Chapter 116

Chapter 116

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 116: Your Student Is Awesome (8).

A video was attached to the email sent by Professor Stranov.

Alright, can you state your name and student number for the camera?

Aidel von Reinhardt, student number 24.

Shall we do something good?

Resonator research! Resonator research!

Would you like to take off your clothes?

I’ve changed into clean clothes, Professor.

Professor Feynman’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

Being a teacher’s student is not enough, right? I’ll take responsibility for you all the way to your Ph.D., Mr. Reinhardt—no, Aidel. So please, stay with us. Stay in our lab.

I will! I’ll join your lab, Professor!

Aidel embraced Stranov, and at that moment, their bodies and minds felt as one.

From now on, I declare that I am one with Professor Stranov. Any attack on the Professor will be considered an attack on me.

The video dragged on for another five hours, formatted as a vlog. Aidel von Reinhardt conducted research, while Stranov observed him with a look of satisfaction. The scenes were sweet and affectionate, making Feynman clutch his heart; just watching it felt like his teeth were rotting.

Will you sign the employment contract?

Yes, Professor…

For a moment, he thought he had misheard.

Starting today, I will be doing paid work in Professor Stranov’s lab…

“No way.”

This has to be a dream.

“Professor…”

“This can’t be. This can’t be. This can’t be—!!”

Feynman pounded the desk, tears streaming down his face. He felt utterly lost. The most promising prospective graduate student was lost to him.

“Please! What did I do wrong…”

He banged his head against the desk, the throbbing pain intensifying as his vision began to blur.

Screech.

At that moment, the atmosphere of the video shifted.

Hello, Richard?

It was a post-credits scene. The screen dimmed, revealing a woman with a sly smile at its center.

Hehe, it’s been a while since I called you by name. How have you been?

“Stranov….”

I’m sorry, but I’m going to take Aidel. It’s unfortunate—losing an undergraduate you’ve been in contact with for so long.

“You, you really!”

But don’t be too depressed. Don’t go to a lawyer and make things worse. I never forced or threatened this student. Think of it as a genius finding the right nest.

“…….”

You’re not mad, are you? That would be shameless.

“What did you say?”

Richard, it’s all your doing.

The light vanished from the woman’s eyes, and with a snap, the room was plunged into darkness. Only a single candle flickered, casting eerie shadows. Stranov leaned closer to the camera.

You dumped me. Not once, but three times. Or was it four? Yeah, if you count the love letter I wrote that you ignored, it was four times.

“…….”

I liked you so much. I loved you. How could you treat me so coldly? Is that research really so important?

“…….”

Look at this. Between you and me, who is the better researcher? Who is the winner? For the record, I also have a lot of money. I do both theory and experiments. Unlike you, who only reads books and deals with abstract concepts, I have solid corporate backing.

A venomous glint sparked in her eyes as if she were ready to unleash all her pent-up resentment, to retaliate for every humiliation she had endured.

So go ahead and regret it. Regret dumping me back then, and see if you can live with that regret while you beat yourself up over it.

“Kallis…!”

You need to understand the pain of a broken heart, too.

A deep, high-pitched laugh echoed through the silence—joy, anger, sadness, all mingling in that single sound. The video screen went dark, and the player turned off. Simultaneously, the DM updated.

Your student is awesome lol

“Ugh, ughhhh!!”

Oh, by the way, do you know what our next research topic is? It’s the discovery of gravitons.

“W-what…!”

I heard from Aidel. You’re researching gravitons, too, right? Oh dear, better be careful not to get scooped! Aidel’s research speed is beyond imagination, haha. But can you really cover the accelerator usage fee with that chickpea-sized government grant? Good luck with that. Well, I need to get back to my research, so see you~ Ah, and I loved you, you bastard.

Ding!

Notification: The other party has gone offline.

“This can’t be…”

Feynman opened his mailbox, desperate for something—anything—he could do.

DM: Aidel von Reinhardt Student

Aidel, are you available right now? Can we talk for a bit? Please reply as soon as you see this.

The agonizing wait felt like his liver was burning. Minutes dragged on, stretching into what felt like an eternity.

Sorry for the late reply, Professor.

Feynman’s heart raced as he read the message. Below the DM window, the phrase (typing) appeared. Reading (typing) backward, it became a jumble of thoughts: gravit, gravity, graviton, tears flowing. Finally, the reply materialized.

Suddenly, but I have something to tell you, Professor.

“Please, stop.”

I’m sorry, but I think I need to attend graduate school at another university.

“No. Don’t do this.”

As a result of interning elsewhere, I found that the research lab there suits my aptitude better than Professor Feynman’s lab.

Lies. It’s a lie.

Therefore, I intend to pursue integrated master’s and doctoral studies in Professor Stranov’s lab at Eruyel Academy.

He had just enrolled in Academia and sought out only him. Aidel couldn’t just drop this bombshell without any warning.

Aidel student

Did I do something wrong?

If you think there are points in our lab that need improvement, please tell me frankly.

I’ll try to fix them immediately.

No, Professor.

There are no points that need improvement.

It’s because my personal areas of interest have changed.

It’s a lie.

I heard everything about you researching gravitons with Professor Stranov.

Please don’t lie to me.

Silence stretched between them for several minutes. Feynman continued to play the keyboard, tears welling in his eyes.

We still have so much to study and research together.

(Graviton Research Paper.pdf)

This is the file of the paper we’re working on.

It’s just a draft, but I hope Aidel can take a look and edit it.

It’s my lifelong wish.

Aidel

Student

Student

We can’t end like this.

Finally, a reply came through.

I’m sorry, Professor.

A single sentence of apology.

“Ah.”

The ceiling was a faded yellow, a remnant of years without renovation.

“Professor…? Professor!”

“Get a hold of yourself, Professor Feynman!”

When he finally regained consciousness, several hours had slipped away. He had lost the paper, the time, and the student. It was the worst day a professor could endure. As evening fell, Feynman began to scream in earnest. He screamed and screamed, his throat raw, soothing it only with honey water before screaming again until blood trickled from his throat. On this day, the graduate students found themselves unable to go home.

Feynman was not the type to crumble so completely in the face of a setback.

“Business trip, cough, let’s go.”

Determined to reclaim his lost prospective student, he organized an expedition.

“Who would have thought things would turn out like this?”

“If this continues, we really won’t be able to graduate!”

“We have to get the junior back somehow.”

These three lab slaves—no, our dedicated and spirited graduate students—were willing to do anything for their theses and graduation. Ian, Flance, and Mercury were united by their shared struggles and aspirations.

“Though our surnames may differ, we are bound by the ties of graduate school!”

“We will share our hearts and unite our strengths to support one another when times are tough and unbearable.”

“Above, we repay our professors; below, we seek to bring peace to our juniors.”

“Though we did not enter on the same day, we hope to graduate on the same day. The energy of the universe and the constellations will watch over our hearts. Those who abandon righteousness and duty will be punished by the Outer God and Incarnate, and they will have to pay for our monthly gatherings.”

The three doctoral students, who had become sworn brothers through a universal bond, left the academy with a renewed sense of purpose.

Incidentally, the dropout rate in the quantum gravity theory lab exceeded 80%. That was why they had no juniors at all…

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Kallis! Come out immediately!”

The voice was familiar, but the tone was anything but.

I had been grinning, absorbed in the final stages of my resonator production research when the loud shout jolted me from my focus. Professor Stranov quickly draped an overcoat over my shoulders.

“Get into the private room.”

“But that voice—”

“It must be some trivial commotion. I’ll handle it.”

However, it seemed to be too late. With a violent crash, the door burst open.

The laboratory turned as cold as ice. At that moment, the look in Professor Feynman’s eyes was even colder.

“Aidel… I’ve come to save you.”

“Ha!” Stranov stepped in front of him, blocking his path with a casual demeanor.

“Aren’t those behind you graduate students? Just three?”

“It’s not three, Kallis. It’s four.”

“There must be one more in your lab. But that doesn’t seem to be Aidel von Reinhardt.”

“That student belongs to our lab. Move aside.”

“Oh my, forgetting your dignity and speaking such nonsense. You’re a professor. Can’t you express yourself with a bit more grace?”

“No matter how unruly I am, I’m still better than you, right? Kallis.”

Professor Feynman opened a message window in the air. It was visible to me, to Professor Stranov, and to the graduate students working in the lab.

“What’s going on all of a sudden?” Zelnya asked as she entered.

“Oh, Zelnya, welcome.”

“That… ‘Can you pay for the accelerator usage fee with a tiny government grant?’ ‘I loved you, you bastard?’ Wow, who wrote such vulgar curses without any manners?”

“Professor Stranov.”

Zelnya froze.

Meanwhile, Stranov’s plan was progressing steadily. She had anticipated Professor Feynman’s arrival. Quietly, she took a corn snack wrapper out of her pocket and handed it to Zelnya, whose expression darkened.

“……Why, what.”

“Microwave, 5 minutes 30 seconds.”

From now on, it’s popcorn time.