'Not only are the professor's movements rigid, but his voice is also mechanical,' Luke observed quietly.
The students around him didn't seem to notice the abnormality. They appeared completely oblivious, as if brainwashed into believing everything was normal.
"Nice, it's Professor Thirty-Four! I heard it's easy to pass his exams!"
Luke overheard a student exclaim nearby. He frowned inwardly and pondered, 'They don't even question why his name is so strange…'
"Hey! Hey!"
Luke felt a poke from behind. He involuntarily turned his head and found himself face-to-face with Rogan Weasley, his noisy college friend.
Despite knowing Rogan for almost two years, Luke couldn't shake his discomfort upon seeing him. He couldn't be sure whether this man was his friend or it was the entity pulling the strings.
"I've been sitting behind you this whole time and you didn't even notice," Rogan pouted, then grinned widely.
"What were you thinking about so deeply that you didn't even notice your surroundings? Anyway, I'm glad you're in this class too. At least I know someone besides Alice Doors!"
Unlike the professor, Rogan's movements and voice were fluid. The only unsettling thing was his emotionless eyes.
Luke tilted his head slightly and gave a nonchalant nod to the girl with a chic, fashionable style. Her sleek black bob hair swayed gently in the breeze from the open window.
She was pretty but Luke couldn't bring himself to admire her. To him, she was just like a human with the scary eyes of a doll.
Luke also noticed the golden strings connecting the students around. Unlike his, which he deliberately arranged symmetrically, theirs were attached at random. Alice, for instance, had two strings attached to her right arm and none on the left.
He didn't find this particularly strange. He had seen similar patterns earlier on the street. He even once saw someone with all five strings attached to the top of their head. But that didn't necessarily imply that they were like him who was self-aware.
After seeing Alice greet him back with a cheerful wave, Luke turned his attention back to the front. The professor was now placing a dish on the table.
"Now, now. Let's begin our Psychology 101 class by exploring our personalities," the professor said, his pupil-less gaze shifting toward the dish.
"Look at this plate. Without tasting it, how can you determine whether it's good or bad? In fact, the process you use to decide might reveal something about your personality."
He gave a stiff smile and asked, "First question. Would you rather work with others, or do you prefer to work alone when coming up with answers?"
"If it's the former, it suggests you're more likely an extrovert. If it's the latter, perhaps an introvert."
Hearing this sudden question, Luke subconsciously thought it over. 'I guess I prefer being alone. It's not that I mind company, I just feel more comfortable doing the work myself.'
After a brief pause, the professor continued, "Second, how do you gather data? And which information do you trust the most?"
"Are you using your senses, particularly sight and smell, to collect objective and measurable data? Or do you prefer interpreting hidden patterns and cues?"
"Are you the type of person who values facts and figures, carefully examining the texture, color, and presentation of the dish?"
"Or do you take a more flexible and subjective approach, one where you consider the possibility of perceiving things beyond your physical senses? Hmm… it's hard to explain. It's more like relying on gut feelings without conscious reasoning."
"If it's the former, you're likely more sensor-driven; if it's the latter, you're probably more intuitive."
Without pause, he asked the third question.
"Next, when finally deciding the answer, do you ultimately make decisions with logical evidence, or is your end judgment influenced by personal and emotional factors?"
"If you're the former, you're likely a thinker; if it's the latter, you're likely a feeler."
When the professor paused to give the students a moment, Luke's expression contorted, and he lowered his head. Sensing the shift in his own posture, he wondered if it was because he didn't fully understand himself either.
Since his memory of the class had been mysteriously erased, he had no past recollections to draw from.
The only thing he could recall was that whenever he took personality tests for fun, the results were always inconsistent.
There was a time he considered himself an extrovert, but as he entered his teenage years, he gradually became more introverted.
Sometimes, he believed he was intuitive, but other times, that didn't feel quite right either.
These changes left Luke unsure of what exactly his personality was. He couldn't tell what was truly him and what wasn't.
'Based on what I know, personalities are fixed from birth… Hmm. I don't know whether to believe that or not.'
The professor then presented his final point:
"Overall, looking back at the process, were you a detailed and systematic planner, or were you more on the chaotic side, reacting to stimuli as they came?"
"If you made plans and took steps throughout the process, you're likely a judge. If you were more spontaneous, perhaps you're more of a prospective kind of person."
Luke was certain he was the latter. He rarely planned things. And when he did, it was never for the long term.
Luke's thoughts then drifted to his classmates.
'Rogan, on the other hand, is definitely an extrovert. He's very sociable. But while he acts loud and carefree, he's actually quite sensitive and meticulous. Additionally, he plans things with precision, almost to the point of obsession.'
Looking back, Luke realized that he and Rogan had always been polar opposites. He couldn't understand why Rogan kept talking to him.
A small, unconscious smile tugged at the corners of Luke's serious expression.
Then there was Alice. Unlike him, who came off as cold and distant, Alice was like a wild flower in a field of grass. She naturally drew attention to herself and she received them easily. She was cheerful and never ran out of things to say.
While Rogan and Alice seemed similar, Alice was more natural, while Rogan was more cultivated or put together.
Luke wanted to guess their exact personality combinations, but it wasn't easy. People had two layers of "skin": the persona they wore for the world, and the one they reserved for themselves and those closest to them.
Even with someone like Rogan, whom he knew well, or Alice, whose outward personality seemed obvious, it was still hard to know what truly lay beneath the surface.
'Hmmm... This personality thing might be the key.' Luke murmured to himself. The class seemed like an obvious anomaly, as if it was trying to guide those like him on where to begin their investigation.
'Perhaps it was a deliberate clue from others who shared my circumstances.'
Just then, the professor called two students to the front.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"I think it tastes good. Just based on the presentation, it seems appetizing," said one student.
The other student, a girl, added, "As for me, I don't think we should judge it by appearances alone. Even though it looks normal, the professor might've done something mischievous. After all, there's usually a twist in these kinds of demonstrations."
The girl looked around and hiccuped nervously. "But… the professor might have expected us to consider that, so maybe I'll just agree with his opinion."
The professor laughed and took two forks out, "Then why don't you both taste it?"
As they tasted it, the student on the left nodded, signaling that the food tasted okay. However, the student on the right made a disgusted face, clearly indicating that her experience didn't match the other's.
The professor chuckled mechanically and joked, "It's because the pasta tastes both good and bad."
He glanced at the petite girl and chuckled. "You were right all along."
He took a fork and dug in. It turned out that the right side had more peppers and salt hidden within.
"That's why we shouldn't rush to conclusions," the professor continued.
"No matter how much an introvert prefers to do things alone, some tasks require collaboration. Similarly, an extrovert doesn't always need others. Sometimes, group discussions can pressure you into consensus."
"An intuitive's gut feeling isn't always correct. And what you see isn't always the truth. We must weigh both perspectives and consider others' input before forming our own."
"In life, there are times when logic isn't necessary, and it's better to go with the flow and trust your emotions. But if you always follow your heart, you might risk being misled or getting hurt."
"Finally, don't rely too heavily on your plans. There comes a time when you must be spontaneous to truly experience life. At the same time, living always in a prospective mindset can be dangerous. Sometimes, you just need to rely on judgment."
He then raised his head high as though deliberating, "But we can't be everything and everyone. We are limited by our nature and our personalities."
"That's why, while it's still early, it's essential to recognize your limits. Don't become so full of yourself... or you'll end up regretting it."
The professor's voice echoed in Luke's mind, lingering in his thoughts. It felt like both a reminder and a subtle threat, urging him to reflect on his actions and limitations.
'Does this mean I need to quickly find someone with similar circumstances?' Luke wondered. 'It's because I can't solve everything on my own...'
'What does it mean to know our limits? Should I just accept the golden strings and let this external force control my life?' Luke thought grimly.
After class, and following a brief conversation with Rogan, Luke's body moved automatically toward his next class, his mind still processing the professor's words.