The Villains I Taught Became Heroes - Chapter 108



107 – Why Are You Here with Me – 2

Regardless of the process, I won.

Soothing the three with sulky expressions, I returned to my room and looked in the mirror after taking off my clothes.

There were quite a few wounds scattered across my body.

Honestly, if I hadn’t been fooling around, I wouldn’t have been able to overcome their joint attack.

That just shows how much stronger they’ve become.

“Excellent kids.”

They’ve grown well on their own without me having to teach them.

At this point, they would manage just fine even without me.

After washing up and having breakfast, I returned to my room and stood in front of the door, taking in the view of my space.

I looked around the room I had stayed in for the past year.

Desk, bed, wardrobe. It was a tidy room with only simple furnishings.

I guess it’s time to say goodbye to this room.

– Ding! Dong! Dang! Dong!

The academy’s bell began to ring.

It seemed the opening ceremony was about to start.

I lightly grabbed my sword and headed toward the academy’s auditorium.

Many people had already gathered in the auditorium.

New students enrolling, those moving up a grade.

As I stood in a corner of the auditorium watching them, a few people approached to greet me as they passed by.

“Instructor Lee Hyun! Welcome!”

“Yes.”

The instructors needed to go up to the podium.

I followed another instructor up to the stage and looked for my students who had moved up a grade.

“Instructor! We’re over here! Here!”

“We’re right here!”

Second Year Class A.

Every single student in Class A had successfully advanced without exception.

Since there was no special division of classes, all the students were gathered together.

I spotted Sowol, Lena, and Arisha among them.

When our eyes met, I smiled at the sulky-faced kids, but they quickly turned their heads away.

Such cuties.

“Um. We will now begin the opening ceremony.”

As the host’s announcement rang out, the students began to move.

Watching this, I turned my gaze to the window that caught my eye.

“To have the opening ceremony on a clear day like today…”

The principal’s speech sounded like pleasant background music.

While it might be a boring story to others, knowing this was the last one in this world made it somewhat bearable to listen to.

If this were a game, would the credits be rolling here?

I crossed my arms and surveyed the students.

—

In the future, these children will live as elites in this world.

I sincerely hope they lead happy lives.

“…The instructor for Class 2-A is Instructor Arturus.”

Naturally, I did not take on the role of instructor this time.

No, I did not take on the role for any subject.

The principal seemed regretful, but I didn’t want to interfere with the students’ curriculum unnecessarily.

“…And Instructor Lee Hyun has submitted a leave of absence.”

After the introductions of the instructors for each class and subject, the principal spoke one last time.

At those words, the auditorium began to stir.

“Instructor Lee Hyun has said he has matters to attend to. I hope he achieves what he wishes.”

Like the other students and instructors, the principal also seemed regretful.

The mixed gazes of curiosity and disappointment from the students I had been with last year pierced through to me.

I waved lightly at them and returned to my place.

Though my leave caused a buzz in the auditorium, the opening ceremony did not come to a halt.

As the other instructors calmed the commotion with nods, the principal continued with the remaining events.

And finally.

The academy’s anthem, the BGM that plays when witnessing the true ending in a game, echoed through the hall.

Hearing it, I closed my eyes. This is really the end.

[Observe the True Ending]

[Reward: Return]

[※Time does not flow in the real world while you are in this world.]

[※If you die in this world, you will also die in reality.]

[You have observed the True Ending.]

[Return will commence in 10 minutes.]

“…This concludes the opening ceremony.”

The moment the anthem ended and the principal’s declaration rang out, a new window appeared before my eyes.

Return. What I had longed for was right in front of me.

“Instructor!!”

“Where are you really going?!”

As the opening ceremony concluded and people began to leave the auditorium, the students from Class 2-A rushed towards me.

Smiling at them, I nodded my head.

“I’m proud of you all.”

“Instructor Lee Hyun…”

“Come here. Let me give you a hug.”

I embraced the teary-eyed students tightly.

Such grateful kids.

Perhaps because they had worked hard for my return, I truly hoped they would live wonderfully from now on.

“Seowol.”

“…Liar. Liar. You said you wouldn’t go…!!”

“Because I’m a liar. So, are you not going to hug me?”

—

In the end, I tightly embraced Sowol, who had burst into tears.

As I stroked her, crying profusely against my chest, I briefly kissed her forehead.

“Be a great saint.”

“Ugh… Huh… I don’t want to… I don’t want to go…”

“Sniff. Are you going to just show me your crying face again like before, now that I’m leaving??”

Only then did Sowol press her lips together tightly.

Stopping her crying with a few sniffles, Sowol looked up at me and shook her head.

After kissing her forehead once more, I let her go.

“…Next time we meet, I won’t let you go…”

“Yes. Do that. Now. Ren. You come here too.”

“Waaah! Master!!”

As soon as Sowol fell away, Lena burrowed into my arms.

Crying like a little child, she hugged me tightly and lifted her tear-streaked face.

“Wow. You look ugly.”

“Heeey…!!”

“I’m just kidding. Our Ren is always pretty.”

I wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

But in the end, she burst into tears again, and I held her tightly.

Lena, nestled in my embrace, finally stopped sobbing and looked at me.

“Master… where are you going…?”

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“I have to go home.”

“…Home, you say…”

“You know it too.”

Lena stared at me intently and then nodded.

And once again, she hugged me tightly.

“I… I will miss you.”

“Yes. I will miss you too.”

“…If you don’t go, we can keep seeing each other…”

“Hahaha. You little one. Hahaha.”

That’s not how it works, kiddo.

I gently eased Lena away and turned my gaze to Arisha.

She had her head bowed low and walked over, lightly grabbing the hem of my clothes.

“Can’t you stay…?”

“No.”

“…I’ll do everything for you. Still, can’t you stay?”

“Still, I can’t.”

“…Ugh!”

In the end, unable to hold back her frustration, Arisha grabbed me tightly and lowered her head.

Is she going to get angry? Or is she going to cry?

I bent down to comfort her.

And…

“Oh my goodness!”

“Eek~!”

Arisha stole my lips!

Wait, a kiss here?!

I was frozen in shock, but I quickly pulled Arisha away.

Just a moment ago, she looked like she was about to cry, but now her face was lit up with a bright smile.

“With this, your first kiss belongs to me! I’m your favorite!”

“That’s so unfair!!”

“How sneaky!!”

“Hehe~! What’s unfair about it in this world! Teacher! Did you know? We…”

It was just as Arisha, looking even brighter than usual, was about to speak.

[Beginning the return.]

As the message window appeared before my eyes, my mind went blank. Everything around me blurred, and I could hear nothing.

Is this how it ends?

I smiled at the students reaching out to me in confusion.

“Take care. My dear students.”

I’m leaving.

.

.

.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling.

It was my room.

Rising from the bed, I looked at my computer.

The icon for Ragnarok was visible on the desktop.

As I stared at it intently, I stretched lightly and went out to the living room.

It was quiet.

Everything that had just happened felt like a lie.

– Ding dong~! Ding ding dong~!

At that moment, the alarm rang.

I went straight to the shower, washed up, got dressed, and headed outside.

Then I got into the car and drove off.

The place I arrived at was a large hospital in the city.

I passed through the bustling area filled with people checking in and patients, and I reached a hospital room reserved for VIPs only.

“Mom. I’m here.”

Inside the room, I saw a middle-aged person looking out the window with a faint smile.

My only family. My mother.

“Why do you keep coming here?”

“Well, it’s only natural for a son to visit his mom.”

It had already been five years since my mother was hospitalized.

—

Since she was young, my mother, who had a frail body, often collapsed.

Fortunately, my mother had a lot of assets, and I was able to earn a significant amount of money through cryptocurrency and stock investments, which allowed me to secure such a nice hospital room for her.

If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have been able to care for her so comfortably.

“Have you finished the book?”

“Yeah. It was interesting.”

I brought the books I had purchased, worried she might be bored.

My mother gazed at the book for a moment before taking my hand.

It was thin, small.

As I held that hand, which felt like nothing but bone and skin, my mother gave me a warm look.

“My son… It must be hard taking care of me every time, right? You can’t even date… My wish is just to see my son with a girlfriend once…”

“I know. I know. I promise I’ll introduce her to you later.”

“It’s a promise. You must.”

We linked our pinky fingers, the weakly raised one.

After making that promise, my mother seemed tired and lay down on the bed.

I waited until she fell into a deep sleep, then gently stroked her before heading home.

Now that I think about it, there was nothing to eat at home.

After stopping by the supermarket to shop, I arrived home and grabbed the doorknob, revealing my teeth in a smile.

There was someone inside.

A thief?

If so…

I flung the front door open.

The people inside turned their gazes toward me.

“Uh…? Why are you all here?”