Random Book

The Midterms (Part 3)

That made me wonder about the other wallflower in our class.

I got up and walked over to Nora, and gently shook his arm. He lifted his head a bit.

"You're disappointed with the results?" I asked.

Nora nodded yes. He handed me his letter.

Japanese: A+
English: A
Math: A+
Science: A+
History: A
Vanguard: A

"I should've done better... I could've done better..." Nora muttered.

As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't need to improve... his scores were amazing. In fact, I think they beat Sakigamiya's grades... she had two Bs on her report, but Nora had just pure As.

So why was he so... disappointed?

"Don't act like that. Your scores are easily some of the best in the class... no, some of the best in the year. I don't even think A Class could hold a candle to you."

"It's not good enough, Takanori-kun... my grades should've been A*... not just A."

Is that what he was getting hung up on? That it wasn't perfect?

"These grades are good enough, right? We're at the beginning anyways. You'll get A* eventually. It's not a race to be the best."

If only I could follow my own words too... I understand the frustration Nora is feeling.

He was only a few marks off his target. I was also in that same position a month ago.

If only I had won those Cardfights... I could've changed the course of fate itself.

But I was a little off the mark. As a result, I had to pay the price, dragging everyone else alongside me.

Nora shook his head.

"It's... hard for me... to explain..."

"Explain what?"

"...I found those exams so hard... the atmosphere of the exam hall crushed me... all my anxieties were eating away at me while we waited for our grades... I was so sure that I messed everything up and would fail... plus what happened in the war... I just... there's been... so many emotions, and I... I don't know... I feel a little... hollow?"

Nora began to ramble incoherently. I didn't understand what he was saying, but I think the stress had finally gotten to him and broken him.

Yukimura was always the one who'd take Nora's mind off things like revision. He'd talk to Nora and hang out with him. Ever since Yukimura was suspended, Nora hasn't had a friend like that to carry some of his burden.

He's been fighting alone the entire time, especially during the war against D Class when he had to confront his worst fears.

In some ways, Nora was the bravest and strongest out of all of us. However, I just couldn't help him anymore... I didn't know what the right words were to say.

That lamenting face of emptiness was something I was too familiar with. Being tired of life and not wanting to bother anymore was something I felt throughout my middle school life.

...I wonder what I'd say to that past me.

Strangely enough, Yukimura, who was sitting in the corner of the class, was also looking gloomy and melancholy. He just sat on his zabuton, lifeless like a doll.

His shoulders were slumped and his hand was pressed against his head. I snuck towards him and peered over his shoulder to look at his grades.

Japanese: F
5% (13/240)
English: F
2% (3/160)
Math: E-
26% (63/240)
Science: C
49% (117/240)
History: F
4% (10/240)
Vanguard: F
1% (2/200)