Part 1: The Lesson
The classroom remained silent after that.
Nobody knew what to say anymore.
Souta sat quietly.
His eyes lowered.
Yuna's seat remained empty.
And somehow—
that empty chair felt heavier than anything else in the room.
For several moments—
nobody spoke.
Then the classroom door opened.
Daigo entered carrying several papers beneath one arm.
His eyes immediately swept across the room.
The silence.
The expressions.
Souta.
Yuna's empty seat.
He noticed all of it.
But he didn't comment.
Instead, he calmly walked to the front of the classroom and placed the papers on his desk.
"...Take your seats."
The students quietly obeyed.
The room settled down.
Daigo looked over the class once more.
Then began the lesson.
At first—
everything seemed normal.
Daigo spoke.
Students listened.
Notes were written.
Questions were answered.
The lesson continued.
Yet despite that—
many students weren't fully paying attention.
Haruto found his thoughts drifting toward Yuna.
Toward the hospital.
Toward Akari.
Toward everything that had happened recently.
Across the room—
Souta stared at his notebook.
But had barely written anything.
Misaki sat quietly.
Listening.
But noticeably quieter than before.
And Kaito—
Kaito wasn't listening at all.
His eyes occasionally drifted toward Yuna's empty seat.
Then toward Misaki.
Then toward the window.
His thoughts moved in circles.
Yuna was in a hospital.
Misaki's father had died in a hospital.
Akari was at war.
Renjiro was at war.
Everything felt uncertain.
Everything felt fragile.
"...Kaito."
The voice suddenly cut through the room.
Kaito blinked.
Everyone looked toward him.
Daigo stood at the front of the classroom.
"...Stand."
Kaito immediately stood.
His heart skipped slightly.
Daigo's expression remained calm.
"...Explain what I just finished teaching."
Silence.
Kaito froze.
His mind immediately raced.
He tried remembering.
Anything.
Even a single sentence.
Nothing.
Several students immediately realized what had happened.
Kaito hadn't been paying attention.
Daigo waited.
"...Well?"
Kaito swallowed.
"...I..."
A pause.
"...I don't know."
The room remained quiet.
Kaito lowered his gaze.
Expecting a scolding.
Instead—
Daigo simply looked at him for several moments.
Then spoke.
Calmly.
"...Sit."
Kaito slowly sat down.
The classroom remained silent.
Daigo rested one hand on his desk.
Then looked around the room.
Not just at Kaito.
At everyone.
"...Many of you aren't paying attention today."
Nobody argued.
Because it was true.
Daigo's voice remained steady.
"...You're thinking about yesterday."
Several students lowered their eyes.
Others remained still.
Daigo continued.
"...The explosions."
A pause.
"...The injuries."
Another pause.
"...The war."
The room became even quieter.
Because nobody could deny it.
Daigo looked out the window briefly.
Then back toward the class.
"...Wars come."
Silence.
"...Wars end."
A pause.
"...Fear comes."
"...Fear leaves."
The students listened quietly.
Even Souta looked up.
Daigo's expression remained calm.
"...But life doesn't stop."
Nobody spoke.
"...People still need to learn."
"...Still need to grow."
"...Still need to prepare for tomorrow."
His eyes briefly moved across the classroom.
Stopping on several students.
Haruto.
Kaito.
Misaki.
Souta.
Then continuing onward.
"...If you spend all your time worrying about what might happen..."
A pause.
"...You'll never be ready for what does happen."
The room remained silent.
Daigo folded his arms.
"...Being afraid isn't wrong."
"...Being worried isn't wrong."
"...Ignoring your responsibilities because of fear is."
Several students straightened slightly.
Including Kaito.
Daigo's voice softened.
Just a little.
"...The people protecting this village right now..."
His gaze briefly shifted toward the window.
"...Are doing so because they learned."
"...Because they trained."
"...Because they continued moving forward even during difficult times."
The room remained completely silent.
Nobody looked away.
Nobody interrupted.
Then Daigo gave a small nod.
"...So."
A pause.
"...Let's continue."