Academy’s Villain Professor-Chapter 194 : Chapter 194

Chapter 194: Revenge (2)
The 2-week vacation was over.
Ho-cheol had returned to his usual professor life, but that was only for the weekdays.
On weekends, he still had to act as a fake villain.
That's why he was stuck in the organization's hideout again on a Friday night.
“It’s difficult.”
He muttered, staring blankly up at the ceiling.
Originally, if things had gone according to his plan, Ha-rin's revenge was destined to succeed.
Whether the end of that revenge was Hong Beom-do's arrest, or his life itself, in any case, at the end of the plan, he would have lost everything and been ruined.
But the dean wanted Ha-rin not to cross the line as a revenger.
For this, a complete revision of the plan was necessary.
And he would also have to take all the risks of the aftermath when everything was resolved in the future.
He let out another faint sigh and scratched his cheek.
“I wonder why I have to take care of this.”
In fact, she wasn't as young as his students, and at a glance, she was around So-hee's age.
The rebellious teenage years and the stormy period of youth were long past.
And it wasn't an unavoidable environment; even revenge was her own choice.
Whether she was consumed by revenge and killed people, or regretted it for the rest of her life, he normally wouldn't have cared.
“Ehyo.”
Still, it wasn't a request from a stranger.
I can do this much.
Ho-cheol, who had been busy revising his plan, put his hand in his pocket and frowned.
A handful of rustling candy and chocolate wrappers were in his hand.
These were not things Ho-cheol had bought with his own money.
They were all ‘gifts’.
“I don’t even like them.”
The female students had just given him a lot of candy and chocolate as gifts.
The past week had been, in a sense, the most shocking week of Ho-cheol's life.
It was just that his dark circles had disappeared, and his impression had softened a little.
But with just that minor change, the distance with the students had narrowed to a bizarre extent.
At the very least, from the second-year students he was in charge of, the core emotions had been clear ones of a hierarchical relationship, like admiration or respect, but this week, something was different.
Especially the way the female students looked at him had changed quite a bit.
Most of the questions had been related to the lecture, and personal questions had been as rare as a bean in a drought, but this week, there were more questions that were not related to the lecture.
And they would whisper among themselves in small groups and then suddenly give him a lot of candy or chocolate.
And among them, for some reason, there was also a male student.
At that moment, even Ho-cheol couldn't help but shiver from a momentary chill.
Of course, Ho-cheol was not going to eat all of that chocolate or other sweet snacks.
As soon as he got off work, Ji-an would somehow notice and hold out her hand for the snacks, and Ho-cheol would hand over the candy or chocolate he had received without a second thought.
Even if they were gifts, they were just ready-made products from a convenience store.
There was no sincerity in them, so it was better for them to go into the mouth of someone who would enjoy them.
Of course, he understood the intention with which the female students had given him the sweets.
But Ho-cheol did not take it seriously at all.
A momentary love was not even as good as a cold that you would catch briefly on a midsummer night.
In Ho-cheol's opinion, all the affection and such feelings they had mentioned did not go beyond that extension.
And of course, the same went for Ji-an.
What he knew, because it was a clear memory that could be called an imprinting in his childhood.
If he went through a little more socialization and interacted with others, this would just be a faint memory of a past time.
The expiration date of the subtle relationship that had continued until now was not far off.
Ho-cheol was sure of it.
He muttered softly.
“Right. This is just right.”
“What is, sir?”
At Wolf Fang, who had suddenly poked his face in, Ho-cheol clicked his tongue.
I was in the middle of a serious thought for the first time in a while, and you suddenly woke me up.
Ho-cheol's brows narrowed, and he kicked his shin.
Ppa-ak—
“Ka-euk!”
Wolf Fang folded his leg and staggered.
“What a crybaby.”
There were still four more days of his Trait recovery period.
Until then, his physical ability was also at the level of a rookie awakened one, so that was a real exaggeration.
Wolf Fang grumbled, rubbing his shin.
“No, the boss always pokes at that precise weak spot, so it hurts a lot.”
“There’s no such thing.”
“Anyway, we have a guest.”
Wolf Fang limped away.
And the one who came in as he was leaving was, of course, Ha-rin.
Looking at her, Ho-cheol said shortly.
“Your outfit has changed. No, is it the same clothes with just more decorations? In any case, it’s impossible to just wear them as you please. It must be a promotion.”
“That’s right. From a regular team leader to an associate team manager now.”
Ha-rin nodded her head.
She had been promoted from a single team to a managerial position that managed three or four teams.
“Should I congratulate you? But already?”
Although she had filled her back pockets generously by embezzling the volume for the past 2 weeks, it was not yet a period to receive the effects of a promotion through that performance or tribute.
If her position had risen for a reason other than performance or tribute, the reason was obvious.
Ho-cheol, with his chin in his hand, said indifferently.
“It seems that Hong Beom-do bastard has been on quite a rampage. No, should I say an axe-dance here?”
He looked just like a ruffian, so he looked like he would be good at chopping off people's heads.
“20% were cut off. And nearly 10 executives were also eliminated.”
The seed of suspicion that Ho-cheol had lightly thrown had caused a ripple in the calm lake.
A purge was underway with just a simple suspicion.
“You didn’t come here to brag about your promotion, did you? What’s your real intention?”
Ha-rin lightly brushed the table between her and Ho-cheol with her fingertips.
She rubbed her thumb and index finger together, balled up the dust, and threw it on the floor.
“As expected. A villain and a boss with a real lust for power would never be so careless with the cleaning of his own office.”
Although there were some villains who made a mess, let alone cleaning, at the very least, the Ho-cheol in front of her was not.
The clean interior, this dust had just accumulated because no one had used this room.
And Ho-cheol's attitude, atmosphere, and actions, all pointed to one answer.
“In any case, it doesn’t seem like you came under Hong Beom-do with good intentions either.”
“Good intentions?”
Ho-cheol chuckled and spun his chair lightly.
“A villain. To backstab, to bite at weaknesses, to swallow them up the moment they become weaker than you…”
He put both his legs on the table and said shortly.
“In our time, we called that a villain.”
“Our time, you say. What’s a rookie who’s been around for less than a month? In any case, it’s not just for the sake of success as a villain.”
“Well, that’s not entirely wrong.”
Ho-cheol trailed off, giving a vague answer.
Should he be glad?
He had blatantly dropped a hint, and she had found the answer in just 2 weeks.
“So my goal is revenge, and your goal is probably to weaken Hong Beom-do’s organization by eating it away, I don’t know. We overlap to some extent, don’t we? I’ve already crossed the line.”
She suggested to Ho-cheol in a subtle voice.
“How about we join hands? I’ll move from the inside, and you from the outside.”
Of course, Ha-rin's suggestion was not actually her intention.
Ho-cheol had blatantly induced this suggestion and situation, and she was just believing that all this situation and choice was her own.
“There’s no trust, but there’s a common goal. Isn’t that enough of a reason to cooperate?”
For her, there was a reason why she had to hold on to Ho-cheol.
Just a few words from Ho-cheol and a light show.
That alone had shaken Hong Beom-do's organization, which had seemed like an impregnable fortress to her.
Her revenge could have taken years, no, perhaps even more than 10 years.
But with Ho-cheol's appearance, it could be achieved much more easily.
Perhaps it wouldn't even take a year.
“Revenge. What’s the reason?”
“Does that matter?”
Ha-rin, who had been smiling faintly until just a moment ago, her expression hardened.
“In any case, our goals are the same. The motive doesn't matter.”
Still not enough trust.
In fact, it wasn't that important to Ho-cheol either.
But the problem was our old man, who couldn't even eat properly out of worry for his grandchild.
“That’s right.”
Looking at the burning enthusiasm of Ha-rin, Ho-cheol made a complicated expression.
There was also a sense of pity in his gaze.
It was as if he was looking at his past self.
A person who would not think much of their own life for the sake of their goal.
The only reason they were holding their breath until now was because the probability of just dying was higher, so they were waiting for the next opportunity.
A person who could throw away their life without a second thought if their goal and the probability of success were equal.
And it was by no means an easy thing to persuade that person.
Because revenge was something you couldn't stop, even while being aware that you were twisted and heading in the wrong direction.
Ho-cheol closed his eyes for a moment and thought.
The plan was not yet perfectly organized.
There were quite a few parts that didn't fit properly, like a gear with a missing tooth, and there were also clumsy parts that relied on luck.
At the very least, would it be a gain or a loss to the goal if he accepted this cooperation?
As he was running a calculator in his head, he opened his eyes again.
I should probably refuse.
Ha-rin's expression, visible through his slightly opened eyes, looked quite anxious.
In fact, even though she had acted nonchalantly, it was a proposal she had made with her life on the line.
But it was an expression that showed she was worried that she would not be able to achieve her revenge, not that she was worried about her own life.
Ho-cheol let out a sigh.
If I don’t accept, she might just die like an egg thrown against a rock.
She looked that precarious.
In the end, he changed his mind.
“So what’s the plan?”
Ha-rin's face brightened, and she clenched both her fists.
“Of course I have one. A damn perfect one!”
She immediately explained the plan she had been working on so far.
After hearing the nearly one-hour-long plan, Ho-cheol rubbed his chin with his index finger and said shortly.
“It sucks.”
***
Hong Beom-do's organization.
Ho-cheol visited its hideout again.
This time too, he had arrived as an invited guest.
It was obvious what the business was, even without hearing it.
It would be about internal spies or traitors.
And so, on his way to the meeting room, a person wearing a mask and a deep hood, as if that wasn't enough, passed by him.
Ho-cheol muttered, as if puzzled.
“Is it okay to go around covered up like that?”
Judging by the fact that he wasn't wearing a hanbok, he wasn't a member of the organization here, and if he wasn't a guest like himself, then he was too bundled up.
Was it okay for such a suspicious person to wander around the headquarters so randomly?
“It’s nothing. He’s probably hiding like that because it would be a problem if his face was revealed. There are quite a few guests like that.”
“Who is he?”
At his question, Ha-rin answered shortly.
“A hero.”
“……What? Did I mishear?”
Ho-cheol, who had doubted his ears for a moment, muttered so.
Ha-rin let out a light scoff.
“Well, you’ve been a natural-born villain all along, so why are you so surprised? Isn't it strange? That a villain organization that has maintained its fame for over 10 years is still going strong?”
A few images came to Ho-cheol's mind.
“There have been a lot of traitors and spies to purge this time. We’ve roughly made a list, so we’ll probably start dealing with them soon.”
“So that means the one who will deal with them is…”
“That’s right. We’ll send out the ones to be dealt with in a bundle, and a hero will catch them. This side doesn’t get blood on their hands, and the hero gets a public achievement. This side’s key personnel don’t get caught.”
Ho-cheol momentarily felt a wave of nausea.
Covering his mouth, he muttered.
“That’s ridiculous. Do you know which hero it is?”
“How would I know when he’s so bundled up? In fact, I’m not even sure if that’s the hero himself. It’s just a rumor on this side.”
Ho-cheol had already stopped walking and was deep in thought.
“I had no idea.”
It wasn't just now.
Even when he had been a villain in the past, he had had no knowledge of such a collusion between heroes and villains.
“You’re surprisingly pure. This organization has only recently started dabbling in various things, but in fact, its biggest source of income is from hero rank solicitations.”
Ho-cheol's expression was one of genuine shock.
In fact, it was not at all strange for such a thing to happen.
The hero ranking system, which relied solely on the individual's morality.
The fact that it had been well-maintained until now was just Ho-cheol's delusion.
The heroes he had had a relationship with were mostly S-rank, or top-tier A-rank talents who had no need for solicitations.
Ho-cheol, who had come face to face with the most terrible and ugly side of modern hero society, let out a hollow laugh.
What was this, Hong Beom-do's organization, Min Ha-rin's revenge?
This was not the time to be concerned with such things.