After a slow two-hour journey on a chartered bus, we finally arrived at our lodging, a day late.
‘Already watching.’
As soon as we arrived, I felt a gaze from the suite room window of the hotel, peering down at us.
Though it was too far away for others to notice, I could see a white-haired woman pressed against the window, winking at .
‘She definitely has a different aura.’
Baek Harang, with whom I simply shared hobbies without any patriotic pretenses, exchanging honest thoughts with each other.
On the other hand, Baek Seol-hee stared at as if ready to devour , with a fierce look, as if she had been comforting herself, body and mind, alone in the late night.
If you asked which one I preferred, I’d say I like both.
There was really no reason for to distinguish between the two.
‘At a glance, it seems like they’re already rging.’
Her look said, “I’ve already enjoyed the date, now it’s ti for patriotism!”
‘If I’d known, I would have made sure her clone was satisfied too.’
Her clone and I rely enjoyed a pure date, watching Jeju’s nightscape, strolling around, chatting, and watching a movie, which may have been insufficient for Baek Seol-hee.
Because Baek Seol-hee wasn’t just a purely innocent woman anymore.
“Okay, teachers, please head to your respective lodgings and prepare for the sumr sester starting tomorrow. The association chairperson has one request: Please keep an eye on the students to prevent any wayward behavior…”
The representative from the association also reminded us to be vigilant.
After all, Jeju Island in the sumr tends to lift students’ spirits, and so students are adults, so restraining them completely is impossible.
‘Out of the 50, I wonder how many will return to Sejong Island having grown.’
There were 50 A-grade ability users participating in this sumr sester.
This number included not only Korean A-grade students but also foreign A-grade students attending Sejong Academy. Out of the total, only 33 were Korean nationals.
‘Judging by the students’ behavior, it seems they already got carried away on the first day in Jeju.’
Observing the faces of the A-grade ability users who ca to et the staff, it’s clear that so had already started sothing significant.
If they wanted to et soone, Jeju Island offered endless opportunities.
They could flirt with passersby.
They could enter clubs or pubs and arrange group dates.
Or, they could et people through SNS or apps.
There were probably even cases where two A-grade ability users disappeared in different directions, only to enter a hotel together an hour later, just outside the lodging area, to relax.
They probably hadn’t done anything serious yet, but no A-grade ability user ca here thinking, “I’m going to beco an S-grade.”
‘They’re all filled with patriotism, aren’t they?’
Wondering how to attract a more handso man.
Wondering how to get close to a prettier woman.
From the foreign students’ perspective, figuring out how to catch a Korean ability user and bring them to their own country—or maybe settle in Korea.
Even among ability users, this was the mindset. What about the staff?
“…Obviously, it’s better to be with an ability user than an ordinary person, right?”
“Don’t be silly. They’re all A-grade. Be realistic about who you aim for.”
“But imagine if I actually got with an A-grade! Wouldn’t that be like winning the jackpot?”
“You’d have better odds winning the lottery five tis in a row.”
The staff mbers also had their hearts wandering.
So staff had already enjoyed the night breeze in Jeju City, yet they still longed for a romantic or marital connection with an ability user.
‘Even the political world must be less cutthroat than this.’
They were all out here searching with sharp eyes, as if seeking a potential partner, to the point where it felt like a battlefront in the realm of romance.
In that sense, I was in a less pressured position.
‘Compared to an ordinary librarian like , an A-grade ability user is more appealing.’
On the surface, I had nothing to show off except a decent face.
On the other hand, this hotel was teeming with well-built, handso A-grade ability user young n.
Compared to them, I was just a background character, able to quietly go unnoticed.
And when Baek Seol-hee’s desired timing ca, I could be drawn into a fling with her then.
That was what Baek Seol-hee ca to Jeju wanting.
So I just…
“Excuse , are you the librarian?”
“…?”
“Hello, sir?”
A short-haired platinum blonde woman, a color rarely seen, smiled and bowed toward .
Judging by her attire, it’s the Academy uniform, and since she’s wearing that here, she must be an A-grade student participating in the sumr sester.
“You are…?”
“My na is Na Ji-young. I’m 22 this year.”
“Ah, Na Ji-young, right? The one who borrowed many books on music.”
“Yes, heh, I’m glad you rembered. I was worried you might have forgotten.”
Na Ji-young chuckled softly and extended her hand toward .
At first, I didn’t understand, but then I realized it was simply a handshake.
“A handshake…?”
“Yes. Since it’s been a while since we t, may I guide you around here?”
For her, it might have been a while, but to , she’s just an extra in a novel, a character not even worth rembering, as she hadn’t been ntioned even once until now.
So why was she suddenly clinging to , offering guidance?
I sensed a faint, sticky malice in her gaze that seed kind.
‘Trying to play with , like in a female-oriented romance fantasy.’
This girl.
Using her high A-grade status to toy with soone in a relatively lower position like .
A person who was easy to boss around, not an ability user, but still had a decent face.
An average guy might think, ‘With a woman like her, I wouldn’t mind being treated like a toy,’ but I’m different.
“Please save it for later. Right now, I need to unpack and head sowhere imdiately.”
“……”
“Well then, excuse .”
“I.”
Na Ji-young blocked my way.
“I said I’ll guide you, didn’t I?”
“……”
Her voice lowered.
If I refused here, she looks like she might punch . Her smiling eyes were gradually sinking.
Naturally, she wouldn’t like it if her intended plaything took a step back and distanced himself.
“Are you perhaps planning to refuse my kindness? Surely, as a teacher, you wouldn’t ignore a student’s request, right?”
“……”
“Why are you so quiet?”
“No, I understand what you’re saying, but I already have soone who’s supposed to show around the hotel.”
I politely declined her offer.
“If you’re really eager to give a tour, could you find another staff mber to introduce them to? I’m not the only one who arrived here today.”
“I specifically wanted to introduce myself to you, sir. Have you, by any chance, ever been told you lack social awareness?”
“Well, have you, student, ever been told you lack social awareness yourself?”
“…What?”
Her face twisted imdiately when I gave back the little jab she threw at .
‘Must feel humiliating.’
Showing kindness to a man far beneath her, expecting him to pant like a dog with his tongue out, only for him to put up a wall and pull away.
‘Sorry, but I’m not that easy.’
I was a married man, and I chose whom I would talk to or walk with myself.
Sorry, but Na Ji-young wasn’t even on my radar.
The sa applied to as Do Ji-hwan, and as Goblin, there was zero chance of recruiting her.
Instead of wasting my ti on her, it’d be far more efficient to spend that ti patriotically with Baek Seol-hee, keeping her favor up.
“Well then, have a good rest.”
“…Isn’t it a teacher’s job to manage students’ ntal well-being?”
No sooner did I step into the elevator than Na Ji-young followed .
Whirr.
Ignoring others trying to enter behind us, she pressed the button, closing the door.
With no staff in the elevator, it ended up just and Na Ji-young alone.
“If a staff mber made an A-grade student uncomfortable, that would be quite the controversy, wouldn’t it?”
“Is that a threat?”
“Oh my, a threat? Heavens, of course not. I just, you know, wanted a little chat—”
Ding.
The elevator suddenly stopped.
It hadn’t gone up very far before the doors opened, and another woman entered.
“…Huh?”
Na Ji-young’s face froze as she saw the woman naturally stepping inside.
As well it might; after all, soone she wouldn’t want to be around was now in the elevator.
“Professor…?”
“What.”
A cold voice.
Without even glancing in her direction, she responded, staring straight ahead with a voice that, despite the sumr heat, felt like the chill of winter.
“What.”
“…Ah, no, it’s just that, why did you co out on this floor all of a sudden…?”
“Are you curious?”
“Oh, no.”
But I was.
A woman who should have taken the elevator from the suite floor got on here instead, on a lower floor.
“Why? Weren’t you saying sothing?”
“Oh, no, it’s just…”
“Ah. Hello.”
She nodded briefly to in greeting.
“I’m Baek Seol-hee. Nice to et you.”
A mont later.
There was a report that soone had dashed down the ergency stairs, but no one could find that person.
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