Chapter 110: Kirihara Arisu

About a week later, the IQ test results were released. Instead of a public announcement, the homeroom teacher distributed the scores individually.

“Here you go, Kurosawa-san.”

The teacher smiled and handed me a slip of paper. I unfolded it nervously.

Kurosawa Rina: 150

‘Wow…?’

Higher than in my past life. 150 was near-genius level. The Takamari Academy test must be different.

Back at my desk, Aya smiled at me warmly. She’d already received hers, and it was probably much higher. Mizuki approached, curious.

“Rina-tan, what did you get? Show me~!”
“Eh, you first, Mizuki!”

Mizuki grinned and showed me hers.

Asakura Mizuki: 177

“…Mizuki, are you even human?”
“Ehehe~ I’m a genius pretty girl~!”
“That’s amazing.”

I looked at Mizuki enviously. She glanced at my score.

“Wow, Rina, 150! That’s amazing!”
“No, no, yours is much better…!”

I playfully punched Mizuki, and she dodged, laughing. We both turned to Aya.

“I wonder what Aya got.”
“Yeah, I’m curious.”

Aya smiled and hid her slip.

“It’s a secret.”
“Aw~ Aya-ring, show us!”
“Is it off the charts?”
“No… I’m just embarrassed.”

Aya blushed, and Mizuki snatched the slip.

“Mizuki!”
“Heehee, just a peek~!”

Mizuki unfolded it and froze. I peeked and gasped.

Yukikawa Aya: 182

“W-What… is this…?”
“Aya…”

Aya blushed furiously and snatched the slip back.

“…I said it wasn’t worth seeing.”
“Wow, Aya-ring! Are you human?”
“182… Wow…”

Aya sighed. I stared at her, speechless.

“Aya-ring, you’re not from this world…!”
“Mizuki…”

Aya hid her face in her desk as we teased her. We laughed.

‘Maybe the scores are inflated…?’

I wondered. Then I overheard a nearby conversation:

“Nishimura, what’d you get?”
“You first, Sugisaki.”
“137.”
“That’s high. I got 129.”

Eh…? The scores were high, but normal for Takamari. I checked mine again. 150. Higher than my past life.

I was relieved. And it made me realize how extraordinary my friends were.

****

After school, at the student council meeting.

“One of you first-years needs to run for vice president.”

Hiiragi-senpai said. Takamari had a unique system. First-year vice presidents started their term the next year and became president in their third year.

Present were Aya, Mizuki, me, and Arisu.

“Traditionally, Yukikawa-san, after leading the spring festival, would be the most suitable. Any objections?”
“…”

Silence. Even Arisu looked away.

“Asakura-san?”
“No need for me to run. Aya is perfect.”

Mizuki, after a moment of hesitation, replied seriously.

“Kurosawa-san?”
“No… I agree. Aya is the best choice. I’ll support her.”

Hiiragi-senpai considered, then turned to Arisu.

“Kirihara-san?”
“I don’t want to disrupt the consensus.”

Arisu’s tone was cold, hinting at something unpleasant.

“Then Yukikawa-san is our candidate.”
“I’ll do my best.”

Aya’s reply was calm and composed. She was the ideal candidate: smart, kind, friendly, and beautiful.

When Hiiragi-senpai left, silence returned.

“Yukikawa is always the same.”

A cold, bitter voice. Arisu stared at Aya resentfully.

“…Kirihara, what do you mean?”

Aya’s voice was unusually cold.

“Arisu… Aya-ring… What’s going on? You were friends.”

Mizuki tried to intervene, but they ignored her.
Arisu stared at Aya, then smiled faintly.

“That was middle school, Mizuki.”

Aya’s face hardened. I’d never seen her look so hostile.

The room was icy. Arisu stood and walked to the door. As she left, she said,

“What happened in middle school… is in the past.”

The door clicked shut. Aya stared at the door.

What happened between them? In the novel, Arisu’s role was minimal afterwards. But as fellow student council members… we’d be seeing each other for years.

Could I mend their relationship? But I barely knew the novel’s Arisu…

Aya looked away, her face filled with disdain.

“Let’s go home.”
“Okay…”

I needed to talk to Mizuki.

****

The next day at lunch, I waited to be alone with Mizuki. Aya was called to the staff room.

Mizuki, sipping orange juice, smiled, but her smile faded when she saw my serious face.

“Rina-tan, what’s wrong?”
“Mizuki, about… Aya and Arisu…”
“Ah, that? Yeah, you’d be curious.”

Mizuki looked around.

“This isn’t a good place to talk. Somewhere quieter?”
“Okay.”

I followed Mizuki. A feeling of unease accompanied her cheerful steps. We reached the high school rooftop.

“Nice breeze.”
“Yeah… So…”
“Rina.”

Mizuki’s intense gaze made me look away.
She chuckled, but something else was mixed in with her amusement.

“Yeah…”
“You like Aya-ring, right?”
“Yes, I like Aya.”

I could finally say it naturally. But then…

“In middle school, Arisu was in your place.”

Mizuki’s words were a shock.

“Eh…?”

Ah, so…
Was Aya…

“Am I… Arisu’s replacement?”
“No, Aya-ring wouldn’t think like that. Don’t say that!”
“Uh, yeah…”

Aya wasn’t like that… So why was Arisu acting this way?
My head spun. Our relationships were a complex equation.

“So… Aya and Arisu… were dating?”

Mizuki avoided my gaze, her response vague.

“To be precise…”

Mizuki’s next words hit me even harder.