Chapter 33 - The After-School Study Session
The quiet classroom was filled with the faint sounds of pens scratching across paper and the turning of textbook pages.
Occasionally, you could hear someone’s breathing. That’s because there were only four of us in this classroom. Everyone was so focused on studying that no one spoke. Pens continued to move relentlessly as we solved our problems.
Even I was much more focused here than I ever was at home.
Perhaps this empty classroom had some kind of special effect that helped people concentrate on their studies. As I was mulling over that thought, Nishikawa broke the silence.
"This is impossible! I just don’t get it... Why is this so hard?!"
"Kyoya, are you alright? Tell me what part you don’t understand."
"Uhh... well, I don’t get any of it. I don’t understand anything in the entire test range."
"Kyoya... well, how about this part then?"
"Hm? Oh, this is a multiple-choice question, right? Watch this."
Nishikawa pulled out a dice-shaped eraser from his pencil case, gave it a light toss, and watched it roll across the desk.
Then, with a confident look, he declared the result.
"Alright, it’s C!"
"Haaa... Kyoya, you're right, the answer is indeed C, but... I'm not interested in your luck, I want to see how well you understand the problem."
"Well, if I don’t know it, there’s nothing I can do about it. I'm just not good at studying."
Nishikawa threw down his mechanical pencil and slumped over the desk while Reo let out a long sigh.
"Kyoya... you really haven’t changed at all. You're just like you were during our high school entrance exam prep."
Reo shook his head, placing his hand on his forehead in exasperation. Watching him, I blurted out a thought that crossed my mind.
"So, when you say 'since the entrance exam,' does that mean you’ve known Nishikawa since middle school?"
"Yeah, Kyoya and I were in the same middle school and played on the basketball team together. When I said I wanted to go to Kio Gakuen High School, Kyoya said he wanted to play basketball at the same school too."
"I see. So you've been tutoring Nishikawa all this time to help him get into this high school?"
"Pretty much. It was tough, believe me. Like I said, Kyoya’s not good at studying, so I had to stick with him constantly during our third year of middle school, haha."
"Hey! Reo, we agreed not to talk about that!"
"Well, Ryusuke and Mashiro can probably tell just by looking at us."
"Yeah, I guess... but I’ve got the goddess of luck on my side, so..."
"Luck is part of skill, maybe, but studying is something you’ve got to master for it to be worthwhile. Don’t give up, I’ll stick with you to the end."
"Phew... I’m really glad to have Reo, the second in our grade, around..."
Nishikawa looked visibly relieved at Reo’s encouraging words. Hearing him, Mashiro lifted her head from her notebook.
"Wow, Reo-kun, you were second in the whole grade on the last midterms?!"
"Yeah. I try to excel in both academics and sports, so I work hard in both."
"That’s amazing! You’re a regular on the basketball team and ranked second in our grade? That’s incredible."
Listening to Mashiro and Reo’s conversation, I nodded to myself. *It’s just like in the original story.*
Reo had always been the “best friend” character to the protagonist, with multiple talents. Good-looking, top of the class both academically and athletically, and with a perfect personality. In the original, he was always the shining friend, showing off his talents.
I should probably gather more information on the other top students in our year too. If anything’s different from the original story, I’ll be in trouble later.
"Hey, Reo. You said you’re second in the grade, but who’s better than you at this school?"
"Yeah, I got beaten by 10 points across all subjects."
"Who is it? I was just relieved not to get a failing grade on the midterms, so I didn’t check the rankings."
"She’s in our class. Hanasaki Yuna, who sits next to you, is the top student in our grade."
"Ah, I figured. So, she’s the smartest student here, huh."
Hanasaki Yuna being the top student is also just as it was in the original. I remember well that she was always praised by the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito, for coming in first place in every test.
With her stunning beauty and sharp intellect, she was the perfect heroine. By having her fall in love with the protagonist, it allowed readers and viewers to share in the sense of superiority that came from being adored by someone so perfect.
"By the way, is Hanasaki also super athletic?"
"Hanasaki-san is more of a gentle type, so she’s not great at sports. From what I’ve seen in PE, she’s pretty average. The athletic one is Raito’s childhood friend, Himeno Karen. She was the track team’s ace in middle school and even won a prefectural tournament."
"Wow, that’s impressive..."
"But Himeno-san didn’t join the track team in high school. I think it’s a shame, but apparently, she wants to prioritize her time with Raito."
"So she’s head over heels for Fusegawa, huh."
"Yeah, probably. Raito’s too dense to notice, but it’s clear that all the girls around him are totally in love with him."
So, even Reo had noticed Fusegawa Raito’s growing harem.
In any case, everything Reo was telling me matched the original story exactly. I felt a wave of relief knowing that there weren’t any inconsistencies with what I knew.
Just like in the original, Hanasaki Yuna is the one with brains, and Himeno Karen is the athletic one. Each heroine had their own talents to shine around the protagonist.
The third heroine, Sakuramiya Miyuki, supported the protagonist in ways the other two couldn’t, mostly in terms of finances. Whenever there was an event like an overseas trip or a theme park visit, Miyuki would use her wealthy family’s resources to take care of Raito.
Thanks to Reo, I was able to confirm that my knowledge of the original was correct. Just as I felt a sense of relief, Nishikawa, who had been groaning over his textbook, suddenly raised his head.
"Karen-chan really is amazing. I’ve seen her run before. She was so fast, like the wind, and beautiful too."
Nishikawa’s eyes took on a faraway look.
Seeing him like that made me want to tease him a little.
"Are you into athletic girls, Nishikawa? You sure you’re not in love with her or something? I mean, Himeno is cute."
"No way! It’s not like that! It’s more like... I can really root for her, you know? Like how people cheer for VTubers or idols!"
"VTubers and idols, huh? I noticed this when we played Airex together, but you’ve got a bit of an otaku side, don’t you?"
"Ryusuke, you're one to talk! You were super passionate when we talked about your favorite anime and manga. I was surprised, man! I thought you were a delinquent, but you’re actually an otaku!"
"I won’t deny it. I like what I like, no point in hiding it. You’re the same, right?"
"Yeah, totally! It’s awesome to have a friend who gets me like this. Let’s keep it up, man!"
Nishikawa beamed at me, and Reo watched us with wide eyes.
"Kyoya, when did you and Ryusuke get so close? I thought you’d eventually understand how great he is, but this was fast."
"Oh, on Sunday when Ryusuke invited me to play Airex with him. We teamed up in-game, chatted a lot, and I realized we really click. He’s fun to talk to, we share similar interests, and he’s a beast in the game. The way he dominates the enemy team is insane. Totally a predator."
"Ah, I see. So you bonded through your shared hobbies. I’m glad to hear that."
"Yeah, now I see why you always praised him so much. He’s a good, honest guy."
Reo and Nishikawa exchanged smiles, laughing as they spoke.
I was happy to have gotten closer to Nishikawa too. Studying with friends in the same space like this made me feel truly fortunate.
"Ryusuke really is a great guy. But man, when I saw him today at school, with his hair cut and dyed, I didn’t even recognize him at first."
"Oh, I was surprised too. Now Ryusuke looks like a proper gentleman, inside and out."
The two of them grinned at me, and it felt a little embarrassing to have them bring up my new look.
"Come on, cut it out. It’s embarrassing. But, well... a lot happened."
"Oh? Now I’m curious. Mind telling us what happened, Ryusuke?"
"Sure. Maybe someday I’ll tell you. I just felt like I needed a change, for my sake, and... for—"
I glanced over at Mashiro, who was still frowning at her textbook.
Just as she had changed for me, I wanted to change for her. I wanted to become the kind of man who could protect her smile and stand by her side.
Noticing my gaze, Mashiro looked up and met my eyes.
Her clear blue eyes captured my attention, and for a moment, I was mesmerized by their beauty. Then, she gave me a soft, gentle smile.
"Ryusuke, is something wrong?"
"Well..."
Before I could respond, Nishikawa’s voice cut in.
"Maybe he’s stuck on a problem and needs your help, Ryusuke."
"Ah, I see! Well then, Mashiro-sensei will help you out!"
"Mashiro, didn’t you say you weren’t good at math? I’ve noticed you’ve been sneaking glances over here for help yourself."
"Ahaha, you caught me, huh? Alright then, Ryusuke-sensei, would you please explain this part to me?"
"I guess I have no choice. I’ll give you a special lesson."
"Yay, thank you, Sensei!"
Watching Mashiro happily bounce around made me smile too. Reo and Nishikawa were watching us, smiling warmly.
"Well then, Kyoya, we’ve chatted enough. Let’s get back to studying."
"Alright. So, Reo-sensei, I’ll need you to explain all the subjects and all the topics to me! Thanks!"
"Haha... I’ll do my best..."
With a gleam in his eye, Nishikawa resumed his studies, while Reo, with a wry smile, followed suit.
Once again, the sounds of pens scribbling on paper, pages flipping, and our cheerful voices echoed through the classroom.