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CHAPTER 16 – PICTURE (2)
December 7, 2022 — 3 Comments
I was horrified for a moment when I saw the picture of the steam locomotive Marie showed me, but I quickly checked my notebook. Originally, the notes were divided into two sections: notes summarising Xenon’s life development and general notes.
I had just wanted to keep turning the page at that time, and this is what happened. My notes on the progression of Xenon’s biography were all over the place. I could only do it at that time.
I brought the wrong notebook.
Apparently, I made this mistake because the book cover of the notebooks was similar, but this is absolutely my fault. I thought I should be careful every time, but I ended up making a mistake.
‘I should have been more careful…’
I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. It’s not that people don’t rewrite, it’s a disaster caused by my laxity, which has continued from my previous life until now.
The reason my family is constantly worried about me is not that I am the youngest, but because of my clumsy personality. When I was younger, I slipped while trying to pull out a book about which I knew nothing and almost got into trouble. I then recall that my father may have grabbed me quickly.
Not only that, but something similar happened recently. It was the conversation I had with Cecily that was written in the manuscript. That should give you some idea of how stupid I am.
“It looks like a wagon with wheels on it. Except it has horns or something.”
Marie tilted her head, looking around at the steam locomotive I’d drawn. Fortunately, only the front section of the steam locomotive was drawn, and it was also sloppy. If anyone sees it, it will resemble a carriage.
In particular, it was not drawn in 3D, but flat like 2D, so it will look very similar to a carriage except for the engine that emits steam.
I judged that there was still a chance to deal with it, and spoke to Marie in the calmest voice possible.
“I drew this because I was bored. I’ll give you another page other than that.”
“Um… OK.”
Without question, Marie returned the page with the steam locomotive to me. I crumpled up her returned page and handed her another piece of paper.
It was an essential procedure to check the front and back to prevent the same situation as now.
“How are you going to present it? I don’t have anything to do, so I’m going to write Xenon’s biography.”
“I’ve read a lot of books, so I’m going to pick one of them.”
“I’m envious. It’s a matter of getting extra points.”
“You’ll know that when you present it. Even if it’s simple, it will depend on how well you present it, right?”
Last week, Professor Beerus singled me out and I couldn’t come up with a proper answer, but now that I have time, it’s okay. It is thanks to the presentation skills I have honed since my previous life.
In fact, it was a case of natural growth as I was in charge of the presentation every time I did a group assignment during my university days. One or two people kept missing in the middle, so I was in charge of the presentation by filling in the gaps. Of course, I gave a shit to the group member who got out of the group assignment with the most ridiculous excuses.
‘But what about the presentation format?’
Suddenly a question came to mind, and I gently raised my hand. As soon as I raised my hand, Professor Beerus was delighted and asked me a question.
“What do you have to say? Student Isaac?”
Also, Professor Beerus remembered my name. I didn’t care though.
“I would like to ask if we are going to make a presentation in front of the blackboard.”
“We’ll do that later. It’s a group assignment, an assignment that randomly groups team members.”
“…a group assignment?”
Oh my god. The terrible group assignment exists here too.
{T/N:- I need some GDs in academy novels, it would be fun. I have yet to come across one.}
Professor Beerus smiled heartily as if he didn’t notice my pale complexion. What on earth is the group assignment he envisions?
“Yes. Of course, there are students who are difficult to deal with as Isaac thought. But that’s okay. So far, there have been no problems with group assignments.”
“…Then I’m glad.”
“Even if there is a problem, don’t worry, just tell me and I’ll take care of everything.”
Perhaps it will be postponed or covered up so that there is no problem. Credibility is lost in a society where identity exists. Perhaps a high-ranking student had been harassing his teammates.
I may think I’m ahead, but it’s that kind of world. That’s why I couldn’t relax easily. I wish I could be in the same group as a guy with a rational mind.
Meanwhile, Marie next to me listened to our conversation and asked the professor a question.
“Are there any majors other than humanities that have group assignments?”
“I know there are some subjects.”
I’ll just have to be disheartened and accept it. As I said before, I can only hope that there are only normal children.
“You said earlier that you arbitrarily coordinate team members, right? What if there are students who want to be together?”
“No. It is against fairness, so that part is absolutely impossible.”
“Eh…”
When Professor Beerus sternly pressed her, Marie pursed her lips and expressed her regret. If that was possible in a group assignment, it wouldn’t be a true group assignment.
“Now, the time has passed. The students will make the presentation in turn, starting from the front row.”
The presentation went smoothly. Some students were so nervous that they stutter, while others conveyed excellent presentations.
Me? It was just plain ordinary. It wasn’t great, and it wasn’t bad either. However, Professor Beerus was satisfied with my broad knowledge as I only read books at home.
“I… So, how I felt about this part… The…”
Something quite unexpected also happened: Marie, who was next to me, stuttered and ruined her presentation. It was an unexpected situation for me, who usually only saw her bright and energetic side.
“Good job, Student Marie. Next time, please make your presentation a little more confident. Okay?”
“…Yeah.”
In the end, she managed to finish her presentation somehow, but as soon as she sat down, Marie collapsed on her desk. Her embarrassment seemed to overwhelm her as I noticed her slightly exposed ears turning red.
‘Well, even if it was an education at home, it wouldn’t have developed the presentation skills.’
Although some people may have learned more about basic knowledge and culture than others, not presentation skills. If infusion education is what nobles learn at home, then the academy is higher education. This means you have more areas where you can improve your skills.
Moreover, there will be more presentations like this in the future, but she will be pessimistic. Her heart will be filled with the first feelings of humiliation, shame, and embarrassment,
“The remarkable thing here is watching my father’s training…”
I glanced at Marie, who was lying on her face, even while the others were presenting. She continued to lie down, not having the courage to raise her head.
In response, I pressed my cheek to the desk to relieve Marie’s mood and played a prank on her. And I waited patiently for her to look at me.
“… …”
Oh. Our eyes met.
Marie, lying on her face, glanced at me as if she felt my gaze while watching. Of course, she buried her face again after that, but it was clear that our eyes met.
“Marie.”
“… …”
“Marie?”
“…Why.”
“Are you crying?”
flinch-
Marie’s body trembled violently when I asked in a playful manner. Then she slowly lifted her buried face from her desk and looked at me.
Her red face, in contrast to her picky expression, was impressive, to the point where it competed with my hair.
Even when she gave me a stern look, I didn’t lift my cheek from the desk. She looked at me for a moment before opening her mouth and sighing deeply.
“…if I’m going to excuse myself, I wasn’t taught these things at home.”
“Didn’t your brother tell you?”
“My brother is a martial arts student. Not literature. And you’re lucky. You’re good at presenting and reading a lot of books.”
Marie grumbled as if my antics have put her at ease. I smiled and raised my cheeks off the desk.
Her face was still red, but her grunting indicated that she had regained her energy. To be honest, it made no sense to be upset because she botched one presentation. It must have taken some thought.
“…And what you did earlier.”
“Huh?”
“What you did when you saw me earlier.”
“What?”
When she asked, I tilted my head, and Marie frowned slightly.
I was rather embarrassed by the reaction. Marie let out a long nose breath as if frustrated by my reaction.
“…No. That’s fine. Just think whatever you want.”
“that…”
“The two students over there? Can you lower your voice a bit during the presentation?”
Eekkk. I guess I was talking too much. When I was pointed out by the professor, I immediately shut my mouth.
Marie also kept her mouth shut, the anger on her face subsided, but her ears were still red. Her hair color was also white, which made her stand out even more.
“…it’s a rule.”
“Huh? What?”
“It’s nothing.
There was a brief incident, but Marie also returned to her original form. In the meantime, her turn has passed to Cecily.
“As you can see, I’m a demon. Although not as long as an Elf, our race has a longer lifespan than a human. And I’ve learned a lot over the past 100 years.”
I felt it during the speech, but her voice was so beautiful that it seemed captivating. Her voice had the power and charm to entice people.
Even now, students who had previously been uninterested in other people’s presentations were concentrating on Cecily’s. She was a demon, but she was still amazing.
I listened carefully to Cecily’s presentation. If she mentioned the years she has lived, I have a feeling that a good story will come out.
“But I recently met someone who has more knowledge than me and knows more about demons than I do. I learned a lot from him.”
Then she looked at me with a truly lovely smile. I couldn’t help but be taken aback by her genuine smile.
Are you talking about what happened last week? Based on what she said, that was the only situation.
“That’s when I realized that people with something to learn are worth being around for that alone.”
“What did you learn from him?”
Is it because Cecily is a demon? Professor Beerus asked with a curious expression, stroking his mustache.
At this, Cecily looked at Professor Beerus and spoke out.
“I learned what kind of race the demons are, at least in part. I didn’t even know about it myself. If the professor wants, I can tell you.”
“Hmm… Unfortunately, I’m human, so I’m not sure I can relate to the definition. Still, it was a great presentation. Let’s give Cecily an extra point.”
“Thank you.”
Cecily nodded at the professor’s praise for giving her extra points. Then she looked at me again and smiled.
I was embarrassed by that smile, but I applauded. The presentation itself was neat and perfect.
Next up was Rina, who was sitting next to Cecily, and she gave a presentation just as well as Cecily. In particular, I was impressed with her elegant yet gentle tone of voice.
When everyone’s presentations concluded, it was time for the lecture to end. Professor Beerus clapped his hands and drew everyone’s attention when the last student’s presentation was completed.
“Now, pay attention. There is something I need to tell you before the class is over. As I told Isaac earlier, my lecture has a ‘group assignment’. It may be unfamiliar to you, but simply think of it as team play.”
“Group assignments? Team play?”
“What the hell is that?”
The classroom rattled when Professor Beerus mentioned the group assignment. I’m not sure what everyone is saying, but I’m well aware of how tedious and pointless that group assignment is.
Those poor little lambs don’t know that. As I would expect, the moment the group assignments are finished, the students will have a negative attitude toward others.
In the meantime, Professor Beerus brought out the explanation of the group assignment as the buzzing in the hall seemed to calm down.
“The purpose of this group assignment is simple. I present an assignment, and you can complete the assignment with a team member I randomly designate. It’s really simple, right? However, if there are disloyal students or cheating is discovered, the student will receive 0 points. As a professor, I have often seen students using their backgrounds, so don’t ever think that you won’t get caught.”
Even with such a warning, those who use power will eventually use it. It’s sad, but that’s the reality.
In addition, some people will cheat even if they don’t use their family background, and some people will avoid it with ridiculous excuses. Fortunately, students are likely to attend the group project because it will be their first time. A snout is much better than being invisible.
“Also, cooperating with a team member other than the team member I designated will be counted as 0 points.”
“Then professor. How are team members assigned?”
“In consideration of fairness, we plan to draw lots.”
One thing about fairness is that you are committed to it. I chuckled bitterly. However, there is no method that is so fair that it can be compared to drawing lots.
“The group assignment will be held three weeks from now, but I’ll tell you the details in advance. The content is related to your favorite Xenon biography.”
“… …”
Could my book be a textbook? This is a weird thing.
As I was laughing inwardly, Professor Beerus brought out the content of the assignment that shocked me.
“The assignment I will assign you is to anticipate, analyze, and present the development of Xenon’s biography in a coherent manner. Xenon’s biography contains many clues that can sufficiently predict future development. I’ve also found a few.”
“……”
“It makes no difference if the hypothesis is incorrect when the new book on Xenon’s biography is published. What I want to do is piece together the clues, clearly analyze cause and effect, and predict how the hypothesis will affect the outcome. The reason I’m speaking now is out of consideration for students who haven’t read Xenon’s biography, which was recently published.”
Afterward, the professor looked around the classroom, which quickly became quiet, and asked the students with a proud expression.
“How about it? It’s really easy, isn’t it?”
It’s really easy. Professor.
Since I am the author of the book, I think it will be as easy as lying down and eating rice cakes. Of course, I believe it would be difficult to write it down as it is because doing so would elicit a lot of suspicions.
‘…Then what should I do? Should I make a presentation?’
I felt like I was in a dilemma.
As one of the readers commented yesterday, suggesting that ‘Xenon’s Biography’ could be changed to ‘Xenon’s Saga’. So, I did some google and saw that ‘Memoir’ is also synonymous to ‘Biography’.
So, should I keep ‘Xenon’s Biography’ as it is or should I change it? If yes, whether to ‘Xenon’s Saga’ or ‘Xenon’s Memoir’?