Chapter 2 – Teacher’s Dwelling

Ｒеα​ⅾ​ ө​ո Κ​ａｔṚėаｄɩոցСɑｆｅ

Editor’s Note

Edited

Feeling a strange tremor, I snapped back to reality when I heard my name—or rather, the name Iris Plumeria.

As I looked straight ahead after hearing the voice, I could feel the gaze of people below the platform staring at me intently.

Although they weren’t many, I slightly bowed my head in response to those curious gazes, momentarily forgetting that I had a surname I hadn’t given myself.

With the sound of applause, the introduction moved on to other faculty members. It was Michelle, right beside me.

‘Swordsmanship instructor…’

As I confirmed that this matched the information I knew, I felt my tension ease slightly.

But apart from that, I felt extremely lost.

‘What on earth is happening?’

It was now certain that I had entered the game I had been playing just moments ago, right around when the game was about to start.

The questions floating around in my head could largely be divided into two:

Why on earth did I enter the game?

And.

What happened to my physical body in reality?

…Was there even a place to return to in the first place?

Though brief, the pain I felt made me realize that what happened to my body was no ordinary occurrence.

Considering my miserable human relationships, I might have become a terrible corpse like a late-era mustachioed dictator.

It was the weekend, so no one from work would come looking for me.

‘Even if it were a weekday… the possibility is low.’

They’d probably think, ‘So the time has finally come, huh.’

…Thinking about it makes me angry.

Adding my personal regrets, the thought crossed my mind that it might be better to just live here.

While I was thinking about various things in my head, it seemed the entrance ceremony had ended, as I could see students leaving.

As I blankly watched them, someone’s voice reached me.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh!?”

“Why are you so surprised?”

Well, wouldn’t anyone be surprised if someone suddenly thrust their face right in front of them?

Michelle shrugged her shoulders and moved away. With that, the savory smell that had been wafting slightly since earlier also faded.

After clearing my throat for no reason due to my surprise, I looked at her again… and felt a bit dazed.

‘She’s beautiful.’

Michelle, seen with the naked eye, was much prettier than what I had imagined with my mental graphics card. I immediately felt the limitations of my poor graphics card.

Her soft black hair was well-groomed and flowed over her shoulders, and her slightly tight clothes nakedly revealed her firm body. Her chest volume was average, but her wide hips more than made up for it.

Her golden eyes, tinged with slight fatigue, contained curiosity as she looked ‘slightly’ down at me.

Then, seeing the fatigue in her eyes, her profile came to mind.

‘…I don’t remember her being this type of character.’

Since she was among the faculty, I didn’t remember well, but I recalled her setting was that she was terribly lazy except when it came to swordsmanship.

So… originally, she should have been either tucked away in some corner taking a nap or training in the training grounds.

That means she had no reason to remain here after the entrance ceremony ended.

…And no reason to speak to me either.

As if she had read my expression in that brief moment, she scratched her cheek and spoke in a low voice.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I’m acting friendly.”

“What? Ah, um… a little.”

It was true.

You might think I’m being too careless, but I was very interested in her acting differently from her setting.

So games are just games after all. Is it different now that it has become reality?

But what flowed from her mouth was something close to common sense.

“You know I’m the swordsmanship instructor from earlier.”

“Yes.”

Michelle continued with a faint smile.

“I thought it might be a bit easier if we became friendly. I feel like I’ll be indebted to you quite often.”

“Ah….”

So it was just because this body’s position is the health teacher.

‘Come to think of it.’

They did say the infirmary had been unlocked.

Could it be because of that reflected world?

Since a variable that didn’t exist originally had been inserted… it’s natural for things to change.

When I nodded heavily, Michelle, perhaps misunderstanding something, floundered with a slightly troubled face.

“…Are you disappointed?”

“No. I was just thinking about something else… Ah, anyway, I look forward to working with you.”

“That’s good then. See you in the evening.”

“Uh… yes.”

Evening?

Is she talking about eating dinner together in the cafeteria or something?

Meanwhile, she turned around, saying she needed to go to the professor. Her full tail seemed to sway a little, as if she was somewhat satisfied.

After staring blankly at her figure, I came to my senses and briefly looked at the space where the entrance ceremony had been held before moving on.

There was only one place for me to go anyway.

…The infirmary I had just left with Michelle holding my hand.

That was it.

No matter how enthusiastically I had played the game…

…because the dimension of the graphics had changed from 2D to 3D, even knowing the way wasn’t really knowing it.

‘Maybe I’ll be able to find my way if I see it again.’

First, I needed to look at the book that was on the desk again.

‘It said it would synchronize information, right?’

If so, it might be of some help, whatever it is.

After confirming that there was no one around, I made my way to the infirmary. Soon, silence descended upon the large hall.

*

*

*

*

“Mmm….”

Having returned to the infirmary with difficulty, I dragged my needlessly exhausted body and made contact with the book.

Then, the beautiful yet mechanical voice I heard earlier said it would synchronize information again.

But to be honest, there wasn’t any particularly meaningful information.

Most of it was knowledge for me to act as a health teacher.

…But that too was somewhat ambiguous in two ways.

“Undine.”

Bubble, bubble…

As I spread my palm and murmured that, a translucent, tiny girl rose above it.

“…It really works.”

I scratched my cheek while looking at the cute girl.

Whatever treatment I do in the infirmary probably won’t be serious anyway, but even that treatment was to be solved by this ‘spirit.’

In terms of gaming, it would feel more like a spirit healer than a health teacher.

However, there was something a bit troubling: such a profession didn’t exist in the original game.

Since pondering over it wouldn’t solve anything, I sent Undine away with a faint sigh.

That was the professional part.

The rest would be information about this human named Iris Plumeria.

…But nothing particularly came to mind. Either the information synchronization was incomplete, or this body itself was clean of a past, as if made for me.

Like someone who just fell from the sky.

It was pleasing to know that I could act however I wanted since everyone I met here was meeting “Iris Plumeria” for the first time.

But separately from that, I couldn’t shake off the persistent uneasy feeling.

The uneasiness of feeling like I was being played with by something.

‘Should I go back after all?’

But how? Is there a body left to return to?

Scratching my head vigorously, I flipped through the book where I had written my name.

The book contained my personal information and various other details.

Most of it was blank pages.

It was clean, as if telling me to fill it in from now on.

“This is frustrating.”

I wish a status window would appear in front of me and bluntly tell me that it would send me home if I reached the ending.

“Status window. Status on.”

No such thing existed.

Though no one was watching, I felt my face heating up for some reason.

Then, looking outside, I could see the sun setting.

While I had been fumbling around in the infirmary all day, no one had come to visit.

Well, what reason would there be to come to the infirmary on the first day of admission?

‘…Right?’

Since the existence of the infirmary itself was unknown, I thought that might be the case.

Feeling a strange loneliness, I got up from my seat. I didn’t have the mental energy to think about anything anymore. Realizing I was also hungry, I tried to recall the synchronized information.

So… it seemed I was supposed to live in the academy’s faculty dormitory.

Other than that, nothing particularly came to mind.

‘This is really hopeless.’

I wondered if it would have been better to become an academy student rather than a health teacher in this bizarre position. If that were the case, I could have at least followed the kids around.

…I might even recall something expressed in crude text.

After locking the infirmary door with the key that was on the desk, I headed toward the dormitory following a faint memory.

It would be more accurate to say that there was no choice but the dormitory.

Anyway.

On the way to the dormitory, I saw girls who were presumably academy students.

Looking at the fresh appearance of these girls who had just entered the academy as soon as they became adults in this world, a warm smile came to my face.

Isn’t it natural when what I used to see in text while smirking during the day is now right in front of me?

Looking at myself smiling even in this situation, I really thought I might have a serious condition.

The dormitory I arrived at was more spacious than I had expected.

Almost too large for a single person to use.

It was also incomparably cleaner than the room I originally lived in.

‘….’

As I moved my feet, feeling a strange sensation.

Click.

With the sound of a door opening, a hot heat was felt from behind.

“Hmm? Teacher Plumeria, you were here first.”

As I turned my head in confusion, Michelle, drenched in sweat, stood behind me.

Her clothes, wet with sweat, nakedly revealed her healthy skin. A sticky, strange scent tickled my nostrils wildly.

I stepped back in surprise and said:

“Uh, um… why is the instructor here…?”

“You called me by my name earlier, but have you changed it now? Anyway, why am I here, you ask?”

Michelle shrugged as she closed the door.

“We’re roommates, aren’t we?”

“…What?”

This was news to me.

While I was dumbfounded, Michelle came inside and started stripping off her clothes.

Sweat-soaked clothes piled up on the floor one by one, revealing her firm figure.