Chapter 8: Daily Life in Afternoon Classes
Attending class is simply a torture for someone like Duan Siqi, an ordinary person.
After a class, the things that are understandable and the things that are incomprehensible intertwine... you can understand some, but you can't fully understand it, and it definitely doesn't qualify as a cryptic script. It's really torturous...
However, Duan Siqi's grades are actually not bad.
There's no need to mention Mainland language; having arrived in Fusang Province early, his Fusang language is basically not a problem. His math is also in the middle-upper range. The only problem subject is probably English.
If Duan Siqi's math is 50/50, English is like listening to an ancient script—his English grades are difficult to describe, at least they are quite unsightly...
After enduring the long morning, Duan Siqi finally had some time to rest.
In Fusang Province, most people prefer cold food and usually prepare their own lunch boxes. Even if a few people don't bring lunch, they will go to the mall to buy some bread to fill their stomachs.
Therefore, schools in Fusang Province rarely have cafeterias, as they consider it time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inefficient.
However, a government-funded provincial high school is quite wealthy, so it's definitely not the case here. Still, the cafeteria is rarely visited.
The reason Duan Siqi makes lunch boxes is simply because his younger sister, Duan Siyue, attends a school without a cafeteria.
Of course, for Duan Siqi, these aren't really a big deal—he can cook and has an insulated lunch box, so both problems are solved.
To be honest, the food that's been in the insulated lunch box for a whole morning is naturally not as delicious as when it was just cooked.
However, for Duan Siqi, it's all the same. At least when it comes to food, he really doesn't have many preferences. He just eats to fill his stomach.
If it weren't for Duan Siyue still being at home, he might have just chosen instant noodles every meal.
In comparison, Hachiman's situation is much worse.
First of all, this guy would never wake up early to make lunch. Second, while Komachi does cook for him, she never has time to make a lunch box. As for the cafeteria everyone else goes to, he avoids it like the plague.
Thus, Hachiman has to rush to buy bread before all the store's bread is sold out.
Luckily, today the teacher was quite punctual, and as soon as the bell rang, they quickly finished class.
...
Duan Siqi likes peace and quiet. This preference is not without reason. He really enjoys the calmness and tranquility that comes with it.
In contrast, he doesn't particularly like noisy environments. Being in such lively settings just makes him feel out of place and amplifies his sense of loneliness.
Therefore, Duan Siqi is accustomed to finding a secluded, empty classroom to have his lunch.
These empty classrooms are generally concentrated in the special building, or rather, only the special building has empty classrooms.
However, finding an available empty classroom in these buildings is still a challenge.
It's not because they're particularly dirty, but because many of the empty classrooms are usually locked.
Fortunately, the locked classrooms are usually assigned to clubs, so as long as he looks for unmarked door plates, he can usually find an open one.
As for why he doesn't eat with Hachiman...
It's not that he doesn't want to or that their relationship is bad. It's mainly because Hachiman is used to buying lunch and then sitting outside on the steps to eat...
Once he's full, the next part is Duan Siqi's favorite activity... one of them?
That is, reading historical books.
As mentioned before, Duan Siqi has already read The Book of Han: The Reign of Emperor Wu and is currently reading The Book of Han: The Reign of Emperor Zhao.
To be brutally honest, the Biographies (like those in Records of the Grand Historian), Tables, and Treatises (just like in Records of the Grand Historian) are the most boring parts of historical texts, especially the Tables and Treatises.
What's most unbearable is that although it's called Tables, most books skip over them, leaving behind long sections that say a lot but don't actually say much.
Although Duan Siqi personally understands that the Treatises and Tables are the core of historical research, they are still incredibly dry.
Ding ding~ The bell signaling the end of lunch break rings, and Duan Siqi still feels a bit unfinished.
But since the bell has rung, he has to go back. He doesn't want to lose credits just for being late.
...
The afternoon classes are still hard for Duan Siqi. Although he has long given up on caring about his grades and is just coasting along, the boring class time is still a big issue.
Thus, after a year of trial and error, Duan Siqi has mastered the art of soul detachment.
As long as he wasn't tired from lack of sleep the previous night, Duan Siqi can guarantee that he can astral project without actually sleeping.
However, this is clearly not Duan Siqi's exclusive skill. Based on his observations, he found that at least one-fifth of the students in his class have also mastered this art.
However, this skill is actually a forbidden technique. If the teachers (referred to as "elders" in the class) catch you practicing it, they will impose severe punishment (deducting credits).
Duan Siqi values his credits highly, but he also wants to practice his technique, so after much trial and error, he finally created a new technique.
This new technique allows him to astral project while appearing normal, so the teacher won't notice.
Okay, to put it simply, it means that when he zones out, he just occasionally lifts his head or moves his pen to distract the teacher.
Duan Siqi is very experienced with zoning out. When others zone out, they're probably just thinking about what to have for dinner, what to do after school, or what to do over the weekend.
But he is different—he directly dreams of the Tang Dynasty.
When he zones out, Duan Siqi usually thinks about what's recorded in the historical books, considering both the subjective and objective perspectives of a historical figure's life.
Duan Siqi has a strong imagination. Whenever his thoughts immerse in history, scenes from the life of the historical figure will appear in his mind like a movie.
The afternoon classes for Duan Siqi have both ups and downs. The good thing is that there's no class with that "old maid" teacher, but the downside is that there's both math and English.
For Fujimura's class, Duan Siqi just wants to behave well because this old maid teacher has something like a "fire-eye" ability—she catches him zoning out every time.
As for why he doesn't like math and English, of course, it's because he doesn't understand them.
In any case, with the help of his technique, Duan Siqi finally survived the afternoon classes.
Once... every day at this time was his happiest moment.
Of course, that was in the past...
Slowly packing his bag, Duan Siqi appeared particularly calm at this moment.
When he thought of the scene yesterday when Fujimura had blocked Hachiman at the door, Duan Siqi felt a sense of despair. He could no longer be a ghost club member!!!
Thinking of this, he silently put The Book of Han back into his bag.
When he's at home, Duan Siqi doesn't usually read these historical books—at least not before he's bored with his games.
As for why he brought it today, it's because the peaceful atmosphere in the Servant Club is perfect for reading.
While Duan Siqi is still packing his things, Hachiman has already packed his bag and is now standing beside him, waiting for him to finish.
Since last time when Fujimura blocked Hachiman at the door, he has given up on the idea of sneaking away early. There's a chance that Fujimura might block the door again today...