I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

At that moment, on the top floor of the Busan Haegnul Group Building:

“Proceeding as directed, Chairman.”

“Ah, yes. I’m watching it live. Continue as planned.”

Chairman Choi Ho-jung of Haegnul leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied smile, responding to the report through his smartphone.

“Right. Those devils are trying to enter Busan directly.”

“Chairman, but those who lost their special abilities…”

“Ah, once a devil, always a devil, Director Jang. Losing their abilities doesn’t mean they’re not devils.”

Chairman Choi cut off the director with a firm voice.

“Why did they become devils? Because they went berserk. The body may be human, but the mind is devilish. Their souls are already tainted. How can they not be called devils?”

Director Jang stood firm in his opinion.

“Think about Yook Gibong, the patented rider we wanted to use. Duoexini injected something like the seed of a devil into Yook Gibong, and he became a devil in an instant.”

“So, you’re saying even a good ability user could become a devil with just one pill or seed?”

“It’s possible.”

“Hmm. That changes everything.”

Chairman Choi pondered thoughtfully.

“Turning a noble hero into a devil is completely different from someone with devilish tendencies becoming one. Ah, let’s do that.”

Chairman Choi, with a kind smile, stroked a white-furred cat that had climbed onto his executive desk.

“Those turned into devils by Duoexini were not good from the start but inherently bad. Duoexini selectively chose those destined to be devils.”

“Chairman, that’s baseless…”

“In my 90 years of life, what I learned while others were learning Hangul during the Korean War was how to judge people.”

Chairman Choi pointed to his eyes, then skillfully operated the Taeguk Watch, displaying a list on one side of the TV screen.

“This time, those Zenros… the ability loss sufferers. I reviewed the list, cross-checked the data brought by our internal HR team and scouts, and found one very interesting result.”

“You personally…? Why didn’t you ask us?”

“I needed to do this myself to feel alive. So, I investigated and can sum them up as ‘of the same ilk as Yook Gibong’.”

Chairman Choi lightly tossed a small pill into his mouth.

“People with bad reputations, poor family backgrounds, already involved in crime or even unpublicized murderers. If I were Duoexini, I would have carefully selected people who are easily tempted by the devil and planted the seed of the devil in them. That’s how I see it.”

“Then…”

“Stopping the protesters we called from entering Busan isn’t wrong. Who would want to live in the same city as those convicted of crimes deserving universal condemnation?”

NIMBY wasn’t a term for nothing.

People opposed the entrance of socially despised facilities, even if economically beneficial, let alone those who had killed several people or caused over a billion won in damage and were now imprisoned in a research facility somewhere in Busan.

“A trash can or latrine has to be somewhere, but why does it have to be in our backyard, behind our apartment? Do you know what the people of Busan fear the most?”

“…Typhoon?”

“A typhoon, but what if one of those Zenros recovers their ability?”

“……!”

Director Jang turned pale.

“I asked my wife how it would feel to lose her ability. Do you know what she said? That everything I’ve built, all my wealth and property, and the Haegnul brand would become worthless.”

“That severe…?”

“She was speaking metaphorically. I see it like this: Could you live if your family who cared for you died, and you were left with only your torso, your limbs severed?”

“Without societal help, it’d be impossible to live.”

“Exactly. Practically impossible, rather being unable to survive without society.”

Chairman Choi stroked the cat with a serious look.

“That’s why we can’t let them into Busan. If they really enter the Busan research facility, it won’t be the protesters we called, but the real people of Busan who’ll rise. That would be a huge economic blow to our Haegnul Group.”

“Because our group is secretly supporting the research facility?”

“Yes. Tch. We supported the Ability Development Institute, and now they’re bringing in those who should’ve died for research… Eh, tch tch.”

Chairman Choi’s face grew more serious as he shook his head.

“They’re planning to build a new figure skating rink near the research facility, but if the Zenros enter, we won’t be able to build that.”

“Wasn’t it a golf course?”

“A golf course? There are plenty of those across the country.”

Chairman Choi smiled gently while petting the cat.

“My wife enjoys figure skating, so naturally, we have to build a figure skating rink.”

“…….”

“Remember this. No matter how much the world changes, some truths remain eternal in this era. What was it?”

“Money, it’s the best.”

“Yes.”

The era of capitalism.

Though one cannot buy special abilities with money, it was a world where one could hire those who possessed them.

“Do you think they dispatched the Goblin from the Secret Society to kill Duoexini solely for world stability?”

“…Because of money?”

“The U.S. stock market falls due to the threat to peace, shattering the global stock markets. With my wealth at risk of a 20% drop, I, too, would have intervened. I can tolerate my own investment failures, but not losing money because of others. They think the same.”

Chairman Choi Ho-jung’s eyes were full of confidence.

“Even though we paid the protesters, would they really protest so passionately just for that money?”

“…Many of the apartment residents near the research facility participated.”

“Exactly. Apologies to the government and heroes, but I’m not on the government’s side.”

Click.

Chairman Choi stroked the Haegnul logo inside his Taeguk Watch.

“I’m on the side of capital.”

“We’re in trouble. The negotiations have failed.”

“Why?”

“They demand we move elsewhere. Coming here means entering Busan directly.”

“Seriously.”

Baek Seol-hee was incredulous at the protesters.

“What’s so scary about people who have lost their abilities…”

“If a chemically castrated rapist lived next to me, wouldn’t everyone react the same?”

Cheok Jun-kyeong, looking tired, sipped his coffee and stood beside Baek Seol-hee.

“Is that the same?”

“Yes, the same. Castrated or not, a rapist with a knife poses the same threat to ordinary people.”

“Sigh…”

“Do you think they’re protesting for money? To me, it seems like they’re being threatened with a knife from behind.”

“Who?”

“Of course, ‘fear.’”

Cheok Jun-kyeong pointed with a bitter smile to the black transport vehicles behind the convoy, reminiscent of something from an American movie.

“The fear of what if they go berserk again. After all, senior, you are currently on Sejong Island. What if they were in Busan?”

“Taejo is in Busan…”

“Are you suggesting we live safely in Busan? Just trust that guy?”

“…….”

Baek Seol-hee couldn’t find words to defend Taejo.

“Everyone would prefer to move to Sejong Island. There are many ability users there who can respond immediately. Plus, the Goblin is living on Sejong Island now, isn’t he?”

“That’s unknown.”

“He keeps showing up from Sejong Island, right? I think the Goblin is there.”

“…….”

Baek Seol-hee lowered her head for a moment.

Then, she firmly pressed her foot onto the ground, stared at it, and took a deep breath.

“… I’ll make a call and be right back.”

“A call? Even if you call the association-”

“Not the association.”

Baek Seol-hee left Cheok Jun-kyeong and tapped her Taeguk Watch to make a call.

[Ah, hello? Seol-hee?]

“Hello. Can you talk right now?”

[Yes. You haven’t had a proper breakfast, have you? I’m watching it live right now.]

Do Ji-hwan’s voice came through, accompanied by a news anchor’s description of the scene.

“Where are you now?”

[Me? Ulleungdo. I came to a pension in Ulleungdo with someone I know… Haha.]

“Someone you know? There’s someone with you?”

[Well, someone I occasionally rely on. We came here for training.]

“Ah.”

That was okay.

I had prepared myself for this.

“What would you do in this situation? People are protesting by lying down on the road.”

[Hmm… First, those people have to get into Busan, right? For the vaccine or whatever at the Busan research facility.]

“Yes. There will probably be an official announcement soon. We need to calm the protesters.”

Should she even mention this?

Baek Seol-hee hesitated but decided to trust the feeling deep in her heart.

“All the ability loss sufferers are going to be sent to Sejong Island. They’re building a separate detention facility there.”

[Hmm…]

What would Do Ji-hwan’s reaction be?

[Is it because Seol-hee is there?]

“That’s part of it, but he’s likely on Sejong Island as well.”

[He?]

“The Goblin. …He might not be on Sejong Island at the moment.”

[…….]

A brief, awkward silence ensued.

“Well, that’s what people are saying. Surely not, right? Right?”

[It’s possible. For now.]

“Yes, well. The Goblin could appear anywhere. Anyway.”

Baek Seol-hee turned her gaze toward the protesters.

“How can we get past these protesters? It doesn’t seem like they’ll disperse by themselves.”

[Why not do what you did to the Goblin yesterday? If your magic power is okay. It was the Jindo Bridge, wasn’t it?]

“…….”

Baek Seol-hee closed her eyes for a moment and then set her expression.

“I was thinking of stopping by Busan to buy a pair of shoes as a gift on my way in.”

[Oh, really? You don’t have to do that….]

“I want to give them to you. Just in case.”

Baek Seol-hee lightly swept the ground with her foot.

“What’s your shoe size?”

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