Chapter 108

No matter how many times I checked, I was still in fourteenth place.

Just a hair above average.

As I stood there blinking, staring blankly at my rank—smack! smack!

I snapped to my senses as Miyuki excitedly pounded on my back, a radiant smile on her face.

"Matsuda-kun... you really did work hard, didn't you?"

Still staring at the bulletin board, I nodded. "I guess so."

"You're acting unusually flustered. Are you that surprised?"

To put it bluntly, I was.

I knew I'd done well, but I never imagined I'd rank this high.

I felt like screaming in joy. Is this why people studied?

Somehow, I felt like I finally understood Miyuki's love for studying.

Some people might suspect I'd cheated.

A guy who placed dead last on last semester's finals suddenly hitting the middle of the pack?

Anyone would be suspicious.

But I was completely innocent. I earned this grade through genuine hard work.

And the professors who proctored the exams knew it, too.

They'd watched me diligently solving the test while pacing around the classroom.

I still vividly remembered the proud look on the proctor's face as he walked past me while I furiously worked through the math exam.

Word had already spread among the faculty that I was working hard lately, so even if someone did try to accuse me, the suspicion would quickly fade.

"I am."

The corridor outside Class 1-A had gone quiet the moment Miyuki checked my rank.

Everyone was staring at me with wide eyes, and most of their gazes carried genuine goodwill.

It seemed that laying low, avoiding trouble since leaving my old circle, and taking the initiative to greet them—even if it was a bit awkward—was finally paying off.

A few students I'd outranked were shooting me jealous glares, but it didn't matter.

Their incompetence wasn't my problem, so I had no reason to care.

I glanced over at Tetsuya, who wore a complicated expression.

His pride looked completely crushed.

I decided to pass by quietly instead of mocking him for now.

Ignoring him would piss him off far more than making a big deal out of it and teasing him.

Looking down at Miyuki, I said, "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"That's way higher than the twentieth place you guessed, isn't it?"

"I'm totally amazed too. I had no idea you'd do this well."

Getting praised was nice and all, but I wanted a reward.

A one-time creampie pass or an invitation to meet her family... wasn't she going to give me something like that?

I'd have to badger her into giving me one later.

"Congratulations, Matsuda-kun."

Grinning so widely my teeth showed, I walked into the classroom as the rest of my classmates offered their congratulations.

*

Youth dramas always have a minor cliché.

Whenever something good happens to the protagonist, the surrounding environment—like the weather—brightens up.

That was exactly what was happening right now.

The weather, which had been growing chilly lately, felt as warm as spring today, and the sky was a clear, cloudless blue.

It was a perfect day for sunbathing, so I sprawled out on the Rooftop, not caring if my uniform got dirty.

It was a childish thing to do, but who cared?

I was inside a romantic comedy, after all. Soaking in the sentimentality like this was what a real protagonist would do.

While I basked in the warm sunlight, the faint squeak of the Rooftop door opening made me lift my head.

Miyuki's small face poked out through the gap.

"W-what are you doing?"

Miyuki looked dumbfounded, completely baffled by the sight of me lying there.

I motioned for her to come over.

"Come lie down. Let's look at the sky together."

She stared at me silently, as if observing an alien object, before letting out a soft giggle and closing the Rooftop door.

Then she walked over and crouched beside me.

Glancing up at the sky, she smiled. "There's nothing up there."

"That's exactly what I'm looking at. The nothingness."

"Why are you acting so sentimental today? Is it because you're happy about getting fourteenth place?"

"It was six places higher than you expected. Of course I'm happy."

My voice might not have been bursting with joy, but it was noticeably elated. Smiling tenderly, Miyuki brushed my bangs into place.

"I was really proud of you. Seriously."

"I don't blame you."

"You're getting overly confident already? If you get cocky, you'll be in trouble. It only takes a second to ruin everything."

"Do you have to jinx it? Just let me be cocky for today."

"Alright. But you're surprisingly talented at studying, you know? How about aiming for the top ten in the finals?"

"Is that even realistic?"

"Why not? It's only a four-place difference."

"Even so, the sheer amount of knowledge required near the top is totally different."

"That's true. Honestly, I don't expect you to go that far."

She spoke like a playful imp.

Clicking my tongue, I lifted the hem of her skirt off the floor and shoved my head under it.

Startled by my sudden action, Miyuki shrieked.

"W-what are you doing?!"

"I can't see anything."

"Of course you can't! You're such a pervert!"

Aren't you more of a pervert for not even trying to move away?

Swallowing those words, I blew a puff of air upward.

"Eek!"

Miyuki flinched violently, smacking my chest with a sharp slap.

Then she sprang to her feet and scolded me.

"Stop doing weird things! Why do you always do this out of nowhere?!"

"It's a display of affection."

"What kind of affection is that?"

"Makes perfect sense if you like someone. Come on, lie down already. Don't ruin the mood."

"You're the one ruining the mood, Matsuda-kun!"

She was about to argue in an exasperated voice, but then she snapped her mouth shut.

Rolling her eyes as if recalling all my past eccentricities, she broke into a soft smile and smoothed out her skirt.

Then she came back over, lay down beside me, and tugged on my arm to use it as a pillow.

"My arm hurts. Let go."

"No. I don't like getting dust in my hair."

"The side of your head is already touching the floor, though."

"I just hate getting it on the back of my head. The rest is fine."

Her ability to flip her preferences depending on the situation was baffling.

Would it kill her to just honestly admit she wanted to use my arm as a pillow?

Bending the arm supporting her head, I gently rubbed her crown like a massage.

A pleased arc formed on Miyuki's lips.

As if in a better mood, she let out a long breath accompanied by a soft, coquettish hum and snuggled tight against me.

"I guess I have to spend this weekend alone?"

"Should I come back on Saturday if I can?"

"I'm not whining, so don't even think about it. I only said it because it's a bit of a shame. You'll call me often instead, right?"

"I'll call every time you send me a picture."

"What kind of picture? A picture of me?"

"Yeah."

"Matsuda-kun, you're not talking about some lewd picture instead of a normal one, are you?"

Look at her catching on so quickly.

"Think it over and send one."

"I-I'm never sending one. Why are you putting conditions on calling me?"

"It's not a condition. It's just a suggestion."

"The way you say it, it sounds more like coercion."

"I said it's a suggestion."

"See! Your tone is scary!"

I rolled onto my side toward Miyuki and placed my hand on her stomach.

Then I slowly, very deliberately, started to rub it clockwise, as if soothing a stomachache.

"I told you, it's not."

Did my touch bring her peace?

Letting out a long breath through her nose, Miyuki turned onto her side to face me, wriggling her hips as she pressed even closer.

It was a silent plea for a hug.

Lately, Miyuki had become much more affectionate, and her libido seemed to be peaking. It was a very welcome sight.

*

Inside the Kendo Club Changing Room.

Seeing Tetsuya sluggishly changing into his Training Uniform, I furrowed my brow.

He'd been looking miserable all day. Was he really that pissed off about me ranking higher than him?

Or was he feeling neglected because Miyuki hadn't brought up his grades much today?

Whatever it was, it was deeply annoying. Pausing halfway through stripping off my clothes, I gave Tetsuya a nudge.

"Why are you moping around today? Are you sick again?"

"No... it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm just not feeling well."

Unmanly bastard... ugh, stay like that for the rest of your life.

Anyway, Tetsuya had bulked up a little.

He looked noticeably bigger.

He must have been working out secretly. Keep at it.

I'll cheer for you. So please, show at least a little bit of competitive spirit.

It was slowly starting to get frustrating.

"Buy yourself an energy drink on your way home or something. I'm heading out first."

"Ah, yeah. Thanks for worrying about me, Matsuda."

I'm not worrying about you, I'm mocking you, you fucker.

It's what you usually do.

Waving him off casually, I stepped out into the Club Room, where a humming Chinami greeted me.

"Junior! Did the first-years have their rank lists posted on the bulletin board too?"

Her voice was bright, radiating high energy.

It practically tickled my ears.

Adjusting the chest ties of my Training Uniform, I stepped closer to Chinami and answered.

"I did well. Fourteenth place."

"Huh? Fourteenth? Didn't you say you were bad at studying, Junior?"

"I used to be, but I guess not anymore."

"What's with that vague answer? It sounds like you're bragging. Are you?"

"Of course not. How were your grades, Master?"

At my question, a sinister laugh slipped from Chinami's lips.

"Mufufu... I did better than last semester. I finally crushed the classmate I could never beat. I was so nervous because it was a razor-thin margin when I graded my own test, but the results held up."

Chinami raised her nose in the air, looking incredibly proud.

She seemed overjoyed to have knocked down her rival.

Winning a mud fight did feel pretty good.

Nodding broadly as if I completely understood her feelings, I asked, "Would it be rude to ask what place you got?"

"Not at all. Anyone can see it since it's posted in the hallway anyway. For the first time since I enrolled in Yeboni Academy, I claimed second place."

"Excuse me?"

"Second place."

Did I hear that right?

Chinami... got second place?

Did she mean second from the bottom?

Such an unimaginable rank completely short-circuited my brain for a second.

"Master. Do you really mean second place?"

"Fufu... You look like you don't believe me. Yes. Second place."

This was a twist just as unexpected as my own rank.

Our Chinami... was much smarter than Renka.

I'd been holding onto some serious prejudices. I'm sorry.

I want to apologize with that heart-pounding massage you like so much.

Anyway, how could someone smart enough to get second place be so naive?

Granted, being smart didn't always equal being wise... but it was still a bit bewildering.

Blinking to clear my stunned mind, I beamed and said, "Congratulations, truly."

"Ahem! Thank you. And Junior, fourteenth place... you worked really hard. It feels like just yesterday you were memorizing math formulas while doing manager work, and now you have the results to show for it. I think you're absolutely amazing, Junior."

"Thank you. It's a day worth celebrating, so how about we leave the cleaning for later and go get some ice cream?"

"Ah! I'd love that! But have you packed everything you need for the training camp?"

"I finished packing yesterday."

"Very well done!"

Chinami clapped her hands together exactly like a kindergarten teacher praising a toddler.

She seemed to be really looking forward to this training camp.

Just like me.