From Space Idiot to Professor

13 – Mock Examination (1)

I had been receiving interview coaching from Edward for two weeks.

In the meantime, we became extraordinarily close.

Conversation came naturally, and Edward no longer worried about the things Aidel had done in the past.

It made sense. People tend to immerse themselves in their own experiences. Why would he dislike me when he never personally suffered from my actions?

It was also rude to ask about someone else’s past indiscretions. Edward wasn’t so foolish not to know that.

Our relationship proceeded smoothly.

We mainly discussed academic topics. Even though we started with admissions, as time went by, it naturally turned out that way.

Edward and I were of the same kind.

“Thanks, Aidel. Because of you, I know what I should do.”

Just after today’s interview coaching.

The conversation flowed around the topic of future career paths. When the atmosphere became prodigious, Edward awkwardly expressed his gratitude.

“Have you made a decision?”

I asked cautiously.

“Yeah. I was originally planning to work in finance after graduating college, but after listening to you, I changed my mind. I’m going to graduate school.”

[“Crazy, crazy, crazy…”]

[─ The ‘God of Wisdom and Curiosity’ was horrified at your outrageous behavior over the past two weeks.]

Satisfied, I smiled with contentment.

“You thought well.”

Edward is a character who appears in the second half of ‘Foreign Bodies’.

He is a late starter in the path of a mathematician and successfully researches the ‘Ether Unification Theory’. He proves that Ether and gravity can be linked as one.

This is a hugely important discovery. This theory is essential in defeating foreign bodies.

However, Edward eventually falls into the eyes of the foreign bodies. He is torn apart and killed by creatures.

It was a tragic event.

If Edward had not had financial difficulties, he would have entered the graduate school earlier. The unification theory would have been completed earlier, and the development schedule of the gravity gun would have been advanced.

That’s why, hiring him as a tutor was necessary. Only then could Edward pay his tuition fee for the next semester.

Of course, it wasn’t given indiscriminately. I gained good information about the admissions.

As he said, the interview would be a breeze.

Anyway, Edward was a character who needed to be investigated. Fifty million credits were nothing to meet him.

“Aidel, you won’t screw up in the interview. Just work on your vocalization and focus on the practical or written parts.”

“Thank you.”

“And, another thing…”

Edward pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

‘Ergos Comprehensive Academy’ caught my eye first.

“What is this?”

“It’s a notice from the academy where I’m a teaching assistant. There’s a final mock exam this week. You can take it without registering, just by paying the fee. Give it a shot.”

Written on the paper was the process to apply for mock examinations and the test date. This was additional information that I had overlooked.

“Thank you, senior.”

“Save that for after you pass. Now, I need to go.”

Edward waved his hand and boarded the spaceship.

Hmm.

I guess I ought to save up money and get him a good spaceship later.

I bid Edward goodbye and turned around.

Just then, Seti came running, screeching,

“Hey, you lunatic-!!”

It’s here.

I had deposited tutoring fees to the public account recently. It seems she had noticed it.

This time, it won’t be easily overlooked. I gritted my teeth. I gathered courage.

She stopped in front of me.

“Where did the 50 million credits in the family bank account go?”

“Uh, that…”

“Where did it go!”

I told her the truth.

“I spent it preparing for the interview.”

“Int, interview preparation…?”

Seti’s pupils trembled. Her face contorted in horror. She looked like she was about to cry.

“This is the money I earnt doing business for over a month…”

Seti walked up to me and grabbed my collar. It wasn’t too hard due to the size difference.

However, Seti’s expression was unprecedentedly somber.

“Interviewing or whatever! Why did you, of all people, use the money in the family account? Do you think you’re our family? Do you really want to die?!”

“……”

“It was hilarious enough that the fortune accumulated by our house disappeared in gambling, but now even the money I’ve earned has been wastefully squandered.”

Seti choked up and raised her voice.

“Are you listening? It wasn’t just a bit of bank interest, the money I barely gathered up, even with sleep reduction, disappeared with one click of yours. You, you goddamn lunatic. You’ve always been the hurdle in our family. Do you think all with the same last name are the same? Sonia! Sonia-!!”

“Did you call me?”

“I clearly told you to prevent this jerk from spending more money! Why didn’t you stop him, why─!!”

“Yes, it’s because you gave permission that it is okay for him to use the family bank account for entrance exam purposes.”

“This jerk used the money I earned!!”

Seti gritted her teeth and tugged at my collar.

Her blazing, golden eyes.

They could make anyone faint just by looking.

“Do you find my 50 million credits amusing?”

I took a deep breath and collected my thoughts.

50 million credits in a month by doing business.

Certainly, it’s not a sum that anyone could earn. It must have been possible because of Seti’s capability.

She was even studying for her college entrance exam during all that. She is living rather diligently.

Compared to her, I had only studied for my own gains without contributing anything to the family. Perhaps I had done so due to the fear of being driven out of the house if I failed to enter Stellarium.

In any case, it was evident that I had hurt Seti. It was not Aidel’s fault, but my mistake. When I think about it, when I was on Earth, I was stubborn about my studies as well.

I was, perhaps, selfish.

I didn’t say anything. No, I couldn’t.

“Hey.”

Seti rapped me on the shoulder as she spoke.

“Do you think you can pass the Stellarium exam just because you’re studious? Or even make it to the interview phase with your diligent life?”

“…”

“You’re not capable. If you pass, it is equivalent to the universe collapsing. There’s nothing more unfair in the world. You need to know your place!”

Typically, Seti verbally abused me constantly, but that day, it felt more severe. Regardless, I didn’t get angry and quietly listened to her.

The anger brewing from her profanity was suppressed.

Instead, I felt sorry.

It was true that I, after possession, had used Seti’s money without her permission. Currently, only my family account was accessible for withdrawals, and I knew asking Seti for permission would only result in a negative response.

And so, I had no other choice.

… It was a feeble excuse though.

The best scenario here was to apologize.

“I’m sorry.”

“Does saying sorry make it all okay?”

“I will repay you double in the future.”

“Don’t bother with that nonsense.”

Her voice turned as icy as the tip of a needle point.

Seti wiped her eyes and boarded the spaceship. In her right hand, she held the bag she used for school.

“I don’t care anymore. Once I start earning money, I won’t put it in the family account. It’ll be for me alone. Even mom and dad won’t be able to use it. Just so you know, this is all because of you.”

Seti left home after leaving those words behind.

Sonya approached me and said,

“Don’t take it to heart. I heard from Donna that the lady has been experiencing hardship at school lately.”

“What?”

This was not mentioned in the novel.

Caught by surprise, I inquired about the events.

Fixing her hairband, Sonya continued,

“Apparently, there’s a new student, and the lady is under a lot of stress because of him.”

***

By the time Seti arrived at school, her heated head cooled down.

As her anger subsided, her sanity began to resurface little by little. She had replayed the conversation she had with Aidelle earlier, again and again.

Well, it was hardly a conversation, she had merely lost her temper and swore at him.

‘But he was in the wrong.’

In the middle of studying, she had worked hard to earn money and deposited it in the family account. It was the money she had set aside for her parents, who toiled treating patients in the battlefield hospital.

‘But he ended up spending all that money. I can’t forgive him. I won’t.’

However, at the same time,

‘…He did apologise.’

Seti couldn’t help but be puzzled.

Aidelle had never apologised or said sorry to anyone before.

Usually, hearing an apology, even an insincere one, softens the anger.

Seti shook her head.

Eidel wasn’t what mattered right now.

‘Why keep avoiding that guy? There’s a crazy b*tch in the academy now….’

She sighed and attempted to dock at the huge, cylindrical spaceship.

The Eros Comprehensive Academy.

It was the largest college entrance exam academy in the southern region.

Until recently, Seti had believed that this academy was her only sanctuary. It was a place without Eidel to torment her, and just being with Rustila was healing.

Seti had ruled this place under the names of Rainer and Adelvine. There was undoubtedly no one from a higher social status than her. Even among the ruffians with a temper, it was widely acknowledged that ‘you shouldn’t mess with Seti’.

No one had upset Seti’s mood.

It was a comfortable place.

But everything had changed a month ago.

– I don’t think I can go to the academy anymore.

It wasn’t long after studying at home with Rustila. Rustila had said that and quit registering for the academy next month.

Seti felt like the sky was falling.

The support that had kept her enduring the hard exam life was about to disappear.

– Wh, why?

– I’m sorry. There’s a family matter.

At first glance, one might think she couldn’t go to the academy due to a lack of money, but that didn’t seem to be the case. The Kersel family was wealthy enough for that not to be a problem.

Moreover, Rustila’s expression on her last day at the academy was unspeakably grim.

– Let’s meet at the Stella Rium.

And so, Rustila left.

The Eros Comprehensive Academy had a limited number of students. If a student who had been attending the academy drops out, other students who had been waiting would come in sequentially based on their test results.

And the child who took Rustila’s place…

‘Damn bad luck.’

Seti sighed for an unknown number of times and sat in her seat.

“Oh my, you came later than yesterday?”

A voice that scratched people gently.

‘I don’t want to hear this.’

Seti put on her earphones and focused only on solving the workbook, gritting her teeth.

“You don’t know how thirsty I was waiting for you.”

“……”

“hehehehe, I wonder if you can’t hear me.”

The girl giggled and leaned her head close to Seti’s face. White hair flowed out from the two heads. The two girls’ hair gently tangled.

Suppressing her urge to swear, Seti moved her head backward.

“I can’t see the paper. What are you doing?”

“Just trying to strengthen our friendship. We’re both prospective passers, you know.”

In a reflex, Seti turned her head. But the girl moved her body in that direction to meet her gaze.

That’s how Seti’s golden pupils and the girl’s violet pupils directly met.

Seti growled back.

“There are only two weeks left to the entrance exam.”

“I know.”

“The final mock exam is in two days.”

“Only fools bother with such things.”

The girl seated opposite him brushed her glossy hair and smiled. It was a grin so unpleasant it was chilling.

“I need to study, so don’t interfere.”

“Don’t interfere?”

“…Should I call the teacher?”

“Would it really matter if you did?”

The girl chuckled and shook her head.

‘This can’t be for real…’

Seti barely held in the anger that boiled up to his scalp.

People are social creatures. They must discern the time and place to express anger else they harm only themselves.

“Ah, Seti. My pitiful friend. You know, don’t you? Excelling in all areas means being correspondingly lonely. Even when I try to converse with others, I’m always rejected.”

“…….”

She’s truly insufferable. I feel like slapping her.

But I couldn’t do that.

“Let’s try getting along as fellow Adelvains.”

Social status…

Her social status was all too glaring.