Chapter 305 : Chapter 305
Chapter 305: Aftermath—Ji-an
The Clington campus was quiet during the summer break.
Not only was it vacation time, but the mid-August weather was so hot it could kill a person just by standing still.
Naturally, no one would want to come out.
Ho-cheol felt similarly, but today was an exception.
Ho-cheol sat on a chair next to the academic affairs office entrance, staring blankly at the wall, waiting.
How much more time passed?
The door opened, and the person who emerged was Ji-an.
She grinned as her eyes met Ho-cheol's.
Ta-da—!
She proudly displayed the paper in her hand—her diploma.
“Finally! Graduation!”
She was overjoyed and stamped her feet excitedly.
Ho-cheol smiled softly at the sight.
"Early graduation."
It was August.
Unlike everyone else who finished the one-year curriculum and graduated normally, Ji-an graduated half a year earlier than her peers.
Early graduation.
It was a greater achievement than being the top student.
Unlike the top student who came out once every year, early graduation was unprecedented in Clington's history.
Even Ye-jin and Da-yeon possessed skills that surpassed most S-rank Heroes at the time of their graduation, but Ji-an was on an entirely different level.
Overwhelming strength that dared not compare to any among the S-ranks: The Sun, Sword Demon, and Smiley during their active days.
She was in no way lacking compared to any of them.
“A true genius, without any particular catalyst or event, just naturally climbs endlessly upward following the flow.”
Over the past three years, without life-threatening battles or arduous training, Ji-an had become much stronger than when Ho-cheol first encountered her in the past.
When a student of that caliber requested early graduation, Clington stamped the early graduation papers without complaint.
And the other students were completely unaware of her early graduation.
“Your classmates must be a little disappointed that you suddenly graduated, huh?”
He asked with a playful smile, shrugging his shoulders.
Ji-an, however, vehemently shook her empty hands, frowning in disgust.
“Oh dear, disappointed? I don’t even know who they are.”
As Ho-cheol said, Ji-an was a popular star at Clington.
She always had a sharp impression and a cold demeanor, but occasionally showed consideration for others.
Thanks to these few factors, and most importantly, her looks, Ji-an’s popularity was not just within her department, but overflowed to students in other departments and years.
The number of confessions she received during her academic life easily exceeded double digits, perhaps even reaching triple digits.
Students who secretly held feelings for her were not limited by gender.
For her part, she was merely following Ho-cheol’s instruction to get along with his friends, but her classmates, unaware of the internal circumstances, could only have deepening misunderstandings.
Ji-an, however, paid them no attention, and even students who were in the same class for all three years were not only nameless to her, but she didn't even remember their faces.
She probably wouldn't in the future, either.
Ho-cheol, and the people he cherished, were the only ones Ji-an considered worthy of remembering.
“You’re quite something, really. Not paying attention to anyone else for three whole years.”
It was an unexpected result even for Ho-cheol.
He had thought her obsession with him was just due to her unique childhood and environment.
He naturally assumed that once she received proper socialization in a normal environment, her attention would shift to her peers rather than an old man like him.
Yet, she was consistently expressing affection only for him, even on the day of her graduation.
He couldn't help but feel surprised and impressed.
“Well, anyway, rather than this scrap of paper...”
She crumpled the diploma and shoved it into her pocket as if it meant absolutely nothing.
Then, she immediately clung to Ho-cheol’s arm.
“Today is my exclusive day with Mister! That’s the real important thing, isn't it!”
“I told you to call me ‘Professor’ while inside the campus.”
“I graduated, though.”
Ehehe-
She laughed wickedly.
“The relationship between Professor and student is over now! Over! The End!”
The relationship with Ji-an had been quite ambiguous until now. So-hee, Da-yeon, Ye-jin, even Se-ah—he could now perfectly call them his lovers, but Ji-an?
The promise they made initially: they would not go beyond the relationship of student and professor, or guardian, until she graduated.
Ji-an felt like she was going insane watching the others display public affection with Ho-cheol in real time, but she endured it with superhuman patience.
And for three years at that!
Ho-cheol clicked his tongue, watching her rub her cheek against his arm, unable to contain her joy.
“Honestly. Since you’ve graduated and become an adult, I should send you to jail now.”
“Aww. Why would you send me to jail? I’m so nice.”
After all, even in her minor years, Ji-an had created a villain organization, attacked Clington, harmed Heroes, and committed all sorts of bad crimes.
Now that she was legally an adult, talk of punishment was slowly brought up.
In fact, even Ho-cheol initially intended for her to receive appropriate punishment for the crimes she committed.
But in the end, love is love.
He simply could not bring himself to send Ji-an, with whom he had lived for several years, to prison.
So, they made a deal.
Instead of sending Ji-an to prison, she would work as a Hero for 10 years.
Of course, Ho-cheol also had to pay a considerable price during that process, but that was a secret known only to the government, the Association, and Ho-cheol.
Above all, the government's opinion was that it would be a shame to waste a graduate with the unprecedented title of genius at Clington by letting her rot in prison.
“Sigh, fine. You’re nice. So, where should we go?”
Since Ji-an had monopolized Ho-cheol for the entire day, he intended to accommodate her as much as possible.
Well, the destination was usually obvious anyway.
When he occasionally took time off, the places they went to were always botanical gardens or ecological parks, veritable vegan paradises with nothing but greenery everywhere.
Even if it was closely related to her Trait, could a preference become this fixed?
Ho-cheol didn't particularly like watches just because he used a Trait related to 'time'.
He expected her to suggest the usual place, but this time, the place Ji-an mentioned was completely different from his expectation.
She slightly turned her head and spoke to Ho-cheol.
“There’s someone I want to introduce you to.”
***
The place they arrived at was an eerie, deserted cemetery.
“This is...”
Ho-cheol showed a subtle expression.
This was nothing more than a burial ground where Ho-cheol's former subordinates from 'the organization' were summarily buried when they died as villains.
Thus, it was completely opposite in atmosphere to the place where Jeong Yu-hwa or Da-yeon's mother rested, which Ho-cheol visited occasionally.
It wasn't even a legal grave site in the first place.
“It's a memorable place, isn't it?”
Ho-cheol gave a dry laugh at Ji-an’s question.
“A memory, indeed.”
It was only a few years ago.
They fought Ji-an here, and he defeated her.
However, immediately after, the tomb area was completely ravaged by the organization's executives who betrayed Ji-an.
Although Ho-cheol did his best to prevent damage to the graves back then, his enemies didn't care at all.
Looks like everything was restored, though.
“...It’s been a long time.”
It was a place he hadn't thought about for the past few years.
For him, this was just part of the past he wanted to erase.
Unlike Ho-cheol, Ji-an consistently visited this place.
She had no interest in the other graves, since they were villains and she didn't know who they were anyway.
The only tomb she cared about was one.
The clean tombstone had no name or birth date.
Only the date of death was written there, lonely.
It was the grave of her only friend during her time as a test subject.
Test Subject D-20.
The friend who died with that name still occupied a place second only to Ho-cheol in Ji-an’s heart.
“Hello.”
Ji-an greeted her friend, then crouched in front of it and placed her hand on the tombstone.
Blue shoots sprouted around her, enveloping the grave.
How much time passed?
Ji-an’s eyes reddened as she silently stroked the tombstone for a long time.
She turned her body and buried her face in Ho-cheol’s embrace.
Ho-cheol simply stroked her back silently at the faint sound of her sniffing.
When she seemed somewhat composed, she spoke in a low, husky voice.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so damp, but strangely, the emotions just overwhelmed me today.”
“It’s okay. I exchanged greetings appropriately, too.”
After that, Ji-an talked about her ‘friend,’ and Ho-cheol merely listened silently.
How much more time passed?
Ho-cheol sat down, and Ji-an rested the back of her head on his thigh.
It was a rather grim setting, being in the middle of a cemetery, but neither of them cared.
Ho-cheol slowly looked around with a complex expression, as if recalling the past, and Ji-an gazed intently at him.
Since when?
Since when did they become this close?
Since when?
Since when did she start taking the giving and receiving of affection with Ho-cheol for granted?
Since when?
Since when was she, who only wished to be able to look at him, no longer satisfied even with this relationship?
One thing, however, was certain.
Lying down, she stretched out her hand and hooked her finger on Ho-cheol’s collarbone.
“Why?”
“Nothing. I just suddenly felt like doing this.”
This was a rare sight for Ji-an, who usually blurted out whatever she wanted to say or do without hesitation.
“It tickles.”
Ho-cheol, not to be outdone, rubbed her neck with his palm.
The warmth felt from that hand wasn’t just body temperature.
It was overflowing with deep affection.
“That’s the good part.”
Ji-an mumbled that and slowly closed her eyes.
However, even through her darkened sight, Ho-cheol’s face was clear.
She had no way of knowing what her original appearance was like, but the first memory she vaguely had was quite horrible.
A cold operating table, lights that pierced her eyes.
Tearing, piercing, and stitching her skin without even anesthesia.
They wouldn't handle a cheap toy this roughly.
It must have meant her life was worth less than a cheap toy to them.
Amidst those painful, horrible, and disgusting things that made her shudder just thinking about them, only a brief encounter.
Only Ho-cheol.
He created a place for her to live.
Whether her eyes were closed or open.
The sole light in her dark world.
That was the existence of Ho-cheol.
She spoke towards Ho-cheol, who shone in the darkness.
“Besides my dead friend, Mister, you were the first. The first person to call me a human.”
It was Ho-cheol who gave life and a future to her, who had lived as nothing more than a test subject to correct errors, not a human.
A faint breeze blew, passing between them.
Ho-cheol moved the hand that was stroking Ji-an's neck to her hair.
His bent index finger softly stroked her flowing red hair.
Ji-an slowly opened her eyes.
She hesitated for a moment, checking Ho-cheol’s reaction.
“Well, you know. I mean.”
This was an uncharacteristic sight for Ji-an, who usually blurted out whatever she wanted to say or do without hesitation.
“Now that I've graduated. And I’m an adult, so. As a graduation gift. Besides calling you Mister or Professor...”
She took a deep breath, gathering her courage.
“Can I call you Darling?”
Ho-cheol's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but it was only a fleeting instant.
The new term felt quite awkward, but it wasn't an entirely bad feeling.
“Darling, Darling, huh. The age difference is quite significant.”
Thinking about it, there was no one else who called him that.
He nodded without much hesitation.
“Really!”
At his permission, Ji-an immediately sprang up and hugged him tightly.
It wasn't just the term of address that changed.
In fact, Ho-cheol would have granted a request this small even a year ago.
Although he spoke indirectly, his intention was clearly conveyed.
Their new term of address was the first step to moving beyond their current relationship.
“Thank you! Mister!”
Of course, with only permission given, changing a term of address that had stuck for years overnight would be difficult.
She detached herself and exclaimed with a flushed face.
“Ah, this. I want to give Mister... Darling a gift, too!”
“It’s okay. I already received it.”
Ji-an blinked, unable to understand his brief answer.
What did I give him?
Damn it, did he find out about me sneaking in and kissing his cheek when he was asleep last time?
I should have kissed his mouth if I knew I’d get caught anyway!
“Hope.”
Ho-cheol said that, more serious than ever.
“The perfectly proper, though not flawless, behavior you showed over the past three years sufficiently proved that. That others can change like me, and that I can change others.”
Ho-cheol slowly stretched out his hand and placed his hand over Ji-an's.
“I can confidently tell the people who claim my change was a miracle, that the same thing will never happen again—that people, unlike their nature, can fully display changed behavior.”
It was the proof that the good will of humans is a choice, not their essence.
It was the catalyst for Ho-cheol, who was just rotting in prison, to rise again, and the reason he had run like a fierce flame more intensely than anyone else until now.
“Since you proved that. You are too great a gift to me. If... you truly want to give me a gift. Then, can you take the goodwill you received from me and give it to others?”
Ji-an agonized for a long time, then avoided his gaze and answered.
“...I will try.”
An ambiguous answer, but Ho-cheol simply smiled.
If she had asserted that she would do it, he would have been disappointed.
It was not the type of promise to be made so easily.
If the answer was one she reached after agonizing and hesitating for this long, it meant she had made a determined choice and was sincere.
The process is as important as the result.
“Okay.”
“Then, if what I’ve given you so far is faith.”
Ji-an lay back down on Ho-cheol’s thigh with a lighter attitude.
“From now on, I want to receive love, too.”
“Hmm. That won’t work.”
Ji-an’s expression instantly darkened.
She hadn't expected such a firm rejection!
However, Ho-cheol smiled mischievously and removed the hair stuck to her forehead.
“It would be quite difficult for me if you ask for something I’m already giving you.”
“...Eh.”
Ji-an’s eyes widened more than ever as she uttered a silly sound.
Then, understanding his meaning, the corners of her mouth twitched.
“Hmm. I don’t believe you. Can you prove it?”
“Anytime.”
And with that, Ho-cheol leaned down.
Ji-an would never forget the moment their lips touched.