Part 1.
"This will be the day when my life as a student will definitely change!"
As usual and being a Monday morning, the start of my day had to begin with that phrase. With my cell phone screen showing 8:00 o'clock, my classmates APA turned on and our teacher's APA asked us to get up from our desks. Then, the class representative on behalf of everyone in the room addressed the greeting.
As I sat down and took my laptop out of my bag, I had only one thing on my mind: why didn't that girl show up on Saturday? When the first recess of the day started, I was going to go to her classroom and ask her directly.
[I need everyone's attention.]
These were the words reproduced by the APA of our teacher standing in front of everyone in the classroom.
[Today will be the day on which the last school assembly will be held before the semester ends.]
"I had already forgotten about it."
Once a month the school holds a school assembly for all students, staff and teachers to attend. Well, not many interesting things are discussed at these assemblies either, in fact, they are quite boring.
[The school assembly will begin at 9:30 am. In addition, I have been informed that all classes scheduled for the day will be suspended. Also, attendance at this school assembly is mandatory both for you the students and for us the teachers and all the school staff, because we will be given very important information from the principal.]
"Uh?"
Everything the teacher said seemed rather strange to me, as well as the fact that classes were suspended for the whole day due to a school assembly that usually lasts about thirty minutes at most. This was the first time this kind of announcement had been made at the school.
[That's all, you will receive an email with the same information I just gave you and remember that everyone must attend the school assembly.]
*Piip—*
After our teacher APA went disconnected, the APA of all my classmates did the same. After a few minutes passed, I got up from my desk, walked out of the classroom and headed to the building designated for first year students. I walked up the stairs and sat down right in front of the door of class 1-B to wait for that girl's APA to turn on.
Part 2.
I heard the sound of one of the APA turned on inside the classroom of class 1-B and then, little by little, all the other APA did it too. I got up from the floor and looked through the window until I saw the girl APA who was getting up from his desk, I did not take my eyes off his APA and waited for him to cross the classroom door.
—Wait a second!
I immediately realized that this one was in automatic mode. I just stood to the side and walked next to her APA while talking to her to see if she would respond to me.
We crossed the wide hallway leading to the school auditorium located just behind the building assigned for second-year students as we were joined by more and more APA. As expected, the vast majority were walking in automatic mode. I followed that girl APA and entered the school auditorium. She immediately went to the hologram that projected the year and letter of her classroom from the floor. Finally, we all lined up in order according to our student code.
At 9:28 am, the flow of APA through the main entrance door had stopped. All the APA of the school's students were in the auditorium.
As I stood in line with my classmates from class 2-E, I looked at the stage in front of me. Right in the middle of it was the APA that would be used by the school principal. Behind me, towards the back of the auditorium, all the APA belonging to the teachers and staff of the school were also lined up in a row.
I turned to the side and looked at the APA of that girl who was a few meters away from me. Then I noticed that the hologram showing her name was above the head of the APA. Almost unconsciously I stepped out of my class line and got close enough to read it.
Aimi Kubota.
At that moment, something kept going around in my head.
When I was about to speak to that girl, suddenly the lights in the auditorium turned on, then, after a few seconds, I heard footsteps approaching from the side towards the center of the stage. I quickly turned around and when I looked, my eyes could not believe what they were seeing.
"That can't be...!"
The figure that stood right in the middle of the stage was not an APA, but a real person.
Part 3.
At that moment I doubted to believe what my eyes were showing me. On the stage stood a moderately young man with long red hair that reached his waist.
"What is a real person doing on stage!"
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
This was an almost impossible fact so I was stunned. Is this real? What is happening? What is the purpose of this? All these questions went through my head one after another. Surely everyone in the auditorium was just as surprised as I was.
Holding a microphone in his right hand, the man on stage touched his forehead for a few seconds only to then let out a few subtle laughs.
—I wish I could see what kind of face you are making right now, but since you are using your APA, I can only conclude that is the only expression you can show me. Most likely you are all wondering: what does a real person do on stage?
After a few seconds the man looked around the entire auditorium, then pointed in one direction with a smile on his face.
—You, the owner of the APA that sits fifth in line of class 3-A, can I ask you a question?
[M-me?]
—Tell me, how many friends have you made throughout your almost three years at this school?
[¿…Eh?]
“Why are you asking this question!?”
That's what I thought and before that incomprehensible question, the boy did nothing but remain silent.
The man's radiant smile vanished from one moment to the next and in response to the boy's silence, he replied sarcastically.
—What? Don't tell me you haven't even made a single friend? That's impossible! Isn't this your last year at this school? You've had enough time to make at least one friend! What have you been doing for almost three years?
The boy's silence was prolonged without deigning to respond to the pressure that the man's gaze was generating in him.
—Is something wrong? Why don't you speak up?
[…]
[…]
[…]
—Okay, next.
"What do you intend to do!?"
Unable to understand what was going on, I wondered.
The radiant smile that the man had a couple of seconds ago returned to his face. Then he quickly pointed in another direction in the auditorium.
—You, the owner of the APA at the front of the line belonging to class 3-C, for the year you are in, you are only a couple of months away from graduating from school. So, tell me, during all these years, have you managed to create any good memories or experiences with your other classmates at school?
Again, the man spoke with a sarcastic tone. The girl instantly fell silent as did the previous boy.
—Come on, I don't think it's a difficult question to answer.
[…]
[…]
[…]
—Okay, let's continue with the questions, but this time, let's see what your teachers think. That's right, this question goes out to all those APA in the back. What is it like to have almost no contact with your own students? Don't you have any vocation as a teacher?
When no words were heard in response to the man's words, he let out a long sigh.
—Perhaps none of you are here with the intention of engaging me in conversation. I can understand that, after all, we are in Japan. However, I think there is only one person in this whole school who is able to answer my questions, isn't there? Minoru Ichikawa?
“¿Uh…?”
Immediately that man pointed in my direction.
—Tell me, in all the years you've been in school you haven't made a single friend, is that right?
I froze, even though the man was telling the truth, should I answer him?
—Do you want to create good memories with your classmates?
"I want it..."
—Do you want all this to change?
"I want to change it..."
—Don't you want your life as a student to change!?
—I-I...
—Come on! I want to hear it coming out of your mouth!
—I want to change my life as a student!
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
—That's the answer I wanted to hear!
The man took a few seconds and then continued.
—My name is Aaron Spencer and as of this day I will take the position as the new principal of this school. Having said that, what is the main topic that brings us together in this school assembly? Well, I have to tell you that starting next year the rules of this school will change completely. These new changes will affect you, the students as well as the teachers and anyone else who is working in this school. The vast majority of you will probably cancel your enrollment here so the number of students will decrease drastically for the following year. The same goes for the teachers and workers who will be left with the only option of resigning so we will lose a large part of all those wonderful people who make up our beloved educational establishment. Everyone is free to decide what is the best alternative for their own future.
I never in my life imagined this could happen.
—As you may already know, schools in Japan operate an attendance system which requires students to log in to their APA to attend at least eighty percent of their classes. In the case of teachers and workers, this percentage is one hundred percent as in any other common job. However, this percentage is going to change significantly starting next year. For students the attendance percentage will be divided in two, the first percentage we will call "attendance percentage used in their APA", which will be forty percent and this will be added every time they connect to their APA to attend classes. The second percentage called "face-to-face attendance percentage", which will be sixty percent and will be added every time you attend classes without using your APA. In other words, you have to come to the school in person. Not matter how good a student's grades are, if he does not meet the minimum percentage of eighty percent, he will be forced to repeat the year.
I couldn't believe it. The new principal within minutes of introducing himself was completely changing the school's APA system.
—As for the teachers and employees of this school, all of them are obliged to attend in person without any excuse.
I wasn't sure whether to be excited or scared about this change. There is no doubt that the school will lose many of its students, teachers and workers starting next year.
—This is just the beginning of the big change I want to make in this school, or maybe who knows, it might be the first step in changing the mentality of this country regarding the use of APA. I am sure that no one will like this move, but, believe it or not, this is for the good of all of you. I am sure that sooner or later you will thank me, well, if any of you are still at this school next year.
Once the new director finished speaking, he turned around and started walking to the side of the stage. Just before he disappeared, he turned his head for a couple of seconds causing us both to exchange glances. Then he smiled.
With this, the school assembly was concluded.
*Piip—*
*Piip—*
*Piip—*
Seconds later, the APA of students, teachers and workers began to shut down one after the other as they returned to their respective classrooms in automatic mode.
After the fifteen-minute school assembly, I was left standing all alone in the middle of the auditorium.