How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 45. S-rank

– Kwang!

As Kim Jin-myung simply raised a hand, the eleven villains charging from all directions were simultaneously slammed to the ground.

“Cough!”

Having subdued all the villains in one fell swoop, Kim Jin-myung now lifted Dino Chiellini into the air.

“Ugh!”

Dino Chiellini writhed against the sudden shift in gravity, suspended in the air, when Director Kim Jin-myung stepped forward, his chin jutting out as he spoke.

“How dare you attempt to kidnap Chairwoman Kate? Whose fool’s errand are you following?”

In response, Dino Chiellini merely clenched his teeth in frustration, saying nothing.

“Right. Of course.”

– Bang!

Director Kim Jin-myung slammed Dino Chiellini back into the concrete floor just as agents from the Special Defense Agency burst onto the scene.

“Di-Director!?”

The agents’ eyes widened in shock at the unexpected sight of their superior.

“Get moving, now! And secure these b*stards.”

Having organized the chaos, Director Kim Jin-myung finally approached Chairwoman Kate, who had been taking cover nearby.

“Apologies for the delay, Chairwoman Kate. I flew over as soon as I got the signal, but I was in Paju for work… Anyway, are you unharmed?”

Chairwoman Kate nodded in response.

“Yes. Thank you. I owe my safety to the emergency beacon you provided. I truly didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly… Ah! But before that…”

Her gaze shifted to Kim Do-jin, who stood beside her.

“If it weren’t for this student, Kim Do-jin, I would have been captured without a fight.”

Chairwoman Kate continued, offering a polite nod to Kim Do-jin.

“Thank you, Kim Do-jin. Because of you, I am safe.”

Kim Do-jin bowed his head slightly, and Director Kim Jin-myung observed him with keen interest.

“I caught a glimpse from afar. You were handling them all on your own. But how did you manage that?”

With disbelief in his eyes, Director Kim Jin-myung awaited an answer, and Kim Do-jin replied with a nonchalant expression.

“Oh, it was thanks to the Chairwoman’s buff. But… is it alright? That you used that ability on me…?”

Chairwoman Kate’s ‘Permanent Magic Enhancement’ was said to be usable only ten times a year, granted solely to the top ten graduates of ‘Ark’ each year.

Now that one had been used, what would they do moving forward?

“Heh. It’s fine. If I hadn’t, I would have been captured right away. And… I don’t foresee any issues. With your skills, Kim Do-jin, you’re bound to be in the top ten anyway. Isn’t that right?”

Chairwoman Kate smiled as she spoke, and Kim Do-jin nodded in understanding.

‘In truth, it can be used up to twelve times a year…’

Of course, he kept that thought to himself.

Kim Do-jin inclined his head slightly, signaling that he would take his leave if there was nothing more to discuss.

– Thud.

Suddenly, Director Kim Jin-myung seized his shoulder.

“I thought your face looked familiar! You’re the child of Chairman Kim Mu-ho! But… were you always this strong?”

Indeed, the eyes of a world-class champion could not be deceived.

Through the elixir, Kim Do-jin, who had barely brushed the threshold of B-rank, had now surpassed even the A-rank barrier, thanks to Chairwoman Kate’s ‘perpetual power enhancement.’

At just 17 years of age, he had reached an astonishing height.

Moreover, he was wielding previously unknown psychic abilities, which could not help but spark curiosity.

But.

“Haha. Well, what does it matter? It’s a good thing that such talent has emerged in South Korea. Be sure to send my regards to the Chairman later.”

Director Kim Jin-myung, surprisingly, released Kim Do-jin without much fuss.

“Ah, yes….”

Kim Do-jin, who had expected a barrage of questions, bowed his head once more and left the room, thus the incident of Chairwoman Kate’s abduction came to a safe conclusion.

* * *

An hour had passed since the resolution of the abduction incident.

Considering the emergency, ‘Arc’ had canceled all afternoon classes and urgently reinforced internal security forces from the ‘Special Defense Bureau.’

And Kim Do-jin was.

“Haah….”

As soon as he returned to his dorm room, he plopped down onto the sofa, catching his breath.

“Meow?”

Looking quite exhausted, Winter leaped onto the sofa, displaying an unexpected display of affection.

“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about.”

Kim Do-jin reassured Winter with a gentle pat on the belly, then fell into thought.

‘Is Rodrick doing well?’

Having faced the brink of death once, he found himself yearning desperately for his original body.

This reckless body of Kim Do-jin certainly possessed immense talent, but it was still incomparable to the original.

‘I wish he would come here as soon as possible…’

Indeed, until he regained his original form, he needed to exercise even more caution.

Kim Do-jin firmly resolved that if something like today were to happen again, he would never recklessly throw himself into danger, but instead focus on strengthening his power.

* * *

The aftermath of the attempted abduction of Chairwoman Kate was significant.

On the following Tuesday, all classes were canceled once again.

“Haam….”

A sudden holiday.

With nothing in particular to do, Kim Do-jin lay sprawled on the sofa, fiddling with his smartphone.

“Kim Do-jin….”

As he typed his name into the search bar of a portal site, a torrent of information cascaded before him.

Perhaps it was to be expected; at the very top of the search results was information about that scoundrel, Kim Do-jin.

‘I’m already a dead man, known as a filthy traitor, so what…’

Kim Do-jin let out a bitter smile as he continued to sift through the data.

[Date of Birth: December 15, 2021]

[Nationality: South Korea]

[Physical: 181cm, 69kg]

[Family: Father – Kim Mu-ho, Siblings – Kim Do-gyeom, Kim Su-a, Kim Do-hyeong]

[Education: Private Jinseong Hero High School (Currently Enrolled)]

The profile floated at the top.

“What am I, some kind of celebrity?”

Indeed, there were even articles about ‘Hunter Department reporters,’ as Awakened Ones garnered much attention from the public.

It was something Kim Do-jin couldn’t quite wrap his head around.

“Hmm….”

He absentmindedly stroked Winter’s soft belly, lying beside him, as he continued to scroll down.

[Kim Do-jin, the fourth to enter the Ark after Kim Do-gyeom, Kim Su-a, and Kim Do-hyeong. Significant impact in the field of genetic research on Awakened Ones…]

[This year’s top entrant to the 8th ‘Ark’ is Germany’s David Jelinek! Meanwhile, Kim Mu-ho’s third son, Kim Do-jin, entered with mid-tier grades…]

As expected of a famous person’s child, there were plenty of related articles.

“Not much good in any of it.”

Kim Do-jin chuckled bitterly and scrolled down once more.

How much time had passed like this?

– Vwooom!

The smartphone he had set aside finally lit up and vibrated.

“Is it here now?”

Kim Do-jin checked the name of his secretary, Jin Seo-hyun, flashing on the screen, and immediately sat up.

* * *

In front of a gravestone at the National Cemetery.

“I’m sorry, Director Yoon. I should have come sooner…”

Kim Do-jin murmured reverently as he laid down the flowers.

“……”

Raising his head from its bowed position, Kim Do-jin clenched his teeth as he gazed at the portrait of Yoon Si-hun.

Yoon Si-hun, the father of Yoon Yu-na, had been Kim Do-jin’s benefactor, murdered by Cheon Sang-seok while trying to protect him.

‘Cheon Sang-seok, that b*stard…’

Remembering Yoon Si-hun, a man so good that he would not have blamed Kim Do-jin even if he had betrayed him, the flames of vengeance against Cheon Sang-seok ignited anew within him.

‘That vile and insidious Cheon Sang-seok must have hesitated to brand Director Yoon as a traitor.’

After the assassination attempt seven years ago, Cheon Sang-seok had twisted lies to paint Kim Do-jin as a betrayer, and thus he was recorded in the annals of humanity as a power-hungry scum.

Yet, against the backdrop of Yoon Si-hun’s impeccable reputation, such a tactic was unthinkable.

So the fabricated tale became that Yoon Si-hun had valiantly perished in battle against the traitor Kim Do-jin for the sake of Cheon Sang-seok.

In truth, it was the exact opposite, but the world had no inkling of doubt about the words of Cheon Sang-seok, the Director of the ‘Order,’ the strongest awakened being and the most powerful man in the world.

Regardless, Yoon Si-hun had been slain by Cheon Sang-seok, and Kim Do-jin vowed to exact revenge, preparing to turn away.

But then, at that moment…

“Uh?”

Suddenly, a woman approached from behind, speaking to Kim Do-jin.

“Do you happen to know my husband?”

From the moment he heard her voice, Kim Do-jin recognized her instantly.

He quickly masked his surprise and slowly turned to respond.

“Ah, yes. I once received a favor from the hero Yoon Si-hun.”

The woman, as her words revealed, was Jeong Ye-eun, Yoon Si-hun’s wife.

Kim Do-jin bowed his head in greeting, introducing himself.

“Regrettably, I have no way to repay that favor, so I came to express my gratitude in this manner. I hope I am not intruding.”

With a bright smile, Jeong Ye-eun replied.

“Not at all. My husband would surely be pleased.”

Feeling a slight lightness in his heart at the sight of her cheerful demeanor, Kim Do-jin prepared to take his leave.

“That would be wonderful to hear. Then I shall take my leave…”

But just then…

“I brought coffee…”

Kim Do-jin unexpectedly found himself face to face with an unfamiliar figure.

“…Huh?”

A girl with a pretty face, her eyes wide open like a startled rabbit, approached him, coffee cups in both hands.

It was none other than Yoon Yu-na.

“Y-You’re here…?”

The moment Yoon Yu-na laid eyes on Kim Do-jin, she seemed so taken aback that she moved as if something had broken inside her. Seeing this, Jung Ye-eun tilted her head in curiosity and asked,

“Huh? You know Yu-na?”

Yu-na, for some reason, flushed and replied,

“Uh? Ah… just a classmate…”

“Heh? Could it be that one you mentioned earlier…?”

“Mom!”

Kim Do-jin seized the moment, glancing at the lively exchange between Jung Ye-eun and her daughter, and spoke up again.

“Well, I have something to attend to, so I’ll be on my way…”

As he bowed his head slightly, Jung Ye-eun wore a somewhat disappointed expression and said,

“Oh, is that so? Hmm… I wanted to talk about our Yu-na, but I guess it can’t be helped. Anyway, please take good care of Yu-na, and I hope we meet again soon!”

Kim Do-jin nodded once more, catching Yu-na’s gaze for a fleeting moment before he left.

“Heh…”

Meanwhile, Jung Ye-eun, who had been watching his retreating figure with interest, suddenly remarked as Kim Do-jin disappeared from view,

“He’s not bad, you know?”

“…What do you mean?”

“As a potential son-in-law.”

“Ugh! It’s not like that!”

The two of them bickered for a while, then, as usual, closed their eyes in front of the portrait of Yoon Si-heon, soothing their longing.

And after some time passed.

“……”

Slowly opening her eyes again, Yoon Yu-na cautiously turned to Jung Ye-eun and asked,

“…But why was he here?”

To which Jung Ye-eun replied with a sly smile,

“I think he might have helped him out once before?”

“R-Really?”

In the depths of Yoon Yuna’s mind, fleeting images of Kim Do-jin’s past, the ones he had once cherished, surfaced.

“…….”

Already bewildered by Kim Do-jin’s actions, Yoon Yuna gazed for a while at the direction he had departed, her expression growing even more perplexed.