Chapter 17

■ Chapter 16. The Drawing (2) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

I was momentarily startled by the drawing of the steam locomotive that Mari showed me, but I quickly checked my notebook. The notebook is usually divided into one for organizing the story of Xenon and a regular notebook.

Thinking there might be a mistake, I kept flipping through the pages. How could this be? My notes on the development of Xenon's story were clearly written there. Only then did I realize my mistake.

I had brought the wrong notebook.

It seemed the mistake was due to the similar covers of the notebooks, but this was clearly my fault. Despite always reminding myself to be careful, I still made the mistake.

'I should have been more careful...'

I could only sigh inwardly. People don't change, and this disaster is a result of my carelessness that has persisted from my past life to the present.

One reason my family fusses over me is because I'm the youngest, but it's also due to my scatterbrained personality. When I was young, I almost caused a big accident by trying to pull a book and slipping. I remember my father catching me just in time.

Not only that, but something similar happened recently. I ended up repeating a conversation I had written in my manuscript to Cecil. That alone shows how absent-minded I can be.

"Does it look like a carriage because it has wheels? Except for the horns, of course."

Mari looked at the steam locomotive I drew, tilting her head. Fortunately, I had only roughly sketched the front part of the locomotive, which would look similar to a carriage to the people here.

Especially since it was drawn in a 2D, flat style, it would look very similar to a carriage without the steam mechanism.

I judged that there was still a chance to salvage the situation and spoke to Mari in as calm a voice as possible.

"I drew it out of boredom. I'll give you a different page."

"Um... Okay."

Mari handed back the page with the steam locomotive without any suspicion. I folded the returned page and passed her a different sheet of paper.

To prevent a similar situation, it was essential to check both sides of the page.

"How are you going to present? I don't have much to say, so I'll just write about Xenon's story."

"I've read a lot of books, so I'll choose one of them."

"Envious. You're already ahead of the game."

"That will only be clear once you present. Even a simple topic can vary depending on how well you present it."

Last week, Professor Virius called on me, and I couldn't give a proper answer. But now, with the time given, I'm fine. Thanks to my presentation skills honed from my past life.

Actually, during college, I always ended up being the one to present for group projects, which naturally helped me grow. I often had to fill in for one or two members who dropped out, and I didn't hesitate to give it to those who tried to skip out on group work with ridiculous excuses.

'But how is the presentation format going to be?'

Suddenly, this question came to mind, and I raised my hand slightly. Professor Virius, noticing my hand, immediately asked me a question.

"Do you have something to say? Isaac?"

Indeed, Professor Virius remembered my name. But I didn't mind.

"I was wondering if we have to present in front of the board."

"I'll do that later. There's a group project, where I'll randomly assign team members."

"...A group project?"

Great. Even here, the dreaded group project exists.

Professor Virius, seemingly unaware of my pale face, smiled contentedly. I wondered what kind of group project he was imagining.

"Yes. Of course, there might be difficult students, like Isaac, but it's fine. We've never had any issues with group projects so far."

"...That's a relief."

"If any problems arise, just let me know, and I'll handle it. Don't worry."

I suspected he either covered up or ignored the problems. In a society with social hierarchies, it's not hard to believe. The students with high status probably took advantage of their team members.

While it might seem like progress, it's the reality. I couldn't easily relax, hoping to be paired with someone sensible.

Meanwhile, Mari, who had been listening to our conversation, asked the professor.

"Are there group projects in majors other than humanities?"

"I believe there are a few subjects."

I should just accept and hope for the best. As I said earlier, I can only hope for normal students.

"By the way, you said you'll randomly assign team members. What if there are students who want to work together?"

"That's not allowed. It would be unfair, so it's absolutely not possible."

"Aw..."

Mari pouted when Professor Virius firmly refused, showing her disappointment. If that were possible, it wouldn't be a true group project.

"Now, time is up. We'll start the presentations from the front row."

The presentations went smoothly. Some students were so nervous that they stuttered badly, while others gave impressive presentations.

As for me, I was just average. Not outstanding, but not bad either. However, my broad knowledge from reading books at home impressed Professor Virius.

"Well... I mean, when I read this part, I felt... that..."

An unexpected situation occurred when Mari, who was next, stumbled over her words and messed up her presentation. It was surprising, given her usually bright and energetic demeanor.

"Good job, Mari. Next time, try to be more confident. Understand?"

"...Yes."

She managed to finish her presentation somehow but slumped over her desk as soon as she sat down. Her ears, slightly visible, were bright red, indicating her embarrassment.

'Well, unless she was homeschooled, no one probably taught her presentation skills.'

She might have learned more basic knowledge and culture than others, but not presentation skills. If the education at home is rote, the academy is higher education, meaning more self-improvement is required.

Moreover, with more presentations to come, she must be feeling pessimistic. The initial humiliation and embarrassment must be overwhelming.

"Here, while watching my father's training..."

While others were presenting, I kept looking at Mari, who was still slumped over. She didn't seem to have the courage to lift her head.

To cheer her up and tease her a bit, I pressed my cheek against the desk. I waited patiently until she looked at me.

"..."

"..."

Oops. Our eyes met.

During my observation, Mari, feeling my gaze, glanced at me while still slumped over. Of course, she buried her face again, but we definitely made eye contact.

"Mari."

"..."

"Mari?"

"...Why."

"Are you crying?"

She flinched at my playful question. She slowly lifted her face from the desk and looked at me.

Her expression was sharp, but her face was red, almost matching my hair color.

Despite her sharp look, I didn't move my cheek from the desk. After a while, Mari sighed deeply.

"To be honest, they don't teach this stuff at home."

"Didn't your brother teach you?"

"My brother is uneducated. Not in literature. And you're lucky. You're good at presenting and have read a lot of books."

Mari, feeling better from my teasing, grumbled. I chuckled and lifted my cheek from the desk.

Her face was still red, but her grumbling indicated she was regaining her energy. Honestly, it's unreasonable to be upset over one bad presentation. She probably just needed some time to think.

"...And what you did earlier."

"Hmm?"

"What you did when you looked at me."

"What did I do?"

I tilted my head, and Mari frowned, as if I was teasing her.

Her reaction made me feel awkward. She sighed deeply, looking frustrated.

"...Never mind. Just think what you want."

"..."

"Students over there? Can you lower your voices during presentations?"

Oops. We must have been too loud. I immediately shut my mouth when the professor pointed it out.

Mari also closed her mouth, her face still red but her ears still pink, especially noticeable with her white hair.

"...You're mean."

"Hmm? What did you say?"

"Nothing."

After a brief incident, Mari returned to her usual self. Meanwhile, it was Cecil's turn to present.

"As you can see, I am a demon. While not as long-lived as elves, we have a longer lifespan than humans. Over the past 100 years, I have learned a lot."

Her voice, as I noticed during her speech, was mesmerizingly beautiful. It had a charm that drew people in.

Even students who were not paying attention to other presentations were now focused on Cecil. It was impressive, even considering she was a demon.

I listened carefully to Cecil's presentation. Given that she mentioned her life experiences, I had a good feeling about the story.

"But despite my long life, I recently met someone who knew more and understood demons better than I did. I learned a lot from that person."

She looked directly at me and smiled beautifully. I was taken aback by her sincere smile.

Could she be talking about what happened last week? The content suggests that's the case.

"At that moment, I realized that a person who has something to learn from is worth being around, just for that."

"What did you realize from that person?"

Perhaps because Cecil is a demon, Professor Virius stroked his mustache and asked with interest.

Cecil looked at Professor Virius and began her story.

"I learned what demons are, even aspects I didn't know about myself. If you'd like, I can share more."

"Hmm... Unfortunately, as a human, I can't fully empathize with your definition. But it was an excellent presentation. I'll give you extra credit, Cecil."

"Thank you."

Cecil bowed her head in gratitude at the professor's praise and smiled at me again.

I clapped, feeling a bit embarrassed by her smile. Her presentation was clean and perfect.

Next was Lina, who sat next to Cecil. She also gave an excellent presentation, especially with her elegant and gentle tone.

By the time everyone finished presenting, the lecture was over. Professor Virius clapped to regain everyone's attention.

"Now, pay attention. Before the class ends, I have something to say. As I mentioned to Isaac, there will be a group project in my class. It might be unfamiliar to you, but think of it as a team project."

"Group project? Team project?"

"What is that?"

The classroom buzzed as Professor Virius mentioned the group project. While others might not know what it is, I know how terrible and frustrating it can be.

Those poor lambs don't know what they're in for. I predict that by the end of the group project, students will be filled with distrust.

As the classroom settled, Professor Virius began explaining the group project.

"The purpose of this group project is simple. I will give you a task, and you will complete it with the team members I randomly assign. It's really simple, right? However, if any student is found to be dishonest or uncooperative, they will receive a zero. I've seen many students use their backgrounds to their advantage, so don't think you won't get caught."

Those who will abuse their power will do so, no matter the warning. It's a bitter reality.

Moreover, some will find loopholes or make ridiculous excuses to avoid participation. The only silver lining is that since it's their first time, they are likely to participate, which is better than not showing up at all.

"Additionally, working with team members other than those I assign will also result in a zero."

"Professor, how will the team members be assigned?"

"To ensure fairness, we will draw lots."

Fairness is his strong point. I chuckled. There's no better method for fairness than drawing lots.

"The group project will start in three weeks, but I'll tell you the content now. It's related to the story of Xenon, which you all like."

"..."

Is my book a textbook now? This is quite peculiar.

As I chuckled inwardly, Professor Virius revealed the shocking assignment.

"Your task is to predict and analyze how the story of Xenon will develop, and present it logically. The story of Xenon contains many clues that can help you predict the future. I've found a few myself."

"..."

"Even if your hypothesis is wrong when the new volume of Xenon is released, it's fine. What I want is a clear analysis of the causes and effects based on the clues, and a prediction of the impact of your hypothesis. I'm explaining this to accommodate those who haven't read the recent volumes of Xenon."

The professor then looked around the now quiet classroom and asked the students with a satisfied expression.

"How about it? Really easy, right?"

Really easy, Professor.

It's a piece of cake for me since I'm the author. Of course, writing it as is would raise suspicions, so I can't do that.

'...What should I do? Should I just present?'

I felt caught between a rock and a hard place.