HBWnovel 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?’
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?’
"Yes, come in."
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.