So That's What It Was (3)
After snapping a few photos, Yoo Hee-won was completely absorbed in uploading them somewhere. She was probably posting them on her personal SNS… The pictures themselves weren’t particularly problematic, but I still didn’t like the idea of my face being exposed anywhere. Especially since a video of me from the entrance ceremony had already leaked online, and some people had started recognizing me because of it. By nature, I hated that kind of unnecessary attention. Maybe that was why I’d never climbed to a high rank during my active days. After all, heroes are basically celebrities who survive on public interest.
The steamed egg custard had just arrived, and as I reached for it, Yoo Hee-won grabbed her spoon first. She scooped up a huge bite and started blowing on it with little “hoo-hoo” sounds. I let out a quiet sigh. In a refined household that had apparently never even tried grilled tripe before, had they simply never taught her table manners? Or maybe it was just that Yoo Hee-won had zero basic courtesy to begin with.
“Anyway…” I opened my mouth again to finish what I’d been trying to say before Yoo Hee-won interrupted. “There were a few incidents along the way, but since we’ve ended up on the same boat, let’s get along until graduation. And even after that, of course.”
“Understood, Professor.”
Han Min-ha, who had been chewing the spicy grilled tripe, quickly covered her mouth with her hand and gave a polite nod.
“Yep.”
Yoo Hee-won answered distractedly, both thumbs flying across her phone screen.
“Good. If you run into any difficulties during academy life, tell me anytime. I’ll do everything I can to help within my capacity.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
“Okey.”
Good grief…
I somehow managed to stop Yoo Hee-won from dragging us to karaoke and got everyone into the car. Han Min-ha, who had been fidgeting nervously at the mere mention of karaoke, finally looked relieved once it was clear we were heading back to the academy. She really seemed to hate that kind of atmosphere. That part of her was a lot like me.
“We didn’t even go to a café… This is boring.”
Yoo Hee-won grumbled from the backseat as we drove back toward the academy. A glance at the clock showed it was just before nine—the time when the main gate closed. Since we’d started dinner late, there wasn’t enough time to stop at a café. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded an iced Americano myself.
“Professor… if it’s okay with you… there’s a drive-thru café on the way. Would you like to stop there?”
Han Min-ha, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at me hesitantly before speaking up.
“There’s a place like that?”
“I’ll show you the way.”
Yoo Hee-won immediately kicked the back of my seat. “You know the roads around here?”
“Um… I looked it up before we left…”
“Oh, not bad. Maybe you should study like that too?”
“Hee-won. This is the part where you praise her for doing well.”
“Yeees, Professor. Wow, good job, our Min-ha.”
Her tone was so viciously sarcastic it was almost impressive. Following Han Min-ha’s directions, I drove to the café, where we each ordered a drink before heading back to the academy.
There was nothing between Graford City and the academy. Because the academy was a military protected zone, the surrounding area had been designated as a no-man’s-land. The four-lane road leading to the academy was completely dark. If you looked farther into the distance, you could faintly make out the jagged silhouette of mountains beneath a deep navy sky. And below those mountains, the faint twinkling lights.
Graford Academy.
Beneath the rhythmic waves of streetlights passing at regular intervals, Han Min-ha stared silently at the distant night view of the academy. Her expression looked quite depressed. I wondered what she was thinking about. In the rearview mirror, Yoo Hee-won was once again completely focused on her phone.
“What?”
Yoo Hee-won looked up sharply, sensing my gaze.
“It’s nothing.”
We soon arrived at the academy’s main gate. After the guards verified our identities, we headed toward the dormitories. I parked in front of the dorms and was about to get out when I heard footsteps approaching. Bae Ye-bin, Han Min-ha’s management assistant teacher, hurried over and bowed.
“Thank you for your hard work, Professor.”
“Sorry for coming back so late.”
“It’s fine. I’m just grateful you’re taking such good care of Min-ha.”
I looked at my two guided students who had gotten out of the car and said, “Get some good rest. I’ll see you next time.”
“When’s the next time we’ll meet?”
“I’ll let you know in the group chat.”
As I got back into the car, both Assistant Teacher Bae and Han Min-ha bowed. Yoo Hee-won stood with her arms crossed, but the moment I started reversing, she spun on her heel and disappeared into the dormitory.
The beginning of ‘Golden Viper and the Gray Molds’ went relatively smoothly. The conflicts I had expected never materialized, and Yoo Hee-won didn’t seem particularly concerned about Han Min-ha. The only thing she didn’t hesitate to show was extreme disgust toward Han Min-ha’s timid posture and gestures.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
While we were gathered in the lab grading Management Bureau regulation assignments, Yoo Hee-won suddenly snapped at Han Min-ha.
“W-what…?”
“Why do you always shrink your shoulders like that and look so gloomy? Are you possessed or something? Why are you so creepy?”
“Ah… was I?”
When Han Min-ha scratched her head, Yoo Hee-won let out a huge sigh, as if the sight frustrated her to no end. “Ugh, seriously… wow… why does she look so stupid? Did all the blood that was supposed to go to her brain go to her chest instead?”
“Hee-won. It’s not right to criticize a classmate so thoughtlessly. And here—the grading is done, so let’s review them together.”
I handed the graded answer sheets to each of them. Yoo Hee-won, as expected, had scored perfectly. Han Min-ha’s answers weren’t bad either. There were a few mistakes, but at this level, she could expect a good score. It seemed she held her own in theoretical subjects that didn’t require physical ability.
The reason I, a Basic Defense professor, was reviewing assignments for ‘International Agreements and Current Management Bureau Laws’ was because there was a quiz on that subject this week. Originally, a guidance professor wasn’t supposed to provide guidance on another subject’s evaluation, but that was just a rule. A guided student doing well was a plus for the guidance professor’s career and evaluation. Other professors did it even more. Some probably gave guidance at a level that was almost illegal tutoring.
Of course, I had zero interest in any of that. I simply hoped Han Min-ha wouldn’t stay at the bottom of the class and would rise into the upper ranks.
“Then I’ll go over the solutions. I’ll pace it to Min-ha’s level. Sorry, Hee-won.”
“It’s fine. Can I use my phone?”
“Mm… sure.”
Since Yoo Hee-won would take first place anyway, I might as well let her be. She immediately took out her phone and began typing at incredible speed with both thumbs. With her silver spoon background, pretty face, and good grades, she probably had endless SNS and messenger chats to keep up with.
I scooted my chair slightly toward Han Min-ha and slowly explained the wrong answers. She diligently copied my explanations into a notebook she had prepared. Since it was after regular hours, she was wearing casual clothes—a gray, worn-out tracksuit. As I tutored her up close, I caught a faint smell from her clothes, like an old dresser drawer. It had been the same when I visited her dorm after she said she was dropping out… Did she not use fabric softener?
It wasn’t unpleasant. What was strange was that she didn’t smell like the usual cosmetics most girls her age used.
“What? How do you get something like this wrong?”
Yoo Hee-won, who had come up behind us at some point, looked at Han Min-ha’s answer sheet and snorted in disbelief. “Are you seriously brainless? The professor told us we were doing this today, right? Shouldn’t you have at least previewed it?”
“Hee-won. Don’t press on the shoulder so hard. It hurts.”
Maybe because she was a hero candidate, the hand Yoo Hee-won had placed on my shoulder carried tremendous strength. Even though I was a former hero myself, my current body was frail. When someone with Yoo Hee-won’s natural talent leaned her weight on me like that, it hurt quite a bit.
“Hee-won… that hurts me too…”
“Please study properly. How do you expect to graduate like this?”
Yoo Hee-won removed her hands from our shoulders, straightened up, and sneered.
“And sorry, but… don’t you wash your clothes?”
“I did…? I put them in the washing machine?”
“Did you use fabric softener or not?”
“Ah…”
At Han Min-ha’s short exclamation, Yoo Hee-won shook her head. “Seriously, you… From now on, put in fabric softener. Got it?”
“Y-yeah…”
“Didn’t your mom do it for you at home?”
Ah, damn. I’d wondered when she would cross the line, and she just did. Han Min-ha’s parents had gone missing while active heroes, and their whereabouts were unknown. The Management Bureau had never given Han Min-ha a clear answer about whether her parents were alive or dead. They simply provided her with a survivor’s pension and arranged her academy admission. When a survivor’s pension was paid, it usually meant the person was considered dead. And now Yoo Hee-won had carelessly said something fatal to her.
Of course, Yoo Hee-won hadn’t known the circumstances and said it on purpose. But as Han Min-ha’s face rapidly darkened, even Yoo Hee-won seemed to sense something was wrong and glanced at me. Her eyes asked, ‘Why is she acting like this?’
I was wondering how to explain when Han Min-ha spoke first.
“I’m sorry… My parents aren’t around…”
“Huh…?”
Yoo Hee-won’s pupils shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck them.