Blue Archive story · Volume 6, Chapter 1, Episode 3
Vol. 6 Ch. 1 Ep. 3: A New Start
1 scenes, 208 lines
1. Part 1
208 lines
W-Welcome, Sensei.
So...this is our room...
"So, what's going on?"
"Don't be shy!"
Ack! Wait! I forgot!
Forgot what? Ah...!
S-S-S-Sensei! We're really sorry...
But could you actually wait outside? Just for five minutes!
I know this probably seems weird!
But please, just five minutes!
I decided to do as they asked and stepped out into the hallway.
After a while...
Y-You can come in! I mean, please come in now!
"Uh...?!"
H-Hello, again, Sensei.
We didn't mean to surprise you! In fact, we mean no harm at all!
I suppose, according to Trinity, you could call us Arius transfers?
"Ah...!"
You might not remember about Madame and everything that happened...but one day she just disappeared completely!
We were happy she was gone, but also at a complete loss. You could feel the tension everywhere you went. What would happen to Arius?
But that's when we met...them.
...Around here should be okay.
Y-Your uniform...?!
T-Trinity?!
Please, shhh. Yes, yes, I am. I didn't mean to scare you.
I was supposed to wear the Tea Party's uniform instead of this, but...
"Tea Party"...?
What...is that?
...
It's something like...a club in Trinity that really appreciates teatime.
What?! We could transfer...to Trinity?!
But for us... Trinity...
Yes. I understand where you're coming from.
I swear my intent isn't to pressure you in any way. I'm only reaching out my hand as an...option.
You could take my open hand and start a new life at Trinity.
But you don't have to. No matter what you wish to do, it's your choice.
It's just... This is so sudden.
I understand. In fact, I'm sure this was the last thing you were expecting. You don't have to answer right away.
There are people at Trinity and the Tea Party who sincerely want to bridge the gap between us. Not a lot, but enough.
That means anything too public would be...difficult.
Even if we could transfer...and even if there are some people who would welcome us...
Would the other students...be okay with us?
You've stumbled upon the crux of the problem. You see, Trinity is an amalgamation of countless factions and clubs.
If you do choose to come with us, you will be labeled as a "foreign transfer student" in your records. We'll say you come from somewhere far away, in the countryside.
With the situation being what it is, that's the best we can do.
...
...
I meant it earlier, when I said you could take your time.
Think on it, and if you make up your mind to come, please call this number.
...
...
We thought about it.
We really, really, really thought about it.
Everything was uncertain. Our situation, Arius, Trinity, and...
But after all that thinking, we couldn't help but feel that anything would be better than what we had.
"And so you ended up here..."
Yes...
A-And there's a lot of other Arius students who transferred too...
Although, they're mostly first or second-year students...
"I see... What a difficult journey."
"...You've been through a lot."
N-Not at all. Honestly, none of it feels real.
At Arius...even owning a blanket was a faraway dream.
Here, I have a bed! It's so soft...and fluffy... Heehee.
Well, Arius did have beds, but we weren't allowed to use them. Because comfort could make us weak.
"...I'm sorry, both of you."
I bowed my head in apology to the two girls.
Wh-What?! Wh-Wh-Why would you apologize, Sensei?
R-Right! In a way, it's thanks to you that we're even here at all...
"I shouldn't have neglected Arius after everything that happened."
S-Still! Hearing that makes us...
This isn't why we asked you to come here!
With the shock of seeing Arius students in Trinity, I'd forgotten that they'd wanted to ask me something.
Wh-What did we want to talk about? Ah! I'm so glad we can finally ask.
So, um... Our question is...
What is a "Comprehensive Exam"?
"...Huh?"
Actually, more specifically, I was wondering what an "exam" is, period.
We didn't do this kind of "class" studying back at Arius...
And we didn't really think we could ask the Trinity students.
They all seemed like they knew exactly what it was, without anyone explaining to them...
That's why we were hoping you could help us, Sensei!
Because you're a teacher, right?
"...Right. I get it now."
"This is our first time meeting, right?"
Hm? Of course it is...
Since...we're from Arius...after all...
We shouldn't speak negatively about ourselves like that...?
U-Um. We can try. In front of you, at least.
Ack...?!
Eek...!
Without thinking, I reached out my hands to pat their heads.
The Arius students recoiled back in fear, instinctively cowering from my outstretched hands.
S-S-S-S-Sorry, Sensei! We didn't mean, It's because...!
W-We don't think of you like that...! At all! It's not...
"Hey, don't worry. I didn't take it that way."
B-But...
...
"It's okay."
"...Everything's going to be okay now."
Hesitantly, the two shuffled ever so slightly closer to me.
...Augh...
Ugh... *sniffle*...
Seeing them up close, I suddenly realized just how small all the Arius students I'd encountered until then were, especially in comparison to their peers.
After helping them relax a little, I explained the meaning and importance behind exams.
I see... So, even though evaluating people based off of a single test result might not be the best method...
...it can still help students review and learn the material.
You know, we actually did have something like that in Arius!
Like figuring out how many bullets were loaded based off of the magazine's weight, or what to do in close-quarter combat situations...
...the methods for destroying halos, so on, and so forth.
H-Hey!
Hm? What? Ah...!
S-Sorry, Sensei! I shouldn't talk about that so casually!
Hm? You're more curious about how we've been adjusting? Heehee, well... We've got to have a "school life" here!
It feels weird to be saying that. Heh.
Are we having fun? Yes! A lot! More than anything, we've been really surprised, over and over again!
There's no patrols or drills. And you won't get put in solitary confinement if you make a mistake! And, Sensei, get this! They even feed you three times a day!
It can get hot here too! I was really surprised by that!
Because...it was always cold in Arius...
"Has everyone been treating you well?"
Yes! Very well! They think we transferred from the countryside, after all.
In fact, they can be SO nice, sometimes I don't know what to do with myself...
We went to this place called a "cafe" with some Trinity students a few times.
And they ordered all these expensive things off the menu without batting an eye! I could barely keep MINE from popping out of my head.
There's so many different types of coffee and cakes! I'm still learning all of them. They sure are delicious...and expensive, though! Heehee.
That's why we got part-time jobs too! So we could afford to go the cafe!
It's cool to be working! I think I learn just as much at work as I do in the classroom.
Like how light your wallet can feel halfway through a pay period...
"That doesn't change, even as an adult!"
R-Really?! I thought you would be like...really extraordinary, though, Sensei.
Like super-rich, without a care in the world.
Living is living, no matter who you are? I... I kind of like the sound of that.
Yeah... That does sound nice...
...
...
Um, Sensei?
You probably already guessed this, but...
Not everyone transferred to Trinity.
"...Yeah."
I don't know how well I can explain this.
But there were some students who decided to stay.
There were a lot of different reasons...
But I think, at the core of it, accepting Trinity and the outside world was just too big of a change.
I realized something, after transferring here.
So much of your life depends on where you were born.
In one place, people would be lucky to have one meal a day.
While right on the other side, people sit and enjoy expensive desserts at cafes and restaurants.
If you think about it, our two schools could've been really close, in another world.
...We don't know what happened to the students who stayed behind.
We have our guesses, but they're just guesses.
We heard some rumors...that those students have cut ties with the outside world completely.
And now they're undertaking some guerilla operation.
Sensei. We've learned that everyone comes from different places, and that we should respect people's opinions as best as we can.
Even though we know that, we can't help but worry about the ones who stayed behind.
Because...we still have bad dreams. About Arius...and everything that happened.
Sometimes, we wake up in the middle of the night screaming.
We started keeping a track of who wakes up the most, and who screams the loudest. Heh... Heheh.
I'm winning right now!
We basically woke up at the same time that last one!
I woke up a whole minute before you!
Sensei. This might sound strange...
But earlier, when you were explaining what an exam is...
I just thought that it'd be nice if everyone else had the chance to take an exam too.
Wait? Really?
I-I know it's a little weird...
No, no! I thought the same thing!
"Why do you think you felt that way?"
I-It's a little hard to explain...
I think that... Seeing the students at Trinity doing regular things, like going to class, getting ready in the morning, taking exams...
It felt nice, you know? They felt like things students our age should be doing.
Sometimes, I hear the Trinity students complain about how much they hate studying.
We do find it really hard...and all-around foreign... But we couldn't say that we hate it either.
"Studying is a student's responsibility!" We've heard that here a lot.
"...!"
S-S-Sensei?!
Sensei?!
I was so proud of them that I just couldn't stop myself from patting their heads!
"Sorry! Just hearing you two say that made me...!"
I-It's okay! We really meant it!
I wouldn't mind if we stayed like this...for just a little longer...
...
...
So someone's hand...can be this warm...
It's really...gentle. Heh.
"Anyways, you want Arius students..."
"..to have the opportunity to 'study,' right?"
"And to try taking a test!"
Exactly! That's the idea behind it, but...
There's been something on my mind. Maybe I'm just overthinking it...
Well, I guess I should just ask... Um.
This test's full name is the "Trinity Comprehensive Exam", right? I-I know that Trinity isn't the one who wrote it, but...
"Ah...!"
The students who stayed in Arius, out of their intense hatred of Trinity...
...probably wouldn't like the name "Trinity Comprehensive Exam," would they?
And none of them have ever studied before, either.
On top of that, I heard Arius isn't accepting any visitors right now.
Maybe if they could hold classes at Arius, like they do here...
If that was even remotely possible, it would've happened by now!
"Don't sweat the small stuff!"
R-Really?! Does that mean...you really think there's a way?
Because you're an adult! A teacher! You must know all sorts of things we don't know!
"Finding impossible solutions is part of an adult's responsibility."
For some reason, even though I don't really get it...
...I still feel like I can believe in you. Heehee.
Asking you for help really was the right choice, Sensei!
I also have, one more request for you, if that's okay...
Could you please...look after the Squad members for us?
"...!"