Blue Archive story · Volume 6, Chapter 1, Episode 9
Vol. 6 Ch. 1 Ep. 9: Class Is in Session
1 scenes, 172 lines
1. Part 1
172 lines
Phew...
U-Ugh...!
...Gotten a little rusty, have we, Squad?
...!
The rules...are the rules, I guess...
Ugh! Those traitorous, arrogant punks!
They've probably gotten into all kinds of crazy fights outside! The odds were stacked against us from the beginning.
But they couldn't even protect Arius, and now they think they can just throw their weight around?
Those little!
That "Sensei" person is just like that! Selfish and bullheaded!
They're pretending they care about us as "students," but they're just waiting for the chance to stab us in the back!
Aah?!
H-Hey! You okay?!
She's out...
T-Two shots to the chest, and one to the head. I barely even saw it happen.
Those are hardly the skills of someone who's rusty!
A-Atsuko?!
Eheeheeheehee...
We'll endure whatever you wish to throw at us, but you would do well not to direct any of it at Sensei.
I trust you can exercise at least that much reason.
I'm still from Arius too. Understood?
Y-Yes, ma'am!
...
The air was decidedly awkward and fearful after Atsuko's...outburst.
With things being as tense as they were, I took this as an opportunity to liven the mood.
"All right, kiddos! Let's get to studying!"
Y-You can say that, but we don't have anything a normal school has to offer.
Our classrooms have been long abandoned. We have no coursework or curriculum to study, and no teachers.
...Do you really want me to keep going?
"Don't sweat the small stuff!"
"All you need to learn are chairs, desks, and a blackboard."
"And I already have some teachers in mind!"
...So. This is it.
"It's perfect! Let's start with picking up the chairs!"
"Look, there's even a podium and a blackboard!"
We don't have many dictionaries here in Arius...
...but I guess the definition of "perfect" changed at one point.
It's too late anyways. The sun is setting soon.
"It's okay! The first class is more of an orientation!"
"It's just a quick overview, and then attendance!"
A-Are you sure, Sensei?
"Of course! You can do it, Saori!"
?!
!?
Wh-What? What exactly am I doing, Sensei?
"You're going to be one of our student teachers..."
"...taking charge of first period!"
This... This was your "grand plan," Sensei?!
Is this why you asked if we've been keeping up with our studies?
*sigh* Everything makes sense now.
B-but I... I...
"Yay! We're ready for class, Ms. Joumae!"
Yes. I'm ready, Miss Saori.
You too, Atsuko?!
Saori looked distressed, and incredibly awkward, as she took the podium.
(What am I supposed to teach? And how?)
(This is...a social studies textbook on...social contract theory?)
(I know about this!)
Class! Take your seats so we can start.
Huh? Why should we sit just because she says so?
Well... We are already sitting, actually...
Open your notebooks! If you don't have one, use your Arius student handbook! I know you each have one of those, at the very least.
If you really don't have anything to write on, copy your neighbor's notes later.
Make sure to write things down! You'll never memorize anything if you just tell yourself you'll remember.
U-Understood!
Eek... I'm getting war flashbacks to when Saori was our drill instructor...
Before we begin, there is one thing of utmost importance I have to impart on each of you.
Contracts are important!
"Contracts"?
Wh-What is that? Some outside world thing?
A contract is a document drawn up between two parties, to serve as legal proof of their mutual agreement and the terms they agreed upon.
It doesn't matter how perfect, or strong, or efficient you are when you work! Without a contract, you will never be paid!
You'll cut open your hands, pour out your heart and soul, and then leave with nothing! Not even your dignity! And it'll happen to you over, and over, and over again!
D-Do you think she's okay?
I know, right? That sounded really personal...
Hang in there, Sao-Sao!
S-Saori...!
Thus, social contract theory says that society has no meaning of its own and is instead an artificial concept maintained by the agreement and compliance of its members.
So, while it is of artificial origins, society assumes that every contributing member is granted inherent, inalienable rights from birth.
E-Excuse me... I have a question...
What is it, Maia?
If society isn't real, doesn't that mean those "inherent rights" aren't real either?
Good question. At first glance, that statement seems contradictory.
But society is upheld by assumptions and agreements.
It benefits the whole to assume that every person is born with what we call our "human rights."
And that assumption creates a better foundation for society.
So, yes. None of it is real or true. However, choosing to believe in it serves everyone in the end.
I've never thought of it like that before!
And that's all for today.
If you have questions, write them down and bring them to our next class.
It'd be unfair of me to ask you to study in advance. But you should review what you can, at least.
Review is one of the most important parts of studying.
Um... How did I do, Sensei?
"Even better than expected, Ms. Joumae..."
"As a fellow teacher, I was touched!"
"Then next up is physics, Ms. Imashino!"
Excuse me? Physics, of all things? What is this, Sensei?!
What? Ballistics is basically classical mechanics? That's...!
...
That's actually true. Which infuriates me to no end.
Ugh. Fine.
First, memorize the formulas! You're all exercising your brains for the first time!
So my expectations are low! At least, until we get further into the curriculum.
You should be grateful that math and physics start with memorizing formulas!
If you can understand everything I'm talking about already, then consider yourself a genius. Go become a physicist or rocket scientist.
...Although, the smarter you are, the easier it is for your field of vision to narrow to just numbers and facts.
Empathy and compassion play their own role in the sciences.
Hello. I am Hakari Atsuko, and I'll be teaching you biology.
Let us dive right into the lesson. Biology is both fun and important.
For example, what is a gene?
What is the process for living things to produce offspring?
"Atsuko! Stop! STOOOP!"
Hm? Are you suggesting I skip over important theory, Sensei?
Heehee. Don't worry. You can trust me, Sensei.
Then why don't we start with what meiosis is?
And that wraps up our look at the components and organelles that make up a cell, including the genes.
If you remember anything, remember that a cell is the basic unit of life.
...
Um. Well. H-Hi, everyone. It's, um, been a while.
S-So, you see.
Wh-What am I doing up here, Sensei?!
I'm not like the others! I just read a lot of magazines!
"...!"
"(As soon as she mentioned magazines, I knew the solution!)"
Huh? You want me to talk about how people live on the outside?
Like, what they wear, what they eat, how they live... The kinds of things I've seen in magazines...?
...
I-I can totally do that! Probably!
I-If you don't mind me starting over... Hi, everyone.
Th-This might sound really random, but... Um...
What does everyone think of fashion?
Heehee... I know it doesn't seem very important, or like something you would learn in school...
But fashion is really just...choosing how you want to be seen...
I think that's a lot more important than you'd realize!
A-And it's a big part of people's daily lives on the outside, in fact...!
Hiyori's lecture on fashion and daily life was the most well-received of the four.
It helped that their teachers were their peers, people they already knew and had grown up with.
Bit by bit, we chipped away at the other students' wariness towards studying.
Which was my cue to step in!
"From everything we've discussed so far, we can draw the following conclusion."
"A self-evident proposition is something that's clear by its very nature..."
Surprisingly, a lot of the students were able to follow the lesson.
...Not everyone, of course.
But all of that is simply part of school life.
"And that's a wrap! Great job, everyone!"
Thank you...
Ugh... My head hurts...
I GUESS it wasn't all that bad, though...
Hey. Gimme your notes.
You didn't take your own?!
I'm not going to lie. I totally spaced out...
...
This will be your room...if you could call it that.
I apologize, Sensei. This is the best we have.
"Don't worry! I actually brought a sleeping bag too!"
"Ahh... This is heaven...!"
"Is everything okay, Saori?"
...Sensei.
Do you have time to talk? I'll try not to take up too much of your time.
I'd like to talk about some things with you...please.