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Ttakttak Choi Ye-na.

After graduating from Cheongdam Elementary School, I thought I would never see my homeroom teacher again.

She was right in front of me.

“…Hello, kids.”

“…Oh, hello.”

“Why are you here, teacher…?”

Why on earth is she here?

“I got transferred here…”

“…What?”

“They said I was the only teacher who taught both of you, so they sent me here…”

“Oh, I see… That’s great! I prefer you over a new teacher.”

Seriously, I liked Choi Ye-na.

I already felt bad seeing her tear up at the graduation ceremony…

Meeting her again like this made me really happy.

Ttakttak, who took care of me so well that I wondered if I’d ever meet a teacher like her again.

Ttakttak, who was secretly very sad about us graduating but hid her feelings thoroughly so we wouldn’t feel bad.

Actually, she’s just shy and said the Education Office sent her.

Maybe she volunteered.

No, that must be it.

It’s not like the Education Office has nothing better to do.

Would they really send an instructor here and there just for two students?

At the graduation ceremony and today, it seems like that’s just Choi Ye-na’s way of expressing herself.

I should respect that.

By the way, did she lose sleep and suffer mentally thinking she’d have to take care of other students after we graduated?

Her face looks really out of it.

“Don’t worry, now that we’re here, you can start a happy teaching life again.”

“…Damn.”

“Huh?”

“I feel better in just ten seconds. Thanks, Gyeoul…”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, teacher. Let’s work well together from now on.”

“Uh, yeah… Of course…”

Hayan seemed surprised by the unexpected situation and let out her magic power.

She does this sometimes.

Her magic power leaks out depending on her emotions.

Right now, it’s fire.

She must be really happy to see Choi Ye-na.

The classroom was heating up.

It happens often, so I just let it be.

“…Did someone turn on the heater? Why is it so hot all of a sudden?”

Oops.

Choi Ye-na, being a civilian, has no resistance to magic power.

I quickly used telekinesis to shield her from the heat.

I have to take care of my homeroom teacher; who else will?

“Hayan, calm down. Teacher Ye-na is here too.”

“Ah! I’m sorry. I was so happy to see you, teacher, that my magic went out of control.”

“…Your magic went out of control?”

“It happens sometimes… I’m not perfect at controlling it yet.”

“Now it’s not just Gyeoul but Hayan too who’s losing control…”

What are you talking about? When did I ever lose control?

Anyway, there will be many surprises because of Hayan…

Don’t worry, Choi Ye-na, since you’ve come this far, I’ll take responsibility for you.

***

The graduation ceremony at Cheongdam Elementary School was over.

“…Finally, I can escape from those brats.”

I made the principal promise that I would definitely teach 6th grade next.

The principal, having seen what I’ve been through, agreed without much fuss.

No matter what, I would teach 6th grade.

I happily prepared for the next students.

I even gained back some of the weight I lost because of Jeong Gyeoul, Lee Ha-yoon, and Choi Jeong-min.

And then, after years, I met a friend.

“How long has it been? I thought you were dead.”

“…I might as well have been dead.”

“Why? Your students are the youngest Awakened and an S-Class Awakened.”

“It would take a month of living together to explain.”

“But you were the homeroom teacher for both of them, isn’t that an amazing career? I’d be happy if it were me.”

“…Are you really my friend?”

Do you know how much I suffered?

How can you say that?

I shouldn’t meet her anymore.

That’s not a friend.

While I was happily enjoying my life.

I got a call from the Education Office.

“So, you need to come to the Hero Academy. We need a homeroom teacher for Lee Ha-yoon and Jeong Gyeoul.”

“What are you talking about? How did I survive that hell…”

“Hell?”

“…There’s something like that.”

Those who haven’t experienced it don’t know.

Everyone who says they understand and sympathizes doesn’t know the pain I felt.

They probably think I’m exaggerating.

They probably think I’m missing a good opportunity because I lack social experience.

They pretend to comfort me with words but think differently inside.

Others should experience it too.

It’s too unfair for me to suffer alone.

“Anyway, to the Hero Academy…”

“I absolutely won’t do it.”

“…This isn’t a request.”

Is it an order, not a request?

It’s better this way. Just fire me.

I’d rather quit teaching than become their homeroom teacher again.

“Just kill me.”

“Double your salary.”

“…”

“How about it?”

“…I, I won’t be swayed by money! I absolutely won’t go!”

Dou, double the salary…

I almost fell for it.

But I can’t sell my soul for a few pennies.

This is no different from the devil’s whisper…

“Triple.”

“…!”

“Is that still not enough?”

“Tri, triple…”

Don’t give in, Choi Ye-na, get a grip.

Remember the past when you fell for Jeong Gyeoul’s sweet words and had to write incident reports.

Maybe she sensed my hesitation.

She went a step further.

“Quadruple. No more negotiations.”

“O, okay!”

…In the end, I did it.

I sold my soul to the devil.

“Good. Sign this volunteer form and forget about today’s conversation.”

“Yes…”

Quadruple salary.

I’ll get quadruple for enduring three years of hell.

And the Hero Academy only has regular education in the morning, so I only have to handle mornings.

Well, men go to the military too.

Think of it as entering hell and endure it.

You can do it, Choi Ye-na.

Yeah, right.

Since signing that volunteer form, I haven’t slept more than two hours a day.

I’ve been plagued by nightmares every day.

The weight I gained is gone again.

The nickname I had at Cheongdam Elementary School.

Zombie Choi Ye-na is back.

And finally, D-day.

I went to the classroom, prepared for class, and sat down to wait.

…Soon, they’ll come through that door.

Even so, they’re kids I’ve taught for a long time.

It would be a lie to say I didn’t have feelings for them.

Hate is also a kind of affection, and love-hate is still love.

Creak—

“…Hello, kids.”

The kids who came through the classroom door also looked quite surprised.

I briefly explained why I was here…

Gyeoul smiled with a satisfied look.

So cute…

Too cute, so, so lovable.

But don’t be fooled by that appearance.

Behind that angelic face hides a devilish side.

“Don’t worry, now that we’re here, you can start a happy teaching life again.”

“…Damn.”

For a moment, I almost forgot my duty as an educator and cursed.

“Huh?”

“I feel better in just ten seconds. Thanks, Gyeoul…”

Thanks to Gyeoul, I handled it well with quick thinking again.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, teacher. Let’s work well together from now on.”

“Uh, yeah… Of course…”

Damn.

***

Ttakttak Choi Ye-na.

Even though she’s not Ttakttak anymore, the nickname comes to mind before her name.

Anyway, Ttakttak was consistent.

“The reason we divide history into periods isn’t just for convenience in dealing with long histories. Dividing history into periods means that each period has something different from the previous one. Therefore, the division of historical periods…”

Consistently boring, consistently sleepy.

Sorry, Choi Ye-na.

I don’t think I can hold on today either.

I slumped over the desk.

“Among the divisions of historical periods, the most traditionally widely used…”

While continuing the lesson, I felt her take out a blanket from under the desk and cover me.

As expected of Choi Ye-na.

Such a good teacher.

“Gyeoul.”

…Choi Jeong-min?

“Gyeoul, marry me.”

What the hell are you talking about, you crazy guy.

And how did you get here…?

In the confusion, Kim Su-chan also walked up from behind.

“Gyeoul.”

…What’s with him?

Why are you guys here!

I quickly looked around, but neither Hayan nor Ttakttak were in sight.

“How about me instead of Jeong-min?”

“Get lost! I’m not in that kind of relationship with you!”

“Gyeoul, I love you.”

“I love you more, Gyeoul.”

The two of them are launching a powerful love confession attack from all sides.

These bastards… Did they awaken or something?

Is this a magic-type confession ability?

Ahhh!

“Get lost!”

I pushed them away and ran blindly.

After running for a while, I suddenly felt like there was nothing under my feet.

…?

The moment I looked down.

I saw my legs flailing in the air.

And then I fell.

“Ahhhh!”

“Gyeoul!”

I tried to quickly gather magic power, but it was empty.

I tried to breathe in the magic power in the air, but there wasn’t even any floating magic power.

In the end, I fell.

“Gyeoul!”

Thud—

The sound of bones breaking echoed as I fell.

But there was no pain.

Thank goodness. It was just a dream.

“Jeong Gyeoul!”

I came to my senses and looked up to see Hayan on top of me, stroking my cheek.

…What, another dream?

After the guys’ confession attack, now Hayan’s physical attack?

“Stop it, Hayan, I can’t accept your love…”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Get up.”

Slap—

….

I felt a stinging sensation on my cheek.

It wasn’t a dream?

While I was dazedly looking, Hayan was preparing another slap.

“Stop! I’m up!”

“Good… You suddenly rolled off the desk.”

“…Me?”

“You were kicking your legs and saying ‘Get lost!’ and then suddenly fell.”

…Sleepwalking or what?

“I had a nightmare…”

“No wonder you were sweating.”

“…?”

You knew my condition and still slapped me like that?

“Class is over, teacher’s gone. It’s lunchtime now.”

“Already?”

“You must have been really tired, you kept sleeping during breaks.”

I’ve been asleep for four hours already?

Even in elementary school, I always woke up during breaks to go to the snack shop.

For me to sleep for four hours straight…

Something must be wrong with me.

First, let’s eat and then think.

I met Chae Song-i and Chae Rin and headed to the cafeteria.

“There was a weird guy in our classroom today.”

“A weird guy?”

“He was sleeping and suddenly screamed and rolled onto the floor.”

“…?”

That’s totally… me.

“Hey, Gyeoul did that earlier too.”

“…You shouldn’t sleep during class.”

“I didn’t mean to sleep, but the teacher covered me with a blanket…”

“…The teacher covered you with a blanket?”

“Gyeoul always slept in elementary school. She just sleeps, so she was called the Sleeping Witch of the Forest.”

“…A witch, not a princess?”

While Hayan was telling stories from elementary school, I was busy eating…

I heard strange sounds around me.

“Earlier, Gyeong-min fell off his desk, it was so funny.”

“Your class had that too? Three people in our class fell off too.”

…?

It’s normal for students to sleep.

But all those students falling off is strange.

The fact that I slept for four hours without waking up is also strange.

Something must be going on.

 

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