Thanks to you, I feel energized.

-Sizzle.

The ember burning the end of the cigarette in my mouth.

As I feel the smoke pooled in my mouth irritating my lungs, my upper body, tired from fatigue, leans against the rooftop railing.

With my arms crossed, cradling my chin.

“Such a damn big school.”

In the scene I’m gazing at, the surroundings of this school, and further, the city beyond it, are visible.

The sky, wrapped in the afterglow of the after-school hours, as well.

“Such a damn big city.”

Yes, it’s always such a vast city whenever I look at it.

So many people have gathered here in pursuit of peace.

For political reasons, fighting for so long that even the hatred for what they’ve been through is crushed, dragging out time…

At the end of it all, they even broke down borders centered on this place, preparing to savor peace.

“…I suppose it means that even if a new era has dawned, human nature doesn’t change.”

Yes, everyone is just tired, so they’re resting for a while.

If things heat up even a little, they’ll try to spread hatred towards someone again.

Because they can forget all their worries and concerns by pouring out hatred.

Even if adults have reasons, children transparently learn even the hatred they emit.

Even if they at least explained, adults tend not to explain things to children.

When asked, “Why is that person being beaten like that?”, adults answer, “Because they’re a bad person.”

If you ask why, they get annoyed. They disparage the ignorance that fails to understand what seems obvious from their perspective, and explain by condensing that opinion with anger.

‘Just follow what you’re told for now. You’ll understand everything when you grow up.’

If you don’t follow that, you become a bad person, so the child reluctantly follows it.

When they actually become adults as they were told, they don’t realize that people who say the same things as them fill their surroundings…

Perhaps the war lasted for 50 years because they couldn’t break this cycle of inheritance.

Until the traces of those who first passed it on completely disappeared, they tried to find reasons why they should hate each other from learning rooted in the past.

“…Would a teacher using violence against a student be grounds for disciplinary action?”

To think I committed such an act despite knowing all this.

As I let out a self-deprecating laugh, it was only for a moment.

“You don’t need to worry about that part.”

While I was still smoking on the rooftop, someone opened the entrance and slowly began to approach me.

A young man in a white uniform approaching with his hands behind his back. It was Waden, the head of student guidance.

“Children who have realized something are usually careful. Even if they don’t fully understand the meaning right away due to immaturity, if given time for self-reflection, they’ll surely realize their own mistakes.”

“…Hehe, will it really be that easy? He must have a lot of pride as a child of royalty.”

“Since the motivation itself stems from a desire for honor to correct wrongdoing, surely he’ll realize it if scolded for the act not being honorable. Some of the students I’ve faced while working in student guidance were like that.”

Is this consolation from experience?

Well, he’s more professional than me when it comes to dealing with problem children. Thinking that it should be fine to trust him, a faint smile naturally formed on my lips.

“From my perspective, I’m more worried about you than that child, Teacher… Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. This much is nothing.”

It’s not a lie.

I just feel bitter, that’s all.

“…Are you really alright?”

Is even that bitterness too much to ignore?

Honestly, I just want to keep my mouth shut here, but…

“I felt nostalgia in the situation just now.”

Trying to hide such inner feelings by lashing out would just be acting like an old fogy.

Everyone has different experiences, and it’s incredibly foolish to claim superiority just based on age without acknowledging those differences.

“Nostalgia, you say?”

“I thought it was all over, but why is it still repeating?”

Wasn’t even the heart to feel ashamed long since shattered?

If so, then let’s just say it outright.

Boldly sharing the shameful parts of myself with my student.

“Why do you kids, who should know nothing, still have to be swayed by the decisions of adults who can’t forget that era?”

“That’s…”

“Well, you reap what you sow, I suppose.”

A snort escapes along with cigarette smoke.

“Even if the war is over, it’s the adults who experienced that era who are leading you. No matter how much they try not to teach it, everything that’s revealed unconsciously will be passed down to you intact.”

If it were a game, it would end when you say it’s over, but ironically, where I am is reality.

Life is a continuous present progressive.

An ending is just something everyone decides on together, and a society or country is just a collection of such people.

Even if borders are broken down, it only changes into a larger group…

“Just because you say it’s over doesn’t mean it ends. That’s what an era is.”

After all, it won’t disappear unless the fundamental problem is solved.

But even I, who have lived two lives, don’t know what the answer to that problem is.

It was the same in my previous life, unable to find such an answer.

A bit more backward, uncivilized…

It’s just a matter of degree, wasn’t this kind of problem the same in the original world?

“…Although I can’t fully understand what hardships you’ve been through, Teacher.”

But perhaps even someone as powerless and foolish as me can’t be left alone.

Waden, who was still standing in his place, soon began to continue his opinion while grasping the cigarette in my mouth.

“Still, I don’t think the Teacher from just now was wrong. If we insist on an eye for an eye, in the end, everyone in the world will just become blind. Since we don’t know which direction that hatred will fly, if we’re just swept up in the madness of the group, innocent victims will inevitably emerge.”

Gradually, carefully.

Removing the cigarette from my hand.

“I think we need people who take on the burden that someone has to bear to break this cycle. If everyone takes on their respective roles, even if we can’t do anything about individual hatred, it should be possible to calm down the collective madness like now.”

Looking down at the cigarette in his hand, then extinguishing it with a hand filled with mana – Waden Smith, my student.

And the head of student guidance protecting Maris.

“Although you were swayed by emotion contrary to such thoughts, that also means that you’re a human with limitations, Teacher. I greatly respect you for having such humanity.”

This child is saying such things.

Respect…

Words that shouldn’t be said to such an undeserving adult.

“Yes, I respect you. To the extent that my dream is to become an adult like you.”

Soon, Waden took off his hat and brought it to his chest, revealing his face.

“If the military is needed even in this peaceful era…”

A face with a smile drawn on it.

“I aim to become a soldier protecting the country I live in, and when the time comes for me to be discharged… I want to teach what I’ve learned there to someone who will succeed me.”

Something I didn’t feel when I first met him.

A very fresh smile drawn on his face.

“Following in your footsteps, becoming a teacher like you.”

“……”

“…Do you think this goal of mine is wrong?”

But the following question lacks confidence.

As if worried about what if I deny these words.

“Well. I thought you were going to say something.”

Well. It’s natural to be like this since he’s not an adult yet.

They say he’ll have his coming-of-age ceremony in half a year, but isn’t he still a child? It’s natural not to have confidence in one’s convictions due to lack of experience.

“You rascal. Do you think the Teacher would even blink at such words when there’s such an age difference between us?”

“That wasn’t my intention, but…”

“And I’m sorry, but the Teacher prefers older people. If you want to capture the Teacher’s heart, come back after you’re at least thirty years older.”

“…Wouldn’t that be almost fifty?”

“Yes, that’s about right.”

When I was young, I wanted to be a cool middle-aged person, but ironically, now I’ve become someone whose taste is middle-aged coolness itself.

So a young kid like this doesn’t even catch my eye.

Mentally, he’s not even close to thirty.

“I guess this kind of talk was burdensome after all…”

But there’s no age limit for learning.

And the same goes for encouragement.

“…Teacher?”

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I feel energized.”

So, just a little.

For this moment, let’s acknowledge my own weakness and rest my head on this child’s chest for a while.

To alleviate this self-loathing in that way.

To express gratitude towards this child who has decided his path based on my teachings…

Furthermore, to make a vow to be a mentor not shameful to this child who has shown respect towards me.

-Creeeeak.

At that moment, the rooftop door begins to open.

Along with it, the person who entered soon began to approach Waden, who was embracing me.

A bespectacled female student with striking blue hair.

“Waden, when I called the student guidance office, they said you were here… Hm?”

But perhaps unable to overlook me being embraced, her gaze soon sharpened as she recognized me.

The symbol on her chest is for the second year of high school.

And the mark on her arm is the symbol of this Maris… Oh my, it seems she’s from the student council.

To think a student council member would discover a male student embracing a teacher on the rooftop. If the head of student guidance, responsible for Maris’s security and public morals, did such a thing, wouldn’t it cause tremendous misunderstanding?

“…Waden.”

“Maya, this is a misunderstanding.”

“To think the student guidance would have a secret meeting in a place like this…”

“It’s a misunderstanding, calm down. Let me explain first.”

Waden, uncharacteristically flustered.

I gently removed my head from his embrace and turned to look at the female student glaring at Waden.

“Girlfriend?”

“No, she’s not.”

Seems like it though.

If I had to say, the two would be closer to a master-servant relationship.

Probably, according to the explanation about the student council I heard while staying with Waden.

“Oh, the health teacher?”

And the incident was only momentary.

Soon, the student council president who recognized me pushed up her glasses and began to turn her attention towards me.

“Ah, yes. I’m Seine, the health teacher. Is this the first time we’ve met face to face like this?”

“Ah, yes. Um… Is Dale doing well?”

“Well, he’s doing fine.”

Asking about Dale’s well-being right after meeting?

I didn’t ask properly, but it seems he received a lot of love when he was indebted to the student council.

That’s good, to have someone to call an ally in this academy full of enemies.

“Ah, I see… That’s good.”

But is there something unsatisfactory about the current answer?

Her face, worn with fatigue, gradually became gloomy, and eventually even her shoulders began to droop.

“You seem to lack energy.”

“Huh? No, well, that… Actually, I had some business with the health teacher and was planning to visit after finishing my business at the student guidance office… Um, I couldn’t come right away? I guess I’m disappointed that I missed the chance to greet that child…”

Ah, I see.

She’s disappointed she couldn’t meet him directly?

“Yes, I’m relieved to hear he’s doing well… Hm?”

In the midst of expressing such emotions without reserve, suddenly the student council president’s gaze turned towards the head of student guidance beside me.

Two eyes glinting from under the shadow cast by his hat.

It’s the face of someone who’s caught the scent of an illicit relationship.

“Maya.”

“W-What’s with that look?”

“You, in your position as student council president, surely not…”

“I-It’s a misunderstanding!!”

That’s quite a loud voice for a misunderstanding.

Young people these days, really.