NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29
Thud! Thud!
A tense atmosphere was hanging in the air.
I’d felt a situation like this before.
I remembered a similar scene from the time I had lunch at the academy with Nina’s suggestion.
The main difference now was that our positions had switched.
Rynelle was smirking while Nina was glaring at us coldly.
The air felt thick, making it hard to breathe, so I needed to clear up the misunderstanding quickly.
“It’s not a date! Rynelle, please stop making things sound suspicious!”
“If a guy and a girl go out to eat and explore together and that’s not a date, then what is it?”
“If treating a student to a meal and hanging out is a date, then all the professors in the world would be cheapskates!”
I never thought of it as a date in the first place, which was why I showed up in shabby sweatpants.
If I had thought it was a date, I would have dressed appropriately.
When I drew a clear line, the reactions were divided.
Rynelle seemed displeased, twisting her mouth as she elbowed me in the side.
Meanwhile, Nina, who had looked stiff earlier, was suddenly smiling innocently, as if nothing had happened.
“I knew Professor Daniel was such an upright man, yet I misunderstood. I’m really sorry!”
“Ah, no worries. It could happen.”
“Upright” wasn’t the best word to describe me.
While I was happy that Nina thought well of me, I was scared of what her reaction would be if she realized I was a total sellout.
I couldn’t hide my true nature forever. Eventually, the moment would come when my true self would be revealed.
To avoid being disliked then, I had to leave a good impression as much as possible now.
“Nina, if you haven’t eaten yet, how about joining us?”
“Huh? Is that okay?”
“Professor?!”
Rynelle stared at me wide-eyed in disbelief.
Her gaze was intense, but I had already thought of a decent excuse.
“It’s a reward for good deeds, right? Nina also won our duel and helped me avoid punishment, so I can treat her.”
“Oh, no! This was an incident that happened while you were trying to protect me! I shouldn’t be rewarded for that!”
Nina waved her hands vigorously, insisting it wasn’t necessary.
She’d looked thrilled when I suggested buying her a meal, but once she heard the reason, she refused.
As expected of a main character, she was a girl with a pure heart.
“Did you hear that? Nina says it’s okay, so let’s just go….”
“Well, um! If it’s not too much trouble, would you like to come to my house? I’d love to treat you to the homemade dishes I made as a thank you!”
Just then, while Rynelle was tugging on my right arm, urging me to move along, Nina suddenly grabbed my vacant left arm.
Then she made a suggestion that made it feel like an emotional wave was crashing in.
Turning down Nina’s homemade cooking? That would be something only a complete fool would pass up.
“I…”
“No way! Professor Daniel is supposed to have a cozy meal at the restaurant I booked in advance! Unfortunately, there’s no room for Nina’s homemade dishes!”
“I’m curious about just how fantastic that restaurant is that you speak so confidently about.”
“I’d say it’s at least way better than home-cooked meals!”
“You haven’t cooked for yourself, have you? Homemade dishes are not only about taste; the most important thing is the heart that goes into them!”
“Isn’t that just an excuse because you’re lacking in cooking skills?”
“Depending on who’s eating it, they might find it much more delicious than a store-bought meal!”
Nina and Rynelle were fiercely debating while having me in the middle.
Neither of them was willing to back down, pulling my arms in opposite directions and raising their voices.
Passersby kept sneaking glances at us, including some students from the academy.
If this continued, rumors of ill repute might start circulating within the academy, so I had to intervene.
My arms were starting to ache anyway.
“Let’s just eat at the restaurant for today.”
The mood shifted.
“Let’s take Nina along. Regardless of intentions, I can treat a student to a meal.”
Now both their moods shifted again.
The important thing was to stop them from fighting in the middle of the street, no matter how their reactions changed.
However, the situation was still dire. I was strutting through the street with two aspiring female students clinging to my arms like flowers.
I timidly shook my arms, but both of them clung on tighter, showing no signs of letting go.
I was scared just thinking about what other students might think of me, and what would happen if I bumped into a colleague?
I could just picture Professor Pernelson throwing sharp insults at me right to my face.
“Did I mistakenly come to the wrong workplace? The red-light district that hires male escorts is in the neighboring country, so get lost! I hope you never show your face again and end your miserable life with an STD.”
Just imagining it was enough to make beads of sweat form on my forehead.
I had to avoid such a disaster, so I widened my stride and headed quickly toward the restaurant.
Maybe I was just overthinking, but my stomach felt uneasy.
*
Once we arrived at the restaurant, we carefully chose our menu.
After placing the order, I said I’d go to the restroom and hurriedly left the table.
Only an unfamiliar female student was left at the table, and the two girls sat silently.
However, before long, Nina broke the silence.
“Rynelle.”
“Just call me Rynelle.”
“Huh?”
“Even though we were acting politely because of the professor, we’re the same age, right? I don’t think we need to be formal.”
“…Fine, Rynelle. I need to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“What do you think of Professor Daniel?”
Nina was directly shooting her question right at Rynelle.
Rynelle raised an eyebrow at the straightforward question from her classmate.
“Can you tell me your intention behind asking such a sensitive question?”
“Because I have feelings for Professor Daniel. At first, it was just admiration, but seeing how caring he is and how he treats everyone equally while trying his best to protect his students, I genuinely fell for him.”
Rynelle was skeptical about the ‘caring’ part, but she nodded nonetheless.
It was true that he prioritized and protected his students.
Especially his point of treating everyone equally resonated with her.
He treated everyone the same, regardless of whether they were commoners, nobles, or beastmen.
“On the other hand, I don’t feel the same way about you.”
“Of course not; I don’t have romantic feelings for Professor Daniel like you. I’m only mildly interested right now.”
“Then please don’t cling to Professor Daniel.”
“Why should I?”
“Because it’s unpleasant! Who would see someone trying to cling to someone they like positively? Even if you were my rival, I’d at least be able to understand that, but you’re not!”
Nina glared at Rynelle with narrowed eyes, displeased.
Rynelle simply scoffed, reacting to Nina’s jealousy as petty.
“I don’t see why I should care about your feelings. Besides, as I said earlier, I’m mildly interested. In the future, I could develop deeper feelings.”
“I would gladly fight for it any time!”
“Are you planning to have a brawl with me?”
“If it’s for love, I would do it without hesitation!”
Rynelle was convinced that she and Nina were polar opposites.
They couldn’t understand or accept each other’s actions and looked down on one another.
Like oil and water, they could never mix, and they felt like sworn enemies by fate.
Yet, ironically, the one person they both were interested in was the same.
“That’s barbaric. What era are we in, trying to win love by force? Should we also consider the goblins or orcs trying to rape women as a form of love?”
“Th-That’s not what I meant! I’m saying I’ll do my best so that the professor can only see me!”
“Oh really? Then just go ahead and try. I prefer to take what others are aiming for! Just thinking about the look of disappointment on their faces, the feeling of exhilaration is just too much to handle!”
“That’s the worst…!”
“Thanks! To a special class student, the worst is basically a compliment!”
Rynelle smiled mischievously while Nina displayed her animosity.
Although they weren’t causing a scene, people around could feel the tense atmosphere flowing between them.
Even Daniel, who had just exited the restroom, could sense it.
“What’s going on? What happened while I was away?”
Not knowing if it was okay to return, Daniel was fidgeting nervously.
However, he couldn’t ignore it, so he awkwardly sat down.
Rynelle was still grinning meaningfully, while Nina was staring at Daniel with determined eyes.
Caught in between, Daniel sat up straight.
He looked as tense as if he were sitting with interviewers on either side.
“I want to go home…”
A storm was slowly brewing.