After-School Tutoring

The dismissal bell rang as usual, but to Class D, it was like an edict, breaking the deathly silence that had lasted all afternoon. Yet what followed wasn't relief. Instead, it was like a key unlocking the fear and confusion suppressed in everyone's heart. Lately, everyone had been under a great deal of stress because they'd lost all their points, and the atmosphere in the class had grown oppressive. The students who used to rush out of the classroom as soon as the bell rang were now few and far between. Most simply packed their bags in a daze, their faces shrouded in an unshakable gloom.

In the suffocating silence, Hirata Yosuke stepped forward. He took a deep breath, his handsome face set with unwavering resolve, and walked to the front of the classroom. His voice was as gentle as ever, but carried a heaviness it usually lacked.

"Everyone, please listen for a moment."

The students' gazes, some curious and others hopeful, turned toward him.

"I know everyone's feeling uneasy about the situation." Hirata's gaze passed over their listless faces. "Without points, life from here on will be difficult. But Chabashira-sensei also said that our Class Points can be raised! Our most urgent task right now is to make sure no one gets expelled for failing the upcoming midterms!"

He paused, his tone growing more earnest. "So, starting today, I propose that a few of the students with decent grades and I organize a study group! It'll mainly be for anyone who's struggling with their studies. We'll meet in the classroom after school. I don't want to see a single person from Class D leave! Please...let's work hard together, for ourselves and for our class!"

His words were like a pebble tossed into still water, stirring ripples in the hearts of the students. Most of those who knew their grades were in trouble saw a flicker of hope in their eyes. They stood and gathered around Hirata. His girlfriend, Karuizawa Kei, voiced her support along with several girls who were close to him, then invited the rest of their friend group to join in.

But some reacted with indifference. Koenji Rokusuke was as absorbed in his own world as ever, as if nothing around him had anything to do with him. Humming some tune, he checked his reflection in the mirror and was the first to leave the classroom. A few others, perhaps out of misplaced confidence or an instinctive dislike of group activities, simply watched in silence before picking up their bags and slipping out through the back door.

In the corner at the back of the classroom, Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki exchanged a look, their interest plain on their faces. Ike nudged Yamauchi with his elbow, lowering his voice and waggling his eyebrows. "Hey, the study group...Kushida-chan will definitely be there, right? And maybe we'll get to hang out with some other girls, too..."

"Yeah!" Yamauchi's eyes lit up, but then he glanced uncertainly at Ken Sudō, who was packing his things to head to his club. "But what about Sudō..."

The two of them looked toward Sudō at the same time, their gazes tentative. They both knew that because of what had happened at the start of the school year, Sudō had a problem with Hirata, who was always playing the "good guy." Sudō merely shot a cold glance at the crowd gathered around Hirata, let out a contemptuous snort, slung his bag over his shoulder, and strode out of the classroom without looking back.

"Tch..." Seeing this, Ike and Yamauchi seemed to have had a bucket of cold water thrown over them. Most of their enthusiasm evaporated, and they stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do.

Horikita Suzune had remained quietly in her seat the entire time, like an aloof ice sculpture. She watched Hirata form the study group, watched the students split into different camps, then saw the way Ike and Yamauchi were acting. A hint of mockery flickered in her raised eyebrows. When her gaze swept over the class and reached Natsukawa and Ayanokoji beside her, her lips parted as if she wanted to say something. But in the end, she only glanced toward Ayanokoji, then looked away, picked up her books, and stood to leave.

Ayanokoji glanced silently at Natsukawa, then poked him in the back with his pen. "Are you going to join Hirata's study group? I remember your scores in Japanese and social studies on the quizzes weren't very good."

Natsukawa turned around and shook his head. "Hirata's approach isn't right for me. I'm planning to study in the library in a bit. You can head back to the dorm."

Ayanokoji then silently picked up his bag and slipped into the stream of students leaving, as soundlessly as a ghost.

The classroom gradually quieted down. Only the dozen or so people gathered around Hirata remained, discussing the details of the study group in low voices, along with...

Natsukawa's gaze passed over the now-empty desks and settled on the figure still curled up in a seat at the back.

Sakura Airi.

She kept her head lowered. The thick lenses of her glasses reflected the light from outside, making it impossible to see her eyes. Her hands clutched the straps of the bag in her lap so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. Like a forgotten statue in a corner, she seemed separated from the group around Hirata by a thick, invisible wall.

Natsukawa got up and walked toward the corner that the sunlight seemed to have forgotten. His footsteps were light, but in the nearly motionless air, they were still clearly audible.

Hearing them draw closer, Sakura's body gave an almost imperceptible shiver, and she lowered her head even further, nearly burying it against her chest.

"Sakura." Natsukawa stopped beside her desk, his voice gentle.

"Ah...y-yes, Natsukawa..." Like a startled rabbit, Sakura jerked her head up. Behind her lenses, her large blue eyes were full of alarm and uncertainty. Her cheeks quickly flushed, and her eyes darted about, unable to meet Natsukawa's gaze.

"Why didn't you go over to Hirata's group?" Natsukawa gestured toward the students up front. "Are you confident about your grades?"

"N-no, that's not it..." Sakura hurriedly shook her head, her voice barely louder than a whisper, with a faint tremor in it. "I...my grades aren't good either...but there are so many people...I..."

Her words came out in fits and starts as her hands twisted the strap of her bag without meaning to, nearly wringing the poor thing into a knot. The way she seemed to wish she could curl up into a ball and disappear made everything clear. For someone terrified of crowds and unfamiliar surroundings, joining a study group of more than ten people was no easier than Bocchi-chan performing a guitar solo at the cultural festival without having joined Kessoku Band.

Well, that would be pretty extreme, too.

Natsukawa looked at her shoulders, trembling with nerves, and the helpless expression on her face, like a fledgling soaked by the rain. He'd understood Sakura's predicament from the start, but he still had to go through this little exchange to set up what came next.

"I understand." He nodded, his tone calm, without a hint of reproach or pressure. "In that case, I'll tutor you."

"Huh?" Sakura's head jerked up, her eyes shining with disbelief. Those blue eyes, usually hidden behind her glasses, widened slightly with shock, like two sapphires wiped free of dust. They glimmered faintly but beautifully in the dim light. "Y-you'll...tutor me, Natsukawa?"

"Yeah." Natsukawa spoke as if it were obvious. "I can't just watch you get expelled for failing, can I? Besides, aren't we friends?"

"Friends..." Sakura murmured, her cheeks growing even redder, like snow tinged by the evening glow. She lowered her head and nervously picked at the fabric of her bag. She was clearly torn between two thoughts. On one hand, she was afraid of causing trouble for someone else. On the other, Natsukawa's offer was like a lamp held out to her in the dark, an invitation she found hard to resist.

Several seconds passed before she asked in a timid voice, barely audible, "B-but...are your own grades all right, Natsukawa? I...I saw your scores on the quizzes..."

Her careful question showed that she remembered how poorly Natsukawa had done in some subjects. She didn't want to drag him down because of her.

At that, the corner of Natsukawa's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. Of course, he couldn't say he'd used a cheat. So he came up with a reasonable excuse. "It's fine. I could use a review of the basics, too. We can go to the library together. I'll study and teach you at the same time, and we can keep each other on track."

He paused, looking at Sakura's eyes, still filled with hesitation and unease, and added, "The library's quiet, and there won't be many people. Just the two of us."

"Just...the two of us..." Sakura softly repeated the words, as if they had some sort of magical power. She secretly lifted her eyes and stole a quick glance at Natsukawa. Seeing his calm, serious expression, she felt as if a tiny crack had opened in the thick wall around her heart.

A warmth, along with a sense of security she couldn't describe, quietly rose within her, dispelling the fear and chill that had lingered for so long. She pressed her lips together, as though making an enormous decision, and finally mustered the courage to give a small nod.

"Mm...th-thank you, Natsukawa...Really...thank you so much!" Her voice was still quiet, but clearer than before, with a choked note of relief and sincere, heartfelt gratitude.

At that very moment, the sunlight shifted slightly and streamed softly through the window, falling across her upturned face. Even her thick glasses couldn't entirely hide the light in her eyes, a complex mix of hope, trust, and dependence. She seemed to be enveloped in a faint golden glow. The taut, almost-fragile tension in her eased a little, and she seemed to have gained a little...life.

Watching her, Natsukawa felt a faint stir in his heart. It was as if he were seeing a flower bud that had long cowered in a shadowy corner cautiously stretch one soft petal toward a ray of sunlight slipping through a crack.

"Then it's settled." Natsukawa's tone grew lighter. "Get your things together, and we'll head to the library. Remember to bring your textbooks and workbooks."

"O-okay!" Sakura replied at once and hurriedly started gathering the things on her desk. Her movements were still a little flustered, but she was no longer as helpless and stiff as before.

Natsukawa turned and looked at the sun sinking beyond the window. Helping Sakura was both an act of compassion for someone so sincere and vulnerable, and a way to fulfill the system's requirement of "studying four hours a day." After all, there were too many distractions in class, and Natsukawa still had nearly an hour of reading left to do. It was a two-birds-with-one-stone plan.

He didn't notice that, the moment he turned away, Sakura—hurriedly slipping a notebook into her bag—secretly lifted her eyes to watch his tall, slightly slender back. Behind her glasses, her gratitude was like a pebble dropped into the middle of a lake, sending out one gentle ripple after another that didn't fade for a long time.