So That's How It Was

When the run finally ended and they returned to the training field, Han Min-ha collapsed onto all fours right there on the dirt ground. She retched violently, spitting out bitter fluid.

Yoo Hee-won stood beside her with her arms crossed, frowning in distaste.

"You mean you've never once finished a full run?"

"It's not... that I haven't... blegh...! Just... not this fast..."

"Ugh... Hey. At this pace, how do you expect to graduate if you can't even handle ten kilometers? Even if you do graduate with stamina like that, you'd get slaughtered the second you faced a villain. If that's how it's going to be, you might as well drop out."

Yoo Hee-won hurled the harsh words without so much as twitching an eyebrow.

"Listen up, moldy. Running at some half-assed pace you can actually handle won't change a damn thing. You have to run until you're puking for your stamina to actually improve. If you want to smash through the ceiling holding you down, pain is the price. Understand?"

"Y-yeah..."

"And stand up straight. Stop hunching over and gasping like that—get up and take proper deep breaths!"

"O-okay..."

While Yoo Hee-won mercilessly berated Han Min-ha, Song Do-yun simply watched with ice-cold eyes from the side.

Han Min-ha struggled to her feet, stretched both arms wide, and drew in a deep breath. Each time she inhaled, her obscenely large chest rose and fell dramatically. The male students returning from their run stole glances at her breasts with dazed expressions as they passed.

"Turn your eyes away before I rip them out and crush them! What the hell are you looking at?!"

At Yoo Hee-won's ferocious shout, the boys hurriedly averted their gazes and practically fled onto the field.

"If you're done with the breathing exercises, follow me. We still have to do the circuit course."

"Ah..."

Han Min-ha looked uncertain, but Yoo Hee-won turned away without the slightest hesitation and walked off first.

"Hurry up."

At Song Do-yun's cold command, Han Min-ha nodded weakly and followed after them.

After roughly an hour of brutal physical training, Han Min-ha barely managed to drag herself back to the dormitory. Keeping up with Yoo Hee-won and her group had been far beyond her level. A sparrow trying to follow a stork would have torn its legs apart, but that common wisdom didn't apply to Yoo Hee-won.

Still, Yoo Hee-won hadn't planned to push Han Min-ha this hard every single day. Training like that usually produced the opposite effect. However, if she didn't drag the girl along and threaten her like today, that slow, dull creature lugging around those enormous lumps of fat would never change. In that sense, the uncompromising Yoo Hee-won was the perfect coach for Han Min-ha.

"Don't skip your shower just because you're tired. Wash with warm water to loosen up your muscles. If I smell even a hint of sweat on you tomorrow, you're dead."

"Okay... thank you..."

Watching Han Min-ha's trembling back as she clutched the railing and climbed the stairs, Yoo Hee-won clicked her tongue in mild dissatisfaction. Still... even if she'd basically dragged her by the collar, the girl had completed the run. For someone who got in through hero descendant bonus points, she apparently had some basic fitness after all. If she'd truly been completely hopeless, she would have passed out halfway.

That one... if I train her properly, she might actually become useful.

"Hee-won. A moment."

As she was lost in thought, Song Do-yun called out to her.

"What?"

"I have something to tell you."

Song Do-yun jerked her chin toward the outside. Any other student wouldn't have dared, but Song Do-yun did it anyway, and Yoo Hee-won followed her out without comment.

"What is it? Why the serious atmosphere?"

"That Han Min-ha. What exactly is her relationship with the advisor professor?"

Yoo Hee-won's eyebrows twitched.

"What kind of relationship? You mean with Professor Kyo?"

"During the last lecture today, I went to the bathroom for a bit and ran into her in the hallway."

"And?"

"When I asked where she was going, she said she was heading to the dorm to change out of her gym clothes."

"So?"

"But when I looked out the window, she only pretended to head toward the dorm. She circled around the lecture building and went straight to the research wing instead."

Yoo Hee-won stared at Song Do-yun in silence.

"Is there any other reason for Han Min-ha to go to the research wing besides meeting the advisor professor?"

"Why were you even watching her?"

"I just happened to see it. It was visible from the window on my way back to the classroom."

It had actually been deliberate surveillance using a foundation compact mirror, but Song Do-yun lied without so much as blinking.

"Your conclusion?"

"I can't tell if the professor called her or if she went to see him first."

Song Do-yun had gently prodded at Yoo Hee-won's nerves, and Yoo Hee-won responded with a chilly smile.

"Either way, it means you didn't know about it. Doesn't that suggest there might be something worth hiding? For example..."

"For example, that the teacher and student crossed a line?"

"I wasn't going to put it that extremely. But it's clearly a suspicious situation."

That was exactly what Song Do-yun had intended—to make Yoo Hee-won suspect Han Min-ha. She found Han Min-ha extremely irritating. The girl had suddenly appeared and monopolized Yoo Hee-won's attention. After Song Do-yun had swallowed her pride to become ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Yoo Hee-won's right hand, some shady bitch of unknown background had shown up trying to claim her completely.

Song Do-yun had concluded that the only reason Yoo Hee-won bothered with that slow, fat, inferior girl was because they shared the same advisor. So she was going to sever that connection.

"Just in case, why don't you check it out? You can't keep going to the guidance meetings feeling uneasy, right? If it's nothing, that's great."

"I suppose I should?"

Yoo Hee-won smiled with a wicked glint in her eyes. She was sharp. She had already noticed that Song Do-yun was acting out of jealousy toward Han Min-ha. She also knew perfectly well that neither Professor Kyo nor Han Min-ha were bold enough to do anything like that. But the fact that Han Min-ha had secretly gone to the research wing while avoiding prying eyes was definitely suspicious. Not in the insane sense that they'd been making out in the lab, but that there might be something else going on. And since Han Min-ha was an idiot who had even attempted to drop out before, there was no telling what strange stunt she might have pulled.

"Thanks. That's useful information."

Yoo Hee-won smiled and lightly pinched Song Do-yun's cheek. For a brief moment, the icy mask on Song Do-yun's face melted into a defenseless expression.

"Ah..."

But she quickly regained her composure and put on a serious face.

"I don't like it. Don't touch me like that."

"Why are you being like that between friends? Anyway... go rest. I'll go see Han Min-ha like you suggested."

Yoo Hee-won turned on her heel and walked back into the dormitory. Left alone, Song Do-yun stood there blankly for a moment, stroking the cheek that had been pinched. Then she looked up at the floor where Han Min-ha's room was with cold eyes.

I won't tolerate anything coming between me and Hee-won... No matter what it is, I won't let it slide...

Yoo Hee-won went to Han Min-ha's room and turned the doorknob. The door lock was engaged, so it didn't open immediately. She pounded on the door with her fist.

"Open the door!"

"Wh-who is it...?"

"It's me. Open up."

There was a loud clatter from inside, and the door cracked open slightly. When Yoo Hee-won yanked the handle, Han Min-ha stumbled out, wrapped in nothing but a large towel. She must have just finished showering—her glasses were fogged up and her hair clung to her head like wet seaweed.

"Why...? What is it...? Did you come to check if I showered...?"

"Shut up and get inside. We need to talk."

Yoo Hee-won pushed past her into the room. As soon as Yoo Hee-won sat on the bed, Han Min-ha closed the door and hurried in with small steps.

"What do you want to talk about...? Then let me put some clothes on real quick..."

"No, just sit."

"Um..."

Han Min-ha hesitated before sitting on the chair across from her. Seeing Han Min-ha shrink her shoulders and wrap her arms around her chest, Yoo Hee-won clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"You. Why did you go to Professor Kyo's lab today?"

"Huh...?"

The direct question ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made Han Min-ha's mind go completely blank. How does Hee-won know about that...? Could Song Do-yun have told her...?

Her body, still hot from the shower and now flustered, began to break out in a nervous sweat.

"What did you go there for?"

"Ah, well... the professor called me..."

"Why did he call you?"

"For counseling about academy life..."

"Then why did you pretend to go to the dorm before heading to the research wing?"

"Huk...?!"

The cornered Han Min-ha reacted openly, and Yoo Hee-won smiled wickedly as she crossed her legs.

"Tell me. Why did you go?"

Han Min-ha realized she was backed against a cliff and would have to tell the truth. But she wasn't stupid enough to spill everything. She at least knew she couldn't carelessly mention that secret organization called Secreto. So she gave Yoo Hee-won a carefully edited version of events.

"The truth is..."

"So... Professor Kyo Suhyeon was on a team with your parents? What kind of nonsense is that? It's annoying as hell."

Yoo Hee-won's irritation was understandable. No hero shared their achievements by working in teams. Yet three heroes moving together? It would be more believable to say that Doctor Shift was a real person currently attacking the academy. But Han Min-ha didn't seem to be lying at all. So Yoo Hee-won decided to believe her for now.

"The professor called you in because he thought that was why you couldn't use aura. That's it, right?"

"Y-yeah... that's right..."

"Did you know the professor was friends with your parents? And did he know about you?"

"I didn't... I've never met the professor before, and he didn't recognize my face either. He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only realized after hearing my parents' names and checking..."

"So what about you?"

"Huh?"

Yoo Hee-won crossed her arms. "I'm asking what you did about it. After the professor told you all that, do you feel like trying to use that aura thing now?"

"It's not that I don't want to use aura... Honestly, I just don't know how..."

Yoo Hee-won had been about to get angry at the frustrating answer but changed her mind. After the previous parental insult incident that had been incredibly awkward, she was reluctant to say anything careless about Han Min-ha's parents. From what she'd heard, it seemed Han Min-ha had developed trauma from her parents' disappearance and couldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠use aura because of it. Professor Kyo was trying to pry it out of her and change her mind somehow... It didn't seem like a wrong approach.

The obvious melodramatic lines like What would your deceased parents think if they saw you like this? or Think of your parents in heaven... weren't bad. But Han Min-ha's parents were missing, not dead, and Professor Kyo had been on a team with them in the past? There seemed to be some broken link in between...

"Go wash up and sleep."

Yoo Hee-won spoke briefly and stood up. At least she'd confirmed it wasn't the kind of situation she'd been worried about. That was enough. Song Do-yun was a snake whose words couldn't be trusted, but that big-breasted girl wasn't like that. She believed her.

"Good night, Hee-won... Tomorrow..."

Before Han Min-ha could finish, Yoo Hee-won slammed the door shut and stepped into the hallway.

As Yoo Hee-won walked toward her own room, she suddenly stopped as if remembering something. She took out her phone and dialed a number. While the call rang, she took a deep breath and cleared her throat. The other party picked up.

"Ah... Dad. Are you available to talk?"

"You know my advisor professor, Professor Kyo Suhyeon...? Could you look into what kind of activities he did while he was active?"

"There's a student under the same advisor as me."

Her father waited silently for her to continue. Yoo Hee-won swallowed hard and went on.

"Her parents went missing while they were active... and Professor Kyo said he worked on a team with them..."

After hearing that, Yoo Hee-won's father remained silent for a long time. Instead of pressing her to speak quickly like she usually did with others, she waited patiently. She was afraid of her father. Even now, though she didn't show it outwardly, she was inwardly anxious that she might get in trouble for saying something unnecessary. As the silence stretched on, sweat began to form on Yoo Hee-won's back. After a while, her father spoke in a heavy voice.