A Dream for the Future?

"A Dream for the Future?" (将来の夢？) is a short story from Gamers' store privilege for the first volume of You-Zitsu light novel series, together with two more short stories.

Summary
Thinking about the future, Kiyotaka wonders if there is any meaning in trying hard in this meritocracy world and if doing so would improve anything in this world. He then asks Horikita about her opinions on it. She replies to him that it's for the person to decide for themselves whether they want to develop their own qualities to achieve a job possessing high status in the society or not. Kiyotaka agrees with her on the point that one attends school in order to get a high-paying job or fulfill their ambition.

On the topic of getting a job, Kiyotaka asks Horikita about her ambition for the future. Horikita boastingly said that she hadn't chosen one, since she had hidden potential with an infinite array of possibilities. Ayanokōji thinks that the speech was just her way of concealing the fact that she hadn't chosen a career. Horikita, certain that Ayanokōji wouldn't have chosen a path himself, asks him about his ambition. Ayanokōji confidently answers that he wants to be the Prime Minister. Hearing him say that, Horikita felt exasperated and said it was worthless to ask him.

Seeing Horikita holding her forehead in exasperation, Ayanokōji says that he was joking and what he really wants to become is a civil servant. Hearing his reply, Horkita asks him whether he could become a civil servant since he lacked the abilities and was always trying to avoid troubles. She remarked that someone as unenthusiastic as him should become a convenience store clerk. Ayanokōji objects to her saying she was being rude to all the sales clerks around the country, but Horikita unamusingly replies that she could only respect the ones who work with convictions and added that even if he became a sales-clerk, he would be the laziest sales-clerk. She then advised him to work hard for a goal, if he had one, instead of letting his precious time as a student pass by. Ayanokōji suddenly felt as if he was admonished by a teacher instead of a classmate of the same age.