Chapter 1 - Joy of War

"Alright, my dear students, now that the slight delay is behind us, let's go ahead with attendance. As always, please stand up when I call your name so I can remember each of you," said Mr. Kobayashi, now back to his usual cheerful tone.

Mikomi leaned her elbow on her thigh, waiting her turn to be called. There were about twenty or maybe even thirty students in her department, but she was the first on the attendance list. She listened closely for her name, lifting her head from her hand in anticipation.

“Miss Mikomi Hinome,” Mr. Kobayashi finally called with his characteristic enthusiasm.

“Present,” she replied in a tired voice, slowly rising from her seat.

“I see you’re here as usual—glad to see you,” he said with a smile.

Mikomi nodded, a soft smile forming on her face. She admired Mr. Kobayashi for his knowledge of history. Ever since she was a child, she loved listening to stories about world history, especially those about the Great Thermonuclear War.

As she sat back down, a strand of her hair brushed against her cheek. She looked at her straight, jet-black hair, pushed it back from her cheek, then gently tilted her head and reached behind her to check its length. “Maybe I should trim it?” Her hair fell just below her shoulder blades.

But she quickly dismissed the thought, realizing that many people would probably start staring at her, wondering about her change. “I like it this way,” she decided.

“And last on the list, Miss Hanae Yuzuriha,” Mr. Kobayashi announced.

“Yes, sir. I didn’t want to interrupt earlier, but is your knee better now?” Hanae asked with curiosity, standing up energetically.

“Thank you for asking, Miss Yuzuriha. I gave it a thorough massage, and it’s completely fine now,” Mr. Kobayashi replied, looking slightly flustered but still cheerful.

Mikomi noticed that even though Mr. Kobayashi reassured everyone about his knee, Hanae’s expression remained serious. Not wanting to be distracted, Mikomi focused on today’s lesson about the thermonuclear war and reached for her notebook.

"Alright, my dear students, please take out a sheet of paper or your notebooks to make some notes, or try to remember as much as you can. Today, I’d like to tell you about the Thermonuclear War, so please listen closely. Let’s start with the year 1960, the true beginning. That year, there was a territorial unification following a vote that reduced the number of countries to 30. Each main nation, boasting the strongest economies and militaries, held power over smaller nations. Unfortunately, this system didn’t work as planned. People from smaller countries faced discrimination and often imprisonment for criticizing the system, and, reportedly, some were even executed. Despite 20 years of this situation, a greater crisis arose when a new vote proposed reducing the number of countries to just eight. This proposal sparked division, resulting in the formation of three groups: the Central Nations Alliance, the Alliance of Eight, and two neutral nations, including Japan. Tensions grew, with the Eight isolating themselves technologically and economically, while the 20 nations suffered. Over the next decade, poverty, hunger, and civil unrest took over. Finally, in 1990, one of the Eight, in an attempt to ‘assist’ a struggling nation... dropped the thermonuclear bomb, Ketyr, wiping out the entire continent. The devastation led to a two-year global conflict from 1990 to 1992, with countless biological strikes. It’s estimated that this war affected 90% of the Earth’s surface. And that concludes today’s lesson. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have,” Mr. Kobayashi finished, maintaining a solemn tone.

Mikomi was a little disappointed. She hadn’t learned anything new about the war. Crossing her leg over her knee, she looked down at her notebook, where only the date “March 1, 2035” was written. She sighed.

But then a gentle smile appeared on her face as memories of her childhood resurfaced, filled with stories like this one about the war. She wondered why she enjoyed listening to them so much.

“Sir, why didn’t these nations just remain independent when internal problems arose after the 1960 territorial merger?” a male voice from the second row inquired.

“Well, I think the answer is straightforward, though this is just my opinion. It was all about money. With fewer nations, their economic influence grew, as did the profits for those in high positions," Mr. Kobayashi replied with a confident tone.

“Sir, why wasn’t our country hit, and why doesn’t it have a name anymore?” the same male voice asked.

“Well, our country was once called Japan, but the name was removed temporarily in 1995 to make immigrants feel more at home after the war. As for why we were spared, I suppose it was because we were neutral. Or maybe, we were just lucky,” Mr. Kobayashi added with a smile.

"Sir, since we call it the Thermonuclear War, why was only one such bomb dropped?" Hanae asked from the second row, intrigued.

“We could call it a Nuclear War, but since the Ketyr bomb started it all, the term stuck,” Mr. Kobayashi replied, maintaining his solemn demeanor.

“Sir, is the metal 'Ketyr' named after the bomb?” one of the boys in front of Mikomi asked.

“Yes, it’s a miraculous element. Thanks to it, our technological and medical advancements allow us to live to a hundred years or more,” Mr. Kobayashi replied with a laugh, though his laughter sounded somewhat forced.

“If you had to choose between advanced technology and avoiding the thermonuclear war, what would you pick?” Mikomi asked in a tired voice.

Mr. Kobayashi stopped laughing immediately, a serious expression crossing his face. After a brief silence, he replied, “I’d choose peace.” His tone was unusually somber.

After a pause, Mr. Kobayashi returned to his usual cheerful self, “I’m so happy to see you all again after this break! But our time is up; remember that classes are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. That’s all for today. Goodbye!”

“Goodbye,” the students replied, including Mikomi in a tired voice.

After leaving the university, she decided to walk home. It was only 10:00, and with four hours before work, she had time to kill. She thought a cigarette might be a good way to relax, but as she reached into her bag for a pack, she noticed a shop sign, “Electronic Gadgets.” She decided the cigarette could wait.

The store was empty, so she went straight to the cashier.

“Good morning, I'd like a W5D,” she said in a tired tone.

“Two dollars,” the cashier replied automatically.

Leaving the shop, Mikomi took a cigarette from the pack and placed it between her lips, thinking, “Those two dollars could’ve gone to something else" she sighed 

"But at least I’ll have something to do at home.”