With only two weeks left before the entrance exams for the various prep schools in Chiba, there are three types of student behavior.
The first type studies full-time, giving it their all to achieve excellent results and maybe even aim for the top spot at the school they're applying to. It's very common; most Japanese students strive for something like that. Because of the country's culture, we're taught from childhood to be disciplined, to prioritize education, and to be competitive in order to achieve better outcomes.
It's normal—something expected in any country—since the idea is that if you study hard and get high grades, you'll eventually land an important job… or at least, that's what people assume, even though it's not always the case.
Now that we've defined the stereotypical Japanese student, it's time to talk about the second type. I fall into that category.
Do studies guarantee you a successful future? If your answer is yes, I feel sorry for you.
I'm not saying you should stop studying, but being the top student in your class doesn't mean your future is secured.
Once you understand that, you put in the effort you believe is appropriate. When you know your own limits, you don't build false expectations. You accept that you'll probably end up working in an office for more than twelve hours a day, overworked and under constant pressure—an all-too-common lifestyle for Japanese workers.
Someone from another country might have a lot to say about that. In fact, I questioned it too at first, but after living over ten years in this country, I came to understand this way of life. And having accepted it, I'll probably end up following it too.
Leaving home, working, coming back just to sleep, and repeating the cycle—that's the short version.
There will always be some time for hobbies, and maybe even to spend almost all your money on a VTuber, since working all day leaves you with very little time to socialize with girls. Not impossible, just much harder than it looks.
And if you need to "de-stress," there are places in various Japanese cities where girls will warmly welcome you and take care of you for as many hours as you're willing to pay.
You'd be surprised by how creative the Japanese can get with things like that—there's something for every taste, even for… uncommon preferences.
Even if you're a student who struggles to talk to girls, there are websites where you can rent a girlfriend so you don't feel so alone.
Of course, if you're willing to spend a lot of money just to receive some affection, that's entirely up to you.
…I think I've strayed too far from the topic.
What I'm trying to say is that the second type of student only puts in the effort necessary to live an average, ordinary life—socially speaking, something right in the middle.
Now, as for the third type of student, things get a bit more complicated.
As you know, Japanese society seeks an ideal model built around discipline, respect, and so on—but society isn't perfect. If it were, it would be a utopia, and such a thing doesn't exist.
That's why there are people who are a bit… difficult.
Rules are meant to be broken.
At least, that's what this type of person—or in this case, student—seems to think.
You could call it a rebellious phase: dyeing their hair, wearing the school uniform in a messy way, acting defiant toward adults.
It's usually just a phase and tends to disappear once they reach adulthood.
For example, if I look up and glance toward the back of the classroom, I can see five boys who fit that description perfectly. You could even call them delinquents.
They can be quite troublesome—they intimidate other boys, annoy the girls, and worst of all, if you try to complain about them, they act like thugs, threatening anyone who dares to speak up.
If you've ever been in school, I'm sure you've run into this kind of student. The best thing to do is simply ignore them—don't act too meek when they talk to you, because they'll see you as weak-willed and try to push you around. But the opposite is just as bad: if you act too bold and try to confront them, they'll rely on their numbers to corner you and make fun of you afterward.
In my case, I can slip under the radar because I'm not very talkative, nor am I overly compliant when people speak to me. Simply put, I'm not their target.
As for this type of student in particular, calling it a "rebellious phase" is generous—they can be straight-up awful, to put it mildly.
College is the last thing on their list, and if they do go to high school, they won't aim for top-tier ones, since those actually have requirements.
According to a documentary I watched recently, many of these students choose not to attend high school at all, ending up in part-time jobs—that's the best-case scenario. Others may end up joining gangs, becoming nothing but a nuisance to society.
As far as I know, those are the three types of students—or at least the ones I've seen.
And like I said, I fall into the second category. I'm not a fan of overworking myself with studies, but I don't ignore them either; I keep a moderate pace. Since I'm not aiming for perfection, I can go at my own rhythm and relax along the way.
For example, right now most students are studying; some are listening to music, others—like me—are reading a light novel, and some are just chatting loudly, bothering everyone else.
I don't think I need to spell out exactly who those five students are—the ones talking as if their conversation mattered to the entire class.
But as expected, everyone pretends to ignore them.
I turned my eyes back to my light novel to enjoy my pleasant reading time.
Or at least, that was the plan. After half an hour, I noticed a few classmates gathering beside my seat.
"Something wrong?" I asked in my usual monotone voice.
I'm not popular at school, nor am I the center of attention, so it was surprising to see three classmates—who could easily be labeled "delinquents"—coming to talk to me.
I should probably bother remembering their names, but I can't remember something I never learned in the first place. As for their appearance, just imagine the stereotypical look of rebellious students and you'll get the idea. Sorry if that's vague, but I don't pay attention to things that don't interest me.
"Tell me something—are you going out with that blonde?"
"Blonde?"
…Ah, he must mean Yumiko.
"Don't play dumb. I'm talking about the girl who comes to get you almost every day," he said, clearly irritated, as if my answer had been meant to mock him.
"I'm not going out with her, and I doubt I ever will," I replied, not even looking up, waving a hand dismissively.
"That's good to know." He relaxed after hearing that. "Still, I don't want to see you around her. Just some advice." His tone shifted as he said this, placing a hand on my shoulder and applying pressure.
A very common move when someone wants to intimidate you. His so-called advice was nothing more than a warning—one that could just as easily be taken as a threat.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some classmates looking toward us, pitying me.
"I'll keep it in mind," I answered as usual.
Does that make me a coward or something?
Not at all. In fact, it would be easy to grab his wrist, flip our positions, and slam his face onto my desk. But I'm not some beast who settles everything with violence. However…
I have no problem letting my fists explain things when needed—and when the situation is right.
Moreover, there's no way I'd feel intimidated by something so trivial. I've met people I actually do need to be careful with when talking—people who are terrifying in their own way.
The boy in front of me nodded cheerfully and went back to his seat with his friends, who ignored me the entire time.
Ah, youth. Truly beautiful… or maybe just annoying.
With nothing else to distract me, I turned my gaze back to my novel and continued reading.
…
With the entrance exams for high school drawing closer, it was obvious this day would eventually come.
Just by looking at the atmosphere, even an idiot could figure out what day it is.
That's right—it's Valentine's Day.
A day like any other if you look at it objectively, but in a school full of boys and girls, Valentine's Day is a major event.
What is Valentine's Day?
I'm sure even the most clueless person knows that.
And if you don't, I'll explain it briefly.
Valentine's Day is a day when girls give chocolates to the boys they like or feel attracted to.
That's it.
What? Were you expecting something more?
Well, there is more.
There are also obligation chocolates, which girls give to boys they consider friends… or pity.
But for boys, the reason doesn't matter—what matters is that you got one.
It's something you can brag about to your friends.
And in case you're wondering, my record is still perfect—I've never received a single chocolate.
It's nothing to be proud of, but I'm not jealous of the guys who get tons of chocolates from girls either.
After all, eating too many sweets is bad for your body, raises your blood sugar, and can cause certain illnesses.
Not that I'm wishing the popular guys who get loads of chocolates end up with a nasty stomachache.
I'm an adult mentally; I'd never let something as trivial as a teenage event affect me, hahaha.
I cleared any lingering desire for chocolate from my mind and took out my lunch.
3, 2, 1…
Right on schedule as always, Yumiko walked through the classroom door and headed straight to my seat.
It's a routine I've already grown used to.
As for what that classmate told me a few days ago—forget him.
My parents taught me not to pay attention to strangers.
And since I don't even know my classmate's name, he counts as a stranger.
"Let's go!" Yumiko said cheerfully, carrying her lunch.
"I'm coming."
I took out my lunch from my bag before standing up and walking with her to our usual spot—the stairs that lead to the rooftop door.
She hummed a cheerful tune during the short walk.
Once we arrived, we sat on the steps and began eating.
"Raiden, Rumi told me you train. Is that true?" she asked, looking at me with curiosity as she brought a bite of rice to her mouth.
Direct as always.
That's not something I need to hide, so I don't mind answering.
"I've been doing it since I was a kid. I started with basic exercises, and once I got used to it, I decided to take it more seriously and enrolled in an MMA academy when I was twelve."
Though the truth is that when I joined that academy, I spent a long while as my classmates' punching bag—but that's just a minor detail.
She looked at me with surprise and disbelief after hearing it.
"So you were everyone's punching bag, huh?"
"Can you read my mind or something?"
Is Yumiko some kind of esper?
Actually, if you really are reading my mind, repeat this: ñom ñom ñom ñom.
"Of course I can't read your mind. Are you an idiot or something?"
"Good to know." I felt relieved.
The odds are 0.000000001 in 100 billion, but never truly zero.
"Do you have thoughts you don't want me to hear? Are they lewd? Huh? You pervert?"
"They are. One hundred percent lewd." I nodded without hesitation, looking straight at her.
I'm a teenager; not having lewd thoughts would be weird, and I have no problem admitting it.
"Eh? That's disgusting! But I'll give you credit for being honest."
Her disgusted look shifted into something like understanding at the end.
"I've got nothing to hide, so I consider myself honest."
"And who do you fantasize about?" She tilted her head while bringing her chopsticks to her mouth.
"Older girls—maybe someone's older sister or a teacher."
I'm a simple man—older girls, one hundred percent.
"I shouldn't have asked…" She shook her head, as if my answer wasn't what she expected.
It was a fun conversation, but I should get back on topic.
"So, what was the point of your initial question?"
Yumiko isn't the type to ask something without a reason. After months of knowing her, I can tell.
"If you know how to fight, why did you let yourself get hit that day? Wouldn't it have been easier to beat up those two guys?"
"Everything depends on the circumstances." I nodded.
"Now that I think about it, that same day you told me you were really strong. Were you just trying to sound cool?" There was a hint of teasing in her voice.
"Just because I know how to fight doesn't mean I go around hitting people. Besides, it always depends on the situation and the place."
There are things you can feel confident about— especially when it's about yourself.
That day, I could've beaten up those two guys who tried to intimidate me, but in the end I would've been the one who lost, so I chose to deal with it another time.
Yumiko looked up at the ceiling, as if trying to remember something.
"Alright, that works for me." She said it in a good mood.
"You're weird."
She ignored my words and kept eating.
I went back to finishing the rest of my meal as well.
Once I felt full after lunch, there were only a few minutes left before the lunch period ended.
"By the way, Raiden, I got another confession letter."
"As popular as ever, huh."
It's something every student could agree on.
"Obviously. There's nothing more beautiful than me in this whole school."
She brushed her golden hair back with her hand, as if to give her words more weight.
"Good for you, Miss Popular. So what, you wanted to brag that every guy's chasing after you?"
"A little." She began to revel in the inevitable truth. "Though I also wanted to tell you that one of your classmates wrote that letter."
"I can guess who it is." In fact, there might even be four idiots standing right beside him. "Aren't you going to ignore it like you always do?"
Ever since Yumiko became well-known at school, the confessions haven't stopped, but she's always brushed them off, so it's strange that she's telling me who sent this one.
"This time I'm in the mood to hear what he has to say; besides, I want to tell him a few things the other students won't." She flashed an innocent smile.
The troublemakers in my class are known throughout most of the school, so it's only natural that Yumiko knows something about their antics.
"What are you, some kind of social heroine?"
I can't picture her as a vigilante—if anything, I can only imagine her as the villain trying to sink the main character.
"A heroine, huh? I like the sound of that!"
My words only made her ego grow.
"It wasn't a compliment."
"Oh, come on, don't be shy. If that's how you see me, you can't deny the truth!" She gave me a few light taps on the back.
Before I could complain about her attitude, the bell rang, marking the end of lunch.
Yumiko packed up her lunch and stood up.
"I'm counting on you, Raiden. See you."
With those words, she walked off in high spirits.
Once she disappeared from view, all I could do was sigh and look up at the ceiling.
"Alright… time to head back."
With nothing else to do, I got up and headed toward my classroom.