Chapter 94

Chapter 94

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 94: Chasing After You (4).

Zelnya chuckled. “You’re crazy.”

The mere suggestion of grad school was overwhelming. She had seen the haunted looks on the faces of graduate students before; they appeared as if they were haunted by an Outer God.

“Were you sneaking into my hospital room just to convince me?”

“It’s not deception, it’s a proposition. Because you’re smart.”

Smart. That word nearly made her heart skip a beat. Regaining her composure, Zelnya scoffed. If he were truly smart, he would know better than to suggest such a thing. Except he is after all, Aidel, who thrived on the unconventional.

“If we enter grad school together, we could even turn it into a competition—see who gets their Ph.D. first.”

“Don’t provoke me.”

“Weren’t you always the one obsessed with being the best?”

“Stop testing me.”

Zelnya coughed and retorted, “I’m not so stupid that I can’t tell right from wrong.”

“Is that so.” Aidel let out a deep sigh, seemingly relieved. He patted Zelnya’s shoulder and chuckled. “I hope you remember that.”

Even after that day, Aidel continued his regular visits to the infirmary. He attended to various tasks Zelnya requested, such as bringing food, tidying the bed, and addressing any discomfort she mentioned.

Why is he being so nice? Thump, thump, her heart pounded loudly.

“The submission is tomorrow,” Zelnya sighed, her eyes fixed on the tattered career survey form.

“Why, still undecided?”

“…Why are you here again?”

“I thought you might still be sick. Not the case, huh?”

By the fourth day, her symptoms had indeed subsided. However, Zelnya, wanting to tease Aidel a bit, had been exaggerating her illness.

“If you’re worried about your career…”

“Just so you know, I’m not going to the Graduate School.”

“No, I mean, just finish it up and submit it.”

Zelnya responded by raising her middle finger. She knew the career survey wasn’t crucial academically, but it was significant for her future. Zelnya aspired to live a perfect life, and settling this survey was a step towards that.

“Want to see mine?”

“Yours…?”

Aidel grinned, pulling out a clear file. “My career survey.”

“Give it to me, let me see!” Zelnya bolted upright in bed, her hand shooting out for the file. With a 40cm height difference between her and Aidel, he simply had to lift his hand slightly higher to keep it out of her reach.

“Give it…!”

“Don’t say ‘give it,’ say ‘please.’”

It was as if an anvil had struck her on the head. Please? Please??? Never. That was as unthinkable as being told to vanish forever.

“If you’re not going to hand it over, just leave.”

“I’m telling you, just say ‘please,’ and I’ll give it to you.”

“Get lost.” Zelnya turned away, her will ironclad, refusing to engage further with the infuriating figure before her. Meanwhile, time marched on relentlessly, tightening its grip around her.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

“Hurry, hand over the file.”

“You need to say ‘please.’”

“It’ll be dawn soon.”

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock.

“Hand it over! Now!”

“Please.”

“Time is slipping away─!!”

As the sun crested the mountain ridge, only 120 minutes remained until the morning assembly.

“Just show it to me… please…”

The standoff between the obstinate inspector and her terrorist classmate ended with Zelnya’s defeat. Clenching her teeth, she bowed her head and extended her hands to receive the document, her eyes burning with frustration.

“Damn it, damn it. Why am I doing this…!”

Asking for help was foreign to her. She had always been self-sufficient, even considering her parents less capable than herself. But now, for the first time, she was asking for a favor from the very person she was determined to surpass.

“Damn it! Damn it! This is humiliating!!”

Tears blurred her vision as she hurriedly filled out the survey, referencing Aidel’s answers. His responses were impeccable, befitting someone who was the primary author of a thesis. Two hours flew by, and she managed to complete the survey, albeit hastily finishing the last question. It wasn’t perfect, but it was thorough enough to secure second place.

“Good job, cough.”

“…?”

“Huh?” Aidel suddenly started coughing.

The tables had turned. Zelnya had just recovered, and now Aidel was down with the illness.

“Young master, Miss Rustila and Miss Ceti are concerned about your well-being. They mentioned they might come to visit you soon…”

“Don’t let them. Cough! They’ll catch it, too.”

The flu symptoms were typical: headaches, cold sweats, and a sore throat. Tiabel sighed before asking, “Didn’t you get your flu shot?”

“Vaccines cost, cough, quite a bit, you know…”

Tiabel frowned, slightly perplexed. “I don’t mean to be blunt, but your family is well-known in the medical community. It’s not as if you lack the funds or access to vaccines. Why skip on getting vaccinated?”

“With that money, cough, I could boost my research budget.”

“The virus has invaded your brain.”

Cartesia, who had been quietly sipping tea within the confines of Aidel’s mind, almost choked.

“Enough of this. You need to rest.” With that, Aidel was strictly confined to the infirmary.

“Tsk.” Zelnya clicked her tongue. It was all self-inflicted. Who told him to nurse a sick person? He was neither a medical professional nor a family member.

Stretching her stiff limbs, she stepped out into the small playground. The fresh air, which she hadn’t felt in a long while, invigorated her, sending a tingling sensation throughout her body. She walked slowly around the playground, intending to start by loosening up her muscles. Now, while Aidel was bedridden, she planned to study diligently and catch up on the lessons she had missed. She wasn’t worried about falling behind; Aidel had left her detailed summary notes and study sheets. With those, keeping up would be a breeze—

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck her chest. Unlike the last time’s rhythmic ‘thump, thump, thump,’ this felt like ‘prick, prick, prick.’ It was as if needles were stabbing her ventricles and atria, causing both a tingling sensation and an ache.

It was a peculiar realization. Until now, Zelnya had taken the sacrifices of others for granted, viewing them as merely a backdrop that highlighted her as the main character. Thus, she felt no inclination to pity Aidel.

“Ha.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose and looked down from the edge of the playground. Below, a familiar face came into view.

“Teacher, please, just once, let me see Aidel. They say he’s sick, right?”

“You shouldn’t go. You are destined to become an Omega-ranked Inspector. You must endure being apart for a while.”

“Teacher! Please…”

“My student, it’s not a fatal disease. He’ll be ill for a few days and then recover.”

Below her were Rustila and the Zodiac Twelve’s Naier Clark.

“Is that person still here?” She had heard rumors that the Zodiac Twelve would return to military service after the Celestine incident was resolved. However, She never imagined that Rustila and Nair would take the unexpected path of forming a master-disciple bond. A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

“Miss Adelwen!” Sonia called out. Her expression was twisted, an odd sight given her android nature.

“You must return the scarf before you leave.”

Zelnya glanced down, suddenly realizing why her neck wasn’t chilled by the gusty wind. She was still wearing the black scarf Aidel had given her.

“Please return it.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I’ll ask you once more. Please return it.”

“Give me the account number.”

“It’s not for sale,” Sonia’s eyes turned blue. It wasn’t a mistake that day, after all. This android had feelings for its master to a rather obsessive degree.

Zelnya considered her options. She could easily run off with the scarf, but that seemed petty. After a quick calculation, she changed her approach.

“The young master is very ill and needs the scarf.”

“…I forgot to bring my own scarf.”

“Miss, your scarf is here.”

Silence hung between them.

“Give me that scarf.”

Sonia’s gaze was piercing, almost threatening, as she closed the distance between them. Zelnya, having seen Aidel suffer at the hands of Sonia for a week, sensed a real danger. If she didn’t relinquish the scarf now, she might well face a beating, android principles be damned.

She hesitated, then made her decision.

“If I give it to you…”

“I will give it to you.”

There was a pause.

“You must say, ‘I will give it to you.’”

“…I, I will.”

“Now say it clearly.”

“You filthy wench,” She couldn’t bring herself to bow to an android, no matter the circumstances.

“What the—cough. Why are you here?”

Holding a scarf, Zelnya approached Aidel and tossed it at him. The scarf fluttered through the air before landing on Aidel’s face. Too late, Zelnya realized her blunder; she had been wearing that scarf for a week, and it was infused with her scent. Her cheeks flushed with heat as Sonia shot her a sharp glare.

“…Let’s give it a try.”

“Hmm?” Zelnya mused, somewhat pleased that the android seemed to disapprove.

Sonia swiftly removed the scarf and turned to Aidel. “Master Aidel, doesn’t it smell odd in here?”

Aidel rolled his eyes and sniffed. “My nose is blocked.”

“Oh dear, student! Oh dear!” The door to the infirmary burst open, revealing a man about Aidel’s height but seemingly a dozen years older. His tall, handsome figure stood out, and his suit suggested he was no ordinary visitor. He rushed to Aidel, grabbing his hand with concern.

“Why do you have the flu at this time of year, student!”

“Professor Feynman.”

“Student. You’re alright, aren’t you?”

“My next thesis topic, um… Cough cough!” Aidel gestured weakly toward a side table. “Over there, I’ve listed 24 ideas for a new paper. Please take them and review, ahem, and prioritize the ones you find satisfactory…”

“Student…” Feynman, visibly moved, gripped Aidel’s hand tightly. Zelnya watched, her expression blank. Sonia leaned in and whispered.

“He’s the young master’s advisor.”

“What…”

“This is getting interesting. Young master Aidel will soon advance to the graduate program. You’ll likely part ways before midterms, so finish your talk and then leave.”

Sonia’s revelation was startling. Aidel was moving on to graduate school? Not just college?

“Aidel, a few more people came to visit after hearing you were unwell. They’d like to check on you briefly. May I call them in?”

Aidel offered a weary smile and nodded. “It’s alright. Let them come in.”

As the door opened again, Zelnya couldn’t hide her astonishment at the new arrivals.