Elite Instructor at a Third-Rate Academy

35 – From Child to Man ☆

“Diana also likes you.”

Jeffrey thought he had read the note attached to the water bottle wrong. He stood at the turning point and took a deep breath. After running every day for over a week, although his speed was slow, his body had adapted to it to some extent, giving him some breathing room.

“Could it be a joke?”

Certainly, at times like this, he understood why his homeroom teacher said he lacked sensitivity.

While he could manage to keep up with his studies, he still found it difficult to guess and deduce other people’s feelings. Perhaps it was because his social relationships had been limited from a young age, and his family was a quiet artisan household. If his father hadn’t insisted on becoming an official, he would have already started his career as a carpenter. To be honest, even now, he was more familiar with a chisel or hammer than a pen.

“But, even for a prank, this is too sincere.”

Having hardly talked to girls, let alone been in a relationship, Jeffrey couldn’t grasp the true intention behind the note. At times like this, the only person he could trust and rely on was his homeroom teacher, Miuna Gou. Being together every day to prepare teaching materials, he gradually began to trust and rely on Temulic Steindra. Although he sometimes appeared indifferent, he quietly cared for others and seemed to be a wise person.

“Judging from the fact that Genoa doesn’t accept it, he seems to be a good person.”

A while ago, they briefly discussed this topic. Genoa from class A-1 wanted to transfer classes, but he refused. Jeffrey couldn’t understand, so he asked for an explanation, but he didn’t provide one. However, as he contemplated, he arrived at the conclusion that he refused on purpose for the sake of the students in class C-8. Lately, it had become evident by his efforts to gather information on students who refuse to attend school every day.

“Ask.”

Jeffrey arrived at his dorm with the note in hand.

“Ignore it.”

When he showed the note to the dorm supervisor, the response was brief, suggesting he work on supplementary materials.

“Why?”

“Non-response is the answer to information of unknown authenticity.”

“What’s the reason?”

At this point, the supervisor put down his pencil and asked, “What happens when you dispatch troops to unknown territories based on information with an unclear source?”

In such moments, Jeffrey couldn’t help but wonder if the supervisor was truly an instructor.

“It seems risky.”

“Your current situation is.”

The decision to confess to Diana or not was entirely his, and he shouldn’t act impulsively based on an unverifiable suggestion. He nodded his head. It was all true. However, deep down, impatience was creeping in. He wanted to shake off all of this quickly.

“Being ridiculed has become boring.”

Honestly, whether the confession would go well or not, either way seemed better than the current situation.

“Alright.”

Jeffrey said this and held a different intention deep within.

That day, when he returned to his dorm, he wrote a letter and sent it to Diana. It was something he had never done before, something the old Jeffrey would never have done. But it wasn’t because something had changed within Jeffrey. Instead, it was an impulsive act born out of the exhaustion from the forced march with the supervisor.

“Diana, is it possible for us to meet briefly? I have something to say.”

As long as it was just the two of them, he didn’t care if they met in a place with friends or in a public location. He added a humble postscript, promising not to be a bother again. The next day, after attending the supervisor’s lecture and returning, a response had arrived. The message was very brief.

“In front of the fountain, don’t be late for more than 5 minutes.”

Jeffrey chose his cleanest casual outfit and combed his hair. He thought about applying cologne but remembered the supervisor’s criticism and abandoned the idea. What about his glasses? That was his biggest concern. He already looked like a nerd, so would not wearing them be better? After pondering for more than 30 minutes, he finally made a decision.

From Noble mtl dot com

“I’ll wear them.”

When he reached the lake, Diana was waiting in her uniform. There were hardly any other people around. For the first time in his life, Jeffrey mustered the courage to talk to Diana. He wanted to ask her how she felt about him, but his words wouldn’t come out. Her cold expression and somewhat disdainful gaze made him regret having called her.

“Why did you call me?”

“Um… well… you see… it’s just that… I was wondering if you… um, how do you feel about me.”

He scolded himself internally for stumbling over his words. He couldn’t even speak straightforwardly. Lacking confidence, he couldn’t even meet her gaze as he asked, “Can you… answer that…?” Insecurity filled him as he anxiously awaited her response.

[#35 – Love Story]

Kenneth seems to understand the feelings of a lord whose territory has been invaded.

“How long are you going to stay here?”

Frida comes in and casually reads a book. She says that these are books that aren’t even in the library, especially studying anatomy tirelessly. This woman is either brazen or ignorant.

“Our kids want to know about this.”

If she finds it troublesome, she naturally asks if she can attend her lecture again.

“Ha, really? Why should our teacher do that?”

It was Cela. She came in as she pleased and was eating dinner alone, sitting on the floor.

“It’s not your place to speak.”

“Teacher, are you going to take care of our class first?”

If the person saying such a shameless thing is the second-born, it would be frustrating.

Kenneth sighed angrily as his space was plundered by these two women. Soon, Ochia came back saying that she had dropped something while cleaning. Since she discovered a silver coin that had been left under the wardrobe, she keeps showing excessive kindness. She opens the door wide and is surprised to see the two women sitting there.

“What did you drop?”

When she asked, she wiped the top of the wardrobe with a handkerchief and kept glancing around.

“I was curious about something while listening to the lecture earlier. Is it okay to ask the question now?”

“Damn it.”

“Cela, you can’t use such language with classmates!”

“Well, she’s not even our homeroom teacher. Why is she acting like this?”

Kenneth looked at Cela without saying a word.

“Oh… I didn’t mean to say that. It’s just that it’s not the same when it’s just the two of us and the teacher.”

– How can I reconcile them?

Even if he asks Cela, who is proud and feels inferior to Ochia, to apologize, will the problem be solved? She may even resist more. An environment with many women is truly the worst for work. There is no concentration or rest possible. He should lock this place up and find somewhere quiet where he can study.

“Ochia.”

“Oh, yes?”

“Can you forgive what Cela just said?”

It wasn’t appropriate for classmates to say such things to each other, but he asked if she had the patience to listen and let it go. It was a very difficult way of mediating. Ochia smiled and nodded her head gently.

“Yeah… it’s okay.”

But as soon as Cela immediately resisted, Kenneth looked at her and said with a cold gaze.

“Don’t repeat the same mistake.”

Then, he clenched his fist and quickly untied his hairband.

“Bind her.”

“Commander Venderlin, please.”

“No, me?”

“Teacher… I can do it too, but I think Selana would hate it.”

“That girl is causing trouble again?”

“Indeed… I’m sorry.”

Kennis finally felt his patience reach its limit and swiftly opened the door.

“You’re being disrupted.”

When everyone was told to leave, Fride pulled Selana away with her. As she did, Selana criticized Orsia and dragged her out. Then Fride tried to come back, but the door was locked. Bang, bang–the sound of kicking could be heard, but it didn’t last long.

–Peaceful.

Indeed, it’s better not to have women around. And if there are any, they should remain quiet, waiting without a word.

“Phaedria.”

Now a widow, he called out the name of his former lover. She was a silent woman. Looking back, he felt sorry for why he loved her.

–You’re living happily, aren’t you?

Silently asking himself, he began to review the data for the completed thesis with Jeffrey today.

However, today, his disciple is unusually late. What could be the matter? Is he already exhausted? He didn’t seem like it. It’s strange. Instead of suspecting his master, he decided to trust him and sat at the desk.

“Petrana.”

While the other students were all ordinary, this student was different. Because next to his identity information, it was recorded as ‘Undead.’

“Petrana only comes out when she wants to study.”

Seynit, who had promised to help persuade the student refusing to attend school, asserted that persuading her is impossible.

“The Undead may look the same as us, but their thought process is entirely different.”

Being considered as something other than a humanoid, with ears and a tail, it was quite enigmatic.

Continuing to flip through the paper with his identity written on it, he realized that the moon had already risen. Unable to wait any longer, he headed out. Perhaps he would have gotten hurt along the way. Even so, he wouldn’t have used that as an excuse not to come.

“Jeffrey.”

It was the perfect turning point. He was squatting in front of the water jug, but contrary to his pensive posture, his demeanor was too smooth and amusing. Slowly approaching, he felt something strange, wanting to question why he didn’t come and why he was here.

–Did he cry?

What should one do in a situation like this? If the other person was a woman, they might ask or listen, but it’s different when it’s a man.

“Why were you late?”

So, pretending not to know, he maintained his usual demeanor to protect his pride.

“If you don’t want to do it, just say it.”

No matter how much I can give up, Jeffrey mumbled as Moore hummed.

“Dianna.”

“Yeah.”

“She says I’m a chilling piglet.”

As the sound of deflating air came, he sat by her side. If he was an adult, he would have recommended quitting smoking, but he couldn’t, and that was regrettable.

“The fact that she succeeded in the first step means something.”

A laugh without force flowed out. Kennis picked up a pebble from the ground and scribbled on it.

“Well done.”

And he merely asked.

“Will you continue?”

“I’m not sure.”

“There’s no need to decide today.”

“What about you, Instructor?”

“In whatever I start, I finish.”

“If I don’t do it, won’t the supplementary material production also end?”

Kennis lowered his head.

“When I was your age, I had written two papers that were published in academic journals. They were about oceanography, and back then, I needed the help of assistants and professors, but now I can do it alone. I may not be very familiar with administration, but if I supplement it with distribution and publicize it, it might reach the level of a short paper. When it’s completed, I was planning to send it to a place that publishes third-class academic journals.”

He said that if it gets published, he will include the name of the co-author.

“Of course, the possibility of it getting approved is less than 5%, but still.”

“Instructor, I want to give up.”

“Is it difficult?”

“Yes, I have no talent. I always pretended, but the more I study with you, the more I realize how ignorant I am.”

Kennis quietly patted his disciple’s back.

“Don’t blame yourself for having reached this far.”

“So, can’t you help me not to give up?”

Jeffrey shed tears again.

“I hate being a useless and lazy person even if I’m a chilling piglet.”

Kennis now looked at the twinkling stars and spoke.

“Is it hard?”

“I can’t do it alone.”

“I have no intention of giving in, will you be okay?”

As the Pupil nodded silently, the Master hugged him as a mentor should.

“You made the right choice.”

Inside Kenneth’s wide embrace, Jeffrey poured out his tears once again. Even though he denied it, he truly wanted Diana. In the end, he had always denied his unattainable desire, but now that it was shattered, he realized how much he had truly wanted her. It felt like plunging into icy water, and only now did he feel the cold spreading throughout his body, tears streaming down his face.

“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing.”

“You’ll put my name as a co-author, right?”

“That cheeky attitude reminds me of Celine.”

The priest looked up at the stars together. Jeffrey did not realize that he was transitioning from a child to a man. He also couldn’t yet see the eyes that would witness this scene, so he simply stopped crying and began his belated sprint.