Ch.362362. The Intent Behind Early Graduation (7)

Silence hung over the lecture hall. Only the sounds of breathing, pages turning, and pens scratching against paper echoed through the room, with no other distractions to be heard.

There’s always a reason for a quiet classroom. Even without turning around, I could guess the atmosphere.

‘I know that feeling well.’

Though it was called a lecture, this environment wasn’t much different from attending class at a regular school.

Instead of a teacher, there was a professor, and students listening to them. Instead of textbooks used for education in classrooms, there were specialized books for studying magic, and tools similar in function replaced blackboards or whiteboards.

Looking at it that way, despite the environment being quite different from Korea, this was still everyone’s childhood and school days.

Considering their age, these students were roughly in their adolescence, equivalent to middle and high school students. It was only natural for them to be quiet, sitting through a boring, uninteresting lecture on Monday morning after a sweet weekend.

The teachers’ voices were probably like sleeping pills. There would likely be plenty of students nodding off or even sleeping with their heads on their desks.

Thinking this must be the case, I scratched my head and lowered my arm.

Who would want to sit through a long lecture on the first day? Playtime always flies by, while academic hours feel endlessly long.

Most students would be delighted if the lecture ended even a few minutes early. They’d all shout that it was over and rush out with their bags… but still. Even if today’s lecture wasn’t particularly good, this might at least help with my reputation among the students.

Besides, Renias, who couldn’t attend the lecture, had packed food and legally entered the lecture hall.

“That’s all for today’s lecture,” Junon announced, turning his head.

But somehow, the students’ expressions looked gloomy.

‘…Huh? Did I read the clock wrong?’

That wasn’t it. The clock showed there was still plenty of time left before the lecture was supposed to end.

Yet the students, whom I expected to be happy, showed no signs of joy. Instead, they were all wide-eyed and attentive. Not only was no one sleeping, but I couldn’t even spot anyone nodding off.

Could it be that everyone was actually listening intently?

‘That can’t be. There must be at least one person who’s bored…’

But looking around the lecture hall, all the students’ gazes were fixed firmly in my direction, with no signs of boredom whatsoever.

“Um, excuse me…”

Finally, someone who was bored? Kiara had raised her hand. Judging by her blank expression, the lecture must have been uninteresting.

Yes, yes. Dragging out the first class would be too much. I should clearly state that today’s lecture ends here. Kiara was the most sociable student in the class, so she’d probably understand and relay the message appropriately.

However, Kiara’s words put a huge question mark over Junon’s head.

“I don’t… understand.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t understand anything you’ve explained so far! So… please teach us one more time.”

Then, one after another, students began raising their hands, saying they didn’t understand parts of today’s lecture.

“We still have time left, so please explain it again, Professor!”

“We can use it for questions. Make it a Q&A session!”

“I’m sorry, Professor, but I didn’t understand anything you said either…”

Questions poured in one after another. At first, I thought someone was playing a prank.

But each student clearly had lecture notes recorded in their notebooks—this couldn’t be a joke!

‘Wait, I thought they were bored… but that wasn’t it?’

Most decisively, Kiara’s words presented Junon with a major question.

“We’ll even give up our break time if needed! We have plenty of time until the next lecture, Professor…”

-Please, just one more time.

That one request wasn’t to end the lecture but to explain it again, which left me bewildered.

Giving up their break time… Usually, students would beg for class to end quickly, hoping for longer breaks. But they wanted to give up their break to hear more of the lecture?

‘I guess this is another difference in environment…?’

One question led to another. If I kept generating questions like this, there would be no end, so it was better to set them aside for now. These students seemed determined, and I needed to satisfy their burning enthusiasm somehow.

“Sigh, alright. Then first… since I don’t know how each of you understood it…”

“Explain this first!”

“Hey, don’t cut in line!”

“You’re the one who cut in front!”

“I still got here first… Hey!”

“Made it! Professor, this one!”

Just like that, the lecture hall descended into chaos.

Junon had no idea why the students’ enthusiasm had suddenly surged like this. He didn’t know how it could even overcome the Monday blues that typically followed a sweet weekend.

All he knew was that the scene unfolding before him suggested they wanted to extend the lecture, even giving up their break time.

“Ugh…!”

While this might look like students burning with enthusiasm, for one young woman, it was a different story altogether.

Seeing her boyfriend surrounded by women bombarding him with questions, her blood was boiling so much that cross-shaped veins were about to pop on her forehead.

“Everyone? Please, calm down first…”

“”Professor!””

The silver rabbit’s emotional indicator trembled and stood on end. Like a strand of hair standing straight up, her cheeks were puffed full of air.

***

It was hard to endure.

She wanted to push through the crowd like parting bushes, make her way to the podium, split the crowd between the students and Junon, stand right in the middle, and shout.

The lecture is over-! The professor already said it ends here!

To save even a second, to get out of this lecture hall and widen the gap with her competitors. To give him her own time. That’s what she wanted to shout.

But she held it in.

Why? Because “The Encyclopedia of Heart-Fluttering” taught her never to get angry at competitors!

[You must never leave a bad impression on your lover. Control your anger, and create as much alone time as possible to imprint the image of a kind person.]

‘Alone time. That was the key!’

She was confident in this area.

And the next phrase in the book was today’s main dish.

“Wow… what’s all this? I was wondering why you suggested eating outside.”

“I wanted to feed you something I made myself rather than food from the academy cafeteria.”

[You can have alone time anytime. But the special time you spend with your lover should be something competitors can’t easily imitate. Show them clearly that you’re spending such special time with your lover and crush your competitors’ will.]

That’s right. Lecture time belonged to those competitors! While the professor-student relationship formed naturally, the image of a girlfriend taking care of meals was the epitome of naturalness!

A girlfriend sitting on a grass field with a picnic blanket, handing over homemade food, and a boyfriend happily accepting it—no one would question such a scene.

It was just a sweet couple’s mealtime. No matter how many competitors were watching, only she, as his girlfriend, could create this scene.

Because of this, today had been especially busy, but who cared? Could any of those people act as a girlfriend who prepared meals like this?!

No way. Definitely not. As new students busy just attending lectures, she was confident she’d win this round decisively.

Here, she added a perfect seasoning.

“It looks delicious at a glance. I’ll enjoy… hm?”

“Here, honey. Say ah~”

“Uh…”

She deliberately chose this position. This open space, visible to passersby, would show her decisive victory to everyone, including her competitors!

Not only showcasing the food lovingly prepared by a girlfriend but also the act of feeding him directly would create the perfect atmosphere of a couple on an outing.

Word of mouth and onlookers’ gazes would turn this scene into a complete dish.

“Um… Reni? I can eat by myself. I have hands…”

Yes, right. I thought you might say that. You did the same at the hospital and during our holiday meal, but I didn’t back down.

But you know what? This time, I’m not backing down either.

“Honey~ Hurry~”

“…”

“I worked hard making this since early morning, thinking of your lecture today. Are you not going to eat it? Hmph.”

She directly attacked his weakness. According to “The Encyclopedia of Heart-Fluttering,” a girlfriend’s aegyo was the most powerful weapon that could make a boyfriend’s heart race.

If she emphasized that she’d worked hard since early morning, a kind and caring person like him would reluctantly eat it.

Just like now.

“How is it? Delicious?”

“Y-yeah. It’s delicious. Uh-huh.”

“Hehe. Really?”

“How could anything you make not be delicious? Ha, hahaha…”

Asking about the taste was an essential step. Any answer would do.

But for some reason, sweat was beading on his forehead?

…This is an opportunity!

“You must be hot. I brought some cool fruit juice too, so drink up.”

“Y-yeah… thanks.”

I’ll wipe your sweat for you, honey!

While she wiped his sweat as he gulped down the juice, Junon remained silent. In reality, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

“Junon… that guy…?”

“That bastard… is he rubbing it in our faces? Right? Why else would he ask Renias to cook for him and flaunt their date in such a public place?”

“Haha. Seems like he’s gotten even more annoying since becoming a professor…”

“Just wait. I’ll definitely one day…”

He already vaguely sensed the angry gazes from around them.

Completely oblivious to Junon’s difficult situation, our silver rabbit didn’t just add fuel to the fire—the fire was already burning, and she poured oil on it.

“Honey. Feed me too.”

“F-feed you?”

“Yes! Hehe.”

“…S-sure. Ha, hahaha…”

It seemed that familiar sensation would return soon. Yes, that feeling of being covered in a sack and having all kinds of footprints stamped on him…!

With a heavy heart, he picked up a well-cut piece of watermelon with a fork and held it out to Renias’s mouth.

‘I’ll get beaten up anyway. If this makes Renias happy, then it’s worth it…?’

That must be it. It has to be.