“You know, I’ve been thinking. Studying right before a mock exam is kind of pointless, isn’t it?”
An hour and a half into studying, Ayaka suddenly came out with that.
“…Hey, Ayaka. Who exactly organised this gathering?”
Soichiro asked, sounding exasperated.
Ayaka tilted her head.
“Me?”
“And what kind of gathering is this?”
“A study session.”
“Then don’t deny the very reason you set it up.”
A perfectly reasonable retort.
Ayaka waved her hand dismissively.
“Now, now, hear me out. Mock exams are meant to measure where you stand, right? So what really matters is your everyday studying. Even if you cram a bit right before and gain a few extra points, it doesn’t mean anything.”
“That’s the sort of thing someone who studies consistently would say. Not someone like you, who does nothing most of the time—no, worse, someone who sleeps during class.”
At Yuzuru’s comment, Ayaka smirked.
“But I still got first in the school rankings last time.”
“…Well, I can’t really argue with that.”
Truthfully, Yuzuru wasn’t one to talk either—he didn’t study diligently, just enough to keep up with lessons.
“As expected of Ayaka-san! That’s exactly right! There’s no point struggling now! Let’s just stop!”
Chiharu jumped to her feet in agreement—
Only for Soichiro to grab her shoulder and force her back down.
“Chiharu, sit down. …Didn’t your parents already tell you off?”
Perhaps her concentration had finally broken, because Arisa—who had been quietly studying—set down her pen.
“Still, this mock exam is more important than the last one, isn’t it? It’s even called the ‘high-difficulty mock exam’.”
“Yeah. They said it would have tougher questions than the last one.”
Yuzuru nodded, and Soichiro continued.
“I’ve also heard it’s harder to raise your deviation score. The pool of test-takers is stronger, so it’s harder to create a gap.”
Tenka, sipping her tea, raised an eyebrow.
“That depends on the questions, doesn’t it? If they overdo it and make everything too difficult, then some people might actually see their scores go up.”
At that moment, someone let out a loud sigh.
It was Hijiri.
“You lot and your deviation scores… are you obsessed or something? How can you have such a dull conversation at a time like this?”
“That’s just you, Hijiri-kun. I find it quite fun. Especially since I did well last time. Must be tough for you—I sympathise.”
“Um—Tenka-san? That hit me too, so could you not?”
Tenka casually roasted Hijiri, and Chiharu caught the stray fire.
Hijiri snapped back.
“Shut it. Show some consideration. There are people who hate the word ‘deviation score’—or have nothing to do with it in the first place.”
“Exactly! Do you know why school romance stories are fun even though school itself is boring? Because they skip the classroom scenes!”
Chiharu chimed in.
Unfortunately, neither she nor Hijiri were exactly “unrelated” to academic performance.
If anything, based on their last results, they should be taking it seriously.
“Well, this is supposed to be a study session. Especially you two—you might want to take it seriously.”
At Yuzuru’s remark, both of them sighed heavily and glared at him.
“You’ll be hated if you keep stating the obvious.”
“Please stop with the logical harassment.”
Just then, Arisa tugged lightly at Yuzuru’s sleeve.
Leaning close, she brought her alluring lips near his ear.
“…If you think it’s correct, why don’t you do it?”
“Because it’s more of a hassle than it’s worth. …Same reason I didn’t clean my place.”
Even Yuzuru had known he should clean—but didn’t until it caused trouble for Arisa.
It was all about motivation.
“Well, once they fail, they’ll get serious.”
“…Isn’t that too late?”
“Apparently more than half the students at our school end up repeating a year.”
“Eh? …Really?”
“Even if it’s obvious they’ll fail, the teachers don’t stop them.”
“I see…”
“At this rate, Hijiri and Chiharu are headed that way. We should use them as examples and—”
“We can hear you.” “We heard that.”
Despite it being their first proper meeting, Hijiri and Chiharu seemed to have gotten along surprisingly well.
Yuzuru shrugged.
“Anyway, we’ve drifted off topic. What I’m trying to say is—I want to have fun. We’re all here, after all!”
“Then you should’ve organised this after the mock exam…”
Yuzuru pointed out.
Ayaka blushed slightly and fidgeted.
“Well, Tenka-chan and I don’t really interact much, you know? I thought if I suddenly invited her to hang out, she might not come… right, Tenka-chan?”
She leaned her head against Tenka’s shoulder.
“U-um… yes, I suppose…”
Tenka looked visibly uncomfortable.
Even her cool composure seemed no match for Ayaka’s persistence.
Yuzuru sipped his tea, thinking about the group.
Some of them had only indirect familiarity.
Others had met before but weren’t particularly close.
So using this as a chance to deepen bonds wasn’t a bad idea—
Though the timing was questionable.
“At the very least, it is around lunchtime. Shall we take a break?”
Arisa suggested.
Everyone’s concentration had clearly dropped, so it wasn’t a bad idea.
“That sounds great! Let’s order some delivery.”
With Ayaka’s agreement, they decided to take a lunch break.
The question was what to order—
But when Arisa mentioned she’d never had pizza delivery before, that settled it.
“How is it, Arisa?”
Yuzuru asked as she carefully ate, making sure not to drop the cheese.
At first glance, her usual cool composure made her expression hard to read.
“Mmm… it’s delicious.”
Her voice carried a faint softness.
Her jade eyes, usually somewhat lifeless, now shimmered with light.
At times like this—
She was… no, very cute.
“…Arisa-san, you’re really cute, you know.”
“Pardon?”
Chiharu’s sudden comment made Arisa look confused.
Sitting across from her, Chiharu wore a slightly mischievous smile.
“You’re usually so cool, but then you suddenly show this adorable side. It’s irresistible.”
“I-I see… thank you very much.”
Unsure how to respond, Arisa simply thanked her.
Then Ayaka jumped into the conversation.
“Speaking of cool types, Tenka-chan is cute too!”
“…What?”
Tenka, who had been quietly eating, looked startled.
Ayaka scooted closer to her.
“You act all prickly, but sometimes you soften up. And you’re shy too—oh, your face is red. So cute!”
“H-hey… stop that, Tachibana-san.”
“I told you, just call me Ayaka. Right, Tenka-chan?”
As Ayaka pushed closer, Tenka tried to retreat, her face flushed.
Which only seemed to amuse Ayaka more.
“Knock it off.”
“Ow, ow! That hurts, Soichiro-kun!”
Soichiro grabbed Ayaka by the collar and pulled her away.
He then shot a glare at Chiharu, who had been inching closer to Arisa.
Chiharu stiffened and quietly returned to her seat.
“…What’s with that face, Hijiri-kun?”
“Heh… even the mighty Tenka-sama has a weakness. Cute, cute Tenka-chan—OW! You kicked me, you—!”
“Shut up, yakuza.”
“What did you say, you fraud!?”
Hijiri and Tenka devolved into a bickering match.
The other five watched with mild amusement.
They really did get along well.
“So, what should we do after eating?”
Ayaka asked, already assuming they’d play something.
Honestly, Yuzuru didn’t feel like studying anymore either.
After eating, he’d probably just get sleepy anyway.
“Super Smash Bros.?”
Chiharu suggested.
Ayaka shook her head.
“I’d love to, but we don’t have enough controllers for seven people.”
“Then something simple like cards? Old Maid or Daifugou—everyone knows the rules.” Old Maid is a simple card game where players draw cards from each other’s hands, trying to avoid being left with the single unmatched “Old Maid” card at the end. Daifugou (also known as Daihinmin) is a Japanese card game where players compete to get rid of all their cards. Rankings are assigned each round, with the winner becoming “Daifugou” (grand millionaire) and the lowest “Daihinmin” (pauper), often with advantages and penalties in the next round.
Yuzuru suggested.
But Ayaka frowned.
“That’s too boring.”
“I see…”
She had a point—seven people playing Old Maid wasn’t exactly thrilling.
They needed something that made use of the group size.
“How about Ousama Game?” Ousama Game (“King’s Game”) is a party game where players draw lots. One becomes the “king” and gives orders to numbered participants, who must obey. It often leads to chaotic or embarrassing situations, especially in group settings.
Finally, a solid suggestion.
A game perfect for large groups and bonding.
“Ousama Game… yeah, that works.”
“That sounds great!!”
Ayaka and Chiharu agreed enthusiastically—
Then, for some reason, looked at Arisa and Tenka.
The two tilted their heads in confusion.
“Just so we’re clear—Ayaka, Chiharu—you could be the ones taking orders too.”
Yuzuru warned them.
Meanwhile, Hijiri grinned.
“Come on, that’s part of the fun. Revenge included.”
It seemed everyone was on board.
Ayaka quickly prepared the lots.
And then—
“““Who’s the king?!”””
A game that would test their judgement, their restraint—
And reveal their true natures—began.
