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Eight-year old reflects on how his life could have turned out if only he had studied harder

TOKYO, Japan (GTA) -- The promising expectations placed on second year primary student Ryuutaro Akita now appear unlikely to ever come to fruition as his life continues to unravel. Despite high hopes of parents and friends, Ryuutaro's poor and thoughtless decisions have taken him down a path: a path leading only to a desolate wasteland where only unfulfilled dreams and unrealized expectations exist. A world devoid of any chance to work at a prestigious company.

Akita only now realizes how his youthful mistakes have taken their toll.

"Sure, I could have studied harder instead of looking at my Pokemon cards at jyuku after school. What can I say? I was seven and reckless last year," Akita explained in an interview with the GTA last week.

"It's just something I'll have to live with the rest of my life. Not unless I can get a time machine, go back to last year and stay up all night cramming for that entrance examination. If only I had just made more of an effort, I could have made something of myself."

In addition to an inattentive approach to jyuku, Akita has also shown an inability to visualize practical future career options according to his elementary school guidance counselor, Junki Tadahito.

"Akita's career aspirations seem to be limited between two options: captain of Japan's national soccer team or ice cream shop owner," Tadahito
said.

"While these are laudable careers, I've been very concerned whether or not Akita has a firm understanding of reality. When I asked Akita to come up with a viable plan to become the captain of Japan's national soccer team, he only wrote down 'Ganbaru' and 'Get! Gundam's power crystal source!'"

Akita's life particular began its downward spiral last December, when he had hoped to pass the entrance examination for Keio elementary school. His mother had planned that, by entering Keio from the elementary school level, Akita would virtually be guaranteed later acceptance into the prestigious Keio University.

Despite attending daily after school jyuku cram sessions, however, Akita's past tendencies to give in to his innate capriciousness and wanton dilettantism finally caught up with him when it was revealed that his application had been turned down.

"Keio was my safety university. Now I'm watching my friends get accepted to Keio elementary or Gakushuuin. I feel like everyone has passed me by while I'm stuck in public school. I looked in the mirror today and saw only an 8 year old, beaten down by the overwhelming weight of his failures, staring back at me."

Akita also failed to live up to his mother's hopes of becoming a competent English speaker, despite attending a weekly eikaiwa lesson at the KIDZ SUPER HAPPY PINEAPPLE FACTORY

"My mom always said that if I didn't study harder, I was going to end up stuck in some mid-level management position at some mediocre company like my dad. Looks like she was right all along," Akita explained.

"When you're young, you tend to think you can do anything. Looking back, now I realize that I should have taken Ryan-sensei's English bingo and English hot potato games more seriously. Then, maybe I wouldn't be looking at thirty years of taking abuse from some second-rate section manager."

English teacher continues to be concerned for Ryuutaro's bleak prospects.

"Last week he was on lunch duty but forget to wash and return his smock for the next group. And judging from his embarrassing incomplete Let's Go! 2 English workbook, he's not exactly the kind of person you'd want to trust with an important project at the office."

"Definitely lower tier on the corporate ladder."

These days, Akita can be found sitting in his room, watching his future promise gradually fade away. His mother is currently deliberating whether or not to move Akita to a different jyuku to prepare for Keio's junior high school entrance examination next year.