Chapter 140: Final exams and first snow

“Ugh…!”

What was this? I’d studied, but my mind was blank. Why did I feel so stupid?
Had someone stolen my memory?! Was it because Mizuki had commandeered my photo albums? Or maybe because I’d been too distracted by dancing with Aya…!

Save me! This was true hell. A hell of endless studying, disguised as Takamari Academy.

“Rina…”
“Mizuki…”
“Are we… doomed…?”

Mizuki and I exchanged desperate glances. At least I wasn’t suffering alone.
But since our school used a relative grading system, it would be okay, right…? Everyone else was probably struggling too…!

“The exam range is too broad…”
“I know… Rina, how can they expect high school students to cover this much material? Isn’t this a violation of labor laws?”

As Mizuki and I wallowed in despair, Aya, ever the composed one, stood between us.

“You two, stop being so dramatic. Let’s do our best on the exams.”
“Aya-ring…”
“Aya…”

Only Aya, the perfect student, could say such things!
Mizuki and I exchanged encouraging, yet still desperate glances and entered the exam room.

Then we received the test papers, already resigned to our fate… but…

The questions were… surprisingly easy.
I was shocked. Was it because the scope of the exam was so broad that they made the questions easier?
The first exam, the second exam… both were much easier than expected.

W-Was this… the law of overconfidence? When you’re too confident, you make mistakes? The first day of the final exams passed in a blur.

****

One of the biggest shocks of my life as a Japanese high school student was the existence of a third semester. What was this, an alien concept? Not four exams a year (midterms and finals for two semesters), but five? Still reeling from this revelation, we gathered in the student council room to study for the second day of exams.

“Rina-tan~! Explain this to meee…”

“But Mizuki, you’re better at studying than me…”

“I’m just good at guessing, please help me, Rina!”

Mizuki was practically in tears, and I felt like joining her. Even if the questions were relatively easy, the sheer volume of material was overwhelming.

Aya and Arisu had gone to get some reference books. They seemed to be getting along well since their big fight at the beginning of the semester… I hoped things would stay that way.

But the bigger problem was Tachibana-senpai, who was also studying in the student council room. She couldn’t stand Mizuki’s whining any longer.

“Everyone… let’s stop crying and study.”
“Yes.”
“Okay…”

I was surprised she’d actually said something. But her attempt to restore order didn’t last long.
Mizuki, holding back tears, turned to Tachibana-senpai.

“You and Hiiragi-senpai seem to be getting along well these days~ Did you two… get back together?”
“Wh-Wh-What?! What are you saying, Asakura-san?!”

Tachibana-senpai’s face turned bright red. Huh…? Even she could get flustered…

“What do you mean~? I saw Hiiragi-senpai talking to you very seriously at the tea party. And you’ve been spending a lot of time together lately, haven’t you?”
“Th-That’s… student council work…!”

Tachibana-senpai fidgeted nervously, avoiding eye contact, picking up and putting down her book. I’d never seen her so flustered.
I chuckled softly, and Mizuki, emboldened, pressed further.

“Come on~ Tell us the truth! You’re dating again, aren’t you?”

“I told you we’re not… Th-That’s… personal…”

Just then, the door opened, and Aya and Arisu returned. A timely rescue for Tachibana-senpai.

“Aya!”
“We’re back. What’s going on here…?”

“N-Nothing happened!”

Tachibana-senpai’s face was still red, but thanks to their arrival, the awkwardness dissipated. I quickly went over to Aya, partly to defuse the situation, and partly because… I wanted to be close to her.

“Aya, can you explain this question? I’ve been stuck on it.”
“Let me see…”

And while I was at it, I asked her about a few other things I didn’t understand. Aya pulled my textbook closer and patiently explained the concepts. With me taking the initiative, the student council room returned to a studious atmosphere.

A short while later, Tachibana-senpai cleared her throat and stood up.

“Ahem… I have to go. Study hard, everyone.”
“Yes, senpai.”

After she left, the four of us continued studying until sunset. The days were short in winter, and we soon started packing up.

“Should we call it a day?”

“Yes! Good luck on the exams tomorrow, everyone.”
“Fighting!”

The first day of exams came and went.

****

The final exams also passed quickly. After the last exam, as usual, someone brought the answer key from the staff room, and the familiar scene of students comparing answers, a mix of groans and cheers, unfolded.

“Wow, this exam was really hard…”
“I know, right? Why do they keep making them harder?”

My classmates agreed that the final exams were particularly difficult this time. But I finally understood the strange feeling I’d had throughout the exam period.

‘…My score went up?’

I hadn’t studied any differently, but my score was higher than before. Even Aya, who usually looked calm and collected, seemed surprised when she saw my score. A flicker of shock crossed her face.

“Aya… are you okay?”
“Y-Yes. I’m fine.”

Mizuki was also shocked. The midterm scores would prevent any major changes in our rankings, and Aya had always helped me with my studies, so she’d naturally scored higher than me…

But when the final results, including our coursework scores, were posted, Mizuki’s face turned pale.

“Ah…”

Mizuki, who was always second in the grade… was now third. And I was second. I couldn’t believe I’d surpassed Mizuki.

I didn’t know what to say, so I just looked at Mizuki, who looked dejected. Aya congratulated me.

“Rina, congratulations.”
“Eh…? Aya?”
“You worked hard, so it’s only natural that your grades improved. Mizuki, you did well too, so don’t be too discouraged.”

Aya’s kind words made Mizuki sigh softly.

“Haa… I can’t believe I lost second place to Rina-tan… Well, it’s better than losing to someone else.”
“Mizuki… I’m sorry…”
“It’s okay, Rina-tan. I just… lost this time, that’s all.”

Mizuki sighed, then stood up with renewed energy and declared,

“Alright! I won’t lose next time!”

Despite her cheerful declaration, a flicker of sadness crossed her face. I wanted to say something, but I held back, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

As we left the school, something started falling from the sky.

“Huh…?”

Aya looked up first. I followed her gaze, and small, white snowflakes were slowly drifting down.

“It’s the first snow…!”
“It is…!”

The first snow of the year. I felt a surge of excitement. Aya held out her hand, catching a snowflake. We watched in silence as it slowly melted away.

Mizuki joined us, her usual cheerful self.

“Wow~ First snow! The sky is celebrating Rina-tan’s second-place ranking!”
“Mizuki…”
“Hmm? What’s wrong, Rina? I’m really okay, don’t worry.”

Mizuki grinned mischievously, and I couldn’t help but smile back. Aya also smiled and patted Mizuki’s back gently.

The snowflakes fell thicker, swirling around us as we walked. We walked in silence for a while, but the atmosphere was warm and comfortable.

Then Mizuki suggested cheerfully,

“Hey, want to go to the convenience store? Let’s get some hot pizza buns to celebrate the first snow!”

“Sure.”

“You’re coming too, Rina, right?”
“Of course!”

We walked towards the convenience store, the snowflakes falling softly around us.