Having a game teacher… does that mean I'm not a teacher?
I was confused.
I couldn't really say it wasn't the teacher, because… well, I had the teacher's card carefully tucked in my wallet. And, honestly, I didn't remember very well—I'd been in a rush to get off the subway—but I thought I'd heard the opening message.
But the teacher who had just passed by… the one in the game… they weren't a small child like me. And they weren't a girl either.
Even among the students taller than me, the teacher stood out—tall, broad-shouldered, muscular.
Were there any other teachers in the game?
Right.
I remembered.
There was supposed to be another teacher appearing in the final chapter, which I had missed because it was… long. Really long.
A few months ago, I had seen spoilers floating around the community. The final chapter had gotten overwhelmingly positive reviews, and that had sparked my curiosity.
Then, for some reason, I suddenly saw it clearly—like a spork stabbing through my thoughts. Another teacher did appear… later.
It was like a joke…
For a moment, I froze.
My name is Praline—which also starts with "Pro." And a black card.
I covered my gaping mouth with both tiny hands.
I'd just blurted out a huge spoiler about my own existence.
In a "spogle" I'd seen on the community boards, there was that story—the one about a teacher who'd become a Buddha, entrusting his students to another teacher before ascending, paired with a heart‑wrenching quote from heaven.
"This won't do…!"
From now on, I swore, I'd never do anything that might send me flying off into the sky.
I'd make more than two close friends!
I'd escape the fate of becoming a Buddha!
With my heart pounding, I pressed my palms together and raised them dramatically toward the sky, as if making a solemn vow to the universe.
"She's cute," someone whispered.
"What's she doing?" another murmured.
"Ah…"
The sound slipped out of me as the students' chatter swelled. Realizing every eye was on me, I slowly lowered my arms, bowed my head, and crouched down to hide my burning face in my hands.
Just pass by. Nothing happened. Just pass by.
"I think she's embarrassed," one voice said.
"Let's just go," another replied.
Their light, brisk footsteps faded behind me. I stayed crouched there for a long time, my face hidden, trying to will the world to forget me.
As my flushed cheeks began to cool, my mind drifted to more practical matters: my future plans.
My existence had to be different from the teacher's—a different kind of teacher altogether. If that was the case, then I had to dress like a teacher.
But what exactly did the teacher wear?
A crisp dress shirt with suit pants, maybe?
Was there a tie?
A belt, perhaps?
Short hair might look weird on me… sometimes compromise was necessary.
Even back when I'd been working part-time, I'd had that strange boss who refused to pay minimum wage but, in return, let me treat customers however I liked. He'd even told me I could close the store and take a nap whenever I got sleepy.
Thanks to that odd little freedom, I'd survived night shifts for a whole year without worrying about rest. The store had gone out of business after that, of course, but a new one opened next door—a daytime-only shop.
It was a comfortable job, no special skills required. Really, it had been perfect.
…Anyway, the point was, I had to see the teacher to decide on my outfit. Just opening that conversation in the prologue felt like trying to escape fate itself.
As I approached the rising plume of smoke, I found myself facing the three students who had gone ahead, the teacher, and a group of kids who looked like delinquents.
No—four. Among them was another student with white hair.
I remembered.
A flashbang monster.
Just like Lee Myeong, She was tossing flash grenades haphazardly—but once the teacher intervened, she started aiming them in the right spots.
I slowed my pace, keeping a safe distance where the teacher wouldn't notice me, and peeked out to observe.
The teacher leaned casually against the building, head turning to survey the skirmish, directing the kids with precision.
"Chinatsu. Supply Yuuka!"
"Suzumi. Hit the kids approaching from Hasumi's right."
"Hasumi. Can you hide the wings in the cover too?"
I used the gap in the teacher's attention to take a closer look.
As in the game, he wore neatly pressed suit pants, a crisp white shirt with the top button undone—no tie. Serious, yet disarmingly relaxed, his hair slightly messy.
"!"
For some reason, he turned his head—and our eyes met.
Chapter 1 of the secret of the monthly salary Lupin part-timer: Avoid making eye contact with any foreign guests approaching to ask questions!
I quickly shifted my gaze and adjusted my posture, pretending to look elsewhere, hoping to dissolve any suspicion.
… … would have been reaped.
Trying to juggle my phone with both hands, I fumbled and dropped my wallet onto the pavement.
Of course. Especially at times like this.
I scooped it up as casually as I could and only then realized—my dress had pockets. Pockets! I stuffed the wallet inside like it had always belonged there.
Finally, I held the phone properly with both hands and lowered my head.
—Jiying.
My fingerprint failed to register on the sweaty screen. I tried again. And again. The lock screen remained stubbornly locked.
Ruined!?
Then it hit me. My body had changed—so of course my fingerprints had changed, too.
—Tok… tok… togak.
From somewhere far off, I heard slow, deliberate footsteps echoing closer.
Each step sounded like the tick of a clock. Unhurried. Inescapable.
Why not just run? If I ruined our first meeting like this, wouldn't things be unbearably awkward next time?
I stared down at my useless lock screen, devoid of notifications or alarms, willing it to save me.
Please, just pass me by like before. Please head toward the chattering students instead.
And then… it struck me.
Why was I watching?
I hadn't done anything particularly wrong to the teacher, had I?
A hollow laugh escaped me. I'm probably the only one who knew about the teacher in advance…
So I straightened my posture, pride swelling a little, and looked up at the approaching figure—
"…uh?"
The person passing by wasn't the teacher at all. It was a citizen—or something—in the form of an animal.
Before I could process it, the teacher and the group of children had vanished from sight.
I was left alone, standing in the middle of the street, blinking.
I had been on my way to the chalet, following the three students.
Then I caught someone's gaze. A child, with shaggy, voluminous hair that lingered in my mind—probably because it swayed slightly the moment our eyes met.
Unlike the chaos of their hair, their uniform was neat: a crisp white shirt beneath a blue sleeveless dress.
And oddly enough, unlike the other students, a perfectly circular halo floated above their head.
Which academy was this student from? They were clearly from a different affiliation than the three I had been following.
"Teacher? Are you listening?"
"Yeah… keep talking," I whispered to myself, still staring at the child.
"Teacher, if you get hit by even one bullet, you'll be in danger—please wait here."
"Stay somewhere safe while we fight! In the meantime, we'll handle—"
"No. I'll take command."
"Teacher?"
"Yes. Leave it to me."
Yuuka's eyes widened slightly at my remark, while Hasumi and Chinatsu gave subtle nods of acknowledgment. Even the student who had approached me earlier, the one calling himself a vigilante, was now inspecting what looked like a bomb in his hands.
"Well… understood."
"Please, do me this favor," I said, my voice firm.
With Yuuka's powerful shout, the children surged toward the battlefield. Chinatsu followed just a few steps behind, eyes sharp.
I ducked behind the building, surveying the field, and began issuing instructions.
"Yuuka! Stay in front of Hasumi! Stop any kids from getting through!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Hasumi, use the cover as best you can. Target the enemies at a distance—focus on that exhausted kid on the far left!"
"It's a hit!"
"Um… and—"
"This is Suzumi."
"Suzumi, if you can, throw a flash grenade toward the center of those kids over there."
"All right!"
Finally, I could stop turning a blind eye to the flashbangs rolling precisely where I intended.
After Chinatsu's successful supply drop, the battlefield calmed slightly. Hasumi's large wings, which had been impossible to hide before, were finally tucked away, giving us a tactical advantage.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief—the outcome was far better than I had expected.
"No one's chasing after me… right?" I muttered, scanning the street, heart still pounding.
My eyes met again with the young student I'd noticed just moments ago. Her expression was calm, almost unreadable—but the tuft of hair on her head stood up, twitching slightly, as if she'd been caught off guard.
Why… why were you hiding there, watching me?
"Teacher! It's over! You can come out now!"
"Oh, right. Okay."
The last thing I saw before turning away was that child's hair—crumpled and curled, pressed against the ground, as she lay face down.