I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

-Piiiaaaang~!!
-Hehe.

In one of the few places of refuge, the study. The voices of the two troublemakers could be heard nonstop from the window of the study.

-You can do it like this too.
-Ppyat! Ppiiee!!

‘They’re like wild animals.’

Baek Hana, dressed in her activewear, was running around the yard like a four-legged beast. The little troublemaker, weak to the cold, hid her body in Baek Hana’s long tail, poking her head out curiously.

-Hem hem.

Claire was in the corner, recording the whole scene on her smartphone.

It was definitely more productive for them to be active like this than cooped up in their rooms. Plus, all three of them were enjoying themselves, satisfying their own desires. However, there was a slight problem.

-Ppiya!!
-Like this?

‘I wonder when they’ll finally tire out.’

The two had been outside since lunchtime, and now, as the blue sky turned into a dark blue sunset, they still showed no signs of exhaustion.

I had thought one of them would get tired after a couple of hours, but that was a big mistake. Both of them, being young, maintained their initial enthusiasm and were still happily playing together.

For the sake of a more peaceful future, I had decided not to stop them, but seeing their endless energy, I could tell that tonight would be twice as noisy.

-Ppyayat?!
-Huh?

The little one bounced off the tail and flew away. Baek Hana panicked and quickly turned her body. However, she didn’t trample the grass as she rushed towards the little fairy.

-Ppiieeii~?

The fairy landed precisely on Claire’s chest and started to wobble her head, looking dizzy. Claire was startled, but Baek Hana sighed in relief and approached them.

Baek Hana, seeing the fairy still disoriented, swayed her tail back and forth. Her adorable and pitiful expression made Claire stifle a laugh.

‘This should be fine occasionally.’

Twice a month.

Anything more than that would test my patience too much.

I opened the window and called out to the three of them.

“Stop playing and come inside to take a bath.”

**

While Baek Woo-jin prepared dinner.

Splish-splash.

-Ppiya!!

In a small basket filled with steaming hot water, the fairy splashed the water with her tiny hands and giggled.

Baek Hana’s lips, which had been tightly pressed, relaxed as she looked down at the fairy floating in the basket on top of the bathtub.

“Cute….”
“Hana used to be like that when she was little too.”
“Ugh…… When was that?”
“It still feels like yesterday to me, even though it was a long time ago.”

Claire pouted her lips at Baek Hana, who seemed embarrassed. She gently smiled and scooped up some water with her hands, pouring it back into the basket as much as the fairy had splashed out. She continued,

“To be honest, I was a bit surprised when she swallowed toothpaste a few times.”
“Aaaah!!”

-Pii?

When Baek Hana covered her ears and made a sound, the fairy looked up at her curiously and tilted her head. Claire stroked the fairy’s head with her index finger and smiled.

“When I told Professor about it, he eventually changed the toothpaste to peppermint flavor. After that, she never swallowed toothpaste again.”
“I… I just thought it tasted good, so I ate it. And Maria and Edyn said they ate toothpaste too!”
“Of course, that’s normal at that age.”
“But why are you bringing that up…?”

Baek Hana’s cheeks turned red with embarrassment as she mumbled. Claire silently laughed and said,

“I’m not scolding you. I just wanted to share that story because I thought you were cute back then.”
“Ugh… You know too much, Unni…”
“Of course. Maybe I know things about you that even you don’t know.”
“What do you mean…? How could you know something about me that I don’t even know myselfeebubububu.”

-Pii? Ppiubububu!!

When Baek Hana blew into the water, submerging her mouth, the fairy found it amusing and quickly imitated her, giggling as she did so.

As they enjoyed each other’s company, Claire recalled one of her old memories. It was a few months after she had rescued Baek Hana from the underground auction house.

She had visited the mansion early in the morning at Baek Woo-jin’s request and had seen Baek Hana asleep in his arms, sucking on a pink pacifier.

Baek Hana still didn’t know that Baek Woo-jin had always taken away the pacifier at the right moment, and Claire still vividly remembered that adorable, tiny Baek Hana.

“Unni..”
“……?”

Claire, snapped out of her reminiscence by Baek Hana’s call, met her gaze as she looked up at her with a sullen expression.

“I don’t know what you were thinking about, but you were smiling in a really annoying way.”
“Hem hem.”

At Baek Hana’s remark, Claire quickly tightened her lips and changed her expression. Baek Hana cautiously asked,

“Unni”
“Hmm, yes?”
“I saw your luggage earlier today.”
“……That’s what it’s about.”

The wariness in Claire’s sky-blue eyes weighed down on her heart, which had been floating happily just moments ago.

“I’ll be staying here for a while to educate this little one.”

-Ppiiee~

The fairy, lying on her back in the water, cooed happily as Claire gently stroked her belly.

“Education?”
“Yes. The same things I taught you when you were younger.”
“Sto, stop talking about the past…”

Claire quietly laughed and said,

“I’ll be staying here to fulfill Professor’s request, and once I’m done, I’ll return to the temple.”
“……Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Ugh~”

As Claire reached out to stroke her head, Baek Hana obediently lowered her head. She enjoyed both Baek Woo-jin’s large, warm hands and Claire’s gentle touch.

Knock, knock, knock.

The distinct knocking style betrayed the knocker’s identity.

“Professor is calling for us.”
“Yes. It seems he’s done preparing.”

-Ppiiee?

The two of them left the bathroom, having dried off the fairy, who was sprawled out on the water. They headed to the kitchen after getting ready, drying the fairy with a towel and dressing her in a tiny robe, as she couldn’t manage to put on her own clothes yet.

-Ppiya!!

The fairy, who had been sitting on Baek Hana’s head, spotted the chocolate on the dining table and flew towards it, her eyes sparkling. She peeled off the chocolate’s wrapper with her tiny hands, a skill she had learned from Claire.

“She’s quick to pick up on what she needs.”

Baek Woo-jin watched her with a small smile and muttered, “A clever little one.”

The two pretended not to hear him as they sat down at the table and began to eat the simple home-cooked meal prepared for them.

“Hana.”
“Yes?”

After dinner, as Baek Hana was preparing coffee for dessert, she turned to Claire and asked,

“Have you finished the assignment Professor gave you?”
“Ah……”

The small spoon Baek Hana was holding to stir her coffee clattered to the floor.

“The, the assignment…!!”

Baek Hana quickly put down her cup and ran to her room.

-Pii?

The fairy blinked, looking at the direction Baek Hana had disappeared in.

Thud, thud, thud―!!

Heavy footsteps echoed through the quiet house.

-Woo-jin!!

Soon, Baek Hana’s urgent voice could be heard from the direction of the study.

“Hana, you’re still the same as ever……”

-Ppiang.

Claire smiled softly, and the fairy flapped her wings to sit on her shoulder.

-Ppyang.

“Yes, let’s go.”

In the past, the fairy king Oberon could speak human languages, and this little one on her shoulder might be able to learn to read as well. With that thought, Claire had started teaching her letters using the textbook Baek Hana had been using since last night.

-Tha, that’s…!!

-It’s common sense that you shouldn’t even think about solving an assignment I gave you with my help.
-Isn’t it okay to ask questions…?
-Be quiet. It’s not that difficult, so just sit down and quietly work on it.

The bickering between Baek Woo-jin and Baek Hana could be heard through the slightly open study door. Claire quietly opened the door and entered, and the fairy on her shoulder flapped her wings to sit on Baek Hana’s head.

-Ppiya!!

Puck, puck. The fairy began chattering as she patted Baek Hana’s head with her tiny hands. Baek Hana, who had been about to work on her assignment next to Baek Woo-jin, was startled and flustered.

“Is, is it this one?”

Prick―!!

-Ppiang.

Fluffy ears sprouted from Baek Hana’s head, and the fairy stopped chattering, climbing up and down Baek Hana’s ears to play by herself.

“Ugh, it’s hard to concentrate like this…”

As the fairy kept moving from one ear to the other, playing by herself, Baek Hana sent pleading looks to Baek Woo-jin and Claire.

“If I leave her alone, she’ll get bored soon, so just continue what you were doing.”
“But that’s difficult……”

Baek Hana turned to Claire for help again.

“She’s stubborn.”
“Yes……”

-Ppiang.

“Ugh…!!”

The fairy stuck her tiny hand into Baek Hana’s fluffy ear, and Baek Hana fell face-first onto the table. The fairy tumbled off Baek Hana’s head and rolled onto the table.

-Ppiiee!!

“No!!”

-Ppi, ppiiee…?!

As the fairy tried to climb onto Baek Hana’s head again, Baek Hana firmly blocked her with an unwavering expression. She even tucked her ears in to prevent the fairy from climbing on them.

“I’m busy, so I’ll play with you after I’m done.”

-Ppiiee……

“Ugh.”

The fairy pouted and sat on the floor, shocked by Baek Hana’s determination. Baek Hana sighed softly but quickly composed herself and refocused on her assignment.

Claire was about to take the fairy away for Baek Hana’s sake, but Baek Woo-jin, sitting next to her, gently raised his hand to stop her.

Although she didn’t know the reason, Claire quietly stepped back and watched them together.

Scratch, scratch.

Scratch, scratch.

The quiet study was filled with the sound of a small pen.

-Ppiiee……

The fairy sat in front of Baek Hana’s assignment, looking up at her with a sullen face as she concentrated. After some time had passed,

Paaat―!!

The fairy’s body suddenly started glowing brightly.

“Huh?”

Baek Hana’s concentration was broken by the sudden light, and she blinked, looking at the glowing fairy in front of her. Soon, the fairy’s body returned to normal, and in her tiny hand was a sphere larger than her face.

-Ppiya.

The fairy offered the softly glowing sphere to Baek Hana.

“Is this for me?”

-Ppiang.

Baek Hana took the sphere, and the fairy beamed at her. Baek Woo-jin spoke up,

“Baek Hana.”
“Yes?”
“That’s the most precious thing she can give you.”
“……What is it?”
“You don’t need to know that. Just know that if you eat it, you’ll accelerate your growth in strength.”
“Eat it? Does it spoil quickly or something?”
“……It’s not the kind of thing that spoils. Even if you keep it for hundreds of years, it won’t deteriorate.”
“I see. Thank you.”

-Ppiya~!

Baek Hana stroked the fairy’s head with her index finger, and the fairy grinned and got up from her seat. She flapped her wings and sat on Baek Hana’s head again.

It was a clear signal that she wanted to play again, and Baek Hana hesitated with a troubled expression.

Prick.

-Ppiang!

After a moment of hesitation, Baek Hana sighed softly and got up from her seat.

“Nothing will happen if I don’t sleep for one night……”

-Ppiya!

Baek Hana soon started walking around the house with the fairy, laughing together.