I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy - Chapter 17

July 13, 2028.

-Kyaaat!!

-Hey!! We agreed not to use our abilities!

-Ehehe~ If you don’t like it, you know what to do!

Baek Hana had turned 18 years old, celebrating her sixth birthday. She had grown up well, without experiencing the typical teenage rebellion that most people go through.

The only concern was her penchant for eating too much chocolate, but as long as she brushed her teeth properly and didn’t skip meals, it seemed manageable. After all, Baek Hana was no longer the small child she once was.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sound of someone tapping on the window made me turn my chair.

There stood Baek Hana, drenched in a black bikini under a soaked t-shirt, grinning at me. The once scrawny child had grown into a young woman, drawing envious glances from others.

I didn’t want to open the window, but I knew she would keep pestering me, so I used my magic to do so.

“Woo-jin~ Let’s play together. Okay?”
“……Professor, you should join us too.”
“Yes, that way, the Executioner will play with us too.”

Baek Hana was already a handful, and now Maria and Edyn, with their beige and pink hair, popped up like moles under the window sill, egging her on.

I ignored their pleading eyes and looked past them.

Under a large parasol, there sat Claire, lounging in a beach-style chair that seemed out of place in this setting. Unlike her usual attire of priestess robes or suits, she wore a thin t-shirt and a uniquely designed swimsuit, taking a well-deserved break.

‘……Tsk.’

As I’ve mentioned before, Claire had changed quite a bit since Baek Hana’s growth spurt.

For one, she no longer seemed intimidated by me. Her current relaxed pose in the chair was a testament to that.

There were a few other changes, but they were mostly positive, so I won’t dwell on them here as they are not relevant to the current situation.

“Hmm? Woo-ji~ Let’s play~”
“……Haa.”

It was a scorching summer day, and the Academy was buzzing with excitement due to the summer festival.

Baek Hana, who had experienced this festival several times before, had set up a makeshift pool in the courtyard next to the library. I do not know where she had gotten it from.

After lunch, she had invited Maria and Edyn, her constant companions, to join her, and they had been splashing around ever since.

Under the beseeching gazes of the three girls, I adjusted my slightly askew glasses and replied, “I don’t have a swimsuit.”

At that moment, Claire, who had been lounging in her chair, slowly raised her upper body and looked at me.

“I bought one for you when we went shopping with the kids.
“……”
“It’s an auto-size, so you don’t have to worry about it fitting. It adjusts to the wearer’s body.”

The beauty with her cold expression finished her statement and closed her eyes again, leaning back in her chair.

“Your swimsuit is in my room~”
“……Baek Hana.”
“Come on, hurry up!! Let’s play!!”
“……”

When they were alone, they were so well-behaved.

I had no pressing matters to attend to, so I had no choice but to get up from my seat.

“Just this once.”
“Yes, yes. Hurry up!!”

As I left the library, I heard their unnecessarily bright voices behind me.

-Is it true that Professor’s body is better than the apprentice holy knights?

-Yeah, it is. Woo-ji’s body is amazing.

-Swoo……

It seemed that Baek Hana had been filling their heads with strange ideas. I would have to give her a stern warning about this later.

**

The grass was hot from the sun’s rays.

On it lay a massive pool, so large that it was almost embarrassing to call it a pool.

The water level reached the girls’ chests, and the pool spanned 20 meters in width and length. It was a special order from Claire.

She enjoyed the gentle heat rising from below as she watched the girls play, her eyes drawn to Baek Hana, who stood out with her fair skin.

Six years.

That was how long she had known Baek Woo-jin and witnessed Baek Hana’s growth.

Most of the time, she had been looking out for Baek Hana, but occasionally,

Very occasionally, she would go out with just Baek Woo-jin.

They would visit auction houses to acquire unknown items or enter undetected gates to retrieve special objects.

As these experiences accumulated and her interactions with Baek Woo-jin increased, Claire realized something.

Baek Woo-jin was exceptionally indifferent to others. His interest was solely focused on a single girl. Or so she thought.

[What have you been up to lately?]

[I know you need your own time, so I’m sorry for calling you out so often.]

[If you need help later, let me know. I’ll help you once.]

His casual remarks belied a deeper concern. Because Claire had accompanied him on these outings, she understood.

Baek Woo-jin cared about her far more than she had realized.

It was around the time she became aware of this that she started to feel more comfortable around him. The once intimidating man now felt approachable, and she found herself wanting to get closer to him, beyond just observing from a distance…

Clack—

Claire’s momentary reverie was interrupted by the turning of a doorknob.

Baek Woo-jin was imperceptible to the senses, so to locate him, one had to either see him or focus on the sounds he intentionally made.

The sound she heard was that of the front door opening.

Stomp- Stomp-

The sound of footsteps on the grass approached at a steady pace. Soon, the man they had all been waiting for appeared from around the corner, some distance away.

His usual disheveled black hair,

The now-familiar large glasses,

The prominent nose and captivating lips.

It was the same face she had seen for six years, never changing. But below that…

Baek Woo-jin, who insisted on wearing the same outfit regardless of the season,

Had…

“Oh my God……”
“Edyn, your nose is bleeding.”
“Uh, uh.”

The beige-haired girl had invoked the name of God, and the pink-haired girl was tilting her head back, pinching her nose to stop the bleeding.

If it had been the usual Claire, she would have scolded them harshly, but thankfully, her vision was currently filled only with Baek Woo-jin.

The thick lines,

The broad shoulders,

The deep collarbones,

And the pronounced contours below.

Baek Woo-jin’s body was like a masterpiece crafted by a master sculptor, beautiful and incredibly attractive. So much so that one might be tempted to press against that firm-looking chest, just once.

As everyone was captivated by Baek Woo-jin’s physique, Baek Hana, the only one immune to his charms, pouted and complained,

“Are you going to wear your glasses while playing?”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“Won’t it be uncomfortable?”
“It’s my problem to deal with, so don’t worry—”

“Eiii!!”

Baek Hana splashed a large amount of water at Baek Woo-jin, soaking him.

“……Ha.”

Baek Woo-jin let out a short sigh.

He pushed his wet hair up, something he had never done before, revealing a neat hairstyle.

“Hey… Maria… Your nose is bleeding too…”
“……”

Edyn, who had been pinching her nose, now gaped like a fool as Maria, with blood trickling from her nose, drank it in.

As the two girls tended to their nosebleeds, Baek Woo-jin, with no preamble, grabbed the edge of the pool and pulled himself in.

Baek Hana continued to laugh and splash water at him,

And Baek Woo-jin silently endured the onslaught as he walked towards her. Then…

“Kyaak~!!”
“I’ve told you many times that choices come with consequences.”

Baek Woo-jin lifted Baek Hana, who was pretending to be exaggeratedly frightened, into the air.

To onlookers, they might have appeared to be a loving couple playfully teasing each other, evoking both jealousy and admiration. But unlike Baek Hana, who was genuinely amused, Baek Woo-jin was quite serious.

And to prove it…

“Kyaa?!”

Baek Hana’s body flew through the air.

Splash!!

She created a massive column of water as she plunged headfirst into the pool.

“Hmm…”

Some of the water splashed onto Claire’s face, snapping her back to reality.

Claire, now back to her senses, watched as Baek Hana charged at Baek Woo-jin again, then got up from her chair and slowly made her way into the pool.

Splash!!

Just then, Baek Hana was sent flying through the air once more, creating another huge splash as she hit the water.

Baek Woo-jin, who had been drenched by Baek Hana’s antics, was brushing his wet bangs off his face.

Claire, who had been observing this,

Splish—

“……”
“……”

Sprayed water at Baek Woo-jin, who turned to look at her, surprised by the unexpected splash.

“Haha~!! Sister!! Spray more!!”
“……Eum.”

As an awkward silence hung in the air, Baek Hana, resurrected once again, charged at Baek Woo-jin, and Claire naturally joined in, slowly approaching him and spraying water. Then…

“Kyaaa~!!”

Baek Hana was sent flying through the air once more.

Kwaak—

Claire’s arms were grabbed by Baek Woo-jin’s large hands, and she was pulled into his embrace, her thighs brushing against his as he lifted her.

‘Ah…’

The touch of their skin.

The warmth of their bodies.

Hoo—!!

Claire’s body flew through the air.

Unable to defy gravity, she slowly descended.

Splash!!

She landed in the water near where Baek Hana had fallen.

The warmth she had felt on her skin was quickly replaced by the cold water.

Claire slowly sank beneath the rippling surface, gazing at the sunlight reflecting off the waves and thinking,

‘Summer… Not bad.’

**

Chirrrrrrr—

The grasshoppers, silent during the day, now perched on the bushes, singing their unique songs.

“Woo-ji~ When are we starting?”
“We’ll start soon.”

Baek Hana, with her arm draped over the window sill, hummed a tune.

After playing in the pool, Claire had taken the other two girls back to the temple. It was only possible for them to play during the day thanks to Baek Hana’s influence, as the temple was also busy during the festival.

“Here.”
“Yes~”

Baek Hana smiled brightly as I handed her a cup of coffee with melted chocolate.

Hmm- Hmm-Hmm~

The rebellious and playful attitude she had shown by the pool seemed like an act, as she now snuggled up to me, acting like a spoiled child even though she would soon be an adult.

I gently stroked her head as I gazed up at the night sky.

A beautiful night sky that could never be seen in the modern world.

The stars twinkled above the darkness, and tonight’s main attraction, the full moon, was rising.

It was a rare white moon, said to appear once every 20 years.

With the appearance of gates and the emergence of gods, unexplainable phenomena occasionally occurred in this world.

This white moon was one such phenomenon.

As the moon rose and approached its zenith, the bright yellow moon gradually turned white. When it reached the apex of the night sky, it became a perfect white jade, emitting an intense light.

Baek Hana had stayed awake, leaning against me, to watch the fireworks that would accompany the moon’s transformation.

“It’s as white as my hair, isn’t it?”
“……Indeed.”

Baek Hana blinked up at the moon, now almost at its zenith.

She took a sip of her coffee and subtly shifted her position to lean against my chest.

“This is the best.”
“……”

The once tiny child had grown tall enough to rest her head on my chest.

“Oh, it’s starting.”

I had been gazing at her hair for a moment, but now I looked up at the sky.

The white jade moon, hanging at the apex,

Shone brighter and brighter.

Within seconds, the white moon in the night sky shone as brightly as the sun, and—

Clink—

The sound of a glass shattering on the floor accompanied Baek Hana’s body slumping forward.