I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

Sunday, the end of the week. A tranquility I haven’t felt in a long time.

I finished writing my journal without any interruptions and turned my eyes to the clock on the desk.

PM 20:20

40 minutes until the dormitory’s curfew.

I quietly got up and pulled the slightly open bedroom door.

“Uuuuung~”
“……”

On the bed, large enough for four adults to lie comfortably, Baek Hana and Claire were sleeping peacefully, snuggled up together.

To be precise, it was more like Baek Hana forcefully hugging Claire in her sleep, but they looked harmonious nonetheless.

‘Where’s the little one…?’

The basket was empty, but Baek Hana’s upper pocket was bulging.

The little troublemaker had stuck by Baek Hana’s side from late last night until this morning, despite having only a few years left of her lifespan. She finally returned to the bedroom after drinking a plate of honey-sweetened milk for breakfast, leaving Baek Hana with a worn-out expression as she started her assignment.

It was only late in the afternoon that Baek Hana finished her assignment. After a light sandwich and a cup of coffee, she dragged Claire, not to her own room, but into my bedroom. She needed something to hug, and she was sure I would refuse, so she chose Claire as his stand-in.

I glanced again at Baek Hana’s bulging upper pocket and confirmed my suspicion.

‘When she’s young, she just likes to climb on people’s laps, huh.’

It seemed like a common desire for children, regardless of whether they were riding on my lap or not.

“Baek Hana.”
“Uuuung~”

The way she burrowed deeper into Claire’s embrace showed that she was still a child, despite her grown-up size.

“Baek Hana, wake up.”
“Uuuu, hmm…?”

I sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked her head a few times. Slowly, her eyelids lifted, revealing sleepy eyes. I continued stroking her head, and she blinked a few more times, looking dazed.

“It’s time to go back to the dormitory.”
“Ssuuup……?”

She pretended to wipe her mouth, even though no drool had formed. It was a habit she had since she was young.

“Wh, what time is it…?”
“8:22.”
“……”

Hearing the time, she frowned and slowly let go of Claire, reluctantly getting up. Then, as if it were the most natural thing, she turned and reached out her arms towards me.

“Kkeuuuuung~!!”

Like a cat washing its face, she rubbed her face on my chest, hugging me tightly. I untangled her hands from around my waist and got up from the bed.

“Your assignment is in your bag, so don’t forget to take it with you.”
“Uuuung…… Hraaam~”

Baek Hana yawned widely as she followed me off the bed. She walked past me and opened the bedroom door, stepping out.

“If you’re tired, you can continue resting.”
“…No, I’m fine.”

Claire, who had been lying motionless, quietly got up. She asked me softly as she got off the bed,

“But about the thing in Hana’s pocket……”
“I know.”

As I walked to see Baek Hana off, I continued,

“You don’t need to worry about her sleep habits. Just leave her be.”
“Uuuum……”

Just like in the past, she wanted to say something but was overly cautious of my reaction. Of course, my decision wouldn’t change even if she said anything about this matter.

“Hraaam~ I’ll have to go to sleep as soon as I get back.”
“Make sure you brush your teeth before you sleep.”
“Didn’t I…?”

Baek Hana, still in her casual clothes, changed into her shoes and said,

“Oh, I put the gift from that cute little one in my room drawer. I hope that’s okay… I just hope she doesn’t think I left it lying around or anything.”
“It’s fine, so go now.”
“Does Woo-jin want me to leave soon?”
“…You have 20 minutes left.”

I avoided answering her question, and she tilted her head, giving me a mischievous smile. That smile was quite annoying.

“See you on Tuesday.”

With that annoying smile, she waved goodbye and left through the front door. Clack. As the door closed, I turned around to find Claire standing quietly behind me. She opened her mouth hesitantly.

“Are you sure it’s really okay……?”
“Claire.”
“Yes, Professor.”

I spoke to Claire, who was worrying unnecessarily about the little troublemaker,

“Do you think that voracious eater could have survived all this time without a source of food?”
“……That’s…”

“And among the graduates, there must be those who have formed a bond with her, yet there isn’t even a whisper about her. Don’t you find that strange?”

One of the easiest mistakes humans make is assuming that just because something is visible to them, it must be visible to others as well. After all, if it’s something ordinary within their field of vision, it’s common sense that others would see it too.

But could one call it ordinary to see a tiny girl with sparkling wings fluttering about? To begin with, fairies themselves are a race far from ordinary.

Especially in the case of this particular fairy, whose existence persists even after Oberon’s demise.

“So, there’s no need to worry. Nothing of the sort you’re imagining will happen to her.”
“Yeeesss…..”

Despite her agreement, a shadow lingered on Claire’s face. Just like Baek Hana’s expression earlier, her current expression made me feel a little uncomfortable.

“……?”

I held Claire’s hand and walked towards the study.

“I’ll be back by this time tomorrow at the latest. There’s no place warmer or quieter than here, so just rest until then.”
“That, that’s true. Yes.”
“So, you rest too, until tomorrow.”

After leaving Claire in the bedroom, I went to the study and sat in the chair.

‘Worrying is a luxury in itself.’

The little troublemaker had the strong will of Oberon, the father of all fairies, protecting her. Those whose souls had even a hint of darkness couldn’t perceive her existence at all.

‘The worries of a parent left alone with their child… I guess.’

I tried to imagine a little further into the future.

Baek Hana, a little more mature than she was now—I couldn’t quite picture it.

But one thing was certain: her surroundings would still be bustling. The trio she hung out with would still be there, and Claire would be by her side as well. And the little one would have grown ju—

“Professor.”

The bedroom door opened, and Claire poked her head in cautiously.

“May I sit with you for a while?”

I nodded at the rising redness from her neck up, and she quietly came out of the bedroom and pulled Baek Hana’s chair next to mine, sitting down without a word.

I thought to myself, feeling a little burdened by Claire’s gaze.

‘Looks like I won’t be sleeping tonight either.’

**

“The check is complete.”
“Thank you.”

Baek Hana, who had returned to the dormitory without delay, retrieved her luggage from the dorm mother and headed to her room.

Beep-

With a short beep, Baek Hana pulled the door handle and opened the door. In contrast to the bright hallway, the room was dark, and she could hear soft breathing sounds.

Baek Hana quietly closed the door and stepped inside.

‘The kids took care of meals…’

Maria had taken Lee Nayoung out for lunch and dinner yesterday and today, sending photos as proof in their group chat.

Baek Hana, exhausted, opened Nayoung’s bag, which was next to her bed. The sweet scent from Friday still lingered.

‘1, 7, 13… all intact.’

She was glad that her friend had kept her promise and not taken any medication. With the thought that she could finally rest, Baek Hana tossed the glass bottle into her bag and crawled into her bed.

‘Smells nice….’

Baek Hana fell asleep like a log, inhaling the sweet scent wafting from Nayoung’s bag, which was slightly open.

**

Piiik-

Lee Nayoung woke up to a familiar beeping sound. Even after two days of resting and sleeping in bed, her body still felt like it was tied to a lump of lead.

-Oh, Hana’s still sleeping.
-She must have stayed up all night chatting with Professor.

She could hear the voices of her friends, the entirety of her human relationships, which could be counted on one hand.

Hwaak―!!

“Ughh!!”

“Are you an undead? You’re complaining about the sunlight?”

-Hana~ Be a good girl and wake up now, or you won’t get breakfast.

“Get up, you too.”

Edyn practically dragged Nayoung out of bed.

“What are you doing?”

Edyn frowned as she walked towards the bathroom, glancing at Baek Hana’s bed. Maria and Nam Seo-hee were snuggled up in Baek Hana’s arms.

“Mmm~ Smells nice.”
“It’s hard to get out of this.”
“…Stop whining and wake her up. I’m hungry.”

After a bit of a ruckus, the five of them managed to have breakfast. After a cup of coffee as dessert, Maria got up from her seat.

“We’ll head out first.”
“Ugh~ I really hate practical sessions.”

Maria and Edyn left first, followed by Nam Seo-hee.

“Hana, we have to go too.”
“Okay. See you later.”
“Yeah, see you later.”

Nayoung waved goodbye to the two of them as they left with their coffee, and after finishing her own coffee, she got up from her seat. Unlike her busy friends, her first lecture didn’t start until 10 a.m., so she still had some time to spare.

‘First lecture is on strengthening self-regeneration potions, and in the afternoon, we’ll be developing our own recipes…’

Nayoung mentally organized her schedule for the day as she walked slowly. If she rushed, she might get indigestion or a stomachache.

Beep-

Nayoung entered her room and rubbed her bloated stomach as she took a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She needed to take the medication she hadn’t taken over the weekend due to her promise with Baek Hana.

‘Actually, I don’t usually take it on weekends…’

Last weekend, Hana didn’t know because she wasn’t there, and the pills weren’t stimulants. They were a sedative to calm her down when she felt anxious around strangers, which often led to difficulty breathing. To put it simply, they were like an enhanced version of a herbal medicine.

At the beginning of the semester, she needed to take the pills to get through her classes, so she had to make sure she took them. With that in mind, Nayoung opened her bag, which was lying on the bed.

‘Did Hana touch it?’

Nayoung tilted her head at the unlocked bag.

“Huh?”

Nayoung frowned at the strange feeling she got when she opened her bag. The usual sickeningly sweet scent was absent. However, the pouch containing the dalppuri root seemed strangely puffed up.

Unsure of what was going on, Nayoung opened the pouch.

-Ppiiee, ppiiee….

“……?”

Nayoung took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes vigorously before putting them back on and looking into the pouch.

-Ppiwuung~

In the pouch where the dalppuri root should have been, a cute little creature was curled up asleep, smaller than her palm.

The missing ingredient and the sudden appearance of this little one…

“Uuuu, uuuu.”

Nayoung decided to deal with the bathroom first, as her stomach was bothering her.