Volume 2 - CH 23

“You know. I think it’s weird to study before a mock exam.”

It had been an hour and a half since they started studying.

Ayaka suddenly started to say something like that.

“Hey, Ayaka. Who is the one who organized this gathering today?”

Soichiro asked Ayaka in a slightly exasperated voice.

Ayaka tilted her head.

“It’s me, though?”

“What was this gathering about?”

“It’s a study group.”

“─ Don’t deny the reason for holding the gathering that you yourself organized.”

Soichiro gave a plausible prodding.

In response, Ayaka restrained him with her hand, “Well, well, listen to what I have to say”.

“The purpose of mock exams is to find out where you stand, right?　That’s why it’s important to study daily. It doesn’t matter if you do a little bit of studying right before the exam and raise your score by a few points.”

“I think that’s the kind of thing that a kid who’s been studying hard regularly would say,…… not a kid like you who’s usually doing nothing but sleeping in class.”

When Yuzuru said that, Ayaka smiled.

“But I was the top-ranked student in the school last time too.”

“…… Well, I can’t say anything back about that.”

In fact, Yuzuru is not a serious student either, he is only trying to understand the content of the class, so he can not say anything about others.

“As expected of, Ayaka-san!　It’s exactly as you said! It’s useless to struggle now!　Let’s stop now!”

“Chiharu, you should study……. Your parents got angry at you right?”

Soichiro forcefully grabbed Chiharu’s shoulders as she stood up as if to agree with Ayaka and made her sit down.

Maybe because she lost her concentration a little bit,  Arisa, who had been studying properly without saying much, put down her pen.

Then she spoke up with a question.

“But this mock exam is more important than the last one, isn’t it?　The name of the test is also ‘High Difficulty Test’.”

“The questions would be more difficult than the last one…. or so it was advertised”

Yuzuru agreed with Arisa’s words.

Following that, Soichiro, who sat back down next to Chiharu, continued.

“I’ve heard that it’s hard to raise deviation scores. Because the group of people who take the test is higher.”

Then Tenka, who was drinking a cup of tea, raised her eyebrows.

“I think it depends on the questions that are given, though. If the examiners make a mistake and only give problems that no one can solve, the deviation score may go up for some people.”

At that moment, someone let out a big sigh.

It was Hijiri.

“You guys are going deviation this, deviation that…… are you all deviation people?　How can you talk about such boring stuff at a time like this?”

“That’s only for you, Hijiri-kun. I’m having fun, okay?　with Deviation. Because I did well in the last mock exam. It’s terrible right. I feel sorry for you.”

“Excuse me, Tenka-san. It’s critical for me too, so can you please stop?”

Tenka incited Hijiri, and Chiharu was injured by a stray bullet.

Meanwhile, Hijiri was raging against Tenka.

“Shut up. Be a little considerate, you know considerate. There are people in this world who don’t like the word “deviation,” and people who don’t have anything to do with it.”

Chiharu also agreed with him.

“That’s right. Do you know why school is boring, but school romance stories are interesting?　It’s because they cut out the classroom scenes.”

Unfortunately, however, Chiharu and Hijiri are not people who are immune to the word deviation.

In fact, considering the results of the last mock exam, they need to be very aware of it.

“Well, this meeting is a ‘study session,’ you know. You two in particular need to take this seriously.”

When Yuzuru said that, they both sighed loudly.

Then they glared at Yuzuru with fierce eyes.

“You know people won’t like you if you keep talking straight.”

“Please stop the logic harassment.”

Then Arisa tugged on Yuzuru’s clothes with a cute little motion.

And she put her alluring lips close to Yuzuru’s ear.

” ……If they think it’s the right thing to do, why wouldn’t they do it?”

“Probably because it’s more trouble than it’s worth …… That’s the same reason I never cleaned up.”

Yuzuru himself thought, “I need to clean ……,” but he didn’t really put his mind to it until he got into trouble with Arisa.

In short, it’s a matter of crisis awareness and triggers.

“Well, they’ll get serious when they fail.”

“Isn’t it too late once you fail ……?”

“But I heard that more than half of the students in our high school are ronin”

“Huh?　…… Is that so?”

“Apparently the teachers don’t stop them even when they’re about to fail.”

“Wow. ……”

“Well, as it is now, Hijiri and Chiharu are on that course. We’ll use that as a lesson ……”

“I hear you.” “I can hear you.”

Today was supposed to be the first time that Chiharu and Hijiri had actually met. ……

It seems that they have become friends without knowing it.

Yuzuru shrugged his shoulders.

“I know I’m getting off track here, but what I’m trying to say is that I want to play. We’ve got so many people here!”

“If that’s the case, why don’t you call it after the mock exam? ……”

When Yuzuru prodded her, Ayaka’s cheeks flushed and she began to squirm.

“Because Tenka-chan and I have no connection at all.　I was wondering if she would come if I suddenly asked her to play with me. Right, Tenka-chan.”

Ayaka then laid her own head on Tenka’s shoulder.

“E, eh …… I guess.”

Tenka was bewildered by Ayaka’s antics.　

It seems that even the cool girl tends to get pushed around a little by Ayaka.

Yuzuru sipped his tea and thought a little about the combination of this group.

There are a few people in this group that he knows indirectly, but doesn’t usually have much contact with.

There are also a few people who have met each other before but are not that close.

For Yuzuru, the one he doesn’t have much contact with is Tenka.

For Arisa, it’s Hijiri, Tenka, and Soichiro.

For Soichiro, it’s Tenka and Arisa.

For Ayaka, it is Hijiri and Tenka.

For Chiharu, it’s Hijiri.

For Hijiri, Ayaka, Chiharu, and Arisa.

For Tenka, it’s Yuzuru, Arisa, Soichiro, and Ayaka.

That’s how it is.

So playing to deepen friendship is not a bad idea.

…… Although it is a little different when you ask whether it is something to do at this time of year.

“Regardless of whether you want to play or not, it’s almost lunchtime, isn’t it? How about we take a break for a while?”

It was Arisa who suggested this.

It might not be a bad idea to take a lunch break at this time, since everyone’s concentration is starting to wane.

“That’s a good idea!　Then let’s order something to be delivered.”

With Ayaka’s approval, it was decided to take a lunch break.

The question was what to order for delivery. ……

Arisa’s comment that she had never ordered pizza delivery led to the decision to order pizza delivery.

“What do you think Arisa.?”

Yuzuru asked Arisa as she carefully ate her pizza, trying not to drip cheese down her face.

At first glance, it was hard to read her emotions, as she maintained her usual cool and calm demeanor.

“Mmm…… It is delicious.”

Her voice sounded slightly melting.

Her jade-green eyes, usually dark and lifeless, now lit up with light.

Arisa was …… a little, no, a lot cuter in these situations.

“…… Arisa-san is quite cute, isn’t she?”

“Yes?”

When Chiharu suddenly said that, Arisa had a puzzled look on her face.

Chiharu, who was sitting just in front of Arisa, gave her a rather dangerous smile and stared at her.

“Usually you seem to be the cool type, but suddenly show your cute side. I can’t get enough of it.”

“Is, is that so……. Thank you very much for that…”

Maybe because she did not know what to say,

Arisa thanked Chiharu.

Then Ayaka interrupted the conversation.

“Speaking of cool types, you’re pretty cute too, Tenka-chan!”

“Yes?”

She was eating her pizza with an attitude of indifference, when her name suddenly came up, causing Tenka to shout in confusion.

Ayaka, who was sitting by Tenka’s side, closed the distance between them.

“Tenka-chan is mostly tsun tsun, but sometimes she’s a bit of a dere, isn’t she? Also, she’s shy. Oh, your face turned red. You’re so cute!”

“No, ……, stop it. Tachibana-san.”

“I told you that you can call me Ayaka. Right, Tenka-chan.”

Tenka blushed in embarrassment as she tried to keep her distance from Ayaka, who came at her aggressively.

This kind of attitude seems to incite Ayaka’s curiosity more and more.

She tries to close the distance even further, but ……

“Don’t do that!”

“It hurts, it hurts!　Soichiro-kun!”

Soichiro grabbed Ayaka by the neck and pulled her off.

Then Soichiro glared lightly at Chiharu as she tried to get close to Arisa.

Chiharu’s face twitched, and she sat back down on the sofa quietly.

“…… What Hijiri.? What’s with that face?”

“Well, I didn’t realize that even the intimidating Tenka-sama had her weaknesses. Cute, cute Tenka-chan…… Ouch!　You kicked me, you bitch!”

“Shut up, yakuza.”

“A~a? I’ll crush you, you fraud!”

Hijiri and Tenka began to quarrel with each other.

The remaining five watched them with warm eyes.

They seem like a close couple.

“Speaking of which, what are we going to do after we finish eating?”

Ayaka suggested, assuming that they were going to play.

But, Yuzuru was not in the mood to study right now either.

He wanted to relax and play, considering that he’ll be sleepy after lunch.

“How about a big game brawl?”

Chiharu suggested, but Ayaka shook her head from side to side.

“I would love to do something like that, but I don’t have enough controllers for seven people.”

“Then why don’t you just play cards or something safe?　If it’s a card game or a millionaire game, everyone knows the rules at least.”

Yuzuru suggested that……

But Ayaka frowned.

“E~e, it’s too safe and boring.”

“Is that so …….”

It’s indeed a little boring to have seven people gather together to play poker.

If anything, a game that makes use of the number of players is better.

“How about the King’s Game?”

And that’s when a decent idea came out.

It’s a great game for deepening friendship and making the most of a large group.

“The King’s Game. …… yeah, that’s a good one.”

“The King’s Game!　That’s good!”

Ayaka and Chiharu agreed with Soichiro’s opinion …… and looked at Arisa and Tenka for some reason.

The two of them tilted their heads puzzledly.

“Just so you know, Ayaka, Chiharu. Keep in mind that you too may be ordered around.”

Yuzuru pegged Ayaka and Chiharu not to give any reckless orders.

Hijiri, on the other hand, smiled with amusement.

“That’s good. It’s a game of kings, with the possibility of retaliation.”

At least everyone seemed to be on board.

Ayaka immediately drew up a lottery for everyone.

And ……

” ” “Who’s the king?” ” “

The game has begun, a test of good sense and playfulness, a true expression of human nature.