Golden Viper and the Gray Molds (3)
Han Min-ha nearly collided with Yoo Hee-won's chest and awkwardly stepped back, asking hesitantly, "Huh? Why?"
"Your number."
"What number?"
"Your phone number, obviously. Or did you think I meant your student ID?"
"Ah, sorry. Just a second?"
While rummaging through her pocket, Han Min-ha accidentally dropped her phone. The moment it was about to smash against the pavement, Yoo Hee-won extended her foot and lightly kicked it upward. She snatched the phone out of the air with a tok and looked down at the shorter girl with an expression that screamed utter exasperation.
"You really are..."
"Thank you..."
"Whatever!"
Yoo Hee-won clicked her tongue in clear irritation and turned on the phone screen to input her number. "Ugh, the pattern lock."
Han Min-ha took the phone back a bit roughly, unlocked it, entered the number Yoo Hee-won recited, and made the call.
"That's my phone. You don't have to pick up."
"I know. I know that."
After they exchanged numbers, Yoo Hee-won crossed her arms and said, "Sorry, but I have zero intention of being your tutor."
"Yeah..."
"So let's make sure we don't bother each other, okay?"
At Yoo Hee-won's smile, Han Min-ha couldn't say a word and simply nodded repeatedly.
"You're not actually stupid, right?"
"No, it's not that..."
"Then how on earth did you manage to hit rock bottom in every single subject?"
"I just... I think it's because I'm lacking in ability..."
At those words, Yoo Hee-won wiped the smile from her face and spat out coldly, "Ugh, the way you talk is seriously annoying. You know what? Fix that speech pattern of yours first."
"How...? This is just how I normally talk..."
"Don't drag everyone around you down with that energy!"
"Okay, sorry..."
"And stop saying sorry all the time! At least not in front of me. Got it?"
"Mhm..."
Yoo Hee-won looked like she was about to launch into another lecture but changed her mind and smiled again. "Anyway, since it's come to this, let's get along. I don't particularly like it, but what can you do? I'll just have to put up with it."
"Thank you. I'll be in your care too."
When Han Min-ha bowed her head politely, her enormous chest jiggled with the motion. Seeing that, Yoo Hee-won clicked her tongue again with a sharp Tsk! and turned away.
With that thought, Yoo Hee-won walked off toward the lecture building. Left alone, Han Min-ha scratched her head for a moment before quickly following after her.
In the faculty office, the main topic of conversation was the orientation. Everyone seemed desperate to talk to me. After all, I had handled both the top student and the dead-last in the same session; of course they were dying of curiosity.
"The skill gap is enormous. How exactly do you plan to teach her?"
"Did the Management Bureau Advisory Chairman call you or anything?"
"Han Min-ha must be really difficult to handle..."
They each threw in a comment, but I simply smiled and brushed off every question.
"It's only the orientation, after all. I'll have to think about it going forward."
At that moment, the department head entered, and all the professors fell silent. The morning meeting proceeded as usual, ending with the customary "Full power!" chant before we left the office.
"P-Professor Kyo. What are you doing this evening?"
Professor Jin Se-yeong, still in her training suit, stuck close to me and asked.
"Nothing in particular."
"Then would you like to go eat some spicy grilled tripe? I know a really good place downtown."
She winked and mimed downing a shot glass. Spicy grilled tripe, huh...
"I'm fine. I think I'll be pretty tired today."
I absolutely hate spicy food.
After all my lectures ended, I collapsed onto the sofa in exhaustion when my phone alarm went off. When I turned on the screen, I saw that an unfamiliar profile had created a group chat and invited me. There were three members total, one of whom was Han Min-ha. That meant the remaining person who invited me must be Yoo Hee-won.
Sure enough, she'd already set her profile picture to a massive selfie of her own face. Blonde hair, sapphire-like blue eyes, and a mischievous, devilish smirk. I have no idea why her smile always looks like that. To her it might just be a normal smile, but to everyone else it looks like she's plotting some cunning scheme.
Still, setting that aside, she had an incredibly beautiful appearance, and I'd heard she was very popular among the students. Yoo Hee-won sent a message.
Yoo Hee-won sent another message right away.
A group name? Did we really have to decide on something like that? While I was pondering what to suggest, the impatient Yoo Hee-won sent another message first.
When Yoo Hee-won pressed her, Han Min-ha hurriedly typed a reply.
Suddenly Yoo Hee-won started counting down. Han Min-ha, now in a panic, began typing frantically with a string of typos.
I couldn't help but let out a low chuckle. What kind of title was that? It sounded like something out of an old fantasy novel. Even after all the read receipts disappeared, Yoo Hee-won didn't send another message. She seemed quite flustered. When no one responded, Han Min-ha's message suddenly vanished and was replaced by the notice This message has been deleted.
She immediately followed up with another group name. It seemed she'd decided Gray Wolves was too much of a stretch.
Yoo Hee-won cut in sharply, interrupting my message.
Yess Professor you too... Really... How ridiculous.
I stared at my phone for a moment before tapping into Han Min-ha's profile. As expected, she still had the default profile picture and no bio whatsoever.
I left the research building and headed toward the faculty housing. It was still March, so the evening air was quite chilly. I pulled my coat tighter and hunched my shoulders. My coughing had stopped for now, but I never knew when another sudden fit might make me cough up blood. It felt like I was carrying a time bomb with no countdown timer in my chest.
I couldn't keep living like this. I needed to complete the quest and return to my healthy self from the original world as soon as possible.
Just as I was about to enter the dormitory with heavy steps, someone across the street called my name.
"Professor Kyo Suhyeon!"
When I turned around, I saw Professor Jin Se-yeong leaning out the car window.
"Are you heading home now?"
"Yes. Looks like you're going somewhere."
"You haven't eaten yet, right? Get in!"
"I'm a bit tired today... Let's do it next time."
I declined, but Professor Jin stubbornly tried to persuade me. "Come on, Professor Kyo. I know you just heat up frozen meals every day. It's not just the two of us—Professor Yu Hyeon-ju is coming too. Let's go together."
Professor Yu Hyeon-ju, sitting in the passenger seat, waved at me.
"Professor Kyo. If you stole Yoo Hee-won from me, shouldn't you at least buy me a meal?"
At Professor Yu's joking remark, I eventually had no choice but to turn around. It wasn't her joke that changed my mind—it was because of Professor Jin. She always took such good care of me. It felt wrong to keep turning her down.
"Spicy grilled tripe?"
When I got into the back seat, Jin Se-yeong turned around and asked cheerfully.
"Yes... I like it."
I didn't. But it seemed like they'd already decided on spicy grilled tripe, and I didn't want to ruin the mood just because of my personal taste.
"Perfect. There's a place downtown that's absolutely incredible."
"Sounds good."
Jin Se-yeong beamed and started the car. And so, for the first time since possessing this body, I left the academy grounds.
Due to its nature, the academy was located quite far from the city. It took a while to drive there. Looking out the window as the car sped along, I noticed anti-aircraft batteries standing tall on the peaks of the wild mountains surrounding the academy. Somewhere beyond those mountains was probably the academy defense brigade's garrison, which likely housed helicopters and tanks as well.
The defense brigade was a unit permanently stationed there in case villains ever attacked the academy. However, if a villain with a truly high threat level appeared, military equipment wouldn't be of much help. It had never happened before, but if such a high-ranking villain did show up, the academy professors would have to step forward themselves.
Excluding a few including myself, they were all active heroes who had been dispatched to teaching positions at the academy's request. Even Professor Jin Se-yeong had been fighting on the front lines as an active hero until recently.
We passed through the defense brigade's checkpoints and entered the city. Graford City wasn't a metropolitan area, but it was still a fully equipped satellite city with movie theaters and everything else. Before the academy was built, it had been a modest small town, but it had grown rapidly after the academy staff and defense brigade personnel moved in.
"There it is. Wow, there are so many people."
Professor Yu Hyeon-ju pointed somewhere and exclaimed. The restaurant with the long line out front must be the spicy grilled tripe place she'd mentioned earlier.
"Don't worry, Professor Kyo. I made a reservation in advance. Plus, academy professors usually get priority seating."
Professor Jin answered my unasked question brightly and parked the car in the restaurant's lot. The moment we got out, some of the people waiting in line started murmuring as they looked at me.
"Isn't that the professor from the academy?"
"I think it is?"
It seemed some people recognized me because of the video that had spread during the entrance ceremony. A few even took photos with their phones. I could hear cringeworthy terms like Gray Wolf and Sickly Beauty being whispered. Meanwhile, the real me was just a pathetic, lung-diseased gray mold of a retired hero.
This kind of situation was already uncomfortable, but Professor Jin acted like my personal manager, stepping between me and the crowd and shouting sternly, "No photos! That's a violation of portrait rights!"
"Professor Jin... This is embarrassing. Please stop..."
"Hey! Put that phone away!"
Good grief...