Villain Professor of Heroes

Yu Hye-won, with sky-blue eyes that matched her blonde hair, was looking up as if observing a pedigreed breed of cat.

From birth, she had come with a bloodline certificate, raised on expensive feed, and had grown up to become an unapproachable feline.

On the other hand, Han Min-ha was more like a stray dog wandering under some wall on a rainy day… Where had she gone again?

When Han Min-ha couldn’t be found, I spotted her lying on the floor nearby, barely managing to get back up.

Academy students inherently possess the talent to become heroes.

So, they can’t be compared to the physical capabilities of ordinary high school students.

Even among them, Yu Hye-won stood out at an exceptional level.

Han Min-ha had fiercely collided with her and couldn’t withstand it, thus falling.

At the sudden commotion, all the students leaving the lecture hall turned and looked our way.

Unaware of the attention, Han Min-ha was feeling around the floor with both hands, searching for her fallen glasses.

“Yu Hye-won student.”

At my call, Yu Hye-won elegantly glanced up at me.

“Yes, professor?”

“In situations like this, picking up someone’s glasses and returning them is normal behavior for someone with sound judgment.”

Yu Hye-won leaned down and picked up the glasses.

“Here you go. Your glasses.”

Upon receiving the glasses from Yu Hye-won, Han Min-ha carefully bowed her head.

“Thank you…”

“And apologizing for knocking someone over unintentionally is also common courtesy.”

Following my words, Yu Hye-won glanced down at Han Min-ha without changing her expression.

“Sorry. It wasn’t intentional.”

“I get it. I’m fine…”

“Student Yu Hye-won, is that all? Can you go now?”

“Professor, no, I’ll come later.”

As Han Min-ha stepped back, hugging her bag, Yu Hye-won looked at me with a victorious smile, as if to say, “See?”

I countered her gaze with a faint smile and spoke.

“Han Min-ha student, I suggested we talk first. If you don’t mind, please visit my research room on this floor when you’re ready. It’s in the research building.”

“Ah, yes… Understood.”

She replied in a meek tone.

“By the way, the reason for this meeting relates to the incident during the initial assessment.”

With so many eyes on us, laying the groundwork like this was necessary.

Everyone already knew that Han Min-ha had fainted during the initial assessment. As the instructor for that subject, it wouldn’t seem unusual for me to call her for a meeting regarding that event.

“Let’s reschedule, Yu Hye-won student. We’ll arrange a time for a discussion another day.”

After addressing Yu Hye-won, I exited the lecture hall.

***

Back in my research room, I waited for Han Min-ha while brewing coffee.

Listening to the hum of the coffee machine, I reflected on what had just happened.

This child… I need to make them an S-Ranked Hero, don’t I?

S-Ranked Heroes are rare. The Organization operates a policy called the “Grade Allocation System,” limiting the number of people in each rank. Therefore, even if someone is exceptionally talented, if there’s no space available, they cannot upgrade.

This is a measure to prevent grade inflation, though it remains a contentious policy.

Furthermore, very few heroes actually reach the S-Rank. To achieve it, one must not only survive countless life-threatening situations but also become a star hero under the Organization’s and public’s spotlight.

A staggering number of heroes have died pursuing S-Rank, and an equal number have chosen to give up.

So, it boils down to two outcomes — death or giving up.

And now, I need to make this Han Min-ha reach S-Rank.

At that moment, a knock came from the door.

“Come in.”

Through the slightly opened door, Han Min-ha peeked in cautiously.

“Professor, may I come in?”

“I just told you to come in.”

I smiled and walked over to open the door fully.

“Please, take a seat and have some coffee.”

I invited Han Min-ha to sit at the round table and went back to the coffee machine.

Hugging her bag, Han Min-ha sat nervously at the edge of her chair, timidly looking around my simple research room.

My office wasn’t particularly worth inspecting — a desk with a computer, a round table for consultations, a long sofa to rest on, a bookshelf that occupied one wall, a 24/7 air purifier, my personal cabinet, and a large plant in the corner.

The plant had dense Areca palms in a square, gray pot, which complemented the white walls with a fresh green. It was chosen as the best plant for purifying air in a closed spaceship environment, according to NASA. Given my lung condition, keeping the air in my research room clean was essential.

There really wasn’t anything worth looking at here.

If anything, opening my desk drawer and showing her the colorful array of lung disease medications would be far more interesting.

I handed her a cup of coffee and took a seat.

“Thank you, Professor.”

After Han Min-ha took a few sips of coffee, I began.

“How’s your health?”

“I’m fine, Professor. It was just… the shock at that moment.”

“It’s understandable. The uncut footage shown during the evaluation isn’t aired on media for a reason. It was cruel and revolting. So, don’t feel too down about not finishing the evaluation.”

“Yes… but…”

“Is anyone else besides you who fainted?”

“No.”

“Oh…”

She lowered her head in disappointment.

“Han Min-ha, I already told you — that was just one evaluation. The Academy will throw countless evaluations your way until graduation. There are plenty of opportunities to improve, as long as you stick around.”

“I understand, but I’m not sure if I can.”

“You already are sticking around, aren’t you?”

“Yes…?”

“I reviewed your initial assessment results — they were quite poor.”

“Because I’m not as capable as others…”

“Let’s stop undermining yourself. Some students with similar rankings have already dropped out. Yet, here you are, still staying.”

“Because I haven’t figured out what else to do if I left.”

“Did the others have clear alternatives? Most likely not.”

“You’re right.”

“Han Min-ha, do you know why S-Ranked Heroes manage to reach that level?”

“I guess… they’re strong?”

I shook my head with a smile.

“Because they survived until reaching S-Rank.”

“Oh…”

It didn’t seem like a profound enlightenment, more like a polite exclamation.

“You said you don’t have other plans, right? Then persevere, graduate, and become a hero. I’ll help.”

“Professor, there’s no need for you to go through unnecessary trouble for someone like me.”

“Trouble? Is it unusual for a professor to guide their students properly? If anything, the question should be directed at me.”

Though the real reason I’m doing this is for that quest…

I need to keep her here, ensure her graduation, and then it’ll be up to her from there if she wants to reach S-Rank or not.

“Part of the reason for your poor ranking in the initial assessment was the F you received in my subject. If you graduate with such scores in Basic Defense, you and the villains will likely end up like the heroes you saw in the video footage.”

Footage of senior heroes who valiantly stopped villains’ atrocities at the cost of their own lives.

Han Min-ha’s face paled.

“Understand why I want to help you now?”

“I understand…”

“Good.”

Satisfied, I sipped my coffee.

This should be enough. I could ask the question I’ve wanted to since last time.

“By the way, cough…! Sorry. Did you enter as a hero’s offspring with bonus points?”

“Yes, my parents were both heroes.”

“Were? So, they’ve retired?”

“Well…”

Han Min-ha closed her mouth for a moment with a gloomy expression.

“They both disappeared a few years ago.”

“Disappeared?”

“Yes. Suddenly.”

“What did the Organization say?”

“Nothing. They just gave me a family pension and helped me enroll in this Academy. But they never told me what happened to my parents.”

That is peculiar.

“What are their names? Maybe I know something.”

“Dad was Han Tae-woo, mom was Seo Ji-a…”

Suddenly, Han Min-ha’s voice disappeared completely.

The mental barrier that’s usually active at all times began to waver significantly.

But the disturbance was fleeting, and soon my mental clarity returned to normal.

It happened so briefly that Han Min-ha didn’t seem to notice.

I calmly sipped my coffee before speaking.

“I see. I’ll look into their whereabouts for you, just in case.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

“So, have you been living alone all this time without any family?”

“Yes.”

An orphan with late parents and a shy, black-haired spectacled girl struggling in school.

A typical character trope.

“Anyway, don’t lose heart. I’ll help you, so make sure you stay and graduate. There are plenty of opportunities to rise up the ranks. Let’s go that way.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

That concludes what I need to say.

We could chat about random things, but it feels burdensome to do so on our first meeting when I’m not even her academic advisor.

“That’s all. Is there anything else you’d like to say to me?”

“No, nothing. Aah, hot!”

Hugging her bag, Han Min-ha hastily got up after finishing her coffee.

“Goodbye, Professor. Thank you for today.”

“Stay strong. You’ve got this.”

After bowing once again, Han Min-ha turned the doorknob but suddenly glanced back at me.

“Um… Professor.”

“What is it?”

“About the mental barrier you mentioned during class… Is it hard to use?”

“Mental barriers? Yes, they’re difficult. You need to maintain absolute calm, even in extreme situations.”

“I see…”

“But it’s not impossible. I know how to use it, and why shouldn’t a promising freshman like you learn it?”

Han Min-ha paused before speaking again.

“If I use it… would it help?”

“Would what be helpful? It can help you stay calm in all situations, shield your mentality from external shocks, and assist with better sleep.”

The last part was somewhat of a joke.

But Han Min-ha didn’t laugh.

No humor in it, I guess.

“Would it also apply to external shocks like past memories?”

At her question, I paused for a moment.

Past memories… meaning, can it shield against the pain those memories bring?

“It can. To a certain extent.”

“I see. Thank you.”

After Han Min-ha left, I finished my remaining coffee while formulating a rough plan on how I could help her going forward.

Ah, that’s right. I almost forgot the handkerchief.

---