Chapter 222: A Grown Tol To-ri
Ending the class in this manner proved to be bittersweet. If one were to ask if I had gotten affectionate, I would simply say no.
Though I didn’t much like people such as Han Sora’s tormentors, most of the students who worked hard were kind.
Though I felt slightly affectionate, it was not enough for me to sacrifice my life for one of them. If they came to me during their hardships, I would gladly give them a meal, as well as some expert advice.
This was exactly the right distance between an instructor and a student.
In fact, I didn’t have any worries about them now.
‘Everyone will be making their own breadwinners.’
In fact, except for a few, including Han Sora, almost all of the trainees had managed to enter the middle or large guilds.
In the first place, considering the purpose of this education, it was a very natural result.
There was no reason not to get alchemists who harbored good and useful knowledge in each guild and clan.
Even if their grades were a little exceptional, they received offers from large guilds, and those with high magic power or high intelligence were happy at the offerings coming from everywhere.
Of course, they couldn’t get the down payment and annual salary as much as a combat job did, but at least it was still higher than that of a normal production job. They were treated better than a half-wizard who couldn’t use magic properly.
As a side note, most of those who chose the combat post on the first day, ignoring my advice, were miserable. The wizards, not only lacking magical power but also understanding, lost their place to go, and the warriors without talent would surely become monster food soon or waste away their lives in the slums.
As a result, the rise in alchemy first started within Lindel.
In this situation, it was obvious that most guilds did not recruit Han Sora, whose grades were at the top. They had probably heard the news that she tried to sneak into Jung Hayan’s laboratory and steal her achievements.
Usually, those with this tendency would get excluded from the group.
Of course, the truth was that she ran into me with a sly trick, but it helped her that I end the situation to this extent rather than revealing the useless sexual harassment.
If the truth was announced to the outside world, it was clear that all guilds and clans who did not want to be disliked by Blue would try to defeat her.
‘Her current outcome is way better than that.’
Even if she hadn’t received an offer within her training period, she would probably get in somewhere else if she applied for a job and got an interview. She had the ability.
“Han Sora…”
When I unconsciously muttered her name, Tol To-ri began to scream.
“Ke-e-e-e-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ek!”
“Shush! You should be quiet!”
“Kiek…”
I needed to suppress Tol To-ri soon, much like what I had done with Jung Hayan. She was the whole reason I had improved at observing people’s behavioral patterns, after all.
I had just screamed for a moment, but there were already tears in his big eyes. The guilt soon overwhelmed me. Nevertheless…
‘I need to be a strict father.’
“Dialuria.”
“Haa… Haaa…”
“It’s okay when it’s just you and me or with your mom, but you have to be careful when you’re with other people. Otherwise, Dad cannot hang around with Dialuria.”
“Kiek!”
“Since you are smart, I believe you will understand what dad means. Am I right?”
“Kiee-ek!”
Just in time, I saw two people approaching this way.
‘Yoo Ahyoung… and Kim Ki-cheol…’
Seeing Kim Ki-cheol’s wary exterior, I knew I had done a good job in my acting. Yoo Ahyoung soon reached me, looking pleased.
“Instructor Lee Kiyoung!”
Kim Ki-cheol had no choice but to approach me as well, although reluctantly. However, there was a glint of triumph in Ahyoung’s eyes.
“Kieee-ek!”
“Shush!”
Once I gave Tol To-ri a warning, he stayed quiet.
“Ah, trainee Yoo Ahyoung, and… trainee Kim Ki-cheol.”
They looked pretty close now, which reinforced just how cruel Ahyoung could be. Goosebumps rose along my skin as I saw how good she now was at acting.
Kim Ki-cheol, who didn’t know anything, thought that he had once again gained his girlfriend’s heart back, but this was far from the truth.
“Instructor. Er…”
“Did you think about it?”
“No. Not yet…”
“That’s a shame.”
“Can I postpone my answer until the completion ceremony?”
‘You already signed a contract, you…’
Her acting skills proved to be comparable to that of Ahn Ki-mo’s.
“Yes. Of course. Come to think of it… he is…”
“Hello, Instructor Lee Kiyoung. I’m Kim Ki-cheol. I’m Yoo Ahyoung’s boyfriend.”
“Ohhh. I’ve heard about you.”
“I am… I heard that Ahyoung is indebted to you. Thank you for taking care of her.”
“No. People like Yoo Ahyoung aren’t people who can easily be seen anywhere. It is natural. Hahaha… You two look good together.”
“Yes. Recently, there had been some misunderstandings…”
I could recognize Kim Ki-cheol’s expression as that of inferiority.
His gaze was fixated on Tol To-ri, hanging behind me, and he also seemed to be envious of the clothes I was wearing. Jealousy did not look good on him.
As I quietly turned to Yoo-Ahyoung, I saw that she felt quite good as she kept smiling.
‘She won’t get weird from this experience, right?’
At this point, my worries began to rise, but I knew it wasn’t dangerous yet, for her case.
I was even more worried at the fact that Tol To-ri was also fixated on her chest.
“Kie-e-ek…”
It was then that Yoo Ahyoung, who had not noticed, moved her body a little more actively.
“Oh, is this the kid, Dialuria, you talked about the last time?”
“Yes, trainee Yoo Ahyoung.”
“He is cute. Can I touch him, just this once?”
Not only did she snuggle him closer to her chest, but her voice had also taken on a higher pitch.
Anyone would feel like she was constantly sending out signals that she wanted to look like a woman to me no matter what.
I was worried that Tol To-ri would go crazy, but seeing that he remained silent, Ahyoung seemed to be within the allowable range. Of course, his body trembled, but there was no offensive reaction. Rather, Kim Ki-cheol proved to be the more angered one.
His expression had now shifted into hostility.
“Tol To-ri doesn’t like the touch of human hands very much. It would be better to spend time together later. You can get along quickly.”
“Really?”
“Yes. How about tomorrow evening?”
It was Kim Ki-cheol who answered for her.
“Instructor Lee Kiyoung, Ah-young has no time tomorrow…”
“Yes! I would love to, Instructor.”
But Yoo Ahyoung interrupted him.
“Ahyoung…”
“I have time. Of course, it’s okay, instructor.”
“Haha. That’s fortunate.”
“Er… Instructor! Since we’re meeting… Again, er… Can I ask the same thing to you?”
‘Ask what, you woman?’
Though Ahyoung didn’t directly say what she was asking for, the suggestive look in her eyes eventually made me smile.
‘Genius.’
Didn’t they say that a woman’s vengeance knows no bounds?
This acting, which seemed to be saying that there was something peculiar between us, was better than Ahn Ki-mo’s own acting.
‘I really have to recruit this one.’
Perhaps she didn’t even know she had this kind of talent. I bet, if she received proper guidance from Ahn Ki-mo, it would be no different than getting the Lindel Actress Award.
“Er… I really liked what you taught me last time…”
‘What was good… we didn’t do anything. We…’
I felt a little embarrassed with the sudden set-up. However, I had no choice but to respond.
“Of course. Ahyoung. Rather, I would like to ask you that… It’s fun to be with Ahyoung as well. I will teach you everything I couldn’t tell you last time.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But there is also Ki-cheol…”
“No. You don’t have to worry about Oppa. I don’t think he knows much. Instructor Lee Kiyoung teaches better. Then, I’ll see you, instructor. We’ll get going!”
“Alright.”
Of course, what we would be doing would be completely innocent, but Kim Ki-cheol would definitely think that we’d be up to no good.
“W… What’s going on? Do you have to meet him tomorrow?”
“Ahhh… You don’t need to know.”
“What?”
“No, why are you trying to intervene in what people do? Isn’t that an obsession? It was Oppa who asked me to stay cool. Don’t worry too much about my things.”
“Ahyoung… still…”
As they moved away, the remnants of their argument reached my ears.
I had initially thought she was a fool just wandering around smiling, but she seemed to understand the concept of how to mess with him properly.
As anyone could see, Kim Ki-cheol was anxious, while Yoo Ahyoung seemed relaxed. He didn’t even dare to ask openly if she was cheating on him. The power dynamics of their relationship was completely reversed.
At this point, Kim Ki-cheol would constantly be wondering about the possibility of Ahyoung and I having an affair behind his back.
However, something unexpected occurred.
‘Huh?’
It appeared that he was not the only one who thought this way.
“Chiing… Kiehek…”
Tol To-ri had begun to cry. He must’ve understood the conversation that had just taken place.
Of course, I didn’t think that Tol To-ri would notice this strange atmosphere, but considering that he was smarter and quicker than most people, I should have expected this.
Thick tears continued to wet my shoulder as he hugged me tightly, as if not wanting to let me go. He then continued crying sadly.
“Y… Your dad is not cheating, okay? I’m serious…”
Now I felt even shittier.
“Dad only has Tol To-ri. I’m not having an affair and leaving your mom.”
No, I was already a low-class piece of shit even back then.
‘Damn.’