Elite Instructor at a Third-Rate Academy

27 – Look, Your Boyfriend is Running! ☆

A sense of alertness came, and he stood up from his seat.

“Yeah, I’m going out now.”

Of course, it was Lude. She was the only meaningful friend he interacted with. When he opened the door, as expected, it was her.

“Look, your boyfriend is running.”

“Oh, what!”

Lude, with her large mouth, chuckled. The two women leaned on the railing and watched Jeffrey running in the distance. When Diana received the letter for the first time, she thought of reading it and discarding it without even looking.

─Still, I want to know the reason.

For two months, she had followed him, curious about why he never spoke a word, so she opened the envelope.

“Hey, did you write this sincerely?”

Although Jeffrey began with a long-winded preamble, the contents underneath were unexpected.

“Diana, I may not be anything to you, but you’re like glasses to me. When I open my eyes, you’re the first thing I think of, and when I see you, the colors of the world become vivid. You know. I’m pathetic and unworthy of you. You can ignore me. But living as someone who means nothing is tiresome. That’s why I want to become a man who deserves even one glance from you. Below, I’ve written down the things I’ll do to become that person.”

“Disgusting.”

“If I can achieve all of this, will you see me differently?”

The goals were written on a weekly basis. This week, it stated that he would exercise and lose weight by running around the academy twice a day. Diana thought he was crazy. She crumpled the letter up and threw it in the trash. Still feeling uneasy, she called her friend, Lude. She showed her the letter they both chewed over. Lude’s reaction was slightly strange.

“Jeffrey, it’s a bit surprising.”

“Do you feel disgusted too?”

“No, it’s just intriguing.”

“Well then, do you want this letter?”

“Diana, you were sometimes really mean.”

As Lude said that, she advised Diana to see if he would actually follow through with what he wrote.

“To be honest, those guys who said they liked you were all just talk.”

“But he was much more handsome than Jeffrey.”

“Do you think Jeffrey could surpass them?”

Diana laughed in disbelief, and Lude chuckled along.

“I have to be born again?”

“But there’s still a possibility.”

Diana felt her stomach twist as Lude seemed subtly inclined towards Jeffrey.

“Those guys will break up within a week. How can a loser who couldn’t even talk to me do well?”

Despite Lude saying that it would have changed earlier, she just shrugged her shoulders.

“Now we just have to observe.”

“It’s impossible. I wouldn’t even have the confidence to kiss him if he became much better.”

Lude smirked and twisted her face.

“Oh, Diana!”

Teasing Diana about already thinking about kissing, Diana retorted that it was only what he had said.

“Anyway, I find it amusing being the third wheel.”

The letter is still nestled in Diana’s desk drawer to this day. I don’t know why she didn’t throw it away. It’s chilling to keep it, but she probably wanted to show it to Jeffrey later if he spouted nonsense. It’s impossible to imagine becoming lovers with him no matter how I think about it. It’s a joke. What would everyone say? They would mock me for choosing and meeting him out of all people.

“Oh, did you trip?”

Lude reached out her arm and pointed at Jeffrey.

“Oh, you’re awake!”

Jeffrey brushed off the dust from his body, adjusted his glasses, and ran over.

“Aren’t you having fun because it’s not your job?”

For some reason, Diana felt bad and sneered, saying that the smell of sweat was intense.

“Well then, I’ll watch alone.”

Annoyed by Lude’s words, Diana went into my room. Now, only a woman is left on the railing, and she only sees a man sweating in the distance. Regrets. That’s what she quietly murmured.

“Cheer up…fool.”

[#27 – Love Story]

Jeffrey read the letter Kennis gave him and made a bewildered sigh.

“What do I do with this?”

“Jeffrey.”

“They’re all impossible things.”

“If you don’t keep them, Diana will think you’re a liar.”

But even if it’s okay, he blames himself even more and cries. Kennis listened to his disciple’s complaints drowsily and stood still. This guy doesn’t put his thoughts into action, so he had to wake him up in words if not in deeds.

“What can you prove with words, Jeffrey?”

Jefferey shut his mouth tightly in response to the criticism that he would keep crying and being lazy.

“You have to show it through actions, not words, and prove it with sweat, not tears.”

But she couldn’t keep listening to his sad expression and whining.

“Whether you become a clown in front of the girl you like or continue to be lazy, it’s all your choice.”

“The instructor forced me!”

“What will change if you just stay quiet like this?”

Kennis ridiculed Jeffrey, saying that he was like a timid animal in front of a river. If you fall into the water for any reason, you have to find a way to swim to the other side, but he just mumbled without taking any action.

“If you keep mumbling, you’ll only drink water and come back.”

If that’s what you want, then clench your fist and take a cowardly step back.

“Don’t scratch my dignity.”

“I’m just stating the truth.”

“What if the instructor were in my shoes?”

─I’m already doing it.

“If you’re asking if I’m doing my best in something I started unwillingly, then yes.”

“I have my own pace!”

“With your current speed, you can’t cross the river. It’s fortunate if you don’t get swept away by the currents.”

“Kid, you only speak the truth, and it’s annoying as hell.”

“How Diana sees you now depends on what you do.”

“So… you’re going to this extent just to make her like you?”

─It’s frustrating to death.

“Jeffrey, listen to me carefully.”

“And if nothing changes?”

“You’ll become a better version of yourself than you are now.”

Kenneth asked, “Can the effort in your life change depending on whether Diana is in it or not?”

“Anyway, it’s all because of Diana!”

“No.”

“That’s right.”

“You’re doing it to become a better version of yourself, not for Diana.”

“Then why did you give her a letter if that’s the case?”

“Because you need to become a man who can confidently approach the girl you like.”

Kenneth stabbed Jeffrey, knowing it would hurt.

“Right now, you know, you’re not much better than you were before Diana.”

People don’t want to criticize the part of themselves they don’t want to face. It’s like exposing raw flesh deep inside and advising without affection turns into a deep scar.

“We pay the right price for things in the market because everyone knows they have that much value. No one exchanges ordinary oranges for melons. It’s because they have different values. It’s the same with you and Diana. What you can do now is raise your own value. No matter how nicely you talk to the melon vendor, he won’t exchange it for worthless oranges.”

Jeffrey remained silent for a long time.

“If anything goes wrong, it’s all because of you, Sir.”

“Blame effort, not me.”

“I’ll do it, so don’t scratch my self-esteem anymore.”

“Sure, respect the one who acts, not the one who claims.”

Once a teacher of rhetoric, Kenneth contemplated the essence of education. Anyone teaching others should help them move forward. Sometimes being a whirlpool, sometimes a tailwind, facilitating failure when necessary. Right now, Jeffrey is unable to even try, so he must learn how to fail and overcome it.

─Thinking and hesitating without doing anything is the worst.

Jeffrey, reminiscing about Diana and wasting time, whether rebelling against her gaze or focusing solely on studying, it’s better to choose one. As a mentor, all he expected from his disciple was to keep moving forward. He wanted to force growth, even if it meant pushing him forward forcibly. The choice was entirely his own.

Will he lament the impossible and indulge in laziness?

Will he give up on the impossible and embrace a new challenge?

Even if it seems impossible, will he strive to become a different self?

Among the three, Jeffrey chose the last one. He stood up from his desk around the time the guy was supposed to return. As he opened the door, he saw his disciple approaching from a distance, exhaling steam from his entire body.

“Finished the rounds?”

Seemingly unable to muster the strength to answer, he just nodded, staggering. The perimeter of Lailand Academy is approximately 4.2 km. Running two laps means covering a total of 8.4 km. Considering the bell time, it seems to have taken about an hour and a half. Not being particularly fit, he’ll probably suffer muscle pain for the next few days.

“I’ll pretend not to notice if you doze off in class.”

“Thanks.”

Sending Jeffrey off, Prade soon appeared.

“What’s up?”

“Can we talk for a moment?”

It was surprising to have more to say, given that they talked every day in the office.

“I need to finish the class materials.”

“Well, I can come in for a moment, then?”

—She was different from the other girls, especially Vissalle.

“Alright.”

As Prade entered the room, she looked around as if it were her own place and then leaned on the desk.

“Do you make your own teaching materials?”

“Yes.”

“Hardly anyone does that. Are you preparing to move to another place?”

“I’m not really thinking about that.”

Prade glanced through the materials Kenneth had made and straightened her disheveled clothes.

“Jeffrey.”

“Yes?”

“It’s good that you’re not chasing after her anymore.”

“You can get to the point.”

“It seems like Diana is bothered by Jeffrey’s running.”

“That’s not a problem for Diana to be concerned about.”

Even if Jeffrey had made a promise to Diana about running, keeping that promise or not was his business, not an area for her interference. Moreover, a man who moves according to a woman’s wishes appears weak and unattractive. Vissalle had said something similar once.

“Oppa, a man who lets himself be defeated is not attractive. It seems like he won’t lose to anyone, but if he loses to me, that’s what makes him attractive.”

Kenneth quietly understood what she meant. Regardless of gender, humans designate those who get what they want as the weak ones. Therefore, an excellent leader listens to the opinions of subordinates but does not sway there.

“Diana thinks Jeffrey is running because of her.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

Kenneth spoke in a calm tone.

“Jeffrey runs for himself.”

“Or not, why are you upset?”

To avoid becoming too serious, the topic had to be changed at this point.

“When can I observe the class?”

“Oh, that should be fine tomorrow as well.”

For Prudie Vandeline, Kenneth was a very unfamiliar type of woman. He had always interacted with noble maidens and high-ranking priestesses, and had been pursued by women who knew their own status well. The rightful successor of the Lada family was the eldest son, Louis, but the literati considered Kenneth as their representative. Because of this, he had never had the opportunity to meet a woman who would just dismiss him.

“I understand.”

“Since it’s a combat class, there are no textbooks. Everything is done practically.”

Prudie’s class started in the evening, so after finishing the “Correction of Grammar and Pronunciation,” Kenneth could immediately go and observe. This way, he wouldn’t miss the consultation with Saint and hopefully, the Holy Maiden would understand. Kenneth continued to ponder and unexpectedly found himself saying words that he didn’t even have in his heart, wanting to help Jeffrey.

“Is it alright if I ask about Diana?”

“Well, I don’t mind.”

“Could you tell me what kind of personality she has and what she likes?”

In response, Prudie quickly blinked her eyes and stood up from her seat.

“What do you mean?”

“If it was an unreasonable question, you don’t have to answer.”

“No, at your age, shouldn’t you be interested in me instead?”

In response to the unexpected remark, Kenneth also blinked his eyelids as he stared at Prudie. Her face turned red. If misunderstanding and over-analyzing were part of the curriculum, this woman was an exceptional top scorer.

“My younger sister is prettier than Diana.”

Instead of commenting on Prudie’s appearance, Kenneth smoothly moved past it. She repeatedly coughed to clear up what she had misunderstood and spilled everything she knew about Diana before changing the subject.