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DRT1.4.3: Me and the School and I (The First Half), section 3
Find previous chapters at the Navigation Index.
Danganronpa Togami Volume 1: Multiple Counts of Attempted World Domination
Chapter 4: Me and the School and I (The First Half)
3
Regrets are part and parcel of turning points in life.
Like, "If only I'd scored a little higher on the bell curve... then maybe," or "If only I'd aimed left instead of right... then maybe," or "If only I hadn't been too shy to confess back then... then maybe," that kind of thing. I don't have anything like that, though.
"I mean, that's just being conceited."
As we enjoyed our drive, our decidedly non-cheerful conversation continued. The World Domination Proclamation that had just taken over the radio had had that off-the-rails polish to it, but to me, that may as well have been something that was happening in another world altogether.
"Even if I'd scored a little higher on the bell curve, and even if I'd aimed left instead of right, and even if I'd confessed to my crush, nothing would have gone any differently for me."
"Don't you have any hope?" Aoba asked, curious, but her curiosity was curious in itself.
Of course I didn't. There were countless people who'd had their hopes crushed by Hope's Peak Academy.
This is a really embarrassing confession to make, and anyone who ever says this is a blight upon this Earth who is just begging for death, but I used to want to be a novelist.
Some musicians sent their demo tape to a record label and thought, "I can make my debut like this." Some novelists sent their manuscript in to a Rookie of the Year contest and thought, "I'm sure it will win." That kind of hubris is only permissible for those who have talent.
I fucked it up. I thought, without anything to back it up, "Hope's Peak will come to scout me."
You could say that their entirely scouting-based system means, in a sense, that "you can just wait with your mouth open", but that perspective leads to the following tragedy:
In high school, I believed in my own talent, and waited for Hope's Peak to come scout me. I waited one year. I waited two years. I waited three years. Nobody came to scout me.
When I was in my third year, I dropped out of my high school and went through the admissions process all over again at a different high school. Meaning, I became a brand-new first-year for the second time. I waited one year. I waited two years. I waited three years. Nobody came to scout me.
I had talent. But it was only then that I truly realized that there are monsters in this world, whose gargantuan talent is far beyond comparison to my own. The Super High School Level Literary Girl and Super High School Level Light Novelist and so on were completely not my thing, but even though their chosen subject matter was pure garbage, their outrageous talent was undeniable.
Then came the day of my graduation ceremony.
Diploma in hand, I walked past the current students as they sent me off with well wishes, and then, I happened to see a man standing in front of the school gates. He wore a dark suit, and on the lapel was a glittering pin that symbolized a star of hope.
He was part of Hope's Peak Academy's faculty. He was a scout.
He raised both hands, sending a smile my way. Finally, his smile seemed to say. I thought I was saved.
He passed through the school gates, walked up to me, and then, kept walking past me... to talk to a brand-new first-year that had been standing nearby.
Congratulations on graduating.
Later, I did some research, and found that the person who had been scouted right in front of me had enrolled at Hope's Peak Academy as the Super High School Level Cook. Apparently, after graduation, he was set to become the exceptionally young boss of the Imperial Cuisine Division.
Uhhhh, so, that's about it for my little failure story. I don't really need to explain the rest, do I? You don't need me to tell you about the stuff after that, like the first time I ever tried alcohol, or the nitty-gritty details about how I started living like a mole, right?
I got dumped. Dumped by talent.
"I'm telling you, you're wrong." Even after listening to everything I had to say, Aoba repeated the same words. "Your lack of willpower is the problem here."
Stay tuned for the next update next Sunday (PST)!
Feel free to comment, keeping these rules in mind!
Danganronpa Togami Volume 1: Multiple Counts of Attempted World Domination
Chapter 4: Me and the School and I (The First Half)
3
Regrets are part and parcel of turning points in life.
Like, "If only I'd scored a little higher on the bell curve... then maybe," or "If only I'd aimed left instead of right... then maybe," or "If only I hadn't been too shy to confess back then... then maybe," that kind of thing. I don't have anything like that, though.
"I mean, that's just being conceited."
As we enjoyed our drive, our decidedly non-cheerful conversation continued. The World Domination Proclamation that had just taken over the radio had had that off-the-rails polish to it, but to me, that may as well have been something that was happening in another world altogether.
"Even if I'd scored a little higher on the bell curve, and even if I'd aimed left instead of right, and even if I'd confessed to my crush, nothing would have gone any differently for me."
"Don't you have any hope?" Aoba asked, curious, but her curiosity was curious in itself.
Of course I didn't. There were countless people who'd had their hopes crushed by Hope's Peak Academy.
This is a really embarrassing confession to make, and anyone who ever says this is a blight upon this Earth who is just begging for death, but I used to want to be a novelist.
Some musicians sent their demo tape to a record label and thought, "I can make my debut like this." Some novelists sent their manuscript in to a Rookie of the Year contest and thought, "I'm sure it will win." That kind of hubris is only permissible for those who have talent.
I fucked it up. I thought, without anything to back it up, "Hope's Peak will come to scout me."
You could say that their entirely scouting-based system means, in a sense, that "you can just wait with your mouth open", but that perspective leads to the following tragedy:
In high school, I believed in my own talent, and waited for Hope's Peak to come scout me. I waited one year. I waited two years. I waited three years. Nobody came to scout me.
When I was in my third year, I dropped out of my high school and went through the admissions process all over again at a different high school. Meaning, I became a brand-new first-year for the second time. I waited one year. I waited two years. I waited three years. Nobody came to scout me.
I had talent. But it was only then that I truly realized that there are monsters in this world, whose gargantuan talent is far beyond comparison to my own. The Super High School Level Literary Girl and Super High School Level Light Novelist and so on were completely not my thing, but even though their chosen subject matter was pure garbage, their outrageous talent was undeniable.
Then came the day of my graduation ceremony.
Diploma in hand, I walked past the current students as they sent me off with well wishes, and then, I happened to see a man standing in front of the school gates. He wore a dark suit, and on the lapel was a glittering pin that symbolized a star of hope.
He was part of Hope's Peak Academy's faculty. He was a scout.
He raised both hands, sending a smile my way. Finally, his smile seemed to say. I thought I was saved.
He passed through the school gates, walked up to me, and then, kept walking past me... to talk to a brand-new first-year that had been standing nearby.
Congratulations on graduating.
Later, I did some research, and found that the person who had been scouted right in front of me had enrolled at Hope's Peak Academy as the Super High School Level Cook. Apparently, after graduation, he was set to become the exceptionally young boss of the Imperial Cuisine Division.
Uhhhh, so, that's about it for my little failure story. I don't really need to explain the rest, do I? You don't need me to tell you about the stuff after that, like the first time I ever tried alcohol, or the nitty-gritty details about how I started living like a mole, right?
I got dumped. Dumped by talent.
"I'm telling you, you're wrong." Even after listening to everything I had to say, Aoba repeated the same words. "Your lack of willpower is the problem here."
Stay tuned for the next update next Sunday (PST)!
Feel free to comment, keeping these rules in mind!