Esper Harem in the Apocalypse - Chapter 996: Back To School

Rudy couldn’t believe his senses. The sight, the sounds, the voices, all felt too real to be true. He ran his fingers over the surface of his desk, the sensation grounding him in this surreal moment.

Rize’s concerned inquiry still lingered in the air, and the eyes of his classmates remained fixed on him. Rudy felt an odd mix of nostalgia and confusion as he regarded the familiar faces in the room. But something was amiss; he knew he wasn’t supposed to be here, he was supposed to be dead.

Rudy’s heart raced as he observed the familiar faces in the classroom, Rize’s expression, and the ordinary surroundings. The room was bathed in the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the windows, creating a sense of déjà vu that tugged at the edges of his memory.

His mind swirled with questions, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he had truly returned to the past. It all felt so surreal. He hesitated, then raised his hand. “Um, I’m okay. I must’ve had a strange dream,” Rudy replied, his voice quivering slightly. The room full of students and the blackboard with mathematical equations seemed far removed from the extraordinary experiences he had been through in the vast universe.

‘But how did this happen? I was left in the forest to die, so why am I here? Could this all be a dream? They do say you see your life flashing before your eyes when you are about to die. Obviously, this is something else.’

Rize resumed the lesson, Rudy couldn’t help but think, “If this is real, what should I do differently this time?”

Rudy sat in the classroom, his attention fixed on the Rize. The classroom was filled with the soft murmur of students and the occasional rustling of papers.

As he sat in the classroom, the teacher’s voice washed over him, and he scanned the room. Rudy was supposed to be here with his high school friends, Eric and Alice. With a sense of anticipation, he looked to his right, fully expecting to see Eric in the adjacent desk, but to his surprise, the seat was empty. This unexpected turn of events puzzled him.

With a growing sense of wonder, Rudy turned his gaze to the left, where Alice was seated. She smiled at him, her face filled with the same youthful enthusiasm he remembered. The familiarity of her presence brought comfort in this journey through time.

Curiosity got the better of him, and Rudy decided to sneak a quick glance around the corner of his desk. And there, in the front row, he spotted Janet, who sat there, attentive and poised.

As the class continued, Alice couldn’t help but notice that Rudy appeared a bit dazed. She leaned over, concern in her eyes, and asked in a hushed tone, “Rudy, are you alright?”

Rudy turned to her, his expression a mix of confusion and surprise, but he managed a nod. He wasn’t entirely sure how he had ended up back in his high school classroom, and the experience left him momentarily disoriented.

His curiosity got the best of him, and he asked, “Where’s Eric?”

Alice replied, her voice gentle, “Oh, Eric went to the washroom a few minutes ago. Maybe you didn’t notice because you were lost in thought.”

Rudy’s momentary disorientation was interrupted by the stern voice of Rize. She had noticed his hushed conversation with Alice and wasn’t pleased. With a no-nonsense expression, she called out, “Rudy, if you have time to talk, you have time to solve problems.”

All eyes in the classroom turned to Rudy as Rize pointed at the whiteboard and presented a complex equation. Her demand was clear as she asked him to solve it.

Rudy, feeling a bit flustered, glanced at the whiteboard, then back at Rize. He hesitated for a moment before speaking up. “Ms. Rize, but you haven’t covered how to solve equations like this yet. It’s something we haven’t learned in class.”

‘To be honest, I don’t know if she has taught this yet or not. But Rize always called me out like this to insult me, so even if she has taught this topic already, it’s fine. I know the solution anyways,’ Rudy uttered inwardly. Rize considered his response, her expression softening slightly. She understood that Rudy was facing an unfamiliar challenge, and it wasn’t fair to expect him to solve it without proper instruction. With a nod, she said, “Very well, Rudy. I’ll make sure to cover this topic in our upcoming lessons. But remember, no talking in class.”

Rize’s stern expression didn’t waver as she continued to address Rudy. “Rudy, you’ve always been a top student, and I have high expectations for you. You should know how to solve such complex problems.”

Rudy, still feeling a bit out of his element, managed a slight smile. He couldn’t help but think to himself, “Rize is the same as ever.”

With a nod, he finally responded, “I understand, Ms.Rize. I know how to solve the problem.”

Rize, appearing somewhat skeptical, raised her brows and decided to put Rudy to the test. “Very well, Rudy,” she said. “Please come to the whiteboard and solve the problem for the class.”

Rudy, while feeling a bit anxious, knew he had to give it his best shot. He approached the whiteboard, picked up a marker, and began working through the equation. As he wrote and solved each step, the classroom watched in anticipation, with Rize’s critical eyes never leaving him.

After Rudy successfully solved the problem in under a minute, he turned to Rize with a sense of confidence. “Rize, that was quite easy,” he said, “Next time, could you give me a more challenging one?”

However, Rize didn’t take kindly to his comment. Her expression turned more severe, and she warned Rudy, “Rudy, you dare to call me by my name in class? That’s not how we address our teachers.”

Her stern demeanor left Rudy slightly taken aback. “I apologize, Ms. Rize,” he quickly corrected himself.

But Rize wasn’t done. She continued, “Furthermore, I expect you to come to the staffroom after school hours. We have matters to discuss.”

Rudy nodded, realizing that he might have overstepped a boundary. He had fond memories of Rize as a strict teacher, and it seemed she hadn’t changed one bit.