Chapter 9- Academic Advisor Assignment (1)
For a while, the administration office and faculty department were devoted to dividing the freshmen into classes.
It’s about splitting classes based on basic evaluation results.
Because we can’t teach uniformly without considering their levels.
To help good students do better, and struggling students improve.
Han Min-ha was placed in the lower class.
They didn’t have high expectations, so they weren’t disappointed.
After classes were decided, management assistants were assigned.
Management assistants are like homeroom teachers who guide student’s overall academy life.
Though called assistants, they’re all renowned scholars who just lack hero abilities.
To begin with, one can’t become academy staff without considerable experience.
Just then, the department head entered and sat at the head of the conference table, greeting with forced cheerfulness.
“Good evening, everyone!”
The professors looked at each other, unsure how to react to this nonsensical greeting in the morning.
At that moment, I understood the situation.
The department head probably stayed up all night working on class assignments, so he made a ridiculous joke about how today was evening for him, not morning, since he hadn’t slept.
Of course, staying up all night was probably an exaggeration.
What a thoughtless joke.
Professor Heo Tae-hyun, who had served as department head for quite some time among the professors of Information Gathering and Operations, spoke up. “Hahaha. Oh my, Director. Did you stay up all night?”
“As expected, only our Professor Heo understands.”
Professor Heo Tae-hyun explained the department head’s joke to the other professors.
Only then did the professors force out awkward laughs and offer generic greetings like ‘Good evening, Director’ and ‘Thank you for your hard work.’
Professor Heo Tae-hyun caught my eye and winked with a look that said ‘You already understood all this, didn’t you?’
As expected of someone specializing in Information Gathering and Operations, he’s terribly quick to read situations.
Professor Heo is very popular among people.
He’s comfortable to be around, quick-witted, good at jokes, knows how to take care of others, and has no qualities to dislike.
Moreover, he’s the only one who can give criticism to the department head with a smile.
For whatever reason, he’s still just a regular professor even though he should have been promoted to associate professor by now, given his years of service.
Thanks to Professor Heo, we barely avoided the worst situation when the meeting atmosphere was about to be ruined by an unforgivable joke.
The department head became very pleased thinking his joke had landed, so the meeting proceeded not too badly.
Today’s meeting was about assigned classes, managing assistants, and the upcoming advisory professor assignments.
There wasn’t much content – just teach systematically according to level now that classes were organized.
And to observe students in advance to prepare for advisory professor assignments.
When the meeting ended, the department head clapped energetically and said,
“Let’s do our best today, everyone. Ready for the cheer!”
“Yap…!” “Yap…”
The professors raised their fists with reluctant voices at those words.
Only Professor Heo Tae-hyun shouted ‘Yeap!’ with enthusiasm.
“Start the cheer!”
“Wonderful…! Powerful…! Successful…!”
“All together!”
“Puff, puff, puff,!”
Raising fists three times, then quickly three more times for a total of six times, I thought.
This is truly insane.
A meeting of distinguished current and former hero professors.
Regular people would think we have deep discussions every morning about how to effectively educate hero candidates who will be responsible for the future.
But the reality is ‘Puff, puff, puff,.’
“Good work everyone! Let’s get up!”
Professor Heo Tae-hyun shouted loudly when the cheer ended.
Professor Heo always acts like that at the end of meetings to definitively wrap things up.
If he doesn’t do that, the department head won’t leave and will just sit there continuing to chat.
“Good work everyone!”
At Professor Heo’s signal, the professors got up from their chairs and fled the faculty office like they were escaping.
So, our department’s actual motto is ‘Good work everyone. Let’s get up.’
Just as I was getting up, the department head called me.
“Professor Gyo. See me for a moment before you go.”
“Yes, Director.”
As I sat back down, the department head pointed to the seat diagonally across from him. “Come closer over here. Do you dislike talking with me?”
“No. I’ll move.”
After I moved seats, the department head waited for the other professors to leave before speaking. “How have you been feeling lately?”
“Fairly well, thanks to your consideration.”
“What consideration? By the way, are you not taking advisory students this year either?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
Actually, I had my eye on Han Min-ha, but I couldn’t say so carelessly without knowing the department head’s thoughts.
“I heard you introduced yourself to Yu Hee-won at the entrance ceremony?”
“It wasn’t really an introduction, but we did exchange a few words.”
“What did you say?”
“She asked if I was also a professor, and I said yes. That was it.”
The department head scratched his chin with furrowed brows, seeming not to believe me.
“Hmm. Is that so? That’s not what came up in the meeting between the Advisory Committee Chairman and Dean.”
“Then what was it?”
“I heard you discussed the advisory professor matter, no?”
I can roughly guess what’s going on.
It seems Yu Hee-won talked about me to her father.
Has she already set her sights on me?
“Well, I never had such a conversation.”
“Is that so? Anyway… about advising students.”
“Are you going to tell me to take Yu Hee-won?”
“What? When did I say that?”
“Wasn’t that your intention?”
“No, no. Choosing advisory students is done by mutual agreement, how could a mere department head force someone to take one?”
Yet the department head continued subtly.
“But… I see Yu Hee-won ranked first in the basic evaluation. You know what that means? First in basic evaluation means graduating first and starting directly at B-rank.”
“I know.”
“In one’s teaching career, guiding such a student would be quite a fortunate and valuable experience, wouldn’t it? Even after thirty years of teaching, I find it quite tempting.”
“Then why don’t you be her advisory professor, Director?”
“Wh-what…?” The department head stammered in surprise.
“Wouldn’t it look better if you personally took charge rather than an unpopular subject professor like me? Given Yu Hee-won’s abilities and background, a department head would be much more suitable than a regular professor.”
“Uh… you think so…?”
“Yes. The Advisory Committee Chairman is so interested in his daughter’s education, but if he learns her advisory professor is just a tuberculosis-ridden Basic Defense Studies professor who keeps coughing…”
When I deliberately trailed off, the department head began nervously rolling his eyes around.
“You have a point there. You’re right, Professor Gyo.”
“There’s no problem according to regulations either, so please take charge directly, Director. The Advisory Committee Chairman and Dean will probably be pleased too. They’ll say the busy department head is taking the initiative for student education.”
“Hmm…”
“I’ll be relieved of such an important responsibility, you’ll get to teach an excellent student before retirement, Yu Hee-won will benefit from your superior instruction rather than mine, the Dean can save face with the Advisory Committee Chairman, and the Chairman will be pleased to have his daughter taught by someone of department head rank. Everyone wins.”
The Department Head tightly closed his mouth and fell into thought.
It must be hard to suppress the greed that’s slowly rising from within.
Originally, it was supposed to end with just taking me as an advisor and receiving praise, but suddenly it changed to a situation where he could receive attention and trust from higher-ups with his whole body.
Additionally, his favorable impression of me will increase as well.
Being Yu Hee-won’s academic advisor is a position everyone wants.
Even if left alone, she’ll naturally become the top student, can form connections with the advisory committee chairman, and if one can handle Yu Hee-won’s personality, there’s no better position.
Not only rejecting such a position but even recommending it to a superior.
Of course, this is only possible because our department head is an old-fashioned person with greed.
If it were a normally intelligent department head professor, they would have probably seen through my intentions right away.
“For now…”
After a while, the department head opened his mouth.
“For now, I’ll speak with the dean. About your opinion and how it would be helpful from the academy’s perspective if I personally care for Yu Hee-won.”
“Please do so. The dean will probably find it very admirable.”
“Is that so? Do you think they’ll see it that way?”
Instead of answering, I gave a faint smile.
* * * * *
As I was just leaving the research building for a lecture, someone called out to me.
“Hey, Professor Gyo!”
When I turned around, Professor Heo Tae-hyun was waving at me from the smoking area while smoking a cigarette.
When I made a smoking gesture with my fingers and shook my head, Professor Heo smiled, stubbed out his cigarette on the ground, and waved his hand to disperse the smoke.
“Is it okay now?”
“Yes.”
“What did you talk about with the department head? Did he say something nonsensical again?”
I hesitated for a moment about whether to speak up.
Professor Heo Tae-hyun is a professor specializing in information gathering and operations.
If he wanted to, finding out the conversation between the department head and me wouldn’t be too difficult.
Fortunately, he’s favorable towards me; if he were an enemy, he would have been quite troublesome.
I guess it’s better to just tell him.
“It was about being an academic advisor.”
“Academic advisor? Why? Ah, I get it. They want you to take Yu Hee-won, right?”
“You already knew?”
“No, I didn’t. But there’s nothing else to talk about besides that.”
As expected of someone who’s worked in intelligence for a long time, he can deduce situations from small clues.
“So, did you agree to take her?”
“No. I suggested to the department head that he should be her direct advisor since it’s too burdensome a position…”
“Hahahahaha!”
Before I could finish speaking, Professor Heo burst into laughter.
It doesn’t seem like a particularly funny story, but he wiped tears from his eyes while laughing and hit my shoulder making a fuss.
“Professor Gyo, you bastard. You’re always so funny.”
“Is it funny?”
“You bastard. Did you deliberately set up the department head?”
“Not particularly, I really just don’t want to take Yu Hee-won.”
“Man, they specifically picked you, but suddenly if an old geezer department head shows up with a shaved head saying he’ll guide their daughter, which parent would like that?”
“That’s true, but I really don’t want to take Yu Hee-won.”
“That’s also true. Being in the spotlight is good, but if the spotlight is too hot, your head will get completely burned.”
Professor Heo waved me off while chuckling at his own joke. “Go now. It’s almost time for lectures to start.”
“I’ll be going then, Professor Heo.”
“Alright.”
The morning spring breeze was still chilly, and if I stayed outside too long, I might have another coughing fit.
I hurried across to the lecture building and went up to the classroom.
Coincidentally, today’s first class was with the advanced class that Yu Hee-won belonged to.
As I was preparing for the lecture after arriving at the classroom, students began entering one by one.
“Hello, Professor. Good morning.”
“Professor Gyo. How are you?” Yu Hee-won came in with a smile.
