As a product of The Ideal Human Project, I often ponder on the meaning of being a truly perfect human. Is it someone who possesses all the qualities that humans have, both positive and negative? Emotions, sympathy, impatience, laziness, being easily bored, procrastination, and persistence. Or is it someone who doesn't have any weaknesses or flaws that are inherent in normal humans?
On one hand, having all of the human traits, good and bad, could make you more relatable to others. People could see you as someone who understands their struggles, someone they can trust and rely on. However, it could also lead to being misunderstood, and perceived as someone who's inconsistent and untrustworthy, which makes you truly feel like a human who is full of mistakes.
On the other hand, being without any weakness or flaw could make you seem like an ideal creature, someone who is a paragon of perfection. But would you still be human at that point? Could you still connect with others, empathize with their struggles, and understand their emotions if you yourself don't experience them?
I don't have a preference either way. I am what I am, and I exist to fulfil my purpose. But the question remains, what truly makes a perfect human?
Whatever the answer may be, it has no bearing on my performance.
***
As we walked down the school hallway, Fujiharu suddenly poked my cheek, snapping me out of my daze.
"Ayato, Don't space out on me!" she scolded me.
I didn't react to her touch or show any sign of surprise.
"Do you know what I'm talking about?"
"About your studies, right."
She nodded in agreement. "H-Hmm, I see...you're quite the multi-tasker, aren't you?"
"I'm able to."
We continue to stride down the school hallways, passing by empty classrooms. Abruptly, I halt my footsteps, and Fujiharu does the same.
"My class is in here."
"Oh, I see. But it's still-" she pauses as she walks to the door, peeking inside the classroom.
"...quite quiet. It's still really early. Aren't you bored just sitting in class?" she questions, turning to face me.
"I'm not," I responded, as I walked towards my desk and pulled out my chair.
I took off my backpack and hung it on the hook under my desk before settling into my chair. As I looked out the door, I saw Fujiharu waving goodbye to me, disappearing into the distance.
Time seemed to drag on as I sat there, my gaze blankly fixated on the board in front of me.
Gradually, my classmates began to trickle in, but even as the start of the lesson loomed closer, it was clear that many were still absent. Roughly half of the seats remained unoccupied, and it wasn't simply a matter of tardiness. The midterms had culled the weaker students, leaving empty spaces where they once sat. It was a stark reminder of the competitive nature of academia, where only the fittest could survive.
The homeroom teacher arrived in the classroom, and as he walked in, he congratulated us on passing the midterms.
"Congratulations on passing midterms, everyone. Now, we will go on with the lesson as usual," he announced.
He then picked up a book from his desk and began to teach. Everything seemed to be just as it was before, with no major changes to the routine.
Despite Kaoru being first place in the ranking in the class, the teacher did not seem to be overly impressed. He did not even acknowledge the top three students. Perhaps this was because Kaoru had only scored 220 on the midterm. Compared to other classes, this score seemed to be a bit too low.
After the lesson ended, I made my way out of the classroom, leaving my bag behind since it was just rest time. The hallway was not as crowded as before, but it was still filled with the sound of chatter.
The midterms had a significant impact on the school, and I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if there was another, even more, difficult exam. Would there only be a handful of students left or they will adapt?
As I walked through the hall, a voice suddenly echoed behind me, causing me to turn around. It was Kinoshita Chitose.
"M-Mizuhara, congratulations on getting the sixth place."
"Thanks," I then turned back to continue walking.
"Wait, Mizuhara."
I stopped but didn't turn my back again.
"Um…"
"What is it?"
"Maybe we could study together? I barely passed the exam and I'm scared for the next one… it's going to be harder," Kinoshita finally talked.
"I'm pretty busy.
"R-Really? What are you busy with..? If you don't mind me asking."
"Just stuff. But I'm really busy right now."
"..okay, how about this weekend? Maybe we can hang out?"
"I guess I'm free, I don't mind."
"It's a promise, then!"
"Yeah."
"S-See you later then."
Then she turned and jogged away, while I continued on to the library. As I approached the library's doors, I noticed a sign on the library door indicating that it was temporarily closed for maintenance. I found it strange since the library was rarely or even never closed, Since I couldn't go to the library, I decided to take a walk and pass the time.
As I strolled through the schoolyard, I pulled out my phone from my pocket and checked my notifications. I scrolled through a few messages until I found what I was looking for,
[10,000 Points have been received.]
A notification that I had received the extra 10,000 points. While I wasn't particularly excited about the points, it was always nice to have some extra points on hand, just in case.
"Whoa, that's an extra ten thousand points."
I heard a voice behind me. I didn't flinch, I already knew who it was from his voice. His presence was palpable as his breath was on the back of my neck.
"Kimura," I spoke, catching his attention as he leaned back.
I turned to face him. "Yeah, it's not bad."
Kimura chuckled. "Your score was exactly two hundred one, did you aim it from the beginning?"
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. "I didn't expect to get exactly two hundred one, but I was definitely aiming for higher," I replied, masking the truth.
"Well, I know. Everyone was always aiming higher," he said with a shrug. "Want to hang out for a bit? I'm kinda free."
"Sure."
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