I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

Chapter 26: Heroes Are Those Who Overcome The Irrational (3)

Monday.

The library was closed, so it was a day off for me, and I could rest at home while reading the books I had borrowed.

However, I purposely put on a suit and came to the Academy’s main building.

Not to tour the Academy, but to check on the ‘target’.

Buzz buzz.

Many people in similar uniforms were heading toward the auditorium.

The auditorium, capable of accommodating more than 2,000 people, was where the Academy held major events and, at the same time, where today’s ‘entrance ceremony’ would occur.

It would usually be an ordinary entrance ceremony, but this year would be quite different from before.

“Do you think he will be introduced during today’s lecturer presentation?”

“Sigh. Snow White… I’m so happy she’s coming as a lecturer this year.”

“An S-Class, moreover, the strongest of the ice users, we get to attend her superpower lecture. Huh, it was a good choice to delay graduation by a year…!”

Both those participating in the entrance ceremony and those who came to watch it were extremely interested in one woman’s existence.

Baek Seol-hee.

Snow White.

Woahhhh!

Just by dressing in a suit and taking a seat in the auditorium along with other faculty members, she received a lot of cheers.

‘She seems awkward.’

Baek Seol-hee lightly nodded in response to the crowd, then quietly settled down and sat on a chair.

Receiving cheers as a hero might be familiar, but receiving them as a ‘teacher’ seemed quite awkward.

‘Oh.’

A familiar face took the stage.

“Ah, before we start the entrance ceremony…”

Student council president Yoon Iseon grabbed the microphone and started to speak.

Usually, even at entrance ceremonies, faculty members tended to host, but perhaps because the student council president had outstanding abilities, she had been entrusted with conducting this formal event.

“The order of the entrance ceremony is….”

While Yoon Iseon was explaining the order of the entrance ceremony, a text message arrived on my smartphone.

[Over there.]

[Mr. Ji-hwan.]

[Please help me.]

“……?”

It was Baek Seol-hee.

It was not just anyone, but Baek Seol-hee was requesting my help.

“Ah, can I call you?”

I immediately called Baek Seol-hee, but the call was quickly rejected.

“What the.”

A single text message saying she was unable to take calls.

Since I suspected she might be secretly sending messages, I immediately texted back.

[Are you keeping these messages secret from others?]

[I’m sending this without others knowing, so please communicate through text.]

“Ah.”

Our messages overlapped.

I received her message the moment I sent mine, which was probably the same for Baek Seol-hee.

[What’s the matter?]

[They’re asking me to give a congratulatory speech.]

[A congratulatory speech?]

I lifted my head.

“The order of the entrance ceremony is as follows….”

There wasn’t specifically a part for Baek Seol-hee’s congratulatory speech in the order of the ceremony that Yoon Iseon was reading out.

Even so, this talk of a speech now was probably because someone sneakily poked at the idea of ‘Snow White giving a congratulatory speech?’ on the spot.

‘They’re making it difficult.’

Even when running for class president, you would prepare at least a few minutes of speech, but it was absurd to suddenly ask for a speech at a large-scale event like an entrance ceremony. Especially since this event was being broadcasted live with reporters from media outlets.

However, [Snow White] must do it.

[The principal suddenly asked me to do it ㅠㅠ]

[Wasn’t it scheduled?]

[Not at all.]

“Hmm….”

For Baek Seol-hee, it was not just difficult. It was maddening.

Baek Seol-hee was not a hero who often engaged in public activities - excluding being invited as a face of the government official events -, she was not good at speaking in front of people.

Hence, making an impromptu speech was virtually impossible.

She may have S-class talent in her ability, but she tended to hone skills in other areas through effort.

In other words, speeches and congratulatory speeches were not easy tasks for her.

[Do you know any good phrases for a speech? Even if it’s simple.]

“Oh, dear.”

I ended up giving advice for Baek Seol-hee’s speech.

‘How did this happen?’

There would be ways like ignoring and moving on as if I didn’t know or promising to find out while stalling for time.

If Baek Seol-hee messed up the speech, people would surely ridicule and insult her, and then naturally, Baek Seol-hee’s disgust toward others would increase.

I could seize that gap, make Baek Seol-hee fall, and recruit her as a member of our secret organization.

However…

‘When the sympathy rate is like this, it’s quite something.’

I couldn’t stand it.

I couldn’t stand to see Baek Seol-hee embarrass herself during a speech.

When watching movies or dramas, I was the type of person who couldn’t bear to watch the main character or other characters in embarrassing situations.

Baek Seol-hee messing up her speech and being ridiculed by people was no different from me being found naked after my transformation and being booed by people.

And once Baek Seol-hee asked me for help, once a woman asked me for help, as long as I could help, I just couldn’t let it pass.

“I expect you’ll at least buy me a meal if you’re grateful.”

Or, when my identity was revealed later, she may think, ‘Do Ji-hwan helped me once during that speech.’

Such favors stacked up and accumulated, resulting in the outcome of surviving or saving my life when I was inevitably caught by Snow White.

So.

[I’ll send it to you neatly summarized in a text.]

I grabbed my smartphone and began typing quickly.

A little later.

As the entrance ceremony was nearing its end.

“…I would like to say that the entrance ceremony is over.”

The principal subtly pointed behind him.

“However, it’s impossible not to have one of our new teaching staff representatives say a few words to our freshmen. Now, Snow White. Would you like to say something?”

The students and spectators, who were hoping for the principal’s dull speech to end, focused all their attention on Snow White, who was sitting on the stage.

“…Yes.”

As Baek Seol-hee stood up, the sound of camera shutters began to ring out rapidly.

Like a celebrity holding a press conference, everyone started to watch Baek Seol-hee attentively.

“Dear freshmen.”

Baek Seol-hee glanced at her Taegeuk Watch and opened her mouth in a soft voice.

“What do you think a hero fights against?”

Starting her welcome speech with a question, the new students tilted their heads in confusion.

“Villains who misuse their abilities? Those who let their powers run wild? Evil organizations lurking in every corner of the world? Or, as some people assert, the beings from outer space or other dimensions who may someday come to Earth? Each of you may have different thoughts. Here’s what I’d like to say.”

A silence descended upon the entire auditorium.

“Heroes are those who fight against ‘unreasonableness’.”

Unreasonableness.

Everyone tilted their heads at this unusual term that was completely different from what they’d expected and from what had been mentioned before.

“As ability users, you will face many choices and trials in the future. There may be moments when you become sick of pursuing justice and moments when you impulsively make decisions out of momentary greed. In each of those moments, the world will present you with various experiences of unreasonableness.”

For example,

When playing Super Ma*io, you ran toward the goalpost only to hit your head on an invisible block and fall into a hole.

This was referred to as unreasonableness because it seemed like a serious issue, but if we put it in just a few words -

“There’s no profession that gets screwed over as much as heroes.”

Getting screwed over.

Those who aspired to be heroes lived with a lot of mental suffering, and the world did not just give them ordinary trials.

And these trials often appeared in ways that were incomprehensible for heroes and ordinary people.

Hate comments, instigations, manipulations.

All sorts of evils that could not be expressed in a few sentences were directed at the heroes, and they had to fight against them.

“You will face many walls of unreasonableness in the future. Will you break down and overcome those walls, or will you avoid them? Or will you push the wall aside, pass by, and then put it back in its place? That’s up to you. You can make your choice based on what you learn and practice here at Sejong Academy. Will you conform to unreasonableness, compromise with unreasonableness, or fight against unreasonableness?”

Sejong Island was a place where ability-users could most easily increase their mana.

Sejong Academy was a place where ability-users were ‘educated’ about what they should become in society with their abilities.

“In an era where superpowers have become a reality, Sejong Academy will provide you with all the learning you need to live in this era. Of course, this includes superpowers, mana, and abilities.”

I told her that.

“No matter what kind of person you become after you graduate from here.”

Baek Seol-hee steadied her breath and showed a faint smile.

“I believe that no matter what unreasonableness blocks your path, you will definitely overcome it. Based on everything you learned here at Sejong Academy, I hope you will continue shaping your world and future with your own strength.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Baek Seol-hee’s words.

“I’ve been plagiarized.”

The words I said over a meal after watching a movie had come out of Baek Seol-hee’s mouth, albeit a bit fumbled.

“Not bad.”

The future.

Yes, the future.

At least to prevent any global destruction from things like meteorites.

Using all my power, I would fight against all unreasonableness that sought to destroy this world.

“Thank you.”

Waahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The entrance ceremony ended.

A new year at the Academy had begun.

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