The message from the Academy Security Force wasn't a notice of acceptance. It was a summons to appear as a witness in the Professor Shin Jin-woo incident.
As the phrase "Professor Shin Jin-woo incident" suggested, the Security Force had apparently uncovered the professor's crimes brilliantly.
And so, the next day. I headed to the Security Force headquarters.
"What brings you here?"
As I approached the main entrance of the building, a guard on duty asked me.
"I was summoned as a witness in a case."
"Do you have your entry permit?"
"Yes. Here it is."
I showed the electronic permit I'd received to the guard, and his expression stiffened noticeably.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, uh..."
The middle-aged guard, who looked to be in his forties, alternated between the permit and my face. Soon, a complicated look crossed his features.
"...Good luck out there."
"Pardon?"
With that sudden casual tone, he patted my shoulder. As I made a puzzled face, he shook his head.
"I heard you landed a solid hit on Team Leader Min Chae-ryeong during your interview? Word's already spreading like wildfire. The new guy starting next week has that witch seriously gunning for him."
"Witch? Gunning for him? Wait, does that mean I passed?"
"That's the rumor. Why, you happy about it?"
I wasn't thrilled. I was just relieved I wouldn't lose my special skill.
Getting accepted into some corporate job in the original world might've been different, but becoming an Academy Guard was just for the skill.
As I kept a straight face and stayed silent, he nodded like he got it completely.
"Figured you'd heard the rumors about that team leader too."
"J-just what kind of person is Team Leader Min Chae-ryeong?"
"What, you didn't know? Makes sense—that's why you were bold enough to say that stuff in the interview."
The guard chuckled slyly. When I pressed again about Min Chae-ryeong, he just shook his head.
"Team Leader Min's got some serious obsessions in all sorts of ways. If you want a normal work life, best not to draw too much attention."
With that cryptic advice from the guard, I entered the Security Force building.
Soon, guided by another staff member who'd recognized me, I headed to the reception room on the third floor.
A neatly arranged modernist reception room. In the center, Min Chae-ryeong sat on the sofa, quietly sipping from her teacup.
As soon as the guiding staff left, she spoke up.
"Sit."
The casual command came out so naturally it didn't bother me at all. I could clearly see the emotions hidden behind her blank expression.
Min Chae-ryeong looked impassive on the surface, but she occasionally glanced my way, subtly checking my reactions.
"Do you know how to drink black tea?"
"I know how."
"That sounds exactly like 'I know how to drink it, but nothing more.'"
"Yes. Luckily, no allergies."
She let out a small chuckle and poured black tea into the cup in front of me. The subtle crimson liquid swirled gently inside.
"Honestly, I don't know much about black tea flavors either. It's just for work—I deal with VIPs from politics, business, and high-class academy kids a lot, so I stock up on fancy brands. To me, they all taste about the same."
"Couldn't agree more."
As if we'd rehearsed it, we both took a sip at the same time. Tasty, sure, but nothing to write home about, just like she said.
"We're not here for tea time, so I'll get straight to it."
She plunked a stack of documents on the table. On top was a photo of a balding middle-aged man and bold text reading "Case File No. 1379."
"How did you know?"
A concise question. At the same time, Min Chae-ryeong's sharp gaze pierced right between my eyes.
For a split second, my heart sank. Even I, a total novice in this field, could instantly sense she was no ordinary person.
It felt like the air around us was freezing solid, centered on her.
Facing that pressure head-on, I clenched my fist tight.
"Didn't I tell you during the interview? I'll explain how I knew on my first day."
"Sure, but your goal was getting hired, right? That's settled now. I pulled strings to make sure you passed."
Now that you're hired, spill your secret. That's what Min Chae-ryeong was saying.
"No one—not even the Security Force—saw this coming. And you're telling me a civilian like you uncovered the whole thing? As team leader, how could I not be intrigued?"
I knew that too. I'd brought up the Shin Jin-woo case precisely to get that reaction.
Min Chae-ryeong leaned forward. Her clothes pulled taut, outlining her figure starkly.
"So spill it already. You mentioned corporate secrets in the interview, right? How did you figure out Professor Shin's crimes? What method did you use? Come on?"
A faint flush rose to Min Chae-ryeong's cheeks.
"Tell me. Don't worry—I won't tell anyone. It'll be our secret."
Her eyes, urging me on relentlessly, held not just curiosity but a hint of mania. I could sort of see why the guard downstairs called her obsessive.
"Come on? I'm telling you to talk!"
Her face brimmed with eager anticipation.
Knowing I had to crush that excitement right now left a bitter taste in my mouth for some reason.
"What if it's something illegal? It's fine. I can handle most things on my end—"
"I just happened to see it while passing by."
"...Huh?"
Min Chae-ryeong's mouth fell open slightly, a stunned gasp slipping from between her pink lips.
"...What?"
Soon, those lips began to quiver.
"You just happened to see it? What does that—"
"That's exactly what I mean. I was in Sokcho Port and stumbled on some shady people making a deal. Looked like an illegal transaction, so I hid and watched. Turns out one side was Professor Shin Jin-woo. I'd seen his face on TV a few times, so I recognized him."
"And then?"
"That's it."
"Are you kidding me right now?!"
Min Chae-ryeong shot to her feet, shouting in agitation.
"What? That's all? No way that's the end! How do you piece together the full context from just seeing a deal?"
"They explained it all themselves, like movie villains. Both sides spoke Japanese, but I'm pretty good at it myself."
My college conversational Japanese grade was an A+. I could follow most everyday talk.
But Japanese skills were probably the last thing on Min Chae-ryeong's mind right now.
"...Is that really all?"
"Yes."
"That makes no sense..."
"Why not? If it wasn't pure chance, are you saying a civilian like me went full spy on career criminals? It was really just luck."
Min Chae-ryeong shut her mouth, unable to retort.
It was an absurd excuse, but one without any real holes to pick at.
After all, in the original story, even the protagonist uncovered this case the same way—stumbling on the deal by chance.
'Even for a breather episode, it was total lazy writing.'
My reaction when reading that episode would soon be hers. She was probably too dumbfounded to speak right now.
"...So no corporate secrets or anything?"
"If you insist, maybe my upright sense of justice that can't stand injustice."
"Ha."
Min Chae-ryeong looked up with utter disbelief, then pinched her brow and bowed her head. Occasional groans escaped her lips.
Seeing that, I felt a twinge of guilt. I'd built up her expectations with all that corporate secret talk.
I'd had no choice if I wanted to make an impression, but I had crushed her hopes.
"I thought we'd finally gotten a promising one, so I pulled you aside first..."
Min Chae-ryeong muttered softly. Just like a novel character, her soliloquy was spot-on.
After a while, still head down, she said quietly,
"...That's enough. Get out."
At her curt dismissal, I asked back.
"Pardon? Is the questioning over?"
"No. Once you're out, the staff who brought you will guide you to the right department. Do the real questioning there."
"There's a separate department? Then why call me here?"
Min Chae-ryeong flopped back into the sofa and replied half-heartedly.
"I told you. I sneaked you away first. But now I'm done. Lost interest."
True to her words, she acted like I was beneath notice. Even if my answer fell short, the attitude shift was too abrupt.
'Can't get a read on her at all.'
If she were a canon character, I'd have some idea, but as a Security Force member like my possessed self Ahn Su-ho, Min Chae-ryeong was an original. I had zero info on her.
'Lost interest in me, huh... No real loss, I guess.'
Smacking my lips, I recalled yesterday's quest rewards.
Increase in Guard Rate, and "Final Quest Reward Reveal."
I couldn't know yet since I hadn't cleared it, but it wasn't hard to guess.
'Probably sends me back home as the last reward.'
That's how possession stories usually ended.
Sometimes it made the world real or turned you into a god there, but I couldn't see Blissful Heavenly Demon offering that.
Anyway, to get home, I'd probably need to clear that final quest. To survive this insane world and achieve it, I had to grab early opportunities and connections.
And Min Chae-ryeong was one such potential "connection."
The team leader at the Security Force job the author gave me. With enough pull to handle interviews, her influence was no joke. If she could help the plot, I needed to stay close.
But not necessarily right now.
No big loss if she'd lost interest. We'd be coworkers anyway—plenty of chances to get closer.
"If that's what you say, Team Leader, I'll take my leave."
I finished the remaining tea and stood without lingering. Min Chae-ryeong turned her head away, ignoring me. No intention of seeing me off.
"...See you on my first day, then."
I bowed slightly and opened the reception room door. As she said, the guiding staff waited outside.
Just as the door clicked shut.
I glanced back on impulse, and our eyes met through the crack.
It happened so fast I couldn't read the emotion in her gaze.
But it was definitely fixed on me.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After Ahn Su-ho left the reception room.
Left alone, Min Chae-ryeong stared quietly at her cooled black tea.
Soon, a faint smile curved her lips.
In truth, despite claiming she'd lost interest and kicking him out, the reality was far different.
'...He's an interesting one.'
Min Chae-ryeong propped her chin, replaying his words.
'Even if we assume he luckily stumbled on the smuggling site.'
'Professor Shin Jin-woo's deals with the Japanese Academy happen on the last Thursday of every month.'
'So if Ahn Su-ho saw it, even recently, it was last month's last Thursday. Nearly a month ago.'
'Yet he witnesses a crime scene and keeps quiet for a whole month? Even while applying to the Security Force?'
'Saving it as interview bait? Unlikely. Better to report it early and make a good impression. The only semi-plausible excuse is he only realized it was a crime later, or—'
His claim of chance discovery was a lie, and he'd actually figured out Shin Jin-woo's crimes through some method he wasn't telling her about.
Min Chae-ryeong's instincts screamed it. Ahn Su-ho was hiding an ace up his sleeve.
Her thoughts reached that point, and a sly smile spread across her lips.
'Even if I'd grilled him relentlessly, he'd have stuck to "pure chance." He never planned to tell me from the start.'
She recalled his interview. When asked for evidence on the Shin Jin-woo accusation, he'd brazenly deflected with "corporate secret."
'Right. If it were something he'd share easily, it wouldn't be a secret.'
Her interest surged even more. A rosy smile bloomed on her face.
Min Chae-ryeong.
Team Leader of Team 2, Special Countermeasures Division, Green House Academy Security Force.
She was a woman with more talent lust than anyone in the Security Force.
She grabbed those who piqued her interest. If they seemed useful, she'd drag them onto her team somehow.
Once she set her sights, she never let go. She made the talent she wanted hers, no matter what. That was her way.
'A single person outdid the entire Security Force's investigation. Can't let him slip away.'
With that resolve, Min Chae-ryeong called a subordinate on her smartphone.
-Ring, ring. Click.
-Yes! Chae So-yeon here! What's up, Team Leader?
A cheerful voice came through. Its owner was one of the "talents" Min Chae-ryeong had recruited that way.
"Got one job for you, So-yeon. Not official work—just a personal favor. Can you keep tabs on someone for a bit?"
After the affirmative reply, Min Chae-ryeong hung up, a thick smile on her lips.
"Ahaha."
A low laugh slipped from her lips.
'Daring to play hard to get with me?'
Min Chae-ryeong smacked her lips, staring at the door Ahn Su-ho had exited through.