There is a bottom even beneath the bottom.
Why didn’t I realize that fact?
Currently, with me at the center, Miss Hoshino and Carmilla are ready to face off, each wielding a sword and a gun.
At that very moment, when the classroom itself was about to explode,
Someone stepped in between us and swiftly intervened in the fight.
An S-rank hero who, under the guise of a student teacher, started working at Almighty Elementary School today.
Amidst the children’s cheers and the astonishment of the two on either side, I alone felt utterly doomed.
“Hello, students. My name is Yoon Ha-eun~”
“As you can see, she’s an S-rank hero, but she’s also going to be our student teacher for a while to help with your education. So, everyone, make sure to listen to Teacher Yoon Ha-eun.”
“Yes, teacher!”
I’m screwed.
A hero who failed to defeat a monster just yesterday suddenly shows up as a student teacher the next day?
There’s no way this is just a coincidence.
She definitely came here under the pretense of being an educator to keep an eye on me.
As cold sweat started forming on my forehead…
Bzzz.
“…?”
What is this?
Why does it feel like she’s staring directly at me?
Feeling overwhelmed by her intense, heart-shaped gaze, I shifted my body left and right.
Then…
“Intently…”
Her S-rank hero eyes followed my every movement.
She was staring at me so intensely that cold sweat trickled down my forehead.
“Hey, doesn’t it seem like the student teacher is only looking at Janghoon?”
“Yeah… We should be cautious.”
In the middle of all this, when were they fighting, and now they’re united against a common enemy?
Like the saying, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’
Just moments ago, Miss Hoshino and Carmilla were exchanging blows,
But now, they’ve teamed up to act as my protective shield.
It was… oddly reassuring.
‘Well, at least they’re not fighting anymore… so that’s good, right?’
Yoon Ha-eun, who showed unusual interest in me,
Joined the school as a student teacher and participated in classes.
What exactly did she come here for?
During the entire morning until lunchtime,
All she showed was the role of a dedicated educator.
“Oh my, you’re learning about quadratic functions at just 8 years old?”
“Yes! These are questions from the entrance exams!”
“That sounds a bit difficult. Let me give you some tips.”
She moved up and down the tiered classroom, effortlessly communicating with the young students.
I guess even if her usual behavior is questionable, she’s still an S-rank hero after all.
In just a few hours, the students were completely charmed by her kindness, beauty, and intelligence.
For the first time since the semester started, the usually gloomy classroom felt bright and lively.
Except for two people.
The two girls sitting on either side of me.
Grip.
“Miss Hoshino? Why are you suddenly grabbing my hand…?”
“If you have any difficult questions, just ask. I’ll help you.”
“Oh, okay…”
Now that I think about it, I was so distracted by Yoon Ha-eun that I forgot—
Isn’t quadratic functions a bit too much for elementary school students?
This level of difficulty is beyond even Korea’s notoriously tough education system.
It’s basically like they’re learning middle school math in elementary school.
For someone like me—a mid-to-late 30s office worker who hasn’t thought about exam math in ages—These problems were downright impossible.
Even with Miss Hoshino kindly explaining it, it was still way too hard.
So, as I groaned in frustration…
Ding-dong-dang-dong.
“Oh, it’s lunchtime, Miss Hoshino.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’ll explain the rest after we eat.”
“Alright.”
Just in time, the lunch bell rang.
My overloaded brain could finally take a much-needed break.
“Janghoon, I brought a lot of food today to share with you. Is it okay if I sit with you?”
“Of course, Carmilla.”
“…! Thank you so much.”
At Almighty Elementary School, instead of school-provided lunches, students bring their own lunchboxes from home.
The reason wasn’t budget cuts or anything like that.
The school’s philosophy was that young children’s digestive systems are sensitive,
And each student at this elite school is considered precious.
To help them develop a taste for homemade meals rather than harsh outside food,
They implemented the lunchbox system.
It was unfamiliar but also kind of fun for me,
Since I grew up eating school lunches all my life.
‘Well, food is always fun, right?’
My lunchbox was a balanced meal prepared by the skilled chefs of the Okami household, carefully crafted with the right mix of carbs, protein, and fat.
Kids my age typically love meat and hate vegetables and beans, but for someone in their mid-to-late 30s,
a meal with mixed grains, assorted vegetables, soy-braised beef, and even a fried egg on top was a feast.
The only downside was the lack of gochujang (Korean red chili paste), but it still made my mouth water.
Apparently, I was the only one who felt that way.
“Uh, Janghoon? What’s up with your lunch…?”
“Janghoon… Is the Okami family mistreating you…?”
“…Huh?”
Miss Hoshino and Carmilla, sitting on either side of me, looked absolutely shocked.
“What is this?! Where’s the salmon steak, or the meat, or the meat, or the meat?! Where’s the meat?!”
Oh, Miss Hoshino.
If you keep eating only meat, you’ll end up with clogged arteries someday.
“And why is your rice so dark? Are you being punished or something?”
Carmilla…
White rice has so much sugar in it. You need to eat mixed grains to avoid diabetes and live longer.
From my perspective, this was the perfect meal, but I guess kids just don’t get it.
Out of curiosity, I checked their lunchboxes too.
Carmilla’s luxurious Italian-style lunch included perfectly cooked aglio e olio pasta and Margherita pizza.
‘Did Miss Lazerita make this herself?’
I was given some food, and while it tasted good, it was way too salty.
The pasta and pizza were both excellent, but they felt too heavy for lunch.
“You can’t get any energy from just eating those greens. Here, have some more. Eat up!”
“Uh… um…”
“Hey, Jang! I brought my own food too, you know?! You can eat that stuff yourself!”
Not to be outdone, Miss Hoshino revealed her lunchbox.
It was stacked like a three-tiered tower, filled to the brim with lamb steak, beef steak, and soy-marinated pork stir-fry – all meat.
“Miss… where are the vegetables?”
“Oh, please. You need to eat meat to get energy! And besides, I’m a fox, so I don’t need vegetables!”
Uh… is that how it works?
I was about to say something about the excessive protein, but then I remembered that she’s more like an “animal who looks human,” so maybe this is actually appropriate.
It felt awkward to criticize her, so I decided to stay quiet, even if her diet looked like a shortcut to clogged arteries.
But still, even for a fox demi-human, isn’t this too heavy for lunch?
Munch, munch…
“Jang Hoon, your lunch looks too light. From tomorrow on, let’s pack the same thing.”
“?! If you bring that much food, there won’t be enough to share with me, right?”
“Then just sit somewhere else starting tomorrow!”
“No way! We just made up and became friends, so why would I have to distance myself again?”
“Ugh… So just pulling out your teeth makes us friends?”
“Well, if that’s the case, you pulled out three of mine!”
Bicker, bicker.
This is strange.
Lunchtime used to be my favorite part of the day at work.
So why is it so hard to swallow my food at school, which is supposed to be more comfortable than work?
It felt like I was sitting on pins and needles.
In Korea, they say not even dogs are bothered while eating, but maybe that rule doesn’t apply in this world. Here, it’s total chaos no matter if you’re eating or not.
And then, to top it off…
“Hi, guys!”
“?!?!”
A woman carrying her own lunchbox walked over to where the three of us were sitting.
It was none other than Yoon Ha-eun, the student-teacher of Class 1-A and an S-rank hero who had been keeping her eyes on me.
“Can I join you for lunch?”
With a friendly smile, she asked us directly.
It felt a bit too rude to refuse…
“No.”
“?!”
“…!”
I thought it’d be hard to reject her, but…
When did they stop fighting over lamb steak and come together like this?
Miss Hoshino and Carmilla stood united against a powerful common enemy.
They clung to me on both sides, firmly rejecting Yoon Ha-eun with wary voices.
“There’s no room left.”
It felt like I was witnessing the downfall of teacher authority in real time.
The way they drew lines across their necks, signaling they’d “kill” her if she came closer, was no joke.
The hostility radiating from them was genuine.
Even Yoon Ha-eun seemed taken aback by the blunt refusal, beads of nervous sweat forming on her forehead.
“Ugh… Did I do something wrong to you two?”
“Your existence is the problem!”
“You’re too big!” – her chest, too.
“That’s right! You’re too mature for Jang Hoon!”
Is that so?
I mean, I don’t mind the view…
“You don’t like looking at her, right?”
“Yeah…”
For now, I should just say I don’t.
When I reluctantly nodded, they seemed satisfied.
“Aww, don’t be like that. Let me join you~.”
As expected of an S-rank hero with maxed-out social skills.
Pretending to leave, Yoon Ha-eun smoothly turned back and secured a spot right in front of us.
She looked at the two princesses who were growling like wild beasts whose territory had been invaded.
“In return, I’ll tell you something interesting.”
“Something interesting…?”
“You’re both heroes, right?”
“…!”
“So, you knew about us after all.”
“Of course~. The youngest hero, Carmilla, and Princess Hoshino of the Okami family. I’ll tell you two a secret because it’s you.”
Switching topics swiftly, she leaned in and shared something that sent chills down all our spines.
“Recently, I’ve been tracking a humanoid monster wearing a dark red horned mask.”
“?!?”
“A horned mask…?”
“T-That monster… why?”
“Well, about that monster…”
She leaned in closer and whispered, “I think it’s here.”