Academy’s Villain Professor-Chapter 149 : Chapter 149

Chapter 149 : The Wish
Ho-cheol was, for a rare moment, genuinely flustered.
It took him a considerable amount of time to hear, register, understand, and accept her words.
“So. Um.”
Honestly, he had thought that whatever wish Ji-an made would be obvious.
Of course, since most of that obvious nonsense was outside the category of ‘wishes that can be granted,’ he had planned to refuse without any burden.
The bottom line he had set was, frankly, at most, getting So-hee to leave her alone and spending a day with her at the academy.
He had thought she would be satisfied with that.
But to think she would say she wanted to enroll in the academy.
It was a problem that came before whether he could grant it or not.
He covered his mouth with his palm.
Then he raised his index finger to point at Ji-an, only to quickly retract it.
The finger, having lost its destination, pointed only at the empty air.
Had he ever been this flustered since his release?
Probably not.
“Let me ask you again. Not just a tour of the academy, but enrolling? You want to?”
“Yes!”
“It's the second semester, in the first place. To enroll, you have to start properly from the first semester. No, is there such a thing as transferring in?”
Ho-cheol, who had no information about it, was quite confused.
Is she transferring?
No, in the first place, transferring wasn't for a situation like this.
And Ji-an's basic education must be a mess.
But Ji-an confidently shook her head.
“I did some research. For the special additional admission here, you can take a test anytime as long as you apply before the semester starts. If you pass, you can enter in the second semester too.”
To be precise, it was closer to ‘non-typical admission’ or ‘special admission’ rather than transferring.
After that, Ji-an explained all the things Ho-cheol was worried about, such as her final education level and criminal record, through the regulations related to Clington's transfer and academic affairs.
In the first place, Clington Hero Academy was not a mandatory educational facility.
Even Ji-an, who had not properly completed the mandatory education course, could enroll if she passed an additional test.
It was a regulation that had been passed down from the founder of Clington, who believed that the opportunity to become a hero should not be taken away due to a lack of education or past mistakes.
As her explanation continued, Ho-cheol's expression changed strangely.
It was clear that she hadn't just made a rash decision based on emotion, but had thought and prepared for a long time.
She seemed calmer than he was, at least.
He took a long, deep breath.
Having regained his composure, he stared at Ji-an.
Perhaps because she herself thought the possibility of refusal was higher, her expression was more tilted towards anxiety and worry than expectation.
“I know you're serious. But if the reason is simply that you'll be bored staying alone during the weekdays when I start school, if it’s just for that reason……”
“N-no!”
She quickly waved her hand, denying Ho-cheol's guess.
“Then. Do you want to be a hero or something?”
Ji-an, who had been waving her hand, stopped for a moment.
Lowering her hand, she hesitated.
She opened her lips slightly as if to speak, then closed them again, repeating this several times.
In the end, she let out a faint sigh.
“That’s…… not it either, actually.”
“Then?”
“I don’t know.”
Ji-an's voice trailed off, lacking confidence.
“What I want to be, what I want to do. Nothing. In fact, I thought that as long as I was by your side, Mister, it wouldn't matter what state I was in. But……”
Ji-an slightly turned her head, avoiding his eyes.
“At some point, I started to feel greedy, wondering what kind of me would be best to be by your side, Mister. But I just couldn't find the answer by thinking about it alone……”
The fact that she couldn't say it easily was also an extension of that thought.
What if, by confessing her true feelings, Mister was disappointed in her shameless attitude?
What if she was scolded for having a mindset that didn't suit the position of a hero in the first place?
“This. Did you tell So-hee about it?”
“Yes.”
Ji-an slowly nodded her head.
Of course, she had consulted her in advance.
Although the result was not good at all.
“That kid probably opposed it unconditionally. That’s natural. Anyone in their right mind would have to.”
At Ho-cheol's calm and scathing declaration, Ji-an flinched greatly.
“You, who haven't properly apologized to your victims or paid for your sins. To be honest, I can't guarantee that you can come out into society and play your role as a member. And it's not like your social skills are above average either.”
Ho-cheol's presence did protect Ji-an, but it wasn't just a shield from the outside.
Conversely, it also served as a restraint that prevented her from going outside.
The same went for So-hee.
“Honestly, if you cause trouble here, the only victim will be me. At most, it would be So-hee. We’re willing to take that risk to some extent.”
“I’m not willing to take that risk! I don’t want to die either!”
So-hee's protest came from outside the slightly ajar front door, but Ho-cheol continued to speak, unconcerned.
“But. If you cause trouble outside, I honestly don’t know. I don’t know how I should handle the situation, or how I should react.”
As his words continued, Ji-an's body shrunk even more.
A perfectly sound argument.
“But that’s So-hee’s opinion.”
Ho-cheol said simply, as if spitting out the words.
“Do it.”
“……Pardon?”
Just a moment ago, his nuance had been as if he would never allow it, but his conclusion was the complete opposite.
“Wait a moment!”
So-hee, who had been outside the door, burst in through the front door in a panic.
She had naturally thought he would be of the same opinion.
The atmosphere had been like that in the first place.
But to change his words like this.
Setting aside her own position of having opposed it, what was he going to do about the aftermath if there was an accident?
Yet Ho-cheol was calm.
“If there was no reason or passion, I would have opposed it too, but this is an answer she came to after a long deliberation because she herself wants to change. Separate from the wish.”
He reached out and placed his hand on top of Ji-an's head.
He had been surprised at first, but it was easy to see that she was sincere.
And most importantly, the reason was not for herself, but for others.
Although it was only limited to himself for now, someday that heart would surely be able to be used for strangers as well.
And as long as he had that faith.
“I decided to be on your side no matter what. I’m just believing in you.”
A foolishly blind faith.
But he was neither foolish nor blind.
He was just returning what he had received from others to others.
This cycle couldn't continue forever, but at least he had no intention of letting it be broken by him.
Ji-an's eyes grew moist.
Overcome with emotion, she rushed at Ho-cheol.
“Mister!”
Ho-cheol slightly twisted his body, dodging her rush.
No matter what, this was still burdensome.
Of course, Ho-cheol's permission and the wall of reality were separate matters.
That's why he immediately went to the dean's office.
“No!”
Se-ah slapped away the hand Ho-cheol had held out in front of her, or more precisely, the paper he had held out.
The paper fluttered to the floor.
“Isn’t this bastard crazy!”
She exclaimed in horror.
The dean, standing a step behind with his arms crossed, also couldn't hide his discomfort.
What was this nonsense, coming here saying he had something to ask all of a sudden.
The dean bent down and picked up the paper that had fallen next to his shoe.
At first, he had thought he had misheard, but looking at the paper, it was certain.
He let out a sigh.
Special Admission Application Form
Naturally, there was only one person Ho-cheol would put in the academy.
“What are you getting so angry about? I just came to tell you in advance so it wouldn’t be awkward later.”
Of course, that wasn't the only reason.
Unlike normal admission, special admission involves a series of difficult and demanding processes, from documents, written exams, practical exams, to interviews.
It was only natural.
Knowledge on the level of the first semester's lectures was essential, and they also had to confirm if she was at a level to follow future lectures.
If these two, who knew Ji-an's inner workings, were determined to refuse, she wouldn't even be able to pass the first stage, the documents.
This was a kind of request.
Of course, it wasn't a negative kind of request asking for a pass, but closer to a plea not to put in personal feelings as much as possible.
The dean, recalling the spiteful little girl who had glared at him before, sighed again.
“You’re going to enroll her?”
“Not to grant her admission, but to grant her permission to take the transfer exam.”
Ho-cheol added, as if warning him.
“And don't call her like she's an object.”
“Heo. Good grief. Still, it’s surprising. Given her skills, I thought you’d just ask me to pass her.”
“Can you be a hero with just skills?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
He could believe in her and help her unconditionally, but to be honest, he also had a thought that it would be fine if she just failed.
He was just providing a fair opportunity.
It was entirely up to her to seize that opportunity.
“If she fails, it’ll be because she didn’t try hard enough.”
Assuming, of course, that the process was fair.
Se-ah plopped down on the armrest of a nearby sofa.
“I’m sincerely against it. Even setting aside my personal grudge. If you really want to enroll her, just have her repeat a year and enroll her officially in the first semester of next year.”
She was against this special admission itself.
Pouting her lips, she swung her feet back and forth, tapping the side of the sofa with her heels.
“You. Have you ever seen a special admission case at the academy?”
“……No. I haven’t.”
“That’s because they all drop out before they can get through the first year.”
In the end, even among aspiring heroes, there couldn't be only good and just ones.
“Bullying. Well, it’s not blatant, but it’s to the point where you can see that they’ve clearly drawn a line and are being ostracized.”
“It’s a bit much to just let that happen even if you know.”
At Ho-cheol's point, Se-ah scoffed.
“If I know? Do I go and tell them not to bully her? Does the bullying stop then? If she can’t endure it there, she won’t be able to endure it in society anyway. And this isn’t a school. It’s not a mandatory educational facility.”
If there was violence or if they crossed a line between the students, a professor could intervene, but for something of that level, there was no room for a professor to intervene.
And they shouldn't.
Ho-cheol couldn't refute it.
“In fact, it's a chance to taste the harsh reality they’ll have to face anyway, in a slightly milder form.”
Unlike her round appearance and soft cheeks, her educational philosophy was sharp.
“And you. What are you going to do if the worst-case scenario happens.”
It was also what So-hee had been worried about.
No, not just So-hee, but anyone who knew even a little about Ji-an couldn't help but worry.
Ho-cheol scratched the back of his head.
“I'll have to do something. The responsibility, and the clean-up.”
At a glance, it might sound like an irresponsible statement, but instead, the dean and Se-ah could feel a chill run down their spines.
To what extent would his responsibility and clean-up, for which he had not clearly defined the line, extend?
From what they had seen so far, it would by no means be half-hearted.
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
She puffed out her cheeks and got off the armrest of the sofa.
“Forget it. I’m giving her a zero in the interview, no matter what.”
With those words, she left the dean's office.
For Ho-cheol, it was a grateful statement.
It meant that at the very least, she wouldn't fail her on the documents out of spite.
He turned his head and looked at the dean.
He also had a very dissatisfied expression.
Wasn't she the one who had almost killed all the students, and had one of her arms ripped off and reattached like some kind of combining robot?
Honestly, he was at the point of thinking that Ho-cheol was crazy.
“I can't just do it for free.”
At the nuance of wanting him to show more cards, unlike Se-ah, Ho-cheol was disgusted.
“Ah, I’m doing all the lectures you put in. In fact, I was absolutely not going to do that first-year lecture.”
But if Ji-an were to enroll, he would have to pay some attention to her, so he had no choice but to conduct that lecture.
At the dean's gaze, Ho-cheol waved his hand as if he had lost.
“Alright. Put one on my tab.”
Just how many debts was he accumulating to grant one wish?
“I'll handle the document submission.”
The dean briefly looked at the application form.
His gaze was fixed on the three characters, Jeong Ho-cheol, written in the guardian section.
“Guardian, Jeong Ho-cheol.”
He muttered softly.
“I suppose it means you are also a person who can take responsibility for someone. She would have been very happy to see this.”
Ho-cheol, who was about to leave, stopped for a moment.
“Is that so?”
He scratched the back of his head.
He looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep sigh.
“Well, it’s not a bad feeling.”
In the midst of the busy preparations for the second semester, a call came from the head of the Legal Department.
The USB contained the organizational chart of the New World Society and various other information that Ho-cheol had entrusted to him.
The analysis of its password and information was complete.
However, the volume was considerable, and some of the content was burdensome to share wirelessly.
Judging by the more serious atmosphere and tone of the head of the Legal Department than ever before, the scale of this matter seemed to be beyond his imagination.
No, in the first place, he hadn't shared the information about Black Oskopf, so it was a natural reaction.
In the end, even if he was a high-ranking official, he was just a public servant, so he couldn't help but be horrified by the scale that was beyond his imagination.
That's why Ho-cheol headed to the Legal Department to receive it in person.
Most importantly, he had something to talk about regarding Ji-an's case.
This would be a long story to resolve over the phone.
Before going to the Legal Department, he stopped by a bank for a moment.
Originally, the salary paid by Clington was all taken back by the Association under various pretexts, but from this semester, Ho-cheol would be receiving additional allowance for his extra lectures.
The amount the Association took was only the contracted major lecture allowance and monthly salary.
The rest was his.
Of course, considering his wealth, it was less than a pittance, but that was no reason not to receive it.
But he didn't have a bank account to receive that salary.
The money the Association laundered for him was basically in an Association-name bank account and card; there were currently no financial activities in Ho-cheol's name.
His official bank account had already been blocked by the state during his villain days.
Even though that restriction was now lifted, when he inquired at the bank, the answer was that he could only resume proper financial activities after a face-to-face consultation.
Still, it wouldn't take that long, so Ho-cheol visited the bank with a light heart.
It was around lunchtime, so there were a moderate number of people in the bank.
Not deserted, but not crowded either, just in between.
It was his first time at a bank in almost 10 years, but not much had changed between then and now.
The ticket machine was visible as soon as the automatic door opened, and the people sitting with tickets in their hands, were all as he vaguely remembered.
He took a ticket.
Number 133.
Holding the small ticket, he sat on a chair in the corner.
The number at the counter was 129.
His turn would come soon.
Ding-dong—
Ding-dong—
As the numbers kept changing, his turn finally came.
Ho-cheol, seeing the number 133, stood up from his chair.
No, he was about to.
At that moment.
Bang—
A sharp gunshot that tore through the air echoed inside the bank.
At the same time as the roar, the gazes of the customers who had come to the bank turned to where the sound had come from.
A man was aiming a gun at the ceiling.
Acrid smoke flowed from the gun he held.
And the man lowered the gun and aimed it at the people, including Ho-cheol.
“Nobody moves! I’ll shoot anyone who moves!”
Ho-cheol, who had been in the middle of standing up, froze and then plopped back down in his seat.
To think that his path would cross with a robber at a bank he had visited for the first time in almost 10 years.
“Good grief……. What bad luck.”
Of course, he wasn't talking about himself.
Ho-cheol rolled up the ticket in his hand.