Kamiyama High School - Empty Classroom
1
Rui
Well then, let's begin our study session.
2
Akito, An & Tsukasa
Thank you for doing this!
3
Mizuki
But, how are we actually gonna teach them?
4
Rui
There's a test on the final day of the supplementary classes, yes?
5
Rui
The content of the classes must be targeted at that. Could I take a look at the worksheets you received in class?
6
Mizuki
Sure, here you go.
7
Rui
Thank you. Hmm...
8
Rui
I see. It seems the bulk of the questions cover the fundamentals of each subject. While there's a lot here, there are no complicated tests of applied knowledge.
9
Toya
That may be intentional on the part of the teachers since the goal of the test is to prevent students from being held back.
10
Tsukasa
Now that you mention it, the physics questions I answered were mostly basic knowledge.
11
Akito
So were mine. Although, I still flunked the test.
12
An
Yeah, me too.
13
Rui
What this means is that all you need to do is become able to solve all the problems in your worksheets.
14
Rui
How about this, then?
We'll spend time focusing on the topics covered by the worksheets you each received.
15
Rui
You'll go back over each worksheet, while using the exercises in the textbook for particularly weak areas.
16
Rui
And if you encounter anything you don't understand, you can ask us three for help.
17
An
O-Okay...!
18
Mizuki
Oh, but will we definitely be able to help them out? What about you Toya? Do you have any weak subjects?
19
Toya
As I recall, Shiraishi failed classics and chemistry, while Akito failed English and math.
20
Toya
I'll have no trouble with basic questions for those four subjects. How about you, Akiyama?
21
Mizuki
Yep, those subjects are no trouble for me!
22
Rui
Also, when we teachers have spare time, we should review upcoming topics and be ready to answer questions.
23
Toya
Understood.
24
An
Thank you all...!
I'm gonna try my best!
25
Mizuki
Great! Now, let's get this study session started!
26
An
Uh...
“The chaunginge of the sesoun...stirreth the pathos of thinges...in alle manere wyse...”
27
An
(Urgh... Just like in class, I don't understand it at all.)
28
An
(It's just a non-starter every time since I don't even get the meaning of the sentence...)
29
An
(For now, I'd better try reading on...)
30
An
“And autumpne stirreth it most of al...oft it hath bin said...”
31
An
“Forsooth...it may be so...yit nought...can enflame the...herte...as can...”
32
An
(“Enflame”...
Like getting fired up? But what does “forsooth” mean...?)
33
An
(Urgh... What the heck!)
34
An
I really don't get this at all! Is this seriously something a Japanese person wrote?!
35
Tsukasa
I understand what you mean...
36
Akito
You can't just read that stuff intuitively.
37
Mizuki
Hahaha...
The thing with Classical Japanese is that you won't get very far unless you build up your vocabulary first.
38
Mizuki
An, which words do you not know?
39
An
Uhh... Almost all of them?
40
Mizuki
All of them...
Okay, let's break it down!
41
Mizuki
So the first line is...
“The chaunginge of the sesoun stirreth the pathos of thinges in alle manere wyse.” Is there anything there you want me to explain?
42
An
Yes! What's the “pathos of thinges”?
43
Mizuki
Hmm... It's like a feeling you get when something is rich in charm. We'd say “pathos of things” in modern times.
44
An
When something has charm...
That's a phrase I hear a lot, but come to think of it, I don't know exactly what it means.
45
Toya
In other words, it's profoundly elegant.
However, that may be somewhat abstract as a definition.
46
Rui
It might be easier to look through the lens of your lived experience. For example...
47
Rui
Shiraishi, have you ever been captivated by the sky at dusk?
48
An
The sky? At dusk...?
49
An
Oh! Sometimes, at the end of a day of singing practice, I'll feel really tired, look at the sky and think it looks gorgeous!
50
Tsukasa
Oh, I understand that too! When I look at the sky after pushing myself to the limit, it always looks so vast and peaceful.
51
An
Yes! I know exactly what you mean!
52
Rui
Hehe. That deeply sentimental feeling is more or less what is called “the pathos of things”.
53
An
Oh, I see...
54
Mizuki
And “sesoun” is an old way to say “season”...
55
Mizuki
As for “alle manere wyse”...
It basically means “in all sorts of ways.”
56
An
So that means...
57
An
The changing seasons...lend a rich charm to everything?
58
Mizuki
Yeah! You got it!
59
An
Whoa! Thanks, you guys!
I finally get what it means.
60
Rui
There you go, Shiraishi.
You're getting a knack for this.
61
Akito
Well, she can read one line, at least.
62
Toya
Thank you for the input, Akito.
Have you finished your own exercises? I haven't seen your pen move in a while.
63
Akito
*Wince*
64
Mizuki
Hahaha! Guess you're in the lead, An! Let's keep this up.
65
An
Yeah!
66
Tsukasa
Sorry, Rui! Help me!
I'm utterly lost!
67
Rui
Let's see... You'll arrive at the answer if you apply the formula. Do you remember it?
68
Tsukasa
Um... I may have a recollection...
Sorry. Can you explain it from the basics?
69
Akito
Urgh... I don't even get what this says.
70
Akito
Sine? Cosine? Tangent?
Even if I learn what these words mean, they won't help me...
71
Toya
Relax, Akito.
First, look at the lengths of two sides of the triangle. From there, you can start working out the answers.
72
Toya
We'll work through them all, together.
73
An
Um, so... This word means...“wonderful” or “rare”...
74
An
And this one means “excellent”...
75
An
What the...
The word for “shameful” used to mean “impressive”?!
76
Mizuki
Hahaha, you can do it!
The most important thing to do now is learn the most common words.
77
An
Ngh... They're not sinking in at all...
A few hours later
78
Rui
Oh, look at the time.
I think you're all getting tired, so let's call it a day.
79
Tsukasa
It's finally over...
80
Akito
My head hurts...
81
Toya
That's proof of how hard you've been working. And, to absorb what you've learned today more effectively, you can review it before you go to bed tonight.
82
Akito
You gotta be kidding me...
83
An
Urgh, I don't wanna think anymore...
84
An
(But... I have to do this...)
85
An
(I will pass the test, and I will get into second year with the others!)
Next Chapter: The Day We Met