so like her father said, she seems to be acting like she's okay.
"Minha's homeroom teacher?"
"I'm sorry for suddenly visiting at such a late hour. I wanted to have a talk with Minha...."
"Ah... Um, I was very rude yesterday."
"It's fine."
Her mother also seems to have calmed down a lot in just one day, which means Minha must have made an effort.
That kid Minha really....
"It's fine."
"But what did you want to talk about...?"
"Ah, that's something I want to discuss with Minha alone, could you step out for a moment...."
"Huh? I wanted to talk with the teacher too.... Mom, could you give us some space for a bit?"
Although she looked somewhat displeased, since Minha also asked, her mother said okay and left the room.
"Teacher, can I talk first? I have so much to say."
"Uh...? Oh, sure."
"First of all, I said yesterday too that it wasn't the teacher's fault, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't make that expression."
"Th-that expression?"
"Right now you look exactly like a criminal who committed a grave sin. Watching you makes me feel depressed too, so could you cooperate a bit?"
"Sorry...."
"I'm also banning the word sorry. It makes me feel worse when I hear it."
"Ah... Sorry."
"Teacher, are you stupid?"
"Huh? Even so, calling your teacher stupid is a bit...."
"Yes. Please treat me like that."
"You don't have to pretend to be okay."
"I don't want to, you know? The internet also said that if you keep thinking you're okay, you'll become okay."
"..."
"You're making that depressed expression again. Teacher, this was my choice. Honestly, if I said I don't regret it, that would be a lie, but even if I went back to that time, I would make the same choice, so I hope you don't worry too much about it."
"...Alright."
"Could you smile a little? I think you look coolest when you're smiling, teacher."
"Don't say stupid things. How can I smile in this situation?"
"Still, isn't calling your injured student stupid a bit too much?"
I always thought she seemed playful on the outside but deep inside, but she's much more mature than I thought.
"Can I talk about my business now?"
I want to finish the conversation early since I don't know when her father and mother will come back.
"I still have more to say.... But since I said one thing, it's only fair that I listen to what you have to say too. But no depressing stories allowed."
"Actually, teacher didn't go to work today."
"What? Did you take another day off? Ah, the other kids are doing practicals anyway, so it doesn't matter."
"Teacher is chasing the criminal who did this to your arm. I got a lead, so if I'm lucky, I might be able to catch them within this week."
"Really? The news said they haven't found out anything yet...."
"I'm not cooperating with the police and chasing them personally."
"Oh, as expected of our teacher."
"It's not certain, but if teacher catches the criminal, I want to do whatever you want... What would you want me to do?"
"Whatever I want?"
"For reference, the criminal is likely an Antas executive."
"Antas? If it's an executive there, wouldn't it be dangerous for you to handle alone, teacher?"
"Teacher is an S-Rank Hunter. I'm not afraid of something like Antas at all."
"True. Whatever I want.... Um, teacher."
"Yeah?"
"If I asked you to kill them, would you kill them?"
I thought there was a higher chance she'd say to hand them over to the police given Minha's personality, but this is somewhat unexpected.
"Of course."
I wanted to add that I'd kill them in the most horrible and painful way in the world, but if I said that, I thought it would create aversion in Minha, so I held back.
"So when you said you'd take full responsibility when I was with my parents yesterday, this is what you meant. I thought you were going to marry me and got really excited."
"Uh... Huh?"
No, I never thought she'd interpret it that way....
This is too confusing.
"I'm joking. Even if my arm was fine, it would have been out of the question, let alone now...."
"What are you saying? What's wrong with you, Minha? Teacher would never think that way."
"Don't say things you don't mean. Even if you really meant it that way, I wouldn't marry you, teacher."
"Huh?"
I thought she liked me... Wasn't that the case?
"I think people would criticize us terribly, saying you married me because you had leverage over me. I may not look like it, but I'm the type who cares a lot about that kind of thing."
"Minha, you... You like teacher, don't you?"
"Yes. What woman wouldn't like such a cool person like you, teacher? It would be stranger if I didn't like you. Not just me, but many kids in our class... No, many people in the school like you a lot."
"..."
It's such a sudden confession that I don't know what to say.
How did the conversation flow this way....
"So when you catch the criminal, I'd like you to hand them over to the police."
"Huh? No, but earlier you...."
"Sorry, but that was me testing the waters. If it's an Antas executive anyway, they must have done many bad things besides this incident, so they'll get the death penalty in trial, right?"
"There's a high probability of that, but they might get something like life imprisonment."
"I think that's not bad either. After all, I'm still alive. Since they're going to die or suffer in prison for life anyway, I hate the idea of someone I like becoming a murderer because of me more."
Even though she's usually the type to be easily swayed by others, this time I really can't argue back.
She's thinking so maturely that I wonder if this is really the Minha I know.
"Still, since they caused a lot of trouble for me, my parents, and you too, teacher... I'll turn a blind eye to beating them up a lot before handing them over to the police, as long as they don't die. That's okay too, right?"
"Alright. I promise to hand them over to the police with just enough life left."
Actually, she is already in that state now, but I don't plan to hand her over right away.
I'll ask Teacher Kim to treat her first and then make her suffer a bit more.
"HIIK, just enough life left?"
"What are you surprised about? You're the one who asked me to beat them up as long as they don't die."
"But you said it so seriously that it was a bit scary.... Anyway, so now it's my turn again, right?"
"Mm, teacher also has one more thing to say...."
"Please follow the order."
"Alright. What do you want to talk about?"
"I was going to say this after being discharged, but I already confessed that I like you... I haven't told my parents yet, but I think it would be better to tell you a little earlier...."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm going to drop out as soon as I'm discharged."
"Drop out?"
"Being a Hunter is impossible with this arm."
"..."
"I looked into everything too. Since I was injured in a portal, I'll get a pension from the Hunter Association, and since I saved kids, I might even receive a merit award or something. And yesterday, the vice principal said the school would also provide compensation. If I combine everything, even if it's not as much as you make, teacher, wouldn't it be enough to live comfortably with my parents in the countryside with good air?"
She's thought about so much in just one day.
If I knew she was going to talk about this, I should have insisted on speaking first.
"So, now it's teacher's turn again, right?"
"What? Ah, that's true, but...."
My expression doesn't look good, and she seems a bit hurt that I'm not saying anything.
"First of all, I have no intention of allowing you to drop out."
"What?"
"Who decided to drop out on their own? Don't you know that to drop out of Hunter School, homeroom teacher consent is mandatory? I will never allow it."
"But...."
"You may have entered on your own, but leaving won't work that way."
"What's that supposed to mean.... I... I didn't say this lightly."
"Teacher feels the same way. I'm serious too."
"I told you earlier. I may not look like it, but I'm the type who cares a lot about what others think. In this state, I won't be able to properly keep up with classes...."
"So what? Teacher clearly said yesterday. I will take full, complete responsibility."
"You said that meant you'd catch the criminal."
"Our Minha seems to have misunderstood, but if that's what I meant, I would have said I'd catch the criminal, not that I'd take full responsibility."
"Then what do you mean? What, are you really going to marry me or something?"
"Marriage is a bit.... Well, it might be difficult right now, but I think it's not impossible after Minha graduates."
"Don't joke around when you don't even have feelings for me!"
"I'm not joking. Park Minha, don't you trust teacher?"
"It's not a matter of trust or not. Like I said before, I hate the idea of marriage out of pity."
"No, not marriage.... Sorry. Teacher was being too roundabout."
"If you trust teacher, won't you wait just until the first semester... No, just two months?"
"Two months? What will be different in two months?"
"Trust teacher. I'd like you to keep coming to school, but if it's difficult, it's okay to stay in the hospital."