Don't Feed the Professor! - Chapter 5

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I folded the Circulation Board. Beneath it was nothing but repeated, smudged writing stretching down the page. Once I handed it back, Gwon Tae-hyeon slipped it into his briefcase.
We quickened our pace. Soon a three-story building emerged, reeking of fin-de-siècle atmosphere. Orange streetlamps burned overhead, but tree shadows darkened the entrance.
Gwon Tae-hyeon checked his wristwatch.
“We should hurry a bit. Even with administrative privileges, wandering around this late won’t be covered.”
“You haven’t actually told me where we’re going yet.”
Gwon Tae-hyeon nodded toward the building before us.
“The Female Student Dormitory. It’s where you’ll be staying for the time being.”
“A dormitory? But I’m not a student here.”
To my question, Gwon Tae-hyeon gave a completely unexpected answer.
“I mean Expedition Member 16 from the Circulation Board you just saw.”
That nameless Expedition Member posted to Jangmi Apartment whose contact went dark? The one an elderly neighbor kept calling “dear” because the neighbor couldn’t stop herself?
“In simpler terms… there are certain people to whom Seongjae has assigned specific ‘roles.’ In your case, you’ve been given Amelie’s role. The cellphone will make that clear.”
I pulled the old-fashioned cellphone from my pocket and examined it. The cat sticker on it had been silent since earlier.
“You can no longer leave this place by conventional means of escape. You’re not a Drifter or Visitor anymore—you’ve become a legitimate resident of this world.”
Resident. It sounded good in theory, but even without asking, I knew it was nothing to celebrate.
Gwon Tae-hyeon continued his explanation.
“Seongjae will be watching you. So from now on, it’s better to think of yourself as Amelie. Don’t even consider speaking your real name—erase it from your mind entirely.”
At his words, I remembered nearly giving my name to Mallo moments ago and swallowed hard.
“What happens if I say my name…?”
“Those assigned roles become the world a little more… accommodating. But if you fall short of Seongjae’s standards—if you break implicit rules, say, or go around speaking your real name carelessly—you’ll be replaced immediately. Like ‘Expedition Member 16’ or ‘Kim Sang-hun.'”
I still didn’t understand what “replaced” meant exactly, but from his tone I could guess roughly.
A miserable death, or some form of suffering equivalent to it?
“Well, there’s no need to think of it negatively.”
Gwon Tae-hyeon gestured back toward the Central Plaza we’d passed.
“While you’re Amelie, most creatures will recognize you as one of their own.”
I glanced back at the plaza, but the lights were completely off and I could see nothing. Yet merely looking in that direction made me feel an inexplicable chill, and I quickly averted my gaze.
“Then… does Professor Mallo also think I’m a creature?”
At my question, Gwon Tae-hyeon laughed dryly.
“Hardly. That’s because he’s not just any ordinary creature.”
“Then what is he?”
Gwon Tae-hyeon sighed and opened his mouth with evident reluctance.
“Entity Classification Number S7078, or Restorer. Among ourselves, though, we call him Professor. And he seems to prefer being called that as well.”
“Is he actually a professor?”
“I don’t know.”
At my incredulous stare, Gwon Tae-hyeon shrugged as if helpless.
“No one’s ever touched superior entities carelessly and come out ahead. Besides, it’s outside my jurisdiction anyway.”
So basically, he knows nothing.
“Still, he seemed like someone you could reason with.”
“I suppose. Though I’m not sure that word quite applies…. Either way, I’d rather not get too close.”
Fair enough.
But to survive in Seongjae, shouldn’t I use every tool available? Besides, Amelie’s a college student, so staying on good terms with a professor wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Even if he’s an unpopular professor who actively recruits his own students.
We pushed through the glass doors and entered the dormitory lobby. Inside, it felt less like a university residence hall and more like a high school building from the nineties.
Above the worn, gleaming terrazzo floor, our sneaker soles creaked.
“Follow me this way. I need to introduce you to the dorm supervisor.”
I followed Gwon Tae-hyeon deeper into the dormitory. On the right side of the dimly lit hallway was a small room with a window, like an old study hall counter. The frosted window was firmly shut.
“Couldn’t we just… walk past?”
I asked, seized by an ominous feeling, and Gwon Tae-hyeon smirked.
“Sure. If you’d like life to get very tedious.”
Damn, this guy’s intense.
Gwon Tae-hyeon bent slightly and tapped the window with his knuckles.
“This is Gwon Tae-hyeon from Administration. I’ve brought a student to check in.”
Then he glanced at me.
“Greet her, and give your name.”
I hesitated before knocking on the window beside him.
“Hello… I’m Amelie.”
A brief silence fell. In that moment, wondering if something had gone wrong, the window cracked open and a hand shot out.
It was a long, skeletal hand with fingertips tinged a sickly blue.
The instant I tried to glance into the window, Gwon Tae-hyeon grabbed my arm. His lips barely moved as he spoke.
“Don’t look inside.”
“…….”
Clink—something was set down on the counter, then the hand withdrew into the darkness behind the glass.
Click. The window shut, and I picked up the small silver key left sitting there. It looked like the kind you’d find on an old hotel room.
A leather tag hung from the key, and a room number was etched into it in gold lettering.
302.
“The previous Amelie retired long before I was assigned here. The room’s been vacant ever since. I’ll do what I can to gather information, though.”
“Wouldn’t The Agency have records?”
“Perhaps, if they were Agency personnel. But most Amelies were Drifters. As you know, Drifters have no obligation to file reports with The Agency.”
Gwon Tae-hyeon guided me to the foot of the stairs.
“I can’t go up from here. Once you get to your room, check the dormitory rules first. The residents are generally kind, so there shouldn’t be any problems. Probably.”
“Probably?”
“Because nothing in Seongjae is certain. I’ll file a request with The Agency for record access. If anything useful comes up, I’ll contact you.”
And Gwon Tae-hyeon checked his wristwatch once more. He clearly wanted to leave this place quickly.
“Wait, wait. That’s it?”
“I’m sorry?”
“No warnings? No advice?”
Gwon Tae-hyeon fell silent for a moment, then answered with awkward hesitation.
“Well… there’s nothing particularly special to mention.”
From his manner, I understood. This man already believed I’d be replaced soon. That business about requesting records was just empty courtesy.
Come to think of it, I might have expected too much from an Agency operative. After all, even the loan shark told me the Agency’s purpose wasn’t human rescue—it was investigating Seongjae.
Ultimately, the rescue team’s role was merely supporting the Expedition. Cleaning up after a Drifter like me was just a side job.
I took a deep breath and looked up the stairs. Right. Who else was there to trust besides myself?
“But still—out of all those roles, why a college student specifically? I’ve never even set foot on a university campus.”
“This might offer some comfort, but most college students are typically high school graduates.”
“…That’s not even wordplay.”
Gwon Tae-hyeon nodded slightly.
“I understand your concern, but that’s not a priority. To begin with, this isn’t a real university, and even if creatures like to imitate humans, their information about humans is limited.”
So as long as it seems convincing, it’s fine. I’m confident enough in being brazen.
Gwon Tae-hyeon looked at me for a moment, then sighed.
“Just focus on survival, Amelie. That’s the only advice I can offer right now.”
……That’s my specialty, anyway.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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