Gifted Academy: The Perfect Student

"That's all for now. You can leave."

As Kaoru brought the meeting to a close, the students, who had been visibly struggling to maintain their attention throughout the session, began to gather their belongings and file out of the room.

I checked my watch, noting that the hands pointed to a quarter past four. The dim light filtering through the window panes seemed to accentuate the weariness etched on their faces as they filed out of the room. As the last of my classmates left, I too, gathered my things and made my way out of the room.

I departed the library and went to my dorm room.

The soft glow of the setting sun illuminated my path as I made my way towards my dormitory. I finally reached the door to my dorm room, unlocked it and stepped inside.

"You're done with your study?"

As I stepped into my dorm room, a familiar voice called out to me, and I turned to find Kimura standing there. I offered a nod in response.

"Ah, lucky you. I just realized I left a few things here," Kimura explained as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

I made my way to my bed and took a seat, observing as Kimura efficiently gathered the items he had forgotten. He began to scan the shelves and desks for the items he sought.

Slowly and methodically, he retrieved a stack of books and some loose sheets of paper that were scattered about. As he worked, he neatly organized the items into a pile, making sure not to leave any behind.

Once his task was complete, Kimura packed the items into his bag, taking care to ensure they were securely stored. With a final sweep of the room, he bid me farewell and departed, the door closing softly behind him.

I retrieved the I had been meaning to finish, carefully peeling off its worn and tattered cover before disposing of it in the waste bin.

I set down my bag near my bed, opened the pages of the book and immersed myself in its story, reading with great care and attention to detail. The time slipped by as I lost myself in the world of the , savouring each turn of the page.

**

As the sun rose over the horizon and cast its warm rays into my room, I stirred from my sleep. I took a moment to stretch and shake off any residual drowsiness before rising from my bed. I made my way to the bathroom to freshen up.

Satisfied with my appearance, I headed to the kitchen to partake in a nourishing breakfast. The day ahead promised to be no different from the countless others that had come before it. Yet, even as I made my way to the classroom, the monotony of my routine could not diminish the sense of purpose that came with it.

"Be seated, if you will."

The instructor implored the students, who promptly obliged. A yawn escaped the teacher's lips as they launched into the day's lesson.

Upon its conclusion, I hastened my pace towards room 06 within the halls of the library. Upon turning the doorknob and gaining entrance, I was pleased to find the space still devoid of any other presence. I made myself comfortable in a chair, settling in for a quiet and solitary study session.

"Before long, the rest of the study group arrived, one by one. First, it was Hamasaki accompanied by Kobayashi. Kato followed close behind, with Shinichi bringing up the rear.

With everyone now assembled, Hamasaki settled into her seat and declared, "Alright, let's get started with our science lesson for today."

As they started their study, time seemed to slip by in the blink of an eye. Before they knew it, a full twenty minutes had passed, with each member absorbed in their own work.

However, Shinichi appeared to be more preoccupied with flipping through the pages of his textbook rather than actively studying its contents. Meanwhile, Hamasaki and Kobayashi were fully immersed in their lesson, taking diligent notes and asking questions.

Suddenly, Hamasaki declared, "It's break time."

Kobayashi, who had been hunched over his textbook, straightened up and stretched.

"Science is hard," she muttered with a sigh.

"Okay, guys, it's break time. Let's apply Kaoru's system. I'll ask some questions, and whoever gets the most answers right gets 150 points. The others will each give the winner 30 points, including me," Hamasaki announced.

"Sounds good to me," Kobayashi replied.

​ Shinichi raised an eyebrow at Hamasaki while Kato gazed down at the table.

"Alright, let's start," Hamasaki said. "What is the formula for calculating the acceleration due to gravity?"

"That would be g = 9.8 m/s^2," Kobayashi answered confidently.

"Correct," Hamasaki nodded. "What is the equation for calculating potential energy?"

"Uh, let me see...is it PF = mhg?" Kato pondered.

"No, it's actually PE = mgh," Hamasaki corrected.

"What is the definition of work in physics?" Hamasaki continued.

Shinichi scratched his head, looking bewildered. "Uh, work is...uh, let's see...I think it's...the amount of...uh...activities over a certain time?"

"No.." Hamasaki shook her head. "Work is defined as the amount of energy transferred from one system to another, or the force applied over a certain distance."

"Well, you should give me a point for trying."

"Can anyone name a type of radiation emitted by the sun?" Hamasaki continued. "How about you, Mizuhara? let's hear your answer too." Hamasaki encouraged as break time was about to end.

"I'm fine."

*

With the conclusion of the break, Kobayashi emerged victorious, amassing a total of 150 points through her correct answers.

Suddenly, Shinichi erupted in frustration, pounding his fist on the table with an ear-splitting slam. All eyes in the room turned to him, including Hamasaki, Kobayashi, and Kato.

"What's wrong?" he demanded, noticing the attention on him.

Hamasaki scolded him, "You shouldn't act like that. It's disrespectful to the school and its property."

"..just because you didn't win, there's no need to resort to such behaviour." Kobayashi timidly added.

Meanwhile, Kato and I remained quiet, observing the situation.

"Okay then," Hamasaki announced as she pulled out her phone. "It's time to transfer the points to Kobayashi."

Kato and I quickly followed suit, unlocking our phones and transferring the agreed-upon 30 points to Kobayashi. But Shinichi, who had yet to show any signs of cooperation, seemed content to simply glower at the table.

It appeared that Shinichi had other intentions, as he made no move to transfer his allotted points.

You'll see. I'm gonna get those 30 points back from you." Shinichi said as he grabbed his phone and started tapping on it.

Despite this, the group continued with the questions and had a productive study session overall.