The Teacher in Charge of My Workplace Is My Former Bully
The most popular game in Korea right now, Leori. World Championship winner and Finals MVP. Three-time Korean League champion. Selected as First AD four times. That’s me.
With my contract with my team expiring at the end of this year, I thought all I had left was the happy dilemma of whether to re-sign or take on a new challenge with another team….
“…… Huh?”
“What do you mean ‘huh’? Jinwoo, what are you gonna do? Keep putting it off and end up going active duty later? Or apply this year and go public service?”
The sudden words came from my older brother, who also served as my agent and manager.
“No…! I only graduated middle school, so I was automatically public service, right? And I’m only twenty-six—I can put it off a little longer.”
At my question, my brother’s face twisted slightly.
“Haa… Fuck, how many times have I told you? If you don’t go public service next year, you’ll definitely have to get re-examined. And now that the education-based public service is gone, if you get re-examined you’re active duty for sure, you idiot.”
Ah.
Hearing it again, I vaguely remembered him saying something like that before.
“Doesn’t look like Leori’s gonna die in a year or two, so just going and getting it over with quick is fine. The difference between active duty and public service is bigger than you think.”
As expected, the world didn’t revolve around me. Of course every Korean man had to shoulder the duty of national defense, but this might be my absolute peak… Huu.
Still… if I have to go anyway, public service is better than active duty.
“Got it. I’ll apply.”
Just like that, in an instant I went from top-tier pro gamer to public service worker.
After applying, the workplace I was assigned to. Luckily I caught a break here—the high school near my house that I’d listed as my first choice, Saewa High School, was designated as my post.
I applied thinking of those public service hyungs who used to loaf around all day back in high school… and it actually worked? This has to be pure honey, right?
With those expectations I showed up for my first day. Following the directions, I was walking down the hallway toward the principal’s office when I felt eyes on me.
Ah, did they recognize me?
I’d only just finished training camp, so I was still buzz-cut and a fair bit thicker than in my player days… but still, last year’s Leori World Championship winner? High schoolers at the peak of their gaming years couldn’t possibly fail to recognize me. And sure enough, before long one of them carefully approached and asked,
“Um… are you by any chance Player Ras?”
This is more embarrassing than I expected….
Just a few months ago I’d been giving fans autographs after matches, taking photos, even doing fan meetings… but having someone recognize me when I wasn’t a player anymore felt strangely different.
“Ah, yes, that’s me.”
The student froze with a shocked expression for a moment… then suddenly bolted into his classroom and yelled at the top of his lungs,
“Whoa… holy shit, awesome!”
“Hey, Ras is in the hallway right now!!!”
With that shout, students poured out and surrounded me, everyone talking at once.
“Whoa, why are you here?”
“Are you an alum?”
“Who’d you come to see?”
“Between Parker and Anchovy, who’s better?”
If the pro gamer I’d idolized back in school had shown up at my school, I probably would’ve acted the same way, so I understood… but actually being in that situation was still awkward as hell. I couldn’t exactly shove the kids aside and leave, so I stood there stammering for a moment…
“Uh…”
The door to the staff office opened and a rather booming female voice rang out.
“Hey, what the hell are you kids doing right now!!”
I let out a sigh of relief at the appearance of someone who could clear the situation, and the moment our eyes met I froze solid. The person who’d come out of the staff office was someone I knew…
Whew, thank god… wait?
Snowy-white short-cut hair and red eyes. She was wearing a tracksuit, but the solid, sizable chest that announced her presence was unmistakable. A face with androgynous charm that the word “handsome” suited perfectly. Standing right in front of me was Kim Iseo—one of the group that had used me as their shuttle until I dropped out to go pro.
“Break’s almost over, so everyone get back inside!”
After casually herding the students back into their classrooms, Kim Iseo grabbed the wrist of me—who was still standing there staring blankly—and suddenly dragged me into the women’s restroom.
““Ooooh—””
Excited murmurs rose from inside the classrooms.
“Hey, this place is a little…”
“Shut up and follow me.”
I tried a tiny bit of resistance, but of course it was useless. She shut the bathroom door, shoved me against the wall, then stood in front of me with her arms crossed, looking up at me and calling me by the exact same nickname from our school days.
“Jinwoo-ya, long time no see? How’ve you been?”
“Yeah… I’ve been fine.”
Even though my growth spurt had hit late and I’d grown a full ten centimeters since dropping out, standing in front of Kim Iseo still made me shrink back like I’d been thrown right back into those days.
Back then I’d learned every grappling technique imaginable—jujitsu, judo, wrestling, you name it—by having them practiced on my body by Kim Iseo. That kind of fear didn’t fade easily…
No, but why the hell is she here? She looks like a teacher, but… that airhead Kim Iseo actually passed the teacher certification exam?
Oblivious to my thoughts, Kim Iseo clapped me on the shoulder like she was genuinely happy to see me.
“Seeing you after so long is great—do you know how upset I was when you dropped out and we lost contact? I thought we were pretty close…”
Were we…?
I briefly tried to recall those days… but I wasn’t sure.
“Anyway, what brings you here?”
Kim Iseo asked with a truly curious expression. Only then did I remember the thing I’d completely forgotten in my shock at seeing her.
“Ah! I need to get to the principal’s office right away. I’m going to be working here as a public service worker.”
Thinking that was a pretty decent reason to escape the situation, I started to move—only for Kim Iseo to curl the corner of her mouth up slightly, block my path, and grab my wrist again.
Huh…?
“Whoa… jackpot! You’re the public service guy who was supposed to come today? Hey, follow me! I’ll show you around.”
Do teachers normally know the schedule for when a public service worker is arriving?
Flustered by the unexpected reaction, I let myself be led—not to the principal’s office, but to the main staff office Kim Iseo had just come out of.
Inside the staff office, the other teachers must have gone off to class; no one was there. Except for one person at the very back desk….
After confirming the rest of the office was empty, Kim Iseo called out in a slightly excited voice toward the person whose black hair was the only thing visible behind a partition.
“Hey, Kang Hae-rin! Jackpot—hurry up and look who just got here. Do you know who the public service worker coming today is?”
Why the hell is she this hyped… and wait, Kang Hae-rin…?
Kang Hae-rin. A familiar name. She’d been the leader of the group Kim Iseo belonged to back in high school. For reasons I never understood, no one at school—teachers or students—had ever dared treat Kang Hae-rin carelessly. And…
The Kang Hae-rin who stood up from her seat was exactly that Kang Hae-rin.
Bluish-black hair and golden eyes set in a cat-like face. Overwhelmingly large breasts, hips, and the beautiful legs that followed. She looked exactly the same as she had in high school, when she’d been the secret crush of every male student.
Whoa… seeing her after so long, she really is insanely pretty.
With the same calm, emotionless gaze as back then, Kang Hae-rin looked at me and Kim Iseo and spoke. As if she’d known I was coming all along.
“You’re a bit late. Come here. Han Jinwoo.”
At Kang Hae-rin’s completely unflappable attitude, Kim Iseo asked,
“What, you already knew?”
“Of course. I’m his supervisor. By the way, Iseo, don’t you need to head to the gym to prep for class?”
“Ah…! Right. Hey, see you later!”
At Kang Hae-rin’s words, Kim Iseo clapped me on the shoulder and quickly left the staff office. Once she was gone and Kang Hae-rin sat back down, I approached and saw the title plate attached to the partition.
Academic Affairs Director
Kang Hae-rin
Huh…? At this age?
In my memory the Academic Affairs Directors had all been ajummas… Wait, thinking about it again, most of the teachers back then had looked like ajummas and ajusshis, so maybe it wasn’t that strange…?
“Long time no see.”
“Uh… yeah.”
Even though Kang Hae-rin had never directly used me as a shuttle back in school, sitting in front of her pressed down on me even harder than Kim Iseo had. Of course it did—she’d been the undisputed leader of that group.
That was years ago and I’m still this intimidated….
Maybe that was why the environment during adolescence mattered so much. The perfect hierarchy that had been stamped into my heart back then was still expressing itself years later…
“From now on you’ll be working under this staff office. No need to go introduce yourself to the principal. That desk over there is yours, so go sit and read this while you fill this out too.”
She handed me a file and a checklist.
“Ah, okay… thanks.”
As I took them and headed toward the desk she’d indicated, a voice so quiet it was almost inaudible reached me.
“It’s good to see you again.”
Huh?
Startled by the uncharacteristically warm tone for Kang Hae-rin, I looked back—only to find her already absorbed in her work.
Ugh, I must’ve misheard in all the chaos. No way Kang Hae-rin would mutter something like that.
After reading through the file and finishing the uniform application, it was 11:20. Kang Hae-rin, who hadn’t said a word until then, spoke to me.
“Jinwoo. Want to head to the cafeteria and eat lunch before the lunch rush starts?”
“Uh-uh…! Got it.”
Only after hurriedly leaving the staff office did I realize I had no idea where the cafeteria was. Usually there was a directory in the center of the building, so I started walking that way—when a rather familiar silhouette came walking toward me from the opposite direction.
No way… you’re kidding, right?
A woman in a crisp white coat, long blonde hair swaying as she walked. As the distance closed, suspicion turned into certainty.
Bright blonde hair and green eyes. Slightly upturned eyes that gave her a charming white-gyaru vibe. It was Lee Su-a, who’d harassed me just as much as Kim Iseo. Spotting me in the hallway, Su-a flashed that signature sly, fox-like smile of hers and said,
“What~ It’s Jjinu~ Long time no see? This place is still the same~”
Even after years apart she walked right up like she’d seen me just yesterday and grabbed my butt, kneading it. That was right. If Kim Iseo had tormented me with martial arts techniques, Lee Su-a’s method had been sexual harassment.
Of course, being touched by a girl this pretty hadn’t exactly been unpleasant… but her behavior being exactly the same after years still startled me. I hurriedly checked our surroundings and whispered,
“Hey, what if someone sees…!”
“Whaaat~ It’s class time so there’s no one around~ Don’t tell me getting grabbed after so long got you excited? Our Jjinu’s become a real man~”
Pat-pat—
She lightly smacked my butt a couple times and let go.
Ah….
It bruised my pride a little, but Su-a’s touch after so long actually felt pretty good.
“But what are you doing here?”
The same question as Kim Iseo. Apparently Kang Hae-rin hadn’t told Kim Iseo or Lee Su-a that I was coming.
“Ah, starting today I’m working here. As a public service worker….”
“Really? Awesome~ I missed my personal Softie. Now I can touch you every day?”
She licked her lips while eyeing my butt and chest. That look sent a weird chill down my spine and made me shudder.
“Uh… uh?”
“Anyway, good to see you. I’ve gotta go! See you later, Softie~”
Pat— pat—
As if my butt had a mind of its own, Su-a said goodbye to it and disappeared into the infirmary without waiting for my reply.
Haa… she really is a uniquely crazy bitch.
After checking the directory and finally reaching the cafeteria, a familiar face immediately caught my eye.
Yeah, if everyone else was here and she wasn’t, it would’ve felt incomplete.
Light green hair and a gentle expression—Yoon Si-a, the mother-figure of Kang Hae-rin’s group. As I slowly approached, Yoon Si-a recognized me, walked over with elegant steps, and gently took both of my hands in hers in greeting.
“Oh my, Jinwoo, you’re here? Did you meet the others?”
She spoke as if she’d known I was coming. Thinking about it, of course she had. From way back, anything Kang Hae-rin knew, Yoon Si-a naturally knew too.
“Ah… yeah, they’re all the same as ever.”
Yoon Si-a even went up on her tiptoes to ruffle my hair.
“Our Jinwoo must’ve had a hard time. The kids were pretty mean, right? I’ll apologize in their place. Don’t hate them too much. They’re just bad at showing it—they all actually like you. You must be hungry, so sit over there and I’ll bring you something.”
“Uh… no, I can get it myself…”
“No no. I want to do it. What kind of food do you like? Korean? Western? Or Japanese?”
Looking at the serving stations as she spoke, I saw they were divided into Korean, Western, Japanese, and Chinese.
Whoa, school lunches these days aren’t just one menu…? Or is it because this is a private autonomous high school?
“I’ll eat whatever you recommend.”
“Okay okay!! Got it—just wait a bit.”
Sitting down and watching Si-a, I saw her chatting cheerfully with the lunch ladies while getting the food. Just like in high school when everyone had loved her, she seemed popular with the ajummas too—every one of their faces looked happy.
Ahh, this comfort…. Meeting Si-a brought peace to my heart. Of course it did—she’d never bullied me, and had actually helped me whenever Lee Su-a and Kim Iseo used me as their shuttle. She was an angel.
I wasn’t sure about Kang Hae-rin, but after seeing Lee Su-a and Kim Iseo I’d started thinking my public service life might be harder than expected. Meeting Yoon Si-a eased that worry a little.
By the way… how the hell did they all end up gathered at the same school like this?