Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 040
Chapter Title: Kang Ha-neul (1)
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Arriving in front of Professor Do So-young's research lab, a strange sense of anticipation swelled warmly in my chest.
Everyone I'd met so far, aside from Ryu Tae-hyun, had been people who didn't appear in the original story. In contrast, Do So-young was a regular character who showed up as a heroine in the original work, so it was only natural that I felt excited.
-Knock knock.
-Come in.
With my heart buoyed by anticipation, I knocked on the door, and soon a calm voice responded from inside.
As I opened the door and stepped in, I saw bookshelves lined with all sorts of volumes on both sides, a small table placed in the center, and Do So-young standing nearby, holding an electric kettle and looking my way.
Her light brown hair and green eyes. Her wavy locks were neatly tied back and draped over one shoulder, while her tailored suit clung to her like a second skin, accentuating her elegant figure.
Those features matched the illustrations I'd seen from the original world perfectly, but of course, there was a difference between a 2D drawing and her real face. Still, for some reason, I recognized her as Do So-young at a glance. Maybe it was because the face was so familiar even from just the illustrations. It was my first time seeing her this close up, yet an odd sense of familiarity washed over me.
Behind me, Chae So-yeon entered a bit late and shot her hand up with a shout.
"Hello!"
"Yes. Hello?"
Even at Chae So-yeon's loud greeting, Do So-young didn't flinch, merely offering a faint smile. She gestured toward the table with her palm, as if inviting us to sit.
"You're from the Academy Security Force, right? Make yourselves comfortable. If I had more time, I would've met you at a café somewhere, but I have materials to prepare for my next lecture."
"No, Professor, we're just grateful you're making time for us."
"You don't need to be so formal. I'm just an assistant professor in my second year, after all."
"Got it! Then I'll relax!"
Chae So-yeon grinned and took a seat. Even she seemed thrown off by the attitude, her expression flickering in surprise for a moment. But soon, a gentle smile returned to her face.
Steaming green tea was placed on the table, and Do So-young parted her lips softly.
"You wanted to hear about Kang Ha-neul, right?"
"Yes. We've grasped the general situation from the report you filed last time, but we wanted to hear directly from you, Professor."
"Sure. But before that, may I ask one question?"
I nodded, and Do So-young took a sip of her green tea before speaking.
"When I filed the report with Security, the student was out of contact, so that was fine. But she eventually showed up safe and sound and submitted her withdrawal application. So why is the Security Force still investigating her?"
Since the person in question had appeared unharmed, wasn't the incident closed? I shook my head at Do So-young's question.
"Up until she submitted the withdrawal form two days ago, she hadn't contacted her parents or anyone around her. And a student who got in with top grades suddenly shows up without attending even a single day to withdraw. There are just too many suspicious points."
"I agree with that. But once she withdraws, she's no longer a Green House student. So why is Security stepping in?"
"Until the withdrawal request is processed and finalized, she's still an academy student."
"You have a strong sense of duty."
A wry smile tugged at my lips at her words. They talked about looking out for students and all that, but it was just lip service. The real reason Min Chae-ryeong was investigating Kang Ha-neul's withdrawal and trying to stop it wasn't anything so upright.
"I understand Security's position. In that case, as her homeroom professor, I should cooperate fully."
"Thank you for your cooperation. Now, could you answer some questions from our side?"
"Of course."
"Thank you. First off, what exactly was the reason for Kang Ha-neul's withdrawal?"
"There's no specific reason at all. She said she had no intention of becoming a hunter. That she saw no future in it for herself."
No future. I tilted my head at that.
In the original story, Kang Ha-neul was a character who challenged Han Gyeoul and lost. But Han Gyeoul was the top first-year student and exceptionally talented, while Kang Ha-neul was objectively no weak superhuman. She was in the highest class among the freshmen of the nation's top academy, so if she became a hunter, she could at least make a name for herself as a solid one, if not a legendary hero.
'Is it because she's such a prideful character with a huge ego that she couldn't settle for her own level?'
I thought that for a moment but quickly shook my head. Kang Ha-neul only started doubting and getting pessimistic about her skills after sparring with Han Gyeoul. At this point in time, she should still have strong confidence in her abilities.
Yet here she was, talking about having no future without even losing to Han Gyeoul, and trying to withdraw from the academy.
"Did she maybe say she wanted a different job instead of hunter? Like police, military, or a private security firm...?"
"Not at all. In fact, if she aimed for something like that, there'd be no reason to withdraw. She'd benefit more from following Green House's related curriculum."
Not every superhuman becomes a monster-hunting hunter. Demand for superhumans' enhanced physical abilities and superpowers extended beyond hunters to public jobs like police, military, firefighters, and even private companies.
And Green House, despite its name as a Hunter Academy, provided systematic curricula for those other career paths too. Take Lee Young-han, the victim from the succubus incident last time—she was following the researcher track.
So if Kang Ha-neul had any plans for a job requiring superhuman abilities, there was no need to withdraw from the academy.
'Which means...'
"Could it be that Kang Ha-neul is trying to leave the superhuman world entirely?"
"That's what I think too. There are superhumans who want to live like ordinary people for various reasons."
"But isn't that a bit strange?"
Chae So-yeon, who had been quietly listening until now, finally spoke up.
"There are always students who drop out because they're not good enough, but Kang Ha-neul? She's in Class 1, right? That's not a level to be pessimistic about, and if she was intimidated by other students being better, she didn't even show up from day one. That means she planned to drop out even before that, but then why register in the first place? Final enrollment is mid-February for our academy."
"Huh?"
I looked at her in surprise at her surprisingly logical opinion.
"...What? Why are you staring like that?"
"No, just reevaluating you a bit. You do have a brain after all."
"...That doesn't sound like a compliment."
"Nope. It's sarcasm."
"..."
Chae So-yeon glared at me with resentful eyes. Avoiding her gaze, I turned to Do So-young, who was staring at her teacup deep in thought.
"...That's definitely odd. There was plenty of time between the acceptance notice and the final enrollment deadline..."
"Maybe she changed her mind between enrollment and the start of term."
"That's still just 2 or 3 weeks. What could change her mind in that time...? Ah!"
Do So-young let out an exclamation as if something had clicked.
"Did something come to mind?"
"There was a freshman orientation on February 22nd. Seniors explain the academic schedule and career paths to juniors while bonding. Attendance isn't mandatory, so lots of new students skipped it, but Kang Ha-neul definitely attended."
Do So-young showed us the attendee list for the orientation. Sure enough, Kang Ha-neul's name was clearly printed there.
"It's not certain, but maybe something at orientation changed her mind about her career. Did you talk to her there, by any chance?"
"No. But students in the same group as her probably did. The program is mostly group activities."
"Do you know who else was in her group?"
Do So-young checked her smartphone.
"Yes, here it is. The freshmen in Kang Ha-neul's group were Yoo Seol, Yoo Jin, Alan Bernstein, and Han Gyeoul."
'Bingo.'
Kang Ha-neul, who opposed Han Gyeoul in the original story, was in the same orientation group as her. Was that just a coincidence? Probably not.
Whether the orientation program was in the original setting or not, there had to be some interaction between those two in the group. And if the orientation triggered Kang Ha-neul's decision to withdraw, it was likely connected to Han Gyeoul. My instincts told me so.
We continued with Q&A as time allowed, but no solid leads emerged. To dig into Kang Ha-neul's withdrawal reason, we'd need to hear from the other group members, starting with Han Gyeoul.
"Hey, Ahn Su-ho. Why make this so complicated?"
As we left Do So-young's lab, Chae So-yeon asked me.
"Complicated how?"
"This is about stopping that Kang Ha-neul from withdrawing, right? Why not just go straight to her and convince her not to?"
"You think that'll work?"
I sighed at her opinion, which made me doubt if she had a brain at all. She'd seemed sharp just moments ago, but Chae So-yeon was still Chae So-yeon.
"Someone who's already made up their mind to withdraw won't listen to a total stranger showing up out of nowhere. To persuade her properly, we at least need to investigate the cause."
"Doesn't the team leader know?"
"Yeah, she says she doesn't."
I wasn't sure if she truly didn't know or was just withholding it, but on the surface, she'd said she didn't know the reason.
"So what now?"
"We talk to the other group members. Starting with Han Gyeoul."
I dialed the number for Han Gyeoul that Do So-young had given me.
-Rrring. Click.
-Who is this?
Her voice was polite yet sharp, so I immediately stated my affiliation.
"This is Ahn Su-ho from the Green House Academy Security Force Special Countermeasures Division. Are you Han Gyeoul?"
-Yes, this is Han Gyeoul. What does Security want?
"Do you remember Kang Ha-neul from your orientation group? I have a few questions about her—"
-Is this a criminal case?
"Pardon?"
Her sudden question made me reflexively ask back, and she repeated it.
-I asked if it's a criminal case.
"No. It's, uh, not a criminal matter."
-Then a civil lawsuit?
"No, not a civil lawsuit either..."
-You said you have questions for me, but does it have to be me specifically?
"Not necessarily. Including you, we'll be asking the other students from your orientation group as well—"
-So it doesn't have to be me, right?
Han Gyeoul shot back coldly over the line.
-Then ask the others. Unfortunately, I'm quite busy. My time is valuable.
-Click.
The call ended abruptly on her end after that.
"Ha."
I let out a disbelieving laugh. Han Gyeoul did have a somewhat arrogant side due to her chaebol heiress background, but not to this extent. I hadn't expected outright rejection.
"...Wow, she's rude as hell. What's her name again? Han Gyeoul? Lives up to it—her voice alone feels like a winter gale."
"..."
"What now? Go to the others first?"
"That works, but I'd prefer to hear from Han Gyeoul if possible..."
The fact that those two rivals from the original story were in the same orientation group couldn't be coincidence. Even if it was, skipping proper verification left a bad taste.
"Want to hear from her, but what if she won't meet?"
"It's not like there are no ways."
Saying that, I called a number I'd saved beforehand.
After a few rings, a refreshing young man's voice answered.
-Hello?
"Hey, Tae-hyun. It's me."
-Hey, hyung. What's up?
The person on the line was Ryu Tae-hyun. After a week of steady effort to get close, we were on first-name terms. It hadn't even been much effort—he was sociable by nature.
"You close with Han Gyeoul?"
-Gyeoul? Not super close, just lunch together and afternoon training sometimes. Why?
If that's not close, what is? The words rose to my throat. Look at the protagonist, oblivious only about women.
"One favor. Work-related—I need to ask her a few things. Can you set something up?"
-Set something up? Why not ask directly?
"Just called her. Got rejected. Said she's busy."
-Hahaha! Yeah, she has been busy lately.
"So, possible?"
After pondering my question briefly, Ryu Tae-hyun readily agreed.
-Can't promise, but I'll ask.
"Thanks."
No firm promise, but it didn't matter. She wouldn't refuse if it was from Ryu Tae-hyun.
Exactly 10 minutes later, I got word from him that he'd set up a meeting with Han Gyeoul.
Protagonist perks—he got things done.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3:00 PM sharp.
Using the one-hour break between lectures, Ryu Tae-hyun, Han Gyeoul, Chae So-yeon, and I met at a café near the building for their next class.
"Drinks are here!"
Chae So-yeon set down a large tray with beverages for all four of us. She'd covered the bill. As the senior and elder, she insisted, and there was no reason to refuse.
Chae So-yeon beamed as she handed them out. Mine was a plain Americano. Ryu Tae-hyun got espresso with three packets each of sugar and syrup. Han Gyeoul had iced tea packed with ice. And for herself, a frappuccino loaded with cookies and whipped cream.
"Thank you, Agent Chae So-yeon."
"No need to thank me! Adults are supposed to buy this stuff!"
"Still, thanks. For a guy living alone like me, even a casual coffee means a lot. Appreciate it."
"Such a polite kid! Want some gift cards?"
"Hahaha."
Excited Chae So-yeon and sheepish Ryu Tae-hyun. Han Gyeoul watched them with a sour expression and sighed deeply.
"Excuse me. I don't have much time, so get to the point."
All eyes turned to Han Gyeoul.
I took a close look at her. Up close, her signature red hair and eyes shimmered like transparent jewels.
Her outfit was just a simple high-neck knit, but the fabric quality and finishing screamed luxury. Not some tacky designer piece plastered with logos, but genuine high-end with subtle elegance in its clean design.
Even sitting still, Han Gyeoul exuded an aura beyond ordinary people. It wasn't contrived. It was the natural presence of Hanseong Group's heiress, shaped by elite education from childhood.
"Hey, that's rude. Mind your manners."
Ryu Tae-hyun frowned at Han Gyeoul's overt hostility.
"Manners? I'm the one making time for them here. Shouldn't they be the polite ones?"
"Still, they're older and academy staff..."
"Exactly why they should be polite. Academy staff serve students, right? Am I wrong?"
"Han Gyeoul, seriously—"
"Did she eat her manners?!"
Chae So-yeon cut in, glaring at her displeased.
"A snot-nosed first-year twerp talking to adults like that?!"
"Twerp? Are your eyes clogged? If I'm a twerp, you're a flea at best."
"What?! Flea?!"
Chae So-yeon shot up from her seat, furious at Han Gyeoul's jab about her height.
"You, you tiny first-year...!"
"Pfft. Tiny is you, not me. Height, personality, character—all underdeveloped. And..."
Han Gyeoul squinted slyly, then smirked.
"Looking closer, another underdeveloped spot. I almost mistook you for an elementary kid at first."
Han Gyeoul's gaze subtly drifted to Chae So-yeon's chest. Noticing, Chae So-yeon flushed red with rage.
"Hey! My real form is way taller and curvier than you! Wanna check?!"
-Crunch!
The next instant, bones ground together as red horns began sprouting from Chae So-yeon's head.
"Crazy!"
-Whack!!!
"Ow!!!!"
But I smacked the top of her head hard, forcing the half-formed horns back in. Chae So-yeon whipped around, eyes teary, glaring at me resentfully.
"Why'd you hit me?!"
"Think hard about why you got hit. If you still don't get it, that's your answer—ignorance."
"Ugh..."
She rubbed her head and sat back down, pouting thoughtfully as if genuinely pondering my words.
"...What is this? You didn't call me here for some outdated skit, did you?"
Han Gyeoul looked baffled. Feeling awkward under her disdainful gaze, I cleared my throat and composed myself.
"No. I have a few questions about Kang Ha-neul. Would you cooperate?"
Her eyes flicked to Ryu Tae-hyun. He'd been chuckling at Chae So-yeon, but met her gaze.
Their eyes locked. A brief silence. After staring sullenly at him, Han Gyeoul finally sighed heavily.
"...Finish in 10 minutes. My time is expensive."