Katawa Shoujo - Akira Satou Route

Act 3-2 Progress

The tapping of chalk against blackboard, the drone of a long-winded lecture, and the hum of an automated AC all mix together to create a sound whose only purpose is to remind me that I'm back in class.

"We're going to be having a test over everything in chapters eleven and thirteen on Wednesday, so make sure you're taking time to study. I'm not going to be grading anything on a curve this time." Mutou announces before going onto the next part of the lesson, which involves a heinous amount of unit converting.

With the exception of that one girl in the front row, everyone in class is awake today. Even the most lethargic of us has elected to pay attention, thanks to the threat of exams drawing closer with each passing day.

Still, I can't believe it's already near the end of the first trimester. I've been here for a little less than a month and the first part of the school year is already narrowing to a close. It's jarring, really; the fact that I've only been in class for a third of the usual time. It doesn't feel like very long compared to the endless madness I spent in the company of white walls, white floors, and white ceilings.

And like always, I still need to get off of that. I keep telling myself that I'm going to move forward from here, and yet my mind is always going back to that. It helps that I've found some things to distract me from that past, like spending time with Akira, but at this rate I'm never going to be free of it.

Speaking of Akira, she and Lilly left yesterday, didn't they? I wasn't there to say goodbye or wish them well, but she's the sort to stick to schedule as far as I can tell.

One week. No being invited to that empty classroom for tea or awkward discussions about Lilly's sister. No running into Akira by pure chance time after time, like she were some kind of fairy just waiting for the moment to appear before me.

At least she's only a phone call away, right? Too bad the message I sent this morning has yet to be returned. Wouldn't that be something; if the number she gave me was wrong. Or hell, maybe she realized she doesn't want me to bother her while she's away. Regardless, I can't stop from getting my hopes up no matter the situation.

I manage to look up and see Mutou finishing writing something on the board, his eyes scanning the peanut gallery as he looks for today's victim.

"Hisao, would you like to come up and solve this problem for us?"

"Oh, sur-"

That...

It's not hard to solve, since I've made a habit of reading ahead in the book, but...

That's a lot of numbers. And most of them are in incompatible measurements. I don't care who you are -- dimensional analysis sucks, moreso when you don't have a calculator. Why can't we just have one unified unit across the globe? Everything could be measured in poofs.

Farenheit? Poofs. Kelvin? Poofs. Atmospheres? Poofs. Molarity? Poofs. It's all poofs. A poof is equal to a poof is equal to a poof.

But wait, that doesn't make sense, as much as I want it to. Things like temperature and weight are two entirely different spectrum of measurement. That's why it exists in the first place. At least I understand how it all works though.

*************

"And there you have it. See, it's not that hard once you get the hang of it like Mr. Nakai here." Mutou calls out to the class, brimming with enthusiasm as I write the answer to three decimal places on the board at the end of a long bout of hapless arithmetic.

My arm hurts. I must have been up there for at least fifteen minutes.

"Sadly, that's all we have for today. Before you leave, though, make sure you've got these dates written down. Those of you who are planning to get a jump start on your higher education ought to pay attention here."