"Oh, finally. Took you long enough. Hey, isn't your face kinda red, Akito? Do you have a cold?"

"I don't know. I do know for sure that it's not a cold, though."

"Good morning, Aki-kun! Yu-chan, you were here too!"

"Yes. I came a little earlier and was discussing with Aisaka-kun how we should go about the study session."

"Heh…… You two sure seem pretty close."

"It's not like that."

I brushed off Natsu's suspicious, teasing voice and invited the two of them inside.

"I guess having four people here makes the room feel pretty cramped. Would it have been better to use the living room?"

"I'm fine either way."

"Hikari's fine with whatever Aki-kun decides."

"I'm fine anywhere too."

"……Then let's move to the living room. I'm the one who can't really relax here."

After that little exchange, we ultimately decided to hold the study session in the living room.

My room has things like games and manga lying around that could distract us, so there was also the thought that this might actually be a better place to hold the study session.

As for the seating arrangement, Natsu sat beside me, Mamiya sat across from me, and Tatara sat beside Mamiya. It was simply because it would be better to separate me and Mamiya, who were teaching, from Natsu and Tatara, who were being taught. The fact that people of the same gender were sitting next to each other was probably because Mamiya and Natsu, who knew about my distrust of women, had been considerate enough to arrange it that way.

"So, where should we start? Natsu, it was math and English, right?"

"That's right. I seriously don't understand anything from the recent stuff."

"Let's go through what you can and can't do, one thing at a time."

"I look forward to your guidance today, Akito-sensei."

"Don't call me sensei."

I gave Natsu, who was joking around, a little jab with my elbow, and heard an "Sorry" that didn't sound like he regretted it at all. I was already worried about how things were going to go.

"As for Hikari-san…… it was all the subjects, right?"

"Yeah. The basics are one thing, but I'm really bad at application problems……"

"I see. If you understand the basics, then you just need to understand how to solve the problems, so there's no need to lose confidence."

It seemed the other two had already decided what they were going to work on as well, which was a relief. Well, with Mamiya teaching her, there probably wasn't anything to worry about.

"Then, let's get started."

And with that, the weekend study session finally began.

The living room was filled only with the sound of pens writing and discussions about how to solve problems. Before actually teaching them, I had been worried about whether I would be able to do it properly, but judging by Natsu's progress, it seemed things weren't going too badly.

"Umm, for this part, you apply this formula──"

"This one? Ah, so that's how it works. ……I actually got it right."

"Of course you did. It's a formula, after all. Let's move on to the next one."

By comparing the textbook with the problems as I taught him, Natsu seemed to be gradually understanding things. After I explained the same part two or three times, he was able to solve it on his own.

English wasn't a subject where you could immediately start getting things right just by being taught, so it would probably be better to start by memorizing vocabulary. At worst, if you knew the words, you could still understand long passages to some extent.

If this had been preparation for university entrance exams, I would have pushed him to do it even if I had to whip him into shape, but if we were just preparing for the upcoming final exams, this was about the most we could do. At most, we could predict the kinds of questions that would appear and have him focus his studying on those areas.

"──The words here appear frequently in classical Japanese as well, so you should memorize them. Sometimes knowing just these words can earn you points."

"Got it! Are there any others like that?"

"In that case, shall I make a list of frequently used words? We can memorize their meanings along with the names of the works they appear in."

It seemed Mamiya and Tatara were studying classical Japanese. I'm pretty bad at it too. You can't solve the problems unless you remember things like katsuyou (conjugations), or even the meanings of the words themselves.

But perhaps Mamiya noticed that I had been looking in her direction while thinking that, because she asked me with a faint smile,

"Were you perhaps having trouble with classical Japanese too, Aisaka-kun?"

"Well, compared to the other subjects, I'm not very good at it."

"Then Akito should get some help too. Originally, the only ones who asked you to teach us were me and Hii-chan, but you'd want to study too, wouldn't you?"

"That's right! We can't just keep relying on you. We have to work hard on our own, too!"

"……That's what the two of them are saying. What do you think?"

"……Then, could you teach me?"

"Of course. In that case, Shishikura-san, would you mind changing seats for a little while?"

"Sure. It'd be easier for you to teach him if you sat next to him, anyway."

Natsu gathered up the workbook and textbooks he had been working on and stood up. Mamiya then took his place beside me. Just like at school, having Mamiya sitting next to me felt completely natural.

……Maybe I'm getting used to this too much, I thought, as I pulled out my classical Japanese textbook and workbook and opened to the page I hadn't fully understood.

"It's a little embarrassing to admit right away, but I don't quite understand this part."

"Ah…… The modern Japanese translation, right? You probably have some words whose meanings you're not quite sure about. There are words that look very similar to ones still used today, but have completely different meanings in classical Japanese. That's probably the cause."

"……I see. So I just haven't memorized enough."

"I'm afraid this is one of those things you simply have to memorize. You seem to have no problem with the other parts of the modern Japanese translation, so I think it's really just the finer details."

Mamiya identified what I needed to work on just by taking a quick look and clearly showed me what I needed to do.

So this was the power of being in the top ten of the grade…… Knowing Mamiya as she really was, I couldn't help but feel something at the gap between the two sides of her, but since she was teaching me, all I could feel was gratitude.

But still, memorization, huh? On the other hand, the fact that I could potentially increase my score just by memorizing things meant it was relatively easy, but studying a subject I was bad at still felt like a chore. The subjects I considered my strengths were mainly science and math, as well as modern Japanese. I struggled with classical Japanese, classical Chinese, and world history. I just couldn't remember people's names and place names……

Thinking that maybe the parts of the brain I was using were different, I gave up on thinking about it and went through the words and katsuyou I was likely to get wrong with Mamiya, one by one. A lot of them were things I had thought I already remembered, and while being forced to face reality, I resolved to somehow get them down before the final exams.

Since I was relying on Mamiya's help, I would feel terrible if I didn't become capable of doing it. While Mamiya was teaching me, Natsu and Tatara seemed to be struggling with the problems but solving them through their own abilities.

As I entertained the hopeful thought that they would probably get better scores than before at this rate, Mamiya suddenly began writing something in the corner of her notebook.

Wondering what it was, I looked over and saw the words, 『Akito-kun looks cool when he's working hard, too』, written in her slightly rounded handwriting. I reflexively met Mamiya's eyes, only to receive a smile in return. To avoid disturbing Natsu and Tatara, I could only groan inwardly and erase the words.

 

"It's almost three o'clock. Should we take a break?"

When I spoke up while checking the time, the other three also looked away from their textbooks.

"Haaa…… It's already that late?"

"I didn't even notice because I was so focused~"

"Everyone, good work. You all did very well."

Unlike Natsu and Tatara, whose exhaustion was clearly showing, Mamiya remained completely composed, even wearing a faint smile. People who studied regularly really were different, I thought as I stood up.

"Akito?"

"It's three o'clock. We need to take a break and clear our heads, don't we?"

Saying that, I headed for the kitchen.

I returned to the living room with a bottle of barley tea from the refrigerator and some strawberry daifuku that Aka-nee had bought after I told her we were having a study session.

"Well, that's what this is about. Want some?"

"As expected of Akito. You really know how to use the carrot and stick."

"Strawberry daifuku! Isn't that from the really good place near the station?"

"You know it, Tatara? Thank my sister for it."

"In that case, I'll have one too."

I handed out a strawberry daifuku to everyone, refilled our glasses with barley tea, and we took a break for an afternoon snack.

"So, how are you two doing?"

"Thanks to Mamiya and Akito, I think we'll manage somehow. I feel like I'll get a better score on this final."

"We'd feel bad if our scores didn't improve after the two of you taught us."

"That's right. Forget about me, but make sure you get good scores for Mamiya's sake, since she's helping you out."

"The two of you will be fine. From what I've seen, you both picked things up quite well, so as long as you focus on the key points, I think you should be able to get a sufficient score."

After encouraging the two of them, Mamiya took a modest bite of strawberry daifuku. The way Mamiya's cheeks relaxed told me it was to her liking, and she expressed it in words as well. "It's delicious." Natsu and Tatara seemed pleased by Mamiya's words and smiled as they each took a bite of their strawberry daifuku.

When I tried mine as well, the subtle sweetness of the smooth red bean paste blended with the sweetness and slight tartness of the strawberry, creating an exquisite flavor that seemed to soothe the fatigue from studying. After savoring the sweet aftertaste to my heart's content, I refreshed my throat with some barley tea and took another bite. At this rate, it'll be gone in no time.

"Man, that strawberry daifuku was delicious. It was near the station, right? Maybe I'll go buy some myself sometime."

"Hikari wants to go too, maybe."

"The sweetness is quite mild, so it's very easy to eat."

"We really have to thank Aka-nee for this."

Starting with Natsu, who finished his in just a few bites, Mamiya and Tatara seemed to have enjoyed it as well, and the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed.

"Still, I'm really glad that Akito and Mamiya agreed to teach us. Thanks. Honestly, I had already resigned myself to how bad this final was going to be……"

"Yeah. If it's really bad, we'll have to take remedial classes during winter break."

"……Was it really that bad?"

"I'd say the odds are about fifty-fifty."

He's definitely estimating things too generously in his own favor. You can't trust Natsu when he's like this. In the end, he'll start saying something stupid like, "Whether I get a good score or not is fifty-fifty statistically, right!?" I know him well enough to expect it. Still, judging from how seriously he had been working today, I could tell he genuinely wanted to do something about it, so I wanted to help him as much as I could.

"……Mamiya, sorry for dragging you into all this, too."

"No, please don't worry about it. I'm having a lot of fun. As I said before, teaching someone else also helps me see what I need to work on myself, and it helps reinforce what I've learned, too."

"Well, if that's the case, then that's good…… Wait, I guess I'm not really in a position to say that, since I'm being taught too."

After all, Mamiya was teaching me too. It was only natural since Mamiya was the top student among the four of us gathered here, but I was still worried that we might be putting too much of a burden on her.

"Come to think of it, what exactly is the relationship between you and Mamiya, Akito? When I asked before, I think you said you were acquaintances because of various circumstances──or something like that."

Natsu asked as if he had suddenly remembered.

"Ugh, ah, umm, these two are friends! They're just friends!"

Tatara answered in a flustered manner. She was so visibly shaken that I was the one who ended up surprised.

Tatara had seen Mamiya and me taking ordinary photos together after school. At the time, we had covered it up by saying we were friends, so Tatara was probably trying to convince herself of that too, insisting that we were friends.

Honestly, it was so obvious that I had a feeling Natsu was suspicious.

"Like Tatara said, we're just friends. We just happened to sit next to each other and talk a little."

"That's right. Aisaka-kun is my friend."

Mamiya glanced over at me.

Her expression was perfectly normal, but there was an emotion in the depths of her eyes that she wouldn't show to just a friend.

I consciously made sure not to let my expression change and said,

"Are you satisfied now?"

"Hmm…… I dunno. Something still feels off. Hii-chan seems kind of strange too."

"Huh!? Was I acting that strange!?"

Hikari answered in a panic. Her nervousness was clearly showing, and Natsu tilted his head in confusion. But since I knew the reason, I was panicking internally.

Please, don't make Natsu suspicious──I silently prayed when,

"If you think Aisaka-kun and I have some kind of special relationship, then you're mistaken. More than anything, it would be a burden for Aisaka-kun, so I'd appreciate it if you could stop being suspicious of us."

Mamiya came to my rescue from the side. I felt relieved for only a moment before noticing that there was something resembling dissatisfaction in the gaze she directed at me.

Stop self-destructing by saying it's a burden for me.

But then again…… the fact that she got dejected like that was proof of how much she liked me.

"……If people thought Mamiya were dating someone like me, it would be much more troublesome for her, so don't bring this topic up in the classroom, okay?"

"I know. I'm not going to do something like sell out my friend just for the fun of it."

"Yeah! Yu-chan is really popular, after all. If a rumor started going around that she was dating Aki-kun, a riot might break out. Ah, I'm definitely not saying anything bad about Aki-kun, though──"

"Ah, yeah, I know."

Tatara began nervously piling on words that were meant to praise me.

What I was concerned about was the part about a riot potentially breaking out. So even from a girl's perspective, that's how things looked…… I really needed to be careful so our secret wouldn't get out.

I really didn't want to spend my school life worrying about getting stabbed in the back.

"……We've had enough of a break, haven't we? Shall we start studying again?"

Once I saw that everyone's strawberry daifuku was gone, I said that, and Natsu and Tatara nodded, though they both looked a little dejected.

 

The study session continued after the break, and finally ended around the time the music announcing five o'clock began playing outside.

"All right. I think that's enough for today."

"Haaa, I'm exhausted……"

"Yeah. But I feel like I understand a lot more now!"

"That's a good thing, but you mustn't let your guard down. You can't afford to be careless until the actual exam."

"It's like 'After victory, tighten your helmet's chin strap,' I guess. Don't let your guard down."

I said that to Natsu and Tatara as they stretched their bodies in relief, and they both replied casually, "We know." Did they really know?

I wanted to believe they would be fine, but that depended on the two of them from here on out. There was about a week left until the final exams, so their scores wouldn't improve if they were satisfied with what they had done today.

Consistency was the key to everything.

"By the way, why were we stopping at five?"

"It's winter, so it gets dark early. Make sure you walk Tatara home properly."

"I was planning to even without you telling me. You should walk Mamiya home too, Akito. You never know if there might be some weirdos around at this hour."

"……Yeah. If Mamiya's okay with it, though."

"If that's the case, would you mind?"

She gave me a demure smile. If a girl like Mamiya asked a guy for a favor, was there really any guy who could refuse her? I nodded to show my agreement, and Natsu began putting away his study materials, saying, "Then I guess that's it for today." Mamiya and Tatara followed suit and began getting ready to go home.

"Still, we covered quite a lot."

"Even this isn't enough, though. It's kind of depressing."

"Well, I learned a lot from today, so I'll try my best on my own too."

"If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask anytime. I'll help you, and of course Aisaka-kun will too."

"……After I've gone this far, I'm not going to just leave you hanging halfway through. If you need help, just say so."

With Mamiya prompting me,, I told the two of them that as well. There was no way I wanted to see my friends suffer through remedial classes. They had done a lot for me, after all. This much was nothing.

While we were talking, they finished getting ready to leave, so I went outside to see them off.

The cold, dry air of winter surrounded us. The color of the sky, with the sun gradually sinking, had changed to a deep shade almost like night. I locked the door, and the four of us first went down to the entrance.

"All right, be careful on your way home."

"Yeah. You too."

"Aki-kun, Yu-chan, see you at school!"

"Yes. Take care."

We left the entrance and saw the two of them off. Once they disappeared from sight, I let out a single sigh. Mamiya lightly tapped me on the shoulder.

"Good work, Akito-kun."

"……You too, Yu. I got taught by you as well, after all."

"It's fine, it's fine. It's fun to do something like this once in a while. Hey, if you don't mind, would you come shopping with me?"

"Sure, but what about your things?"

"I'll leave them upstairs, so wait here."

Saying that, Mamiya returned to the apartment building.

A few minutes later, she came back, and we headed out to go shopping together.

"It's cold, isn't it?"

"It's December, after all."

"That's not what I meant."

Unable to endure the gaze she kept sending me from the side, I sighed and held out my hand. Mamiya immediately grabbed it as if she had been waiting for the chance. Her hand was cold and chilly, yet the warmth of her skin was warmer than the winter air. There was a sense of emotional fulfillment, along with the embarrassment that came with it.

"If you knew what I meant, you could have held my hand from the beginning."

"You could have just said it honestly, too, Yu."

"……Haaah. Let's stop. This is getting us nowhere."

"Yeah."

There was no point in both of us stubbornly refusing to give in.

Our true feelings had already been conveyed, and our actions had made them clear as well.

"I really had fun today. Both this morning and the study session in the afternoon."

"……………………I see."

"You're making a strange face, Akito-kun. I wonder why. What could you possibly be remembering?"

"Stop asking when you already know."

The most vivid memory from today was the morning I had spent with Mamiya.

A sweet, thrilling time, mixed with the secret, forbidden feeling of doing something no one else could know about.

Perhaps it was something that couples would normally do. But Mamiya and I were just friends, and on top of that, I had been putting off giving her an answer to her feelings of 『love』.

The fact that I was feeling a sharp, needle-like pain in my chest was proof of that.

"I told you I'd wait for you, Akito-kun, but…… I don't think I'm actually that patient, so I'd be happy if you could give me a good answer sooner rather than later."

"……I'll do my best. Though all of that depends on whether I can overcome my distrust of women."

"It's difficult, isn't it? But how do you think you could actually overcome your distrust of women? From my perspective, if you regularly interacted with girls──as cute as me──you'd think you'd naturally develop at least some immunity."

"You indirectly called yourself cute."

"But it's simply a fact. Isn't it?"

She wasn't wrong……, but I didn't want to admit it so honestly, so I covered it up with a cough and seriously considered how I could overcome my distrust of women.

Since I had improved somewhat after I started talking with Tatara, I thought that, no matter what, gaining experience was important. That shouldn't change even if the person I was gaining that experience with was Mamiya, so in that sense, I could think of it as just a matter of time.

But──I didn't know when that would be.

I didn't want to keep making Mamiya wait indefinitely based on an uncertain assumption that I couldn't even see an end to, and I didn't know whether it was really the right approach in the first place. If I asked Natsu for advice, I had a feeling he'd tell me, "Why don't you just date her already?" But that seemed irresponsible to me. I wondered if I could really call that a sincere answer.

"……It might take some time, but I'll give you a proper answer."

"Yeah. I believe in you."

 

◆

 

"She has a boyfriend, yet she was stringing along the person I like……? I seriously can't believe it. How dare she, acting so high and mighty when she's just a junior."

A female student who had been watching the two of them from the shadows muttered in a voice tinged with anger and disgust.

It was a mutter as though she were trying to vent the heat building inside her, accompanied by a sticky, lingering gaze. At the end of that gaze was a long-haired female student walking alongside a rather unremarkable male student who was her junior──Mamiya.

"……This pisses me off. She takes the person I like right out from under me, and then she isn't even interested in him? What the hell is that supposed to mean? It makes it look like I'm the one who lost……!"

Her fist clenched tightly. Her nails dug into her palm, and she felt the oppressive pain of the pressure.

She couldn't accept it.

She couldn't accept that the person she had set her sights on had his heart stolen by some newcomer junior who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

 

"Mamiya Yu…… I'll never forgive you. I'll ruin you."