The Graduate Student Wants to Assassinate the Professor - Chapter 116

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 116

‘I could turn this situation—where I can glimpse Khalid’s true thoughts—to my advantage….’
Having reached that conclusion, Leoryna gazed at Khalid.
“Professor, I… well….”
As Leoryna fidgeted with her fingers, searching for words, Khalid tilted his head curiously.
“What is it? Is there something else?”
Leoryna hesitated, then squeezed her eyes shut before speaking.
“Professor, would you like to have dinner together?”
“Dinner?”
Khalid glanced toward the window, which was growing dim.
“Now that you mention it, I do seem to be hungry….”
“Then shall we eat out? I learned about a delicious place from the students, so I know of one—though you might know it too. Oh, are you very busy? It’s about three tram stops away, so it would take some time to go there and return….”
“Sure, why not.”
Khalid readily rose from his seat, brushing himself off.
While he gathered his belongings, Pongko whispered to Leoryna.
“Leoryna, this is your chance to extract information from Khalid—why aren’t you interrogating him further?”
“Well….”
Unable to answer Pongko’s question, Leoryna scratched her head in confusion as Khalid turned back from the doorway.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I’m coming!”
Leoryna followed after Khalid, and while he still had one foot in the doorway, she caught his thoughts.
-What should I order….
And that was all.
As Khalid locked the Professor’s Office door, his thoughts were no longer audible to Leoryna. The moment they stepped outside, his magic had dissipated.
“The restaurant I mentioned is famous for its seafood stew.”
At Leoryna’s words, Khalid nodded.
“Then let’s have that.”
“Sounds good.”
Leoryna walked alongside Khalid. Though she could no longer hear his inner thoughts, the silence somehow put her at ease.
As they waited for the Tram, Khalid suddenly spoke.
“I don’t think we’ve ever gone this far out for a meal together outside of official business before.”
“No, we haven’t.”
“Do you think it would be nice if we did things like group dinners? What do you think?”
Khalid leaned his upper body toward Leoryna as he asked.
“Have I been too indifferent to you?”
“Professor, indifferent to me?”
Leoryna felt goosebumps rising on her back.
‘Indifferent? Me? Indifferent? You’re saying you’ve been indifferent to me?’
Recalling all the times Khalid had obsessed over the “well-being of his precious research slave,” Leoryna found herself utterly unable to agree with the word “indifferent.”
“No, it’s fine. Besides you, who else is there in the Research Laboratory? How is that even a company dinner? It’s just… eating a meal together like this, whenever it happens.”
“What? You don’t like it?”
‘I hate it, you bastard.’
However, what came out of Leoryna’s mouth was far from her true feelings.
“Haha, I don’t dislike it. I just meant… if you want to eat together, why not just do it without all the pretense of calling it a company dinner…?”
“Is that so? Then you have no complaints about me calling you out like this often?”
“Oh, complaints? How could I possibly voice complaints when the professor is treating me?”
‘That’s what I’m saying—I hate it, you bastard.’
Just then, the Tram arrived, and they boarded it.
The Tram was crowded, likely because it coincided with the evening rush hour. As they squeezed their way through the throng of people, Leoryna felt like laundry being wrung out from all sides.
“Come here.”
Noticing Leoryna being jostled about, Khalid pulled her toward him. He positioned her against the wall and secured a space where she could breathe properly.
“Phew, thank you.”
As Leoryna looked up at Khalid gratefully, he leaned against the wall she was pressed against, standing at an angle with one arm braced beside her. His arm was positioned right next to her head.
‘Wait, isn’t this too close?’
Finding Khalid’s face uncomfortably near her own, she quietly shifted her gaze toward Pongko, who was nestled in her arms. But Pongko, oblivious to the moment, blurted out a comment.
“Oh, I’ve seen this scene on television before. They called it the wall-slam situation…”
“Be quiet. Not another word.”
Leoryna quickly silenced Pongko, but Khalid, becoming aware of his own position, laughed.
“It’s similar, but not quite as romantic, is it? Call it consideration for my student, if you will.”
Khalid’s face remained far too close as he spoke. The warmth of his breath as he laughed was near enough to tickle the edge of her ear.
“Ah, um, right? There’s no way there could be any romantic atmosphere between you and me, Professor. Hahaha. We don’t think of each other that way at all. Hahaha.”
Leoryna deliberately played it off with forced laughter while flicking Pongko’s forehead.
“Say anything useless again, and I’m leaving you behind.”
“Ugh.”
Even as this happened, Leoryna found herself unable to ignore Khalid—it was driving her mad.
As the weather grew warmer, Khalid’s clothing had become lighter, and she couldn’t help but notice the prominent veins along his forearms beneath his rolled sleeves, the sharp line of his nose, the mysterious cerulean hue of his eyes… she couldn’t ignore any of it. At this distance, she felt as though she could hear the very beat of his heart.
Finding it all rather irritating, Leoryna’s eyes narrowed slightly.
‘Why should I care? What reason do I have to care? Khalid is just… an object. We’re not the kind of pair who would flutter with excitement in some wall-slam scenario like the heroine of a romance novel.’
Without realizing it, Leoryna began fanning herself with her hand, yet remained completely unaware of what she was doing.
‘We’re just a professor and graduate student. Is there a graduate student who gets flustered around their professor? If there is, that’s insanity.’

* * *

While Leoryna’s mind wandered through various thoughts, the Tram had already arrived at its destination.
“We should get off here, shouldn’t we?”
Khalid seized Leoryna’s arm and pulled her along. Thanks to Khalid’s broad frame clearing a path ahead, she disembarked with ease.
She pointed with her hand at the Restaurant located directly in front of the Tram Station.
“This is the place I mentioned.”
“Oh, quite…”
Khalid scanned the Restaurant’s exterior before offering his assessment.
“The atmosphere is rather nice, isn’t it?”
The Restaurant’s facade was lavishly decorated with flower pots, and an orchestra performed on the outdoor terrace. At a glance, couples radiating romantic ambiance filled the space. Yet both of them were more determined to enjoy a delicious meal than to concern themselves with such details, so they entered without hesitation.
A Restaurant Employee approached to seat them, alternating his gaze between the two.
“Are you perhaps a couple?”
At that unsettling question, Leoryna hastened to shake her head, but Khalid stopped her with a gesture and answered instead.
“Yes.”
“Professor?!”
Leoryna immediately tried to deny it, but Khalid pressed his foot firmly against hers, forcing her to hold her tongue.
“Ah, I see. The thing is, our Restaurant offers complimentary wine exclusively to couples.”
“Wonderful. Leoryna, wine sounds good to you?”
“…Yes.”
“And my girlfriend is celebrating her birthday today—do you happen to have any birthday events?”
At Khalid’s words, Leoryna’s eyes widened as she stared at him. She was astonished that he knew it was her birthday when she had never mentioned it.
Wait, but that aside! Why did he say girlfriend? Have you lost your mind?!
“Ah, a birthday! Congratulations! We offer complimentary cake to birthday celebrants. We’ll serve it with dessert once you’ve finished your meal.”
“Thank you.”
Khalid smiled broadly and took his seat at the designated table. Leoryna followed with a disgruntled expression and spoke.
“Professor, a couple?! Why would you tell such a lie?!”
At her words, Pongko, seated beside Leoryna, finally burst into the laughter he had barely contained until now.
“Hehehehe! Hic! Heeheehee!”
Leoryna, attempting to suppress her own laughter, swatted Pongko’s rear as he made those gasping, breathless sounds.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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