Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



"What on earth is this?"

"Looks like some sort of lab equipment! And it was delivered by an international engineer, no less!"

"You think it's just a delivery? After it's installed, it needs to be calibrated."

"I remember this lab being empty before, when did it start getting stocked with all this high-end gear?"

"Isn't it obvious? Someone's planning to use it, that's for sure!"

"Must have cost a fortune, just look at it!"

Amidst the growing buzz of conversation, Slater's expression darkened by the second.

Sybil, on the other hand, pushed her way to the front, eyes wide with disbelief.

It was indeed a CPRT machine, but not quite.

This one was half the size of the ones their college already owned, and...

She caught a quick glance, noticing the touch-sensitive buttons.

The display was nearly twice as big as well.

"This... this is the latest generation CPRT?!" Slater's voice nearly cracked!

Not only was it more advanced than the ones they had, but its features were far more comprehensive.

He stormed forward, demanding, "Where did you get this from?!"

Roseanne retorted, "What's it to you?"

Slater was speechless.

Mamie, munching on a cookie, smiled, "Didn't you tell us to handle it ourselves yesterday? Well, we did. Surprise or what? You must be thrilled for us, right?"

Slater couldn't even muster a fake smile, let alone a real one!

Sybil shook her head, "Impossible... Even if we were to buy it, it couldn't have arrived this fast!"

Scales: "Ever heard of something called 'pre-ordering'?"

"No... it can't be..."

How could they just purchase such an expensive piece of equipment on a whim?

Yet, the real shock was still to come...

That afternoon, a "Disciplinary Notice" was posted on the college's official website.

The gist of it was as follows:

"...Upon investigation, it was found that senior student Carlson had monopolized the lab, wasting valuable academic resources... We hereby issue a formal reprimand! All faculty and students are advised to take this as a cautionary tale."

Clang-

Edna saw the notice and slammed her mug down.

She stormed into Babur's office, towering over him—

"Director White, don't you think you should've consulted me before penalizing my student?!"

Babur remained calm, as if he had anticipated her arrival.

"The college's decision follows established protocols that don't require informing the mentor."

"Oh, now you talk about protocols? Don't you find that hypocritical?"

"Edna, watch your tone! I'm still the director here. Don't think you can act all high and mighty just because you've had a bit of academic success these past few years!"

Swn

Babur's eyes narrowed slightly, "Let

me tell you, if Carlson is voed

then

O should be? Have you

t about that?" Conten

Edna stiffened.

"Don't think the college is unaware of your little maneuvers. We've simply turned a blind eye

considering your hard work over the years. Now that the issue has come to light, sacrificing Carlson to keep you out of trouble seems a fair trade. What's there to be dissatisfied about?"

With just a few sentences, Edna was effectively silenced.

Back at the dormitory-

Carlson scanned the notice, expressionless.

Arkle stood by, not daring to say a word, his anxiety palpable as he clenched his fists.

He wanted to say something comforting but couldn't find the words, opening and closing his mouth without making a sound.

Suddenly-

Carlson: "Roseanne and the others actually bought the CPRT with their own money? The latest model?"

Arkle: "...Huh?" This was not the reaction he was expecting.

Carlson's eyes lit up. "Let's go check it out."

Arkle was puzzled. Wasn't he... just reprimanded? Why so happy?

By the time they got to the lab, the crowd of onlookers had dispersed.

Roseanne and her group were absent, leaving a few foreigners adjusting the equipment.

Since the door was wide open, Carlson politely asked for permission to enter and was allowed in.

He and Arkle approached the machine, awe in their gaze.

"Truly the latest model... I didn't expect such improvements..."

He even instinctively reached out to touch it, but quickly retracted his hand, suppressing the urge.