Your Girlfriend Calls Me Daddy-Chapter 7 | I Survived the Hero’s Journey, But Calculus Is Trying to Kill Me

Chapter 7: 7 | I Survived the Hero’s Journey, But Calculus Is Trying to Kill Me

I sat back down.

Emma leaned over.

"That was impressive."

"Thanks."

"You sure you’re a Null?"

"That’s what the scan said."

She smiled.

"Maybe you should get tested again."

Everyone keeps saying that.

Boone called the next person and I stopped paying attention.

The rest of Combat 101 dragged. More demonstrations. More notes on his tablet. By the time the bell rang I was ready to leave.

English came next.

Building A. Second floor. Room 207.

I found it with five minutes to spare.

The classroom was bigger than homeroom. Maybe forty students packed into rows of desks. A mix of hero track and business track kids based on the conversations I overheard while walking in.

The teacher was already at the front. Older woman. Grey hair pulled into a bun. Glasses on a chain. She introduced herself as Mrs. Kapoor and immediately launched into a lecture about narrative structure.

I sat in the middle row and tried to focus.

Lasted about ten minutes.

Why the hell do heroes need to study English literature?

What’s the practical application here?

Am I going to defeat a villain with symbolism?

I pulled out my phone under the desk and checked the quest timer again.

67 HOURS REMAINING

Still no plan.

Still no target locked in.

Just a ticking clock and a death sentence if I don’t figure this out.

Mrs. Kapoor’s voice turned into background noise. I caught phrases here and there. Something about the hero’s journey. Something about character arcs. Something about thematic resonance.

My eyes drifted to the window.

Century City stretched out below. Skyscrapers. Ocean in the distance. Somewhere out there people were using their Essentia to do actual hero work while I sat here pretending to care about metaphors.

Math came next.

I walked to Building C. Third floor. Room 315.

By the time I got there my patience was already gone.

I hated school in my first life. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

I hated it in my second life.

Why would transmigrating into a novelkiss change that?

I found a seat near the back and dropped into it.

The teacher walked in. Young guy. Maybe late twenties. Glasses. Button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He introduced himself as Mr. Reyes and started writing equations on the board before half the class even sat down.

Calculus.

Of course it’s calculus.

I put my head on the desk.

Just because the women here look like walking pornhwa panels doesn’t mean I’m suddenly going to enjoy derivatives.

The equations kept coming. Mr. Reyes talked about limits and functions and rates of change like any of this mattered in a world where people could shoot fire from their hands.

I closed my eyes.

Someone tapped my shoulder.

I looked up.

Mera stood next to my desk.

"Oh hey Mera."

"Hi Rome. Looks like we have this class together!"

"Looks like it."

She slid into the seat next to mine.

"At least I have one thing to look forward to in math class."

She giggled.

The sound was light. Genuinely amused.

"This is actually one of the classes I’m good at."

I raised an eyebrow.

"How come?"

"Oh just very conscious of numbers."

That’s vague as hell.

She pulled out a notebook. Flipped it open. Her handwriting was neat. Organized. Color coded tabs on the sides.

Not what I expected from someone who admitted she hates homework.

"Anyways where you going for lunch?"

"No idea."

I don’t know if the food here tastes like Earth food or if it’s some weird alternate reality cuisine.

"Got any recommendations?"

"Well there’s the cafeteria buffet or we can go to a restaurant!"

"Restaurant?"

"Yeah! There’s a whole district right outside campus. Shore food mostly but there’s other options too."

She leaned closer.

Her shoulder brushed against mine.

"So what’s your Essentia anyway?"

And there it is.

Fishing for information.

I kept my face neutral.

"Registered as a Passive Null."

"Really?"

She tilted her head.

"That’s so weird. You don’t feel like a Null."

"What does a Null feel like?"

"I don’t know. Less?"

She tapped her pen against her notebook.

"Where did you go before Coastline?"

"Private tutoring."

That’s what the Angelo Corporation email said.

No actual school records before this.

Convenient.

"Tweeter says you got expelled for fighting but that’s just rumors right?"

"Tweeter?"

"Social media. You know. Everyone’s talking about you."

Great.

I’ve been here four hours and I’m already trending.

"It’s rumors."

"So you’re not a bad boy?"

She said it with a smile.

"Define bad."

She laughed again.

"I like that answer."

Mr. Reyes cleared his throat at the front of the room.

"Miss Cross if you’re done flirting we’re about to start the lesson."

A few students snickered.

Mera didn’t look embarrassed at all.

She just waved at him.

"Sorry Mr. Reyes!"

He sighed and turned back to the board.

I pulled out my own notebook.

Blank pages. No notes. Nothing useful.

I’m going to fail this class.

I’m going to fail all my classes if I don’t figure out how to catch up on a month of missed material.

Mera slid a piece of paper onto my desk.

I looked down.

She’d written her number.

Text me if you need help catching up. I’m serious about the math thing. Also lunch. Let’s go off campus.

I glanced at her.

She was already facing forward. Pretending to pay attention to the lesson.

Her tail flicked once.

Subtle.

I pocketed the paper.

Mr. Reyes started talking about integration by parts.

I tried to follow along.

Lasted maybe three minutes before my brain checked out completely.

The rest of the class blurred together. Numbers on the board. Students taking notes. The scratch of pencils. The occasional question from someone who actually cared.

I stared at the equations and understood exactly none of it.

In my first life I scraped by with C’s.

In my second life I paid people to do my homework.

This life I don’t even have that option.

The bell rang.

Everyone started packing up.

Mera stood and stretched. Her shirt rode up just enough to show a strip of red skin above her skirt.

Not subtle at all.

"So lunch?"

I stood and grabbed my bag.

"Sure."

"Great! I know a place with amazing shore tacos. You like seafood?"

"Never had shore tacos."

She blinked.

"Wait seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Oh my god you’re in for a treat."

She grabbed my arm.

Her hand was warm. Warmer than it should be.

Root Type modification probably.

Physical changes tied to her Essentia.

She pulled me toward the door.

"Come on before the lunch rush hits."