Ice Princess's Triple Rejection and Phantom's True Identity

Hey! Kim Dokja... no, Yoon Dokja!

"Teacher... stay with me...?"

"Sorry, but I'll pass. Seol-hwa."

Rejection attempt one.

"Then spend just one night with me...?"

"Sorry, but that's a no too."

Rejection attempt two.

"Then marry me... and live with me forever...?"

"......That's a no as well! And why are you talking in questions all of a sudden?"

Once she hit rejection attempt three, the girl finally realized her approach was all wrong.

"Th-this... is weird...? The vice class rep definitely said any guy would fall for this...?"

Yeah, right.

Anyway...

I'd just left Lea in the principal's office and stepped out to hit the bathroom. How the hell did I end up in this puppy-dog standoff?

"Um, Seol-hwa... student."

"Teacher... call me Seol-hwa."

The pretty girl with white hair and a snowflake pin looked a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bit shy.

But... she's the one blocking the way, so why's she making that infuriating face? Totally ridiculous.

......That said, if I didn't switch up the name, she looked like she'd never move, so I had no choice but to call her by her first name.

"Fine, Seol-hwa. Teacher really needs to go, so could you move for a sec?"

"Liar. You're just gonna run away again... right?"

No, I'm seriously about to burst here!

I chugged three grande coffees waiting for Lea's test! I'm turning thirty in two days—pissing my pants ain't it!

"I promise I won't run."

"Really...?"

"Yeah, really really."

"Then promise you'll teach our class later... I even got permission from Teacher Eun-ha... ."

"Agh, fine! Fine, so let me out!!"

In the end, I caved and promised to grant Seol-hwa's request.

"—So that's why I'm standing in front of you all now. You met me when you visited the guild last time, right? Familiar faces."

"Teacher! Teacher! I have a question!"

"What's up?"

"Teacher, are you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠really dating Seol-hwa?"

Cough. A reflexive throat-clear.

Like there's any trash teacher out there touching students. Come on.

'Man, not even easy from the jump.'

After hitting the bathroom, I'd come to S-class to keep my promise to Seol-hwa and was chatting with the kids.

'Lea's with Eun-ha mom for now... so I can just kill time and dip, yeah?'

......That was the chill plan, but standing in front of kids and talking was tougher than expected.

For one, the questions were endless.

>Teacher! Tell us about your first love!

→ Sadly, teacher's a lifelong singleton! (Luna's my first love, but can't say that.)

>Then spill on your first kiss!

→ Nah, I'm a total loner! (Luna and I did it in some bushes, but no way I'm sharing.)

>At least your first time then!

→ Quit the sexual harassment, you punks! (Actually a virgin, so it kinda hurt ㅠㅠ)

Every single question was straight-up spicy.

"Haa... no normal questions? Why's it all romance stuff?"

"Hehe, it's fun!"

"Teacher's hot—why no dating? Wasting that face!"

I wanna brag hard that I'm married to the world's prettiest moonlight princess.

"Whatever, keep up the weird questions and teacher's out. Anyone got non-romance stuff?"

—Swish.

Right on cue, a boy in the corner shot his hand up.

"Teacher, do you remember me?"

"Hmm...... one sec."

I narrowed my eyes at the kid. Black hair tied back. Sharp gaze clashing with his neat clothes.

Pretty unique style for a guy, so I remembered him right away.

"Yeah, I do. The kid who pissed himself sparring with me last time, right? Jin-woo?"

"Ahem... Th-thanks for remembering, even if it's like that."

Jin-woo scratched his head awkwardly, paused, then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bowed deeply to me.

"I meant to apologize last time but never found the moment. Can you forgive my past rudeness, looking down on you as powerless?"

"......"

Honestly, surprised. Thought he was prideful, but bowing without hesitation in front of everyone?

'Kids from gold spoon families are definitely something else.'

A bit touched, I walked over to Jin-woo slowly.

—Tap.

"......!!"

I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder with my most merciful smile.

"Forgot that little thing ages ago."

"Guh...! T-Teacher!!"

Kid, getting emotional over this? You've got a cute side. Students gotta have that vibe.

"Alright, Jin-woo. That your only question?"

"Ah, well... last time, you nailed the flaw in my awakening power. But no matter how much I practice, no real progress. Kinda stuck."

As Jin-woo vented about his power, other kids started raising hands in agreement.

"Me too! I get yelled at for bad control all the time! Teach us properly!"

"I-I only broke a ghost story by luck, so I don't even know what my power really is..."

"Teacher! Mine's detection, but it grabs random junk info too—head always hurts!"

"Mmm... I just wanna be alone with teacher, that's my issue......"

Okay, skipping the last one since it's irrelevant.

As expected, these kids—who got ghost story powers young—each had their hang-ups.

Makes sense. Our world was originally dead normal. No superpowers, magic, or sci-fi tech.

'Kids living plain lives suddenly get ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weird powers? Of course they're bad at it.'

No攻略 guides or manuals either.

'Cool, it's fate—helping a bit's fine.'

"You know teacher's not an awakener, so can't help much."

"Ehh~ No way!"

Groans of disappointment everywhere.

"But I can tell you exactly which ghost stories your powers came from."

"Huh, really?"

"Haha, teacher's ghost story expert~"

Way more expert than you think. Cuz...

I'm the one who devoured this world for two years straight.

While Si-hyun passionately explained ghost stories to the S-class students,

three girls sat side-by-side in a small meeting room on the seventh floor of Dawn's Light Guild, chatting.

Emilia, genius researcher from Eternal Guardians.

Han Ga-eun, daughter and ace of Dawn's Light's master.

And finally, Victoria, master of Britain's Eden Guild.

These girls, tied directly or indirectly to Si-hyun, gathered because Victoria specifically summoned them.

"Victoria Master, why'd you call me and Emilia...... yo? Isn't Eden Guild busy...... yo?"

Screech— Ga-eun leaned back in her chair with a grumpy look, asking Victoria.

"Busy, sure... but I really wanted to talk to you two. Oh, and drop the formal crap—talk casual. I prefer it."

"For real? Sweet~ Was getting awkward!"

Ga-eun's fox ears flapped side to side, signaling her good mood.

"So, what'd you wanna talk about?"

"Dunno what it is... but wrap it quick. Got tons of data to sort still......"

Emilia, sitting next to Victoria, showed faint displeasure with her blank eyes. Dark circles under her eyes from pulling an all-nighter on Lea's test results.

"Emilia, don't rush her. It's probably super important for you and Ga-eun too. Me included."

"Important talk...?"

"Only Si-hyun oppa matters to me~"

"Anyway, check this out first."

Shuffle—

Victoria spread A4 sheets crammed with notes and a photo across the desk.

Very familiar photo and info. Dossiers on the mengmang-grade ghost story, Phantom.

"Phantom out of nowhere? You called us for this?"

"I've seen all this stuff... nothing new."

Sure enough, Victoria's docs were just public guild compilations.

"I know there's no new data."

Victoria eyed them with a serious expression, pausing dramatically.

"I wanna find Phantom no matter what. Partly cuz he's a ghost story that saves humans, but mostly personal. His power to erase ghost stories... I think it could lift this damn curse of mine."

Emilia and Ga-eun knew her curse too. They didn't avoid her because they had similar curses.

"I know you're in the same boat."

"So what's the point? Team up to hunt Phantom?"

"Sorry to cut in, but Phantom's elusive. I analyzed his patterns—probably teleports. Even we can't track him easy."

Undeterred by their skepticism, Victoria seemed even more resolute.

"From here on, just between us."

"How big's the secret you're dragging out?"

Victoria took a deep breath and spoke lowly.

"I suspected before...... but no matter what, 'that person' has to be Phantom."

"Who?"

"If it's someone linked to us three, no way..."

The name from Eden's master—who rose to knighthood on insight alone—

was all too familiar to Emilia and Ga-eun.

"Phantom's probably Si-hyun. Over 80% chance......"

But.

Unlike serious Victoria, Ga-eun and Emilia's reactions were lukewarm. More like teasing.

"Victoria... forgot that time you guessed wrong and got mega embarrassed?"

"Eden's master... pathetic......"

"Eeeeeek!! This time it's real, for real!"