I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy - Chapter 39

-Peep-peep-peep-peep……

Exactly two hours later, the fairy in the jar started crying, its eyes like little pearls.

“Professor…. It looks like it’s had enough, so……”
“Alright.”

I wanted to wait until it was completely exhausted, but Claire kept fidgeting beside me, so I decided it was time to let the fairy out.

Fortunately, the jar had rolled away, and the fairy was facing away from us, sobbing. It wouldn’t notice us right away, giving us a chance to reveal ourselves.

“Follow me.”
“……Yes.”

Holding her hand, I approached the door of the storage room. I had left it slightly ajar when we entered, and now I widened the gap just enough to not look suspicious.

With our backs to the door, I released my magic and pushed it open with one hand.

Squeak—

The door, long neglected, creaked as it slid open. The fairy, which had been huddled in the jar, jumped in surprise.

• • Peep……?

It turned its head toward us, making a distinctive chick-like sound.

Its emerald green hair, reaching its shoulders, matched its emerald green eyes.

However, its eyes looked a little puffy from all the crying, making it look more adorable than beautiful.

-Peep, peep!!

It widened its eyes at the sight of us and flapped its tiny wings vigorously.

-Thump?!

“Ah……”

Claire let out a small sigh, unable to hide her disappointment as the fairy crashed headfirst into the jar. She had always loved small and cute things, so this reaction was expected.

“It seems to have fainted……”
“It does.”

The fairy lay on its stomach, motionless.

A small bump had formed on the back of its head, indicating that it had flapped its wings with more force than expected.

‘Good.’

Now that it was unconscious, I could examine it freely, saving us some time.

There was no longer any reason to hold her hand, so I released it, feeling the excess heat in hispalm. I moved closer to the jar, and Claire hesitantly followed, standing beside me.

“Can I heal it……?”

Claire asked for my permission, concerned about the bump on its head.

“Wait a moment.”
“……Yes.”

At my response, she nodded, and the corners of her eyes, which usually looked cold, curved down slightly.

When she was outside, whether during class or walking around, she would stare coldly at students or staff who approached her, but now, she looked like a puppy that had been scolded by its owner.

“……Professor?”

Claire, who had been looking down at the fairy, turned her head and slowly blinked, calling my name. It seemed that our long time together had allowed her to sense my gaze to some extent.

“What is it?”
“……No, it’s nothing……”

She glanced at me, then shook her head and turned her attention back to the fairy. These ridiculous glasses sometimes came in handy like this.

‘I’ll have to be careful.’

Perhaps because we had known each other for so long.

Just as she could sense my gaze, I sometimes found myself drawn to her, often when she did something that reminded me of Baek Hana as a child……

I averted my gaze and lowered my posture.

I placed my hand on the spot where the fairy had fallen unconscious. Unlike when it was asleep, I didn’t have to worry about it suddenly waking up, so I could freely examine this tiny creature.

I channeled my magic, covering the fairy’s body with it. The magic slowly seeped into its body.

I closed my eyes and focused.

I wanted to measure the remaining time of this little creature, which would become the cornerstone of my plan.

The storage room was filled with nothing but soft breathing sounds.

Baek Woo-jin knelt by the jar, his eyes closed in concentration.

Claire sat quietly beside him, watching.

‘I wonder what he’s doing.’

The magic around the jar was moving very delicately, and with her innate ability to see the flow and movement of magic, she could tell that he was doing something.

However, unlike other ability-awakened individuals who required incantations or mediums, he manifested magic directly, so she couldn’t tell what type of magic it was.

“Claire.”

After a while, Baek Woo-jin opened his eyes and spoke softly.

“Heal it after it wakes up.”
“……To get closer to it?”

Baek Woo-jin nodded once and stood up, moving to sit a short distance away from the jar. He then reached out and brought the basket, which had been sitting a little further away, closer to him.

Claire watched him for a moment, then turned her gaze to the fairy, which was still unconscious in the jar.

-Peep……

How much time had passed?

The fairy, which had been lying motionless, stirred and made a chick-like sound, lifting its head.

-Peep……?

“……”

Claire blinked sleepily, meeting the tiny fairy’s gaze.

-Peep, peep……!!

Its hazy eyes widened, and it quickly crawled over to the only remaining necklace in the jar, hiding its face behind it.

“……”

The sight was so adorable that Claire had to forcibly suppress the smile that threatened to break through.

-Peep-peep, peep-peep……

The fairy hid its face and trembled, its tiny wings fluttering.

Claire gently placed her hand on top of the spot where Baek Woo-jin had placed his earlier. A soft light emanated from her palm.

-Peep-peep……?

The fairy slowly lifted its head, its eyes curious as it looked up at the warm light above it.

-Peep.

The fairy reached out its tiny hand toward the light, its eyes sparkling with curiosity. Claire couldn’t help but let a small smile slip through.

“Open it after it’s done.”
“……Yes.”

At Baek Woo-jin’s voice from behind her, Claire snapped out of her reverie and withdrew her divine power.

-Peep?

The fairy, which had been reaching up toward the light, blinked and glanced at Claire, tilting its head in confusion. If it weren’t for Baek Woo-jin’s presence, she might have kept her divine power flowing for hours, playing with the fairy.

Claire composed herself and carefully opened the lid of the jar, which Baek Woo-jin had closed.

-……

The fairy looked at the opening for a moment, then slowly emerged, holding the necklace it had been hiding behind. It flapped its tiny wings and flew back up to the attic.

As Claire felt a twinge of disappointment, Baek Woo-jin called out to her.

“Claire.”
“……Yes?”

A small container flew slowly toward her as she turned her head, and she caught it without difficulty.

“Open it and wait, and it will come down on its own.”
“……”

When she opened her palm, she found a container similar to the one that had held the slime essence, now filled with a bright yellow liquid. She looked up at Baek Woo-jin.

-Peep.

The fairy poked its small face out from the attic, staring intently at Claire.

‘Open this and……’

Claire followed Baek Woo-jin’s instructions and opened the lid of the small container. The first thing that caught her eye was the bright yellow liquid, followed by a sweet scent that tickled her nose.

‘Honey……?’

It didn’t seem like ordinary honey, but the appearance and fragrance were similar to the honey she knew. She held the container, which now smelled sweet, in her palm, waiting for the fairy to approach.

-Peep-peep.

The fairy soon emerged from the attic, cautiously stepping onto Claire’s palm.

-Peep……?

The fairy looked back and forth between Claire and the container, then slowly moved closer to the container, eventually plunging its tiny arm into it.

-Peep-peep!!

It tasted the substance, which was similar to the honey on her palm, and its face lit up with delight as it began gobbling it down. Despite its small size, the fairy had a voracious appetite, and the container was soon empty.

-Peep-peep~

It licked its lips, its eyes sparkling with satisfaction, then looked up at Claire with a curious expression.

-Peep-peep!!

Suddenly, it started slapping Claire’s palm with its tiny hands.

Claire was taken aback by the fairy’s unexpected behavior. Baek Woo-jin spoke up, interpreting the fairy’s actions.

“It seems to like your divine power.”
“Oh……!”

With Baek Woo-jin’s explanation, she understood and cautiously released her divine power.

-Peep-peep.

The restless fairy immediately calmed down. It played with Claire’s palm, which was now emitting a soft light, its emerald eyes sparkling.

-Peep-peep.

Suddenly, a bright light emanated from the fairy’s body.

-Peep.

The light quickly formed into a small sphere, which the fairy held in its tiny hands.

The fairy turned around and held out the sphere to Claire.

-Peep-peep!!

It smiled brightly, clearly offering it as a gift. But Claire couldn’t move.

As soon as the light from the fairy’s body had formed into the sphere, the fairy’s presence had become hazy.

“Fortunately, it seems to like you. It’s a gift to be your friend, so take it.”
“But, this is……”

For the first time, Claire hesitated after hearing Baek Woo-jin’s words.

She had a vague idea of what the sphere in the fairy’s hands was made of, and that’s why she hesitated.

“There’s no way to reverse it once it’s out. So take it. Otherwise, it’ll be sad.”

-Peep……

As soon as Baek Woo-jin finished speaking, the fairy, which had been smiling brightly, now looked like it was about to cry, its eyes fixed on Claire.

In the end, Claire had no choice but to accept the gift.

-Peep-peep!!

The fairy beamed with joy as its gift was received, but Claire couldn’t bring herself to smile.

“Fairies are the most pure, the most curious, the biggest cowards, and the loneliest creatures.”

-Peep-peep?

The fairy blinked, then flew to Claire’s shoulder, using its tiny wings. It peeked at Baek Woo-jin from behind her hair, its eyes sparkling.

Baek Woo-jin met the fairy’s gaze and continued.

“It must have been alone since birth, and so it must have been lonely.”

-Peep-peep……

The fairy stared at Baek Woo-jin’s glasses, its eyes sparkling.

“It hasn’t learned anything, and it doesn’t have anything. The only thing it could give was this. The person who received it must have been happy, and seeing that, the fairy…… well, you can guess the rest.”

-Peep-peep.

The fairy couldn’t contain its curiosity any longer and flew to Baek Woo-jin. It grabbed his glasses and pulled them back with all its might.

-Peep-peep?!

The weight was heavier than expected, and the fairy fell along with the glasses.

-Thump!!

The fairy landed on Baek Woo-jin’s shin, struggling under the weight of the large, heavy lenses.

-Peep-peep.

The fairy hangs on to the eyeglass stand and climbs back up. Baek Woo-jin adjusts his glasses, which the fairy is hanging on to, and offers his palm under the fairy’s dangling feet.

-Beep.

The fairy sits down on Baek Woo-jin’s palm, looking exhausted, but its gaze is still fixed on Baek Woo-jin’s large glasses.

Baek Woo-jin meets the fairy’s curious gaze.

“So, if this little one comes to visit, try to make time for it.”

-Beep-beep!!

The fairy stretches out its arms to grab Baek Woo-jin’s glasses, but he tilts his head back to avoid it. With his back still turned to the fairy chirping on his palm, he looks at Claire’s back and says,

“Claire. You must be her first friend after years.”
“……”

Claire nods once.

Her gaze remains fixed on the sphere in her hand for a long time.