I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

[Congratulations on your hard work over the past four years.]

The chairman, Ahn Hyundo, climbed onto the podium in the auditorium and began his short speech and congratulations to the graduating students.

“Professor Baek. You can start now.”

“…”

Jayden, who had approached me cautiously, flinched and quickly averted his gaze.

‘Damn it.’

The graduation ceremony was supposed to take place on January 28, but the bastard who was late in returning from the gate is now giving a speech on the podium, delaying the ceremony until today, February 3rd.

-Just help me once…
-Ah, screw it! Do you think I want to deal with politicians?
-…Do you really think I’d throw it away? You’re a tight-ass friend who doesn’t understand jokes…

Feeling sorry for the graduating students, Ahn Hyundo asked me to attend the ceremony and say a few words. I naturally refused, as it wasn’t a story that a person in debt to me could tell.

However, the bastard lay down on the floor of the chairman’s office, protesting that he wouldn’t get up until I agreed. At first, I was dumbfounded by his attitude, which didn’t seem to be that of someone in debt to me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

But when he threatened to break the promise he had made, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to replace him with another human. It would be a bit more troublesome, but it would be much more useful than the current situation.

[When you go out into society, remember that you are a representative of Arena Academy…]

But now, the bastard is standing on the podium, speaking nonsense.

As soon as he was thrown into my office wall, he surrendered, and I accepted his request on the condition that I help him with a few additional tasks.

Finding a replacement for him wasn’t difficult, but it was hard to find someone with Ahn Hyundo’s level of strength and affection for the students, so it was a reasonable choice.

[Then…]

“Professor, you can go up now.”

At Jayden’s signal, I climbed onto the podium.

There was no enthusiastic cheering or applause.

The students just looked up at me with intense gazes, holding their breath.

The fourth-year graduating class.

The year group where, according to both sides’ memories, no one’s name or face was ever mentioned. And I spoke to the living and breathing students.

“Set your priorities. Life, wealth, relationships, dreams. Whatever it is, use that as a weight to judge and act. Then, at least you won’t regret it to death.”

Just as I do now.

With those words, I turned and left the podium. Of course, there was no applause or cheers this time either.

“Haha… Good job.”

I walked past Jayden, who quickly came to me to see my reaction. There was no reason to stay here any longer, so I left quickly.

“Professor Yoon Do-sik asked if you’d like to have lunch together if you have time…”

“Is he in the lab?”

“Yes, he’s in the lab.”

I didn’t answer and left the auditorium.

February 3rd.

The day Baek Hana turns nine winters old.

It’s also the day I get kicked out of my mansion.

.

.

.

Around the time the graduation ceremony was in full swing.

“Wow… It’s so spacious.”

Baek Hana, who had opened the door to her newly assigned dormitory room to move her belongings, was amazed at the size, which was much larger than the room she had shared with Nayoung.

“It’s too big for one person…”

Baek Hana, who had been assigned a single room due to various factors, scratched her cheek for a moment and then entered the room, carrying the box she had placed on the floor. She then unpacked and organized her belongings without much thought.

Clothes and uniforms went into the wardrobe.

Diaries and notebooks were placed on the bookshelf next to the desk.

The various snacks she had received as gifts were neatly organized in the refrigerator, on the shelves, and on the table. In fact, it took her longer to sort the snacks than the other two items.

“Hana, are you done?”

Nam Seo-hee poked her head through the slightly open front door and asked.

“Yes, I’m done.”

Baek Hana stacked the boxes neatly next to the wardrobe and turned off the lights before leaving the room.

“It’s too big for one person…”

“How about sleeping together only when we sleep?”

Nam Seo-hee, who had been assigned the room next door, linked arms with Baek Hana and asked.

“Huh, um, ho, I need to get used to being alone too… Yeah…”

Baek Hana rarely rejected Nam Seo-hee’s suggestion.

The reason was that she had been suffering from Nam Seo-hee’s sleep habit of hugging her hips and burying her face in her lower back every time she slept and woke up for the past few days.

Baek Hana successfully made an excuse and went downstairs with Nam Seo-hee.

“Why are you walking so slowly? Hurry up!”

Edyn, who had been assigned a single room, half the size of the others, shouted at the two of them as they walked slowly. After the two of them joined, and even the youngest, Nayoung, helped, it still took over an hour to finish unpacking Nayoung’s belongings.

“When did the professor say he would return?”

“6 o’clock? He said he would be back before 7 o’clock at the latest.”

“That gives us plenty of time, about five hours.”

After finishing unpacking, the children returned to the mansion without taking any detours. And the hellish kitchen began.

“What the hell are you doing? I told you to peel the shells, not to take out the meat!”

“You crazy bitch! Putting it on high heat doesn’t make it cook faster! You need to cook it on low heat!”

“Haaah!! Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the pan!”

It was truly astonishing that among the six girls, including Nayoung, only Edyn had any cooking skills. And as the only skilled person, Edyn had to endure endless suffering as her friends cooked recklessly without her control.

-Beep~

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

And Claire, who had stepped back and was watching the chaos with the fairy, spoke.

“I should probably help a little…”

“No!! Absolutely not! The Executor should rest today!”

“…”

Claire, who had tried to sneak into the kitchen, backed away quietly after being scolded by Edyn like an evil spirit.

Claire, who had been cooking for almost eight years, but whose cooking skills were catastrophic except for stews, was quickly excluded by Edyn.

Whoosh!

“Kyaak?!”

“You crazy bitch!”

Maria, who was grilling the meat on high heat, poured white wine on top of it, and a magnificent flame rose in the kitchen.

.

.

.

“Hehe, come in.”

After spending time with Yoon Do-sik and Jayden, I returned to the mansion and was led into the kitchen by Baek Hana, who was waiting for me at the entrance.

“Welcome.”

The five children greeted me as I entered the kitchen.

‘They’ve made quite a mess.’

The kitchen walls and ceiling were covered in black soot, and several pots and pans were missing.

“We made this, so please taste it and give us your feedback.”

I felt a twinge of guilt as well, as Baek Hana, for the first time in a long time, spoke politely to me and asked me a favor.

“It looks good on the outside…”

I tasted each dish on the table and was able to evaluate them easily.

“The pasta is completely bland.”

“Ugh…”

Nam Seo-hee flinched.

“The steak is rare, but for some reason, it’s like wine bursts out when you chew it. It’s not suitable for sale, but it’s quite an interesting dish.”

“…”

Maria’s cheeks turned slightly red.

“The risotto is undercooked, and the pizza is just average.”

Nayoung and Na Yeon-ju both bowed their heads at the same time.

“The kimchi stew was excellent.”

“Ugh…”

Edyn bit her lip and struggled to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up.

“And the muffin…”

I sighed softly as I tapped the chocolate muffin that was rising in the paper cup.

“…It’s too sweet.”

“It’s not that sweet…”

I sighed again in my mind at Baek Hana’s muttering. Why is her taste so dysfunctional when her other senses are so sensitive?

‘Was it a problem that I bought her chocolate that day?’

Baek Hana’s curiosity about her first visit to the department store had led me to give her a children’s chocolate, which was probably the cause of her abnormal taste.

“Don’t leave anything behind. Each of you is responsible for eating what you made.”

I left the pouting children behind and walked towards my study.

.

.

.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

As I sat in my study, savoring my coffee, Baek Hana cautiously opened the door and poked her head in.

“Come in.”

“Hehe…”

She approached me with a slightly silly smile.

“This…”

She then handed me a black box that she had been hiding behind her back.

I took it and opened the lid.

“It’s a handkerchief.”

“Yeah…”

Black and white.

I looked at the two contrasting handkerchiefs for a moment before closing the lid again.

“Thank you.”

“Really…?”

I nodded once towards the fidgeting girl.

“Yes.”

“Hehe…”

She finally smiled like a fool, came around the desk, and stood next to me. She glanced around cautiously and then carefully sat on my thigh.

“You’re heavy.”

“That’s a lie!”

She shouted with wide eyes, her face flushed red with shyness as she looked up at me.

I didn’t respond and quietly stroked the hair of the girl sitting on my knee.

“…It’s February 4th.”

She said, looking at the clock on the desk as she quietly accepted my touch.

“Happy birthday.”

“Yeah…”

The pale-skinned girl leaned her head on my shoulder with a faint smile.

“I didn’t prepare a separate gift, but if there’s something you want, tell me.”

“Will you get me anything I want?”

“No way.”

“Tsk… You used to say you’d grant any wish.”

“Well, back then, all you had in your head was food.”

“No, that’s not true!”

The pale-skinned lump who drooled every time she fell asleep.

The tomboy who drooled over chocolate and cookies and jumped around.

That girl had grown up so much.

“If you don’t want anything, just go back.”

“I… I do want something…”

She glanced up at me shyly.

“The… basic Gate mechanics lecture… I want to keep attending it…”

“Go ahead.”

“Huh?”

She asked me in surprise, as my answer was unexpected.

“Really? Can I really attend it without any problems?”

“Yes.”

“I’m… a second-year now. Can I really go to the lecture?”

“Check the schedule later and make sure you’re not late.”

“Are you… really going to do it?”

“If you ask one more time—”

“No, I won’t! Yes, I won’t be late. Hehe… Well, goodnight!”

She rubbed her cheek on my shoulder a couple of times, got off my thigh, and left the study like she was running away.

Alone, I carefully put the black box in a drawer and leaned back in my chair.

‘She’ll probably have a stomachache later.’

The basic Gate mechanics lecture was renamed ‘Gate Mechanics Lecture’ with the ‘basic’ part removed, and it was included in the second-year curriculum. The class size of seven students was to be maintained, as I had already discussed with the director. Of course, there wouldn’t be any trouble with students, as a separate notice would be issued stating that this was the director’s policy.

“You brought this upon yourself.”

I savored the remaining coffee and opened my journal.

.

.

.

February 2nd.

The day when upperclassmen start their new semester and freshmen begin their adaptation period.

“We freshmen have the right to attend Professor Baek Woo-jin’s lectures too!”

“Yes! Yes!”

About a hundred students were protesting in front of the main building.

As I was heading towards the annex, I stopped for a moment and looked at the person standing at the very front.

“Director, please…”

The person, disguised as a student, was actually a worm begging to be killed.