Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818622172789075625/episodes/16818622174697853727
The mock exam is held on Saturday mornings during the weekend.
Except for those who are seriously preparing for the exam, the schedule is unbearable, and some students are complaining loudly.
Personally, I’m much more grateful that it is not held on a weekday, but I’m sure very few students feel the same way.
The schedule is math, English, and Japanese in the morning.
The exam times are 100 minutes, 90 minutes, and 80 minutes, respectively, which is good for concentration.
Taking the exams in the order of my strongest subjects was a bit of a mixed blessing for me.
However, there’s no point in complaining, so I just have to do my best.
And so, today is the day of the mock exam.
I’ve already finished all three subjects, and now I have four minutes left on the Japanese exam.
I didn’t get stuck on the classical Classical and Kanji reading comprehension, so I have some extra time, which is rare.
After finishing my review, I took a moment to reflect on the day while focusing my mind.
First, regarding the math exam I took in the morning, I must say it felt quite promising.
To be honest, I think I probably scored a perfect score.
Math has always been my strong subject, and since I scored perfect on the previous proficiency test and the small test before that, I somehow sensed that this time would be similar.
So I’m not too worried.
Next, the English exam. I don’t think there were any questions I didn’t understand.
Especially the special class I took with Nagisa last weekend really paid off.
The words I couldn’t figure out that day were asked in a similar context.
Of course, I had reviewed thoroughly, so I didn’t stumble this time.
While solving the problems, I remember smiling unconsciously out of gratitude toward Nagisa.
I’m sure the teacher found that creepy.
And finally, the Japanese exam I’m currently taking.
There are no gaps.
I’ve often left blank spaces in the past, but this time I’m answering all the questions with plenty of time to spare.
That alone raises my expectations.
That said, it’s just a superficial matter.
The modern Japanese comprehension section felt difficult, and to be honest, I’m not confident that I got everything right.
I once again realized that the difference in reading experience from childhood shows up in such situations.
However, it was lucky that one idiom I had checked with Reisa before the exam was exactly what was asked.
To be honest, I had been mistakenly remembering it until she asked me, so I can’t thank Reisa enough.
Well, I did what I could.
Now all I can do is pray.
At least I know that I scored much better than on the previous mock exam, and I should be able to compete fairly well at my target school.
Is Reisa doing okay?
As the remaining time approached and I checked for any missing information like my name, I thought about such things.
◇
[Reisa’s perspective]
While taking the final subject of the mock exam, Japanese language, I found myself smiling slightly.
This feels pretty promising.
The Japanese language answer sheet in front of me, as well as the answer sheets for all other subjects, were almost completely filled out with answers—something rare for me.
Regardless of whether they’re correct or not, I’m already satisfied just to have answered most of the questions, which usually end up with half of them blank.
There are also many answers I wrote with confidence, which is a big difference from before.
To be honest, I’ve always been pretty smart.
It’s just that I tend to avoid things I don’t want to do, but I’m the type who can remember things pretty quickly when I’m told to.
Now that I have an excuse to study with someone I like, even though I used to hate it, I can take it seriously.
But to be honest, the competition with Kako was a mental distraction for me.
The pressure to win was often overwhelming, as you can imagine.
Moreover, this time, it’s not just me who will suffer if I lose the competition.
The pressure of having to carry Tsukushi’s burden as well was indeed weighing heavily on me.
But on the other hand, if I win here, everything will be resolved smoothly.
I can’t afford to lose if I want to keep Kako from getting any closer and interfering with Tsukushi any further.
Sometimes, I want to be of use to Tsukushi too.
I recall an incident from a few days ago.
I realized that Kako was the worst person who was interfering with Tsukushi’s future.
When deciding on the penalty for the match, she said with a smile,
[Oh, right. If I lose, I’ll buy him the reference book set he’s been wanting. It’s a three-book set for about 10,000 yen, so it’s a pretty good penalty, don’t you think?]
[…A reference book as a penalty game? What’s up with that?]
[Eh, isn’t it fine? I hate that guy because he’s studying so much. Plus, imagining him clinging to a reference book he couldn’t afford himself is hilarious, right? It’s so pathetic, like a poor person. Hahaha.]
[Not funny at all. Why can you make fun of Tsukushi like that when you know his situation?]
I asked Kako, who was laughing at my childhood friend, feeling uncomfortable.
She frowned and said,
[It’s none of your business. What’s wrong with you anyway? Are you in love with him? That’s hilarious.]
[That’s you, Kako.]
[Huh?]
[I don’t think anyone would remember a reference book that someone they dislike wanted. Besides, you approached him because you liked him and wanted him to teach you again, right? I don’t know if it’s to hide your embarrassment or something, but it’s too late to regret it now.]
[Haaaaa !? What are you talking about? Aren’t you too naive? Why would I have to like someone like that? Nanamura, you don’t know, do you? That guy used to study all the time except when he was sleeping, but lately he hasn’t even been in the top ten at school. He’s clumsy and slow, and since he’s a virgin, he’s chasing after girls without any self-control. Oh, he’s seriously creepy, so it’s better not to be around him. He might even misunderstand and confess his feelings to you. Hahaha !]
[……]
[There’s more—]
Kako started badmouthing him even more after hearing my words.
Seeing that, I felt even more determined not to lose to him, no matter what.
And then I decided to change the plan I had been working on.
[Kako san, what was the name of that reference book you mentioned earlier?]
[Oh, it’s ‘Oxford-Style Math Drills: Complete Explanations for All Sections (Revised Edition).’]
[Hmm. Thanks. So, about the penalty we were talking about earlier, should we just cancel it and do something else?]
[I won’t lose anyway, so it doesn’t matter, but what? Do you want me to run around the school naked?]
As Kako asked with a smirk, I wrote down the name of the reference book.
[If I win—that is, if Kako san loses—will you promise not to go near Tsukushi again? That penalty is enough for me.]
[Huh !?]
[Oh, don’t tell Tsukushi, okay? I’ll buy the reference book myself, so I’ll just tell that person about the penalty Kako san mentioned earlier as a cover-up. If I tell him, it’ll be obvious that I heard about the past exchanges from Kako san. Tsukushi didn’t seem like he wanted to talk to me about Kako san either.]
This is my own decision.
I’ve seen Tsukushi acting annoyed toward Kako san all this time.
And now, I’ve heard a lot from Kako san herself about what she’s done to him and how she feels.
Based on that, I just decided on my own that I don’t want Tsukushi and this person to get any closer.
So Tsukushi won’t be involved.
The two of us will settle this.
Whether Amane Kako is harmful to Tsukushi or not, I don’t care anymore.
I can’t stand it.
[H-huh? So if you lose, you’ll have to leave Tsukushi too, got it?]
[Yeah, that’s fine.]
[Kyahaha ! Are you serious? There’s no way the queen of failing grades can beat me, who was the class average until recently ! If I really try, I’ll score even higher than tha t! Oh well, I didn’t think the popular returnee at our school was so stupid. Too bad.]
[Hm. So that means Kako san is below that level. Isn’t that a bit too much self-deprecation?]
[What do you mean by that?]
[Just so you know, I got into this high school shortly after returning from abroad. And I only studied on my own.]
Amane Kako’s face twisted at my last words, but I didn’t care.
I’m not kind enough to be nice to a woman who belittles others and interferes with their dreams.
Lost in my memories, I completely lost focus during the exam.
With little time left, I took a deep breath.
Honestly, I’m so sleep-deprived I might faint any moment.
Did I manage to smile this morning?
I hope Tsukushi didn’t notice.
If he finds out I’ve been studying non-stop without sleep lately to beat that woman, it’ll put more mental strain on him.
I carefully applied concealer, but are the dark circles under my eyes hidden?
I don’t want Tsukushi to realize that I’ve been acting behind his back.
I just want him to be happy with the results.
Maybe he can’t stand girls with a double personality, but I’ve been asking Mika to do this all along, so it’s too late now.
Besides, as for my complexion, Mika gave me a thumbs-up and said, “Reisa-sama, you’re cute. You’re too cute. Can I kiss you?” so it should be fine.
…Hm?
I was too tired to pay attention, but now that I think about it, she said some pretty bold things.
I’ll scold her when I get home.
“Stop writing ! Please collect the exam papers from the back.”
With the teacher’s voice ringing out at the same time as the bell, my fate was sealed.
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