Ch 170
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 170
A week has already passed since the new semester started.
Even when I was a teacher, there were various restrictions including going-out limitations, but I could flexibly get around them by making excuses like company dinners or self-development.
But students don't have any of that at all.
At least I was granted permission to go out on weekends or Fridays under the excuse of visiting the hospital, since I had been lying in a vegetative state for a long period.
I can't use this excuse for long, but still, Master and Luciel can just drop by briefly at dawn.
If it's just Luciel, I can meet her in Luciel's world where the Demon Realm Tree is.
Still, the stuffy feeling is quite significant, and I don't know how the kids endure it.
Did they adapt because they've been living in dorms since middle school first year?
I don't know. I should eat first anyway.
When I arrived at the cafeteria, there was a long line as usual.
Most students tend to eat breakfast properly, so that's why, but this is also frustrating...
When I was a teacher before, I had a free pass, but now I'm a new student so there's no choice.
"Oh? Chan-seong, let's eat together."
I turned around at the familiar voice and it's Seong Ji-an.
She's calling me with a bright smile, and everyone around is staring.
It's not just today - that girl has been really taking care of me diligently since the first day.
What on earth did this guy Min Chan-seong do in middle school first year...
When I decided to become Min Chan-seong, I investigated and memorized the basic information, but I can't know the details.
He's an orphan and the person himself is in a vegetative state.
"Let's eat together, I said."
When I don't answer, she comes over and drags me by the arm.
Thanks to that, my turn for food got pushed back even further.
"Are you two really not dating?"
The short-haired female student next to Seong Ji-an teases, and that girl's name is Nam Ji-hyeon.
Like Seong Ji-an, that girl's father is also an S-rank Hunter.
He's Nam Il-seong of Bicheon Guild.
She has the setting of being childhood friends with Seong Ji-an, and that girl is also one of the heroines.
Befitting a heroine, her appearance is outstanding, but in the original work she was playful and unintentionally caused a lot of trouble, so she wasn't very popular among readers.
I don't like her much either.
She keeps trying to pair up Seong Ji-an and me like this.
"No."
"Right. Ji-hyeon, if you keep saying stuff like that, you'll get hit, you know?"
"Chan-seong seems definitely not interested, but Ji-an, your face is really red? Could it be unrequited love?"
"It's not. I'm just taking care of Chan-seong because he's a friend and he's been sick..."
"Chan-seong's not a kid, and he doesn't seem particularly sick, so why are you taking care of him so much?"
Seong Ji-an looks at me with eyes asking for help, but if I get involved too, it'll get more complicated, so I pretended not to see and looked away.
I've already made my feelings clear by saying no.
I didn't really come here to enjoy student life, and there's nothing good about getting involved with the heroines.
Oh, come to think of it, Se-jin warned me too...
The part about having many close teacher friends probably isn't a lie, but they won't suddenly single me out to ask about, so I don't need to worry too much...
Still, I think it would be better to keep some distance, and just as I'm thinking that, it's finally my turn.
I'm getting food when I see Lee Ji-sung eating alone in a corner.
It's not that there were no guys who hung around with the delinquent Lee Ji-sung, but they were all forcibly transferred.
Lee Ji-sung had protected them until then, but since last summer vacation, that guy wouldn't have had the leisure to take care of his companions due to Luciel's curse.
Actually, even after the first day, Lee Ji-sung tried to talk to me several more times.
But in the classroom, Seong Ji-an's iron wall defense, and in the dorms, we have different rooms, so we couldn't talk.
His trash image still remains.
Of course, if it follows the original work, it'll change soon.
I don't know the exact date, but I think it'll probably be either this weekend or next weekend.
"Chan-seong, why aren't you getting soup?"
"Ah, I don't really like that..."
"You can't be picky when you're sick."
Seong Ji-an next to me arbitrarily brings over a soup bowl and puts it on my tray.
I really hate loach soup…
***
Eating alone again today.
Considering the image, it's a natural result and I thought it didn't matter eating alone, but eating all three meals alone for a week straight is a bit much.
I need to change my image quickly.
I'm concerned that I haven't been able to talk to Min Chan-seong, but I can't keep paying attention only to that guy forever.
According to rumors I hear, it's not just that he's missing some memories, but he can't remember past events at all.
I thought it might be acting, but seeing that nothing's happened so far, he really seems unable to remember.
After finishing my meal and coming to the classroom, I turned on my phone and entered the gallery.
Photos of the original novel written down from memory are lined up.
I tore up the notebook neatly.
I sometimes think I should have recorded on my phone from the beginning instead of a notebook, but anyway, I had recorded bits and pieces during class time, so that wasn't possible.
No matter how much of a delinquent I am, I couldn't freely use my phone during class.
I flipped through page by page looking for anything that might help with image recovery, but there's nothing in particular.
I generally remember the opportunities the protagonist gets and major events, but there doesn't seem to be anything I can use right now.
Frustrated, I put my phone in my pocket and lay my head on the desk, when suddenly one incident that's about to happen came to mind.
The Hunter School hidden camera incident.
I don't remember the exact timing, but it's definitely an event that happens in first year, where one of this year's new teachers installs a hidden camera in the girls' bathroom.
The filming purpose is money.
It's not for personal viewing but to sell on the deep web to make money, and the protagonist Kim Do-hyun picks up a USB that the culprit dropped and catches the criminal by staking out.
It was the first episode where the protagonist got attention from all students, but to think I forgot and overlooked this.
Good. I'll beat him to the punch on this.
Of course, solving it myself won't instantly reverse my rock-bottom image, but it should help a bit with renewal.
Unfortunately, I don't clearly remember the culprit's name, but there probably aren't that many people who became teachers this year.
Besides, I clearly remember when and where Kim Do-hyun picks up the USB, and how he found the culprit.
I'm really glad I thought of this now.
Kim Do-hyun picks up the USB on the second weekend after school starts.
This coming weekend, during volunteer service time.
As I'm organizing and writing down the plan, it's already homeroom time.
Just talking about boring stuff like performance evaluations and tests.
Aren't they picking volunteers today?
I was planning to volunteer and watch Kim Do-hyun, but when the teacher sees me, she frowns.
She's been openly showing that she dislikes me since the beginning of the semester, and it's still not good.
Well, she was my homeroom teacher last year too, so I understand her disliking me, but she's not exactly completely innocent either, is she?
A delinquent who caused some trouble at school VS a member of an international terrorist criminal organization.
It goes without saying who's worse.
I don't particularly care if she dislikes me, but I'm worried I might get rejected if I volunteer for this.
"Oh, right. This weekend we're replacing desks and chairs, and since the third years are out for practicum, we'll pick 4 volunteers each from the first years... Anyone want to do it?"
"Teacher, does that count toward volunteer hours?"
"Of course. It'll probably take about an hour or two, but we'll count it as 4 hours."
Nam Ji-hyeon, who asked the question, raises her hand first.
Thinking there might not be spots available, I quickly raised my hand too.
"Lee Ji-sung?"
"Yes. I'll do it too."
"You?"
As expected, she doesn't seem very keen.
All the students in the class are looking with eyes that say they don't understand.
"Why are you like that? Can't I do it?"
"Hmm, fine. But don't skip out."
"Yes."
Phew, thank goodness.
Actually, since it's a weekend, I could just go to the location and wait without necessarily doing volunteer work, but the incident happens in front of the third-year bathroom.
There's no school rule saying first years can't go to the third-year corridor, but if I loiter around for no reason, teachers and other students will think it's strange.
"Teacher, I want to do it too."
"Me too."
Following that, Seong Ji-an raises her hand too, and Min Chan-seong in the next seat also raises his hand.
"Ji-an and Chan-seong? Chan-seong, will you be okay? It's moving chairs and desks."
"I can definitely do that much. It's fine."
***
"What on earth is that Lee Ji-sung thinking?"
"Right. That delinquent doing volunteer work."
After class ended, I was dragged by Seong Ji-an's hand to the school store.
Nam Ji-hyeon came too, and both are really badmouthing Lee Ji-sung.
I knew an incident would happen, but I didn't know if it was this week or next week, but seeing Lee Ji-sung volunteer for today's activity, it seems the incident will occur this week.
Honestly, I was thinking of not doing volunteer work and just watching personally, but Seong Ji-an next to me kept encouraging me to do it together.
"That guy aside, you two applied together again? You want to stick together even during volunteer hours?"
Nam Ji-hyeon's starting again...
"No."
"Ji-hyeon, you really... Are you going to keep doing this?"
"I saw you poking Chan-seong's side."
"That, I just said let's do it together because it's a good deed."
"It's not because you wanted to stick together all weekend using volunteer work as an excuse?"
...I really tried to let it slide nicely, but it doesn't seem possible.
"Hey, Nam Ji-hyeon. Cut it out."
"Cut what out. Why don't you stop making our Ji-an suffer and just date her? I feel so sorry for our Ji-an with her unrequited love."
"It's... It's not!"
"It's not? It is unrequited love."
"It's not. And if someone has unrequited love, do you have to accept them all?"
"What? Min Chan-seong, you're funny. With your status, are you rejecting our Ji-an now?"
"It's not like that."
"Nam Ji-hyeon, then you should date Lee Ji-sung."
"What... What bullshit! There are things you should and shouldn't say. Pairing me with that piece of trash? Do you want to die?"
She's absolutely livid.
"Chan-seong, apologize. What you just said was really harsh."
Even Ji-an, who's been defending me, is saying this... Lee Ji-sung's image really is the worst.
"I didn't say that without basis. When they were picking volunteers earlier, when Ji-hyeon volunteered, Lee Ji-sung followed and volunteered too."
"Wait a minute. That's really true, when Ji-hyeon volunteered, Lee Ji-sung immediately raised his hand too!"
"No. What are you both saying. Maybe he suddenly wanted to do volunteer work."
"Lee Ji-sung?"
"Chan-seong's not entirely wrong. Ji-hyeon, you said you didn't understand either just a while ago."
"No... How can you connect it that way..."
"Then is it reasonable for you to keep pushing the idea that Ji-an is dating me just because she's worried about me and takes care of me a bit?"
In the end, Nam Ji-hyeon couldn't argue back and left her seat fuming.
I really feel like ten years of built-up frustration is clearing away.
"You're not serious, are you?"
"Well, who knows, maybe those two will really date later."
Right now she'd absolutely hate the idea of Lee Ji-sung, but Nam Ji-hyeon is a heroine.
They don't become a couple right in first year, so there's time, but eventually she ends up with Lee Ji-sung later.
"No way. No matter how thoughtless Ji-hyeon is, with that trash... If that ever happens, I'll stop it."
Seong Ji-an will also eventually come to like Lee Ji-sung later, but seeing her say this, I can't help but laugh.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Just because."
"Is it because you lost your memory? Chan-seong, you seem somewhat different."
"So is that strange?"
"...A little."
"That's serious. If this gets worse, I'll have to go to the dentist."
"Den... Dentist? No, wait. Is that a pun right now? I don't think even my dad would make jokes like that..."
That's strange.
When I tell jokes like this to students in our class, they all like it and crack up...
Maybe it's because there's a 2-year age difference even though they're both high school girls...
Anyway, I really don't understand kids' tastes these days.