<Chapter 23>

The eerie sound had come from Jiho, dressed up as a ghost.

“Huh? Teacher, I just heard something weird…”

“Hmm? What sound? I didn’t hear anything.”

I acted calm, pretending nothing was wrong, and the kids’ faces grew even more tense.

Knock.

“Eek!”

“I-I heard it too!”

As the strange sounds continued, even Paul and Ardishu looked frightened. The children clung to one another, glancing nervously at the door.

“I’ll go check it out.”

“Ah, no! Teacher, it’s dangerous!”

Ardishu tried to stop me in a panic but I casually walked over and threw the door wide open.

“See? No one’s here. Nothing to worry about.”

“B-but…”

Just as I sat back down, knock, the sound echoed again. I kept my cool and continued the story.

“The noise didn’t stop, so the child finally peeked out from under the blanket. But then!”

“T-then what?”

SLAM!

The door burst open and Jiho came rushing in, covered in a white sheet.

“A ghost appeared!”

“Aaaah!”

“Waaah!”

The kids all screamed in perfect unison.

“H-hey, calm down, everyone!”

Startled, the children each grabbed a pillow and began whacking Jiho with them in perfect sync.

“S-someone save me…”

“Are you okay?”

“The culprit… was the kids…”

Jiho collapsed dramatically, leaving behind his “last words.”

“The ghost… was our cooking teacher.”

“That’s not the issue right now. We have to treat him.”

“Get the bandages!”

Still fired up, the children moved swiftly. They tore up the white sheet Jiho had been wearing and wrapped him tightly in it.

“What is this, some kind of new age bullying?”

Unable to do anything, Jiho had no choice but to lie still and receive the kids’ “treatment.”

“Now that he’s all bandaged up, he’ll be fine in no time!”

Looking at Jiho now wrapped like a mummy, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

‘Maybe the prank went a bit too far?’

Oh well.

The noisy retreat came to a cheerful and chaotic end.

* * *

On Monday morning, the kids boarded the bus and went home. Because of the weekend retreat, Monday was given as a special holiday.

It had been lively all weekend but once the kids were gone, the place fell eerily silent. Like flipping a switch.

But only briefly. In the blink of an eye, Tuesday rolled around and the kids were back.

“Let’s talk about what everyone did over the weekend.”

Since the weekend had been the retreat, the kids had drawn more pictures than usual and their stories were nonstop.

Their colorful artwork was displayed in a neat row on the wall. A way to always look back on the retreat.

“Fireworks go boom!”

Valentin tossed tiny bits of colored paper into the air.

“Hmph. I’ll take that.”

Paul swooped in and snatched the fluttering pieces.

“You’re guilty. Time to pay for your crimes!”

Ardishu shouted dramatically.

I guess the trial and fireworks had left a strong impression. There was a whole new set of games now.

Knock knock.

“Hmm?”

Someone tapped on the window and I turned my head.

“Oh, Director.”

Lian stood outside the window. Hair often looks different under the sun, but his remained pitch black. Like shadows that swallowed the light.

I opened the window.

“We’ve decided on the field trip location.”

“Wow, finally!”

“Lake Pommel. It’s said the lake was formed from the tears of the Almighty God. Here, check this for the details.”

“Okay.”

I scanned the document Lian handed over. It detailed everything about the destination.

“We’re planning to go next week. Would you…”

I lifted my gaze from the papers to look at him but he had already vanished.

“He really is like a fairy.”

Or maybe a ghost?

Either way, I was thrilled that the dream of a field trip was finally becoming reality.

“Kids! We’re going on a trip to the lake next week!”

“Yay!”

The atmosphere, which had settled a bit after the retreat, instantly picked back up with energy.

‘I should ask Jiho to make kimbap. And don’t forget the picnic mat.’

As I skimmed the document again to work out the details, one note at the end caught my eye.

Wait, does that mean… just the two of us are going?

* * *

Two days later.

“See you tomorrow, Teacher!”

“Goodbye!”

Ardishu and Valentin waved at me as they boarded the bus. Paul had already flown off on his own.

‘I should hurry if I want to get to the inspection in time.’

Since I figured it might take a while, I asked Jiho to prep dinner. He was making yubuchobap.

‘He said he fried the tofu himself to make the pouches?’

Even the tofu had been made from soybeans he soaked himself, gifted by the elves. Talk about dedication.

While I waited for Lian, I worked on lesson plans. Jiho wandered the classroom, looking at the kids’ artwork.

“It’s pretty obvious who made what.”

“They’re at that age where their preferences are clearly reflected in everything. But… aren’t you leaving?”

“Oh, I made more food than expected so…”

Jiho scratched the back of his neck, still staring at a drawing on the wall.

“I’m going too.”

That’s your conclusion?

Still, it worked out well. I was already nervous about going alone with Lian. He’s not exactly the easiest person to be around.

“I figure I should take this chance to meet that director everyone talks about.”

“What are you two doing?”

Just then, Youngja-unnie came in.

“We’re talking about the field trip inspection. Jiho the chef is coming too. What about you, Unnie?”

“Huh? Why bother? Getting off early is the best.”

Youngja-unnie clearly had zero interest. Still, it would’ve been nice if we could all go together.

“Lian— I mean, the director, is really handsome!”

“Jiho! You saved me some dinner, right?”

“Of course I did, Youngja-noona.”

And so, the field trip inspection party grew larger.

A moment later, a breeze blew through the open window, tossing my hair around. As I turned to fix it, I saw Lian standing in the spot that had been empty just moments before.

With the sunset at his back, he looked like a model straight out of a fashion shoot.

“Is… is that him?” Youngja -unnie whispered, sticking close behind me. That’s when I remembered. His first impression was kind of intimidating.

‘I need to take the lead here.’

I cleared my throat and stepped forward.

“Hello, Lian. Somehow, a few more people ended up tagging along.”

“So it seems.”

“This is Chef Jiho and this is Youngja, the teacher who takes care of the kids’ transportation. And this is… well, Director Lian sent by the Black Dragon.”

Despite the stiff atmosphere, Lian, Youngja-unnie, and Jiho exchanged greetings.

“Taking the bus might be best.”

“Right. Transportation is part of the inspection too.”

We boarded the bus and took our seats. Maybe it was because I hadn’t been on a bus in a while but something about it felt surreal.

I never imagined riding a bus would transport me to another dimension.

If I hadn’t gotten on the bus that day at that exact time, would I still be in my old world?

What if I’d left something behind and had to go back for it? Or tripped on the road and been just a little late…?

‘No use dwelling on that kind of stuff.’

I shook my head and turned to Youngja-unnie.

“By the way, does this bus run on fuel? It’s been a while but it still runs so smoothly.”

“Huh? Didn’t I tell you? It runs on fairy dust.”

My eyes widened.

“That’s incredible. Super eco-friendly.”

“Yeah, but the fairies complain about it.”

No surprise there. It must be tough powering a whole bus with those tiny bodies.

While I was chatting with Youngja-unnie, Jiho was talking to Lian.

“You’re human? You don’t seem very human to me.”

“So what?”

The air between them was… tense. Sensing a fight brewing, I quickly stepped between them.

“Come on, anyone can see he’s human. His ears aren’t long like an elf’s, his skin isn’t pale like a vampire’s, and he doesn’t have wings or a tail like a dragon. Obviously not a mermaid or a fairy either.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Lian said he’s the only human left here. Don’t be so hard on him.”

At my words, Jiho raised his hands in mock surrender.

Honk!

Youngja-unnie suddenly blared the horn.

“We’re here. Let’s finish the inspection before it gets dark.”

“Right. Let’s go.”

6 p.m. It wasn’t dark yet but dusk could fall fast if we weren’t careful.

‘Better hurry.’

The lake was nestled in the mountains. Even though we’d driven in pretty far, we still had to climb a long stone staircase.

“Okay, single file train!”

I only said it imagining the kids but everyone lined up behind me without a word.

“……”

Slightly embarrassed, I walked ahead, staring straight forward.

Still, pre-inspection before a field trip is essential.

We had to check for any hazards and find rest spots for when the kids got tired.

‘I should plan the full route.’

I pulled out my notebook and started sketching a rough map.

‘Valentin will probably get tired around here.’

I marked rest stops carefully along the way.

Eventually, the path split in two. As I hesitated, Lian stepped forward.

“The left path is a shortcut.”

But there were no trees on the left, meaning full exposure to the sun. The right side was heavily wooded. It’d be darker even during the day.

Youngja-unnie pointed left.

“Then let’s go that way…”

“No, the right one.”

“Huh? Why?”

She gave me a confused look.

“Valentin always brings a parasol for outdoor activities but the sun still isn’t good for him.”

“Oh! As expected of Sora. So thoughtful!”

Youngja-unnie looked impressed. As I took the lead, the others followed. Still in a single line.

“Um, you don’t have to walk in a line like this, you know.”

“You said ‘single file train,’ didn’t you?”

Lian’s serious tone made it doubly embarrassing.

“It was just something I said. I was imagining the kids… just talking to myself.”

“Understood.”

Lian moved up beside me. I’m not exactly short but next to him, I felt small.

“If that’s what Sora says then so be it.”

Jiho also came up beside me. He’s not as tall as Lian but still pretty tall.

“What is this? Side-by-side train now?”

Youngja-unnie squeezed in too and the four of us walked in a row. The path suddenly felt very narrow.

As awkward as it was, I decided not to say another word.

Focus on the inspection. Focus.

‘This part’s wide enough for the kids. From here, they should walk holding their buddy’s hand.’

I’d pair Paul with me and match up Ardishu and Valentin.

As we kept walking, I noticed a mushroom glowing in the shadows. I turned to Lian and asked,

“Is this a poisonous mushroom?”

“Not sure.”

Without hesitation, Lian plucked the mushroom and popped it into his mouth.
 

<To be continued>

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