I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

April 28th.

The students looked at me with tense faces, and I, picking up my bag, said,

“Relax your faces. I don’t plan to hand out any more assignments.”

-Whew~!!
-Is this a dream……?
-What? So, there’s no summer vacation homework either?

The seven students, including Baek Hana and Nam Seo-hee, sighed in relief.

“Of course, there will be separate assignments for the summer vacation, so don’t worry.”

-Im Gyeong-su, that bastard…… Ugh!
-Hey, calm down!!
-I’m definitely going to break that bastard’s shield during the year-end evaluation.

All the students in the room glared at Im Gyeong-su, who used to be in the same group as Baek Hana, and exuded murderous intent. I glanced at Baek Hana, who was slightly turned towards me, and then stepped down from the podium.

“I wish you all the best in the year-end evaluation.”

-……?
-What, what is it?
-Did I just hear things?

The students, who had been glaring at Im Gyeong-su, blinked in surprise. As I headed towards the door, Claire, who had been standing next to me, followed me out and said to the students,

“The summer assignments will be uploaded to Professor’s materials room, so don’t forget to check them.”

After conveying the concise information, she adjusted her stride to match mine and stood next to me. I didn’t say anything and quietly held out my hand.

“Hmm.”

Claire coughed softly and took my hand.

-The two of them are really close.
-That’s right….
-Now, I’m more curious about Professor Baek’s bare face than Claire’s…

The students and professors who had come out of the lecture hall after the break and lecture looked at us holding hands and made a fuss. Even though we had been doing this for two weeks, the reaction was still quite intense.

As the heat from her hand, which had been slightly warm, gradually faded, we left the noisy annex and returned to the mansion.

“Is coffee okay?”
“Please.”
“Yes.”

As she headed to the kitchen, I entered the study and sat down.

Whoosh.

The warm spring breeze, carrying the warmth of the sun, gently brushed past my cheek through the slightly open window.

I held Claire’s hand, which still retained her warmth, as I sat in the sun’s shadow.

‘This method won’t last long.’

On the day of the observer meeting.

That day, my body changed. No, a problem occurred.

When I saw Baek Hana’s shy, foolish smile as she sat at the desk, I wanted to own that smile, that kind of smile.

Fortunately, I was able to snap out of it due to the commotion Claire caused in the kitchen, but the desire that had sprouted did not easily fade away.

It was a desire I had never felt before.

Something that Baek Woo-jin would never even consider.

A mild but unpleasant feeling.

And so, I realized.

My body had finally recovered enough to completely suppress the power of nothingness. Until now, the power of nothingness that had been leaking out had been counteracting the greed, but now that the cracks in my body had been completely mended, nothingness was completely sealed within.

As a result, the delicately balanced scale was tilting towards greed.

This change was unexpected even for me.

But I know how to fix it.

If I use the power of nothingness on something I can’t handle with my current strength and damage my soul, it will be resolved. This damn body will naturally break down since it is influenced by the soul, and the scale will return to equilibrium.

It might even tilt towards nothingness, but unlike greed, nothingness won’t be much of a problem. It will just make me view everything more objectively than before.

‘I’ll have to hold on until summer somehow.’

If that’s too difficult, I’ll have to get the artifact from Jaiden a little earlier than planned.

As the warmth in my hand faded,

“Professor.”

Claire entered the study with a teacup in her hand. I looked at her as she approached me and used my magic to bring the chair next to me.

Claire came to me and placed the teacup in front of her before sitting down. Once again, her body temperature was transferred to my hand.

Holding her hand, which was the envy of others.

In front of everyone.

Show-off and monopoly.

The raw material that was satisfying the sprouted desire.

“Um, about those who were dismissed…”

She looked at the small screen of her smartphone with one hand and slowly recited the movements of the insects that had been expelled from the academy.

“……Your name has also been mentioned a little… Professor?”
“I’m listening.”

I didn’t care what those insects, who only cared about filling their own bellies, were doing. Also, it was expected that my name would start to be mentioned outside. Probably because some of the dismissed students had leaked the contents of the lectures and practices to the outside.

So, there was no need to listen to the details.

“Continue.”
“Yes. Next…”

So, I wasn’t listening to the content of her words, but rather, her voice. A clear, slightly cold, and therefore, all the more clear voice.

“Finally, about the meeting this afternoon―”

-Pii~

The chick sound from behind interrupted Claire’s words.

With the warm weather, the little troublemaker, who had been outside, returned. I had left the window open for her sake.

I released her hand and said,

“I’ll check the rest myself.”

-Piiang!

The little one, with small flower petals stuck all over her head, landed on Claire’s shoulder.

“Then……”

She put down her smartphone and picked up my empty teacup instead, then stood up.

As she quietly left the study, Claire paused for a moment and,

“……Um.”

She poked her blue eyes through the slightly open door and asked,

“What about dinner……”

I met her slightly tense gaze and answered,

“Stew would be good.”
“Yes!”

With a more confident voice, she quietly closed the door and left.

‘Everyone has something they can’t do.’

It had been two months since she started learning how to cook, and she was still clumsy at it.

**

In the evening, after all the day’s activities were over.

“Hey!! Hurry up!!”

In front of the student cafeteria.

Edyn, with her strikingly pink hair, jumped up and down, while Maria, standing next to her, sighed and waved at Baek Hana and Nam Seo-hee, who were approaching.

“Why are you always late even though the training ground is closer to you than us?”
“You’ll get hurt if you keep talking.”
“……?”

Edyn blinked at Nam Seo-hee’s enigmatic answer.

“What are you doing? Let’s go in.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

Before she knew it, Baek Hana had linked arms with Maria, and they pushed Edyn’s back, and the four of them entered the cafeteria and took their seats.

“You two are really something.”
“What?”
“Do you want to get hit?”
“……”

At Maria’s reprimand, Edyn flinched and quickly swallowed what was in her mouth.

“Hey, eat some salad or something instead of just meat. And you, Hana, cut down on the chocolate a bit.”
“……”
“……”

At Maria’s nagging, Baek Hana and Edyn quietly averted their gazes.

“And is Nayoung really okay?”
“Yeah, she seems fine.”

Baek Hana answered, munching on a chocolate bar, and Edyn, who had just finished the last rib, added,

“Hey. If you find something good, share it with us. What did you eat to suddenly become so energetic when you used to be a zombie? And your face looks a bit more mature, somehow.”
“Yeah. I was also surprised to see the dark circles under her eyes, which used to reach her cheeks, suddenly disappear, and her face glow.”

Nayoung, who had suddenly become a different person, full of energy.

Of course, the content remained the same timid Nayoung.

“So, she’s been staying in the practice room late every day since then?”
“Yeah, she hardly sleeps.”
“And then suddenly, she’ll just pass out―”

Crack!

“……?!”

Edyn silently screamed at Maria’s back.

“You really need to watch what you say. Why do you get hit every time you open your mouth?”
“I enjoy getting hit.”
“……Are you crazy?!”

At Nam Seo-hee’s remark, Edyn lit up and said,

“You try getting hit by her! Her hands are so strong!! I really don’t understand why she’s a priestess instead of a paladin.”
“Stop exaggerating.”
“How much does Maria hit you anyway?”
“Hey, hey!!”

As Nam Seo-hee and Maria took turns adding to the conversation, Edyn’s face turned red, and she opened and closed her mouth, looking like she was about to explode.

“Hana, you’re on my side, right?”
“……Huh?”

At Edyn’s call, Baek Hana looked up.

“No… I mean, keep eating.”
“Yeah.”

Baek Hana nodded and started munching on the chocolate bars in her hands like a squirrel again.

As their dinner was coming to an end,

Thud!

Everyone’s heads turned at the sound of someone putting down their tray a little too forcefully. When they saw who it was, Nam Seo-hee and Maria’s eyes narrowed.

A female student with blazing red hair, Na Joo-hee, glared at Baek Hana as she sat down.

It was quite an intense gaze, but the target, Baek Hana, showed no reaction at all and stood up with the last piece of chocolate in her mouth.

Following her, the other three also got up and quietly left the cafeteria without any fuss.

“Hana.”
“……?”

Baek Hana, who had been about to go to the mart, turned at Maria’s call.

“Um, I know you’re skilled, but I think it’s time to start training, don’t you think?”
“I think so too.”

Nam Seo-hee chimed in, and Baek Hana blinked a couple of times and said,

“Suddenly?”
“The year-end evaluation is coming up soon.”
“I don’t care about my grades.”

Baek Hana’s response was quite bland.

She didn’t want to waste her precious weekends, the only time she could relax and be spoiled by him, just to aim for the top rank.

“Is that why that red-haired girl was glaring at you?”
“……Yeah. She’s the best in the Ability Department.”
“I see. But she seems a bit too hostile.”

At Baek Hana’s question, Nam Seo-hee answered,

“That’s Na Joo-hee, and she’s engaged to Kang Seok-ho, the guy you spar with every day.”
“Ahh…”

Baek Hana nodded, looking somewhat convinced.

It was only natural for Na Joo-hee to feel hostile towards her, as she was beating up her fiancé every day.

If someone tried to harm him, she would want to tear them apart too.

“Then, I’ll just take a few hits from her during the evaluation match.”

Although she couldn’t forgive Kang Seok-ho yet, she could empathize with Na Joo-hee’s anger. But at Baek Hana’s answer, Maria’s eyes became half-lidded.

“Are you serious?”
“What?”

“Are you really giving up on the top rank?”
“Yeah. I’m not interested in elixirs or artifacts or anything like that.”
“Oh. Okay then.”

Maria shook her head, looking quite disappointed, and then slowly took a step forward, tilting her head.

“If you get the top rank, you’ll be exempt from homework.”

Baek Hana’s eyes widened at Maria’s words.

“The curfew will also be extended to midnight.”

Baek Hana’s head turned to the side.

“And during the summer vacation, you can even get private lessons from the professor of your choice.”

Maria, now arm-in-arm with Baek Hana, tilted her head and asked,

“Are you really not interested?”