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Someone will have to share a room, and I was just thinking about who it would be best to share a room with when Jung Ha-Yeon spoke to me.
"U-um, Ms. Hye-Rim."
"Yes?"
"What would you like to do, Ms. Hye-Rim? If you don't mind, I'd......"
Jung Ha-Yeon blushed profusely and spoke carefully. She seemed hesitant, possibly wanting to suggest how she wanted to share the room, but I had already made up my mind.
"I-I'd like to share the room with-"
"It's better if Baek Shin-Hwa and you share a room."
"......What?"
No matter how I thought about it, this seemed like the best arrangement.
Baek Shin-Hwa seemed to be scared of me, and Jung Ha-Yeon would likely feel more comfortable sharing a room with her fellow hero.
It would also give the main characters a chance to get to know each other better.
"Wouldn't it be more comfortable and fun to be with the same heroes?"
"N-no. Not necessarily......"
"Yes! You're absolutely right! I'll accept Ms. Shin Hye-Rim's suggestion."
Jung Ha-Yeon looked uncomfortable, while Baek Shin-Hwa quickly agreed, her fear of me evident.
"I've always wanted to get to know you too, so Ms. Ha-Yeon and I will share a dorm room. Please take care of me, Ms. Ha-Yeon."
"...Ah, um, okay. Please take care of me too."
Jung Ha-Yeon, with a slightly stiff expression, nodded. Just like that, the dorm room assignment issue was resolved.
I didn't have any complaints since I was comfortable in my own room, and I believed that Jung Ha-Yeon and Baek Shin-Hwa would also prefer to share a room.
After all, they'd be together for a long time, so this was an opportunity for them to bond.
Jung Ha-Yeon shot me a disgruntled look, but I’m sure it was just my imagination.
After sorting out the dormitory arrangements, we proceeded directly to our assigned classes.
From this point onward, I will have to become a student and blend into this academy. I will have to talk to many students to find the monster. In order to connect with the students, it's important to make a good first impression.
The word "cheerful" doesn't really describe me, but it's a job. As much as I dislike it, I have to do my best.
I'm going to find this monster as soon as I can, and then I'm going to leave the academy.
"Well, er, um, everyone. Oh, today I'd like to i-introduce you to a new student."
I followed Lee Jung-Seok to the second class of the third year. As I waited at the door, Lee Jung-Seok informed the class about the arrival of a new student.
"A new student?"
"I hope it's a girl!"
"I hope it's a handsome guy."
"...But what's wrong with Mr. Jung-Seok? Isn't he way too nervous?"
"Did something happen?"
"Why is he suddenly using honorifics? He's usually so casual."
The class stirred with anticipation and curiosity upon the mention of a new student. All eyes were fixed on the classroom door, awaiting my entrance.
The arrival of a new student is a rare occurrence in school, so it's bound to be exciting.
But why is Jung-Seok so nervous? He should introduce me properly. What's going on with him?
"A-anyway, Lee Hye-Yung, come in!"
At Jung-Seok's cue, I pushed open the door and stepped into the classroom.
All thirty students directed their gaze towards me simultaneously. While I didn't feel nervous, I was worried about how to make myself look approachable and comfortable.
I started with a bright smile and a warm greeting.
"Hi, everyone, I'm Lee Hye-Yung. Nice to meet you!"
To avoid appearing imposing, I introduced myself using a pseudonym with a moderate smile and hand gesture.
Upon my greeting, Lee Jung-Seok held his breath as the students reacted with enthusiasm.
"Wow, she's cute!"
"She's so pretty..."
"Thank goodness. We finally have a pretty girl in our class!"
"...Does that mean the rest of us aren't pretty?"
"Oh, no, that's not what I meant..."
Initially, their reactions were loud, triggered by my appearance.
Frankly, I wasn't particularly pleased with being called "pretty" by these kids. It hardly felt like a compliment to me in the first place.
Nonetheless, I was relieved to have made a favorable first impression.
After settling the students down, Lee Jung-Seok spoke to them again.
"Shin... Lee Hye-Yung is a transfer student, so she may not be familiar with our academy yet. I hope you'll all be nice to her, alright?"
"Yes, of course, but... Mr. Jung-Seok, why are you speaking so formally to a new student? It seems awkward."
"That's right, it's unlike you! Talk like you normally do!"
"W-what do you mean, like usual? I've always been like this?" "Don't play dumb. You've always enjoyed teasing us, and you even talked about showing us your fist."
"Ho-oh?"
Upon hearing this, I glanced at Lee Jung-Seok.
I thought he was pretty quiet when he was a hero, but I didn't expect that when he's with children, he's a jokester and a tease.
"Teacher, is that true?"
"Oh, n-no, that's n-not true! I've always been a sincere teacher..."
"You must be really good at being friends with your students; that's really nice to see."
These words weren't mere pleasantries but genuine words. It was clear that these students were at ease with Lee Jung-Seok and regarded him as a friend.
He likely belonged to the category of teachers who typically engaged in jovial banter and conversed with students on equal footing. So, when he mentioned showing them his fist, it was likely intended humorously rather than as a literal threat.
He told me that he dreams of becoming a teacher, and it's nice to see him fulfilling that dream at the academy and being so close to the students.
"I like that kind of atmosphere too, so why don't you just go about your business as usual and don't mind me?"
"T-that...!"
"Come on, why don't you treat me the same way you treat the other kids?"
Maintaining a respectful tone exclusively with me might raise eyebrows among the students. So I told him to relax and treat me like a real student.
"N-no, I-I'm sorry...!"
"Why are you apologizing? Mr. Lee Jung-Seok didn't do anything wrong."
I'm just trying to be natural, but Lee Jung-Seok is being strange.
His profuse sweating and pale complexion betrayed his discomfort.
"Really, I'm not a bad teacher..... Eh?!"
In an instant, Lee Jung-Seok collapsed forward, losing consciousness. I rushed over and helped him up.
What's wrong?
"Hey, Jung-Seok... No, I mean, sir! What's wrong?! Wake up!"
No matter how much I shook Lee Jung-Seok's shoulders, his upturned eyes remained fixed ahead. He simply moved his mouth and repeatedly said, 'It's a misunderstanding' and 'I'm not a bad teacher.'
"Mr. Jung-Seok has lost consciousness!"
"What?! Why so suddenly?"
"Call an ambulance immediately!"
When Jung-Seok fainted, the kids started screaming in surprise.
What began as a casual introduction to the class and an attempt to gather clues about the monster took an unexpected turn when the homeroom teacher fainted abruptly.
Fortunately, Lee Jung-Seok regained consciousness within 10 minutes after fainting. It seemed he was on the verge of another seizure when he opened his eyes and saw me, but regardless, the children calmed down once they saw he was okay.
After the brief hiccup, their focus naturally shifted to me. More than a dozen students had already surrounded my seat, bombarding me with questions.
I answered each question with a smile.
"Hey, Hye-Yung, which school are you from?"
"I'm from Awakened Academy in Busan, and I came here when I moved to Seoul."
"What kind of power do you have?"
"Body enhancement."
Revealing myself as a magical girl wasn't an option. If I transformed in front of them, my disguise would crumble, and they'd recognize me as Shin Hye-Rim.
So, I claimed to be a body enhancer—a reasonable explanation given my considerable strength even without transformation.
"So, despite your cute face, you're a body enhancer?"
"By the way, Hye-Yung, your skin is really nice. Do you have any cosmetics you usually use?"
"...Huh? No, I don't wear makeup."
"Then do you use a face pack or something?"
"Did you ever have a relationship before you transferred?"
Most questions seemed trivial, mainly from girls asking about cosmetics.
While I understood their age-appropriate interest, these questions were a little difficult.
I struggled to relate to other girls, and being in such a high-energy environment as a high school girl was challenging, especially given that I've always been a government employee.
Providing brief answers, I scanned the room. A large group of students peered in through the classroom windows, likely students from other classes drawn by the news of the new student.
"Wow... She's so pretty."
"I heard she was cute, so it's true. Why doesn't my class have a transfer student like that?"
"I heard there was a really pretty transfer student in class 1."
"What?! In class 1 too?"
"I'm so jealous, damn..."
It seems that Jung Ha-Yeon has already become a hot topic. Like me, she was likely surrounded by students, being asked all kinds of questions.
I hoped she was managing well, considering her reserved nature.
I spent the morning forcing myself to smile and memorizing names with my classmates. Since we didn't know who the monster disguised himself as, understanding the class dynamics was crucial.
I was so busy pretending to be a bright and cheerful student that before I knew it, it was lunchtime. Many kids invited me to eat with them, but I declined.
"Sorry, the kid who transferred to the next class is my friend from the same academy as me. I decided to eat with her today."
Excusing myself, I headed to class 1. Seeing Jung Ha-Yeon exit the classroom, I approached her.
"Ha-Yeon... I mean, Yeon-Ha. Let's go eat together."
Her pseudonym was Jung Yeon-Ha, a simple reversal of her original name's syllables.
We agreed to meet for lunch every day, sharing any discoveries we made. If we go to the cafeteria, we'll probably find Baek Shin-Hwa and Shin Chul-Min there.
"Y-yes! Ms. Hye-Yung, let's go together."
"Yeon-Ha, don't friends not need to be respectful to each other?"
"Oh... yeah. Of course."
Jung Ha-Yeon responded awkwardly, clearly not yet accustomed to having casual conversations with me.
Walking side by side, we headed to the cafeteria. I looked around and saw other girls walking closely in pairs, holding hands or linking arms.
I remembered that Team Leader 1 used to cling to me like that.
Now, since I'm playing a girl with a bright personality, it would be perfect to act like Team Leader 1.
So, I immediately grabbed Jung Ha-Yeon's hand.
When I suddenly did this, she looked back at me with a surprised expression.
"H-hey. Hye-Yung?"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"N-no. I m-mean, y-your hand......"
"Hand? Are you uncomfortable holding hands? Should I let go?"
I did exactly what the other girls around me were doing, but Jung Ha-Yeon seemed uncomfortable with this. I tried to unclasp my hand right away, but she held it tightly.
"...No, it's not uncomfortable. Let's hold it like this."
"Hehe, do you think so?"
I giggled and tightened my grip. The more I did, the redder Jung Ha-Yeon's face seemed to turn.
To be honest, I don't feel comfortable talking like this either. But what can I do? It's good to be this way so that I can talk to others easily.
I'm smiling and using facial muscles I don't normally use, so my face is already feeling cramped. I'm also speaking in a high-pitched voice, so my throat seems like it'll hurt soon.
If the chief hadn't forced me to come here, I wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble.
...Ah, I already want to go home.