Chapter 86

Translator: mii

Editor: Ryuunakama

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Monday arrived.

Today’s class is the last class of this year. The rest is just the final test and returning the test, and when all of that is done, the winter vacation will come.

Of course there is no demon teacher who stuffs the range of questions that will come out even though it is the day before the test. Today is all self-study except for physical education, and I can go home early. In that sense, it doesn’t feel like a school day at all.

「Good morning.」

However, I must go to school at the start of the day. When I came to the station platform while rubbing my sleepy eyes, Kouhai-chan greeted me as usual.

「Ah, morning.」

When I finished saying that, a yawn leaked out from my mouth.

「You look sleepy as usual, senpai.」

「I’m always like this, huh.」

I was looking for a birthday present for Kouhai-chan on both Saturday and Sunday, unable to secure my study time.

There was a high possibility that I would laze around even if I was home, so I didn’t mind going out. Even so, I still felt that I didn’t have enough time. I ended up staying up late at night, trying to finish the questions I should have done during the weekend.

Of course, it will naturally make me sleepy.

「It’s Monday, you know?」

「It’s Monday, eh.」

「I feel like senpai’s eyes are more closed than usual.」

Kouhai-chan said so as we got on the train that had arrived.

What?

「Eh? Seriously? But I already washed my face…」

Although I didn’t have enough time to sleep, I’m not so sleepy.

When she settled in her usual position, she looked at me and said,

「What, I’m just bluffing, senpai. Are you agitated?」

Then say it if that’s the case. Ah, but it won’t be a bluff if she said it, huh.

「Shut it.」

「Senpai, I thought that you are the type that won’t break your rhythm even before the test.」

It wasn’t like this until now… I can’t say that.

Whose fault do you think it is… I can’t say that either.

It’s not like this is Kouhai-chan’s fault, so I can just answer her normally.

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「Well, there are these kinds of times as well, you know.」

Senpai responded so after mulling over something.

He surely tried to blame me. But then, I’m not supposed to know that. Senpai couldn’t say that, eh.

「Since this is your fifth time taking the test, senpai should already got the rhythm, right?」

「…It depends on the person, okay.」

「Yes, yes.」

I invited him for lunch forcefully yesterday so that it won’t break his rhythm too badly, so can’t he at least give me a thank―well, it’s impossible since I’m not supposed to know, though.

「Anyway, senpai. Can I ask you my『today’s question』now?」

When we were talking, this came to my mind.

Let’s make this as my『today’s question』.

「Senpai, how much have you studied?」

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This was the first time someone asked me this question.

That’s why I didn’t know how to answer it.

「How much? Do you mean how many hours I have spent on studying?」

「I’m not asking about the absolute amount. It’s like according to senpai, how high of a score can you attain by now.」

「Hoo.」

「Since you are a self-proclaimed『prodigy』, have you studied as such?」

「Well, that is…」

The amount of my study this time is clearly less than before.

If we’re talking about how much less that is, it’s…

「Well, maybe I can get 80 points and try my luck to compete for more than 85 points, I think.」

I couldn’t do well this semester, unlike how I usually try to get an even higher score and reducing my luck factor (inspiration in the middle of the test or hard work).

I spent my Saturday and Sunday for Kouhai-chan and also went out on those days, but there is no helping it.

「Aren’t you studying a lot then?」

「This is already the worst line, you know.」

「A swot.」

「I can’t deny it, but I haven’t crammed that much this time.」

「What do you mean with this time?」

「Leave that aside.」

When I have time, I write down what I have to cram in the notes I don’t need anymore and memorize them. I didn’t have much time this time, so I mainly skimmed. I’m glad I have improved my reading skills when studying like this.

「Okay~」

「Then, here’s my『today’s question』」

「What is it?」

She should have guessed it by now, but she still bothered to tilt her neck cutely, making me somewhat annoyed.

「Kouhai-chan, how much have you studied? For this test.」

「I went through my textbook and printouts at the beginning.」

Nn, I already predicted it. Since she didn’t aim for a high score, of course she would do it like that.

She said it herself that she is smart, so it’s even more so.

「How much score can you get with that?」

「Maybe ten points above average?」

「So this is the real genius, huh.」

As soon as I said something randomly, she looked happy and said this.

「Hehe~ You can praise me more, senpai?」

It would be troublesome if she got ahead of herself, so I pretended I didn’t understand what she was saying.

「Senpai studied too much, okay? You even stayed until late at night.」

「Student’s main task is to study. I’m not wrong.」

「Yes, yes.」

The content of the conversation was about what we did before the test, but it was not different from the usual.

In this slovenly atmosphere, we were shaken by the train.