Suspicious New Professor

Friendship and Friction

4

As the semester at Lille National Institute of Advanced Technologies continued, the pace of coursework intensified. Jenissa felt the familiar weight of her schedule growing heavier, with projects and assignments for subjects like Data Structures and Object-Oriented Programming piling up. But none of it felt as consuming as her thoughts about Elias Noir. Every interaction with him seemed to deepen her suspicion, an unease she couldn’t shake.

She spent hours replaying scenes in her head—Elias’s clumsy gestures in front of the class, the smooth precision he showed when explaining complex topics, and the moments when his façade seemed to crack, revealing a colder, calculating gaze. The campus was alive with whispers about him, particularly among those who had known Professor Bergman and missed her strict but steady approach.

Emile Bleck, her closest friend, observed her distraction one day as they sat together in the cafeteria. He’d grown used to Jenissa’s studious nature but noticed lately she’d become more absent-minded, her focus slipping between their conversation and her thoughts.

“You’re miles away, Jen,” Emile said, giving her a nudge. “Or, let me guess—thinking about Professor Noir again?”

Jenissa sighed, swirling her coffee as she debated how much to confide in him. “It’s hard not to. Everything about him feels… off. I mean, even the way he replaced Professor Bergman so suddenly. And it’s not just that he’s strange, Emile. There’s something more.”

Emile leaned back, crossing his arms as he gave her a skeptical look. “You’re really letting him get to you, aren’t you? I get it, he’s a bit odd, but maybe he’s just nervous. He’s only a few years older than us, after all. Couldn’t it be that he’s still figuring things out?”

Jenissa shook her head. “It’s not just nerves, Emile. Have you noticed how he flips between being clueless and then suddenly confident and authoritative? And everyone keeps talking about Professor Bergman’s departure like it was this huge mystery. I just think it’s worth looking into.”

Emile hesitated, glancing down at his lunch. “I’ll admit, he’s a little strange. But you’re starting to sound like some kind of detective. Aren’t you supposed to be focusing on your studies? We’ve got Data Structures, DBMS, Digital Techniques, and OOP assignments coming up. Not to mention that project for CGR. I don’t want to see you distracted because of some... conspiracy theory.”

Jenissa sighed, pushing her coffee away. She knew Emile was right in a way. Her coursework was demanding enough, and she couldn’t afford to let her suspicions derail her. But her instincts told her that there was more at play. She’d always trusted her intuition, and it was warning her now that Elias wasn’t who he pretended to be.

Seeing her struggle, Emile softened his tone. “Look, Jen, I know this is bothering you. Maybe you’re right, and he’s hiding something. But until we know more, it might be best to focus on what we can control. Don’t let this ruin your grades.”

She nodded reluctantly. Emile was a steadying presence, someone she could rely on to keep her grounded. But even as she promised herself to stay focused on her studies, the thought of Elias and his unsettling behavior lingered at the back of her mind.

Later that evening, Jenissa found herself alone in the campus library, surrounded by textbooks and notes. The topics in Computer Graphics were becoming more challenging, and she found it harder to keep up with the pace Elias set. As she flipped through her notes, she felt a sense of frustration bubbling up. Balancing her growing suspicions and her academic responsibilities was proving to be more difficult than she’d anticipated.