Free Announcer Aika Kanda “Go for it, Boy of Five Forks!

A turning point in my life that would be the first time

It was dusk one evening in February. I was on my way home from the nearest station and approached my usual five-way intersection. A small five-way intersection with no traffic lights. There, two boys with school bags on their backs said to me, “Bye! See you tomorrow! Bye bye! They turned their backs to each other and started walking in opposite directions. They were both in the third grade of elementary school.

As one of them passed by me, he muttered in a small voice, “Oh ……,” as if remembering something, and stopped. Then, as if determined, he turned around and shouted to his friend who was moving away from him. Hey,” he said, “do you go to cram school?　Do you go to cram school?” I asked. He stopped and turned to his friend. I asked back, “What?” I asked back. Do you go to cram school?” When I asked again, he looked puzzled by the sudden and unconnected question and replied, “…… Kumon! He replied, ” Kumon! I asked again, “I see. What about cram school?” He asked. I don’t go to cram school! My friend said, “No, I don’t! Then the boy, after a short silence, said, “I’m not going to ……! and started walking again. Seeing him, my friend also started walking again.

As I watched the whole thing from the side, my heart tightened in my chest. February is the month when the sixth graders take the entrance exam for junior high school. For elementary school students who may take junior high school entrance exams in the future, this is the time when their parents question whether or not they will start attending cram schools to study for the exams, and whether or not they have the will to take the exams in the first place.

When I was a child, it was common for children to start attending cram school in the spring of their fifth year of elementary school to prepare for junior high school entrance exams. However, today’s children start cram school much earlier. It is common for children to start attending cram school from the third or fourth grade, and some families even start from the early grades of elementary school.

My own guess is that the boy was just now asking, “Do you want to take the entrance examination for junior high school? Will he attend cram school?” and “Will he attend cram school?　But there is no way he can make a decision yet. What is an entrance examination?　What is it for?　What is cram school?　Is it fun?　You don’t really know, but you are probably feeling the pressure of having to make a decision that will somehow affect your future. That’s why you must have gathered up the courage to ask your trusted friends about it.　But you couldn’t talk to them because you knew that Kumon is the only school you go to, right?

I couldn’t help but imagine that much. It was a turning point in his life, probably for the first time. With her tiny body and brain, she is struggling to find some kind of answer. I felt so much love for her, and I wanted to help her out of her anxiety and hug her and tell her it was going to be okay. I was surprised that it was so unlike me to think like this, but that’s how I felt.