I Picked Up the Hero and the Demon King

49 – Past (2)

Three years ago.

Someone came in and greeted Team 1 in Building A.

“Hello! I’m Han Su-jeong, a new recruit!”

The attention of the team members inside began to focus on the unusually lively voice.

I wondered what was going on, but soon after grasping the situation, all the members of Team 1 approached and welcomed Han Su-jeong.

“What is it? Newbie?”

“Come to think of it, I heard that one was coming.”

“Did you come as a team?”

“What’s your ability?”

Because the hero’s professional society is often in harmony with each other, there were few cases of team member replacement.

This was true even for new recruits, and moreover, Team 1 was the highest ranked team.

For Team 1, which did not have any special events, Han Soo-jung was a new and fresh existence.

“What is it? Why is it so noisy? Is this your first time seeing a newcomer?”

“Oh. Team leader!”

“Chief?”

“I’m leaving today because of you guys. Stay away.”

When Han Soo-jung was at a loss due to the barrage of questions, Kim Ho-yeon appeared from behind.

At the harsh voice, the members of Team 1 widened their distance one by one.

After Kim Ho-yeon took a quick look around her, she started introducing Han Su-jeong to the first team members.

“Well… To introduce, it is Han Soo-jeong, a newcomer. Her ability is magic and her attribute is fire. Her rank is A.”

“Did you come from somewhere else?”

“No. It’s my first time. But he’s a newcomer with pretty good specs. ◇■ They said he was admitted as the top student at the academy. There are other things besides that… Ask me personally about that.”

At the introduction, Team 1 members admired and looked at Han Soo-jung.

“Oh, I hear it’s pretty tough there.”

“Senior admission!”

“That’s also an A rank~!”

“Ha ha…”

From the first impression, everyone was surprised and greeted them warmly, and Han Su-jeong didn’t know what to do.

Seeing that, Kim Ho-yeon shook her hand and gave her a signal not to do it.

“Don’t make a fuss. This side here is team 1. To find out who’s there, just look at the organization hanging over there… Well, there shouldn’t be anything particularly difficult. Just catch the villain and deal with the annoying stuff from time to time.”

“Ah. Team leader~! It’s not like that! There’s so much to do! You’re lying so that newcomers can’t escape~!”

“Don’t be noisy dude. Is everyone there by the way? Has anyone left?”

After taking a quick look around her, Kim Ho-yeon asked the 1st team members.

Then the atmosphere suddenly calmed down a bit, and one of the team members with a shy expression stepped forward and answered.

“Ah… all but one.”

“One person?”

“Yes. Seojin Lee. He left this morning and is not coming back.”

“Again?! Who went out with you? Did you go out alone?”

“Yes.”

Kim Ho-yeon was annoyed and gently touched her head as if she had a headache.

“Ha… He’s also a problem, but the association that gives you work is also a problem. What if he dies after that…”

“Still, it’s good to catch one villain. The status of the 1st team goes up and it’s good.”

“What? f*cking good! Is that the status of the 1st team? That’s his status! If you want to be lazy, go out dude!”

Kim Ho-yeon shouted and scolded one of the team members for bringing her up.

Then a male team member stepped up and stopped him.

“Team manager, don’t be too enthusiastic. A newcomer has arrived, so please calm down. We know that well. How hard Lee Seo-jin works.”

“…Huh… Yes. I’m sorry. My voice was too loud. I’m very worried about him.”

“Honestly, the team leader cares about each member of the team, but Lee Seo-jin doesn’t listen, so it’s worth worrying about.”

“…Ugh… He speaks well. I can’t do it. I need to talk to him once. When he comes, tell him to come to the team leader’s office.”

“Yes.”

With her sighing, Kim Ho-yeon shut her mouth tightly as if not to say anything more.

“Anyway, I’m a new recruit, so let me introduce myself. I’m going up because I have a meeting.”

“Yes. Please go in.”

“”Go in~””

As Kim Ho-yeon turned around and waved goodbye with her hand, her 1st team members greeted her.

Han Soo-jung, who was watching this scene, was a little unfamiliar, but on the other hand, she was puzzled.

Who the hell is Lee Seo-jin, so this situation unfolds?

She had a question in her heart, but she decided not to bring it up.

“Um… As soon as I arrived, I showed you something I couldn’t see.”

“Oh, no. It’s okay.”

Han Soo-jung looked at the male team member who smiled shyly.

He was a very handsome man.

Blonde hair, blue eyes.

From his tall stature to his stout body slightly exposed.

If it weren’t for the various appearances that appeared in the superhuman society, he would have been believed to be an American actor.

“My name is Donghyun Seo. Your name is Sujeong Han, right?”

“Ah. Yes! Thank you very much!”

“Yeah. Um~ I’m new here, so I need someone to guide me… Can I do it for you?”

Embarrassed, Seo Dong-hyun asked for a handshake.

Then, Han Sujeong hesitated for a moment, but then smiled, grabbed his hand, and bowed his head.

“Thank you!”

“Please take good care of me.”

As they shook hands, Sujeong Han stared at Seo Donghyun.

Cozy atmosphere and good-looking appearance easily broke down one’s vigilance.

This is the first person I’ve ever seen.

I was thinking that only good things would happen in the future.

※

Seo Dong-hyeon and Han Su-jeong walked around the inside of the building.

A training ground, cafeteria, mission station, intelligence processing room, etc… I learned step by step where to go and how to go.

He explained what he was doing and what to do when the villain appeared.

After that, when the explanation was over, Sujeong Han thanked Seo Donghyun.

“Thanks for the guidance!”

“It’s not a big deal.”

Seo Dong-hyun waved his hand toward Han Soo-jeong, who bowed and thanked her.

“What can I do now?”

“Hmm… nothing to do.”

“Yes?”

When Han Soo-jung was puzzled by the unfamiliar answer, Seo Dong-hyun explained.

“The association isn’t a place where new recruits are told what to do. Besides, heroes fight villains, so you need to slow down.”

“Ah… I see.”

“Well. Other than that, there is a work ghost in our team. That’s why there’s nothing more to do.”

“Work ghost?”

“I don’t know if you’ve heard of it before… There’s a guy named Lee Seo-jin who looks a bit eccentric. He’s always selfish… No. He just said he’d catch any villain called a villain.”

Lee Seo-jin.

Hearing that name, Sujeong Han’s doubts grew up again.

Who is it that is often mentioned?

Besides, I don’t think everyone likes it very much.

Come to think of it, I’ve been all over the place, but I’ve never seen one.

Han Sujeong was curious about what kind of person he was and asked Seo Donghyun.

“I see. I’m a little curious about who you are.”

“Huh? Curious?”

“Yes. I’ve been curious about it. It’s not a very good atmosphere… Ah! I shouldn’t say this, right?”

“hahahaha. No. Like you said, he’s not a very nice guy.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. To be honest, I’d say don’t mind…”

Seo Dong-hyun, with a slightly disapproving expression on his face, thought for a moment.

I wonder if he didn’t want to come up with such an idea.

He shook his head and gave an answer to Han Soo-jung.

“… If you’re really curious, you’d better see for yourself. He’s always at the training ground, so maybe he’ll be there now.”

“Ah. Is that so? Then he… Can I go and see him?”

“Of course. The introductions are over anyway, and there’s nothing to do today. If you want to do that, do it.”

At those words, Han Soo-jung hesitated, then bowed down to say hello.

“Then… I’ll come back to see you! Thank you again for guiding me until now. Senior Donghyun.”

“hahahaha. What about senior? You can just call me oppa.”

“Hmm… I’ll call you that later when I feel more comfortable!”

“Okay. See you tomorrow then.”

“Yes. Go in!”

Verily saying goodbye, Han Soo-jung moved on to leave.

Seo Dong-hyun also said goodbye with a smile and watched them leave.

However, after Han Soo-jung disappeared, the smile on his lips disappeared.

He recalled the scene he had just seen before, lost in thought, and smiled.

※

Once they arrived at the training ground, Sujeong Han started looking for Seojin Lee.

However, since it was her first day at work, the tension of a newcomer remained, so she carefully looked inside.

Since it was a quiet training ground with no people inside, it created even more tension.

When I came in like that, I heard someone training.

“Uh…”

When I took a quick look inside the training ground, there was a person practicing silently.

A man drenched in sweat with his shirt off.

There was a man with a shaggy beard who looked like he was middle-aged.

He was wielding a sword.

But what he noticed was that even though he was breathing heavily, he didn’t even know how much he had swung, but his posture wasn’t disturbed at all.

There was a sense of security to the point where you could believe that you had just started training.

For some reason, Han Soo-jung, who felt awe in a corner of her heart, hid and watched Lee Seo-jin’s training.

‘Sword… Are you writing?’

Han Sujeong also knew it well.

How useless long weapons are in the superhuman society.

But when I saw that person training, it seemed that I would never have that thought.

How much time has passed.

Swinging his sword several times and sweating like a waterfall, Lee Seo-jin stopped his posture and picked up a large water bottle nearby and started drinking.

“Ha-!”

As if feeling refreshed, Lee Seo-jin exhaled heavily.

At that time, Han Soo-jung, who had been distracted for a while, hurriedly approached Lee Seo-jin.

“Hey… Hello!”

Sujeong Han greeted her as warmly as possible.

However, Lee Seo-jin glanced at her and looked away.

Then, Sujeong Han, wondering if she was exhausted and heard the wrong thing, greeted her again.

“Ah… um… Hello! Senior! This time, I’m Han Su-jeong, a new recruit assigned to Team 1!”

Then Lee Seo-jin turned his head again and looked at Han Soo-jung.

However, that gaze was not good.

As if a leopard was hunting, it had a sharp gaze.

It went well with the shaggy appearance that was not yet tidy, and it instigated tension in Han Su-jeong.

“What are you?”

“…Yes?”

Han Su-jeong was a little stunned at the reaction that seemed to be asking what it was even after he said hello.

But she immediately smiled and said hello again.

“Ah… I’m a newcomer this time—”

“Newbie?”

“Yes? Ah. Yes.”

“…”

I wonder if the word newcomer to the same team made me change my mind a bit.

Han Su-jeong could feel her eyes slightly softening.

However, the atmosphere and attitude were still chilly.

In silence and silence, Lee Seo-jin’s next answer…

“Yeah. Okay, so go away.”

“…Yes?”

It was enough to embarrass Sujeong Han.

Yeah, I had no choice but to do that.

Currently, Seojin Lee was in a state of personality breakdown at 70%.

I was already building up a sense of inferiority due to the bad looks around me, so if I were to express my attitude toward others numerically, it would be -50 points out of 100 points.

However, how does Han Su-jeong know this?

As soon as she saw it, she thought, ‘What kind of situation is this?’ And was dumbfounded, but…

First of all, I tried to treat them as kindly as possible because they were seniors and were on the same team.

“Uh… Is that senpai?”

“What.”

“Ah… that… even if I did something wrong…”

“Wrong?”

At those words, Lee Seo-jin made her laugh.

“It’s a mistake… Yes. I’m doing it.”

“Yes? What kind of…”

“You’re taking up my time. It’s interfering with my training, so get out of here.”

“…”

What kind of men are there?!

Perhaps if Han Su-jeong wasn’t a rookie.

No. If it was someone you accidentally bumped into outside.

I would have spit out those words right away, cursed at him once, and left coolly.

However, since that was not possible, Sujeong Han just smiled and nodded her head.

“Ah. Ahahahaha… Yes… Then… Work hard…”

“…”

I smiled and said goodbye, but Lee Seo-jin grabbed the sword again as if it didn’t matter.

And as she did earlier, she swung her sword and moved her body, focusing on training.

She was Sujeong Han revisiting that look, but her thoughts have completely changed 180 degrees.

What kind of people are there?

We are on the same team, but let’s never get entangled.

I just left the training ground with a deep resolve in my heart.