After learning that Izumi Kotomi had been thinking about her painting for the competition during class, Shizuka Hiratsuka nodded in understanding.
"It seems I was right. However, even if you're preparing for the Tokyo University National Youth Painting Competition, you should still pay attention to what's expected during class. From the podium, I can tell whether you're actually studying or just daydreaming. If you don't believe me, come up to the podium and see for yourself—it's quite clear. So, if you want to daydream during class, you'd better be more discreet about it."
Shizuka Hiratsuka had been speaking seriously up to that point, but her sudden shift in tone nearly caused Kotomi to lose her composure.
"Huh?" Kotomi looked at Hiratsuka, bewildered, wondering if she had heard her wrong.
But Hiratsuka continued as if she were imparting some strange new wisdom: "Here's a tip: next time you're in class, stack a few of your textbooks horizontally in front of you on your desk. That way, it'll be harder for the teacher to see what you're doing from the podium. Whether you're zoning out or even playing on your phone with the sound off, the teacher might not notice. This trick works well—I used it when I was in high school. If you sit by the wall, wear your Bluetooth earbud in your right ear; if you sit by the window, wear it in your left ear. It worked well for me—I only had three phones confiscated in three years."
After she finished, Shizuka Hiratsuka let out a few proud hums, as if she were boasting about her achievements.
Wow, losing a phone a year? What kind of family situation must she have had to be able to afford that?
"Ms. Hiratsuka, are you being serious?"
"Half serious, I suppose. Of course, I don't actually recommend you do that. But since you're currently focused on the painting competition, it's understandable. Right now, is there anything more important than that?"
Shizuka Hiratsuka spoke earnestly. Though she sounded like she was joking, she genuinely meant what she was saying.
In her view, while high school was still part of academia, it was already starting to reflect the harsh realities of society.
In Japan, some students treat high school like college, entering the workforce right after graduation. However, even in such cases, there are still many high school students who take the university entrance exams every year. In any competition, the more participants, the fiercer the competition.
Similarly, in a nationwide competition like the college entrance exam, scoring just one extra point could be the difference between thousands of people.
If Izumi Kotomi wanted an easier path to university, getting a recommendation was an excellent shortcut.
Securing a recommendation meant that you wouldn't have to struggle through exams—you could gain admission to a prestigious university without needing to test for it. While others in their third year of high school would be desperately studying for a slim chance, you could relax and prepare to receive your acceptance letter.
There's nothing fair or unfair about it.
Even within schools, absolute fairness doesn't exist; it's only relatively fair compared to society.
A recommendation is something earned through one's own abilities.
This was exactly like the Tokyo University National Youth Painting Competition.
Winning that competition would earn you 200,000 yen and a recommendation, but out of the thousands who enter, only one would be chosen.
One winner means thousands will be eliminated without mercy.
Even an outsider can see how brutal the competition for this painting award is. But even so, as a teacher, knowing that her student had the opportunity to secure a university recommendation, Shizuka Hiratsuka chose to let Izumi Kotomi focus on the competition for now, putting academics aside temporarily.
If it were any other teacher, they would likely never allow a student to do this. It's not that other teachers are strict; they simply don't want their students to take on unnecessary risks. If the competition failed, it would mean not only wasted time but also falling behind in studies. In high school, even a minute wasted could allow someone else to overtake you.
"I thought you'd tell me to focus on my studies," Kotomi couldn't help but remark.
"I'm only thirty… ahem, I just turned twenty-nine! I'm not that old-fashioned. We're probably not that far apart in age, so I can understand what you young people are thinking. Besides, you're only in your first year of high school—the real competition hasn't even started yet. Even if you fail at the competition and lose some study time because of it, you can still catch up."
Shizuka Hiratsuka said, fully supporting Kotomi's decision to enter the Tokyo University National Youth Painting Competition. Although she could be a bit strict, she was fundamentally a teacher who respected her students' personal choices.
"So, does this mean I can daydream in class without worry for a while?" Kotomi asked cautiously.
"Of course not! Maybe in Japanese class, but if you do that in other teachers' classes, don't be surprised if the praise you've been receiving suddenly turns into complaints. Even if you're daydreaming, at least show some respect to the teachers who are working hard to teach. Got it?"
"Got it!" Kotomi nodded.
"Good, then go back to class—the second period is about to start," Shizuka Hiratsuka said, waving her hand to dismiss her.
Kotomi didn't waste any time. After bidding her teacher goodbye, she headed back to the classroom.
She had initially planned to play a quick game during the break, but with only three minutes left before the next class, that wasn't possible anymore.
She certainly didn't want to end up like Hiratsuka, getting her phone confiscated three times over the course of high school.
Even if she were to play games during class, based on her experience from her previous life, she would at least wait until a quarter of the class had passed.
As Kotomi returned to the classroom, Kyoko Kirigiri, who had been chatting with Yui Yuigahama, couldn't help but ask out of curiosity:
"Kotomi-san, what did Ms. Hiratsuka talk to you about?"
"Nothing major, just discussing the Tokyo University National Youth Painting Competition. Senpai Naegi mentioned this morning that I was planning to enter, and I guess Ms. Hiratsuka needed to sign off as my homeroom teacher," Kotomi replied openly, not hiding anything about her conversation with Shizuka Hiratsuka.
"My sister mentioned the competition to me yesterday. It seems you and my sister will both be entering the national competition. Good luck, Kotomi-san."
"Thank you," Kotomi nodded in gratitude, then noticed the dark circles under Kirigiri's eyes. "Kirigiri-san, you look like you have dark circles under your eyes. Did you not sleep well last night?"
Covering her mouth, Kirigiri Seiko chuckled softly. "Yes, both my sister and I had some trouble sleeping last night, so we ended up going to bed quite late."
"You should make sure to get enough sleep and take care of yourself," Yui Yuigahama chimed in.
"That's easy for you to say, but weren't you dozing off during Japanese class just now? Did you stay up late reading novels again last night?" Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly remarked.
Yui Yuigahama could only give an awkward smile. "I didn't stay up late! I just went to bed a bit later than usual."
"What time?"
"Two in the morning…"