Dissension

Everyone in my class was seated in rows of 12 by 12 desks, 144 students total in my grade. We all followed the instruction of a single teacher in the auditorium. Each lecture lasted 45 minutes per subject.

Day in and day out this was school. The only breaks we received were a brief period for lunch and intervals between subjects, usually slated for discussion among the students.

The period we always started with was English. Our country was currently in the process of adopting English as its main language, so we were required to speak it fluently. Our parents were the last generation to actually speak native Japanese. A few of us picked up on bits and pieces when our parents let them slip, but the language had mostly been phased out. It was very frowned upon for someone to use any words from other languages in public.

Books weren’t uncommon to read, but the school was selective about what it would allow. Surprisingly, today we had to read a classic known as Romeo and Juliet for a project. The point of the story was to show how love leads to tragedy, and that’s how the old world largely was.

“I have to say, writers of old wasted a lot of time getting to their points. It would have been more efficient to simply cut out the majority of the story and show them both committing suicide for each other’s love.” I said during the discussion period.

Everyone around me shared the same sentiment and applauded my view.

When it came lunch period, we all took our seats in the cafeteria.

I noticed Ekko, who usually sat with the student council, chose to sit next to me during lunch.

“I found the topic of today very interesting,” she started. “The depths people will go to express emotions seem so foreign, wouldn’t you agree?”

It was odd that she’d be so chatty today, especially considering what happened on the bus, but a conversation was always stimulating.

“Expression is dangerous. I’m glad our world doesn’t look like those books.”

Our world may have been like these stories in the distant past, but this was a reminder of just how horrible things used to be. How could anyone let their emotions defy logic so far that they’d take their own healthy lives?

“Is it possible that their might be more perspectives to this story?” she asked. “We’ve merely been revolving around one aspect of it for the whole period.”

Her implication that there was more to this story was almost humorous.

“If you could expand on that, perhaps it would make a good talking point next time the class discuss it.”

That was more or less a trap. If she agreed, then clearly her logic had been corrupted enough to lose sight of the true lesson at hand. Those were grounds for immediate rehabilitation. The barbarian from this morning is an example of someone who’d let that sort of thinking break them.

Thanks to our pills, however, worrying about losing our minds was a thing of the past. Of course, one would need to continue taking it to reap those benefits.

“I can’t think of anything to point out,” she shook her head. “I was just curious to get your thoughts, seeing as you are rather insightful.”

“I’m not much different from anyone else,” I concluded.

“I guess not.” Her gaze wandered off to the other end of the cafeteria.

She hadn’t touched her food. If she didn’t eat it, she’d go without nutrition to function.

“Lunch is almost over. Is there something wrong with your food?”

“Huh?” she snapped her attention back to me. “Oh...eto…I mean…”

With a grim expression, she started shoveling the food into her mouth. If she continued eating like that, she’d choke. But at this point, she wouldn’t finish it otherwise. What a gamble this girl was.

I’m assuming her encounter with that barbarian must have disrupted her ability to function properly. If it gets worse it would be a good idea to bring this up to a teacher so they can accommodate her.

Before lunch ended, Ekko had one more thing she wanted to bring up.

“I actually came here to ask you a question, if you don’t mind. Since our English project is due on Friday, I think it would be efficient for both of us to work together on it.”

There wasn’t anything in the rules that said partners weren’t allowed. Her grades were good enough to give me confidence that she was a hard worker.

I agreed to her partnership, and the two of us decided to meet after school to figure out the details.