Study Session

"Why do I have to come to a study session like this?" Uesugi Hara groaned, sprawled across the desk, his tone full of reluctance.

Across from him, Sakayanagi Arisu held a cup of coffee and watched him with a beaming smile. Kamuro Masumi, seated beside her, rolled her eyes and mocked him without a hint of politeness. "Because you spend all day doing nothing, just lazing around! You might as well learn something instead of wasting your time."

Uesugi Hara glanced at her, his tone breezy. "I still score higher than you."

"Hah. Uesugi, all you're good for is running your mouth!" Kamuro Masumi clenched her pen, her expression darkening.

Uesugi Hara remained unhurried. "I still score higher than you."

"Can't you say anything else?" A vein twitched at Kamuro Masumi's temple. She was clearly about to lose her temper.

Uesugi Hara thought for a moment, then changed his phrasing. "You still don't score as high as I do."

"You jerk—" Kamuro Masumi slapped her pen down and stood up.

"Come now, Uesugi. Stop teasing Kamuro," Sakayanagi Arisu chimed in at just the right moment, laughing as she tried to smooth things over. "If you keep it up, Kamuro might really hit you." She paused, then looked at Uesugi Hara with a hint of teasing in her voice. "Besides, Uesugi, your last score wasn't that high either. Wouldn't it be good to learn a little more?"

"Hmph!" Kamuro Masumi snorted, as if agreeing with Sakayanagi Arisu.

"You might not believe me, but some people won't be happy if I get a high score." Uesugi Hara sat up straight and lowered his voice mysteriously.

"Someone wouldn't be happy if you got a high score? Who?" Kamuro Masumi frowned, puzzled. Wasn't doing well a good thing?

"Oh? You have concerns like that, Uesugi?" Sakayanagi Arisu set down her cup, intrigued. "Why don't you tell us who wouldn't be happy?"

"Ahem. I don't mind telling you." Uesugi Hara cleared his throat, prefacing his explanation with a warning. "But let's get one thing straight. If someone hears this and gets mad enough to hit me, you have to hold them back."

"Of course," Sakayanagi Arisu replied casually. After all, she was frail and couldn't do anything anyway.

"Then come a little closer. I'll tell you quietly. Don't let this get out." Uesugi Hara beckoned. Once the two of them leaned in, he lowered his voice. "Apparently, it's a white-haired girl who's not even five feet tall. She got the better of me once, and now she's still looking for a chance to get even. I'm afraid if I score too high, she'll drag me into competing over this and that again. What a pain."

Kamuro Masumi blinked, looking at Uesugi Hara in confusion before sneaking a glance at the impassive Sakayanagi Arisu beside her. The more she listened, the more it sounded like he was talking about Sakayanagi.

Sakayanagi Arisu scoffed inwardly. What he said is certainly irritating, but "not even five feet tall"? That definitely isn't me.

Miss Sakayanagi, who stood exactly five feet tall, was naturally confident about that.

As he spoke, Uesugi Hara kept sneaking glances at Sakayanagi Arisu to gauge her reaction.

She really could keep her cool.

"So you get it now, right? It's not that I can't do well. I'm controlling my score. You know what that means?" He tapped the desk and looked at Kamuro Masumi. "I'm talking to you. Stop looking around." His throat felt dry, so he picked up the paper cup beside him and took a sip of water.

Kamuro Masumi ignored his teasing. She had just been about to ask who the white-haired girl was and whether she knew her when she met Sakayanagi Arisu's utterly cold, murderous glare. The words died in her throat, and she silently lowered her head, pretending to read her textbook.

That look from Sakayanagi was downright murderous.

Uesugi Hara sensed the tension and hurried to change the subject. "Sakayanagi, it's getting late. You should start tutoring Kamuro."

"You're quite good at changing the subject, Uesugi," Sakayanagi Arisu said, withdrawing her gaze and raising her teacup gracefully for a sip. Then she changed tack. "But you're right. We've already wasted quite a lot of time."

She paused, her expression turning serious. "The next exam concerns our class's honor. I hope you'll give it your all, Uesugi, instead of trying to 'control your score' again."

"And aren't you worried someone might fail to meet the passing line?" Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow.

Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled, but her tone was firm and unyielding. "Anyone who still can't meet the passing line after being tutored at a study session is useless to us. The Class A I lead has no need for deadweight."

"Wow. That's pretty heartless, Sakayanagi. A lot of people won't be happy if that gets out," Uesugi Hara said with a click of his tongue. Who would've thought the little girl could say something like that?

"Hehe." Sakayanagi Arisu simply gave him an elegant smile and said nothing more.

In her eyes, only the exceptional deserved to remain in Class A.

Kamuro Masumi listened to the two of them. The atmosphere was relaxed, but why did their conversation send a chill down her spine?

All she could do was carefully navigate the narrow space between them.

Just as Sakayanagi was about to tutor Kamuro, she suddenly thought of something. "Since Uesugi is so capable, he must be quite good. I'll leave the tutoring to you."

Kamuro Masumi looked up at Uesugi Hara. Compared to Sakayanagi, Uesugi might have a sharp tongue, but at least he didn't make her nervous.

"Isn't that your job?" Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow. He had no desire to take on this troublesome task.

"As the class leader, I naturally have many responsibilities. I'll have to trouble you, Uesugi." Sakayanagi Arisu held her cup, speaking at her usual leisurely pace. "Besides, you wouldn't want Kamuro to be expelled for failing to meet the required grades, would you?"

Kamuro Masumi looked from Sakayanagi Arisu to Uesugi Hara, then fixed her gaze on Uesugi.

Uesugi Hara glanced at Sakayanagi Arisu, who was pretending to be innocent, then met Kamuro's clear but foolish eyes and sighed helplessly. "Fine, fine. It's not like I have anything else to do. I'll do it to pass the time."

Uesugi Hara said, "Mark the problems you don't understand first. Don't wait until I've spent ages explaining them to realize you don't know what you're confused about."

Meanwhile, Sakayanagi Arisu sipped her coffee with effortless composure.

Some noise suddenly broke out in the otherwise quiet library.

The sounds came from downstairs. "Looks like there's some kind of dispute down there."

"Really?" Kamuro Masumi snapped out of her focus. She hadn't felt tired while concentrating, but the moment she relaxed, exhaustion washed over her.

Seeing how tired she looked, Uesugi Hara said, "You've been studying for a while. Take a break."

Kamuro Masumi first glanced at Sakayanagi Arisu. Only after seeing no reaction from her did she quietly say, "Oh."

Uesugi Hara: "..." Did his words really carry that little weight?

He looked at Sakayanagi Arisu. What had she done to her?

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled faintly. I don't know anything.

Uesugi Hara glanced downstairs. "Those are people from Class D. The person facing them looks like he's from Class C—judging by his lips, he just shouted that he was from Class C."

"Those people are so loud. Don't they know this is a library?" he complained.

Kamuro Masumi looked down too and asked in confusion, "Did Class D and Class C come here for a study session too?"

"Kamuro, if you can come, why can't they?"

"Hmph!" Since he'd worked so hard to teach her, she'd let that one slide.

Just then, Kamuro pointed to a pink-haired girl in the crowd. "Is that Ichinose Honami, the leader of Class B?"

"Yeah." Uesugi Hara nodded.

"You know her, Uesugi?" Kamuro asked curiously.

"A friend," Uesugi Hara said casually.

"Oh? Uesugi has already made friends with one of the famous beauties in the first year?" Sakayanagi Arisu set down her cup, teasing him.

Uesugi Hara tilted his head and looked at her. "You're a beauty too."

Sakayanagi Arisu's lips curved with confidence. "Mhm."

"But you're lame," Uesugi Hara added. The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

The smile vanished from Sakayanagi's face. She stared at him impassively, her tone icy. "I'm simply in poor health. I'm not 'lame.'"

Uesugi Hara's heart sank. I'm doomed. I took the joke too far. Why is this little girl suddenly so intimidating? How do you appease an angry young lady?! Asking urgently!

He immediately put on an ingratiating smile and bowed. "I see. I misunderstood. I'm sorry! Please forgive me, Miss Sakayanagi, beauty and brains in one. Your humble servant will never be so presumptuous again."

"Hmph!" Sakayanagi snorted and turned her face away from him.

"Hehe, don't be mad. I really didn't mean it; I just misunderstood. You're a magnanimous lady, so please forgive me." Uesugi Hara stepped behind her and tentatively raised his hand. "Here, let me give you a shoulder massage. It'll help you relax."

Sakayanagi said nothing, which he took as consent. After he'd massaged her shoulders twice, she instructed him, "Use a little more pressure on the left."

"Right away! How's this?" Uesugi Hara quickly did as she asked, his tone extremely obsequious.

"Hmph." Sakayanagi snorted again, clearly not planning to forgive him so easily.

Kamuro Masumi: ?

As he massaged Sakayanagi Arisu's shoulders, Uesugi Hara discreetly adjusted the pressure, careful not to hurt the petite girl with her slender arms and legs. At the same time, he kept an eye on what was happening downstairs.

Fortunately, Ichinose Honami quickly defused the situation. The conflict between the Class C and Class D students was resolved before it could escalate.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, Ichinose Honami turned around and looked up. Her eyes lit up when they met his. "Uesugi!" she called, raising a hand to wave enthusiastically. But when she saw Uesugi Hara massaging Sakayanagi Arisu's shoulders, confusion crept into her eyes.

Why was Uesugi massaging someone's shoulders?

That looked like Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A, didn't it?

Were the two of them really that close?

Ichinose Honami came up with all sorts of questions at once.

Uesugi Hara quickly waved back. Before he could speak, Sakayanagi Arisu's cool voice came from behind him. "It seems you and Ichinose from Class B aren't 'just friends,' as you claimed."

"I'm not just an ordinary friend to you either, Miss Sakayanagi. If I run into you on the road, I'll definitely wave first," Uesugi Hara hastily vowed his loyalty, easing up on the massage.

"Is that so?" Sakayanagi raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

"Of course!" Uesugi Hara promised.

"Heh." Sakayanagi gave him an ambiguous snort, obviously not taking his words seriously. "You were being too gentle just now. Use a little more pressure."

Uesugi Hara: "...Sure." If he used too much pressure, she wouldn't be able to take it. What a hassle.

Watching the two of them, Kamuro Masumi silently lowered her head and returned to her problems.

She'd better not get involved in their little exchange, lest she get caught in the crossfire.