[System Response]
[Unable to transfer host. You are already bound to the narrative thread.
Refusal invalid. Please accept the mission ♥]
"No!" Reynard firmly refused.
[System Notice]
[Activating Motivation Protocol.]
[Loading bribes…]
The text box pulsed brightly, filling with glittering golden numbers.
[Preview Rewards If Host Complies with the mission...!]
[— Personal luxury villa in Imperial Capital (fully furnished).
— Dedicated kitchen staff specializing in roasted boar, honey mead, and seasonal fruit pies.
— One silk canopy bed with goose-feather pillows.
— Automatic allowance of 200 gold per month for "lounging expenses," and many more as the mission progresses.]
Reynard froze. His mouth opened slightly, though the crooked jaw made it more of a lopsided gape.
"…Silk canopy bed?"
[System Response]
[Yes ♥ Soft. Warm. Perfect for afternoon naps.]
"…And… goose-feather pillows?"
[System Response]
[The fluffiest, Host. Would you like a demonstration?]
The panel briefly shimmered, projecting a small animation of a faceless little chibi figure (clearly meant to be him) collapsing into a massive pile of pillows and sighing in bliss.
A caption underneath read: [Nap Time Heaven]
Reynard's heart stuttered as his breathing grew shallow.
"…N-no. Don't tempt me with—!"
He tore his gaze away, clenching his fists.
"No! I refuse! I've spent my whole life working myself to the bone, dealing with students who never read the textbook, grading assignments until my spine felt like a dried twig, all for a paycheck that could barely cover rent. I swore to myself that if I ever got another chance, I'd live quietly. Nap all day, eat good food, drink good wine, and let the world go to hell without me!"
The system blinked in silence. Then a single line appeared.
[System Note]
[Counterargument: If you don't help, you literally die.]
"…Shut up."
[System Response]
[Counter-counterargument: If you do help, you can nap in a luxury bed while sipping honey mead.]
Yujin buried his face in his arms. "I hate you."
Ding!
[System Response]
[Love you too ♥]
He was in the middle of plotting elaborate ways to strangle an intangible hologram when the laboratory door creaked open.
"Professor Reynard?"
The voice was calm, clipped, but carried a faint edge of irritation.
Yujin's head snapped up.
Standing in the doorway was a young man in a student's uniform, his hands burdened with heavy stacks of books and rolled-up diagrams. His hair was a mess of ink black, his eyes sharp and intelligent. There was a certain intensity to his gaze, like a storm caged behind glass.
Arwen Luciel.
The protagonist...
Wait... the protagonist?
Reynard froze, caught between the system's glowing mockery and the boy's scrutinizing stare.
The system gave a little celebratory chime.
[System Alert]
[Main Protagonist detected ♥]
[Quest progress begins now.]
Reynard felt cold sweat roll down the back of his neck.
"…Oh, f*ck me."
Arwen stepped fully into the room, setting the heavy books on a nearby table with a muted thud. His eyes flicked briefly toward Reynard, then just as quickly away, as though even acknowledging the professor too long left a bad taste in his mouth.
In the novel, Kim Yujin remembered, Arwen despised Reynard von Esteban. The man was nothing more than a leech who literary stole the credit for his work, twisted his findings, and basked in undeserved praise while Arwen suffered in silence.
And now… Yujin was inhabiting that very man whom the protagonist absolutely abhors.
He forced a smile, though the crooked jaw turned it into something closer to a pained grimace. "Ah. Ahem. Arwen, wasn't it? You're here early."
The young man glanced at him, unimpressed. "The academy's schedule doesn't wait for late professors."
Yujin winced.
The system's panel pulsed in front of his eyes again.
[System Hint]
[Warning! Arwen's Favorability toward you: –30 (Hostile).]
[Suggested Actions:
— Offer genuine support.
— Avoid plagiarism.
— Smile sincerely.]
Smile sincerely? Yujin nearly gagged. His jaw hurt too much for that. He ended up flashing something between a sneer and a stroke victim's grimace.
Arwen narrowed his eyes.
"…Are you mocking me, Professor?"
Ding!
[System Alert]
[Disaster Imminent!]
Yujin shot upright, waving his hands. "N-no, no! Not at all! My jaw— uh, I injured it earlier. Pure accident. Ha-ha…"
The laugh came out strained and uneven, more like a donkey braying than actual humor.
Arwen just stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment before turning back to unpack his diagrams.
Kim Yujin sagged into his chair, clutching his chest.
That was close. Too close.
Inside his vision, the blue screen danced smugly.
[System Response]
[If you'd just listen to me, Host, you wouldn't nearly get yourself executed within 5 minutes ♥]
"…Executed?" Yujin whispered under his breath.
[System Note]
[Reminder: In the original timeline, Reynard von Esteban is imprisoned for fraud, stripped of his title, and dies miserably.]
Reynard gulped.
The system's tone brightened, almost into that of a sing-song.
[System Cheers for the Host!]
[But don't worry ♥ If you do as I say, you'll live like a king! Nap like a god! Feast like a glutton!]
Yujin muttered darkly, "You're enjoying this too much…"
Arwen looked up from his notes.
"Professor?"
Yujin flinched. "Nothing! Nothing at all. Just… thinking out loud."
Arwen frowned faintly but said nothing, returning to his diagrams.
The system pinged again.
[System Prompt]
[Would you like to begin Tutorial Quest: "Gain the Protagonist's Trust"?Rewards: +10 Favorability.
Options:→ YES→ YES]
"…You didn't even give me a 'No' option this time."
[System Response]
[Correct ♥]
Kim Yujin dragged a hand down his face, suppressing a groan. He was trapped.
Completely, utterly trapped.
He glanced at Arwen again, the young man's sharp profile, the intensity in his eyes, the quiet determination.
This was no ordinary student.
This was the hero of the story!
And Kim Yujin, whether he liked it or not, was now his professor.
"…Sh*t."
***
The tower laboratory was a mess of half-used parchment rolls, unwashed glassware, and the faint bitter smell of dried herbs that had been left too long near the heat.
Reynard, in his new stolen professor's body, was lazily propped against a high-backed chair, one leg folded over the other, rubbing his sore jaw.