“Wow—Koharu! That’s amazing!”
A lively voice, along with a sudden force on her shoulder, jolted Miura Koharu from her daze.
She turned around.
A slightly familiar face came into view.
A girl with neat short hair that didn’t reach her neck, looking energetic and cheerful, was smiling brightly at her.
Miura Koharu recognized her.
She was from Class (5), a girl she’d talked to a few times before.
Her name… was it Yui Hori?
Because of her lively personality, she got along well with everyone in class… and seemed quite popular too—at least that was the impression Miura Koharu had formed from her limited interactions in class these past few days.
However.
Miura Koharu knew that despite her popularity, Yui Hori was a 100% genuine side character.
Because in the original game, this name didn’t even appear.
It was only in this world, since she belonged to Class (5), that these characters gained their own names… was that it?
Miura Koharu couldn’t find a definite answer to this question, nor did she think too deeply about it.
As for Yui Hori, she’d only talked to her a few times because she was more outgoing—even if she was just sitting there, Yui Hori would sometimes come over to chat.
Because of her popularity, Yui Hori also seemed to have her own little group in class… and knew quite a lot of “secret gossip.”
Thinking back on these things, Miura Koharu couldn’t help but feel a little gloomy.
—Ah, so this is youth, huh.
Someone like her, a gloomy character, would never be surrounded by people or have so many fans.
“Koharu?”
“Ah… sorry, Yui-san, I was a bit distracted just now…”
Seeing the short-haired girl looking confused with wide eyes, Miura Koharu hurriedly came back to her senses.
“Eh… You’re happy about your good grades, right! I get it~”
“You moved up so many ranks this time! If it were me, I’d be over the moon!”
The surprise and admiration on Yui Hori’s face were completely genuine.
It was as if she was purely happy for Miura Koharu.
“Yes, yes, it’s amazing!”
Another girl with long hair, wearing a school uniform cardigan over her shirt, joined in with a friendly smile.
There were a few other girls with her, repeating things like, “Haah~ We’re still struggling to pass… Koharu, you’ve shot ahead,” as they surrounded Miura Koharu.
This one didn’t leave as strong an impression as Yui Hori. Miura Koharu only remembered that she was the type who usually hung out with Yui Hori… probably one of the core members of the class’s little group.
But the girl’s attitude also seemed sincere, which made Miura Koharu feel a bit of goodwill toward both of them.
“N-no, it’s not that big of a deal…”
Being genuinely congratulated by real high school girls made Miura Koharu a little embarrassed.
Her cheeks grew warm as she repeated modest words, “I just… got lucky, that’s all…”
“Ehh~—No, I know, it’s not just luck, right?”
Yui Hori winked at her playfully, lowering her voice and speaking in a knowing, gossipy tone: “—It’s the power of love, right?”
“Eh?!”
Miura Koharu’s heart skipped a beat without warning.
“I’ve heard all about it. You’ve been going to the Student Council’s Study Group every day lately. That Kanzaki-kun from Class 1-1 must’ve given you some special lessons, right?”
“Oooh—! Kanzaki-kun’s special tutoring!”
The ponytail cardigan girl chimed in, clutching her face dramatically.
“No wonder you improved so fast!”
“Come on, confess! Do you two have a secret?”
The girls who had been watching nearby also burst into ambiguous laughter, casting curious glances their way.
“—Eh?”
Miura Koharu was truly stunned this time.
How did the topic get to this point?
No, it’s true that Kanzaki Sou did tutor her, but most of her score was from her own efforts, right?
“N-no! That’s not it at all!”
Miura Koharu waved her hands frantically.
“Kanzaki-kun… he’s nice to everyone! He didn’t give me special help… I… I just studied really hard, that’s all!”
Her explanation was weak and powerless, and to a group of girls in their youth, passionate about romantic gossip, it only made things more suspicious.
“Alright, alright, we get it~”
Yui Hori smiled, patting her shoulder with a look that said, “You don’t have to explain anymore.”
“Anyway, congratulations! To celebrate, let’s get crepes after school?”
For a moment, Miura Koharu forgot to respond.
This was the first time she’d received such a natural invitation from her fellow classmates.
Looking at the goodwill and expectation in Yui Hori and the other girls’ eyes, a strange warmth rose in her heart.
“…Okay, I’ll go.”
After a moment, she nodded unconsciously, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s.
“Yay!”
“I have flavors to recommend too…”
Surrounded by the laughter of the girls, Miura Koharu stood there, a little at a loss.
But she felt as if she was slowly, bit by bit, truly blending into the role of “Miura Koharu.”
Becoming part of the vibrant school life of these girls—a life that didn’t originally belong to her.
***
At noon, as usual, Miura Koharu went to the Library.
The morning incident didn’t leave any lingering feelings. She just thought Yui Hori and the others were acting out of youthful curiosity, so reacting to such rumors was normal.
But she wasn’t that type, so she had no reason to be affected by such gossip.
Regarding Kanzaki Sou, she had never admitted to having any feelings beyond what was necessary for survival.
…When she entered the Library, Kanzaki Sou was already there.
He stood behind the counter, sorting something, his side profile looking especially gentle in the midday light.
“…Hm?”
However, as she approached, Miura Koharu frowned slightly.
Today, Kanzaki Sou’s atmosphere seemed different.
She was already so close, yet he didn’t react at all… as if he hadn’t noticed her presence.
Moreover, due to her strong empathy, Miura Koharu could clearly sense a rare, faint gloom surrounding Kanzaki Sou.
“Good afternoon, Kanzaki-kun?”
Miura Koharu walked up to the counter and greeted him quietly.
“Ah… Mm, good afternoon, Miura-san.”
Kanzaki Sou raised his head as if waking from a dream, and when he saw Miura Koharu’s face, his gaze flickered away.
The movement lasted only a moment, but Miura Koharu caught it instantly.
Did something happen?
Seeing the slightly forced smile on Kanzaki Sou’s face, Miura Koharu was even more certain.
The girl blinked, her mind spinning rapidly.
Then, Miura Koharu’s heart skipped a beat.
Could it be… the rumor reached him?
“Um… Miura-san…”
“Yes!”
Miura Koharu’s heart leapt into her throat.
Unprepared, she braced herself for the worst.
She had no idea what Kanzaki Sou was going to say, so she could only wait passively.
Yet Kanzaki Sou seemed to hesitate, as if struggling with what to say.
“……—!”
Just as Miura Koharu couldn’t stand the silence any longer and was about to speak, Kanzaki Sou, after much internal struggle, finally looked up.
To Miura Koharu’s surprise, the boy’s expression wasn’t angry or troubled, but full of guilt and regret.
Kanzaki Sou looked at Miura Koharu and spoke with utmost sincerity.
“About this Midterm Exam…”
“I’m really… truly sorry!”
“……”
“——”
“?”
…What does that mean?
Miura Koharu was completely dumbfounded.
She never expected to hear something like this.
Midterm Exam?
Sorry?
What on earth are you talking about?
“Sorry? Why… apologize? Kanzaki-kun?”
“No…”
Kanzaki Sou shook his head firmly.
For the first time, his usually composed face showed clear guilt.
“I saw the Midterm Exam results.”
“I reflected on it carefully.”
“—My tutoring had a negative effect on you, didn’t it? I didn’t help at all.”
He looked at her with eyes so serious, not a hint of a joke.
Miura Koharu couldn’t help but stare back.
—Huh?
“At the very least… at the very least, you should have been in the top fifteen percent. To think your score dropped like that, and I even said I’d help everyone improve their study efficiency and answer questions for the exam.”
“I overestimated my ability. I didn’t fulfill my responsibility…”
“……”
Time seemed to freeze.
Miura Koharu stared at him blankly.
…At first, she didn’t understand what Kanzaki Sou was saying.
But listening carefully, it wasn’t hard to grasp his meaning.
—Did he think she was some kind of genius?
So that score was a decline?
…So he thought he’d affected her exam performance, and now here he was—
“Pfft—”
A stifled laugh escaped Miura Koharu’s lips.
The serious and guilty look on Kanzaki Sou’s face, as if he’d failed to turn her into a genius and sincerely blamed himself, was just too much.
Kanzaki Sou looked even more confused.
“Miura-san?”
“Haha… sorry… hahaha—”
Miura Koharu couldn’t hold back anymore.
She almost doubled over, clutching her stomach in laughter.