Vroom-

The sound of a car engine late at night. Kim Hyun-woo was still unconscious—he probably wouldn't wake up without treatment. He was literally on the verge of death. With his gang dumped in an abandoned dungeon, another guest wasn't expected.

“Did you order something else?”

Kim So-mi asked while eating.

“Yes, but it shouldn't be delivered at this hour.”

Hunter equipment and weapon materials wouldn't be delivered this late. Thinking that, I suddenly remembered the phone call I had received earlier.

“Oh, I forgot, but we do have a guest.”

“A guest?”

I went outside. Kim Yeon-seo, having finished her meal, followed me out.

“Professor, Professor~ Hehehe.”

She smiled brightly and affably.

“What? Are you happy to see Yoon-woo?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re the type whose thoughts are easily revealed on your face. A guy like Kim Hyun-woo isn't interested in reading other people's expressions, so he caused that mess.”

With a serious expression, Kim Yeon-seo said,

“…I like you, Professor.”

“What?”

“I like you, Professor. Yoon-woo is just… dependable. I wanted to be friends with him. He resembles an anime character I like.”

“Hmm, let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Okay~ I knew you’d react like that anyway. That’s why I confessed so casually. You and So-mi unnie are already… a thing, right?”

“What do you mean by ‘a thing’?”

“You want me to say it out loud?”

“Whatever you're imagining, nothing like that has happened between us.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Professor, is there something wrong with you? Should I take a look?”

“Don't say weird things. It has nothing to do with that.”

“Wow~ Just how high are your standards? You don’t like So-mi unnie?”

“It's not the time to be caught up in such trivial emotions. I'm a busy person.”

“Oh, come on~ You didn't seem busy these past few days. My dad seems much busier.”

“I mean I’m busy here, in my head.”

I tapped my finger against my head. Even as I said it, I wondered what I was talking about.

“Okay, whatever. I don’t mind being the second one, so let me know if you change your mind.”

“You really have no filter. This conversation is absolutely secret from your father.”

“Yes, yes~~”

I knew why Kim Yeon-seo was saying these things. It was because of my ability. This ability reacted to people's hearts. It could easily make women misunderstand that they were liked by me. In a situation where it was difficult to distinguish what was real, I couldn't just start dating anyone. Like I told Kim Yeon-seo, I really didn't think it was the right time.

As expected, a familiar car pulled up in front of the house. The passenger door burst open, and a familiar girl jumped out.

“Yeon-seo!”

“Oh my! Eun-hee!”

Cha Eun-hee. She and Kim Yeon-seo had been best friends since my time at the academy. Even though they had only been apart for a few days, they hugged each other and jumped around.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“What are you doing here all of a sudden? Isn't there a curfew at the dormitory?”

“I came with the chairman. Hyun-woo? He didn't come here, did he?”

“How do you know about that?”

“He really came? What happened?”

Kim Yeon-seo made a gesture of slicing her right shoulder.

“His arm got cut off.”

“Huh? Really?”

The driver's door opened, and Lee Seung-hee got out.

“Professor! Are you alright?”

“Yeah, why did you come all the way here? It’s not an easy distance to travel.”

“I wanted to come quickly, but I was stuck in an academy meeting for hours. But I have to act like a chairman, so I came right after it ended. Is everything really okay?”

“Those guys are no match for me.”

“Did Kim So-mi take care of them?”

Lee Seung-hee, not knowing the details of my abilities, naturally assumed that was the case. Kim Yeon-seo answered for me.

“No~ The professor did it himself. Riding an eagle! Yoon-woo and I helped too!”

“An eagle? Yoon-woo?”

Lee Seung-hee looked puzzled.

“Anyway, I guess it means everything was resolved well. That’s a relief.”

“Since you’re here, have dinner with us.”

“Thank you.”

When we went inside with Lee Seung-hee and Cha Eun-hee, Kim So-mi’s eyes narrowed at the sight of them. Most of the misunderstandings had been cleared up, but Kim So-mi and Lee Seung-hee were still not on friendly terms.

“What brings you here this time?”

“I heard some of our students left the dormitory and came here. I was worried, so I came to check.”

“As the chairman, you should manage the students properly. You shouldn’t let problems spread all the way here.”

“That’s why I came as quickly as possible! What’s the problem?”

“Why is it so noisy?”

Kim Kyung-soo emerged from inside with dark circles under his eyes.

“Oh, we have guests. This is a strange place. I've only been here for a few days, but I don’t think I've ever been anywhere as… eventful. Whoa!”

He almost tripped over Kim Hyun-woo, whom he hadn’t noticed lying on the floor. Because of that, Lee Seung-hee and Cha Eun-hee also noticed Kim Hyun-woo.

“Oh my god! His arm is cut off?”

“Eek! Is he dead? Is he dead?”

It seemed like we would need a long conversation for everyone to properly understand the situation.

“I see… It’s his own fault, but…”

Lee Seung-hee said, looking down at Kim Hyun-woo. She couldn't help but feel conflicted. She knew Kim Hyun-woo's background, and each of the guys he had brought with him was a so-called "silver spoon" kid.

“Ugh…”

Kim Hyun-woo, who had been lying as if dead, groaned. Since everyone had finished eating and had their conversations, they all heard his groan.

I spoke to Kim Yoon-woo, who was about to get up from his chair.

“It’s okay.”

“Yes? But…”

“Even if he’s S-rank, he can’t recover now. He’s barely clinging to life.”

“Oh, okay…”

Kim Yoon-woo sat back down.

Kim Hyun-woo, with a deathly pale face, barely opened his eyes and muttered,

“Those bastards… I won’t let them off…”

“Why don’t you reattach your right arm first?”

At my words, Kim Hyun-woo's gaze shifted to the space below his right shoulder.

“Eek! W-What happened! Th-This…”

He struggled for a moment, then fainted again, seemingly from the shock.

“Will he be okay?”

Kim Yeon-seo asked with concern. She didn’t seem to be worried about Kim Hyun-woo's well-being, but rather the aftermath of his possible death.

“Hmph! Like father, like son!”

From Kim Kyung-soo’s perspective, Kim Hyun-woo, who had brought a group here to harm his daughter, couldn't be seen favorably. A thought suddenly occurred to me, and I asked,

“Yoon-woo, what’s your father’s name?”

“Kim Woon-sang.”

“Kim Woon-sang…”

“Ah! Does your father work in SG's research department, by any chance?”

Kim Kyung-soo asked in surprise.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“I know your father. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn't have signed a contract with SG. Of course, I wanted to send Yeon-seo to Professor Han Hyun-ho, but I also had a strong aversion to SG. Still, I thought it wasn't a completely hopeless place because of people like Dr. Kim Woon-sang.”

“Thank you for speaking highly of my father.”

“Your father is very dependable. Oh, wait a minute!”

Kim Kyung-soo seemed to have realized something.

“Did you become close to that guy because of your father? Did he threaten you using your father?”

I had asked Kim Yoon-woo about his father's name because I had hoped for this kind of development. Kim Yoon-woo silently lowered his head.

“Dad, don’t push Yoon-woo too hard. He’s already going through a lot.”

“I’m not trying to scold him. I saw the same thing in the lab. Like father, like son… Mr. Kim, the president, looked down on Dr. Kim so much. It made my stomach churn countless times.”

“My father… to Hyun-woo’s father?”

Kim Yoon-woo’s eyes widened. He seemed to be filled with rage at the thought that his father was experiencing the same treatment he had received from Kim Hyun-woo.

“I suggested it to your father several times. With his abilities, he could get a much better position overseas or anywhere else. I asked him why he didn’t quit.”

“Is that so…?”

“A father’s heart is all the same. He said he couldn’t quit because of you. Your scholarship was also fully funded by SG. Besides, Alpha isn’t a place you can just enter with money. Dr. Kim endured such unfair treatment for your sake.”

“Sigh…”

I saw Kim Yoon-woo clench his fists under the table.

“It seems like some things need to be sorted out.”

These were people gathered in my house, and the decision-making power ultimately rested with me.

“Yeon-seo, Yoon-woo, I told you I’d give you a reward, right?”

“Yes!”

Unlike Kim Yoon-woo, who was quietly looking at me, Kim Yeon-seo answered quickly.

“I’ll take you both under my wing again.”

“Huh? Does that mean you’ll be our professor again?”

“Professor! Thank you!”

Kim Kyung-soo, who had been listening, also expressed his gratitude along with his daughter.

“But the method will be different from before. I don’t intend to spend much time with you two. However, you’ll greatly benefit just by being with me.”

“I don’t… understand what you mean.”

Not only Kim Yeon-seo but also the others present didn’t understand what I meant. It was only natural. I said I would teach them again, but I wouldn't spend time with them. Moreover, saying that just being with me would be a great advantage probably sounded arrogant.

“No, there’s no need to doubt!”

Kim Kyung-soo said firmly.

“Just being by the professor's side will help you grow tremendously. This is a blessing for you!”

“Dad?”

“Is that the reward? Thank you.”

Kim Yoon-woo said. It was hard to tell from his expression whether he was disappointed or genuinely grateful.

“Are you going back to Alpha?”

At my question, Kim Yoon-woo lowered his head.

“After what happened, how can I go back? I hope my father won’t be affected…”

“Didn’t you hear Dr. Kim Kyung-soo? If you’re not going back to Alpha, why would your father want to stay at SG? Contact your father. Tell him to come here if he has nowhere else to go.”

“Huh?”

Kim Yoon-woo's pupils shook as he looked at me.

“Yes, sir!”

He got up and went outside to call his father. Things had become complicated, but this seemed like the only solution. Besides, judging from Kim Kyung-soo’s reaction, Kim Yoon-woo’s father seemed to be a highly competent doctor. If he joined, there was a high possibility that the research on this place would accelerate.

“It’s a good thing we have plenty of rooms.”

Kim So-mi said.

“With more people living here, wouldn't it get a bit crowded? How about we build another house?”

Her suggestion made sense. I also wanted to live with some privacy if possible.