The Classroom #4

Arthur felt uncomfortable, and so did George and David.

The stares were almost unnoticeable at first, but they got worse as George practically declared it to the whole school.

“So he’s the guy…”

“So scary.”

“He even had friends too.”

“Sorry.” George meekly apologizes. David just pretended he doesn't exist, which he was doing a good j at, and Arthur just sighs, wiping his face with the napkin.

“No problem, I’ll just leave. The rumor will die down soon enough.”

Getting up from the lunch table, Arthur deposits the tray and promptly leaves the cafeteria the way he came.

“My existence in itself is an extra variable. Im already affecting the story, and even if the rumor were to die down, my reputation as the one who beat Shawne will never change.’’

"Perhaps I should just stop concerning the story and focus on myself."

Arthur sighed as he walked the empty hallway and to classroom A-1. To his surprise, a professor was there. Professor Victoria, to be exact.

"What is she–"

“My, My, if it isn't the boy from the rumors.’’ She said, tone lulling seductively.

Arthur just frowns. “Good afternoon professor.”

Victoria just tilts her head. “How distant. We're on the same team now! We must celebrate!"

"She thinks I'm easy? I know a honey trap when I see one. "

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I haven't given my answer yet to the principal, so don't count your eggs before they hatch."

Victoria still held her smile. "Aw~ don't be like that!"

She held her arms out. "Why don't you give me a hug?"

Arthur chuckled. "A pretty rose always has thorns, the same goes for you, Ms. Victoria."

Victoria dropped her hands and her cheeky face disappeared. They turned grim and serious.

Arthur just leveled her gaze with his own. "You must be mistaken. You assumed that you're here to supervise me."

Victoria frowned, a drastic change to her calculative smile.

A smirk and a condescending gaze befell Victoria, and it irked her to no end. "I'm here to oversee you."

Arthur took out a cigarette and lit it. Victoria watched the delinquent approach her with a relaxed posture, not even phased.

"But–" He said, stopping just in front of her, enough for the smoke to reach her nose. "–I am willing to work with you."

Victoria’s nose scrunched up slightly from the smoke, but she said nothing.

"If I'm incorrect– just say so." He shrugged. He made his way around the teacher's podium.

"The principal does not trust anyone and her promises are slowly fulfilled – so slow in fact, that you start to collect bribes and other favors to compensate for your losses."

Victoria bristled. "How much does she know?! How much does he know!? "

Arthur noticed the minute change and seized it.

"H-How…"

"How is not relevant. What is relevant is what I do about it."

Victoria clenched her fists and glared.

"What do you want?"

"Same as you, I want monetary wealth."

Victoria sighed in relief. "So he's just a money grubber! Ha! These commoners are all the same."

"How much do you want?" She asked, the joy in her tone was slight but noticeable to Arthur.

"How much do you receive?" Arthur hummed, indexing the opportunity.

Victoria raised five fingers. "This much."

"I'm not quite sure what five means, but to her, it must be a significant amount."

"What an extravagant amount." the boy just gasped, mockingly. "I will be taking three then."

Victoria frowned. "That's -quite too much!"

Arthur glared, sending shivers down her spine. Victoria glared back.

"You think you can stare me down? Not on my worst day…"

Taking another puff, his gaze was unmatched. "This is not up for debate unless you want the principal to hear about this?"

Victoria lost the staring contest and bowed her head. "T-Two and a half…"

Arthur sighed. "To the principal, it is then."

Victoria thought he was bluffing. He just stretched his arms and made his way to the exit.

"W-Wait! Fine! Two and two-thirds!"

The boy stopped and turned to her, almost giving her a ray of hope. He looked at her and smirked. "I said three."

He turned to the exit again–

"Fine! Three it is!"

–The boy stopped in his tracks and promptly returned to his seat. "I'm glad we have come to an agreement."

Victoria stomped and stormed on her way to the exit.

"Oh, Miss Victoria?"

She stopped, without looking back.

"Have a great day today."

And then she left, leaving Arthur alone in the classroom with his cigarette.

"Ah– this is my third." He noticed. "Oh well, perhaps Ellis was right after all."

Subsequently, Ellis was in the private lounges, eating her lunch with her friends.

Bianca Bayley and Patricia Artois sat across from her. They were her vassals, and most trusted friends.

"–and then he just left!" Ellis exclaimed in frustration, poking at her medium-rare steak.

Patricia fixed her glasses and sighed. "Ellis…"

Bianca shared a look with her, before turning back to Ellis. "Are you perhaps aware of what a crush is?"

Ellis tilted her head. "I am not aware of the term."

Both girls just sigh exasperatedly. "Are you aware of the term unrequited love?" Patricia asked.

Ellis just frowned at the two. She had read her fair share of novels and was quite aware of what that meant. "Of course I do! It's how a character would show admiration in secret, and from afar!"

Ellis looked at them puzzled before it all clicked. Crushes were the same as unrequited love. "Y-You can't be implying that he– I am betrothed!"

Bianca and Patricia just shared another look. "Another reason as to why crushes are known as unrequited love."

Ellis, frankly, was embarrassed at the knowledge of being admired from afar. Most noble boys who portrayed their interests were always direct, not secretive.

"D-Does he does not have any common sense?!"

Bianca and Patricia just smile sweetly. "Oh Ellis, you are so innocent."

[ Ellis Favorability: +00.02 ] [ 1.07% / 100% ]

With his pen in the notebook, Arthur was caught off guard by the notification.

"Oh, it increased, but from what? I hope it will not be troublesome."

Lunch proceeds to continue and the classroom slowly fills up again.

Ding! Dong!

Another teacher walked in, this time she was a modestly dressed lady in her forties.

"I recognize her. She's Mr. Smith's wife." someone behind Arthur murmured.

"Hm, an unfamiliar face, the afternoon half of class was skipped so this is new to me." Arthur just hummed, preparing his notes

Ms. Smith set her books on the podium and with a sweet Motherly smile, she greeted the class.

"Good morning class, I am Mrs. Smith and I will be your Bio-Alchemy professor."

Some of the students groaned, both discreetly and under their breaths.

Mrs. Smith had a playful frown. "Now, Now, I know you're already dreading my class because of the plethora of terms and definitions."

"Bio-Alchemy, if I'm not mistaken, is the whole study of Alchemical compounds and components."

She took the chalk and began to scribble. She wrote fun on the board in a fun font.

"So let's have some fun! Learning is difficult when one isn't motivated to learn."

She unrolled a diagram of a plant. "We are to learn the parts of a magic herb."

Arthur just smiled at the lady's love to teach and her overall personality.

"Husband like wife, they're a beautiful couple." He reviewed them.

"Her energy makes me feel young again."

The class continued at a slow pace but her energy never diminished.

Ding! Dong!

Mrs. Smith left with a bright smirk on her face. "See you in tomorrow's class." She waved.

Arthur just watched as she disappeared from view. "Time to use the restroom I guess."

"Ciphering is next, if I'm not wrong, however, nature calls."

Ellis watched a familiar boy with black hair get up and excuse himself. He walked up the aisle and to the top exit.

Ellis was split between thinking about what her two friends said, and keeping Evangeline in check.

He was lazily scanning the room with a bored look until he made eye contact with Ellis. He smiled courteously, before turning away.

"He looked at me. It might be true after all."

Her burning sense of curiosity got the better of her and she excused herself too.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

Prince Albert nodded. "Alright Ellis, I will guard your things while you are gone."

She ignored Evangeline's waving and proceeded to chase after Arthur.

"I need to confirm if it is true, and I need to give an answer."

She turned around to see him incredibly far away. She briskly walks in an attempt to chase after him.

By the time she was halfway there, he was already exiting the restroom. His mind seemed to have been somewhere else as he had not noticed her standing in front of him.

His expression brightened up when he did. "Oh Milady, pleased to see you. You seem to be in a hurry."

Ellis nodded. "Not necessarily– we need to talk." She said, trying to match his pace.

"What do we need to talk about?" He asked, looking straight forward.

Ellis looked forward too, following his gaze. They were already near the doorway.

"U-Uh, a-about that... Y-You Uhm…"

"Crap, I can hear the man teaching already. We're late!"

He interrupted her with a raised hand. "Sorry milady but another time, the class already started and we are both late."

He hurried on and entered the classroom in a hurry, Ellis follows shortly after him.

The attention of the whole class was on both of them.

"You think you can just enter my class late without repercussions!? Who do you think you are!"

Ellis took offense at his tone but Arthur discreetly motioned with his right hand, telling her not to speak.

"My apologies professor, I had to use the restroom."

The bald man in the front of the room was wearing a suit that could barely hold his belly in. His appearance was akin to that of a bloated balloon.

He did not like Arthur at all. "You dare talk back to me!?"

A stick of chalk flew across the room and straight into his left temple, cracking on impact. The class was deathly quiet, letting the impact echo.

Ellis slightly gasped as blood slowly trickled. "What–"

Arthur was barely fazed, not flinching or reacting to the pain instead he had an annoyed look.

"Nice shot, professor," he said, wiping the blood with his bandaged hand.

The professor glared again, but as he noticed the one beside him and he deflated. He should hold in his anger and not anger the Simmons family heir.

"Return to your seats! I will deal with you later!" He growled, pointing at Arthur.

Arthur scoffed audibly, as he descended the steps along with everyone's gaze. "Sure."

Ellis returned to her seat too. "How awful." She muttered.

Arthur stopped the bleeding on his temple and sighed. "That was an impressive throw."

For the first twenty minutes of the last period, the man proceeded to teach quickly, skimming over the items lazily, making the basics barely comprehensible.

"It's basic algebra, but his unwillingness to teach is making it barely understandable.

"To find 'x,' You need to— do this, and then this, and then that…"

"This is too fast!"

"I can't keep up!"

"Wait, he's erasing it already!"

"The other students are racking their brains."

The students could only sigh and complain in muttered breaths as they feared for their safety. "I don't want to get hurt."

Arthur just sighed, finally having enough of it.

"God, are you even trying to teach?"

His seatmates just stared.

"What are you doing!?"

"He might have heard you!"

The chalk stick in the man's hands cracked into two.

"What. Did. You. Say?!"

Arthur picked up his book and shoved his other hand into his pocket. Making his way down to the podium.

His steps reverberated in that room

Staring down at the man, Arthur growled.

"You heard me, Bitch."

The professor flared, his skin turning two shades of red.

"Are you belittling my ability to teach?"

"This lesson, yes."

The professor gnashed his teeth, much like an angry dog to most. His arms were clenched, knuckles white and hand veins bulging like they were ready to pop.

Arthur saw nothing but a toothless chihuahua whose pride was poked.

His right arm swings in an arch for a backhanded strike.

"You dare–

Pak!

—unhand me!"

But his hand was caught in Arthur's hold. The other hand was in an incoming fist, which was blocked too.

"How dare you–

Pak!

—urk! L-Let go!"

"No."

"Guah– damn you!"

His fist was locked by Arthur's arm. In the raised hand was a stick of chalk.

"I will have you punished for—"

"You attacked first, therefore this counts as self-defense. Good night." He interrupted.

Pow!

Arthur smashed the sick of chalk into the man's forehead, dead in the center. The man slowly stumbled back, swaying side to side before finally landing on his rear.

Arthur watched the man collapse face first and smiled.

"I must admit that it felt good."

"Why did you assault a teacher?" A smooth voice asked.

Arthur turned around to address the heroine. She was on her feet, probably from the shock.

"Because he attacked first." He winked.

Evangeline sat down. "Perhaps.,"

"–And because I couldn't listen to that. Nothing personal, er– maybe a bit personal." Arthur pointed to his temple.

Picking up the textbook, he flipped the pages to the first one.

"If I'm not wrong, there's still forty-thirty minutes-ish left, and none of you understood shit. Am I wrong?"

Evangeline ignored the crude language and nodded. "That is right."

Arthur shrugged. "Well, This sweet lady taught me how to do this exact lesson before, and I wish to share it with you all."

The student in front of Arthur had a skeptical look.

"Are you for real?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Spite."

"....ah"

Ellis stood up. "Are you capable of doing so? Teaching, I mean."

Arthur gave a comically large shrug, which earned a few chuckles. "It'll at least be better than his, in fact, why don't you be the judge of that."

Ellis nodded before taking a seat. "Alright then, but I have to warn you– it must be better than his."

Arthur nodded understandingly "Then! I'll try my very best."

He procured what was left of the chalk stick and an eraser.

"A thirty-minute crash course on solving Algebraic equations begins!"