The final exams ended without any issues.
Judging by how it felt, Yuzuru thought he had done even better than on the midterms.
“Phew… not bad.”
After finishing his self-grading, Yuzuru let out a relieved sigh.
He wouldn’t know for certain until the results came back, but he should have scored at least as well as the midterms—if not better.
It was probably thanks to the study sessions with Arisa.
…During the midterms, he had studied while fooling around with Soichiro and the others, so it honestly hadn’t been very productive.
“So how did things go for you?”
“…Pretty well. I think the results reflect the effort I put in.”
“That’s good to hear.”
It was the final day of exams.
Although it was Friday rather than Saturday, Arisa had come to Yuzuru’s flat.
They had decided to grade their tests themselves and review how everything went.
“Still, this kind of thing is new to me.”
“…You’ve never done it before?”
“Well, I don’t usually look back on the past… and my friends aren’t exactly the type to reflect on things either.”
Specifically: Soichiro, Ayaka, Chiharu, and Hijiri.
(Man, I really am surrounded by real goofs—) Yuzuru thought, lamenting the bias in his social circle.
Birds of a feather flock together, after all.
“Reflecting too much might not be good, but at least reviewing what you’ve learned is important.”
Arisa said this while looking at him with cold eyes and an equally cold tone.
Yuzuru simply shrugged.
“They say ‘fukushuu produces nothing,’ you know?”
“That’s the wrong fukushuu. “fukushuu” can mean both “review” or “study” (復習) and “revenge” (復讐) …We need to prepare for the off-campus mock exam during summer break.”
“The mock exam, huh… Yeah, that one we’ll have to take seriously.”
Between midterms/finals and outside mock exams, the latter was overwhelmingly more important.
Unless you were aiming for a recommendation admission, your internal grades didn’t matter much.
And the questions on midterms and finals weren’t exactly designed with entrance exams in mind, so whether they helped with the actual exam was questionable.
“I think both deserve serious effort. …You’re not considering recommendation admission at all?”
“I don’t have the confidence to behave perfectly for three straight years. What about you, Yukishiro? Planning to aim for it?”
“I haven’t decided yet. But it’s better to have more options, right?”
A very model-student answer.
(I should make Soichiro and the others drink the water I boiled with the dirt under her fingernails—) Japanese expression meaning to learn from someone admirable. Yuzuru thought—completely ignoring his own faults.
“Well, entrance exams are still a long way off. And the finals are already behind us. Let’s talk about something in the near future instead.”
“I think ignoring it entirely is questionable… but what do you mean by the near future?”
“What do you want to do tomorrow? Play games like usual?”
Tomorrow was Saturday.
The day Arisa usually came over to Yuzuru’s place.
For the past two weeks they’d been studying instead of gaming, so if they played, it would be the first time in a while.
“About that… I actually wanted to ask you something.”
Arisa spoke in a slightly more formal tone.
“What’s up?”
“…You bring cake every week, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Well, last week it was cream puffs though.”
The famous pastry shop Yuzuru frequented.
They had many kinds of cakes, but also cream puffs, pudding, and more.
Everything there was delicious.
Every week, Yuzuru bought something different for Arisa.
“That was really delicious. But that’s not the point.”
“Not the point?”
“Next week… I’d appreciate it if you didn’t bring sweets.”
Yuzuru tilted his head in confusion.
Every week when he brought out the cake box, Arisa’s eyes sparkled—and she always looked incredibly happy while eating it.
And just now she’d said the cream puffs were delicious.
“Why? You liked them, didn’t you?”
“I do. They’re delicious. But… that’s the problem. …Please read between the lines.”
(Read between the lines, huh?)
Yuzuru thought about it for a moment—and then realised.
Ah.
From a woman’s perspective, that would definitely be something to worry about.
But…
“If anything, the main cause might be the amount of sugar you put in your coffee—”
“That’s none of your business. And I haven’t gained anything yet. It’s only a concern at this stage.”
Arisa glared at him.
Her cheeks were red, brows furrowed, eyes sharp.
…That might have been a bit insensitive.
“Well… I might have gained some too. I’ve been trying to increase my exercise, though.”
“…Don’t men usually have faster metabolisms?”
“Honestly, your cooking is more sinful than cake. I end up eating too much.”
“Then… should I say thank you, or apologise?”
Arisa said this with a slightly confused look.
Still… judging by the faint smile tugging at her lips, she leaned more towards thank you.
“…Actually, my grandparents gave me a lecture recently.”
“A lecture?”
“They said playing games at home all the time might be fun for me, but a girl our age would probably find it boring. That kind of lecture.”
Arisa coming to Yuzuru’s flat was partly because she wanted to play games…
…but also to act like a loving fiancée.
In other words, on paper it was basically a stay-at-home date.
But… what kind of couple only ever had stay-at-home dates?
“I enjoy it, though. …Still, yes. My foster parents also… well… asked this morning whether we ever go outside… you know… on dates.”
Arisa hesitated slightly before saying the word date.
In her mind they were simply friends of the opposite sex hanging out.
But to outside observers they looked like a couple—and to their guardians, an engaged couple.
That was the role they were playing, after all.
Still, saying it out loud felt a little embarrassing.
…Though that shy attitude gave them the air of a fresh young couple, which wasn’t exactly a problem.
“Sounds like we’re in the same situation. …So, I wanted to ask you something. Um, you know. How about we go on a date tomorrow?”
They’d been studying nonstop lately and hadn’t moved their bodies much.
Some outdoor activity would be healthier.
Besides, finals were finally over.
It would be nice to have fun somewhere different for a change.
That was Yuzuru’s proposal.
“Yes, that sounds good. It might also help make our relationship look more believable if we go out somewhere.”
“Alright. I’ll message you later with the details.”
And so, the two of them decided to go on a date.
The next day.
Since they planned to do some light exercise, both changed into comfortable clothes.
The place they arrived at was—
“What can you do here?”
“Karaoke, darts, billiards, bowling, table tennis, tennis… I’ve done most of those before.”
It was one of those all-in-one entertainment complexes.
Yuzuru had chosen it because staying at home gaming all the time probably wasn’t very healthy.
“You’ve been here before?”
“Yeah, a few times with friends. And by friends, I mean Satake Soichiro and Ryozenji Hijiri.”
Yuzuru didn’t have the courage to bring Arisa somewhere he’d never been before.
Besides, since the place had so many activities, it was unlikely everything would be a miss.
Yuzuru already had a membership card, but Arisa didn’t, so she made one at the entrance.
After putting the card into her wallet, she asked:
“So… what should we do?”
“Anything you’re interested in, Yukishiro?”
Yuzuru opened the brochure he’d received at the counter.
He figured they should prioritize Arisa, since she was the newcomer.
After thinking carefully, she pointed to one of the facilities.
“Tennis, maybe. I’ve played in class before. I’m not confident about playing a match, but I could probably manage a rally. It seems like good exercise—and fun.”
“Tennis, huh? Yeah, that sounds good.”
A guy and a girl playing tennis together.
That sounded extremely couple-like.
If he told his nosy grandparents they played tennis, they’d surely be satisfied.
They quickly borrowed rackets and balls and headed to the tennis court.
But…
…a problem arose.
“…Hijiri.”
“…What a coincidence, Yuzuru.”
They had run straight into each other.
And for some reason, standing beside Hijiri was a beautiful girl with black hair.
Slender limbs, a slim figure, and tall.
Tenka Nagiri.
At Yuzuru’s high school, she was rumored to be one of the cutest girls—alongside Arisa, Ayaka, and Chiharu.
Yuzuru wasn’t particularly close to her.
At most, they were on greeting terms.
But apparently Chiharu and Tenka knew each other, and Hijiri also had some connection with Tenka.
So there were indirect links between them, but essentially they were strangers.
That was how Yuzuru viewed Nagiri Tenka.
He had heard she was in the same class as Hijiri, but he’d never imagined they were close enough to go on a date together like this.
(Ah, we got spotted.)
(How should I explain this…?)
Hijiri wore exactly that kind of expression.
And then—
Yuzuru ended up wearing the same expression.
