Baka to Tesuto to Syokanju:Volume1 The First Question

"Um..."

"What's wrong?"

"Yuuji, when was the Taika Reform again?""You're a third year now, and you still don't know this? You really are dumb, Shouko."

"We haven't been taught about that part yet. You're just too smart."

"It's easy to memorize, just remember: Accident-Free Reform'[1]"

"Accident-Free?"

"It's because no accidents occurred during the Taika Reform. Make sure you remember that."

"I will."

"It happened in the year 625."

"All right, I've memorized it."

"Good. Make sure you remember."

"Don't worry, I won't forget."

First Question

Please answer the following question:

To reduce the weight of frying pans, magnesium is used in the manufacturing process. However, this will cause an undesirable result when used in cooking. Describe what happens, and name an alloy that could be used to replace magnesium.

Himeji Mizuki's Answer:

"A violent chemical reaction will occur when magnesium is exposed to direct fire, causing it to burn. Aluminum could be used to replace magnesium."

Teacher's Comment:

Correct. The question specifically asked for an alloy, so answering "iron" would be incorrect. You weren't tricked.

Tsuchiya Kouta's Answer:

"Because the gas bill wasn't paid."

Teacher's Comment:

This is irrelevant to the question.

Yoshii Akihisa's Answer:

"A futuristic alloy could be used (because it will be very hard)."

Teacher's Comment:

Even so, you wouldn't be able to use it in the present, could you?

We were welcoming the arrival of the second spring since we started at Fumitsuki Gakuen.

To welcome new students, both sides of the slope leading to the school building were filled with dazzling, flowering cherry blossoms. Even though I was not an elegant person who could appreciate flowers, I couldn't stop myself from being attracted to the beautiful scenery before me.

However, it was only for a very short time.

My mind was filled with thoughts of spring, not of cherry blossoms, but of the new classroom and students who will be with me throughout the year. In other words, it was all about my new class after the class divisions.

☆

"Yoshii, you're late."

In front of the entrance, a strong low voice called me. I turned my head and looked towards the source. An athletic man with light, dark skin and short hair was standing there.

"Ah, Iron... no, Nishimura-sensei[2], good morning!"

"You almost called me 'Iron Man' just now, didn't you?"

"Ha ha, you're thinking too much."

"Oh, am I?"

That was close; I nearly called him "Iron Man," just like before.

By the way, Nishimura-sensei got his nickname "Iron Man" because of his hobby of entering triathlons. Of course, his habit of wearing short sleeves during winter also contributed to the name.

"A normal person shouldn't say 'good morning' in this situation!"

"Ah, I am sorry. Err... Your skin is very dark today as well."

"What! Is my skin color more important than you being late for school?"

"I see, you're talking about that... Sorry I'm late."

"You... you just never learn your lesson."

He sighed and mumbled. From what he said, you would think I was usually late for school.

"Sensei, I'm not usually late, am I?"

Nishimura-sensei was our homeroom teacher last year, so he should know that I was very punctual.

"Forget it, just take this."

He took an envelope out of a box and handed it over to me. My name, Yoshii Akihisa, was clearly written on it.

"Ah, thank you."

I simply nodded and took the envelope.

"But why does the school need to post the class divisions in such a troublesome way? Isn't posting it on the announcement board a better idea?"

Putting the results into individual envelopes, and handing them out one by one seemed very inconvenient.

"It is troublesome, but our school uses the most advanced system in the world, and this is required for it."

"I see."

I answered him and tried to open the envelope. Which class would I be placed in? I started to get a little nervous.

Here at Fumitsuki Gakuen, starting from second year, students are allocated into different classes, from Class A to Class F, depending on the class division examinations. To put it simply, geniuses would study in Class A, and idiots would study in Class F, with everyone else in between. You would know how smart someone is just by knowing his or her class placement. To protect my pride, I must not be placed into Class F.

"Yoshii, to tell you the truth..."

"What?"

The envelope was glued shut, and I was still working on opening it.

"After observing you, I've been wondering: 'Could it be that Yoshii is an idiot?'."

"Sensei, you can't be serious. If you are, you should change your nickname to 'Moron'."

It's not that I was overconfident. Though I didn't work very hard, I still did pretty well in the class division examination last year. I assumed that when he saw my results he would immediately change his opinion.

"Have you seen my results? I feel pretty good about it."

"I do hope I was wrong."

I gave up on opening it neatly, so after it was opened with a smooth tearing sound, I found a folded piece of paper inside.

Which class will I be in? Is it Class D? Maybe Class C?

"Yoshii, you should be glad right? My opinion is really correct."

As I unfolded the paper, I read the all-important result:

"Yoshii Akihisa... ... ...Class F"

"You really are an idiot."

And so, my sorrowful school life began.

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