The Future #WeeklyShortShortNote [Passing Strange Rock]

"Now, everyone taking the exam, please throw the pebbles in your hands at the rock located in the center of the pond all at once. Put your passion for passing into it! Ready, set, go!"

　Pebbles are thrown at the rock all at once. This is a custom for praying for exam success passed down in this area. The rock being hit has been pelted with stones for hundreds of years, and its surface is bumpy. At some point, people began calling this rock the "Passing Strange Rock."

"But why has a custom like this been passed down?"
"Well, I don't know about that, but it's said to have quite a lot of divine favor."
"Huh."
"The pass rate for national universities is 98%. For private universities, it's 100%."
"Is that a prep school slogan? Where did that data come from?"
"Isn't it from the shrine's own research?"
"Well, you can't complain once you're relying on the gods."
"It's just for good luck, after all."

"Would you like an amulet?" a shrine maiden calls out.
"An amulet?"
"Yes, it contains a fragment of the Passing Strange Rock."
"Does that actually bring good luck?"
"Well, the rock has already been smashed to pieces in place of your life, so yes."

　That doesn't sound lucky at all...

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I participated in Nika Tahara's weekly short-short note with this week's theme, "Passing Strange Rock."

I tried to look back and remember if I prayed for success when I took my own exams, but I feel like I might have, and I also feel like I might not have. I see. I've reached the conclusion that I was irresponsible even back when I was a student, and it feels strangely convincing. Life has a way of working out. That said, I am not suggesting this to any students taking exams, their parents, or their relatives. Please do your best. For the sake of your future.