Rank 0 of the Awakener Special School - Chapter 75

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Rank 0 of the Awakener Special School
Chapter 75
At those words, the air around them seemed to freeze solid.
Dozens of eyes snapped toward the girl in unison.
…toward Seol Ji-hyo, granddaughter of Seolhwa Pharmaceuticals.
Ji-u, for his part, found the situation just as bewildering.
‘Why…?’
Why had the family sent someone? And why had they gone so far as to deploy a helicopter just to pick him up?
Could it be because Ji-u had scored top marks in every single test event?
“The Chairman is waiting for your return, Miss.”
While Ji-u deliberated on how to respond,
he happened to glance aside and caught sight of Kang Woo-hyun, whose mouth had fallen open in shock.
He seemed thoroughly rattled—all his swagger from moments before had evaporated.
“Miss? Is something the matter?”
The man in the suit followed Ji-u’s gaze toward Kang Woo-hyun.
At that, Woo-hyun flinched, his shoulders trembling as he actually took a step back.
At the pathetic display, Ji-u let out a soft laugh.
“There are some insects around.”
“…!”
Woo-hyun’s face flushed crimson.
Ji-u pretended not to notice and looked away.
“The weather’s gotten so hot lately. They keep swarming, you know.”
Then he moved forward with complete composure.
Throughout it all, Woo-hyun said nothing.
There was nothing he could say.
As Ji-u climbed into the helicopter, the door closed gently behind him.
Outside noise cut off as if it had never existed.
He’d heard somewhere that a helicopter’s interior was too loud for conversation, but the reality proved otherwise.
Whether thanks to Seolhwa Pharmaceuticals’ technology or someone’s Core, he couldn’t say.
“….”
Settled into his seat, Ji-u glanced out through the transparent glass window and found his eyes meeting those of Kang Woo-hyun, who had been staring at him.
Woo-hyun fled into the crowd like a hunted animal.
“Allow me to assist with your seatbelt, Miss.”
The man with the calm voice expertly pulled the belt taut.
Click—the soft sound of a metal buckle locking into place.
“Then, we’ll be departing now.”
The helicopter lifted into the air, and Kang Woo-hyun’s figure shrank to something smaller than an ant.
Ji-u withdrew his gaze from the window and leisurely surveyed the interior of the helicopter.
The cabin resembled the interior of a luxury automobile transplanted wholesale into the sky.
Dark leather seats.
Handles gleaming with a subtle sheen.
Thick carpeting spread across the floor.
The school buildings visible outside the window became toy-sized, then vanished beyond the sea.
“Are you thirsty, Miss?”
The man sitting beside him spoke up.
When he cracked open a small built-in refrigerator nearby, Ji-u could see bottled water and various juices arranged in neat rows.
“…No, I’m fine.”
So answered Ji-u, studying the man intently.
‘I’ve never seen this face before.’
A bodyguard from the Main Residence, perhaps?
If so, he would certainly know him as ‘Seol Ji-hyo’.
Within the family, only a select few knew of ‘Ji-u’s existence.
First, his grandfather and his late parents.
Then So-young, Ji-u’s closest aide and education supervisor—a total of four people.
Beyond that, perhaps the grandfather’s executive secretary and the medical staff who had overseen the twin birth?
Though he’d heard that most of that medical staff had been silenced with hush money, then fired or disappeared.
In any case, these suited men would know nothing of ‘Ji-u’.
“Should we proceed directly to the Main Residence? Would that be acceptable, Miss?”
the man asked.
…Well, since he was with them anyway, it would be awkward to stop at his real residence.
There was nowhere else he needed to go, so heading straight to the Main Residence made sense.
“Yes, please do that.”
* * *
The Main Residence, which he hadn’t visited in so long, seemed largely unchanged from his memories.
An expansive garden, unnecessarily vast.
Low stone walls lining its perimeter.
A well-maintained pond with carp swimming lazily within—all of it exactly as it had been.
“Allow me to carry your luggage, Miss.”
“No need. It’s just this.”
“But—”
“I’ll manage alone.”
With his modest bag in hand, Ji-u entered the mansion alone.
He’d heard before that Ji-hyo’s room was at the far end of the Second Floor.
‘I’ll find it easily enough.’
Once he set the luggage down, he would wait a while; eventually his grandfather would send someone to summon him.
In the meantime, Ji-u planned to rest.
As he made his way toward the stairs to the Second Floor,
a voice reached his ears.
“What? You’re already here?”
…The voice of a young man.
Ji-u turned and found himself face-to-face with someone leaning lazily against the wall.
Hair a shade of blue-green similar to Ji-u’s own, but with a more pronounced green tint.
A university-age youth draped in chunky gold chains,
with a guitar slung across his back.
‘Must be a cousin on mother’s side.’
Recognition came instantly.
The cousin who’d supposedly upended the family by insisting on forming a band.
His name was probably…Seol Ji-min.
– Ji-min came to visit today. He gave me concert tickets for next month.
Ji-hyo had mentioned this cousin now and then.
Though it was Ji-u’s first meeting with him…
Since he also believed the Ji-u before him was Ji-hyo, the proper response here was simply to greet him.
Just as Ji-u was moving his lips to speak,
“You’re still the same. Even after all this time, saying hello seems to be too much for you.”
Ji-u felt a jolt of alarm.
Unless he was a fool, there was no way to miss the barbs embedded in that tone.
‘…What? Are they not on good terms?’
That couldn’t be right.
From everything Ji-hyo had told him, there was no reason they should have a poor relationship.
Hadn’t Ji-min even given her concert tickets in person?
Perhaps his manner was simply naturally curt. Deciding not to let on, Ji-u spoke.
“It’s been a while, cousin.”
“….”
His greeting was met with complete stillness from Seol Ji-min.
The gaze leveled down at him was so cold it would have made anyone else shrink away.
No cousin who’d been close over the years would look at someone like that.
Which meant there could be no doubt:
…this Seol Ji-min did not like Ji-hyo.
‘That’s hardly surprising.’
After their parents died, the official heir had become Ji-hyo. It wouldn’t be strange if some cousins resented her. In fact,
Ji-min was the eldest grandson, according to what he’d heard. Originally, he might have become the next chairman of Seolhwa Pharmaceuticals.
But the reason Ji-hyo became the heir was simple.
Ji-hyo’s father was the grandfather’s eldest son. Ji-min’s mother was the grandfather’s second daughter.
The son of the eldest son.
The son of the second daughter.
To a rigid, patriarchal grandfather, there would have been nothing to deliberate.
“Why are you even here?”
Seol Ji-min asked.
“…Why? This is home. It’s vacation break, so I came.”
“I heard you just show your face during vacation and then go sleep somewhere else.”
He withdrew his gaze from Ji-hyo as he added,
“I just hope you don’t end up embarrassing the family, whether you’re with whoever you’ve been spending time with or not.”
Ji-u’s expression hardened.
The reason Ji-hyo only showed her face at the Main Residence during breaks was because of Ji-u.
That might not be something he’d understand, but did it warrant such a remark?
“Any response?”
Ji-u took a quiet breath.
He had plenty he wanted to say, but he couldn’t make a scene here at the Main Residence.
“…I’ll be careful.”
That much said, he turned to leave.
“Can I go now? I’m tired. I’d like to rest until Grandfather calls for me.”
“Grandfather’s calling for you?”
In that instant, Seol Ji-min’s expression shifted.
“What for?”
“I don’t know either.”
“….”
Something flickered across his face as his lips pressed into a thin line.
Regardless, Ji-u was turning to leave when—
“…It’s strange how quickly you recovered.”
Thud.
His feet stopped.
Ji-u turned slowly to face him.
“…What did you just say?”
Despite the sudden chill in Ji-u’s eyes, Seol Ji-min didn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow.
“I asked why you recovered so quickly.”
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t have?”
“I’m just asking because I’m curious.”
Seol Ji-min shrugged casually and stepped closer to Ji-u.
“You know as well as I do that not a single soul hoped for your recovery.”
Bringing his face near, he whispered softly near Ji-u’s ear.
“If only you’d just died right then.”
In that moment, Ji-u’s face went absolutely still.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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