Ch 149
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 149
He seemed to be trying to grab my collar, but I twisted and bent his arm, turning him around.
"AAAK!"
"Please listen to what people have to say until the end. I was just sitting here for a moment because it's quiet, but what's this about being a sasaeng fan?"
He seems to be a manager, and while he has some bulk, I don't sense any magic from him, so he doesn't seem to be a Hunter.
If he's not even a Hunter, what kind of nerve does he have to not listen and throw hands first?
"I... I was wrong."
"Huh? By any chance...?"
One of the women seems to have recognized me.
"AAAK! I'm sorry, please let go of my arm...!"
"There was no sign outside either, and you threw hands before I finished talking - that's a bad habit."
I gave a warning and released his arm at the same time, then came outside.
I was originally planning to watch the singers perform too, but my interest completely cooled.
I had slight expectations since they're celebrities, but I can't even tell if they're pretty.
In my opinion, Se-jin or Luciel are much better.
"Teacher Kang? Teacher Kang, why are you coming out from there?"
It's Teacher Min, and behind her are Teacher Jung and other teachers like me who are going on stage today.
"Everywhere else was noisy and only here was quiet, so I was sitting for a moment, but they said it's the singers' waiting room, so I'm on my way out."
"Huh? The singers and teachers were supposed to share this space..."
"So it wasn't exclusive to the singers."
"Right. The tents aren't that spacious. Originally, most singers wait in their cars, but did something happen?"
"The manager mistook me for a sasaeng fan and tried to grab my collar."
"What?"
"Teacher Kang?"
"Wow, that's crazy."
"Did they not recognize Teacher Kang?"
"Um, Teacher Kang, so how did... By any chance, is that person dead?"
Teacher Jung, who's in charge of first-year swordsmanship, is being dramatic.
"No... Teacher Jung, what do you mean kill? People might misunderstand if they hear that. He seemed to be a civilian, so I just gave him a warning to behave nicely and came out."
"It seems like there was a misunderstanding because the communication wasn't proper. Let's go together."
If I go back in now and see them again, it'll be uncomfortable for everyone, so I was about to say it's fine, but I nodded.
There's no other suitable place to wait anyway, and the guitar I'm carrying on my back was also quite bothersome.
I didn't do anything wrong in the first place, so there's no reason to avoid it.
As soon as I entered, all eyes turned to me, but I ignored them and took a seat in the corner.
Teacher Min approaches the manager and talks to him, and the manager hesitantly approaches me.
"Um, I'm sorry. Earlier I misunderstood..."
"I understand, so please go away."
I gestured with my hand for him to leave and was about to check my phone when I felt a vibration from inside my jacket.
I took out my phone and saw it wasn't a call but a message.
[I heard you're performing, Teacher. Where are you?]
It's Se-jin.
I felt embarrassed so I didn't tell her separately...
[I'm in the waiting room.]
[Waiting room? Isn't the performance on the stage at the sports field?]
[The tent behind there is the waiting room.]
[Ah, that's right. Wait a moment.]
Wait a moment? Don't tell me she's coming?
Actually, I was thinking of enjoying the festival by walking around with Se-jin, but the cafe was so busy that I really couldn't find the time.
There are other teachers and singers here, so I was about to send a reply telling her not to come, but the tent flap opened and Se-jin entered.
I was about to get up from my seat when one member from the girl group approaches Se-jin.
"Se-jin!"
At the same time as she speaks, she hugs Se-jin... What?
"Sister Se-byeol? It's been a while. But why are you here, Sister...?"
"Why do you think? I came to perform."
"Usually singers only come briefly when performing and don't use the waiting room separately."
"I arrived early. I was going to wait in the car, but the heater happened to break down. More importantly, didn't you graduate? Did you come to see me?"
"Ah, actually I didn't know Sister was performing today, and I came to see my teacher... Teacher!"
It's a bit awkward, but I can't ignore her, so I got up from my seat.
"You haven't gone home yet?"
"I have to watch the performance before going home. It's not just anyone else - it's my teacher who's performing."
While speaking, she glances at me sideways, seeming slightly upset that I didn't tell her.
"There probably won't be much to see."
"Nothing to see? Teacher Kang's singing was really the best."
I don't know when she came, but Teacher Min is also next to me joining the conversation.
It was very brief, but Se-jin definitely frowned.
Could she be misunderstanding something?
"The best is too much... I'm just being pushed out there."
"Oh come on, most singers wouldn't even be able to present their business cards compared to that. And it's an original song too."
"I made it as a hobby, so don't praise me too much."
It's not something I actually made but a song I enjoyed listening to in my previous life, so I feel guilty with all this praise.
"That's too much. When I went to the cafe earlier, you didn't even tell me you were performing. If your class students hadn't told me, I would have almost left without seeing it."
It seems not telling her was indeed the problem, but I need to change the topic of conversation for now.
"There's really nothing to see... But more importantly, do you know each other?"
"Ah, this is Sister Se-byeol. We've lived next door since we were young, so we've been close. Sister Se-byeol, you know our teacher, right?"
"Ah... Hello. I'm sorry for the rudeness earlier. We misunderstood..."
"Misunderstood?"
"When you came here earlier, our manager saw you sitting alone and mistook you for a sasaeng fan..."
"Mistook?"
"I tried to explain that wasn't the case, but he suddenly tried to grab your collar."
"What? My teacher's collar?"
She looks shocked.
"He tried to grab it. He didn't actually grab it, so don't worry."
"Of course not. Is that person still alive?"
"No, what, did I kill him or something? The misunderstanding was resolved and I received an apology, so don't worry about it."
Honestly, I'm still not very pleased even now, but as I said, I received an apology and there's this sister among the members who's close with Se-jin, so I can't make more of an issue out of it.
"Manager has a bit of an impatient personality, so I'll apologize once more. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I already received an apology."
"But are you singing today? From what I heard from the person next to you earlier, it's an original song..."
"It's nothing special."
I didn't want to talk at length, so I cut it short and came out of the tent with Se-jin.
While we were talking, Teacher Min came out, and it seems like it's time for the performance to start.
After sending Se-jin away and returning to the tent to prepare, it was soon my turn.
"The next performer is prepared by the most handsome teacher at 1st Hunter School. Ji-yeon, do you know who it is?"
"Of course I know. If you don't know that teacher at 1st Hunter School, you're a spy."
"Looks-wise it's looks, ability-wise it's ability... According to what I heard from the second-year juniors, he sings really well too, so I'm looking forward to it."
"Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok, please come out!"
I feel like my hands and feet are going to disappear at the student hosts' comments.
Since the festival is on the scale of a decent university festival, they should use professional hosts.
If they had done that, such comments wouldn't have come out...
I sighed once and went up on stage to hear cheers.
There seem to be much more people than I thought.
I experienced this already during last year's retreat, so I thought it would be fine, but now that I'm actually up here, I'm getting a bit nervous.
But I practiced a lot and the rehearsal reaction wasn't bad either.
Even if not 100%, if I can do it as well as then, it should be fine.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Shin-hyeok, homeroom teacher of Class 10, second year."
"So handsome!"
"U, Ni, Ver, Sal, Kang Shin-hyeok!"
"I, Love, You, Kang Shin-hyeok!"
It's the swordsmanship club kids and my class kids.
My class kids must have been busy with the cafe, but they even made placards.
I'm grateful in my heart, but my face is burning up.
"The song I'll perform for you is called 'Sunflower.' It's not by choice but I was pushed out here, so please understand if I'm a bit lacking."
The last part about asking for understanding must have been funny because laughter erupted from here and there.
Now that I've laid down the insurance, without delay I started singing along with the performance.
The song I prepared this time is by SC Wanna Be, which I loved as much as Muse.
[You are my sun
You are my happiness
The only one
Who will get rained on with me
My one and only love
Singing sweet songs
To make your eyes smile
When I kiss your cheek, you can't look at me
I always want to keep looking at you
So I just dropped by saying I thought of you
At my clumsy excuse, you laughed
Oh, you are my sun
You are my love
The only one
Who will get rained on with me
My one and only love
Oh, no matter who in the world, no matter what person
They can't replace her
To me, there's only her
I really love you
We said the same direction
But actually we have to go in opposite directions
Being together made even that feel good
When you said to buy new shoes
Afraid you might leave
I kept saying I'd buy them next time
Oh, you are my sun
You are my goddess
The only one
Who will get rained on with me, my one and only person
Oh, no matter who in the world, no matter what person
They can't replace her
To me, there's only her
I really love you
I want to become like a sunflower
Only to you, to you who are everything to me
Will you trust me
Will you try believing once
I'll give you everything
More than anyone else in the world
Because I love you
Oh, for a hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years, until the world ends
I'll only look at you
Thank you for being my woman
I'm so happy
I love you]
***
"Wow, isn't that song really good?"
"Right. Is this really an original song?"
"Isn't this really amazing? I thought that female teacher was exaggerating earlier, but this is no joke."
"Good-looking face, great ability, and even singing... He really could have succeeded as a singer."
"He said earlier that he made it as a hobby, right? If he seriously made one, he'd rake in money."
I have the same thoughts as the kids.
At first he asked us to understand if he wasn't good, so I didn't have expectations, but the song was better than I thought.
The first song he sang called 'Sunflower' was good too, but this 'Journey to You' that he's singing now due to the audience's encore request really gives me chills.
"Hey, he's an S-Rank Hunter, would he become a singer?"
"True, if he's an S-Rank Hunter, he wouldn't have any interest in this field at all."
I was wondering if I could somehow strike up a conversation, but the kids are right.
The income of Hunter School teachers is known to be quite meager compared to Hunters in guilds, but that's only when the comparison target is ordinary Hunters.
Even A-Rank Hunters are said to earn hundreds of millions per month, and that person Kang Shin-hyeok is not just an A-Rank Hunter but an S-Rank Hunter.
S-Rank Hunters are said to be walking mid-sized companies.
So even with such talent, he's doing it as a hobby.
With those looks, that ability, that talent.
God seems really unfair.
"Brother Sang-cheol?"
"Brother?"
"Huh? What?"
"It's our turn. I'm going."
"Ah, right. Go ahead."
"Geez, you're completely spaced out. Was the song that good?"
"Stop talking nonsense and go. Don't make mistakes."
I sent the kids up and approached Kang Shin-hyeok who was coming down.
I made a mistake earlier so the first impression probably wasn't good, but having met such a diamond in the rough... No, a diamond, I can't just stand by and watch.
Directly debuting would be difficult, but if I could at least get the songs, it would be tremendously helpful.
***
At first I was quite nervous, but as I sang, I naturally relaxed and I think I sang quite well even by my own standards.
The reaction was tremendous too, and thanks to that, my tension went up slightly and I even did an encore that wasn't planned.
After finishing the encore, Teacher Min signaled from below that it would be okay to do one more song, but an encore of an encore would be overkill.
I didn't have any other songs prepared either.
After finishing the song and coming down, a slight embarrassment starts to creep up.
Still, now that I think it's really all over, my heart feels much lighter.
Now I was going to watch comfortably with a relaxed mind, but the manager who had confronted me earlier approaches.
"Um, Kang Shin-hyeok..."
"What is it? If it's about what happened earlier, it's really fine."
"It's not about that problem, but I'd like to talk about something else. Could you spare me some time?"