# Chapter 18
When he decided to take on the class, Ko Eungyo probably hadn’t intended to teach so properly. He reconsidered his initial mindset of helping Ko Eungyo adapt back to his life when he returned, tailoring things to Ko Eungyo’s life.
How creepy would it be to discover that some strange ghost-like entity had entered your body and was impersonating you, when you thought you’d just hit your head and passed out?
This body and life belonged to the real ‘Ko Eungyo,’ not himself. By the time his thoughts were completely sorted out, attendance processing had already finished.
“Um, Professor.”
As he was leaving school with only his laptop, someone was waiting for him at the entrance of the building where his office was located.
His quick steps gradually slowed to a stop.
“Seonjae.”
It was Nam Seonjae.
The moment he spotted Nam Seonjae calling him with a slightly anxious face, Ko Eungyo felt an inexplicable warmth.
Nam Seonjae had come all the way to the building where the adjunct professors’ offices were located, genuinely concerned that Ko Eungyo might be upset. It was comforting to know that at least one person truly cared about him.
“Professor, wait a moment…!”
As he opened the door at the building entrance with a feeling of gladness, he saw something falling onto Nam Seonjae’s head as if in slow motion.
His thoughts were rather delayed.
He immediately threw himself forward and embraced Nam Seonjae’s head.
Nam Seonjae was the only student among his students who was truly like a disciple. He seemed to sincerely respect Ko Eungyo, and was also the only student who corrected and resent reports that Ko Eungyo hadn’t even asked to be sent again. The instinct to protect such a student was automatic.
He clearly saw buckets full of paint and panels pouring down, but even after waiting a long time, he felt no impact. When he carefully looked up, he saw objects floating in the air.
Ah, Nam Seonjae was a telekinetic Esper.
The realization of Nam Seonjae’s ability came a beat late.
“A-are you okay?”
“What about you, Seonjae?”
Sticky blue paint dripped down from an overturned bucket. Whatever their inventory management was like, if someone had been hit by this, it could have been a serious matter. It was fortunate that Nam Seonjae, a telekinetic ability user, was there; if Ko Eungyo had taken a direct hit…
…what would have happened?
If Ko Eungyo had been hit by this… he could have died.
A chill ran through him in that moment.
Yes, these objects had fallen targeting Ko Eungyo.
It was mixed with malice too vicious to simply call it bullying. Telekinesis had blocked the falling paint, bucket, and panels, but couldn’t block the terrible paint smell. The piercing paint odor definitely woke him up.
He no longer felt fortunate.
He could easily imagine what would have happened to him if he had left the research building alone.
If Nam Seonjae hadn’t saved him at the right time, Ko Eungyo would have had to walk around campus covered in paint at minimum, becoming an object of ridicule among students.
“I’m fine.”
Nam Seonjae said with a gentle smile, his eyes curved. Still not leaving Ko Eungyo’s embrace, Nam Seonjae’s face showed a shy blush.
Ko Eungyo released his arms that had been holding Nam Seonjae while remaining stiffly frozen. Then he looked down at the objects slowly settling on the ground.
Just as he thought he might know who these objects belonged to, he heard someone clicking their tongue. Ko Eungyo didn’t miss the opportunity and immediately turned around.
He saw two Espers on the building corridor, looking at him.
It was clear they had witnessed this scene.
They had seen Ko Eungyo tightly closing his eyes and embracing Nam Seonjae to protect him. And they had seen Nam Seonjae saving Ko Eungyo.
The fact that Ko Eungyo had not fallen into their trap.
*
He was certain.
Someone was orchestrating the harassment. And it was probably Woo Sihyun or Lee Seungwoo. Maybe both.
Of course, the movements to harass him, a professor, were more childish like pranks rather than professional, and thus didn’t cause much damage… but he could feel the malice in their persistent efforts of useless endeavors.
He didn’t want to comment on the level of the students. The semester was coming to an end.
The students still wouldn’t respond no matter what Ko Eungyo said, their presentation levels were disastrously bad to the point of feeling malicious, and they barely listened to his reviews, but their grades would reflect how much effort they put in.
Nearly half of the midterm exams were blank. But he didn’t lower the standards for the final exam. As a result, most students turned in blank answer sheets.
If they get F grades in this situation, they have nothing to complain about.
‘Just retake the course.’
Some professors say grading student exams is such a headache that they need several teaching assistants, but not him. Grading was finished in no time.
There was a bitter taste in his mouth.
As he entered grades one by one on the school website based on the graded answer sheets in his office, he hoped students would properly attend the next class. At this rate, even if they retook the course, it would be difficult to get good scores.
By the time he finished entering the grades, the lighting had darkened. He muttered wondering if it was already that late and checked the time. But not much time had passed.
There was no problem with the office lighting. It was just that the day had grown dark.
He gazed blankly out the window. Dark clouds were gathering from the north.
As if in a natural sequence, the pain in his right ankle that he had forgotten about recurred. Joints that had been injured once would ache whenever the weather turned gloomy.
As he massaged his numbed ankle, he thought it would probably rain.
Did he have an umbrella? Of course not. He hadn’t heard any weather forecast about rain. It would take at least fifteen minutes to walk to the subway station from here. The damn Korea University campus was too large, and it was too far to go in pouring rain. He couldn’t walk in the rain while limping on his sore leg.
Then… he needed to buy an umbrella now.
He quickly shut down his laptop, gathered his phone and wallet, and went outside. He planned to stop by the convenience store in the dormitory building on campus to buy a disposable umbrella.
It was late and dark clouds were gathering, so despite it being only 6 o’clock, it was dark as night outside. As he walked diligently, trying to remember where the dormitory building was, rough raindrops splattered on his cheeks. It was a fierce harbinger for early summer rain.
In the blink of an eye, the rain turned into a downpour.
“Ah!”
Since the festival had ended not long ago, all sorts of flyers were stuck to the ground. He instantly slipped on one of them. Perhaps due to the impact of falling, his tingling right ankle now began to throb outright.
Had he injured it severely when he slipped in the bathroom? He should have properly treated not just his head but his ankle too. At that time, he hadn’t been in his right mind, having just awakened in this body.
As he was trying to get up, pressing his hand on the ground, someone placed an umbrella over him.
Without thinking, he thought it might be Nam Seonjae. There was no one else who would save him so timely like this.
“Ah, thank y—”
“You should be careful.”
“…”
“Professor.”
The raindrops that had been fiercely pelting down strangely seemed to stop falling. The black-haired man was looking down at him from above, bending at the waist without even extending a hand.
Nam Seonjae was a male student with curly brown hair. So the man before his eyes was certainly not Nam Seonjae.
He slowly inhaled and looked up at Lee Seungwoo.
“I was worried you might not have an umbrella.”
“…”
Worried?
His teeth clenched at those words. Even though he had slipped by stepping on a flyer, not because of Lee Seungwoo, the thought that Lee Seungwoo had been watching his unseemly appearance from behind brought a surge of shame-mixed anger.
It wasn’t because Lee Seungwoo could have helped but didn’t. It was because of the suspicion that Lee Seungwoo had orchestrated all this to see how much he would suffer.
Yes, even this terrible weather…
That day, it was Nam Seonjae who had stopped Ko Eungyo from suspecting Woo Sihyun and Lee Seungwoo. He said he had rushed over after hearing another student bragging about what they were going to do to Ko Eungyo. So Woo Sihyun and Lee Seungwoo had probably also come to that place to save Ko Eungyo. Before Ko Eungyo could be hit by the panels and buckets full of paint and be ruined.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
