Chapter 25

“What method is it?”

“The fastest and most effective way is to ask Professor Heo Tae-hyun.”

Of course, I expected this to come up first.

“Maybe Professor Heo could pull out information for us through channels we don’t know about.”

“True, but… Professor Heo… how should I put this…”

“Seems like he might pull the wool over our eyes, doesn’t he?”

Professor Yu Hyun-ju had read my mind accurately.

“Anyone involved in spying doesn’t trust others and isn’t trusted either. I don’t let my guard down in front of Professor Heo either.”

“Then tell me another way.”

Professor Yu revealed the second method.

“It’s still a matter of probabilities, but check out the Academy that Han Min-ha’s parents attended.”

I understood what Professor Yu was getting at.

If they are alumni of our Academy, we can investigate their records and determine personal information.

However, it could be a different Academy, or even if we check the records, we might find no useful clues.

That’s why Professor Yu described it as a probability game.

“Isn’t it better to know something rather than nothing? It might lead to another path.”

“That’s right. Professor Yu’s advice is correct. I’ll try it once. Thank you.”

“Still… don’t dig too deep. Withdraw immediately if it doesn’t feel right.”

As I was about to rise from my seat, Professor Yu added a word of caution.

“You know how scary the Organization is. They might already be monitoring you from the moment you inquired about those people’s names.”

“I’ll be careful. Even if the Organization confronts me, I’ll just say it’s a guidance student issue.”

“Hmm… I hope so.”

“Well, thank you for the advice, Professor Yu. I’ll definitely shout for some drinks later.”

At that, Professor Yu chuckled softly and shook his head.

“It was Seo-young who suggested going to the bulmakchang place. If you’re buying, treat us at the wine bar next time.”

“I’ll do that.”

After leaving the General Attack Lecture Room, I briefly hesitated about where to go before making my decision and set off.

First, I need to ask Han Min-ha where his parents’ Academy is.

***

After the Super Strength subject lecture ended, Yu Hye-won used her free period to shake off her followers who wanted to go to the snack stand.

“It’s fine. I’m not going.”

“Hye-won, are you still upset over the Basic Defense class incident?”

The Basic Defense incident referred to the upperclassmen seemingly asking Professor Hyun questions but subtly mocking him.

The upperclass students are filtered as excellent elites through the Initial Assessment.

Some are the children of wealthy and powerful families, others boast inherited talents from their parents.

Students who have already secured a C-class rating or higher post-graduation.

How must Professor Hyun appear to these kids?

Always wearing a murky expression, dressed in colorless suits and coats, with a soft tone, and teaching an unpopular and non-mainstream defense technique.

On the first day of class, he conducted a mock shooting spree and then instructed his TAs to beat students with iron pipes while firing rubber bullets.

Moreover, there isn’t any news, video, or paparazzi photo of him that we can find.

That’s why someone asked suddenly during class.

When Professor Hyun responded that he was not an active hero but a retired C-class hero,

To the upperclass students who were oblivious to the ways of the world, Professor Hyun likely came off as a gray scarecrow occupying a professor’s seat without sufficient ability.

But his followers made a big mistake.

Professor Hyun is Hye-won’s academic advisor.

One of the two reasons Hye-won chose Professor Hyun as her advisor was that she liked him.

Also, Hye-won has a strong sense of ownership.

It was like poking a cherished bone from an aggressive dog.

However, it wasn’t just because her followers had criticized Professor Hyun that Hye-won was shaking them off.

Hye-won had a destination.

“Where are you going, Hye-won!”

Ignoring her followers’ calls, Hye-won took out a piece of paper.

It was the schedule for the underclassmen that Assistant Kim had prepared. Hye-won glanced at it as she headed to a different floor lecture room.

Reluctantly, it was time to meet Han Min-ha.

Professor Hyun had asked Hye-won to help Han Min-ha adapt to the Academy and improve his grades.

Hye-won didn’t usually follow others’ advice, but she thought it necessary to maintain a good relationship with Professor Hyun.

Although lifting someone from the mid-upper ranks to the upper ranks would be challenging, boosting someone from the lower ranks to the middle ranks seemed doable.

In terms of adapting to Academy life, just having Hye-won bring Han Min-ha along would be sufficient.

Knowing her own influence among her peers, Hye-won believed that as long as she looked after Han Min-ha, he wouldn’t be ignored by others.

Fine. I’ll do it.

This is nothing.

Just as Hye-won was about to climb the stairs to the lecture room, she stopped abruptly.

Down the corridor at the lecture room stood Professor Hyun.

There, dressed in his usual dark gray coat, the weary-faced Professor Hyun was talking to Han Min-ha.

The Basic Defense lecture room is quite far from here.

Did Han Min-ha walk all the way here from there to meet Professor Hyun?

Is there an important issue that requires face-to-face communication rather than a phone call?

It’s likely guidance-related business, right?

But why is he talking only with Han Min-ha and not me, who’s also his guidance student?

Maybe it’s just the same message being relayed, and he happened to meet Han Min-ha first.

No…? Then why didn’t he just post it in a group message?

As various thoughts ran through her mind, Professor Hyun finished his conversation and walked down the opposite corridor.

Han Min-ha, who was about to head back to the lecture room, noticed Hye-won standing there and cautiously raised his hand.

“Hye-won, hey…”

“Hey. Come here.”

When Hye-won beckoned with her fingers, Han Min-ha hesitated but came closer.

“What did you talk about with the professor?”

“He asked where my parents’ Academy is. That’s it.”

“Why did he want to know that?”

“I don’t know… he said he was just curious…”

“Why didn’t he ask over the phone, but wanted to talk in person?”

“Oh… he said he dropped by on his way to the administrative office…”

While saying that, Han Min-ha cautiously observed Hye-won’s expression.

Fortunately, Hye-won didn’t seem highly irritated.

Han Min-ha’s answer didn’t have any issues.

Thought it was something big, but it was nothing serious.

With her mood lifted, Hye-won smirked and asked.

“You’re free now, right? What are you doing?”

“Uh…? How did you know I’m free?”

Then Hye-won wiped her smirk and sharply questioned.

“What did I ask?”

“Ah… what I’m doing during this free period? Nothing… I was thinking of going to the library…”

“Snack stand.”

“Huh?”

“Do I have to say it again?”

“No… let’s go. I’ll buy the bread…”

“You’re broke, right? Forget it, just come along.”

Hye-won, who let the “broke” comment slip, didn’t show it but quickly regained her stern demeanor and turned around.

Han Min-ha followed after her like a handmaiden, trotting behind.

***

Upon arriving at the administrative office and receiving a warm welcome from the staff, I headed straight to the director’s office.

“Director, are you free?”

At the sound of my voice, Chae Ga-yun looked up briskly and smiled.

Chae Ga-yun still looked exhausted from endless work, with deep dark circles under her eyes.

Her dry hair and ashen gray complexion made her look like a stack of wrinkled laundry.

Kind of like me.

“Professor? What can I do for you? Come in.”

“Actually, does the administrative office keep the enrollment records of graduates? I want to look up someone.”

“Enrollment records? Normally, you can’t see them without submitting a viewing application.”

“Viewing application?”

“Yes. We need final approval from both our director and the principal…”

An application needing the administrative director and principal’s approval? That’s a bit of a problem.

“Who are you looking for?”

“A close old colleague, I’m just curious. Even a quick peek is impossible?”

“Ah… You still need to submit a viewing application.”

After some thought, Chae Ga-yun spoke as if he had an idea.

“Then, Professor, if you buy me lunch, I’ll sneak and show it to you.”

“I agree.”

Chae Ga-yun seemed flustered at my quick acceptance.

Not expecting such an easy answer, she stared blankly at me for a moment before recovering herself.

“Um… Are you really?”

“Yes. You were the one who said it first.”

“Ah, yes, you’re right. Haha… Well… Uh… Let me check?”

Chae Ga-yun hurriedly typed away at her keyboard, then asked for the names I was looking for.

“Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-a.”

“Han Tae-woo… Seo Ji-a… Hmm…”

Chae Ga-yun frowned as she scrolled with the mouse wheel.

“Hmm… That’s strange… There doesn’t seem to be anyone by that name?”

“Excuse me?”

Could they have erased even their Academy enrollment records?

That wasn’t a thought I considered…

Do I really need to go to Professor Heo…

Strengthening my mental barrier as I thought, Chae Ga-yun asked.

“Do you know the age of the people you are looking for?”

“Their age? Hmm…”

The parents of high school students must at least be in their late 30s to early 40s.

Most likely, they’re older.

“About that age, I think.”

“Oh, so that’s why they’re not listed. You need to check at the document storage.”

“Document storage?”

“Yes. The older enrollment records are scheduled for destruction soon, so they’re only kept in their original form and haven’t been digitized.”

“Thankfully. Can I access that document storage?”

Chae Ga-yun hesitated again, but since I had firmly promised to buy her lunch, she soon decided and stood up.

“I’ll open it for you.”

***

The document storage is located in the basement of the administrative building.

After entering through the first metal door using a password and the second through fingerprint recognition, we entered.

“This is too lax.”

“Not at all. It’s a place where even a nuclear bomb wouldn’t cause any damage.”

A coolness typical of the basement and an old paper smell filled the dark document storage.

There were old files awaiting destruction, making the inside quite complicated.

“Director, I’m sorry, but I’ll look for it myself.”

“Huh…? Ah… Oh… Okay. I’ll wait outside then.”

“Thank you.”

After Chae Ga-yun left, I slowly moved toward where the enrollment records were stored.

The enrollment records were neatly arranged chronologically by year and name, so I began searching roughly based on the time period.

Although it felt unnecessary to go to such lengths, it was essential to do so.

Making Han Min-ha an S-class hero is the quest assigned to me.

To complete it, the actions I’m taking right now are indispensable.

Moments later, I found Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-a’s enrollment records.

I moved to a brighter area and leaned against a metal shelf, opening Han Tae-woo’s record.

The first page was his identity form, including a photo.

Looking at Han Tae-woo’s picture, I thought about how Han Min-ha didn’t seem to resemble his father and moved my gaze downward.

At that moment, my mental barrier violently trembled.

“Oof…”

I gritted my teeth and moaned, hearing someone call my name.

“Professor Hyun.”

I turned to see a man in a purple suit looking at me.