Chapter 7: The Chaotic Entrance Ceremony (4)

‘The Teacher’ is the role the player takes on in Legend of Academia.
You select students to enter the Special Class—in other words, you do gacha pulls—and nurture them to resolve the crises that approach the academy one after another.
In the process, you also experience events where you identify and solve students’ problems, raise their trust levels, unlock their exclusive stories, and build bonds with the characters.

Initially, the Teacher’s character was portrayed quite vaguely to make it easier for players to immerse themselves.
However, after three years of service, the ‘Teacher’ developed a distinct personality.

The attire was always a white dress shirt and slacks.
A laid-back way of speaking that wasn’t strangely unpleasant.
Playful, yet serious at the same time.
A character who is usually passive but gets things done when it counts.

In short, the quintessential protagonist of a collection-type RPG.

And one thing was certain: the Teacher I remembered was a man.
In the interactions and descriptions between the Teacher and the characters, and even in the occasional event illustrations, he was undoubtedly a man.

But in this world… it seemed something was different.
Because a person who was the spitting image of the ‘Teacher’ in my memory was standing before me, with only her gender changed.

“A part-time job?”
“…Yes.”
“You’re very diligent, Sihyuk.”
“A model student, I see.”
“Not really.”

Six days had passed since the utterly chaotic entrance ceremony, and it was now Sunday.
On my way back to the dormitory after finishing my part-time job at Cheonryongak, I ran into the Teacher, who was standing with her hands clasped behind her back.

“Could you spare me a moment?”
“…If it’s just for a moment.”

When I agreed, the Teacher gave a slight smile and tossed something at me.
I caught it instinctively and saw it was a still-cool can of cola.

“Thank you.”
“No, I should be thanking you. You’re giving me your precious time.”

How about a short walk? The Teacher said, standing beside me.
After walking in silence for about five minutes, we arrived at that park, the one where I had fought alongside Suisei.
I glanced around and saw that construction was underway in several places.
They were replacing the trees that had frozen to death and fixing the ruined paving blocks.
The Teacher found an undamaged bench and sat down, patting the empty space next to her.
I obediently took a seat, and the Teacher asked me in a concerned tone.

“You don’t have any trauma or anything, do you?”
“I don’t.”

When I was surrounded and fighting the Irregulars, I was surprisingly calm, even to myself.
Lee Sihyuk didn’t have a ‘mental fortitude of steel’ setting, so perhaps it was part of my own nature.
Well, it’s not something to worry much about.

“So, what did you need?”
“Well, I am a teacher, for what it’s worth.”
“I was worried about you, Sihyuk, so I came to check on you.”
“To see how you were doing, you know.”
“It hasn’t been very pleasant.”

My homeroom teacher, Kate, was furious when I returned.
It was understandable, since I had become the only missing student from Eastern Second High during the chaotic entrance ceremony.
She had sobbed and shouted, saying she was glad I returned safely and what would she have done if I’d been hurt.
Because of that, I’m now stuck writing apology letters for thirty minutes after school every day.

“Haha, that must have been tough.”

The Teacher laughed cheerfully before taking a sip of her canned coffee.
Then, she rummaged through her pocket and pulled out an e-cigarette.
Just as I remembered.
She was a heavy smoker but was trying to quit for the sake of the students, so she was using an e-cigarette as a substitute—that was her setting, I believe.

“Is this okay?”
“It’s not a real cigarette, so what does it matter.”
“Heh, you’re very understanding, Sihyuk.”
“Quite a lot of people don’t get that part.”
“This isn’t a cigarette, it’s a smoking cessation aid.”

Having been quite the smoker myself, I completely understood how she felt.
Of course, now that I was in Lee Sihyuk’s body and free from nicotine addiction, I had no intention of ever touching one again.
Once you start, it’s so hard to quit.

There were quite a few events related to the Teacher’s e-cigarette.
The strict model student characters tried to confiscate it, saying even an e-cigarette was a cigarette, while the delinquent characters would pester her, asking if they could have one too.
Among them were some slightly dangerous characters who would say things like, ‘Please blow your smoke on me’….
Anyway.

“To be honest, it hasn’t been very pleasant for me either.”
“It’s been so hectic ever since I finally returned to the academy.”

A scent different from the acrid smell of a real cigarette, the fragrance of e-cigarette liquid, spread through the night park.
Strawberry? No, maybe cherry.

“Is it because of the situation with the Idea?”

The Teacher took another sip of her canned coffee and let out a deep sigh.

“Sihyuk, you see, I’m in an awkward middle-management position.”
“But the higher-up who appointed me suddenly retired, and the new people are picking fights with me over every little thing, day in and day out.”
“…So?”

I replied in a bored tone.
I was acting out the typical attitude of a smart student who thinks he’s cleverer than the adults.
A measured response. A measured question.
I planned to stick with this personality when dealing with the Teacher for a while.

The Teacher is sharp.
A single slip of the tongue could cause unnecessary misunderstandings about me.
For now, it would be best to say as little as possible and just play along appropriately.

“Well, that’s just how it is.”
“…Don’t tell me you came here just to complain.”
“So cold. Well, I guess that’s typical of kids these days.”

Uff.
Making a strange noise, the Teacher stood up, spun around, and looked down at me.

“Beating around the bush isn’t my style, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
“You see, I came to the academy because Chairman Plato asked me to.”
“I’ve been tasked with finding exceptional children in this academy city and nurturing them as future assets.”
“You?”
“Haha… that attitude still hurts, you know.”
“…Then again, it’s true I was chosen because of my ability.”

Ability.

That was the fundamental setting that allowed the ‘Teacher’ to exist as the ‘Teacher’.
The Teacher’s publicly disclosed ability user level is E-rank.
A power so minor it could barely be classified as an esper ability, one that slightly eased the emotions of those nearby.

However, the truth revealed as the story progressed was completely different.
An absurd ability capable of drawing out a student’s potential to its absolute limit.
One of only three EX-rank ability users in the world of Legend of Academia.

That was the true identity of the Teacher standing before my eyes.

“Your ability?”
“Yep.”
“What on earth could it be?”

As I replied, a sliver of anxiety rose within me.
‘This woman. Surely she wouldn’t tell me, a student she’s known for less than a week, everything about her ability, right?’

…No way.
‘The true nature of the Teacher’s ability was a secret known only to Plato in the entire academy.’
‘She had been strictly warned by Plato not to tell anyone else, so she would probably just make up some plausible ability—’

“You see, I can actually raise a student’s ability user rank!”
“What?”

She didn’t.
‘…Is the Teacher in this world even more of an airhead than I imagined?’
Well, whatever the case, I had already decided how to react.
Not crossing the line, but appropriately cheeky, with a hint of a sharp tongue.

“…Have you been drinking, by any chance?”
“Hahaha. It’s a joke, a joke.”
“No need to look so serious, Sihyuk.”

The Teacher lightly tapped my shoulder and continued speaking.

“It’s just an ability that helps with psychological relaxation.”
“Students, especially ability users like us at the academy, have many delicate aspects.”
“Just making them feel a little more at ease can lead to dramatic growth.”
“How about it, do you feel a bit more relaxed?”
“Not really.”
“Haha… I see.”

The Teacher made an embarrassed face and downed the rest of her canned coffee in one go.
Letting out a rough “Phwah-” sound effect, the Teacher then spoke again in a newly serious voice.

“I’ve been appointed as the homeroom teacher for a place called the ‘Special Class’.”
“It’s a place where students gather after school to follow a curriculum that nurtures their potential.”
“…And?”
“Would you like to join this Special Class too?”

‘Good.’
‘The first objective is cleared.’
‘If I join the Special Class and get in close contact with the Teacher, my own abilities should grow in an instant.’
‘But for now…’

“…I refuse.”
“Why?”
“As a D-rank, I don’t think I’d be able to survive in a place like that.”

Lee Sihyuk is a D-rank ability user.
Just like other D-rank characters, he has a character setting of lacking self-confidence.
That setting would be recorded in Lee Sihyuk’s student file.
The Teacher must have confirmed that before approaching me.
For now, I needed to act in accordance with that record.
After joining the Special Class, I could gradually start acting like my true self, claiming that ‘the Special Class changed me’, but not right now.

“Sihyuk…”

The Teacher gazed at my face with a pitying look for a moment, then suddenly gripped my hand tightly.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that answer for now.”
“Take your time and think about it later.”
“Because from what I can see, you have plenty of potential, Sihyuk.”
“……Yes.”

As if I had no choice. But also as if I was inwardly pleased to be held in high regard.
I ducked my head as if to hide my embarrassment and nodded.

“Well then, shall we get going?”
“I guess so. Tomorrow is Monday, after all.”

We left the park and walked back the way we came.
After walking for about ten minutes in silence, we arrived in front of my dormitory.

Just before we parted, the Teacher spoke as if she’d just remembered something.

“It’s Joo Siyoung.”
“Huh?”
“My name. I felt like I was the only one who knew about you, Sihyuk.”
“……Ah, yes.”

I gave a hesitant reply, and the Teacher, Joo Siyoung, let out a small laugh and waved her hand.

“See you next time, Sihyuk.”
“See you next time, Teacher Joo Siyoung.”

The dormitory entrance closed.
Right after Lee Sihyuk disappeared into the elevator, Joo Siyoung’s faint smile vanished as if it were a lie.

‘Lee Sihyuk.’

‘He’s hiding something.’
Feeling her instincts whispering to her, Joo Siyoung turned on her heel and walked away.