“What if you made your camera smaller?” Itsuki suddenly looked up from his seat, looking at the camera from afar.

  “No time for that anymore.” I replied while typing religiously on my laptop.

  Athena’s mom threw us out of her office so we were sitting by the table further away from any customers. My laptop and my back was facing the wall.

  Athena was sitting in front of me with different books out there, writing in one of her notebooks. She was doing her homework.

  “The camera was not her main invention at the start of her project!” Athena said to Itsuki.

  Itsuki was leisurely sitting beside me. Doing nothing, just passing the time.

  “Oh? What was the original?” Itsuki asked intrigued upon hearing this.

  “Robot with technology that recognises and replicates human emotion.” I replied again on auto tune, while my fingers typed away.

  “Replicates? I thought it was just to read and recognise?” Athena raised an eyebrow.

  “The materials for the face structure did not add up. The part of the face from inside the tiny parts of microelements were not connecting to each other. I got mad and destroyed it all. It was a bad idea. Akasia doesn’t have the tools to replicate correct material.” I answered to Athena while my hands still kept trying away on my laptop.

  “Oh? That’s what Mr. Karin meant when he said you won’t have time to finish it, if you did make that material yourself!” Athena remembered the conversation with Mr. Karin and me.

  I nodded.

  “Robots as inventions are pretty lame.” Itsuki said his comment.

  “Yeah…but they are the best awarded ones.” I replied.

  Development projects are also like popularity contests.

  People do want to see new and fresh inventions. Though taking from the human mind an expectations. The ones that actually works are the ones that builds something that already exists but better.

  If invention is new and never seen...it creates points for development and creativity but human mind is afraid what is new. It need's to be eased in by giving the ideas through media and ads before accepting it.

  Brain needs time to recognise the unknown is not a threat. A basic human function.

  That’s why I originally chose that project but had to scrap it when it did not work.

  “That’s exactly what learning institutions are failing in. They teach and let students learn in batches in a value as collective bias accepting the norm chosen by collective.” Itsuki gave an opinion.

  Suddenly my fingers stopped typing as my brain processed the words. I looked up at Itsuki.

  “My professor has said something along those lines…” I replied.

  “You do have a point there, Itsuki!” Athena seemed to agree to his statement.

  “From my year in University and how I was taught before this…I do see a lot of collective bias and norms, that I had to accept.” I said thinking out loud.

  When I was learning with Sano. I was his only student, so I had none of the experience to read this or know about it.

  Since I am in Akasia University, I have noticed that professors or students as a collective have the same things in common. It comes in small thinking patterns, accepting certain boundaries and norms that no one questions but accepts. The point of growing into a society is to adapt and function as a collective. Which does make sense to have this type of set up for learning environments.

  “Bias comes also from the person’s roots, family and anyone they are surrounded with…so technically I wouldn’t say that learning institutions are at fault.” Athena was thinking loudly and said this.

  “True!” Itsuki replied leaning in on his chair. “Though the learning environments and educational systems do not perform for correct growth of a individual.” Itsuki continued.

  “Well…that I can say is true.” Athena nodded.

  “You wrote that in your research!” I pointed at her. “You pointed out two different approaches.” I said.

  “Oh! Yeah!” Athena excitedly smiled at me remembering her project. “There’s two types of ways of learning to be adapted. First one I wrote about mentioned learning institutions and classrooms. The second environment motioned was individual learning and homeschooling.” She pointed out her two points she was looking at.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “Which one do you think works?” Itsuki asked away.

  “Both of them have equal sets of points that I agreed and disagreed with." She replied not giving a clear answer.

  Athena continued. "The conclusion I pointed to is the intent.” Athena told us her conclusion.

  “The most growth potential was for the student that is professionally homeschooled because the attention for student and teachers will be with two.” Athena was saying the points she was researching. “Though, it does take away from someone to learn to communicate socially which would mean they did not develop emotionally adapting to their own knowledge.” Athena said.

  “Mhh...that’s a point to look at. What do you think Rory?” Itsuki looked over at me. Knowing well that I was homeschooled.

  “I disagree…students individually can be taught to communicate as part of learning. Field trips to specifically focus on interactions with other people.” I told my point of view.

  “Yeah…this is a good point!” Athena looked at me, thinking to herself.

  “What is the other part about learning institutions?” Itsuki asked, wanting to know.

  “Ohh…” Athena smiled. “Learning institutions don't have that individual attention so it would be to assess someone wrong or misunderstand someone’s potential and growth.” Athena replied.

  “It does sound like you are leaning towards homeschooling.” I raised an eye.

  Athena shook her head. “Nope, I do not. Intent is my conclusion. Needs to be intent on what and where in the future these studies will be used. Generalised subjects are taught for both of these and bias will be there regardless.”

  “Then it is more like Universities that ask students what they want to learn and only learn the subjects that are necessary for their choice of degree.” Itsuki now raised an eye saying this.

  “Yeah…but still when you are sitting in that classroom you are still viewed as collective.” Athena replied.

  “I can see where you got stuck with the idea…” My mind was going and picturing the loop of both issues. In my eyes both of them work but personally I prefer individual studies. It’s because that's all I know and feel the most comfortable doing.

  “I think there could be a third option for these…” Itsuki let out a thought. “Like guided self exposure to a master of craft or field…seeing that potential is achievable and labeling it as the norm…” Itsuki spoke with intervals.

  “It would be a mix of both then…part of it learned individually and other parts exposed in a classroom.” I replied.

  If someone was exposed to talent on a normal basis that mind would think it is normal to achieve it.

  “Though…it could be too harsh for a beginner to follow someone who may never achieve mastery.” Athena pointed out her thoughts.

  And continued. “With intent there are still flaws. There could be access if a person actually can individually learn…some people need a crowd for them to be able to learn. Other introverted ones will thrive at individual learning.”

  “Yeah…I agree this debate will not end.” I turned my eyes back to the screen.

  I was typing away again.

  “When are we taking these off again?” Itsuki asked out loud.

  “We don’t fiddle when customers are inside…wait till closing time.” Athena replied what her mom told us today.

  “It’s getting dark soon.” Itsuki was now looking out of the window where the sun was setting now. The time was four fifteen on a Thursday.

  Tomorrow is my presentation.

  So right now while the app is still running I am looking over recorded material from yesterday and been looking at its function. The accuracy we have right now is one hundred percent for facial recognition but only sixty eight percent for emotional reading.

  The stumble between sarcastic emotions are found to be a flaw, and face structures deviating from person to person. The app is subjected in a way it auto learns from previous expressions that are read and comparing them. Data shows so far that it works but because it still needs to be running for more time to be able to self learn and adapt.

  I will make do with this. It shows potential and that is the goal I am rooting for right now.

  I typed some more and then decided to stop, locking it and closing the laptop.

  “We can go somewhere else if you want and then come back at closing time. Have you finished your homework's Athena?” I suggested and turned my eyes at my friend.

  “I am just now done with it.” She replied. “Want to see a movie?” Athena happily suggested.

  “I am down!” Itsuki said.

  “As if you had a choice.” I rolled my eyes at him.

  Then I turned my eyes to Athena. “I think two hours of watching a screen will take my mind off the project for a little bit.” I agreed to go.

  In the mornings till afternoons I have attended the University, not missing any scheduled lessons. In the afternoons I’ve been coming to Athena’s mom’s bakery shop with Athena and Itsuki.

  Athena tends to finish her homework while waiting on me and Itsuki just hangs around like a furniture piece or accessory, always just being not too long away from me.

  I feel like all that I am thinking about these past couple days is my project. Even having some weird lucid dreams about it. A movie will take the edge off even for a moment for tomorrow's big day.

  “Yay!” Athena was very happy to go to a movie together. She started collecting her books into a bag. I also put my notebook away and laptop in a bag.

  “Should we leave in my mom’s office?” Athena pointed at our bags.

  “Only if it is not in the way.” I shrugged.

  Athena moved on to the back room.

  Me and Itsuki followed in tow.

  Eve was in her office doing paperwork for a couple hours now. Her other workers were consulting the clients and running the bakery open for her.

  Athena’s mom only helps out at the front when she wants it. Apparently it is all the time as she enjoys baking but still needs to do all of the paperwork each day.

  Athena opened the doors for the office.

  “Mom! Can we leave our bags while we head out for a bit?” Athena asked her mom.

  Eve looked up from her desk, at us.

  “Sure guys!” She nodded at us to leave it near her.

  “Thank you!” I politely thanked Athena’s mom.

  She smiled at me sweetly. “Rory, tell your mom to visit my shop sometime.” She suggested it to me.

  I gave a smile right back at her and nodded. “I think it’s a good idea.”

  Mom would be great with a new friend that is not related to her field. Someone she could hang out with. The same way she was suggesting to me to have friends, her advice works on herself too. It would also give me peace of mind. Having someone like Athena’s mom might do some good for my mom.

  We then moved on to the movies. We walked for it because the movie theater was very close by. Only a seven minute walk away.

  ? The Noble Reincanarted Demon King ?

  by BookRusher98