[…You’re really going to do it for me, right?]
"I told you I would."
The next morning.
The author seemed anxious, so she asked me for confirmation once more.
Even though I already said I would.
Well, I *did* refuse at first.
Even while she was trying to soothe me, I flinched and said no, which just made her cry harder, so I had no choice but to agree…
…Honestly, I still feel uneasy about it.
But what can I do? If I want to smooth things over with the author, I have to keep my promise.
[Hehe… If I watch the protagonist all day, I’ll get so much material!]
"…"
Yeah.
What’s the point in hiding it?
Since I ruined Yu Siwoo’s moment of glory, the author demanded compensation—and what she wanted was something I already did anyway.
Surveilling the protagonist.
But why did I refuse at first?
Because it’s *24-hour* surveillance.
That’s a whole different level from just keeping an eye on him from the sidelines.
Literally 24 hours. From this morning until tomorrow morning.
I thought events within the Academy would be enough material, but the author disagreed.
She said Yu Siwoo’s daily life could be good material too, or something like that.
I tried convincing her that an Academy novel doesn’t need a guy’s mundane daily routine, but she wouldn’t budge.
I even argued that it’d be way more useful to surveil his cozy date with a heroine later, but she still wouldn’t listen.
She even said that if we surveil him once now *and* once during his date, we’d get *even more* material.
I *do* have my own private life, and Yu Siwoo has his… but…
This time, I have no choice.
I silently apologized to Yu Siwoo in my mind—he’d be under my surveillance all day.
I can’t just outright tell him I’m watching him, after all.
It’s better if he doesn’t notice at all.
Hmm, will I even be able to pull this off? I’m a little worried.
[Ooooh, I’m so excited! What kind of day will he have…? Like, won’t there be *tons* of crazy incidents and accidents?!]
"Even the protagonist probably has normal days, though…"
No matter how I think about it, I don’t see the kind of scenes the author’s hoping for.
It’s not like the protagonist has some kind of novel-worthy event happening every single day.
[No way! That can’t be! He’s the *protagonist*!]
Where does this baseless confidence even come from?
I let out a small sigh.
"Well, fine. Just this once, right?"
[Ehehe… This is gonna be fun…!]
Fun? What’s fun about it?
I just hope she doesn’t end up disappointed.
"Starting now, you will learn about ethics."
A muscular male teacher entered the classroom and announced.
Naturally, the students—who had assumed they’d be training their Abilities or learning how to get stronger—immediately protested.
"Isn’t this supposed to be a practical class?"
"We came to the Academy to become Heroes."
Yu Siwoo could sympathize with his classmates’ complaints.
They’d trained hard since childhood to become Heroes, pushed through the Academy’s narrow gates, and passed the entrance exams.
Of course they expected to hone their skills and techniques—so why ethics, out of nowhere?
The teacher grinned at the students’ backlash.
"Yeah, I knew you’d hate it. Your seniors always did too."
"Then…!"
"But despite all the complaints, this class has always remained. The reason is simple: because you *have* to become Heroes."
Because they *have* to become Heroes?
The students began to focus on the teacher’s words.
It seemed like he was about to say something important.
"Math, science, Korean, English… You’ve only learned those at a basic common knowledge level, right?"
"Of course. We don’t even have enough time to train."
"Right. Exactly. You don’t need to study those things. A Hero doesn’t need to be good at math or know science perfectly."
The teacher stopped the girl who was about to say something.
"It’s true that you came here to become Heroes, and it’s also true that you have a stronger sense of justice than your peers. I’m well aware of that."
"Then isn’t there no need to study ethics! We have no reason to waste time—"
"That’s precisely why you need to learn the most essential ethics. Tell me, what do you do as a Hero?"
Suddenly questioned by the teacher, the girl froze.
What was her name again… Amelia?
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, she stammered out an answer.
"We… defeat monsters and catch Villains."
"Yes, that’s right. More accurately, you protect citizens from threats."
"But what does that have to do with ethics…!"
The teacher countered the protesting girl.
"Do you have any guarantee that you won’t become Villains yourselves?"
"…Huh?"
"In other words, can you promise you’ll never become Villains?"
"That’s obvious, isn’t it! We’re here to become Heroes—!"
"You’ve probably never heard that Academy graduates sometimes become Villains."
"?!"
Not just Amelia—many students were shocked by the revelation.
Academy graduates… becoming Villains?
"Th-That can’t be…!"
"Unfortunately, it’s true. Some get drunk on power, others get scouted by criminal organizations… There are many ways it happens."
An Academy student turning into a Villain.
Yu Siwoo glanced at Arte, then quickly averted his gaze.
Because Arte, smiling brightly, had caught his eye.
"But we can’t just preemptively cut off any potential Villains among you either."
Thump, thump.
The teacher circled around the students. Maybe to set the mood.
Before they knew it, the students were hanging on his every word. The teacher fixed them with a sharp gaze.
"That’s why we have no choice but to rely on your conscience. That’s why we teach ethics. It’s the bare minimum safety measure."
"Can something like that really stop someone from becoming a Villain?"
"I don’t know. But isn’t it better than doing nothing?"
"…"
"If you understand, take your seats. We need to start the lesson."
Watching the students lost in thought, Yu Siwoo’s mind grew complicated as well.
Academy students becoming Villains…
If that was possible, then Villains could infiltrate the Academy in the first place, couldn’t they?
A chill ran down Yu Siwoo’s spine as he felt a gaze on his back. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
After school, on his way home.
Yu Siwoo’s mind was still tangled.
Ethics. He’d never seriously considered it before.
Now that he thought about it, the teacher wasn’t wrong.
Villains would gain a comrade and lose an enemy at the same time if they could recruit a Hero.
And as always, breaking something was easier than protecting it.
He’d heard that Heroes were always overworked.
Without thinking, he looked around. The scenery he usually ignored now caught his eye.
A person casually tossing their finished trash onto the ground.
A person spitting on the sidewalk.
Normally, he would have just let it slide, but this time, his brow furrowed.
Suppressing his discomfort, he headed home.
A grandmother was pulling a handcart up a steep hill.
"...Grandmother, would you like some help?"
"Hmm...? You’re offering to help? Thank you, dear."
Normally, he wouldn’t have noticed her, but today, someone in need caught his eye.
So, Yu Siwoo helped the grandmother.
After pulling her handcart up the hill, the grandmother smiled and said,
"Thank you. I was able to come up easily because of you."
"It’s nothing."
Though he felt a little shy, hearing her gratitude warmed his heart.
Right, the teacher was right.
A hero exists to help others.
Morality really is important...
"...!"
In an instant, his warm heart turned icy, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it.
"Wa, wait... Just now... Behind the utility pole..."
He thought he saw black hair.
Long, wavy black hair that reached down to the chest. The same hair as that person who had been on his mind lately.
The warm breeze that had been blowing moments ago now felt chilling.
No, that can’t be.
Arte couldn’t possibly be here.
It must have been someone with a similar hairstyle... Right?
His pounding heart was deafening.
Arte Isis. She was following him.
There was no mistake.
He couldn’t possibly mistake those narrow eyes.
"What the hell...!"
Could it be...?
The teacher had mentioned that sometimes Academy students become villains.
Was she trying to recruit him as a villain?
Was that why she had been watching him?
He didn’t know.
He had no idea why she was following him.
Shivers ran down his spine. As soon as he got home, he drew the curtains shut.
"Huu, huu..."
His ragged breathing was unsettling. It felt like someone was watching him.
Memories of her actions flashed through his mind.
She had hacked into the Academy’s database, shown an unusual amount of interest in him, and somehow been involved in the beast incident.
And according to the teacher, the beast incident had been caused by a criminal’s mistake.
He didn’t know if the criminal had been Arte’s accomplice, but orchestrating a beast incident was no ordinary feat.
There had to be some grand conspiracy behind it all.
One thing was certain: she was plotting something with the being she called “Author-nim.”
And she was interested in him.
"...Did she leave?"
He cautiously peeked through the curtains.
The night had grown dark. Maybe she had finally gone home...
"...!"
He quickly let the curtains fall back into place.
She was there! She was still there!
It was faint, but he had seen her.
She was definitely watching his house!
"Why, why is she doing this to me..."
It was unfair, but Yu Siwoo couldn’t even shout out loud.
He was afraid of provoking Arte, who was watching his house from outside.
Yu Siwoo dove into his bed and pulled the blankets over his head,
like he had as a child after watching a scary movie.
Drip, drip—tears fell from his eyes, soaking his pillow.
That night, Yu Siwoo couldn’t sleep.