"Midterm exams again."
"Every semester has to have one of these…"
On the third day after Rinji left, which was Monday, Shuchiin faced the midterm exams that students both loved and hated.
Those who loved them were students with good grades and no friends, relying on showing off results to satisfy vanity and assert presence. Those who hated them were the ones whose grades had dropped. As for poor students? They didn't care about midterms or finals at all; they just sat through the time and handed in their papers.
The student council's feelings toward the exams were about the same as always.
Shirogane was under immense pressure as usual, working desperately to keep first place. This time, preparing for study abroad had cut into his study intensity.
Kaguya was looking forward to the exams. Just like before, her target was first place in the grade.
Iino was also serious about the exams. Her former rival Rinji had gone home, which meant he was absent. Without her greatest competitor, her pressure lessened, and it was likely she could take first place.
Fujiwara… probably wasn't too interested. With her mid-level grades, even if she did poorly, her allowance wouldn't be reduced. With no real stakes, she had no reason to care.
The only one who had changed was Ishigami.
Once indifferent to exams, he now cared about his grades, patching up his weaknesses since the start of the term.
It was all because of Tsubame.
If he ranked at the bottom again, he'd have no face to see her.
Normally he'd be playing his Switch, but now he was unusually reviewing with his textbook.
This time he wanted to break into the top fifty.
"Ah… must be nice."
Fujiwara lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
"I wish I could skip exams like Rinji, just by taking leave."
"Fujiwara-senpai, Rinji didn't leave just to avoid exams." Ishigami said while reading. "Even without reviewing, he can take first place. Exams mean nothing to a genius."
"He only got first at the final exams last semester. The rest of the time, first place was Miko-chan's."
"Still, unless he keeps skipping, he'll take first again."
Ishigami didn't notice the look on Iino's face nearby.
Her countless first-place finishes had been broken by Rinji.
Fujiwara continued, "If he stays lazy like before, the top spot won't be his anymore."
"No, it'll still be his. You'll never understand how his brain works. But this time, lino should be able to take first, since Rinji isn't here."
"Ishigami…"
Iino frowned unhappily at him.
"You're saying… if Rinji took the exam, I'd still lose?"
"Didn't you already know the answer?"
"…"
Without another word, Iino grabbed her bag and left the office, likely heading to the library to review.
"Ishigami… saying it like that isn't good," Kaguya said. "Crushing someone's confidence is very inappropriate."
"Shinomiya-senpai, you know Rinji's ability too."
"That's true… but at least give her some hope."
"Hiding behind hope is useless." Ishigami kept reading. "Hope is the enemy of effort. I've long since understood that. I'm sure Iino understands too."
He knew very well that chasing Tsubame wasn't something hope could achieve.
Unless he fought desperately to improve himself, he would only get further away. The earlier he faced reality, the earlier he could work.
"Wait."
Ishigami suddenly realized something and turned toward where Iino had left.
"She isn't angry, is she?"
"You're only realizing that now?"
"…"
"Somehow, you're acting strange today."
It wasn't very obvious, but Shirogane could still sense slight changes in Ishigami.
"No… how should I put it?" Ishigami scratched his head. "In past terms, every midterm or final, Rinji would come to my house on the weekend to help me review. But this week, he suddenly didn't come…"
"I see, so you're not used to it yet?" Shirogane laughed. "But you can't rely on Rinji for everything. After graduation, you'll have to part ways anyway."
"True."
Even so, this period was especially critical for Ishigami.
He had finally gotten a chance to date Tsubame, and he wanted advice from Rinji. But now that he was gone, there was no one else he could talk to.
"Speaking of which, it's been three days since Rinji left, and he hasn't sent any message. He's disappeared from the student council's chat too."
"Apparently the signal in his hometown is bad," Shirogane said. "Before leaving, he told me that for the next month, he'd be completely unreachable."
---
"Where exactly is this place? There's not even a signal."
---
"Auntie, I'll just leave these here."
In the boundless farmland, Karura walked out from the fields wearing a cotton-padded coat and a straw hat, carrying a large basket of cabbages.
"Alright, thank you so much, Karura."
Rinji's mother took the basket of cabbages from Karura's hands.
"To think you came here just for fun but still helped out. It must have been tiring."
"No, not at all," Karura said with a smile. "I also wanted to experience farm life a little."
This was Rinji's hometown, a vast farm located in some unknown corner of the world, detached from all worldly noise. For those who enjoyed a quiet life, this scenic farmland nestled between mountains and rivers was truly an ideal paradise.
Everything was perfect here, except there was no internet.
For Karura, who had lived in the big city since childhood, farm life carried its own kind of charm and novelty.
Boom—
A loud noise made Karura turn her head curiously in the direction of the sound.
"What happened?"
"It's nothing. Probably Rin-chan fighting with his dad again. They duel every time he comes home."