Chapter 292. End of the First Year. (1/3)
The rest of the second semester flew by in a flash as graduation approached for third-year students. It’d been over a month since the karaoke event and many things happened during that time.
Spring break was the first on the list. My birthday was on Tuesday during spring break. It was a birthday I was unlikely to forget as I took the written test to get my driver’s license. Though I successfully acquired my learner’s permit in the end, it turned out to be quite a hassle for various reasons.
Thinking about everything that happened on my birthday still gives me a headache even now. It was best to push the memory of it to the back of my mind and forget that awful experience. I sincerely don’t want to remember. Sweat rolled down my back when I recalled how my life flashed before my eyes. I seriously thought I’d die and find myself before some shitty goddess who’d inform me I died a really pathetic death and have me be reborn in another world.
I mean… I already returned to the past in my own world, right? What was to say other worlds really didn’t exist? I’m fine in this world, thank you. I don’t want to gamble and find myself in a world where the conditions are even worse. A world without the internet is also a world I don’t want to be a part of.
Enough of nonsensical talk of other worlds. After I received my license, there was track and field day at the beginning of April. In the morning, it started off with a pepper rally in the school gymnasium to get everyone pumped up. It led to a friendly competition where students participated in various sporting events.
Events ranged from the triple jump, high jump, long jump, 100-200-400 meter dash races, a four-man baton relay around the track, shot put, discus, the javelin throw, in addition to basketball, volleyball, soccer, football, and dodgeball matches.
There were plenty of events for everyone to participate in. Each grade and homeroom selected people to participate in each event. For homeroom classes with a low number of students, they were merged with other small homeroom classes. A lot of the events were in a tournament-style where the top three in each event received the most points for their homeroom. Everyone outside of the top three still received points, but they were much lower in value. As there were so many different events, a bunch of them ran concurrently so it was impossible to watch or participate in them all.
Anyway, it was an entire day without any classes dedicated solely to sports. I was naturally a buzzkill who skipped that day despite attendance being required since I had my fake chronic illness to take advantage of. I wasn’t going to senselessly expend energy on something so pointless.
Well, though it was something I considered pointless for me, it wasn’t pointless for others. It was a great opportunity for first-year students to mingle with second and third-year students through competition. They could form valuable connections or at the very least develop their ability to form connections with others.
It was a very useful skill I never placed any importance on. As an adult, I now understood it though. What looked like something unimportant as a child was actually very essential to your future success in life as a functioning member of society.
Even if I understand it now, I still don’t care.
The classes that came in at the top three spots in each grade level for overall points received a reward. It acted as a carrot on a stick for kids to take it seriously and do their best.
What was the reward? Well, it was something that greatly appealed to students. It was effectively redeemable grades. It sounded ridiculous, but that was essentially what they were. Students in the first place homeroom for each grade were allowed to add 10% onto three final exams of their choice in the courses they took that year. Second place could add 5% to two final exams. Third place could add 3% to one final exam.
However, there was a grand prize that went to first place overall across the three grade levels as well. Students in that homeroom would receive ten attendance points back. For some students, that reward was the difference between failing all their classes and passing them all. You could only miss ten days without a legitimate reason for missing school. Every student started with ten points in each course, every absence without an acceptable reason lost them one point.
Being sick, a doctor’s appointment, or a death in the family were examples of acceptable reasons so long as your parent or guardian called in to inform the school. That was what I took advantage of whenever I skipped.
The nerdy kids in school didn’t particularly care as their grades and attendance were fine. But for the jocks that were in a tough spot academically who skipped classes a lot, this sort of event was where they thrived. They took it extremely seriously and went all out.
Though it was intended as a friendly event, that didn’t mean the competition wasn’t fierce. It was a good thing I avoided it like the plague.
After track and field day, there wasn’t much else left aside from the final exams in the last week of April. Final exam results were released on the first Monday in May. It was also considered our last day in our first year of high school.
Graduation for third-year students fell on Wednesday the same week. Normally, it was a day that would have nothing to do with a brat in his first year like me.
Unfortunately, it did have something to do with me though. It marked the end of the little bet between the student council president and me.
As such, I’d come to school this morning despite there being no classes. However, I wasn’t in my school uniform, I’d come to school in disguise, the one Izora had provided at the planetarium. I’d received an invitation to convocation, the fancy term they used for the graduation ceremony, from Izora.
As for how her relationship developed with Zale after that little karaoke event, I was left in the dark. I didn’t particularly care to know either since it wasn’t any of my business if she didn’t want to tell me about it or ask for any further assistance. Besides, no contact meant things were going well as far as I was concerned.
I arrived right on time for when attendees were being funneled into the gymnasium. In the crowd, I saw someone I hadn’t expected to see today though. It was a good thing I was in disguise and he didn’t recognize me. It was Jass. Did he have a sibling graduating? Well, he was dressed for the occasion so I could only imagine that was the case.
He didn’t know Ria was Izora after all. It couldn’t be her he was here for.
I kept my distance and avoided him, but because my attention was preoccupied with Jass, I failed to notice someone else on my way in.
“Huh? What are you doing here?”
My back straightened up a bit as someone grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. By the voice alone, the speaker was obvious, it was Zale.
“Oh? Heh. Well, if it isn’t the little student council president.”
“What are you here for?”
“Did you forget? It’s the end of our bet, I naturally came to see the outcome. Oh, but what’s this? What’s this? Ria doesn’t seem to be around and she isn’t with you either? Did she stand you up or something?”
“As if I’d be stood up. She said she couldn’t make it for the ceremony, but though she’s busy, she said she would come after it was over. When she does, we can settle the score and you’ll have to break things off with Alicia.” Well duh, it’s pretty obvious she couldn’t make it since she’s graduating with you today.
“You sound pretty confident. Are you really so sure you’re going to win?” My lips warped into a delinquent-like grin as I squinted my eyes.
Unphased by my provocation, Zale nonchalantly responded, “You’re truly pitiful. You don’t even realize when you’ve lost. Has Ria not told you anything? Well, I suppose it makes sense since she’s mine. You don’t even stand a chance.”
If he’s not bluffing, I guess things really went well after all.
“Well, we’ll just have to see about that I suppose. Who’ll really be the winner in the end is still unknown. Just try not to have the rug snatched out from under your feet and cry when you hit your head.”
“This conclusion to our bet is over. After the ceremony, you’ll realize just how small and pathetic you really are. Putting that aside, I hope you don’t expect to be let in without an invitation from someone graduating.”
“Oh? I have an invitation though. It’s right here.” I pulled out a card from my pocket and stuck it out in front of him between two fingers.
“Tsk. Did you hold someone up for it or steal it?”
“Of course not. I was invited here just like everyone else.”
“Who would give you an invitation?”
“Haha, that’s for me to know and you to find out.” Leaving behind those mysterious words, I shook his hand off, walked into the gymnasium, and flashed the invitation in front of the teacher letting in attendees.
Chapter 292. End of the First Year. (1/3)
The rest of the second semester flew by in a flash as graduation approached for third-year students. It’d been over a month since the karaoke event and many things happened during that time.
Spring break was the first on the list. My birthday was on Tuesday during spring break. It was a birthday I was unlikely to forget as I took the written test to get my driver’s license. Though I successfully acquired my learner’s permit in the end, it turned out to be quite a hassle for various reasons.
Thinking about everything that happened on my birthday still gives me a headache even now. It was best to push the memory of it to the back of my mind and forget that awful experience. I sincerely don’t want to remember. Sweat rolled down my back when I recalled how my life flashed before my eyes. I seriously thought I’d die and find myself before some shitty goddess who’d inform me I died a really pathetic death and have me be reborn in another world.
I mean… I already returned to the past in my own world, right? What was to say other worlds really didn’t exist? I’m fine in this world, thank you. I don’t want to gamble and find myself in a world where the conditions are even worse. A world without the internet is also a world I don’t want to be a part of.
Enough of nonsensical talk of other worlds. After I received my license, there was track and field day at the beginning of April. In the morning, it started off with a pepper rally in the school gymnasium to get everyone pumped up. It led to a friendly competition where students participated in various sporting events.
Events ranged from the triple jump, high jump, long jump, 100-200-400 meter dash races, a four-man baton relay around the track, shot put, discus, the javelin throw, in addition to basketball, volleyball, soccer, football, and dodgeball matches.
There were plenty of events for everyone to participate in. Each grade and homeroom selected people to participate in each event. For homeroom classes with a low number of students, they were merged with other small homeroom classes. A lot of the events were in a tournament-style where the top three in each event received the most points for their homeroom. Everyone outside of the top three still received points, but they were much lower in value. As there were so many different events, a bunch of them ran concurrently so it was impossible to watch or participate in them all.
Anyway, it was an entire day without any classes dedicated solely to sports. I was naturally a buzzkill who skipped that day despite attendance being required since I had my fake chronic illness to take advantage of. I wasn’t going to senselessly expend energy on something so pointless.
Well, though it was something I considered pointless for me, it wasn’t pointless for others. It was a great opportunity for first-year students to mingle with second and third-year students through competition. They could form valuable connections or at the very least develop their ability to form connections with others.
It was a very useful skill I never placed any importance on. As an adult, I now understood it though. What looked like something unimportant as a child was actually very essential to your future success in life as a functioning member of society.
Even if I understand it now, I still don’t care.
The classes that came in at the top three spots in each grade level for overall points received a reward. It acted as a carrot on a stick for kids to take it seriously and do their best.
What was the reward? Well, it was something that greatly appealed to students. It was effectively redeemable grades. It sounded ridiculous, but that was essentially what they were. Students in the first place homeroom for each grade were allowed to add 10% onto three final exams of their choice in the courses they took that year. Second place could add 5% to two final exams. Third place could add 3% to one final exam.
However, there was a grand prize that went to first place overall across the three grade levels as well. Students in that homeroom would receive ten attendance points back. For some students, that reward was the difference between failing all their classes and passing them all. You could only miss ten days without a legitimate reason for missing school. Every student started with ten points in each course, every absence without an acceptable reason lost them one point.
Being sick, a doctor’s appointment, or a death in the family were examples of acceptable reasons so long as your parent or guardian called in to inform the school. That was what I took advantage of whenever I skipped.
The nerdy kids in school didn’t particularly care as their grades and attendance were fine. But for the jocks that were in a tough spot academically who skipped classes a lot, this sort of event was where they thrived. They took it extremely seriously and went all out.
Though it was intended as a friendly event, that didn’t mean the competition wasn’t fierce. It was a good thing I avoided it like the plague.
After track and field day, there wasn’t much else left aside from the final exams in the last week of April. Final exam results were released on the first Monday in May. It was also considered our last day in our first year of high school.
Graduation for third-year students fell on Wednesday the same week. Normally, it was a day that would have nothing to do with a brat in his first year like me.
Unfortunately, it did have something to do with me though. It marked the end of the little bet between the student council president and me.
As such, I’d come to school this morning despite there being no classes. However, I wasn’t in my school uniform, I’d come to school in disguise, the one Izora had provided at the planetarium. I’d received an invitation to convocation, the fancy term they used for the graduation ceremony, from Izora.
As for how her relationship developed with Zale after that little karaoke event, I was left in the dark. I didn’t particularly care to know either since it wasn’t any of my business if she didn’t want to tell me about it or ask for any further assistance. Besides, no contact meant things were going well as far as I was concerned.
I arrived right on time for when attendees were being funneled into the gymnasium. In the crowd, I saw someone I hadn’t expected to see today though. It was a good thing I was in disguise and he didn’t recognize me. It was Jass. Did he have a sibling graduating? Well, he was dressed for the occasion so I could only imagine that was the case.
He didn’t know Ria was Izora after all. It couldn’t be her he was here for.
I kept my distance and avoided him, but because my attention was preoccupied with Jass, I failed to notice someone else on my way in.
“Huh? What are you doing here?”
My back straightened up a bit as someone grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. By the voice alone, the speaker was obvious, it was Zale.
“Oh? Heh. Well, if it isn’t the little student council president.”
“What are you here for?”
“Did you forget? It’s the end of our bet, I naturally came to see the outcome. Oh, but what’s this? What’s this? Ria doesn’t seem to be around and she isn’t with you either? Did she stand you up or something?”
“As if I’d be stood up. She said she couldn’t make it for the ceremony, but though she’s busy, she said she would come after it was over. When she does, we can settle the score and you’ll have to break things off with Alicia.” Well duh, it’s pretty obvious she couldn’t make it since she’s graduating with you today.
“You sound pretty confident. Are you really so sure you’re going to win?” My lips warped into a delinquent-like grin as I squinted my eyes.
Unphased by my provocation, Zale nonchalantly responded, “You’re truly pitiful. You don’t even realize when you’ve lost. Has Ria not told you anything? Well, I suppose it makes sense since she’s mine. You don’t even stand a chance.”
If he’s not bluffing, I guess things really went well after all.
“Well, we’ll just have to see about that I suppose. Who’ll really be the winner in the end is still unknown. Just try not to have the rug snatched out from under your feet and cry when you hit your head.”
“This conclusion to our bet is over. After the ceremony, you’ll realize just how small and pathetic you really are. Putting that aside, I hope you don’t expect to be let in without an invitation from someone graduating.”
“Oh? I have an invitation though. It’s right here.” I pulled out a card from my pocket and stuck it out in front of him between two fingers.
“Tsk. Did you hold someone up for it or steal it?”
“Of course not. I was invited here just like everyone else.”
“Who would give you an invitation?”
“Haha, that’s for me to know and you to find out.” Leaving behind those mysterious words, I shook his hand off, walked into the gymnasium, and flashed the invitation in front of the teacher letting in attendees.
