NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11 - School Life! (2)
At first, I didn’t take it too seriously.
I had heard that when a new figure attracting attention emerges, it’s normal for paparazzi-like people to attach themselves.
But worrying about when and where my secret might be exposed was a nerve-racking matter.
Especially with my heightened senses.
“Sunbae, has something been happening lately?”
And such stress would show outwardly, even with a sturdy body.
With her unique observation skills, Jieun asked if something was going on with me.
At first I hesitated, but then I told her about the recent events.
About someone using Clairvoyance to peek at me, and how the trash I put out would disappear whenever I wasn’t paying attention.
Upon hearing that, Jieun’s expression turned serious.
“…Shouldn’t you report this to the police?”
“There’s no harm done yet and no evidence, so the police might have trouble with it.”
Whoever is peeking at me immediately stops using their ability if I show any reaction.
“Then you should move, shouldn’t you?”
“…I suppose?”
The rooftop room I’m currently living in has quite an affordable rent, which I liked.
On rainy days, I would invite university friends living nearby to cook and eat together, which was really nice…
“Do you know any good places?”
Jieun seemed to ponder for a bit before nodding.
“The place I live can’t have Clairvoyance used on it…”
Jieun brought it up with an embarrassed tone, as if it were an awkward subject.
Certainly, living near Jieun would put me closer to the university, which would be advantageous…
“But how much is the deposit and rent there?”
Separate from that, my financial situation isn’t that affluent.
“It’s not that expensive.”
No, it probably is expensive?
She’s living alone as a single daughter.
So her parents must have secured a place with countermeasures against crime.
The rent is probably at least twice what I’m paying now…
As we chatted and headed to the university, Jieun was remarkably persuasive.
Listening to her, I started feeling like living in my rooftop room was a huge mistake.
“Alright. I’ll look into it.”
“You should. The world is dangerous these days…”
Jieun nodded with a slightly excited air compared to usual.
“Then I’ll have to get you to help me move.”
In the end, I decided to move.
“Ah, sunbae. Do you have some time today?”
“Huh? Why?”
“We need to recruit the new students.”
“Ah~ That’s right. When should we do it?”
“Um… Since I’m free this afternoon, let’s do it after lunch.”
“Okay~”
So my afternoon plans were set.
After lunch, Jieun and I took out a table and secured a spot.
The student council had worked quite efficiently, with the promotion line for clubs well set up.
“You guys take turns during your free periods.”
“Ugh~”
I left the table to Taeil and called out to the new students with Jieun.
“The ‘With You’ volunteer club!”
“Please join us!”
We didn’t do anything too special.
For new students who have just entered university, they’re like newborn calves.
Timidly looking around, easily swayed by the atmosphere – mere lambs.
If a moderately attractive person calls out to them in a slightly loud but not overbearing way, they’ll come on their own.
The word ‘volunteer’ itself holds that kind of power.
From their 1st year, students preparing for employment have no choice but to seek volunteer clubs.
Some may join the student council or academic societies more seriously, but they’ll likely be moderately appealing places.
Since they’re essentially private groups focused mainly on weekend volunteer activities.
“Hello!”
A new student who had been glancing at Jieun went to Taeil’s table to listen to the explanation.
As expected, the Jieun chance was quite effective.
“Excuse me…”
“Yes.”
A slightly timid woman approached, confidently flanked by another woman.
New students?
With someone else at the club table, I should give the explanation.
The core activity of With You is volunteer work.
A steady partner for university students who would otherwise let time fly by without anything to write on their self-introductions.
Aren’t those who do volunteer work more heroic than actual heroes?
The best part is that we’re a club looked after by Professor Jung Woo-hyun, called the ‘light of the business administration department.’
I went on with that kind of silly spiel.
Listening to my slightly embellished story, the two women showed smiles forming at the corners of their mouths.
They said they wanted to join the club, and I told them where the With You table was located.
After they left, Jieun was frowning for some reason.
Was she getting tired from standing in the rather chilly weather?
Or maybe she was exhausted from people surreptitiously glancing at her chest while pretending not to notice.
“Take a break if you’re tired. I can handle the rest.”
“…No, it’s not that.”
“Is that so?”
She really has an exceptional sense of responsibility.
As I looked at her with a satisfied expression, Jieun’s gaze became more distorted.
“Wait a moment…”
“Sunbae?”
I placed a flyer on Taeil’s table and went to retrieve canned coffees from a nearby vending machine.
“Oh, thanks.”
“Here you go.”
After handing one to Taeil, I immediately gave another to Jieun.
“Cold? Drink this and keep going.”
I took the flyers from Jieun and advertised the club a bit louder than before.
Jieun fidgeted with the canned coffee I had handed her, letting out a sigh.
“We’ll probably get quite a few new members again this time.”
Sipping her canned coffee, Jieun muttered absentmindedly.
“Everyone has a hero or two they idolize in their heart.”
“Don’t say silly things.”
“Sorry…”
In the end, the majority will try it out a few times before quitting.
Some even join just to find friends to eat meals with.
But isn’t that also part of the appeal of clubs?
Freely doing what you want while living that way.
“Oh, Jinwoo! Long time no see?”
As I was chatting with Jieun, an acquaintance called out to me.
“Yeah, it’s been 3 months.”
“You bastard… Why haven’t you been showing up for FIFA lately?”
“I need to prepare for employment. How about you?”
“I passed 3 out of the 2nd CPA exam sections. If I pass 2 more in June, I’ll be a certified public accountant.”
The guy who had taken 2 years off seemed to have some good news.
“Then wouldn’t it be better to take this semester off too?”
“No, I think I can manage with just 2 courses while attending.”
Yonghwang, who I became friends with at the freshman MT, looks set to become a CPA soon.
We briefly caught up since it had been so long.
He said he’d call me when gathering people to play soccer later, then left.
“You really do know a lot of people, sunbae.”
“I’m just average?”
“You do that thing at the end of the year, right?”
“What thing?”
“Calling everyone in your contacts once.”
“Doesn’t everyone do that?”
Jieun sighed and started putting more effort into promoting the club.
…Doesn’t everyone do that much?
My dad and mom do that every year-end, so I thought it was normal.
The Superpower Syndrome patients hospitalized at Eunsung Hospital also started waking up one by one.
Naturally, Eunsung Hospital must have noticed I had some ability too.
But I haven’t received any related contact from them yet.
I thought they would request my help like the previous hospital.
It felt like someone was intentionally blocking any calls meant for me.
On a whim, I decided to visit Buwon Hospital again after a long time.
I needed to confirm if this invader presence had really provided treatment there.
I still don’t fully trust this thing.
When it comes to monsters, a certain level of preconception is necessary when approaching them.
When I was hospitalized after being hit by a car, this presence controlled my body like a sleepwalker.
If I were to lose consciousness and collapse, it means this thing can control my body.
If it were to create a core within my body, then I would instantly become a monster.
Especially since this thing has a special ability to reconfigure its body around a core and flee.
I can’t let my guard down for even a moment.
“Ah, it’s been a while.”
“Hello.”
As I headed to Buwon Hospital, a familiar nurse greeted me with a smile.
I asked if the other patients were doing okay.
The nurse smiled and said they were all diligently undergoing rehabilitation treatment.
“Just a moment, please.”
The nurse, after telling me to wait briefly, took out something and handed it to me.
It was an A4-sized paper with something written on it.
“It’s a letter thanking you, Jinwoo.”
“Who is it from…”
I stared intently at the A4 paper.
There were a total of three sheets, each with different handwriting.
Letters written by three different individuals.
And they were quite crudely written, with uneven line spacing.
‘Thank you for saving my father’, ‘Thank you for saving my mother’.
Summarized, that was the gist of the letters.
And yet, they had a power that stirred the human heart.
For a moment, I felt a lump in my throat and my eyes welled up with tears.
I didn’t just save individual people.
I had saved entire families tied to those people.
That was the realization that struck me in that moment.
As I gazed at the letters, gently wiping my eyes with my hand, the nurses started looking at me with satisfied expressions.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I was about to express my gratitude and leave.
“Ah, Jinwoo. There’s someone who wants to see you, so please stop by for a moment.”
“Me… Ahem. You mean me?”
“Yes. It will only be a short while.”
Since I had come this far, I should go see them.
With that thought, I headed to the location the nurse had told me.
I knocked on the door and entered to see a familiar person.
It was that middle-aged woman from the private room on the 10th floor.
And in front of that woman was a female in a wheelchair.
With a blanket draped over her lap, she was the woman who had been unconscious for the past year.
If I remember correctly, her name was Yuna.
“Hello. I’m Seo Yuna.”
“Hello. I’m Jinwoo Lee.”
“You two probably have things to talk about, so go ahead. Yuna, I’ll step out for a bit.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
After the middle-aged woman left the room, Yuna looked at me.
She seemed somewhat guarded, but also had an expression like she had finally found something she had long been searching for.
“I want to repay you.”
She outright said those words.
“Repay me?”
“The doctors said my awakening was a miracle. An incurable disease. You saved me from such an illness, so I should at least repay you, right?”
It was said with an assertive tone, as if it were only natural.
I slightly shook my head at those words.
It wasn’t an act I had done expecting any repayment in the first place.
“Don’t you want to become a hero? You’ll need to prepare a hero suit, and opening a personal office requires a lot of money…”
How does she know I aspire to become a hero?
“There’s also the hero ability certification exam at the end of March. I can help you.”
It seems she’s the type of person who absolutely must return anything received in order to be at peace.
As someone who also feels uncomfortable until I return any favors, I could somewhat understand that personality.
But this was a separate matter.
“No need for that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it wasn’t an act done with any expectations. If a hero saves someone and receives money or goods, it would be newsworthy.”
“But you’re not a hero yet, are you?”
“My heart is already that of a hero.”
I spouted that silly line, then simply said I was glad she had recovered before leaving the room.
“Wait, just a moment!”
I lightly ignored the voice trying to stop me.
Money can cloud one’s judgment.
So this is right.
To become a hero, I must pass the exams.
Scores are given for abilities like superpowers, physical capabilities, disaster response, personality, and more. You must achieve a certain score threshold to obtain a provisional hero license.
Then you undergo a training period under an active hero before finally debuting as a hero yourself.
In this process, you also need to prepare an office and hero suit, requiring a considerable amount of money, as she said.
With my current funds, it might be a bit difficult.
But I couldn’t accept her help.
Expecting compensation is not what a hero I want to become should do.