The reading section was the real surprise. There were four short stories written specifically for N4 learners. One was about a university student who loses her commuter pass. Another was about a salaryman who tries a new ramen shop. Each story was followed by just 5 comprehension questions—not 20, not 10, just 5. And after the answers, a "Why this answer?" explanation that taught you how to think, not just what to circle.
He almost deleted it. Another free PDF. Usually, they were poorly scanned lists of vocabulary, blurry and useless. But the name "Gakushudo" nagged at him. He remembered Yuki mentioning their N5 workbook had been a lifesaver. gakushudo n4 pdf
That night, Kenji didn't watch a movie. He did Day 2's exercises on nagara (while doing something). He learned that "Ocha o nominagara, terebi o mimasu" meant "I drink tea while watching TV." It was a simple sentence, but it was his sentence. The reading section was the real surprise
Kenji forgot about the rain. He forgot about his messy desk. He printed just the first week's pages (the PDF was mercifully printer-friendly) and started on Day 1. Another was about a salaryman who tries a new ramen shop
He scrolled down. The grammar section wasn't just rules. Each point had a tiny illustration—a little stick figure running late for work, a cat waiting for food—and a simple, real-life example dialogue.
He flipped further (the PDF was 187 pages, but it felt light, not heavy). The kanji section grouped characters by theme—"Hospital," "Post Office," "My Room." Each kanji had stroke order diagrams, three common compounds, and a tiny crossword puzzle at the end of each group.
Just as he was about to give up and watch a movie, his phone buzzed. A message from Yuki, his study partner from the online Japanese class.