Chapter 85

It seems like this is my first time in life waiting for a delivery to arrive so quickly.

Because Yu Hye-won and Professor Han were relentlessly turning the dormitory upside down.

Like a naughty kitten that doesn’t listen, they kept dragging me to the couch and as soon as I looked away for a moment, they’d disappear and return with strange things.

What’s this? What’s that? What’s the other one?

This is that. That is this. The other one is the other one.

Eh? Grandpa! Old man! Elderly fellow! Widower!

No, it’s you all who are too young.

Hehe, if you’re a widower, you should get married soon… But who will you marry with… hehehehehe…

This is quite unsettling.

It seems like my mental barriers are functioning properly right now despite all this.

Still, it’s much better than the usual silence of the dormitory.

Of course, if it were every day, it would be terrifying, but today is Friday evening.

I thought a day of this kind of atmosphere would be acceptable.

Just as I tried to pull Yu Hye-won away, who was checking my wallet for condoms, Han Min-ha hesitated and approached.

“Professor… What is this?”

She held a photo, and I immediately realized what it was.

It’s…

The only group photo I have, with Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-a, and me.

Sikrito is an organization that maintains such strict security measures that they even prevent team members from meeting their families.

Even so, senior Han Tae-woo insisted, arguing that having a single photo together wouldn’t hurt, given that if Sikrito were truly so secure, it would be impossible for anyone to realize we belonged to them anyway.

“What is this? Let me see.”

Yu Hye-won, upon receiving the photo, widened her eyes in surprise.

“Huh? Tank, when did you take a photo with the professor? Who’s the guy beside you?”

“This is my mom and dad.”

“Eh? Really?”

Yu Hye-won looked very flustered.

It reminded me of when she unintentionally blurted something out to Professor Han last semester without realizing it, causing a considerable trauma. At the time, she asked if Professor Han’s mother didn’t use fabric softener while doing laundry, which ended up offending him deeply.

Though Professor Han told her it was okay, Yu Hye-won, who is strong on the outside but soft on the inside, was quite hurt by the incident and eventually went out of her way to apologize.

Therefore, Yu Hye-won now looked perplexed, alternating her gaze between me and Han Min-ha.

Seeing her discomfort, I decided to help her out by speaking up.

“Student Han Min-ha looks just like her mother. I was momentarily confused myself during the entrance ceremony.”

“O-oh, so I wasn’t the only one who thought that? Hahaha.”

Yu Hye-won relaxed with a smile and took a closer look at the photo.

“Wow, she looks like a carbon copy. Then this is your dad?”

“Uh-huh.”

Yu Hye-won pointed at me in the photo and asked.

“Wow, how old were you here, Professor?”

“Twenty-two or three, I think. It was taken a while after graduation.”

“Hmm…”

Yu Hye-won remained silent for a bit, staring intently at the photo.

I felt somewhat uneasy. Back then, I was younger, with a rather rough personality, which was reflected in the photo where I stared ahead with a serious expression instead of smiling.

On the contrary, senior Han Tae-woo looked bright and affable, and Seo Ji-a’s faint smile reminded me of Han Min-ha.

Looking at this photo again made my chest ache, but fortunately, my mental barriers remained unshaken, keeping me calm.

“Why did you take a photo with the professor and Mr. Tank’s parents?”

“They were acquaintances during my active duty.”

“Is that so? That’s surprising. Wait. Didn’t you talk about this before? I’m not sure.”

Yu Hye-won quickly lost interest in the photo and wandered off.

Han Min-ha, left alone, looked sadly at the photo.

“Student Han.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. Please stop saying that. Why should you apologize to me, Professor?”

“Still, I apologize.”

“If you say ‘I’m sorry’ one more time, I’ll get really angry.”

Han Min-ha smiled as she handed me the photo.

Seeing her face, an exact replica of Seo Ji-a’s, suddenly reminded me of the green cloud villain.

The villain who killed Han Min-ha’s parents. That guy is out there.

“Professor. Why do you look like that?”

“What do you mean?”

“You suddenly look so stern and frightening…”

“It’s nothing. I think the delivery has arrived.”

As the sound of a motorcycle engine echoed outside the window, Yu Hye-won said haughtily.

“Go and get it.”

“No. I’ll go. It’s better not to wander around and get caught by other faculty members.”

“Ah, that’s right. Then hurry back.”

Despite Yu Hye-won’s cocky words, my mood wasn’t spoiled.

I’ve grown used to her attitude, and I already know there’s no malice behind it.

Thinking about it now, it was a mistake to distance myself from her, thinking I had somehow transmigrated.

Reflecting on it, it’s something I deeply regret now.

“Still, if you start rummaging around here, it will be problematic. I’ll give out penalty points and kick you all out.”

“I know, I know.”

“Hye-won. Stop talking so casually to the Professor.”

“Nam Is-sa.”

“Phew, thank goodness Professor is lenient…”

“Look at how you’re talking to him, will you?”

I left the bickering students and went to receive the delivery.

—

* * * * *

“Hye-won student. What exactly did you order?”

While looking at the delivery spread out on the living room table, I quietly asked Yu Hye-won.

“Things that go with a Friday night.”

Yu Hye-won grinned and reached for a can of beer.

So this is why she snatched my phone earlier.

She took advantage of my academic login, which allowed her to order alcohol.

“I can’t indulge in alcohol yet, and we’re inside the academy. If I get drunk and return to the dormitory, I won’t be able to handle the aftermath.”

“Then we won’t return.”

Upon hearing this, Han Min-ha blinked in surprise at Yu Hye-won.

“So are you saying you’ll stay over with the professor?”

“This is a Friday night, and since we rarely gather in such a cozy spot, it’s only natural to have some fun late into the evening.”

“Oh… Well, then, I’ll excuse myself, Professor.”

The kids arbitrarily decided they would stay over late and play together.

Watching them, I couldn’t help but smile foolishly.

I never thought a day like this would come.

I thought I would spend my life as a hunting dog for the organization Sikrito.

But due to an unlucky event, my only friends, senior Han Tae-woo and Seo Ji-a, were killed, and I lost all my memories.

Claiming I had contracted some nonexistent lung disease, I spent my days coughing, living without hope.

Now, my students have come to the dormitory, ordered fried chicken and beer, and are chatting.

I never thought such a day would come.

I don’t feel perplexed or unpleasant, though.

I feel a sense of responsibility towards these kids, and I’ve warmed up to them to some extent.

Of course, it’s difficult to feel anything more than that.

Ah, it must be due to the mental barriers.

Anyway, while watching the kids run around the dorm and make a mess, the relentless headache that plagued me this afternoon completely vanished, improving my mood.

Yeah, well. It’s not a good idea to be too strict all the time educationally.

Even heroes sometimes deviate from rules and regulations, after all.

And thinking about my Sikrito days, I’ve engaged in similar borderline illegal activities countless times.

“Who’s on duty at the dormitory tonight?”

“Assistant Baek Yebin.”

Perfect timing. Assistant Baek is Han Min-ha’s supervisory assistant and has always been cooperative with me.

When I called her, she readily consented.

[Then please be cautious not to get caught by other faculty members.]

“Understood. We’ll take care of that. And when returning to the dormitory, I will personally oversee it.”

[No need. Please drop them off tomorrow morning instead. If they return this late at night and are seen by others, suspicions will arise.]

Uh… tomorrow morning… meaning these kids will have to stay over here tonight then?

Before I could deliberate further, Yu Hye-won, who had been quietly listening nearby, snatched the phone.

“Yes! We’ll do that! Thanks, Assistant!”

Yu Hye-won cut off the call and smiled wickedly at me.

“So, there’s no problem now, right? Can we stay and party all night?”

“Uh… sure. Let’s go ahead.”

“Yay!”

Yu Hye-won cheered, and Han Min-ha, holding her breath, also clapped happily.

It’s unclear from Song Do-yoon’s expression, but if it’s not negative, then it must be positive.

Thus, I sat around the living room table with the kids, eating chicken, pizza, hamburgers, all the foods typical for their age group.

Greasy flour-based dishes might upset the stomach, but because the kids enjoy them…

And the beer…

This kind of day should occasionally happen.

Changing my mind after making a decision would be embarrassing as a professor who guides students.

“But everyone, please, be quiet. Don’t shout. It can be heard in the rooms next door.”

“I know. Haha. It’s so much fun. I might pass out.”

Yu Hye-won’s crude comments startled Han Min-ha.

“What kind of talk is that in front of the professor? Are you going to drink a bunch of beer and then wet your bed?”

“Huh? I didn’t mean bedwetting. I was talking about something else!”

“Ah! Poop?!”

“Ah, are you crazy? What?”

“Besides poop or pee, what else could make you pass out?”

Han Min-ha tilted her head, and Song Do-yoon silently sipped on his beer.

Ugh… let’s cancel the part about the headache being gone.