Heroes Are Those Who Overcome the Irrational (3)
Monday. The library was closed, so it was my day off. I could have lounged at home, flipping through a borrowed book and relaxing. But instead, I put on a suit and headed to the academy's main building.
Not to sightsee, but to check on my target.
The murmur of voices filled the air.
Crowds in similar uniforms streamed toward the auditorium. Capable of seating over two thousand, it was the venue for major academy events—and today, the entrance ceremony.
Normally, it would be just another routine affair. But this year would be markedly different.
"That person will show up during the instructor introductions, right?"
"Sigh... Snow White... I can't believe she's joining the faculty this year. I'm over the moon."
"Getting to hear a lecture from an S-grade, the strongest in ice magic... Ugh, skipping graduation last year was the best decision ever...!"
Whether participants or spectators, everyone buzzed with excitement over one woman.
Baek Seolhui. Snow White.
Waaaaah!
Just taking her seat inside the auditorium alongside the other faculty in her sharp suit drew roaring cheers from the crowd.
She looks awkward.
Baek Seolhui gave a light nod in response before settling into her chair with poised posture. She was used to cheers as a hero, but receiving them as a teacher clearly felt off.
Oh.
A familiar face ascended the stage.
"Ahem. Before we begin the entrance ceremony..."
Student council president Yoon Isun gripped the mic and started speaking. Normally, faculty would host, but with her exceptional skills, they'd likely handed her the reins for official events like this.
"The order of the ceremony is..."
As Yoon Isun outlined the schedule, a text pinged on my smartphone.
"......?"
It was Baek Seolhui. Of all people, Baek Seolhui asking me for help.
"Ahem, can you talk?"
I called her immediately, but it rang once and was declined.
"What the."
I wondered if she'd sent it on the sly, so I fired off a text.
"Ah."
Our messages crossed. Mine arrived just as I sent it—and hers probably did too.
Speech?
I looked up.
"The order of the ceremony is as follows..."
No mention of a speech from Baek Seolhui in Yoon Isun's rundown. Someone must have slipped it in on the spot—like, "Hey, shouldn't Snow White say a few words?"
Putting her in a tough spot.
Even class rep elections get a few minutes of prep. Springing an impromptu speech at a massive event like this—with press and live cameras rolling—was insane.
But [Snow White] had to do it.
"Hmm..."
For Baek Seolhui, this wasn't just awkward—it was panic-inducing. She wasn't one for public appearances outside official government gigs, and she wasn't a natural speaker. Impromptu speeches? Impossible. S-grade talent or not, she honed other skills through effort. Speeches weren't her forte.
"This is rich."
Me, ghostwriting Snow White's speech.
What to do.
I could ignore it, stall for time. If she bombed, the crowd would mock her, breeding disillusionment I could exploit to recruit her into the organization.
But.
Empathy stats are a bitch at times like this.
I couldn't watch it. Couldn't stomach her flubbing the speech and getting roasted. It'd be like me getting exposed naked post-transformation to jeers. And with her asking me for help—a woman in need—no way I could bail.
"She'll buy me dinner later if she's grateful."
Or when my identity drops, she'll think, Jihwan helped me with that speech. Stack enough favors, and it might save my skin if she catches me.
So.
I gripped my phone and hammered out the keys.
* * *
A short while later, as the ceremony neared its close.
"...And with that, I'd like to wrap up the entrance ceremony."
The president gestured behind him.
"But we can't let the newest addition to our faculty go without a word to the freshmen. Come on up, Snow White. Say a few words?"
Students and guests, weary of the president's drone, fixed their eyes on Snow White at the podium.
"...Yes."
As Baek Seolhui rose, camera shutters snapped like gunfire. Everyone zeroed in like she was at a press conference.
"Freshmen."
She glanced at her Taeguk Watch, then spoke softly.
"What do you think heroes fight against?"
The freshmen tilted their heads at the opening question.
"Villains abusing their powers? Those losing control of their abilities? Evil organizations lurking worldwide? Or extraterrestrials from another world, as some claim? Everyone has their view. But I say this."
Silence blanketed the auditorium.
"Heroes fight against irrationality."
Irrationality. The unexpected word—one far from the usual tropes—left heads scratching.
"As ability users, you'll face countless choices and trials. Moments where pursuing justice poisons you. Impulses driven by greed. The world will hurl irrationality at you in every form."
For example, sprinting toward the goal in a super Mario knockoff only to brain yourself on an invisible block, fall in a pit, and die.
She dressed it up as "irrationality" for gravitas, but in two words—
No job gets as much bullshit as hero.
Unjust hate. Aspiring heroes endure mental torment, and the world doesn't dish out fair trials. It hits with the incomprehensible: malicious comments, incitement, fabrications. Heroes must stand against it all.
"You'll face walls of irrationality. Smash through? Dodge? Sidestep and reset it? Your call. Use what you learn here at Sejong Academy to decide. Conform? Compromise? Fight?"
Sejong Island accelerated mana growth for ability users. Sejong Academy taught how to wield powers in society.
"In this era of real superpowers, Sejong Academy offers all you need. Powers, mana, abilities—included."
I'd told her:
"No matter who you become after graduating."
Baek Seolhui steadied her breath, a faint smile forming.
"I believe you'll overcome any irrationality blocking you. With what you've learned here, forge your world and future with your own strength."
Her words made me chuckle.
Plagiarized.
My casual movie-chat ramble, polished, from her lips.
Not bad.
Future. Yeah, future. No meteor dooming us. I'd fight every irrational force trying to end it all—with everything I had.
"Thank you."
Waaaaah!
The ceremony ended. A new year at the academy began.