Mapolsh has always been a quiet village in Croatia; it was only when a certain

Dutch professor had set foot in the said village that it piqued the interest of the
masses for some time.

The professor was Rudzenthe Embken, who was supposedly only visiting his son,
Pavo, he sent to Mapolsh when he stumbled upon the peculiar sense of the
children. They, including his son, were at ages less than 10, yet have developed
analytic reasoning skill that rivals those of past puberty, those at 20’s. Although
they were extremely smart at a point, they were no different than ordinary kids.
“An advantage without leaving side effects (that he didn’t want to call
“disadvantages”)”, he thought leading him to stay and study their oddness.

Years passed that his research shed light to the public. Rumours and scandals ran
rapidly because of what he had concluded: at least 70% of this generation’s
children are “odd” and as to why that is. Still, it was highly accepted by
organizations around the world and governments because it unsheltered reality,
hidden intelligence that was once thought to be limited. And so, as he had
proposed the name for the odd sense of children to be “SeTa”, with the world’s
acknowledgement of children’s capabilities –came the age of progress.
“Maybe that person that did suicide was a SeTa”

Exclaimed Sayori who’s tone seem to not have given her idea much thought.
Breaking the silence unexpectedly with her words didn’t cover her desire to start
a conversation with Saburo who was seated in front of her.

“Suicide? Who?”

“Uh... the one you talked about almost a year ago?” It was their last period –club
activities, but it was cancelled for some reason, that she brought it up.

“Do you really think i could remember something a year ago with just the context
‘the person that did suicide’ was something he had in thought but decided not to
press on it. A playful person like Sayori could just be pulling a prank because he
really can’t remember talking about that, he thought

“What about him? –did i really say something like that before”

“I think you did...”

“You definitely did” Yuko, who came and sit beside her, said without removing his
eyes glued to his book, Saburo felt relief assuring that Sayori isn’t kidding since
Yuko affirmed it.

“I can’t remember anything”

“Really? Must be that no one believed you, not even the world... There wasn’t a
news or scandal unlike your story. That’s why you decided to forget about it”

“You said ‘him’, we didn’t said anything about the gender” Saburo was flustered
of Yuko’s reply. Though he knew that it can just be accidentally putting up ‘man’
in the context of ‘suicide’, he realized that Yuko thought of this as well and isn’t
really any serious about it.

“If that’s how you’re going to put it then maybe I really did? Anyways what’s with
‘him’ being SeTa?”
“Ah.. nothing, Sensei was talking about SeTa today and I just remembered out of
the blue”

“Sensei did?”

“Yes he did! See? You didn’t even listen, did you?”

Recalling the scene that took place earlier that day, to the four corners of their
room was Krihara’s, Class 1’s homeroom teacher, voice as he talks about SeTa.

The discovery of SeTa and people who are SeTa made a scene two decades ago.
“SeTa” are people that have extreme understanding, commonly mathematically,
even before puberty that could be compared to those of adults who are ordinary.
It wasn’t really the discovery that shook the population but the study that at least
70% of the generation’s children are SeTa, and currently about 14% of global
population are SeTa even though the trend just started two decades ago. It was
said that hadn’t a man named Rudzenthe Embken discovered this, then up to this
day, children with said abilities will still be hindered of their capability because of
the limits of their understanding that people thought to exist to every child.

“In 2012, Rudzenthe Embken studied his own son and the children in Mapolsh,
Croatia. He called them ‘odd’ because of their advanced analytic skills. ....Multi-
variable calculus for age less than ten” He said the latter at a care free manner.

“Useless textbook” Upon saying inaudibly, he took a glance to see if anyone heard
him not holding back, there was none. Closing the book, he decided to depend
not on such.

“One question that rose up to him was ‘why?’. Being a dutch professor of
psychology, he studied their environment but unfortunately, didn’t really gain
anything from it. So, he looked into their brain’s activity, Electroencephalography,
EEG, and what he found out was a certain spot where activity was never same
with those of ordinary people. A spot in their Posterior Cingulate Cortex, near
your ear,” Having drawn to the topic, the students touched their ear pinpointing it
out.
“That spot, showed weird and strong electrical activity where others didn’t even
have that small region. One more thing, the intensity of activity remains levelled
and is always active. He called that spot ‘Rudzenthe Region’. To sum it up, SeTa’s
have that region while anyone else lacks it... How many SeTa’s do we have here
anyway?” He half-heartedly asked giving a rest from heavy chunks of lesson.

Slowly –Nine, seventeen, then twenty-six –twenty-six students raised their hands
declaring that they are ‘SeTa’. The rest were fourteen ordinary students that were
outnumbered, one of them was Saburo.

“Twenty-six of you are called SeTa, having the Rudzenthe Region, just like his
second subject, Seijorou Taki, or SeTa”

As if expected, Krihara paused for a while as the atmosphere silently lit up with
murmurs from the students,

“Not only was he the second, Rudzenthe also considered him to be the smartest
of his thrirty-nine Mapolsh subjects. His son... actually the first. Perhaps
concluding that the cause is far from ‘environmental’, he hypothesized from there
that the oddness his subjects possess could be existing at a bigger picture, and
he’s right” His latter explanation was his own prejudice, but the way he said it
seems to be not far from reality.

“And so Rudzenthe won a nobel prize by 2016 when he publicized his findings
after years of research.” Sayori ended up reporting to Saburo, though it looks like
both of them knew it already and aware of each other too. She must really be
pressing on a conversation prolonging everything, Saburo thought as he rides her
intentions

“I see”

“...What are you thinking? You look like in deep thought”

“If you think about it –never mind” He wasn’t able to continue after seeing her
eager face. Yuko gave a short glance to him.

“Come on, you always have strange view among things” Before sounding bad, she
added “that’s why it’s interesting conversing with you”

Just as he had asked himself earlier what Sayori is up to she voiced it herself. He
could only answer “Do I?”

“You’re second-guessing all the time”

Since he could reply nothing, it is better to stick with it, he thought.

“Do I?” In an instant, he got a kick below his table due to his mockery

“I take it back, you’re no fun at all... why are you still here though” She knew that
she wouldn’t be able to take on the silence if she didn’t add her latter words

“I just feel like it, the sunset maybe” Looking at the window that bathed their
room in butter-yellow, she gives her eyes to the scenery as well.

She then looked and gave a chuckle at Saboru, who pretended not to notice to it.
“I’ll go home” Yuko said closing his book. He looked at both of them as if asking if
they’re going home too. Understanding it, Saboru waved his hand a ‘no’, so did
Sayori.

Just as Yuko stood up, Saboru get his phone that beeped in his pocket. ‘Dania:
5pm, Kainzusu’

“Dania?”

“Yes”

“What did she say?”

“She’s asking me to see her”

“Wha! A date! Date! “Racking her chair

“Pretty sure this isn’t anything like that”

“Eh? ...what makes you think so?”

“...” No worthy answer struck him. Feeling that replying nothing isn’t really as
uncomfortable as he expected, he ought to use it more next time.

“Seriously when did you have a date?”

“We had few times before, I’m not sure”

“Idiots, both of you are idiots”

“Wanna come with us?”

“No way, you guys rarely had your time”

“I think you’re correct... After coming back home, she’d been going far places
back and forth working, she must be tired. ‘Geniuses’ recoil’ “

“Must be hard for her but I’m sure she’s not tired. She loves her work and you’re
the one who should know that!”

“I guess ... you’re right, sorry. So, want to come?”

“Didn’t you understand your situation? For a change of pacing, she probably
wants to have time with you”

“I’ll bet that she wants to see you as much as me if that’s the reason. Last time
you met each other was October right? I think she would be happy seeing you”

“...Yeah, but... You sure it’s okay?”

“Of course”

“Right, I’ll be coming. What about you Yuko? –gone already? Hmph...” Sayori
looked down in exaggerating dipleasure

“‘No thanks’ “Said Saburo clearing his throat to impersonate the quiet man. Taken
by surprise, Sayori laughed a belly “Surely he’ll answer that” Saburo soon broke
into it as well.
Feeling the bright light fading in their room, Saburo glanced a “Let’s go”

The mall was filled at 5’o clock with people who seem to have the same
motivation going to such, be it looking for new clothes or having early dinner, it is:
A change of scenery. Saburo and Sayori are together looking for a girl named
Dania, who expected them to find her at such a crowded and big place without
giving off half the details. Fortunately, it was an easy find. Right at the entrance,
the first table of the first store was occupied, by an unconscious beast,