"Kuni, you're going to take Calculus and that's final." Ei snaps, glaring at Scaramouche with such intensity he swears her eyes bore holes in his face.
"There's no fucking way—"
"I don't pay for your education just to have you waste time on such meaningless drivel," She hisses, "Do you think your education is cheap? Who do you think is paying the bills around here?"
Scaramouche slumps on his chair. He knows where this conversation is going. He'd propose to get a part-time job, to which she would refuse, insisting that he dedicate his entire day to studying. When he didn't submit to her demands, she threatened to throw away his acrylic paints, oil paints, drawing pencils, and his sketchbook.
"Good. I'm relieved you finally have some self-awareness," Ei prattles on, "You are to spend at least two hours a day revising Calculus. Dinner adjourned."
Scaramouche balls his hand into fists, clenching his teeth as he suppresses the boiling rage burning in his gut.
Fuck Calculus.
He would have been fine with Ei switching any other course with Calculus...except for Advanced Studio Art.
As soon as he steps foot in his room, glancing at the several scenic and anatomical pieces strewn about, his anger immediately dissipated, replaced by a sense of hollowness threatening to swallow him whole.
Fuck.
Of course Ei would do something like this. He is foolish to think otherwise. Time and time again, she proved herself capable of entrenching his freedoms and happiness to make her "investment" in his tuition worth it.
Scaramouche stalks over to his computer and sits down on the chair, opening the YouTube tab displaying his favorite creator, Falling Leaves.
About four months ago, he had absolutely no interest in haikus. Antiquated, boring, and meaningless, was how Scaramouche saw the ancient prose. Somehow, Falling Leaves ended up in his recommendations and the rest was history.
He rests his chin on his hand, aimlessly scrolling through Falling Leaves' channel. He more or less watched all of Falling Leaves' videos on a loop at least ten times. Although he hates to admit it, he checks the channel at least three times every day to see if Falling Leaves uploaded anything new.
Unfortunately, Falling Leaves' upload schedule is extremely irregular. At times, Falling Leaves would upload ten videos a once. At other times, though, Falling Leaves would not upload for more than two months.
If only Falling Leaves would a new video today.
As though the universe had heard Scaramouche's wish, Scaramouche received not one, not two, but twenty new notifications. All from Falling Leaves.
He jumps from his chair, hovering his mouse over the notification, jamming his finger on the left-click button. The screen turns to the perpetual loading symbol. Too slow.
He leans backwards, tapping his foot as the webpage directs him to Falling Leaves' channel. He raps his finger on his desk, going through his options. One haiku in particular catches his attention. It is titled...
Wanderer.
Before he could even react, he found himself clicking into the video.
"Bygone traveler,
Tugged away by strings of fate,
A soulless vessel."
Scaramouche closes his eyes, relishing the voice traveling to his ears. Soft, mellow, calming. Falling Leaves' voice is golden, all too precious and fleeting at the same time. Scaramouche cannot help but find himself completely immersed, suffused with a rare sense of tranquility.
For a moment, he forgets about Ei, about Calculus, about his future. He is in the present. There's only him—
"Kuni, you better not be slacking off. If I find you're not studying Calculus, I'll take away your art materials." He hears Ei's muffled voice from his door.
Scaramouche feels his anger surge up like a volcano about to erupt, leaving nothing but scorched marks on the Earth.
Of course she will try to ruin the one moment he has all for himself.
Rolling his eyes, Scaramouche digs up his math textbook and notebook and slams both books on his desk with a resounding thud. He focuses his attention on the first lines of the textbook.
Unit 1: Limits and Continuity
Section 1.1: Rate of Change and Limits
Scaramouche feels his head hurting just from reading the title. He steels himself and forces his eyes to not wander off.
What is Average Speed?
For a distance or position function of a moving body y = f(t), average speed = Δy/Δt = [f(t+h)-f(t)]/h...
where h is the elapsed time (the time interval between t and t+h), Δy is the change in y, Δt is the change in t...
He slams the book shut, massaging his temple. Why did Ei think it is a good idea for him to take Calculus? She saw his terrible C grade in Precalculus.
Did she, in her delusional mind, think he liked the course?
Scaramouche flips his textbook, gleaning its contents. The more he looks, the more unrecognizable the text becomes. What's with all the greek letters anyway? What in the Archon is an interval anyway? Why is the language in the textbook so dry?
His eyes drift toward the empty canvas leaning in the corner. Even if he wants to withdraw from this course, he couldn't. Somehow, Ei managed to convince the school to accept him to Calculus.
If he doesn't at least pass the course...Scaramouche looks at the scattered canvas in his room.
No, he will pass the course.
He must.
Taking a deep breath, he flips open the textbook again.
Screw Ei and her stupid ideals. Screw all the "engineering can help you prosper for eternity" bullshit. Screw the "you don't know what you want, just listen to me" nonsense.
And fuck Calculus.
YOU ARE READING
Just one lesson || Kazuscara
Fanfiction"Just one lesson, then I won't pester you." "Fine, only one lesson." Scaramouche agrees, "But if it's a waste of my time, then stop pestering me." "Of course, deal." After his mother signed him up for Inazuma High's intense Calculus course without h...
