The Monster Aspires to Be a Hero!

When I entered the club room, useless groups had occupied the space.
“Hey, Ssipgei, you’re here.”
“Hey, Kkosam, you’re here.”
“Sweet Potato Sunbae, hello.”
The guys who noticed me greeted me with snickers.
Not a single one called me by a normal name.
“Kim Dokja!”
Jungheok, who I called Ssipgei, looked disgruntled at my words.
Well, who calls someone Ssipgei?
“Taeil! Scold him!”
The guy I called Kkosam had the same expression.
“And who are you?”
The underclassman I called Sweet Potato also looked like he had been slapped in the face.
“Men really don’t change, do they?”
Jieun, peeking her head out from behind me, waved at the groups in the club room.
“Mamang! Kkosam is bullying me!”
Taeil approached Jieun with a disgusting whine but got smacked on the head.
It was the usual routine.
These are the only ones who treat the ‘With You’ volunteer club like their own hangout spot.
At university, volunteering is just a spec.
It’s weirder if there are people who genuinely care about being in the club.
Maybe my same-year friends Jungheok and Taeil are here because they’re single.
As for that utterly ordinary Siwoo guy whose name I keep forgetting, I have no idea why he’s here when he has a girlfriend.
“Let’s go over there.”
Jieun shooed them away with a cold expression, and Taeil casually sat back down.
Then Jieun glanced at me before extending her hand toward the three of them.
“What is it?”
When Jungheok asked, Jieun had a smug expression.
“Jinwoo Sunbae says he’s going to become a hero.”
Saying that, Jieun extended her hand again.
The expressions of Jungheok, Taeil, and Siwoo gradually soured.
The guys who had looked at me like an insect pulled out a whopping 50,000 won from their wallets with a sigh and handed it to Jieun.
“Easy money~”
Jieun quickly pocketed the cash, seeming to think they might try to take it back.
“No way, you bastard. You said he wouldn’t become a hero!”
“Hey! Did you lose your mind?!”
Jungheok and Taeil jumped up from their seats, trying to grab my collar.
I casually avoided their hands.
So these guys had secretly made a bet about me?
Unbelievable bastards.
“Haah… So Jinwoo Sunbae, why did you come so early? You’re a 4th-year preparing for employment, so you said you wouldn’t come to the club room for a while.”
“I still need to talk to the professors.”
“Ah, as expected of Sweet Potato Sunbae.”
“Be quiet, that’s just basic manners and courtesy.”
“Okay~”
According to Siwoo, it seems the professor hasn’t arrived yet.
Then I should at least call them first and say I have an urgent matter to discuss.
“Come to think of it, making bets about someone like him isn’t that bad.”
Jungheok nodded as he said that.
“But this guy was pretty serious about studying and getting certifications…”
“I’ll give him that.”
The guys nodded arbitrarily before starting to fiddle with their smartphones one by one.
They’re still typhoon-like idiots.
“PC room after?”
“PC room.”
It seems they plan to go to a PC cafe too.
After chatting with them for a bit, I left for my first class when it was time.
“Sunbae.”
“Yeah?”
“It’ll be lunchtime after class, right?”
“Ah, yeah. You won money off me, so you’re treating me.”
“…Tch.”
Jieun gave me a ‘What kind of person does that?’ look before nodding.
Well, who told them to bet about me?

Most 4th-year P/NP courses are essentially extensions of self-help books.
‘A daunting wall called society will appear before you. But do not fear that wall, face it and fight.’
‘You are not alone, and youth can do anything, you still have plenty of time’ and such.
The only thing it lacked was the usual praise for the passion of youth that can overcome national crisis.
I blankly listened and killed time that way.
After idling for an appropriate amount of time, I headed toward the club room, where a slightly breathless Jieun seemed to have hurried over.
“Let’s… go, sun…bae.”
“Oh, wait a moment.”
I said that and took out a bottle of water from the vending machine near the club room corridor and handed it to Jieun.
“Th…thank you.”
Jieun reached for the water I handed her, then slightly retracted her hand before reaching out again to take it.
Then she slightly turned her head away from me and started drinking the water.
“Phew… Let’s go.”
“Ugh. But where to?”
“I’m feeling a bit fancy today.”
“You’re paying?”
“…Tch.”
Stop it, that’s scary.
The place Jieun took me was a restaurant specializing in pasta.
Located near the university, it had reasonable budget menus but also more upscale expensive options – a stylish place.
It was a common date spot for campus couples.
Indeed, most of the customers were male-female pairs.
“How many people?”
“Two, please.”
“This way, please.”
A neatly uniformed server guided us to our seats.
We sat down, cleaned our hands with the sanitizing wet wipes provided, and drank some water.
After just cleaning her hands, Jieun glanced at me before fiddling with her hair draped over her shoulder.
It seemed she was trying to draw attention to her hair.
“Your hair looks pretty. Cotori Beige? You got it trimmed too.”
“…Don’t you think it’s weird when you say stuff like that sometimes, sunbae? Do you actually have a girlfriend?”
“Hey! I’m a loner.”
“…Um, then are you an otaku?”
I don’t know why she arrived at that conclusion.
Jieun pretended to frown, but the corners of her mouth twitched strangely.
I’ve heard women like it when you notice their new hairstyles.
It seems the other guys didn’t notice Jieun’s slightly changed hair color.
Those guys were probably too busy secretly glancing at Jieun’s large chest to notice her hair.
…I may have looked too, but heroes can’t have sex scandals.
Handling ex-girlfriend issues is also a sensitive part of the job, you know.
I don’t think I was particularly unpopular, though.
“Did the professor get your message?”
“Yeah, I replied that my schedule ends at 3pm today when he asked, so he said we’ll meet then.”
“The professor might get angry.”
Jieun said that with a brief sigh, idly tracing the surface of her water glass with her finger.
It had a strangely decadent vibe.
“But he’ll probably still support me. That’s the kind of person he is.”
“Be-cause you’re the sun-bae, he’ll forgive you?”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Jieun raised both index fingers above her head, expressing that if it were Jungheok Sunbae, the professor would have gotten really angry, like turning into a devil.
For a moment, my heart skipped a beat, and I almost averted my gaze.
“Here are the dishes you ordered. Please enjoy.”
The slightly pricier menu items Jieun had ordered were placed before us.
Jieun and I simultaneously took out our smartphones and started taking pictures of the food.
“You know, doing stuff like that makes you seem really girly?”
“I need to watch my calories.”
“Ugh…”
“Hey, is that gender discrimination?”
Jieun started grumbling and lamenting her fate.
“Ah~ Ah~ I wish I could arrange my schedule that freely too…”
Saying that, Jieun glanced at me.
“What’s your schedule like?”
“It’s like this.”
Jieun said that, flipped her hair over her ear, and showed me her smartphone schedule.
There didn’t seem to be any overlapping classes.
But her lunch period was consistently free, so unless she had separate plans, she wouldn’t be eating alone.
“At least you won’t be eating alone.”
“Who’s going to eat with me?”
“Won’t you eat with me?”
“Based on what you’re doing.”
“Then I’ll eat with you.”
I’ve never been rude in front of anyone.
Unless it’s an emergency, even if there’s no car, I’m the kind of guy who will stand blankly at a red light.
If I say harsh words to someone, I’ll only think about it for a whole week!
“Will you keep coming to the club?”
“Ugh. I’m not planning to, with exam prep and whatnot.”
“Not thinking of a backup plan?”
“Nope.”
I feel like I’ll get weaker if I think I have somewhere to return to.
There’s nothing behind my back.
I plan to keep looking forward and run with that mindset.
“Hmm…”
Jieun slightly tilted her head and stared intently at me.
The hair draped over her shoulder slid down with a soft rustle.
Jieun, who had been staring at me intently, started scanning my entire body.
Then she made a subtle expression.
“What is it?”
“Sunbae, did you get taller?”
“Huh? Um… Did I?”
“Yes. Your eye level seems a bit different.”
Still sharp as ever.
“Eunsung Hospital.”
“Hm?”
“It’s you, right? Eunsung Hospital.”
“…”
How did she know?
“It’s been 3 years since I met you, sunbae, and this is the first time your height increased. Your footsteps also sound completely different, your weight must have increased quite a bit.”
Even if my height increased, it’s not that much of an increase.
I was 182cm before, and now I’m around 185cm.
My weight did increase, but it’s surprising that someone could detect it from my footsteps.
“As expected, ‘that’ ability is impressive.”
Jieun’s ability is categorized as a Black Technology – an ability where technology or information beyond current human capabilities emerges.
Those with such abilities possess insight and concentration incomparable to others.
It seems she noticed because of that ability.
“…Dummy.”
Jieun pursed her lips, seeming unconvinced.
“And this.”
Jieun fiddled with her smartphone and showed me footage someone had taken with their phone.
“There’s some noise mixed in, but it’s your voice, sunbae.”
“Hmm, I guess so.”
“You do act like someone who wouldn’t become a hero, being a realistic person. But then you suddenly changed your mind over the winter break, so something must have happened. Was the incident at Buwon Hospital involved too, by any chance?”
Jieun’s eyes were looking into mine.
That gaze, as if she could see right through me, felt daunting.
It gave me the feeling that she might notice the invader inside me.
“…At least you didn’t get hurt, right?”
“…You saw the news, I’m fine. Let’s go when you’re done eating.”
After wiping my mouth with a napkin and standing up, Jieun seemed to want to say something but slightly bowed her head and stood up from her seat.
“Sunbae.”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s eat together tomorrow too.”
“Ugh, okay.”
Jieun was following a step behind me.
Seen this way, it feels like she might like me, you know?

Not out of affection?
It does seem to be affection, but I’m not sure.
I’ve seen her badmouthing me in front of the underclassmen before, so I’m a bit…
Maybe she didn’t realize it herself, which is why I didn’t say anything.
There must have been something I did wrong.
Honestly, I don’t know what I did wrong.
Was it an issue with calling her Mamang or something?
It was a bit of a complicated feeling.