The more I talked with Kim Suhyeon, the more I got to know her better. She had an even lower sense of pride in herself than I initially thought.
Most of her words either started with phrases like "Unlike , they..." or ended with "I wish I could do that too."
Whenever I moved even slightly, she flinched. Maybe she thought I was losing interest in her words and focusing on sothing else. Her constant glances for reassurance made feel bad, so I did my best to stay still.
'At least she doesn’t seem to have a bad personality...'
I had heard that so people overwheld with inferiority tend to put others down. They do it to mask their own insecurities and try to feel superior in so way.
Fortunately, Suhyeon hadn’t reached that point. Looking back, I couldn't recall any instances where she belittled others at the Academy. Her problem was that she constantly made self-deprecating comnts.
I once had a friend like her. Their family struggled financially, and nothing ever seed to go right. Naturally, they were plagued by severe feelings of inferiority for a long ti.
It had taken years for them to overco it— understanding themselves, acknowledging the strengths of others, and setting goals while believing that soday they could achieve them too.
“Suhyeon.”
Kang Minseong entered the room and called out to his granddaughter.
“My throat's a bit dry. Could you go get so water? Take your ti and go with the others outside.”
There was already water in the room, so why send her out to buy more? The reason was clear from the way he looked at . He wanted to have a private conversation with .
Suhyeon nodded and left the room, leaving alone with Kang Minseong.
"…"
Standing next to was a seasoned warrior with a presence sowhat different from Ma Hakjun’s. I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about what he was going to say.
“I realize I haven't thanked you properly yet.”
Kang Minseong approached and bowed his head.
The age gap between us was massive, not to ntion our social status. Yet he didn’t hesitate to express his gratitude. It seed that the title of hero wasn’t given just for strength alone.
“Thank you. Without you, I would have lost my only granddaughter. And if that had happened... I would have lost my mind.”
He wasn’t speaking as the head of a powerful family, but as a grandfather who deeply loved his granddaughter.
I had expected him to be a stern, authority-driven man, but standing before was simply a thankful and worried grandparent.
“And... I also owe you an apology.”
“Huh?”
“You've heard that you’ll be returning to the Academy as an examiner after your discharge, right?”
My supervisor had ntioned that just yesterday— that I should go back to the Academy right after being discharged. But how did he know about it?
“I... may have asked so acquaintances for a favor. To ensure you quietly return to the Academy.”
“You did, Chairman? Why?”
“What do you think of Suhyeon? My granddaughter.”
Why was he suddenly asking about Suhyeon? He’s not asking for my thoughts as a man, right?
“I... I don’t quite understand what you an.”
“You’ve spoken with her for a while, haven’t you? I imagine you’ve ford so impressions by now. After all, you assessed her as part of your duties.”
Technically, I relied on my special ability for assessnts, but I guess you could call it an eye for talent.
After a brief hesitation, I decided to speak honestly.
“…Suhyeon, well, she seems to have low self-esteem and…”
“No need to sugarcoat it. Just say what’s on your mind.”
“Uh… I an, she… has a bit of an inferiority complex.”
“Oh? You already knew?”
When I asked, Minseong simply nodded with a calm expression.
“In a family full of exceptional talents, she was the only one who lacked anything special. No one ever blad her for it,
but she convinced herself that she wasn’t good enough.”
“So that’s why Suhyeon…”
“I hoped that by enrolling her at the Academy, she’d learn to accept her limits and grow among peers of her age.”
He had hoped that by spending ti with other students, she would slowly co to terms with herself and improve. But instead, she beca even more withdrawn.
“But recently, sothing changed in her—after eting you.”
“…?”
“You’re an ordinary silver-ranked examiner. Just like Suhyeon, you’re not special. But despite that, you’ve found your own way to shine. I believe that inspired her.”
Minseong said that it was Suhyeon who suggested visiting in the hospital. It was the first ti she had taken the initiative to do anything. Her family mbers were secretly surprised.
“That’s when I realized— you might be the one who can help my granddaughter. So I arranged for you to remain at the Academy.”
That explained why things had been so quiet despite my encounter with an Elder. Considering Minseong’s connections in the governnt, it made sense.
I was nodding when he suddenly blurted out in a flustered voice:
“But listen! I never asked them to discharge you so soon! I only asked them to make sure you could stay as an examiner after recovery. That’s all, I swear!”
“…Pardon?”
“When Suhyeon said it was too soon to be discharged, I thought she might find out and bla . Please, if she asks, tell her I had nothing to do with it!”
His voice was practically pleading. Of course, I wasn’t about to tell her anything different.
“Whew. Thank you. You don’t know how relieved I am.”
Seeing him let out a deep sigh of relief, I realized that beyond being a forr war hero, he was just a doting grandfather.
“Anyway, when you return to the Academy,
please look after my granddaughter.”
“You might be expecting too much from . I’m just an examiner, not a professor.”
“Suhyeon is still bronze-ranked, isn’t she? That ans she’ll have to take your tests often.”
Oh no. Don’t tell he wants to go easy on her in assessnts...
Would he? I an, he’s a war hero and all, but still… Should I ask him outright? No, that might offend him. But what if he is thinking that? Wouldn’t it be better to clear things up?
“Suhyeon.”
Before I could ask, the door opened,
and Suhyeon walked in, carrying bottled water.
I missed my chance to ask.
“Here, Grandpa. Have so water.”
“Thank you, my dear.”
While Kang Minseong pretended to drink, Suhyeon looked at hesitantly.
"Why, Suhyeon? Is there sothing you want to say?"
"Um… You're still not discharged yet, right, Examiner?"
"Yeah, I still have a few days left. Why?"
"Then... c-can I visit again tomorrow?"
She wanted to co back tomorrow? Even though villains might still be lurking around? We'd be seeing each other at the academy soon enough, so was it really necessary...
"...Sure. If you want to co, feel free. I could use the company anyway."
Under Kang Minseong’s subtle yet firm gaze, I found myself accepting her request without much resistance.
*
“I want to visit the examiner in the hospital.”
When Suhyeon voiced her wish, Kang Minseong and those around him were visibly surprised. For soone as timid as her, expressing her own desires was a rare occurrence.
She felt ashad facing her family and guilty for making such an unusual request. Was she being selfish by insisting on sothing so trivial?
But even so, she wanted to see the person who had saved her life— to properly express her gratitude and apologize for the trouble she had caused.
'And…'
She wanted to tell him that she aspired to be soone like him. Even though he was just a regular examiner, to her, he seed extraordinary.
The mories were still vivid in her mind. The way he effortlessly took down the arrogant Park Junwoo. The way he dismantled each overconfident student during the assessnts. And finally, how he stood his ground against the terrifying Elder to protect her.
Unlike her grandfather and her family, he wasn’t born special. He was just an ordinary man—a re silver-rank examiner. Yet within that ordinariness, he had discovered his own way to be special.
The feelings that overwheld her— were they admiration? Or sothing more profound?
Whatever they were, Suhyeon found them comforting. For the first ti, sothing warm had settled deep in her heart.
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