Present and future

After five years

"... and that concludes our lesson for today. Are there any questions regarding today's topic?" The teacher paused to wait for a response, but there wasn't any. "If there are none, you are all free to go. Your finals are in two weeks' time, so make sure you all study hard over the weekend! If you still have any questions that you need to ask you can look for me after school in the faculty office. Well, then, you are all dismissed."

Collecting her teaching materials, Sendou Aichi, now twenty-three years old and a teacher at her alma mater Miyaji High, was about to leave the classroom until she was stopped by two of her students.

"Sendou-sensei! Wait! We want to ask something!"

"What is it, Mamiya-kun and Hirata-kun? Was there something about the lesson earlier that you didn't understand?"

"That's not it, Sendou-sensei!"

"We want you to take a look at our new decks!"

"We bought some new cards at Card Capital the other day and added them to our decks, so we want your advice on whether it's good or not."

"We are about to have a fight and we want your opinion on how we make use of our new cards, and also how we can improve on our strategies."

"The two of you... didn't you hear a word I said earlier? You have to study for your finals."

"Ehh... There are still two more weeks to go."

"Two weeks will pass before you know it. It may only be your first year in high school, but every little test and exam is important for your progress."

"We know. We know that, but..."

"We still need a break from studying every now and then. Plus, it's not that we don't know when to stop."

"Well said, Hirata! As expected of the person who can't study without breaks in between!"

"Are you sure you aren't speaking for yourself, Mamiya?"

"No fighting, you two. Well, I guess if the both of you don't stay too late, it should be fine. I'll take a look at your decks and your fight."

"Yay! Thank you so much, Sendou-sensei!"

"It's no problem at all. I am your club advisor, after all. Why don't you wait for me in the clubroom, while I drop these back to my desk in the faculty office?"

"Ah, I'll help! Those books look heavy."

"Me too! I'll take that stack of worksheets."

"Oh, you don't have to..."

"Please allow us to help! It's the least we can do."

Looking at the earnest look in their eyes, Aichi could not help but to chuckle.

"I'll rely on the both of you, then."

- Later that day-

"In the end, it looks like everyone decided to spend their afternoon in the club room instead of going home to study." Aichi sighed, as she left the school building with her students from the Cardfight Club around and behind her. "Not just the first years, but the second years as well. Really... as your club advisor I should be telling all of you off, but..."

"Don't be like that, Sendou-sensei!"

"We all promised that we'll study, and even in out last ranking we all ranked in the upper half of our respective cohorts! A little is fine, isn't it?"

Aichi shook her head. She can't refute that. "I don't have a problem with that. But... why there are a number of the third years who are going to take their university entrance exams soon doing here, then?"