CH 19

Midterms and Study Application Form (1)

‘……I’m screwed.’

I didn’t realise it was exam week and I haven’t prepared a single thing. I hastily flipped over the book, but there were many problems I didn’t know how to solve. Strange and bizarre characters filled my view, and even the pictures were full of things I couldn’t understand.

Unlike me, who was troubled, Leto had been solving the problems as if he had thoroughly prepared for the exam. The sounds of pages flipping echoed the whole library. Apart from me, every Lexley Academy student was concentrating on their studies. 

There wasn’t a single student who was playing around or rolling their pens aimlessly. It seems that there wasn’t a student who had lost track of time like me. 

This won’t do.

I needed to do something, so I placed a notebook beside me and copied the content of the book heedlessly. Before entering the Lexley Academy, I had also used a rash method to enrol here. I wasn’t very smart, so I had to memorise the entire content of the book. And surprisingly, it worked quite well. This time, I intended to do the same thing.

‘I have to avoid failing!’

The problem was that the amount of content was enormous. In addition, there were three more issues. First, I followed Leto and took every liberal arts class he did. Second, Leto only takes extremely difficult subjects with strict professors. Third, all of those subjects demand higher-level thinking skills. In short, I’m screwed.

There were only two weeks left until the exam. How do I learn all of this until then? Before I realised it, I began to agonise over my schedule without actually studying. Also, I think my space is kind of messy. I should clean it up……Wait, why is this quill so worn out?

Guess I’ll have to stop by the store later to buy more quills. And books……I also need a few notebooks. No, I think I should clean the desk first. I would need to get a napkin. Maybe I should buy a pencil case……Once I made a list of things to buy, I picked up all the books that would be helpful for my studies at the moment.

“You’re not going to borrow all of that, are you?”

Leto, who had been studying, looked at me and asked.

“Yes?”

“……Can you even do all of them?”

Leto glanced at the books I was holding and asked again. It was a total of six books that were thicker than my arms. Each book seemed to be the kind of book that exceeds 1,000 pages and felt overwhelming just by looking at them. But if I was going to study, wouldn’t I need to do at least this much?

“Yes. Of course.”

When I replied confidently, Leto tilted his head before nodding. “Let’s work hard,” he said. Although I came here with a chin-up[1], I was also a full-fledged Lexley Academy student. If I couldn’t even study this amount, then how did I manage to get here?

[1] Doing/achieving something narrowly. Eg. Barely passing the exam. 

With even greater confidence, I went to borrow the books. As I placed the books down, I saw a familiar face in front of me.

“You’re borrowing all of that?”

It was Professor Hartz. Wait, why is the professor here? When I nodded, Professor Hartz examined the books and glanced at me.

“You’re going to read all of this?”

“Yes, I can do it.”

“That’s a stupid idea.”

He didn’t sugar-coat his words and immediately went for the hit. Professor Hartz, who spit out everything he thought, yawned sleepily. Where on earth did the librarian go and why is Professor Hartz sitting there? 

I watched as the professor took the book one by one and slowly wrote my name down on the borrower’s list. I almost wanted to write it myself instead, from how slow his actions were. The professor looked at one of the books and frowned. I thought it was a book that couldn’t be borrowed, but the professor started to glance at the book and me alternately. 

“You’re going to read this?”

I thought he wouldn’t recognise me, but contrary to my expectations, Professor seemed to remember me.

“Is there a problem, professor?”

“You want to read this when you can’t even read the ancient text of Mersey?”

“…….”

I’m angry, but it’s the truth, so I couldn’t get angry. The professor sighed deeply and suddenly rummaged through something. I stared as Professor Hartz held out a crumpled piece of paper in front of me that he had grabbed out of nowhere.

[ Mentor ♧ Mentee system for first-year students who are struggling with their first exam. ♡ If you would like to participate as a mentee, visit Jimbo Sergani in Class X of Year 2. We guarantee to improve your performance. ]

……I’m not sure who wrote it, but it was tacky. Not to mention, it didn’t suit Professor Hartz at all. Professor Hartz tapped the paper with a nonchalant face and opened his mouth.

“Try it.”

“Huh?”

“It would be better than studying alone.”

Please do not repost. Read only at Dropped Inks.

I’m sure it would. 

In the first place, the credibility of that flyer had already plummeted. While I was looking at the flyer, the professor, who had been writing my name down like a slug, filled out the rest and placed the books in front of me after a while. When I was about to run away before getting urged even more, Professor Hartz suddenly stood up and placed his hand on my book. 

“You.”

“…….”

“If you don’t want to fail, you better go.”

“……Yes.”

It was a strict warning.

＊ ＊ ＊

Professor Hartz placed the paper in my hand and ignored me. At this rate, I thought I would really fail, so I sat in the dormitory and stared at the paper for a long time. The flyer, which I couldn’t get used to even after staring at it, was childish. It was as though it was drawn by a 7-year-old child.  

I don’t understand why they drew a tree at the bottom. Was the school drawn in the middle meant to be the Lexley Academy? Even so, it definitely caught my attention.

There were quite a few study groups at Lexley Academy. There were more than 20 flyers posted on the notice board in the middle of the hallway. Whenever I saw the title, I usually ignore them. I never thought that one would end up in my hands like this.

“What’s that?”

Leto, who had been studying silently, finally showed an interest in me. When I showed it to him, Leto’s expression hardened distinctly. 

“What is this?”

It was the exact reaction I had expected.

“Do you want to join too?”

I asked carefully. I felt more comfortable if Leto was beside me rather than doing it alone. I looked at Leto with anticipation, but he frowned as he scanned the entire flyer, then shook his head.

“No.”

I figured.

“Come one, Leah. You can study better and maybe even your grades could improve, right?”

“I get good grades regardless.”

Lucky bastard. No matter how many times I tried to persuade him, he was firm. I couldn’t break him and he kept refusing my offer, perhaps thinking of studying alone silently. In the end, I went to find Jimbo alone, the second-year student written in the flyer. 

I walked to the second floor of the main building where my classes were. The Lexley Academy was a four years program and up until the second year, everyone was divided into classes. From the third year onwards, it was a form of deciding which course we preferred and there were many courses to choose from. There were many classes up until the second year such as Class L, Class E, Class X, Class T and Class Y. The students were also assigned randomly, not by grades.

Although my liberal arts classes often overlapped with the second years, it was my first time going to their classroom. I clasped the flyer as I stared at the crowded and noisy hallway. I believe he was in Class X. I noticed the classroom at the end of the hallway and made my way towards it.

Fan translation by Dropped Inks.

The problem was……how to find Jimbo among the many students. I caught a female student who was standing in front of the classroom.

“Hey, do you know……Jimbo Sergani?”

“Huh? Jimbo?”

Fortunately, the female student seemed to know Jimbo seeing how she mentioned his name. I think it’s the one and when I nodded, she looked around and pointed to a male student lying on the desk alone. It was a guy with black hair. He didn’t even move, as if he had been sleeping for a while. I was hesitating whether I should approach him, but the girl grabbed my arm and brought me in front of Jimbo.

“Jimbo. Someone came for you.”

Raising his head, Jimbo looked at me with his dishevelled hair. He had black hair and pale blue eyes that were gazing at me in annoyance. I also observed him. He looked as if he was forced to be a mentor. 

He looked a little bit like Professor Hartz, but Professor Hartz was troublesome. Maybe this person was different. He laid back down with his eyes closed again.

“W-Wait.”

“I don’t care.”

He said with his face down.

“If you’re here to confess, it’s better to give up. Jimbo has no intention of dating.”

At that moment, the girl next to me whispered in my ear as if she had misunderstood.

“I’m here to participate in the study group, though?”

“Study?”

At the word ‘study’, Jimbo raised his head again. Only then did he noticed the flyer in my hand, opened his mouth and said ‘Oh’.

“The one I made……”

You made it?

He glanced at me again before rummaging under his desk. I was wondering what he was doing, then he took out another crumpled paper and handed me a pen. When I tilted my head in confusion, he opened his mouth.

“If you want to participate, write your name and class here.”

“Is that all?”

“Then, write a reflection letter.”

……I bent down and started writing down my name and class. While I did so, he laid on his back and raised his head, perhaps waking up from sleep. He stood up with his eyes slightly opened than before and stretched out his arms.

An unidentified character was revealed. He wasn’t as good looking as Leto or Kazen, but he was a handsome man with sharp features. It would have been perfect if his curly hair was trimmed a little. 

“What are you looking at?”

He also had a similar personality to Professor Hartz.