Chapter 75: Chapter 75

Wings Guild Building

Dahyeong gently rotated her wrist and tilted the teapot.

A thin stream of hot water trickled down, slowly soaking the coffee grounds in a circular motion, as they sat on the coffee dripper.

The subtle fragrance emanating from the ground beans filled the break room.

It was right after lunch, and the time for Si-Hyun's scheduled visit was approaching.

Dahyeong leisurely watched the coffee being poured into the server.

‘He should be arriving soon.’

After confirming that the desired amount had been poured, she carefully removed the dripper.

At that moment, the door to the break room opened, and Si-Hyun and several men entered.

“Master! Si-Hyun is here!”

“Hello.”

“Si-Hyun’s here?”

Dahyeong greeted Si-Hyun warmly, shaking his hand.

They had been in touch frequently for work, but it had been a long time since they’d seen each other in person.

She shook his hand enthusiastically, showing her joy.

“Just in time, the coffee’s ready! How do you like your syrup?”

“A little vanilla syrup, please.”

“Got it!”

As Si-Hyun sat down on a chair, Dahyeong busily prepared the coffee and snacks.

The male guild members went outside to bring in more items.

Soon, a stack of quest items piled up in one corner of the break room.

Once everything was prepared and everyone sat down,

Dahyeong silently observed Si-Hyun.

He took a careful sip of his coffee but seemed unable to fully enjoy it.

‘Did I brew the coffee wrong?’@@novelbin@@

Blowing on the coffee to cool it slightly, Dahyeong took a sip herself.

It was just as she liked it.

There was nothing wrong with it. At least, nothing wrong for her.

“Is the coffee not to your taste?”

“…Oh, no, it’s not that. I just had really spicy jjamppong for lunch.”

“Ah, I see. Do you like spicy food?”

“Well… I used to like it, but now it doesn’t sit well with me. I want to get back to liking it again.”

“…Huh?”

Dahyeong tilted her head, unable to fully understand what he meant.

Si-Hyun took another careful sip of the coffee, blowing on it again.

Apparently enjoying the aroma of the drip coffee, he gave a pleasant smile.

Dahyeong grinned as she savored her coffee too.

‘Well, it’s good to know there’s nothing wrong with the coffee.’

At least, it wasn’t that her carefully prepared coffee was bad.

Si-Hyun, seeing Dahyeong’s relief, scratched his cheek apologetically, then looked around at the others in the room.

Since they were all familiar faces now, it was easy to notice who was absent.

“Did everyone go off to work? I don’t see Han-Gyeol either.”

“Oh, that’s right!”

At Si-Hyun’s question, Dahyeong clapped her hands and replied excitedly.

“It’s thanks to you! Just recently, two of our members got promoted to C-rank!”

“Really? Wow!”

“Hahaha! That’s us!”

“Ha ha ha! It’s all thanks to Si-Hyun! We’re so grateful!”

Two men in the break room stood tall, grinning widely.

They were the spear user and the archer who had often gone in and out of C-rank dungeons with the others.

Both were beaming with pride.

“The other two went to the dungeon with Han-Gyeol. They were so eager to get promoted that they were practically jumping around.”

“Ah ha!”

Dahyeong chuckled, and Si-Hyun grinned as well.

The atmosphere in the Wings Guild was something Dahyeong really enjoyed.

Bright and cheerful,

Just being together made happiness seem to blossom around them.

…And yet, there was a guild out there that troubled people like this.

If the chance ever arose, she thought, she’d definitely teach them a lesson.

“Should we start testing the equipment soon?”

“Ah, yes.”

At Dahyeong’s gesture, one of the men took out a box and placed it on the table.

Dahyeong pulled out a VR device from the box and began explaining its features.

Si-Hyun, sipping his coffee, listened attentively.

“…So, I’ve made it just as ordered. But making something like this is new to me, and even for the collaboration team, it’s the first time...”

“It’s fine, as long as it works properly. The after-service will be handled by the Wings Guild, right?”

“Of course, that’s a given.”

After a cheerful exchange, Si-Hyun recorded a short video.

Two of the men put the headsets on and watched the video.

The VR device’s performance exceeded Si-Hyun’s expectations.

No, it was even better than expected.

“Whoa! This is the omniscient Si-Hyun point of view!”

“How moving this viewpoint is! Wow, wow!”

“…Pff, what’s that?”

Si-Hyun couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

The two men, still wearing the headsets, excitedly replayed the video over and over.

Dahyeong, rolling her eyes, shouted, “Cut it out with the fuss!” and removed the headsets from their heads.

The two men, now silent, still seemed excited.

“Master! Can’t we make one of these too? This is so much fun!”

“It doesn’t even cause motion sickness!”

“Hey, you guys! Even though it looks like this, it’s super expensive. And if Si-Hyun didn’t finish it properly, it would be useless.”

At Dahyeong’s words, the two men shrank back, looking like deflated puppies.

Si-Hyun, still feeling a bit of a laugh escaping, turned to Dahyeong.

“Oh, by the way, I’ve got something to ask you.”

“Hmm? What’s that?”

“The Academy’s academic information system. Can I add your name to my connections?”

“Uh, um…”

Dahyeong, usually so lively, suddenly hesitated and fell silent.

Si-Hyun, who had expected her to easily agree, was now a little confused.

‘Wait, maybe I’m too immersed in this? Is it just a business relationship?’

He looked slightly deflated.

As he thought about it, he realized he was the one who had overstepped first.

‘…Maybe it’s because I didn’t call her ‘noona’ (older sister)?’

He looked down slightly, feeling a little gloomy.

Maybe he should let go of this unnecessary stubbornness now.

After all, addressing her with pronouns wasn’t such a big deal, right?

‘…Huh?’

Noticing Si-Hyun’s changing expressions, Dahyeong hurriedly clarified.

“Si-Si-Hyun! It’s not that! I’m just worried!”

“…Worried?”

“Umm, you know? We started our guild independently after leaving the big guild, right?”

“Oh, yes. I heard about that.”

“I’m just worried that, if you add my name, you might end up getting troubled later on.”

“Ah…”

Si-Hyun’s expression brightened.

It wasn’t that she had rejected him; she was just concerned.

Smiling brightly, he spoke again.

“So, can I add you now?”

“Of course!”

Dahyeong agreed readily.

After all, adding her to the connections list was beneficial not just for Si-Hyun but for Dahyeong as well.

She had just hesitated because she was worried.

“Hehe, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

“I’m counting on you too!”

Si-Hyun and Dahyeong shook hands vigorously.

The two men beside them watched for a moment before turning their attention back to the VR device.

They were still itching to try it.

***

After visiting the Wings Guild, Si-Hyun had a busy week.

He met with Areum for personal guidance and started creating audiovisual materials for the VR device.

He also met Ji-A, who was scheduled for a business trip, to clear dungeons and have a meal together.

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

And then, it was time for the cultural lecture again. Si-Hyun arrived at the academy earlier than usual.

Next week would be the academy's midterm exam period.

Si-Hyun had asked the president for advice, which made it much easier for him to create the exam questions.

When Si-Hyun requested if he could also ask the president for a review, the president gladly agreed.

So today, Si-Hyun, who had arrived early, made his way to the president's office.

[Academy President's Office]

Knock, knock...

"Yes, come in."

Si-Hyun slowly opened the door and entered.

A woman in her late 30s, holding some documents in both hands, looked up.

Si-Hyun greeted her politely.

“Hello, President.”

“Oh, Si-Hyun. I’ve been waiting. Come in and sit down.”

The president called Si-Hyun in a friendly manner and gestured to the consultation desk.

Si-Hyun sat across from her, maintaining a polite posture.

“You asked me to review the questions to see if they were well made, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Let’s take a look then.”

Si-Hyun pulled out the papers from his bag and handed them over to the president.

The president lightly skimmed through the questions with her eyes.

Si-Hyun sat with his legs neatly together.

He straightened his back and placed his hands on his thighs, waiting for the president's response.

“Hm…”

“…”

The president squinted slightly, letting out a soft sound of contemplation.

Si-Hyun felt himself getting more nervous and stiffened his posture.

Just then...

Knock, knock...

Someone lightly knocked on the president's office door.

“Come in.”

With the president’s response, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with a strong presence entered.

The man glanced at Si-Hyun, looking apologetic as he spoke.

“Oh, I’m sorry, President. Did I come too early?”

“No, it’s fine. It actually worked out well.”

The president smiled lightly and introduced Si-Hyun to the man.

Once the introduction was finished, the man smiled and extended his hand to Si-Hyun.

“Nice to meet you, Professor Jeong. I look forward to working with you.”

“…The pleasure is mine, Professor Park.”

Si-Hyun smiled lightly and shook his hand.

Although it was their first time greeting each other, his face seemed familiar.

Si-Hyun had seen him a few times near the sports field.

Professor Park was an S-rank hunter in charge of the swordsmanship department, one of the academy’s specialties.

“Si-Hyun, even though Professor Park looks like this, he’s actually quite skilled in office work. How about having him look over the questions as well?”

“…Is that alright?”

Si-Hyun turned to look at Professor Park.

Professor Park answered with a warm smile.

“If Professor Jeong is fine with it.”

Si-Hyun took out another sheet of paper and handed it to the man.

Thus, the two professors started reviewing Si-Hyun’s questions together.

A little while later...

“...The questions are really well made.”

“They’re neat. I think the validity of the questions is excellent.”

“…Really?”

The compliments from the two professors made Si-Hyun’s face bloom with joy, melting the tension he’d felt earlier.

The president, watching this, smiled fondly and said,

“I knew I made the right choice trusting Ji-A’s recommendation. Si-Hyun, you’re a born professor!”

Si-Hyun awkwardly laughed at the president's praise.

It was nice to hear his hard work on the questions was appreciated, but "born professor" felt a bit too much.

However, this was just the beginning of a flurry of compliments.

“I wasn’t wrong in my judgment! Right, Professor Park?”

“Haha, yes. I’ve even heard some of my students talking about your Monsterology class. They say it’s always fresh.”

“Really? Students’ eyes are the sharpest, aren’t they?”

The president brought Professor Park into the praise session.

Professor Park, naturally, followed along with the president’s intention.

“We’re so grateful to have such an outstanding instructor at the academy!”

“It’s not easy asking for someone’s review. Your passion is truly admirable.”

The compliments kept coming!

In the end, Si-Hyun’s face turned as red as a tomato.

Feeling the heat on his face, he fanned himself with his hand to cool down.

His other hand fidgeted awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

The president and Professor Park stopped their praise when they saw Si-Hyun getting embarrassed.

They smiled warmly as they looked at the shy young instructor.

Professor Park subtly turned his head and gave the president a questioning look.

‘President, is this enough?’

The president nodded.

An excellent adjunct professor had to be led down the path to becoming a full-time professor!

Professor Park had also fallen into the president’s grasp.

“...Well, it’s about time for class.”

“Oh my, is it already that late? You should head off!”

In the end, Si-Hyun chose to escape.

The president glanced at the wall clock and smiled kindly.

There was still plenty of time before class. Regardless, he was such a cute young man.

“Thank you so much for your help today.”

“Hehe, if you need any more help, just contact us!”

Si-Hyun collected the papers and left the president’s office.

The president and Professor Park watched his retreating figure with warm smiles.

“Professor Park, could you help me with something? I need to set up a web of connections.”

“Hahaha! Take it easy, please.”

At the president’s request, Professor Park smiled wryly.

Meanwhile, Si-Hyun,

With a bright smile, walked briskly away.

Although he had chosen to flee the president’s office due to embarrassment, he felt refreshed.

‘I got praised!’

He couldn’t help but chuckle quietly to himself.

He thought back to one of the dreams he had when he first decided to join the academy, watching Momobin’s streams.

Building relationships where he could be recognized and collaborate with those around him!

Although it was a coincidence, thanks to the president, he had made a good impression on Professor Park.

It felt like he had taken a step closer to becoming the ideal professor.

With his mood lifted, Si-Hyun walked cheerfully.

He arrived at the building where the lecture hall was in no time.

‘...Hmm?’

As he entered the building, Si-Hyun noticed students chatting in the hallway.

They were gathered around a poster on the bulletin board, talking excitedly.

Curious, Si-Hyun approached them, his attention drawn to the poster.

[Special Lecture by S-rank Hunter Kang Cheol-Min from Cheongrim Guild!]

The poster featured a muscular man with an arrogant expression and posture taking up most of the space.

The students were exchanging opinions.

“Cheongrim Guild is famous for pushing its promising talents, right?”

“I’ve heard that too. Should we go check it out?”

Si-Hyun, listening to the conversation, tapped his finger on his chin.

He noticed a small detail in the corner of the poster.

Free of charge.

Anyone related to the academy can attend.

‘...Should I attend?’

Si-Hyun checked the date.

The special lecture was scheduled for the week after midterms.