Kanzaki Sou’s true intention in joining the Study Group was to assist his classmates with their questions.
This had nothing to do with any other affairs.
He could have easily prepared for the Midterm Exams on his own— in fact, with his ability, he could probably achieve excellent results even without special preparation.
Because of this, he joined the Study Group— to help others, with this pure motive, the boy named Kanzaki Sou waited here every night.
So, naturally, he hoped his activities would proceed as he wished, smoothly helping more classmates resolve their exam concerns.
Yet, among this group, there was one person who seemed a little different.
***
In the crowd of students focused on studying, only one person, even while participating in the Study Group, had eyes only for Kanzaki Sou.
——That was Kondo Haruka.
Essentially, though Kondo Haruka’s purpose was to keep an eye on Kanzaki Sou’s actions, which seemed unrelated to Kanzaki Sou’s goal of helping students with questions, there was only one situation where their purposes clashed.
Xiao Chun Miura packed her study materials into her bag and headed toward the classroom door.
Without paying any attention to Kondo Haruka and Kanzaki Sou talking nearby, Xiao Chun Miura ended her review for the day.
Kanzaki Sou only found Kondo Haruka’s actions distracting when he was talking with Xiao Chun Miura.
She would deliberately try to draw his attention, forcibly pull him away from Xiao Chun Miura, and monopolize his time.
Even if he was explaining problems to others, being dragged away like this meant Kondo Haruka wouldn’t cause trouble— but emotionally, he couldn’t help feeling dissatisfied with such inconsiderate behavior from his childhood friend.
With a calm mind as still as a mirror-like lake, Xiao Chun Miura walked quietly on her way home, reviewing the day’s studies in her head, as if she’d truly forgotten about everything between Kanzaki Sou and Kondo Haruka for the time being.
As the Midterm Exams approached, Study Group activities grew even more intense.
In the days that followed, the classroom borrowed by the Student Council for the Study Group saw an unusual atmosphere and some rather eye-catching events.
Xiao Chun Miura continued her “serious student preparing for exams” persona— which was, in fact, her true state.
She always asked valuable questions, and every exchange with Kanzaki Sou was efficient and pure.
No longer the timid girl she once was, she seemed to change completely during study sessions.
She didn’t get nervous or awkward when talking to Kanzaki Sou anymore— even her speech became much smoother.
A girl with straight hair falling to her shoulders, lightly adjusting her glasses as she spoke with Kanzaki Sou— the atmosphere felt just like a student consulting a teacher.
This change naturally made Kanzaki Sou notice the difference, making their conversations even more relaxed and enjoyable.
And this, in turn, put Kondo Haruka in a foul mood.
She still kept her eyes on Kanzaki Sou— or perhaps on Xiao Chun Miura.
As long as Xiao Chun Miura went to Kanzaki Sou with questions, Kondo Haruka was ready to interrupt at any moment.
The short, wavy, chestnut-haired childhood friend seemed to treat the Study Group as a battlefield for asserting her territory, constantly using childish tactics to interrupt Xiao Chun Miura and Kanzaki Sou’s discussions and steal Kanzaki Sou’s attention.
……However, even if she couldn’t ask Kanzaki Sou directly, Xiao Chun Miura could still consult other students in the Study Group— she didn’t pay any attention to Kondo Haruka’s moves at all.
As a result, Kondo Haruka’s actions became one-sided, targeting Xiao Chun Miura alone…
And because they were so obvious, even the other classmates in the room quickly picked up on them.
The overly simple questions and deliberate attempts to engage in conversation from the childhood friend felt completely out of place in the focused atmosphere of the study room— even somewhat… unreasonable.
Even though Xiao Chun Miura didn’t pay special attention, she could still sense the shift in Kanzaki Sou’s expression every time he had to leave her side to answer Kondo Haruka’s questions.
——Kanzaki Sou’s patience, worn down day after day, was gradually fading.
Though he still responded to Kondo Haruka patiently, the helplessness and occasional irritation in his tone became harder and harder to hide.
Finally, during a math-focused study session, the cracks became clear.
That day, Kanzaki Sou was at the whiteboard, explaining an equation problem several classmates had asked about.
Receiving a lot of feedback, he decided to explain it to everyone.
Wearing glasses and with a gentle expression, the boy stood at the front of the classroom, solving the problem for all to see.
His reasoning was clear, his deductions meticulous, his explanations precise— Xiao Chun Miura and the others listened intently.
Only Kondo Haruka, less than five minutes in, became visibly restless.
She first fidgeted with her pen absentmindedly, then outright pulled out her phone and started scrolling through social feeds openly.
Kanzaki Sou’s voice paused almost imperceptibly when he saw her small action.
But he said nothing.
He merely frowned slightly, then continued, subconsciously speeding up his explanation.
As he finished the last step and was about to ask a question, Xiao Chun Miura spoke first.
Kanzaki Sou’s eyes lit up instantly.
“That’s right…! Miura-san, that’s exactly the right line of thinking!”
A genuine smile of appreciation and joy appeared on his face— an expression seen only when hard work bore fruit.
“This method is indeed very effective for certain types of problems…”
He completely forgot who he’d intended to question, diving enthusiastically into a deeper discussion with Xiao Chun Miura.
The two went back and forth, their thoughts sparking in the air— for a moment, no one else could interject.
Kondo Haruka, forgotten at the side, raised her head in confusion, looking at the two who seemed to be speaking in an incomprehensible code.
A fleeting sense of exclusion and loneliness crossed her face.
Looking at Xiao Chun Miura, she finally realized.
In the realm of “study,” there was a gap between herself and Kanzaki Sou— a gulf she couldn’t cross.
After the review session ended that day, Xiao Chun Miura quietly summoned the System Interface.
[Kanzaki Sou’s Goodwill toward Kondo Haruka: 46]
Goodwill had silently dropped once again.
The three-day Midterm Exams began under tension and ended with a chorus of student wails and feelings of liberation.
When the final exam bell rang, the entire campus erupted.
Xiao Chun Miura walked out of the exam room and let out a long sigh.
Thanks to her genuine efforts, she felt she’d done quite well.
“At the very least, I definitely won’t fail… I probably won’t get dragged off for remedial lessons during the break either.”
“Thank goodness.”
Xiao Chun Miura felt a genuine sense of relief.
Then, a few days later, it was time for the grades to be announced.
Report Cards were posted on the Announcement Boards of each class, triggering wave after wave of exclamations and discussion.
As expected, Kanzaki Sou’s name was perched at the very top of the year rankings.
Kondo Haruka’s results, on the other hand, weren’t great— even worse than her last mock exam, with several major subjects barely scraping the passing line.
Xiao Chun Miura’s name, meanwhile, leapt from the middle ranks into the top thirty percent— a leap that was impressive throughout the entire grade.
“Wow! Miura-san, you’re amazing!”
“I heard she’s been reviewing with the Study Group recently— it really works!”
“So inspiring!”
Classmates gazed at her with awe and admiration.
Several girls who’d spoken to her before came over to offer their congratulations.
Xiao Chun Miura responded awkwardly, unused to the attention, but deep inside she felt a satisfaction she’d never known before.
This wasn’t something she’d achieved by pretending— it was recognition she’d earned through her own hard work.