Scanning the room, his eyes met Professor Clement Whitmore, who also seemed to have just arrived and was unpacking his bag. The professor's stern eyes stared at him intently — it almost felt like sparks were flying between them.
However, Rex didn't mind; he simply flashed a polite smile and walked toward his seat.
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Professor Clement gritted his teeth and glared at Rex's back grudgingly. If eyes could kill, Rex would have died multiple times by now.
On his way to his seat, Rex occasionally greeted students who acknowledged him. Most of them looked at him admiringly, and a few praised him in hushed voices:
"Well done!"
"Man, I've always hated Logan. Great work!"
"You were so handsome back then."
"Thank you! I've always wanted to smash that bastard's face."
"Man, that punch was so cool!"
"Teach me how to throw one like that, seriously!"
Rex grinned sheepishly at their compliments, occasionally, tossing out a few "thanks" and "maybe later" replies, keeping it low-key.
Word of yesterday's cafeteria showdown had already blazed through the university, of course, his classmates knew about it. And as students under Professor Clement's iron fist, they knew his horror and influence too well.
Despite appearing decent with a polished smile, neat tie and crisp suit, this bastard just loved to nitpick.
He was notorious for punishing even the smallest mistakes—something most other professors would just shrug off.
And don't even talk about his grading, he was absolutely brutal. His strict grading had caused many students to repeat courses.
Of course, many had reported him to the administration, but using his influence and connections, he always managed to slither out unscathed. Anyone who dared to complain would face his retaliation, which included tanking their grades and sometimes even going as far as failing them.
And yet, Rex had not only knocked out the professor's nephew but also openly defied his authority — and most surprisingly walked away like it was nothing.
That's why they looked at him with so much admiration.
As always, rumors were swirling about his background too.
Some speculated that he had won the lottery; others claimed he was squandering his parents' inheritance. A few even went as far as to suggest he had become the gigolo of a wealthy but fat and ugly woman.
Of course, Rex didn't know any of this; otherwise, he might have vomited three liters of blood.
Lost in thought, Rex almost missed Sophie's starry-eyed gaze as he walked past the 'Beauty Trio, her eyes were practically sparkling with stars, like she'd seen a famous celebrity.
Seeing them like this, his vanity was greatly satisfied.
Who wouldn't enjoy being admired by women, especially if they were top-tier stunners like them?
Even if one doesn't have any romantic or perverted thoughts (which, let's be real, every dude does but won't admit), admiration alone felt undeniably satisfying.
Taking his seat, he first gave a quick nod to the skinny kid beside him. The guy barely glanced up as he returned greeting, nose buried in his notes like the world was ending tomorrow.
Then, he turned to the nerdy girl, Elara, and whispered softly,
"Morning."
"G-good morning," she mumbled, shy as ever.
"Hey, thanks for helping me out in the library. It saved me a lot of time. How about I treat you to lunch sometime?"
"No-no it's fine! You don't have to thank me," she stammered, quickly waving her hands to refuse.
Seeing her strong reaction, He just shrugged and didn't push the matter but mentally noted to return the favor someday. He then shifted his attention to the front.
Seeing that Rex didn't insist or get angry, Elara breathed a sigh of relief.
Deep down, she wanted to accept his offer, but she knew her situation, her part-time jobs left her with no time to spare.
Soon, two more students came running in and hurriedly sat in their seats. Just then, the bell rang, signaling the start of class.
As usual, the professor greeted the class with a seemingly gentle smile, his gaze swept the room but when his gaze landed on Rex, the smile momentarily faltered before resurfacing.
"Ah, Mr. Lee. How generous of you to grace us with your presence after so long." The professor's voice was smooth, almost pleasant, but there was a glint of sarcasm deep in his eyes.
Hearing this, Rex's brows furrowed slightly as he retorted, "I'm on time, Professor."
The professor chuckled softly, glancing briefly at his watch.
"I see. Well, now that you've decided to join us today, Mr. Lee."
I must stress that consistency is key in both academics and character, wouldn't you agree?
It would be a shame if all that potential were squandered by casual tardiness.
He paused, smirking. "Anyway, Mr. Lee, I hope the only punches thrown today will be those of intellectual insight."
A few nearby flicked their eyes toward Rex, sensing the overt and covert jabs.
Rex pressed his lips together, suppressing a retort. It was a classroom, and he had to maintain basic respect, even if he was a prick.
He felt the professor's gaze linger a moment longer before the class officially began.
Honestly, Rex didn't care much. Yesterday wasn't his fault, even if some thought he'd gone overboard.
On the surface, class rolled on like normal, but deep undercurrents were already churning.
Although he tried to focus, he didn't get half the material—too much jargon—but he faked it well enough to dodge the professor's radar. Still, boredom crept in. His eyes unconsciously drifted to the window, soaking in the sunlight for a second before snapping back to the front.
Unfortunately, this moment was caught by Professor Clement. Who suddenly came to an abrupt pause, drawing curious glances from the entire class, even those who had previously been distracted turned their attention toward him.
"Mr. Lee," he called out lightly as he zeroed on Rex, "I hope you're not too distracted. I'd hate for this lecture to feel like a brawl — where you only pay attention after a blow has been struck."
With a swish, everyone turned to look at Rex. Rex's mouth twitched slightly, but he quickly composed himself as he feigned a polite and respectful smile, his gaze steady and tranquil, like the surface of an ancient well, as he spoke.
"Don't worry, Professor. I always pay attention before anyone gets hurt. Anyway, I don't need a fight to stay sharp — I can easily handle both the lecture and a few stray punches."
His tone was courteous and respectful, but the edge was unmistakable. As a subtle hint of defiance that didn't go unnoticed.
A couple of nearby students stifled grins. professor's eyes narrowed, teeth clenching as he forced a forced "Hmph."
"I hope so," he muttered, his voice taut with restrained emotion, before diving back into the lesson.
The rest of the class went uneventfully, aside from the occasional hateful glare from the professor, which Rex just shrugged off.
When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the class, the professor gathered his stuff, tossing one last glance Rex's way.
"Well, that concludes today's session. I trust everyone took proper notes—some might need them more than others to keep up without… disruptions." His eyes lingered on Rex a moment longer before turning away with a smirk.
The students quickly turned to see Rex's reaction. Leaning back in his chair, Rex grinned lazily as he spoke,
"Don't worry, Professor. Some of us are just better at handling... disruptions." he called, loud enough for Clement's retreating back to hear.
The professor's steps faltered, fists clenching as he stormed off, probably cursing Rex's eighteen generations.
As soon as he left, the room erupted into chaos, laughter, gasps, and chatter exploding like a volcano.
"Hahaha, serve him right!"
"Man, that was so cool!"
"Did you see the professor's face?"
"Of course, It looked just like a bitter gourd!"
Amid the commotion, students surrounded Rex like he was a hero, but he remained chill, occasionally tossing out a few replies,
Internally, he was reflecting on the professor's behavior. It seemed as though the professor had forgotten about tomorrow's matter, as he hadn't pursued it further.
However, judging by his occasional remarks today, it was clear that this matter wouldn't be resolved so easily.
If it's just this, he wouldn't really care much. However, if the professor took things too far, he had to think of some countermeasures as his grades were on the line.
As there's no way he'd let a petty grudge jeopardize his grades.
Anyway, if push came to shove, he still had Uncle Johnson for backup, but that was an absolute last resort.
As an independent young man of the new era, he certainly wouldn't cry back to his family over minor scuffles.
And as he leaned back, a hushed voice came from behind him, "Dude, Logan's here."
(End of Chapter)