“I believe this strategy is optimal,” I said, turning to face the instructor.

He nodded slightly and slowly opened his mouth.

“Optimal, you say. Jin Yuha, was it?”

“Yes.”

“Well, Jin Yuha, your approach was certainly novel. Now, I have a question for you. Explain why this strategy is optimal and why you chose not to use the tank or the items provided.”

The instructor turned his gaze to the hologram, where the tank was still spinning in circles, far removed from the action.

‘…Why is it optimal? Why didn’t you use the tank or the items…?’

For a moment, I furrowed my brows at the instructor’s question, but then I understood his intention.

‘Ah, catering to newbies?’

I glanced to the side, catching sight of Shin Se-hee’s bewildered expression and the majority of the students looking impressed.

‘I suppose cheesy builds would seem novel to newcomers.’

Back when I was active on the Velvet School Life strategy forums as [Kimchi Cream Pasta], every time I posted a cheesy build, there would be countless comments from newbies asking, ‘Huh?! How do you do this?!’

I nodded, remembering those times.

It was only natural to guide and spoon-feed newcomers who lacked basic knowledge. The instructor, seeing the strategy from the same perspective as me, asked this seemingly obvious question to help the students understand.

‘So, he provided a tank and loaded us up with items, expecting me to say they weren’t necessary.’

I mentally retracted my earlier assessment of him as a rookie and opened my mouth to meet his expectations.

“First of all, if we use the tank, we won’t be able to keep all the characters at full health.”

“Full health…?”

“Yes, using the tank might have allowed us to end the battle more quickly, but isn’t it more beautiful to defeat the enemies without anyone getting hurt?”

I emphasized the word ‘beautiful’ to convey the message that I was his kindred spirit. The instructor’s eyes widened at my words.

“Beautiful…?”

He repeated the word as if in admiration. Yes, you must have felt lonely and frustrated in this world where no one understood you. Surrounded by narrow-minded people with a single perspective, being the only one with a broader view must have been a solitary existence. I, too, had felt a sense of awe when I first encountered this strategy.

He quickly composed himself and asked another question.

“Then why didn’t you use the items? Using them could have helped you achieve your beautiful picture more quickly.”

“It would be a waste.”

“A waste…?”

“Yes, the highly concentrated acid is difficult to obtain and is a very efficient item. If we used it on these A-grade monsters, we might regret it later when we encounter a situation where we truly need it. I believe it’s best to refrain from using items if we can avoid it.”

“Considering future battles…”

“Of course. Consumed resources don’t come back.”

Seeing the instructor’s surprised expression once again, I couldn’t help but smile.

“I know that you prepared this test with the same mindset, Instructor.”

“Me…?”

“Yes, if you didn’t intend for us to learn this strategy, you wouldn’t have chosen this basin terrain with two healers and coincidentally placed four mutually hostile monsters here. You wanted to teach us how to incite infighting among the enemies and defeat them all at once, didn’t you?”

“… .”

The instructor seemed to have a lot to say, but he closed his mouth without uttering another word.

.

.

.

“Wow, I never even considered that.”

“I know, right? I thought for sure the tank would be in the front, taking the hits while the healers healed from the back, and then we’d use items to take them all out…”

“Hey, your idea is pretty solid too!”

“No, it’s trash. If we did that, most of the party members would end up getting hurt badly.”

The students murmured among themselves, impressed by Jin Yuha’s solution.

“Is that him? The appearance quota guy.”

“Yeah, he’s got good looks.”

“But having a brain and being so sexy is kind of unfair, isn’t it?”

“He must have studied ahead.”

“Can you really study for something like this…?”

The students were not only amazed by the novel approach to the problem but also impressed by Jin Yuha’s accurate solution.

“I apologize, Instructor,” Jin Yuha said, bowing politely to the instructor.

“I fell asleep during the previous class due to accumulated fatigue, and I didn’t realize the next lesson had started. It won’t happen again.”

“I see. Good to know you were aware.”

“And I look forward to your guidance in the future. If I had known this was such an excellent lesson, I would never have dozed off.”

“Sure.”

Jin Yuha maintained an eager expression, trying to engage the instructor in conversation, but the instructor responded curtly, cutting him off.

“So, Instructor, you prepared this easy problem because it’s the first lesson, right?”

“Easy…? A pastime…?”

For a moment, the instructor’s eyebrows twitched, but Jin Yuha didn’t notice and continued, “Yes, but it was an appropriate problem to clearly demonstrate the difference between an efficient strategy and one that isn’t. I look forward to more insightful lessons in the future.”

To others, it might have seemed like Jin Yuha was politely apologizing to the instructor, and the instructor was graciously accepting his apology, creating a heartwarming atmosphere.

However, Shin Se-hee, adept at reading people, could tell.

Right now…

That instructor…

Was incredibly,

Extremely flustered.

His face wore an expression of shock, as if his mind had stopped working, and beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.

‘…That’s usually something you shouldn’t know, Jin Yuha!’

Jin Yuha had brought a future strategy to the present.

And he was explaining it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

‘Yeah, in the future, that would be the standard strategy.’

Perhaps Jin Yuha had spent so much time looking into the future that he didn’t realize he had brought a future strategy back to the past.

‘Jin Yuha, you idiot…’

“Then, I’ll be sure to visit you often, Instructor.”

Jin Yuha flashed a bright smile at the instructor and turned to leave.

The instructor, desperately trying to maintain his composure, reluctantly nodded.

“Yeah, sure.”

Jin Yuha turned and walked back to his seat.

Thud.

He sat down in the seat next to hers, and Shin Se-hee looked at him with a complicated expression before speaking.

“Jin Yuha.”

“Yeah?”

“About the instructor…”

“Oh, you felt it too?”

Jin Yuha, with an uncharacteristically bright expression, said, “I think I’ll get along really well with the instructor. Don’t you think so?”

“……What?”

“Well, I never expected a lesson like this. Can we take this class again? Or can students also serve as graduate students? If the graduate program involves researching and refining builds like this, I’d seriously consider pursuing it.”

Jin Yuha was like a runaway train with broken brakes. Shin Se-hee felt that if she didn’t stop him, something terrible might happen.

“Jin Yuha.”

She swallowed and called out to him in a low voice.

“No.”

“Huh?”

“No, students are not usually allowed to hold graduate student positions simultaneously.”

“Hmm, then I’ll have to request permission to do so after achieving significant results…”

“And don’t you have a lot of things to do in the future?”

At that moment, Shin Se-hee saved an instructor’s life.

“Maybe after everything is over, you can pursue what you truly desire.”

“Ah.”

Jin Yuha’s mouth fell open, and he closed his eyes.

“Thanks, I needed that. I got a little carried away because I felt a connection with the instructor and loved this lesson so much.”

Jin Yuha scratched his head in agreement.

“Thank you for listening to me.”

“Still, it’s a bit disappointing…”

Jin Yuha pouted, then said, “Hmm.”

Seeing his glum expression, Shin Se-hee, who had been thinking that future knowledge shouldn’t be revealed prematurely, found herself saying something contrary to her thoughts.

“Well, we still have a lot of classes left… Maybe… occasionally dropping by to discuss strategies… wouldn’t be too bad, would it?”

She had just saved an instructor, only to push him back into the mud.

“That’s brilliant!”

Jin Yuha’s face lit up.

‘Why does it always end up like this when I’m with this guy…’

Shin Se-hee buried her face in her hands.

.

.

.

As the “Understanding Positioning and Organization” class came to an end and the students prepared to leave, Jin Yuha turned to Shin Se-hee.

“Shin Se-hee, now that class is over, what are you up to?”

“Hmm, this was the last lecture for today. I guess we’ll be heading back soon. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I was wondering if you’d like to go shopping with me today. Are you free?”

“Y-yes…?”

Shin Se-hee’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at Jin Yuha in surprise.

‘Is this guy asking me to go shopping with him…?’

Her heart raced, and her mind briefly spun into confusion, but she quickly calculated how much she could withdraw from her account at that moment.

‘…Hmm, I can probably pull out about 100 million won. If that’s not enough, I can ask Secretary Kim to arrange something.’

Hmm. Hmm.

Shin Se-hee nodded.

“Yes, of course. But why shopping all of a sudden? Is there something you need?”

“Ah, I was planning to get these for the party members before tackling the tutorial boss, but Choi Ah-ram showed up earlier than expected, so I didn’t have a chance to prepare their equipment. I want to get it done before our party activity this weekend.”

Shin Se-hee’s elated mood plummeted into the abyss.

‘Ah, the party members…’

She knew she wasn’t an official member of the party, and it was understandable that she wouldn’t be included. Moreover, as the one managing the party, it was only natural that she would accompany them on this errand.

He wasn’t asking her to go shopping as a personal favor but as a party-related task.

‘…But it’s fine. Now that he’s not even trying to hide the fact that he can see the future from me, it means he truly trusts me.’

Shin Se-hee rationalized her swirling emotions and forced herself to accept the situation.

‘Well, this is better than nothing. I should be content with this.’

“Hmm, equipment for the party members… Store-bought items aren’t really that useful, but it’s better than nothing.”

Jin Yuha, oblivious to what Shin Se-hee was thinking, continued, “Well, for Kang Do-hee, let’s focus on defensive gear since she doesn’t use weapons. For Lee Yoo-ri, a shield, and for Lim Ga-eul, an auxiliary weapon… And for Shin Se-hee…”

“Huh…?”

Shin Se-hee widened her eyes, surprised that her name had come up. Jin Yuha furrowed his brows, confused by her reaction.

“What?”

“I, are you getting something for me too?”

Jin Yuha raised his eyebrows as if she had said something absurd.

“Of course.”

“But I’m not a combat-oriented class, and I’m not an official party member…”

Jin Yuha stared at Shin Se-hee as she stammered, then said, “I think you’re mistaken about something.”

“What?”

“You thinking that you’re not a party member. That’s a mistake.”

“Me…?”

“Let me make this clear right now. Shin Se-hee, you are a member of my party. And you haven’t done anything weird to me.”

Zzzz─

A shiver ran down Shin Se-hee’s spine and spread throughout her body. An overwhelming surge of emotion.

‘I’m one of them too…’

But then, suddenly…

Huh?

Wait a minute…

Why is he saying this all of a sudden?

Could it be…

“Jin Yuha.”

Shin Se-hee swallowed hard and looked at him with hopeful eyes.

“The message I sent you yesterday… Did you, did you see it…?”

Jin Yuha smirked sinisterly.

“Yeah, I saw it.”

“!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Her face turned bright red, and her pupils began to shake uncontrollably.