LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 51
Chapter 51: You Are Already Excellent
The first month of the first year, especially with D-Class losing all 1000 class points, became the laughing stock known to everyone.
Considering that Hachiman is also a student of D-Class, Tachibana could already guess the reason why he seemed so down recently.
“Thank you very much for your help, but there’s no need to worry about the points for now.”
Hachiman quickly expressed his gratitude for Tachibana’s kindness. The importance of individual points goes without saying. Many lower-ranking classes are short on points, and only people like Hirata or Kushida, who have a wide circle of friends and are well-liked, could borrow points from upperclassmen.
So, when Hachiman heard that Tachibana was willing to lend him points, he felt a somewhat complicated emotion.
Seeing his reaction, Tachibana didn’t insist any further and instead comforted him, “You’re worried about your class, right? The huge gap between your expectations and the school’s evaluation, especially after learning the truth about being assigned to D-Class, must be tough for you. And then there’s the competition between classes, all the internal conflicts, and trivial matters. These are all tests to become an excellent student. I believe you can turn this pressure into motivation, I have a lot of confidence in you.”
Her words were both a comfort to Hachiman and seemed like a reflection on her own experience.
“Senior, were you and the president also assigned to D-Class at first?” Hachiman asked curiously.
Tachibana froze for a moment and then shyly shook her head, “No, the president and I were in A-Class from the beginning.”
Hachiman: “……”
Seeing Hachiman’s stunned expression, Tachibana couldn’t help but laugh, “I know what you’re thinking. At the beginning, the difference in points between A, B, and C classes was less than 200 points. So A-Class isn’t some kind of foolproof life-saving charm. On the contrary, as the leading class, we had to bear more pressure than others.
As the president would say, a temporary lead doesn’t guarantee final victory. Over the three years, there were times when we almost faced a crisis of being overtaken, but in the end, the president withstood the pressure and led us to overcome the challenges. That’s how we have the A-Class you see today. So, we couldn’t afford to relax for even a moment.”
Though Hachiman didn’t understand all the details, from Tachibana’s words and expression, he could sense the hardships and pressures she had faced over the past three years.
“But I have a question for you, Senior,” Hachiman suddenly said after a brief silence, “I know that only A-Class students get 100% employment and advancement privileges upon graduation. So in the school’s view, A-Class students are the best, but the question is… does this evaluation really apply to every student in A-Class?
What I mean is, I’m not saying the students in A-Class aren’t excellent. On the contrary, I think only truly excellent students deserve to be in A-Class and receive those privileges. Do you understand what I mean?”
Tachibana froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting such a sharp question from him.
“I understand what you mean, Hachiman. You’re saying some students are… ‘trash’ right?”
Hachiman nodded. This was his biggest dissatisfaction and confusion about this school. Although it aims to cultivate excellent students, it treats class competition as a method to achieve that.
If D-Class were to eventually turn things around and graduate as A-Class, it’s undeniable that there are certainly some excellent students in D-Class. But… could students like Ike, Yamauchi, Sudo, Karuizawa, and even Sakura, honestly be called “excellent”?
Of course, in this process, you can’t deny everyone’s potential and future. But Hachiman couldn’t imagine the future of students like Yamauchi… would they evolve into higher apes?
To place such students under the label of A-Class’s “excellent students,” Hachiman saw this as an insult to other students who worked harder and were more outstanding.
It was like being born into a good family, family, or class; even if you’re a useless person, you can still receive material wealth that others could never get in their lifetime.
In the end, the so-called “excellent graduates” produced by this school, in Hachiman’s eyes, seemed more like “packaging” and “hype.” To put it simply, it’s like a beautiful exterior, but rotten inside.
Faced with Hachiman’s sharp question, Tachibana unexpectedly fell silent. After a long time, she spoke, “I didn’t expect you to be thinking about this kind of problem. Honestly, this phenomenon does exist, but can you say it’s wrong?
The pressure in A-Class is really huge. For students like me, who weren’t particularly outstanding at the beginning and even lagged behind, just to not become a burden on the class and to catch up with everyone else, I’ve already used up all my strength and energy.
So, can I really call myself an excellent student? Actually, I don’t know, because my mind no longer has the space to think about these things. All that remains is one goal: to keep moving forward, forward, and forward, and that’s all.”
Tachibana’s voice was soft, but the heaviness and hardship in her words revealed the truest feelings of the past three years. It was the first time Hachiman gained a deeper understanding of the students at this school.
“Haha, did I suddenly seem like I don’t have the image of an A-Class senior?” Tachibana couldn’t help but stick out her tongue.
“Senior is still a senior, it’s just that I’ve been too self-conscious,” Hachiman began to self-reflect.
Tachibana smiled and shook her head, “Actually, all of this was taught to us by the president. I still remember when the president said to all of us: What does it mean to be an excellent student? It’s just a label that the school, society, and people put on us. I know some people think they’re not excellent enough to belong in A-Class, even feel inferior, or think they’re a burden to others.
But I want to say, that’s neither important nor correct.
It’s like climbing a mountain. On the way to the peak of success, we will always encounter difficulties and challenges. So, it’s inevitable that some will fall behind, and sometimes, to save one person, the entire team might be dragged down. But even so, I believe that no one in the team should be considered disposable or superfluous.
Excellence doesn’t come from other people’s evaluations. It comes when we look back and reflect on ourselves. If you can feel that you’ve progressed, matured, and grown, at that moment, you can say with pride and without regret, ‘You, have already become excellent.’”
Hachiman suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He also saw the smile on Tachibana’s face.
“So, this is the answer the president found at this school? I always thought the president was the type who was cold and heartless, believing only in the supremacy of strength,” Hachiman couldn’t help but sigh.
Although this school aims to cultivate excellent students, it doesn’t mean that “strength above all” is the only answer. Horikita Manami used her own thinking and actions to present another kind of answer on this paper.
Though it might not be correct, it showed everyone the existence of another possibility.
Was this the president’s courage?
“Such an excellent president, no wonder you like him, Senior.”
“You, you… what are you suddenly saying! Like? No, don’t say random things… I’m just… just…” Tachibana’s face turned red, and she fumbled for words, hurriedly cleaning up the papers on the desk.
“?”
“Ah, today’s work is done! Hachiman, you’ve worked hard these past few days, go get some rest!” As she spoke, she forcefully pushed him out of the student office.
It wasn’t until he left the teaching building that Hachiman couldn’t understand why such a petite girl could have so much strength. Was Tachibana secretly a strong woman?