#847 Party-People Sensei

Time passed as I indulged myself in smoked food, and spring’s pleasant warmth arrived. 

Spring, above all, is a season of new beginnings.

Changes are also afoot at the Farm School we run.

It’s time for the new students to enroll.

For years, our farm has been taking in promising young people and guiding them in various ways. 

“What can one possibly learn at a farm?” you might wonder. Well, on this otherworldly farm, one can acquire extraordinary knowledge and wisdom not found elsewhere, making it a sought-after educational destination for capable youths from various nations.

Thus, the farm eventually became officially recognized as a school, welcoming new students each year.

Last year’s students moved up to their second year.

The new students started their first.

In time, I imagined, these students would graduate and go on to support countries around the world with their excellence.

Sensei, leading the school, is quite excited about this.

“Looks like another fun year is in store!”

Sensei, who revels in an undead life as a Lifeless King, chose to use his eternal existence to educate and guide others. 

This Farm School is, in a way, the embodiment of his life’s passion.

Part of the school’s charm is admittedly due to Sensei’s personal interests.

I wondered if Sensei, despite being undead, would continue to interact enthusiastically with the students this year.

But then...

***

“…I might be done for,” Sensei laments one evening, a hint of dejection in his voice.

“What happened?!”

How could our Sensei, once brimming with educational fervor, suddenly seem so burnt out?!

Have you encountered something unpleasant?!

“I’ve realized I’m an old man...! The youth have advanced far beyond my understanding. Perhaps my outdated knowledge is no longer needed...!”

Sensei has become incredibly pessimistic!

What on earth happened? Did something happen with the new students that even broke the spirit of the fearsome Lifeless King?

“The new kids... I just can’t communicate with them...!”

“Wh-Whaaat?!”

“I, who can converse with gods and know thousands of magical arts as a Lifeless King, find myself utterly at a loss with the language of today’s youth! How can I fulfill my duties as a teacher like this...?!”

Is this the so-called generational-gap...?!

The usual “kids these days...” and “loool ok boomer” retorts, deepening the divide between generations. Has this phenomenon reached our farm, too?!

But Sensei, known for his magnanimous nature, has always been tolerant of the students’ bold attitudes.

In fact, when we accepted exchange students at what was once the predecessor to the Farm School, there weren’t any issues of that sort.

To think that Sensei could be this overwhelmed...!

What kind of characters are these new students?!

***

“Farm is lit! Totes lit!”

“Is this place even legit? Fr?”

“Big oof, somebody rescue me from this ghetto place.” 

“This place is giving!!!”

…

What are they even saying?

Sorry. I’m completely lost myself.

Even I can’t understand this advanced level of youth speak. 

So, these are our new students...!

Sensei, too, had attempted to communicate and was left disheartened by their inscrutable, almost mystical way of speaking.

“Yo, if this spot’s legit lit, spill the tea! It’s lowkey the dopest place, no cap!”

“Um... Excuse me?”

I tried to engage them, but my resolve faded.

I felt the disconnect between generations. 

Have I also become part of the outdated old generation?!

“Is this the latest spell crafted by the demon race? That I, an immortal king, cannot grasp... Perhaps it’s arrogant to assume I can understand all magic.”

I couldn’t help but feel there was some truth in Sensei’s words. 

No, it’s all just confusing.

What those kids were saying isn’t some kind of spell; it’s just their way of talking.

I knew terms like “super cool” from my time, but the cutting-edge youth language is constantly evolving. 

Now, saying “super cool” might as well get you laughed at.

It’s like using a pager in the age of smartphones!

“If I can’t keep up with the trends of the youth, how can I fulfill my role as their teacher? It seems I’m just an old relic, unable to keep pace with the passage of time.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no...!!!”

Just thinking that way is quite something!

In this world, some can’t grasp the changing times and turn into grumbling old fogeys, always complaining about ‘young people these days’!

But Sensei calmly introspects, lamenting how he’s been left behind by time’s relentless march. 

A bit pessimistic, perhaps, but still...

“Don’t worry, Sensei! If you can’t speak the lingo of the young, just learn it! Practice!!!”

“Practice, you say?”

Leave it to me, your not-so-humble narrator! 

I, too, was young once! 

Let’s recall those days and study the lingo that’ll have the youngsters rolling!

“When I stepped into their turf uninvited, I immediately knew the guy wasn’t straight-laced from the cut of his jib, so I settled things with a firm talking-to, you knuckleheads!”

...

Something’s not quite right here.

Seems I just can’t nail this youth speak. 

I’m a father of two now, after all. 

Can’t stay a kid forever.

“Dear! Sensei! Why such defeatist talk?!”

“Whoa! Platy?”

Then, my wife, Platy, appears with our children in tow.

With a commanding aura, she declares, “First of all, it’s absurd to even use such frivolous language at school! A school isn’t just for gaining knowledge but also for learning manners, to become respectable adults who won’t be an embarrassment in society!!!”

Wow.

Platy is making sense, and it’s scary.

“Especially during their studies, students should be strictly taught proper language usage. No sloppy talk allowed! They must be well-mannered, kind-hearted, and respectful! I believe graduates of the Farm School should be excellent in character, not just in skills!!”

“Well said, Lady Platy!”

“Eek!”

Suddenly, behind Platy lurks a shadow.

It’s Teacher Carp.

I thought she had mellowed out after marrying Gobukichi, but she does come back to her senses now and then.

“Lady Platy... have you finally realized? When you enrolled at Mermaid Witch Academia, we tried to teach you manners, but you didn’t take it well and even dropped out. How regrettable that was. But it’s never too late to understand the importance of manners. You should reenroll posthaste!!!”

“Nooooo! I don’t want to go back to learning manners as an adultttttttttttttt!”

Watching Platy flee, I think about how education eventually comes back to bite.

Still, no progress on Sensei’s dilemma.

Do we just stand by and do nothing about this generation gap between Sensei and his students?

Days pass with these thoughts...

***

“Ah, Sensei, good morning-yo~”

“Mm, a good morning-yo to you too, young whippersnapper. Let’s all be full of zest in our studies!”

“Okie-dokie, artichokkie~”

“We dive into practical abracadabra lessons today. It's gonna be info-packed, like cray-cray levels. Don't be snoozing, or you'll end up shooketh, so we gotta hustle hard.”

“Fr?”

“Fr indeed.”

Sensei has somehow mastered the trendy lingo.

In the end, he continues to be a beloved teacher, well-received by the students, guiding them enthusiastically through another year.