In the college courtyard, the breeze blew slowly, as if sensing the tension in the air, and the students dispersed after the end of class.
Amidst this apparent tranquility, Hiroshi appeared, like a heavy specter from a past that had not yet been closed.
Reiichi stood still, his features frozen, as if time had stopped.
Ryuichi (to himself):
"Impossible... What is he doing here?!"
Ora (whispering nervously behind his glasses):
"Ryuichi... Don't show any emotion... This man is a real threat."
Erika noticed the sudden change in his expression, turned toward him, and followed his gaze... As soon as she saw Hiroshi, her pupils contracted for a moment.
Hiroshi approached with a sickening calm, his gaze carrying a crude narcissism and his tone of voice piercing the wall of balance:
Hiroshi:
"How strange fate is... to place before me someone I thought was long forgotten."
Reiichi (in a low voice):
"...I didn't expect to see you again."
Hiroshi (with a provocative smile):
"And I didn't expect you to be so bold... sitting in the sun without an umbrella, as if the sky weren't raining meteorites."
Reiichi (trying to control himself):
"What do you want?"
Hiroshi (waving his hand as if shooing away a fly):
"I'm just trying to assess your situation, Riichi. You're among civilians now... It seems you've started building a new life for yourself, haven't you?"
He takes another step closer, his gaze piercing the distance:
Hiroshi:
"But you know as well as I do... that those who flee their shadows are swallowed by the light."
At this moment, the tension begins to rise, and Aura warns:
Aura (whispering quickly):
"He's deliberately provoking you, don't fall into the trap."
Reichi (breathing heavily, trying to control his emotions):
"Are you done?"
Hiroshi (nodding his head):
"Not yet..."
He glances quickly at the "student" next to him, then returns his gaze to Reichi:
Hiroshi (with veiled sarcasm):
"I see you're still surrounded by strangers... as usual."
Then, before he can say another word... the silence is broken by a familiar voice:
Miko (from afar):
"Ah, you're here!"
She ran up from afar, with Ryoko on her shoulder, chewing on a piece of biscuit, his eyes shining with excitement.
Ryoko (looking at Hiroshi):
"Oh? Who's this guy with the dark aura? Did you come to submit your application to join our party?"
Hiroshi (his expression changing slightly as he looks at Ryoko):
"..."
Miko (cheerfully, but sensing the tension in the air):
"What's going on? The atmosphere is tense, as if we were on a battlefield."
Ryuichi (breathing a sigh of relief, then whispering):
"Just in time, as usual..."
Erika (staring at Ryoko):
"This boy... he looks like you in some way, Ryuichi..."
Hiroshi (in an even lower tone, looking at Miko and then Ryoko):
"It seems I've entered a masquerade party... How interesting."
Then he turns back to Ryuichi, his tone becoming more serious:
Hiroshi:
"But remember... parties end, and then the real show begins."
The atmosphere calms down a little after Miko and Ryoko intervene, but the tension still hangs in the air.
Hiroshi suddenly turns his gaze to Miko, a look of subtle cunning in his eyes and a hint of lost glory in his tone:
Hiroshi (in a soft voice, tinged with confidence):
"Miko... I didn't expect to see you here. You're still as amazing as ever, a genius like no other."
Miko (with a neutral smile):
"And you, you're still using the same words you used in front of the development committee three years ago."
Hiroshi (laughing lightly):
"At least I haven't forgotten who was by my side when we made history."
Reiichi watches silently, his features tense, and Aura follows from behind her glasses:
Aura (whispering in his ear):
"Be careful, he wants to win her over again... and he may suspect something."
Hiroshi (taking a small step closer):
"Tell me, don't you miss real work? The equations that move the world? That project that almost redefined perception?"
Miko (smiling slyly):
"I only miss the parts that didn't involve you."
Hiroshi (his tone changes slightly, but he continues his narcissism):
"You know that no one understands you scientifically except me. Your genius needs a platform... You can't stay confined to classrooms and accompanying unqualified students."
Miko (laughing gently as she looks at Reiichi):
"And do you think I spend all my time with them? Sometimes protection is more important than invention."
Hiroshi (with a slight pause):
"Protection? From whom?"
Miko (with suspicious coldness):
"From inflated minds who think the world revolves around their equations."
Ryoko (yawning as he eats a piece of chocolate):
"Wow, I didn't know that even geniuses could be part of college drama."
Erika follows the conversation with a keen eye, scrutinizing every facial expression Hiroshi makes, without saying a word.
Hiroshi (staring at Miko, his tone more serious):
"Don't forget, Miko... the past doesn't die. And the projects we started don't end just because someone decided to run away."
Miko (bowing her head slightly, smiling slyly):
"Sometimes, Hiroshi, we have to run away... just to come back with a stronger plan."
Hiroshi (taking a step back):
"Hmm... I see you're still impressive... and perhaps dangerous."
Then he looks at Reiichi, a silent gaze that carries no obvious threat, but is charged with menace.
Hiroshi:
"Goodbye... Or maybe, see you soon."
Then he slowly turned and left, leaving behind a question hanging in the air, saturated with mystery.
Reiichi remained staring at the spot where Hiroshi had stood, as if his shadow were still lingering in the air.
Reiichi (whispering to himself):
"Impossible... How did he suddenly appear? And why now?"
Ora (in a low voice, from inside the glasses):
"I don't like his tone... It's changed. He's become calmer... and that's worse."
Reichi (thinking to himself):
"It wasn't just a discussion. He was showing off... watching our reactions."
Miko turned to Reichi, the playful expression on her face gone, looking serious for the first time in a long time.
Miko:
"We need to reevaluate our calculations. His appearance now is not a coincidence."
Erika (looking toward the horizon, in a low voice):
"That man... I saw his eyes. No one looks that way unless they're about to start a fire."
Ryoko (his usual smile gone):
"For the first time, I don't feel like mocking him... Hiroshi is like a broken chess piece, but he's still capable of taking out the king."
Ora:
"If his path crosses ours again, we have to be ready. Reichi... don't tell Erika about me yet."
Reichi (whispering to himself):
"I know, Ora... This secret is too heavy to reveal now."
Silence fell over the group, and the atmosphere was heavy, as if rain were about to fall despite the clear sky.
Then Miko suddenly spoke, breaking the silence with a tone of regained control:
Miko:
"Let's go back. I think the time for inaction is over."
Reiichi entered the next lecture hall a little late. The chairs were filled with the usual faces, but something seemed different... as if the colors had suddenly faded.
He sat silently in a corner near the wall, close to the window, staring unfocused at the still-blank blackboard.
Reiichi (whispering to himself):
"What is he planning? Why hasn't he revealed himself completely?"
His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of Dr. Yoshida, a strict man who was not given to pleasantries.
Dr. Yoshida (calmly but firmly):
"Good morning. Let's not waste any time. Everyone, please open your lecture notebooks. Today's topic: Complex atomic structures and their applications in 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢 technology."
A soft murmur spread through the room, but Riichi was unable to concentrate.
Suddenly, someone sat down next to him. One glance was enough to freeze him...
Erica, disguised of course, with brown hair and clear glasses.
Erica (in a low, heated voice):
"Are you still thinking about it?"
Ryuichi (with feigned indifference):
"I don't know who you're talking about."
Erica (with a slight smile):
"If you're going to pretend to be calm, don't tap the table every three seconds."
He looked at his hand and found that it was indeed tapping the wood involuntarily.
Ora (inside the glasses):
"Focus, Ryo. Your distraction may be noticed. Let me help you organize the information during the lesson."
Ryoichi (in his mind):
"Actually, I need you... but keep your voice down, Erica is next to me."
Aura (quietly):
"Of course, activating whisper mode."
As Dr. Yoshida began his in-depth explanation of the oscillating frequency equations in the 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢 nucleus, Ora began whispering to help with the instant mental translation of the concepts, allowing Ryoichi to answer one of the questions with surprising accuracy.
Yoshida (slowly raising his head):
"Hmm... Correct answer. Mr. Reoichi seems to have regained his focus."
The attendees' gazes turned toward him, and one of them commented in a low voice:
One of the students:
"He was absent yesterday... and today he's answering faster than the lecturer."
Erika (whispering):
"Really... Ryu, did you suddenly become smart?"
Ryuichi (with a half-confused smile):
"Let's just say... I have a superior virtual assistant."
Ora (whispering sarcastically):
"I'm more than an assistant. Remember who saved you on the Kazuma test."
After the end of the previous lecture...
The students began to leave one by one for the break, the sounds of joking and laughter mingling with their hurried footsteps, while the auditorium began to empty little by little.
Ryuichi remained in his seat, staring blankly at the blackboard, while Erica sat next to him, her eyes scanning him from time to time.
Erica (quietly):
"Are you planning to stay here until tomorrow?"
Ryuichi (with a tired smile):
"I'd rather sit here than face that arrogant jerk again..."
Erica (jokingly):
"If you mean Hiroshi, you might find him behind you right now."
He turned around quickly, but she was just joking. He exhaled quietly, then leaned back in his chair, breathing slowly.
Time passed...
The students began returning to the lecture hall for the last class. Minutes passed, then half an hour... and no one showed up.
A student in the back (complaining):
"I don't think he's coming. This is the third time this month."
Another student:
"I heard he's sick... or on vacation."
Some of them began to leave again. Only a small group of students remained in the lecture hall, including Riichi and Erika, silent, watching the clock hands swallow up the time.
Riichi (slowly getting up):
"Well... there's no point in waiting. Let's not—"
The auditorium door opens with a deep sound.
Everything falls silent. It is as if time itself has frozen for a moment. Slow, steady footsteps advance inward. The silence intensifies, and all eyes turn inward.
Reichi (in an inner voice, frozen):
"Impossible... It can't be..."
Erika (in a nervous whisper):
"No... It can't be..."
His straight back, his black suit, that unsettling calmness on his face, and his sharp gaze that scanned the auditorium as if searching for prey.
It's... Hiroshi.
He stopped at the edge of the podium, quietly set down his bag, then turned his face toward the remaining students.
Hiroshi (in a calm but authoritative tone):
"It seems you haven't left yet... Excellent."
Reiichi (inner voice, confused):
"When did... this man... become a lecturer here?!"
Erika (in a low whisper):
"This is no coincidence... It can't be a coincidence."
Hiroshi walked toward the podium, then turned his head toward the blackboard and wrote in neat, bold letters:
"Advanced Introduction to Deep Learning Algorithms – Lecture 01"
He turned again, his eyes scanning the remaining students.
Hiroshi (coldly):
"I think most of you are still in the early stages of understanding what artificial intelligence really means... So, we'll start with a simple test."
He pulled a tablet out of his bag, then looked directly at Reiichi.
Hiroshi (with a slight, almost sarcastic smile):
"You... What's your name?"
Reiichi (somewhat nervously):
"Reiichi, sir."
Hiroshi (raising his eyebrows):
"Good. So, Reiichi... Answer me this:
If we are training a Transformer model with a million parameters on a dataset containing 17% probabilistic noise, how do we adjust the regularization process to minimize information loss without sacrificing accuracy?"
Ryuichi (shocked):
"What kind of question is that...?"
The students' eyes were fixed on him, and his breathing became audible.
Reichi (whispering to himself):
"Aura... I need you now..."
...But there was no answer.
Reichi (whispering urgently to himself):
"Aura...?"
[A moment of silence, then her faint voice reached his mind:]
Ora:
"I didn't help you on purpose. It was a precaution."
Reichi (in his mind):
"What? Why?!"
Ora (calmly):
"Because that question is completely beyond your scope, and no student here will be able to answer it... unless they are working on one of the advanced artificial intelligence projects."
Hiroshi (after a moment of silence):
"You don't know the answer?"
Reiichi (shyly):
"...No, sir."
Hiroshi (with a calm smile):
"It's okay... I didn't expect anyone to answer, I was just testing the group's level."
He then turned his gaze to another student and asked him another technical question that was a little less complicated, while Ryoichi remained clenching his fist slightly... The shock was still evident on his face.
Erika (watching silently, thinking about Hiroshi's strange motives).
Ryoichi (whispering to Aura):
"What is this man planning... ? And why is he here?"
Ora (calmly):
"Watch him closely... He's not here just to teach."
After the next student answered hesitantly, Hiroshi nodded slightly, then began to walk quietly between the rows.
Hiroshi (in a low but clear voice):
"In the world of artificial intelligence, the problem is not a lack of knowledge... but thinking that you know."
He passed by Reiichi without looking directly at him, but the tone of his voice carried enough of a hint.
Hiroshi:
"Some people think that technology is a means of escaping weakness, or of transcending reality... But true intelligence cannot be hidden behind talking machines."
[Reiichi feels that the words are directed at him... His heart pounds.]
Hiroshi (stopping in front of the blackboard):
"The real question is not how to program a machine... but how to program a human to trust it?"
[Erica looks at him intently. Words that carry more than just a lesson.]
Hiroshi:
"In my previous job... there was a project... a project that everyone thought was a failure. But the truth? It was more successful than they expected."
[His eyes sparkle mysteriously as he speaks.]
Hiroshi:
"Sometimes, we just have to let systems evolve on their own, without interference. Then, we see faces fall, and others... rise."
[Then he stops talking suddenly, turns to the board, and writes in bold letters:]
"Trust, knowledge, control—the three pillars of any successful system."
Then he looks back at the students.
"Let's make things a little more difficult..."
[He scans the rows with a cold gaze, then says:]
Hiroshi:
"Another question... What is the potential role of artificial intelligence in developing and stimulating neurons in the human brain?
And how can brain-machine interfaces be used to enhance learning and memory?"
[The students exchange glances. Silence... The tension rises. Ryoichi swallows hard, while Erika stares at the paper in front of her without comment.]
Hiroshi (calmly, as if relishing his control):
"I knew this would be..."???
(clearly audible from the back):
"The answer depends on the type of artificial brain interfaces used, whether they are direct sensory feedback or those based on deep machine learning."
[All eyes turn toward the source of the voice... A student in the back row stands up, wearing thin glasses and headphones around his neck. It is "Takero."]
Takuro (confidently stepping forward):
"Research in the field of neural artificial intelligence has shown that combining artificial neural networks with cortical sensors can improve brain responses and strengthen the pathways responsible for long-term memory.
Especially when combined with electrical stimulation controlled by self-learning algorithms."
[Silence, a mixture of surprise and amazement. Reichi looks at Takero in surprise, Erica raises her eyebrows attentively.]
Hiroshi (his voice softening slightly as he stares at Takero):
"...Huh. Interesting."
[He approaches him slowly.]
Hiroshi:
"Your name?"
Takero:
"Takero..."
Hiroshi (looking at him intently):
"...You may be what I've been looking for."