The Professor's Special Taste

-Ding.

"Uh... what is this?" The quest details left me puzzled. It had triggered while I was watching Cha Eunyung's retreating figure as she left the lecture hall. The instructions were clear enough—check the gift left for the professor inside the car. I'd already experienced perception alterations involving Professor Kim Byung-yoon several times, so that part made sense. But the gift itself seemed completely unrelated to Cha Eunyung.

"Hmm..." Maybe... the gift is Cha Eunyung? The thought struck me suddenly. I pictured her waiting inside Professor Kim's car, dressed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in something special or ready for some particular kind of play.

"No, that doesn't add up. Cha Eunyung and Professor Kim aren't that close." She was only involved with him because he had leverage over her. It wasn't the sort of relationship where she'd prepare a surprise gift the way a girlfriend might for her boyfriend. Of course, the professor could order her to do it, but would that really count as a "gift"? Though... people do say "a gift to oneself" sometimes.

Watching the timer tick down, I decided to just go ahead and complete the quest. I'd never lost anything by doing one before, and even if I failed, there was no real downside. Besides, most of the students had already left the lecture hall, so it was time for me to move too.

I tapped Taeyoung, who was still glued to his phone beside me. "Taeyoung. Let's head out."

"Ah. Yes, hyung."

"I've got somewhere to stop by first. You go on ahead."

"Huh? Suddenly? We were supposed to queue up for ranked matches after chapel..."

"Change of plans."

Leaving Taeyoung's confused expression behind, I stood up and walked out of the lecture hall. Nuri University had parking lots scattered around campus. I decided to check the one on the right side of the 50th Anniversary Memorial Hall first—the building that housed the lecture hall. It wasn't much of a lot, just black stone pavement marked with white parking lines.

The path back to the male dormitory ran along the left side of the building, so I had to part ways with Taeyoung right after exiting. He called after me, sounding disappointed. "Hyung, come back early, okay? If you do, we can play some games at lunch. Gotta climb those ranks."

"We'll see."

I gave a vague reply, said goodbye, and walked away. The front entrance of the 50th Anniversary Memorial Hall looked like a Greek temple perched atop countless stairs. I descended them and immediately turned right, heading toward the parking area beside the building. Plenty of cars were parked there.

"Let's see... plate number 1234567..." I scanned the license plates one by one as I walked. The quest had specified the exact number, and the doors should already be unlocked.

"Hmm... not here? Maybe another lot... Ah, there it is! Huh?" I'd checked almost every car, but '1234567' hadn't shown up. I was starting to wonder if I needed to search elsewhere when I finally spotted it. The sight made me pause.

"Professor Kim Byung-yoon's car... wasn't it an SUV?" The vehicle in front of me was a black sedan. If my memory was right, the professor drove a blue SUV. Had I misremembered? Or had he recently switched cars?

Still puzzled, I approached the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠black sedan and tried the driver's side door.

-Click.

Just as the quest description promised, it opened. I slid into the driver's seat and shut the door behind me.

-Click.

I was about to search for the "gift" mentioned in the quest when something caught my eye—a small envelope resting on the dashboard. I reached over and picked it up.

"Huh?" It didn't look much like a gift, but when I brought it closer, the handwriting on the front grabbed my attention.

—To the respected Professor Son Bongkyu.

"Professor Son Bongkyu? Why would a gift for him be inside Professor Kim's car... huh?" I froze in place, mind racing to make sense of it. At first I thought maybe Professor ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kim had simply left a letter for Professor Son in his own car. But the quest had specifically said to receive the gift for the professor, and the only thing resembling a gift in here was this envelope. The answer was simple: this car belonged to Professor Son Bongkyu, and I had just received the gift meant for him.

Once the realization settled, I tore the envelope open and read the letter inside.

"...Huh?" At first the contents were hard to process. But after thinking it through calmly, the situation became clear. Professor Kim Byung-yoon was offering female students as playthings to curry favor with the influential Professor Son Bongkyu. This time he'd even rented a room near the main gate so the girl could live there on her own, ready for Professor Son to visit whenever he pleased.

"Oh..." I clicked my tongue at the professors' secret lives. I'd always assumed their days were dull, but Professor Son seemed to be enjoying his academic career quite a bit. Suddenly, something Taeyoung had said during chapel flashed through my mind.

—These days even professors pick sides, you know~? They say how well you get along with Professor Son determines whether you could even become president of the university.

"Is lining up behind professors and fighting for influence really that important?" I couldn't relate. Honestly, it didn't make much sense to me. Still, for the professors themselves, it was probably everything.

"That aside..." Several parts of the letter stood out. The first was the address.

"Nuri Villa, Room 301?" The name was familiar—very familiar. Kang Dahyun lived at Nuri Villa. She was in Room 201, which meant Room 301 was right above her. Coincidence? Or had the quest arranged it this way? I wasn't sure. It wouldn't be strange at all to run into Kang Dahyun on the way there.

My eyes drifted to another line lower down.

—I've already given her prior notice so she can serve according to your particular tastes. No additional training should be necessary.

"What kind of... preference?" I couldn't wrap my head around it. What exactly was Professor Kim referring to when he said "particular tastes"? What sort of preference would require special preparation? I had no idea.

Still holding several questions, I stepped out of Professor Son's car, the letter clutched in my hand. I closed the door lightly behind me. That was when it happened.

-Click.

"Oh..." My guess had been right. For this quest, I was taking on the role of Professor Son Bongkyu. I started walking. The place Professor Kim had prepared to impress his senior was Nuri Villa, Room 301—the address written in the letter. I'd been there once before, so I already knew the way. Finding it wouldn't be difficult.

Countless students I passed on the way bowed deeply at the waist, greeting me. "Hello, Professor!" Even other professors I encountered inclined their heads respectfully. The students were one thing, but seeing fellow faculty members bow so low really drove home how much influence Professor Son wielded.

"Maybe they're just being polite because of his age..." I thought as I passed through the main gate. My heart was beating strangely fast. Instinctively, I had a suspicion. Cha Eunyung. She was probably the one waiting for me. If Professor Kim had prepared the student, the odds were high it was her. Right now, she was inside Nuri Villa, Room 301.

The image of her from chapel earlier surfaced in my mind—pale skin, jet-black hair falling to her shoulders, strikingly blue eyes, slender and beautiful ankles. And on one of those pale ankles, the blue butterfly tattoo I'd left behind.

-Gulp.

My heartbeat grew heavier, and a strange sense of anticipation rose. Professor Kim had blackmailed her into living at Nuri Villa so she could be available for the old professor. Maybe... through quests, I'd be visiting Room 301 fairly often from now on. The thought alone made my body feel warm.

While lost in these thoughts, I arrived at Nuri Villa, located in the residential area just outside the main gate. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd already passed the second floor and was climbing the stairs. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the iron door marked "301." With a trembling heart, I looked at the door lock. It was time to use the password from the letter.

I activated the keypad and entered '123456*'.

-Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Once all the numbers were in...

-Beep-beep-beep~

The lock disengaged with a light sound. I opened the iron door with shaking hands.

-Creak.

The door swung open without resistance, gradually revealing the interior. It was a studio apartment with the same layout as Kang Dahyun's place. Even the furniture arrangement was nearly identical, except for a four-person dining table in front of the sink. And...

Cha Eunyung was waiting for me right by the entrance.

She was still wearing the same outfit from the lecture hall. Like me, she'd probably come straight from chapel and hadn't had time to change after spending a little time with her boyfriend. An ivory cotton t-shirt. A black leather skirt. Her black heels sat neatly to one side of the entrance. Cha Eunyung stood there, greeting me as I entered. The soft click of the door handle must have told her that Professor Son had arrived. And since I was now filling that role, her assumption wasn't entirely wrong.

She wore a slightly awkward smile—one that looked almost sad. Given that she'd been blackmailed by Professor Kim into entertaining an old professor, it was understandable. In contrast, a lecherous grin spread across my own face.

Then Cha Eunyung spoke, her greeting carrying a meaning I could never have imagined.

"Ah... Daddy... you're here?"

"...What?"

I froze on the spot. Cha Eunyung was looking at me with that awkward smile, calling me "Daddy." I couldn't process it. Why would she call me that? Obviously I wasn't her father. And right now I was under perception alteration—she should see me as Professor Son Bongkyu and hear his voice. So why... was she calling me Daddy?

Was Cha Eunyung Professor Son's daughter? No. Their surnames were different. Besides, Professor Son's only daughter was grown and not named Cha. Cha Eunyung had an older sister named Cha Eunju. None of it made sense. Neither I nor Professor Son was her father. So why was she calling me "Daddy" right now?

At that moment, a quest notification appeared, answering my confusion.

"What... what the hell is this?"