My On*Hole Academy [EN]: Chapter 163

EP.162 What to Protect

*

Isabella was recalling the first memory she had of feeling that ‘Sister is strange’ in her dreams.

“It’s mine!”

“No!”

A typical squabble between sisters over a beloved doll.

What made it slightly different was when Zenobia tore off the doll’s head as if to show off.

“Waaaaah.”

Little Isabella burst into tears,

and her sister Zenobia laughed as she watched.

Later, Isabella’s parents, upon hearing this story, dismissed it as a ‘manifestation of excessive possessiveness,’ a characteristic seen in early childhood,

but Zenobia often hit and tormented her younger sister, and when asked why, she replied, ‘Seeing my sister cry makes me happy.’

It was around that time that her parents began to think of her as a somewhat peculiar child.

After consulting with several authorities in the field of neurosciences and conducting various tests based on the results of their daughter’s MRI [magnetic resonance imaging scan].

“There is a functional problem in your daughter’s cerebral cortex. This brain function issue can manifest as a lack of empathy and ignorance towards the pain of others.”

Zenobia was a congenital psychopath.

She felt almost no emotions and was not only insensitive to the pain of others,

but also did not experience the negative emotions that one should feel when doing something wrong.

Rather, Zenobia derived elation and excitement from hitting Isabella.

“What should we do?”

“Do not treat your daughter emotionally under any circumstances, and it is best to establish clear principles and be firm with her.”

Isabella later learned about these circumstances, but at the time, she only thought that her parents had changed after visiting the hospital.

It started that day.

The strict rules, curfews, and severe punishments in the house began.

Raising their first child that way inevitably led to raising their second child strictly as well, but Isabella adapted well.

Rather, she grew up to be a girl loved by everyone.

Zenobia was the same.

「Those daughters are truly lovely.」

As the neighbors all said,

Zenobia and Isabella both grew up to be virtuous young women who listened well to their parents, and their parents were pleased, thinking that their educational policy was correct.

However, Isabella, who was close to her sister, knew.

That there was an unfulfilled darkness in Zenobia’s heart,

and that she was merely hiding it now….

“Umm….”

Isabella, who woke up in the hospital, flinched.

As soon as she regained consciousness, Zenobia’s attack vividly came to mind. The black and dark eyes that she could not forget even if she tried,

and the flat tone without emotional fluctuations. It was definitely Zenobia.

“Kim Sanghyuk!”

Isabella, who abruptly sat up, was surprised once again to see Sanghyuk guarding her bedside.

“Yes? I’m here.”

“You……. How….”

Both of us were seriously injured…… weren’t we?

It’s too vivid to say it was all a dream. Isabella felt a sense of incongruity because her body felt too normal.

“Please lie down first.”

“What happened?”

“First of all, this is a private room in the Academy Hospital. A day has passed. I was nervous because you wouldn’t wake up.”

Kim Sanghyuk peeled an apple and told her the story after Isabella lost consciousness.

It was a story hard to believe.

“First of all, the reason why the Chairman and I were healed was because some saintess from the outside world helped us. It’s my ability.”

“Zenobia? Did she just leave?”

Kim Sanghyuk seemed hesitant, not knowing where to start explaining.

“There’s no way she just left. She wouldn’t have stopped until she ruined you…!”

“To put it bluntly, I beat her up like a dog.”

“……What?”

Kim Sanghyuk explained about his other ability.

『The Rule of Immortality』

The Death Collector summoned by that ability protected Kim Sanghyuk and showed transcendent power.

He beat Zenobia, who had drawn out 100% of her output, like a dog on Boknal [a Korean day for eating dog meat, implying she was beaten mercilessly],

and sent her straight to the Correction Headquarters.

She was so surprised by the fact that a D-class academy student had fulfilled the Hero Association’s five-year-old wish that she couldn’t even speak.

“She was caught by the Correction Headquarters…… Zenobia?”

“In the end, Teacher Seridwen came and sorted out the situation. I should have just turned her into an Onahole.”

Kim Sanghyuk said, handing over a beautifully peeled apple slice.

Isabella was so engrossed in the story that she took it and munched on it.

“Really……? Teacher….”

Everything was over while I was lying down…….

Isabella felt a little empty.

“Is it delicious?”

“……Ah.”

Squeeze.

Isabella blushed, clutching the clean patient blanket tightly.

No……. I’m giving this guy too much of my heart….

“It was cool. Chairman. Was it 「Thank you for saying I’m a cool hero」?”

“……Keuk. Don’t get me wrong.”

Even her face is burning up.

I couldn’t even protect him properly, and the only thing I did that was hero-like was being a meat shield.

And that was to protect Kim Sanghyuk!

I’m so ashamed that I can’t even lift my head.

“I just did what I had to do as a hero. It’s not like I would have done that if it was someone else.”

“Oh, tsundere [a person who is initially cold and hostile but gradually warms up to others].”

“No!”

“I’m not being sarcastic, it was really cool.”

This guy…. Like a sly fox, he keeps poking at the parts that make people feel ashamed.

“Isn’t it unsightly? That’s the bare face of the woman called the strongest S-class hero in Seoul.”

“What is it?”

“I’m talking about being defeated so futilely by a real villain.”

“Is that Zenobia a ‘real villain’?”

Hasn’t he heard anything?

Could it be…….

Isabella was shocked to see Sanghyuk’s outfit, which was the same as yesterday.

“You, didn’t you go home and stayed by my side all night?”

“Yes. It’s past the time to go to school. Please excuse me for being absent again.”

“…….”

“The reason is nursing my savior. Oh, by the way, Evangelin sunbae [senior] was also there, but she stayed until dawn and went back because of work tomorrow.”

I’m ashamed.

Savior, it’s absurd.

“Kim Sanghyuk. Rather, you are my savior. I couldn’t protect you properly.”

Kim Sanghyuk was silent without saying anything.

……As if waiting for me to calm down.

It felt like my dad, who used to watch over me quietly and comfort me when I was crying when I was young.

……Why does he, who is supposed to be a student of interest who needs my care, look so dignified.

‘If it’s Kim Sanghyuk……. I can trust him….’

“Zenobia is…… my sister.”

Kim Sanghyuk picked up another apple and peeled it. Slowly.

“Diagnosed as a congenital psychopath, my blood relative…. An S-class villain. The leader of Korea’s largest villain alliance.”

“She was a huge figure. I heard that Korea is relatively peaceful, but she also has a monster-like masterpiece that transcends the Chairman.”

“That’s because gravity waves of enormous rank appear in the forbidden area.”

It’s not information that’s open to the public.

Everyone is just speculating ‘maybe’.

To be exact, a dungeon of S rank or higher occurs in Seoul’s forbidden area. And the villain alliance hides in the forbidden area, which can be said to be the shadow of Korea,

and is a force that illegally scrapes together unauthorized mana beasts to gain power.

“The head of the underworld who monopolizes that gravity wave……. The theory that it’s Zenobia is strong.”

“She’s getting stronger by sucking honey alone. Cowardly. The chairman was busy working!”

“……?”

Isabella tilted her head at Kim Sanghyuk, who suddenly became angry.

‘Could it be, is he comforting me?’

For the sake of the face of the Korean representative hero,

who was defeated so miserably that it was pathetic.

“……Stop it. I couldn’t become a symbol of justice. I couldn’t even protect one male student next to me.”

“Now I know. Why you wanted to give severe punishment to the villains so much. Was it because Zenobia was family?”

“You wouldn’t believe me even if I said it wasn’t related.”

I knew that Zenobia would target me someday.

So I couldn’t form deep relationships with anyone.

Isabella had been keeping that a secret all along.

『Symbol of Justice』

Pretending to be a perfect hero who has nothing to fear no matter who comes.

“Zenobia is the villain who killed our mother and turned the center of Seoul into a sea of fire five years ago. There were 50,000 casualties…….”

“…….”

“After that incident, people thought of me, our family, as potential villains. Saying they don’t know what we’re thinking behind our smiling faces.”

Isabella had been fighting for the honor of her family ever since that day.

I didn’t think of any other career path other than a hero.

That’s why I took the position of head of the Villain Correction Headquarters.

I pursue justice.

I execute justice.

I wear justice.

Look. I’m different from my irresponsible sister.

Maybe I was just shouting that to the world.

……It’s a fake belief. It’s over now to show off in front of my juniors. There was no such thing as a ‘real hero’ anywhere.

Something like a ‘symbol of justice’ was an overwhelming wish.

“So you fought? To ask people to take a look at the righteous Isabella?”

Sanghyuk handed over a plate of trimmed apples.

“Yeah…….”

……You must be disappointed.

I, who even encouraged you to do terrible things to the villains…….

That such strictness came not from a sense of justice,

but from a struggle to show that I am different from my criminal sister.

The more Isabella digested the arduous tasks, the calmer her mind became.

「Hero of Justice」

「Towards a 0% crime rate」

「Korean Representative Hero」

Behind the plausible phrases that people gave me,

I was nervous that my sister’s heinous crimes would appear on the news headlines again,

and I was catching conspicuous villains indiscriminately…….

It’s as if I’m saying to the people of the world, ‘I’ll catch her if my sister shows up.’

“I feel like I know Isabella better.”

“You must have felt betrayed?”

“Do you think so?”

Sanghyuk smiled coolly.

Isabella couldn’t help but think about why Sanghyuk remained when she saw that smile.

Why.

Why did he stay up all night guarding the bedside of the student council president, whom he had been tormenting as a student of interest?

Why is he listening to my story?

With such a kind face…….

All the guesses are heading towards one conclusion, but I’m not 100% sure.

「Kim Sanghyuk likes me」 is too embarrassing.

Let’s go with 「He might like me」…….

When I met his eyes again, Sanghyuk was wearing a playful smile.

As if he had been waiting to say this.

“By the way, it was officially announced that the ultimate hero who dealt with the heinous S-class villain Zenobia is the Chairman, 「White Devil」. At 22:00 yesterday.”

“What!”

Isabella shouted, then quickly covered her mouth when she realized this was a hospital.

“You caught her?!”

“Yes? I just beat her up with my ability? Strictly speaking, it’s borrowed power, and no one would believe it if I said a D-class academy student caught her.”

“Then what about Teacher Seridwen? You can say the teacher did it.”

“That’s the teacher’s idea. Let’s say White Devil did it.”

Teacher Seridwen!?

“She’s officially supposed to be in the United States right now, but she was called to the Blue House [the executive office and official residence of the South Korean president] for illegally invading Korean territorial waters at a speed that violated the World Hunter Association regulations last night.

If it becomes known that she did it to deal with a Korean villain, it could escalate into a diplomatic issue…….”

“Even so……. Are you okay with that? Kim Sanghyuk? It’s taking your credit.”

“I’m okay. Because Isabella was safe.”

‘He’s subtly calling me by my name.’

Dugeun Dugeun [sound of a heart beating fast]…….

Isabella was embarrassed by the feeling she was feeling for the first time.

At first, I thought it was warmth like my dad, but now…….

It’s a bit more intense than that……. An uncontrollable feeling.

“From now on, don’t overdo it alone, do it with me.”

“What, what?”

“Zenobia has been caught, but villains will continue to appear. Let’s do it with Onahole Man. That.”

“……I. I’m not the perfect hero of justice you think I am.”

“That’s why.”

Kim Sanghyuk said, putting a slice of apple in Isabella’s mouth.

“Because you’re not a perfect hero. You can date, and you can lean on me when you’re having a hard time.”

“……Dating? With who?”

“You’re not asking because you don’t know, are you?”

……….

…….!

I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ll pretend I don’t know!

Isabella, who couldn’t admit the sudden change of heart, turned her head away and tried not to make eye contact with Sanghyuk.

“I don’t know. I don’t have time to date. I’ll be even busier in the future!”

“Rest. I’ll go to the remaining classes.”

Is it okay to let him go like this?

Once the student of interest process is over, I can’t talk to Kim Sanghyuk. I can’t threaten him to ‘come running right now.’

The other person is no longer something like a flaw in the academy.

A kind and wonderful man who is a hero like me, and perhaps stronger than me…….

Once the stamp is done, we won’t be able to meet anymore…….

As soon as I thought that, my body moved on its own. When I came to my senses, I had gotten out of the patient blanket and was holding Sanghyuk’s sleeve tightly.

“W, wait.”

“Isabella?”

“…….”

Isabella’s head was more bloody than ever. With her cheeks flushed, she says in a trembling voice.

“Hero…… you mean you’re going to keep doing it, right?”

“Yes.”

What kind of change of heart was there?

Right now, I was just grateful. I was glad that I didn’t have to break up with you.

Sanghyuk covered Isabella’s body, who was lying down again, with a blanket and said.

“Because there are more things to protect.”