58. Sugar Dating with the Principal? The Unexpected Person We Spotted Tailng Ivy
I immediately called out to Ja-an.
“Ja-an, isn't that….”
“Shh. I can hear you.”
We were at least fifty meters away from the abandoned building's third floor where Ivy was.
That distance, and he can hear us?
Even with A-rank Stamina, that'd be impossible.
Wait, if his Stamina is A-rank and he reinforces it with his ability?
It makes sense... but that'd put him on the level of an active A-rank hero.
The idea of an active A-rank hero having a secret rendezvous with Ivy in some rundown building was bizarre just to imagine.
No, more precisely, my imagination kept veering into weird territory.
We might end up uncovering something even more disgusting than Ivy using drugs!
If Ja-an sees them doing that...!
No way. On my name as Han Ye-seo, the ultimate shipper of their pure love, I won't let that happen!
I clamped my mouth shut and waited for Ivy's next move.
The next moment, someone appeared at the top of the stairs.
“That's…?!”
Ja-an clamped both hands over my mouth. My breath got blocked too, so I smacked his hand away. Only then did he realize and pull his hand back.
More importantly, the Principal? The headmaster? Whatever—he's a total bigwig!
Why the hell would someone like that meet up with Ivy?
Thinking about it again, an abandoned building sure as hell wasn't date material. At his age, he probably didn't even have a sex drive anymore….
Even if he did, isn't he too old to do anything about it…?
Not that I'm an expert—just going off books and the internet!
Ja-an was staring super intently, probably trying to read their lip movements.
But it looked like Ivy and the Principal had noticed the tail too.
Black letters wrapped around them both, and they vanished from sight completely.
It looked like swarms of tiny bugs crawling everywhere—made my stomach turn a bit.
An ability? Doesn't seem like Ivy's.
Then it had to be the Principal's. First time seeing it! Kinda cool!
I shook my head to snap out of it.
What we needed to figure out right now was why Ivy and the Principal were having a secret meeting.
Ja-an's hunch was that Ivy might be using drugs, and he said he had evidence.
Just couldn't tell me about it.
I trust him.
Ja-an wasn't the type to lie. I could tell from his eyes, his actions—it wasn't a lie.
I'd already confirmed it back at the cafe before we came here.
It was true there were some shady things about Ivy's behavior and habits that made me suspicious, and yeah, I wanted to check it out a little.
But the academy Principal supplying drugs? That doesn't add up.
I won't deny a high-up guy like him, a retired hero, could get PTSD meds or narcotics anytime he wanted.
But… I trusted him.
There was the trust he'd built on the front lines over the years, the trust he'd shown at the academy.
It was hard to imagine a hero who'd devoted his whole life to humanity selling drugs to trainees—his own students.
He knew the fallout better than anyone.
He knew how it ends for people who touch that stuff.
But… what if it's true?
What if the Principal really was giving Ivy drugs? What if Ja-an's suspicions were spot-on, and that scene was a drug deal?
I… might not be able to forgive that.
“...Go transparent.”
Ja-an signaled in a tiny whisper.
I activated my ability right away, blanketing Ja-an in black shadow.
Still covered in shadow, he added one more thing.
“Someone else around besides us.”
Gulp. I swallowed hard and ramped up my ability's precision.
Shadow and light. Blend perfectly into the scenery.
Couldn't replicate colors perfectly, but even an A-rank hero couldn't distinguish us from over fifty meters away.
We waited like that for a good while until Ivy and the Principal popped out of the black sphere.
More like the black sphere suddenly vanished.
The black letters all sucked into the Principal's ear.
...Both look pissed off.
Their expressions were totally different going in and coming out.
Ivy's face was full of disgust, her ears twitching like she was stressed—one of her little habits.
She doesn't even realize she does it.
Cute habit.
I turned my gaze to the Principal.
He looked like he'd just raised his voice or yelled—veins popping clear as day around his neck.
Skin a bit flushed too.
A fight?
The academy Principal yelling at a trainee, or vice versa? Hard to picture.
I released my ability and tapped Ja-an's shoulder.
I was uneasy.
Ja-an nodded.
No more info to squeeze out of this.
We both figured that much.
Suspicions were piling up, and now there was one more suspect.
But this doesn't feel drug-related.
Ja-an's suspicion was real, and so was what we just saw.
So… what was the truth?
I wracked my tiny brain, but no answers came easy.
A bit farther from the abandoned building, Ja-an and I finally relaxed enough to talk.
I spoke first.
“What the hell was that?”
“...Dunno.”
“You called me 'cause you knew, right?”
“'Cause you trust me. So I'll trust you too.”
Ja-an hardened his expression like he'd made up his mind.
Mutual trust, huh? If he'd said that to Ivy, they'd be planning kids by now.
This guy's denser than I thought.
Ja-an spoke up.
“Ivy's used drugs before. That's for sure. But I don't know if she's still using.”
“...You talk like you saw it yourself. What, childhood friends or something?”
“No. Can't say right now.”
Frustrating.
He'd either seen some article or photo, or witnessed it with his own eyes.
One or the other.
Telling me would drag me into the fallout?
Ja-an hated inconveniencing others. If it only bugged him, he'd deal alone.
If it wasn't absolutely necessary, he wouldn't tell me.
Meaning, revealing the source could put me in danger too. He didn't want to share the risk.
In that case….
Probably got the info from the government, some higher-ups, or academy connections.
He was certain Ivy had used drugs in the past.
If it was before the academy, then probably….
The facility.
My guess was probably spot-on.
The facility where Ivy was raised was a super special place—they used drugs there. He got related info from there somehow….
Asked a hero on the front lines for help?
Our only 'connections' as students were front-line heroes.
A method only front-line veterans could pull off—and ironically, both Ja-an and I had been there.
Why Ja-an dug into Ivy's past….
This guy's more underhanded than I thought.
The thought flashed through my mind.
Ja-an ignored my stare and kept going.
“I knew about her ability too.”
“How?”
“Can't say.”
“I kinda guessed. The facility, right?”
Ja-an shut his mouth.
I notice it every time, but this guy sucks at hiding his expressions. Same reason he can't lie.
Honestly, I was half-doubting until I saw that look, but now I'm sure my guesses were all right.
Conviction settled in.
“…….”
“It's fine if you don't tell me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I trust you.”
I flashed a grin as I said it.
Ja-an replied.
“Thanks.”
“See? Aren't I cool?!”
“...?”
“You can't fall for me?”
“Won't happen.”
Tch. Kinda pissed me off, but whatever—relief first.
A guy that easy wouldn't be my type anyway.
Ivy, just one thing: I'm jealous!
I spoke up.
“So, what's the plan now?”
“...Not sure.”
“Wanna raid Ivy's dorm first?”
“That… might work.”
He's lost it. That was a joke.
“Kidding.”
“No, seriously, it might be good.”
“Hey!”
“Sorry.”
“Let's list out Ivy's weird recent behaviors first.”
If Ivy's using drugs, we stop it.
If she's being blackmailed or used by someone, we stop that too.
That's what friends do.
Meddling with strangers is nosy, but with friends, it's loyalty.
That's a normal relationship.
The plain, ordinary kind too many people have forgotten for too long.
Ja-an stayed quiet a long time before dropping one word.
“...Convenience store.”
“Convenience store?”
“Bought a lighter. Doesn't smoke….”
Something to light.
“You don't think…?”
“Dorm. Let's check it out.”
Ja-an's eyes said it.
This is serious. I hesitated a sec.
Is breaking into a friend's dorm to help her really okay?
...But it'll be fun for sure!
We were about to head to Ivy's dorm.
That's when something weird caught my eye at the abandoned building.
Ivy was staggering. She collapsed to her knees. Got back up, headed for the stairs, then suddenly crumpled.
Ja-an and I locked eyes.
“...This is.”
I nodded.
We bolted straight for Ivy.