Chapter 12

Time quickly passed, and before we knew it, the period for selecting guidance students had arrived.

The professors from the faculty convened regularly in the conference room, holding meetings and individually selecting students.

Today was the day when supervisory assistants would collect the preferred guidance professors from their classes and submit them to the faculty.

If there’s a match between a professor and a student, they are promptly assigned.

However, if there is a mismatch or if there are overwhelming preferences for a specific professor or student, adjustments are necessary.

It’s not as if you can just pick the child you want—every student must have a guidance professor.

Naturally, the faculty’s utmost interest was in who Yu Hye-won had chosen.

Unsurprisingly, Professor Hyun Ju, known for comprehensive attack, emerged as the leading candidate.

Meanwhile, Professor Hu from the intelligence acquisition and operations division smiled meaningfully and looked at me.

That guy seems to already know the outcome.

Professor Jin Se-young whispered to me beside him.

“Professor, did you also pick Yu Hye-won?”

“No. It seems all the other professors are hoping for Yu Hye-won.”

“Of course. Don’t you know how crucial it is to have the mentoring experience of guiding a future S-Ranked Hero?”

“Is that so? I suppose… But I find that kind of pressure uncomfortable.”

At that moment, the head of the faculty entered the room with an approval board under his arm.

“Have all the students’ preference lists been printed out?”

“Ah, yes. Here they are. I received them from the top assistant.”

As Professor Hu rose and rotated the documents on his desk, the professors who got the lists began flipping through the pages.

They were searching to see which students had chosen them and who Yu Hye-won selected as her preference.

“Hm…?”

Professor Jin Se-young was the first to speak.

Subsequently, curious murmurs arose, and all eyes were suddenly directed at me.

“Professor… Yu Hye-won… selected you?”

Professor Jin Se-young looked at me perplexed.

I only smiled without saying anything.

I already knew.

What I wanted to know was not if Yu Hye-won had chosen me, but whom Han Min-ha had chosen.

Ignoring the curious glances from others, I continued flipping through the list until I found Han Min-ha’s name.

Ah, here it is. Let’s see.

Hmm? What is this?

Han Min-ha’s preferred guidance professor slot was empty.

Nothing was written.

According to the regulations, every student must have a guidance professor.

This is a separate matter from supervisory assistants, so even if the slot remains empty, a professor must still be assigned.

Hmm… an empty slot…

Perhaps this works out well for me.

If Han Min-ha had chosen another professor, the process of her being my guidance student would have been more complicated.

Since nobody has chosen me, it means I can be assigned without issue.

Also…

After checking the documents multiple times, apart from Yu Hye-won, no one had listed me as their guidance professor.

It’s not about my character or anything—it’s simply because Basic Defense, as a subject, is treated this way.

If students are selecting a guidance professor, they’d choose someone whose expertise might help them after graduation.

Basic Defense? Somehow… not necessary.

It doesn’t matter to me.

I don’t care how my major is perceived.

However, while I remain indifferent, the other professors were quite surprised that Yu Hye-won had chosen me.

“Professor, why did Yu Hye-won pick you? I’m genuinely baffled.”

When asked, I smiled and shook my head.

“I’m not quite sure. Perhaps it’s her way of expressing confidence.”

“That could be true. Honestly, she is… you know.”

At this, the professors stirred and gestured in agreement.

Of course, Yu Hye-won excels in my subject as well as many others.

She is also known for her arrogance.

Thus, various professors wanted to mentor her but didn’t seem to particularly like her.

They were intrigued more by her abilities and background than by her as a person.

Due to the popularity of Basic Defense as a subject and her nature, the professors quickly assumed this reason for her choice.

Fortunately, the idea of some secret relationship with Yu Hye-won wasn’t raised.

They dismissed it as a peculiar but trivial incident.

“Didn’t we compile the student preferences before? Aren’t they matched with the current choices?”

“They’re prepared.”

The top assistant and the other assistants brought the compiled lists, organized by student count.

The professors began reviewing the documents.

They were checking to see if the students they desired had chosen them in return.

Professor Hyun Ju had so many preferences that she had a separate page for them, and other professors had students lined up based on subject popularity.

Beyond Yu Hye-won’s unexpected selection of me, there wasn’t much deviation from the usual.

Except for one.

“What? Professor… seriously?”

“What is it?”

Professor Jin Se-young pointed at a page.

“Han Min-ha. Did you really choose her?”

As surrounding professors looked at the page, similar reactions followed.

“Han Min-ha… isn’t she that one? The girl with glasses and black hair?”

“Yeah. That dunce.”

Evidently, Han Min-ha, like Yu Hye-won, performed at a similar average level.

A dunce? To what extent…?

“Professor Jin, how about Han Min-ha in your class?”

“She can’t even lift her feet off the ground.”

About a month into the semester, and she can’t even achieve the basic lift-off in flight.

That’s quite serious.

“Professor, why her of all people when you’ve never taken guidance students? Why choose this particular one?”

“Exactly. From among many new students… why go out of your way to suffer?”

When the other professors questioned me with puzzled expressions, I responded with a smile.

“Isn’t it fulfilling? To nurture such a student and see them through to graduation.”

If Professor Han doesn’t volunteer as her guidance professor, Han Min-ha will struggle in the lower ranks.

“How do you think of such things… you’re amazing…”

Professor Jin Se-young seemed touched by my words, shining her eyes and clasping her hands together.

Others either quietly nodded along or wore ‘whatever…’ expressions.

The first round of matching was then conducted under the faculty head’s guidance.

Groups of professors and students were loosely paired, and intentions were confirmed via interviews.

Based on these discussions, guidance professors would be officially assigned.

A student has only one guidance professor, but a professor can have multiple guidance students.

From what I know, last year, both the comprehensive combat and flight subjects had more than twenty guidance students.

Since I planned to take Han Min-ha alone, I paid no mind to the others.

Plus, no students had chosen me.

Convenient.

* * * * *

Due to the interviews, the research building was bustling with students coming and going.

Most professors met with their students in warm, amiable settings, going for strolls or having tea—but my situation was different.

Interviews with candidate guidance students are mandatory.

A written record of these sessions must be kept on file as a reference.

So I had to interview Yu Hye-won, who smiled arrogantly throughout.

“You selected me as your guidance professor.”

“Yes, I’ve said it before. I’d like Professor you to be my guidance professor.”

“That’s true. Many professors were disappointed because a lot of them wanted to guide someone like you.”

“How does that concern me?”

“It does.”

I looked at Yu Hye-won calmly and said:

“I teach Basic Defense, an unpopular subject with little direct use to heroes. Moreover, my physical health is not in good condition. It’s quite a challenge to mentor an outstanding student like you.”

“So?”

“There are many competent professors here. For instance, Professor Yu from Comprehensive Attack. Once guidance is assigned, it’s difficult to change. Please reconsider. Graduation isn’t the end—it’s the start. You’ll have to fight against countless villains. It would be better to receive guidance from someone else.”

Yu Hye-won smirked disdainfully.

“I want to be under your guidance. Defense techniques could prove useful too.”

“But didn’t you call the ultimate defense technique ‘mental grip’?”

“Surely, you’re not holding onto that still?”

“Not holding, but it remains etched in memory. The point I’m trying to make is this: there are many ways in which I’m insufficient to guide someone like you.”

Yu Hye-won narrowed her eyes and stared at me intently.

“Did you choose your guidance student?”

“No, as you know, I haven’t taken guidance students for years.”

Saying this, I lied effortlessly while Yu Hye-won carefully observed my expression.

Still, it would be almost impossible for her to detect lies behind my mental barrier.

“I understand, Professor. But…”

Getting up, Yu Hye-won looked down on me disdainfully and said:

“It will probably happen.”

Her overconfident arrogance!

After Yu Hye-won left, I called Assistant Bae Ye-bin, who was Han Min-ha’s supervisory assistant.

“Assistant Bae, please send Han Min-ha to my research office for her guidance student interview.”

“Uh… Han Min-ha?”

“Is there any conflict?”

“Uh… Professor, I’m sorry, but Han Min-ha… has withdrawn as of this morning.”