Freyman Academy is where I teach. A quiet school on the edge of the countryside, established since the Fall of Angela two centuries past. This school had stood the test of time and remain the institute within this region of the kingdom.

Of course, whether the quality of their taff remains the same is still questionable

The only certificate you need to be a teacher here is mere middle school level. Mathematic? Algebra alone is fine. Geography? Name three cities in the capital and a list of the noble houses. Physics? Define the concept of "speed" and "acceleration" without glancing at your textbook. Home Economy? Oh please, only women get to learn that shit. Boys should be tending in the field with their fathers instead

It is more the demographic of the students than the teacher's in this case. With most of the school's attendee being from poor households with no need for sophisticated level of education, it is easy to pass out on higher pursuit of knowledge in place of doing what they've been doing for the past centuries. Working and breeding in an endless cycle of senseless repoduction

Gazing at the scenery outside the window, I couldn't help but let out a tired sigh 

looking at the clock that indicates it's been far past my working hours, I stood up from my seats and grabbed my coat. The mirror in the room reflects the visage of a man in his twenties with freckles and glasses. His red hair were tied into a pony tail that gave him the look of a scholar. He smoothly donned his coat and grabbed his suitcase before going outside

Closing the door to the staffroom behind me, I took some time to look at the courtyard down below, admiring the scenery of the school

The setting sun cast its orange glow on the empty yard, leaving me with a sense of loneliness upon seeing the lack of presence nearby. Darkned shadows stretched across the concrete pavement like branches of a tree, none of them belonging to a human

It seems I am now the only teacher to remain here

I suppose a self-introduction is long overdue

My name is Johann Jonathan Brown. There's nothing much to know about me. I grew up in a fairly well off family. My father died early in my birth so I never got to know him. My mother took care of me during my childhood, taking charge of the house's income by working part time as an accountant to the local fief lord. 

She died just after I turned 13 and left behind her son with a decent amount of money. Wanting to follow her footstep,  I spent them on school supplies and started attending the local phrontistery. I soon graduated the top of my class and come close to getting an imperial degree, though for personal reasons it was revoked at the last minute

The prospect of a job came as a trouble for me later on. I got rejected from becoming an accountant for the new fief lord whose prejudice for class outweigh his need for manpower. My attempt at finding an acedemically-inclined profession ends in subsequent failure due to a most unpleasant combination of luck-based reasons and an extreme case of bias and nepotism. In the end, I was forced to grasp at straw and chose the only offer left for me, which is the position of a math teacher in Freyman academy

Shouldn't have done that

I turned to head down the stairs, my footstep echoing off the lonely corridor

As of the current, I am still teaching in this backwater region, working day after day for a drop of that minimum wage that are barely able to pay for my normal expenses. My degree and experience serves jackshit to enlist me in a position with better payment despite the notice stating so

Due to the difference in general education level compared to the more developed regions in the kingdom, school here is not considered a necessity. It is an unnecessary luxury seen by many to be a waste of time.

Everywhere I go, I am treated as nothing more than a nuisance. My students look at me with disdain and sometime active dislike. In their eyes, I am that one teacher who always demands too much of them. Too much homework. Too much lecture. Too much of everything they hate

I heaved a sigh. My eyes glanced around at the decrepit school. The walls had almost been torn off. Cracks and crevices adorned every surface I passed by, a testament to their age and decline.

It was as though the populace has been declining with them as well

Briefly, I wonder if it's somehow my fault that it all turned out like this. Is it true that all the hurdles now are born from the choices I've made? 

Am I justified in feeling this dissatisfaction toward my circumstances?

The silence enveloped me in the depth of my mind as I attempted to formulate an answer. And the conclusion I came to is a positive yes

My fist clenched as I reached the lowest floor. I narrowed my eyes in quiet fury

What did I expect, trying to teach in this backwater country where everyone don't want to learn more than the basics in the first place?

Did I anticipate a smooth journey with those kids eager to consume every bit of knowledge from me when they are far too busy worrying about the crops on their field?

The unpleasant disclosure caused me to stop, a bitter expression spreading across my face 

"If they want to learn, I will continue teaching them" My eyes were downcast "But if they don't want to, what's the point?"

I am a teacher, not a therapist nor a kindergarten caretaker. I have no obligation to coax them into learning as much as I want them to reach out for themselves and help them on the pursuit of knowledge as they should. 

I have no way to reach out to them, and the students hate me in response. What should I do...

My lips pressed into a thin line as an idea popped inside my head. I couldn't help but feel conflicted inside

With careful considerations to the previously mentioned circumstances, It seems the time has come for me to make a decision. 

 

---

 

It was almost fall when I stepped foot into the school yard. Nobody was around this time, as it is the weekend. What greeted me is only the desolate sight of the broken down corridor and the empty staffroom as I walked up to the upper floors

Five years

I spent five years teaching here, desperately hoping for a chance to improve my position. I quietly prayed everyday that something miraculous would happen to make my life easier than before

Ha, I truly am an idiot

That opportunity is already in my palm all this time. I just couldn't see it before

The letter in my hand felt heavy when I placed them on the table

"Dear Principle Carter,

After a thorough evaluation of the current affairs, I regret to tell you that I am no longer able to work at Freyman School. This letter is written to express my wish to resign from my position as a teacher of the institute

I am planning to move to the Capital, where my talent may be used for the better. I had heard news regarding that place as the congregation point of promising young scholars and accomplished academicians, whom I'd like to meet and learn from. The opportunity is too exciting for me to pass up. I hope you can understand this form my perspective and harbor no ill will toward me

It has been my utmost pleasure working alongside you and the rest of the staff. The last five years has been an exciting and enriching experience that serves to widen my view of the world (Or at least stoke my desire to do so). Our collaboration is the highlight of my career, one which I will strive to learn and improve from. I have taken care of the paperwork, so that my departure does not inconvenience you, and the administrative work will operate smoothly in my absence

Tell the student I say goodbye, although I don't think they will care much

Sincerely yours,

Johann Brown"

 

A smile is on my face as I reached the last step leading to the first floor. As I reached the entrance, my heart soared in a newfound sense of liberation and excitement. When I went pass the boundary of the school, I found my throat choking up with happiness

Shit. It's only been a few seconds ago that I was a teacher here. Now that I am outside, I am finally free from those troublesome students of mine. 

Most likely they will rejoice in my absence, but...that's the way it always had been with lazy bums and their teachers.

I'll still miss them, of course. Some of them weren't as bad as the other. They'll most likely make it farther in the future if their circumstance don't hold them back. Either way, I genuinely wish them the best on their pursuit of knowledge

I ran back to my house and gather the rest of my belonging before runnig outside. If I am fast enough, I may catch the last carriage travelling to the capital for today

However, on the way back outside, something unexpected happened. My foot placed above the stairs suddenly slipped. I found myself falling backward from the loss of balance, my eyes widening in fear

Oh no. No no no god damn it--

Are you kidding me?!

Such is the final thought that ran through Johanne Brown's head before darkness crashed upon him