I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

Thud- Plop-

The sky was filled with dark clouds, and raindrops fell from the gloomy sky, sliding down the window.

“Ugh!”

“Huh?!”

Edyn, sitting on Baek Hana’s bed, let out a silly sound as Maria suddenly poked her belly button, and quickly pulled down her shirt that had ridden up.

“What’s up?”
“Nothing. Your belly button just looked so cute.”
“Huh?”

Edyn lay down on the bed, looking a little embarrassed at Maria’s unexpected answer.

“It’s crowded.”
“Is this your bed?”

Nam Seo-hee, who had claimed Baek Hana’s bed before Edyn, pushed her away with her buttocks, and Edyn, not wanting to lose, snuggled up next to Nam Seo-hee.

A weekday, just a week before the festival.

At Baek Woo-jin’s suggestion, Nam Seo-hee had naturally joined Claire’s training two weeks ago, and after the training, she spent time with her friends, just like today.

“Shh.”

As Nam Seo-hee and Edyn fought over Baek Hana’s pillow, Baek Hana, sitting by the window with Nayoung in her arms, turned her head and warned them.

“I’ll see about that.”
“Hmph.”

Edyn, who would usually grumble a few words, quietly backed off, and Nam Seo-hee also remained silent, not adding any extra comments as usual.

Plop, plop-

As the two girls calmed down, the soft sound of rain filled the room again.

-Piiii…

The window, showing a gloomy view.

The fairy sat in front of it, pressing her small palm against the glass and crying sadly.

The fairy had been excited until they came out of the bath, but since learning that she couldn’t go out to play, she had been staring at the window like this.

“Try to do something…”
“Be quiet.”

As Edyn whispered softly, Maria pinched her cheek and slowly approached Baek Hana.

“Hana, can’t we let her out for a little while?”
“No.”
“Hmm…”

Maria frowned at Baek Hana’s firm answer, but that was all. There were many games they could play inside, like hide-and-seek, but Maria didn’t insist and stepped back.

This was because everyone in the room loved the fairy and wanted to play with her, and they all knew that Baek Hana especially adored the fairy. At the same time, they also knew that Baek Hana prioritized Baek Woo-jin’s words over her own feelings.

-Stay quiet until the festival.

These were the words Baek Woo-jin had left for the five children before leaving the mansion for an external schedule that morning.

At first, the children thought he simply meant not to run around in the mansion, but after a tough training session in the drizzling rain, they soon learned the true meaning of his words from Claire.

-Didn’t you hear Professor’s instructions to stay quiet?

The children, who had warmed up in the hot water, were excited to see the fairy, and as usual, they wanted to play in the mansion. However, they had to go to their rooms quietly under Claire’s cold gaze and sharp scolding.

“Hey, you do something.”
“Huh?”

Edyn quietly got up and poked Nam Seo-hee, who was burying her face in Baek Hana’s pillow. Nam Seo-hee turned her head slightly and glared at Edyn.

However, Edyn, still staring at the pathetic back of the fairy, didn’t notice Nam Seo-hee’s gaze. She kept poking Nam Seo-hee’s side and whispered quietly.

“You didn’t get a gift from the fairy, did you?”

The crease between Nam Seo-hee’s eyebrows deepened.

As Edyn said, even Nayoung and the annoying friend in front of her had received the shiny orbs, but Nam Seo-hee hadn’t.

However, although she hadn’t received the orbs, the fairy showed no resistance to Nam Seo-hee’s touch, just like the other children.

Swoosh.

“Oh…”

As Nam Seo-hee got up, Edyn turned to look at her.

“Did you come up with a good idea?”
“Shh.”

Not receiving a gift from the fairy wasn’t something Nam Seo-hee cared much about, but she didn’t like Edyn’s teasing, so she wanted to take advantage of this opportunity.

“Hana, do you have a thick marker?”
“Hmm, just a moment.”

Baek Hana put Ina-young down from her arms and stood up. She rummaged through the drawers of the desk next to the bookshelf filled with diaries and found a thick black marker.

“Will this do?”
“That’s enough.”

Nam Seo-hee took the marker from Baek Hana.

Pop!

As the lid opened, a smell like alcohol from the marker wafted out.

“Huh?”

Edyn looked at Nam Seo-hee, who was staring intently at her with the marker in her hand, and tilted her head.

“What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Cooperate.”
“Cooperate? What do you mean…”

Before Edyn could finish her sentence, Nam Seo-hee quickly moved closer to her. As Nam Seo-hee’s breath brushed past her nose, Edyn was startled and tried to back away, but…

Thwap!

“Cooperate.”

Nam Seo-hee grabbed Edyn’s waist as she tried to escape, pulling her towards herself.

“Huh? What, no, wait…”

Edyn’s lips moved like a broken machine at the sudden situation. Nam Seo-hee made a cute ‘Uh-oh…’ sound and moved her hand towards Edyn’s frozen face.

Swoosh.

A black marker drew a small dot below Edyn’s nose.

“Huh?”

Edyn finally realized something was wrong when the marker touched her face. But Nam Seo-hee was faster.

Edyn’s face became a perfect canvas for Nam Seo-hee’s artwork.

“Pffft…”

Maria, watching from below, covered her mouth and turned her head. Edyn frowned for a moment, then sighed softly.

“If it doesn’t work, you’re in trouble.”
“It’ll work.”

She had seen a video with a high number of views on SNS, so she was confident.

“Why don’t you let me go now?”
“Sorry.”

Nam Seo-hee admitted her mistake and removed her hand from Edyn’s waist. Edyn, now free, turned around and covered her face with Baek Hana’s pillow.

“Piak!”

-Pii…?

The fairy, who had been staring at the falling raindrops, slowly turned her head. Nam Seo-hee poked Edyn’s back and signaled to her.

“Bee~”

Edyn, unaware of her own face, took off the pillow and tried to make a silly face by scrunching up her face.

-Hahaha!

A bright smile appeared on the fairy’s gloomy face.

“Bwoo~ Rrrrrr~!”

-You’re mean! Pheehee!

The fairy laughed, and Edyn repeatedly covered and uncovered her face with the pillow, changing her expression.

Baek Hana’s face brightened as she watched, and she took out a much smaller marker from the drawer than the one she had given Nam Seo-hee.

Pop!

Baek Hana opened the marker and approached the fairy with it held by her thumb and forefinger.

“Do you want to draw it yourself?”

-Pihit! Draw?

“Yes. Like this.”

Baek Hana closed one eye and rubbed the marker on her eyelid, and the fairy, watching, eagerly held out her small hands.

-I’ll draw!

The fairy, now recovered, made a small sound, and Baek Hana smiled slightly and handed the marker to the fairy, offering her face.

-Pihit!

The fairy, holding the fan as big as herself with both hands, drew a long, thick line on Baek Hana’s face. Maria, watching from behind, silently got up and laughed.

“Do you want to draw on my face when you’re done?”

-Draw!

Maria nodded in satisfaction at the fairy’s enthusiastic response.

“You two should do it too, right?”
“Huh? Yes, yes!”

Nayoung nodded as if it were obvious.

“Oh, Seo-hee, aren’t you going to do it? You’re not answering.”
“I’ll do it, too.”
“I’ll do it for you.”

Swoosh!

Edyn quickly snatched the marker from Nam Seo-hee’s hand and drew a black line on her fair skin.

“Wow~ Are you a one-eyed swordsman? Haha!”
“…”

Nam Seo-hee blushed and trembled, but she didn’t resist Edyn’s touch.

‘Seo-hee is sometimes helpful~’

Maria, who had been watching all this, quietly took out her smartphone and captured these moments.

.

.

.

Whoosh!

The sound of the pouring rain loudly pounded his ears.

The wind blew, and raindrops splattered everywhere, but his body remained dry. The falling raindrops only created pleasant sounds for his ears, and the splashing water on his clothes was completely blocked by his magic.

‘It’s about to begin.’

One week from now.

The time had come to begin the first part of the plan he had been preparing for eight years.

Depending on the outcome of this event, his future actions would change, and perhaps he might have to scrap the entire plan. He had made preparations for this, but he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

To ensure this, he had even involved the Chairman to account for any unexpected variables.

‘As long as those kids do their part.’

All 37 people who received invitations in the Chairman’s name had replied that they would attend the festival. He had just met the Chairman and handed over the Scales of Sacrifice.

If there are no major changes, it will naturally fall into Baek Hana’s hands during the festival.

Click.

I arrived at the mansion and opened the front door.

Until I changed my shoes, the only sound I heard was the rain pounding on the windows.

Whoosh.

As I walked, the waves of magic spread out and soon informed me of the locations of everyone remaining in the mansion.

‘They’re all gathered.’

Including the five children, Claire, and the fairy, they were all in Baek Hana’s room.

As long as they weren’t playing with the fairy, I didn’t care what they were doing, so I passed Baek Hana’s room and quietly headed to the study.

Click!!

As I turned the corner of the hallway, Baek Hana’s door, which had been open, suddenly swung open, and a white lump came running out.

“Woo-jin~!”

Baek Hana, her face covered in some kind of scribbles, smiled and gestured to me. Such a cheeky kid.

I turned back towards Baek Hana and approached her.

-Pihit!
-Damn…! Why are you calling Professor like that!!
-Huh, what, what do I do…?
-Hoho, just accept it.

Loud voices from the children spilled out through the open door.

“How is it? Bwoo~”
“…”

Baek Hana scrunched up her face, covered in scribbles, trying to make a silly face. Others might have chuckled at this, but there was one thing she overlooked.

“You’re cute.”
“Huh, what…?”

No matter what expression she made, I wouldn’t laugh at it. Well, sometimes I did laugh at her silly actions.

I lightly patted Baek Hana’s head as she looked flustered and stood in front of the door.

There, the children, with their faces scribbled on just like Baek Hana, tried to avoid my gaze, hiding their emotions.

“Claire.”

Hmm.

Claire, who had been leaning over the fairy at the window, shuddered.

“After you’re done, please bring me a cup of coffee.”
“Yes.”

I was satisfied with her very small response and added a word to the other children.

“It seems you’re having fun.”

I turned away from Baek Hana, who was puckering her lips, and entered the study.

After the children left…

-I’ll draw!

“Be quiet.”

-Huh?

Usually, the fairy would have gone to sleep right away, but this time, she flew over with the marker and held it out to me.

It seemed she really liked the scribbles from earlier.

“You shouldn’t do that to Professor.”

-Puu…

As Claire reached out, the fairy puffed out her cheeks and sat on my notebook. I stopped Claire with a hand and tore out a page, placing it next to the fairy.

“If you want to draw, do it there.”

-Hmph.

The fairy walked over to the page I had torn out, sat down with her buttocks facing me, and started drawing.

-Pii~

As if she wasn’t sulking, she moved the marker in her hands and hummed an unrecognizable song.

-piaaam~ tweet…….

After an hour, she finally got up.

-Goodbye!

The fairy, who had forgotten her earlier tantrum, bowed and flew into the bedroom.

“Well, then…”

Claire glanced at the marker and paper the fairy had left behind, then bid farewell and went to her room.

I opened the first drawer of the study and looked at my face, which was drawn like a worm had crawled on it.

I took out Baek Hana’s sketchbook, which was stored in a glass case, and inserted the fairy’s drawing into the first page.

“Hmm, not bad for a first try.”

I muttered an honest critique and picked up the pen I had put down.