Retire 303
by Cristae303 Youthful Girls (1)
“Has there been any word from Mr. Hong?”
The first thing Kim Chae-min checked upon returning from Australia was the whereabouts of Hong Seok-young.
I carefully stepped into Kim Chae-min’s domain and shook my head.
“No, there hasn’t.”
“Hm.”
“The first thing you ask after coming back is about Mr. Hong?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“You’re not curious about the kids?”
Kim Chae-min switched on the lights in the cabin. It was the most magical place in the world, but even here, the conveniences of civilization could not be denied.
I couldn’t quite understand it, but according to Kim Chae-min, the lighting was the work of some European designer. The cabin, revealed under its glow, was far more orderly than when I’d first set foot here. There was a small, pale yellow refrigerator, and, for some reason, a computer. Of course, compared to computers twenty years from now, it was primitive, but by the standards of this era, it was quite high-spec. Three monitors displayed mysterious numbers and complex graphs.
Of course, the image of a wizard incapable of handling machines is a time-honored prejudice. That’s just because the cranky old men of the academy have the loudest voices. Could modern society function without science? Even those old men ride in cars when they travel, after all.
“Why worry when Mr. Woo is here?”
Kim Chae-min looked at me as if to say, “Why are you even asking?”
“…But you are worried about Mr. Hong?”
“I’m not worried. I’m just curious.”
Kim Chae-min checked the figures on each of the three monitors.
I’d never heard of anyone else being allowed into this domain. Which meant this was a system Kim Chae-min had built alone.
…Remembering how quickly she’d mastered the equipment in the lab after only a few explanations, it made sense. Even if she weren’t a mage, with that kind of talent, she could make a name for herself anywhere.
“Or maybe I am worried? I’m not sure.”
Having been away in Australia with Gamble for more than a week, Kim Chae-min meticulously inspected every corner of her domain.
She checked on the magical grass and the other plants she’d left inside. Just in case, though unlikely, she looked for any signs of intrusion.
Even while talking with me, she kept moving busily—perhaps that, too, was a skill of a great mage.
Kim Chae-min tilted her head.
“Because Mr. Hong doesn’t have Mr. Woo with him? Ah, right. That is a bit worrying.”
“…Why is my absence the standard for worry?”
“Honestly, I didn’t notice it before, but working together, I realized Mr. Hong is… a lot more laid-back than he seems, you know?”
“You’re only realizing that now?”
“Well, it’s not my business, so I never paid much attention.”
Kim Chae-min whispered, almost teasingly.
“That’s why he gets along with Mr. Woo. Mr. Woo is a lot more uptight than he looks.”
“Is that an insult?”
“It’s a compliment.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“See? Uptight.”
“……”
I had a feeling that continuing this topic would only put me at a disadvantage.
“So when the two of you are together, it’s a good balance… At least, it means Mr. Hong won’t just do things haphazardly and call it a day. Well, Mr. Hong is meticulous when it comes to raids, so maybe it doesn’t apply in this situation.”
Kim Chae-min shrugged.
“But that’s basically it. Same goes for Mr. Woo. No one can control every little thing in their life…”
“There’s been no word from Mr. Hong.”
I quickly changed the subject. Kim Chae-min giggled, then relented with a playful sigh.
“Is that so?”
“The raid is taking longer than expected, but considering the dungeon’s rank, it’s not surprising.”
“If it were an easy raid, they wouldn’t have called Mr. Hong in the first place. Ah, good. No problem at all. Our darling magical grass is growing well, too.”
Kim Chae-min showed me the small greenhouse where the magical grass was kept. Only after she gave her permission did I approach the plant.
I didn’t even think about touching the greenhouse, which must have cost a fortune—I just checked on the magical grass inside.
Hmm.
For something that’s supposed to be growing well…
“…It looks about the same as before.”
“It’s not dead, is it?”
“Oh. That’s the standard?”
“Uptight.”
“Yes. The magical grass is growing well.”
I shook my head, going along with Kim Chae-min’s words. Really, how long had this magical grass even been growing outside a dungeon?
Just being alive is enough, as she said.
“Was everything all right in Australia?”
“I met Hope’s parents. They’re really ordinary people, you know?”
Kim Chae-min sprayed water on the magical grass. Judging by the way mana particles spread through the air, that water was anything but ordinary.
“Sandra was having a bit of a hard time, but nothing worth worrying about. No one was watching us. The reporters swarmed in and made the funeral a mess, though.”
“That can’t be helped.”
“But it’s died down compared to the beginning… In times like these, it’s hard to keep people’s attention for long, isn’t it?”
Kim Chae-min gave a short laugh. Her words were cynical, but I nodded in agreement.
“Didn’t things get even more chaotic because the Great Mage showed up?”
“I did my best to disguise myself. Wore a hat, sunglasses…”
Even if someone had recognized Kim Chae-min, I doubted there were many reporters bold enough to write an article about it. For a mage, she had a fairly easygoing personality, but a mage is still a mage.
Or maybe there just weren’t any reporters interested enough in magic to recognize the Great Mage of Asia. At any rate, if word had gotten out that she’d attended the funeral, there would have been a fresh round of conspiracy theories—but nothing like that happened.
“Hope still hasn’t woken up, right? What a terrible child.”
“Mm.”
“But shouldn’t we take her to a big hospital at this point? No matter how well-equipped we are here, it’s not the same as a hospital.”
“That’s been discussed…”
No matter how I looked at it, Hope stood out too much. What happened in Boston was a hot topic even in Korea, and even with Lee Mi-seon pulling strings, the more people who knew, the harder it became to keep things under control.
If it were anything else, I might have been willing to take the risk, but with Hope, that just wasn’t an option.
“For someone who’s unconscious, she’s… almost too healthy. All her wounds have healed, and as cliché as it sounds, our school nurse says it’s like she’s just sleeping.”
“That’s something you’d hear in a drama or a movie.”
“…Yes. So, I’m planning to keep things as they are until Mr. Hong returns.”
“All right, then.”
Kim Chae-min nodded at my explanation.
Then she clapped her hands together and turned to me with a bright smile. The mood had shifted a full one-eighty from just a moment ago.
“Well, then, have our kids been doing all right while I was gone?”
I looked at Kim Chae-min in disbelief. She met my gaze without flinching, grinning shamelessly.
“Now you’re curious?”
“Like I said, that’s how much I trust you, Mr. Woo.”
“If only you could say that out loud…”
“So, how are the kids?”
I looked at Kim Chae-min.
Now that the weather was warmer, everyone’s clothes had gotten lighter. She wore a white dress printed with red parrots. I wondered where she even found such flamboyant clothes.
Kim Chae-min exaggerated her excitement on purpose. I felt a mischievous urge rise up.
Should I just tell her the truth? Maybe it’s time she got a taste of her own medicine…
No, I can’t stoop to that level.
And whether I warn her or not, it probably won’t make much difference.
“Ms. Kim.”
I frowned and began to speak.
As I deliberately lowered my voice, I saw the playful smile fade from Kim Chae-min’s face.
“I’m not sure how to explain this…”
“…Did something happen? Are Seo-hyun and Jin-woo all right?”
Look at her, asking about those two first even though she claims they’re not her students.
I snorted.
“They’re fine, of course.”
“Then what is it? Why are you being so serious?”
I struggled to suppress my laughter, keeping my tone as grave as possible.
“What’s your hobby?”
“…What?”
Kim Chae-min’s voice was blank with surprise. It’s not every day you see the Great Mage looking like that.
But I was serious.
“I asked what your hobby is.”
“My hobby?”
“Gardening?”
“…I don’t really get what you’re asking.”
“Or farming? I guess that’s just more plant-growing. Oh, those seeds you planted around the school are finally starting to sprout.”
“Oh, really? I should go check—wait! Why are you doing this?”
I let out a deep sigh.
This wasn’t a joke. It was how I genuinely felt.
“If you don’t have a hobby, you should get one.”
“All of a sudden?”
“It’s the latest trend at school.”
“…?”
Kim Chae-min’s expression grew stranger by the second.
Who could blame her? Even I wasn’t sure what I was saying.
But I was still serious.
“Asking about other people’s hobbies and trying them out together.”
“…What?”
Yes.
Let’s admit it.
I might bear some responsibility for this whole situation. Just a little. Maybe more than a little. Quite a lot?
No, just a bit.
The career plan and “draw your future self” activities were a success. They were good for the kids’ emotional development, and seemed to bring some energy to the monotony of school life.
At least, until Soon Soon-jin, clutching her blank sheet, finished her consultation with me and awakened.
The next night, Soon Soon-jin, looking like she’d been up all night, came to me and asked,
“Teacher. Then what should I do?”
“…You don’t have to overthink it. Why not start by finding something you enjoy?”
“Something I enjoy? Uh…”
“If you’re not sure, why not try doing what your friends are doing?”
Yes. Instead of joining the Association or Daseon, just help out with Lee Seung-yeon’s guild or something.
“Okay… I understand.”
As I’d expected, Soon Soon-jin ran straight to Lee Seung-yeon.
And Lee Seung-yeon…
“What? Hey, I don’t really get what you’re saying… Oh! Ack! Kang Tae-woo, you cheat!!”
“You’re just bad at it.”
“Ugh, seriously! I quit!”
“You can’t even do it.”
“Argh! Hey, Soon-jin. Want to try this?”
And so, a game controller ended up in Soon Soon-jin’s hands. That was the beginning.
Given that the kids couldn’t leave the school grounds, their activities were limited. At best, they could work through problem sets, review what they’d learned during the day, gather to gossip, or crowd around the TV to watch some sensational drama and complain about it. Otherwise, they played games.
Honestly, the only reason the kids were so well-behaved was because they were good kids. If this were a real school, they would have started a revolution by now.
It wasn’t right to just tell the kids to endure it all. So I talked with Lee Mi-seon and arranged for the kids to request whatever supplies they needed. What started as snacks soon turned into requests for entertainment.
Lee Seung-yeon was the first to ask for a TV and a game console, and Oh Hyun-wook quietly joined in, asking for sports magazines. Then Yoo Hye-eun wanted novels, and after that…
“Oh my… Teacher, your hobby?”
Kim Chae-min glanced at me.
Come on, I explained it already. Don’t look at me like that.