“Ugh… Is it morning already…”
Over the past few years, my teacher’s training had fine-tuned my body to wake up right on time.
The moment I opened my eyes, I could feel the warmth in my arms.
It was Hwanyang.
Seems like adapting to the new environment wore him out; he was still deep in slumber.
-Sniff, sniff
His faint breathing tickled my skin.
…
Glancing at the clock naturally, I had about half an hour to spare.
I just wanted to stay here a little longer, holding this warm fur ball.
But then, devilish whispers started creeping into my mind.
There’s still plenty of time. The teaching assistant will cover for me even if I’m a bit late.
I even entertained the thought of taking the whole day off and dumping the lectures on Aisha.
…
With that thought, I abruptly shook off any lingering attachments and got up from bed.
Even though just five… no, one more minute would’ve been nice…
If I didn’t get up now, I’d end up lying there for an hour instead.
-Sniff, sniff
That lump over there was still sound asleep despite all the commotion.
He wouldn’t notice if someone carried him away.
“You sleep well, Hwanyang. Your master is off to work.”
Even after spending the night cuddling, his mane still looked as lush as ever. I gave it a gentle stroke before leaving the room.
‘Ugh, wolf smell.’
The scent of Hwanyang was strong on my clothes.
While I personally found it pleasant, others might not be so fond of animal smells.
And if such odors were coming from a professor, it could tarnish the Academy’s reputation.
So I headed straight for the bathroom.
-Shhhaaa…
The warm water washed away the last remnants of sleep—
“Ouch, that’s hot… What is this?”
Startled by a sudden stinging sensation near my neck, I immediately checked the mirror.
A clear red bite mark greeted me.
“Eh? Could it be…?”
There weren’t many beings who’d do something like this while I was sleeping.
No, apart from one, there was none.
“Hwanyang, you little rascal… must’ve really liked me, huh?”
Even in my sleep, he showed affection.
How lucky am I to have such an adorable wolf?
Grateful for my good fortune, I dried myself and got dressed.
Though the bitten neck was slightly sore, it wasn’t unbearable.
Still, if anyone saw the mark, explaining it would be complicated, so I needed to cover it with clothes.
I turned my body in various angles in front of the mirror to make sure the mark wasn’t visible.
Luckily, my collar concealed it completely.
As long as I don’t take my shirt off, no one will notice.
“Hmm… Good. Completely hidden.”
I glanced at the clock again.
There was still some time before class.
What should I do now?
Paperwork? No way, I can’t waste precious morning hours on that.
Prepping lecture materials? Already done.
‘Ah, that’s right!’
Had all this work pressure impaired my normal thinking?
I almost forgot the most important thing.
Feeding Hwanyang.
Even though he’s sleeping now, he’ll definitely wake up soon.
And what if there’s no food when he does?
Unless Hwanyang suddenly learns bipedal walking and tool use, he’d have to wait endlessly for me to return, starving.
‘If someone sees that…’
[The professor at the academy actually abuses animals!?]
Articles like these would spread like wildfire.
‘Urgh…’
Just imagining it made goosebumps rise all over my body, and cold sweat trickled down.
‘No, this isn’t the time for that.’
Whenever I envision the worst-case scenario, I must work to prevent it.
I quickly went to the kitchen and opened the fridge.
Taking out the leftover meat from yesterday, I lightly grilled it.
Soon enough, the surface glistened, and the meat returned to its warm state.
Careful not to let the smell soak into my freshly changed clothes, I transferred the meat onto a plate and cast a warming spell on it.
This way, whenever Hwanyang wakes up, he’ll enjoy freshly cooked, warm meat.
Since he ate it yesterday, he should understand it’s okay to eat.
Quietly opening the bedroom door, I placed the plate inside.
However…
Now, the room felt oddly empty.
Leaving a wolf-like creature alone in a room for hours would be akin to torture.
[Irresponsible indulgence! Professor at the Academy deserves disqualification…]
If someone discovered this, articles with titles like these might appear.
‘Then…’
I conjured a magical clone that looked exactly like me and placed it in the corner of the room.
Once Hwanyang wakes up, the clone will activate.
Equipped with basic interaction functions, it can say things like “Good boy!” or “You’re so cute!” and even has an automatic petting function set to go off every few minutes.
This way, Hwanyang won’t feel lonely or anxious when he wakes up without his master.
“Well, with Hwanyang’s issue resolved, I suppose I should prepare my own breakfast. Eat quickly and head to the classroom…?”
Wait, did I just use honorifics?
-Knock knock!
Right at that moment, a knocking sound echoed through the room.
At this hour, the only person likely to visit would be Aisha.
“Professor… May I come in?”
Sure enough, the shy voice came from behind the door.
Of course, upon hearing my sole teaching assistant’s request, I immediately rushed to open the door.
“Good morning, Aisha.”
“Yes… Good morning, professor…”
“Please, come in.”
“Then… Excuse me…”
Only after I invited her in did she cautiously step inside.
She was as consistent as ever, even after visiting countless times.
“By the way, Aisha, have you eaten breakfast yet?”
“A-Ah, no. Not yet…”
“Skipping breakfast isn’t good. I was just about to prepare mine anyway. Would you like to join me?”
Naturally, she expressed her refusal.
Of course, regardless of whether her answer was positive or negative, my actions were already decided, so I silently headed toward the kitchen.
Teenage girls need to eat plenty.
‘Hmm, what ingredients do I have available…’
Hey, wait a second.
“…Aisha?”
“Yes, professor?”
“I apologize, but I won’t be able to prepare breakfast for you. I seem to have run out of ingredients.”
“Ah…”
She let out a small sigh of disappointment.
Indeed, even if her mouth says no, her body is always honest.
“Um, professor… Then, may I—”
“There’s nothing we can do. Aisha, let’s go to the cafeteria for a change… Why do you look so surprised?”
“It’s nothing… Nothing at all…”
Well, if she insists it’s nothing, I shouldn’t pry further.
Right now, eating breakfast is far more important than anything else, so I left my office with her.
“Really, it’s been ages since I’ve eaten cafeteria food.”
“Hmm, come to think of it, professor, you started preparing your own meals at some point… Do you know why?”
Reason…
There’s no reason I can’t share, so I opened my mouth.
“Aisha, do you know about mackerel fillet stew?”
“Yes… I do.”
“That’s the reason.”
“…Pardon?”
Oh, I tried to explain it too briefly.
“Even though the name clearly says ‘fillet,’ one bite fills your mouth with bones.”
Does seasoning it properly help?
Not a chance.
“Um… If I understood correctly, professor dislikes mackerel fillet stew so much that you’ve been cooking your own meals for months…?”
“Exactly. You’ve understood perfectly.”
“…”
She gave me a look of disbelief.
I’ve seen that expression on her face fewer than ten times. Does it really look that pathetic?
‘Strange, if something labeled as “fillet” turns out not to be, wouldn’t anyone dislike it?’
“Oi! Mackerel stew and codfish tempura too! They should be banned from the cafeteria menu!”
“See? It’s not just me who thinks this way…”
…Why is this guy here?
“A-Alkea professor!? The alchemy class is about to start—”
“Tsssh… That’s not important. Want a drink?”
Before she could react, I shoved the bottle into her mouth.
-Gulp gulp…
-Pop!
After confirming her throat moved a couple of times, Alkea retrieved the bottle.
“Hehe… Teacher…”
Just a couple of swallows had her tipsy. This wasn’t ordinary alcohol, it seemed.
“Alkea professor! How can you give such strong liquor to a minor?”
“It’s fineee… Adults are supposed to teach kids how to drinknn…”
Saying that, he brought the bottle to his own lips.
“Haa…”
“Come on. Don’t you want another glass—”
“Alkea professor!!!”
“Wha-what?”
Seeing her teaching assistant running towards her with a loud shout, Alkea’s face fell.
“Drinking should wait until after work! Why do you keep doing this?”
“B-but it’s not—”
“But? But what? Didn’t I say I’d confiscate the bottle if you kept this up next time? Give it here.”
“Neverrrr…!”
Despite trying to protect the bottle with his whole body,
Someone who locks himself in the lab drinking all day couldn’t possibly win against physical strength.
He soon began sobbing pitifully as he pleaded.
Anyone watching would think he was about to lose the Philosopher’s Stone, not just a bottle.
But.
No matter how physically superior, a teaching assistant can never defeat a professor.
“Hmph… Fine. I’ll give it back. But you have to promise to conduct today’s lecture properly. Got it?”
In the end, with a sigh, she had no choice but to return the bottle.
“…I apologize for my professor’s behavior.”
Carrying Alkea on her back,
She bowed her head to us before leaving the cafeteria.
“If Aisha wakes up, I’ll make sure this guy apologizes.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“…Thank you for understanding.”
With those words, she quietly left the cafeteria.
She’s probably heading to the alchemy classroom now.
Poor thing, suffering because she ended up with the wrong professor.
I must never make Aisha endure such hardships.
“Geez… Teacher…”
“Aah, Aisha, please wait a moment. Let me quickly cast a hangover spell—”
“Mackerel fillet stew… It tastes good though…”
Do I… deserve forgiveness?
Even drunk, how can she say such terrible things so calmly?
Her pronunciation is spot-on too.
