Hidden Sanity at Villain School - Chapter 116



Only Noblemtl

(116)

[Did you see the Tok Tok Quiz Awakening special last week? It was a program where they invited regular Awakened Hunters, not active Hunters, and had a talk and quiz, and there, Yeseo and Sega were really sweet.]

[Isn’t he the guy who does a lot of interviews, like at the Shinseoul entrance ceremony and the midterm exam? He’s even on TV now. I admit he’s handsome. But if you touch him, he’ll lose.]

[When he swings his sword, it’s scary enough to make your heart skip a beat, but when he sits down, he turns into a puppy. He’s so cool.]

[The slightly cold gaze is also a hit with my taste.]

[They’re also talking about the Shinseoul curriculum. The street fighting, the gate, and the monster land are all different. But what does the people & demons talk about?]

[About two months ago, you mentioned a cult called Cheonshinhwagyo. Is that a countermeasure? Maybe Shinseoul also takes those cults quite seriously.]

[If it’s taken seriously in New Seoul, isn’t it more dangerous than a nuclear state?]

[Yeah. One cut from Kang Chae-seo.]

“The response is good. This time, we got the response we wanted without doing anything.”

Ina scrolled down and looked through the endless comments.

A satisfied smile appeared in her crimson eyes for a moment and then disappeared.

“Thank goodness. It was a bit difficult because it was my first time doing something like that.”

Sega breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the slight disturbance that night did not seem to invite any devilish editing.

“You’re humble. That’s not bad. But the camera seems to like you, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go for a more intense character.”

Ina looked at Sega on the screen.

Even though he was sitting next to a panel of male idols, Sega’s face drew more attention.

“Thank you. I’ll do that next time.”

‘That would be more like a future S-class. Of course, it wouldn’t be to the extent of making people dislike you, but it would be natural to have a certain amount of arrogance.’

Because it came out so well that even Sega himself was surprised, he naturally accepted the suggestion that he should consider making a reappearance.

There was no reason to decline the offer, since I could meet Yeseo again.

I glance at the video uploaded on YouTube.

The sentence, ‘Due to personal reasons, MC Kim Park has decided to leave the program’ quickly passed by in small subtitles at the bottom of the screen.

“… … .”

Ina shrugged and said.

“Come to think of it, I heard there was chaos in the JJBC entertainment department.”

“yes.”

Sega didn’t even bat an eyelid.

“The MC, assistant director, and several PDs were destroyed, and it was reported that the case was filed against the criminal and civil courts. Rumor has it that it was not the JJBC president who was involved, but rather the Geumseong Group headquarters above Jungyong Holdings that was involved. There were also rumors that the CEO’s family got involved directly.”

“There are all sorts of things going on.”

“It might be difficult for Sega students to understand, but it would be good to think of it as a major incident or accident that was spread all the way from the Blue House.”

“I feel sorry for you. Of course, there must have been a reason for that.”

“Next time, if something like this happens, just call it my name and resolve it. It’ll be quicker and quieter that way.”

“……thank you.”

Sega nodded, observing Ina’s expression.

Regardless of the circumstances, this is an incident where a student used his connections to turn a media outlet upside down while trying to revamp the image of the foundation and school.

I expected to receive this level of warning.

“Our first generation is quite famous in the broadcasting industry. There must be one or two reporters who were buried after fearlessly pushing the camera in as they used to. While the downward pressure from the headquarters is a matter of career, the downward pressure from the academy is a matter of physical life, so our name will be more popular.”

“yes?”

“You outside are the face of Shinseoul. If there is anyone who looks down on you, warn them in the name of Shinseoul. People respect those they fear. Do you understand?”

“yes.”

But I was confused as to whether this was really a warning.

“I guess that’s enough nagging. I’ll deposit the scholarship money as soon as possible.”

Ina smiled faintly.

“Thank you. But me.”

Sega thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“Why are you doing that?”

“I just want to ask you one more thing.”

* * *

I chose my words carefully.

‘New Seoul is not heaven, and there are countless secrets in this world that I do not know about. They say that the era of destruction has passed, but many people still believe that the transition period has not ended.’

Sega already knew about the secret of the stimulant.

It was natural that Ina would try to hide something from herself.

In other words, only Ina could tell that.

“During the vacation, I went up to the old Bukhan territory with Seocheon from Class 8.”

“I heard it directly from student Jeseocheon. It was really nice to see friends helping each other.”

“At that time, there was an exchange of words with a monk named Daedeok of the Cheonshinhwagyo.”

“He’s a mid-level commander. He’s more concerned with control than force. He probably wouldn’t have been too difficult of an opponent for the Sega students.”

“Yes, I did. But there was something he said to me. I tried to ignore it, but it bothered me, and coincidentally, I heard the same thing from someone from the same Cheonshinhwa religion in a different place.”

“… … .”

Ina slightly raised her long, well-shaped eyebrows.

“I told them not to listen to them. Their brain structure is already biologically different from that of humans, and they use the same language with different meanings. Their words are just sounds. It just happens to resemble our language system.”

Sega interrupted with extreme caution.

“I’m telling you this because I believe you know. On my way back to the dorm after the midterms, I saw a shadow snake-like thing with crimson eyes jumping out from my shadow. I’m telling you this because I believe that something like that must have happened then, too.”

“… … .”

“During the mission evaluation before the vacation, I fought with Class 13 student Cheon Sa-hee and the S-class Earth Magician Lee Seo-ro, who was a member of the Cheon Shin Hwa Sect. At that time, he also told me that the power I use is the same power they seek and worship.”

Ina smiled as if she realized why Sega was saying that.

“I’m scared.”

Sega admitted it without hesitation.

“Yes. I have seen Awakened beings transformed into demons after being hit with a stimulant, and I have noticed that high-ranking members of a cult that worships demons use the same powers as I do, or seek out the powers I possess. I hope you understand that it is inevitable that you will feel anxious.”

“I understand.”

The next moment, the edges of Ina’s eyes lit up like crimson rings.

thud!

A sound like a heartbeat rang out, and waves gushed out that seemed to penetrate deep into the bones.

It was a resonance wave.

Sega opened his eyes wide in surprise, and Ina smiled mischievously.

“Resonance waves are an omnipotent force, a simple force, that lies at the intersection of life, the psychic realm, pure magic, electromagnetic waves, brain waves, and mental waves.”

“I know that much.”

“If your typical portrait powers are specialized in one thing, like a flamethrower, flashlight, laser cutter, propellant, or gas burner, you can think of Resonance Wave as a torch. It’s the simplest power and the superior form of many powers.”

“ah.”

Upward compatibility.

It was a word you would definitely hear when learning about portrait abilities.

“That’s why there are many high-ranking demon command entities that use resonance waves. It’s not because they’re strong, but because they’re the most primitive. Of course, that doesn’t mean they’re weak abilities. Quite the opposite.”

Sega was deeply relieved.

At least it seemed like he wasn’t turning into some horrible monster.

“It is as useful as an omnipotent being, and is an even more valuable ability for the Awakened. In reality, the resonance waves I can create are the ones I just showed you.”

“Yes? Professor… … .”

“Professor Kang Chae-seo can’t handle the sword, and Professor Shingyo-so couldn’t even reach S-class. I’m not omnipotent either.”

“ah.”

“You can see why the Cheonshinhwagyo seeks and worships this power. It is very important to their doctrine to be able to communicate with the devil.”

“I understand.”

Ina spoke as if giving a speech to the students, and Sega listened as if attending a class.

“But this is not proof of something fateful between demons, gates, and humans, it is just a supernatural phenomenon. Understanding the path of a typhoon and preparing for it is not communicating with the typhoon or having a fateful connection with it. Controlling the demons and giving them orders does not mean communicating with them or having a fateful connection with them.”

Everyone understood.

“It’s a portrait ability that can be explained. The Celestial Gods are just using it to deceive the world, like a cult. Then… … From now on, I will use it freely on campus.”

“Do as you wish. It is our job to help students grow. If you want to develop that ability, Professor Haejun Sang, whom you are meeting now, would be the best fit.”

“Thank you so much. Thanks to you, all my worries have been solved.”

Sega bowed deeply.

I felt like everything that had been bothering me had been cleaned up.

* * *

A downtown restaurant in the new Seoul area.

It was a 100% reservation-only room, and it was located on the upper floor of a large hotel, so it was easy for everyone to enter, so even if they met someone secretly, the reporters wouldn’t know.

Sega sat by the window with a view of the night view while wearing a Shinseoul school uniform and waited for someone.

Knock knock.

After a while, the door opened with a clanking sound.

“Sister, are you here? Why are you so late? I was worried.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Some weird guys followed me in a taxi and drove around in circles. If there hadn’t been an underground parking lot, I wouldn’t have been able to shake them off.”

The entertainer, fully armed with sunglasses and a mask, wearing a hoodie and a cap pulled down low, shivered.

“It’s so different from the fans I see at fan meetings.”

“My fans don’t have those kinds of people. They must be reporters or paparazzi. There have been a lot of rumors about me dating someone lately.”

She smiled faintly as she took off the layers of her idol armor, including the hoodie, hat, and mask.

“It’s not 100% a rumor, right?”

Sega smiled slyly and took the clothes, hanging them on a hanger on one side.

“You. Are you getting scolded by your sister?”

The entertainer winked one eye.

After a while, the food came out and the two chatted lightly about this and that.

“Sega. The filming today was great. You’re finding the camera well now. You’re such a pro.”

“Really? That’s a relief. I thought the devil was watching me, so it worked.”

“Next time, do you want to appear on a variety show together?”

“Variety? It’s good, but wouldn’t it be too much of a scam if I go there?”

“He’ll appear as the final boss. It’ll be like a student from Shinseoul vs. a jogger.”

“I’ll go if I can go with you. Oh. But come to think of it, school starts soon. Do you think I can survive this semester?”

“Of course. Hey. If anyone heard that, they’d say you’re a swindler. Why is the world’s most powerful person talking like that?”

“You just looked like my friend.”

Yeseo narrowed her eyes.

“Pretty?”

“It’s a boy.”

“Are you handsome?”

“So-so?”

“what!”

“Instead, always give me courage.”

Yeseo narrowed her eyes and nodded as if she was satisfied with that.

“Oh, right! I have a new song coming out.”

“That’s right. Your sister’s main job is as an idol, right? Do the members know that you’re meeting me?”

“Don’t misunderstand. The kids kept nagging me to be careful because I smelled like men’s cologne. Okay, should I spoil the song for you?”

Sega smiled brightly and nodded.

“huh.”

In a room of a restaurant decorated with fresh flowers and chandeliers, amidst the night view of the new Seoul shining outside the large window, I listen alone to the songs of idols that filled the 100,000 dome.

‘It’s like a dream.’

The singing voice of the entertainer echoed in my ears.

I have to go back to reality soon, so I guess I can indulge in this dream for now.