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"A World that was at War" | Mazer | 5

 

You walk into math like you do any normal day, Toshi as you pass him at the door nods at you as if to say hello but without saying anything. You often get the idea he is a man of few words but you can never be so sure. He does not talk much during class, he often puts an answer on the board and some math that shows how the answer was gotten much in the Japaneses fashion and then asks the class to find other ways to get the same answer. He is often reading some kind of book, but you have a hard time making out what it might be. All the same he greets you as he does most days, And Cora is in the seat she normally has and is holding one for you as she waves you over.

You sit down and say " So you think I can get away with sleeping today Cora?"

She just shrugs and says " I don't know Toshi said something about making sure we get our work done faster, he expressed interest in talking to us." You find this strange along with the actions of your parents and your sister and what your other friends have said but file it under, personal paranoia.

You smile and say " Well, it might be nice to hear him say something besides. So begin, I mean He is a great guy and all but he does not say much does he?"

Cora starts laughing but gets defensive of her seat and you think maybe you as she sees Dzoldzaya Molotov, enter the room As far as you know. They have no real distaste for one and other but, things happen over time and you have no idea what might be going on. You have other classes with Dzaya your just surprised to see her enter your class this morning, she seems to be handing papers to the teacher to get him to sign something and then comes to sit down behind you. Cora nearly seems to freak out but she manages to calm down, your not entirely sure what Cora's issue is it is not like the two of you have ever dated and you two treat one and other like close male friends might. Once you realize what you just thought about you wonder why she had not been there this morning with the others. But you shrug again and turn in your seat to face Dzaya.

Dzaya turns to Cora and says " Hello Bondoc." Your unsure if she was trying to make her last name sound she might be from India and you get the feeling that maybe this might be part of the reason the two of them might have problems.

Cora shuffles her hand through her hair before saying " Dzaya you know as well as I do, I like being called by my last name as much as you like being called by your first. So please stick to using my first name if you expect me to keep using your last name for your name Molotov."

Dzaya nods and says " You win, I would prefer not to be called that, it gets annoying in Chemistry. It is bad enough the teacher uses it then again what can you expect she is a bit strange and or drunk very other day."

You look at Dzaya a second and say " You know it is not bad, she is different but at least it helps us remember what she teaches us. I am just surprised she managed to get the right to teach us how to mix drinks, very other day. And drink them, but because each kind of fluid when we do it represents other chemicals and we mix them like we might to try and make good Chemistry you know it is a good way to compare and even remember things."

Dzaya agrees and says " yes, but I mean if she did it once a week and all are parents might not be so annoyed with it. The fact she does it 2 times one week and three times another, you can see what they think. Then again legal drinking age is 16, 15 with permission from parents so it is not that bad either."

Cora sizes Dzaya up and then says " I agree an everything, look at the lab records no one has ever had a mistake during a real experiment. So her method thou strange does have some balance, plus I like to see what Makes each day. He tends to mix drinks like he is trying to make an explosive. Even Ms.Sakei has issues with it sometimes, thou she does seem to come back very day to drink a bit of the drinks that makes each day. Now that I think about it that is kinda strange."

Dzaya smirks at Cora and asks " Does that upset you? I mean I know you got very class with him. Are you trying to keep others from him?"

Cora suddenly gets defensive and says " NO NO NO, it is not like that. Leave me alone alright."

You shrug and say," How long have both of you known me?"

Cora says " Forever"

As Dzaya says " A couple years."

You nod and say " Have either of you ever known me to care for any of that? I mean, Ms.Sakei dresses a bit slutty. And don't get me wrong I know a lot of the guys like how she looks. And I understand she might be attracted to me, I get all these things. What I don't understand is why you guys are letting it bother you. Have I ever asked anyone of you out?"

Cora looks at you a second and says " Your not gay are you?"

Dzaya laughs and says " I think his point is he, just does not rush. I mean if he wanted a drunk lush he could have had Ms.Sakei already. Or at least that is what I think he is saying."

You shake your head and say " Numbers show that for young people and adults that the majority of sex that happens for the first time between two partners is done well drunk. All of us know that I, I mix strong drinks even Ms.Sakei does. But do you know why I mix a strong drink?"

Both girls look at you and say " Nope."

You say " Well I learned a long time ago most people shut up if they have to much to drink, at least least in are culture here in the Free Zone in less they are to Russian. Then they get loud, so I mix a strong drink because it prevents all parties that drink it from doing much more then passing out. Now Mrs.Sakei does not pass out because she likes to drink, and I guess she likes how I think about Chemistry and mix drinks. I mean you both know right? that it is the only class I got an A+ in and I don't even do homework. I mean I guess she thinks I understand the purpose of but the experiments and the mixed drinks. I wonder if, Ms.Sakei got some tips from Mrs.Gagnon on how to teach young people not to be drunks. I mean It is a social issue it exposes us too well teaching us how simple or basic Chemistry works. Well it also gives us practical job practice."

Both girls look at you funny and then you add " you never know right." Before either of them can say anything the bell rings, and Toshi is quick to pull out a piece of paper and put a problem on the board.

Toshi turns to the class and says " This problem has 6 or 7 ways to solve it including the one I show, first person to give me at least three of them will get a special reward today. But if any of the three you give me happen to have been solved wrong, you will have to place the in correct answer on the board for everyone to see. And you can't check with your friends to see if you got all three answers possible ways to answer it correct." He looks out over the class to see there reaction and then he says " you may begin." Which is more to the style you had been expecting.

Now because your not much for trying to win, I mean it is not like you don't get good marks in this class and understand math you just are unsure if it is worth the trouble. Toshi did not once make any suggestion to you as you entered that it was, so you just look about to see how fast other students might be seeming to try and rush to find possible answers as they pick there brains. You look at both Dzaya and Cora and they are clearly writing the problem out slowly, and then looking at it. So you look down and three clearly possible ways to answer it jump out from it as you look at it, as you start to write the numbers on three sides around it to make it show the work. You realize you had honestly just answered and showed the work for all three best possible solutions and it is clear that Toshi had put the worse of all 7 possible ways to show how to answer the problem on the board.

You look at everyone else as they busy to try and answer it, Toshi is just looking at you with a smile on his face and he waves you up to the board. It seems he had been watching you, you have no idea why but he had been. He points at your paper and waves you up again, and you suddenly remember who he reminds you of. Your father had old manga books and Toshi for some strange reason in this moment reminds you of Kakashi of Naruto, and it even seems like he had seen something as you answered the problem so clearly on the paper and deliberately no wasted movements. You wonder if maybe it has something to do with how he sees you spare people when you are in the club, seriously you have no idea what is going on. So you get up with your paper and walk up to your teacher. The entire class is looking at you a bit surprised that anyone could come up with three possible ways to answer that problem so quickly. Some of them if lucky had worked the numbers for one maybe two of the problems, and they realize you mostly had been sitting in your seat watching the others a short while as well.

Toshi stands up and takes the paper and says " I already know what he wrote on this paper, and everyone please don't look at me funny. I guess what he wrote, he saw the problem solve itself three times in the easiest way and wrote the work around it on three sides." With that Toshi takes the paper and looks at it and smiles and says " Each side and each solution is balanced in some relation to the other, one helps you come up with the other way to get the solutions. And each one acts as a deconstruction of the last. But if you used any of the other four possible ways to solve this problem it would take a lot longer to solve the problem." he then turns to you again and asks " What solution did you use first?"

You shake your head and say " I wrote them all at once."

Toshi nods and says " The math required is about the same but, the way things carry or are used to get to the answer alter so by using the constructs of math he clearly showed three different ways, to show the same thing as easy as possible. You will all notice the Answer I put on the board with the work and the problem would be the worse of the 7 possible solutions to the problem. So all of you, the path of least resistance often leads to more then one path. That is your prize ,your prize is the wisdom in knowing that you have the answers that will only lead to more questions. You also get to pick two of your fellow students and go for a short walk well I talk to the others in a long boring manner I know you don't want to hear and I am sure there are at least two people in this room you would like to spare from having to listen to me bore things up a lot. That is to say the things I have been teaching all of you up til now has lead to the problem that only . Had answered as quickly as he should have, so now it is time for me to hammer down the nails that stick out. So who do you pick ?"

You look at the class and you can clearly see Dzaya and Cora trying to get you to pick them, and fact or truth be told you don't know the other students all that well. You travel in a small circle, so you say " I would like Cora and Dzaya to come with me."

Your teacher hands you a bit of money and says " Go get a soft drink for the three of you and keep the change, also here is a pass incase anyone asks and it clearly says why you are were ever you are. As for the rest of you, I want you to look at the problem til you can solve it as fast as he had, don't write on the paper til you got the answer. And then I will explain what is on this paper in my hand, and how he got the answer." You of course look at your teacher funny.

As he sits down to get he pass he wrote out of the book, it is clear that he knew this would most likely happen. The pass already has your name Cora's name on it and he is writing down Dzaya's name as well. You then ask " Sensei?" Your trying to show respect for his Martial arts and his teaching and then ask " Sir, might I ask why you singled me out from all the other students with that problem?"

Toshi smiles at you and says " I did not single you out, you did. One path leads to three, you simply saw all three. Much like predicting the movements of a fighter in a match, I predicted you would get this right. I know you sleep in here, but I only let you sleep because I know you understand it. You do your work when you know you should, and when you feel it is of importance or might give you something new to learn."

You shrug and say " I don't sleep in here that often do I?"

Toshi shakes his head and says " No, but the point is I let you because you understand the difference in the way math is done and the way math should be done."

You look at him funny again and ask " Have you been talking to my other teachers? or has Mr.Jackson been dropping you on your head? I mean if he has been dropping you on your head I think I would have seen it."

Toshi laughs and says " None of the above but either way, here is your pass. I suggest you go to get your drinks and then find some were quiet to be. The world is changing and you will need to see things before they happen. I only hope you my student will raise to the challenge since you seem to sleep so often instead of facing one."

You look funny at him and say " Don't you sleep through them as well?"

Toshi grins at you being as wide as the Cheshire Cat's teeth it almost scares you, and he says " I don't sleep though them, they pass me without incidents."

You go back to your seat and go to the door with Cora and Dzaya following behind you. You shrug at whatever it was he was getting at, a lot of strange things have been going on and you have yet to put together the pieces. And if you are to predicted what he is talking about how can you do it when the information is so random, there is no problem with no possible solutions to see to predicted what he has suggested using math. Also you earned a full hour out of class for you and your two friends so this must have some upside to get them to trust you or like you more at least even if your entire class might now hate you.

(After some suggestion's in the Chyoo forums I decided to reformat the story, and place the history in a new location and shift the story a few pages to speed up story growth. I respectfully ask that should you wish to know the history of the world with in the story, and how it might affect the people as a whole feel free to read it.)

 

The 1 Free Hour.


          I am wondering if the students were suppose to take the math teacher seriously.

          History Should the Reader wish to read it.

 
 

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