I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

46 – The Sole Protector -1-

The call from Rohan to Joo-yeon was brief.

A polite request asking if she could come as he was on his way to the police department.

Joo-yeon closed the book she was reading and moved immediately after hanging up.

Tak!

Joo-yeon, who arrived at the Elysium Police Department parking lot, was wearing a suit despite it being a day off for Orion Academy.

She moved, brushing her red hair aside, feeling a burning sensation inside.

“Excuse me!”

As she stepped into the police department headquarters, she strode inside with long strides.

The officers on duty knew who Joo-yeon was and why she was there, so they simply stepped aside.

Click. Click. Click.

There was no need to ask where Rohan was. She just had to head in the direction where she sensed his presence.

Suppressing the urge to cut straight through, Joo-yeon moved her feet quickly.

How many steps had she taken?

She caught sight of Rohan sitting among the officers.

“Instructor! Over here!”

“…!”

Contrary to the lively voice, Rohan was wrapped in bandages all over.

The past overlapped with his current appearance.

Juyeon closed her eyes tightly to shake off her distracting thoughts and moved her heavy steps.

Before figuring out what trouble Rohan had gotten into, she headed towards the person organizing medical supplies to check his condition.

“This is Juyeon, an instructor at Orion Academy. How is Cadet Rohan’s condition? Is he badly injured…?”

“He has stab wounds and abrasions evenly distributed all over his body. Some wounds will leave scars, but there are no injuries severe enough to cause permanent disability.”

The woman in charge of medical care at the police station continued her detailed explanation.

Only after hearing the confirmation that he was okay and there was no need to worry did Juyeon head towards Rohan.

Seeing his confident demeanor, she wondered if he hadn’t committed any crime.

“Rohan. What on earth…?”

“Instructor. I’m really sorry for bothering you on the weekend when you should be resting.”

“That’s okay. Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

“It looks worse than it is. I’m fine.”

“Whoo…”

Juyeon let out a heavy sigh and sat down on an empty chair.

The police officers who were with them knew who she was and kept silent, tense.

The youngest officer tactfully left to prepare something to drink.

“Could you explain what kind of trouble our cadet got involved in?”

“Sir, let me explain it myself…”

“Quiet. I’ll hear it later.”

Ju-yeon’s gaze, which had silenced Rohan, turned to the constable.

A man as large as Gilbert grabbed the documents on the desk and spoke up.

“General Ju-yeon, I’ll explain.”

“You’re an instructor now… Please go ahead.”

“First, the organization that Cadet Rohan eradicated is called Hwangseomdan (), a group involved in human trafficking and organ trafficking.”

“Eradicated…? Rohan took down a human trafficking organization…?”

Ju-yeon blinked in disbelief at the unexpected story.

The constable nodded mechanically and continued his explanation.

“Yes. After seeking cooperation from another country and receiving information, it matched the wanted individuals. Currently, constables are searching the area, and it is presumed that there are no remnants left.”

“.”

“The total number of people rescued by Cadet Rohan from the organization is fifteen, all of whom have been transported to the hospital for treatment.”

“.”

Ju-yeon, who had calmly grasped the situation, fell into thought.

The constable placed a drink brought by the youngest in front of Ju-yeon and offered praise.

“You have an excellent cadet.”

“On the contrary, I was able to grow this way because I met a good instructor.”

“Hahaha! Our junior is blessed with luck? I wish I had entered the academy at this time too.”

When Rohan interjected with a comment, the constable laughed heartily.

But Joo-yeon was different. The corners of her mouth drew a straight line, exuding coldness.

Her sharp eyes turned towards Rohan.

As their gazes met, he tried to smooth things over with an awkward smile.

‘This guy…’

I need to have a separate talk with Rohan.

Just as Joo-yeon made up her mind, the officer added an explanation, mentioning a part he had missed.

“The bounty will be transferred and paid by the police department as soon as it is approved by the foreign country, and the reward for protecting the academy city will be separately reviewed by the committee.”

“…Thank you for the detailed explanation. May I have a word with the cadet for a moment?”

At Joo-yeon’s request, the officer’s gaze turned to Rohan.

When Rohan nodded in agreement, the officers hurriedly prepared to leave, gathering their hats and equipment.

“Understood. If you need anything, please let us know at any time.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

The officer, who had finished preparing to leave, politely handed the documents he was holding to Joo-yeon.

“These are the records of Cadet Rohan’s testimony. If the person concerned agrees, it can be disclosed to the guardian, so you may read it.”

“Thank you.”

After the officers, a mix of various builds and races, left.

Joo-yeon began to meticulously read the documents she received from the officer, while Rohan remained silent.

After what felt like an eternity of suffocating silence for Rohan, Joo-yeon finally spoke as she reached the last page of the testimony.

“A car recklessly speeding through the alley threw a cigarette butt out the window, and amidst that, you heard a scream for help and decided to chase after it?”

“Yes. That’s correct. I still don’t know if it was a hallucination or a real scream.”

At Rohan’s answer, Jooyeon bit her lower lip hard.

Strangely, Chihwa’s words didn’t come out easily.

Saving a person is certainly something to be praised. Such real-life experience will also be excellent nourishment for growth.

But instead of praise, why did the scolding for not calling her first come out of her mouth?

“Instructor.”

“Do you have something to say?”

“I’m sorry.”

Jooyeon’s head, which had been fixed on the log with a stern face, moved.

Rohan was reflected in her eyes, which flickered like flames.

“I knew it was a dangerous task for my skills. But I thought it was something I had to do.”

“.”

“I considered contacting you when I was sure of the situation, but I judged that waiting could result in casualties.”

An explanation that it wasn’t an impulsive action driven by emotion.

If he had called, she would have definitely told him to leave the scene.

‘Ah.’

Jooyeon came to her senses at Rohan’s behavior, which seemed to be asking for forgiveness for his mistake.

She realized she had made the mistake of keeping her mouth shut in a serious atmosphere without saying a word of praise.

“I see. Well done. You did a great job.”

“Thank you.”

“Even after it ended, calling was the right decision. It’s something the instructor must know.”

“I apologize for creating such a situation over the weekend. I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize again. It’s really okay.”

“Yes!”

Juyeon relaxed her expression and smiled softly as she watched Rohan respond confidently.

Isn’t Rohan the one without family in the registry? As his instructor, she must be his only guardian.

“Since you’ve maintained the security of the academy city like this, your chances of passing the security officer exam after graduation are very high.”

Juyeon swallowed the bitter words lingering on her lips and playfully pinched Rohan’s cheek.

She wanted to pinch him as a reminder to be more careful and also to gently praise him.

“I had already considered that path as a candidate for a while.”

Rohan continued to answer with his cheek stretched by Juyeon’s playful hand.

“A security officer is one of the candidates… It seems you’re considering various career paths.”

“But I’ve roughly decided on a direction.”

“I’d like to hear about it once you’ve made a definite decision.”

“Of course. I will definitely do that.”

Despite his wounded appearance, how can he answer so well?

Juyeon pulled Rohan’s cheek again.

“Ouch!”

“In practical classes, you endure without showing any pain, but now you’re whining.”

Rohan’s voice stopped as if he had been caught.

Ju-yeon raised the corners of her lips even more and lightly scolded.

“Today’s deed is commendable a hundred times over. But from now on, be even more cautious and careful. Understood?”

“Yes! I will also train hard!”

Somehow, the current situation felt like the daily life she had with her younger sibling.

Suppressing her turbulent emotions, Ju-yeon sincerely advised.

“…If you get seriously hurt, you can’t undo it even if you regret it. You will suffer the most, and secondly, it will make those around you sad.”

“I’m sorry. I will keep that in mind.”

Rohan read the unknown atmosphere of Ju-yeon and closed his mouth for a moment.

But only for a moment.

He had to say what needed to be said.

“Instructor.”

“Speak.”

“But if the same situation arises in front of me again, I will act the same way.”

“…”

Ju-yeon kept her mouth shut. It felt like she was being drawn into cherished memories.

Other cadets did not give her this feeling. Only Rohan made her continuously chew over buried memories.

“I apologize in advance.”

Ju-yeon let out a small laugh at Rohan’s future apology.

“I didn’t see it that way… You are quite the troublemaker.”

Rohan tried to smooth it over with an embarrassed laugh.

Ju-yeon quietly observed the scene before standing up and heading towards the officers.

After a brief conversation, he returned to Rohan.

“Rohan. Can you walk?”

“No problem!”

Rohan sprang up and spun around in a circle.

It was partly to reassure Ju-yeon, but also because he genuinely had no issues.

“Good. Follow me.”

“Can I go back to the dormitory now?”

“No. We’re going to the instructor’s house.”

“…What?”

Rohan reacted as if he had misheard.

Ju-yeon, rarely showing a hint of playfulness, explained.

“They say the search for any remaining enemies and the on-site investigation aren’t over yet. If you don’t like the instructor’s house, you can wait at the police station until it’s done.”

The implication was that it would take at least a few hours of sitting and waiting.

“…”

Rohan’s hesitation didn’t last long.

He trailed closely behind Ju-yeon, who had taken it upon himself to be his guardian.