Chapter 63: 1st semester midterm exams

[LINE Group Chat – Aya, Mizuki, Rina]

Mizuki: Aaaaaah!!! I’ve only memorized half the material!!! Rina-ring, Aya-ring, help me!!! I’m doomed!!!
Aya: Mizuki, stop exaggerating.
Mizuki: Hee~ it’s true, though~
Rina: Huh? Are you really that worried?
Aya: It’s just Mizuki being Mizuki.
Mizuki: No, I’m serious! This Classical Japanese grammar is brutal! Rina-ring, how about you?
Rina: Me…? Aya helped me with it, so I’m okay.
Mizuki: Wow, so lucky! You’re the best, Aya-ring~ What am I going to do if I fail this test!?!?!
Aya: Mizuki, seriously, stop lying.

Mizuki was always like this online. While her “ladylike” demeanor acted as a restraint in real life, online, she was completely unfiltered. Even the night before exams… perhaps this was her true nature.

Mizuki: Okay, I need a sugar rush~! Chocolate break!
Mizuki: Aya-ring, Rina-ring, bring snacks~!

Mizuki left to get some snacks. I put down my phone and leaned back against my bed. “Haa… midterms start tomorrow…”

My phone buzzed.

[Private Chat – Aya, Rina]
Aya: Rina, still awake?

I stared at the message, my fingers instinctively typing a reply.

Rina: Yeah, I’ll be sleeping soon.
Aya: Don’t overwork yourself. You have exams tomorrow, and you just recovered from a cold.
Rina: I know! You too, Aya. Don’t study too late.

It was true. While I seemed healthy enough, this body was weaker than my male one. The fall during the festival preparations, the week-long cold…

I shouldn’t push myself too hard. And then, without thinking, I typed, “Goodnight, Aya.”

…Wait.

I’d just sent a simple goodnight message, but… it felt… significant. It was too late to take it back… ‘It’s just a goodnight… it’s fine, right?’

Just as I was about to put my phone down, it buzzed.

Aya: ……

…Huh? What was with the ellipsis? A few seconds later, another message.

Aya: Goodnight.

I stared at the screen. It was just a simple exchange, yet… there was a strange tension in the air.

What was Aya thinking? Had I said something wrong? My heart pounded, a strange mix of anxiety and excitement, and I turned off my phone, pulling the covers over my head. I shouldn’t be thinking about this, not with exams tomorrow.

But despite my best efforts, my heart continued to race as I drifted off to sleep.

****

I woke up feeling groggy, my body stiff and achy from a restless night.

“Rina.” My mother’s voice called from the kitchen early in the morning. I stumbled out of bed, still half-asleep, and sat at the table, yawning. “Ugh…”

“It’s exam day. Drink this.” A steaming mug of something that smelled strongly of herbal medicine sat on the table.

‘…What is this…?’ I wondered if she’d made it because I was still recovering from my cold. I glanced at the discarded medicine packet beside the mug and noticed a familiar phrase.

‘○○ Herbal Supplement – Menstrual Cramp Relief’

“…!” I almost choked on the medicine I’d just taken a sip of. I managed to swallow it, barely suppressing a cough. “Goodness, Rina, what are you doing? Don’t waste it!” my mother scolded, but my mind was racing.

‘Wait, menstrual cramp relief…? But I haven’t… had my period…?’

Having retained clear memories of my past life, I’d completely forgotten about the… biological realities of being a girl.

‘It’s been… at least two months, hasn’t it…?’ I quickly calculated. I’d regained my past life memories at the beginning of the semester, and with the hectic student council activities…

‘I haven’t… since then…?’ My face paled. “…Mom, do I really have to drink this? I haven’t… recently.”

My mother nodded absently. “It’s good for you, even if you don’t have cramps. It’ll help with your overall health.”

‘That’s not the point…!’ I swallowed my words, unsure of what to say. My mother continued, “It’s important to stay healthy for your exams. Drink it.”

This wasn’t just about menstrual cramps; it was about the more pressing issue of ‘Why haven’t I had my period?!’ I stared at the mug, frozen, then realized.

‘Being a high school girl…’ Even though I knew my body had changed, I’d still been thinking in terms of my past life, as a male. And then it hit me, the weight of this reality, the fact that I would continue to live in this female body. I took a deep breath and slowly drank the medicine, the bitter taste lingering on my tongue.

****

The air felt heavy, the weight of exam day pressing down on me as I adjusted the strap of my backpack, mentally reviewing the schedule.

Day 1: Japanese, Math, World History.

Day 2: English, Chemistry, Geography.

Day 3: Biology, Home Economics, Japanese History.

Three days, three subjects each day.

I was already worried about the… period situation, and now, thinking about the exams, I felt a headache coming on. Especially since the first subject was Japanese. While I could handle the literature analysis, thanks to my past life experience, if there were any questions on Classical Japanese grammar…

‘If I can just get through Japanese, the rest should be okay…’ Aya’s tutoring had helped, but I was still worried.

Lost in thought, reviewing the material in my head, I noticed a familiar figure ahead. “…Aya?”

Aya, in her usual impeccable uniform, was waiting for me. But her expression was… different.

There was a strange awkwardness in the air as we met. Or was it just me? Aya’s face was calm, as always…

‘Is it… because of last night’s text…?’ The thought made my face flush. Aya’s last message had been an ellipsis, followed by a slightly delayed “Goodnight.”

‘…Was it… just a normal goodnight…?’ It wasn’t something to overthink, but seeing her now, it bothered me. Was it just me, or was Aya feeling awkward too?

“Rina.”

“…Yes?”

“Did you sleep well?”

It was a simple greeting, yet I couldn’t answer, the words somehow linked to last night’s messages.

“…Ah, yes! I slept well!” I said a bit too enthusiastically, and Aya, seemingly unfazed by my slightly exaggerated response, simply nodded and fell into step beside me, matching my slower pace.

“Are you ready for the exams?”

“Yeah… I think so…” I replied, but inwardly, I was less certain. I didn’t want to worry Aya, though. We walked in silence.

‘She probably just added the ellipsis without thinking… right?’ I glanced at Aya, and she, sensing my gaze, turned to look at me, her eyes questioning. ‘What’s wrong?’ she seemed to be asking.

Flustered, I blurted out, “N-Nothing! I was just thinking… you seem relaxed today, Aya.”

Aya looked at me, then smiled faintly. “I’m not relaxed. I’m nervous too.” Her words surprised me. It was rare for Aya to admit to feeling nervous. But her expression quickly returned to its usual calm composure. “But I did my best, so…”

Even though I was worried about Japanese, I had studied hard for the other subjects. There was no need to panic. I took a deep breath, clenching my fists. “Okay! Let’s ace these exams!”

****

Back in the classroom, we were doing some last-minute reviewing before the exams. And then…

“Ugh…” Mizuki’s soft groan was barely audible. She was slumped over her desk, her head in her hands.

“I still can’t remember this Classical Japanese grammar!” she mumbled, flipping through her textbook. “Is this the imperative form… or the attributive form? No, wait, it’s a verb conjugation, so… ugh, I’m so confused!”

I sympathized. Classical Japanese grammar was definitely the most daunting part of the exam. Attributive form? Continuative form? Conditional expressions and imperative transformations? I barely understood modern Japanese grammar. While the middle school Rina had known this stuff, this was high school, Takamari High School.

“Mizuki, you said you couldn’t memorize this yesterday too,” Aya said, glancing at her and sighing softly. “You still haven’t memorized it?”

“Aya-ring, don’t be so mean! Can’t you offer some words of encouragement~? It’s right before the exam!”

“…” Aya seemed momentarily speechless, then added quietly, “…Good luck.”

“That’s… not very encouraging!!” Mizuki wailed, throwing her hands up in mock despair. But honestly, I was also nervous.

“Rina-ring! You’re nervous too, right?!”

“Uh… w-well… I’m also a bit confused…” To be honest, the exams were the least of my worries. But I couldn’t tell them that…

“I’m a little nervous,” I admitted.

“See! See! You’re my comrade, Rina-ring!!!” Mizuki grabbed my shoulders and shook me excitedly. “So… let’s fail together~!”

“Mizuki, stop it,” Aya said calmly, and Mizuki froze.

“Hmm… Aya-ring, you’re especially cold today~”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes right before an exam.”

“Tch, being so perfect is so boring~” Mizuki grumbled, returning to her seat. Aya, while outwardly calm, seemed… on edge. Was it the exams? Or something else?

‘No, I shouldn’t be worrying about perfect Aya. I’m the one who should be worried.’ Last night’s conversation… I was probably the only one overthinking it. Aya just needed to focus on the exams. ‘I should focus on the exams…’

Five minutes until the exam. A tense silence settled over the classroom.

Aya closed her eyes, and Mizuki, still clutching her textbook, mumbled to herself. And then, a calm, female voice announced over the PA system, “We will now begin the first-year midterm exams.”