I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

Morning had come.

Throughout the night, I scoured every nook and cranny of the pension with Hyeon Se-rin.

Thankfully, there were no strange devices, magic, or functions inside the pension.

The CCTV locations were clearly visible at a glance, and the number of cameras we checked matched the footage. There were no hidden cameras in the bathroom, living room, or any other rooms—none at all.

Someone might say,

“But what if something was recorded, and even an ability user was captured?”

If that ability user became enraged after finding out their footage was leaked, suffered a mental breakdown, and turned into a demon?

Of course, the national loss would be significant, and the government was doing everything it could to prevent such crimes in advance.

Even if it was not an ability user, crimes like body cam phishing or video leaks were being prevented as much as possible.

But would those who attempted to film such things cared about how their victims reacted?

As recording devices become more prevalent and with the current age where anyone could record FHD videos with just a smartwatch, miniature cameras small enough to fit into wristwatch parts are easily circulated on the market. I thoroughly searched every corner of the pension.

I even climbed onto beds, sofas, and the kitchen table, searching.

Snooze, snooze.

Hyeon Se-rin was sleeping soundly next to me, as if she had passed out.

Since she stayed up all night with me, going from place to place, she must have been exhausted.

After tidying her messy hair, I quietly left the room to let Hyeon Se-rin sleep peacefully and started preparing breakfast for her.

Sizzle, sizzle.

Using ingredients from the fridge, I cooked soup and made some side dishes while I popped in my wireless earphones to listen to the news.

“-…Regarding the mutilation of the Nuts Crusher’s body, Haegneul General Hospital has expressed deep regret. The director of Haegneul General Hospital, Mr. Mo, has resigned to take responsibility for the situation. However, he is under suspicion of having stolen bones from an ability user’s body in the past. The Hero Association is…”

The major issues were twofold.

One was the aftermath of the Nuts Crusher case.

Although it’s not exactly a “backlash,” everyone involved in the case who could be exposed to the media was being dealt with in various ways.

Some were being ousted.

Others were being arrested.

‘The scavengers have quietly been apprehended, and there’s no mention of Hwalbindang.’

Information was being controlled.

The fact that Goblin defeated Thunder Emperor and mutilated his body was too widely witnessed to be hidden. However, the massacre carried out by Hwalbindang in the Seoul suburbs remains completely unknown.

‘Are Haegneul and Hwalbindang still thinking they can use each other?’

When one side concluded that they could overpower the other, that they could now handle it, or that it was no longer necessary, the media would undoubtedly begin to make noise.

Whether it was about the cruelty of Hwalbindang.

Or the filth of Haegneul.

In the end, neither of them was helpful to the future ruled by the Secret Society.

And then there was the other issue.

“-…According to reports, Sejong Academy plans to hold a summer semester across the entire island of Jeju for about three weeks starting on the 7th of next month, with four S-grade ability users participating in this luxurious ability user training camp…”

The summer semester.

‘It’s going to attract quite a crowd. If anyone manages to capture even a single scene of someone swimming, it’ll be a jackpot.’

As the media began to officially talk about it, Jeju Island would soon be bustling with people wanting to catch a glimpse of the academy’s students and professors.

July was traditionally the peak season for Jeju Island tourism.

With swimming pools in every hotel and numerous beaches, people eagerly snuck around to catch a glimpse of the ability users’ physiques.

‘Wait. Four S-grades?’

Besides Baek Seol-hee and Yoon Iseon, there were two more?

I looked up information related to that—

“What? You’re preparing all by yourself?”

Hyeon Se-rin, in her cat pajamas, rubbed her eyes and walked out to the living room from the bedroom.

“Ugh, you should have told me. I would have helped.”

“You could’ve just slept in and relaxed for once. I’m still preparing. You can sleep more.”

“Doing this is better than sleeping.”

Hyeon Se-rin hugged me from behind as I was checking the seasoning of the bean sprout soup and rubbed her face against me.

“This makes it feel like you’re my husband, Mr. Do.”

“Hey.”

“Ugh, you’re going to bring up the Chairman again and say, ‘I can do something else besides being your husband,’ right? I know, I know. Tsk. I’m done with that.”

Hyeon Se-rin stepped back, slapping me on the butt.

I thought about saying something, but considering the trouble she went through last night, getting off with just a slap on the butt was a bargain.

“Tsk. If I had known, I would have definitely secured you before the Chairman got involved.”

“The bus has already left. You’re way too late.”

“Ugh. I want to go back in time. Right when Goblin started to change… wait, about a year ago?”

“Yeah, that’s about right.”

It was last July 1st when I was transported to this world and possessed Do Chang-nam’s body.

Almost a year had passed since then, and now Goblin was a completely different person.

“He wasn’t like this before.”

“People change. Especially men. Once they mature, even more so. And Hyeon Se-rin standing right here isn’t the same as the old Hyeon Se-rin, is she?”

“A woman’s past should stay buried. It’s not meant to be dug up and examined, you know?”

Hyeon Se-rin suddenly spoke formally, her expression serious.

“Even though I’ve been reconnecting with people I knew in the past, like Thunder Emperor and that self-proclaimed Shaman, the me they knew and the me now are completely different.”

“I know, I know.”

There was no way the S-grade hero who was once steeped in nationalism and Doul, Hyeon Se-rin, could be the same person.

Just like Do Chang-nam and Goblin were now completely different beings.

“I know very well that you’ve become a completely different person. That’s why we can talk so kindly like this. Otherwise, how could we face each other and greet the morning together?”

“…….”

Hyeon Se-rin, as if understanding something, mumbled and collapsed onto the table.

“Is that about ‘that woman’?”

“There are so many women in the world, if you just say ‘that woman,’ no one will know who you’re talking about.”

“Your childhood friend.”

“…….”

I shrugged my shoulders as I placed the dishes on the table.

Even though Hyeon Se-rin was conscious of what she said and glanced at me nervously, I didn’t think there was any problem with her mentioning that woman.

“Hyeon Se-rin. Why? Do you think I would hold a grudge because you killed one of my old acquaintances?”

Not at all.

“I don’t care about that at all. In fact, I had completely forgotten about it until now.”

“Weren’t you really close with that woman?”

“We might have been close. Maybe she thought so. But.”

After finishing the meal preparation, I placed my finger on my temple.

“Even if she joined the Secret Society because of me, I can’t forgive a woman who betrayed the Society.”

“…I thought you became a librarian because that woman liked books.”

“Not at all.”

Becoming a librarian was just something I chose because I like reading books.

Thinking that I chose the path of a librarian because a woman from my past liked books?

Absolutely not.

She might have been part of Do Chang-nam’s story, but in Do Ji-hwan’s story, she was just an annoying traitor.

“That woman, to me, is less important than Ermina Steinfeldt or Juliana Fayegreen… No, to be precise, she’s not even worth remembering. If you hadn’t brought her up, I wouldn’t have even recalled her.”

“…But Jeju Island is.”

“Where that woman died. Oh, come on. I told you, I don’t care about that.”

I patted Hyeon Se-rin’s head as I met her downcast eyes.

“Whether she was a childhood friend or a close acquaintance, I don’t care about a woman who betrayed the Society at all. I’d rather spend that time reading another book to devise and create new abilities.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Gosh, if only unity could demonstrate my true feelings, I’d unify with you right now to show you.”

“…….”

Hyeon Se-rin perked up her ears and sat upright.

“I think I said something unnecessary.”

“Exactly. It was unnecessary. That woman isn’t important at all, so why did you even bring her up… Ah.”

Suddenly, a tingling sensation ran down my spine.

“Should I use her this time?”

“What?”

“She’s a traitor to the Society, but before she disappeared, she was an A-grade ability user at the Academy. Great. After we eat, let’s go find her.”

“……Are you serious?”

“Of course.”

I’d use anything that can be useful.

Even if it was someone like Do Chang-nam’s childhood friend, who was supposed to be the heroine in the original story, and a heroine belonging to the Secret Society.

“After we burned the remains and sealed them in a drum, unless someone tampered with it, she should still be there. If anyone had dug her up, the Brewer would have reported it.”

She was already dead, after all.

Killed by Hyeon Se-rin.

Before I could kill her by smashing her head, Hyeon Se-rin had shot a bullet through her skull and finished her off.

“Even though using the dead might seem a little cruel, if it contributes to national security and world peace, she’d be happy about it.”

That name was.

“Seon Ga-eul, of course.”

There was once a childhood friend of Goblin, Do Chang-nam.

She was supposed to be the original story’s heroine, destined to be NTR-ed by the protagonist.

What a shame.

She died before the original story even started.

Correction.

We killed her.

Hyeon Se-rin did.

“Those who insult the Chief and betray the Society, I will never forgive.”