Chapter 107: Time to Start Studying for Exams!

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Translator: Soafp

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The day after Sora’s uncle, Masaomi Shiki, made his dramatic appearance, a major announcement was made by the teachers—one that looms large for all students before summer break. An older teacher began writing the schedule on the blackboard.

“Alright, finals are next week. If you score below the passing line, you’ll have to attend make-up classes, and there goes your summer vacation. There’ll also be a mock exam—sign up if you’re interested. Now then, first period is still my class, but we’ve already covered everything in the scope of the test, so it’s self-study time. If you've got questions, ask. The study rooms are open too, so if you’re heading there, do it now.”

His slow, drawling voice might've lacked urgency, but the tension among the students was undeniable. This was one of the top academic schools in the prefecture—even the first-years were taking exams very seriously. Most of the students instantly switched into exam-mode. Once homeroom ended, Sora appeared next to Ginji’s desk with a grin, carrying her overstuffed school bag.

“Alright, let's head to the study room, Ginji.”

“…Just so we're clear, I'm fine with getting average grades.”

“Haha, that's a good one! But don't worry—we've been studying together, and you're good at memorization. If you just follow my lead, you'll be fine. Some people say cramming is outdated, but if you regularly study while also doing some light cramming, I think it's pretty effective.”

Although the two often played games together after dinner, they also managed to get quite a bit of studying done. Ginji didn't hate studying, but Sora had a tendency to go full-on Spartan-mode, only to spoil Ginji afterwards when he was worn out. It was a relentless mix of discipline and affection that required a certain mental fortitude to endure.

“It's the ‘follow my lead' part that's dangerous…”

“Fufufu… Watching Ginji transform under my guidance is the best part. And it's a girlfriend's duty to soothe her boyfriend after he's completely wiped out from studying… I'm fired up!”

“…Haa.”

Sora skipped ahead, swinging her bag cheerfully as they entered one of the school's multiple study rooms. The air conditioning was running well, and shelves lined the walls, stocked with reference books for anyone to use. Most seats were individual cubicles, but there were also long tables for group study.

“Nice, there's space! Let's start with memorization-heavy stuff. Once your brain's fried from that, we'll switch to math or physics to freshen up. Sound good?”

“Do whatever you want. I mean, I should probably stop slacking around too. You've put up with me enough—time to step it up and really study.”

“Now that's the spirit. I love that positive side of you, Ginji.”

To be honest, Ginji had been thinking that he couldn't afford to get embarrassing scores anymore—especially standing next to someone like Sora, who was probably going to top the entire year again. Not that Sora cared about any of that, and Ginji would never say it out loud out of sheer embarrassment.

“Um, excuse me?”

Just as Sora pulled out her homemade test prep packet, a voice called from behind. Turning around, they saw two girls from another class, judging by their scarves—first-years like them, though Ginji didn't recognize either of them.

“…Which one of us are you talking to?”

Startled like a cat, Sora froze, so Ginji asked on her behalf. He had the weird feeling this had happened before.

“Both of you, actually? Takagi-san and Momoi-kun—you're both smart, right? We were wondering if you could maybe help us out?”

“Yeah, and—wow, Momoi-kun, you're more muscular than I expected. I'd love to study with you~”

“…Huh!?”

Sora's mental face-recognition system pinged. These girls had been hanging around the one who confessed to Ginji not long ago. Now alarm bells were going off—clearly, they were here for Ginji, and Sora's sense of danger flared.

“Mmmmmmmnnnnnnnnn!!”

Sora pulled Ginji close and glared at the girls with teary, threatening eyes. Ginji scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Sorry, but I'm not really that good at teaching. And with Sora like this… maybe try someone else?”

“…Yeah! That's right!”

“Still, we love this vibe! We'll just study over there. Can't believe I got to talk to Momoi-kun…”

They moved to a seat a short distance away but kept stealing glances over at them. Other students also began casting curious looks at Sora. There was no way they could focus under that kind of scrutiny.

“Should we… go to another room?”

“Yeah… good idea.”

Ginji stood and led Sora out of the room.

“Want to try the study room on the second floor?”

“Why don't we just go back to our classroom?”

“No! Classrooms are dangerous lately too! I can't leave Ginji alone around those predators!”

“I'm pretty sure you're the one everyone's watching…”

They quickly climbed the stairs and entered the second-floor study room. Most of the people there were second-years, but there were still open seats. The two looked at each other and sat down in relief.

Rustle.

Tension immediately rippled through the room. The second-years all looked up, doing double and triple takes at Sora. One even pulled out a can of coffee like it was going to be a long session.

[Wait, why is Takagi-chan here? That's the real Takagi-chan! She's even cuter than in her photos on social media. Her eyes are so round…]

[Tiny. Adorable… Between her and Shiki-san, the first-years are seriously stacked.]

[Uh, there's a first-year boy sitting next to her—should someone report that?]

[That's her boyfriend. Totally fine.]

[Wait, her boyfriend's not actually scary like the rumors say. Kinda cool, actually.]

[Should we invite him to join our study group? Might be worth rotating him in.]

[Quiet! We must maintain peak comfort conditions for Takagi-chan at all costs!]

Unlike the first-years, who had more of Shiki's entourage, the second-years seemed to be pure fans of Sora. The moment she appeared, the room broke into chaos—but, being upperclassmen, they at least pretended not to be interested.

Even so, Ginji and Sora could feel the constant attention. Still, at least here, they could convince themselves that the stares were just curiosity about first-years, and they managed to get back to studying.