I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 245

245

From the start, Seonghyun didn’t step forward. He was observing to see how far they would go.

Several punches and kicks rained down on the child’s abdomen.

Even without using magic, a mid-level Hunter’s strength far surpassed that of an average adult. It was hard to imagine the pain the child was enduring.

“If you get caught again, I won’t let you off easy next time. Got it? And that goes for all of you.”

The men checked the child’s pockets, confirmed there was no more hidden money, and then headed off.

Probably to do the same thing again.

To check if the children had hidden money elsewhere.

The child collapsed, clutching their stomach, writhing in pain.

“Hngh…”

It hurt terribly, but what made the child even more miserable was the injustice of it all.

Why should I suffer when I didn’t hide that money?

A strange man appeared before the child.

“Wh-who…”

Having learned from experience that most adults weren’t kind, the child’s voice was wary, even in their weakened state.

“Does it hurt?”

“…”

Was that even a question? Couldn’t they see how much pain they were in?

Already feeling wronged, the child was about to snap back.

Until they realized they no longer felt any pain.

“Huh?”

“I was the owner of that money.”

“Wh-what did you say?”

Did that mean he knew this would happen and deliberately let it happen? As if the resentment that had nowhere to go had finally found its target, the child’s face filled with indignation.

“I was also the owner of that wallet.”

“What wallet…”

The resentment vanished instantly.

So, he knew the wallet was gone but did nothing.

“Don’t you know it’s wrong to do that?”

“…But if I don’t do this…”

Looking at the child’s expression, it was clear they knew it was wrong.

However, the child had no choice if they wanted to survive.

“That’s enough.”

The child’s vanished resentment turned inward, directed at themselves for having to choose something wrong.

Seeing the emotions clearly displayed on the child’s face, Seonghyun ruffled the child’s hair and took out money from his pocket.

“Take it.”

“B-but if I take this…”

He seemed to have seen everything that just happened, but he was still giving them money? The child’s eyes were filled with worry, even as they were tempted by the money.

“You don’t have to take any responsibility.”

Seonghyun’s expression as he looked down at the child was incredibly gentle.

Was it because he saw Katman [Likely a person Seonghyun knows] in the child?

“Adults take responsibility.”

“Adult…”

Was the word ‘adult’ even trustworthy?

Until now, to the child, ‘adult’ meant someone who took what was theirs and forced them to do things they didn’t want to do.

“Got it?”

Seonghyun stroked the child’s head again, who was hesitating to answer, and then left.

As he had decided, he had to do this properly.

————————-

“Tsk, these kids these days have no respect.”

“They’re too smart for their own good. We’re being too lenient, I tell you.”

“What if they’re plotting something? It seems to be getting worse lately.”

“We’ll know when we go to the next place.”

The next destination was the same as this one.

The place where the children who had handed over today’s earnings lived.

“How about going there after we’re done today?”

“Again?”

“Hehe, this guy’s smitten with her.”

“Ahem, smitten with who…”

Thud.

A light bump.

It wasn’t a strong bump, but the weakness of the impact didn’t make it any better.

It felt deliberately intentional.

“Ah. My bad.”

There wasn’t even an apology.

Normally, ‘I’m sorry’ would follow those words.

“Hey, is that all you have to say?”

“What do you mean?”

“You just bumped my shoulder and that’s it?”

“We both weren’t watching where we were going, so isn’t that the end? Let’s go our separate ways. I’m busy.”

The words and gestures seemed designed to provoke a fight.

“…Is this guy crazy? He’s not going to listen to reason.”

“Wait. Hold on.”

“What are you waiting for? A crazy bastard like this needs to be taught a lesson.”

“Look around. Is this a place where people usually walk?”

The place where they first visited the children was quite secluded.

One of those out-of-the-way places that every city has.

Besides, this road to the next destination wasn’t frequented by people.

“And that face… I’ve definitely seen it somewhere…”

It was a familiar face.

A face that felt familiar, not just someone they knew.

“Wa-wait a minute. Kim Seonghyun?”

“…What? Kim Seonghyun?”

Even if they were a little unsure about the face, they couldn’t mistake the name.

“Oh, it seems you know me?”

A person who had no reason to be alone was walking alone.

“D-did you mistake someone? Why would that person be here…”

There was only one conclusion.

He was following them.

“I’m looking for something.”

“Yes? Wh-what are you looking for…”

Completely forgetting that his shoulder had been bumped, the man gave Seonghyun a faint, nervous smile.

“I think my wallet was stolen.”

“…”

That confirmed it.

Seonghyun was targeting them.

The man who had first recognized Seonghyun was frantically trying to figure out what to do.

Should they run, or should they fight back?

It was known that Seonghyun had less magic power than the top-ranked Hunters, but that was in comparison to the top-ranked Hunters.

They, as mid-level Hunters, didn’t even have the right to decide whether to run or fight back.

‘Absolutely. We have to cooperate unconditionally.’

Fortunately, his foolish colleagues seemed to understand this very well.

“Ha, haha. I-is that so? We’ll find it for you!”

“Find it for you…”

What had offended this top-ranked Hunter?

Even though they had clearly shown their willingness to cooperate, the top-ranked Hunter in front of them didn’t seem to be appeased.

“You guys took it and you’re going to find it for me? Who do you think you’re fooling?”

“…”

The surroundings froze.

The cold energy was so chilling that cold sweat stung his eyes.

“Lead the way.”

“Wh-where to…”

“Lead. The way.”

“Yes, yes. I understand.”

Stalling for time was pointless.

He was cold, distant, and hard to reconcile with the image of a Hunter who had received great rewards from the United States or had healed many people.

After the conversation with Seonghyun, their destination changed to where they had started.

The place they arrived at without anyone’s interference.

The place where the child had slipped Seonghyun’s wallet under the small gap in the door.

“I, I’ll…”

“No. It’s okay. Just follow me.”

He was about to announce that he had returned first, but Seonghyun didn’t let him.

‘He’s probably trying to buy time for them to escape.’

He would say things he wouldn’t normally say, like he had arrived or to open the door quickly, to buy time.

When Seonghyun arrived at the door, a puzzled voice came from inside.

“Who is it?”

“Kim Seonghyun.”

“What? Who? Kim Seonghyun?”

It was a name he couldn’t possibly not know, but the possibility that the man outside the door was Kim Seonghyun was close to zero, so the man said with amusement.

“Hahaha! There’s still a crazy bastard like that. Go away. I’ll let you off this time because it’s funny.”

Because he was blocked by the door, the man inside couldn’t properly see the expressions of his colleagues outside.

Biting his lower lip, with an expression begging him not to provoke him.

But it was too late.

“If you keep loitering around, I’ll kill you next time?”

Followed by a huge crash.

“Wh-what!”

The completely shattered door and the man’s face faintly visible in the aftermath.

“Kim… Seonghyun?”

As a gatekeeper [Someone who guards a gate or entrance], all he did was browse the internet, so there was no way he wouldn’t know that face.

The protagonist whose articles came out several times a day.

“I came to find my wallet.”

“Wa-wallet…”

Could it be that the children had pickpocketed Kim Seonghyun’s wallet?

He had let it go because they were children, but it seemed he had found out their base for some reason.

‘…I’m screwed.’

If it was a wallet befitting a big shot like Kim Seonghyun, it would be the wallet from earlier, which was the biggest haul today, or recently.

However, wallets containing such large amounts of money were mostly sent to the headquarters, not the branch.

‘This is seriously screwed up.’

It seemed like he would leave if he returned the wallet, but he couldn’t choose because the location of the wallet was the location of the headquarters.

“Th-the wallet you lost…”

He was about to blurt out anything to buy some time, but the colleagues behind him were waving their hands, desperately signaling that it was absolutely not allowed.

“Lead. The way.”

“I, I don’t know. I don’t even know what the wallet looks like in the first place…”

Suddenly, a sword with a black chain emerged from Seonghyun’s chest.

Then, with the sword pointed at the necks of his colleagues, he said again.

“Lead. The way.”

“I-it’s true! If you give me some time…”

Was he really going to swing that sword?

The top-ranked Hunter in front of him was a Hunter who healed people.

“Kugh…”

As if to mock such thoughts, Seonghyun swung the sword without the slightest hesitation.

Red blood splattered on the floor, along with an arm of unknown origin.

“Next is your neck.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Every time he avoided answering, he would take one of his colleagues’ lives.

And if he still didn’t answer, that sword would finally take his life.

‘…Since I’m going to die anyway. Let’s die a little later.’

“Here’s the map…”

The map that came out of his pocket right away.

Seonghyun’s expression as he looked at him was like looking at a puppy being praised for being cute.

“Smart.”

Soon, Seonghyun healed the man’s arm that he had cut off.

As if to show off.

As if to say that he was not someone they could ever dream of challenging.

“Next time, pay attention to who you’re messing with. Got it?”

“Ah, yes! I’ll keep that in mind!”

Why wasn’t Seonghyun taking care of them?

He was briefly curious, but the answer was very simple.

‘Is it because we’re not even worth it?’

To Seonghyun, they were just creatures that could communicate, nothing more.

As Seonghyun left, those who remained collapsed on the spot.

“Hngh… This is a top-ranked Hunter…”

“We survived because we were weak.”

However, they didn’t know.

The reason Seonghyun spared them was not only because of the above reasons, but also because there were others who would take care of it for him, even if he didn’t do it himself.