Villain Professor of Heroes

Do you already know me?

A bold and clear voice.

Confident gaze and the corner of her lips.

Your confidence reaches the sky.

From behind, Mr. Yu Hye-won’s father was watching me.

Along with several broadcasting cameras.

That is a bit overwhelming.

But I showed no expression and answered with a faint smile.

“Yes. I am Professor Hyun.”

“Basic Defense, right?”

“That’s correct. It seems you know me.”

“It’s my academy after all. Isn’t it natural to do some prior investigation?”

Yu Hye-won gave an age-inappropriate smile.

“You’ve never acted as an academic advisor, I believe. Is there a specific reason?”

“It’s because I lack the capability to take on such responsibility.”

“Hmm…”

Yu Hye-won scanned me from head to toe.

A gaze as though a child were selecting a beloved toy in a toy store.

“Perhaps you haven’t yet found a student worth mentoring. It might be different this year.”

Her exceedingly straightforward manner was striking.

She appeared to have decided to appoint me as her advisor without even considering refusal.

Well, from my standpoint, it’s quite fortunate.

Becoming the protagonist’s advisor is a very natural step in my plan to escape this world.

“Of course, if a student desires it, I would be happy to teach.”

“My parents would also be pleased if you did.”

I subtly glanced at the Chairman of the Advisory Board over her shoulder.

This means that I could receive certain personal benefits by becoming an advisor.

Yes, that sounds reasonable.

However… despite encountering the protagonist, no quest or similar prompts have appeared.

Is there some sort of preliminary task, like increasing intimacy?

Or will it only appear after acquiring the formal qualification of an advisor?

Hmm… I wonder.

Once her words were said, Yu Hye-won smiled at me and turned her body without hesitation.

The journalists, instead of following her, approached me.

Since she, the only daughter of the powerful head of the board, reached out first, curiosity about me was inevitable.

The clustered reporters thrust the microphones in my face with questions.

“Excuse me, are you the academy professor?”

“Yes.”

“What’s your connection with Miss Yu Hye-won?”

“Today’s the first I’ve met her.”

“But weren’t you just having a conversation? What was it about?”

“Nothing of note.”

“Don’t be difficult, please elaborate!”

In response to my words, the reporters bombarded me with more intense questioning.

Most were about my relationship with Yu Hye-won, with a few directed towards me personally.

“I cannot answer any more questions. Academy professors are not permitted to conduct interviews without proper authorization.”

Besides, I’ve already endured too much of the cold wind while most of the freshmen have already entered.

With that, I turned away from the reporters and headed towards the auditorium.

“Was there any backroom deal concerning the initial assessment?”

At this question, Professor Jin emitted a terrifying aura as she stepped forward.

Professor Jin is a hero specializing in flying, possessing extraordinary physical abilities that allow her to thrive in gravity that’s several to numerous times higher than normal.

With her overwhelming aura, the reporters, who are just regular people, were paralyzed and backed away.

“Listen! I already told you! Unauthorized interviews are not allowed!”

The ‘aura,’ a power that is exclusively used by heroes, was emanating from her, and it was incredibly powerful — strong enough to even affect me.

The cement road under her feet cracked and sank under the intense power released.

“Just go inside the auditorium and keep your trouble to yourselves!”

Startled and scared, the reporters ran away. Afterward, Mrs. Jin approached me.

“Are you all right, Professor?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, but… ”

Professor Jin frowned as she looked over to the freshmen entering the auditorium.

“Yu Hye-won. She seems quite impertinent, doesn’t she?”

“You’re telling me.”

“Wasn’t it bothering you much?”

“Not really.”

The truth is, I wasn’t annoyed at all.

Because the story was unfolding exactly as it did in the original work, where I become the protagonist’s academic advisor.

It’s much more stable and advantageous for me to move while already knowing the future in advance.

So, what must I do after taking on the protagonist, Yu Hye-won as my guidance student?

Probably the typical plot where I am supposed to train her to become a top-tier S-rank hero.

And upon achieving that purpose, I will be able to return to my original world.

In most novels, the character reincarnates and stays in that world, living happily ever after.

But I have no intention of doing the same.

Because my current body is in a severely ill state.

An unknown lung disease that no hospital can diagnose.

What’s the point of getting a happy ending if I can’t even enjoy it with this ailing body?

I’d much prefer returning to my original, healthy self.

Still…

Why did the point of reincarnation deviate?

Our novice writer seems to lack skill in this process…

I chuckled, but unfortunately, my eyes caught Professor Jin’s.

Thinking I was laughing at her, she playfully winked at me.

***

The auditorium was packed with freshmen, returning students, and professors without any room to spare.

Fortunately, the professors had reserved seats behind the podium; otherwise, we might have been crushed by the students.

Sitting on a chair, I scanned over the freshmen in the auditorium’s center.

Yu Hye-won caught my gaze several times, seemingly watching me from the start.

After the dean climbed the podium, the opening ceremony for this year’s new students began.

Once the dean finished delivering his usual formalities, the head of administration detailed the academy’s history, something I already knew from the original work, so I didn’t pay much attention.

Next came the introductions of the professors from the teaching department who would be instructing the freshmen.

Each professor seated behind the podium stepped forward one by one as they were called, giving brief introductions.

Healing & regeneration, super strength, intelligence gathering, electronic warfare, basic military science, international agreements & current regulations, various equipment & device operations — an enormous range of subjects to prepare the students for upholding world peace and fighting villains.

And then…

“Next, allow me to introduce Professor Hyun of the Basic Defense Studies Department.”

As I slowly stood and made my way forward, murmurs began among the freshmen.

“Isn’t that the guy who looked ill at the main gate? I didn’t know he was a professor.”

“Hi everyone. I’m Professor Hyun for the Basic Defense Studies course.”

Broadcasting cameras immediately flashed at me, causing me to slightly frown.

A muffled voice was heard saying something along the lines of “When he frowned, he looked even better.”

“You might find ‘Basic Defense Studies’ quite unfamiliar. It’s the art of creating defensive barriers to block physical attacks. However, by the time you graduate from here, you’ll be able to repel bullets with your bare hands, which makes this skill seemingly unnecessary.”

This is true. This is the main reason why my area of expertise, Basic Defense, became unpopular.

“So, in the future, you’ll probably remember me not by my name but as ‘that gray professor from the Academy.’ All assuming you remember me even then.”

My statement made the audience erupt in laughter.

“But even though this is not a popular subject, I assure you—I am NOT… excuse me… sorry. I will not slack off in my teaching.”

At this moment, I started coughing.

“Should any of you find yourselves cornered with… excuse me… no place left to retreat to… cough… then the skills from Basic Defense might be… excuse me…”

After coughing several more times, I continued:

“Your last defense might become… excuse me… I’ll put my all into ensuring that…”

The violent cough left me dizzy, so I slightly leaned on the podium.

The audience began murmuring again, and the cameras went haywire.

Attempting to straighten up, it was apparent I couldn’t keep going.

Still covering my mouth, I shook my head at the host.

Panicked by this unexpected turn of events, the host hastily grabbed the microphone.

“Uh… Next, let’s welcome Flight & Guidance Studies’ Professor Jin!”

Professor Jin quickly rose and advanced towards the podium.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Jin, here to make you fly like bees and sting like butterflies!”

Butterfly sting… that’s you, Jin.

But I had no time to make corrections.

Passing by worried professors, I wobbled down the podium.

A side door leading to the back of the auditorium connected directly to the research building.

I need to get back to the lab and lie on the sofa.

But immediately after exiting to the back, I leaned against a wall and coughed violently.

Strange… I’ve never been this bad before.

What on earth…

Was I brought here just to kill me?

After coughing violently and regaining my breath, a voice suddenly called out.

“Hey, are you alright?”

With great effort, I looked up to see a girl with black hair and glasses, looking nervous.

That girl from the entrance earlier.

She’s a freshman—why isn’t she in the auditorium?

“Here… It’s unused…”

She hesitantly extended a bear-patterned handkerchief towards me.

“Thank you… cough!”

The moment our fingertips brushed as I took the handkerchief from her…

The sharp chest pain I was experiencing just moments ago rapidly began to subside.

What… the…

Before I could fully process what just happened, the girl recoiled as if she’d been burned.

“Then… goodbye!”

I dumbly watched her retreating back, still holding the handkerchief in mid-air.

As I did, strange letters started appearing in the air.

“Make Han Min-ha an S-rank.”

What in the world…

Dazed, I stared at the words filling my vision.

“Min-ha…? S-rank…?”

Who exactly is Han Min-ha?

“Wait! Student!”

Unfortunately, the girl had already disappeared past the range of my voice.

As the girl vanished from sight, the words in the air faded away as well.

I quickly gathered my thoughts.

The slight physical contact while receiving the handkerchief from her.

Then, my chest pain and coughing rapidly subsided, followed by the appearance of the text.

First things first, I need to find out who this ‘Han Min-ha’ is.

Although it’s highly probable that this girl is Han Min-ha, I still need to confirm.

This is the first quest that has appeared after a few months of reincarnation.

I cannot act on mere assumptions.

I shoved the girl’s handkerchief into my pocket and hurried towards the research building.

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