"Shikamaru, you didn't hold back on this exam. How do you think you did?" Choji Akimichi asked, pausing between bites of his meat buns.
"Hard to say. I should make the top ten," Shikamaru Nara replied absentmindedly.
Ever since he'd enrolled, he'd kept his scores under control. He never even checked the results posted on the bulletin board. Now that he'd suddenly taken the exam seriously, he wasn't sure where he'd placed.
"Shikamaru, I'm sure you got a great rank," Choji said earnestly.
As his friend, he knew just how capable Shikamaru was. They slept together and skipped class together, yet while everyone else failed their exams, Shikamaru always managed to land right on the passing line by some miracle.
Once or twice could be luck, but when it happened repeatedly, something was clearly up. So one time, Choji paid close attention during an exam and realized Shikamaru was doing it on purpose.
"Morning, Ino." Choji looked up and saw Ino Yamanaka and her group approaching.
"Morning, Choji." Ino waved to him.
"Ino, have you eaten breakfast? I've got buns. Want one?" Choji asked, holding up the large bag in his hand.
Their families often got together because of their clans, so the three of them had known each other since childhood and had always gotten along.
"You can have them. I can't stomach something so greasy this early in the morning." Ino hurriedly shook her head, then added, "Choji, you should eat a little less. Your belly's bigger than some adults'."
She knew Choji hated being called fat, so she'd found another way to put it.
"I think I'm fine. In the Akimichi Clan, I'm already considered pretty slim." Choji swallowed another bun as he spoke.
"You're hopeless. Keep eating like that, and you'll have to watch out—no girls