EPISODE 3~ THE REALITY CHECK TEST
891 Words
The teacher moved through the aisles, the rhythmic thwack of test papers hitting desks filling the quiet room.
Toshiro finally broke the silence, holding up his blank sheet. "Miss, it’s a bit unfair to spring a test on me on my very first day, don't you think?"
The teacher didn’t look up from her stack. "Relax, Toshiro. This is a 'Reality Check'—a simple test of common sense. Besides," she added with a sharp smile, "the results will determine who you’re sitting next to for the rest of the term."
The 10 questions were:
The Reality Check: Social & Logic Evaluation
The Umbrella Dilemma: You are walking in the rain with a large umbrella. You see someone you dislike getting soaked. Do you offer to share, walk past, or "accidentally" splash them?
The Quiet Library: Someone is playing music loudly on their phone in a designated quiet zone. Everyone is annoyed, but no one is speaking up. What is your move?
The Group Project: Your partner is doing 90% of the work. Do you let them continue because they are "better at it," or do you force them to let you help?
The Lost Wallet: You find a wallet with a large amount of cash and an ID inside. The owner is a known bully in the school. Do you return it with the cash, return it empty, or leave it where it is?
The Secret: A friend tells you a secret that could potentially hurt someone else if kept quiet. What do you value more: loyalty to the friend or the safety of the stranger?
The Shortcut: You are given a task that takes an hour. You find a "cheat" that gets it done in ten minutes but lowers the quality slightly. Do you take the shortcut?
The Midnight Fire: If your house was on fire and you could only grab one non-living object, what would it be and why?
The Mirror: If you had to describe your worst habit as if it were a superpower, how would you phrase it?
The Unfair Grade: The teacher gives you an 'A' by mistake on a paper you barely finished. Do you point out the error or stay silent?
The Deskmate Preference: In one sentence, describe the type of person you absolutely cannot stand to be around. (Note: This determines who you will sit next to).
The teacher flicked a stray piece of chalk onto her desk and glanced at Toshiro. "I hope for your sake you'll answer these honestly. It’s a common sense test, after all—and it’s hard to fix ‘stupid’ if you’re lying about who you are."
Then Toshiro looked down at the paper, then back at the teacher. Toshiro looked down at the paper, then back up at the teacher, his initial hesitation vanishing. A slow, knowing grin spread across his face as he met her gaze. It wasn't the smile of a nervous student, but something more calculated—a mysterious, defiant look that suggested he already knew exactly how to play her game.
The teacher’s eyes narrowed slightly, but Toshiro didn't flinch. He twirled his pen once between his fingers, the plastic clicking softly in the quiet room, before leaning over his desk. With that same cryptic smile lingering on his lips, he began to write, his movements fluid and purposeful. If this test was meant to unmask him, he seemed more than ready to show her exactly who he was.
Five days had passed, and the tension in the room was thick as the teacher approached the front of the class. With a deliberate click of her heels, she smoothed a single sheet of paper onto the side of the smart board, the adhesive snapping against the surface.
"The results of the 'Reality Check' are in," she announced, her eyes scanning the room with a knowing glint. "You have exactly ten minutes to find your names and settle in with your new deskmates. If you're still standing when the clock hits zero, consider yourself failing the first test of cooperation."
The room erupted into a frantic scramble.
Finally, Toshiro, Saito, and Shisei crowded around the list. Toshiro chuckled, leaning back with his hands in his pockets. "Wow, look at that timing. We all arrived at once."
Shisei sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I’d call it the worst timing of my day, actually."
As their eyes scanned the grid of names, the air seemed to vanish from the room. Saito and Shisei froze, their expressions shifting from curiosity to pure, unadulterated shock.
"What?! That baka is my deskmate?" Shisei exploded, pointing a trembling finger at Saito’s name next to hers.
Saito’s jaw dropped, but he quickly found his voice. "Hey! Did you name me baka ? Believe me, I’m not exactly throwing a party about this result either!"
Shisei didn't argue; she simply turned and leveled him with a silent, icy death glare that could have frozen the smart board solid.
Meanwhile, Toshiro was looking at a different section of the paper, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Shoko Vicon..." he read aloud, his voice smooth. "How lucky she is, getting stuck with me."
Shisei snapped out of her trance just long enough to groan. "My poor bestie. She’s just as unlucky as I am."
- Writer
