Emerald Green Sky

No. 87 The story introduced this time

Here, we compile stories that have become topics on the internet and in the news into articles as "stories so good they bring tears to your eyes," along with videos uploaded to YouTube and other platforms.

This time, we are introducing a post about a classmate named A-kun, who was good at drawing but a bit slow in his pace, and Mr. N, a teacher who guided A-kun with the same strict yet kind approach as he did with the other students.

There was a YouTube video based on this story, so I will introduce that as well.

Regarding the posting date

I confirmed a post from November 21, 2004, but I apologize if that is incorrect.

Content of the post

When I was in elementary school, there was a boy named A-kun who was a bit slow with addition and subtraction calculations and the pace of conversation.

However, he was a child who was good at drawing.

He often drew pictures of the sky.

As a child, I was amazed by his brilliant use of color.

During math class, Mr. N, the homeroom teacher, would ask him for the answer even though he knew the boy couldn't solve it.

The other children would laugh at the sight of him breaking into a cold sweat, using his fingers, and trying to come up with the answer by saying, "Um, um..."

Mr. N would persistently make him say it over and over until he got the answer out.

I hated Mr. N.

Eventually, the classes changed, and before we became sixth graders, Mr. N was transferred to a different school, so we held a farewell party for him at a school-wide assembly.

We needed someone to say a farewell speech as a student representative.

Some fool suggested that A-kun should say it because he had caused the teacher the most trouble.

They were expecting him to stand there alone at the farewell party and stutter.

I will never forget A-kun's words.

"Thank you for letting me study together with the other children."

A-kun's words of gratitude lasted for over ten minutes.

He talked about how the teacher taught him how to use watercolor paints.

He talked about how the teacher stayed with him after school to help him study the abacus.

During that time, not a single child spoke.

The only sound that echoed through the gymnasium was the sound of Mr. N trembling as he tried to hold back his sobs.

This might be unnecessary, but here is a supplement.

Mr. N had voluntarily requested to be transferred to a depopulated area where there were few teachers and children had to commute for about two hours from home.

It is said that every summer, Mr. N receives a painting from A-kun.

After that, A-kun went through public junior high and high school, and then went on to study at an art university.

I recall Mr. N's speech at the farewell party.

“A-kun's paintings resemble those of Utrillo.
Perhaps you all have never seen them.
Utrillo was a French artist who painted many streets and landscapes.
His skies are beautiful.
In exchange for that talent, A-kun has fewer possessions than everyone else.
However, these are not things that can never be regained.
And A-kun is trying his hardest to make them his own.
This is not an easy thing to do!”

It is said that A-kun sends paintings of the sky.

That sky is said to be the beautiful emerald green that Mr. N taught him how to create.

Yesterday, I discovered beautiful watercolors and A-kun's signature on postcards at a department store.

Mr. N is now a principal at an elementary school in a remote area.

Videos

I would like to introduce some videos that were created based on this story.

Nikorn-sama

(2ch) Laughing and Crying Heartwarming 'LAN'-sama

(2ch) Himatsubushi Channel 'LAN'-sama

Omoide no Yukkuri 2ch-sama

Essay Resembling Famous 2ch Copypasta Has Award Revoked

This story is extremely famous within 2channel and has been posted repeatedly, but there was news that an essay that won an excellence award in the 2010 'High School Welfare Culture Award Essay Contest' was found to be very similar to this story. The following is that news article.

Nihon Fukushi University and The Asahi Shimbun Company, which sponsored the 'High School Welfare Culture Award Essay Contest,' received reports that a winning entry resembled a famous copypasta posted on '2channel,' and the university has made the winning entry unavailable on its website while investigating the facts.

The issue concerns an essay titled 'Painting of the Sky,' which was selected for an excellence award in the 'Human Interaction' category of the contest. It is a work by a high school student in Fukuoka Prefecture, describing the interaction between a friend who is good at painting the sky and a seemingly strict homeroom teacher as a memory from elementary school days.

However, the text and content were very similar to the following 2ch post that became famous for its moving content. This text seems to have existed since at least 2004 and has been posted repeatedly on 2ch since then.

The contest is held with the goal of having high school students deepen their thoughts on welfare, and this year marks the 8th time. Entries were collected from May to July, and the winners were announced in October. 50,000 yen was awarded for the excellence award.

The university had published the winning entry on the contest's official website, but after receiving a report via email from a net user at the end of November, they made it inaccessible by December 3rd.

A representative for the university stated that they are currently in the stage of "investigating" the facts and that future actions are "under consideration."
ITmedia NEWS Published on December 03, 2010 at 16:45

In closing

My note articles are not intended for commercial purposes.
I am simply writing this because I want to share a story that brought me to tears with all of you.

However, if there are any issues regarding "copyright" or similar matters, please let me know and I will remove the content.
Additionally, the header images posted were created using materials from Irasutoya and Illustration AC.

Thank you for taking your time to read until the end.