Time has a habit of moving with terrifying speed, especially for those in the workforce who find themselves blinking and realizing a month has vanished.
But for students still in the grind of middle and high school, the clock moves differently.
---
Metropolis High School.
Thousands of students were currently in class. Among them was Han Fumito.
This was math class. He was trying to focus on the young teacher at the front of the room. The teacher, Kenji, was only 26, a top-tier graduate who had been on the job for about three years.
He was brilliant. He could solve the most complex equations on the fly, and even when a student brought him a real brain-teaser, he would have the solution and a detailed explanation ready by the next morning.
But as Han Fumito tried to take notes...
"What are you looking at? Hand it over."
Kenji's voice cut through the room like a whip. He was standing over a student's desk, his expression stern.
Han Fumito winced. 'Uh oh.'
The student, Souta, looked mortified. He glanced at Han Fumito before hanging his head.
"Give it to me, and I won't report you to your homeroom teacher," Kenji said calmly. "I saw it. You haven't looked at the board once. You've been reading some extracurricular magazine, haven't you? Hand it over or I call the office."
That was the final straw. Souta slowly reached into his desk and pulled out a...
Colorful manga magazine: 'Comic World GoGo'.
"There's more, isn't there? All of them. You can come find me after school on Friday to get them back."
Souta defeatedly produced three more issues. He was completely cleaned out.
Han Fumito felt a part of his soul die. 'Souta, you idiot! I told you not to read them during class!'
His collection of the latest four issues of 'GoGo' was now in the hands of the faculty. Han Fumito's heart bled. He made a mental note to never lend this kid anything again.
The math teacher returned to the podium, a stack of thick magazines in his hands.
"I'm telling you all! You're in your second year. This is when you build your foundation. In your first year, you can play around, read your manga and novels. But in your second year? If you don't focus now, by your third year, it'll be too late..."
He continued his lecture, his voice filled with a weary, well-meaning authority.
---
Ring!
The final bell rang. As soon as Kenji finished the formal dismissal, he practically teleported out of the classroom. He didn't want to spend a single unnecessary second there.
Back at the desk, Han Fumito and a few others crowded around Souta.
"SOU! TA!"
Han Fumito hissed. "I specifically told you NOT to read those during class!"
"I couldn't help it!" Souta cried. "The latest 'Edgerunners' chapters are so intense! I... I reached a part where I just couldn't stop!"
"And now they're gone! I haven't even read the newest one yet! You bastard!" another student yelled.
They had all been waiting their turn to see the latest development in Night City, and now their source of joy was locked in a teacher's desk.
---
Meanwhile, Kenji returned to the faculty office.
"Ah, Kenji-san. Back from class?" a colleague asked.
"Yeah. I'm done for the day," Kenji said, looking relieved.
"Lucky you. I've still got three blocks to go." The other teacher sighed and rushed off with her materials.
Kenji sat at his desk, feeling aimless. The school rules stated he couldn't leave until the official workday ended, but he'd already finished his lesson planning into next month.
"I'm so bored..."
Then, his eyes fell on the confiscated magazines.
"Manga World, huh? Now that I think about it, work's been so busy since the term started, I haven't checked on 'Edgerunners' in weeks."
His eyes lit up. He was 26, after all. He was still part of the generation that loved manga. He just preferred to binge-read them when he had a block of free time.
He opened the oldest of the four magazines and flipped to Chapter 29.
Edgerunners Chapter 29: Repeating Path.
The chapter didn't begin where the previous one left off. Instead, it opened in a sterile, corporate office in Arasaka Tower. A female employee was standing before a man at a massive desk.
"Manager Evans."
"Why did you enter without permission?"
The employee looked terrified. "I'm sorry, sir..."
She explained that it was her son's birthday. He had just been accepted into the prestigious Arasaka Academy, and she wanted to leave on time to celebrate.
The manager offered a shallow, icy congratulation about her son becoming "fresh meat" for the company, but then flatly denied her request. He insulted her and ordered her to perform a series of pointless, overtime tasks.
In the background of the scene, there was a photo on her desk. It was an image of her and her son, looking happy.
The composition was almost an exact replica of the photo of David and Gloria.
Kenji felt a lump in his throat. The parallel was agonizingly clear.
The woman sighed and moved to another office to retrieve the files Evans had demanded.
But as she entered the room, she saw a large man in a yellow jacket, his head in his hands. He was crouching on the floor, his breathing ragged and heavy.
Turning her head, she saw Manager Evans. Or what was left of him.
The man who had just been so arrogantly cruel now had a gaping hole where his head should have been. Blood was everywhere.
It was David.
David sensed her presence. He slowly turned, his eyes glowing with an unstable, flickering light. His hand, still holding the smoking pistol, leveled itself at the terrified mother.
He looked completely lost.
The frame pulled back. The office lights flickered and died.
BANG.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]