Do You Want to Be Like That? (1)
Advisory Chairman Yoo closed his laptop and retrieved the encryption module when I remained silent. After placing the module back in the safe, he returned and sipped his green tea while waiting for me. Only after he had finished his tea did I finally speak.
"By the way, why isn't the hospital in my memories?"
"Every time you asked about Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-ah, the Mental Barrier would activate and block those memories again."
"I see..."
So the Mental Barrier had erased everything to turn me into someone completely unrelated, all to shield me from guilt and shock. Then why was it no longer functioning properly now? Probably because I had learned the origin that had created the Mental Barrier in the first place. To be honest, even I didn't know the exact details. I only knew that Mental Barrier was the ultimate defensive technique, and since no hero had ever actually implemented it, I could only speculate.
"So what will you do now, Suhyeon?"
"What do you mean?"
"Now that your memories have returned, your feelings must have changed."
"I'm not sure."
"Will you return to Secreto?"
Advisory Chairman Yoo made the suggestion.
"Your defensive abilities surpass those of any hero in the Management Bureau. Secreto needs heroes with that kind of power. And regarding past incidents, I won't hold you responsible for anything. It wasn't your fault to begin with."
Quit being an academy professor and return to Secreto... I wondered if he was truly making that offer because he believed I would actually go back.
"I appreciate the offer, but I intend to stay at the Academy."
"Because of Han Min-ha? To keep your promise to make that child an S-class hero? Professor Kyo, S-class isn't something you can achieve just because one advisor pours their passion into guiding a student. You know that better than anyone."
"I do."
"I'll speak to the Academy so the child can receive proper care. So come back."
What had started as a suggestion of whether I would return had now turned into a command to return, and I didn't miss that shift. There were no heroes who deeply trained defensive techniques—unless they were insane. That was why heroes as skilled with barriers as I was were rare, and given the nature of their missions, Secreto wanted heroes like me. Even if their overall stats weren't high, they wanted those with specialized skills.
"What do you say?"
"I'll think about it. I've suddenly learned too much information, so I need time to sort through it all."
"I suppose so... Very well. Think it over and contact me."
I accepted the business card Advisory Chairman Yoo offered, slipped it into my inner jacket pocket, and stood up.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I've learned many things."
"Then let's meet again."
After shaking hands with him, I left the office. In the hallway, someone who appeared to be the chairman's personal secretary was waiting for me and called the elevator. As the elevator descended rapidly, I thought back on what had just happened. It was something I had never imagined, yet it wasn't impossible either. If I substituted the Mental Barrier for something like externally induced Alzheimer's, it was entirely plausible. So to summarize: because of my mistake, Han Min-ha's parents died, which created the Mental Barrier that erased everything, but meeting Han Min-ha caused cracks to form, leading me to this point. Of course, Advisory Chairman Yoo had said it wasn't my fault, but that didn't erase the psychological guilt. Right now the Mental Barrier stood firm, so I could treat it as if it were someone else's problem, but... Anyway, I was returning to the Academy. Now that I knew everything, I had no intention of leaving Han Min-ha behind and returning to Secreto. And even if it weren't for Han Min-ha, now that I remembered, I had become a hero after manifesting my abilities late as an orphan from the care facility and entering the Academy. There had been no other choice back then. But now I had a stable job as an academy professor. I didn't feel the need to return to active duty and risk my life again. Besides, at nearly forty, going back to the field would be pushing it.
Alright. Let's return to the Academy. Once I'm back, I'll make Han Min-ha an S-class hero.
Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. When I checked the screen, several messages from Yoo Hee-won had arrived.
This was... what was this? Why were there so many? I pulled Yoo Hee-won's timetable from my pocket and compared the times. Most of them had come during class hours. Did this kid use her phone even during lectures? I should suggest at the next faculty meeting that phones be collected before class. But dinner together today? Today was Friday—the day I had promised to eat with Chae Ga-yun. It was supposed to be a thank-you meal for sneaking her into the archives last time and for all the other help she had given. I opened the message window and began typing a reply to Yoo Hee-won.
Yoo Hee-won couldn't focus properly on her flight training. It wasn't for any other reason than the fact that Professor Kyo Suhyeon had taken a personal day and left the Academy without any particular explanation. It wasn't that Yoo Hee-won had separation anxiety or anything like that. She simply couldn't understand why he had taken the day off.
An academy professor taking a personal day in the middle of the semester. And on a Friday, of all days? Yoo Hee-won wondered if perhaps the reason was something like a blind date. Professor Kyo was forty this year and single. Though only C-class, he was a former hero and the most highly regarded associate professor at Graford Academy. On top of that, while gloomy, he was objectively quite handsome if you set that atmosphere aside. He had the kind of qualifications that would earn him a high rating at a marriage information company and receive many offers. So Yoo Hee-won's speculation wasn't entirely unfounded. If Professor Kyo were to start dating or even get married...? That would be troublesome... What would she do if that actually happened? Hmm...
"Watch out, Hee-won!"
At Professor Jin Se-yeong's shout, Yoo Hee-won snapped back to attention and twisted her body. She barely managed to change course just before crashing into the ground and quickly ascended to the designated altitude. Once she had risen high enough that the wide outdoor training field was visible far below, she took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead. If she had hit at that speed earlier, her skull would have shattered.
"Are you okay?"
Professor Jin Se-yeong flew over, asking worriedly.
"Ah, yes. I'm fine."
"Can you continue?"
"Of course."
The students waiting for their next turn were murmuring and looking up at her.
"I'm fine. Really."
"Alright, then... continue. I'm sorry, but that course deviation earlier..."
"Deduct the points. It doesn't matter."
Yoo Hee-won spoke arrogantly and returned to her original position. Professor Jin Se-yeong marked the deduction on her checklist and followed after her. Today was the day of the mid-term evaluation for the Flight and Guidance class. Of all days, Professor Kyo had to take a personal day and make her anxious. She wondered what kind of expression he would make if he found out his advisee had points deducted because of him. He would probably say with a blank face, "But that isn't my fault." That gloomy gray mold of a human. If there was still no reply to her messages after the evaluation, she would make him pay. Yoo Hee-won returned to the starting position, activated her aura, and shot forward like a bullet.
During the break after the evaluation, Yoo Hee-won checked that a reply had come from Professor Kyo.
As expected. Since he had nothing else to do outside anyway, of course he would have to crawl back to the Academy.
He had dinner plans...? On a Friday? Professor Kyo, who had no friends and only went between his office and his quarters, had dinner plans? She had just been guessing, but had she actually been right? A blind date? Or maybe a secret girlfriend? Hmm...
Yoo Hee-won stood still, staring at her phone, when Song Do-yun approached holding a towel.
"Hee-won. Here."
When Yoo Hee-won didn't take the towel, Song Do-yun stepped closer and glanced at her phone. Feeling Song Do-yun's gaze, Yoo Hee-won slipped her phone into her pocket and accepted the towel.
"Is something wrong?"
"No. It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Yoo Hee-won spoke coldly while wiping her forehead and neck with the towel.
"It's Friday late-night study*. Want to come to my room and hang out? I snuck in a few bottles of alcohol."
"Drink with the others. I don't drink."
"Just the two of us. I won't call anyone else."
"I'm busy today."
"I'll get all the things you like..."
Yoo Hee-won didn't even listen to the end before flinging the towel at Song Do-yun. Then she pulled out her phone again and made a call somewhere.
"Hey, Han Min-ha. Where are you?"
Song Do-yun stared blankly at Yoo Hee-won as she walked away while on the phone. Han Min-ha... So the reason she was busy today was because of Han Min-ha. She could understand becoming advisees together with Yoo Hee-won. But inserting herself between the two of them was another matter. And on a day like today, of all days... Song Do-yun buried her nose in the sweat-soaked towel and took a deep breath. Then she raised her eyes and glared at the back of Yoo Hee-won's head as she walked away.
Hee-won... How could a person change so suddenly? After everything I've done for you all this time, you're going to be like this? Fine... I can even tolerate you taking an interest in Han Min-ha. But you can't treat me so coldly because of that... Or are you trying to push me away and take Han Min-ha with you? Dark thoughts began to bloom in Song Do-yun's mind as she reached that conclusion.