The afternoon sun filtered through the narrow windows of Reina's lab, casting pale stripes of light across the cluttered desks and equipment. Normally, this was her sanctuary—quiet, orderly, filled only with the hum of machines and the faint whir of ANIER's systems.
But today, it was anything but quiet.
"Please, Reina!" Hana begged, her hands clasped in front of her face like she was praying to a god. Her ponytail bounced with every bow. "Just this once, teach us! The exams are next week! I don't wanna fail again!"
Beside her, Kaito gave a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, uh… same here. I mean, I studied, but…" He trailed off, his notebook sticking out of his bag as though it hadn't been opened in days.
And then there was Himari. Unlike the others, she wasn't dramatic or panicked. She bowed politely, her soft voice calm but earnest. "Reina, if it isn't too much trouble… could you guide us a little? I've been reviewing, but there are still parts I struggle with."
Reina sat in her chair, arms crossed, expression unreadable as always. Her golden-brown eyes flicked over the group. Hana on the verge of tears. Kaito clearly unprepared. Himari being polite. And Ayumi, who had tagged along with them, already pulling out a pile of textbooks like she was preparing for war.
Reina exhaled slowly, as though all of her patience was being siphoned away. "…Fine."
The three who had begged her straightened instantly, sighs of relief escaping them like balloons deflating.
"Thank you, Reina!! You're the best!" Hana cheered, clapping her hands together."I knew you wouldn't abandon us," Kaito said, grinning."I really appreciate it," Himari added quietly.
Ayumi, meanwhile, flashed a thumbs-up. "Let's make this fun! I'll help too. I'm not as smart as Reina, but hey, at least I can explain stuff without sounding like a robot."
Reina narrowed her eyes at her. "…I don't sound like a robot."
Ayumi only laughed.
The study session began chaotically. Hana and Kaito sat across the table, both already frowning at the open pages of their science textbooks. Himari sat upright, pen poised neatly over her notebook, while Ayumi sprawled comfortably, glancing between her own notes and Hana's mess of scribbles.
Reina tapped the desk with her pen. "Alright. Science first. You two—" she pointed at Hana and Kaito, "—look like you don't even know where to start."
Kaito chuckled weakly. "Heh. Guilty."Hana slammed her hands on the table. "I tried, okay?! But mitochondria, cell division, photosynthesis—it all just melts into soup in my brain!"
"Soup," Reina repeated flatly. "Interesting metaphor." She leaned back in her chair and gave a signal. "ANIER."
The holographic interface shimmered to life, displaying diagrams of cells, neatly labeled, with colorful animations.
[Request received. Simplified science lesson initiated.]
The diagrams broke down step by step: plant cell structures, energy cycles, DNA replication. Each had little highlighted examples—like a mitochondrion glowing like a tiny engine.
"Whoa…" Hana leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "That's so much easier than the textbook!""Yeah," Kaito agreed. "It's like… actually understandable."
Reina smirked faintly. "Of course it is. I had ANIER design it on three levels: easy, medium, hard. Right now you're both on easy."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Kaito muttered.
Himari, meanwhile, was scribbling furiously. "This is really helpful, Reina. The visuals make it clearer. Can ANIER also quiz us?"
[Yes.] The AI's voice chimed, cheerful in contrast to Reina's deadpan. [Shall I generate questions now?]
"Yes," Reina said.
Immediately, the screen flashed with multiple-choice questions. Hana groaned loudly, Kaito paled, and Himari calmly answered the first one.
After half an hour of science, Reina switched gears. "English. Hana, read the passage aloud."
Hana gulped. The English text in the book seemed to glare at her. "Uh… Th-the… quick… b-brown… fox… jumps… over… the… lazy… dog?"
"That's… the warm-up sentence," Reina said, staring blankly.
Kaito snorted into his sleeve. Hana glared at him."Don't laugh! You're worse at grammar than me!""True," Kaito admitted instantly.
Ayumi covered her mouth, giggling. "It's fine, Hana. Let's just practice. Here, I'll help." She leaned over, pointing at the passage. "See this word? Don't stress, just sound it out. English looks scarier than it is."
With Ayumi's encouragement and Reina's strict corrections, the two somehow managed to survive the section. Himari, of course, read flawlessly, though she still blushed whenever Reina praised her for correct answers.
Next came history. Reina projected a timeline across the wall, filled with dates and events.
"Alright. Japanese history. Who can tell me the significance of the Meiji Restoration?"
Hana blinked. "Uh… they restored… something?"Kaito raised his hand like he was answering seriously. "Samurai got cooler outfits?"
Reina's eyebrow twitched. "…Wrong. Both of you. Spectacularly wrong."
ANIER's voice stepped in smoothly, providing a summarized explanation of the era, highlighting key reforms and modernization efforts. Himari quickly jotted it all down, while Hana tried to doodle arrows and Kaito just nodded like he understood.
Ayumi sighed. "You two are hopeless."
"Hey, I got the part about samurai!" Kaito protested."They literally lost most of their power during that era!" Ayumi shot back.
Reina pinched the bridge of her nose. "…Why do I even bother."
Still, deep down, she was oddly… content. Even if they were hopeless, the room felt alive.
By the time they reached Japanese literature, Hana had collapsed face-first onto the desk, groaning. "Too… much… knowledge…"
Kaito rested his chin on his hand. "Yeah, my brain's full."
"Your brain was empty to begin with," Ayumi teased.
Himari chuckled softly, shaking her head. "It's not so bad. Reina explains things in a way that makes sense."
"Yeah," Hana said, muffled by the desk. "She's like a genius goddess or something."
Reina rolled her eyes. "Don't exaggerate. Just study properly."
Finally, mathematics. Reina picked up a marker and wrote a problem on the whiteboard.
"If you can solve this, I'll stop torturing you."
The problem wasn't even that advanced—a basic algebra equation. But Hana stared at it like it was an alien language, and Kaito just scratched his head.
"I don't get it," Hana whined."Same," Kaito admitted.
Himari raised her hand. "Is it… x equals five?"
Reina gave a small nod. "Correct."
"Of course she gets it right," Hana sighed.
Reina gestured at ANIER. "Show them step-by-step."
The AI projected the solution in colorful animation, breaking the equation into simple steps. Even Hana and Kaito began nodding along, eyes widening in realization.
"Ohhh… so that's how you do it!" Hana said."…Kinda makes sense now," Kaito added.
Ayumi patted their backs. "See? You're not completely hopeless."
Hours passed, filled with sighs, groans, laughter, and occasional breakthroughs. By the end, Hana and Kaito looked drained, Himari's notebook was packed with neat notes, and Ayumi stretched her arms, satisfied.
Reina sat back, watching them quietly. It wasn't how she planned to spend her afternoon. She'd rather be analyzing data, upgrading equipment, or simply tinkering in silence. But…
Seeing them slowly understand, watching Hana's exaggerated despair, Kaito's lazy grin, Himari's diligence, and Ayumi's cheerful encouragement—Reina realized something.
This lab didn't feel so lonely anymore.
"…Alright," she said, standing. "That's enough for today. Don't come crying if you forget everything tomorrow."
Hana and Kaito groaned in unison, but Himari smiled warmly. "Thank you, Reina."
Ayumi winked. "See? You're not just a genius. You're a great teacher too."
Reina blinked, then turned away, hiding the faint warmth rising in her chest. "…Shut up."