CH 103

Chapter 103: The Fruits Of Learning

TL: Akabane

***

The drinking party in cooperation with a few things turned out to be a mess. But it was a good thing that Yuzuriha was able to mount back up and I was able to get to know Moo-chan. Since that day, I've been given the right to be Moo-chan's crony on campus, and I feel like my days are so much more fulfilling! My college life on the front was fulfilling, but on the back side, I was struggling quite a bit. For starters, I went ahead and bought shares in tech startup companies that Hagiri was trying to acquire, which I was able to read from the confidential government documents I stole a while ago. I was able to get over 51% stake in some of the companies, which should help thwart some of Hagiri's schemes. But I still can't see the outline of that guy's conspiracy at all. But recently I realized something.

"This Hagiri paper is actually a great clue, isn't it?"

I was sitting on the floor in the Komaba campus library with my back against the bookshelf, reading a printed copy of the Hagiri paper and staring at the books spread out on the floor that might be helpful. But this paper was terribly difficult to understand. First of all, there are many blacked-out sections. This makes it very difficult to decipher. Moreover, the terminology used in this paper is extremely difficult to understand and unique. And the concepts used seem to be as close to pure physics as possible. That's why I can't make any progress in deciphering it. It was at such a time.

"Oh, Tokiwa? I'm surprised to see you here. Ufufu."

"Yes, I'm surprised to see you here. I was surprised too. But I'm glad to see your face. Ahaha..."

Moo-chan was standing right in front of me. She was in a super cute pose with her hands clasped behind her back and her upper body tilted up. Then she squats down directly in front of me, picks up the book she had spread out on the floor, and turns the pages. Moo-chan's eyes were fixed happily on the pages. My eyes, on the other hand, were fixed on her pants, which were now exposed as she squatted down and spread her legs in an M-shape. It was a pair of light blue striped panties, typical of Rikejo's princess. The border between them and her knee-socks was dazzling!

"Tokiwa spreading a book on the floor and reading a paper is kind of cool, like a wild mad scientist. I like people who study hard."

That means she likes me, who is studying hard right now! I can't help but be happy and sad at the words of Rikejo's princess. But I'm thankful that Moo-chan, a physics expert, has come to this place.

"Hey, Moo-chan. There's something I don't understand about physics."

"Hmm? What is it? What's that? I'm good at physics."

I handed Moo-chan the Hagiri paper. Moo-chan takes it and sits on the floor like a girl. It's a pity that I can't see her pants, but the way she sits emphasizes her absolute region, which is good because it's very erotic and makes me nervous.

"I don't understand at all the concept of the universe of prayer that is written there. What does it mean?"

"Prayer Universe...? What is that? What is it? Huh? Is this an article in the journal of the Interdisciplinary Information Studies Division of the Transdisciplinary Civilization? And by that Dr. Shoto Hagiri?

Moo-chan was terribly surprised. Then she flipped through the paper. Her face looked somewhat excited. But as she reached the blacked-out pages, her lips gradually knit together in a somewhat disappointed manner.

"Moo-chan? What's wrong?"

"Oh...I knew it...Dr. Hagiri has been consumed by madness...I'm sorry about this paper..."

Moo-chan shakes her head sadly.

"Dr. Hagiri is a famous person? So what on earth is this paper about?"

All I know is that he was one of the professors at the Imperial Capital University, according to the detective's information. We also know that he is already deceased. And that he is the grandfather of that Chuso Hagiri.

"Dr. Shoto Hagiri is a very famous researcher in the physics community. He is a great genius who would have won the Nobel Prize if only he had lived. He died in an accident when I was a child. His achievements still shine brilliantly in the history of science. But..."

"He's such an amazing person. But? What do you mean?"

Moo-chan looks somewhat awkward.

"Dr. Hagiri was a genius, but one time he submitted a paper to a journal of the Physical Society that was too strange. But of course, no one could understand it, so it didn't pass peer review. So instead, he presented it at a conference. The audience froze. At any rate, Dr. Hagiri looked very serious and announced that he had discovered "A framework to save human civilization." He became a legend in the physics community. The theory was so absurd and so nonsensical that no one took it seriously. It was judged to be a kind of pseudoscience, and the physics society stopped taking it seriously. After that, Professor Hagiri left physics. However, it seems that his family was rich, and he donated a large sum of money to the Imperial Capital University and established a research institute called the Interdisciplinary Information Science Center for Trans-disciplinary Civilization, commonly known as "Educational Institution". There, he gathered researchers across academic boundaries and conducted various studies."

The story was starting to sound like an urban legend. It's true that the Interdisciplinary Information Studies Office for Trans-disciplinary Civilization existed at the Imperial Capital University until a while ago. I heard that it was dissolved due to reorganization, and that its graduates were scattered among research institutes, major corporations, and ministries in various regions. That much I do know.

"The level of research itself was very high, but I've heard rumors that the people in the "academy" were not quite right. And the bottom line is that Dr. Hagiri's research was never published outside of the "academy" and he died in an accident. But this is the paper, right? It's all blacked out, but it looks like "

"It looks like. It's the real thing, in case you were wondering. Don't ask me where it came from, though."

"Dr. Hagiri has many fans. Even now, he is deified because of his death and his great achievements. I was a fan too, until just now. But, you know. Unfortunately, I don't think this paper is probably rigorous in the scientific sense."

Moo-chan let out a sigh and handed the paper over to me.

"I don't know what's going on under the blacked-out parts, but looking at the disclosures alone, there's no logic at all, the data for the argument is dubious, and it's probably pseudoscience, no thought? Or maybe it's pedantry, or maybe it's delusion? ...Hmmm...I can't believe this is the end of a genius scholar I admire...I wonder why academia is so unrewarding."

It was hard for me to look at Moo-chan, who looked somewhat sad. So I stood up, took her hand in mine, and helped her to her feet. I guess it was because of my sudden action. Moo-chan's cheeks were flushed red.

"Tokiwa...your hand...it's a little embarrassing..."

"I don't think academics are unrewarding. I'm in a different department, but I enjoy learning what I love here every day. I'm going to use what I've learned here to create a lot of different things."

Moo-chan rolls her eyes at me and stares at me. I smile and say.

"One of these days, I'll show you what I've created. Then I'll prove to you that learning is rewarding. I'm sure you'll smile. I believe that."

And Moo-chan smiled at my words in a subdued but cheerful way.

"Your words are not scientific. But I believe in them. It makes me smile in a strange way."

Moo-chan gently squeezed my hand back. That was all I needed to feel contented for now. That alone should be enough. We students must be fine with this. That's what I think.

***Author's musings***

This is the end of the chapter about his encounter with Moo-chan.

This time, I wanted to talk about something abstract, like what awaits us at the end of our studies, in my own way, in setting the story in a university.

Moo-chan and Yuzuriha seemed to really enjoy discussing about study in the previous chapter, but on the contrary, there is something unrewarding attached to study.

Science confronts us with truths that are different from the answers and worldviews we have come to believe. Sometimes we cannot bear the weight of such truths.

In modern physics and mathematics, there have been many research results that have disrupted even that way of looking at the world.

I hope that I have been able to describe, in my own way, the difficulty of facing the truth as a scientist.

Well, Saba-chan will make an appearance in the next issue.

I hope you will be able to see the form of the debt she pays back to Kanata.