Music Descends
Chapter Two♪♪♪ Test
"Hmm . . . let's see," Taruto began, pacing on in his spot. All the while, his eyes glowered at a particular thirteen year old, the person he'd been meaning to call since class originated.
When six extra minutes of endless pondering at his memory for reminders of his learner's name passed, he let loose a frustrated sigh of resentment, signaling self-defeat.
"Names . . . names . . ." he muttered mutely under his breath. Strolling over to his personal desk, he reached under a massive pile of office tools and yanked his yearbook out.
For a starter at his career, Taruto still had problems memorizing his student's names. Frequently, he'd catch himself wondering amid thick mists, searching for answers. Sometimes, he managed guessing correctly. But others, he depended directly on his annual. Using random clues to track down the precise terms to call the individuals was after all, quite risky. He had been extremely careful not to allow his studies to hop out of hand. He heard of substitutes who got ridiculed and tricked all because of confusion over names. They would call a student by a title in which didn't belong to them for an entire day and not notice they were being played right during their lessons. Taruto was no sub, but he took the warnings as if he was.
As for beginner teachers, the consequences were identical. Pronouncing a character incorrectly due to absence of accent or unclear enunciation sends their classes in an uproar. Those were accidents Taruto cautiously needed to dodge.
He was a music instructor, not a clown. Handing his students the freedom to poke fun at him was definitely not an option.
"Yes . . . Kazu . . . Kazuki Makino!" He stopped short in the middle of his notebook as he pointed a slender finger at a male seated at the very back. He watched as the boy covered in pale skin raised a timid hand.
"Oh, there you are!" Taruto exclaimed, jotting down in his book; that having evidently be cues on calling on the quiet chosen student more often. "Now then, Makino . . . who invented the first piano?"
The brown headed glanced up soundlessly, attempting to blow a killer glare at him. Kazuki was known as the creepy being in class Two. The words scary, striking, icy, callous, and inhuman fitted perfectly in his category. It'd be peculiar if he'd the least utter a word. Kazuki wasn't one for participating in any activity of the sort. Worst, if he happened to give someone "the eye," whoever wished to talk to him should forget all about it. No one wanted to sign contracts with him. For a boy, he was much too menacing.
As of now, unfortunately, Taruto shot a glare back, piercing through his hardness in one slam.
The scary Makino was defeated today by something far more frightening than himself. A few open-mouthed gasps demonstrated this horrible shock.
Shuddering, the poor guy mumbled, "I-I don't know."
This may have turned out okay-- if Taruto heard him. Only he didn't. Taruto then asked Kazuki to repeat his line again—and again, and again . . . and yet again. He asked him to recap numerous times before he eventually lost his interest, not to mention his patience.
"SPEAK UP!" he shouted.
Young teachers generally made easy going teachers. But in lieu of Taruto, he was distant from kind. He practically offered a whole new impression for the word "beginner."
Giving a brief speech on how nobody should ever go talking akin to the likes of a fish in his sessions, he traveled to another student.
His next target was a girl with long violet locks and green dazzling eyes. She dressed as if she were to attend a wedding after school, or perhaps a high-class party. There were ribbons attached to her curls, a ruby silky sash tied around her waist, an emerald necklace hanging from her neck, and a one-layered lace petticoat flaring out from under her skirt. The over-used of fashion pasted on her former normal school uniform clearly drew she desperately wanted to stand out.
Her type would be considered as rich snob, "all that", plus conceited. For she always stuck her face up proudly while she strut; showing off her outfit as it was any different from what other ladies wore. Her hair smelled strongly of kiwi scent daily. Her footwear remained spotless all year round.
The youngling loved searching for guys to fling her hair upon. Flirting seemed to be a beloved habit of hers including solid hints of showing-off. Stealing boyfriends wasn't a surprise either.
"Su Pirika!"
The bighead stared up blankly, fingers smoothing out unnoticeable wrinkles on her dress' hem.
"Yes?" she asked clearly.
"What was Beethoven well-known for?"
She avoided looking openly into his eyes.
"For his music," she answered without hesitation.
Taruto thought a while. The disappointed look smeared slowly on his face. Everyone scooted back at the image as they searched frantically for cover. Pirika apparently did wrong in her answer. Taruto slapped both palms on his waist.
"That isn't correct!" he squalled. "Anyone care to explain why?"
Smashing his reference book back down, the eighteen year old scowled at his collection, waiting for comments. They just gaped straight at him, frozen like statues.
"BECAUSE you have to go deeper than that!" he yelled. "You all can't simply tell me the obvious, the one thing that pops in your head! Why, if that was the case, everyone would have gotten 100's on their tests no matter the difficulty. You are not to do anything of that sort on my account! It would be calculated as false!"
He reached a hand into his drawer and pulled out a bunch of white sheets.
"I will expect not one, but ALL of you to AVOID doing such a silly thing here!"
He swung his head shakily, not wishing to call on another. Two was enough to determine they were all dummies.
"There will be a pop quiz today regarding the most eminent musicians ever existed through-out history. The largest per-portion within the test is in the short essays, where you will have to write in proof and various pieces of information to obtain the complete set of points. The other percent is based on your personal knowledge . . . you all shouldn't have any issues with that."
He walked around a bit.
He shot everyone sharp stares and deliberately slapped the papers onto violin cases like weapons. This increased the children's' tenseness.
"By now, I presumed you must know why I asked those small questions before," he continued, coughing slightly.
"It was to check if you knew anything. And sadly, after all I've heard this morning, I've a strong sensation you DON'T! I thought this was a responsible class! A knowledgeable class! Well, by the looks of it, it's quite a disappointment--due to some people . . . whoever should not be named . . ."
He eyed Kazuki and Pirika.
"HOPEFULLY, it will only BE those two. It'd be better if they were just PRETENDING to be dim. SO I EXPECT YOU ALL TO DO WELL ON THIS EXAM!"
"There will be thirty questions; I highly doubt it'll be much of a difficulty. . . IF you are a smart class and do it the way YOU ARE TOLD! Just to let you all on a little hint, it will be counted towards your grade and you will be penalized if you get below a seventy five! AHEM! I do not make my quizzes easy, as you all should have perused everything I've taught for the week. I no longer give out second chances. (He never did as far as his students could recall) Do I make myself CLEAR?"
The mob of children gaped straight at him, all heavy with tension. Each one was seated tightly against their seats, teeth quaking between frozen lips.
Nobody dare to perform a single movement . . .
Almost . . .
There were a few stiff nods here and there, resulting of politeness, or avoidance of receiving further lecturing.
Squinting at a few on the first rows of the seat measures, Taruto made out the children's hands gripped firmly under the metal supports of their stools, sweating.
"Let's try that again," he commanded, elevating the quizzes high in the air. "Do I make myself CLEAR?"
"U-um . . . yes . . ."
"Yeah . . ."
"O-o-okay . . ."
"Y-ye—"
"GOOD!" He boomed. "All books and backpacks on the floor, anyone caught cheating or socializing during the exam will suffer the consequences. Of course . . . we all know what those consequences are, do we?"
A handful of murmurs responded hither and thither in minor tweets.
"YES, you will receive lunch detention and a big, fat, zero!" Taruto yelled, ignoring his students' mice-size voices. "This is my way of routine and I will never change it!".
Apple: Many thanks to: RenAndKishu, Mew Frost, MewMidnight, Kamyra, animegoddess12345, Young Wizard Link, Sohma Ritsu, Mew-Sahara for the comments. And thank-you everyone else for reading! Next chaper we'll take a look at the other main teacher. What subjects she teaches, however, has not yet been decided.