Friday afternoon, during the last class before school ended.
"Next week marks the beginning of the sester exams. You should spend more ti studying this weekend,"
"Save the fun for the sumr vacation. It's not too late for that."
"If anyone fails to et the requirents during the sester exams, they will have to stay back for redial lessons until they pass the supplentary test!"
Kirisu Mafuyu knocked on the blackboard, speaking sternly.
Class 1-E was imdiately filled with groans of despair.
The sester exams at Toyogasaki were always notoriously difficult.
Not only were they inter-school exams, but the test papers were also co-written with renowned private institutions like Shuchiin and Hyakkaou.
The difficulty level was imaginable.
Furthermore, the so-called "passing requirent"...
It wasn't the usual sixty points.
It was half a standard deviation above the school's average score.
Failing to reach this mark ant staying back for redial classes.
If even during the sumr break they couldn't pass the supplentary test...
They would have to repeat the year.
After all, this was a prestigious private school known for its academic excellence.
The soul seed to leave Eriri's small cherry lips.
Even though she had been diligently focusing on her studies lately,
math and English remained a chaotic ss for her.
Eriri felt like the sky was collapsing on her head.
Sumr vacation!
Her sweet sumr vacation was slipping away!
Yukima Azuma looked at Eriri's dejected appearance and couldn't help but laugh while feeling a tinge of pity.
In any case, it seed necessary to tutor her well this weekend.
Retracting his gaze, Azuma turned his attention to Alya.
The transfer student from Russia.
Yukima Azuma hadn't forgotten Kirisu Mafuyu's instruction to look after her a bit.
To be honest, Alya had been in Class 1-E for a few days now.
In terms of adapting to the class environnt, she seed fine.
But when it ca to making friends...
Azuma thought this might be a lost cause.
This Alya girl had a rather aloof personality, seemingly the type who didn't enjoy forming close bonds.
Although she could engage in conversations with her classmates,
she didn't seem to have any particularly close relationships with anyone.
It was as if she deliberately maintained a certain distance.
It wasn't that she couldn't make friends,
but rather that it was Alya's choice.
Naturally, Azuma had no intention of interfering.
Ahem, a bit off-topic there.
"Kujou-san, you just transferred to Toyogasaki Academy, or rather... just arrived in Japan."
"In terms of your studies, are you having any difficulties? The exams are quite rigorous. If there's anything..."
"You can co to this weekend. I'll help you catch up, as a last-minute preparation for the exams."
Upon hearing this, Alya smiled at Azuma.
She could tell that Azuma's concern was different from the flattery she usually received from others.
He genuinely wanted to help her.
Conversely, Azuma didn't seem particularly interested in her as a person.
It was the first ti Alisa had encountered soone who wasn't intrigued by a beauty like her.
That made her find Azuma rather intriguing.
But about her studies...
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Yukima-san."
Alya replied.
Yukima Azuma nodded, not paying much attention.
"So gentle. (Russian)"
Once again, Alya spoke in Russian.
Yukima Azuma had a strong urge to throw out a teasing comnt.
But he restrained himself.
"What did you just say, Kujou-san?"
"Just told you not to worry."
....
After class.
Eriri ran over and grabbed the corner of Yukima Azuma's shirt.
"Azuma! Save !"
Yukima Azuma pinched Eriri's cheeks.
"If you study seriously this weekend, you should be fine. Don't worry."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Really really?"
"Really really."
"Zun dudu zun dudu really?"
Her rapid-fire questions beca a jumble as Yukima Azuma continued pinching and teasing her cheeks.
"Sawamura-san and Azuma-san have such a good relationship," a soft voice sighed from a seat behind them.
The usual response would have been: "Well, we're childhood friends, after all."
But Yukima Azuma's response was different.
He reached out his other hand and pinched Kato gumi's cheeks.
"gumi and I are also really close, and tomorrow gumi has to study seriously too. No escaping!"
With her cheeks pinched, Kato gumi blinked her eyes, which resembled tuberose flowers.
She looked unbearably adorable.
.....
After school, back at ho.
Yukima Azuma told Kasumigaoka that he'd be hosting a group study session tomorrow.
Kasumigaoka Utaha rely snorted lightly.
But she didn't seem to mind much.
Since the book-signing event, their relationship had progressed rapidly, growing more affectionate by the day.
It was as if the brief separation had made their reunion even sweeter. Now, they were more loving than ever before.
Such a "passionate love scene" couldn't be loser!
At that mont, while they were chatting, Kirisu Mafuyu returned ho.
"Kirisu-sensei, we're hosting a group study session at ho tomorrow. Would you like to join and help out?"
Yukima Azuma casually asked.
"I'm afraid I can't. I'll be at Shuchiin tomorrow, spending the weekend there preparing exam papers. Sorry for the trouble."
Kirisu Mafuyu shook her head.
Toyogasaki's sester exams were indeed incredibly rigorous.
Kirisu Mafuyu had been selected as one of the exam designers.
She needed to stay at Shuchiin's faculty dormitory over the weekend to work with other teachers on the preparations.
.....
The next day.
Early morning, Yukima Azuma returned ho after his morning jog.
He found Eriri squatting at the door.
"Eriri, why aren't you going inside?"
Yukima Azuma asked curiously.
"I don't have the key!"
Eriri looked a bit sheepish.
Only then did Yukima Azuma rember.
He had forgotten to give Eriri a key to the apartnt.
Co to think of it, gumi—despite not renting a place in Yukima's house—had a key.
So why had he forgotten to give one to Eriri?
Yukima Azuma fell into thought.
Taking the key from his pocket, he unlocked the apartnt door.
Eriri took a deep breath, savoring the cool air from the air conditioner inside.
"Finally alive again," Eriri sighed in relief.
Waiting outside this morning, she had nearly been roasted into a "gyaru"!
Yukima Azuma opened his room door and retrieved a folding fan from the wall.
A shogi player's ho always had a few folding fans around.
He unfolded the fan and gently fanned Eriri.
Enjoying Yukima Azuma's service, Eriri felt a sweet warmth rise in her heart.
She suddenly rembered how often Yukima Azuma had taken care of her like this in the past.
I should do sothing to repay him.
I'm not the sa Eriri as before!
With that thought, Eriri suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed Yukima Azuma on the cheek.
After all, she'd done the sa at the cinema.
This ti, it was just a kiss on the cheek.
Nothing to be embarrassed about... right?
Eriri's face turned red like a ripe apple.
Yukima Azuma touched his cheek where he had just been kissed, looking a little surprised.
It seed Eriri had truly grown.
Flustered, Eriri quickly changed the subject.
"Wow, your place even has a shogi board!"
She picked up a small shogi board from the corner of the room.
Yukima Azuma raised an eyebrow.
Even if she'd matured, she was still a bit of an airhead.
Watching Eriri start fiddling with the shogi pieces, Yukima Azuma reminded her:
"Eriri, you ca over today to catch up on your studies."
Eriri shook her head, her golden ponytail swaying.
"It's fine! It's still early! Besides, Kato-san hasn't even arrived yet!"
"Let's play a ga! I'll have you know, I'm a shogi pro!"
Yukima Azuma clicked his tongue in helplessness.
At that mont, Kasumigaoka Utaha, woken by the noise, stepped out and chuckled.
"As expected of you, Sawamura-san."
"Kasumigaoka, what's that supposed to an?"
"I an, you're an idiot."
"You're looking for a fight, huh!"
It seed the two were about to start their usual Tom and Jerry quarrel.
But this ti, Kasumigaoka didn't argue with Eriri.
Instead, she nudged Yukima Azuma to the other side of the shogi board, her face brimming with anticipation for the show.
Sitting down, Yukima Azuma decided he might as well tease Eriri a bit.
After all, she was his ex-girlfriend.
And yet, she didn't know anything about him?
If she had bothered to ask why Yukima Azuma often skipped school, wouldn't she have discovered that he was a shogi player?
So, Yukima Azuma set up the board, but he removed four of his pieces: the Left Lance, the Bishop, the Rook, and the Right Knight.
Seeing Yukima Azuma handicap himself by four pieces, Eriri imdiately angry, baring her small teeth:
"What is this! Azuma! Do you dare look down on ? Watch crush you without a single piece left!"
After the bold declaration, Eriri began playing shogi.
The result...
Not even half a cup of tea had passed.
The pieces in front of Eriri were nearly all gone.
And this was because she was playing the ga very slowly, prolonging the ti.
Otherwise, perhaps by now, Eriri would have only had the King left.
"How could this happen!"
Eriri threw herself onto the tatami mat in the room, abandoning the ga, her gaze blankly staring at the ceiling.
She looked like soone who had just been badly bullied.
Kasumigaoka beside her couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.
Yukima Azuma quietly began to clean up the pieces.
Everyone had seen it, Eriri was the one who had asked to bully her like this!
I've never heard a request like that in my life!
At this mont, the doorbell from the entrance area rang.
Yukima Azuma set aside the cleaned-up pieces and stood up to walk toward the door.
Eriri and Kasumigaoka didn't pay much attention, thinking it was Kato gumi.
But...
Yukima Azuma opened the door.
Standing in front of it was a silver-haired young girl and a cute little girl.
"Ginko, what are you two doing here?" Yukima Azuma was sowhat surprised, mixed with joy.
Sora Ginko put a hand on her hip, using a folding fan to point at Hinatsuru Ai beside her, helplessly saying:
"This little brat got a break and insisted I bring her here."
At that mont, Yukima Azuma suddenly rembered.
Elentary and middle school vacations often started earlier than high school.
So, Sora Ginko and Hinatsuru Ai had already started their break now.
"Who's a little brat! I have a na, you know! It's Hinatsuru Ai, you old woman!"
Hinatsuru Ai puffed out her cheeks angrily in rebuttal.
Since Hinatsuru Ai had beco Yukima Azuma's apprentice, Ginko and Ai had often bickered over their way of addressing each other.
In terms of rank, Sora Ginko, as Yukima Azuma's senpai, was indeed older than Hinatsuru Ai by one generation.
But calling Ginko "old woman" when she was only in middle school?
"Alright, alright, co in and talk," Yukima Azuma waved her hand.
"Shishou! I'm here to visit you!"
Hinatsuru Ai dashed in to hug Yukima Azuma, the Ahoge on her head wobbling up and down.
It was shaking so much it almost looked like an airplane propeller.
At this point, the two people in the room finally stuck their heads out.
Eriri had a giant exclamation mark above her head.
A woman!
Where did this strange woman co from!
And she directly ca to Azuma house!
Seeing Hinatsuru Ai jump into Yukima Azuma's arms,
a bold guess suddenly popped into Eriri's mind.
Could it be a lover bringing their child along?!
If Yukima Azuma knew what Eriri was thinking,
he would surely scold her imdiately.
"What the hell, a child of a lover?!"
Not to ntion whether Yukima Azuma and Hinatsuru Ai looked alike,
there was also Sora Ginko standing next to her. with her age, How could she be the mother of soone else's child?
Don't think such absurd things!
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