Chapter 35 - Awakening
From then on, every day after school, we studied in an empty classroom.
Thanks to all the studying I had done in my previous life, I was able to understand everything in the range of the upcoming test. There wasn’t a single topic I couldn’t grasp.
Even for the memorization-heavy subjects, which had initially worried me, I found that as soon as I reviewed the parts I had forgotten, the information quickly settled back into my mind, as if it had never left.
Mashiro, too, showed remarkable improvement in her academic abilities during this study period. She complimented me, saying, “Ryusuke, you’re such a good teacher,” which made me so happy that I became even more engrossed in studying. She had always been smart, and it seemed that she had managed to overcome her struggles with math, which made me think she might even place near the top of our grade.
Reo, unsurprisingly, ranked second in our grade during the midterms.
Like me, he had everything covered to the point where there was nothing he didn’t understand. We tested each other with problems, and it provided a healthy challenge for both of us. This sparked a bit of rivalry between us, making us even more determined to get good scores on the upcoming test.
Nishikawa, who was terrible at studying, almost gave up halfway through. But then Reo said to him, “If you get a failing grade, you’ll have to take remedial classes during summer break and miss the basketball camp. Is that okay with you?” The moment Nishikawa heard that, he threw himself into studying with fierce determination. He must really love basketball. Fueled by that passion, his academic skills improved drastically. At this rate, he wouldn’t get a failing grade, and I felt relieved.
And so, the day of the test finally arrived.
I was sitting at my desk in the classroom before the school day officially began.
I had been feeling a bit nervous since the night before, but a single comment I overheard in the classroom suddenly heightened my tension.
The voice came from the back corner by the window.
“I can’t afford to lose to Shindo Ryusuke.”
It was Fusegawa Raito, speaking while looking straight at me as he talked to Hanasaki Yuna and Himeno Karen, the two heroines.
“Don’t worry, Raito-kun. We worked so hard studying together during the prep period.”
“That’s right, Raito! We all studied at your place, didn’t we? You’re definitely going to do great!”
“Thanks, Yuna, Karen. I also need to thank Miyuki-senpai for helping me with this test.”
“Yes! You’ve got me, the top student from the last exams, the student council president Sakuramiya-senpai, and your childhood friend Karen all supporting you, so there’s no need to worry!”
“Yeah… I can do this…!”
“That’s the spirit, Raito!”
“Raito-kun, good luck!”
“Yeah, I’ll do my best! With all of your support, I’m going to ace this test!”
Raito’s confident words were accompanied by a sharp, hostile glance in my direction.
I hastily turned to face the blackboard.
This is… completely different from how the original story was supposed to go.
I remembered the content of the first semester’s final exams from the original story. In that version, Fusegawa Raito spent too much time flirting with the heroines during the study sessions at his house and ended up neglecting his studies.
Even so, his test scores were average, showcasing his natural intelligence and ability to perform decently without studying.
But from what I had just heard, he hadn’t neglected his studies at all. On the contrary, it seemed like he had worked harder than ever during this test preparation period with the heroines, a determination that wasn’t even hinted at in the original story.
This was an irregular development. It didn’t happen in the comic version or the anime. Why was this happening?
And then it hit me.
On the first day of the study period, I had started acting in a way that overlapped with his character—as the classic black-haired, short-haired protagonist. I had declared, loud and clear, that I was the protagonist, a direct challenge to him.
In response—of course Fusegawa Raito would start taking action. He had awakened his protagonist powers, ready to overcome any challenge and reach a happy ending.
And to help him overcome the obstacles in his way, the heroines—Hanasaki Yuna, Himeno Karen, and Sakuramiya Miyuki—had also sprung into action.
I had mistakenly thought their study session at his house was just another casual visit event from the original story. But no—Fusegawa Raito had rallied the heroines together, working tirelessly to prepare for this test, all to prove that he was the real protagonist, to defeat me.
It was all to remove me, the irregularity. I had abandoned my role as the villain and tried to deviate from the original storyline, but the protagonists wouldn’t allow it.
“No matter how powerful the enemy that stands in the protagonist’s way, the protagonist always brings about a miracle in the end.”
Of course. I knew this better than anyone.
A protagonist has the power to defy unreasonable odds. And now, facing me, this unreasonable obstacle, he was about to perform a miracle.
Before I could start shining as the protagonist, while I was still seen as the villain, this world was already trying to hammer me down.
If Fusegawa Raito had studied with Yuna, the top student, and Sakuramiya, the student council president, then he would’ve absorbed all their knowledge with his protagonist powers and made it his own.
I was only pretending to be a protagonist. I didn’t have the power to bring about miracles. If I lost this test, he would show me that I could never be the protagonist, and I would be faced with the crushing reality that my future held only ruin, as in the original story.
My mind went blank.
What should I do? How should I respond? My thoughts spiraled in confusion, and my body froze with tension.
This was the first time I’d ever felt like this.
How did the protagonists I’ve seen up until now overcome moments like this?
Think. I’ve seen it all.
Manga, novels,
Anime, games,
They had something I didn’t.
What I lacked was—
“—Ryusuke.”
I heard a voice.
A voice I recognized well, a voice that had saved me countless times before.
I slowly raised my head to see Mashiro standing there, smiling warmly as she called my name. She took my hand gently, holding it as if to comfort me.
And then she said,
“It’s okay, Ryusuke. There’s no need to be so nervous. You’ve worked so hard all this time. You’re amazing, and I guarantee it.”
Mashiro’s words reassured me.
That’s right—I had been working so hard.
In my previous life, and in this world, I’d fought so hard to live authentically, to get to where I was now.
And Mashiro believed in me. She had been watching over me and supporting me all along.
Looking at her, I took a deep breath in and exhaled.
“Thanks, Mashiro. I’ll do my best.”
“Yeah! I’m glad I came to check on you. I could tell you seemed nervous since this morning.”
“Yeah, honestly, I’ve been anxious since last night.”
“I see. But now, you feel better?”
“Yeah. Seeing you has made all my worries disappear. Thanks, Mashiro. I really appreciate your support.”
“Hehe. It’s not just me, you know? You probably didn’t notice because you were so focused, but the other two came to cheer you on too.”
“The other two?”
I followed Mashiro’s gaze and saw Reo and Nishikawa smiling at me.
“Hey, Ryusuke. You looked really nervous, so I figured I’d come give you some encouragement before the test starts.”
“Yeah, I came rushing in from my classroom too. You helped me a lot during this study period, so I had to return the favor.”
“Reo, Nishikawa…”
As I said their names, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Mashiro smiling reassuringly at me.
“We’re all cheering for you, Ryusuke. You’ve got this.”
“Ryusuke, give everything you’ve got in this test. You can do it.”
“Show us that you’re not just good at games, but also at acing tests! Go get ’em, Ryusuke!”
I see. I have all of you with me. Irreplaceable friends, people who mean so much to me, are standing by my side.
That’s why I can give it my all.
I turned to look at Fusegawa Raito, surrounded by the heroines.
I’m not the protagonist yet. I don’t have the power to perform miracles or fight against unfair fates. But still, I don’t want to lose. I can’t afford to lose.
Reo, Nishikawa, and Mashiro have shown me that I can do it. They’re pushing me forward.
With the belief of my friends in my heart.
With the courage to overcome any adversity.
And with all the effort I’ve put in until now.
I will stand up and face Fusegawa Raito, the protagonist.