Elite Instructor at a Third-Rate Academy

25 – Only Believe in Me ☆

It was two months ago.

It had been at least that long since Diana had come to Frida. At the time, she was in a class that Ebon Dikio was in charge of, so he just listened. Jeffrey. He was an unfamiliar child, but he didn’t seem to have any ill intentions.

“First, he doesn’t approach or talk to you, right?”

“Yes, but it bothers me and makes me uncomfortable.”

Diana was the most popular girl in C-5 class. She not only had outstanding looks, but also had a different attitude. She always wanted to grow and learn, and her strong determination was admired by everyone.

“How did you get to know each other?”

“We took the same class before.”

“I see.”

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“We went to eat together, and I saw that his boot lace was untied, so I tied it for him.”

“But?”

“Since then, I’ve been secretly following him.”

I don’t know if that is a misunderstanding. To Friede Bendelind, who had a relatively simple personality, it was something feminine. Even friends could do that for each other. If it was a different class, it wouldn’t matter, but C-8 class was filled with gossip and the homeroom teacher was strange. It was before the Saint problem surfaced, but she instinctively didn’t like Ivan Dikio.

“I see, I’ll talk to the homeroom teacher about it.”

“Please.”

“Hey, Diana, just one thing to confirm.”

“Yes.”

“If Geoffrey likes you, what would you do?”

Diana wet her hair and looked into the air before answering.

“I don’t know what kind of person he is.”

“Wasn’t he the one wearing glasses?”

“Oh, right. I got confused because he sometimes wore glasses and sometimes didn’t.”

-It’s not just a crush; it’s one-sided love.

Even if others didn’t know, Friede thought she could understand Diana’s feelings. It was something she often experienced in her hometown when she was young. She, who was somewhat unaware, didn’t know that there was a guy secretly in love with her. So she often heard such words from her friends.

“He likes you!”

“It’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

“We thought you were pretending not to know!”

Upon hearing this, she realized that everyone except herself knew. Friede, who wasn’t one to beat around the bush, summoned the guy who supposedly liked her that day. Some of them answered confidently that they did, while others pretended they didn’t. Either way, her answer was clear.

“I’m not interested, so if you want to be friends, just let it go.”

If they genuinely wanted to be friends, they played together, but if they got too clingy, she would push them away. It might be because of her somewhat arrogant personality. Among the confessions she received, there were even some that were too hasty.

“I like girls who are stronger than me!”

Friede easily rejected him, saying that she was the same. Now that she had left her hometown, she didn’t have any business hanging out with guys and she couldn’t easily receive confessions and reject them like before. In Lailand, she had gained some attention from a few instructors, but she didn’t feel like dating anyone.

“Teacher, did you talk to Geoffrey?”

After the homeroom teacher of Class C-8 changed, Diana visited again. Once more, surreptitiously, she appeared to be following him, wearing a nauseating expression this time. Temulic Staind, being a good communicator, immediately offered to handle it.

“You’re not going to talk to me this time either?”

“I’m just not feeling well.”

“It’s not resentment, is it?”

“I’ve hardly talked to that person!”

Seeing Diana feigning nausea, he advised her to endure a little more as he would resolve it promptly. After that, despite saying she understood when he spoke to Temulic Staind, he had never seen her in a meeting. Feeling a bit impatient, he asked when it would happen in the staff room. She replied that it would be today, asking him to wait with a blunt apology.

─ It’s just a bit lacking in social skills; the person himself seems quite decent.

Class C-8 had been particularly turbulent, and it seemed like the homeroom teacher’s luck had finally turned. If he couldn’t persuade his students, he would have to meet Jeffrey himself. At that time, even if it left a deep wound, he hoped it would be settled on Temulic Staind’s terms.

[#25 – Love Story]

As Kenneth listened to Jeffrey’s story, doubts accumulated within him.

“I understand what you’re saying.”

It was the first thing he said after listening for a whole hour. Jeffrey, who had been bottling up his story, began to spill it out. It was so detailed that it was almost unbearable with ordinary patience.

“As a fellow man, just ask one thing instead of as a homeroom teacher.”

He nodded silently.

“If you liked her so much, why didn’t you say a word?”

“Coach had to see Diana’s expression.”

“How was it?”

“Just by making eye contact, she stared at me like she was looking at a bug, so I didn’t have the courage to talk. It was obvious she would dislike it.”

─ How do you know that?

“It’s just a matter of Jeffrey’s thoughts.”

“Diana is way more attractive and cool than me, and she doesn’t even date those fantastic guys.”

“What does that have to do with not talking to her?”

“It’s obvious I would be rejected.”

“Then isn’t it better to be rejected quickly?”

“Coach, you haven’t experienced a one-sided crush before, have you?”

─ I was usually on the receiving end.

“What value does a one-sided crush, where you don’t express anything, have?”

“Just having that alone is meaningful.”

“Knowing it won’t come true, is there anything to gain by not saying a word to a girl who treats you like a bug?”

As Kenneth kept questioning, Jeffrey blushed as if scolded by an older brother.

“The instructor, handsome and impressive as he is, doesn’t understand my feelings.”

“I know.”

“Neither Selena nor Ochia would be the first to fall for someone like me.”

“We’re talking about Diana, so I don’t understand why Selena and Ochia are mentioned.”

“Let’s drop it.”

─ It seems like everyone, regardless of gender, is touchy.

“Jeffrey, I’m not here to argue with you.”

“If you push with logic, I know I look like a fool.”

“It’s not a matter of logic.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s a matter of courage.”

“Everyone’s afraid of rejection, it’s the same for all.”

“No, what you’re afraid of is not Diana’s rejection.”

Jeffrey squinted. Kenis, still unaware of Uza’s feelings, told him.

“You don’t have the courage to face yourself, unable even to confess your one-sided love.”

Kenis spoke, knowing that his words pierced deep into the heart of his disciple.

“What you can gain by saying nothing is nothing more than ambiguous possibilities, neither success nor failure.”

He continued explaining that something without substance is essentially nothing.

“In your delusion, you might hope that Diana will accept you.”

“It’s not like that.”

“I know it’s unpleasant, but face it now.”

“How do you claim to know everything about me?”

“I’m just saying I might see more clearly than you do now.”

To prevent Jeffrey from escaping, Kenis stood up and blocked the doorway.

“Our homeroom teacher said it before. If you fear failure, what we can achieve is just trivial things.”

He asked if Jeffrey remembered, but there was no response.

“If Diana is a woman who wouldn’t even look at you, then she’s a worthwhile challenge. If you can’t break free from your delusions, nothing will happen. Rejection is progress. That’s where relationships begin. There’s nothing in our lives that we can achieve without getting hurt. If you can do something without getting a little hurt, it can’t be called an endeavor from the start.”

“You talk about love like it’s a mission.”

“Women may not understand, but it’s about how to succeed in a strategy.”

Kenis asked softly.

“Surely you didn’t make no effort at all?”

“I’ve tried various things myself.”

Upon hearing this, Kenneth chuckled silently, hearing that he even took off his glasses and exercised. How pitiful it is for a man to approach others as someone other than himself. Considering it an approach that lacks authenticity, he firmly believed that there was no need to practice such methods.

“Don’t women like interesting men?”

“Just listening to them well is enough.”

“But I’m not good at speaking.”

“Neither am I.”

“But instead, I’m good-looking and have a good body, right?”

—I never really thought about it that much.

Perhaps because he was always by Lotheron’s side, he had never felt proud about his appearance. Moreover, the Radah bloodline was all good looking. Compared to his cousin, Louis, and his younger sister, Bissale, Kenneth was clearly in a less favorable position.

“In any case, it’s not fun.”

“It seems like that.”

“So, you can meet women even if you’re not fun?”

“If I looked like a general, Diana wouldn’t have seen me like that.”

“You’re going off-topic.”

Kenneth asked again, if a man’s way with words is an absolute condition for dating.

“No, it’s not.”

“Are you on the fun side?”

“Not at all.”

“Then why did you try to change yourself by force and try to look good to Diana?”

“Well… because Diana is an ordinary girl too.”

“Well, would it be good if you were like me?”

Can someone really like a person who pretends to be someone different from themselves?

“I don’t really know either.”

“You’re not a jester, and relationships aren’t a play.”

“Even though you haven’t experienced unrequited love!”

“I’ve experienced it many times.”

“Hypocrite.”

“The women who left a lasting impression on me approached me confidently.”

Kenneth liked those who were true to their emotions and accepted him as he was. Some of them are still his friends. Although he can’t send a New Year’s card right away, he can always ask about someone else’s well-being under a different name. After all, he has to give blessings to the households where children are born.

“I said it for no reason.”

When Jeffrey’s regretful expression became severe, Kennis slapped the forehead of his ugly apprentice.

“Where can you find a woman who would like a man who begs like this?”

“Get a hold of yourself, stop nagging when you’re all teary-eyed and won’t even help.”

“If I help, will you mind?”

“Diana hates me. I have my pride too.”

“Well, it’s better this way.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“If it’s already ruined, then just do as I say.”

As Kennis calmly spoke, Jeffrey blinked his eyes repeatedly, seemingly unable to trust him.

“If you continue like this, you won’t be able to say a word and just suffer in silence.”

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“How… will you help?”

“First, I need to meet Commander Bendelin. If you’re confident enough to do as instructed, I’ll help.”

“You need to at least tell me a little before I can decide.”

“The biggest problem with your love is that you’re not willing to sweat even a little.”

“Sweat?”

“You need to move, but if you sit still and hope nothing happens, nothing will.”

Kennis wrote on the blackboard, “I won’t take responsibility for anything that happens in the future.” Below it, he wrote Jeffrey’s signature line and declared that signing here would signify the completion of the contract.

“Commander, I have a question.”

“Ask.”

“I understand Selena, but…”

“Yeah.”

“How did you… do that with Ochia?”

“Ochia and I had nothing going on.”

“Then what about Sennit… she distances herself from any man if that’s the case.”

“You should put your name here by now.”

Jeffrey hesitated, then picked up a pen and signed. With a mixed expression of anticipation, he looked at Kennis, as if even if a man entered, he wouldn’t be attractive enough to have a conversation.

“Now the commander will take care of everything, right?”

-Yes, I’ll let you focus on your studies.

A student must be faithful to their duties. Moreover, there is no time to waste on such matters for the students of Class C-8, who are all third-rate. What a waste of life it is for someone who hasn’t even decided on a career to be involved in a relationship. An academy student should study at least 60 hours a week.

“Trust only me.”

Confessing today and getting rejected before midnight would be perfect.