Chapter LIII: Fishy, Part 1
The classroom still hums with the fading echo of algebra.
"Please remember your assignment, class. We will check them on tomorrow, and please double check your final answers soon.", Mr. Ryoma said a while back at the class.
Still, Mr. Ryoma's equations remain half-erased on the board as variables drifting like ghosts of logic.
"Boy, that was a lot of algebra, I think I can't take it anymore dude", Hageshi groans.
"Man, relax, at least he only gave 10 items. I heard that other high school teachers are giving 15-20 items just only for homework.", Ryujin says.
The bell rings, and instantly the tight atmosphere of numbers and formulas collapses into freedom as it is lunchtime. The monobloc chairs scrape the tiles of the floors, bags unzip, and voices rise like the ambiance was a serene Zen Garden, to bustling noise of the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo.
With worn-out-like tendons and arms, Haruto stretches like he just survived a war.
"I swear algebra drains my life force."
Hageshi spins his pen dramatically. "Skill issue, like the last brain cell leaped forward into non-existence."
"Oh shut up, Sand Boy, Spiderman could have plowed you already."
They both turn toward Ryujin.
"Dude, you coming with us to the canteen?" Haruto asks.
Hageshi nods.
"Today's mystery meat might finally reveal what animal it originally is."
"Though it's still Katsudon, Oyakodon, or Butadon on the menu", Haruto adds.
"C'mon man, maybe there will be a Nokodon or Deer Katsudon", Hageshi jokes.
"Nah, venison is not often served in schools ya dummy! If there would be an anime of deer, then, we're dead", Haruto suggests.
Ryujin lifts his lunchbox.
"Nah, I'm good, dudes. My mom packed me lunch."
Haruto sighs.
"Ah yes, homemade supremacy."
"It's gonna be finger lickin' good.", Hageshi jokes.
"Hey, don't copyright the Colonel right now man, I'm already hungry!", Haruto rushes Hageshi.
"Ok, man, jeez, we'll go now!", Hageshi says.
"Bring back intel," Ryujin says.
"Roger that Commander Markiplier!", Hageshi and Haruto says.
They salute and leave.
The classroom quiets but doesn't empty.
Inoshiro still remains in his desk. So do Kaneda, a few others, scattered along the corners of the room. The air is calmer now and it's the kind of peace that belongs only to lunch break classrooms.
Ryujin opens his lunch and what he sees is also in the same taste as the calmness of the room. There's rice, tamagoyaki, and along the side, is a grilled fish. It's aesthetically and mouthwatering-ly a perfect lunch.
He props his phone against his black basketball-themed pencil case. Then, he goes to YouTube and PewDiePie LWIAY episode plays.
"Leave your entries in the sub reddit bros, and I'll watch submissions on the next episode of LWIAY! "
Ryujin grins.
"Aww yeah, here we go again.",
Then—
"FWWWWNK!"
A loud nose blow echoes.
"Man, what was that? Sounded like an elephant getting startled or stepping on some Lego", Ryujin remarks to himself.
He then turns slowly.
Inoshiro lowers a tissue. "What?"
"Oh nothing man, you just attack my ears. Startled me for a bit"
"Sorry, Fiery Lion maintenance."
They sit together.
Inoshiro chews. "You know what's wild? WWII."
Ryujin tilts his head. "Hmm, I don't know much about it."
"It's insane. The world basically collapses into chaos, turmoil, and destruction. Countries having their own sides, divided by Allies and Axis powers. Many ideologies, power struggles, yet violence, loss of lives, and even tanks, and military forces."
Ryujin nods slowly. He recalls his time turning a page from his grandfather's old heavy-duty almanac.
"Some people are bored, and doesn't really care about history. For them, it's just nothing and they would say, the past is past. But, learning one's past, either a person or an event, brings us back to the notion, the events that shaped through time, seeing and visualizing how the bricks shaped our very own infrastructure of our own generation. This is in layman's term, dissecting the rocks that made the very foundation of what we are right now. History is the study that links the past, present, and future, that without it, we can't look back and learn what is to learn."
Inoshiro pauses.
"Man, that's very deep. Why do you talk like an ancient philosopher?"
Ryujin shrugs.
"I don't know. I know I may look like a non-talkative person, but the information and words are just locked up inside my brain.", Ryujin says.
Inoshiro continues, "There's this dictator — the Austrian painter guy."
"Ah."
"But memes ruin the seriousness sometimes," Inoshiro says, already pulling up a video.
He presses play, and a distorted speech clip blares:
"IF YA BREAK YA LEGS, IT'S HARD TO COOK ORANGUTAN!", it turns out that the auto-captions-English is on.
Ryujin chokes on his rice. Inoshiro laughs so hard he wheezes.
"History class would be way more popular if they used meme edits." (Inoshiro)
"Well, too bad, some histories in school are only limited to what is needed to be taught by the curriculum" (Ryujin)
They keep watching, and laughing although learning between jokes.
Meanwhile, our view takes us to the Aquarius Student Park. Under a tree, sunlight dances through leaves.
Kitsune opens her lunchbox and looks at her octopus sausages.
"*GASP* My tiny little octopus" (Kitsune)
Rikiyo gasps. "Mine have heart-shaped eggs!"
Saki sits with them. But it's like she's not there. Her food stays untouched, making air to compromised the structural integrity of the fibers within her food. Her mind plays something else.
Thoughts replaying on Ryujin laughing, him being awkward, and him again being kind.
"He's cute... charismatic...", the thought that runs in her mind.
Her chest tightens slightly.
"But something feels off... what is wrong with me?"
Then a snap comes through. Kitsune waves fingers in front of her.
"Earth to Saki, hello?"
She blinks. "Sorry!"
They smile knowingly but don't tease. Soon they're watching My Hero Academia clips, laughter returning to the bench.
On the other hand, outside the campus, Takeshi and the group cross the campus gate.
"Can I see your ID's, Mr.?", the lady guard asks.
Takeshi and the others show her their ID's and they pass, going out. Street sounds replace school chatter. Motorcycles pass by with a bustling vroom, vendors managing their own stalls, and distant horns of passing vehicles.
They talk loudly.
"Bro I swear that last match was rigged," Okaki says.
Kuebiko laughs. "You just walked into five enemies."
Nakao adjusts his bag. Then, out of nowhere, a hooded figure bumps into them. Bump into them hard. Before anyone speaks, the figure leans into Nakao's ear. A low voice, cold, yet threatening voice.
"This is a robbery. Hand your wallet, or possessions, or else you will get into trouble, big trouble if you don't."
Time stops, adamantly freezes. Traffic noise feels distant and it's like a deafening silence. Takeshi's eyes sharpen. Aoto's hand twitches. No one laughs now. The air shifts, and lunch break just ends.