Chapter 36

Since I remained silent, the Chairman of the Advisory Board closed the laptop and recovered the cipher module.

After placing the cipher module into the safe, the Chairman returned and waited for me while sipping green tea.

It was only after the Chairman finished the tea that I finally spoke.

“By the way, why is there no memory of the hospital in my mind?”

“Every time you asked about Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-a, the mental barrier kept overlaying and continuously blocked your memories.”

“I see…”

The mental barrier has completely severed my connection to protect me from guilt and shock.

Then, why isn’t the mental barrier functioning properly now?

Perhaps… because I’ve come to understand the root cause of why the mental barrier was established.

Truthfully, I don’t know exactly either.

I only know that the mental barrier is the ultimate defense technique, but since no hero has actually implemented it, all I can do is speculate.

“So, what will you do now, Su-hyun?”

“What do you mean?”

“Since your memories have all returned, your state of mind must have changed, right?”

“Maybe.”

“Will you rejoin Sikrito?”

The Chairman made the proposal.

“Your defensive ability surpasses any hero from the Organization. Sikrito needs heroes with such abilities. Moreover, you bear no responsibility for the past events—it wasn’t your fault to begin with.”

Resigning as a professor at the Academy and returning to Sikrito…

Hmm… does he truly believe I’d return, making such a suggestion?

“Though your words are appreciated, I’ll continue to stay at the Academy.”

“Is it because of Han Min-ha? To fulfill the promise of making that child an S-rank hero? Professor Hyun, achieving S-rank isn’t something a single guiding professor can accomplish through passionate guidance alone—you know this already.”

“I understand that.”

“I’ll arrange it through the Academy so the child receives appropriate care. Therefore, I urge you to return.”

The initial proposal of ‘will you return?’ has now turned into a commanding tone of ‘you must return,’ and I didn’t miss the shift.

No hero deeply practices defensive techniques.

Unless they’re insane.

Thus, there aren’t many heroes who can handle defensive barriers as skillfully as I can, and Sikrito desires heroes like me due to the nature of its missions.

Even if a hero’s overall ability isn’t high, they are still needed if they have specialized skills.

“What do you think?”

“I’ll need time to consider. I’ve suddenly learned too many things, and I need time to process them.”

“So, I see… Alright, take your time to think, and then get back to me.”

I stood up after receiving the Chairman’s business card and placing it in my inner coat pocket.

“Thank you; I’ve learned much thanks to you.”

“Then, see you again.”

After shaking hands with him, I exited the office.

A secretary, seemingly attached to the Chairman’s office, waited and stopped an elevator for me as I walked down the hallway.

While in the elevator descending quickly, I reflected on what had just happened.

It was something I couldn’t have imagined, but it wasn’t impossible either.

If I equate the mental barrier with Alzheimer’s disease caused by external factors, it’s certainly plausible.

To summarize: I made a mistake that resulted in the death of Han Min-ha’s parents, and the mental barrier emerged, erasing everything. However, meeting Han Min-ha caused cracks to appear, leading me here.

Though the Chairman stated it wasn’t my fault, psychological guilt can’t simply be erased.

Now that the mental barrier is firmly intact, I treat others as an observer, but…

Nevertheless, I’m returning to the Academy.

Having learned everything, I’m not considering going back to Sikrito, leaving Han Min-ha behind.

Actually, even without Han Min-ha…

As I suddenly recalled, the reason I became a hero was due to my late-developed powers, which allowed me to enter the Academy despite being an orphan from a foster home.

It wasn’t as if I had any other choice.

But now, I have the stable job of an Academy professor.

I don’t feel the need to risk my life by re-entering the field.

Plus, with forty approaching, diving back into active duty would be quite a stretch.

Fine.

I’m going back to the Academy.

I will ensure that Han Min-ha becomes an S-rank hero.

Then, my cell phone in my pocket started vibrating.

Upon checking the screen, several messages from Yu Hye-won were waiting.

[What are you doing?]

[Are you coming back tonight?]

[If you come tonight, would you like to have dinner with Han Min-ha and me?]

[Professor?]

[Why haven’t you checked the messages?]

What… what is all this?

Why are there so many?

Taking out Yu Hye-won’s schedule from my pocket and comparing the times, most of them came during her lectures.

Does this child use her cell phone during lectures?

I should propose at the next faculty meeting to confiscate cell phones before lectures.

But she invited me to dinner tonight?

Today is Friday.

I have an appointment to eat with Chae Ga-yun.

It was arranged as repayment for letting her sneak into the document storage and for other help.

Opening the message window, I began typing a reply to Yu Hye-won.

* * * * *

Yu Hye-won wasn’t focusing properly on her flight training.

This wasn’t due to anything else but Professor Jin leaving the Academy on annual leave without any apparent reason.

It’s not that Yu Hye-won has separation anxiety—it’s just that the reason for Professor Jin’s leave was unknowable.

An Academy professor taking annual leave during a semester term?

Especially on a Friday?

Yu Hye-won speculated if the cause of the leave might be something like a “blind date.”

From what Yu Hye-won had gathered, Professor Jin is forty, single, and a former C-rank hero. Even though he’s retired, he is one of the top professors in the Academy, specifically under the esteemed Graford.

Moreover, setting aside his somewhat unsettling aura, he is objectively a handsome man.

It’s a set of conditions that could draw high ratings from matchmaking services and numerous proposals.

Thus, her speculation wasn’t entirely baseless.

If Professor Jin were to fall in love or get married…

Well, that would be troublesome.

What would happen if it actually came to that?

Huh…

“Be careful, Hye-won!!”

At Professor Jin’s cry, Yu Hye-won snapped out of it and spun her body just in time.

She barely avoided hitting the ground and quickly ascended to the designated altitude.

Soaring high enough to see the vast outdoor airfield beneath her, Yu Hye-won took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

If she had collided at that speed, her skull might have shattered.

“Are you alright?”

Professor Jin flew toward her, concerned.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Can you continue?”

“Of course.”

The students waiting for their turn were whispering and looking up at her.

“I’m okay, really I am.”

“Alright, then… continue. But I’ll have to mark the trajectory deviation that occurred earlier…”

“Take points off. I don’t mind.”

Yu Hye-won confidently returned to her original position.

Professor Jin followed her, noting the deduction in the checklist as they moved.

Today was mid-term evaluation day for the flight and guidance subject.

It’s unfortunate that Professor Jin decided to take leave on a day like this.

If the guidance student knows their score was reduced because of this, what kind of face would they make?

They’d probably have an expressionless face and say something like ‘It’s not my fault,’ huh.

He’s like a moldy gray fungus or something.

If there’s still no reply by the time evaluations are over, we’ll see what happens.

Returning to the starting point, Yu Hye-won activated her aura and shot forward like a bullet.

* * * * *

After the evaluations ended, during the break,

Yu Hye-won confirmed that a reply from Professor Jin had come.

[ I am handling personal matters and will return to the Academy later today.]

Of course.

Since there’s no outside work for him, it’s natural he would crawl back into the Academy.

[Can you come for dinner? It’s Friday, so I’ll eat with Han Min-ha. Please buy us something nice.]

[Sorry, but I have an evening appointment, so let’s eat some other time.]

He has an evening appointment, does he?

On a Friday?

Professor Jin, who doesn’t have any friends and always goes back and forth between the research room and the dormitory, has an evening appointment?

The thought that crossed her mind might have been correct… could it be a blind date?

Or a secretly hidden lover?

Hmm…

While Yu Hye-won stood quietly examining her cell phone, Song Do-yoon approached with a towel.

“Hye-won, here you go.”

When Yu Hye-won didn’t take the towel, Song Do-yoon stepped closer and glanced at her phone.

Sensing this, Yu Hye-won stuffed the phone into her pocket and took the towel.

“Is anything wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. Mind your own business.”

Using the towel to wipe her forehead and neck, Yu Hye-won spoke coldly.

“Are you coming over to my room this evening? It’s Friday’s lantern festival, and I’ve secretly brought in a few bottles. Why don’t you join me?”

“I’ll pass. I don’t drink alcohol.”

“It’ll just be the two of us. I won’t invite anyone else.”

Yu Hye-won, who hadn’t listened to his proposal till the end, threw the towel at Song Do-yoon and pulled out her phone again, making a call.

“Yo, Han Min-ha. Where are you?”

Song Do-yoon watched Yu Hye-won, who was walking away as she spoke on the phone.

Han Min-ha…

Is today’s busyness due to Han Min-ha?

I get that they were paired up as guidance students.

But it’s inappropriate for her to cut in between us.

Especially on a day like today…

Song Do-yoon buried his nose into the towel, dampened with Yu Hye-won’s sweat, and took a deep breath.

While glaring at the back of her head from afar, he thought bitterly.

Hye-won…

How can someone change so quickly?

After all I’ve done for you up until now, are you planning to do this?

Sure, I can tolerate your interest in Han Min-ha.

But it’s wrong to treat me like this… to push me away and take Han Min-ha along, right?

With these thoughts simmering, a disturbing notion started brewing in Song Do-yoon’s mind.