The Unstoppable Glutton (1)
"Song Do-yun said that?"
"Yes. She made the request through Student Han Min-ha."
We stood in the smoking area in front of the lecture building. Before heading into class, I was discussing Song Do-yun with Professor Yu Hyeon-ju.
"She must have been truly desperate. This is awkward. Now I feel bad for her."
"The performance Han Min-ha showed during the last PVP Combat Evaluation seems to have had a massive impact."
"I suppose so. If someone dragged the bottom-ranked student up that high, of course she'd want the same guidance. So, are you taking her on?"
"Yes. After weighing everything, there wasn't really a reason to refuse. Both Student Han Min-ha and Student Yoo Hee-won said they were fine with it."
"Then it's settled. Honestly, the only people who need to agree are you and me. We'll go with that. I'll talk to the department head."
"Understood."
Professor Yu stretched her arms overhead.
"It might actually be for the best. To be frank, I have too many teams under me to give them all proper attention. It's a relief she didn't drop out and joined you instead."
"Is there anything in particular I should know about her?"
"Hmm? I'm not entirely sure. She doesn't talk much and always carries herself with that gloomy aura. Still, she's exceptionally talented in every aspect. She was top-tier even among the upperclassmen."
It had only been a few months since the homeroom professor system was implemented, so it made sense that she wouldn't have detailed information. Especially since Professor Yu oversaw so many students. I supposed I should ask Assistant Teacher Kim-Yi Bit-na. She had been managing Song Do-yun since her enrollment.
Her rude attitude was unpleasant, but now that I had decided to take Song Do-yun in, it would be better to learn as much as possible about the girl.
"What exactly do you want to know about Do-yun?"
As expected, Assistant Teacher Kim-Yi Bit-na glared at me with clear displeasure written across her face.
"Student Song Do-yun is transferring to the team I advise. That's why."
"And?"
"To guide her properly, I need to understand her characteristics. Interviews have their limits, so I'm asking you, her management assistant."
"It's Kim-Yi Bit-na."
Hmm. I had wanted to keep things pleasant if possible.
"Assistant Teacher Kim-Yi."
I raised my hand to stop the woman who looked ready to argue.
"No. Let's start with me. As I told you before, it's troublesome when you keep trying to act like you're on equal footing with a professor."
"That's because Professor keeps mispronouncing my surname."
"Is that so? You should know that's not the only reason I'm correcting you. In fact, you understand the situation better than anyone."
"It's not Kim, it's—!"
"I know. I'm aware that Assistant Teacher Kim-Yi Bit-na uses both of your parents' surnames. But don't force it on me. I come from an era that doesn't understand the concept of using two family names."
I continued speaking with a smile.
"Besides, if you had acted according to your position from the beginning, I wouldn't have stubbornly called you Kim. I see no reason why I, as a professor, should accommodate the words of an assistant who doesn't know her place and behaves arrogantly."
At my direct words, Kim-Yi Bit-na pressed her lips tightly shut, unable to respond.
"Listen carefully, Assistant Teacher Kim. I know you've been around long enough to look down on most of the faculty. But there's a big difference between thinking that way internally and openly displaying it like you do. So refrain from being so confrontational. And if you really must do it, read the room first. The professors here are all people who could tear apart a villain or two with their bare hands."
Kim-Yi Bit-na maintained a coldly composed expression as she swallowed her anger.
"Tell me about Student Song Do-yun."
After briefly glancing aside, Kim-Yi Bit-na finally opened her mouth.
Sitting in my lab, I cross-referenced everything I'd heard while reviewing Song Do-yun's personal records through the Academy system.
To summarize:
Song Do-yun was born to poor parents. Her father died when she was young due to an industrial accident caused by hazardous working conditions. Her mother, struggling to support Song Do-yun and her younger sister, took on difficult jobs until a traffic accident left her paralyzed from the waist down.
Tragic. Then again, who was I to call anyone else unfortunate?
I had no memories of my own parents. The oldest memory I could recall was waking up in an orphanage. Later, I learned I had been abandoned there as a newborn.
I held no resentment toward the parents who abandoned me. There must have been some desperate circumstance that forced them to leave a baby they had carried themselves.
I discovered my talent as a hero when I beat up the kids who looked down on me for being an orphan. Back then, I didn't have the Mental Barrier, so I had quite a temper. I called out the group that had been systematically ostracizing me and stomped them to the brink of death. That's when my aura awakened by chance.
Of course, my parents couldn't have been heroes. What hero, guaranteed honor and wealth, would abandon their own child?
I was probably a general awakener, just like Song Do-yun.
Anyway.
I logged out of the system and rose from my chair. I felt no particular sense of kinship or pity toward her. I simply pondered how I would guide Song Do-yun and how I would help her get along with the rest of my students.
And that's when I came up with a rather old-fashioned idea.
"Hss, haa."
Yoo Hee-won, her lips stained bright red, kept sticking her tongue out as she sweated. We were at a spicy grilled intestine restaurant in Graford City. Using my authority as homeroom professor, I had brought the students here for dinner.
There were four of us: me, Yoo Hee-won, Han Min-ha, and Song Do-yun. My thought was that sharing a meal and talking would help us grow a little closer.
But it seemed my idea was indeed outdated.
I had expected her to open up at least a little, but Song Do-yun ate in complete silence. She had been in the same class as them and had served as Yoo Hee-won's right hand whether she wanted to or not, yet Yoo Hee-won showed almost no interest in her.
She only spoke to order more drinks.
"This is fucking spicy. Still tastes good though."
Yoo Hee-won, who had already downed several glasses of cola, spoke up. Han Min-ha, who ate anything and everything well, wore a bright smile as she busily worked her chopsticks. She was currently crafting a neat little lettuce wrap, piling fresh lettuce with grilled intestines, garlic, and other fillings.
"Professor, if you eat it like this, it's not spicy at all. Here."
"No, no. I tried one of those wraps last time and it was really spicy. I appreciate the thought, but I'm truly fine."
I smiled and shook my head at Han Min-ha, who was trying to feed me the wrap. The grilled intestines were so incredibly spicy that no matter how you ate them—wrapped or not—your tongue felt like it was flipping inside out. The reason I had insisted on coming here despite that was the stamp card. I vaguely remembered that collecting ten stamps got you a free menu item. Since I had already been dragged here several times against my will to collect stamps, I figured I might as well fill out at least one card.
"Hmph. I worked so hard to make it."
As Han Min-ha sulked and brought the wrap to her own mouth, Song Do-yun, who had been lurking like a shadow, suddenly spoke.
"I'll eat that."
"Huh? You want it?"
Delighted that Song Do-yun had finally spoken, Han Min-ha beamed and fed her the lettuce wrap. Song Do-yun chewed it with an indifferent expression, showing no particular reaction.
"Is it good?"
"It's good."
"Hehe."
Han Min-ha grinned from ear to ear and began making another wrap for herself. That girl really could eat anything.
"Hey, Song Do-yun."
Yoo Hee-won snatched the corn cheese I was about to eat and placed it in front of herself.
"Why did you join my team anyway?"
Song Do-yun stared blankly at Yoo Hee-won, who had boldly called it "my team" right in front of their homeroom professor. Her eyes held no emotion whatsoever. According to what I'd heard from Han Min-ha, Song Do-yun was a homosexual who had been madly in love with Yoo Hee-won. Had she really experienced some change of heart over the break?
But looking into that would not only exceed a professor's authority but would also be extremely rude on a human level. Sexual orientation was a personal freedom.
"Just because. It looked good."
That was Song Do-yun's answer.
Yoo Hee-won seemed about to ask something more when she suddenly shot Han Min-ha a suspicious look.
"What are you doing right now?"
"Huh? W-what do you mean? I'm making a wrap for the professor...?"
In a panic, Han Min-ha abruptly shoved the lettuce wrap in her hand into my mouth.
"This one really isn't spicy at all! Try it!"
Since it was already in my mouth, I had no choice but to eat it. Strangely enough, just as Han Min-ha claimed, the wrap wasn't spicy at all. It was incredibly chewy and delicious.
"It's good."
"Hehe. Right...?"
For some reason, Han Min-ha avoided my eyes and mumbled in a tiny voice.
While the professor and Hee-won's attention was on Song Do-yun, Han Min-ha quickly picked up a piece of intestine and popped it into her mouth. Instead of chewing and swallowing it, she rolled it around inside, sucking only the sauce off the meat.
Once the seasoning had been thoroughly removed, she was about to spit the intestine onto a lettuce leaf when Yoo Hee-won looked over and asked sharply.
"What are you doing right now?"
"Huh? W-what do you mean? I'm making a wrap for the professor...?"
Too flustered to think, Han Min-ha shoved it straight into the professor's mouth.
"This one really isn't spicy at all! Try it!"
The professor who ate the wrap gave a wonderful smile and replied.
"It's good."
"Hehe. Right...?"
Of course it has to taste good, Professor. I made it, after all.
Han Min-ha lowered her eyes and rubbed her tingling thighs together.