Awkward Invitations and Performance Evaluation Hell
'Where'd the professor go?'
I needed to tell Professor Nipella Aoman about the mess I'd caused again, but I had no idea where he was.
Time was short, so I headed straight into the classroom.
As soon as I entered, Adria and Ash, who had been chatting, waved at me cheerfully. Jenella?
"……."
She kept her head down, glanced at me furtively, and gave a tiny wave.
After getting verbally thrashed by Adria yesterday and then pummeled by Eodukshini on top of that, I'd finally caught on to Jenella's feelings.
Every time she looked at me, her cheeks flushed red, her ears turned pink, she couldn't meet my eyes, and even when talking to Adria, she'd clamp her mouth shut…….
It's real?
I'd never experienced feelings like that before, so I was clueless. Was it because I'm a total loner? No good comeback made it even sadder.
……I hope she doesn't confess.
I gave a wry smile.
This was perfect as is. Nothing more, nothing less.
Being friends we could hang out with freely was the best. What if things got deeper? And then we broke up?
I don't want to lose a friend.
I'm content with now.
But how do I turn her down?
Should I just play dumb and ignore it?
Why does it feel uneasy, though?
Something tells me…… even if I ignore it, she won't back down…….
Should I just act normal?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Fuck, this is awkward.
I let out a deep sigh.
I could feel her gaze on me. If it were a stranger, fine, but from someone I knew so well, it was even more uncomfortable.
Jenella. For some reason, she likes me… ugh. Cringe. Anyway, she kept stealing glances at me.
I whipped my head around and locked eyes with her.
"What?"
"Uh, I, um……."
"Why're you suddenly talking all formal? You a goldfish or something?"
"Why bring up goldfish?"
"Your memory's goldfish-brained~ But damn, so arrogant, like boom~"
"……Wanna die?!"
"Whoa, hold up! Magic's cheating!"
After a few exchanges, she acted normal again.
"So why were you staring?"
"Uh, um, well, y'know… yeah……."
She clammed up again. Stop freezing up already!
As the mood got weird again, I hurriedly cracked a joke.
"Guess I am pretty hot, huh."
"……Yeah. True. You are kinda hot."
"!?"
Normally she'd hit back with "As if" or "Bullshit," some curse flying my way, but agreement…?
This is driving me nuts.
My head spun.
She peeked at me cautiously, then made a careful suggestion.
"……Wanna hang out?"
"Where?"
"……Downtown? New restaurant opened, supposed to be good. And places like Life's Top Five Pics or whatever… Uh, i-if you don't wanna, no biggie……."
Jenella's character felt shattered. But she'd mustered courage, so I nodded.
"Sure. Call Adria and Ash too?"
At my words, Jenella's head drooped.
"……Wanna go just us two."
Her voice was tiny. Felt like going alone would be bad news.
I had no intention of reciprocating her feelings.
Spending time alone? What if she thinks I'm playing hard to get?
I should straight-up say we're just friends.
How, though?
Act normal for now.
"What we gonna do just us two? Anything fun?"
"Just eat… y'know……."
"Why not go with Adria and Ash? Haven't had afters with them."
As I kept deflecting, Jenella's face puffed up.
"……Forget it."
"Hey, wait. You mad?"
"Not mad!"
She turned away sharply, and I rubbed my forehead.
This is insane.
I hate situations like this.
Peak awkwardness. Better off with strangers.
"Alright, fine. This weekend work?"
"…For real?"
"Yeah. If you want one-on-one that bad, I'll go."
Don't blush. Don't get embarrassed.
You weren't like this!
Just curse me out like always!
"C-can't… can't do class…."
"Still traumatized, huh…."
"Had nightmares……."
Yeah, yeah. Better despair like the others…….
"?!"
Why they acting like that? I peered out the window at students shuffling by, heads hung low.
Like they'd seen ghosts….
Eodukshini poked its head out from my priest robe pocket and said,
No protests? Like, principal failed to protect students.
-Master. Dumbass?
?
-Nobles did the terror. Other nobles protesting? They'd watch their step. Tarnishes their honor.
True.
Makes sense.
Bam!
Professor Jayyan burst in, slamming down a mountain of papers.
She levitated them with mana and declared,
"Alright. Starting today, performance evaluations. You all rested well? Don't worry. I'll make you study as much as you slacked. No other thoughts allowed."
"……We couldn't go anywhere anyway."
"……."
I saw it. Jenella's fist clenching tight!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Like a storm hit, performance evaluations swept the academy.
A total frenzy.
Memorize all this. Sand exam coming—prepare thoroughly.
All of it… Professor?
Professors already notorious for being tough ramped it up.
Memorize everything in the books I gave. Below 40? Retest. Got it?
"……."
Everyone, swords up. Line up! Catch this today. Counts for eval—go hard!
Professor? Wooden sword, but that's a black bear…?
Crackle!
"Electric bear."
"Fine. Wood doesn't conduct."
"But how do we—"
"Begin!"
Professor Eroy.
All aboard this divine beast.
Professor? Isn't this a horse?
"Yes! Spirit horse. Neat, right? Careful—nasty temper."
Splat!!
"Gah! Spat?! Gah!! Kicked?! Ow ow!!"
Even the Divine Beast Studies professor!
Including my classes, every professor in the academy started beating us down with performance evals.
No other thoughts allowed!
Hm. Better this way?
I glanced at students going mad over evals. Professors ensured zero stray thoughts.
Trauma?
No time to think! Those too broken for daily life weren't coming anyway.
Whack!
Oops.
The black bear, head nearly smashed, roared.
"Groooar!"
Ugh, loud. I scowled, raising my wooden sword.
"Quit roaring. I'll shut you up."
"Grooo……."
A little scare, and it shrank.
Kinda like Eodukshini?
Cuter's than expected. I set the sword down and approached.
"Grooar!"
Up close, its eyes flashed, rearing paws to smash my head.
Bears rip humans!
"What're you doing?"
Thud. I caught the paws easily, shoved back.
"Wanna die?"
And humans beat bears!
"Grrrooo!"
Pow! Pow! Thwack! Crack!
A few whacks, lumps rose on black fur. Bear writhed on the ground.
I tsked down at it.
"Why act tough?"
I poked its belly with my toe.
Weak for a bear!
But it just whimpered, "Grooo…."
Professor Eroy, tending another student, rushed over.
"Don't kill it!"
"Not killing!"
"Grooo!"
Bear wailed like I was lying.
Hm, too harsh?
"Hey. You struck first, so I hit back. You zapped first. Know how it stings?"
"Groo! Groo!"
"Speak human, human."
"……Eugene, pass."
"Huh. Professor, can I chat more?"
Gonna work?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Still, beating the bear eased my mind. Stress relief.
Relaxed, I entered alchemy class.
"Today… a calm theory lesson…."
"Professor!! Love you!"
Double relaxed.
Finally, a real class!
Never knew listening could be so chill.
"Gonna live……."
"Why you holding papers?"
"Tomorrow's test, duh……."
"Ah."
Suddenly down, I pulled out my handout.
"Well… today… ancient monsters… let's study……."
Murdersonal's vines writhed, scribbling on the board.
Ancient Monsters
Special Magical Beasts (Grade 3+)
Mutant Magical Beasts
A few students flinched at "ancient monsters."
But Murdersonal calmly tapped "ancient monsters" with chalk.
"You've all seen them. Most ferocious domain rulers…. Live centuries easily. Grow infinitely from birth to death… The one we fought? Not even adult—teenage human stage."
Right now, no stutter from Murdersonal.
Students too shocked to notice.
"No way……."
I agreed.
Not adult?
We poured everything to kill it. Delayed a bit? Blessings short?
Failed. And that wasn't adult? Total bullshit.
"But… ancient monsters stay in demonic realms, so avoid those, no encounters. Watch other domain monsters."
Murdersonal's lesson hooked us. Ears listening, eyes memorizing handout.
After an hour rant, back to slow speech.
"Theory lesson… plenty rest…."
……Wait. Uneasy?
"Performance eval… commencing……."
Fuck.