The Group Project Tragedy

I shoveled a spoonful of cake into my mouth. As expected, when it comes to cake, a spoon is much more comfortable than a fork. Michael knows this, so he always keeps a private spoon ready for me in his room.

I ate ravenously. Since it was a whole cake, the portion didn’t seem to shrink no matter how much I ate. I was busy scooping up cheesecake, oblivious to the smudges on my face, when I felt a gaze on me. I looked up. Michael was leaning his chin on his hand, watching me.

“You’re seriously cute.”

Michael wiped the corner of my mouth with a napkin.

“You’re as cute as a Maltese.”

“You’re cute too.”

“Like a Maltese?”

“No, no. You’re much taller than me. Rather than a small dog like a Maltese…” I paused to think deeply before speaking. “You’re like a Golden Retriever.”

“Ah, I know that dog.”

“Yeah. They’re incredibly gentle and fiercely loyal. It’s my favorite breed.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Then what would Ronia be?”

“Isn’t Ronia more of a cat than a dog?”

“You’re right. Specifically, a Siamese cat.”

“A Siamese! That’s a perfect fit, honestly.”

We sat across from each other and laughed brightly. Even though my school life was a living hell—to the point where ‘I want to drop out’ was a permanent fixture on my lips—there were certainly moments of healing like this. But the problem was…

“Ah, I’m sorry. I definitely did it, but I forgot to bring it.”

The moments of joy were far too brief compared to the hours of suffering. If the time spent in agony is long, shouldn’t the time spent in happiness be proportionally long? I felt a sudden urge to go back to the temple and scream that God doesn’t exist.

“You’re saying both of you didn’t bring it?”

During the following week’s class, I asked as calmly as I could. The two of them nodded.

“Yes.”

In my mind, I wanted to tell them to go get it right this second, but that was impossible.

“Then what about after class?”

“Sorry, I have another class right after this, so that might be difficult.”

“Then what about after that class ends?”

“I have something else to do then, so I don’t think I can make it. I’ll definitely bring it by the next session.”

I felt it instinctively. These bir—no, these two hadn’t done a single thing.

“Next week, we have to create the presentation materials and decide on a presenter. Could you bring it by tomorrow?”

The two of them blatantly avoided my eyes as they spoke.

“I have a lot of classes tomorrow too, so I don’t think I’ll have time to bring it…”

Just be honest. Tell me you didn’t do it. I bit my lip hard. Endure it, endure it, endure it. Once my heart settled down somewhat, I offered a compromise.

“Then what about this Friday?”

“Ah, yes. That should work.”

“We’ll definitely bring it then.”

I looked over the pile of notebooks in front of me. At least the other team members, excluding those two, had brought their work. It was a small mercy. Back in my first year, the team members truly did nothing, which made things difficult. I opened one of the notebooks. And I was left speechless.

“…”

They really did “just bring it.” My fingers trembled. I scanned the flimsy data, which didn’t even have a listed source, with wide eyes.

“Um, where did you find this information?”

“Oh, I know some upperclassmen. I asked them to teach me about things related to our topic.”

“…”

You can’t make presentation materials with unsourced data. A tragedy automatically began to play out in my head:

—Where did you get this data? —Oh, well, an upperclassman I know… —Which upperclassman? Is that person an authority? How trustworthy is this person that you’d just blindly accept data without a source?

No. I had to stop this at all costs. I asked as cautiously as possible.

“Um, could you ask that senior where they saw this information?”

“I’m sorry, that’s a bit… that senior is busy preparing for graduation. I don’t want to bother them.”

“…Ah, right. Graduation is important.”

“Yes, thank you for understanding.”

I nodded soullessly and opened the next notebook. This was even more appalling. It was a measly three lines of information.

“No matter how much I searched, this was all there was, so I only wrote this down.”

“…Ah, is that so?”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

It’s a strange thing. People who seem perfectly normal before a group project starts suddenly turn into hopeless cases the moment it begins. I wondered if other groups were like this too. Just as I thought that, Professor Berte stepped forward.

“Now, quiet down. Group 1, please come forward and begin your presentation.”

“Yes.”

My head cooled instantly. Those words snapped me back to reality. Right. Presentations started today. Our group’s turn was in just two weeks. But what was I going to do? We hadn’t even chosen a presenter yet. The data was beyond pathetic. My fingers began to shake involuntarily.

I really had to do well this time. I tried to maintain my composure, but I couldn’t.

“I am Pendil Emery, and I will be in charge of Group 1’s presentation.”

The moment I heard that name, it got even worse. I stared blankly at the front. It was the girl who had ostentatiously snatched the top rank away from me during our first year. As soon as Pendil’s eyes met mine, she curled her cat-like eyes into a smirk. Then, with an air of absolute confidence, she posted her materials on the board.

“We will now begin the presentation.”

As the presentation progressed, a satisfied smile spread across the professor’s face, and the other students looked on in admiration. It was a truly perfect presentation. As soon as it ended, the professor spoke with a bright smile.

“Originally, I planned to lecture by supplementing the material after Group 1 finished, but it seems there’s no need for me to step in at all, is there?”

“Thank you.”

“Since the first group did so well, the pressure on the other groups must be intense. The leader of Group 1 seems to have excellent coordination skills. A perfect presentation like this wouldn’t be possible otherwise.”

As the professor’s praise dragged on, the atmosphere of Group 2, who was scheduled for next week, grew somber. In contrast, Group 1 was in a festive mood. The members of Group 1 were practically hugging Pendil in excitement.

“My, Group 1 seems to get along so well.”

Group 1 spoke in unison.

“It’s all thanks to our leader!”

“It really makes me realize once again how important the role of a leader is.”

The professor glanced over at me.

“I hope the other leaders learn a lot from Pendil Emery’s tolerance and coordination skills. Oh, and there’s something I forgot to mention.”

That day, I learned a shocking fact.

“After all the groups have finished their presentations, we will have a session where each person takes a turn talking about what they felt while collaborating with their team members.”

I learned the lesson that things could always get worse. I wanted to say, ‘What kind of professor does this?’ but since she was right in front of me, I couldn’t. Once again, the high-born kids would get all the praise while the low-born ones would get scolded.

“As you all know, at Owl Academy, everyone is a student and a friend of equal standing, regardless of status.”

But that doesn’t work in reality.

I wanted to snap back immediately, but I barely held it in. Most of the professors themselves groveled to the high-status students, so how could she say such a thing? No, was it because she was like that that she could say it so easily? Professor Berte herself came from a long line of Counts, so her own school life had been comfortable.

In other words, it wasn’t surprising at all that Professor Berte would spout nonsense on par with, “What? Students are dropping out because they can’t afford tuition? That’s impossible. Surely every household can afford at least that much?” It’s only natural for someone who has only ever lived in a flower garden to have a head full of flowers. And after today’s events, the garden in the professor’s head had likely grown even larger. Why?

Because Pendil Emery, who had successfully led Group 1, was the only commoner in the second year of the General Department. I didn’t have telepathic powers, but this time, the professor’s thoughts were crystal clear.

‘Wow, a commoner became a leader and the presentation ended without any friction—and successfully, at that! As expected, our school is so peaceful!’

I clenched my fists. Sure, it ended without friction. Pendil probably told them she’d do everything herself the moment the groups were assigned.

Just then, my eyes met Pendil’s. She stared at me pointedly and smirked again, just like before. My stomach churned. In truth, doing everything alone like Pendil might be the easiest way, but that was impossible for me. The thought of my teammates, who did nothing, getting the same grade as me after I worked myself to the bone made my blood boil. I spoke in the softest, most polite tone I could muster.

“Um, still, three lines is really too little, so how about going to the library to supplement it a bit?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll go when I have time.”

“And sources are really important. But since that senior is busy with graduation, how about the two of you go to the library and find some sourced materials?”

The two of them stared at me in silence before nodding.

“Yes, we’ll go when we have time.”

“Then, let’s all review the collected data together this Friday.”

“Okay.”

“Shall we meet at the campus cafe? Is 5:00 PM okay?”

“5:00 PM?” Zeno asked.

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“I have a consultation with another professor, so I might be very late or might not be able to make it at all.”

“Ah, Zeno, you’ve already prepared all your data, so I think it’s fine if you skip. How about everyone else?”

At Zeno’s answer, the team members exchanged strange glances and then nodded simultaneously.

“Yes, we’re fine with that.”

“Then please make sure to supplement the data by Friday so we can check it together. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Wow, every single team member agreed at once. I squeezed my fists tight. I was going to ride this momentum and get an A in this class no matter what.

And on Friday, my mental state was shattered once again.

“Am I the only one who came?”

I was downing my coffee like it was beer when I looked up at Zeno with hollow eyes.

“…What about your consultation?”

“The professor had to go on an urgent business trip, so it was canceled.”

I had arrived an hour early just to snag a seat in the back, and now, I slammed my head onto the table.