Volume 2: Chapter 2 – The Genius Proves Himself
[Scene: Class 1A - Morning Announcement]
(Kenta sits at his desk, working on problems. The door slides open. Professor Hayashi enters with a serious expression.)
Professor Hayashi: "Morik. Come with me."
Kenta: (looking up) "Did I do something wrong?"
Professor Hayashi: (smirking) "Wrong? No. Something right. Very right."
(Takahashi leans over.)
Takahashi Kenji: (whispering) "Dude. This sounds important."
Kenta: (standing) "I'll be back."
(He follows Professor Hayashi out. The class buzzes with whispers.)
Student 1: "What's going on?"
Student 2: "Maybe another impossible problem?"
Student 3: "Poor Kenta."
---
[Scene: Teacher's Office]
(Professor Hayashi leads Kenta to his desk. Papers spread everywhere. Awards on the wall.)
Professor Hayashi: "Sit down, Morik."
Kenta: (sitting) "What is this about?"
Professor Hayashi: (pulling out a letter) "Inter-school academic competition. Five schools. One winner. Each school sends their best student."
Kenta: "And you want me to represent us?"
Professor Hayashi: (grinning) "You solved my PhD-level problems in hours. Who else would I send?"
Kenta: (reading the letter) "The problems are... advanced."
Professor Hayashi: "University level. Maybe higher. You'll be competing against the top minds from other schools. Some of them have tutors. Special training. Years of preparation."
Kenta: (calmly) "Okay."
Professor Hayashi: (blinking) "Okay? That's all? No nerves? No fear?"
Kenta: "Problems are problems. I solve them."
Professor Hayashi: (laughing) "That's my boy. The competition is in two weeks. Prepare well."
Kenta: "I will."
---
[Scene: School Gate - After School]
(Kenta walks out. Sui and Yui are waiting. They pounce immediately.)
Sui: "KENTA-KUN! We heard everything!"
Yui: "The inter-school competition! You're representing us!"
Kenta: "Word travels fast."
Sui: (grabbing his arm) "This is huge! You're going to crush them!"
Yui: (grabbing his other arm) "We'll be there cheering!"
Kenta: "You don't have to—"
Sui: "WE WANT TO!"
Yui: "We're your official cheer squad now!"
Kenta: (ears red) "It's just a test."
Sui: "It's NOT just a test! It's YOU showing everyone how amazing you are!"
Yui: "And we get to watch!"
Kenta: (almost smiling) "Okay. If you want."
Sui: (kissing his cheek) "We want!"
Yui: (kissing his other cheek) "Very much want!"
Kenta: (touching his cheeks) "Two more."
Sui: (grinning) "Count them all!"
Yui: (also grinning) "You'll need a new notebook!"
---
[Scene: Kenta's Room - Study Session]
(For the next two weeks, Sui and Yui come over every day. They don't study with him—they just... exist near him.)
Sui: (lying on his bed) "Kenta-kun, you've been solving for hours. Take a break!"
Kenta: (at his desk) "I need to prepare."
Yui: (sitting beside him) "You're already the smartest person ever. You'll be fine."
Kenta: "There will be others. Smart ones."
Sui: (sitting up) "But they're not YOU."
Kenta: (pausing) "What does that mean?"
Yui: (leaning on his shoulder) "It means you're special. Not just your brain. You're you. And that's enough."
Kenta: (quietly) "You two are... distracting."
Sui: (grinning) "Good distracting?"
Kenta: (ears red) "...Good distracting."
Yui: (kissing his cheek) "Then we're doing our job!"
Sui: (kissing his other cheek) "Cheer squad duties!"
Kenta: (almost smiling) "I'll never finish preparing at this rate."
Sui: "Yes you will! Because we believe in you!"
Yui: "Now back to work, genius! We'll be right here!"
(He turns back to his problems. But he's smiling.)
---
[Scene: Competition Day - Venue]
(A large hall. Five schools. Crowds of students. Teachers. Parents. Spotlights.)
Sui: (holding Kenta's hand) "Kenta-kun... I'm nervous for you."
Yui: (holding his other hand) "Me too!"
Kenta: "I'm not nervous."
Sui: "HOW?!"
Kenta: "Nerves don't solve problems. Thinking does."
Yui: (staring) "He's so cool."
Sui: (also staring) "Too cool."
Professor Hayashi: (approaching) "Morik. It's time."
Kenta: (nodding) "I'm ready."
(He turns to Sui and Yui.)
Kenta: "Wait for me?"
Sui: (tearing up) "Always."
Yui: (also tearing up) "Forever."
(He walks to the stage. They watch him go.)
Sui: (whispering) "He's going to win."
Yui: (whispering back) "He always does."
---
[Scene: The Competition - Stage]
(Five students sit at desks on stage. Spotlights on each. Kenta is in the center.)
Host: "Welcome to the annual Inter-School Academic Challenge! Our five finalists will solve five problems. The first to solve all five correctly wins!"
(The crowd cheers. Sui and Yui scream his name.)
Sui: "KENTA-KUN! KENTA-KUN!"
Yui: "OUR KENTA-KUN!"
(Other contestants glance at him. Jealous. Curious.)
Contestant 1: (whispering) "Is that the genius from Kirise High?"
Contestant 2: "The one who solved Professor Hayashi's problems?"
Contestant 3: "He doesn't look like much."
---
[Problem 1 - Algebra]
Host: "First problem! Solve for x: log₂(x+1) + log₂(x-1) = 3"
(Kenta writes instantly.)
Kenta: (muttering) "log₂((x+1)(x-1)) = 3 → (x+1)(x-1) = 8 → x² - 1 = 8 → x² = 9 → x = ±3. Domain requires x>1, so x=3."
(He presses his buzzer. 10 seconds.)
Host: "Kirise High! Correct!"
(Crowd gasps. Sui and Yui scream.)
Sui: "THAT'S OUR BOYFRIEND!"
Yui: "THE FASTEST!"
---
[Problem 2 - Geometry]
Host: "Second problem! A circle is inscribed in a right triangle with legs 6 and 8. Find the radius of the circle."
(Kenta writes. Other contestants scramble.)
Kenta: (muttering) "Hypotenuse = 10. Inradius = (a+b-c)/2 = (6+8-10)/2 = 4/2 = 2."
(He presses his buzzer. 15 seconds.)
Host: "Kirise High! Correct again!"
(The crowd is losing it. Professor Hayashi is crying.)
Professor Hayashi: "That's my student! THAT'S MY STUDENT!"
---
[Problem 3 - Calculus]
Host: "Third problem! Find the derivative of f(x) = x²·e^x"
(Kenta doesn't even pause.)
Kenta: (muttering) "Product rule: f'(x) = 2x·e^x + x²·e^x = e^x(2x + x²)"
(Buzzer. 8 seconds.)
Host: "Kirise High! CORRECT!"
(Other contestants stare in disbelief. One drops his pencil.)
Sui: (jumping) "HE'S A MACHINE!"
Yui: (also jumping) "A BEAUTIFUL GENIUS MACHINE!"
---
[Problem 4 - Physics]
Host: "Fourth problem! A projectile is launched at 30 m/s at 45°. Calculate its maximum height. (g=10 m/s²)"
Kenta: (muttering) "v_y = 30·sin45° = 30·√2/2 ≈ 21.21 m/s. Max height = v_y²/2g = (21.21)²/20 ≈ 450/20 = 22.5 meters."
(Buzzer. 20 seconds.)
Host: "Kirise High! FOURTH CORRECT! One more problem to go!"
(The other contestants look defeated. They've barely finished the first problem.)
---
[Problem 5 - The Final Challenge]
Host: "Final problem! This is the hardest. No one has solved it in the history of this competition."
(The screen lights up with a massive equation.)
Problem 5: "Solve the differential equation: y'' - 3y' + 2y = e^x, with initial conditions y(0)=1, y'(0)=0"
(The crowd goes silent. The other contestants stare blankly. One starts crying.)
Kenta: (reading) "Second-order non-homogeneous. First, solve homogeneous: r² - 3r + 2 = 0 → (r-1)(r-2)=0 → r=1,2. So y_h = C₁e^x + C₂e^2x."
(He keeps writing. The crowd watches in awe.)
Kenta: "Particular solution: try y_p = Axe^x (because e^x is already in homogeneous). y_p' = Ae^x + Axe^x, y_p'' = 2Ae^x + Axe^x."
(He substitutes. Solves for A.)
Kenta: "Plugging in: (2Ae^x + Axe^x) - 3(Ae^x + Axe^x) + 2(Axe^x) = e^x. Simplify: 2Ae^x - 3Ae^x = e^x → -Ae^x = e^x → A = -1."
Kenta: "So y_p = -xe^x. General solution: y = C₁e^x + C₂e^2x - xe^x."
(He applies initial conditions.)
Kenta: "y(0)= C₁ + C₂ = 1. y' = C₁e^x + 2C₂e^2x - e^x - xe^x. y'(0)= C₁ + 2C₂ - 1 = 0 → C₁ + 2C₂ = 1."
Kenta: "Solve: Subtract first: (C₁+2C₂) - (C₁+C₂) = 1-1 → C₂ = 0. Then C₁ = 1."
Kenta: "Final solution: y = e^x - xe^x = e^x(1 - x)."
(He presses the buzzer. 3 minutes.)
Host: (checking the answer) "Kirise High... is... is this correct?"
(A panel of judges huddle. Whisper. Nod.)
Head Judge: "The solution is... PERFECT."
(The crowd ERUPTS. Sui and Yui are crying, screaming, hugging.)
Sui: "HE DID IT! HE DID IT!"
Yui: "OUR KENTA-KUN! THE CHAMPION!"
(Kenta stands. Calm. Composed. The other contestants applaud him. Even the one who was crying.)
---
[Scene: Award Ceremony]
(Kenta stands on the podium. Gold medal around his neck. A massive trophy in his hands.)
Host: "The winner of this year's Inter-School Academic Challenge... KENTA MORIK FROM KIRISE HIGH!"
(He raises the trophy. The crowd cheers. Professor Hayashi is openly weeping.)
Professor Hayashi: "I've never been so proud!"
(Kenta looks into the crowd. Finds Sui and Yui. They're jumping, waving, crying, smiling.)
Kenta: (thinking) "I did it. For them. For the school. For myself."
(He almost smiles. On stage. In front of everyone.)
---
[Scene: After the Ceremony]
(Kenta walks out of the venue. Sui and Yui tackle him immediately.)
Sui: "KENTA-KUN!"
Yui: "YOU WON! YOU ACTUALLY WON!"
Sui: (kissing his cheek) "THAT WAS AMAZING!"
Yui: (kissing his other cheek) "THE BEST DAY EVER!"
Kenta: (stumbling) "I... solved problems."
Sui: "YOU SOLVED THE UNSOLVABLE!"
Yui: "IN THREE MINUTES!"
Sui: (grabbing the trophy) "Look at this! It's HUGE!"
Yui: (also grabbing) "The school is going to lose their minds!"
Professor Hayashi: (approaching, wiping tears) "Morik. You've done something incredible. The school will never forget this."
Kenta: "I just did what you taught me."
Professor Hayashi: (hugging him) "No. You did what YOU taught yourself. I just gave you problems."
Kenta: (stiff but not pulling away) "Sensei..."
Professor Hayashi: (pulling back) "Now go celebrate. You've earned it."
---
[Scene: School Gate - Evening]
(The three walk home. Trophy between them. Sui and Yui each hold one side. Kenta walks behind, watching them.)
Sui: "Kenta-kun! We're so proud of you!"
Yui: "The whole school is going to worship you now!"
Kenta: "I don't want worship."
Sui: "What DO you want?"
Kenta: (thinking) "This. Walking home with you. Hearing you laugh. Seeing you happy."
Yui: (tearing up) "KENTA-KUN!"
Sui: (also tearing up) "STOP BEING SO ROMANTIC!"
Kenta: (almost smiling) "No."
(They reach the gate.)
Sui: "Kenta-kun... today was perfect. But you know what would make it MORE perfect?"
Kenta: "What?"
Yui: (grinning) "A victory kiss!"
Sui: (also grinning) "From BOTH of us!"
Kenta: (ears red) "Here? Now?"
Sui: "HERE! NOW!"
(He looks around. Students watching. Teachers passing. Doesn't matter.)
Kenta: "Okay."
(He kisses Sui. Soft. Sweet.)
(He kisses Yui. Same.)
Sui: (touching her lips) "I'll never get tired of this."
Yui: (also touching hers) "Me neither."
Kenta: "Same time tomorrow?"
Sui & Yui: (in unison) "ALWAYS!"
(They run off, waving, trophy held high.)
Kenta: (standing there, touching his lips) (thinking) "Victory. Love. Them. This is happiness."
(He walks home, smiling.)
---
[Scene: Kenta's Room - Night]
(He places the trophy on his desk. Next to the astrolabe. Next to their drawings on the whiteboard.)
(His phone buzzes. Two messages.)
Sui: "Kenta-kun! TODAY WAS THE BEST DAY EVER! You won! You kissed us! You're a legend! Sleep well, our champion! "
Yui: "My prince~ watching you destroy that competition was the hottest thing ever! That trophy is beautiful but not as beautiful as you! Goodnight!"
Kenta: (smiling) (typing back to both): "Goodnight. Thank you for being there. For cheering. For being mine. I couldn't have done it without you."
(Immediate replies:)
Sui: "HE SAID WE HELPED HIM WIN! "
Yui: "WE'RE HIS INSPIRATION! PROGRESS! "
Sui: "SWEET DREAMS OUR CHAMPION!"
Yui: "DREAM OF US! (AND THE TROPHY!) "
Kenta: (putting down the phone) (looking at the trophy, the astrolabe, the stars)
Kenta: (thinking) "Father... I won. For them. For you. For me."
(He closes his eyes, smiling.)
Kenta: (thinking) "And tomorrow... more victories. With them."
(He falls asleep, happy.)
End of Chapter 2
Ready for Chapter 3?