My assistant homeroom teacher, Ms. Mizuki, had her desk right by the entrance to the faculty room.
That spot by the door was usually considered the worst because of the draft, but she had probably been assigned it because she was a new teacher this year.
"Hello, miss."
"Oh, welcome."
Since it was a career counseling session, she tried to meet my eyes by tilting her head up. But being not very tall to begin with, and sitting in her chair, she looked like she might topple over, chair and all, so I quickly sat down.
Only then did Ms. Mizuki's neck return to a normal angle.
I pushed my chair back to make it easier for her to see and said.
"We're at eye level now, miss. I think you can speak."
"R-Right! Just a moment…"
Hearing me, she scrambled to open the student record book that was sitting on her desk.
"You can take your time."
"No, I'm not nervous at all, you know?!"
Ms. Mizuki, flustered, exclaimed as she flipped through the record book, finally stopping on the page with my photo.
"Phew… Let's see. Korean, excellent; Math, excellent; English, excellent; P.E., excellent…"
As she went through my grades subject by subject, she closed the book as if there was nothing more to see and asked.
"What are your plans for the future, Kim?"
The sudden question made me rub the back of my neck as I answered.
"I'm not sure yet. So if nothing else comes up, I'm thinking of taking over my parents' business."
At that, Ms. Mizuki's eyes widened.
"Um, if you don't mind my asking, what do your parents do for a living?"
"They run a small diner in Setagaya."
"Your parents run a diner?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Huh? No, not at all. I'd love to visit sometime."
Ms. Mizuki, who had seemed tense at first, gradually relaxed as our conversation progressed.
Perhaps the tension of her first-ever career counseling session had eased.
"So, what's your strongest subject, Kim?"
"If I had to pick, I'd say math or science. I always have a tough time with language arts because of all the difficult vocabulary."
Hearing my answer, she scribbled something in her notebook and muttered.
"Right, right, math and science. Then maybe you should consider a STEM major in college?"
I heard something I absolutely could not ignore, and my expression hardened before I knew it.
"No. That's not it."
"Eh?"
"I believe choosing a career based solely on a subject you're good at is a shortsighted approach. I want to do what I want to do."
I could handle anything else, but not engineering school in this life. Absolutely not.
The teacher seemed taken aback by my firm refusal, her face like a startled rabbit, but having my PTSD triggered left me no choice.
"I-I see. That was thoughtless of me. What you're good at and what you like are two different things."
She said, laughing awkwardly. Then she closed her notebook, placed her hands on her knees with a serious expression, and spoke.
"Actually, when I was a student, I didn't originally want to be a teacher."
It was a rather interesting story, so I found myself listening intently.
"Then what did you originally want to be?"
"It's a little embarrassing, so don't laugh, okay?"
"Okay, I won't laugh."
Ms. Mizuki took a small breath in and out, then said in a voice as faint as a crawling ant.
"I actually wanted to be a voice actor. I… I had a huge crush on a male character from a robot anime I watched in middle school."
"Ah…"
I had a pretty good idea of what she was talking about.
"Anyway! So when I brought it up during my career counseling, my homeroom teacher told me something. He said, 'Mizuki, you can always pursue your hobbies later. Wouldn't it be better to get a stable job first?' I know it's a bit much to say myself, but I was a top student in high school. My teacher must have thought my grades were too good to waste."
I could see why Ms. Mizuki had suddenly brought this up.
My situation was exactly the same as hers had been.
"Back then, I thought it was only natural to follow my teacher's advice. But I soon regretted it after going to a university that matched my school grades. It's my life, and no one else is going to live it for me, yet I'd made such a huge decision about my future based on one person's advice."
Then, Ms. Mizuki looked me straight in the eye and said in a calm voice.
"So, Kim, you should take plenty of time to think about what you want to be in the future and then decide. This isn't advice from a teacher, but from someone with a bit more life experience."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Considering my age before I was reincarnated, I was technically about two years older than her, but I could certainly empathize with her story.
If I could go back in time, I wouldn't have become a graduate student. I would have gotten a job at a company right away or opened a fried chicken joint.
After the conversation ended, an awkward silence fell. The teacher scratched the back of her head with an embarrassed look and said.
"Sorry. Did I talk for too long? Counseling you just brought back old memories."
"No, it was actually quite helpful."
Just as I had answered Rika earlier, this was a chance to reconsider the future I had only vaguely thought about.
I still didn't know what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be, but I was sure I would figure it out before graduation.
Before leaving the faculty room, I decided to ask one last thing.
"Do you like your current job, miss?"
If she'd been pushed into teaching by someone else's recommendation, she probably wouldn't enjoy it much.
But Ms. Mizuki nodded without a hint of hesitation and said.
"Yes. I think my job now is great. I feel a strange sense of fulfillment when I'm teaching students."
*Screech—*
Having gotten the answer I wanted, I pushed my chair back and stood up.
As she reflexively stood up as well, I gave a slight bow.
"I'll be heading to my club activity now."
"Alright, take care."
Ms. Mizuki waved with a gentle smile.
She was going to be a great teacher.
***
It was when she heard about Kim Yu-seong's parents that Mizuki Nanae realized she had been completely misunderstanding him.
"What are your plans for the future, Kim?"
"I'm not sure yet. So if nothing else comes up, I'm thinking of taking over my parents' business."
When he first mentioned the family business, Mizuki had instinctively pictured a yakuza family.
It was likely due to the prejudice she had formed based on the rumors about Kim Yu-seong circulating at school and his appearance.
That was why Mizuki had asked, her voice trembling without her realizing it.
"Um, if you don't mind my asking, what do your parents do for a living?"
Kim Yu-seong closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and answering in a calm voice.
"They run a small diner in Setagaya."
The moment she heard those words, Mizuki felt as if she had been struck hard on the back of the head.
"Your parents run a diner?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Huh? No, not at all. I'd love to visit sometime."
She had been a fool.
If she had just thought about it for a moment, she would have realized that the rumors about Kim Yu-seong were all absurd, but she had believed them without question.
He wasn't the delinquent she had imagined.
If anything, he was a devoted son, proud of his parents who worked day and night running a diner to raise their only child.
She had been afraid for no reason, all because of her own assumptions.
Once the simple misunderstanding was cleared up, Mizuki was able to proceed with the counseling session with Kim Yu-seong naturally, with a smile.
She still wasn't used to his large frame and stern face, but he no longer seemed as frightening as before.
The counseling, which had been progressing smoothly, came to a sudden halt when they began discussing his academic path.
"No. That's not it."
When she had carelessly suggested he should choose a STEM university, Kim Yu-seong had refused in a firm voice.
"I believe choosing a career based solely on a subject you're good at is a shortsighted approach. I want to do what I want to do."
Hearing his words, a memory from her past resurfaced.
About seven years ago, when she was just seventeen, her homeroom teacher had said this to her.
'Mizuki, you can always pursue your hobbies later. Wouldn't it be better to get a stable job first?'
Looking back, it was the kind of irresponsible advice anyone could give.
If she had been in her teacher's shoes, she would never have said such a thing to a student.
She would have at least told them to try for their dream, that if they gave up without even trying, they would regret it later.
She wanted to convey that feeling to Kim Yu-seong.
So she rambled on about her past, but Kim Yu-seong listened to her story from beginning to end.
After she had finished, she was suddenly overcome with embarrassment.
In trying to explain by mixing in her own experiences, she felt she had said more than was necessary.
"Sorry. Did I talk for too long? Counseling you just brought back old memories."
"No, it was actually quite helpful."
Kim Yu-seong nodded as he said this.
Relieved, she was about to tell him he could go, but just before getting up, he asked her a question.
"Do you like your current job, miss?"
The answer came out instantly, without a second thought.
"Yes. I think my job now is great. I feel a strange sense of fulfillment when I'm teaching students."
Kim Yu-seong nodded as if satisfied, then bid her farewell and left the faculty room.
After finishing the last of her counseling sessions, Mizuki, now alone in the faculty room, looked down at the spot where he had sat and made a firm resolve.
From now on, she would never judge a student by their appearance.