Irena's Choice
The professor's office smelled faintly of aged paper and polished wood. Principal Lee Deoksu scratched at his thinning scalp, eyeing Irena with a mixture of amusement and concern.
"Lee Seonghyun, huh… Zero percent class attendance yet still managed to rank first and challenge the test. He's basically the male version of Lee Seongyul."
"Yes. Their personalities differ somewhat, but their appearances are practically identical."
"Hmm…" Lee Deoksu's eyes darkened as if lost in thought. "Well, I trust you'll handle it. Still, I'm worried you're seeing your dead disciple in him."
"I'm aware of that concern. Objectively speaking, Lee Seonghyun doesn't belong in E-rank. That's precisely why I altered the test format."
Lee Deoksu chuckled dryly. "I've known you for how many years now? You think I don't see that? This is just an old man's needless worry. I simply… didn't want you carrying around so much guilt over Seongyul. If you stay chained to that forever, she'd be sad too."
"Understood."
Her tone remained strictly professional from beginning to end. The only times Irena ever showed emotion were when Lee Seongyul's name came up. Knowing this well, Lee Deoksu didn't press further.
"Remember what I told you when you first took on a favorite disciple?"
"There is no parent who can win against their child. Is that what you mean?"
"Exactly. Since you already understand the meaning behind those words, I won't say more."
Lee Deoksu let out a few more chuckles before turning away. "I'll be going now. Your body's not in great shape either, so don't push yourself too hard during the test."
"It's not that bad yet…"
"That's something you say while you're still young. Take care of yourself. Good luck."
"Yes. I'll see you next time."
Lee Seongyul.
She had been the first disciple Irena took on after becoming a professor. A bright, cheerful kid. To Irena, who had been forced to quit being a hunter after an accident and had even contemplated suicide in the depths of depression, Seongyul had been a ray of hope.
'Professor! I'm here!'
The child who had pulled her out of the darkness after the accident, when depression had nearly consumed her. Irena had thought to herself, I should raise this child.
Watching Seongyul grow would surely help fill the gaping hole in her chest. On top of that, the girl possessed genuine talent. A genius. Heaven-sent talent. Combined with her stubbornness and inexplicable drive for self-improvement, her growth had been monstrous.
Irena had hoped she would build her foundation steadily and rise with care, but Seongyul had charged forward as if something were chasing her, eyes fixed only on the heights.
'Ah, Professor! I won't die, I won't! This kind of cheesy build is all the rage these days, you know?'
Rank-up focused growth that completely ignored fundamentals and theory. The result? She went missing inside a C-rank dungeon.
When Irena noticed her absence and rushed into the dungeon, what she found was a scene of pure despair and hell.
A belly swollen to the size of a mountain. Thick, dark semen dripping from between her legs. Seongyul had been tied to the wall, used as a breeding tool while carrying an ogre's child.
Irena could never forget that moment.
'Professor… please… kill me…'
The agony of having to end her disciple's life as those once-bright eyes had lost all light, barely able to draw breath.
After Seongyul's death, every professor assumed Irena would resign. But she had gritted her teeth and endured. She swore in front of the girl's memorial that she would never allow another case like Seongyul's to happen again.
Three years passed like that. Then the second Lee Seongyul appeared.
Distinct features, the way he carried himself, even his path so far. It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to call him her reincarnation.
Especially that time he got all worked up. I almost burst out laughing.
The way his true feelings spilled out whenever things didn't go his way. At one point she'd even wondered if they were siblings, but such a coincidence seemed impossible.
Whether Seonghyun was her brother or not, Irena's duty remained unchanged.
Never again…
I won't repeat the same mistake.
Irena was genuinely impressed.
Because an F-rank like Lee Seonghyun had blocked every single one of her attacks. Even though there had only been twenty of them, considering he was using a standard-issue sword for F-ranks…
He's a genius.
If Lee Seol and Han Yuri were the kind of geniuses born once every hundred years, then Lee Seonghyun belonged to an entirely different category. It wasn't that his unique skill or individual abilities were outstanding. Everything else about him was simply overwhelming.
From his combat sense to his situational judgment, he didn't seem like someone who had only just entered the academy.
If Lee Seol and Han Yuri's talents had belonged to Seonghyun instead…
Irena shook her head. Even as a hypothetical, it was far too unrealistic.
After all, Seonghyun still couldn't properly control Thunder God. It was like hanging a pearl necklace on a pig. A perfect mismatch.
She had tried to persuade him. To give up now. But the answer that came back was simple.
He seemed to have some goal. He looked desperate.
How can they be so alike?
Seongyul had been the same. Chased by time, running desperately until she met tragedy. Seeing him struggle so frantically hurt her heart, but her course of action remained the same.
Fifty hands shot forward. Seonghyun bared his teeth and blocked them. But he was clearly reaching his limit. Wounds began appearing all over his body. Even as those injuries grew closer to critical, he refused to give up.
At this point he had stopped trying to block properly. He was simply enduring.
"That idiot… what the hell is he doing! Hey! Just come down already!"
"Yeah, Seonghyun! Just give up!"
Despite his teammates' worried shouts, Seonghyun kept his eyes fixed solely on her as he withstood the assault.
Is this as far as it goes?
Looking at Seonghyun, who now seemed to be running on nothing but sheer willpower, Irena glanced at her watch. Roughly thirty seconds remained. The parallel lines were slowly converging toward a single point.
Right as she checked the time—
"Huh?"
"Yuri, look at that…!"
The two girls' voices rang out in shock. Irena quickly lifted her head.
"……"
Crackle!
Golden lightning. The Thunder God that had only been producing weak sparks moments ago now enveloped his entire body. Just like on the day he had used the Wishing Stone, lightning surged and roiled across Seonghyun's form.
The sight looked like it could fire off at any moment. Irena swallowed hard and raised her guard. Her senses were screaming in alarm.
Crackle.
The writhing lightning calmed. Seonghyun slowly raised his head. His eyes were unfocused. They weren't looking at this place at all. It was as if he were staring at some distant realm that didn't exist in this world.
And then those eyes finally locked onto Irena.
He's gone?!
At the same time, a vicious killing intent exploded from behind her. The speed completely surpassed human reaction time. She didn't have time to turn her head, so she swung her hand backward first, but—
"Ugh!"
A sharp pain struck her back before she could even finish the motion. Her vision flashed as if fireworks had gone off inside her skull. The blow was on a completely different level from any electric attack she'd ever received before.
She was sent flying backward and desperately tried to break her fall. When she looked back, she saw Seonghyun.
It was horrific. Every blood vessel in his body seemed to have burst. He was covered head to toe in blood. Yet despite that terrible agony, his trembling pupils remained fixed on her.
He was fighting desperately not to lose his mind to the pain.
"……"
Desperation. Urgency. The same emotions she had felt from Seongyul washed over her with painful clarity. At the same time, Seonghyun and Seongyul overlapped in her vision.
A teacher is a parent. Then naturally, their disciple is their child. It's good to guide a wayward child, but… sometimes giving in is also what a parent does.
The principal's words from earlier echoed in her mind.
Irena bit her lip, then let out a deep sigh.
Time Over. Test Result: Failure.
"……"
"You must have realized it too. Right before your attack landed, time had already run out."
"…Can't you give me just one more second? Are you really counting every single tick that strictly?"
A hollow, bitter smile. Clang. The sword, on the verge of shattering, fell to the floor.
"Ha. What a fucking life."
As soon as Seonghyun collapsed where he stood, Han Yuri and Choi Ahyeon came running.
"Ugh, you stubborn idiot."
"Seonghyun! Here's a potion!"
Even as they fussed over him, Seonghyun's expression refused to brighten. Looking at him, Irena spoke up, still questioning whether her choice was right.
"Do you truly want to stay in E-rank?"
"Whoa! The dorm is amazing! Isn't this basically brand new?!"
"Making such a fuss over this much…"
Han Yuri scolded Choi Ahyeon, who was excitedly running around inspecting everything. Yet even she couldn't hide the satisfied smile on her face.
The only one looking miserable here was me.
My life really is shit.
When I stayed sullen, Han Yuri let out a mocking laugh.
"Why don't you cheer up a bit? Getting private lessons from Professor Irena is something you can't buy with money."
"Then you take them instead."
"She's offering remedial classes because you're such a troll. What would be the point if I took them?"
Her sneer was dripping with satisfaction. She looked like a fish that had finally found water.
Do you truly want to stay in E-rank?
Irena's proposal had been simple. Instead of promoting him to E-rank immediately, he would have to attend all the theory classes and practicals he had skipped until now. Not all of them, but at least the essential ones. And after regular classes, there would be additional private lessons.
Is a professor even allowed to give private tutoring?
When I protested that our progress levels were too different, she said she would personally teach me. She even promised to make me her official disciple if I caught up properly later.
There's really no upside for her.
But in the end, I had no choice but to nod. Taking Irena's lessons in exchange for staying in E-rank was a cheap price to pay.
The honor students' dormitory. Three bedrooms, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. Compared to the old studio-like dorm, this place was practically a hotel.
"Kyaa~ The living room view is so nice~"
"This room is mine, so don't come in."
Han Yuri seemed to have taken a liking to the place and had already claimed a room. Choi Ahyeon had begun arranging interior decorations in the living room. Among them was the teddy bear I had given her. I thought she'd thrown it away since I hadn't seen it in the old dorm, but apparently not.
While watching her, my phone suddenly rang.
⊳ First time she's ever called me.
"Hello?"
"H-hello…?"
"Hello? Suyeon?"
"Yes… Hyun."
Her voice kept cutting out. I checked my phone, thinking the signal was bad. The reception bars were full. Strange. I walked into my room, and only then did her voice come through clearly.
"Can you hear me now?"
"Yes, yes. I can hear you. Is something wrong?"
"Um… well."
She seemed hesitant. Three seconds of silence followed.
Then Shin Suyeon's trembling voice came through the receiver.
"C-could you spare me a moment, please?"