Flying Classroom - (New Curriculum Standards)

Author: Castner
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: [Germany] Castner
I. Friends with Diverse Personalities
Just as the calendar turned to December, a heavy snowfall blanketed the school grounds of Gochissmon Middle School, making it look particularly tranquil and beautiful.
On a Wednesday noon, the dining hall was bustling with activity as two hundred students were having lunch. In the afternoon, it was free activity time. After finishing their meals, the students eagerly rushed toward the school gate.
"Ugh! This little bit of food isn't even enough to fill my stomach!" Mattis complained as he left the dining hall, patting his belly. Mattis was known as a "glutton," towering in height with a stomach like an endless abyss that could never be fully satisfied. He patted his pockets and found them already empty. Turning to his friend Uli beside him, he said, "Hey! Lend me some money! I need to buy some bread."
Uli, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Mattis in terms of physique—thin and small. He was very envious of Mattis' robust build, though the two were very close friends despite their stark height difference.
Uli readily took out some money and handed it to Mattis, reminding him not to forget the afternoon rehearsals. Mattis nodded in agreement and strode toward the school gate.
According to school rules, it was not allowed to leave the school grounds at this time. Senior students were on duty at the gate, but this didn't deter Mattis. He skillfully slipped out through a secret passage, climbed over the wall, and went to buy his bread.
Uli walked alone toward the gymnasium. They had agreed to rehearse their self-written Christmas play there in the afternoon.
Along the way, students were enthusiastically building snowmen and playing snowball fights. A few senior students were pulling pranks, shaking the large trees by the roadside hard enough to make snowballs fall on passersby's heads. Uli saw this and quickly detoured around them, taking a quieter, less-traveled path.