Episode 30 – Throwing off the shackles of a childhood friend
Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818622172789075625/episodes/16818622174661183967
One day after school.
Unusually, both Reisa and Nagisa said they had things to do and went home, leaving me with some time to myself.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t had much time like this lately.
Most afternoons after school were spent studying with the two of them.
That said, I didn’t feel like going home to study.
So, I headed for the school library.
I’ve used it a few times before, but our high school library is quite sophisticated and clean, making it a suitable space for studying.
When I entered, I was surprised to find it surprisingly empty.
But then I remembered.
The national mock exam was approaching, and unlike regular tests, few students were cramming for it.
Me and the people around me were the exceptions.
I sat at the popular window-side counter table that’s usually full before exams.
The view of the courtyard reflected in the window in front of me was beautiful and had a certain charm.
Since autumn had arrived and the sun set earlier, the faint reddish hue was also nice.
I thought this would be a comfortable place to study alone.
“Phew, here we go.”
“……”
However, I was annoyed by the man who deliberately sat right next to me.
There were plenty of other seats available, so why did he have to come so close?
Maybe he was targeting me after all.
“How’s your studying going?”
“It just got really bad.”
I sighed as I said that to Takagi, who was as annoying as ever.
I hadn’t spoken to him in a while, so I had almost forgotten about him, but then I remembered that he was like that.
I’ve been teaching Reisa and Nagisa together, and to be honest, other things have slipped my mind.
By the way, it’s quite meaningful that we’re not only teaching Reisa, but also filling in each other’s gaps in knowledge.
Surprisingly, Nagisa and I don’t have much overlap in our knowledge, so when one of us stumbles on a problem, the other usually has a solution.
And we’re passing that combined knowledge back to Reisa.
“I’m aiming for first place in this mock exam. At this level of difficulty, 90% is a must. Well, with my average of 92 points across three subjects last time, it should be a breeze.””
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
“Of course. The scores I saw that day were around 70% on average, right?”
“You remember that well. You have an amazing memory.”
I think to myself as I brush it off lightly.
His boastful expression is annoying, and his excessive pride is somewhat disappointing, but an average of 92 points on that mock exam is truly extraordinary.
After all, he is undoubtedly a genius.
It was a mock exam before summer, around the same time as the final exams, so it’s been about two months since then.
I don’t want to remember that time because I made a complete fool of myself.
“…Well, I’m not stupid. The last mock exam was a mess because that stupid girl was in the way, right?”
Takagi said that to me as I made a sour face.
I couldn’t believe my ears at his unexpected remark.
“No. It’s just that I’m not very good at studying.”
“I heard it from that girl. She said you handed out a ton of homemade study materials before every test and gave her a lot of support, right?”
“Huh? Well, I guess so.”
Indeed, I wonder why I went through all that trouble for a childhood friend who didn’t even bother to listen properly.
In fact, unlike now when I’m studying with Reisa and Nagisa, when I was teaching her, I didn’t feel like it was benefiting me at all.
But even if my grades did drop because of that, I don’t think it’s fair to blame it solely on the time I spent teaching her.
If I were to blame her, it would be for the excessive amount of studying I did, plus the simple fact that she disrupted my study time during breaks, or watching YouTube videos at full volume when I tried to study at home.
In that sense, maybe her very existence was like a devil that hindered my studies.
In fact, my grades improved surprisingly smoothly after we parted ways.
Watching Takagi, who used to be so arrogant, now talking about Kako with such hatred, that childhood friend starts to look like a plague.
But that doesn’t mean I’d blame it on her and tell others about it.
“Well, whatever. I’m aiming for a perfect score in all subjects this time.”
“Hahaha. Edano, you’ve got the nerve to joke around now?”
“No, I’m serious. Without that kind of determination, you can’t get into the medical school special admission program.”
At my words, Takagi frowned and gave me a mocking look.
“There’s no way you can get in. It’s not a multiple-choice test, it’s an essay test.”
“You won’t know until you try. Besides, the scope of this test is only the first half of the first year of high school. The scope is narrow, so it’s easier to get a perfect score. If you don’t get it now, you’ll be at a disadvantage. Besides, if you’re aiming for Tokyo University or something, there are plenty of people who get perfect scores in their subjects.”
I’m not studying out of sheer stubbornness like some people.
I have clear goals and rivals to compete against.
Therefore, I need the ability to surpass that level.
And it’s not just me.
Nagisa, whom I talked to over the weekend, also lives with high goals.
She probably doesn’t even notice a guy like me, whose pride has swollen out of proportion.
Thinking about it that way, he seems kind of pitiful.
He’s so smart and has always been at the top of the class, yet no one pays him any attention.
He should just set his own goals and work toward them.
If he did, his grades would probably improve, and he might even surpass me and Nagisa.
And if that happened, it would give us something to compete for.
I was amazed at Takagi, who was talking without even taking out his notebook.
And then Takagi grimaced at me.
“Well, then I’ll get perfect scores in all subjects too. I was almost able to get a perfect score last time anyway. I can do it.”
“Oh, really? Then we’ll both get perfect scores this time. The teachers will be proud of us.”
“……”
There’s no point in talking any longer, and besides, this is the library.
Even if there are few people here, it’s not a private room, so we’re disturbing others.
I shifted my gaze from my neighbor to my notebook.
I should review the cram school lessons I took with Nagisa before the mock exam.
Japanese was a little difficult for me.
Fortunately, Nagisa made me a study guide, so I’ll use that to try solving the problems again on my own.
“Let’s fight fairly with no shackles. Under fair conditions, I’ll win.”
“…..”
Shackles, huh.
I don’t care about Kako, but she’s supposed to be his ex-girlfriend.
I felt a little sorry for my childhood friend, who was being treated so badly.
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