HLSEBT - 48

48. Exploration 2

A strict-looking administrator greeted her. 

“First, you’ll join the morning meditation session with our visiting teacher. Then you’ll attend a class on opening the path to inner peace, followed by a healthy lunch.” 

“No guiding?” 

The administrator replied with a firm expression. 

“Relying on guiding is a bad habit. According to the report, Jeon Sung-ha, you don’t seem to have any specific injuries, correct?” 

Thankfully, she obediently followed his instructions. 

The atmosphere didn’t suggest they were forcing her into anything particularly difficult. 

She attended a series of classes filled with vague, impractical advice and rested in a room filled with artificially clean air. 

If this was all they offered, wouldn’t it be better to install a few windows in the building? There were plenty of mountains nearby. Honestly, that’s what she thought. 

Because she believed such things couldn’t be controlled through programs. 

Ironically, Professor Yoon had failed to reform his granddaughter. Perhaps she was the one he most wanted to control perfectly, but he had failed. 

The countless artificial programs he emphasized had never helped her. Not to mention the medications he forced her to take—they hadn’t worked either. 

It would’ve been better to eat shaved ice prepared by Lee Haekyung, tease Seo Dojin and run away, or stack macarons she couldn’t finish eating with Winter while watching movies. 

Arguing nonsense with Cheon Geonyoung felt more helpful than staring blankly at peaceful image slideshows… 

Yoon Taeha, who had been sitting still with her eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open with conscious effort. 

Ziiing. Ziiiiing. Listening to the continuous tone at a fixed pitch made her thoughts soar as if they could reach the edge of the sky. 

---

After the morning program ended, Yoon Taeha went to eat lunch. After finishing a well-balanced meal, she scanned the students dining with her for Kwon Min-gi. 

According to the blueprints, there were three cafeterias: one for special management cases, one for regular students, and one for staff. She first checked the student cafeteria where she ate, but Kwon Min-gi wasn’t there. 

Using teleportation only within blind spots of CCTV cameras, she checked the staff cafeteria according to the memorized blueprint. He wasn’t there either. 

While trying to avoid detection by staff, she forcefully teleported behind an opaque wall once. 

A sharp headache immediately struck her. 

She hid behind several large potted plants while waiting for the pain to subside. Pressing her palms against the cold pots, she tried to dissipate the heat somehow. 

This was a pain she had forgotten about while sticking close to Cheon Geonyoung. They said prolonged exposure to weak radiating guiding could help, even if it wasn’t measurable. 

Perhaps she really did need that glittering-faced man. 

Just then, permission finally came through. She immediately plugged in her earphones. 

- Permission granted to adjust CCTV inside Shelter West H Building. 

- Where would you like to go, Master? 

Shaking her head, Yoon Taeha moved more freely. 

Using breaks between programs, she scoured every area of H Building. 

By evening, she emerged from H Building completely drained. The administrator attributed her exhaustion to the effects of meditation and mental discipline. 

She didn’t even have the energy to scoff. But she needed to keep her wits about her. 

Kwon Min-gi had disappeared. As soon as she confirmed this, she hastily sent a message to Cheon Geonyoung. 

She searched the study rooms, training rooms, and meditation rooms—every space where special supervisors should be stationed and where traces of him should remain. But he was nowhere to be found. 

One student had vanished. 

---

Cheon Geonyoung returned to the principal’s office at the principal’s request. 

The excuse was that he wanted to check on how the newly transferred student was adapting. Of course, he didn’t believe that was the real reason as he opened the door to the principal’s office. 

The principal, who had been gazing out the window, greeted Cheon Geonyoung politely upon his arrival. 

“Welcome.” 

As he turned his head, a figure seated with their back to the window abruptly stood up. It wasn’t the principal but a third person. 

“Ah, hello. This is our first time meeting in person, isn’t it?” 

A small-framed man spoke in a highly nervous voice. It was Shin Jae-il, the Esper who had been dispatched first. 

Shin Jae-il jumped up and extended his hand for a handshake. Cheon Geonyoung noted that the other man’s palm was drenched in sweat. 

After seating the two agents facing each other, the principal spoke. 

“I invited you here because I was curious about any progress in your investigation. I’d love to visit myself, but as you can see, I’m too conspicuous.” 

Polite exchanges ensued. Finally, as the moment to address the main topic approached, Shin Jae-il spoke first. 

“The A Class students have been quiet lately. One of our targets, Bae Ji-ho, doesn’t appear to be using anything suspicious. However, regarding those kids who recently caused trouble…” 

He mentioned a few names. Apparently, they seemed to be tampering with medications in the infirmary. The principal acted as though he had just realized the world was ending tomorrow. 

“Medications in the infirmary? I never considered that. Surely not Teacher Kim…” 

“It’s not certain yet. But perhaps we should pay attention to that possibility.” 

Shin Jae-il had been deployed to A Class as an Esper first. He was also the one who extracted an enhancer pill from Kwon Min-gi and sent it to the center. 

Among the initially dispatched agents, Shin Jae-il was the only one who remained undercover, so logically, he should have been a valuable asset to the investigation. 

“The students are adept at exploiting blind spots on campus, and their codes change constantly…” 

Nodding absentmindedly to Shin Jae-il’s words, Cheon Geonyoung thought to himself. 

Had he betrayed them? 

He suspected so—not solely because of the stagnant preliminary investigation. No record conveys as much as someone’s eyes. 

Except for rare S-class cases, people struggle to hide their emotions with their eyes. And the man before him was wracked with extreme anxiety. 

After closely observing Shin Jae-il, Cheon Geonyoung shifted his focus. 

What about the principal? 

“For now, I’ll inspect the infirmary. I’ll handle it personally. If anyone among the faculty is involved in this matter… I will catch them without fail.” 

He clenched his fist, exuding intense determination, as if vowing not to tolerate corruption rising behind the ivory tower of moral education he had built. 

Testing the integrity of his tower, Cheon Geonyoung spoke. 

“There’s been progress in identifying the broker.” 

“Is that so?” 

Though it might be deemed shameless misunderstanding, his misunderstandings boasted a high success rate. If he couldn’t do the job properly, being shameless was preferable. 

The principal’s Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably. As soon as Cheon Geonyoung began speaking, Shin Jae-il anxiously glanced back and forth between the principal and him. 

“Hwang Sungbin is the broker.” 

“Hwang Sungbin… Are you certain?” 

Cheon Geonyoung gave a brief nod to the principal’s repeated question. 

Hwang Sungbin was unaware that an undercover agent had infiltrated the school. If he knew, he wouldn’t have spilled evidence and information so easily. The broker planned to make one big score before graduation. 

Perhaps it was natural. 

What were the chances that the mastermind behind such operations would relay their identity and case updates to a mere student? 

It was as likely as Chairman Cheon suddenly rising tomorrow to slap the vice chairman and report his second son’s murder to the police. 

In other words, zero. 

Hwang Sungbin was a disposable tail, left to rot after being used, reeking of foul intentions. 

“I’m certain. I witnessed him preparing a transaction. And this too.” 

Cheon Geonyoung placed the sample candy Hwang Sungbin had provided in front of the principal. The principal picked it up. 

“So this is…” 

“It’s called a ‘sample.’ They give it to potential buyers without prior purchase histories—a sort of trial version.” 

Silent until now, Shin Jae-il spoke up. 

“Are you sure it’s Hwang Sungbin? Woo Joo Han seemed closely related to the Espers under investigation.” 

“That student is unrelated to this matter.” 

“He was attacked by a combat-type Esper when he was young, so he despises that type. Unless it’s about medication, he wouldn’t meet them separately, truly…” 

“Agent Shin Jae-il.” 

The principal cut him off firmly. Shin Jae-il closed his mouth again. Meanwhile, Cheon Geonyoung excused himself to check a message from Yoon Taeha. 

“My apologies. It’s from the company…” 

“Feel free to take it. After all, we’re all here to work, aren’t we?” 

With a calm face, he read the new information in his eyes. 

[Yoon Taeha][6:11] Kwon Min-gi isn’t where he’s supposed to be. I’ve checked all spaces listed on the blueprint. 

[Yoon Taeha][6:13] Someone seems to have smuggled him out. 

When Cheon Geonyoung looked up, a gentle smile graced his lips. His relaxed expression made both Shin Jae-il and the principal swallow nervously. 

“What’s the current status of Kwon Min-gi?” 

The topic shifted. 

At the mention of a new name by the fresh agent, Shin Jae-il’s eyelids trembled. He began rubbing his hands incessantly. At least the principal’s voice remained steady. 

“He’s currently resting in H Building.” 

“Has his condition stabilized?” 

“Yes, the side effects from the enhancers have mostly subsided. Initially, he couldn’t even say his own name properly, but now…” 

“While following the center’s order to prioritize broker identification, Kwon Min-gi has continued to weigh on my mind.” 

“…” 

“Hwang Sungbin dropped some hints as well.” 

Cheon Geonyoung hadn’t heard anything about Kwon Min-gi from Hwang Sungbin yet. Still, he calmly raised his cards, as if holding significant information. 

Chairman Cheon was the kind of man who could win others’ money even with a losing hand. And he was the grandson of such a grandfather. 

Shin Jae-il leaned forward like a gambler desperate to see the opponent’s cards, but when his eyes met Cheon Geonyoung’s, he flinched and retreated. 

Unable to bear it, the principal asked directly. 

“Did Hwang Sungbin mention anything about Kwon Min-gi?” 

“It’s unverified information, so I’m cautious.” 

Cracks began forming in the principal’s previously calm demeanor. His speech, which had maintained a steady pace, gradually sped up.