The final bell rang across the academy, sweet and merciful like freedom's anthem.
Lilia practically leapt out of her chair. "Finally."
Mari stretched beside her. "What are you gonna do when we get real homework?"
"Cry," Lilia said immediately.
The students began to shuffle out. Lilia grabbed her bag and was ready to bolt when—
"Lilia Hearthwell."
The voice stopped her cold.
That deep, honey-smooth tone could only belong to one person.
She turned slowly. "Yes… Professor?"
Professor Rowan Ashford—homeroom teacher, academy heartthrob, and the human embodiment of a romantic route flag—stood near the front desk, his sleeves rolled up and an unreadable expression on his unfairly attractive face.
"I'd like a word with you."
Lilia's brain screamed a mix of:
Am I in trouble?!
Why is his jaw so sharp??
He knows. He definitely knows I was a man once. IT'S OVER.
Mari gave her a sympathetic look, whispering, "Don't die."
"Thanks for the confidence," Lilia muttered, walking up slowly.
When the room finally emptied, Professor Ashford leaned back against the desk, arms crossed. The sunlight from the windows caught the edges of his hair, and for a ridiculous moment, he looked like a dating sim CG illustration.
Which only made this way more cursed.
"You've been in this academy for only a few days," he began. "And yet, you've already gathered... attention."
Lilia blinked. "Um. Sorry?"
"I'm not concerned about the social chaos," he said flatly. "I'm concerned about your academics."
Lilia felt her stomach drop. "Ah."
"You were spacing out in class today. And yesterday. And the day before."
To be fair, she thought, I was having a full-blown gender identity crisis and also dodging social death traps.
But out loud, she just chuckled nervously. "I might still be... adjusting."
Professor Ashford narrowed his eyes. "Which is why, from today onward, you'll remain after school. I will tutor you personally."
Silence.
Lilia's brain:
Error 404: Freedom Not Found.
"I-I'm sorry, what?"
"You need to catch up. And I'd rather not have you falling behind." His tone was serious, teacher-like, but his voice was just a little too gentle. "This isn't a punishment, Miss Hearthwell. It's a responsibility. Do you understand?"
=======================
[System Notification: New Route Unlocked: The Stern Tutor.]
[Private Lessons: Daily]
[Caution: Choices here may increase Affection.]
=======================
Lilia internally screamed.
No no no no no—
"I-Isn't this a little... extreme?" she asked, her voice rising an octave.
"It's necessary." He picked up a stack of books and set them on the table near the window. "Come. Let's begin."
===========
[Choice Appeared:]
[(1.) "Thank you, Professor. I'll try my best." (+Affection)]
[(2.) "Do I have a choice?" (Neutral)_
[(3.) "I'm not great at learning under pressure. Or with hot teachers." (–Sanity, ++Affection, ???)]
============
Lilia stared at the options like she'd just been handed a live grenade.
Why does even learning math have to be romantic in this world?!
She opened her mouth to go with option two.
But panic and sarcasm betrayed her.
"I'm not great at learning under pressure. Or with, you know... hot teachers."
The words escaped like traitors.
A beat of silence.
Professor Ashford blinked. Then… he smiled.
Just a little.
Lilia wanted to dig a grave under the desk.
"Is that so?" he said calmly, like she hadn't just thrown her soul into the trash. "Then I'll do my best to be less distracting."
[System: Rowan Ashford. Affection +1]
Lilia sat down at the table, her soul floating somewhere above her body.
This is fine, she thought, staring at the textbook. Totally normal. Just me. In a fantasy world. In a girl's body. Alone. With a super hot teacher. Every day. Until I die.
"Open to page twelve," Professor Hartwell said calmly.
Yep. I'm definitely in hell.
few minutes later
"…And this formula applies to elemental resonance theory," Professor Ashford said, tapping the chalkboard with a graceful flick of his wrist. "Combine with the mana flow equation we covered earlier, and you'll see the link between spell structure and affinity."
Lilia blinked. Her pen hovered over the paper like it was afraid to commit to writing the nonsense pouring from his mouth.
She nodded slowly.
"I see…"
She did not see.
She saw nothing.
Inside her mind, it was a screaming void. A war. A mental battlefield of total academic annihilation.
Spells – Wand malfunction. Try again later.
Formulas – Currently buffering. Math not found.
Logic – 404: Reason not responding."
Existential Panic – Active. Thriving. Wearing a tiara.
Shiny Hair Distractions – Weaponized. Lethal. Possibly enchanted with hypnosis.
Why is this so hard?! she cried inside. Was I always this dumb? Or did gender-swapping also reset my brain to factory settings?!
Every word Ashford said passed through her ear like it was trying to sneak out the other side undetected.
And it didn't help that he spoke so calmly, so confidently, like magic was just basic kindergarten math.
Maybe I should've listened when sis explained all this nonsense during dinner. What was the spell system called again? Mystic Resonance or... Wait, no, that was a boy band name.
She sighed. "Professor... I think I'm losing the battle."
Professor Ashford turned from the chalkboard, raising a curious brow. "You're overwhelmed."
"Yes, but elegantly."
"You're not taking notes."
"I'm panicking politely."
He gave a quiet sigh, walking over. "I thought this might happen."
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pale, glassy orb the size of a lemon. Holding it in one hand, he extended the other, fingers poised in a delicate, practiced motion.
Lilia paused, her breath catching.
Wait.
Wait wait wait—was this...?
He whispered a single incantation.
The orb shimmered, and suddenly, glowing ribbons of light poured from it — soft blue wisps curling in the air, gently dancing above their heads. The floating shapes weaved patterns across the room like silk in water, radiant and humming softly, warm yet ethereal.
Lilia's jaw dropped.
It was beautiful.
Genuinely beautiful.
"…Whoa," she whispered.
She sat frozen, eyes wide, watching the light swirl. It was the first time she'd seen real magic up close. In this world, after all the chaos and weirdness, she'd never paused long enough to see something this... awe-inspiring.
For the first time since arriving in this new life, something felt magical in the truest sense.
The lights gently swirled, reflecting in her bright eyes. A small, genuine smile crept onto her face — the kind she didn't even realize she made.
Ashford was saying something about 'mana thread flow' and 'stabilized output', but the words melted into the background.
He paused mid-sentence when he noticed the look on her face.
Lilia, wide-eyed and glowing from the soft lights, looked like a child seeing stars for the first time.
He cleared his throat quietly.
A rare pink tint touched the corners of his cheeks.
"It's just a basic illumination charm," he said softly.
"It's amazing," Lilia whispered back, still transfixed. "You made light... dance."
For a moment, the silence between them was comfortable.
Warm.
…Until she realized her chin was on the desk, staring up at him like some besotted magic fangirl.
She snapped upright, coughing loudly. "Anyway! Ha ha! Learning! Yes, we were doing something boring!"
Professor Ashford chuckled softly, his blush fading into a calm expression. "Let's take a short break. You look like you've been through a small war."
"You have no idea," Lilia muttered.
She slumped back in her chair, staring up at the last trailing glow in the air, trying to ignore the system notification she knew was about to come.
=======================
[System Notification: Rowan Ashford. Affection +3]
[New Objective: Study Session — Complete!]
[Tip: Magic isn't just flashy. It's personal. Emotional. Show genuine curiosity to unlock deeper moments.]
=======================
Lilia buried her face in her arms.
"I hate this game," she mumbled into the desk.