Chapter 49
The cadets chattered about Gong Minwu's past all day. He himself continued his studies without any particular reaction, but so cadets cursed Gong Minwu for trivial reasons like physiognomy. Secretly, of course.
The fall of a cadet thought to be flawlessly perfect left a considerable aftermath. Everyone began to feel fear toward the revelations that delved even into the past.
And so, another day passed. As expected, the eighth revelation occurred, and Student Council President Yu Hyeonjeong called all the victims of the exposure together. The ti was midnight, transitioning from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The location was the Hall of Justice, the main building of the Investigation Division. All the victims except Gong Minwu gathered, and I had just finished my presentation on the approximately 30 individuals I had investigated at Cha Yeri's request.
“...To put it simply, there's no suspicion. The cadets on the filtered list all have different motives and goals. The sa goes for the school administrators and instructors. It's more rational to see it as an outside act.”
My remarks lasted about 10 minutes. It was the result of checking the school's recorded footage with Yu Hyeonjeong's help.
“Now, I'll take questions.”
“What about scheduled sending?”
A man, as if he had been waiting, lightly raised his hand to ask. It was Choi Suhyuk, a third-year from the Combat Division. Although not a top student, he was a cadet with combat abilities comparable to Lee Eunho and Gong Minwu in Hero Prep.
Additionally, he was a skilled individual who had already been scouted by Blackcastle, one of the top Hunter guilds, in his second year. He was the eighth victim to be exposed after Gong Minwu, and the content of the exposure was a rumor of an affair with the leading actress of a film currently being screened. As might be guessed, Choi Suhyuk had the appearance of a handso playboy.
In the future, if Lee Eunho and Gong Minwu were what was called "god-tier" in the original story, Choi Suhyuk would beco one of the strongest among humans. Whether in appearance, ability, or talent.
“Scheduled sending is only possible for the school's administrative managers. It's used only for purposes such as announcing lecture cancellations, additional assignnts, or facility inspections. As you all know, even then, 'scheduled sending' is indicated at the beginning of the ssage.”
“The person using anonymity wouldn't be unable to manipulate sothing like that, would they?”
“Yes, that's why there's no viable solution other than waiting until the count reaches 1.”
“Tsk, is that really it... Annoying.”
At the end of Choi Suhyuk's words, the atmosphere in the classroom beca subdued. This was due to the inability to deny the conclusion that they had to passively endure. In the solemn atmosphere, Lee Eunho, the only one who wasn't a victim of the exposure, spoke.
“Let's all work hard together. If we don't give up, we'll definitely find the exposer.”
A line one would expect from the protagonist of an enthusiastic youth manga. However, unfortunately, his passion wasn't very effective.
“Wait, why is that first-year here? He's not even a victim of the exposure.”
“...Th-that is.”
Lee Eunho was montarily flustered by Lee Ukjin's question. Yu Hyeonjeong interjected.
“Cadet Lee Eunho has been helping us in various ways with this matter. And he is also the top first-year student.”
“Ah... So, he ca here to cheer on a group of troubled people, is that it?”
“Your words are too harsh, Cadet Lee Ukjin.”
“It's not wrong. If you're not involved, then drop the pretentious talk and go back to your dorm. Don't unnecessarily spoil the mood...”
“How?”
A voice interjected suddenly. Lee Ukjin stopped his sentence and looked towards the window.
“If the top first-year doesn't give up, he says we can find the exposer.”
Choi Suhyuk, who had been sitting on the windowsill. He irritably swept his hair back.
“So, how can we find him?”
“...First, given the circumstances, the victim of Count 1 will likely be acquainted with the exposer.”
“What if they're not? What if they're just seeking a reflected benefit?”
“I believe such exposures are often likely to hide personal grudges...”
“Haa, in the end, you're just thinking what you want to think.”
Choi Suhyuk's brief sigh. He then approached Lee Eunho with clear footsteps.
“Hey, top student. Shall I tell you a secret?”
“...”
“In the Awakened world, it's extrely rare for soone who talks about the 'process' to survive long. Why? Because effort and passion in this world are judged by results. The reason people praise the Sword Saint isn't because of his sacrifice. It's because he demonstrably bisected the Golem and reclaid Seoul.”
“No, the Sword Saint's achievents deserve praise, but if not for the thousands of sacrifices overshadowed by him, Seoul wouldn't have been reclaid.”
“Haa... You're truly narrow-minded. Then let ask you this. Aside from the nas of the heroes in textbooks, do you know the na of even one of those thousands of sacrifices?”
“I can just look that up...”
Choi Suhyuk scoffed. As if it were pathetic.
“Even to you, who champions the process, they are forgotten beings... Efforts and sacrifices that people don't rember have no value. We humans are foolish. Even now, when the Great Rift is ntioned, people only speak of the Sword Saint. To put it bluntly, if this matter fizzles out, people will think I'm just spreading rumors, no matter what I do.”
“...”
“I'm not trying to deny your thod. I'm just saying don't fail. The mont you disappoint those around you, you'll be forgotten in this world without a trace.”
Lee Eunho bit his lower lip. A habit that erged when he faced complex situations. I, too, would not be able to refute Choi Suhyuk's words. Neither Gwon Chihun, sitting far away, nor Cha Yeri, who was now leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. And all the other cadets, including Yu Hyeonjeong, on the platform.
Choi Suhyuk walked towards the classroom door and cast a glance at Yu Hyeonjeong.
“Well, I ca hoping there might be so bright idea, but it seems the Student Council President has none. I'll leave first. It's almost the end-of-month evaluation, so I'm a bit busy...”
It was at that mont.
His smartwatch vibrated. The cadets all raised their wrists simultaneously. As expected, it was the Countdown exposure ssage.
-Count 1: ‘71001’ used forbidden drugs in the last end-of-month evaluation.
71001.
First in admission rank among the 71st-term first-year cadets. That is, the top student.
Choi Suhyuk was the first to look at Lee Eunho.
“Ah, but this is a bit...”
With disdain.
“Disgusting.”
***
After the eting of the exposure victims at midnight, dawn broke again.
BEEP.
“26 tis remaining.”
After my morning lecture, I bought a sparkling coffee at a nearby park and enjoyed so leisure ti. No, rather than leisure, I should say I was catching my breath, escaping the cadets' curses about Lee Eunho throughout the lecture.
“Why are they so noisy, like mosquitoes?”
The ssage that arrived at midnight beca a huge issue, making all previous exposures pale in comparison. The rumor that Lee Eunho's unprecedented talent was due to drugs.
This led to suspicions that he had used them in the entrance exam as well, and an unprecedentedly quick deliberation regarding Lee Eunho was decided. A deliberation not organized by the Student Council, but by the instructors.
Of course, the exposure content violating Hero Prep's rules also applied to Lee Ukjin, but his deliberation was assigned under the Student Council's jurisdiction. The interesting point was that Vice Principal Park Cheolyeong, who had remained silent all this ti, personally stepped forward to announce the deliberation. As if he had been waiting.
“For a quiet old man to open a deliberation ultimately ans...”
It would an that he considered this exposure to be factual, not a rumor. So now, the question was how Lee Eunho would react... Honestly, I wasn't sure. It wasn't the regressed Lee Eunho from the original, and furthermore, with as a variable, predicting his actions was difficult. Still, one thing was clear: Lee Eunho was obsessed with Hero Prep. He was undoubtedly fighting tooth and nail right now to avoid expulsion.
“What a waste of talent, seriously.”
“Exactly. Lightning attribute isn't even a common attribute. Why did he use drugs?”
“They say the ones who have it always want more.”
“True, how ridiculous we must have seed all this ti. We didn't use drugs because we didn't know? Tch.”
The conversations of passing cadets. Even on a quiet park bench, it seed hard to catch my breath.
“Next ti, should I spend ti on the rooftop...”
I got up from the bench without even finishing my can. But then, I spotted Yu Hyeonjeong walking directly toward from the park entrance. Her dignified Student Council President deanor was gone; she walked quickly as if rushed by urgent business. As soon as she reached the bench, she got straight to the point.
“You heard the news, right?”
“The deliberation, you an?”
“Yes, it's set for Friday, two days from now. If the deliberation results are negative, then the previous exposure contents will also be treated as facts.”
Aside from Lee Eunho, everything else was probably true anyway.
“So you're saying I should cooperate if I want to avoid the stigma of exposure. You're quite good at intimidation.”
“We're saying let's work together. Cadet Ji Seokhyeon, you twist everything. And you speak in twisted ways too.”
“Ah, well... That's the default in my neighborhood. It was a pretty harsh neighborhood.”
“Anyway, your role is important. You're the cadet who interacted with Lee Eunho the most. Please prepare to appear as a witness in the deliberation.”
A witness? No matter how much I interacted with Lee Eunho, I doubted he would welco it.
“But aren't you not a direct victim, President? Specifically, Gwon Chihun was the target.”
“...As a representative of the cadets, I'm simply working to prevent any unfair situations from these rumors.”
As expected, Yu Hyeonjeong seed to be infatuated with Lee Eunho, just like in the original story. But why was she making no progress with the main characters, Do Minyeong and Cha Yeri...?
“I need ti to think. I'm not exactly in a relaxed position either.”
“Alright. I can't force you. I'll wait until the morning of the day itself.”
Yu Hyeonjeong left the park after saying those words. With quick steps, just as she had arrived.
“So, being handso is the best, I guess.”
The Student Council President stepping up to help with the deliberation. Anyone would think it was her own deliberation. I cleanly emptied my can and tossed it into the trash can. Then, I hastened my steps to leave the park, but two cadets passing by glanced at and whispered.
“That's him, the one who got extorted by local thugs.”
“Ah... That social care beneficiary? But isn't he also the one who's eting the Hyeonseong daughter?”
“Hey, do you believe that? It's just an attention-seeking exposure. Look at him, if he says sothing like that anywhere, Hyeonseong will sue him.”
“Heh heh, that's true.”
Ah, so they only pick and choose the rumors they like to hear, huh?
“...This is f***ing ridiculous.”
***
Lee Eunho's na was on everyone's lips incessantly. For approximately 46 hours, from Wednesday, the day the exposure ssage arrived, until tonight, Thursday. Tomorrow, when the deliberation was held, he would probably be the topic of conversation, and he would continue to be ntioned ceaselessly even after the deliberation.
The victims of the exposure showed various reactions. Gong Minwu still played dumb, Yu Hyeonjeong ran around even busier than Lee Eunho, and Gwon Chihun struggled to avoid encountering Yu Hyeonjeong, who was also an Investigation cadet, in the Hall of Justice building.
Furthermore, Cha Yeri, perhaps not expecting much from the deliberation, openly ignored when we t officially, and Choi Suhyuk led female cadets around as if his affair had never been exposed. Other victims also showed various reactions, but all of them did not expect Lee Eunho's deliberation to end positively. This was because their own exposed matters were all true.
Therefore, they were convinced that Lee Eunho had used forbidden drugs. And that Park Cheolyeong would not have expedited the deliberation without evidence.
So what was Lee Eunho, the last victim, doing?
BEEP.
“21 tis remaining.”
“So, what do you have to say?”
In front of a vending machine in a park quite a distance from the dorms. He was, none other than, facing .
“You already know who the exposer is, don't you...”
With a troubled expression.
“Yes.”
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