Volume 1 - CH 10

Volume 1, Chapter 10: Just A Feeling That I Won't Be Back

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"Ikuto, please! Help me study!"

One day, as midterms were approaching, Riku came to my desk with a pitiful look on his face as soon as he arrived at school.

It was the exact same scene as last year. It seemed that Riku still didn't change after moving up a grade.

"You have less than a week to go, you know? Give up."

"I can still make it! Make it...make out, making out ――"

"―― You, are you really motivated?"

This conversation was also just like usual. Such was the case every time before an upcoming test. Well, since there was a big penalty involved this time, I could understand why Riku was so desperate.

At our school, if you get a red mark on the midterm exams, your weekends are destroyed, and if you get a red mark on the final test, your long vacation disappears.

Club activities were banned, part-time job permits were to be revoked, and remedial classes were held even on holidays, so there were practically no breaks.

You would be abandoning your youth and devote all your time to studying.

"Why don't you study every day instead?"

"Dada?"

"That's what you get for playing around."

"Mama?"

"You get what you deserve."

"Grandpapa?"

"Riku-chan is an irredeemable idiot."

"Isn't grandmama too harsh? Hey, help me please..."

"Sigh... I get it. I'll help a bit."

"Ooohh! Thank you! Hey guys! Ikuto is going to help us for this next test again!"

""”"Thank you so much!!!"”””

I was going to help, but honestly, it really wasn't the best time to start now.

Riku also understood, so he came to me for help at the last minute.

Even if they did begin, they won't make it in time, so they would have to focus on questions that would likely appear on the test. If their goal was to avoid red marks, they could might be able to do it.

"You'll regret this later, you know?"

"Today, we're living in the present!!!"

"...Try to live with a bit of the future in mind."

Well, we could probably manage. In fact, these guys had survived so far.

But soon after this, I did meet a girl who made me a bit worried about her future.

――――

――

―

After school that day, Riku and the rest of this silly group gathered to prepare for the test.

I gave Riku a set of problems that I prepared secretly during classes, and had him run to the convenience store to make copies of it.

I didn't know what happened after that. I told him to do the problems on his own, but I was then caught and bribed by Riku, and I couldn't leave the classroom for a long time.

"...Hey, Ikuto. All this?"

"Obviously. It's a set of questions that would likely appear...it's called a problem set for a reason. Can't be helped that there's more than usual."

"We're memorizing all of this, Ikuto?"

"If you want to avoid red marks, then yeah."

My friends were manageable. Other boys I didn't have much communication in class also participated, solving the problems silently, and they too, was fine.

The problem were the girls. Maybe some of them didn't really have any clue about the topic, but I was troubled because some pretended to not understand and kept asking me for help.

"Hey, Ikuto? Can you tell me about this problem here?"

"Over here, too. Please help me."

"You can use the same formula as before...and this...use this one."

"Here next!"

"Also here, please."

"Hey, it's about time you're done!"

"That's right! Sit back! So unfair!"

Fuu, if I thought of them as troubled kittens...would it be more enjoyable for me?

It was nice to be able to talk to girls, and it didn't feel bad about them fawning over me.

I really just wasn't interested. Why was that? I might be crazy. They were cute...but I just couldn't get into it. I just couldn't.

I wasn't even making progress in my own studies. I might be able to get by without reviewing, but I hated doing that because it felt like I wasn't doing my best.

Moreover, there was still one more matter that disappointed me. There was that girl in our class I was interested in.

Well, unfortunately for me, that girl wasn't in the study group. I did see her leave the classroom with Tendou... ―― Ah, déjà vu again.

"―― ...Riku, sorry but I got to go to the restroom."

"Hm? Oh, then just go."

"I may not be coming back after this."

"W-what? Why? Feel like you'll be up for a fierce battle?"

"Not really. I just have a hunch that I might not be able to."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

I lied to my classmates that I had a stomachache and left the classroom.

Perhaps they thought I would be back soon, so I was able to leave without anyone stopping me, then I proceeded to head the opposite direction from the restroom.

I didn't have any intentions of going back. I couldn't do my studies there, so I had to do it elsewhere.

Or so I thought, but really, why did I suddenly feel the need to go out?

If they knew I wasn't coming back, Riku would probably conclude the study session and break everyone up.

Thinking this, I headed straight to the library.

――――

――

―

I went to the huge library situated in our school, which was always open regardless if there were upcoming exams or not.

Just like how I called it a huge library, it really was quite spacious. When you think about a library, you think of quietness! However, with a place this big, a little conversation wasn't much of a concern.

In fact, there were many people in groups buried in books studying and chatting.

Unfortunately, I was alone so I shuffled my feet around, looking for an empty space at the end of the hall where I wouldn't be seen by too many people.

"...Hm?"

I stopped. My eyes, as if they were being drawn, were rooted to one spot.

I slowly approached while staring at that particular area. Or rather, they left together, so why was she alone?

Seated there was Hareyama Hanae, wearing an expression so gloomy that it looked like she was about to cry.

Did she have a fight with Tendou? If so, I was afraid to approach her poorly...but, ah...she finally cried. This might be trouble.