I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

It was early in the morning.
Despite canceling training, the children were up and bustling earlier than usual.
-No, hold it tighter!
-I’m holding it tight. You’re the one who’s doing it wrong.
-Huh?
-…Just do it right, okay?
I turned my chair slightly to look outside, where the children were installing a new pool in the spacious yard, their voices drifting through the slightly open window.
-No, Nayoung, it’s fine. Just sit there.
-But…
Nayoung, who wanted to help, was struggling to hold a piece of equipment, so Baek Hana, who was doing something else nearby, picked it up and placed it in Nayoung’s lap, sitting her in the shade.
-Stay here with the fairy and be good.
-Tweet!
-Yeah.
I watched Baek Hana as she covered the almost-finished pool with a special cloth.
Baek Hana interacted with the children as usual, bright and cheerful, and performed her assigned tasks without any shortcomings. However, beneath her outward appearance, she hadn’t smiled genuinely since last night.
I had an idea of what was going on.
Or, if I didn’t, I would be failing as her guardian.
Baek Hana’s feelings for me were the same kind of feelings that Claire had for me.
I had thought it was just a childish admiration, but as time passed, I realized that it had only become more apparent, making me uncomfortable.
‘…It was a clear mistake.’
I should have drawn a clearer line.
If I had, I wouldn’t have had to see this ridiculous acting.
“Huff.”
The recent surge in my emotions, which had been running wild without any clear reason, cooled down as I thought about showing a different side of myself.
If Claire wanted to, I was willing to keep our relationship a secret.
However, with the rumors already spreading and my previous glimpse of Baek Hana’s feelings through the ring, I decided not to hide it. She had agreed to this as well.
“Professor.”
Claire poked her head through the slightly open window, holding a water hose in her hand.
I looked behind her and saw that the pool was almost finished.
“Yes.”
As I nodded, Claire walked briskly towards the pool and aimed the hose inside. I moved my magic to open the faucet in the bathroom, which the hose was connected to.
Whoosh!
Without any expansion of the hose, the sound of cool water could be heard from outside in no time.
-It’ll be done soon, so go inside and change into your swimsuits.
As soon as Claire finished speaking, the children ran across the garden and into the mansion.
The corridor shook with each of their steps.
I looked at Claire’s back as she received the water in the pool, basking in the sunlight. Then, I opened the window wide.
“Claire.”
“Yes?”
She seemed to have been daydreaming, as she responded a beat late, turning her head towards me.
“You can call Lee Yesol too, if you want.”
“Hmm…”
Claire seemed to be thinking about the teasing she had received that day, furrowing her delicate eyebrows.
“Then…”
When the pool was half-filled with water, Claire finally spoke up, taking out her smartphone from her pocket and tapping the screen with her thumb.
Her golden hair, glistening in the sunlight, was a sight to behold.
As I took in the view, I felt Baek Hana’s presence approaching.
I closed the window and turned my chair towards the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Until yesterday morning, Baek Hana would call my name and open the door without knocking, but now, like Claire before her, she knocked on the study door.
“Come in.”
As the doorknob turned, the door slowly opened, and Baek Hana poked her head in.
“Woo-jin.”
“What is it?”
I felt relieved that she seemed to be in a better mood than before.
“Close your eyes…”
“…”
I knew what she was going to do, so I obediently closed my eyes.
As the door opened further, I could clearly feel her approaching me.
“You can open your eyes now.”
“…”
Her voice trembled slightly.
I opened my eyes, which I had closed.
Baek Hana, wearing a pure white bikini that matched her snow-white hair.
“How does it look?”
“It suits you.”
“Again?”
“You look pretty.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
She had asked me the same question when she first wore her school uniform.
I got up from my seat and walked towards her.
“Turn around.”
“Okay.”
She obediently turned around, and I took the hair tie she held out and used it to gather and tie her long hair.
“Thank you…”
She smiled shyly and slowly backed away, hiding her back.
“Baek Hana.”
“Yes?”
I spoke to Baek Hana, who was trying to leave the study like she was running away.
“Before you go to bed… Let’s have a little chat.”
“Oh… Okay, I understand.”
“Yes.”
Not long after Baek Hana left the study, the children gathered in the garden. Claire handed the hose to Edyn and entered the mansion.
“You can’t come in.”
Claire opened the bedroom door and glanced back at me, standing in the study.
“I’m not going in.”
There was no reason to go in, as I had already seen her swimsuit and everything else.
“…”
She glared at me and slowly closed the bedroom door.
.
.
.
The buzzing of insects, the warm summer sun that prickled the skin, and the cool water that chilled the heated skin.
-Splash!
“Ugh!?”
The fairy, sitting on a small basket, waved its hands, causing the pool water to splash and drench Edyn.
Edyn, who was suddenly submerged, quickly stood up and steadied herself.
“Phew! Hey! Is this how you treat your sister? Come here!”
-Hehehe!
The fairy waved its hands again, and the small basket rocked, splashing water all over the pool.
“Haa, how cute.”
Lee Yesol, who had been called by Claire to take photos, submerged herself halfway in the water and continuously captured the fairy’s antics with her camera.
And…
“Jeez, jeez…”
Maria, who had been splashing around, suddenly cramped in her thighs and feet, was now tending to Nayoung. And…
Gulp.
Seo-hee, sitting in a chair by the pool, glanced at Baek Woo-jin, who was looking at his smartphone.
Baek Hana looked at her friends and then shifted her gaze to where Seo-hee was looking, specifically at Claire, who was sitting next to Baek Woo-jin.
Claire, with her exquisite golden hair and black bikini that complemented her fair skin, looked beautiful even to another woman.
‘It suits her…’
I had always thought that the two of them looked good together.
Whoosh!
A cold spray of water covered Baek Hana’s face.
Or rather, both Baek Hana and Seo-hee.
“Why are you just standing there?”
-Splash!
“Yeah! Come on!”
Edyn and the fairy laughed as they splashed water at the two of them.
Baek Hana and Seo-hee, whose hair was now soaked and resembled ghosts, glared at them coldly.
“What are you looking at?! Go away!”
-Tweet!
The fairy waved its arms, causing the pool water to surge again.
Edyn was surprised by the larger-than-expected waves and tried to stop the fairy, but it was no easy task to calm down the excited fairy.
The waves grew so large that they spilled out of the pool and reached Baek Woo-jin and Claire.
Edyn flinched, expecting what was about to happen. But then, she had a thought.
‘…Professor’s wet body?’
Baek Woo-jin, wearing shorts and a white shirt, would have his shirt soaked and clinging to his body if the waves reached him.
As this thought crossed her mind, Edyn widened her eyes.
But the situation she had expected didn’t unfold.
“Haha… That’s what I thought…”
The water spray, which had stopped right in front of Baek Woo-jin and Claire, took the form of an arrow and aimed itself at them.
Whoosh!
The spray shot out like an arrow, slicing through the garden and hitting Edyn and the fairy.
“Cough!”
-Ouch?!
Edyn and the fairy fell to the ground, drenched and with the basket on top of them.
“Haha, serves you right.”
Seo-hee, who was floating like a corpse, glared at the back of Edyn’s head and sneered. It was a sincere sneer.
Baek Hana wiped the wet bangs from her forehead and leaned against the edge of the pool. She looked at Baek Woo-jin, who was wearing large glasses instead of sunglasses, and said,
“Woo-jin, come in and play with us now~?”
“Yes, Professor. Come and play with us. And you too, Executioner. Right?”
Maria, who had been massaging Nayoung’s legs, joined in.
Even Lee Yesol, who had been taking photos of the unconscious fairy, added,
“This thing has a surprisingly short battery life, doesn’t it?”
“…”
Claire responded to this.
She got up from her seat next to Baek Woo-jin and approached the pool. Then, she stretched out her white arm and scooped up some water.
Splash!
She splashed it right on Baek Woo-jin’s face.
“Wow…”
Maria couldn’t help but be amazed.
She had never expected anyone to do such a thing to the professor.
She nodded to herself, confirming that the relationship between the two had indeed changed.
Baek Woo-jin used his magic to wipe the water from his glasses, then put down his smartphone and stood up from his chair.
“I’ve told you many times that choices have consequences.”
As he spoke, Baek Woo-jin approached Claire, picked her up, and mercilessly threw her into the pool.
But Baek Hana and Maria weren’t too surprised.
Every year, during their water play, Baek Woo-jin would do something like this to play with them.
“Hihi, take this!”
Baek Hana, who had quickly recovered, laughed and splashed water at Baek Woo-jin, who calmly walked into the pool, getting soaked.
“Kyaa~!!”
Baek Hana’s body also flew into the air.
Splash!
A tall column of water sprayed in all directions, soaking the children. Even Baek Woo-jin, who was already in the pool, got drenched.
“Oh my…”
Lee Yesol, who had been taking photos from a distance, couldn’t help but be amazed. Baek Woo-jin’s shirt clung to his body, revealing his clear physique.
Even though his shirt was a hindrance, the distinct lines were visible, causing Lee Yesol and Seo-hee to blush and swallow.
“Phew~!! Seo-hee!”
“Huh? Yeah, yeah.”
Seo-hee, who had been staring at Baek Woo-jin, flinched and reflexively splashed water at him.
As a result…
“Hic…”
Seo-hee, who had landed in Baek Woo-jin’s arms, hiccupped and closed her eyes like a girl. Of course, the consequences were harsh.
Splash!
Seo-hee was thrown into the pool headfirst, sinking without a trace.
“Kyaa~!!”
Baek Hana flew into the air again, followed by Nayoung and Maria, who had joined in.
“Huh? Professor…?”
Lee Yesol, who had been quietly taking photos, was startled to see Baek Woo-jin approaching her.
“I, I didn’t splash you…”
“What does that matter?”
“…”
Lee Yesol was momentarily stunned by Baek Woo-jin’s unexpected response, but before she could react, she was grabbed by his hand.
‘This isn’t right…’
Lee Yesol, who was now in Baek Woo-jin’s arms, felt her heart flutter and blushed as she looked at him.
Then, the women, who had united to face the common enemy of Baek Woo-jin, splashed water at him and enjoyed the situation.
However, Baek Hana’s gaze remained fixed on the scar on Baek Woo-jin’s back, which appeared and disappeared repeatedly.
.
.
.
“Thank you.”
Claire offered me a cup of coffee.
I took a sip and leaned back in the study chair.
The water play continued until late afternoon.
Despite being Awakened, the children and the fairy were completely exhausted and fell asleep in Baek Hana’s room after dinner.
“I’ll take care of the cleanup, so you should go and rest too.”
“I want to stay a little longer.”
Claire perched her buttocks on the armrest of the chair.
“It’s fine, but there’s a guest.”
“…”
Claire tilted her head in confusion, and a knock sounded.
Claire, who had been sitting on the armrest, flinched and quickly straightened herself. It seemed that she had become quite comfortable in this mansion.
“Go to the bedroom for a while.”
“Yes.”
Claire quietly entered the bedroom.
I opened the door with my magic without responding to the knock.
“Sit down.”
Then, I brought a chair and placed it next to Baek Hana, who was standing at the door.
“…”
“Baek Hana.”
Baek Hana, who had been staring at me for a while, sat down and looked up at me with bright blue eyes.
I looked into her eyes for a moment, then exhaled and spoke.
“I have something to tell you—”
“You’re dating sister?”
I couldn’t point out that she had interrupted me.
“Yes.”
“Wow! Congratulations!”
Baek Hana smiled and offered her congratulations. I looked at her face and asked,
“Are you being sincere?”
“Huh? Of course I am. What are you talking about?”
Baek Hana frowned and looked at me as if I was being strange.
“Baek Hana.”
“Yes.”
Her blue eyes were clear and transparent.
But I could see and feel what was hidden within them.
Just as she accepted me as a special person, I also considered her to be more special than anything else.
I read and accepted the emotions in her eyes and spoke.
“If you have something you want to say, it’s okay. You have that right.”
“Don’t you have anything to say?”
Baek Hana smiled and stood up.
“Is that all you wanted to say?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
She nodded slightly.
Baek Hana looked down at me for a moment, then bit her lip before smiling and asking,
“Can I hug you just once…?”
If she wanted to, she could just lean on me as she had always done.
I nodded and stood up, pulling Baek Hana into a hug.
She remained still, her face buried in my chest, for a while.
“Okay. You can let go now.”
Baek Hana slowly lifted her head and smiled, just as she had before.
“Good night.”
“Yes.”
Baek Hana waved goodbye and left the study.
After that day, Baek Hana no longer acted spoiled around me.