#326

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Humans have expectations.

Above all, they expect things from themselves.

Being at the center of attention in class, excelling more than teammates in club activities. Having better academic abilities than classmates who study the same amount.

Having minor insecurities but having a more polished appearance than others.

When potential begins to bloom in various fields, people have expectations. They wonder if they might be better than others.

So, I confront this belief as a mistake. To assert that those without talent are mistaken.

“Maeda is the captain of the soccer team, and Iida is the ace of the volleyball team… How impressive is that?”

“How impressive…? Well, I’m not in any sports clubs, you know.”

In response to the question, Nakayama hesitates, placing her hand on her chin like a detective. Because she’s in the Home Economics Club, she can’t compare herself with confidence.

It’s natural not to know. I also have some idea from my time in the soccer club.

So, I change the topic of conversation.

“Then, is Yuuto impressive?”

“Of course!”

“What specifically?”

“He’s handsome, not in any sports club but still has great athleticism, he’s the best in studies among boys, and above all, he’s kind.”

She eloquently describes the image of Ogiwara Yuuto she sees. Not one of the things mentioned is wrong.

It’s the actual evaluation and abilities of Yuuto. Nakayama doesn’t know, but he’s also good at household chores and cooking.

It wouldn’t be strange if he started ranking first in the Guys you’d want as a husband category in the future.

How impressive the Ogiwara Yuuto she envisions is.

Unfortunately, a person’s talent can’t be measured by a ruler.

So, who else possesses abilities equal to Yuuto’s?

Is it Maeda, or Iida?

The answer is no one.

“As far as I know, there are only four people. Those who truly have talents different from those around them at this school.”

In my mind, the faces of the four people I’ve become closest to come to mind.

Of course, there’s not a trace of myself among them.

Koizumi, Miura, Shiraishi, and Hino-kun. They couldn’t join any club’s leadership position.

Only outside of school could Kaede possibly hold them back. My sister is of the same kind.

“Yuuto, Shizuku, Kirasaka, and the president… Everyone else is just ordinary. Including you, me, and of course, Maeda.”

“What do you mean by that? If they’re compared to those four, it’s only natural… What are you trying to say?”

“So… it’s natural for them to be impressive, but it’s also about how we behave as if we’re similar to them.”

While slightly expressing discomfort at being told she’s ordinary, Nakayama prompts me for further explanation.

Naturally… perhaps that one word sums it up.

Outstanding potential.

Even if ordinary people put in effort, they won’t reach it.

But many people don’t notice, don’t try to notice.

Why ordinary people can’t reach them. Even talented individuals put in effort. Genius isn’t solely about talent.

It’s because they continuously work hard and improve their skills in proportion to their abilities.

The surroundings don’t notice, don’t try to notice.

Because the effort piled up behind the scenes is dismissed with just one word: talent.

Once they realize it, they’ll be confronted with the fact that what they’re doing is just self-satisfaction. And they don’t want to move further in that direction.

So, they use the word ‘talent’ as a big shield, thrusting it at them.

Recognizing that geniuses put in effort, changing their minds, and further improving their efforts is what makes someone a genius of effort.

It’s something to be proud of, but it’s not easy to obtain with just one word.

Many people end up giving up before that.

I, who have once given up, say this.

The thought process of ordinary people may not necessarily be wrong.

They are only confined within the small box called Sakuranaoka Academy for now, but they might soar tomorrow, or next year.

Maybe they’re just staying because they’re being showered with the heat of talent, or maybe it’s because of romantic feelings.

But it’s not something that can be summed up with just one word.

I want to put it into words, but I can’t seem to find the right phrase. It’s surprisingly difficult to verbalize what I’m thinking in a way that others can understand.

Hmm, with a sigh, I try to simplify my words while still being specific.

“Most of the students who came to the sewing room earlier seemed to have the stance that it’s better for them to be active with us rather than someone like Shinra, right? Like, it feels more natural for you guys to be with them rather than with the disliked guy, for their sake?”

“Well, I won’t deny it, but I also think there’s a lot of jealousy towards someone who’s popular and hogging all the attention.”

“That’s true… but originally, they can’t stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Even if Maeda and Iida are showcasing their talents in club activities, it’s just an extension of mediocrity. They can never cross over to their side.”

I’ve seen it closer than anyone else.

I’ve observed it longer than anyone else.

There are siblings at home who have the same talent.

That’s why I understand.

With just ordinary effort, you can’t cross that line.

It’s wrong to recognize someone as a close presence just because they have a little more talent than others.

That’s not just a little talent, it’s not something that can be achieved with just a little effort or stretching.

But, the people who came today probably aren’t even thinking about that.

Being with us, who excel in sports, seems more appropriate than being with dull guys who always act so high and mighty.

Certainly, objectively speaking, that might be true. But, that’s just comparing us to themselves.

They’re not comparing themselves and Shizuku’s group. If they did, they’d realize it.

That it’s just a difference in size, like whether a pebble on the roadside is slightly bigger or smaller. And unfortunately, there are too many talented individuals gathered around her.

At least four in this place called high school.

Originally, they should have been distant figures, but there are too many of them, so they’ve become close.

That’s why the ruler is distorted.

Expectations and misunderstandings arise. It’s not a bad thing. Maybe I’m just thinking too much.

But if you’re going to interact with them, you need to think about it first. Where you stand and how far away you really are from them.

“Talent might hurt others, but it can also hurt the person themselves just as much.”

“…?”

“…If Nakayama really wants to be with Yuuto, it’s a problem she’ll definitely have to face.”

I replied with a wry smile to Nakayama, who tilted her head in confusion.

It’s a very important issue.

If you don’t prepare yourself, you’ll end up with big wounds. Unconscious words and casual conversations can become sharp blades that hurt others.

“When it comes to dating Yuuto, no one around will ever approve. You’ll be ridiculed for not being a match and coldly pushed away.”

I assert, it’s an inevitable future. When I said that, Nakayama’s body tensed slightly. She must have imagined it in her head.

The image of herself walking next to Yuuto, and the way people around her would treat her differently than before.

Humans are creatures that can easily cut ties, not just one-on-one, but in groups, for their own benefit, self-preservation, and desires.

And the malice is directed not at one person, but at the group as a whole. They never intended it to be a one-on-one situation from the start.

They easily gather those who agree with them, those who sympathize with them, and easily wound with the blade of their words.

You shouldn’t be standing by their side.

She should be there, he should.

Even if it’s a relationship that both parties have acknowledged, outsiders don’t consider that.

As a result, they distance themselves, feeling like they were always out of reach.

They drift away, so easily.

The reasons are because of different talents, because they don’t match, because there should be someone more suitable.

It’s probably just like that when you think in clichés.

So, I wonder.

Is romantic affection something that you can easily discard just because people around you gossip about it?

What they seek might be a desire similar to possessiveness, like collecting something that others don’t have, driven by twisted emotions.

Kanazaki Shizuku is a girl overflowing with talent, but she’s just an ordinary high school girl.

She falls in love, sheds tears, and has her own self-awareness.

However, she became more reserved, more self-conscious, crushed by the ideal image that people around her seek.

Ogiwara Yuuto puts on a confident facade, easily lies to cover up his flaws, and builds walls against those around him with words that ensnare others.

As a result, he plastered a smile on his face and earned the title of the prince of the school.

His first love was a girl with similar talents, but what he fell for was her personality. If another girl with a similar personality appeared, he would date her regardless of her appearance or talent.

Kirasaka Rei wished more than anything to be treated like everyone else.

However, she was categorized as special due to her birth and numerous talents and appearance.

The efforts she made behind the scenes were brushed aside with a single word: talent.

And she continued on, walking the path of a solitary existence, away from others.

Hiiragi Akane was expected to be exemplary.

Because she had the ability to fulfill those expectations, she strived to be the epitome of excellence more than anyone else in history.

Without experiencing the ordinary, commonplace experiences that ordinary high school girls go through, she remained bound to the position of being exemplary.

Both at home and at school… it felt like she was trapped in a narrow cage, suffocating.

Talent is something everyone envies.

But with talent comes an equal amount of misfortune.

Expectations from unwanted sources.

Judgment from outsiders towards the person you have feelings for.

Continuing to interact with them means being prepared for that.

Or perhaps, it means accumulating enough talent and effort to be worthy.

They weren’t born with everything from the start. They became geniuses because they accumulated enough effort to fill a larger vessel than others.

With that understanding, we must act and speak.

So when Maeda’s group visited us together for the first time, I somehow understood, even if just vaguely.

They didn’t come with resolve, nor did they come purely to send off the seniors who had taken care of them. They only came driven by their own desires, amplifying their sense of legitimacy through group consciousness.

Among that group, the only one who harboured individual thoughts was Machida from the baseball team. I secretly thought that he might be able to build a good relationship with the executive committee in the future.

I told Nakayama that it was a mistake with a arrogant tone, but even I don’t actually think my thoughts are correct.

I just believe that you need to keep thinking.

Even someone like me has something that feels like certainty.

In this conversation, there’s something that really needs to be conveyed.

“If someone like us really wants to be with them, then we need to have our own thoughts and not give in. We can’t climb to where they are, but we mustn’t pull them down to where we are. So, no matter what others say, cling to them until they’re smiling.”

So, in the classroom illuminated by the dusk, with the meaning of reminding myself, I delivered those words with a firm voice and determination.

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: I didn’t upload yesterday, so 2 chappies today, don’t forget to click the next button. ---