Elite Instructor at a Third-Rate Academy

26 – Trying to Change Now☆

It was a coincidence.

Discovering the identity of the homeroom teacher was an accidental incident. Every day, Ochia cleaned the Tumeric Stand’s room for one hour, excluding weekends and Sundays. Since it was the principal’s order, no one could say anything about it.

“First, I should open the window.”

Like all men, the homeroom teacher had a distinct odor. Ochia didn’t want to be surrounded by that peculiar feeling, so she decided to ventilate the room first before starting to clean. She claimed it was a bitter learning experience. Ever since she saw her mother sell her belongings to support her education in order to enter the academy, she felt something. In the beginning of the semester, she readily accepted unpleasant proposals.

─It was terrible.

Everyone politely declined, but now there were no people approaching her like that anymore. They must know. How unconfident their proposals made them look. Even if it was just a contract, spending time together in exchange for money was a transaction that only prostitutes and servants would engage in.

“You’re shaking.”

Especially because older male authors trembled, the more she thought about it, the more it made her stomach twist.

“I should clean.”

It was all in the past. Amy had fallen into a tragic end because she was caught up in the delusion of becoming rich. So, Ochia quietly studied and wanted to marry a man who could protect her and live a stable life.

─But if I knew it was so difficult for you.

Ochia squeezed the cloth tightly, squeezing out the tears along with it. She would succeed, even for the sake of her deceased friend, and go find Amy’s family whenever she could. At that time, she would introduce herself as Amy’s closest friend from Lailand Academy and give them whatever they wanted. Amy mentioned that she had younger sisters, so wouldn’t jewelry or accessories be nice?

“Oh, should I clean that too?”

Cleaning was finished in less than thirty minutes. Only whether to wipe the small objects with a cloth or not remained, and she saw a hanging sword on the wall. Since she had never handled a weapon before, she wasn’t sure if she could clean a steel sword with water.

“But it would be nice if it’s clean.”

Later, she should tell the homeroom teacher that she had cleaned the sword, from the hilt to the blade and the scabbard. Ochia went to the well, wrung out the cloth, and then placed the sword on the ground. It was a typical cavalry sword. As she separated the sword, she heard a chilling sound and saw a gleaming white inner layer.

─You can see my full face.

At first glance, she didn’t know, but when she looked inside, she could see that it was a luxury item. Even for someone like her who didn’t know about cavalry weapons, she could tell this. What about the craftsmen who made this? Ochia suddenly felt burdened.

“You can separate the sword completely and clean it separately.”

Carefully, she removed the hilt from the blade. She wiped the blade edge and thoroughly cleaned the side with multiple layers of cloth. Finally, the moment she was about to steal the handle.

─Words?

The bottom part called the gomyoudu was inscribed on the sword handle. Upon closer inspection, the sword’s hilt had the imperial family’s sentence engraved on it. It wasn’t a surprising thing. After all, the homeroom teacher had come here on a secret mission for the imperial family. However, each foam-mel stage engraved with characters had a shuddering effect when she read them carefully.

“Rotelon Eibar!”

She couldn’t remember the name of the war hero, but even Ochia knew about Gram, who had died not long ago. He was famous for his beauty. Although she had never seen him in person, if she had met him even once, she would never forget. Ochia repeated the words again and again, suspecting that she might not be mistaken.

─The teacher, could he really have been a famous war hero?

Ochia desperately tried to recall what she knew about Rotelon Eibar.

“There were rumors that he had complicated relationships with women.”

There were rumors circulating about the possible existence of an illegitimate child. While the true nature of the matter was unknown, it was widely believed that he was popular among women and engaged in promiscuous relationships. So, what about head Tameulic Stein?

“Celana and Senit…!”

However, upon further consideration, Rottelon Avar seemed to be an incredibly handsome man. Though the head was good-looking, it was not to the extent that would astonish anyone. He had a somewhat cold feeling… Still, it seemed better than Urtega, so maybe this was how things were meant to be.

“That kind of rumor tends to be exaggerated.”

With the fused swords of Ochia, separated but placed back in their original position, he was lost in thought alone.

“How old did the teacher say he was?”

Rottelon, the war hero, was said to be in his twenties. Whether this great discovery was true or not, he needed to go to the library to confirm.

[#26 – Love Story]

Contrary to Kenneth’s expectations, Frida gave her permission without hesitation.

“So, you want to meet separately with Diana and Geoffrey?”

“It seems there was some misunderstanding between the two.”

“I don’t know what the misunderstanding is, but it’s not something we need to know, right?”

“Since when were we involved in this?”

“I hope to see you around nine o’clock today.”

“So late?”

“Jeffrey has something to say and wants some time to organize his thoughts.”

“Alright. Then, let’s meet in two hours.”

Kenneth finished the conversation there and went up to his room. Perhaps he had misunderstood Frida Vandelin. He had always seen her as a talkative and annoying woman, but she had a refreshing side. Maybe her natural disposition was different from her younger sister, Visalle. If they became closer, they could get along reasonably well.

“Did Ochia already go and come back?”

The room was neatly organized. She was good at cleaning, but she wasn’t meticulous. Judging from the fact that she hadn’t seen the silver coins and letters hidden under the wardrobe, it meant she hadn’t cleaned this place for a while. There would come a day when she discovered this treasure, realizing her negligence. Kenneth immediately sat at his desk, lit a lantern, and took out a piece of paper.

“Diana.”

If it were reconnaissance, he would have written numerous reports while working at the operation headquarters. For Kenneth, communication through writing was more comfortable than speaking. It could be revised, which was why he found it easier. He had to complete the letters for Diana and Geoffrey as quickly as possible.

“The opening sentence should be messy so that Geoffrey will believe that he wrote it.”

Suddenly, Kenneth remembered Rottelon, who used to give love advice when he pretended to be a so-called romantic.

“Kid, think about it for a moment.”

The three of them were sitting on a wooden crate in front of the operation headquarters’ barracks.

“Did she say her name was Enji?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“In that case, aren’t you saying something like, ‘Please, Enji. f*ck, Enji. Meet me, damn it, Enji.’?”

“Major, that’s going a bit too far!”

“But starting today, put on a different voice and approach En·ji·nae·ge·wa. Do you think the girl will see you differently just because of that?”

“I want to confront her like a man.”

“Hey, Enji thinks you’re a loser. If you don’t want to hear the crazy guy’s voice, it’s better to be humble.”

“I’m not a loser.”

“Enji sees it that way?”

Geoerg looked at Kenneth, as if he felt wronged.

“What do you think, Hyung?”

When Rotelon asked for his opinion, he carefully considered and then replied.

“Geoerg.”

“Yes, Lieutenant!”

“Kid, Lieutenant is confusing.”

“Yes, Commander!”

Rotelon leaned against a wooden crate.

“Why do you follow my orders?”

“Because you’re my direct superior.”

“Is that all?”

“Because you have more experience and wisdom than I do.”

“Why do you think that way?”

“Because you have a track record of successfully executing multiple operations.”

“So, shouldn’t you listen to Rotelon without contradicting him?”

Rotelon stood up straight and shouted.

“Just like you, Hyung. Just criticize me, and that’s all you need to do.”

“I’ll make amends!”

“Among the three of us, if it’s a woman, Rotelon has the most experience, so listen to him.”

“Hey, Jjamjji. When it comes to teasing a woman, it’s not about how you are, it’s about how she sees you, right?”

“That’s right.”

“So, you have to move within her expectations and gradually build anticipation.”

Rotelon looked at Kenneth and sent a meaningful glance, as if asking if he understood.

– I don’t really know.

When they fell silent, he either took it as a positive response or continued speaking.

“Now that Enji sees you as a geek, let’s start by being polite geeks first. Even if you want to express yourself, you don’t need to reveal everything to a girl. From now on, gradually show the improved side of yourself. When a woman sees a man changing for himself, she feels a mix of maternal and s*xual feelings, you know? This is the best way. No theories. Just shut up and do it. Don’t complain without knowing anything, got it?”

In the end, Georg’s love affair failed.

“Commander, it didn’t go well.”

After sending him on a special leave, Kenneth asked for Enji’s address because he came back looking crestfallen.

“What do you want to do?”

“I have to try everything I can.”

He sent a purple hyacinth symbolizing reconciliation and a carefully written letter. In response, they agreed to meet one more time. When Kenneth handed it over, Georg’s eyes were already red.

“I really have no dignity.”

A few days later, having missed the second chance as well, Georg came to the operations headquarters and banged his head. Despite all the help, he apologized for not following any of the advice and was told to shut up and get up. They went to the training field together and did thirty push-ups. Kenneth looked back at the explosion-prone academy and asked.

“How is it?”

“I think I’m about to pass out.”

“Do you still think about Enji?”

“I want to wash up and go to sleep quickly.”

“If you have lingering thoughts, just run.”

Feeling like he couldn’t shake off his regrets, he ran ten more laps. Rottelon, who came out of the training ground belatedly, snickered.

“That guy doesn’t listen to a single word I say.”

“He said it was his first love.”

“People who can’t date are all stiff like that.”

So, criticizing for not listening to others’ advice, Kenneth decided to defend the young lieutenant.

“Rottelon.”

“Yeah?”

“When you first handled a sword, you made mistakes, right?”

“Hey, when was that story?”

“To succeed in anything, trial and error is necessary.”

Rottelon, who didn’t know what to say, suddenly ran to the training ground and stuck to Georg. The lieutenant, more immature than the subordinates, slapped his buttocks while reminiscing.

“I’m an idiot!”

“I’m a geek!”

“I’m a deaf idiot!”

—Those were the days.

The letter was all written. Now, he had to go get Jeffrey. On his way to the dormitory where the students lived, he suddenly came across Ochia. She was surprised for a moment, then kept sniffling, disappearing. Thinking she might be on her way to the bathroom, he didn’t point out that she didn’t greet him to the instructor.

Tap, tap…

Emerging in no time, Jeffrey had even applied pomade to his hair. It was amusing how similar his actions were to Georg. There’s no man skilled in front of his first love. Perhaps he was once like that too. Similar, but probably not to this extent.

“Am I weird?”

─ Very weird.

“Wear glasses.”

“Why?”

“We agreed to see it under the central square, below the bell tower.”

“Are you saying I just need to give her a letter without saying anything?”

“That’s right.”

Kennis handed over the sealed letter she had written. Jeffrey, unable to speak to Diana, would look awkward no matter what he said. It was better to part ways like this, without making a mistake in words.

“The reason I’ve been following you is written here.”

Jeffrey, like Georg reminiscing about the past, was urged not to add any more words. When they finally reached the bell tower, two women were waiting. Diana’s eyes were empty. Friede approached and suggested that the two talk. Kennis also patted Jeffrey on the shoulder. They exchanged very brief words and parted ways.

“Is it already over?”

Friede was surprised, as if she didn’t expect it. Kennis took Jeffrey and left the central square. Throughout their return, she insisted not to look back. Considering how he endured until they turned the corner, he seemed more inclined to listen to others than Georg.

“Will you really not tell me what’s written?”

In response to Jeffrey’s question, Kennis handed him a part of the letter she held in her bosom.

“Read it.”

Jeffrey opened it and, his voice trembling, recited.

“Do I know what my problem is?”

“You should read the lower part too.”

“So I’m trying to change from now on.”