It'll be fine, right? Yeah. It'll be fine. They wouldn't fight in a hospital. I heard that women usually resolve things by talking with each other.

It's not that I'm not worried at all.

I'm anxious to death even now. What if the rooftop suddenly collapses? But I tried to comfort myself again that it would be okay.

Irina is a crazy woman, but that's mostly limited to villains. Sometimes that madness bursts out toward other people too... You could say it's a hundred, a thousand times better than what she does to villains.

So if Suhyeon just acts appropriately, Irina won't cross the line either.

'The problem is that Suhyeon is also quite a tough woman...'

Thinking of the blackened Red Witch makes me inevitably anxious. And of all places, they're going to the rooftop? Not a garden.

Should I go see even now? Should I follow before things get bigger? Both Irina and Suhyeon. Both are a bit distant from 'normal'...

Click—

"Oh. You're awake. Examiner Baek Seojin. But where are you trying to go?"

The one who opened the hospital room door was none other than Ma Hakjun. Following behind him, Han Jiyoon carrying various things in both hands.

"Dean. You came. Jiyoon too."

"Yeah. But where were you going? To the bathroom?"

"Ah... well, I was just lying in bed, so I wanted to get some fresh air for a moment... Ngghk!"

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my leg. It hurt so much that alien language came out without me knowing.

"While doing this, where are you trying to go! Lie down quietly."

Han Jiyoon, who pressed my leg once firmly, forcibly made me sit on the bed. Then she clicked her tongue and started pointing at my leg and arm respectively.

"Even though you received ability user healing plus hospital treatment, the attacker was none other than Hyeon Sujin. You were directly exposed to S-rank mana, so your body isn't normal right now. Absolute rest! Don't you know?"

I know. Absolute rest. But would you believe me if I said I've never had absolute rest? For the five days here, I was tormented by sex-obsessed Irina. How much so that I spent nights unable to sleep, clutching my pants.

"Look at this. Your eyes are still sunken. Even if it's frustrating, don't think about moving and rest."

That's also because of Irina.

"Professor Han Jiyoon is right. Right now absolute rest is essential. Moving just a few days after fighting an S-rank won't have a good effect on your body."

When even Ma Hakjun stepped in like this, I had no choice. Irina, and Suhyeon. Please just have a quiet conversation and come back.

"...But where did Irina go?"

At Han Jiyoon's question, I pointed to the hospital room door. Meaning she had already left here before you guys came.

Apparently understanding that, Han Jiyoon lets out a "Hah?" with an exasperated sigh.

"She was hit by mole poison, got Kwak Hyuk's spear in her stomach, and left the hospital room like nothing happened?"

"Yes. She looked very energetic."

Hearing my words, Han Jiyoon expresses her feelings in just one phrase.

"Crazy bitch."

I agree. She's definitely a crazy woman.

"No, just surviving after getting a hole in her stomach from Kwak Hyuk's spear is miraculous. On top of that, getting hit by mole poison and walking around so fine? Isn't that brain damage?"

Wow. I almost burst out laughing. Brain damage. I didn't know that kind Han Jiyoon would say such things. How much has she been tormented by Irina to say something like that?

Even funnier was that Ma Hakjun next to her had quite a serious expression. He was nodding at Han Jiyoon's mention of brain damage.

"Dean. Should we have her tested again?"

"No. The doctors would have handled it properly. This isn't some neighborhood clinic."

"Irina's body is a bit special, so they have to test several times. You never know. Maybe there was brain damage but they missed it and just passed it by."

Having said that, Han Jiyoon diligently unpacks the things she brought. Flowers, fruit, drinks, she came with both hands full and heavy.

"How's your body?"

Ma Hakjun, who sat beside the bed, asks about my physical condition with calm eyes.

"I'm fine. The wounds have mostly healed, except the injured parts ache a bit."

"That's because you were directly exposed to mana as Professor Han Jiyoon said. It'll fade with time. Of course, until then, absolute rest is essential. Avoid activities too."

"I understand. And..."

"Don't worry about the Academy. I said we'd pause rank examinations for a while."

Ma Hakjun had accurately grasped what I was worried about. I was going to ask how rank examinations would be handled while I was away. It seems he had already taken appropriate measures before coming to the hospital.

"Will the students be okay?"

"Of course they'll be fine. Actually, it worked out well. The students need some time too."

Some time?

"Those who ran hard can't immediately run again. They need to catch their breath."

Hearing Ma Hakjun's words makes me feel a bit relieved. If this veteran says they 'ran hard.' It means at least the Academy students worked very hard.

"...What happened to Hyeon Sujin? Did you catch her?"

"Unfortunately, we haven't caught her yet."

The answer came from Han Jiyoon standing next to Ma Hakjun.

"Of course, it's not like we completely missed her like last time. We found traces."

"Traces?"

"The government official who was kidnapped that day. The one Irina was supposed to protect but had to give up because the enemies were too fierce. We found him this morning."

The enemies' attack was too fierce. So she had no choice but to give up? Well. From what I saw, she just intentionally ignored him because he was getting in the way of the fight. Well, there's no need to specifically reveal this fact. Let me keep my mouth shut.

"Is he dead?"

That day, if I had put everything on the line, I might have been able to catch Hyeon Sujin. Instead, the injuries would have been much more serious than now. Hyeon Sujin would have desperately resisted to escape somehow. In the worst case, one of us might have died.

But that very day, I stepped back one step. In that moment's gap, Hyeon Sujin was able to escape with that man.

'Why did I do that?'

Thinking about it, I still don't really know the reason. I stepped back and let Hyeon Sujin escape, and because of that, other innocent people might die.

Originally, I should have seen it through for the safety of others. But I didn't. Or rather, I couldn't would be more accurate.

Perhaps, without knowing it, I harbored anger similar to Hyeon Sujin's. Those who committed unethical acts and ran away without taking any responsibility. I closed my eyes as first and last anger toward them.

Therefore, if that man died, that would ultimately be partly my responsibility too...

"No. He didn't die. Well, instead he'll have to receive treatment at a psychiatric department for a very long time."

"He didn't die?"

"Yes. Strange, right? Hyeon Sujin isn't such a merciful person. We even examined his body thoroughly wondering if she did something suspicious to that man."

But ultimately nothing came out of the man's body. Really, she just spared his life. Han Jiyoon finished speaking with a puzzled expression.

"Hyeon Sujin wasn't originally a wicked person from the start, was she?"

"Stop talking about the past. And she said it herself. She'll never go back to before. She said she's a villain until she dies. It's strange for such a woman to spare him."

What scheme did she have for doing that? Han Jiyoon fidgets with her chin. Sensing something strange in that appearance, I asked a question. Whether she knew why Hyeon Sujin kidnapped that man.

"I don't know. As soon as we rescued that man, the government took him."

...I see. Then Ma Hakjun and Han Jiyoon still don't know.

What happened to Hyeon Sujin, why she became a traitor.

'Should I tell them now?'

I considered opening my lips and telling the truth. But I soon gave up. If they knew the truth, they would desperately try to stop Hyeon Sujin.

But Hyeon Sujin doesn't want someone to stop her. What she wants is only revenge. That's all. If they faced her in that state, the end wouldn't be beautiful.

'Later. Just a little later. I'll tell them then.'

I didn't tell Hyeon Sujin, but I also hope they receive fitting punishment. And I hope that finally securing decisive evidence, Hyeon Sujin will reveal everything. That would be what Hyeon Sujin truly wants, a requiem for her fiancé.

Additionally, though I still don't remember. Someone who survived that hell with me but ultimately lost their life. Someone who was once like me, perhaps my only family.

"...But aren't Irina's parents coming?"

I subtly changed the topic. I was genuinely curious about this part too.

I'm an orphan with no family, so that's understandable. But Irina has both parents alive and well.

Their daughter suffered serious injuries and is hospitalized. Other people are coming like this, but how come they're not visible?

"I've met Irina's parents a few times. They do this every time Irina gets hurt. They say seeing their daughter who doesn't cherish the body her parents gave her and uses it roughly would make them want to beat her back?"

"...Really?"

"Of course it's a joke. The real reason is protection. Both of Irina's parents are non-ability users. Just in case. Really just in case a crazy villain targets them, it would be big trouble. So they'd need tons of security personnel, but the two of them feel burdened, so they rarely go out."

Then of course. No matter how much of a troublemaker their daughter is, they couldn't do that. While saying that outwardly, inside they're probably burning black with worry. They say that's what parent's hearts are like.

Knock knock—

"I'll come in."

The voice from beyond the door was Kang Minseong's.

"Chairman."

"Examiner Baek Seojin."

As soon as he enters the hospital room, Kang Minseong quickly looks around me. Then he goes "Huh?" and sighs before approaching.

"You. Did you happen to see Suhyeon? While I was briefly meeting some acquaintances and greeting them, she said she'd go to the hospital room first and came up. Why isn't she in the hospital room?"

Ah, that. She's probably having a showdown right now. More importantly, Chairman. We have something to talk about.

"Chairman. Please sit for a moment."

I thought it was a special move, but I almost got killed by my own special move.