MLLTM Chapter 17

“Guys! The students who have been accepted to Professor Bentley’s mentoring class have been announced!”

Even though he was a professor, he was so popular among students that he was included in the B4. Therefore, it was natural for all students to pay attention to who would have been selected for the mentoring class he conducted for the first time.

I nervously searched for the notice posted on the wall.

“Oh, there it is!”

Emily shouted as she found the notice, which was posted almost as high as the ceiling.

They really put it in a place that’s hard to stick on… and hard to see.

“As expected, Lariensa got in. Oh, and Marilyn, too?”

“How lucky for you guys.”

Natalie, this is not something to be envious about. Rather, I feel like I’m going inside a cave filled with beasts hiding amidst it.

“Oh, Sibel is also in there.”

“He didn’t even take the test, right?”

“But I heard he still submitted his paper even if it’s late. Well, Sibel would have passed the test anyway.”

“Right, if it’s Sibel then…”

Must be great to be famous. You don’t get cursed for joining in late.

I pouted my lips.

If I couldn’t take Lara away from that pervert, then I can just stick with her.

I tried to find comfort in myself by shifting my perspective in a positive manner.

“Uhm, Lariensa.”

Some students from the other class whom we didn’t know approached and spoke to us. To Lariensa, to be exact.

“You know, I have a question.”

Lariensa is innately kind when it comes to strangers because she is a child sheltered from life’s cruel realities, she opened her eyes wide and listened to the girl she barely even knew.

“I heard you didn’t pass the mentoring test.”

“…Ah, that’s… ”

“I also heard that this mentoring class was originally made by Professor Bentley only for you, is that true?”

What are these guys doing now?

Hey! Lara has more than the capacity to pass the test if she decides to, you know?

“That test, Lara didn’t see the need to do well. She doesn’t want to take Professor Bentley’s mentoring class.”

When I stepped in, those girls instantly gave me an ugly look.

“But in the end, she still got the chance to be mentored by Professor."

“How can she refuse when the Professor keeps asking her to do it?”

“Why can’t she say no? Professor Bentley isn’t the one who forces students who don't want to do something.”

“Hmph! How can you say so?”

Eventually, my voice grew louder.

“You’re just complaining to someone who you think is easy to bully. If you’re really that dissatisfied, go tell the professor who wants to mentor her. Also, Sibel didn’t even take the test, he just wrote his paper and passed the mentoring even though it’s late, so why didn’t you also tell him something?”

“Sibel is smart, so…”

“And you think Lariensa would have done worse than you?”

Perhaps because they were now out of excuses to say, those girls chose to retreat rather than continue arguing with us.

However, our arguments have begun to stir up some gossip about Lariensa among the students surrounding us.

“Why is she the only one favored by the professor?”

“Professor originally doesn’t show favoritism…”

“She can just refuse if she really doesn’t want to be mentored though.”

You guys don’t even know anything, sigh…

I was really agitated by these guys. However, I could feel Lariensa's warmth in my hands and as I looked to the side, she shook her head. She was asking me to just bear with it.

I then realized, wouldn’t I make it more difficult for Lara if I get angry here?

So since I couldn’t get angry here, I can only grit my teeth in silence.

“Life is unfair by nature, you bastards!”

Thankfully, there was someone out there who spoke [out] for me.

“My brother also experienced the unfairness of life!”

“I’m the same age as Lariensa, and my brother and hers are also the same age. So, why is my brother…!”

Suddenly, a guy stood beside Emily.

It was Emily’s brother, Esco.

Esco was taller than Lycan, but he was so thin that at first glance he looked like a tall scarecrow.

However, he has a naive look on his face when he smiles.

“Hey, hey. I envy you, too. Lycan and I are of the same age, and my sister is also the same age as his sister, so why, heuk…!”

Emily kicked Esco in the shin. Because his sister was stronger than him, Esco couldn’t even make a sound in front of his sister’s strength.

“Lariensa, are you alright?”

Esco, who was relieved of pain after a long time, looked at Lariensa and asked.

“I’m fine. I know this is just a misunderstanding.”

Seeing her talk like that while holding my hand and not letting it go, it seems that what happened earlier really made her very flustered. 

“You know, you can just swear and curse them for all they care. It’s a bad habit for these people to deliberately and intentionally misunderstand you, euk!”

When Esco stroked Lariensa’s head, he was immediately kicked by Emily in the shin again.

“You don’t even wash your hands properly. Don’t stroke my friend’s head!”

“Do you think I don’t wash up all the time? I washed my hands today.”

“Really? Your hands couldn’t even be compared to any human being. It’s dirty. It’s filthy. It’s contemptible.”

Watching Emily and Esco bicker, Lariensa began to laugh little by little.

What a relief. If it weren’t for those siblings, I would have been in a bad mood all day

“But Lariensa and Marilyn… do you guys really wanna be mentored by Professor Bentley?”

We explained the whole story to Esco. Lariensa was just forced by Professor Bentley to enter the mentoring class, and that I also joined because I was worried for her.

Emily, Natalie, and Violet, who had not thought much about Professor Bentley’s behavior also became serious after hearing our story. 

“You seem to attract the weird and toxic ones, Lariensa.”

“But Lariensa never really wanted to do so.”

“Does it really need to be seen in a serious manner? Maybe professor just really wants to help her.”

Sigh, I can’t even bring up what happened in the original storyline…

If they were to know about it, they’ll immediately know that it’s not something that they can disregard so easily.

In this case, I realize that I might be possessed by a book. I can’t tell them the truth and that there are secrets that I have to hide.

“Hmmm… come to think of it, there was something a little disturbing that happened before you guys entered the school.”

Esco, who was listening to us quietly, began to speak in an unusually cautious tone.

“There was a girl in my grade who was particularly fond of Professor Bentley. I used to be a little close to her, but one day, she suddenly dropped out of school.”

“What do you mean by that? Could you tell us more about it?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I’m afraid it would only give you some strange thoughts if I bring it up.”

“You’ve already piqued our interest, quick!”

At my urging, Esco scratched the back of his head and recalled what happened at that time.

And when we heard his story, our faces hardened.

＊ ＊ ＊

’At first, it was Professor Bentley who was fond of her. But later on, she was the one who chased after him more. So there were some people who didn’t like it.’

There was silence between us, but in my head, what Esco said lingered for a long time.

’However, one day, as she bumped into Professor Bentley she suddenly turned pale and immediately avoided him. She told her friends that she found some of her clothing and other things inside his room…’

In the original storyline, they really wrapped it up as if Lariensa would become his last love.

You pervert, you’ve been a regular, haven’t you?

‘Within the academy, it’s known that Professor Bentley has taken good care of her even though she was the one who keeps on stalking him. In addition, it is said that the portraits and objects she saw in his room were all just her delusions, or that maybe she sneaked into his room and planted those things while stalking him, but we didn’t know the truth.’

“So, what are we going to do?”

“Why can’t you just like - not go there at all?”

“We can’t.”

Lariensa will then become known as a student who ignores a professor’s sincerity and interest, especially since he’s been really trying to mentor her…

It was a situation that she couldn’t refuse from the beginning.

“But that was just a rumor, so I’m not really sure if it’s true.”

“Still it’s a little uncomfortable for it to become a rumor. And our situation now is somewhat similar to what happened back then…”

Emily, who was listening to Violet and Natalie’s conversation, suddenly broke into a fit of rage.

“So the gist is, we just need to find out if Professor Bentley is truly a pervert or not?”

Yes, that’s true. However, the question is how do we find it out.

“Then, we just simply have to go inside his room.”

What?!

Emily expressed her idea, but I couldn’t agree with it.

It’s not like we can collect the evidence right away if we just enter his room, and moreover, it’s too dangerous.

“Hey, guys…”

I tried to talk them out but they didn’t even listen to me.

“Okay. So while Marilyn and Lariensa are being mentored, Violet and I will go inside the Professor's room and then leave.”

“I want to go too!”

“But Natalie, you’re a coward.”

Guys, this isn’t like a test of courage!

“C-calm down, First we…”

I tried to calm them down, but Emily, Violet, and Natalie were already playing rock-paper-scissors among themselves to decide on who should be the one to enter Professor Bentley’s room.

It was then that Lariensa made a sound.

“…No.”

However, the tone of her voice right now was more serious and had a higher pitch, and that was a new sight for me as well.

The three who were ignoring me suddenly turned their heads as they heard Lariensa’s stern voice.

“I don’t… I don’t want you guys to do that.”

Ah… we were only thinking about Professor Bentley that we forget Lariensa, who is also an important stakeholder in this issue.

Emily, who has a bad temper, Natalie, who just says everything she wants to say, and Violet, who couldn’t read other people’s minds, focused on Lariensa’s words at this moment.

“What if you get caught inside the professor's room and find out that he’s actually not a bad guy?”

“But there’s a possibility that the professor is really a bad guy.”

“Then, all the more I hate it!”

La… ra? 

There might have been times where Lara became upset but it was the first time that she spoke so seriously and firmly.

“I don’t want to endanger other people…”

“……”

“…because of me anymore.”

What does she mean by that?

I have never once thought that I was endangered by Lariensa in any way. And without saying it, it would also be the same for Emily, Natalie, and Violet.

“I, I…”

Please, don’t cry!

She was about to burst into tears, and at this sight, I was very flustered because this was the first time that she was so dejected.

However, Violet suddenly came forward, and…

Flick!

hit Lariensa’s forehead.

Natalie and I suppressed our shock as we clasped each other’s hands, too surprised. In midst of this, Emily hurriedly took the cookies out of her bag.

“It smells like a fight.”

You ain’t watching a movie, you know?

“For others, you might be like a little princess, but do you think you’re someone that great to us?”

I can’t believe you said that when you saw Lara’s tears in this pitiful state.

Violet! This is not the time to blow up some facts!

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