I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

……Squeeeezzzze.
The pressure from both sides caused Baek Hana’s smooth forehead to crack.
“Umm…”
Her limbs felt heavy, as if small weights were attached to them. The strange thing was that the sense of weight was slightly different.
As her hazy mind awakened, Baek Hana’s trembling eyelids slowly lifted.
The familiar ceiling.
As soon as Baek Hana saw the fluorescent stickers plastered on the ceiling, she realized that this was not the dormitory but her own room. And she also recognized the source of the pressure on both sides.
“It’s stuffy…”
Seo-hee and Nayoung were clinging to her, with one leg draped over her, using her arm as a pillow despite having been given a pillow. Baek Hana sighed softly at the two of them.
The blanket underneath them bulged, and Seo-hee, who was hugging Baek Hana tightly, moved her arm that was wrapped around her.
Baek Hana, familiar with this situation, gently pushed Seo-hee aside and got up, putting her tail back inside.
“Ugh.”
She carefully picked up Nayoung, who was incredibly light, and switched places with her. As soon as the space beside her became empty, Nayoung wriggled and pulled the blanket over herself, curling up like a caterpillar.
“Hmm~”
Below the bed, Edyn was scratching her belly while lying on the thick blanket, and Maria was sleeping soundly.
This was a familiar scene by now.
Baek Hana carefully got out of bed, being mindful not to step on the two of them, and left the room.
“Krrrr!”
Baek Hana stretched her body and headed towards the bedroom inside the study, where she opened the slightly ajar door and peeked inside.
-Peep… Peeweong…
The fairy was still sleeping soundly, making its usual peeping sound.
Baek Hana quietly entered and looked down at the fairy sleeping like a baby, sucking on its finger.
“When are you going to wake up, sleepyhead?”
-Peeweong~
The fairy stirred, perhaps disturbed by the sound, and turned over. Baek Hana chuckled and stepped out of the room.
Ten days had passed since the festival, but the fairy was still asleep, just as it was now. However, Baek Hana wasn’t too worried because she trusted that person.
Perhaps that was why she thought,
“A single email shouldn’t be a problem…”
Baek Hana leaned her cheek against the desk, thinking about its owner, whom she hadn’t heard from since that day.
“Haaa…”
She tried to push away the rising sense of unease that was creeping up on her again.
In fact, not being able to contact him wasn’t a problem. In the past, she didn’t know, but now she knew better than anyone how strong he was. The problem was…
‘It was definitely the smell of blood.’
A scent that she vaguely remembered from somewhere, a scent that had brushed past her nose for a moment, was now fueling her unease. And the element that was making her unease bloom.
-Drrrrrrrrr!
Even now, when she closed her eyes, the scene of the unbalanced scale tipping back into balance was vivid in her mind.
Despite sacrificing seventy years of their life, the scale that had been unfairly tilted was now miraculously balanced.
What had he sacrificed in return?
What had he given up for that scale to find balance?
She was so curious, but at the same time, she didn’t want to know.
‘It can’t be…’
Because if she found out, she might regret it.
She regretted asking for his help.
“…”
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
In the silence, the sound of the clock quietly performing its duty echoed through the desk.
“I should wake them up soon…”
Even if she skipped showering, she needed to eat a hearty meal before training. Especially since if she was even a little late, the intensity of the training would skyrocket.
“Ugh.”
Baek Hana lifted her cheek from the desk and rubbed the spot where her warmth had seeped into the wood before leaving the study.
.
.
.
Claire stabbed the bloodstained wooden sword into the grass.
At this signal, the girls who had been struggling to stand straight finally collapsed onto the ground.
Nayoung and Maria, who had been standing at a distance, came forward and helped their injured friends with their respective healing abilities.
“I’ll prepare lunch, so go wash up and come to the kitchen.”
Claire went inside first, and the girls finally released their tension and sighed deeply.
“Doesn’t she seem a little different to you?”
“Yeah.”
Maria, who had just fixed Edyn’s broken bones, nodded.
“She doesn’t seem to have changed much, but… she’s definitely a little different.”
“Right?”
They already knew that she showed no mercy during training. But ever since the festival ended, the intensity seemed to have increased a little more.
“Hwa, you’re definitely looking a little sharper than usual…”
Seo-hee rubbed her thigh with the potion, and Nayoung responded.
“It’s probably because of the barrier.”
Seo-hee responded with a sullen face.
“Is that so?”
“Hmm.”
Unlike Edyn, who was unsure, Maria narrowed her eyes and spoke carefully.
The atmosphere at the Academy was tense, like walking on thin ice, ever since the barrier disappeared and important research materials were stolen. That’s why even the students who remained in the dormitory were sent home.
‘There’s definitely something more going on.’
Whether the barrier disappeared or the Academy’s research materials were stolen, I’m sure he wouldn’t care about it.
Still, she thought there was something more to it, as if he had anticipated this and kept them here.
But she didn’t plan to act on her curiosity, as it would be crossing a line, and she wouldn’t be able to find out anything anyway.
However, Baek Hana felt differently.
“Hana, ah, you shouldn’t be moving yet…”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry, go ahead and take a bath first.”
Baek Hana pinched Nayoung’s cheek for no reason and got up from her seat, then headed inside the mansion.
“Sister.”
“…”
Claire, who was preparing the meal, stopped for a moment and turned around.
“Is everything alright with Woo-Jin?”
Claire turned away from Baek Hana, who had come right up to her.
“I haven’t received any separate news, so it’s hard for me to say, but I’m sure the professor is fine.”
“…”
Baek Hana didn’t respond right away, but watched Claire’s back as she worked. Then,
“Hehe, I knew it!”
Baek Hana hugged Claire from behind and giggled.
“I’m hungry~ What stew are we having today?”
“It’s a cream stew with meat and garlic.”
“Meat!! I’ll hurry up and take a bath!”
Baek Hana let go of Claire’s waist and slowly backed away.
“Are you staying for dinner today?”
“No, I have some business outside.”
“I see.”
Baek Hana turned around.
“It’s a pity, but I can’t help it. I’ll take a bath and come out.”
As Baek Hana left the kitchen, her face resembled Claire’s from some time ago.
.
.
.
“You’re back.”
“Yes.”
Claire returned to the temple from the mansion, and Yesol approached her.
“There have been continuous attempts to intrude, but thanks to the professors, including the director, and the magicians from the Clock Tower who are stationed outside, there doesn’t seem to be any major issues.”
“…”
Claire climbed the stairs, turning her back to Yesol.
‘Professor…’
When she entered the temple, she wanted to hear about Baek Woo-jin, not the outside report.
Although she couldn’t tell anyone, Claire had informed Yesol about Baek Woo-jin because she was afraid that something might happen to him while she was away.
‘I’m sorry…’
She had been told that everything would be fine, and she believed in him, but for some reason, her body didn’t want to leave his side for even a moment.
If she left his side for even a moment, her heart felt stuffy and she was worried that she would go crazy.
Click.
As soon as Claire entered the room, she locked the door first.
Even though she knew that no one would dare to open the door without her permission, she felt uneasy if she didn’t do it.
“I’m back.”
She greeted him, who was still lying on her bed with a pale face.
After taking off her coat and washing her hands, she approached the bed and leaned against the small chair placed next to it.
“Things outside are going as you said, Professor. And…”
Claire slowly recounted the events of the day to the sleeping Baek Woo-jin, especially about Baek Hana’s growth.
“Professor.”
As Claire continued her story, she bowed her head.
“It’s hard to see Hana’s face as it used to be.”
She covered her face with both hands.
“Because of that, I made a mistake today. It was a question about you, and I couldn’t answer right away. I found it hard to look at Hana’s face and avoided eye contact…”
She slowly stroked her face and clasped her hands under her chin as if in prayer.
“Hana has always had a good sense since she was young. She must have known that I was lying, but she pretended not to notice and smiled…”
Claire’s gaze turned back to the sleeping Baek Woo-jin.
“Please, for Hana’s sake and mine, I desperately pray that you will wake up healthy and strong as soon as possible—”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“Huh?!”
Claire fell backward along with the chair, biting her tongue.