Welcome to the Classroom of Talent Supremacy

Volume 2 - Ch. 3 A Casual Holiday

On the second day of the weekend, I sat on a bench a little away from the shopping mall that had not opened yet. I was waiting for someone I had made plans to go shopping with today. Originally, I had planned to go shopping alone, but coincidentally, this person also had plans in this area, so we decided to go together.

We were buying items for making kusa mochi (mochi with mugwort) and sakura mochi (cherry blossom mochi), such as bowls, pots, and plastic wrap. By the way, I had already arranged for yomogi powder and domyoji rice flour to be delivered.

When I first thought about making mochi after eating kusa mochi, I went window shopping at the shopping mall, but they didn't have the items I needed at the time, so I used some points to order them in advance. We planned to pick them up around noon.

Until then, I just needed to accompany my companion and pass the time, so the day was going perfectly according to plan.

But still, it's quite unexpected for me to go shopping with someone and get along. The teachers who created me would surely be disappointed if they saw this situation.

The long-cherished wish, wisdom, and hope of humanity—the informal name "Ultimate Hope." Unlike Makoto Naegi, who was called the "real genius" by Sakayanagi, I was an artificial hope created by ego.

The other day, Sakayanagi Arisu called me a "genuine genius," but is that really true? What defines a genuine genius, and what does it mean to be a genius in the first place?

For example, a person who can excel in one particular thing to the point where others can't catch up is considered to have innate talent. A person who can excel in various things above average is called a person with diverse talents.

There are other examples as well, but what is a true genius?

Sakayanagi Arisu referred to someone who stood out among numerous geniuses as a "genuine genius" based on her own theory, but is that person truly a genius?

A person who possesses both examples of genius mentioned earlier—that is, a person who can excel in all sorts of things to the point where others can't catch up.

This could certainly be considered a "genuine" genius.

But do you realize something?

The closer you get to perfection, the more that genius departs from the framework of being a "human." They become an "outsider" or a "monster."

And the fate of that monster is either described by blind believers as "god," a banal term, or they become a convenient "tool" for parasites.

Somewhat self-deprecatingly, I am now reevaluating my own existence.

Furthermore, it's quite boring that the definition of a genius will eventually───

"Hey."

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a voice.

I mechanically turned my gaze in the direction where the voice came from.

There stood a girl dressed in a neat casual outfit, but her sharp, hawk-like eyes made her appear anything but neat.

It was Ibuki-san. She was also the person I had been waiting for.

Yesterday, she contacted me asking for help with shopping. Apparently, she wanted some male assistance, and I was chosen for the job.

Going out with someone of the opposite sex on a holiday, in other words, a date. My heart should be dancing with excitement at this first experience.

What clothes should I wear on the day? What approach should I take? Which route should we take to go around the shopping mall?