Learning and Studying

In the afternoon, Horikita Etsuka arrived at the library right on time.

"Etsuka, over here!" Kurakara waved her hand to signal him, her voice kept low as if she were afraid of disturbing the others.

There were many people from Class B participating in the study session, occupying three or four large tables.

It had to be said, as expected of something organized by Ichinose, everyone was naturally studying hard; of course, this was also inseparable from the united atmosphere of Class B.

"Etsuka, Etsuka, come sit here." Kurakara patted the empty seat beside her and said.

"Sure." Etsuka sat down slowly and said with a smile, "Not bad, you even saved a spot for me."

"Hee hee, of course I did." Kurakara tilted her little head up, seeming very satisfied with Etsuka's praise.

In the distance, Nakanishi Jiro, who had been scratching his hair incessantly, was delighted to see Horikita Etsuka arrive: "Etsuka! Come and teach me!"

Etsuka looked up and saw Hamaguchi Tetsuya standing beside Nakanishi Jiro with a helpless expression.

"What's going on here?" Etsuka stood up and walked over slowly.

Kurakara puffed out her cheeks as she watched Etsuka leave, but she didn't say anything.

Hamaguchi Tetsuya let out a long sigh: "No matter how I explain it to Nakanishi, he just doesn't seem to understand."

Nakanishi Jiro scratched the back of his head awkwardly: "It can't be helped, I really don't understand it."

"What problem is it? Let me see."

"This one." Nakanishi Jiro pointed to the final, most difficult problem on the math test.

Horikita Etsuka's mouth twitched.

"Before I teach you the problem, let me ask first: Jiro, you just got here, right?"

"Yeah." Nakanishi Jiro nodded as if it were a matter of course.

"Then have you finished the ones before it?"

"There are some problems I don't know how to do."

"Then why aren't you starting from the beginning instead of looking directly at the final, most difficult problem?"

"Oh!" Nakanishi Jiro had a sudden realization and slapped his palm: "Etsuka, you're right!"

He then flipped the test paper over and started doing the problems from the beginning, muttering as he wrote: "See, Hamaguchi? It's all your fault."

Hamaguchi Tetsuya: "..."

"Etsuka, Etsuka! I have some problems I don't know how to do either." Kurakara raised her hand and waved it.

"Coming."

Feeling Etsuka come to her side, the corners of Kurakara's mouth lifted slightly, though her little face still maintained a serious expression.

After a few minutes of explanation, someone else called out to him.

"Um, Horikita, I wonder if you could help me?" Kobashi Yume raised her hand and said in a small voice.

"Coming." Etsuka agreed and walked over to Kobashi Yume's side.

A few more minutes passed.

"Horikita-kun, could you help me too?"

"Coming."

Kurakara watched as Etsuka went off to teach others again, and she couldn't help but feel a little unhappy.

[Although I'm a bit unhappy, Etsuka is doing this for everyone's sake.]

Thinking this to herself, she suddenly felt much better, as if she were comforting herself.

Etsuka wandered around these tables, and it was as if they had a clear division of labor: he was responsible for the girls, while Hamaguchi Tetsuya took it upon himself to handle the boys.

While bowing his head to teach, Horikita Etsuka searched for a certain figure with his eyes.

[Hmm? Come to think of it, where did Ichinose go?]

Just then, a hand rested on Etsuka's shoulder, and something cold touched his neck.

"Sss~" Etsuka instinctively shrank his neck.

"Haha, thanks for your hard work, Horikita. Have a drink." Ichinose said playfully, holding a lemonade in her hand.

Etsuka helplessly took the drink and looked at Shiranami Chihiro, who was distributing drinks:

"I was wondering where you went; so you went to buy drinks."

"Of course, after all, everyone can't just study like this. It's good to take a break occasionally and balance work with rest," Ichinose said righteously with her hands on her hips.

Horikita Etsuka looked at the lemon-flavored drink in his hand and suddenly said:

"I suddenly want to change flavors today. Could you get me another one?"

"Eh? Change flavors?" Ichinose nodded and turned around, preparing to take one from the box.

Etsuka took the opportunity to press the drink directly against Ichinose's neck; he was a person who held grudges, after all.

"Eek~"

Ichinose also shrank her neck, her delicate body trembling for a split second. Realizing she had been tricked, she immediately turned around:

"Horikita, that's not very nice of you. Deceiving a classmate is bad behavior, you know."

"I didn't deceive you." Horikita Etsuka shrugged while holding his drink: "I thought it wasn't cold, but looking at your reaction, it must be freezing. So, no need to exchange it. Thanks."

Ichinose said with a forced smile: "It is I who should thank Horikita for being willing to join the study session."

Horikita Etsuka raised his drink:

"You're welcome, we're bros!"

With that, he walked away while sipping his sweet drink, not giving Ichinose a chance to retaliate.

Just as he was about to return to his seat next to Kurakara, his eyes suddenly caught sight of Shiranami Chihiro handing a drink to Himeno Yuki.

Wait! Why is Himeno Yuki here? Doesn't she dislike participating in social activities?

Etsuka paused his steps and walked toward Himeno Yuki.

Himeno Yuki sat quietly in her chair, a lollipop in her mouth and a pen in her hand as she worked on a draft. She was the only one at the table, looking completely out of place compared to the atmosphere of the other Class B tables; if anyone else were to look, they would think she was from another class.

Just as Etsuka was about to sit down, Himeno Yuki lifted her gaze. She stared straight at Etsuka and said: "You promised me. I saw that I had some free time this afternoon, so I came."

"That's right, I did promise you." Etsuka smiled on the surface, but his heart was pounding.

Hiss~ What did I promise this girl? Why did I suddenly forget?!!

Etsuka's memory was excellent, one could even say it was heaven-defying, yet under Himeno Yuki's gaze, he had suddenly forgotten.

Himeno Yuki pushed her book over and said quietly: "Teach me your study methods."

Oh! So it was study methods!

Etsuka immediately had a realization, but his expression remained unchanged: "Sure, let me start by introducing you to my own study methods."

With that, Etsuka began to explain his study techniques.

His study method was simple and brutal: he would simply memorize all the content in the textbook and then use his logical thinking to slowly organize it.

However, this method could only be used by him; after all, not everyone had a brain like his.

Just as he was in the middle of teaching his study methods, a voice suddenly rang out through the library.

"Are you kidding me? Why are you so arrogant, you guy?!"