Neurolink System in the Modern World

86  Changes

My heart skipped a beat as a familiar voice called out from behind. As I turned around, I was met with the sight of a stunningly beautiful girl. Her skin was flawless, and she didn't even need makeup to enhance her natural beauty. "Alice!" I blurted out, but quickly tried to play it cool, as if her sudden appearance was as ordinary as finding a pen in my backpack.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance.

"Eh? What do you mean? My classroom is right there," she replied, looking a bit puzzled as she pointed to her classroom.

I mentally scolded myself. I had almost forgotten that I had come here specifically to see her.

'Okay, Zyden, act cool, don't let her know you're here for her. Be calm, be like water.' I thought to myself,

My mind was in overdrive as I pondered how to initiate a conversation with her. I couldn't help but grumble inwardly, cursing the fact that I couldn't use my "Faker" abilities just yet. I mean, come on, couldn't the universe cut me some slack here and let me impersonate a charming womanizer for just a minute? But alas, I had to wait.

So, there I stood, relying on the wisdom of romantic comedy anime for guidance. I hoped those writers had done their homework and weren't just making stuff up. If not, well, I was in for a real-life rom-com disaster!

No! I need to trust those anime writers! After all, thousands of rom-com anime episodes must have refined the practicality of those romantic situations to almost real-life perfection. That's it! I'll just play it cool, act oblivious, and patiently wait for her to approach me. Easy as pie! "What a coincidence," I chuckled, doing my best to appear oblivious.

"Not really. I mean, you're a teacher, so we're bound to see each other."She responded with startling directness.

I was left speechless, realizing that this level of difficulty was nothing short of Hall of Fame in 2K with 60 overall while using a keyboard to play.

"You're right," I replied with a forced laugh. Why wasn't my charisma working against her? Could it be that her title was just too overpowered? Normally, my way with words should be enough. I mean, not even Ayumi was spared by my sweet tongue. But for some reason, I couldn't summon the right words when it came to her. Right now, I couldn't help but gaze at her soft lips. They looked so inviting that I felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her right then and there.

"Control yourself, control yourself, control yourself," I repeated silently to remind myself to stay composed. "Mr. Zyden," she said with a serious demeanor, "I haven't had the chance to thank you properly for saving me. If it's alright with you, may I treat you to lunch?" There wasn't a hint of embarrassment in her voice; it was all business for her.

"Sure," I replied.

"Alright," she said with a smile and took the lead.

As we walked together, I couldn't help but mutter to myself, "She's really beautiful." But a nagging feeling tugged at the back of my mind, like I had forgotten something, but I dismissed it, deciding it couldn't have been too important.

—

—

We arrived at the cafeteria, and I couldn't help but steal glances at her while we waited in line. Her grace and confidence were captivating, and I was starting to realize just how much I enjoyed her company. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but overhear some students gossiping nearby, and their comments caught my attention.

[So his next target is Alice? First, the cute flower of our school, now the queen? What a womanizer.]

[I heard someone saw him with a group of gangsters. He's like a hidden Mafia boss or something?]

[A gangster teacher?] n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

[I bet you 1000 won that he has a huge tattoo under his shirt.]

[Bro, I heard he watch "How to kill with knives " in his free time.]

[He doesn't even teach his students; he just lets them play. And then from time to time, he bullies students just for the sake of it ]  one of them said with an exaggerated sigh. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

'What is happening? How did my super good reputation become this bad?' I sighed to myself, feeling both frustrated and puzzled by the rumors circulating about me. I'm a model teacher for god sake. As I continue to listen to the students gossiping, I realized that it wasn't just a matter of my reputation being tarnished but also the impact it could have on my interactions with others, especially Alice. These wild stories could make things even more complicated than they already were.

I decided that I needed to find a way to address these rumors and set the record straight before they spiraled out of control.

At the table

"So you're a gangster and a womanizer?" Alice asked with an investigative glint in her eye, causing me to nearly jump out of my seat Unable to resist, I raised my hands in a dismissive gesture, trying to deny all the wild accusations. "I'm not, I'm not" I protested, hoping to add a touch of humor to defuse the situation. "You don't have to be too defensive, you know. People can change," she replied with a reassuring smile, making it sound like the most natural thing in the world.

"I know someone who used to be a thug, and now he's a superstar. So you becoming a teacher is not really that shocking ," she replied casually, as if it were just another everyday conversation. "He must be really talented," I chuckled, intrigued by her stories. "Not at first, that guy is very hard to approach," she explained, "but he suddenly became really talented and popular. Maybe he had been practicing in secret. You can't really judge a person by their appearance."

Her words struck a chord with me, and I nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right, Appearances can be deceiving."I replied. As she continued, her face blushed, and I could tell she was thinking about someone special. "I also know about a very kind and interesting person. He's chubby and always looks depressed, but I can tell he's a really good person," A tender smile slowly spread across her face, and her voice softened, making her words even more touching and adorable. It was clear that the person she was talking about held a special place in her heart, and it was a heartwarming moment to witness. As her words sank in, a rush of emotions washed over me. I felt my cheeks grow warm, and I couldn't help but wonder, "Could she be talking about my old self?" My heart raced, and I scratched my nose, trying to hide the heat I felt rising within me.