"Great..." I muttered under my breath, rubbing the back of my neck. "Just great."
Not only had I inherited Rin's life, but I had apparently also inherited his family drama.
And, by the looks of it, I had already made things worse without even realizing it.
But…
Things were still manageable.
For now.
After all, all I had to do was apologize, right?
Simple enough.
Would that be enough, though?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
But that was a problem for future me to deal with.
For now, I'd just put off saying sorry to Rin's—now my—family until later.
No rush.
It wasn't like I was planning to go to their house anytime soon anyway.
And it wasn't as if skipping out on the family visit would leave me homeless.
So...
"It's alright."
I forced out a casual shrug, pretending it was no big deal.
Why?
Because I was heading straight to the academy dormitory after being discharged today, not to my so-called family home.
Early admission.
That was the plan.
The academy had better training facilities, and if I wanted to survive in this world, I needed to train this pathetic body up somehow.
To be honest, I hadn't even considered visiting my family in the first place.
Why would I?
"Still…"
Lena's voice was soft, but her eyes narrowed slightly, unconvinced by my nonchalant response.
But considering her personality, that wasn't exactly a bad thing.
To her, I probably looked like some innocent, wounded kid who was hiding his pain while still being considerate of others.
How touching.
Perfect.
"Is that why you brought all this stuff?" I asked, motioning to the small mountain of snacks, books, and other random things she had lugged in. "You didn't have to, you know."
Her eyes widened slightly, and she shook her head, almost flustered.
"No! It's not that," she said quickly, waving her hands. "I just… I wanted to express my gratitude for that small enlightenment I gained yesterday."
Enlightenment?
Oh.
So she leveled up.
I cocked a brow, vaguely remembering that she must have felt some kind engliment.
Huh.
It seemed she had made some kind of progress in her power rank.
Good.
The stronger she got, the more useful she'd be against the more powerful enemies she'd face in the future.
"I really didn't do anything special," I said, offering a dismissive wave. "It was just… what I had to do."
But she just stared at me, her eyes softening slightly, and then she smiled.
That signature kind smile of hers—the one that made her seem almost too genuine for this world.
"You don't understand, Rin," she said softly.
"Despite the situation... and the penalty you faced for using your talent, you did it anyway. Without even a hint of hesitation."
I stilled slightly.
Her voice was earnest, and her eyes were almost… grateful.
"You may not realize it, but your ability helped me far more than you think," she added, her voice carrying a gentle sincerity.
I blinked.
Oh, man.
She didn't have to go all emotional on me like that.
Now I was starting to feel a bit...
Cringe.
But, at the same time, I understood where she was coming from.
This was Professor Lena, after all.
A woman with C-rank talent in Martial Arts.
Mediocre by most standards.
And yet, through sheer grit and relentless effort, she clawed her way up to A-rank.
A hero.
All while being supported by the Chairman, her benefactor.
But no matter how hard she worked, she eventually hit a wall—a limit she couldn't overcome with effort alone.
And she had a complex about it.
Unlike the typical envious villain characters, though, she wasn't the type to be bitter or resentful toward those born with superior talents.
No.
She admired them.
And she genuinely wanted to help others reach the heights she couldn't.
That was why she chose to become a professor instead of a field agent.
Sure, the Chairman's influence had a hand in that decision, but in the end, she was just a really good person.
Too good for this world, honestly.
"It's really alright," I said again, my voice more steady this time. "And I'm planning to go straight to the dormitory anyway. No plans to visit my family home."
For a moment, she just stared at me, lips parted slightly.
"Oh…"
But her expression darkened again, her eyes clouding with worry.
She didn't say it, but I could see it in her face.
She thought I was avoiding my family because of some deep emotional wound.
Because I couldn't face them.
And now, she probably pitied me even more.
Great.
Just what I needed.
More emotional attachment.
"Professor. I'll be fine on my own."
My voice came out calm and steady, but I made sure my tone was firm.
I didn't need her sympathy.
I didn't need to be treated like some fragile porcelain doll.
Regardless of what she thought of me, it didn't matter.
I held her gaze, making sure she understood.
"So, Professor... please treat me like any other student at the academy."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of her lips twitching as if she wanted to protest, but she said nothing.
If I were in her shoes—a professor faced with a student who had barely survived a near-death experience—and that student said,"Professor, please train me as hard as you do the others!"
Would I be able to do it?
Probably not.
I wasn't stupid.
I knew exactly what she was thinking right now.
Her eyes gave it away.
The hesitation, the lingering doubt—the way her gaze softened with pity despite herself.
But still, I wasn't the same weakling as before.
I could feel it.
I had changed.
And whether she believed it or not didn't matter.
"Okay. I understand..."
Her voice was quiet, almost reluctant.
She agreed, but the way she looked at me—her eyes filled with barely concealed pity—wasn't convincing at all.
'Yeah... you're not fooling anyone, Professor.'
I forced a smile, swallowing the sigh building in my throat.
I didn't need her pity.
But right now...
I'd have to accept it.
For now.
She took a step back, her expression softening slightly, and offered a faint smile.
"I have something to do today, so I'll be going now. Let's meet again at the academy, prospective cadet Rin Evans."
Her voice was warm, but there was a formality to it now.
She was drawing the line between us.
Professor and cadet.
No more than that.
I gave her a small nod, my lips twitching into a polite smile.
"Yes. I'll be in your care, Professor Lena."
I watched as she turned around and started walking away.
Her figure grew smaller with each step, but she didn't look back.
I slipped my hands into my pockets and exhaled softly, my smile turning faintly mischievous.
'Please do take care of me, Professor. We promised to be secret friends, right?'
The corner of my mouth quirked upward.
Because no matter how much she tried to draw the line, she was already on my side.
Whether she knew it or not.