Elite Instructor at a Third-Rate Academy

36 – Meow (End)☆

One step below.

Rudde evaluated Diana in his mind. She was lively and charming, but he believed she had a tendency to express her emotions without filtering them. Of course, many people liked her for that reason, but in his opinion, it was nothing but recklessness.

“This is the supplementary textbook that Jeffrey created?”

Diana received what Brandila had brought and unfolded it.

– As expected.

“Wow, it’s much better than I thought.”

The composition was well done, which was already praised by the “Josey” Superintendent. What Diana liked in particular was that the contents were easy and consisted only of terms used in administration. Seeing that it was perfectly tailored for beginners, Jeffrey seemed capable of organizing and conveying his knowledge.

“Diana, is this really not good?”

When Brandila asked, Diana crossed her arms and replied convincingly.

“I already met with him separately and declined.”

“Really!?”

Brandila, who loved to gossip, immediately reacted. Rudde continued to look through the supplementary textbook as he listened to his friends’ conversation. He trusted his own eyes. This girl, even if she was nothing at the moment, had the potential to succeed if she could be tamed. Unlike her family, which was a long-established clan, she placed greater value on the future than the present.

“Diana, you definitely rejected him, right?”

Rudde asked, hiding his true feelings.

“Yeah, I even said harsh words so he wouldn’t come near me.”

“Oh my, oh my, oh my!”

Brandila, once again, made a fuss while Rudde smiled and pretended to listen.

If she didn’t have a big mouth, she would have been just as beautiful as Diana, if not more. Because of that, she felt inferior and struggled to sleep alone in her childhood. However, that was an unavoidable matter, so she gradually tried to find her own better traits. And then, at some point, her true self began to emerge.

“You’re intelligent, but not wise.”

In terms of learning, especially in terms of academic achievement, Diana was better.

Both of them entered Lailrand as scholarship students and were assigned to Class C-5 because they showed no potential for awakening. Though it was said to be a C grade, it was slightly better than the average person, so it wasn’t necessary for them to go to the erosion zone and perform purification missions. After graduating from here, Rudde planned to work as a local bureaucrat for a while and then return to his hometown to support upper-level activities.

“No, she kept stumbling over her words and saying nonsense, so I called her a piglet.”

“Wow, that gives me chills!”

“She’s still like that now.”

Sometimes, Lude thought that Diana was too cruel to the weak. She excelled in her studies, had a pretty face, and had a straightforward personality that made her popular with both men and women. She had a tendency to speak recklessly and perceive it as a disadvantage. If that was all, Lude could understand and forgive her, but what he couldn’t stand was the contradiction between her words and actions.

“Diana, wasn’t your ideal type a man who grows?”

Lude asked to bring out her conscience.

“Well, what good is Jeffrey even if he grows?”

When Brandila exclaimed with a cheerful laughter, Lude laughed along and thought to himself.

“You’re always like that.”

She always emphasized growth and effort with her words, but when evaluating those who confess to her, she mentioned their appearance and charm. Lude was now certain. Diana didn’t even know what kind of man she liked. She always spoke superficially about her inner thoughts, but inwardly she only judged based on superficial things. At moments like this, Lude suddenly felt much younger compared to her.

“Time has passed already!”

Brandila shouted while grabbing her books. The homeroom teacher had given them, but they were already messy. Lude settled the bill for them instead.

“Oh, you don’t need to pay for all of it!”

“Yeah, you hardly ate anything.”

Lude simply replied, then grabbed Jeffrey’s supplementary materials that he wanted to buy today.

“Another cat today?”

“Yeah.”

She told the familiar lie and grabbed a water bottle. As Lude stood still at the turning point of Jeffrey’s running track, he saw a figure in the distance staggering but running hard. It wasn’t his appearance that attracted Lude, but his attitude. When they got close enough to smell each other’s sweat, Diana handed him the water bottle and said.

“Meow.”

[#35 – Love Story]

Kenneth was genuinely disappointed in Jeffrey.

“So, is it because of a girl that you’re late again?”

Although Jeffrey tried to make excuses, it sounded like it was because of a girl. Once, it could be forgiven, but being late twice for the same reason was unforgivable. Kenneth considered whether to hit this lousy student on the head or scold him further, but for now, he decided to listen to him. Personally, he spoke seriously because he felt like his patience would run out if he didn’t.

“What I liked was Diana, right?”

“I know you got rejected.”

“Lude is her closest friend.”

“That has nothing to do with love, does it?”

“No, Instructor!”

“Speak more quietly, can you hear that? It’ll be troublesome if Selena finds out.”

This was Jeffrey’s room.

“A few days ago, I was rejected by someone I liked, but I heard that they want to date one of my friends.”

“It’s not a problem to worry about.”

“I don’t even know my own feelings, and if things go wrong, everyone will criticize me, right?”

Kenneth looked disappointedly at his disciple’s pitiful face once again.

“Jeffrey, do you still like Diana?”

He decided to approach it one by one.

“I don’t know.”

“Do you see any possibilities of things working out?”

“No.”

“Then there’s no need to worry.”

“Also, I don’t even know if I like Lude.”

“Is she attractive?”

“Not as much as Diana, but she’s quite beautiful. Honestly, she’s out of my league, so I wonder if it’s some kind of joke.”

“This confirms it.”

“No, what is it?”

“You have no potential with Diana, and Lude is too attractive for you.”

“That’s right.”

“Now there’s one problem left.”

“But nothing has been resolved.”

“Do you want to be in a relationship?”

However, thinking only about that, Jeffrey stared at his glasses for a while before nodding his head.

“Well then, accept it.”

“It could be a joke, though.”

“Still, it doesn’t matter.”

“Really?”

“If the other person expressed it explicitly and you believed it, that’s enough.”

“But it could still become a ridiculous situation.”

“No, this time there’s no room for others to ridicule you.”

Since you confessed to Diana and were definitively rejected, there is no moral flaw in dating her close friend.

“I feel like I’m being too indecisive.”

As he apologized to Diana, Kennis clenched his fist and struck his disciple in the head.

“Ouch!”

“Snap out of it.”

“It hurts. Is my head really spinning?”

“After being insulted as a chilling pig, you still have lingering attachment?”

Kennis sincerely became angry.

“What kind of loyalty do you expect to show while being treated so disrespectfully? Even if Diana were to look at you again, can the confession that Lude had the courage to make be worth anything if you can’t let go of your attachment?”

Do you not think that someone else, who is just like you, will be hurt by your cowardice?” Geoffrey exclaimed angrily.

“What do I do about my feelings?”

“Nonsense.”

Geoffrey quickly stood up at the advice not to deceive himself about unnecessary weighing.

“You say it easily because it’s someone else’s business.”

“You are not considering loyalty right now, you are considering personal gain.”

When it was pointed out that now there are other possibilities and that the attachment to something better cannot be shaken off, there was silence.

“You’re making trouble when you should be thankful.”

Kennis added to the textbook without saying a word.

“You might regret it.”

“Say more.”

“What if I date Lude, but my heart doesn’t change?”

Kennis finally snapped his pencil. It was not just a small loss, as it was a high-quality item worth several pieces of silver.

“Were Jeffrey’s parents each other’s first love?”

He asked again, as his eyes widened at the out of the blue question.

“I don’t know either.”

“Probably not.”

Even if that were the case, Kennis was certain that countless couples in this world would not be like that.

“Probably.”

“Yet they still had a child and raised it?”

“Yes.”

“Jeffrey, love can be replaced.”

Kennis said that if love were an emotion that could only be attached to one object, this world would have already been doomed. Couples who can become spouses are a tiny minority, and most live their lives in loneliness without bearing and raising children. With that, Jeffrey also understood it in his head.

“Do you have any reason why your feelings for Diana cannot be transferred to Lude?”

Since both women are beyond your league anyway, and while Diana sees you as a pig, Lude sees you as a man, isn’t the latter better? Love is a reciprocal emotion, and I can confidently say that Lude is the only person you can have a happy relationship with. Geoffrey nodded, but his face did not show that all doubts had been resolved, so I honestly told him to speak up.

“Because I’m afraid others will blame me if they find out.”

“Geoffrey, you’re a man.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t behave any worse than a woman who had the courage to confess her feelings for you.”

Have you ever thought about how scared Lude must have been to confess her feelings to you, even betraying her close friend? I woke him up to this fact.

“It must have been much harder for her than for you.”

Exactly how much are you trying to degrade the woman who liked you, I couldn’t help but say.

“You said not to act on unreliable information.”

“This one has a clear source.”

“What if it’s a joke?”

“Then just be a willing fool.”

I advised him not to hesitate when the opportunity comes, as he might later regret it even more.

“Okay, I understand.”

Geoffrey asked for some time to think, and Kendice quietly sharpened her pencil, intending to give him a few more days. It must have been about an hour later when he suddenly jumped up from the floor, startled like a rooster crowing.

“I need to see Lude now!”

“Don’t be hasty.”

“No, there doesn’t seem to be an answer no matter how much I think about it.”

“Then go and make a decision.”

He asked if he could keep working, and I asked him to make a decision without hesitation.

“Just help me one more time.”

“Do I have to write the letter?”

“No, I’m going to meet her in front of the fountain. Please come with me.”

“Geoffrey, I am your assistant, not your nanny.”

“I know.”

However, I refrained from scolding him further, thinking that if I watched from afar, he might be able to handle the conversation better.

“Alright then, Geoffrey.”

“Yes?”

“Make sure to convey this message to Lude.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If any problems arise or rumors spread about this relationship, you’re the one who fell in love first and confessed.”

“That’s not true, though.”

“You’re a man. If a woman confesses first, you should take responsibility as well.”

Otherwise, he advised that the relationship would tilt in a way that you’d be following from the start.

“Got it.”

“Do you understand and agree?”

“If it goes wrong.”

—Am I going to be blamed for this too?

“Just focus on your thesis.”

“That’s exactly it.”

Kennis suggested that it was okay to proceed with Geoffrey, who was trying to take the lead in organizing. An hour after sending the message, a reply came. In the time after evening, no one was seen going back and forth in front of the fountain. Seeing Rude waiting alone for so long, one could tell she was a patient woman.

“Go.”

Stopping under the shaded area, Cha-yang sent Geoffrey off. He approached without a word, and they communicated through gestures and movements. From a distance, the atmosphere didn’t seem bad. While talking for a while, suddenly Rude spread her arms.

—Whether hugging or not, don’t hesitate.

Geoffrey hesitated for a moment but eventually embraced Rude. Judging by his actions, he wouldn’t be able to escape from that woman’s grasp. Kennis didn’t want to interfere with his disciples’ relationships, so he returned to the lodging alone. A welcoming figure was waiting. When asked what happened, Terra Simond politely greeted and said:

“I’m counting on you with all your might this time.”