novelraw Chapter 205 : Chapter 205
Chapter 205 : Chapter 205
Chapter 205: Clean-up (3)
Ho-cheol returned to the academy after leaving his warning and advice.
“I hope the Sword Demon understood me.”
Her face was the same, and her memories were all there, so it would surely shake his heart.
But in reality, the contents were completely rotten, so there was no telling what bad things she would do.
If it were just the Sword Demon, maybe, but since he knew full well that Da-yeon was standing right in front of the door, he couldn't just talk like this, so he had spoken a little indirectly.
Surely he understood, right?
The academy he had returned to in half a day was filled with a desolate atmosphere.
Normally, the noisy sounds of students would be heard after the lectures were over, but now, this place was unpleasantly quiet.
After a brief scuffle with the guard who was controlling access at the entrance, saying it was dangerous, Ho-cheol passed through the main gate.
As he was heading towards his dorm, he slowly looked around.
Near the main gate, which had been the center of the battle, there were only collapsed buildings and buildings that were about to collapse, lined up.
Until just a moment ago, the plants that Ji-an had grown with her Trait had somehow held the buildings and structures firmly in place, but now, she was also in the hospital.
Naturally, now that Ji-an's Trait had disappeared and they had become ordinary plants, there was no way they could support the collapsing buildings.
Tududuk—
The cracks in the building became even more pronounced, and cement debris fell from between them.
After walking for a long time, he arrived at his dorm.
Fortunately, since this place was on the outskirts of the academy grounds, it had not been caught up in the battle, and it was also intact on the outside.
“That’s a relief.”
He had no intention of digging through the collapsed buildings to get his clothes and daily necessities.
As he was relieved, he entered the front door and pressed the light switch, but.
Click— click click—
Unfortunately, and perhaps naturally, there was no reaction from the lights.
After all that chaos, the electricity must have been cut off.
He had no choice but to use his phone as a flashlight.
Ho-cheol first took out a large bag from under the closet and began to pack his things.
Unlike last time, this was not a double life.
He would probably have to live outside for a good few months, so he had to prepare thoroughly.
The clothes he had first received as a gift, the notebook he needed for lectures, and all sorts of other miscellaneous things.
He had only lived there for a little over half a year, but surprisingly, there were a lot of things to pack.
And so, after he had finished packing all his things, just as he was about to zip up the heavy bag, Ho-cheol's eyes turned to the desk next to him.
Not the useless books, but a small flowerpot that was precariously placed between the desk and the windowsill.
He had bought it as a gift for Ji-an, and she had in turn given it back to him as a gift.
He stared blankly at the flowerpot, which was a little bigger than before.
“She said to think of it as her.”
Ho-cheol chuckled and somehow managed to stuff the flowerpot into his bag.
And so, after packing everything he really needed without missing a thing, he zipped up the bag.
No, he was about to.
“You’re here?”
At the low voice from behind him, his hand stopped.
Ho-cheol answered shortly without even looking back.
“Yeah.”
“But why are you packing as if you’re going somewhere?”
“What, you didn’t hear?”
“I heard everything.”
So-hee's voice, who was standing in front of the door, was full of dissatisfaction.
“I just wanted to hear it again, because I don’t think I should have to hear something so important from someone else.”
Beyond dissatisfaction, her anger had risen to the top of her head.
At the very least, if it was such an important story, she should have heard it from him.
When she had gone to the dean's hospital room after hearing that Ho-cheol was there, he had already disappeared, and in the end, all she could do was hear it from the dean.
“We were in the same hospital, but you didn’t even come to see me.”
“I’m sorry to you.”
Ho-cheol apologized readily.
It wasn't just because he hadn't told her about this first.
If Ho-cheol were to break his contract with the Association and go into hiding like this, it would be a problem not only for the dean, but also for So-hee.
Even though her mission to monitor him was over, the Association still considered her as Ho-cheol's exclusive channel.
Naturally, if Ho-cheol were to cause trouble, her lack of management would also be put on the chopping block.
“Forget it. What kind of apology is it when you’re not even sorry?”
So-hee pouted her lips.
“Just explain it properly.”
“Well, it’s just as you heard. I’ll probably be gone for about 3 months, but I don’t know the exact schedule.”
“……If you run away like that, will Ji-an be okay?”
“She’s fine now.”
Originally, Ji-an, as a minor villain, would have had to go to a facility at the very least, even if she didn't go to prison.
But since Ho-cheol had guaranteed her identity and safety, she had been granted freedom as a special case.
If he were to disappear like this, she would have to be caught again, but…
“The dean will take care of her.”
In this raid, Ji-an had done her best to save lives, and thanks to that, hundreds of people had been saved.
For Clington, she was a lifesaver, so they would not just let her be caught.
If they did, their reputation would be shattered.
And even setting aside the political reasons, there was no way the dean would just stand by.
“So you’re okay, body-wise?”
“Heo.”
She let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.
“You’re asking early. And you don’t seem very interested.”
To ask if she was okay without even giving her a single glance.
At her grumbling, Ho-cheol scratched the back of his head.
“You sound energetic, so you seem to be okay.”
In fact, he had checked on how much So-hee had been injured first in the damage report after the situation had ended.
Fortunately, it was just a minor injury, with just a few light scratches.
If she had been even a little more injured, he would have gone to her before going to the dean.
“I’m fine, but what about you? You’re quitting as a professor and everything, and you’re going to go back to being a villain again?”
“I’m not planning to come back until I’ve caught them all. So I’ve thrown down the gauntlet.”
“What gauntlet.”
At some point, So-hee had strode over and stood right behind Ho-cheol.
“Look at me.”
But Ho-cheol just continued to look at the wall with his back to So-hee.
“Why all of a sudden.”
“Tsk.”
She clicked her tongue again and slapped him on the back.
Then she grabbed both of Ho-cheol's arms and forcibly turned him around.
If it had been any other of Ho-cheol's acquaintances, they would not have been able to force any action on him beyond this, but So-hee was in a completely different position.
She was the only person who was allowed to be somewhat forceful with him.
In the end, Ho-cheol's body turned halfway and he faced So-hee.
The two of them made eye contact, and So-hee's body flinched.
She asked in a gloomy tone.
“Why… why do you have that expression?”
“Why do I?”
Ho-cheol was calm, but that was just his voice.
Ho-cheol's face, which was barely visible in the darkness, looked so tired and pained.
“If you don’t want to do it so much you don’t have to…”
The wounds left on the body soon turn into scars and remain for a lifetime.
Of course, depending on the constitution, some people's scars fade easily, and in some cases, even a minor wound can leave a clear scar.
But one thing was certain.
A scar, once engraved, never disappears.
The same goes for the heart.
But the wounds left on the heart can be hidden as much as you want.
Until now, Ho-cheol had been able to do that.
Always confident and relaxed.
He only showed a good side, and he looked healthy.
But if you were to peel off just one very thin layer, the inside was all festering, on the verge of collapsing.
“I can’t.”
In fact, Ho-cheol also knew his own condition better than anyone else.
In this state, maybe this time.
Even if he were to get through it by luck, the next time.
Maybe the time after that.
Someday, he might fall asleep and never wake up again.
But Ho-cheol was rather waiting for such a future.
At the very least, if it were to end because he couldn't move, he could console himself by saying that he had worked hard.
At his nonchalant explanation, So-hee's expression now crumpled.
“What’s the meaning of a life like that?”
“Because it’s a job someone has to do.”
So-hee's face, reflected in Ho-cheol's pupils, was on the ambiguous border between smiling and crying.
That awkward expression was somewhat distorted.
Her emotions were scattered and turbulent.
But even in the midst of such fluctuating emotions, she could clearly see what she wanted.
She declared with determination.
“I’m going with you too.”
She could protect Ho-cheol's heart.
She wanted to support him from the side.
And furthermore, she wanted to be by his side.
“Ah. That’s not going to happen.”
Ho-cheol firmly refused her.
“Why? Is it hard for you to protect just me? I can protect myself too. Such consideration…!”
“No, it’s not a consideration.”
Ho-cheol scratched the back of his head as if in trouble and cut So-hee off.
Isn't this a bit too harsh?
But it seemed he wouldn't be able to persuade her without confessing his true feelings.
“No. The reason I’m leaving you behind is not to be considerate of you, but because of my own personal desire.”
“Eh?”
So-hee made a foolish sound and blinked her eyes.
A personal desire?
It was a rather awkward expression to come out of his mouth, who had been seeking sacrifice and justice until just a moment ago.
Ho-cheol looked around lightly and continued to speak.
“This is a home. Right, a home.”
He didn't know about the opinions of others, but at the very least, for Ho-cheol, a home had a very big meaning.
“To me, a home is not just a place to eat and sleep. A place where you can rest your heart is a real home.”
In his villain days, Ho-cheol had no home.
He just had a place he could call a base.
He raised his index finger and pointed to So-hee.
“Since I first came to the academy here, you’ve always been here. You’ve asked me if I’ve come back. And I’ve been able to answer that I have.”
He smiled lightly and spread his hands wide.
“That’s why this was my home.”
So-hee couldn't answer at all.
To hear his most secret true feelings and thoughts for the first time, she was just surprised.
She slowly raised her hand and placed her own on top of Ho-cheol's palm.
It wasn't that she had any particular intention.
It was just that she had wanted to.
Ho-cheol did not pull his hand away, but instead, he slightly twisted their clasped hands and intertwined their fingers.
And he placed his remaining hand on top of hers.
“So stay here and wait for me. When I come back next time, and I say I’m back, you just smile as usual and say, ‘Welcome back.’ And when you see my empty hands, you’ll nag me, asking if I didn’t bring any presents.”
Since his release, he had almost collapsed several times.
But the reason he had survived to the end, had endured, and had been able to come back was not just his strength, but because he had a place to come back to.
No, that was definitely the reason.
“Just by having a home to come back to, I can not get lost and can resolve to definitely come back several times.”
The corners of So-hee's mouth trembled.
Ho-cheol, reflected in her rainbow-like shimmering pupils, was shining so brightly.
It was a complete truth, without a single exaggeration mixed in.
Had she ever been this surprised since she had known him?
And the emotion that followed was a strange sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment, and a sense of pleasure.
Not anyone else, but only she could greet him.
And furthermore, he had said that the place where she was was no different from a home.
There was no need to think about what that meant.
Her squirming lips repeatedly made the shapes of a W and an M.
She turned her head sharply and grumbled.
“Well. If that’s the reason. I don’t know about other people, but at the very least, I should wait quietly.”
“That’s right.”
He had finally persuaded her.
Ho-cheol let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
“But be careful, Mr. Ho-cheol.”
“Right. I’ll be back.”
Ho-cheol said shortly and pulled his hand away, which he had been holding until just now.
No, he was about to.
So-hee squeezed his hand tightly and held on.
In fact, she applied even more force to her hand and stared at him intently.
At her intense gaze, as if a laser would come out of her eyes, Ho-cheol belatedly gave her the answer she wanted.
“So-hee.”
Only then did So-hee smile and let go of his hand.
Looking at Ho-cheol, who had a bag slung over one shoulder, she said.
“Contact me at least once a day.”
“Ah, that’s a bit…”
“Once a week?”
“I’ll try.”
Ho-cheol smiled awkwardly and left.
And so, today at the academy, dozens of buildings disappeared, hundreds of people were injured, and one professor disappeared.
***
Early in the morning.
Ho-cheol leaned against the balcony railing and looked down at the dark outside.
When would the sun rise?
The morning sun was late in autumn.
As he was staring blankly at the horizon, Wolf Fang approached him from behind.
After hearing a rough outline of Ho-cheol's plan, he could not hide his excited expression.
“Then you’ll be making a real villain organization this time. Do you have anything in mind?”
“Of course I do.”
Ho-cheol answered immediately.
“If that Smiley bastard is the enemy, then the mark is this.”
Ho-cheol took out a notebook and a pen and flipped the page.
His hand moved quickly.
A round face with two dots for eyes, and a mouth with its corners turned down in a frown.
“There’s nothing like this.”
Wolf Fang nodded his head, looking at it.
“It certainly has a feel to it. Then what about the villain's name?”
“Unhappy.”
Ho-cheol crumpled the paper and said shortly.
“I’ll make it so she can never grin in front of me again.”