Volume 2 - CH 2.1

Without anything in particular occurring, Sandai’s daily lives were going fine. By starting a part-time job, it had become busy just a little, but it was as usual otherwise.

After the end of the finals, he had put on hold walking Shino all the way to her home.

To have that included in his daily lives, Sandai was thinking that it would be after properly greeting her parents.

Right now, little by little, he was in the middle of getting his mental preparations done for that.

In the meantime, entering December, and after several passing days, the result of the finals finally came back.

Speaking of whether or not Shino managed to avoid failing… she somehow managed to barely avoid failing in all subjects. The person in question looked happy and had a big smile.

“I did it!”

“The results of your hard work, it is.”

On a further note, for Sandai’s results, it was above 90 in all subjects.

He did feel like he could’ve gotten a full mark on everything if so inclined, but he had dropped his scores so the first place in the school year could get taken by the class president, so he settled for this score.

Since the rank was disclosed personally as schools were also strict with personal information nowadays, it wasn’t definite that the Prez had actually taken the first… well, the said person was delightfully disclosing it to the surroundings, so it was definite without Sandai having to force his hand to find out.

“UWOOOOHHH, F-FINALLY FIRST PLACE! I’VE ACHIEVED IT!!

“Shut up, Prez. Yeah sure, good for you, huh.”

“Someone like Prez will raise the average, which also raises the failing mark. Drop your score in the spirit of solidarity, man.”

“Shihouin-kun is first place… Speaking of which, Shihouin-kun’s birthday is also close. I wanna give some kind of present to congratulate his birthday and for getting first place… I wanna get to know him, too…”

“Yuizaki somehow avoids failing this final, doesn’t she? Even though she’s always been a supplementary class regular in all subjects. I wonder if Fujiwara is good at helping study.”

“I got betrayed by Shino… I thought we were supplementary class forever best buds and yet…”

“The greatest dummy avoiding failing feels, like, the greatest betrayal. I get you.”

“The supplementary class starts on the 24th on winter holiday’s first day, so as expected on that day Shino also wants to… so that’s what this is all about, right? It’s the power of love.”

In the classroom, here and there people who had ended up failing were standing out. Somehow it seemed to be a lot, however…

The failing mark was based on the average of the entire school year, so it seemed there were a lot of students with bad results in this class.

That said, there were also top ranker students such as Sandai and the Prez.

If we were to take the average by dividing the collective score of the whole class, we would probably get a balance figure.

Glancing at the students’ louder than usual pandemonium, the homeroom teacher Nakaoka let out a sigh. And then for some reason, Nakaoka looked at Sandai.

“Alright… The results have been given back, and now there is a student I have to summon for a bit. Fujiwara, come to the staff room after school.”

“Eh…?”

Suddenly being named, Sandai opened his eyes wide in puzzlement.

“There’s something I want to talk about.”

Sandai was about to ask what it was about, but Shino, however, responded even faster than him.

“Sandai is smart enough to help me study, his results aren’t bad, and he hasn’t done anything weird either… So why does he need to be summoned?”

“Why are you the one responding and not Fujiwara, Yuizaki… oh well, I guess that’s fine. Well, look, I’m not necessarily summoning him to scold him. Relax.”

“Then isn’t it fine to talk about it here?”

At the same time as Shino glaring at Nakaoka, tension spread out in the classroom, and the classmates who had been making ruckus until just now suddenly went silent.

Sandai also froze up reflexively at the sudden explosive situation between Shino and Nakaoka.

“It’s not something I can talk about here. It’s not anything weird.”

“If it’s not anything weird, then isn’t it strange that you can’t talk about it here?”

“I’m not going to bully your boyfriend either.”

“Then I’ll tag along.”

“I don’t know what you’re worried about, but there are other teachers in the staff room. Nothing that will worry you will happen. It’s like a student and teacher meeting.”

Student and teacher meeting—with words that could happen to any students equally coming out, perhaps her worry having been dispelled a little, Shino’s vigor gradually eased.

“…Like a student and teacher meeting?”

“That’s right. So don’t make such a scary face… Have you calmed down a bit?”

“It’s not like I’m being hysterical or anything.”

“You’re right, you just got worried a bit… When you fall in love with someone, you will make tremendous assumptions that will also turn into worry. That being the case, that’s the so-called emotion which is an important part of being a human. However, don’t let it run wild too much. Fujiwara is unexpectedly thick skinned, so he doesn’t seem to think anything of it at all, but that also perhaps will change someday.”

“…That’s not true.”

“Such a childish logic won’t get you anywhere once you become an—no, I guess it’s fine for now. Anyway, it’s great that I seem to have gotten your understanding.”

It seemed that the situation had settled down without turning serious, and everyone in that place including Sandai let out a sigh in unison.

It was a scene overflowing with tension.

In the worst scenario, Sandai had thought of giving a helping hand to Shino, but on one hand, he could understand why Nakaoka had chided Shino, so Sandai had mixed feelings.

Nakaoka’s point was correct.

Thinking about the time when Shino would be an adult, she had a little part of herself somewhere that would have to be fixed.

Nonetheless, there would be no meaning if Shino didn’t realize and try to fix it herself.

What Sandai could do would be to just support Shino from the shadows so she could realize it. Sandai thought that going further than that would simply be being pushy, nothing more.