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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: bchen3
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‘Dad.’
After a full five years, they finally faced each other directly.
Until she raised her head and met his eyes.
All kinds of fears and terror filled her mind.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
‘I can’t back down anymore.’
Only after repeating this to herself like self-hypnosis was she barely able to raise her head.
At that moment, a soft voice flowed from right in front of her.
“······Seolha, I’m truly proud of you.”
It wasn’t a face twisted like a demon, nor was he shouting rough yells.
He was speaking to her just as he had been in her memories, kind and caring.
But her father’s voice was trembling slightly.
From the guilt and grief felt in his tone, her chest became heavy with emotion.
When she was barely managing to hold back the surge of feelings.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s shameless of me at this point, but there’s something I really want to tell you.”
Her father suddenly opened up with an apology and difficult words.
“Dad ultimately······ doesn’t think he can become a superhuman. It’s probably not enough as a substitute, but now I’m working at a research institute under the Superhuman Association.”
With a regretful expression, he admitted his own inadequacy.
But she didn’t think of it that way at all.
Rather, she was proud.
So, wishing he wouldn’t make such an expression or apologize.
“Although I failed to keep my promise, still, for the superhumans fighting on the front lines, the necessary research······.”
“You didn’t fail.”
She stated firmly.
Simultaneously, following her instincts, she slowly approached him.
Then she quietly buried her face against her father’s chest.
“······Seolha.”
I’m still proud of you, rather I’m the one who should be sorry, thank you for coming to see me like this.
There was much she wanted to say, but at her father’s low voice, her throat choked up and she couldn’t possibly speak.
As her shoulders shook slightly.
“Thank you.”
The familiar sensation of his palm gently stroked her hair.
Perhaps because that touch was so warm and comfortable.
Yoon Seolha couldn’t hold back the tears that suddenly poured out, and buried her face even deeper.
For a while after that, buried in his embrace without words, Yoon Seolha thought.
‘If only this could continue······.’
Without realizing it, she wished that this moment would continue.
What woke her from such thoughts was exactly one minute later.
“······Hey, Lim Gangcheol! Wait a moment!”
It was because of a voice heard faintly and the massive presence approaching in real time.
“Hmm?”
Her father tilted his head and hummed.
Naturally, Yoon Seolha’s head turned slightly as well.
The moment she confirmed the approaching presence.
“Huh?”
Her head tilted along with his.
“Lim Gang, cheol?”
While she was muttering blankly.
“So, you don’t need to step forward anymore······.”
Behind Lim Gangcheol, she noticed the figure of another person running urgently.
That person was also someone familiar to her.
“······Are you not listening to me?”
None other than Ahn Ilhan.
Unlike usual, he wore a troubled expression.
While her mind couldn’t keep up with what exactly was happening.
“Are you Yoon Seolha’s father?!”
Lim Gangcheol, who had approached in an instant, shouted vigorously.
“I am Yoon Seolha’s friend! My name is Lim Gangcheol!”
“······.”
“······.”
At the sudden self-introduction, Yoon Seolha and her father silently opened their eyes wide.
Soon Ahn Ilhan, who had approached his side, covered his face with both palms and let out a deep sigh.
Then he muttered quietly.
“······Um, sorry.”
From Lim Gangcheol’s sudden intrusion to Ahn Ilhan’s apology.
Yoon Seolha blinked her eyes without even having time to wipe away her tears.
···
···
···
A moment later.
“······That’s how it happened. I thought if the atmosphere became bad, I should step forward and greet you to change the mood somehow.”
I explained the situation helplessly to the two people, no, three people.
Among the three who heard all this, the first to react was Lim Gangcheol.
“Oh, it seems things worked out well!”
The very person who had caused me to be unable to lift my face was responding so carefreely.
I was so flabbergasted that I snapped at him once.
“You’re not usually this inconsiderate.”
“Hm? But that Yoon Seolha was crying!”
Only then did it make some sense.
‘Well, considering her usual confident appearance······.’
Therefore, I couldn’t question him any further.
Just as I was about to apologize again for disrupting the atmosphere.
“······Ah!”
Suddenly Yoon Seolha hastily turned her head.
She quickly raised her sleeve and wiped her eyes hurriedly.
‘That’s so like Yoon Seolha.’
The action of not wanting to show her weak side seemed newly characteristic of her.
Having wiped away all her tears, she belatedly turned her head.
Her gaze was still moist, but her eyes and lips were smiling.
Along with her, her father, whom I was meeting for the first time, also drew a gentle curve at the corner of his mouth and quietly opened his lips.
“Ahaha, Seolha, you have good friends.”
At his words, Yoon Seolha nodded her head shyly and introduced us.
“These are my friends, Dad. Thanks to them, I’m living very happily.”
“I see. Pleased to meet you. I’m Yoon Jinho.”
Her father revealed himself as Yoon Jinho and politely offered a handshake.
He was treating us respectfully despite us being students like his daughter.
To this, Lim Gangcheol rushed forward and grasped his hand.
“Yes, I’m Lim Gangcheol! You’re very handsome!”
“Ah, ahaha. Gangcheol is quite manly too.”
He accepted Lim Gangcheol’s greeting with an embarrassed smile.
When it came to my turn, Yoon Seolha hesitantly opened her mouth.
“······He’s a very grateful friend. His name is Ahn Ilhan.”
The nuance was subtly different from when she introduced Lim Gangcheol.
Perhaps because of this, a different light appeared in her father’s eyes.
“I see. Ilhan, thank you for getting along well with my daughter.”
He also offered me a polite handshake.
“Not at all, I’m the one who’s receiving a lot of help.”
As I answered and took his extended hand.
-Ilhan······, please······
Noise erupted in my head.
At the same time, my vision flickered and then.
“······!”
The scenery before my eyes was suddenly reversed.
Then a desperate voice pierced my ears.
-······young man, pitiful······ our······, please······!
My vision rippled once, and a white-haired middle-aged man whom I had never seen before hazily appeared before my eyes.
With a distorted expression, he was desperately crying out a name.
It was clearly someone I had never seen before.
But somehow, his appearance and voice were strangely familiar.
‘What, what is this.’
Whether it was the shadow’s doing, or some unknown strange phenomenon.
As my mind became confused by the unexpected situation.
“······young man?”
A composed voice was heard right in front of me.
“Ilhan? Are you alright?”
“Huh? Ah.”
It was none other than Yoon Seolha’s father.
Only then did my mind clear and my vision returned to normal.
I belatedly shook hands and opened my mouth.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
“······Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
After briefly shaking hands and taking a step back, this time Yoon Seolha approached me.
“Um, are you okay······?”
“Oh, I just felt a bit dizzy for a moment. I’m fine now.”
“That’s a relief.”
She exhaled a sigh of relief.
Then, as if looking for someone, she suddenly turned her head around.
“Come to think of it, where’s Eunwol? Wasn’t she with you?”
“Ah, now that you mention it.”
Cha Eunwol, her figure was nowhere to be seen.
Unlike usual, she didn’t come looking for us, and as soon as the observation class ended, she disappeared somewhere.
As I was tilting my head, suddenly Lim Gangcheol pointed toward the entrance of the Courage Hall with his fingertip.
“Isn’t that Cha Eunwol over there?”
“······Oh, I think it is.”
It was a familiar back view.
Two people were with her.
‘They don’t seem to be her parents.’
One person who resembled an elderly gentleman with white hair, and the other was a woman who appeared to be in her 30s.
Both were dressed in black suits, which somehow made them seem unfamiliar.
While I was quietly tilting my head.
-Shortly, the 8th period will begin, so A-class students should······
The announcement flowed out.
The break time was already over.
“I have an interview, so let’s talk again later, Seolha.”
“Yes, Dad.”
With that brief dialogue as the last, her father first made his way towards the administration office.
“Let’s go then.”
So the three of us returned to the weapons training room.
*
Twenty minutes later, in the administration office.
“Are you Ahn Ilhan’s father?”
“Yes, I’m Ahn Juhae.”
“Please sit over here. Nice to meet you, I’m Jin Taejin, the homeroom teacher in charge of A-class where Ahn Ilhan is assigned.”
After exchanging simple greetings, Jin Taejin opened Ahn Ilhan’s student record that he had printed in advance.
At the same time, he slowly opened his mouth.
“I’ll start by telling you about the academy life in general, which you must be curious about.”
“Yes.”
“First of all, in Ahn Ilhan’s case, he is flawless overall. Although his circle of friends isn’t particularly wide, the students he spends time with seem to rely on him a lot.”
“Is that so?”
Ahn Juhae asked back indifferently.
Towards him, Jin Taejin silently nodded and continued speaking.
“Yes. Not only that, but his achievements and qualities are also excellent. He learns quickly, and above all, has a strong desire for improvement, so he always works hard.”
“I see.”
“It seems like Ahn Ilhan has a clear goal. Students like that tend to progress quickly and solidly. Because of this, I have high expectations for his future, but······.”
Jin Taejin suddenly trailed off.
Then, recalling the student’s unimplemented characteristics, he very carefully opened his mouth.
“There is one aspect that concerns me.”
While he was momentarily organizing his thoughts on how to explain.
“······So you’ve seen it too, Professor.”
Ahn Juhae, who had been listening attentively until now, spoke quietly.
Startled by his response, Jin Taejin opened his mouth.
“You knew?”
“It’s about my child. How could I not know?”
In a way, it was a natural thing.
‘Perhaps I worried unnecessarily.’
Just as he was thinking this, an unexpected story flowed from Ahn Juhae.
“The boy actually takes after his mother and has a somewhat single-minded temperament.”
“······Single-minded, you say?”
Suddenly talking about a single-minded temperament.
Just as he was thinking that the point had been missed.
“Yes. Moreover, having witnessed such a tragedy right before his eyes at the mere age of 7······.”
Ominous words flowed from Ahn Juhae.
At the same time, a slight shadow fell over his previously indifferent expression.
Jin Taejin asked with an even more careful attitude.
“······By tragedy, do you mean perhaps your wife.”
“Yes. Ten years ago, she was caught in an overflow. No, it would be more accurate to say she confronted it.”
Because she saved many people from a large number of monsters.
Ahn Juhae added in a quiet tone.
Jin Taejin continued to remain silent and searched his memories.
‘An overflow ten years ago······.’
Occasionally, due to instability issues with the gates, monsters from inside would pour out.
This situation was called an ‘overflow.’
At the same time, this was an incident that occurred about 10 years ago, in the outskirts of Suwon.
‘Was it the deterioration of a C-class gate?’
Jin Taejin only knew that it had caused considerable damage.
Recalling this, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Your wife was a senior superhuman, my condolences.”
“It’s alright, for me. A lot of time has passed. But it seems that’s not the case for my son.”
“······!”
“Do you know why the boy aspires to be a superhuman?”
At his question, Jin Taejin quickly searched his memories.
“I believe I heard that he wants to rise to the highest position possible. But at this age, students usually dream big······.”
“My son will be a little different.”
Ahn Juhae asserted.
He said that Ahn Ilhan’s goal would be a little different.
At his assertion, Jin Taejin let out a sigh.
‘I thought we were simply missing each other’s points.’
What he had been concerned about was nothing else.
The impact that the unimplemented characteristic’s extraordinary ability might have on the student’s life was unknown.
So he wanted to inform him that much attention and care would be needed.
But his thinking just changed.
‘If there are such serious circumstances······.’
It must have had some kind of influence on the student’s values.
Having thought that far, Jin Taejin slowly opened his mouth.
“Would you tell me about it?”
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