Chapter 16: The Painting(2)
Chapter 16: The Painting(2)
I stared in horror at the drawing of the steam locomotive Mari was looking at, then immediately checked my notebook. Usually, I kept my notes for the plot of Xenon’s Life separate from my general lecture notes.
Hoping against hope, I flipped through the pages, but my heart sank. There they were—my detailed records for the progression of Xenon’s Life, written in plain sight. Only then did it hit me.
I had brought the wrong notebook.
The covers were so similar that I’d made a careless mistake, but it was entirely my fault. I always told myself to be careful, yet I’d gone and done it anyway.
I should have been more cautious...
I couldn't help but groan inwardly. They say people don't change, and this was a catastrophe born from the same scatterbrained nature I’d had since my previous life.
The reason my family doted on me wasn't just because I was the youngest; it was because of this clumsy personality. When I was little, I once tried to pull a book from a shelf without thinking and almost caused a major accident when I slipped. I remember my father catching me just in time.
This wasn't the only instance, either. Just recently, I’d accidentally used dialogue I’d written for the manuscript while talking to Cecile. That alone was enough to show just how much of a blunderer I could be.
"It has wheels, so it looks like a carriage? Except for that horn-like thing on top."
Mari tilted her head as she examined my drawing of the steam locomotive. If there was any silver lining, it was that I’d only drawn the front of the locomotive, and quite crudely at that. To the people of this world, it probably just looked like an odd carriage.
Since it was a flat 2D sketch rather than a 3D perspective, it looked very similar to a carriage, save for the steam exhaust pipe.
Sensing a chance to salvage the situation, I spoke to Mari in the calmest voice I could muster.
"I just drew that because I was bored. Here, I'll give you a different page."
"Hmm... okay."
Without much suspicion, Mari handed the page with the steam locomotive back to me. I crumpled it up and handed her a fresh sheet of paper.
To prevent another disaster, I made sure to check both the front and back this time.
"How are you going to do your presentation? I don't really have anything prepared, so I'm just going to talk about Xenon’s Life."
"I've read a lot of books, so I'll just pick one of those."
"I'm jealous. You've basically got extra credit in the bag."
"We'll see once I actually present. Even if it's something simple, it all depends on how well you deliver it, right?"
Last week, Professor Virus had caught me off guard, and I couldn't give a proper answer, but now that I had time to prepare, I was fine. I had presentation skills honed since my previous life.
Actually, I was the type who naturally improved because I was always stuck being the presenter for every group project in university. People would drop out one by one, and I’d end up filling the gaps and doing the presentation myself. Naturally, I made sure to screw over any teammates who ditched the project with ridiculous excuses.
But what's the presentation format?
The question suddenly occurred to me, and I raised my hand. Professor Virus looked pleased the moment he saw me and called on me.
"Do you have something to say, Student Isaac?"
As expected, Professor Virus remembered my name. I didn't let it bother me.
"I was wondering if we'll be presenting in front of the chalkboard."
"We'll do that later. There's a group project—an assignment where I'll be randomly assigning teams."
"...A group project?"
Good grief. Even in this world, the nightmare of group projects exists.
Professor Virus didn't seem to notice my face turning pale and wore a satisfied smile. What kind of group project was he imagining?
"Yes. Of course, as you might be thinking, there may be students who are difficult to work with. But don't worry. There haven't been any problematic incidents with group projects so far."
"...Well, that's a relief."
"Even if a problem arises, just let me know and I'll handle everything, so don't worry."
I wondered if they just acted like there were no problems or covered them up. Given this was a class-based society, that seemed more likely. High-ranking students probably worked their teammates to the bone.
I might have been overthinking it, but that was the kind of world this was. I couldn't let my guard down. I just hoped I’d be paired with someone who had their head on straight.
Meanwhile, Mari, who had been listening to our conversation, asked the professor a question.
"Are there other majors besides Humanities that have group projects?"
"I believe a few other subjects have them as well."
I guess I just had to accept it and move on. Like I said, I could only pray for normal teammates.
"You said you'd be assigning teams randomly, right? What if there are people who want to work together?"
"That is not allowed. It would be unfair, so that is absolutely out of the question."
"Aww..."
When Professor Virus spoke sternly, Mari pouted, making her disappointment clear. If you could choose your partners, it wouldn't be a true group project.
"Time is up. We will begin presentations starting from the front row."
The presentations proceeded fairly normally. Some students were so nervous they stuttered badly, while others gave impressive performances.
Me? I was just average. Not outstanding, but not bad either. However, thanks to the broad knowledge I’d gained from reading so much at home, Professor Virus seemed satisfied.
"Um... so, the way I felt about this part was... well..."
An unexpected situation occurred: Mari, who was next after me, fumbled her presentation and stuttered through it. It was surprising to me, as I’d only ever seen her bright and energetic side.
"Good work, Student Mari. Please try to present with a bit more confidence next time. Understood?"
"...Yes."
She managed to finish somehow, but the moment Mari sat down, she buried her face in her arms on the desk. Seeing her exposed ears turning bright red, it was clear she was overwhelmed with embarrassment.
Well, she might have been tutored at home, but they probably didn't teach her presentation skills.
She might have more basic knowledge and culture than others, but public speaking was a different story. If the education nobles received at home was rote learning, the Academy was higher education. It meant there were more areas where one had to develop their own skills.
Moreover, there would be many more presentations like this in the future, which must have felt daunting to her. The first taste of humiliation, shame, and embarrassment likely filled her heart.
"The noteworthy point here is, while watching my father's training..."
I glanced at Mari, who remained slumped over while the next person presented. She didn't seem to have the courage to lift her head and stayed buried in her arms.
To cheer her up and tease her a bit, I leaned down and pressed my cheek against the desk. Then, I waited patiently for her to look at me.
"... ..."
"... ..."
Ah. We made eye contact.
While I was watching her, Mari must have felt my gaze because she peeked at me while still slumped over. She buried her face again immediately, but we definitely made eye contact.
"Mari."
"... ..."
"Mari?"
"...What."
"Are you crying?"
Flinch—
When I asked jokingly, Mari’s body gave a visible start. Then, she slowly lifted her face from the desk and looked at me.
Despite her prickly expression, her face was as red as could be. It was almost a match for my own hair color.
Even though she glared at me, I didn't lift my cheek from the desk. After staring down at me for a while, Mari’s lips thinned, and she let out a long sigh.
"...If I were to make an excuse, they didn't teach this kind of thing at home."
"Didn't your brother tell you?"
"My brother is in Martial Studies, not Literature. And lucky you. You're good at presenting and you've read so much."
Mari grumbled, her mood seemingly lightened by my teasing. I chuckled and finally lifted my face from the desk.
Her face was still flushed, but seeing her grumble meant she’d regained her spirit. Honestly, it didn't make sense to be devastated over one failed presentation. She probably just needed a moment to process it.
"...And what you did earlier."
"Huh?"
"What you did when you were looking at me."
"What about it?"
When I tilted my head in confusion, Mari frowned slightly. She looked like she thought I was teasing her.
I was the one who was actually confused by her reaction. Mari let out a long breath as if my response was frustrating.
"...Never mind. Forget it. Just think whatever you want."
"Well..."
"You two students? Could you lower your voices a bit during the presentation?"
Oops. We must have been talking too loud. I immediately shut my mouth after the professor’s reprimand.
Mari did the same, and while the heat in her face had subsided, her ears were still red. Since her hair was white, it stood out even more.
"...It's a rule."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Nothing."
After that brief episode, Mari returned to her usual self. Meanwhile, it was Cecile’s turn.
"As you can see, I am a Demon. While not as long-lived as Elves, we are a race with a longer lifespan than humans. And in over a hundred years, I have learned many things."
I’d felt this during her speech too, but her voice was truly enchanting. There was a power and charm in her voice that drew people in.
Even now, students who had been uninterested in other presentations were focusing on Cecile. Part of it was because she was a Demon, but it was still impressive.
I listened intently to Cecile’s presentation. Given that she mentioned the years she’d lived, I had a feeling a good story was coming.
"However, despite those years, I recently met someone who possesses more knowledge than I do and knows more about Demons than I do. I was able to learn so much through that person."
As she said that, she looked directly at me and gave a truly beautiful smile. I was left stunned by her sincere expression.
Was she talking about what happened last week? Based on the context, it couldn't be anything else.
"I realized then. A person worth learning from is, by that fact alone, worth having by one's side."
"What did you realize through that person?"
Perhaps because Cecile was a Demon, Professor Virus stroked his mustache and asked with an intrigued expression.
Cecile looked at Professor Virus and spoke.
"I came to understand, even if only partially, what kind of race the Demons are. It was something even I didn't know. If you wish, Professor, I can tell you."
"Hmm... unfortunately, as a human, I doubt I could empathize even if I heard the definition. Still, it was an excellent presentation. I shall give Student Cecile extra credit."
"Thank you."
Cecile bowed at the professor’s praise. Then, she turned her gaze back to me and gave a beaming smile.
I felt shy under her gaze but made sure to clap for her. The presentation itself was clean and perfect.
Next was Lina, who sat beside Cecile, and she performed just as brilliantly. Her elegant and gentle manner of speaking was particularly impressive.
By the time everyone’s presentations were finished, it was time for the lecture to end. Professor Virus clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention after the last student finished.
"Now, eyes on me. There's something I need to tell you before class ends. As I mentioned to Student Isaac earlier, my course includes a 'group project.' It might be unfamiliar to you, but you can think of it as team play."
"A group project? Team play?"
"What on earth is that?"
The classroom began to buzz as Professor Virus mentioned the group project. They didn't know what it was, but I knew exactly how much of a gutter, how much of a nightmare, a group project could be.
Those poor lambs had no idea. I predicted that by the time the group project was over, a deep-seated distrust of humanity would take root in their hearts.
Once the room settled down, Professor Virus began to explain the assignment.
"The goal of this group project is simple. I will present a task, and you will complete it with the teammates I randomly assign. Very simple, right? However, please note that any student who is negligent or caught cheating will receive a zero. In my years as a professor, I have seen many students try to use their backgrounds, so do not think for a second that you won't be caught."
Even with such a warning, those who use their power will always find a way. It was a bitter reality.
Furthermore, even without using family backgrounds, there would be those who used dirty tricks or made up ridiculous excuses to avoid work. If there was any consolation, it was that since this was their first group project, they were likely to at least show up. That was much better than them being a total no-show.
"Also, collaborating with students other than your assigned teammates will also result in a zero."
"Professor, how will the teams be decided?"
"To ensure fairness, we will be drawing lots."
You certainly are dedicated to fairness, I thought with a smirk. Still, there was no method as fair as drawing lots.
"The group project will take place three weeks from now, but I will announce the topic in advance. The content is related to Xenon’s Life, which you all enjoy."
"... ..."
Was my book becoming a textbook? This was truly bizarre.
While I was laughing inwardly, Professor Virus dropped the bombshell topic.
"The assignment I am giving you is to predict and analyze how the plot of Xenon’s Life will progress, and then present your findings coherently. Xenon’s Life contains many clues that allow for sufficient prediction of the future plot. I have already found a few myself."
"... ..."
"It does not matter if your hypothesis turns out to be wrong when the next volume of Xenon’s Life is published. What I want is for you to synthesize the clues to clearly analyze cause and effect, and to predict what impact that hypothesis will have. The reason I am telling you this now is to be fair to students who haven't had the chance to read the most recent volume."
The professor looked around the suddenly silent classroom and asked the students with a proud expression.
"See? It's quite easy, isn't it?"
It's very easy, Professor.
Since I'm the author of that book, it'll be as easy as pie. Of course, if I write it exactly as it's going to happen, I'll be buried under a mountain of suspicion, so I can't exactly do that.
...Then what should I do? Should I just throw the presentation?
I felt like I was caught between a rock and a hard place.