Chapter 104

Chapter 104

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 104: A Prudent College Life (4).

There’s something remarkable about mutually recognized courses—those that both undergraduate and graduate students can take. Who was the visionary behind this concept? I genuinely want to give them an award.

At Stellarium, if you complete a mutually recognized course during your undergraduate years, it appears as completed only for undergraduates. Still, the credits count towards your graduate program. This is fantastic! If approached strategically, you can acquire valuable knowledge during your undergraduate studies and then dedicate yourself entirely to research in graduate school.

When I asked my seniors in the community, “Is this a good idea?” about ten of them responded with a resounding, “Okay.” That’s how beneficial they find it.

I explored other options, but none fit my schedule. So, half willingly and half reluctantly, I registered for the course.

Quantum Gravity Phenomena and Latest Research Trends (1 credit / elective / mutually recognized / external lecturer)

Hehe, it looks fun.

Lecturer: Kallis Stranov

But why is she giving a lecture here?

“Some of you might think this book is trivial because you’ve done good deeds. But let me ask you one thing: Can you clearly explain the concepts of mass, charge, force, and motion that you learned in academia?”

It was the first day of school, and I felt fortunate to have Professor Feynman’s lecture as my first class. His philosophy as a physicist is remarkable; just listening to him explain the basics is a joy. If someone were to create an ASMR recording of his voice, it would surely become a hit, the bedtime companion for physicists across the universe.

Hehe.

“So, when does this class end?” Zelnya grumbled, her impatience palpable.

Go!

In a discipline that delves into the essence of the universe, how dare she focus on trivialities first!

“What a rogue.”

“What are you talking about?” she shot back, her curiosity piqued.

Zelnya often stuck by my side, whispering comments during lectures—a habit that had become almost routine. This was especially true during coding sessions when she would proudly declare, “You can cheat if you want,” after implementing a complex simulation ahead of everyone else. It made me want to punch her.

After running around for about three sessions in the morning, I received a text.

Rustila: Aidel.

Do you have time now?

I have something to ask.

Me: Yeah.

Rustila: Have you seen Zelnya by any chance?

I slowly lifted my head. I was in the student cafeteria, and right in front of me, Zelnya was munching on a steak.

“What is it? A text?” she asked, glancing at me.

“No, just an ad,” I replied, trying to sound casual.

“Hmm.”

After hesitating for a moment, I sent another message.

Me: No

A few minutes passed without a reply, and instead, an unsettling chill ran down my spine. Why did I feel this way? It’s not like I’m dating Rustila. Sure, I had feelings for her, but—

Rustila: Zelnya has disappeared.

Is it for the early graduation review?

I just asked Mr. Carlen who’s in charge of that.

He said she went up to the college.

Have you run into her by any chance?

Rustila’s calm tone echoed in my mind, and suddenly, a headache began to form. It wasn’t that something was bothering me; it was just that I’d never been in a situation like this before. How on earth should I respond to navigate this smoothly?

I took a deep breath and thought it over. I, Lee Jinsu, might be swayed by the Professor, but I wouldn’t let girl problems throw me off balance.

I sent a text and took a bite of the pork cutlet, savoring the crispy coating and juicy meat mingled with the flavors of the accompanying salad. But then I paused—was that bell pepper and onion?

“You’re eating well. Have some of this, too,” Zelnya said, sliding a few grilled carrot pieces onto my plate.

“What are you doing?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“There’s not much here besides the meat. I don’t eat it, so you can have it instead.”

So, she was just offloading her leftovers on me? Despite my frown, Zelnya poured the remaining onions onto my plate. My precious pork cutlet had suddenly transformed into an onion edition.

I didn’t hate onions, so I reluctantly ate them. It felt wasteful to throw away food, but why was I eating someone else’s leftovers?

Zelnya then pulled out a multivitamin. “Since we’ve become college mates, I’ll give you one. Eat it. It’s blueberry-flavored.”

The bottle was labeled ‘High in Vitamin B!’ I wasn’t sure what had gotten into her. Still, since she hadn’t shown any villainous tendencies yet, it should be fine—though one could never be too cautious in this world.

I opened the status window.

Blueberry-flavored Supplement: Tastes good. Has the scent and flavor of blueberries. Partially infused with grape flavor. Rich in Vitamin B1 and C.

It didn’t seem like a strange pill. Deciding to accept her goodwill, I rolled it around in my mouth. It had a sweet taste, almost like a real blueberry.

“Hey, is it good?” Zelnya asked, watching me intently.

“It’s nice. What’s gotten into you? You’re even giving me something like this.”

“Disposal fee,” she replied with a smirk.

“Oh.”

I realized I had been thoroughly played by her.

As the afternoon classes wrapped up, the sunset slowly faded, casting a warm glow over the campus. I hurried to the dormitory, hoping Zelnya wouldn’t follow me.

The evening felt particularly lonely without Sonia.

If I just lay here, I could almost hear her voice asking, “Young Master, do you want to get beaten?” and she’d pop out of nowhere.

But that wouldn’t happen. Sonia was busy marking Ire right now.

Still, it was the first day of school, and no one seemed to care how I was doing. The realization hit me again: I was an outcast.

Ceti: How was today?

I take back what I just said.

Me: Save me.

Ceti: Lol. Chicken to celebrate the start of school?

Me: College is hella busy. I have to attend classes, do assignments, and write a paper. No time for chicken.

Ceti: Crazy guy lololololol. Except for writing a paper, it’s the same lololol. Hey, I’m feeling totally HIGH today! Do you want to know why???

Me: What’s up?

Ceti: (Graph showing stock prices breaking through the ceiling in 28 categories) Made over 50 billion credits in a day lolololololol. Hahaha phwahaha hahaha!

Me: What the hell? How is that even possible with stocks? Did you move as a fund manager or something?

Ceti: Yup.

Me: ?

Ceti:? Well, there’s a backstory to this. Every stock I pick lately goes up, you know? But you know I was able to come out of the Sanctuary of Spirits because I got a Constellation, right? When I got that Constellation, a person named Stranov helped me a lot. She told me about the common traits of Constellations and stuff.

Hold on a second.

Stranov?

Ceti met Professor Stranov? When?

Ceti: So, following her advice, my Constellation’s trait turned out to be just stocks. Yup. My brother’s constellation got a crazy item after I invested coins in it—a mind-reading app for the mayor, lol.

Your constellation is awesome.

Constellation?

This was the first time I’d heard that Cartesia was a Constellation. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. How could someone who gives out Pron be a Constellation?

I was curious but quickly shifted my focus. The most important thing now was to confirm whether the Stranov I knew was the same person Ceti had met.

And it was indeed the same person.

“Wow.”

I had originally planned to help with the research, but after witnessing something a bit strange, I thought it best to keep my distance for a while.

But then again, this person was my younger sister’s benefactor.

I should probably have a serious conversation with her tomorrow.

Orientation for an Invited External Lecturer on Quantum Gravity

As I opened the door to the lecture hall and stepped inside, I noticed a few graduate students scattered about. I chose to sit in the very front, a spot most students seemed to avoid. From here, I could closely observe the professor’s expressions, something I found particularly engaging.

“I’m getting fed up now.”

Gradually, the remaining students trickled in, and then Professor Stranov made her entrance. With about ten people present, the turnout for a combined undergraduate and graduate class seemed decent.

Her face lit up when she spotted me. “I’ll take attendance,” she said cheerfully.

After a brief orientation, we covered all the material for the first week. Since it was a 1-credit course, the lecture hours weren’t too long. Soon, the graduate students scattered, books in hand and cigarettes dangling from their mouths. Before long, only the beam projector, the Professor, and I remained in the lecture hall.

“Mr. Reinhardt, back then, really—”

“No, Professor! I’m fine! Actually, my memory of it is already fading.” I tried to ignore the recollection of her drunken rant directed at me. One shouldn’t dwell on others’ shortcomings for too long.

“I’m sorry. That was inappropriate,” she said, her tone sincere.

“Not at all. Thanks to you, the lab tour went really well,” I replied, hoping to ease the tension.

To shift the awkward atmosphere, I steered the conversation toward research. “Actually, the reason I came here as an external lecturer from Eruyel was to see you, Student Reinhardt. I thought if you were interested, you might consider registering for my class.”

“Of course! I’m very interested in your current research topic, Professor.”

“Really?” she asked, her eyes widening with surprise.

“Really,” I confirmed, and her expression blossomed with delight.

“I heard you helped my younger sister?”

“Your younger sister?”

“There was a girl named Ceti von Reinhardt at the Southern Holy Spirit Hospital. At that time, you told her how to be easily chosen by a Constellation—”

Only then did Stranov nod, letting out an ‘ah’ of realization.

She was pretending to be surprised, but it felt like helping Ceti was all part of a larger plan.

What could I do? This person had helped my sister, and if I didn’t repay the favor, it would weigh on my conscience.

“Then, can you come to my office?”

“It’s difficult during the week, but I think weekends will work.”

“Right. It’s quite a distance from Eruyel to Stellarium.”

Professor Stranov nodded in agreement.

“Good. I need to set up the lab, so please come starting two Saturdays from now. The exact time doesn’t matter; just let me know by email once you decide.”

I agreed.

It was about time for Ire Hazlen to wake up. If I could just manage her, it would be the perfect opportunity to join the lab as an intern.

“You have to come. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Professor Stranov waved her arms like an excited child before leaving the lecture hall.

Once she was gone, I sent a message to Professor Feynman:

I’m planning to take a break from research this semester.

One semester? Two semesters? I wasn’t sure how long Professor Stranov’s research would take, but I would focus on completing it as quickly as possible.

The God of ‘Wisdom and Curiosity’ flinches reflexively.

That would be the best way to repay the favor.

When I returned to the dormitory and opened the door, I called out, “Sonia? Sonia?”

Oh, right. Sonia isn’t here today either.

Yesterday had been the same; I had completely lost track of time. Now, I couldn’t imagine living without Sonia.

“Whew.”

I settled for something resembling cup noodles to soothe my stomach and lay down to sleep.

That night, I dreamt of being attacked by Cartesia.