I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy - Chapter 28

February 4, 2030.

About a month before the entrance ceremony, Nam Seo-hee visited the academy.

“Confirmed.”
“Thank you.”

After receiving a temporary pass at the checkpoint and hanging it around her neck, she walked down the deserted path, slightly opening the envelope in her hand.

‘I wonder if she’ll like it.’

Inside the envelope was an expensive aroma candle, carefully packaged, which was said to be favored by beast-type transformation awakeners.

She was visiting the academy today because she had been invited to celebrate Baek Hana’s birthday.

After taking the entrance exam, they had been out of touch for a while, but they met again by chance when they went to get their uniforms tailored.

For some reason, Baek Hana was being scolded by a professor with a sweet voice that made her want to scratch her ears, her tail and ears drooping.

And before she could even greet him, the professor had invited her to Baek Hana’s birthday celebration.

“Hey!! Nam Seo-hee!!”

Nam Seo-hee, who had been walking while reminiscing about that moment, turned her head at the sound of someone calling her name from a distance.

She immediately spotted Edyn, with her distinctive pink hair braided neatly, waving at her.

Nam Seo-hee approached Edyn.

“What did you buy?”
“An aroma candle.”
“…Wow. That’s really expensive.”

Edyn looked at Nam Seo-hee with a slightly shocked expression after seeing the contents of the envelope in her hand.

Although it looked like a pretty candle on the outside, the cheapest candle from that brand was in the hundred-thousand-won range, so the one in the envelope was probably even more expensive.

“I wasn’t sure what Hana liked…”

So she had chosen the most neutral option.

As for the money, when she told her mother that she was going to a friend’s birthday celebration, her mother had surprisingly lent her a credit card.

As they headed towards the Street of Light, Edyn said to Nam Seo-hee,

“Hana likes sweet things. Actually, she likes all kinds of food, but especially Seven Chocolate.”
“Sweet things?”
“Yeah. She especially loves Seven Chocolate.”
“…Isn’t that for kids?”
“Yeah, it is.”

Seven Chocolate was a children’s chocolate with added calcium and other nutrients to aid in their growth.

Nam Seo-hee imagined for a moment.

Herself offering chocolate to Baek Hana.

Baek Hana approaching her with a wagging tail.

“Hey, you’re drooling. What are you thinking about?”
“…Nothing.”

Nam Seo-hee wiped the corner of her mouth, and Edyn, who was watching her, frowned slightly and shook her head.

“This is the Street of Light. What? You usually wouldn’t come here.”

Not all awakeners worship the gods and pray to them.

This was because they knew that the power they possessed was not bestowed upon them by the gods.

Of course, they didn’t figure this out on their own, but it became common knowledge after the playful god, Bwiar, naturally spread the truth through his followers.

“Come in.”
“Okay.”

Nam Seo-hee and Edyn entered the temple of the god of amusement, taking off their shoes and walking inside.

“You’re right on time.”

Maria, who had just come down the stairs, waved at them.

“Should we leave now, then?”
“Wait a moment.”

Maria poked her head back into the stairs and said,

“Executor, should we go first?”

“…?”

Before Nam Seo-hee could question her, a stunningly beautiful woman with cold features descended the stairs.

It was Claire Bean Assen, with her elegant golden hair neatly tied back and a black coat draped over her shoulders.

‘Claire Bean Assen…’

Nam Seo-hee had heard that she had completely stopped her external activities a few years ago, so she was curious as to why she was here now.

Nam Seo-hee’s eyes naturally fell on the envelope in Claire’s left hand.

The envelope exuded an air of sophistication, clearly meant for a gift.

‘…’

Nam Seo-hee seriously considered whether she should go buy some chocolate.

**

“Hello~!”
“Excuse me.”

Edyn and Maria greeted in their own unique ways and then proceeded to take off their shoes and walk inside.

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, Nam Seo-hee hesitated for a moment.

She glanced at Claire, who was calmly taking off her boots and hanging her coat next to the one the professor had been wearing at the tailor shop, and then followed the others inside.

“You can go see Hana, too.”
“…Oh, okay…”

Nam Seo-hee nodded at Claire’s cold yet beautiful voice and quickly took off her shoes and went inside.

-Ugh!! Ya…!!
-Serves you right for eating without permission!
-Stupid Edyn.

The voices of the three girls could be heard from around the corner.

Nam Seo-hee cautiously peeked around the corner and saw them in the kitchen.

It was a typical kitchen, with a large table filled with food.

Edyn’s face was bright red as she gulped down milk, apparently having eaten a cookie made with chili pepper dough.

Baek Hana was giggling at Edyn’s misfortune, and when she noticed Nam Seo-hee quietly entering the kitchen, she approached her.

“Long time no see.”
“Oh, um… This is a gift…”

Nam Seo-hee was a bit taken aback by Baek Hana’s unexpectedly warm greeting, but she quickly recovered and handed her the envelope.

“It’s an aroma candle! Thank you!!”
“Yeah.”

Baek Hana’s sincere smile, without a hint of pretense, put Nam Seo-hee at ease, and she returned the smile.

‘I must have misunderstood.’

She had thought that Baek Hana was keeping her distance because of some mistake she had made, but it seemed there was another reason.

-Puff… I’m, I’m sorry…

At that moment, they heard Claire’s voice from the hallway, and everyone tilted their heads in confusion. They soon found out the reason.

“Kyaa~!! Professor, it’s so cute!!!”
“Does it suit me? I got it as a gift.”
“…Can I, can I take a picture?”
“Hey. That’s rude. And Nam Seo-hee, send that picture to my email, too.”

The four girls crowded around Baek Woo-Jin, who had just appeared wearing cute wolf-faced slippers, and couldn’t let him go for a while.

Baek Hana was the first to snap out of it, and she quietly backed away and brought out a plate full of cookies.

“Woo-jin!! Try this!!”

Most of the cookies were made with strange ingredients, and only a handful were normal.

The girls who had been clinging to Baek Woo-jin backed off for a moment, and he quietly reached out and took a cookie that looked and smelled normal.

He swallowed exactly half of it and then proceeded to eat the other half as he said,

“Well made.”
“Have another one.”

Baek Woo-jin obediently took another cookie and bit into it.

“Hmm…?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing…”

Baek Woo Jin offered another cookie to Baek Hana, bending down slightly at the waist.

“No, I, I…”

Baek Hana was flustered, but when he insisted on feeding her the cookie, she blushed slightly and opened her lips.

“…!!”

As soon as she bit into the cookie, a spicy chili pepper flavor exploded in her mouth, and she quickly ran to the table and gulped down some milk.

“I knew you’d do that.”
“Hana, to be honest, that was a bit like what Edyn would do.”
“What did you call me?”

While Edyn and Maria glared at Baek Hana, Nam Seo-hee was the only one who was looking directly at Baek Woo-jin.

‘…He’s smiling.’

His lips were curled up ever so slightly.

Baek Woo-jin took another cookie from the plate that Baek Hana had handed him and offered it to Claire, who was standing behind them.

“Professor…?”
“Have a taste.”
“…Oh, um…”

Claire blushed slightly at the nape of her neck, knowing that what she was about to do was wrong, but she opened her beautiful lips and took the cookie from Baek Woo-jin.

Nam Seo-hee, who had been watching, noticed the faint blush spreading across Claire’s usually cold face and thought,

‘…They don’t seem to be dating.’

It was a woman’s intuition, and Nam Seo-hee made her judgment.

**

It was nearing midnight.

“Phew~”
“…?”

Baek Hana was sitting on Baek Woo Jin’s lap, sipping on coffee made with the chocolate she had received as a gift, while he sat in the study chair.

“It’s almost tomorrow.”
“…?”
“Hey”
“…?”
“Woo-jin?”

Baek Hana was leaning her head against his chest and being playful, so Baek Woo-jin closed his notebook and opened a drawer. He took out a set of black gloves and brought them to Baek Hana’s cheek, saying,

“…Go brush your teeth and go to sleep.”
“Uuuu~”

Baek Hana happily took the gloves from him, even as he pushed her cheeks.

She hugged the gloves to her chest and tilted her head up slightly.

“…Thank you.”

She shyly expressed her gratitude and gave him a subtle smile that only he had ever seen.

“…Get lost.”
“Tsk.”

Baek Hana clicked her tongue and got off his lap. She walked to the window behind the chair and looked up at the bright yellow moon, saying,

“Woo-jin.”
“…What?”
“I’ll be an adult soon.”
“…Yeah. So from now on–”
“Hmph!! Don’t say that! It was you who said it’s okay for me to act spoiled three times a day first!”
“…That was…”

Baek Woo-jin was about to say something, but he closed his mouth.

Baek Hana silently laughed and looked at the small clock on the desk.

It was the clock she had given him as a gift, and the hands were approaching the number 12.

“Woo-jin.”
“…Fine, I understand, so get lost.”

Baek Woo-jin sighed and closed his eyes.

The clock struck 12.

“I’m 20 now.”
“…?”

Baek Woo-jin turned his chair to look at Baek Hana, sensing a change in her atmosphere.

“Now that I’m an adult, can you grant me one request?”

Baek Hana took a step closer to him, her sky blue eyes blinking innocently.

“…If it’s not unreasonable.”
“I know it’s not.”

Baek Woo-jin looked at her for a moment and then nodded.

Baek Hana took another step closer and said,

“…I want to see you without your glasses.”

It was a part of him that he had never shown to anyone else.

Baek Hana didn’t want anyone else to see that hidden side of him before she did.

She sincerely wished and strongly hoped that she would be the first to see it.

There was a long silence.

At the end of that long silence, Baek Woo Jin’s hand slowly moved.

He was reaching for his glasses, which he hadn’t taken off in years.

“…That’s a pretty modest request for such a dramatic buildup.”

Baek Woo Jin, unaware of Baek Hana’s feelings, finally took off his glasses.

And.

“Ah…”

A small exclamation escaped Baek Hana’s lips.

His eyebrows were well-defined, and his eyes were sharp.

Within them, golden irises shone faintly.

Baek Woo-jin’s face was even more–

Swoosh.

“…?!”

Baek Hana was startled as Baek Woo-jin suddenly brought his forehead to hers.

“Woo, Woo, Woo-jin…?”
“Does something hurt? You have a fever, and your pulse is racing…”

Poke!

At that moment, Baek Hana’s pointed ears poked out from her hair.

“I’m not sick!”

Baek Hana ran out of the study and down the hall.

Thump thump thump!!

She ran back and poked her head around the door, saying firmly,

“…Don’t take off your glasses in front of other people.”

Then she ran back to her room like she was escaping.

Baek Woo-jin stared at the open door of the study for a moment, then put his glasses back on and reopened the notebook he had closed.

However, his hand wouldn’t move.

He felt a faint warmth on his forehead and closed his eyes, slowly leaning back in the chair.

“…This is troublesome.”

That day, for the first time since he started keeping records, Baek Woo-jin did not write down his thoughts in his notebook.