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[Popular Series] Solar Physics Lecture No. 666
Has Mankind Forgotten His Dream to Reach the Sky�
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=Heated Exchange between Researchers at Snap MeetingâŚ
Death of Cambridge Professor
=Predicted the Existence of Wormholes; in Later Years He Predicted TragedyâŚ
Arrest of Man who Claims: âThe Aliens Will Come AgainâŚâ
Scribbles Found in Science Museum in Tokyoâs Taito WardâŚ
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Haruma-1
The short homeroom period functions much like a starting gate. At the signal announcing the end of school, the racers inside the classroom make their move.
However, not all those gathered here were thoroughbreds, picked and bred for the occasion. They ranged from swift horses to fillies, packhorses to asses, piglets to raccoon dogs. There were foxes, cats, Mount Fuji, hawks, eggplantsâwell, you get the picture (1). The classroom was a place where different tribes duked it out in a game of thrones. Among those buzzing, prattling voices, reverberating through the room like little ripples, one could make out a horseâs whinny, a wolfâs howl and even a frogâs croak. In the midst of all this croaking and croooooaking, I, too, had been crying for some time now.
Between the school club goers, movie/karaoke goers and the lazy-asses-who-would-come-up-with-something, everyone had their afterschool plans in mind as they turned their gazes towards the teacherâs platform.
âLately, there have been reports of young people going missing. Are you all aware of this?â asked the homeroom teacher Kuriu-sensei in a composed tone of voice one might also describe as bland. âBe careful going home if you finish late because of club activities and whatnot. No stopping for detours or going out after dark.â
As she spoke, she raised a stern finger and gazed slowly around the room at each and every student, not that the students were having any of it. The complaints poured out of them like squeals from a bunch of piglets.
âAww!â
âThat stinks!â
The whining rose to a crescendo from boys and girls alike, sweeping through the entire classroom. The only one who didnât get defiant was basically the person who ignored the entire conversation in favour of internet news topicsâme.
Kuriu-sensei lightly clapped her hands in an effort to stifle the dissenting voices. âI understand that you want to have fun. But if something were ever to happen to all of you, I would be very sad⌠so please show me your happy faces tomorrow. All right, that ends todayâs homeroom. Goodbye, everyone.â
The moment she uttered those gentle parting words, all hell broke loose from the students.
There were some who launched themselves out of the classroom, others who hung around chattering in a group, and still others who beckoned over here or over there. Each and every one of them had been liberated by that wrinkle in time known as âthe afterschool hoursâ.
These people can be sorted into three broad categories.
First, there are the goody-two-shoes club-goers. Some pour themselves into their club activities day and night, while others chill out and have a good time. Generally speaking, however, they all spend most of their school life doing club activities.
Next, we have the popular clique. Theyâre keenly aware of the link between work and school, and thus mainly live their lives in the pursuit of afterschool fun: karaoke, bowling, darts, billiards and, last but not least, love-related matters. Their quintessential high school lives overflow with youthful radiance. Theyâre pretty much the kind of people who tend to use phrases like âall-nighterâ, âgluggingâ and âgetting smashedâ.
Finally, letâs not forget the âmy way is the highwayâ people who live for their hobbies. In all likelihood, their anime, manga and games were shunned in ages past. While they might still be seen as social outcasts in todayâs world, they donât experience that fate at this school. Both sexes are equally enthusiastic about the current anime season and their favourite seiyuu. Those kids have a lot of influence in this class.
These three groups intermingled, only occasionally breaking away into clearly defined cliques. They were woven into the very fabric of school life. Even the most diligent club-goer falls in love, and the popular kids read Weekly Shonen Jump. The otaku go out in mixed-gender groups to sing karaoke on their way home from school. In fact, messy love problems were a relatively common affair in the otaku circle. Specifically, itâs awkward when so many ugly people make out in public.
Kids these daysâtheyâre ruled by their hormones. Their lives are full of illicit fraternising. Man, they mingle with alien species so much it makes me wonder if they want to work for NASA. It takes one short hour for them to say, Iâll be right here.
Castes and groups may vary, but they all offer the same things: friendship, love, hobbiesâand a way to live out oneâs youth. However, to compensate, one is bound hand and foot by time, appointments and social obligations.
What a sad state of affairsâŚ
Ordinarily, controlling time and peopleâs plans is what an overlord would do, but even that is beyond their capabilities⌠Ahaha! What a shame! Sucks to be them! Between me and them, it should be obvious who deserves pity!
TRANSLATORâS NOTES
(1) A Japanese superstition states that it is good luck to dream of Mount Fuji, a hawk and an eggplant on your first night after the New Year.