Chapter 39: A Beautiful Girl Studies for Exams

June is almost over. Once July begins, it’ll be a straight shot into summer vacation.

But before that glorious break lies the final exams—an unavoidable wall.

We’ve already gone through midterms, so it’s not our first time dealing with tests. Still, at Mikawa High School, if you fail (get a red mark) in both the midterm and final exams for any of the five core subjects—Japanese, Math, Science, Social Studies, or English—you’re assigned to remedial classes. For some students, that makes the finals a pretty nerve-wracking ordeal.

Incidentally, for first-year students at Mikawa High, Social Studies covers World History, while Science focuses on Biology.

"Hey, hey, Ayumi-chan! Where are you going for summer break?"

Moka-chan asked as she poked idly at a stuffed kaiju, holding a stack of travel brochures in both hands.

"Hmm… probably just lazing around at home?"

My usual summer break consists of staying in an air-conditioned room, eating ice cream, then curling up in my futon for a nap.

The only times I’d go out were either to hang out nearby with Ryoji or go on a family trip. That was pretty much my middle-school routine.

But Moka-chan didn’t seem too happy with that answer.

"What’s that supposed to mean? Let’s go to the beach! The beach!"

The beach, huh…

Blue skies, clear water, blazing sun—it all sounds so perfectly summery. Going to the beach with friends does sound like something that would make a great memory.

But… the beach means swimsuits. Right, I did buy two when I went shopping the other day, and I’ve only worn one so far.

Ugh. I don’t really want to wear a swimsuit, but it feels wasteful not to.

"Come on, Moka—camping’s the way to go!"

Sakurako-chan suddenly jumped into the conversation.

So she’s on the mountain side, huh? Camping sounds fun too—walking through sun-dappled forest trails, playing in the river, grilling barbecue… That would make great memories as well.

Before I knew it, Moka-chan and Sakurako-chan were locked in a heated debate—beach or mountains.

"If we go to the beach, we can see Ayumi-chan in a swimsuit!"
"If we go to the mountains, we can still wear swimsuits at the river! Plus, sharing a tent with Ayumi-chan would be way better!"
"If it’s the beach, we can share a hotel room together!"
"Mmmmmm…!"

Wait, hold on! Something’s seriously off about this argument!

You don’t need to drag me into this! Can’t we just decide based on, you know, the destination itself? Like sightseeing or activities?

"So, Ayumi-chan, which one do you want?"

Ah, there it is—the question finally comes my way.

If I had to say… either sounds fine.

"They both sound fun, I think!"

I laughed it off awkwardly. Sorry for being indecisive.

Honestly, I can’t choose between the two. Whichever we end up going with, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. As long as we can all go together, that’s enough for me.

"I see! So, both it is!"
"If that’s what Ayumi-chan wants, then we’ll do both!"
"…Huh?"

My vague answer ended up escalating things in an unexpected direction.

Both trips? That wasn’t on the table before.

Still, would the money work out? I wonder if Mom would cover the cost if I told her we were going on a trip. I’m a bit worried.

Dad would probably give me the money if I asked, but knowing him, he might give too much… which is also kind of concerning.

Well, I can always borrow it for now and work a part-time job during summer break to pay it back.

"Ah, I can’t wait for summer! Sakurako-chan, let’s start booking hotels near the beach and campsites right now!"
"Good idea. Just the thought of staying overnight with Ayumi-chan makes me happy already…"
"Ayumi-chan, let’s look at the brochures together!"

The three of us chatted excitedly.

This summer break was shaping up to be a lot of fun.

I couldn’t help but feel giddy, wishing summer would come already.

But while the girls were buzzing with excitement, I noticed a dark, heavy aura seeping from nearby.

"Heh heh heh… youth sure is a wonderful thing."
"Yeah… I wish we could go too. With Ayumu… to the beach, or the mountains…"

The two guys, overcome with emotion, were practically in tears. I couldn’t help but feel a bit put off.

How did we go from summer plans to this level of depression?

"Why don’t you guys just come along too?"

At my casual suggestion, Togo and Ryoji collapsed onto their desks, sobbing.

"It means a lot that Ayumu would want to go with us, but… we can’t overcome the wall in our way!"

I never said I wanted to go with you specifically, but still… I do enjoy hanging out with Togo and Ryoji. We’re good friends, after all.

…Wait, what “wall” are they talking about?

"Don’t tell me, Ryoji-kun—you guys failed something during midterms?"

Sakurako-chan asked hesitantly.

The two of them flinched instantly. So that’s it.

They must’ve gotten red marks on their midterms, and now their finals are looking grim. With the risk of remedial classes, they can’t even make summer plans.

"But Ryoji was doing so well back in middle school. What happened all of a sudden?"

Yeah… this guy is something else. Unlike me, who’s always been a bit of a loner, he spends his days goofing off—and yet somehow still manages to get good grades.

And now he’s getting red marks? That’s hard to believe.

"Well… during the test, I kept looking at Ayumu and got so distracted that I couldn’t focus."

"My fault!? You’re supposed to be looking at the questions and your answers, not at me!"

"I mean, come on. Your expressions kept changing—they were adorable. And when you finished early and started spacing out, that was cute too. I just couldn’t get tired of watching."

"Hey, stop staring that much! You were watching me from start to finish, weren’t you!? You didn’t even do the test!"

What’s going on in this guy’s head!? The proctor should’ve said something—staring at people that blatantly should’ve gotten him scolded!

And besides, being watched that closely is embarrassing! What if I’m the one who can’t focus next time because I can feel him looking at me!?

"So I, uh… kinda ended up turning in my Japanese, Math I-A, and World History tests with just my name written on them."

"That’s the worst! Turning in blank sheets looks awful on your record!"

"To make it worse, I even misspelled my name on my Biology and English tests."

"That’s even worse! That’s all five core subjects in the red!"

Unbelievable.

Sakurako-chan and Moka-chan both had the same dumbfounded expression—“Wow…”

And who could blame them? Idiots like this are rare!

"B-but if he focuses during the finals and stops looking at Ayumi-chan, he can still avoid failing, right?"

Moka-chan had a point.

If the reason he failed was that stupid, then fixing it should be easy.

"…Yeah, except lately, if Ayumu isn’t in my field of vision, I start daydreaming about her in cosplay or something, so even if I try not to look during the test, it might not help."

That’s horrible! So now he’s harassing me in his imagination too!? I didn’t need to hear that!

I can’t help but pity the version of me living in Ryoji’s brain.

Is Ayumi-chan doomed to suffer no matter where she goes…? I thought, gazing off into the distance.

"Ahh, I totally get that."
"Same here!"

The girls chimed in cheerfully.

Just how many versions of “Ayumi-chan” are being humiliated in everyone’s imagination right now?

Ugh, poor Ayumi-chan. And by that, I mean me.

"S-so, what about you, Togo? Do you have any excuse?"

I turned to Togo to steer the conversation away from this disaster.

"Nah, I just straight-up failed Math and English."

Oh, thank goodness… for a second I thought—wait, no, that’s not actually good.

Still, in a way, it’s harder to deal with ordinary failure than with Ryoji’s ridiculous reason.

"Even if I take the finals seriously, I might still fail. I’ve been spacing out in class lately, daydreaming too much."

Ryoji, this is all your fault! You bombed every subject, and now you’re dragging the others down too!

This is hopeless. The male side of the Cooking Club is doomed. Honestly, Ryoji should just go train at a temple after his remedial lessons.

"So, how did you guys do on the midterms?"

I actually did pretty well. Since I don’t have much to do at home, I usually review my notes and study ahead, so I wasn’t in a rush before the test.

"Ayumi-chan ranked fifteenth, and Sakurako-chan was eighth, right? You two are total honor students, I’m so jealous!"

"Moka, you were thirty-fifth, weren’t you? Math really dragged you down, huh?"

Sakurako-chan and I don’t really have any weak subjects; we tend to score evenly across the board.

Moka-chan, on the other hand, excels in the humanities but struggles badly with the sciences.

"Did you hear that, Yoshikawa-san? That confidence…"
"So that’s what talent looks like…"

Ryoji and Togo suddenly sounded like old men, letting out deep sighs.

Remedial lessons take place from late July to early August, and again in late August. The more subjects you fail, the longer you’re stuck there—and if you fail everything, your entire summer is gone except for Obon week.

Even a single red mark is enough to make summer plans risky. Unless you’re absolutely sure you won’t fail again, it’s hard to commit to any trips during those dates.

Ugh… it’s their own fault, but still, they look so dejected I almost feel bad. I do want to hang out with Ryoji and Togo, after all…

So I made a suggestion.

"Then why don’t we study together here?"

By “here,” I meant the clubroom.

Unlike the library, there’s always space available, and unlike my room, there aren’t many distractions. I figured we could actually get a lot done here.

"With Ayu-chan?"
"With Ayumu?"

"Yeah."

Well, I mean, Sakurako-chan and the others are around too.
Actually, Sakurako-chan ranked higher than me, so honestly, she’d probably make a better teacher anyway…

"For real!? Studying together sounds like a great setup! I’m in!"
"Count me in too!"

I wasn’t entirely sure what they were so excited about, but hey—at least they were motivated.

And so, with one week left until the test, our little after-school study session was born.

The next afternoon after school.

Today marked the start of our study group. The girls and I were already in the clubroom, textbooks open and ready.

"Yo."

Ryoji entered the room with a noticeably unenthusiastic look. Despite how hyped he’d been yesterday, it seemed all that excitement had completely evaporated overnight.

"Heya!"

Togo, on the other hand, came in bursting with energy.

Apparently, Togo can never study properly when he’s alone. He always means to, but ends up cramming the night before the test—fails to get motivated, reads some manga, falls asleep—and bombs the exam. Every single time.

His grades in subjects other than the ones he already failed are on thin ice too. Well… at least if he fails something new this time, it shouldn’t lead to mandatory remedial classes… I think.

This is a prep school, after all. The teachers probably prefer students to voluntarily attend extra sessions—but still.

"Alright, shall we get started?"

At Moka-chan’s cue, Ryoji and Togo reluctantly pulled out their textbooks. We began with English.

Ryoji aside, Togo’s textbook looked practically brand new—no creases, no notes, not even a hint it had been used in class for three months straight. He should probably start by, you know, opening it.

"First off, tell us what’s on the test."
"Yeah, that’d help."

"That’s where you’re starting!?"

Unbelievable—they really haven’t been paying attention at all!

Sakurako-chan kindly went over the test range with the two of them. She even explained the other subjects, just in case.

Everyone began reading their textbooks with serious expressions.

For English, as long as you understand the translations and vocabulary from the textbook passages, you’ll be fine. There are also supplementary word books, so make sure to study those example sentences too.

Ryoji and Togo quietly read their textbooks, occasionally checking their electronic dictionaries and jotting down translations. Everything seemed to be going well—until Togo started fidgeting. He twirled his pen, scratched his head… clearly stuck.

He glanced over at me, probably judging whether it was safe to interrupt. Then, cautiously, he spoke up.

"Ayu-chan, how do you translate this part?"

"Which one?"

He set his textbook on the desk and pointed, but since I was sitting directly across from him, the text was upside down from my point of view—pretty hard to read that way.

So I stood up and took the seat beside him, leaning in to look at his textbook together.

"Where are we starting from?"

Togo stayed silent, still staring down at the open book. I tilted my head, confused.

He glanced up at me for a moment—then froze, face turning bright red.

"…? Do I have something on me? Do I look weird or something?"

"N-no, it’s not that! It’s just, um… you smell really nice. And, uh… you’re kinda close."

Being told that straight to my face left me completely flustered. And with Togo blushing like that—it was contagious!

Ugh, come on. Now that he’s said it, I can’t not think about it. We really are sitting close enough that our arms could touch… I hadn’t noticed before, but now my heart’s pounding for no reason. Why’d he have to say something like that!?

"Ayumi-chan’s sweet scent gently teases my nose, and with every breath she takes, her warm sighs stir my heart even more—"

"S-stop! I don’t need a detailed narration like that! You’re making it worse!"

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him back and forth. The moment I told him to stop saying weird stuff, he doubled down on it!

"Ayumi-chan, you’re blushing! So cute~"

Moeka-chan’s teasing voice cut in from the sidelines.

I’m not cute! And I’m not blushing! Even Moeka-chan would get embarrassed if someone said that kind of thing to her!

Looking around, I saw the others smirking too. Great. They’re all in on this now.

Before anyone could add more fuel to the fire, I quickly explained the translation to Togo and hurried back to my original seat.

Togo looked disappointed—apparently still not done teasing me.

I sighed, sat down, and focused back on my own textbook.

A moment later, Ryoji called out to me.

"Hey, Ayumu. Help me out here too."

I glanced over at Ryoji. Seriously, Sakurako-chan’s sitting right there! Why me? She’s smarter than I am anyway…

"’Cause you’re nicer, Ayumu."

He read my mind! His intuition’s annoyingly sharp in all the wrong ways.

Even Sakurako-chan chimed in with, "I’m not good at teaching, sorry," clearly planning to leave it all to me.

I’m not great at teaching either! Heck, I’m not even that good at talking to people in general!

Sighing, I got up and went to sit next to Ryoji. He patted his lap like he was suggesting something ridiculous, but I ignored that and sat beside him like a normal person.

"So, Ryoji, what don’t you get?"

"Uh, well…"

"Hey—Ryoji! You’re way too close!"

Holding his textbook open so I could see, Ryoji leaned in—so close our faces were barely inches apart.

That’s way too close! Our noses could almost touch! It’s embarrassing to even think it, but at this distance, one wrong move and we’d practically kiss!

"Hm? What’s wrong? Did I make your heart skip a beat?"

"Why would it!? Ugh, keep teasing me and I’m not helping you anymore!"

"Haha, sorry, sorry. Honestly, I just wanted you to come sit next to me. I actually do know the translation."

What the hell. Then why call me over in the first place!?

Letting out a long sigh, I went back to my seat and stared down at my textbook. This was getting exhausting. Togo and Ryoji meant well, but honestly, I was starting to think I’d have been better off studying alone.

As soon as I sat down, Moeka-chan, who’d been next to me, inched closer.

"What’s wrong? Got stuck on something?"

"Not really… it’s just, everyone’s been enjoying your nice scent, and I got jealous~"

Moeka’s hand brushed against my arm. She smiled and leaned closer, looking for all the world like a cute little animal.

"Hey, Moeka! No fair hogging her!"

Sakurako-chan joined in too, sliding up on my other side until I was completely surrounded. Flowers on both arms—lucky me.

Strangely, though, I didn’t feel nearly as nervous as when the guys got that close.

When Ryoji or Togo leaned in, I panicked. But when Moeka and Sakurako did the same, I just thought, Haha, they’re cute.
My way of thinking… or maybe even my feelings… seem to be changing.

The old me would’ve been a mess just from having a girl sit this close. Maybe I’ve gotten used to it?

Well, either way, it’s hard to focus on studying when they’re practically glued to me like this.

And so the afternoon went on—me getting called over again and again, answering questions one after another.

Still, since we were all studying together, things went smoothly in the end. No one slacked off, and we actually made solid progress.

If we keep this up for the rest of the week, we should be fine. No red marks this time… hopefully.

A week later, will the two boys manage to dodge failing grades? Only fate knows.