The Villainous Director Is Raising a Child!

He wanted, even if only that way, to see more of the Director.

Hwang Dushik made a show of hesitating, as if it were a difficult ask.

"Hmm... I don't think I really can... The truth is, I'm not supposed to show data like this. If the other teachers find out, I get in trouble."

"Oh..."

Hwang Dushik let out a heavy, wistful sigh.

"If I were your dedicated teacher, Suho, I could show it to you all you liked without having to look over my shoulder. Shame..."

"...Dedicated teacher?"

"Mm. When you're the dedicated one, you're together all day — so I could show you stuff like this whenever I wanted, and we could talk about the Director as much as we liked."

At the sweet suggestion, Suho's eyes wavered.

"Aigoo, no, forget I said it. Researcher Kim is doing a great job already — no business of mine to muscle in. Sorry — that was just me thinking out loud."

But the bait had already been cast.

Suho, who had sunk into thought for a moment, lifted his head as if he'd made up his mind and opened his mouth carefully.

"...Um, teacher."

"Mm?"

"...What if I... asked? If I said I wanted you as my dedicated teacher..."

"What? You'd really do that?"

"Yes. You're really good at making the virtual data... and you're kind to me..."

Suho fumbled for the rest.

"...And also, I... want to keep seeing the Director."

At that innocent answer, Hwang Dushik cheered inside and grabbed Suho's two small hands.

"!"

Suho flinched at the sudden touch, but Hwang Dushik didn't care and let his eyes light up.

"Yeah, yeah! Well, why don't you go ahead and ask? Honestly, I'd love to be your dedicated teacher too!"

He whispered as if he were a secret co-conspirator.

"We're the Director's biggest fans, aren't we? Right? What do you say?"

At that, Suho hesitated a moment, then carefully nodded.

The next day, in the office of the Chief Researchers.

Han Soeun and Lee Jinwoo were the ones in the room, working through their backlog.

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?"

"Chiefs. It's me — Teacher Kim."

At the title from outside the door, both their pens stopped at once.

He'd normally introduce himself as "Researcher Kim" — and here he was, using Teacher instead.

He's got the kid with him.

The two of them exchanged a look, as if by prior arrangement.

The door opened, and Researcher Kim came in.

And behind his legs, a small shadow could be seen, fidgeting.

"Suho said he had something he wanted to say to you both."

"Oh my, Suho!"

Han Soeun's face lit up in an instant.

Lee Jinwoo, too, stopped what he was doing and turned his chair around to welcome the child.

"Come on in, Suho. What's going on?"

Inside, they were both quietly happy.

Suho, who had always seemed a little cowed for not being able to use his ability like the others, was coming to see them on his own two feet.

Even with the warm welcome from the two Chiefs, Suho still seemed nervous — his lips worked without sound.

"Um... it's just... you know Teacher Hwang Dushik? Could you make him... my dedicated teacher?"

For a second, the expressions on Han Soeun's and Lee Jinwoo's faces went subtly off.

"Teacher... Hwang? Why, all of a sudden?"

Suho, running through in his head what Hwang Dushik had told him to say, fumbled.

"He's... he's really good with the virtual data... and he's kind to me..."

At the sight of the child trailing off, the two Chiefs exchanged a look.

What do you think?

Hmm... it does catch a bit, doesn't it....

Honestly, given their past history with him, they weren't thrilled.

But it was true that Hwang Dushik had been working like a completely different man lately — diligent in a way he never had been.

On top of that, from a few days ago, they'd both witnessed Suho breaking into bright smiles every time he was with Hwang Dushik.

Lee Jinwoo got up from his chair, knelt down, and brought himself to the child's eye level.

"Suho. Is this really what you want? You want to work with Teacher Hwang?"

Suho hesitated a moment, but then, thinking of the version of the Director that Hwang Dushik had rendered, nodded.

"...Yes."

Wanting to respect the child's decision but hedging against any lingering unease, Lee Jinwoo offered an alternative.

"Hmm... okay. Let's do it this way, then. For a while, Teacher Kim and Teacher Hwang will be co-dedicated — the two of them, together."

"What...?"

"Teacher Hwang needs time to get used to the work too. Once he's settled in, we'll switch it over to just him. Sound good?"

Lee Jinwoo added it gently, as if to reassure Suho.

At the reasonable suggestion, Suho's eyes wavered.

Oh... but I need to be alone with him to see the Director....

But he decided to pin his hopes on the "eventually be a solo dedicated teacher" part.

If he said no now, he might not get the chance at all.

Pressing down the disappointment, he carefully nodded.

"...Yes. All right."

"Good. If anything happens, or if Teacher Hwang makes you even a little uncomfortable, you tell us right away, okay?"

And so, Hwang Dushik took his place at Park Suho's side, tagged as co-dedicated.

Even though there were plenty of days with Researcher Kim as a chaperone alongside him, Hwang Dushik didn't get impatient.

Slowly, surely. Just get him on my side.

If anything, he pointedly, ostentatiously doted on Suho right in front of Researcher Kim.

"Aigoo, our Suho's thirsty, right? Here, water."

"Teacher Kim, take a break. You look tired — I've got it here."

The most attentive senior and teacher the world had to offer.

Suho, for his part, desperate to see the Director again, responded to every last thing Hwang Dushik said with an almost excessive brightness.

The two of them put on a perfect performance, and Researcher Kim was completely taken in.

A week later, Researcher Kim went to Lee Jinwoo to make his report.

"Chief. Senior Hwang cares for Suho much better than I do. The child seems more attached to the senior than to me, too. I think I can step out of the dedicated role now."

"Really?"

Only then did Lee Jinwoo ease off a little on the suspicion that had been coiled in one corner of his mind.

From what he'd observed, Suho did seem to be in a good mood around Hwang Dushik.

On top of that, the researcher who had been watching from closest up was telling him the same thing — there was no basis left to keep doubting.

The guy's a bit of an old-school jerk, but I guess he really does care about the kids.

Lee Jinwoo nodded and signed the paperwork.

"Understood. Thank you for the hard work."

With that report, the spot beside Park Suho became entirely Hwang Dushik's.

Perfect isolation.

Hwang Dushik didn't rush. Using the Director as his tool, he went about brainwashing the child very slowly, very meticulously.

At first the Director in the footage was simply warm — but as time passed, it grew, subtly, twisted.

The virtual Director praised the children, but only ever by a single standard: raw ability.

When virtual-reality Cha Yul shattered a boulder, the Director clapped.

"Ha ha! That's it! There we go! That's an A-rank for you. Well done!"

When Sea-ah and the twins subdued a monster, he gave them a thumbs-up.

"Excellent. That's what I expect from dolls under me."

When Sihyeok skewered a target, he stroked his head.

"Your ability's gotten stronger! You're the best."

The Director in the virtual world loved only strong, useful children.

But at the far end of that warm gaze, there was no place for Suho, who couldn't use his ability.

And the face of Suho, who had been happy just to see the Director's face — that face, too, gradually grew darker.

The unease showed itself, plainly, in the questions Suho started putting to Hwang Dushik.

"Teacher... I've memorized all this medical knowledge, right? ...The Director would like that, wouldn't he?"

Every time the child held out a thick medical book and asked with eyes full of expectation, Hwang Dushik put on a deliberately troubled face and looked over at the virtual reality.

Wooong—

There, on repeat, was footage of the Director praising Cha Yul, who had smashed a huge monster in a single blow — "Well done. Yul, you really are the best."

"Hmm... I'm not sure. It does look like... he likes that sort of thing more..."

"...Oh."

At that one line, Suho set the book he'd stayed up all night studying down, limp.

Bit by bit, the child opened the book less and less.

Eyes that had lost their spark chased, blankly, only the smiling Director floating in the virtual data.

Watching Suho's empty eyes, Hwang Dushik knew, instinctively.

Now.

Using Suho's low spirits as an excuse, he pulled out a new piece of data he had never shown before.

"Suho. Don't let it get you down. Teacher put together a virtual video just for you. What the Director would do if you used your ability... aren't you curious?"

Wooong—

The world inside the hologram changed.

There, Park Suho was reaching a hand out toward someone lying bleeding on the ground.

As light poured from the child's fingertips, the patient's wound healed clean, as if it had been wiped away.

And the Director walked over.

Ha ha! Wonderful. That's my Suho.

The virtual Director dropped to one knee in front of Suho and pulled the child into a firm hug.

You're my indispensable, most precious treasure in the world. Truly... I'm proud of you.

It was a tremendous stimulant.

The brain of a mere six-year-old couldn't tell that sweet footage — unfolding so vividly before his eyes — apart from reality.

Through the footage playing over and over, Suho was conditioned.

If I use my ability... the Director will smile at me.

If I endure the pain... the Director will hug me.

The Director's strict order, "Absolutely do not use your ability," was buried under the fake voice saying "I'm proud of you" — and, forgotten, went dark.

And so, one day, as Hwang Dushik's gaslighting was consuming the child's soul entirely —

As always, the virtual injured-patient data was summoned into the center of the training room.

Staring blankly at those horrific wounds, Park Suho opened his mouth as if in a trance.

"...Teacher."

"Mm?"

"...Could I... try using my ability?"

An unstoppable smile of triumph curled at the corner of Hwang Dushik's mouth.

But outwardly, he jumped back, straightening his face.

"What? Suho, what are you talking about! No! Absolutely not!"

He grabbed the child's shoulders and put on the most worried face in the world.

"You said using your ability costs you your life-force! That's cutting your own life short! The Director absolutely forbade it — how could I ever let you?"

"Please... please, just once. I want to... I want to show the Director I can be useful too... please?"

"Haah...."

Hwang Dushik let out a sigh deep enough to drop through the floor.

"Suho. I understand how you feel, but... really, no. I'm saying this because I care about you. I can't stand to see you hurt."

Suho drooped and let his head sink.

"And just in case you get any ideas..."

He put on a deliberately stern face and wagged a finger.

"When I'm not around, don't you dare think about sneaking it in. All right? I'll be watching you like a hawk right here."

In that instant, Suho — head still bowed — got a strange gleam in his eyes, and Hwang Dushik didn't miss it.

There you go. That's it.

Tell someone not to do something, and they only want to do it more.

And on top of that, he'd tossed in the keyword sneaking.

Cheering inside, Hwang Dushik got to his feet.

"All right — let's start training again."

He made a deliberate show of rubbing his stomach, an awkward look on his face.

"Aigoo, my stomach's suddenly not so good. I'll pop over to the bathroom, and in the meantime you do image training on your own. Got it?"

"Yes. Go ahead."

The second he heard Suho's answer, Hwang Dushik hurried out of the training room.

The moment the door shut, he pulled the terminal from his pocket.

Becoming Park Suho's dedicated researcher had gotten him access to the child's real-time biometric data.

On the screen, Park Suho's status window came up in real time.

Just as he'd expected.

The moment Hwang Dushik was out of the room, Park Suho's biometric energy graph started churning.

[Warning: Life-force reading decreasing]

The child had started secretly using his ability on the virtual injured patient.

The warning light blinking red; the life-force graph ticking down and down.

Watching the beautiful downward curve, Hwang Dushik couldn't hold back — he let out a giggle.

"Khkhk... yeah, that's it. Eat yourself alive like that. Right down to the bottom."

After that, everything went to Hwang Dushik's plan.

Every time Hwang Dushik pretended to step out, Suho used his ability, desperately.

Of course, the cost of it began to show.

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