Ch 103
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 103
As soon as I heard Teacher Park's words, I accessed the school information system and clicked on work communications.
There really was a notice posted about selecting teachers to go on a preliminary inspection for the school trip starting May 16th.
Wow, why hadn't I thought of this?
The recruitment is for only 2 people and they'll even excuse Friday classes, so the competition will probably be quite fierce, but I don't care.
I'm definitely going.
If they won't send me, I'm prepared to quit the school just to go.
No, rather than making such resolutions alone, I thought I should immediately have a showdown with the vice principal, so I headed to the vice principal's office.
I knocked and opened the door simultaneously.
"Teacher Kang? What's the matter?"
"I saw in the work communications that you're selecting teachers to go on the preliminary school trip inspection. Please send me on that."
"Preliminary inspection? Why are you asking me about that... And you wouldn't be eligible in the first place, would you?"
"What do you mean I'm not eligible? Can't any 2nd-year teacher apply?"
"Tsk tsk, you didn't read the recruitment guidelines properly. Didn't it say in parentheses next to '2nd-year teachers' that it's limited to general subject teachers?"
"What? No, that can't be..."
"Look here. Isn't it written correctly?"
[Recruitment Target: Any 2nd-year teacher. (*Limited to general subject teachers)]
"No, if you write it in such tiny print, who would..."
"The other teachers saw it fine and applied though?"
Ugh, I did read it wrong, but I absolutely have to go.
"I'll admit I didn't check the notice properly. But why is it limited to general subject teachers? This is discrimination."
"Didn't you see that Friday is included in the schedule? It's difficult to arrange makeup classes for practical subject teachers since they have 8th period classes every day and 4 consecutive period classes."
"Can't makeup classes be arranged somehow? You had no problem making me do makeup classes for two hours a day when preparing for the martial arts tournament."
"Teacher Kang, why are you being like this? This has been the custom all along."
"I think wrong customs should be corrected."
"I wasn't going to say this, but... You're going to go bald at this rate."
"B-bald?"
There are things people should and shouldn't say, and he's crossing the line very harshly.
"To put it bluntly, even considering that practical teachers have more class hours, don't they receive much higher salaries than general subject teachers, including various allowances?"
"That's... True."
"You know that practical teachers tend to look down on general subject teachers, right?"
"That's... True."
"So shouldn't we give them at least this kind of consideration? And besides, this isn't even my responsibility. It's the principal's."
Well... I roughly understand the sentiment, but I still have to go.
"You have plenty of money, so why are you being so petty... With your money, you could go to much better places during vacation if you wanted to. Do you want free travel that badly?"
I think I understand why he said I'd go bald.
What does this man think people are?
Does he think I'm doing this for money right now?
I want to tell him the truth, but I can't, which is frustrating.
"I'm not trying to go on free travel. Well, since you say it's not your responsibility, I'll have a talk with the principal myself."
"Then you're not going to teach classes? Teacher Kang, that's not like you. Haven't you taken quite a lot of time off from school lately?"
Hah... I was really trying to be patient, but suddenly I'm getting really annoyed.
"Did I take time off to play around? You know there were all valid reasons, so why are you saying such hurtful things?"
I really want to punch him.
He may be the vice principal at school, but once we leave school, we're both S-rank hunters and both directors of the same association.
"No, of course I know your circumstances, but from other teachers' perspectives, they might think you're getting special treatment."
"When have you ever seen me care about what others think?"
"True, I know well that you have a very 'my way' personality."
"Then why are you saying this when you know that well? I don't care how other teachers see it, so I'm going."
"Such stubbornness... Then what about the kids' classes?"
"I'll do makeup classes. I'll arrange the time myself."
"You're not going to force it, are you? I can't tolerate that."
"You forced makeup classes for the martial arts tournament."
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing special. I said I can persuade all the kids myself."
"Going to bribe them with food again?"
Did he learn mind reading or something?
"...Do you think the swordsmanship club kids are little children who'd follow you for some candy? I'll be going now."
Actually, I believe our kids would agree just if I asked them, even without buying them food.
He's interfering when he doesn't even know and it's not even his responsibility.
I left the vice principal's office and was about to go to the principal's office right next door, but the door was closed.
I thought he went to eat and waited, but even when the warning bell for the end of lunch time rang, he didn't come.
Wait, could this be...
The vice principal's office door opened and the vice principal came out.
"Teacher Kang, what are you doing there? Aren't you going to class? The principal went to a seminar today and didn't come to work."
He said that and walked right past me.
He obviously knew I'd go looking for the principal, so he could have told me earlier.
He had a sly expression for just a moment, and now I see he came out at this exact timing on purpose.
Hah... My precious lunch time.
Really, Kim Man-dong, I'll definitely get revenge on that old man someday.
***
"M-makeup classes?"
"Makeup classes... Teacher, what do you mean? The martial arts tournament is still far away."
"It's not makeup classes for the martial arts tournament, it's because of my preliminary school trip inspection, so if we do two hours each in the evening for two days either next week or this week, that'll be enough. Can you all cooperate with me?"
I heard the principal went to a seminar, but I really had to go no matter what, so I took the liberty of sending him a message.
Asking if I could go on the preliminary inspection even if the school wouldn't support it.
It would have been great if he'd coolly given permission, but the principal's answer was conditional approval.
Actually, it's not that difficult a condition.
He said he'd send me if the makeup class problem was resolved.
However, he said he couldn't tolerate forced makeup classes and told me to bring consent forms, so it seems the vice principal got there first.
Anyway, that man and I must not have been enemies in a previous life, so we must have been enemies in the life before that.
Well, still, I trust our kids.
Whether it's Group A or Group B, I only need to persuade one group anyway.
'Group A kids agreed coolly, but Group B is opposing? I see, I understand Group B students' feelings well...'
If I just say something wistful like this, the situation will be over.
The deadline is until the day after tomorrow so there's time, but since I'm going to do it anyway, it's better to get it done quickly, so I immediately talked to the kids.
I was originally planning to talk to Group A kids first, where Jinsu and Minhee are.
Both groups have to do makeup classes the same, but it would be better to talk to the relatively bright Group A kids first rather than Group B kids who are suffering from collective depression.
"If it's a preliminary inspection, aren't you going to have fun?"
"Isn't it going to be fun?"
"Teacher, why should we do makeup classes when you're going to have fun..."
"Such makeup classes would be difficult with just words."
I'm flustered because this was a completely unexpected reaction.
Where did those pure, well-behaved, lovely students who seemed like they'd even pretend to die if I said so go...
I thought I'd been taking pretty good care of them, treating them like gold and jade, or at least like copper.
These heartless kids.
If I'd known it would be like this, I should have talked to Group B first.
"Who said just words last?"
"Teacher, it was Lee Jinsu."
"Lee Jinsu, come here."
"No, why is it always just me..."
"I'm not going to scold you, so come here."
"What? Then why?"
"Our Jinsu spoke very well. Of course I wasn't planning to ask with just words either. Tell me what I should do for you to agree, Jinsu. You're Group A's representative, right?"
"Um, for a month... No, just for 2 weeks, could we be exempt from running..."
"Running is part of the curriculum, so that's difficult."
"Ey, Teacher, isn't negotiation basically about give and take? If you reject it so flatly, then we also... Have no choice..."
This ungrateful kid, who's he dating Minhee thanks to?
Back then he said he'd definitely repay the favor... This is why they say you shouldn't raise black-haired beasts.
"No choice?"
"I-I'll agree."
"No. You know Teacher isn't a bad person who forces things like that, right? One chicken each after makeup classes end. 2 chickens total over two days, deal?"
I feel like I'm losing to the vice principal, but I have no choice.
"Could we add pizza to the chicken?"
"Oh, Lee Jinsu! Lee Jinsu!"
"Our representative is cool!"
It seems I've been raising tiger cubs all along.
"Alright, you kids."
"Wow! Teacher, we just sign here, right?"
"Teacher, I already wrote mine."
"Me too!"
"Lee Jinsu, what are you doing? Hurry up and collect the consent forms."
***
I had a bit of trouble persuading Group A kids, but for Group B kids, my original strategy worked well and I could persuade them easily.
1 pizza and 1 chicken is a bit of a big expense... No, honestly, calling it an expense would be an exaggeration, and to properly compare it, it's about as much as a mosquito sucking one drop of blood?
With the building rent coming into my account every month, Hwasin Electronics stock steadily rising, and dividend payments that came in last month.
Plus starting this month, hunter rank allowance will come in as S-rank, and the Hunter Association will also pay honorary director dignity maintenance fees.
Dividend payments don't come in monthly so excluding that, just the money I receive monthly would easily exceed 200 million.
I'm making a lot more money than I thought.
It feels like just yesterday when I was surprised to see 300 million in my account balance when I first became Kang Shin-hyeok. What a difference time makes.
But there are things in this world that money can't solve.
Namely, Minha.
In this world where magic exists, even severed arms and legs can be reattached.
Even if not an A-rank, it's possible with just a C-rank magician who learned recovery magic, but there are conditions.
It hasn't been long since it was severed... No, an A-rank magician could reattach arms and legs that were severed even two days ago.
But even an S-rank magician can only attempt it if the bones remain intact; it's impossible if they've already entered a monster's stomach.
Recovery magic isn't omnipotent.
As I described before, it's reattaching, not regenerating.
But it's not completely impossible.
In the middle-to-late part of the original work, when Kim Do-hyun fights Antas, he loses both legs while protecting Se-jin, and Lee Ji-sung restores them with ancient magic.
The place where Lee Ji-sung learns the ancient magic that restored Kim Do-hyun's legs is the Black Temple, which is the 2nd-year school trip destination.
Of course, the timing is different and I'm not a magician like Lee Ji-sung, so I can't be certain, but I have to make it work.
And there's one more thing money can't do.
I got consent forms from Groups A and B and submitted them to the principal, but the principal presented one more condition.
'Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok was the homeroom teacher for 2nd-year Class 10, right? Then shouldn't you also get consent from your class students?'
I already got consent from all the swordsmanship club students, so I only need 12 more, but our class kids are in such a serious state of depression that they'd refuse even if I offered to buy them snacks.
Eunsu and Yeon-su, who are swordsmanship club members from our class, did agree, but they didn't agree because I bought them pizza and chicken - they just did it because the other kids agreed.
How do I know?
Because none of the swordsmanship club kids from our class were excited or happy like the kids from other classes in Groups A or B.
"I need to get consent forms because Teacher is going on a preliminary school trip inspection. Students who are already in the swordsmanship club have already written them, so you don't need to."
I went to each student individually and handed out consent forms.
As expected, no complaints, dissatisfaction, or questions came up.
Everyone silently signed and handed back the consent forms.
"Thank you all for agreeing. In that spirit, I'm thinking of giving a special gift only to my class students."
These aren't just any kids, but my class students... Of course I wasn't planning to give it with just words.
"What kind of gift?"
I was worried what I'd do if no one asked, but fortunately vice-representative Eunseo asked, so that's good.
"It's a secret."
"What?"
"Are you going to buy us Japanese snacks or something?"
"That Royce chocolate was delicious."
Still, a few kids react to the mention of a gift.
"Unfortunately, wrong. I'm not giving the gift right away, but I'll reveal it during your school trip."
"Isn't the preliminary inspection this month? The school trip is in June..."
"Originally, the fun of gifts is in the anticipation. You can all look forward to it. I'll prepare such an amazing gift that everyone will be surprised."