My girlfriend is Saiki Kusunoki

Has this guy done something stupid?

Chapter Fourteen: The Awards Ceremony

Naoto and Matsuzaki-sensei were probably the last people to arrive at the venue. By the time they got there, the entire venue was already full.

The suit Naoto was wearing at that moment didn't fit him well; at 1.78 meters tall, the suit looked a bit too small on him.

But there was nothing that could be done, since the previous Naoto hadn't prepared any clothes at all, and this outfit even belonged to Matsuzaki-sensei's son.

Even if it's not suitable, I can only go through the motions.

"Wow, there are so many people, and even some reporters."

Upon entering the venue, Naoto looked at the scene before him and immediately felt immense pressure.

He still feels like he's dreaming about winning the National Ichiban Prize.

Although this was just the venue for the National High School Art Competition, it was still a national event, bringing together outstanding paintings from hundreds of high schools across the country, and naturally many media outlets were broadcasting the grand occasion of the competition live.

Meanwhile, at PK Academy, where Naoto was studying, the school leaders were watching the live broadcast of the match for the first time ever.

Naoto and Matsuzaki-sensei nervously walked to their seats and then sat down.

There are only a dozen minutes left until the awards ceremony.

At this moment, the surrounding crowd was discussing the winner of the competition.

"Hey, who do you think will win this competition?"

"I'm not sure. This year's competition is full of top talents. I heard that Ms. Matsusaka, Mr. Uchiguchi's student, is also participating in this competition."

"Is that so? Should we say that a good teacher produces outstanding students? I've also seen that Matsusaka-san's paintings, and they are indeed very good. To have such talent at the high school level is already quite impressive."

"Yes, I heard that Ms. Matsuzaka is going to one of the top five art departments. She's not like us guys."

"However, while Ms. Matsuzaka has great talent, she still lacks a lot of experience. She can be considered a leader among the younger generation."

"And there are quite a few impressive figures this time, such as Mr. Sakata's son, Mr. Komura's grandson, and Ms. Shiota's daughter. It's a real battle of titans."

At this moment, listening to the discussion of the painters in front of them, Naoto and Matsuzaki-sensei had a completely different feeling.

From what these people said, Naoto felt that each of them was more impressive than the last.

It's like some kind of teacher, someone I've never heard of before, but there's something inexplicably impressive about them.

The children or apprentices of these people must be quite strong, right?

Now, Naoto is wondering if the art association dialed the wrong number? Or is there actually someone else involved this time?

At this moment, one work after another from the competition was displayed before everyone's eyes.

It must be said that each of the twenty or so works presented at this awards ceremony was of great quality.

At least from a straight person's perspective, there are at least three works that are quite well painted.

"As expected, Ms. Matsusaka's painting perfectly captures the smile of a sanitation worker as she works hard in the morning."

"Yes, the child from Sakata-sensei's family drew this painting of a farmer's smile while working in the fields, which is also very impressive."

"And another thing, the smile of this policeman serving the people is also quite remarkable."

Just as Naoto had thought in his previous paintings, most people choose to depict the smiles of those working in everyday life. The themes are quite grand.

Although Naoto felt that he was better than these people in terms of drawing skills, it was not impossible that these people might have the upper hand in terms of concept.

Just then, the discussion abruptly stopped.

The artwork that appeared on the big screen at that moment was none other than Naoto's painting.

When the painting appeared before everyone's eyes, for some reason, they were suddenly drawn to the girl in the painting.

"The Most Beautiful Smile vs. Academy: Naoto Yamashita?"

At this moment, in a corner of the venue, a middle-aged man in a suit sat there motionless after seeing the painting.

sweet.

This is the most direct feeling that this painting evoked in the man named Kazuo Sayama.

This painting clearly uses a lot of cool colors.

But it gives people a very warm feeling.

The delicate painting technique makes the girl in the picture appear so hazy and beautiful.

A faint smile held a hint of mystery.

The feeling was almost like looking at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. But the young girl was different from the Mona Lisa.

You can clearly feel her smile, every single emotion she conveys.

When a girl takes your hand and invites you to a world far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

It was as if the restlessness in my heart had completely disappeared.

Tranquil, warm, beautiful, moving—it seems that every word you can imagine to describe something beautiful can be used to describe this painting.

Once upon a time, they were all young men, and they too had a beautiful and charming young woman who invited them to travel and enjoy the scenery together.

But after the financial crisis, Japanese society seemed to collapse. As I grew older, all the beauty of the past vanished like clouds in the sky.

That girl from back then might have already become a married woman, or perhaps she's no longer in this world.

But those beautiful memories remain in everyone's heart.

After viewing the painting, Mr. Sayama was immediately reminded of his first love and those sweet and blissful times. The sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that arose from the depths of his heart even made him feel as if he had returned to when he was fifteen or sixteen years old.

"Shanzi, how are you doing now?"

Kazuo Sayama recalls everything he did back then.

Kazuo Sayama was once a poor child in a small mountain village. His family's only source of income was his father's farmland.

Although life was not wealthy, Kazuo Sayama could never forget that night in the village.

Summer nights are peaceful, and the sky is filled with fireflies and birds in flight, making the nights exceptionally vibrant.

Especially the girl who would lead him on an adventure into the forest.

Some things, you only realize how hard-won they were after you've lost them.

Fearing a life of poverty, Kazuo Sayama studied diligently and finally gained admission to a prestigious university. He then rose through the ranks and founded his own company.

But when he recalled everything from that time, it was all gone.

The village from my childhood has disappeared. And with it, the girl from my memories has vanished too.

That bittersweet memory became the happiest thing in his heart.

In the eyes of a young boy, what could be more captivating than a young girl's smile?

"This painting is truly a masterpiece."

This painting encapsulates the boy's life, his thoughts, and his love for the girl.

Compared to this painting, all the previous paintings pale in comparison.

At this moment, Kazuo Sayama was certain that this painting was definitely the one for the Ichiban Prize.

Chapter Fifteen: The Most Passionate Confession

"I never expected there would be such a dark horse among the contestants this time."

After seeing Naoto's paintings, the surrounding artists began to discuss who this Naoto Yamashita from PK Academy was. Why had they never heard of him before?

After this brief visit, President Fujino, as the head of the art association, slowly walked to the podium and began to announce the winners of this competition.

After President Fujino stood on the podium, the seats below immediately fell silent, demonstrating that President Fujino held a very high position in the hearts of those present.

"Ahem, everyone, the annual National High School Art Competition has finally come to a close today. First of all, I would like to thank the students from 4400 high schools across the country for their support of this competition. After three days of review, the judges and I have finally selected the top three winners of this competition."

After President Fujino finished his opening remarks, thunderous applause immediately followed.

After a round of enthusiastic applause, President Fujino did not engage in lengthy and tedious remarks like other leaders, but went straight to announcing the list of winners.

The second and third place winners were respectively the favorites to win this competition, Aiko Matsuzaka and Matsu Kitayama.

One of them drew the smiles of farmers during a bountiful harvest, while the other drew the smiles of police officers helping the people.

Both artists' works are perfect in terms of conception and technique, typical of academic works, and almost flawless.

When announcing the winner of the first prize, President Fujino paused for a moment, which was unusual for him.

"To be honest, the first prize winner of this competition is probably the only piece that has surprised us among all the works we have received so far. It is hard to imagine that such a piece was drawn by a high school student, and even participated in our competition."

Upon hearing President Fujino describe the winner of this competition in such a way, the surrounding media personnel were immediately taken aback.

It's worth noting that Chairman Fujino is one of the most prominent figures in the entire Japanese art world, and his works continue to enjoy international renown to this day.

It's unprecedented for someone of such stature to praise a high school student like this.

The surrounding media personnel were all curious about this Ichiban Kuji award, eager to see what kind of work would be produced.

President Fujino didn't keep everyone in suspense.

When Chairman Fujino displayed the Ichiban Kuji Prize winner, the artists in the hall all wore expressions of "I knew it!"

However, the media professionals and television viewers were in an uproar.

In Naoto's class, the students watching the live stream were completely dumbfounded, staring at the painting.

"Wait, isn't that Nanzi?!"

"Holy crap, this is so similar!"

"Holy crap, we're in a forest? Naoto actually took Nanako to a place like that?"

"No way, the Ice Queen can actually laugh? As expected of a straight person, she's really awesome!"

"Although I had suspected their relationship for a long time, it's true, they really are a couple! They must be!"

When you see this painting, even someone with no art background, as long as they're not an idiot, can basically see the girl's deep love for the painter.

Some young girls, who were a bit too love-struck, started screaming in alarm.