My Idle System

"You know, I felt happy, like he finally came to his senses. It could be considered a little late, but it's better than nothing."

"At first, I was impressed, like really proud. I was ready to give you credit for finally getting it together, even if it was a bit late. I was willing to chalk it up to a burst of motivation, with you working even harder."

"But then I noticed how your performance in class has actually deteriorated instead of improving. And I can't help but suspect something is off."

"It really doesn't add up. But I still want to hear your explanation before I jump to conclusions or make any judgments. So, can you tell me how you did it? How exactly did you manage to pull off those perfect scores? I'm all ears."

Hearing the the bullshit the teacher said, Christian felt angry. Despite the long introduction, it was clear that the teacher was already suspecting him of cheating and had arrived at the conclusion on his own already. He was just pretending to say it nicely.

Still trying to suppress himself from doing something he might regret, as he still wanted to graduate from the school, Christian tried to hide his disgust for this hypocritical, narrow-minded teacher. And replied dramatically and politely.

"I know it's hard to believe, but I really did just study at home. I've been pushing myself harder than ever before, going over the material all night and barely sleeping. Maybe my dedication is just starting to pay off."

"And because the atmosphere in school isn't my thing, with my late nights all spent studying, I tend to get tired easily. In my exhausted state, I sometimes don't listen well in class. That's all."

But just as Christian finished speaking, the teacher's reply came even faster.

"Studying hard all night, you say? Do you expect me to believe that after struggling all year with average scores, you've suddenly become a prodigy from some late-night cramming? The odds of that happening are slim to none."

"Do you know that the last exam you solved perfectly had a problem that stumped even the top student at school? No one solved it. But you, of all people, managed to? You must think I'm a fool."

Seeing how the teacher's voice was rising and his true colors were showing, Christian's expression twisted further. He wanted to sneer but held himself back and said.

"It just means I worked harder than everyone else."

But maybe his answer, which he thought was polite, was more infuriating than he realized. The teacher stood up from his chair, shouting and slamming his hand on the desk beside him.

"Do you really think this is possible? That no one else has worked harder than you?"

Seeing the teacher asking again and even repeating what he had said, Christian replied halfheartedly,

"Then, it means the method I discovered for studying was just that much better than theirs."

Christian truly believed what he said to be true, as he couldn't imagine anyone else having a better tool than his Idle system and working tirelessly twenty-four hours a day, all week long, and non-stop at that. However, the teacher's opinion, not knowing about his system, was evidently different again.

"That's enough. Either you come clean right now, or I'll make sure this turns into a very public lesson in honesty, with the entire school watching."

Seeing the teacher becoming over the top with his what he is saying, now even threatening, Christian began contemplating whether he should just snap out. However, the idea of a public honesty lesson made him curious, and he was even tempted to just tell the teacher to go ahead with his arrangement.

But the teacher had still not finished; he continued.

"Admit to cheating now, or I'll call your parents in, and we'll see how you explain yourself then, before you're even expelled from the school."

He was belatedly accusing him of cheating now, and Christian was pissed. But when the teacher mentioned his deceased parents, Christian finally felt his sense of reason snap.

He glared at the teacher with his green eyes, now seemingly even glowing, and just shouted back in the end.

"What the hell do you want me to admit?"

'Something, I have not done?'

"Just do whatever the fuck you want."

The fact that he was an orphan and his parents were dead was something everyone knew, even his disinterested classmates, especially since he'd been at this school for four years. But a teacher not knowing this fact? Was he trying to rub salt in his wounds, or was he just that much of a low-life?

Christian didn't want to know or even care about the truth; the fact that the teacher showed no regard or interest in his students and accused him of cheating without any evidence was more than enough.

Still filled with anger, Christian nearly threw a couple of punches at the teacher—no, he was going to punch more. But remembering his sister's face and the consequences that would follow, he barely held himself back to avoid being expelled.

Taking one last look with his now cold eyes at the fuming math teacher in front of him, Christian turned around and left the school office.

Christian slammed the door shut with all his strength, producing a loud noise, and ignored the teacher's shouting from the other side.

The students in the corridor stopped in their tracks, stared at him while murmuring among themselves.

Seeing the looks the students were giving him, Christian felt uncomfortable. But not wanting to cause any more trouble, he simply walked past them and headed toward his class.

As Christian walked, he couldn't help but ponder internally. He was now barely holding himself together by going to school. Did he really need to endure the shouting and accusations of that damned teacher?

He is trying to convince himself it was for his sister, but How long should he endure?