The weekend trip to the zoo could not really be called particularly wonderful, but with Hikigaya Komachi helping ease the atmosphere during the latter half, things at least stayed harmonious, and the "test" ended without any real danger.
And after the start of the new week, when Sato walked into the classroom once again, he still heard Isshiki Iroha's energetic voice.
The girl's sparkling, unyielding eyes seemed to tell him that she would not give up so easily!
…
Thursday, the Nohara household.
Standing in the kitchen wearing an apron, Sato was frying little sausages for lunch bentos. Under the heat and chili oil, the sausages that had been sliced with cross-shaped cuts split open their "tentacles," making them look like tiny octopuses.
"Meow!"
Two cats sat at Sato's feet meowing while raising their round little heads and staring at him with sparkling eyes.
"Stop eating already. You're both turning into balls."
Although he said that, Sato still used his chopsticks to place two little sausages down for them before crouching and quietly watching them finish eating.
Very quickly, the two octopus sausages on the floor disappeared, and the cats lifted their heads to look at him again.
"Shoo, shoo! One each is enough!"
Sato waved his hand and chased the two cats away in a stern fatherly way.
"Meow!"
Perhaps understanding that Sato would not give them more, the two cats meowed at him unhappily before reluctantly leaving the kitchen, turning back every few steps to look at him with bright eyes as if hoping he would change his mind.
After the two cats left the kitchen...
Sato stood up and looked at the bento boxes packed full of dishes. After rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he muttered,
"One more stir-fried broccoli dish should be enough."
As he continued cooking, he did not forget to call out toward the living room.
"Kanna, did you fill the water bottles?"
"Yes!"
"And the energy snacks?"
"Already prepared!"
"Good. Check carefully again to make sure nothing's missing. If everything's ready, we'll head out once I finish the last dish."
"Oh right, go call Tohru too. Tell her we're leaving."
…
The elementary school Kanna attended was actually not that far from Sato's school. After all, this whole district had been planned as a school zone. Between elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and universities, there were more than a dozen schools scattered throughout the area.
If this were on USA, housing prices around here would definitely be outrageously expensive.
And in Japan, it was actually similar, though nowhere near as absurd.
Because schools in Japan were mainly divided into private schools and public schools, and there were a large number of both.
Public schools operated according to district zoning, somewhat similar to school districts in most asian countries. Private schools, meanwhile, had no such restrictions, but enrollment required passing the school's entrance exam.
Compared to public schools, private schools generally had higher academic deviation values. Most private schools were far superior to public schools, especially after Japan implemented its so-called "happy education" system. Better students continuously gathered in private schools because private institutions operated independently, meaning their teaching standards and academic atmosphere were not affected by happy education.
For students aiming for universities and elite schools, only entering stricter and higher-quality private schools could achieve that goal. No matter the era, competition for elite schools had always been intense.
"Happiness" was only reserved for fools and those unwilling to work hard…
There was even a saying long circulated in Japan:
"Four hours pass, five hours fail."
What did that mean?
It meant that if you slept four hours a day, you could get into university. If you slept five hours, you would fail completely.
Competition was fierce no matter where you were. Things were far from as simple as they appeared on the surface.
Although Japan had twelve years of mandatory basic education, where even students with terrible grades could smoothly graduate high school so long as they stayed out of trouble, competition still began from elementary school onward.
Kindergarten to elementary school, elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, high school to university. Every advancement required entrance exams if one wanted to attend better private schools.
Most importantly, students could only apply to one school each time.
In contrast, the other nearby asian countries offered far more choices. Whether for middle school entrance exams or university entrance exams, students could list multiple preferred schools and had many options available. The opportunities were far greater than under Japan's system.
Like South Korea's education system certainly had many flaws, but it also possessed many admirable aspects.
That said, in Japan, even without attending university, simply graduating high school and obtaining a stable full-time job was enough to live quite comfortably…
That alone was a critical hit.
…
Arriving at the school entrance, Sato saw huge numbers of elementary students and parents gathering from every direction. Even though it was a weekday, the sheer number of people still surprised him.
"So many adorable little kids!!!"
Tohru looked at the crowd excitedly, her thick dragon tail wagging nonstop. Several times it nearly knocked Sato onto the ground.
After dodging Tohru's tail once again, Sato finally lost patience and stepped directly on it. With twitching brows, he glared at Tohru.
"Could you calm down already?! Are you secretly a dog or something? Stop wagging your tail!"
"Sato-sama, I was wrong!"
Tohru immediately surrendered and apologized.
"At least pay some attention! Even though you used invisibility magic, your tail still physically exists. What if you knock over a child?"
Sato complained helplessly.
"Yes, you're absolutely right!"
Tohru did not argue back.
Mainly because she could not beat him.
"Kanna-chan!"
Before they even reached the school gates, they could already hear Saikawa Riko's voice. Looking over, Sato immediately spotted her shiny forehead reflecting sunlight brilliantly.
No offense intended, but that was simply the truth.
After looking over, Sato almost instantly locked onto her location because of it, causing him to unconsciously narrow his eyes.
This little girl's hairline was honestly kind of alarming. It looked like she already showed signs of early baldness.
"Sato."
Kanna turned her head, her beautiful lake-like blue eyes looking toward him.
"Let's go together."
Sato smiled as he replied.