[Short Story] Do Your Best!

I have been thinking hard about some 'words of encouragement' for everyone, and I have narrowed it down to something I want you to remember, especially when you face a string of rejections.
That word is, 'Do your best.'
I imagine some of you might be a bit underwhelmed. Some of you might even be thinking, 'You shouldn't tell someone who is already working hard to "do their best."'
You shouldn't work *too* hard. Just like saying 'don't eat too much,' you shouldn't 'overdo' anything. Once you cross the limit, it becomes synonymous with 'pushing yourself too hard.' When you 'push yourself too hard,' something is bound to break.
Keeping that in mind, the word I want to convey to all of you who are working hard is, 'Do your best.'
The reason for this came about because I couldn't forget—or rather, I remembered—something one of you, who was working incredibly hard during the summer course, said to me. When I told them, 'You worked hard this summer,' they replied, 'But if I don't pass, there's no point in having worked hard, is there?' I told that student many things at the time, but I remembered that I wanted to convey this again at this 'encouragement meeting'… or to be precise, I recalled it.
To welcome all of you arriving around five o'clock, I have always stood in front of the cram school entrance from four-thirty to greet you, haven't I? Let me tell you a little about that.
Actually, when I stand in front of the entrance at four-thirty, the first person I exchange greetings with is not one of you. It is a young man with a disability who passes by the school just after four-thirty. Since he doesn't wear a uniform, I assume he has already finished high school and is likely attending a vocational support center. I've been seeing him since this school year began, so I think he is eighteen or nineteen.
However, he is small in stature, and at a glance, he doesn't look much different from you all. He has a physical disability, and his way of walking is like this... Now, some of you may have been taught that you 'shouldn't imitate others,' but I want you to imagine it properly, so I will imitate him.
…Now that I've tried imitating him, I realize again that walking while swaying your body like this is quite exhausting. Unlike how you all walk, I think he is walking with a great deal of effort. I suspect he may also have a significant intellectual disability. He passes by at the exact same time every day. I used to think that perhaps he had just started going to the center on his own, and that his parents must be very worried if he is even a little late getting home.
That young man always greets me. I will dare to imitate this as well.
'Goo-d af-ter-noon.'
I respond with my best smile. 'Good afternoon!'
It was the perfect preparation for welcoming all of you with a smile.
But more than that, I always thought, 'He's working so hard,' and it made me feel, 'Alright, this is where my real work begins; I'll do my best in class today, too.'
I imagine some of you, perhaps even a few, think, 'I want to get into a good school, get a good job, and contribute to society.' Is that right?
That is certainly very admirable, but you know, if you just live your life with all your might, that effort will inevitably connect to someone else's effort.
Think about it. For example, thanks to his 'effort' that I mentioned earlier, I was able to do my best in class, and my effort connected to your desire to do your best, and that led us to today... That would mean that the reason you can do your best is also thanks to him. That is a significant contribution to society.
If you live your life doing your best, it will always encourage someone, somewhere, to 'do their best.' Even if that person doesn't realize it themselves.
Therefore, whether you pass or fail, please finish your exam with all your might and walk out of the exam venue with a refreshed face. Please 'do your best' so that you can walk out of the exam venue with a bright, radiant face, having given it your all, in a way that someone passing by might think, 'Ah, it's middle school entrance exam day today. It's tough for everyone. But they are working hard. Alright, I'll do my best too.'
This has been a long talk, but once again, here are my words of encouragement.
Do your best!

*Today is February 1st. Middle school entrance exams have begun in Tokyo and Kanagawa. I wrote this in the hope that these words of encouragement might reach at least one student taking the exams.