I Became an Unknown Professor at the Academy

“Haa…”

Baek Hana couldn’t help but sigh as she stepped out of the elevator.

The incident in the afternoon, along with her expectations of what being in the disciplinary committee would be like, had been far from what she had imagined.

‘What should I eat for dinner…’

Through the windows along the corridor, the night sky was pitch black, and the person she had been thinking about had drawn a clear line, so she had to eat lunch alone.

It seemed obvious that she would have to eat dinner alone as well, so Baek Hana looked up at the cloudless, clean sky and thought about what she should eat.

“It’s a full moon.”

The moon was perfectly round, without a single sharp edge, and it was beautiful.

‘I should eat dumplings.’

Baek Hana decided on her dinner menu as soon as she saw the full moon, and she turned back towards the control room. As she rounded the corner at the end of the corridor—

‘Huh?’

There were several people gathered in front of the control room, and among them were some familiar faces. Baek Hana approached them.

“Huh?”
“Hana?”
“Oh, that’s right, you joined the disciplinary committee, didn’t you?”

The professors standing in front of the control room turned at the sound of approaching footsteps, and when they saw Baek Hana, they each uttered a word or two.

“Hello.”
“Oh, our little cutie…”

Kang Hanna, who was standing right in front of the control room door, smiled brightly and placed her hand on Baek Hana’s shoulder.

“Huh?”
“No, it’s fine. You’re going in, right?”
“Yes.”

Kang Hanna was a good person, but she often acted as eccentrically as Edyn.

That was Baek Hana’s perception of Kang Hanna.

“Hm-hm, alright.” “…?”

What was alright?

Removing Kang Hanna’s hand from her shoulder, Baek Hana looked at her, who was now standing in front of the door again, with a puzzled expression.

Hoo…

Kang Hanna took a brief breath, composed herself, and then lightly knocked on the door with a cautiously clenched fist.

“Professor, all the on-duty personnel are here.”

-Come in.

As soon as she received permission, Kang Hanna slowly pushed open the door, and Baek Hana and the other professors followed her into the control room.

“Baek Hana.”

Baek Woo-jin, sitting in a chair facing the window with a view of the moon and stars, put down the documents he had been holding.

“You can take a break.”
“Yes, Professor.”

Baek Hana stepped away from the group of professors and leaned against the sofa where she had sat earlier that morning.

“Kang Hanna, you’re in charge today.”
“Yes, sir.”

Baek Woo-jin looked over the faces of the professors lined up behind Kang Hanna and continued.

“Let’s put the past behind us.”

Baek Hana, sitting on the sofa with her ears perked up, noticed that some of the professors’ heart rates had increased.”

“Follow the school rules. There will be no leniency.”

Baek Woo-jin said this to Kang Hanna.

“Don’t cause any trouble.”
“Yes, I’ll make sure you don’t have to step in, Professor.”

In response to Kang Hanna’s answer, Baek Woo-jin nodded once and waved his hand. It was a gesture telling them to leave.

“Then.”

Kang Hanna, who was quick to pick up on cues, quickly bowed and then led the stiff and nervous junior professors out of the control room.

After they left.

“Woo-jin?”

Baek Hana, who had been sitting on the sofa and observing the situation, cautiously stood up and approached the desk. She blocked the path of the documents Baek Woo-jin was about to pick up and said,

In an instant, Baek Hana hid the documents under her chest, then slightly turned her head to look up at Baek Woo-jin.

Tap.

“Hmm…”

Baek Hana covered her nose with both hands as a sharp scent tickled her nose and pouted her lips.

“If you have nothing to do, go get dinner.”
“Can’t we eat together? Please?”

Baek Hana had spent almost half a day wandering around the academy alone, except for the morning when she had eaten with Baek Woo-jin. Now, she was facing the prospect of eating dinner alone as well.

“I feel lonely…”

Even if she was rejected, she had to at least try.

Baek Hana climbed onto the desk as if she were going to lie down on it, causing the documents underneath to slide to the side and become disorganized. Baek Hana’s hair, which had fallen onto the desk, added to the mess.

Kang Hanna, who had left earlier, would have been shocked by this scene, but Baek Hana didn’t stop there and took a more proactive approach.

“And it’s the weekend today, right?”

Baek Hana grabbed Baek Woo-jin’s right hand, which had been awkwardly still, and brought it to her cheek. With each touch, his hand twitched slightly, almost imperceptibly.

“I haven’t acted spoiled today yet, have I?”
“You said you wouldn’t act spoiled anymore.”
“I don’t remember.”

As she rubbed her cheek, his hand twitched, ever so slightly.

“Can’t I?”

Baek Hana asked, her voice filled with longing.

“…”
“…”

A subtle silence settled between them for a moment.

“I’ll order something for you, so be satisfied with that.”
“Hehe~”

At Baek Woo-jin’s concession, Baek Hana giggled and nodded.

“Now, go downstairs.”
“Just a little longer”
“…Bring a chair and sit next to me.”
“Okay”

Baek Hana quickly got off the desk and looked around.

“There aren’t any chairs to bring.”

Baek Hana slipped her body between Baek Woo-jin’s arms as he was gathering documents on the desk, then climbed onto his thighs.

“Stay still.”
“Yes, I’ll stay still.”

Baek Hana ignored the documents in Baek Woo-jin’s hands and rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

‘…This is nice.’

The warmth she felt through their touching skin.

The faint scent of his body that tickled her nose.

Even now, as an adult, she found comfort in his embrace.

Everything about this person was just so wonderful.

‘A dream…’

Since that day, she had never deeply considered the topic of her dream.

Because being with this person made her happier than anything else.

‘…But I have to find it.’

She couldn’t stay under his shadow forever.

Baek Hana remembered the scene of Baek Woo-jin and Claire in the study, being affectionate, and opened her eyes, which had been closed.

“Woo-jin.”
“What is it now.”

Baek Hana chuckled inwardly at his slightly more curt response than usual and looked up at him.

“When are you ordering dinner?”
“…”

There was a subtle change in Baek Woo-jin’s steady heartbeat.

Baek Hana, who found this small change enjoyable, acted more playfully.

She slid her tail out from under her skirt and wrapped it around Baek Woo-jin’s thigh, saying,

“I’m hungry.”
“…”

Baek Woo-jin didn’t respond.

Instead, he took his smartphone from the desk and placed it in Baek Hana’s hand.

“Hehe.”

Baek Hana held his smartphone for the first time.

She lightly tapped the screen and, despite the times, entered a numeric password instead of a pattern. She blinked at the password and asked Baek Woo-jin,

“What’s the password?”
“0204.”

Isn’t that too easy?

But who would dare touch this person’s belongings?

Baek Hana chuckled and sweaty, entered the password Baek Woo-jin had told her. A simple app and the academy-only app appeared on the screen.

Baek Hana used the academy app to access the dedicated site, added what she wanted to eat to her cart, set the delivery location, and tapped the payment button. A password input window appeared again.

0204

After completing the payment, Baek Hana closed the window and was about to place the phone on the desk but paused.

‘0204.’

A very familiar number.

‘February 4th.’

It was her birthday.

She perked up her triangular animal ears, which sprouted from her tail.

However, the person in question was unaware of this fact and tapped the phone a few times.

“Woo-jin~”
“…”

Click.

A photo of Baek Hana, with her large glasses, cheek-to-cheek with him, and smiling, was taken.

“Yes, it turned out well.”

Before Baek Woo-jin could say anything, Baek Hana sent the photo to her email, set it as her wallpaper, and placed the phone on the desk as if nothing had happened.

Then, looking up at Baek Woo-jin, who was staring down at her, she giggled.

“You’re not allowed to change it without my permission or my sister’s, right?”
“…”

Baek Woo-jin didn’t respond.

But Baek Hana knew that this was his way of saying yes.

.

.

.

“I’ll be back~”

Baek Hana left the control room, waving playfully.

Alone again, I put down the reports related to the year-end evaluation and looked at my smartphone.

‘…I can’t even take it out here.’

After glancing at the wallpaper that had been changed for the first time in nine years, I put it back in my pocket.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

As if waiting for this moment, there was a knock on the door. I used my magic to open the door.

“If you order me to crawl in, I will.”

I didn’t respond.

The bug, covered in a black robe, understood my intention and crawled towards me.

“Stop.”

The closer it got, the more repulsive it became.

As if understanding my intention, the bug lay flat on the ground and said,

“I’ve come to beg for my life.”