42 – The End of Spring
Misfortune struck like a bolt from the blue.
“You’re fired.”
“What?”
There was no doubt that someone had plotted against me. I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet one day, I was suddenly fired.
Eastern Telecommunications Bureau.
As usual, I was commuting to the bureau on my way to work and sending telegrams.
The reason why I had to juggle between studies and work roughly goes like this:
Due to overlapping lecture hours, regular commuting became impossible. However, Lena suggested utilizing the flexibility of the assistant telegraph operator position to commute as needed.
And so, amidst a lucrative day’s work, suddenly, I heard my name being called from the director’s office.
Quietly, I made my way to the director’s office, and this is what happened.
“Haven’t you heard? You’re fired. Fired.”
With an air of nonchalance, Director Loveless sucked on his pipe.
From Noble mtl dot com
Under normal circumstances, I might have blushed at the sight, but the situation was too abrupt for me to feel anything like that at all.
I stood up from my chair and questioned, “Fired out of the blue?”
“It’s already decided. You don’t have to come to work from tomorrow. No, don’t come.”
“Could you at least tell me the reason?”
The director closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. Despite the weather hinting at the end of spring, with the smoke not yet dissipating, it seemed as though breath was still visible.
The director met my gaze.
“You. How long has it been since you looked in the mirror?”
“Since I usually don’t bother looking in the mirror.”
“…Anyway, here.”
The director said so, handing me my pocket mirror.
In the antique mirror, the scent of tobacco lingered deeply. I tilted my face with awkward movements, repeatedly checking.
It was certain.
My face was no different from usual.
“Is there something wrong with my face?”
“Yeah. It seemed like it might loosen up a bit this winter, but as soon as the semester started, it immediately turned into a complexion exhausted from fatigue.”
I see.
It was a change that was hard for me to notice.
“Judging by your expression, you seem to be putting your life into your studies even in college. If you make a mistake in that state, you’ll be tarnishing the reputation of our Eastern National News Agency. Being a full-body reporter is such a profession.”
“…”
“So, you’re fired.”
When Director Lovebrace finished speaking, I became speechless, like a cat that ate honey.
Because everything he said was true.
Recently, I had been putting my life into my studies.
Direction.
I was actively searching for my own direction, as Louis mentioned. And the method was, as always, finding the answers in books.
However, due to the entrepreneurial spirit, or more precisely, the obsession akin to momentum toward money, there was no thought of quitting work.
As a result of juggling academics and work, the aftermath was starting to show.
It was during that time when a strange sense of incongruity began to flow throughout my body.
“―Lena said to tell you that. I won’t say more.”
“…?”
“I told you never to say it, but what I know isn’t absolute.”
Director Lovebrace chuckled nonchalantly.
In the next moment, I also grasped the situation and couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
Lately, it seemed like every time I went to the Central Bureau, our faces would meet.
“Are you worried about me?”
“Maybe. Lena is an old man who realized how hard it is to work with injuries at that age. Is there any torturer in the world who orders someone like you to take care of your health with a word of embarrassment?”
Muttering something like ‘I’m not a mediator for your siblings,’ Director Lovebrace clicked his tongue.
“Anyway, it turned out like this. It’s a decision, and you’re technically fired.”
“How much severance pay will you give me?”
“This rascal. I didn’t think much of you, but you turned out to be unexpectedly money-minded.”
“If you promise to leave the seat empty, I won’t accept it.”
“…Fine, fine. Reemployment is always welcome, and I’ll make sure to give you a hefty severance pay, so go now! I’m a fool for even giving gifts to such a troublesome employee.”
Despite the harsh words, Director Lovebrace’s expression was painting a faint smile.
It had been almost a month since the summer semester started.
That’s how I became unemployed.
#May 15th. Clear skies.
Federal Magic University.
Just by the name, it might seem like there are lectures full of magic, lectures by magic, and lectures for magic, but the reality was a bit different.
Especially for the freshmen.
As Benjamin told me years ago, to build a tower of higher knowledge, the foundation must be solid. So, even if I attended lectures seemingly unrelated to magical studies, I didn’t feel like it was a waste of time.
However, one thing was certain.
There’s nothing as tedious and challenging as digging the ground to build a tower.
[Calculus I]
“Let’s take a look at the next formula. The integral of sec³x. I’ll derive it once. Now―”
The devil returned.
In a more wicked appearance.
I scribbled furiously as if possessed by madness.
“―After the calculation, it comes out like this: (secx tanx + ln/secx + tanx/)/2 + C. Don’t forget the constant of integration. Memorize the integrals of secant and secant cubed; they often come up in exams. Why memorize? Because you won’t be able to solve it during the exam.”
A stomach-churning, casual-sounding lecture flowed from the mouth of the nonchalant professor.
Simultaneously, I turned another page of my notes.
Certainly, I remembered that note-taking paper was precious; I had cherished and sparingly used it during my solo study in the empire.
Yet, even though only a month had passed since I entered, two notes were already filled with black ink.
“Sigh……”
I exhaled a hot breath.
It’s not easy.
My self-perceived strengths lie in intuition for magic and the ability to sit stubbornly, not in understanding. Thus, [Calculus I] was not a lecture that resonated well with me.
The only fortunate thing was that stopping work meant more available time.
If it doesn’t make sense, I can immerse myself in the library.
Deeeng―
After an insanely long time passed, the paper signaling the end of the lecture rang.
“Sigh…….”
“No, hey. How many formulas are there, anyway? Did you memorize them all?”
The students each uttered a word and rushed out of the classroom.
There was one noteworthy point.
“…….”
Pairs of students strangely sticking together caught the eye.
It would be understandable if it were only a couple in one classroom, but when the number increased to nearly six pairs, it became somewhat unsettling no matter how you looked at it.
As diverse as the samples were, the degree varied widely.
Some only exchanged words while shuffling along.
And there were a few who discreetly held hands and swayed together.
“Must be the aftermath of spring.”
Muttering to myself, I quietly stepped outside the classroom.
A lush field spread out in front of the lecture hall.
Various trees and bushes were dyed in various colors as if it were spring. Against this backdrop, students were actively engaging in interactions.
Of course, the nature of these interactions was far from pure.
In any case, it had nothing to do with me.
Normally, I would have ignored it and headed straight to the library, but there was one reason I couldn’t do that.
Leaning against the outer wall of the lecture hall, I waited for a moment, and a person of interest appeared.
I quietly overheard the conversation of the two men and women who had just come out of the adjacent classroom.
“Hey, would you like to have a meal together?”
“Sorry. Annoying.”
“Well, maybe next time!”
“I apologize.”
A man firmly rejecting a woman’s plea.
The female student, seemingly upset for being rejected for a trivial reason like being ‘annoying,’ swiftly walked past me.
Then, I approached the remaining male student alone.
“Werner.”
“Oh, Eugene.”
Werner Ross Dieman, with his hands deep in his pockets, spotted me and waved his hand casually.
“You made me wait.”
Werner approached me, shamelessly smiling.
His appearance was awkward.
The reason was simple. It was none other than Werner, a bundle of arrogance, standing at the center of various rumors circulating in the spring correction facility.
I awkwardly smiled and asked, “Was it okay to answer so casually?”
Not that it wasn’t okay, but I’ve already witnessed this scene at least five times.
Considering the rumors, it was difficult to count with both hands.
Although Werner’s name was widely known, and he could be considered quite handsome at first glance, many students approached him during the spring season.
For me, it was hard to comprehend.
Even making the lecture one’s own was overwhelming.
In response to my question, Werner answered coolly.
“It’s fine.”
“Even so, I wonder if it’s not impolite.”
“It’s okay. This is a fact proven inductively. My reputation has already hit rock bottom, so there’s nowhere else to fall.”
“Huh.”
Unbelievable.
Well, there was no particular concern. Considering Werner’s assertiveness, he would probably be the one to approach when encountering a fateful counterpart.
But my nose was as cold as ice.
Spring’s end is approaching.
This meant that the midterm exams were approaching.
*
The phenomenon of falling for someone is not limited to men.
If the outstanding figure among male students was Werner, there was a similar figure among female students.
I know her.
Julia Muller.
The brown-haired female student who takes the “Understanding Literary Genres” class with me.
The reason I bring up this story is that a female student who appears to be her is now lying unconscious in front of me.
