I Became an Academy Overpowered Growth Genius

I Became an Academy Overpowered Growth Genius – 71

EP.71 Park Shin-hye (1)

Three days before the academy’s reopening.

As soon as the sun rose, Kang Seo-jun prepared to go out.

[Connection with host 《Park Shin■?》 is unstable.]

[To reconnect with host 《Park Shin■?》, please approach within 5 meters.]

He needed to fix the suddenly malfunctioning ‘Parasitic Growth’.

Following the system’s guidance, he had to see Park Shin-hoo first.

Only then could he find any clues as to why ‘Parasitic Growth’ had suddenly stopped working.

Finding out where Park Shin-hoo was hospitalized wasn’t difficult.

[Setting destination to 《Hospital where Park Shin■? is admitted》.]

[The Eye of Providence will guide you to the destination.]

.

.

.

Using the Eye of Providence’s navigation, he could find him with very little mana.

Kang Seo-jun quickly arrived at the hospital using public transportation and headed straight to the reception desk.

[To visit a VIP room, registration is required. Please inquire at the reception desk.]

The Eye of Providence instructed him to do so, so he had no choice but to comply.

“How can I help… Eek!?”

The receptionist had a fit as soon as she saw Kang Seo-jun.

She reacted as if she had seen a giant cockroach.

Having experienced similar reactions countless times on his way here, it no longer hurt him.

[The constellation 《Compassionate Hermit》 sponsors you with dimensional currency as a gesture of comfort.]

Though it wasn’t his intention, the dimensional currency from the Compassionate Hermit was quite a nice bonus.

“W-what can I help you with! Uh, uh!”

“I’m here to visit a patient.”

“W-w-what is the patient’s name, uh, uh!”

“Park Shin-hoo. Park. Shin. Hoo.”

The receptionist stuttered badly, but the registration process went smoothly.

“P-Park… Shin… Hoo…”

With trembling hands, the receptionist searched the name and blinked rapidly at the monitor.

“I-I’m sorry, s-sir? There is no patient named Park Shin-hoo.”

“…What?”

The Eye of Providence had clearly guided him to this hospital.

“Are you sure you searched correctly?”

“Eek!? Ah! I’ll try again!”

…Anyone would think he was pointing a gun at her.

“Th-the admission record… It says he was discharged a week ago… Ah! I-I’m sorry! He changed his name a week ago! Park Shin-hye… He’s admitted in a VIP room.”

“…?”

Park Shin-hye?

Isn’t that a woman’s name?

“I-I’ll register you right away!”

“Wait a minute…”

Just as Kang Seo-jun was about to ask the receptionist to search for Park Shin-hoo’s name again,

– Ding. –

[Registration complete. Please take the elevator to the 11th floor.]

“Huh?”

The guidance from the ‘Eye of Providence’ updated, leaving Kang Seo-jun no choice but to close his mouth.

‘The registration went through?’

So, did Park Shin-hoo really change his name to Park Shin-hye?

With his personality? Using such a feminine name?

Why would he change his name? And why change just one character at the end?

Countless questions flooded his mind, but there were no answers to be found at the moment.

“P-please go up to the 11th floor. They will guide you from there!”

Following the guidance of the ‘Eye of Providence’ and the receptionist, Kang Seo-jun took the elevator to the 11th floor.

– Ding! –

The elevator doors slowly opened with a chime.

As he stepped into the lobby, two burly men in suits were waiting for him.

“Gasp?!”

“Huff?!”

They immediately raised their fists and assumed combat stances upon seeing Kang Seo-jun.

Their reaction was as if they had encountered a monster.

“…”

[The constellation 《Compassionate Hermit》 sponsors you with dimensional currency as a gesture of comfort.]

At this point, it felt more like they were teasing him…

‘But I understand…’

Standing at 198 cm, with a build that made Ngannou look like a lightweight.

And with skin and facial features that resembled an undead more than a human.

Even Kang Seo-jun hadn’t fully adapted to his appearance yet, so he could only imagine how shocking it must be for others seeing him for the first time.

“…”

Kang Seo-jun quietly waited for them to lower their fists.

Approaching them recklessly might actually provoke them into throwing punches.

He wasn’t here to fight, after all.

“……”

“……”

They stared at each other for about 40 seconds.

The first to speak was one of the burly men in suits.

“…Where are you from?”

Thankfully, they were attempting to communicate.

It was sad that this was something to be relieved about.

“…I’m here to visit a friend. I was told to come to the 11th floor and that you’d guide me.”

“…We are the guides. May I see your ID?”

Do you need to show an ID to visit someone in a VIP room?

Considering what had happened to Park Shin-hoo, it made sense.

With that thought, Kang Seo-jun handed over his student ID.

The guide carefully took the ID and compared it to Kang Seo-jun.

“Hmm…”

The ID photo had been updated just yesterday, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

“Hmmm…”

But the verification was taking longer than expected.

The burly man comparing the ID to Kang Seo-jun spoke to the other guide, who seemed to be his subordinate.

“…Contact the young master… no, the young lady. Tell her a friend has come to visit. His name is Kang Seo-jun.”

Young master? Young lady?

It was then that Kang Seo-jun noticed the triangular badges on their chests.

The logo of the Taesan Group.

Ah. They weren’t hospital guides but security personnel from the Taesan Group.

“Please wait a moment.”

While the subordinate security guard made a call, the senior guard spoke to Kang Seo-jun.

“…It’s the first time a friend has come to visit.”

“I’m the first?”

Where were all the lackeys who used to follow Park Shin-hoo around?

No loyalty, those guys.

Or maybe it was expected, considering how Park Shin-hoo treated them.

Wait a minute.

Kang Seo-jun pointed to the subordinate making the call and asked,

“Who is he contacting?”

“…Ah. He’s informing the young master… no, the young lady that a guest has arrived. If she approves, we will guide you inside. Please wait a moment.”

Young lady? If it’s the young lady of the Taesan Group, then it’s Park Seo-yoon?

Sigh… Meeting her is still awkward.

‘Could she be nearby?’

If she was nearby, it might be better to postpone meeting Park Shin-hoo.

If by any chance Park Seo-yoon realized that Kang Seo-jun was the one who attacked her that night, it would be difficult to return to the dormitory unscathed.

Of course, he had worn a mask and his build had grown significantly since then, so she might not recognize him, but instincts are unpredictable.

While he was lost in thought, the subordinate who had finished the call returned and whispered to the senior guard.

‘Why the sudden whispering?’

Kang Seo-jun tilted his head slightly and activated the Eye of Providence.

Soon, the system message displayed the subordinate’s whispered words.

[-The support request is not going through. No one is responding.]

“…?”

Support request?

Did they call for backup while making him wait?

Why?

‘Did they mistake me for a demon just based on my appearance?’

Fortunately, due to some unknown reason, the support request seemed to have failed. However, with Park Seo-yoon’s presence and the guards’ behavior, it was clear that staying here any longer would be problematic.

‘I should either sneak in at night or come back later disguised with a more handsome face.’

Just as he was about to say he would leave,

“…Please proceed.”

The senior guard unexpectedly allowed him to pass.

“Excuse me?”

“…Go down the left corridor and enter room 1101. Here is the security key card…”

They even handed him a security key card.

“Senior!?”

“Stay quiet!”

‘What’s going on?’

He couldn’t understand their sudden change in behavior.

Kang Seo-jun used the Eye of Providence to read the senior guard’s thoughts.

– Wooong –

[-A demon… If he wanted to disguise himself, he should have at least tried to look normal… Expecting us to believe he’s an academy student with that appearance…? No… This isn’t carelessness, it’s confidence. He didn’t disguise himself because he didn’t need to. He’s confident in his abilities. No matter who stands in his way, he believes he can get through. That terrifying appearance… That immense build… That chilling aura… Even compared to the honorary chairman, he doesn’t fall short. He must be an S-rank or higher demon. There’s no way the two of us can handle him. The support request not going through must be a demon’s trick. From the moment he entered, there was nothing we could do. To save our lives, we must avoid provoking him and let him pass…]

“……Huh.”

Kang Seo-jun let out a hollow laugh without realizing it.

Can people really make such judgments just based on appearances?!

[The constellation 《Compassionate Hermit》 sponsors you with dimensional currency as a gesture of comfort.]

At this point, it felt like they were definitely teasing him.

“Excuse me.”

He could have just ignored it and gone in, but that would leave a bad taste.

They might call for backup later or try something foolish like attacking from behind.

Kang Seo-jun decided it was best to clear up any misunderstandings before proceeding.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding. I don’t intend to cause any trouble, and I’m not a demon.”

The senior guard, still bowing, replied,

“W-what are you talking about! We are just letting in the young master… I mean, the young lady’s friend…”

“Ah.”

It felt pointless to keep explaining.

“Sigh.”

Kang Seo-jun sighed softly and moved towards room 1101.

“Alright. I’ll be in there for about 10 minutes, so don’t worry too much. And don’t contact anyone unnecessarily.”

“O-of course… Thank you…!”

“Senior!?”

“…If you want to live, stay quiet!”

“…Tsk.”

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Leaving the bickering guards behind, Kang Seo-jun walked towards room 1101 where Park Shin-hoo was.

[To reconnect with host 《Park Shin■?》, please approach within 5 meters.]

‘Shin-hoo, what on earth happened to you?’

It was time to find out.