Chapter 75
—
Wings Guild Building.
Da-young gently rotated her wrist as she tilted the kettle.
A thin stream of hot water flowed down, slowly soaking the coffee grounds on the dripper in a circular motion.
The subtle aroma of the ground coffee beans filled the break room.
It was just after lunch, and the time Si-hyun was scheduled to visit was approaching.
Da-young leisurely watched the coffee fill the server.
‘It’s about time she arrives.’
Confirming the calculated amount was reached, she carefully removed the dripper.
At that moment, the break room door opened, and Si-hyun entered with a few men.
“Master! Si-hyun is here!”
“Hello.”
“Si-hyun’s here?”
Da-young warmly greeted Si-hyun and shook her hand.
Although they had exchanged messages about work, it had been quite a long time since they met in person.
Da-young enthusiastically shook Si-hyun’s hand, expressing her joy.
“The coffee’s ready! How would you like your syrup?”
“Just a bit of vanilla syrup, please.”
“Sure!”
While Si-hyun took a seat in the break room, Da-young quickly prepared the coffee and snacks.
The guild members who accompanied Si-hyun stepped outside again to move items.
One corner of the break room steadily filled with neatly stacked commission goods.
Once everything was ready and everyone was seated,
Da-young quietly observed Si-hyun.
Si-hyun sipped her coffee carefully but couldn’t seem to enjoy it properly.
‘Did I brew it wrong?’
Da-young blew on her coffee and took a sip.
It was the same taste she always enjoyed.
There was no issue. At least, not to her.
“Does the coffee not suit your taste?”
“…Oh, no, it’s not that. I just had extremely spicy Jjamppong for lunch.”
Tl/n: Jjamppong is a spicy Korean noodle soup with a seafood or pork broth, vegetables, and noodles
“Ah, I see. Do you like spicy food?”
“Um… I used to, then I stopped, but now I want to like it again.”
“…Huh?”
Da-young tilted her head, unable to make sense of the statement.
Si-hyun blew on her coffee again before taking another sip.
Judging by her content smile, she seemed to like the distinctive aroma of the drip coffee.
Da-young chuckled softly as she savoured her own coffee.
‘Well, at least the coffee isn’t the problem.’
She was relieved it wasn’t a matter of her carefully prepared coffee tasting bad.
Si-hyun, noticing Da-young’s look of relief, scratched her cheek apologetically and glanced around the room.
Everyone present was familiar, so it was easy for her to notice who was absent.
“Is everyone out working? I don’t see Han-gyeol either.”
“Oh, that’s because—!”
Hearing Si-hyun’s question, Da-young clapped her hands together and replied cheerfully.
“It’s thanks to you! Two of our members recently advanced to C-rank!”
“Wow, really?”
“Hahaha! That would be us.”
“Hahaha! It’s all thanks to you, Si-hyun! Thank you!”
The two men in the break room straightened their shoulders.
They were the spearman and archer Si-hyun had previously accompanied in C-rank dungeons.
Both of them were beaming with pride.
“The other two went to the dungeon with Han-gyeol. They were so eager to rank up that they couldn’t wait!”
“Ah, I see!”
As Da-young burst out laughing, Si-hyun smiled warmly in return.
The Wings Guild always had such a pleasant atmosphere.
Bright and harmonious.
Just being with them made happiness bloom.
…To think there were guilds out there that harassed these kinds of people.
If the chance arose, Si-hyun felt she ought to give them a good scolding.
“Should we start testing the equipment now?”
“Oh, yes.”
At Da-young’s gesture, one of the men placed a box on the table.
Da-young took out a VR device from the box and began explaining its functions one by one.
Si-hyun quietly sipped her coffee, attentively listening.
“…So, we managed to make it according to the order, but this is the first time for both us and our collaborators to build something like this…”
“It’s fine as long as it works properly. You’ll handle after-sales service too, right?”
“Of course, that’s a given.”
After exchanging cheerful banter, Si-hyun recorded a short video of the device in action.
The two men tried on the VR headset and watched the footage.
The VR device performed even better than Si-hyun expected.
No, it exceeded expectations.
“Oh, wow! This is the all-seeing Si-hyun perspective!”
“How deeply moving this view is! Oh, ohhh!”
“…Pfft, what’s that even supposed to mean?”
Si-hyun burst into laughter involuntarily.
The two men wearing the headset enthusiastically replayed the video over and over.
“Stop making such a fuss!” Da-young scolded as she removed the headset from them.
Only then did the noisy men quiet down, though they still looked excited.
“Master! Can’t we make more of these? It’s so much fun!”
“I didn’t even feel motion sickness!”
“Oh, guys! These are ridiculously expensive, you know. Besides, if Si-hyun hadn’t wrapped it up so well, it’d be useless.”
Hearing this, the two men looked like dejected puppies.
Still amused, Si-hyun turned to Da-young with a smile.
“Oh, by the way, Da-young, I have a question.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“It’s about the academy’s academic information system. Can I add your name to my connections list?”
“Oh, um…”
The ever-cheerful Da-young suddenly hesitated and closed her mouth.
Si-hyun, who had expected her to agree easily, looked surprised.
‘Am I overthinking this relationship? Maybe it’s just business for her.’
Si-hyun felt a bit disheartened.
Thinking back, it was she who had put up the wall first.
‘…Maybe it’s because I don’t call her ‘unnie.’’
She lowered her head slightly, feeling glum.
Should she let go of her unnecessary pride now?
Something like a pronoun wasn’t such a big deal after all.
‘…Huh?’
Da-young, who had been hesitating, noticed Si-hyun’s expression changing by the second.
Startled, she hurried to explain.
“Si-Si-hyun! It’s not that! I’m just worried!”
“…Worried? About what?”
“Well, you know, we broke away from a large guild to form this one, right?”
“Yes, I’ve heard about that.”
“I’m just afraid that if you list my name, you might get targeted later.”
“Ah…”
Si-hyun’s face lit up.
So it wasn’t something she had done wrong.
Smiling bashfully, she continued.
“Then it’s okay if I add you?”
“Of course!”
Da-young readily agreed.
In fact, being listed in the connections wasn’t just helpful for Si-hyun but also beneficial for Da-young.
She had hesitated purely out of concern.
“Looking forward to working with you.”
“The same goes for me!”
Si-hyun and Da-young exchanged a firm handshake.
The men next to them glanced at the scene briefly before returning their attention to the VR device.
They were still tempted by it.
***
After her visit to the Wings Guild, Si-hyun led a busy daily life.
She occasionally met with Areum for personal coaching and also began creating audiovisual materials for the VR device.
She met Ji-a, who was scheduled for an out-of-town business trip, to explore a dungeon together and share a meal.
A week flew by in the blink of an eye.
It was once again the day of the liberal arts lecture. Si-hyun arrived at the academy earlier than usual.
Next week was the academy’s midterm exam period.
Si-hyun had asked the principal for advice, which made it easier to prepare the test questions.
When she requested the principal to review them as well, he readily agreed.
Thus, today, Si-hyun, who had arrived early, headed to the principal’s office.
[Academy Principal’s Office]
Knock, knock——
– “Yes, come in.”
Si-hyun slowly opened the door and entered.
A woman in her late thirties, holding documents in both hands, looked up.
Si-hyun greeted her politely.
“Hello, Principal.”
“Oh, Si-hyun, I’ve been expecting you. Come, have a seat.”
The principal called Si-hyun over warmly and moved to the consultation desk.
Si-hyun sat opposite her with a proper posture.
“You asked me to review the questions to see if they were well-prepared, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Well, let’s have a look, shall we?”
Si-hyun pulled out the papers from her bag and handed them to the principal.
The principal received the papers and briefly scanned through the questions.
Si-hyun sat with her legs neatly together, her back straight, and her hands resting properly on her thighs, waiting for the principal’s feedback.
“Hmmm…”
“……”
The principal narrowed her eyes and let out a small sound of deliberation.
Feeling increasingly nervous, Si-hyun stiffened her posture.
Just then—
Knock, knock——
Someone lightly knocked on the door of the principal’s office.
“Yes, come in.”
At the principal’s response, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with a strong presence entered.
The man glanced at Si-hyun and spoke apologetically.
“Oh, Principal, did I come too early?”
“No, not at all. Actually, this is perfect timing.”
The principal smiled lightly and introduced the man and Si-hyun to each other.
After the introductions, the man smiled and extended his hand to Si-hyun.
“Nice to meet you, Professor Jung. I look forward to working with you.”
“…The pleasure is mine, Professor Park.”
Si-hyun returned the handshake with a soft smile.
Although it was their first time formally greeting each other, his face felt familiar.
She had seen him a few times near the sports field.
Professor Park was a B-rank hunter and a professor in charge of one of the academy’s majors: swordsmanship.
“Si-hyun, Professor Park may not look it, but he’s very skilled with administrative tasks. Why don’t we have him review the questions as well?”
“…Would that be alright?”
Si-hyun turned to Professor Park.
Professor Park gave a warm smile and replied.
“If you’re okay with it, Professor Jung.”
Si-hyun pulled out another copy of the papers and handed it to him.
And so, the two professors began reviewing Si-hyun’s questions.
After a while—
“These questions are very well-constructed.”
“Impressive. The validity of the items seems excellent as well.”
“…Really?”
Hearing continuous praise from the two professors, the tension on Si-hyun’s face blossomed into a radiant smile.
The principal, watching her fondly, commented.
“I’m so glad I trusted Ji-a’s recommendation. Si-hyun, you’re a natural at this!”
Embarrassed, Si-hyun let out an awkward laugh.
It felt nice to receive compliments on her hard work, but calling it her ‘calling’ seemed like too much.
But this was only the beginning of the flood of praise.
“I knew I had an eye for talent! Right, Professor Park?”
“Haha, absolutely. My students sometimes talk about the Introduction to Monster Studies class. They say it’s always refreshing.”
“Really? See, students always have the best judgment!”
The principal pulled Professor Park into the conversation to join in praising Si-hyun.
Professor Park naturally followed the principal’s lead.
“We’re so fortunate to have such an outstanding lecturer at the academy!”
“Even asking for someone else’s review isn’t an easy thing to do. Your passion is commendable as well.”
The relentless stream of compliments continued!
In the end, Si-hyun’s face turned as red as a beet.
Feeling her face heat up, she fanned her cheeks with one hand while her other hand fidgeted nervously, unsure of what to do.
Only then did the principal and Professor Park stop their barrage of compliments.
They watched the young part-time lecturer bow her head shyly, smiling at her reaction.
Professor Park subtly turned his head to exchange a look with the principal.
‘Principal, is this enough?’
The principal nodded.
A talented part-time lecturer must be guided toward becoming a full-time professor!
Professor Park himself had been caught in the principal’s grasp in a similar way.
“…It’s almost time for my lecture.”
“Oh my, is it that late already? Go on, then!”
In the end, Si-hyun chose to escape.
The principal glanced at the wall clock and smiled gently.
There was still plenty of time before the lecture, but the young lecturer was quite endearing.
“Thank you both so much for your help today.”
“Feel free to reach out if you need more assistance!”
Si-hyun gathered her papers and left the principal’s office.
The principal and Professor Park watched her departing figure with satisfied smiles.
“Professor Park, let’s set up some webs while we’re at it.”
“Hahaha! Go easy on her.”
At the principal’s request, Professor Park let out a wry smile.
Meanwhile, as for Si-hyun.
With a refreshed smile, she walked briskly away.
Though she had fled the principal’s office out of embarrassment, her mood was light.
‘I was complimented!’
Unknowingly, a small smile crept across her face.
She recalled one of the dreams she had while watching Momobin’s broadcast—
To be recognized and form collaborative relationships with those around her.
By coincidence, thanks to the principal, she had also gotten acquainted with Professor Park.
She felt like she was one step closer to being the ideal professor.
Feeling buoyant, Si-hyun walked cheerfully.
In no time, she reached the building where her lecture hall was located.
‘…Hmm?’
As she entered the building, Si-hyun noticed a group of students gathered in the hallway.
They were talking while looking at a poster on the bulletin board.
Curious, Si-hyun approached the students.
She glanced at the poster that had drawn their attention.
[Special Lecture by Kang Chul-min, S-rank Hunter from the Blue Forest Guild!]
The poster prominently featured a broad-shouldered man with an arrogant expression and stance.
The students chatted among themselves.
“The Blue Forest Guild is known for heavily supporting their rising stars.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that too. Should we check it out?”
Listening to the students’ conversation, Si-hyun tapped her cheek with her finger.
Her eyes fell on the details written in the corner of the poster.
Free of charge.
Open to all academy affiliates.
‘…Should I attend?’
Si-hyun checked the date.
The special lecture was scheduled for the week immediately following the midterm exams.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment