The Heretic of Cleric Academy-Chapter 29

"Damn, hey. Did you see the post that went up this time?"

"What post? Granche again?"

"Yeah, Granche. It’s an exposé post, and this..."

"An exposé? Not Do Seon-woo again?"

"No no. It’s Do Seon-woo again this time too. But the content seems a bit different."

"Do Seon-woo again? What the hell is that bastard going around doing?"

The school was unusually noisy. It was because of a post uploaded to ’Granche.’ It was an exposé post, but at the same time it was also a plea.

The children passed around their phones to read the post. The reactions of the children who read the post were all the same.

"Huh... Is this real?"

"...Wow."

There wasn’t even time to be angry. They just sighed or let out deep breaths. The content of the exposé post was too shocking.

The students looked at each other with bewildered expressions. No one opened their mouth. There was only silence.

Creak!

Finally the door opened.

The protagonist of the exposé post, Do Seon-woo, trudged in. However, no one looked at him. They couldn’t look, to be more accurate.

* * *

I came out early in the morning to study. The classroom, which would normally be noisy with gossip about me, was unusually quiet today. It was natural. The children even avoided making eye contact with me.

Eventually when it became 8:15, Ha Ye-jin entered the classroom. Her face, which always smiled brightly, was deeply troubled.

"We’ll begin morning assembly."

Likewise, her tone lacked strength.

"As I always say, there have been frequent kidnapping incidents targeting middle and high school students lately, so be careful. There are no other special announcements. Byeong-hun, come in."

When Ha Ye-jin gestured, Oh Byeong-hun, who had been waiting outside the classroom, walked in.

His face had many minor injuries as if he had been beaten by someone, and his ear was bandaged. Nevertheless, Oh Byeong-hun’s gait was confident. His eyes showed determination.

"Student Oh Byeong-hun is transferring schools due to health reasons. Byeong-hun says he has something to say to everyone as his final words. Please listen well."

Oh Byeong-hun cleared his throat. Then he smiled. It was a bright smile.

"Now that I’m standing here, I don’t have much to say. Thank you, and take care in the future."

His final farewell ended with that. It was very short, but nevertheless Oh Byeong-hun looked relieved.

"Prepare well for class. This concludes morning assembly."

With that, Ha Ye-jin left the classroom with Oh Byeong-hun. The classroom quickly became noisy as usual. The atmosphere wasn’t gloomy at all. If anything, it was much brighter than usual.

It was natural. Only one person out of numerous students was gone. Except for a few students who had been close to Oh Byeong-hun, no one cared.

I wasn’t close to Oh Byeong-hun either, and strictly speaking we were more like enemies, but strangely my heart felt uneasy. I felt frustrated and dizzy for no reason. I felt like I might throw up at the absurd reality.

"Phew."

I told Jeong In-ah I was going to the bathroom as an excuse and went outside. Breathing the outside air finally put my mind at ease.

I looked around at Florence’s scenery anew.

One pure white cloud was floating leisurely in the clear sky. The mountain visible beyond was vividly green.

Whoosh...

Tree leaves rustled in the wind, and the flowers blooming in the garden swayed along with them.

All the scenery was filled with vitality, announcing spring.

It was a magnificent view that cleared my mind.

"Do Seon-woo?"

Then someone called me. It was Oh Byeong-hun. He was fiddling with his short hair as if embarrassed. Eventually he smiled brightly and opened his mouth.

"It is you. Isn’t class starting soon? Why are you here?"

"I’ll go in soon. What about you?"

I asked casually. Oh Byeong-hun didn’t answer and just looked around. Very slowly. As if trying to capture every scenery of Florence in his eyes.

"Let me look around a bit. Now that I think I can’t come here anymore, I feel a bit sad. I had grown attached to this place."

"You just need to do well at your new school."

It was a thoughtless remark. Oh Byeong-hun tilted his head as if puzzled.

Eventually he made an "ah" sound and laughed for a long time in that spot.

I couldn’t guess at all why he was laughing.

"It was supposed to be a transfer. Actually it’s not a transfer, I’m dropping out."

Oh Byeong-hun said this while still laughing.

"Huh? Dropping out?"

"The reason I came to Florence was that. I wanted to become a Holy Knight."

"But why are you dropping out? After finally enrolling?"

"One of my ears, well, it’s completely messed up. I can’t become a Holy Knight with a body like this."

Oh Byeong-hun pointed to his right ear with his finger. It seemed there was a problem with his hearing. I could guess the reason. That day, he must have been continuously slapped by Bae Seong-hyeon.

"So I decided to rest for a while until it’s treated. I’ll have to take the qualification exam later or something."

"...I see."

I just nodded. I wanted to offer even formal consolation, but somehow I couldn’t open my mouth. Maybe there wasn’t even a need to console him.

Oh Byeong-hun’s face looked happier than ever.

Like that, silence fell for a moment. The blowing wind carried the scent of grass.

"I’m sorry."

Oh Byeong-hun’s apology broke the silence. The wind had already calmed down.

"Why the sudden apology?"

"For cursing behind your back, spreading rumors, doing all that. Just, everything. Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for? Anyway, you wrote well."

Oh Byeong-hun originally didn’t need to apologize to me. He had already made amends. Not with words, but with writing.

Last night, a post went up on Granche.

Do Seon-woo is not a school violence perpetrator. The real perpetrator is Bae Seong-hyeon. Bae Seong-hyeon made Go Jun-min write a false exposé post targeting Do Seon-woo. Bae Seong-hyeon still commits school violence, beating innocent students and extorting money.

That was roughly the content. The author was Oh Byeong-hun. He wrote the post under his real name, not anonymously. It was to increase credibility.

Moreover, Kim Jin-seo even commented on Oh Byeong-hun’s post to add her testimony. Thanks to this, the rumor that I was a school violence perpetrator disappeared.

To be precise, it didn’t disappear but just died down. That was enough.

"Then what’s the point? It was meaningless anyway."

However, the exposé post that Oh Byeong-hun courageously wrote couldn’t cause any harm to Bae Seong-hyeon.

"When you think about it, that’s true."

Still, that was enough.

I glanced up at the sky and took a deep breath.

Air full of grass scent filled my lungs completely. It was spring but the air was still cool. It was a trace left by the departed winter.

"But don’t you need to go up? Class will start soon."

Oh Byeong-hun asked. I checked the time on my phone. It was about time to go up.

"I should go soon."

"Yeah. I should leave now too."

With that conversation as the last, we parted ways. I headed to the classroom, and Oh Byeong-hun headed outside the school.

The passing wind was cool and warm at the same time. It was ironic, but it really was like that.

The classroom I eventually reached. Two seats were empty. One was Oh Byeong-hun’s seat, who had dropped out. The empty desk looked particularly lonely.

And the other one.

Involvement and manipulation in the Go Jun-min incident. Suspicion of collusion with Satan worshippers. School violence. Money extortion and other charges too numerous to list.

Although the trial results haven’t come out yet, judging by the evidence and circumstances, it’s clear there are grounds for suspicion, and it’s judged that he lacks the qualifications as Florence’s proud student and bearer of the ’Holy Name of Charity.’

Revocation of the Holy Name of Charity. And expulsion.

This was the punishment given to Bae Seong-hyeon as a result of the faculty meeting. The above content was posted prominently on the bulletin board in front of the main building this morning.

That’s how Bae Seong-hyeon’s seat became empty.

I stared blankly at the empty seats.

"Do Seon-woo. These guys say they have something to tell you."

Jeong In-ah approached. Both her tone and expression were cold.

Behind her, standing arrogantly with arms crossed and one leg cocked, three students tottered over. They were the friends who used to hang around with Oh Byeong-hun and gossip about me. They all couldn’t make eye contact with me.

"Um, well..."

Hesitating and just fidgeting with their fingers, one child spoke first.

"I saw the post. Sorry."

"Is that it?"

Jeong In-ah glared fiercely at the trio.

"Is that it?"

Step by step. She slowly walked toward the trio as she added. She was threatening enough to scare even me watching.

"You talked so well behind his back, but in front..."

"In-ah, I’ll talk to them."

"Huh? Oh, okay."

Jeong In-ah, who had been pouring out cynical remarks and harsh words, immediately became docile at my single word. Nevertheless, her sharp gaze at the trio remained unchanged.

She seemed even angrier than me. It looked like she was trying to be angry on my behalf.

[That child must have found you too frustrating to watch.]

Legba said quietly. It was true.

But the people who should apologize to me aren’t them. It’s Go Jun-min who posted it and Bae Seong-hyeon who encouraged him to post it.

Go Jun-min is dead and Bae Seong-hyeon was expelled, so they’ll never have to apologize to me for the rest of their lives.

"It’s okay, so go. Class is starting."

I smiled and sent them away. Jeong In-ah looked at me as if incredulous.

"No. No, why? No, why are you just letting them go? You said you’d talk to them directly?"

Jeong In-ah’s voice trembled. She seemed quite angry. Jeong In-ah could be somewhat scary when she got angry. She also had more anger than I thought.

"Just. It’s good enough that they came to apologize."

"Huh. I. Wow. You really, what kind of kid."

Jeong In-ah couldn’t continue her words. She seemed so frustrated that she was speechless.

Eventually she sighed deeply for a while to calm her anger. Even so, her anger wasn’t fully resolved, as she kept muttering to herself.

Idiot. Really an idiot? But those guys really left when told to go. I can’t believe it...

Jeong In-ah seemed to only know the word "idiot" as a curse. After muttering to herself for a while, she sighed deeply and opened her mouth.

"...Fine. If the person involved says it’s okay, then whatever."

Her face still looked displeased, but it was much better than before.

"I don’t see Gu Jun-hyeok."

I quickly changed the subject while her anger had subsided.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen Gu Jun-hyeok since earlier. At first I thought he was just coming late, but he still hadn’t come even though class was about to start.

"Oh, him. He’s resting at home because he’s sick. Was it a cold?"

"Sick? Him?"

"I honestly can’t believe it either. I think he’s just lying because he doesn’t want to come to school. Maybe not."

Gu Jun-hyeok catching a cold. The saying that idiots don’t catch colds was nonsense.

"When he’s here I get annoyed. But when he’s not here, it’s kind of..."

"Sorry!"

Then someone interrupted my words and butted in. It was the trio who used to hang around with Oh Byeong-hun. They seemed to have come back to apologize again because they felt uncomfortable.

It’s really okay.

"I told you I’m fine."

"Still. Sorry for suspecting you. It must have been hard..."

"Me too, I didn’t know anything and just, um. I just believed the rumors. ...Sorry."

When one apologized, apologies followed in succession.

Oh Byeong-hun had a gentle and kind heart despite his rough appearance. The trio had similar personalities. They were kids who always hung around with Oh Byeong-hun, so naturally their personalities became similar too.

It was a bit burdensome, but anyway I smiled brightly and accepted their apologies.

"Oh, Byeong-hun said he wants to see you. I saw him briefly outside earlier."

"Really? What else did he say?"

"Do you know where he’s transferring to?"

When I mentioned Oh Byeong-hun, his friends’ eyes lit up as they asked me various questions.

But actually Oh Byeong-hun never said such things. It was purely a lie to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"I don’t know well either. He just asked me to pass along the message."

"Ah... Okay. Thanks anyway."

Oh Byeong-hun’s friends returned with clearly disappointed faces. Oh Byeong-hun actually dropped out rather than transferred, but it seemed better not to mention it.

"You’ll really make friends at this rate."

Jeong In-ah, who had been watching from the side, said bluntly.

"It’s good to make friends."

"Oh my, yes sir. I just feel irritated when I see those guys."

"Irritated? About what?"

"Cursing behind your back and then coming to apologize now. It’s shameless."

I could understand her feelings too.

Oh Byeong-hun’s friends had badmouthed me behind my back. They criticized me indiscriminately and contributed to spreading rumors. And now that the truth was revealed, they came to apologize belatedly.

From a third party’s perspective, they might seem shameless.

"At least they apologized now."

However, I was rather grateful that they came to apologize, even if belatedly.

Jeong In-ah’s eyebrows twitched. After looking at me with displeasure for a while like that, she suddenly started laughing.

"You’re really like an idiot sometimes."

"If I’m an idiot, then you’re..."

"Huh. What about me?"

"Nothing."

I hastily swallowed my words. I felt like I shouldn’t say more. It was intuition.

Jeong In-ah tilted her head and looked at me.

"What? Why did you stop talking? What were you going to say?"

"It’s nothing. When is the teacher coming? Aren’t we having class today?"

I casually changed the subject.

"You’re right. Why isn’t she coming in?"

Jeong In-ah voiced her question. Then someone rushed in through the front door and shouted.

"Hey! This period is self-study!"

"Ah, self-study."

I nodded.

I apologized to the trio, had a conversation with Jeong In-ah, and did everything, but she still didn’t come, so I thought something was strange, but it was self-study. No wonder.

* * *

School ended. I immediately went to the chapel.

Uncle Lee Jin-seong was staring at dBP corporation’s stock price on his phone, unable to take his eyes off it. His eyes were moist and his nose tip was red.

"Uncle, are you crying?"

Uncle startled and looked up. Then tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes rolled down his cheeks.

"Huh? Why am I tearing up...?"

"Now you’re even talking nonsense. That’s why you should have sold when I told you to."

Uncle wiped his tears with a handkerchief. His eyes were still red. He seemed to have been crying all along before I came.

This is someone who didn’t shed a single tear even when father died. But he’s crying like this over one failed stock.

Really, it’s a bit much for me to say this to uncle. But he looks like a crazy person.

A person crazy about money.

"Seon-woo. What are we going to do now? We’re really screwed..."

"What do you mean ’we’? It’s not my money."

"It is ’us.’ I’m sorry..."

Uncle hung his head low. His voice lacked strength.

For a moment, an ominous premonition crossed my mind.

No way. It can’t be. No, no matter what, surely not.

"You didn’t touch the donations or Voodoo sect operating funds, did you?"

"..."

Uncle didn’t answer and just looked at me with a sad smile.

Ah.

[Look at this worthless bastard!]

Beyond my hazy consciousness, I heard Legba’s voice. His tone was very angry. His voice was so loud it echoed in my head and hurt.

[Tell him my words exactly. Starting from today, two weeks from now.]

"Uncle. Two weeks from today."

[By then, if you can’t make up the losses.]

"By then, if you can’t make up the losses."

[I’ll turn you into a zombie and sell you as a slave to make up the losses.]

"I’ll turn you into a zombie and sell you as a slave to make up the losses. That’s what Legba says."

Uncle, who heard the story, looked at me with eyes full of despair.

"Lord Legba said that?"

"He seems very angry."

"Ah, what should I really do? Really, sigh."

Uncle pulled at his hair and lamented.

Uncle is always rational and calm. However, he often loses his reason in front of money. Now was exactly that time.

"But uncle, you’re good at making money. Can’t you make it up quickly?"

"Well, ah."

"How much is the loss?"

I asked casually. Uncle lowered his voice to tell me the amount of the loss.

"What? Really? No, don’t joke around."

"Would I joke in this situation? Haaa..."

The amount was so large that I’d rather believe it was a joke. I never thought it would be this much.

"Um, how about just becoming a zombie? This is definitely impossible to make up."

I spoke honestly. Uncle’s face contorted with despair.

[But are there still slave traders these days? Or something similar.]

"There are no slave traders. Something similar would be, um. Deep-sea fishing boats?"

[Selling to organ traffickers wouldn’t be bad either.]

"That’s a bit much. No matter what, we’re family."

While I was having a conversation with Legba, Uncle Lee Jin-seong was busily preparing something.

He put on a suit, applied wax to slick back his hair, and put on gold-rimmed glasses. He seemed to be planning to go out.

"Where are you going?"

"Phew, two weeks. Lord Legba said to make it up within two weeks, right?"

I nodded.

No matter how I thought about it, there was no way to make up such losses wit

hin two weeks. Even if he went to a casino and hit the jackpot, it would be questionable whether he could make it up.

Truly despair. Perfect despair with no hope.

Nevertheless, Uncle Lee Jin-seong was smiling. He seemed to have something in mind.

"I’ll be going to find the altar soon, so answer when I call."

Uncle quickly climbed the stairs and left the chapel. I watched his retreating figure for a long time.

The altar.

Uncle definitely said that.