Chapter 6: Assistant Day 2 (2)
“Hmm. Do you really think you can defeat me?”
“We’ll only know if we try.”
“Your courage is truly admirable. As far as I know, Miss Haneul’s physical abilities are among the lowest in Class B.”
She flinched.
‘How did he find that out?’
‘Did he do background checks?’
‘He probably didn’t even know I existed until yesterday. His initiative is incredibly fast.’
I gripped the crowbar and glared at the teacher.
‘Even though my physical abilities are trash, combat isn’t decided by specs alone.’
‘Carelessness. Now, when the teacher seems careless, is my chance.’
“Hiyah!”
I ran forward and swung the crowbar widely.
Thud.
“Goodness. What do you intend to do with such a flimsy body?”
The teacher casually grabbed my weapon with one hand.
‘But I expected this to be blocked.’
Releasing the crowbar, I stretched out my hand.
My target was his Adam’s apple.
A spot where even the strongest person would stumble if hit correctly.
After stabbing quickly, I planned to escape through the front door…
Grab.
“Haha. Are you finished?”
The teacher grabbed my hand.
“Let go of me!”
I struggled and strained, but I couldn’t break free.
“Since Miss Haneul attacked twice, it would only be fair for me to hit twice, wouldn’t it?”
“Agh!”
The teacher looked down at me with chilling eyes.
“If you resist like that, it might hurt quite a bit?”
‘But I can’t just stand still…’
Thwack!
“Guh!”
The strength in my legs instantly gave out.
But since my arm, which the teacher was holding, remained, I ended up dangling from him.
It hurts.
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts.
“I am a very gentlemanly person, so I don’t hit faces. Miss Haneul wouldn’t want her appearance ruined either, would you?”
The teacher’s babbling words blurred in my ears.
I was hit in the stomach.
It was a terrible sensation, like all my insides were being torn apart.
“Haaah…”
Saliva dripped from my slightly parted lips.
‘Heal… I need to heal.’
Due to the extreme pain, I couldn’t concentrate properly.
“There’s still one more hit left, you know?”
The teacher seemed very amused.
‘Does my suffering make him that happy?’
‘You f*cking pervert.’
Thwack!
A sound like hitting a drum came from my body.
It was a really bad sign.
“Ugh…!”
Being hit again in the same spot delivered pain far exceeding the previous one.
My mind turned blank, unable to think of anything, whether it was healing or anything else.
Thud.
When the teacher released my arm, I simply collapsed.
“See? It’s better if we just go down the easy path together. Why do you make me resort to such violent methods?”
However, contrary to his words, the teacher’s face was full of amusement.
But I couldn’t point that out.
I couldn’t even speak in the first place.
Only pain, pain, and more pain dominated my mind.
“Ugh… Uuugh…”
Tears, snot, and even saliva.
Liquid flowed from every opening on my face.
Perhaps it was a small mercy that no blood came out.
Only after writhing on the floor for a long time did the pain become somewhat bearable.
As soon as I regained some sanity, I immediately used my ability.
Whoosh.
The pain that dominated my entire body finally disappeared.
Scrabble.
I desperately backed away, my hands bracing against the floor.
“…Don’t come closer.”
And I murmured softly.
Unlike before, the fear in my voice was overwhelmingly prominent.
“Please, please.”
“Aren’t you trembling too much? I merely returned the attacks Miss Haneul made.”
My thoughts were indeed wrong.
‘Defeat that?’
‘Nonsense.’
‘I’m not a hero with indomitable will. I’m just an ordinary person with the humble goal of surviving until the very end.’
The pain I had never experienced in my life was enough to completely break my will to resist.
“Are you already broken? Your mental strength is much weaker than I thought.”
Hiss.
The teacher took something out of a nearby box and lit it.
“I’ll alleviate your suffering a bit.”
‘It’s absurd.’
‘He made me hurt, and now he wants to alleviate my suffering?’
What the teacher was holding was a strange white cylinder.
A cylinder.
‘What is that?’
‘It’s strange.’
‘Don’t do it.’
I thought to myself, but I didn’t have the courage to directly stop the teacher’s actions, so I could only stare blankly at it.
Pink smoke began to slowly seep out from the lit candle.
The smoke gradually encroached upon the space.
“Ugh…”
‘Suspicious.’
‘It doesn’t look good.’
I retreated even further.
“Don’t run away. I’m trying to help Miss Haneul, you know?”
But as much as I retreated, the teacher approached, so it was meaningless.
Thud.
Cornered at last, I could only stare at the candle with uneasy eyes.
‘Why is the smoke moving like that?’
‘It’s strange.’
‘Instead of slowly filling from the bottom, why is it only coming towards me?’
The steadily flowing smoke rose up to below my neck.
‘I want to escape.’
‘I don’t want to breathe in the smoke.’
‘I’m going to run to a clean place.’
Grab.
“Let go. Let go of meee!”
The teacher tightly gripped my shoulder as I tried to escape.
“Just wait a little longer.”
“No. Nooo…”
‘I want to leave.’
“I want to leave here. Let me gooo…”
Whoosh.
The teacher held the candle in front of my tearful eyes.
“Calm down. Don’t you feel a little better?”
‘What’s good… I hate it. It’s not good.’
“No. I want to leave…”
“Hmm, alright, if you take a deep breath, I’ll let you go.”
“Breath?”
“Yes. If you take a deep breath, I’ll let you go. It’s a promise.”
The teacher held out his pinky finger.
“How many times?”
Staring blankly at it, I mumbled in a slurred voice.
“How about three times?”
“Okayyy…”
Inhale!
I fully inhaled the pink smoke heavily concentrated around my face.
“You’re doing well. Now there are two times left.”
“I’m doing well…?”
“Pffth. Yes, you’re doing well.”
…Hehehe.
‘I got praised.’
“Shall we try again?”
“Mm-hmm…”
Inhale.
“Good. Just one more time, and I’ll let you go.”
“Wow…”
I expelled all the remaining fresh air and filled my lungs with pink smoke.
Inhale.
“You did well.”
Stroke, stroke.
The teacher gently stroked my head.
“Doesn’t it feel good?”
“Mm-hmm…”
‘Good.’
‘It feels good.’
‘Being petted is good, and hearing praise is good.’
“Do you still want to leave?”
“Not reallly… I’ll just stay here.”
‘I don’t really want to bother leaving.’
‘It feels good even just staying still.’
“Now, Miss Haneul. Would you like to come this way?”
The teacher, who had walked to the very center of the classroom, beckoned.
“Whyyy…?”
‘It’s bothersome.’
“If you come here, I’ll do something that feels even better for you.”
‘Something that feels good?’
“Yes. Something that feels even better than now.”
“Hmm… No.”
“Pardon?”
The teacher’s expression stiffened, as if he was taken aback.
“Why?”
“Ugh. Why are you being scary…”
“Ah, I apologize.”
His fiercely distorted face regained its composure.
“Miss Haneul, why do you dislike it?”
“I don’t want to bother moving…”
“Seriously, it’s only a few steps.”
The teacher, who let out a scoff of disbelief, approached me.
“Then I’ll move you. Is that alright?”
“Mm-hmm… That’s fine then.”
“Would you like to stretch out your hands like this?”
I did as he said.
“Alright. I’m going to put my hands in?”
The teacher held me under my armpits.
“Eheheheh! That tickles.”
“Just bear with it for a moment.”
‘It feels like I’ve become a baby.’
The teacher gently lifted me and slowly began to walk towards the very center of the classroom.
‘It’s high.’
My eye level suddenly rose significantly.
‘The air somehow feels fresh.’
‘Why? Why does it feel so refreshing?’
‘It must be because I’m high up. It’s certainly high.’
‘It’s really high.’
‘…Yes. It’s high enough to breathe in air unaffected by the smoke.’
“Aaaah!”
I thrashed about wildly.
“Oh, what a mistake. I didn’t expect you to regain consciousness so quickly.”
“What is this! Put me down!”
“Understood. I’ll put you down.”
‘Ah. D*mn it.’
As soon as I breathed in the pink-tinged air, dizziness set in.
“Why are you reacting like this? You asked me to put you down, so I did.”
I tried my best not to breathe, but it had little effect.
“Get rid of it… Get rid of it, I said…”
I pointed at the candle, from which smoke continuously seeped out.
“Get rid of it, you say?”
“Yes… Get rid of it…”
“Really?”
The teacher asked in a drawn-out tone.
“Should I really get rid of it? Do you want that?”
‘Want it?’
‘Do I want it?’
“Miss Haneul?”
The teacher waved a hand in front of my eyes.
“What do you think?”
Staring blankly at his hand, I mumbled.
“No. It’s fine.”
“I thought so, too, didn’t I?”
“Mm-hmm…”
‘Is there really a need to get rid of it?’
‘I’m so happy right now.’
‘Pink is clearly the color that symbolizes happiness.’
“Shall we move again now?”
The teacher slowly pulled me.
“Sit here.”
“Thank you…”
‘He even pulled out a chair to make it comfortable to sit. How kind.’
‘He must actually be a good person.’
‘Everyone who is nice to me is a good person.’
The teacher snapped his fingers.
“Now, Miss Haneul. What do you think of me?”
‘Teacher?’
The Nurse Teacher, wearing a white gown and glasses.
“A good person.”
‘He makes me feel good, so he’s a good person.’
Hehehe.