Chapter 31

Yu Hye-won was struck with fear at the weighty voice of her father.

No matter how she thought about it, she began to regret bringing up an unnecessary topic.

Yu Hye-won’s father is a cold-blooded person who doesn’t make exceptions even for family.

Moreover, he firmly believes, without a doubt, that his only daughter will become an S-rank just like him.

Yu Hye-won always harbors anxiety about betraying her father’s expectations.

Though she has never expressed this fear outwardly, even once.

Yu Hye-won swallowed her saliva and waited for her father to speak.

Soon, her father said,

“Leave useless concerns aside and focus on your studies.”

“Understood…”

As the call ended, Yu Hye-won let out a large breath she had been holding.

As always, conversations with Dad are tense and difficult…

But to ignore “useless concerns”…

Dad is… just the same as always, no matter the time.

Maybe things will change a little once I reach S-rank.

Slightly disheartened, Yu Hye-won stood there before quickly regaining her composure and walking down the hallway.

***

I had a dream.

Wearing my hero suit while flying, I encountered a cloud of a strange color.

Attempting to avoid it, I sharply twisted my body, only to be struck down forcefully from an incredibly powerful force.

Thrown off balance by the impact, I began to rapidly plummet toward the ground.

After the earth and sky flipped several times, just before colliding with the ground, I managed to reduce the impact by setting up dozens of weak defensive barriers in succession, which then shattered.

But having fallen from several hundred meters above, every part of my body felt like it was about to break.

Groaning while lying facedown, I soon regained my senses and abruptly stood up.

“Ugh…”

I wobbled but managed to plant my feet and looked up at the sky.

The strange cloud from before continued to grow larger, and the thing I was seeking was nowhere to be found.

Encircling myself with aura, I tried to shoot off again, but my body wouldn’t allow it.

Attempting to fly, I collapsed, sitting motionless as I stared up at the cloud.

“No…”

Through the cloud, a meteor with a long tail slowly descended.

“No…!”

The meteor fell slowly but steadily, eventually landing in a rugged mountain range.

“NO!!”

Dragging my motionless legs across the ground, I struggled to move toward it.

But the distance was clearly several dozen kilometers away.

Even if I ran, there was no way I could crawl such a long distance.

“Wha…!”

Gripping dry grass and pebbles, I sobbed like an animal.

“Aaaaaaah!!”

When I screamed and woke up, the clock pointed to 4 a.m.

The mental barrier that had broken during sleep quickly restored itself, bringing back my sanity.

It was just a dream.

The same recurring dream as always.

But this time, there were some additions to the usual story.

Trying to understand its meaning, but the memory of the dream slipped away like water through my fingers, quickly vanishing.

In the end, only the strange colored cloud and the falling meteor remained in my mind.

The meteor made me feel a variety of emotions, but…

Now, I can no longer remember any of it.

Still, it’s really frustrating to keep waking up in the middle of the night because of dreams.

If only I could wake up right after falling asleep or just before getting up, but waking up at 4 a.m.?

Rubbing my temples, I soon got out of bed.

I wanted to take a shower since I had worked up a cold sweat during the dream.

As hot water poured over me, I found myself reflecting on the dream instead of organizing my tasks for the day.

What kind of dream is this?

Why does it keep recurring?

Maybe…

Under normal circumstances, I would have completely erased or pushed aside such wild guesses, but…

It feels different now.

Could it really be…

***

A meeting for guidance with Golden Viper and Gray Mold.

An important task for information acquisition and reconnaissance; I’d agreed to review it today.

Since Yu Hye-won’s report was near-perfect, there was nothing to report back on.

In fact, after just a cursory read-through, it felt like Yu Hye-won knew more about the topic than I did.

Considering how, as a freshman, she could produce such a high-level assignment must mean she received some form of outside tutoring.

Maybe her father managed to procure some lineage information through various channels.

She’s the type who can call the academic dean directly about issues concerning her academic advisor; such actions aren’t surprising.

Professor Han had much to review and guide.

As I edited with my pen, Han Min-ha’s face grew increasingly red.

“This part should be redone by me. What you’ve written here isn’t just a different opinion—it’s completely incorrect.”

“Understood.”

Han Min-ha diligently scribbled down my notes in a notebook, but her trembling hands made the writing messy.

“Does your arm hurt?”

“Ah… No, it’s fine. I’ve been focusing on physical training recently…”

At this, Yu Hye-won, who had been on her phone, snorted.

I’m aware that recently Yu Hye-won has been dragging Han Min-ha along for physical training.

The rumor’s spread so widely that there’s no one at the academy who hasn’t heard about it.

Yu Hye-won always attracts attention, and her every move becomes a hot topic.

Given that she’s personally mentoring a student at the bottom of the class, there must be a fair amount of gossip.

Still, no one knows Yu Hye-won’s true intentions, so most of the stories are speculation.

There are whispers that Han Min-ha clings to her cunningly to survive the academy, or worse, rumors about Yu Hye-won’s personal preferences.

As rumors gain intensity over time, they’re bound to become more titillating—it’s hardly a pleasant situation for the guidance students dealing with such slander.

However, Yu Hye-won seems entirely unconcerned.

A staunch individualist who doesn’t pay any attention to her surroundings as long as she’s convinced about her own conduct.

On the other hand, Han Min-ha… well…

It’s unclear how she’s processing all these rumors.

She always appears timid and hesitant in every situation, making it hard to gauge her feelings.

Since our last interview, I haven’t received any substantial responses from her.

I thought that offering even a vague outline of her parents’ past actions would persuade and sway her.

Does she just need more time?

We can’t enter the advanced stages of defensive techniques if Han Min-ha continues to struggle with using aura.

The gap between Yu Hye-won and Han Min-ha is vast.

It’s impossible to teach them both simultaneously, and there’s no way Yu Hye-won would lower herself to Han Min-ha’s level.

At least Min-ha needs to get to a point where she can keep up with Hye-won, even just a little.

When that will happen is anyone’s guess…

“Alright, let’s call it a day. It’s already late, and everyone needs to rest.”

“Professor, treat us to dinner.”

Yu Hye-won slipped her phone into her pocket and boldly requested.

“I know you already had dinner.”

“It didn’t taste good, so I left it.”

“Still, it’s too late to go out now. Let’s do it another time.”

“How about tomorrow? Not pork riblets, something else.”

“I won’t be at the academy tomorrow—it’s my day off.”

At this, Yu Hye-won’s mouth formed an “O.”

“Wow, you even take vacations during the semester?”

“I don’t have lectures tomorrow.”

“Where are you going? With who?”

“With whom isn’t necessary information for you, and I’m going alone.”

At this Yu Hye-won narrowed her eyes and stared me down.

I met her gaze with a faint smile.

“I think it’s time for me to go rest. Good work, everyone.”

As I rose from my seat, Han Min-ha quickly stood and gathered her writing materials, while Yu Hye-won slowly rose, suspicion evident on her face.

Since I was really heading home, the three of us exited the research building together.

The sun had already set, and the cold evening wind made the streetlights feel especially sharp.

Yet, the students seemed unaffected in their simple training attire, leaving me feeling like the only one who was cold.

At the fork between the employee and student dormitories, I bade farewell to the students.

“See you, everyone.”

“Goodbye, professor.” “Yes.”

Han Min-ha waited for me to go first, whereas Yu Hye-won twirled around without a care.

“Hye-won Student.”

I stopped her.

“Thank you for helping me.”

“For what?”

“Thank you for helping Min-ha Student.”

As I smiled, Yu Hye-won awkwardly opened her mouth, then turned away with a clearly agitated expression.

I know why she reacted this way.

She’s embarrassed.

Still, gratitude remains gratitude…

“See you the day after tomorrow.”

We exchanged polite farewells, waved our hands, and parted ways to our respective homes.

***

The next day.

Driving out of the academy, I traveled down the highway.

Right now, I’m heading to the Organization.

After dreaming last night, I felt the need to not only look into Han Min-ha’s parents but also dig into my past.

I surmised that understanding my past could also potentially reveal more information about Han Min-ha’s parents.

Regardless of anything, it is only right for an orphaned only child to know what happened to her parents.

Calling ahead would only get me stuck at the unified call center without further progress, so I’ve decided to pay a personal visit.

A former Sikrito and professor at Graford Academy should at least receive some response, if not outright dismissal.

Of course, the Organization is a strict place, so things might be unpredictable, but at least I can observe their reaction when I arrive.

After a long drive, I reached the Organization.

It’s an incredibly tall building, entirely encased in glass, and its imposing nature was undeniable.

As I looked up at the building, I saw a mysterious hero with a red trail disappear onto the Organization’s rooftop.

Shifting my gaze, I entered the building.

At the entrance, I presented my ID and visit purpose to the security guard, who scrutinized my face with suspicion.

“Excuse me, sir… are you really a hero?”

“Yes. Someone who isn’t a hero can’t be an academy professor.”

“Ah… that’s true, but…”

The security guard, visibly troubled, typed something on the keyboard.

“Uh… No matter what I look up… I can’t find anything under your name…”

“That’s to be expected. My name and activity records likely won’t appear.”

“Really…?”

The security guard raised an eyebrow as if questioning my authenticity.

“I’m here to confirm that. If you can’t handle it here, please report to your superior. Inform them that an academy professor using the callsign ‘Gray Steel’ has arrived.”

“Uh… Alright… I’ll do that…”

Though my credentials were undeniable, the security guard had no choice but to pick up the phone and make a call.