I'd spent the week preparing, making sure every model was polished, every diagram was accurate, and every note was organized. I had assumed a lot of students would want to join, given the curiosity people had about my "space room." But when I arrived that morning and saw only three figures outside the door, I was…well, surprised.
The three students waiting for me looked almost identical, which threw me off. Two girls and a boy, all with the same brown hair and wide, curious eyes. I guessed they were around my age or maybe younger by a year, but they looked far too… innocent? Definitely not what I was expecting from "top students."
I took a deep breath, straightening my posture and pushing open the door. They glanced at me with a mix of awe and apprehension, and I could tell they were a bit nervous. Good. Maybe that would keep them focused.
"Come in," I said in a clipped tone, keeping my voice as steady as possible.
The three of them shuffled inside, taking cautious steps as if they were walking into some forbidden territory. They didn't say anything, but their eyes darted around, taking in every corner of the lab, and I could see their jaws practically drop when they noticed the galaxy models, the neatly stacked books, and the complex equations sprawled across the whiteboard.
I cleared my throat, snapping them out of their little daydreams. "Look, if you're here, it's to learn, not to gawk," I said, keeping my tone cool. "This isn't just a room for looking at planets and stars. It's a place to study them seriously."
One of the girls, with a pink hair clip in her bangs, nodded a bit too quickly. "Y-Yes, Reina-senpai," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
The boy, who stood between the two girls, looked at me with wide eyes, swallowing nervously. "We'll… we'll work hard!" he promised, a little louder than necessary.
The last girl, who had her hair tied back in a low ponytail, looked less fazed than the others, though she was still holding her hands together as if she were trying to be respectful. I caught her glancing over at the models on my table with a glint of interest. She looked like she was itching to ask something, but she kept her lips pressed together.
"Alright, introductions," I said, crossing my arms. "Name, grade, and why you're here."
They exchanged glances, as if debating who would go first, until the girl with the hair clip stepped up.
"My name's Kana," she said, clasping her hands in front of her and bowing slightly. "We're in eighth grade, but our homeroom teacher said we were chosen because… um, because we're at the top of our class."
The boy stepped forward next, nervously scratching the back of his neck. "I'm Kenji," he said, managing a shaky smile. "We really want to learn more about space. Kana's the one who convinced us, though."
The girl with the ponytail sighed, finally stepping forward. "I'm Yui," she said simply, glancing at me with a small nod. "I'm here because I want to understand space, not just look at pictures of it."
I raised an eyebrow, slightly impressed by Yui's honesty. "Good. Then here's the deal," I said, clapping my hands together to get their attention. "If you're here, you're expected to work hard. I'm not your babysitter, and I'm not here to play tour guide. If you don't understand something, you ask. If I give you an assignment, you complete it. Got it?"
They all nodded, their eyes wide with a mix of nervousness and determination.
For the next hour, I drilled them on basic space concepts, trying to get a feel for how much they already knew. I started with the basics: orbits, gravity, planetary rotation. To my surprise, they weren't totally clueless. Kenji, while a bit shaky on details, managed to explain the concept of gravity well enough. Kana was more focused, hanging onto every word I said, scribbling in her notebook as if her life depended on it. And Yui—well, Yui kept glancing at the models as if she wanted to figure them out herself. She was sharp, no doubt about it.
But I kept my tone strict, making sure they knew I wasn't here to hold their hands. Every time one of them looked like they were struggling, I'd give a straightforward explanation, making it clear that I expected them to keep up.
"The solar system isn't just a collection of random floating rocks," I said, pointing to the model I'd set up. "It's a carefully balanced system, with each planet following its own path because of gravitational forces. If even one planet shifted out of its orbit, it could disrupt the whole thing."
Yui raised her hand hesitantly. "So… if something like an asteroid hit Earth, could that happen?"
I nodded, giving her a curt smile. "Yes, though it would take a massive asteroid to alter Earth's orbit significantly. But smaller impacts happen all the time, and Earth's atmosphere burns most of them up. Still, it's one reason scientists are constantly tracking near-Earth objects."
Kenji gulped, looking a bit pale. "That's… kind of terrifying."
"That's reality," I replied flatly, hoping the bluntness would keep them focused.
By the time we wrapped up the session, they all looked exhausted but surprisingly enthusiastic. Kana's notebook was filled with scribbles, and she looked like she'd soaked up every bit of information I'd thrown at her. Kenji looked a little overwhelmed, but there was a spark of curiosity in his eyes. And Yui…well, she was still eyeing the models like they held some deep secret.
As they packed up, Kana turned to me, her expression tentative. "Thank you, Reina-senpai. I learned a lot today."
I gave a brief nod. "Just be ready for next time. If you can't keep up, you're free to leave."
She shook her head quickly. "No, I… I want to stay." The other two nodded in agreement, each one looking equally determined.
"Good," I said, crossing my arms. "Then come prepared. This isn't a club for fun. It's real work. Remember that."
With that, I watched them leave, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. They weren't exactly what I'd expected, but maybe—just maybe—they'd be able to handle what I had planned.