I’m Not Doing This With A Friend Chapter 87

 

Sera was turned over to the Imperial Central Magistrate, not the Academy’s disciplinary committee, to be trialed formally.

 

An Attempted Murder.

 

Attempting to murder the heir to the Duchy of Lysianthus was not something to be taken lightly.

 

There may have been witnesses, but the fact that it was in a public place, with students passing by, made it impossible to avoid.

 

There was a story that her family, the Marquis of Brandy, had stabbed the inquisitor in one of the capital’s more prominent gambling houses, but who knows?

 

It doesn’t seem to have done much good, as Sera was sentenced to exile.

 

The Academy, and all the social circles, talked about Sera, the second daughter of the Marquis of Brandy.

 

The Marquis’s honor had fallen to the ground.

 

It was the price of losing control of a moment’s anger.

 

“I wonder why she would do such a thing out of the blue. She says her wrist is broken. They say it’s Carson, and she swears at him.”

 

How ironic.

 

Suddenly, it occurred to me that she might be of the same kind as Rex Begonia.

 

“Is this a take-it-or-leave-it mentality?”

 

It’s none of my business what a criminal’s motives are.

 

I shrugged and quickened my pace. I had classes in the far building today, so I had to walk quite a bit to get to the clubroom.

 

As I quickly made my way across the Academy’s gardens to the clubroom, I spotted a dragonfly resting in the fountain.

 

“It’s very early for dragonflies to come out…”

 

Somewhere in the past, I had heard that dragonflies eat mosquitoes and other insects for a living.

 

This made me feel like a fool. Gazing at the dragonfly with pride, I carefully reached out and captured it.

 

“Before I go to the clubroom, I’ll stop by the MoTo-Club (Mosquito Torture Club) and give it to them.”

 

The MoTo-Club would be able to fill the dragonfly’s stomach.

 

I was told that they raise their own mosquitoes to ensure an efficient supply.

 

It didn’t take long to get to MoTo-Club.

 

After hearing the knock on the door, the member’s eyes widened when he saw me.

 

“Aren’t you Leen, the one who submitted the mosquito repellent with Hans for the herbalism project last time?”

 

MoTo-Club seemed to recognize me.

 

“Uh-huh. That’s right.”

 

“W-what, who?”

 

“Leen? Didn’t you just say Leen?”

 

Hearing our conversation, students rushed out from inside the clubroom.

 

Slowly, I blinked at the sudden attention on me.

 

One would have thought I’d been the rumored minstrel show.

 

I knew MoTo-Club would like mosquito repellent, but I didn’t expect this.

 

The first kid who walked through the door looked at me expectantly.

 

“So, why did you come to MoTo-Club? Do you want to join our club next time?”

 

His gaze was even more intimidating than the ones I’d encountered from the members of Leli-Club (Leen-Likers-Club).

 

I rolled my eyes and handed over the dragonfly in my hand.

 

“Not that, this…”

 

As expected, the MoTo-Club members welcomed the dragonfly I offered.

 

“You came to give us a dragonfly!”

 

“Wow, it’s still early for dragonflies to emerge, but you found them.”

 

“Well, I could have done something else today, but it’s mosquito season.”

 

“I can’t believe they’re turning into a meal. I could instill a visceral fear in them!”

 

Whoa…

 

Listening to their excitement, I realized they were part of the mosquito club.

 

They really are serious about mosquito torture.

 

“Well, I’ll be off.”

 

It was time to turn around and head back to my club after achieving my purpose.

 

Suddenly, I read the words on the plaque in the clubroom.

 

[Walter&Baleumon, the first founders of MoTo-Club.]

 

“…Walter?”

 

The name sounded familiar, and I unconsciously read it out loud. Then someone stepped forward and proudly explained.

 

“Didn’t you know, Professor Walter is one of the co-founders of MoTo-Club, which is why we have such a long tradition.”

 

I wondered if the name next to him was a friend. It was a club that somehow seemed out of place with Professor Walter.

 

I shook my head vigorously, not wanting to dig into it.

 

After thanking him for the explanation, I hurried out of the room.

 

Two and a half years until graduation from the Academy.

 

It was a long way off, and a short time away. But it would not be long enough to avoid Professor Walter.

 

“I hope nothing happens until graduation.”

 

🍃

 

Summer came and went, then fall and winter.

 

The seasons repeated one after another.

 

Although the school year changed, the Academy’s curriculum did not.

 

The start of a new school year brought academic festivals, followed shortly thereafter by exams.

 

After exams, summer vacation. When vacation ended, exams again.

 

And then winter break. It was a monotonous cycle of life.

 

But I was able to say, ‘I was happy,’ without thinking about it.

 

After enrolling in the academy, events, big and small, came together in a short period of time, and the ordinary days just flew by.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Setting my chin askew, I stared out at the maddening landscape.

 

Everywhere I looked, there were no kids saying or doing anything normal.

 

One boy held up an inkwell and said to his friend next to him.

 

“Look at this. It’s pitch black, and I can’t see anything, doesn’t that look like my future?”

 

“Wow, really. I can’t see a thing!”

 

Then the student holding the inkwell grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

 

“Haha, I say let’s fight, dumbass.”

 

“That’s great!”

 

As if they weren’t kidding, the two of them lunged at each other with smiles plastered on their faces and arms flailing.

 

Surprisingly, no one paid attention. They weren’t the only ones.

 

In front of the classroom table, someone was holding a stick and pretending to play it like it was a flute.

 

Someone playing a broomstick like it was a violin.

 

Another drew a sketchy piano key on a piece of paper and was tapping it.

 

Others were looking at them earnestly.

 

Glancing over, I saw a student watering a plant in one corner of the class.

 

For a moment, I doubted my eyes. The flower she was watering was an artificial flower.

 

…And where did she get that big silver watering can?

 

“Hehe, eat well and grow strong.”

 

She laughed so brightly. It’s been there for four years, so she must know it’s an artificial flower.

 

At that moment, a female student walking by asked with a frown.

 

“Hey, why are you watering it?”

 

“You see, I tried to touch the leaves, but they were too stiff, so I asked the Academy’s gardener to borrow a watering can.”

 

After staring at her blankly for a moment, a smile spread across her face.

 

“Aha, I see. Do you mind if I share it with you then?”

 

“Of course!”

 

I slapped my forehead as I listened to their conversation. I was expecting to hear some sort of clarification and stop the watering.

 

Apparently, I hadn’t yet adjusted to the turn-of-the-century sensibilities of pre-graduation.

 

Yep. The reason they are acting so half-screwed here has something to do with the impending graduation.

 

The stress and pressure of graduation exams and the upcoming entrance into the world made it seem like they were going crazy.

 

In fact, it wasn’t just our class that was losing their minds.

 

Just yesterday in my major class…

 

“Ugh!”

 

Blabber Girl suddenly jumped up from solving a note test and ruffled her hair.

 

“Professor. Listen carefully. I’m a fourth-year student, I don’t know much about the subject, I’m just a fourth-year student, and I’m just a talking head, okay?”

 

Confronting Professor George seemed to catch him off guard.

 

Even more surprising was Professor George’s reaction. He said without a trace of change in expression, as if this was a familiar scene.

 

“Sit down.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Judging by his calm demeanor, it seemed like it was a yearly occurrence for students to lose their minds before their final exams.

 

Granted, it was easy to tell the graduating year apart, even when I was in a different grade.

 

Weird behavior equals insanity…

 

If you were wandering the halls with a baggy gym uniform and a blanket wrapped around you and a sullen face, you were most likely a senior.

 

“Professor Walter’s here!”

 

Someone shouted, and I snapped out of my reverie and looked toward the classroom door. The scattered kids scrambled to their seats as if they’d been there before.

 

Bam!

 

Professor Walter slammed the classroom door and fell flat on his face.

 

“I can hear you talking all the way down the hall.”

 

He stuck his tongue out and flicked on the magic light in the darkened classroom.

 

“Children of darkness, if you’re here, turn on the lights.”

 

Professor Walter had been doing this pattern for years.

 

Slumped over his desk like a diseased plant, he looked at us and gave us a pathetic look.

 

“One minute you’re spreading yourself out like you’re graduating, and the next minute you’re crying your eyes out because you failed the final exam, and it’s your fault, you kids.”

 

Graduation.

 

I knew it was coming, but the thought of graduating in just a few days made my heart flutter. Who knew time would fly so fast?

 

Despite my vow to stay away from Professor Walter, I ended up seeing him for all but two of my junior and senior years.

 

He was my homeroom teacher.

 

All this time, I’ve been keeping my eyes on him, but I’ve never noticed anything suspicious about him.

 

Professor Walter yawned loudly and muttered, “I was dying to get to school this morning.”

 

Like that, I thought he was just another office worker#1 who hated going to work more than anyone else.

 

No, come to think of it, doesn’t that line sound like something a student would say?

 

To make sure I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, someone raised their hand and shouted back at him.

 

“I’m sure you hate it more than we do because we’re about to take our final exams.”

 

“What’s the big deal about finals? Just leave where you were taught.”

 

Boo—!

 

The sound of boos echoed through the classroom.

 

“Isn’t it weirder to have to come from a place you haven’t been to?”

 

“Exactly!”

 

Professor Walter flicked his ears and gave me a knowing look.

 

“If I were a swordsmanship major instead of the common class, Basic Physical Fitness, I’d be done with you the moment you started booing.”

 

Professor Walter flipped through the attendance book and raised an eyebrow.

 

“You didn’t even take attendance. Who’s on duty today?”

 

As if by magic, the class instantly fell silent.

 

When there was no response, the professor opened his mouth, as if he couldn’t be bothered to be angry anymore.

 

“That’s it. I’ll do it today. Raise your hand if you’re not here.”

 

???

 

Question marks appeared on the faces of the class, including mine.

 

There was no way anyone would raise their hand.

 

After a few seconds of silence, Professor Walter nodded, looking somewhat satisfied.

 

“Good, no one’s here. I’m glad to see you all have good attendance, no matter how late you are.”

 

Excuse me, Professor, but there are a few empty seats.