Chapter 6
Suspenders.
It was only peeking out from under his jacket, but Yun Jeongseop, with his keen eye, had singled out the suspenders.
The investigation instructor, Yun Jeongseop, was an ally who would help Lee Eunho solve cases within Hero Prep.
There was nothing to be gained from getting on his bad side, but in the original work, the head student of the Investigation Division 1st years was Do Minyeong.
It was impossible to know what kind of effect a minor change in the settings would have on the plot.
All I could do was try not to invade the main characters' territory.
I lightly raised my hand and spoke.
“Please reject it, that head student position.”
The surroundings stirred once more.
“……See, I told you he knows his place.”
“Isn't it arrogance rather than knowing his place? The head student position is a big deal……”
“Investigation Division tradition or whatever, there has never been a social consideration student who became the head student. It’s a disgrace to the Investigation Division, which is already treated as having a lower standard. Besides, isn't that guy powerless? What more is there to say.”
A disgrace…….
I looked back at the guy who was openly criticizing me.
His face was unfamiliar, but the name Gwon Chihun was embroidered on his jacket.
Gwon Chihun, the grandson of the former Dispel chief.
He was supporting character A, from a family of investigators with a long history, who would repeatedly pick fights with Lee Eunho and get broken.
Well, what should I say.
Perhaps because of his annoying character setting, he had a face that made you want to punch him.
“Well, if you say so.”
Unlike the reactions of those around him, Yun Jeongseop nodded his head lightly.
“The head student position will be taken by the 2nd place, Do Minyeong.”
An appointment so fleeting that it made the word 'tradition' seem meaningless.
At that moment, Do Minyeong pushed her chair back and shot up from her seat.
“……Instructor?”
“You don’t want it either? Then Gwon Chi……”
“No, I just think it goes against fairness.”
“Fairness?”
The gazes in the lecture hall were pouring onto Do Minyeong, but I was not free from them either.
After all, she was sitting at the table next to mine.
Yun Jeongseop asked again in a dry voice.
“Are you suggesting you are displeased with this instructor's directive?”
At those words, Do Minyeong’s torso, which had been leaning slightly over the desk, straightened up.
But her direct gaze did not back down in the slightest.
“I don’t want to be handed the position because I’m 2nd place. The students will perceive me as the 2nd place head student.”
“Ah, then let me make this clear. All of you, form amicable relationships with head student Do Minyeong without being hung up on ranks.”
“……”
Yun Jeongseop…….
Was he that cynical of a character?
For a moment, I was so dumbfounded that I almost let out a hollow laugh.
He must have understood Do Minyeong's opinion that it was better to select the head student through a more just opportunity.
But he had dismissed her opinion with a plea that would not work on the students in the slightest.
“Any other opinions?”
“……None.”
Do Minyeong sat down, her lips pressed firmly together.
At the same time, she shot a glare at me as if she was angry with me.
“……”
It was just a sidelong glance, but it was so unexpectedly sharp that I unknowingly fixed my gaze on the projected screen.
“Starting next week, lectures will be conducted on-site, replicating actual case scenarios. Don’t be a fool and come to the 8th floor, go to the 2nd basement level……”
I think I have really been marked by her…….
***
During Week 0, only the new students stayed on campus.
The current students would come onto campus starting from Friday of Week 0, which was a school-sanctioned holiday.
It was partly because of the situational evaluation held after the entrance ceremony, but it was fundamentally a consideration meant to let the new students adapt by roaming the campus without pressure.
Naturally, the lectures also ended quickly.
There were some instructors who filled the time until the end by discussing lecture goals and plans, but most, like Yun Jeongseop, finished within 10 minutes.
“It probably took less than 5 minutes.”
After finishing all my morning lectures, I headed to the five-story cafeteria building to eat.
This building, unlike the others, was a place where the Hero Prep side had sold the naming rights.
The name given was ‘Grand Pistachio’ 4th Scholastic District Branch, a famous hotel chain and guild.
I had described it as a place famous for its hotel cuisine, but experiencing it in person made my mouth water on its own.
“The smell alone is to die for.”
Dishes were displayed so densely that they could not be taken in at a single glance.
A grand and splendid interior to match.
And dishes cooked in real-time according to the students’ tastes, making the fact that it was a buffet seem insignificant.
Even the desserts were being meticulously prepared by specialists, and seeing the ‘well-bred’ students who would not even glance at most lavish feasts scraping their plates with satisfied faces, it seemed rude to doubt the taste.
In addition, if I had to pick the biggest advantage of this place…….
“The price for one meal is 1 point.”
For a mere 1 point, one could enjoy food that could not even be seen outside.
Points were a special currency used at Hero Prep.
They could only be obtained through academics, club activities, and internal and external awards, and they played an absolute role within Hero Prep.
For instance, ordering clothes from Giant Needle.
Or purchasing textbooks or equipment used in lectures.
Or using the other facilities provided at Hero Prep…….
It would have been nice if points simply served the role of currency, but unfortunately, their true use was for advancing in school.
Simply put, one had to pay a certain number of points to take the next semester’s classes, to advance to the next grade, and to graduate.
Furthermore, taking a leave of absence also required points, and failure to pay resulted in expulsion for everyone without exception.
It was a rather cruel system, but this too was a time-honored tradition of Hero Prep.
“A tradition to nurture heroes who possess not only talent but also diligence……”
Points could be exchanged for cash, but the reverse was not possible.
The value of 1 point was 10,000 won, which was 100,000 won in the value of my previous world.
For reference, an Americano at the famous coffee shop here, ‘White Bottle,’ was 1,000 won.
“……Damn expensive.”
Well, anyway, I had risen to 2nd place in the Week 0 rankings because of these points.
I heard it was a bonus for being a top performer in the situational evaluation, but honestly, this part was a little hard to accept.
After all, I had not done anything that fell under the evaluation criteria.
Perhaps it was because while I was lying there, Lee Eunho had testified that he had received my help.
That is, as part of the reward for seeing through and stopping Park Oseok.
In the end, unlike the original work, it meant I had pushed Gong Minwu down to 4th place, but…….
Fortunately, the episode bearing the second subtitle had arrived without being too late.
<Sub Episode>
Title: Hero Preparatory School
Characters: Lee Eunho, Gong Minwu, Do Minyeong, Cha Yeri
Reward: None
An episode where Lee Eunho roamed the campus and had official encounters with the main characters.
However, the word ‘Sub’ and the lack of a reward bothered me.
Did the absence of a reward mean it would not have a significant impact on future developments?
It would be hard to overlook the period when relationships between the characters were formed…….
Furthermore, the Lee Eunho here was not the Lee Eunho of the original work.
Naturally, his relationships with the characters could not go according to the original.
“Are they focusing on incidents directly linked to a satisfying plot, rather than the characters' relationships?”
The possibility that the devoted reader had distinguished between main and sub according to their own taste…….
Was very high.
At the point where Lee Eunho was not made to regress, it was a very high possibility.
What was fortunate was that the Lee Eunho of the original work had acted with awareness of his own actions before his regression.
To be precise, as a crude setting of mine to deal with the butterfly effect of a regression story, I had given him the setting of clearly remembering his memories from before the regression.
Of course, the current Lee Eunho was in vanilla mode, without a single fortuitous encounter.
“Well, he’s still overpowered even so.”
Lost in thought, I tagged my smartwatch on a nearby terminal.
─1 point will be deducted.
A natural mechanical sound.
Next, I placed various foods on a warm plate and headed towards a window.
Just as I grabbed an empty chair at a nearby table and pulled it out a little…….
My eyes met with Do Minyeong, who was sitting alone at a 30° diagonal angle across from me.
“……”
“……”
An awkward situation.
I was about to sit down, but it was difficult to put the chair back just because our eyes met.
In the end, I put the plate down for a moment and placed my jacket on the chair.
Just as I was about to naturally sit one seat further away, Do Minyeong’s words were tossed out.
“You can sit.”
“……Huh?”
She added, moving her mouth quickly.
“I’m done eating.”
***
Seoul District 2 Bureau of Superpowers Headquarters.
Here existed an investigation group with a different disposition from Dispel.
A secret investigation agency directly under the Bureau Chief, the Special Affairs Division.
Many people knew of the existence of the Special Affairs Division.
However, it had never been officially announced which individuals belonged to that agency.
The ones often mentioned were A-rank hunters scouted from outside, or Awakeners with national fame.
Other than that, there were only the Special Affairs Division Chief, Baek Dojun, and his aide, Kim Seyeon.
“This is all the footage provided by the Hero Prep side. It’s because the surrounding drones all malfunctioned due to that promising student. It’s thanks to a student who was observing the situation from a distance that we were able to get even this quality of footage.”
At Kim Seyeon’s words, Baek Dojun pressed his temples and asked.
“The Bureau Chief personally ordered you to take on this case?”
“Yes.”
“It seems my direct superior trusts his aide more than his direct subordinate.”
“That’s because you, Chief, are throwing a tantrum about getting more personnel for the Special Affairs Division.”
Baek Dojun snorted and leaned back in his chair.
CREAK-.
“Now that I see it, it seems you’re not on my side either. How much did you receive as a bribe? In exchange for reporting my every move to the Bureau Chief.”
“The only thing I receive is my salary.”
“When I become the Bureau Chief, I will surely fire you on the grounds of accepting bribes and participating in employee surveillance.”
“Yes, by all means.”
“I will definitely.”
When Kim Seyeon soon handed over the relevant documents, Baek Dojun read through them at a rapid pace.
A starkly different appearance from the atmosphere he had shown just moments before.
“All the division members are each in charge of their own investigations. You’ve reported that, right?”
“Yes, as this matter is of great importance, the Bureau Chief has ordered you, Chief, to personally take charge of the investigation. He said he would reconsider the issue of personnel reinforcement depending on the results……”
“No! You should have told me that sooner!”
“I will correct myself.”
Baek Dojun threw the documents onto a corner of his desk with an indifferent expression.
Then he touched the terminal that was projecting a hologram and played the video.
For a while, Baek Dojun focused on the video as if he had forgotten to breathe, then a little later, he opened his mouth quietly.
“The reason he used the shard on his arm was to cut off the arm later. It’s extreme, but it’s the most effective way to avoid the shard’s side effects. Well, the arm might regenerate depending on the extent of the damage. ……More importantly, the fact that such a competent individual, who was even employed at Hero Prep, would do such a thing means there’s a formidable backer. What’s important is whether this medical instructor named Park Oseok is still of use to that backer, but the fact that they would attempt this while giving up the merit of being able to infiltrate Hero Prep……. In other words, it means there’s an accomplice who infiltrated the school with him. They created a diversion to draw attention away so the accomplice's identity wouldn’t be revealed. It must be someone in a more important position than the medical instructor. Let’s request disciplinary records or internal meeting minutes related to the instructors from the Hero Prep side. But……”
Baek Dojun, who had been pouring out words without a break.
Kim Seyeon, who had been focusing on his words, even using a recorder as if she was used to it, tilted her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“But who is that friend?”
“Lee Eunho, that promising student. He placed first in the practical skills section of the entrance exam with unprecedented skill……”
“No, not that tasteless-looking fellow. I’m talking about that gloomy fellow standing alone over there.”
“Ah……. He is a student named Ji Seokhyeon who entered through the social consideration program. He is a powerless person without an ability, and he ranked lowest in the practical skills section among the enrolled students. On the other hand, he ranked 1st in the written section, and…… for now, he is an investigation student. He will be your distant junior, Chief.”
“Ji Seokhyeon, you say……. The name sounds familiar. More importantly, he’s a friend with a very bright future. Can’t you see it even after watching? The words ‘promising’ shouldn’t be used for that fellow who only uses strength without any experience.”
“……Pardon?”
“Hah……”
Baek Dojun quickly made a pathetic expression and leaned back in his chair again.
Kim Seyeon, who had been managing her expression the whole time, twitched one eyebrow slightly.
“Why do you think Park Oseok hesitated at the last moment?”
“It must be a rebound from the shard’s power. Since he couldn’t control it properly.”
“Hmph, wrong. You’re still a long way off. The one who restricted Park Oseok’s actions was the achievement of that gloomy friend. Look closely, their movements were restricted at the same time.”
“……?”
Kim Seyeon leaned her head closer to the video.
Because it was low quality, she could not distinguish it exactly, but the pixels had clearly frozen at the same moment as if there had been a lag.
“Powerless? That’s ridiculous. Does he look powerless to you?”
“Well……”
“He’s a capable person with the judgment to use an ability at the most crucial moment, the potential to bind a shard user for a brief moment, and if I were to venture a guess, even the insight to see through the opponent’s abilities in advance.”
Kim Seyeon calmly maintained her expression and asked.
“……If that’s the case, why would he be hiding his ability?”
“There must be a reason why it can’t be revealed.”
“A reason, you say……?”
“Hmph, how would I know that. More importantly, contact the Hero Prep side first.”
For an instant, Baek Dojun’s eyes narrowed.
“I’ve become curious to see how that fellow will solve this case.”