Side Story 4. The Story After (4)

• Hoyeon-ah.

My eyelids are heavy.

Lee Hoyeon squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the blanket over his head.

Something unknown was pressing down on him, and his body felt heavy.

• It’s disappointing…. Why when I do it….

‘Is it that nightmare again?’

Lee Hoyeon took a deep breath and focused his mind.

A shitty dream where the heroines leave, disappointed in him.

After not showing up for a long time, why is it bothering him again?

Although he didn’t know why, he had to wake up from this dream for now.

Lee Hoyeon drew up his magic power throughout his entire body.

As he did, the voices became even clearer.

• Hoyeon-ah, it’s time to wake up now. Daehee, you too, stop clinging to Oppa.

• How stingy! So Unnie is trying to monopolize Oppa all to herself!

Familiar voices pierced his ears.

At the incredibly gentle voices, Lee Hoyeon snapped awake.

‘Huh?’

Only then did he realize.

What was pressing down on his body was not a nightmare. His whole body wasn’t being crushed, only his chest area felt slightly heavy.

Lifting his arm and pulling back the blanket, he saw Nam Daehee hanging onto the blanket.

“Oppa! You’re awake.”

“… Good morning.”

“Haa. Daehee-ah, I’ll take care of Hoyeon, so go downstairs and eat breakfast.”

“Tch. Okay, Unnie!”

Nam Daehee, looking so happy, went out of the room with a smile.

Watching her retreating figure, Lee Hoyeon blinked and let out a hollow laugh. Still, it was fortunate it wasn’t a nightmare.

“Still, I’m definitely awake now. What the- It’s already 9 AM?”

Possessing natural healing abilities, Lee Hoyeon could get enough rest even with just around 4 hours of sleep.

But today, he slept for over 6 hours.

“It’s been a while since I slept so soundly. I’ve prepared breakfast, so let’s go down.”

“Thanks. Hmm. But Daehee seems full of energy today.”

“Daehee… Yeah. Should I call it fortunate?”

Nam Daeun’s younger sister, Nam Daehee.

Since she was young, she had been imprisoned in the Buyer Guild and used as Nam Daeun’s weakness.

I still remember how flustered and embarrassed she looked the first time I brought Nam Daehee back.

The heroines. Especially Liliana played well with Nam Daehee.

Recently, she seemed to have completely overcome her trauma, appearing energetic.

The problem is… she’s increasingly starting to cling to Lee Hoyeon.

‘Well, it’s all she’s seen, so….’

Liliana, Nam Daeun, Rebecca, Scarlet.

The women living in this house all share intimacy with Lee Hoyeon and exchange affection.

Watching that from the side, Nam Daehee’s heart naturally turned towards Lee Hoyeon.

“Even so, Daehee… is a bit… Hmm.”

“I really like Hoyeon, but Daehee is a no.”

Nam Daeun said firmly, looking at Lee Hoyeon.

Although she didn’t seem angry, it seemed like a long time since Nam Daeun had stated this so definitively.

Moreover, strangely, her face was flushed red.

“Who cares what anyone says? I think so too. But why is your face red?”

In Lee Hoyeon’s heart, Nam Daehee was someone he needed to protect.

Even though he was a monster of lust, Lee Hoyeon had no intention of touching even Nam Daehee.

“Well, sisters can’t fight over the same man, right….”

Nam Daeun lowered her head as if embarrassed.

Seeing her ears completely red, it seemed embarrassing enough just to say such things.

“….”

Hmm, that’s a normal person’s reaction.

The Iris sisters in France came to mind, so Lee Hoyeon shut his mouth and went down the stairs.

As he was heading to the kitchen for breakfast, a loud voice was heard from the living room.

“I’m going to sell taiyaki!”

“What are you talking about since morning, Liliana? Suddenly taiyaki?”

“Rebecca, I watched YouTube yesterday. A brilliant idea came to me. Putting chicken in taiyaki and selling it. How about it?”

“Hmm… I always respect your opinion, Liliana.”

Rebecca nodded with a dubious expression.

What did she eat wrong to be like this since morning? I was really curious about that.

“Scout. What do you think? Rebecca doesn’t know good taste. You understand what I’m saying, right?”

“I will prepare one taiyaki truck for you within 3 hours.”

“As expected, there’s no one like Scout!”

Lee Hoyeon looked at Liliana and tilted his head.

Last night, I did talk her around… but in just one night, she’s back to normal?

Her recovery is strangely fast, isn’t it?

“Haha! Now I’m rich!”

Liliana dashed around the living room and disappeared into the kitchen.

Watching her, Rebecca blinked and said.

“How did she become like that in just one day? I tried bothering her all week, but she never changed…. As expected, it’s the baby’s dad. Did he use lewd techniques to distract her?”

“He didn’t conquer her through intimacy, I don’t think….”

Last night was Scarlet’s turn.

I know she went into Liliana’s room, but there probably wasn’t any intimate contact inside.

Lee Hoyeon’s ‘that place’ was stiff as if unused.

“Rebecca-ssi, when Daehee is around, please refrain from such talk.”

“Baby’s dad? Oh, sorry…?”

Lee Hoyeon warned Rebecca and entered the kitchen.

She expressed doubt at the sudden correction, but for now, she nodded.

It’s a good sign.

If the adults watch their words and actions, Daehee won’t go astray, right?

*

Breakfast was surprisingly quiet.

Having poured all her energy into the taiyaki, Liliana quietly focused on eating. The other heroines just chatted, and there were no important conversations.

‘Is her mind changing by the hour?’

Eating her food slowly, no matter how I looked at it, she seemed like a different person from the Liliana from earlier.

While I was intently observing Liliana, Scarlet spoke to me.

“Hoyeon-nim. Are you truly planning to attend school? I will not try to stop you any longer.”

“Aren’t you going to the Academy too? You’re going to meet Dr. Kang Hyorin, right?”

“That place is my workplace.”

“I too am a student at the Academy.”

Yesterday, the words telling me to quit the Academy seemed to have been serious.

Lee Hoyeon agrees that there’s nothing to learn, but still, you have to graduate, right?

• Me: Surin noona. I want to give a special lecture at Victoria Academy’s junior division, would that be okay?

While eating, I also sent a message to Moon Surin.

In my life, a special lecture? It feels like I’ve become someone important.

‘Well, I have become that to some extent.’

A special lecture isn’t that big of a deal, so this much is fine.

After breakfast, I immediately headed to the Academy.

Rebecca went to the gym, saying she’d manage her figure to prepare for pregnancy, while Liliana waited for the taiyaki machine Scarlet ordered via quick service. Everyone else had the Academy as their destination.

“I have to go to the professor’s building, so I’ll be going now.”

Scarlet went to Dr. Kang Hyorin.

I know Dr. Kang Hyorin isn’t a bad person, but whenever we meet, the lewd gaze she sends my way always makes me uneasy.

“Unnie! Oppa! See you later!”

“Daehee-ah, get along well with your friends and don’t get hurt. Especially in the junior division, you have exams….”

Nam Daeun took Nam Daehee to the junior division, and Lee Hoyeon, for the first time in a while, attended school in the morning.

The surrounding barrier was removed, and he naturally blended in among the students.

“Isn’t that Lee Hoyeon? Wow. I only see him on TV, so I almost forgot he attends the same Academy as me.”

“… Just looking at that face… why does it make me feel so bad?”

“L-Lee Hoyeon-nim! I’m a fan!”

However, blending in naturally was difficult.

I thought it might be like this, but the students’ reactions were beyond imagination.

As soon as Lee Hoyeon appeared, the students’ gazes instantly gathered here.

“Thanks.”

Lee Hoyeon greeted the approaching students and leisurely walked on.

Still, he had long adapted to such gazes.

He was used to them, and at the Academy, there was no one who could become his enemy, so…

[A Class]

A Class was the same as ever.

Clean white interior and long desks.

Anyone could see it was a luxurious classroom.

“Lee Hoyeon~!”

“Hoyeon-ssi!”

In the meantime, waiting for him were the twins.

Lee Hoyeon saw Lucy and Lumi and waved.

“Are you coming to the Academy continuously now?”

“I have to. Because I need to graduate.”

“I thought you’d gotten even an honorary graduation.”

“… Everyone is trying to make me graduate.”

Lee Hoyeon gave a wry smile.

Normally graduating is harder than I thought it would be.

‘By the way, the two of them’s magic power has become quite refined.’

Lucy and Lumi are regularly receiving lessons from Professor Im Sol.

Even if not as much as me, they’re good enough to teach just for fun, I was told.

“Hey guys. Good morning.”

While chatting with the two of them, Nam Daeun also entered the classroom.

She naturally sat down in the seat behind Lee Hoyeon.

Lee Hoyeon gave a faint smile.

Yeah.

This kind of feeling feels good.

This time spent chatting about nothing special was truly nice.

“Alright, alright, let’s start the class. Today, the Dungeon and Gate class in charge of Professor Kim Jin-ha… Hmm? Student Lee Hoyeon. It’s been a while.”

Professor Kim Jin-ha, as soon as he entered the classroom, spotted Lee Hoyeon and smiled.

That the hero of humanity was attending his class as one of his students was a source of pride.

‘Dungeonology… it’s really been a while.’

Bowing his head slightly, Lee Hoyeon looked at the hologram monitor.

The Academy’s first class was Dungeon and Gate.

Needless to say, there was nothing for Lee Hoyeon to learn.

He already had all the knowledge worth learning at the Academy inside his head.

“Student Lee Hoyeon. Can you explain the internal mana calculation formula for a labyrinth-type dungeon?”

“In a labyrinth-type, the difference between areas dense with mana and sparse areas is large. Therefore, instead of calculating the average, the most dangerous place should be used as the basis.”

“Ohh. As expected, it’s Student Lee Hoyeon. Everyone, you should emulate this attitude. Even though he’s a mage, he doesn’t neglect other studies.”

Clap clap-

The professor nodded and applauded.

Lee Hoyeon’s clear and concise answer pleased him greatly.

A student should naturally have that kind of attitude.

The disciple respects the master, and the master gives love to the disciple.

How beautiful is this scene at the Academy!

“Now, then, based on Student Lee Hoyeon’s explanation, you can calculate the mana level of the Hutang Dungeon, which occurred during the Beijing Great Disaster, right? This place is known as a labyrinth-type dungeon with a mana level of 30 and a danger level of 5.”

The professor, with a satisfied expression, was about to continue the lecture.

Just then, a well-behaved student raised his hand high.

“Professor.”

“Yes? Student Lee Hoyeon. What is it?”

“The Hutang Dungeon is not labyrinth-type, but cave-type. Therefore, calculating the average is the correct way. I recall a paper published by the Iris Guild was released half a year ago.”

“Ah… Hmm, is that so? Half a year ago?”

For a moment, Kim Jin-ha, lost in thought, retraced his memory.

Related papers?

The Tanghu Dungeon is not a high-priority dungeon.

Since becoming a professor, he had deliberately not sought out and read related papers.

But how does Lee Hoyeon know this?

“Haha, Student Lee Hoyeon. You even looked up papers; I thought magic was your specialty, but you seem very interested in dungeons.”

“Yes. I participated in the Iris Guild’s dungeon investigation team once.”

“….”

Professor Kim Jin-ha doubted his own ears.

The Iris Guild’s investigation team…?

Lee Hoyeon visits there so often, but to people, the Iris Guild is recognized as the world’s best guild.

Joining such a guild’s investigation team was like a dream for a scholar researching dungeons.

He spoke of such a place as if he’d just gone for a stroll.

Only then could Professor Kim Jin-ha truly grasp how high a level Student Lee Hoyeon was at.

“… Student Lee Hoyeon?”

“Yes, Professor.”

“By any chance, do you know the number of irregular dungeons existing in the world?”

“I remember there being 15.”

“Do you know all of their individual characteristics too?”

“Yes. I have read the papers.”

At Lee Hoyeon’s answer, the professor closed his eyes.

The 15 irregular dungeons existing on Earth.

This is an area that even experts don’t pay proper attention to.

Professor Kim Jin-ha did not want to be respected by a student superior to him.

After finishing his thoughts, the professor opened his eyes and politely requested.

“Hmm. Student Lee Hoyeon. … You don’t have to attend my class. Please, go out and maybe take a walk.”

… So, I was kicked out.

If I had decided to stay seated, he couldn’t have kicked me out, but… the professor’s gaze grew darker and darker, so I left on my own.

‘If it were Professor Im Sol, a heated debate would have unfolded. As expected, other professors just don’t cut it.’

Feeling like I caused trouble, I unnecessarily felt apologetic.

After a long time, coming to the Academy, I tried to participate diligently in class, but I should have just stayed quiet.

Today especially, I missed Professor Im Sol.

Even though people called her crazy, in the end, when it came to magic, the only one who understood me was Im Sol.

If she hadn’t been dispatched to the American Wizard Association, I would have gone to see her immediately.

‘… Like Scarlet said, maybe I should just wander around.’

The Demon King’s attack is over, and this world is safe.

I know that, but still, my body still wants to move.

Like Liliana, who was influenced during my delinquent days, Lee Hoyeon also seemed to have become someone who couldn’t just relax and play.

“No. That won’t do. For now, let’s do something. A walk is a bit much… and meeting someone, the timing is awkward.”

Looking at my watch, it was just past 10 AM.

Everyone was focused on their own tasks at this time.

After pondering for a moment, Lee Hoyeon decided to head home for now.

Liliana said she was doing something with taiyaki, or whatever.

I should see it with my own eyes.

However, the one at home was not Liliana.

“What are you doing here?”

“Weren’t you, Hoyeon-nim, supposed to go to the Academy? Following my advice, did you quit the Academy?”

“… It’s similar.”

I thought Liliana alone might be operating the taiyaki machine, but instead, I found Scarlet lying on the sofa.