Yukino: "..."
She sighed at this world of perverts who even liked beautiful girls as much as the Unscrupulous System did.
"How about we make a bet?" Yukino said before stepping through the classroom door. "If I make the top ten in our year this time, you'll do your best to pass next week's retake exam."
Yui froze for a moment, then ran up to catch up with her, grinning.
"It's a deal!"
She still wasn't exactly enthusiastic about studying, but she was very, very, very interested in sharing secrets and memories with Yukino again.
She wanted to become friends with Yukino again!
When they reached the noisy classroom, Yukino glanced at Miura's seat and saw that she was already there. The moment she spotted Yui, Miura came over in a huff and pinched her cheek.
"Yui, what took you so long?"
Yui hurriedly pleaded for mercy. "I ran into Yukino at the school gate, so we chatted for a bit."
Miura had been deliberately avoiding looking at Yukino, but now she let her gaze fall on her openly. "What could you two possibly have to talk about..."
She probably hadn't even noticed it herself, but her voice was practically dripping with jealousy. The jealousy immediately swept away the awkwardness she'd just felt around Yukino.
Yui smiled. "We were talking about the mock exam results that are supposed to be posted this week. They'll probably put them up on the school notice board around lunchtime, right?"
The results were coming out?
Oh, right. Sobu High School always did it this way: exams one week, results the next. Miura's grades were consistently excellent, so she'd never bothered to pay attention before.
Wait?!
Miura suddenly realized something!
Yukino had been studying so hard all month. What if her grades were still bad? Wouldn't that make her really sad?!
Miura immediately returned to her seat and pulled out her phone.
[Junko, Junko, is there any way to tear down the school notice board?]
Junko Kamizawa: ????????
Kamizawa had been discussing the beauty filters on the photos they'd taken during last week's outing with Ono. Then Miura's out-of-the-blue, utterly shocking message nearly made her jump out of her seat.
She had no idea what Yumiko was up to, but whatever had made her so worked up and reckless had to have something to do with Yukino.
Yumiko was usually very strong-willed. Even among her close friends and their little group, she was used to playing the caring big sister who looked after everyone else.
But ever since she'd become friends with Yukino... ahem, ever since she'd become friends with her, Yumiko had asked them for help and shown her vulnerable side many times.
Kamizawa already knew full well that Yumiko was a complete mess when it came to feelings, but she still couldn't help sighing.
Yukino really must have been an impossibly difficult problem for Yumiko to solve.
Kamizawa: [...Why would you even think of tearing down the school notice board????]
Your Youth Romantic Comedy really is way too messed up?!
Miura: [Junko, please help me...]
Kamizawa: [...If you really insist, it shouldn't be too hard to pull off. Just anonymously report the school notice board and some other buildings for being dilapidated to the Guardian Committee. They should be calling the school to demand answers by tomorrow.]
Miura: [Junko, can you make the notice board disappear before school lets out at noon?!]
Hey, I'm Junko Kamizawa, not Junko A-Doraemon!
Kamizawa: [So why do you want to do something so stupid???]
Miura took a while to reply, hesitating the whole time.
[The school notice board will probably have the results up by the time school lets out at noon. If Yukino's grades are bad, lots and lots of people will make fun of her.]
Kamizawa froze for a moment.
Yumiko's idea of tearing down the school was unbelievably bizarre, but she wasn't wrong about this.
There really were lots and lots of people waiting to see Yukino make a fool of herself.
For the past month or so, Yukino had been studying hard, keeping her head down, and stopped handing out rejection letters. And with Miura in the class, hardly anyone foolish enough to pick a fight would go near her.
But that didn't mean those people had given up their hostility toward Yukino. After all, her old reputation as the "Early Romance Crusher of Sobu High School" hadn't come from nowhere.
Lots and lots of people were just waiting for her results to come out so they could make snide remarks at her.
Kamizawa guessed that the ice queen probably wouldn't care about such utterly boring taunts, which meant nothing to her.
But Miura obviously couldn't be that unbothered.
Kamizawa: [...Don't even think about doing something stupid like tearing down the school. I'll go ask Teacher Hiratsuka what she knows first.]
Kamizawa offered a counter-suggestion: [If Yukino does badly this time, you could invite her over to your place for a study session~]
Invite... invite Yukino to her house...?
Just Yukino and her?
In a room she knew so well?
Th-then!
Wouldn't that basically count as living together?!!!
Miura's heart skipped a beat.
But she quickly shook her head, her face turning red.
Miura: [N-no, Yukino's feelings are more important!]
And she'd been thinking about tearing down the school?
Sobu High School really had the worst luck.
Kamizawa sighed. [Even if you tore down the notice board, it wouldn't help. If it disappeared, the school would probably post the results in each classroom instead. That'd make things even worse.]
Miura: [There's really no way to tear it down... ?]
Kamizawa: [Just do what I say first. Take three deep breaths.]
Miura was confused, but did as she was told.
Miura: [What next?]
Kamizawa: [Now clear your mind. Empty it, empty it, and empty it some more.]
Miura: [And then?]
Kamizawa: [Do you feel a little calmer now?]
Miura: [I think so. Junko, what next? What next?]
Kamizawa: [Now, do you still want to tear down the school?]
Miura: [...No.]
Now that the heat of the moment had passed, Miura finally realized how incredibly stupid she'd almost been.
She was usually assertive and strong-willed, but she was still just a seventeen-year-old high school student.
Miura bit her lower lip and rested her head on her desk.
Yukino was such a wonderful girl. Why couldn't everyone just like her?
Yukino thought Miura was being unusually gentle today.
She'd always seemed very motherly, but today she was practically the model of a devoted mother.
"Yukino."
When the first period ended, Miura took all the snacks and candy from her bag, poured them out in a heap, then scooped them up and carried them to Yukino's desk.
"They're all yours."
She didn't even like eating these. What was Miura doing?
Miura said seriously, "Candy and snacks help put you in a good mood."
Yukino: ?
Did she look like she was in a terrible mood today?
But seeing Miura pile all her candy and snacks in front of her reminded Yukino of when she was very, very little and met Haruno for the first time.
Back then, Haruno had piled all her favorite things in front of her just like this.
Yukino had to admit that she was a difficult, unpleasant person.
She'd thought Haruno didn't recognize her, and had gotten fixated on the idea that if Haruno never recognized her, she'd never speak to her again.
But when she saw the Exorcism Charm Haruno carried with her, Yukino realized that Haruno had probably been through far more than she'd imagined during the year and more she'd been missing.
Just as when she'd learned how Haruno truly felt, Yukino's heart softened now, too.
As she opened her textbook, she said, "I don't like candy. It's too sweet."
Miura panicked. "They're chocolate candies. They're a little bitter, so they're not too rich."
"Really? Try one and tell me."
Miura quickly unwrapped a candy and popped it into her mouth, swallowing it in a couple of bites. "See? It's really sweet."
Miura kept candy in her bag because she was afraid of gaining weight, but she rarely ate it.
Even though she really, really loved sweets.
Yukino said, "You ate that awfully fast. Does it actually taste bad?"
She handed Miura another unwrapped candy. "Try one more?"
Miura obediently ate it, then quietly protested, "It really is delicious..."
Halfway through, she finally realized what was going on.
She looked up and saw Yukino holding her textbook open in front of her face, leaving only her eyes visible.
Those eyes, which usually seemed to hold the snow of an entire winter, were now full of playful mischief.
"Miura, you're such an idiot..."
Junko Kamizawa went to Teacher Hiratsuka's office to fish for information. When she came back, she found Yumiko watching her anxiously.
She silently shook her head.
Teacher Hiratsuka had kept her cards close to her chest, just smiling and making small talk.
Miura was so worried she could barely stand the wait, but the dismissal bell rang right on time.
Usually, her close friends would push their desks together and get ready to eat their bentos. But today, as soon as the teacher dismissed them, a crowd of students rushed downstairs.
Yukino wanted to go down, too, but Miura stopped her immediately.
"Um, well, there are too many people at the notice board right now. We won't be able to squeeze through. Maybe we should wait a little, haha..."
Yukino looked puzzled. "We don't have to go over there. We can just ask one of our classmates who managed to get through."
"You still have classmates in this class you can talk to?"
How dare she make it personal!
Yukino glared at Miura. "Didn't you see Ono and Yui rush downstairs right away?"
Kaho Yui, why did you run so fast?!
During past exams, hadn't you all waited until the very last minute, looking utterly miserable, before checking your results?
Damn it, she'd miscalculated!
Miura couldn't think of anything to say in response.
Before you continue