i actually like the development...
it actually feels like growing into adulthood.
the balance of feeling. the "worthless praise". the "nitpicking care".
the guy may come really close to understand some "of the working behind schools" quite well because of the shock. and at such age too.
it is easy to lost focus and "fail". learning has very little to do about "intelligence" and much more about "focus and memory".
your "success" may be valued at very little, but they will be happy to not be nagged about your failure, because "they" have to answer someone else about this class "statistics". the world is much more about numbers than "faces".
people act way more out of phase when they lose something they expected to always have. the teacher is as lost as the two young men in love... because he may lose his bonus. because he expected to bother with others but not the one who was always shining with his numbers, taking him off-guard.
the friend look at everything from a fleeting view. they can break up and live on as well. "pure love" isn't needed and probably will fail because of "people ineptitude" to live their lives or control/understand their emotions.
this last chapter is one quite good. so many little things showing the complexity of social life.
and the mint was really a good touch. such piece...