Chapter 55

Outside the research building’s smoking area.

“Shit.”

Despite having erected a mental barrier, I was somewhat startled by Professor Hyun Ju’s curse.

Professor Hyun Ju took out a cigarette and muttered another curse through unclear pronunciation.

“Fuck.”

After rummaging through her pocket, Professor Hyun Ju pulled out a lighter, glanced at me, then shoved it back into her pocket.

“Nice for you, Professor. Having two of them.”

A week-long short vacation.

And home visits to over twenty guidance students scattered across the country.

It’s impossible not to swear, isn’t it?

“It just happened this way. You must be working hard.”

“At least if we’d been notified a month in advance, I wouldn’t be this upset.”

Professor Hyun Ju muttered darkly as she chewed on the cigarette filter.

The muscles of the close-range combat expert, Professor Hyun Ju, were clearly twitching beneath her thin summer blouse.

“Professor Yu, the penalty for breaking the contract must be astronomical for you.”

Professor Jin cautiously interjected, observing the situation carefully.

“Penalty fees?”

“Professor Yu… you booked an overseas vacation this time, right? You’re supposed to leave tomorrow…”

“Ah, damn…”

She must really be angry.

“What about you, Professor Jin? Don’t you have a lot of guidance students too?”

“Yeah, so I thought about applying for a special flight permit.”

Heroes cannot fly long distances recklessly.

They might be misidentified by air traffic radar, or their flight might overlap with scheduled plans, leading to accidents.

Of course, if there’s a sudden short-distance emergency, separate procedures are not necessary.

However, since visiting all students’ homes would require a long journey, a special flight permit is needed.

“That would be better. I need to get permission and return as quickly as possible. Though, even so, the overseas trip is completely ruined anyway.”

“What’s suddenly happened here? Why are guidance professors doing home visits when they aren’t even supervisors?”

Professor Jin and Professor Hyun Ju sighed simultaneously.

Watching them, Professor Heo of intelligence gathering and operations chuckled.

“So why did someone become so famous? I’d be more relaxed if I were someone like me, with nothing.”

“Professor Heo is a former spy, so that’s naturally why!”

Laughing lightly, Professor Heo lit his cigarette.

“Professor Hyun is there! How can you light a cigarette?!”

“No big deal. I haven’t seen Hyun coughing on this for a while now.”

“No way! Professor Heo’s cigarette smoke might make her cough again!”

At an incredibly fast speed, Professor Jin reached out and precisely snapped off the lit end of Professor Heo’s cigarette.

“Whoa… utterly terrifying…”

Holding his ruined cigarette, Professor Heo smiled helplessly.

“Anyway, how do you think the internship placements will go for the next semester?”

Changing the subject, Heo picked up the cigarette again and placed it in his mouth.

In the Academy, first-year students go out for experiential internship placements this semester.

Hero Offices and the Management Bureau, after participating in the Human Combat Ability Evaluation, nominate internship candidates they desire. Then, the selected students choose where they want to go.

Generally, graduates enter the workplace where they interned. Therefore, it might be more accurate to call the placement process a ‘draft.’

“Perhaps Yu Hye-won will get all the votes. Her ability is overwhelmingly superior to others, and her family’s background is enormous anyway. Everyone is trying to connect relations.”

Her father is the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Management Bureau, originally an S-Ranked Hero.

Together with the Director and Deputy Director, he is one of three major players controlling the Management Bureau.

Moreover, in the Human Combat Ability Evaluation, Yu Hye-won displayed a skill level completely different from her peers.

“What about Han Min-ha?”

Professor Yu asked me.

“Are you talking about Han Min-ha?”

“Yeah. Without any unique abilities, the way he defeated higher classes unexpectedly was amazing. Regardless of anything else, in terms of that sparring match alone, Han Min-ha is getting more attention than Yu Hye-won.”

“That seems right.”

Then, Professor Jin looked at me brightly.

“Both are your guidance students. Truly impressive…”

“Professor Jin, you look exactly like a dog observing its owner while holding snacks.”

Professor Yu’s comment made Professor Jin flinch and quickly withdraw her gaze.

“How can you call a person dog-like?”

“I didn’t say dog-like. I said cute. Right, Professor?”

“Haha. Yes.”

I gave a faint smile.

But still… what should I do about Han Min-ha’s home visit?

***

The scorching midday summer.

A clear sky and white cirrocumulus clouds drifting far away.

On the way to Han Min-ha’s house, I reflected on a number of thoughts.

First, Han Min-ha doesn’t have parents.

Thus, I’ll eventually have to go and talk with him when I get there.

We’ve already trained together for several weeks due to the end-of-term evaluations and guidance meetings, so there’s not much more to discuss.

And secondly, I’m concerned about seeing traces of Han Min-ha’s family – specifically Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-a.

If my mental barrier collapses as it did before, I’ll end up making an embarrassing spectacle in front of Han Min-ha.

Lost in thought, I noticed a signpost just ahead.

We’ve arrived.

Han Min-ha lives in a small town about two hours’ round trip from the Academy. It’s a quiet, peaceful place without any particularly standout features.

An appropriate population, infrastructure, and a moderate natural landscape.

A place that suits Han Min-ha well.

Walking down the desolate, quiet streets, I arrived at the housing complex where Han Min-ha lived.

The GPS navigation ended in front of a particularly small, modest house amidst the neatly lined residences.

Is this it?

As I was about to get out of the car, footsteps approached alongside a creaking gate.

“Professor! You’re here?”

Han Min-ha, in a short-sleeved shirt, opened the door to greet me.

“Have you been well, Min-ha student? Though it’s only been a few days since I last saw you.”

“Ah, Yes… I’ve been well! Thank you for coming all the way here. Please… come in. I’ll offer you a cool juice.”

“That would be good.”

Entering the narrow yard, Han Min-ha quickly rushed to open the front door.

A cold air-conditioned breeze greeted me inside.

“Is it cool enough? Please wait a moment in the living room while I bring the juice. Umm… does anything in particular appeal to you?”

“What options do you have?”

“Grapes, Orange, Aloe… They’re all available. I wasn’t sure what kind of beverage you might like, so I bought one of each.”

“An orange will be fine.”

“Understood…!”

Han Min-ha fetched the cups with a clink while I wandered around the small living room, glancing around.

It was a spotless, meticulously tidy home.

But there was a certain atmosphere about it.

Loneliness.

The house must be clean because no one lives here during the semester, so there is nothing to dirty it.

And since Han Min-ha has only been back for less than a week…

Then… Was Min-ha alone this whole time?

Strangely, there’s not even a single family picture to be seen.

“Professor, please don’t stand there. Would you like to sit on the sofa?”

Han Min-ha brought out the juice on a tray.

Once I was seated on the couch, Min-ha handed me a drink and sat on the floor.

“Thank you for traveling through the heat.”

“No problem. Anyway, as I was heading here, I had some thoughts. The main purpose of a home visit is usually a meeting with the student’s parents rather than the student.”

“Ah, Yes. That is correct…”

“But… if we think about it, interviewing Min-ha’s parents… Excuse me.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket; it was a call from Yu Hye-won.

Even though she was supposed to come later this afternoon, why is she calling now?

What an impatient personality.

I rejected the call and continued talking.

“As I’ve mentioned before, Min-ha’s parents and I worked as a team, and they were my only friends.”

“My only friends…”

“I also share a similar character with Min-ha, and I tend to feel awkward meeting people.”

Smiling as I said this, Min-ha also returned the smile lightly.

“Therefore… without the formal interview… I already have a pretty good sense of what their wishes might be.”

“To make me an S-ranked hero, right?”

“That’s correct. No matter what happens, I intend to keep that promise. Even if Min-ha doesn’t want it.”

“My thinking has changed.”

Looking at me directly, Han Min-ha continued with a calm smile.

“At first, I was just feeling lost alone, so when the Management Bureau said they would let me enter the Academy, I went in without much thought. That’s why I was so ready to easily quit and drop out. But now… things are different.”

Min-ha stared firmly into my eyes.

“Because Professor, you accepted me as a guidance student, and Hye-won helps me. My parents were your only friends, and similarly, I also…”

Suddenly interrupting his possibly touching speech, Han Min-ha fumbled through his pocket.

“I’m sorry… but I suddenly have a call…”

“It’s fine.”

Checking his phone, Min-ha gasped.

“Professor… Pro-professor…”

“What is it? Who’s calling?”

“Hye… Hye-won… it’s her call…”

He showed me his phone, which displayed “Hye-won :)”.

“What should I do..?”

It’s rude to take a call from a friend during a guidance professor’s home visit.

But it’s different if the caller is Yu Hye-won.

She must have called me earlier and when I didn’t answer, she called Min-ha.

After I visited Min-ha’s house this morning before heading to Hye-won’s…

If both calls go unanswered, she might cause a fuss.

“Min-ha Student, it’s probably better to answer it.”

At this, Min-ha hesitated, his hand trembling.

“Should I…?”

“Isn’t that your phone?”

“Right… Yes…”

With trembling fingers, Min-ha answered the call.

“Y-y-y… Hello…?”

[Is Professor Hyun there or not?!]

“Hieeeek?!”

Yu Hye-won’s loud shout through the phone made Min-ha jump in fright and look at me panic-stricken.