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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Han Min-ha, who had nearly bumped into Yoo Hee-won’s chest, awkwardly stepped back and asked.
“Huh? Why?”
“Number.”
“What number?”
“Your phone number, obviously. What else would it be, your student ID?”
“Oh, sorry. Just a sec.”
Han Min-ha fumbled in her pocket and accidentally dropped her phone.
Just as it was about to smash against the pavement, Yoo Hee-won extended her foot and lightly kicked it upwards.
Yoo Hee-won snatched the phone out of the air and looked down at Han Min-ha, who was shorter than her, with an utterly exasperated expression.
“Honestly, you…”
“Thanks…”
“Whatever!”
Yoo Hee-won clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned on the phone screen to enter her number.
“Ugh, the pattern.”
Han Min-ha, taking the phone back roughly, unlocked the screen, entered the number Yoo Hee-won recited, and called her.
“It’s my number, you don’t have to answer.”
“I know. I know.”
After exchanging numbers, Yoo Hee-won crossed her arms and said,
“Sorry, but I have no intention of being your tutor.”
“Yeah…”
“So let’s not bother each other, okay? Got it?”
At Yoo Hee-won’s smile, Han Min-ha could only nod silently.
“You’re not actually intellectually disabled, are you?”
“No, it’s not like that…”
“Then how can you be at the bottom of the class in every subject?”
“I just… I think I lack the ability…”
Yoo Hee-won’s smile vanished, and she retorted sharply,
“God, the way you talk is so annoying. You know what? You need to change that tone of voice.”
“How…? This is just how I talk…”
“Don’t drain the energy out of everyone around you!”
“Okay, sorry…”
“Stop saying sorry! At least not in front of me. Got it?”
“Yeah…”
Yoo Hee-won looked as if she was about to launch into a lecture, but she changed her mind and smiled again.
“Since we’re stuck with each other, let’s get along. I don’t like it, but what can I do? I’ll just have to endure it.”
“Thanks. I’ll try my best too.”
Han Min-ha bowed her head, and her large breasts jiggled.
Yoo Hee-won clicked her tongue again and turned around.
“What a dumb girl with big boobs.”
Thinking that, Yoo Hee-won walked towards the lecture building.
Left alone, Han Min-ha scratched her head, then followed after her.
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The orientation was the main topic of conversation in the faculty room.
Everyone was eager to talk to me.
They were understandably curious, since I had conducted the orientation with the top and bottom students simultaneously.
“How are you planning to teach them with such a huge difference in skill level?”
“Did you get any calls from the chairman of the Administration’s advisory committee?”
“Han Min-ha, she’s going to be really difficult…”
Everyone chimed in, but I dismissed all their questions with a smile.
“It was just the orientation. I’ll have to think about it.”
The professors all fell silent when the department head entered.
The morning meeting proceeded as usual, and we left the faculty room after the customary “Fighting!” cheer.
“Professor Kyo, what are you doing tonight?”
Professor Jin Se-young, dressed in her training suit, approached me and asked.
“Nothing in particular.”
“Then would you like to go out for some spicy stir-fried pork? I know a great place downtown.”
Professor Jin winked and mimed taking a shot of alcohol.
Spicy stir-fried pork…
“I think I’ll pass. I’m a bit tired today.”
I hated spicy food.
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After all my classes were over, I collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted, when my phone alarm rang.
I checked the screen and saw that a user with an unfamiliar profile had created a group chat and invited me.
There were three members, including myself and Han Min-ha.
Then the other person who invited me must have been Yoo Hee-won.
Well, she had already plastered her face as her profile picture.
It was a selfie of her with blonde hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and a mischievous, almost devilish, smile.
I didn’t understand why her smile looked like that.
She probably thought she was just smiling, but to others, it looked like she was plotting something devious.
Aside from that, she was incredibly beautiful and, as I had heard, quite popular among the students.
Yoo Hee-won sent a message.
[This is our group chat from now on. Just the three of us: me, Professor Kyo, and Han Min-ha.]
[That’s a good idea. It’ll be easier to share information.]
[I’m going to set a chat title. Do you have any good ideas?]
A chat title? Did they even need that?
While I was pondering what to write, the impatient Yoo Hee-won sent another message.
[How about this? Coughing Old Man and the Kids.]
[lol… Coughing Old Man…]
[What do you think? Min-ha? Why aren’t you saying anything?]
When Yoo Hee-won pressed her, Han Min-ha hurriedly typed a message.
[Me? I haven’t really thought about it…]
[Think about it and post it.]
[5]
[4]
Suddenly, Yoo Hee-won started counting down.
[3]
[justasecIllthinkaboutit]
The increasingly panicked Han Min-ha seemed to be racking her brains, making a lot of typos.
[2]
[1]
[HowaboutGrayWolves?]
I burst out laughing.
What kind of classic fantasy novel title was that?
Even after the read receipts disappeared, Yoo Hee-won didn’t send any messages.
She seemed quite flustered.
When no one reacted, Han Min-ha’s message suddenly disappeared, replaced by the phrase “This message has been deleted.”
[ProfessorHyunKyo’sGroup]
And then she immediately suggested another title.
It seemed she realized “Gray Wolves” was a bit much.
[That’s a safe choice, student Min-ha]
[No, Professor. I’ll think of something and change the title. Only the chat creator can change it anyway.]
Yoo Hee-won cut me off sharply.
[Alright then. Think of a good title. Good work today, everyone.]
[Thank you for your hard work, Professor.]
[Yes, you too, Professor.]
“Yes, you too, Professor,” honestly… how absurd…
I looked at my phone for a moment and checked Han Min-ha’s profile.
She still had the default profile picture and no introduction.
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Leaving the research building, I walked towards the faculty housing.
It was still chilly in the early evening of March, so I buttoned up my coat and hunched my shoulders.
The coughing had stopped, but I could start coughing up blood again at any moment.
It felt like I had a time bomb ticking away in my chest, with no timer.
I couldn’t live like this forever.
I had to complete the quest quickly and return to my healthy self in my original world.
As I wearily approached my housing, someone called my name from across the street.
“Professor Hyun Kyo!”
I turned around and saw Professor Jin Se-young leaning out the car window.
“Are you heading home?”
“Yes. It seems you’re going somewhere.”
“You haven’t had dinner yet, right? Get in!”
“I’m a bit tired today… Let’s do it next time.”
I declined, but Professor Jin persisted.
“Come on, Professor Kyo. I know you just eat microwaved meals all the time. It’s not just us; Professor Yoo Hyun-joo is here too. Let’s go together.”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo, sitting in the passenger seat, waved at me.
“Professor Kyo, if you’re going to steal Yoo Hee-won away from me, you should at least buy me a meal.”
Unable to refuse Professor Yoo Hyun-joo’s playful remark, I turned around and joined them.
It wasn’t Professor Yoo’s joke that made me reconsider, but rather Professor Jin’s presence.
She always took such good care of me.
I felt it was rude to keep refusing her invitations.
“Spicy stir-fried pork?”
Professor Jin Se-young asked cheerfully as I got into the back seat.
“Yes… I like it.”
I didn’t like them.
But they seemed to have already decided on spicy stir-fried pork, and I didn’t want to change their plans because of my personal preference.
“Great! There’s an amazing place downtown.”
“Sounds good.”
Professor Jin Se-young started the car, humming happily.
And so, for the first time since my possession, I left the academy grounds.
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Due to its nature, the academy was located in a remote area, quite far from the city.
It took a while to reach the city by car.
Looking outside, I noticed an anti-aircraft battery perched atop a hill near the academy.
There were probably helicopters and tanks at the academy defense brigade’s base somewhere beyond that mountain.
The defense brigade was permanently stationed there in case of a villain attack on the academy.
However, military equipment wouldn’t be of much help against high-ranking villains.
It had never happened before, but if a high-ranking villain did attack, the academy professors would have to confront them directly.
Except for a few of us, including myself, all the professors were active heroes dispatched to the academy at its request.
Professor Jin Se-young, for instance, was an active hero fighting on the front lines until recently.
We passed through the defense brigade’s checkpoints and entered the city.
Graford City wasn’t a major metropolis, but it was a satellite city with all the necessary amenities, including movie theaters.
It had been an insignificant town before the academy was built, but it had grown rapidly with the influx of academy staff and defense brigade personnel.
“There it is. Wow, there are so many people.”
Professor Yoo Hyun-joo pointed excitedly at something in the distance and exclaimed.
The restaurant with the long line up ahead seemed to be the spicy stir-fried pork place they had mentioned.
“Don’t worry, Professor Kyo. I made a reservation. And they usually let academy professors in first.”
Professor Jin cheerfully answered my unasked question and parked the car in the restaurant’s parking lot.
As we got out of the car, some people in line noticed me and murmured.
“Isn’t that the professor from the academy?”
“I think so.”
It seemed some people recognized me because of the video that had spread after the entrance ceremony.
Some even took pictures with their phones.
I overheard cringe-worthy words like “Gray Wolf” and “Sickly Beauty.”
When in reality, I was just a retired hero with a nasty lung disease, a gray mold.
This situation was already embarrassing enough, but Professor Jin, acting like a celebrity manager, shielded me from the crowd and shouted sternly,
“No pictures! That’s a violation of portrait rights!”
“Professor Jin… this is embarrassing, please stop…”
“HEY! Put your phone away!”
Oh dear…
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Bodyguard Jin