Approximately two weeks had passed since the entrance ceremony.
For the freshmen, the awkwardness of their first day at the academy had largely faded, and everyone had begun to socialize with those they got along with.
Of course, in my case, I was alone.
In previous playthroughs, I hadn't spent time on anyone else, solely focusing on conquering the heroines.
This time, too, I had no time to spare for building relationships with others.
However…
"Emil, I didn't quite understand this part of the last class. Can you explain it?"
"Ah! That's unfair! Me too, me too!"
"Uhm…? Why me? Just ask the professor…"
"Well, you're the top student, Emil."
"You teach better than the professor. And it's more comfortable."
"Right? Hehe."
Perhaps due to the [Charm Teardrop Mark], female students would sometimes approach me without hesitation.
Aside from that, my academy life was solitary.
That's how I spent two weeks.
'Then, shall we slowly begin?'
Of course, for me, who had to conquer five heroines, simply letting two weeks pass could be seen as a waste of precious time.
But this was a necessary expenditure of time.
…I had to give the heroines this much time to build rapport with the other male protagonists.
'In previous playthroughs, I moved quickly before that could happen, but now it's the opposite….'
I didn't just want to feed those five heroines taffy [an idiom meaning to cause trouble or misfortune].
The five male protagonists were no different.
In any case, if it weren't for those bastards, I wouldn't have had such a shitty experience.
And so, two weeks.
Finally, having passed the tedious time.
"Ah… Starting today, we're accepting applications for student-organized study groups. Group leaders who have recruited members should submit their applications to me afterwards…."
The first signal to begin had appeared.
***
Study groups.
Simply put, they were gatherings where a small number of students voluntarily studied together.
An event-like gathering to foster camaraderie among freshmen and simultaneously prepare for the mid-term exams, the first test of the semester.
As the study group event began, students sought out like-minded peers and formed groups.
Because of this, in the past few days, group leaders could often be seen diligently running around the academy to recruit good students.
The reason was to include students with excellent grades in their groups.
Of course, exam scores wouldn't necessarily rise just from these study groups.
Even so, the atmosphere in a group with excellent students was very different from one without.
'Now… where's that girl….'
Naturally, there was a group I was targeting.
As I walked down the hallway, searching for that distinctive pink hair.
"E-excuse me! How about our group?"
In the hallway, various group leaders were soliciting students to join.
At the end of that hallway, I saw the person I was looking for.
Long, light pink hair.
A distinctive hairstyle with it tied into two pigtails and hanging down.
Round, clear eyes that looked innocent and pure.
But her most prominent feature was below her face.
Bounce.
"Uh, umm… S-sorry. I'm already in a group."
"Ah… I see."
As she lowered her head dejectedly, her distinctively large chest jiggled once.
The movement was noticeable even from a distance, where I stood.
The student who had just been invited walked away with a disappointed expression.
'Mari Clozet….'
She was the one who had brought me my first despair.
━'I'm sorry… I'm sorry for hurting you….'
The memory of the day she betrayed me flashed through my mind.
"Kugh…"
Throb…
Thanks to that, the headache that had plagued me consistently ever since returned.
Ding!
[Using 'Mental Healing'!]
Thanks to the Easy Mode privilege, the headache quickly vanished.
'Normally, I'd refuse to join a bitch like you's group twice over, but….'
Feeling the refreshing clarity in my head, I grinned.
My first target was Mari Clozet.
Well, I wasn't planning on feeding them taffy [an idiom meaning to cause trouble or misfortune] in the order I was fed it, but.
Due to timing, she became the first.
'Then, shall I go?'
Fortunately, I was the top student in this entrance exam.
Since the study group's purpose was to improve grades, my title as the top freshman would be that much more helpful.
…I suffered quite a bit in the first playthrough when I didn't have such a title.
'Please! I'm begging you!'
'Huh? Hmm, but me… I'm pretty serious about this mid-term exam.'
'I definitely won't hold you back! No, more than that, I'll certainly be helpful!'
'Hmm….'
Back then, I struggled fiercely to join her group somehow.
In the end, I managed to recruit another honor student as an achievement, and then joined Mari's group.
'My efforts from the last playthrough will look laughable now.'
So, this time, I walked confidently towards her.
Since she was serious about improving her grades, getting the top student in the year would surely be her primary goal.
But then.
"Ah! Emil! Where are you going? Have you joined a group yet? If not, come join ours!"
"Uh, uhm?"
As I was walking towards Mari, another student acting as a group leader rushed towards me frantically.
"Sorry, I have a different group I plan to join…."
"Huh? It's Emil…!"
"What, the top student of the year?"
"H-hold on, Emil! Join our group! We've really structured ours systematically!"
"What?! Wait, respect the order! I'm still inviting him!"
"No, I mean…."
And starting with that student, other group leaders who noticed my presence began to gather.
…I hadn't accounted for this.
"Come to our group! No, seriously, ours is much better! We've even secured a brand new location!"
"We'll be holding ours at a nearby luxury inn! Snacks and tea are provided endlessly!"
"Ugh, w-we don't have things like that… but there are, there are tons of pretty girls!"
It was as if reporters were swarming a celebrity embroiled in a scandal.
Every single group leader brought up various advantages, urging me to join.
"No, I have a group I plan to join…."
No matter how much I appealed, my words were drowned out by the passionate voices of the group leaders.
Just then.
'Oh, Mari…!'
I made eye contact with Mari, who had just been rejected by someone else for an invitation, from a distance.
It seemed that the gathering of other group leaders had made me stand out.
'Right, when Mari comes, I'll tell her I'm joining her group…!'
The plan had changed, but the outcome was the same, so it didn't matter.
Now, I just had to wait for Mari to approach.
But then.
'Huh…?'
Mari made a somewhat disappointed expression, then turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.
It was as if she had no intention of inviting me at all.
"No, what's wrong with her?!"
"Huh?"
"E-Emil?"
Flustered by her actions, I inadvertently blurted out my thoughts.
At that shout, a path instantly opened up.
The startled group leaders hesitated, and their encirclement widened.
Whoosh!
"Ah! Emil!"
"Wait, we haven't finished talking…!"
I shook off their hands, broke through the encirclement, and ran down the hallway.
Initially, I had intended to approach her slowly and naturally.
Because I absolutely hated begging a bitch like her to let me in.
But the situation had changed.
'Mari would definitely put everything on the line for the upcoming mid-term exam…!'
She, who needed to recruit honor students no matter what, turned her back on me and walked away.
I didn't know why, but.
The thought that I couldn't miss this opportunity now flashed through my mind.
And then.
Grab!
"Squeal!"
"E-excuse me…!"
"…Huh? You're…."
After running quickly, I managed to grab Mari, who was about to go down the central staircase.
Her light pink twintails and large chest simultaneously swayed as she looked at me.
Her eyes held confusion.
As if saying, 'Why are you here?'
"Nothing else, but… could you let me into your group?"
"What…?"
"I saw you inviting another student just now."
"Eh, oh, I, I'd be happy to…!"
"Emiiiiiil━!!"
Just then, I heard the other group leaders I had shaken off calling my name.
"No, don't those guys know how to give up?!"
"Uh, uhm?"
"Let's go for now!"
"Wait…!"
If we get surrounded here, things could get complicated.
Because Mari's group might fill up while those guys hold me back.
Thump thump thump thump━!
I grabbed Mari's hand and headed for the rooftop with her.
Clank!
Only after reaching the rooftop and closing the door did Mari and I let out a sigh of relief.
"Haa, haa… Th-that startled me…."
"Phew, sorry. It was a truly desperate situation."
"Uhm, hehe, it's fine, running away was fun."
Mari, catching her breath, soon looked at me and smiled cheerfully.
It seemed I hadn't upset her.
No, rather, she soon looked at me with sparkling eyes and cautiously.
"Uhm, but… what you said about joining the group just now… Was that to get rid of the others?"
"Huh?"
"No, I'm… I'm asking if you were serious. About joining the group…."
Even amidst all this, Mari seemed concerned about me joining her group.
'This reaction… she seems to want me to join, right?'
That's why I had doubts.
After all, just moments ago, she had turned her head away from me and was about to leave.
"Do you want me to join?"
"Huh? Of course! You're the top student from the entrance exam! I remember the entrance ceremony! Emil Tier!"
"…But why didn't you come over just now?"
"Huh?"
"When the other group leaders were gathering. We made eye contact, didn't we?"
"Ah, you s-saw that… Hehe."
At my question, Mari awkwardly scratched her cheek.
"But… since you were so popular… I thought you'd probably refuse even if I invited you."
"Ah…."
"I invited other honor students too, but they all already had places they'd joined. So I thought Emil would be the same."
Only then did I understand her thoughts.
'Indeed, at this time, this girl's self-esteem is quite low….'
Until she achieved excellent grades in her exams, Mari behaved quite lacking in confidence.
Of course, as I worked on conquering her, that aspect was resolved as well.
As a result, the last Mari I remembered was a confident Mari who had overcome all those complexes.
…And because of that overflowing confidence, she also moved on to other men.
Anyway.
"If that's the case, don't worry. I haven't joined anywhere yet."
"R-really?! Then…!"
"Yes, I plan to join your group. What I said earlier wasn't to escape; I was serious."
"Ehh…."
At my words, Mari's eyes sparkled as if deeply moved.
'Her reaction is completely different from the first playthrough.'
Previously, she had refused even after I pleaded multiple times, so Mari's reaction like this felt quite awkward.
To think being the top student in the entrance exam alone could achieve this much.
Long live Easy Mode.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll do my best not to hold you back!"
"No, rather, that's what I should be saying. I'm not as serious about the mid-term exams as you are."
"Ehehe, but in the end, I'll be the one getting help, so it's nothing. Anyway, I look forward to working with you! I'll truly work hard!"
Mari repeatedly expressed her gratitude with a bright smile as she left the rooftop.
"Hah, 'I look forward to working with you,' she says…."
After she left, I revealed the distorted smile I had hidden behind my innocent one.
…Though I lacked memories, I knew Mari's true nature.
No matter how innocent and pure she appeared.
She had mocked and trampled upon my sincerity.
"Let's get along well from now on, Mari…."
I gazed down at the vast academy landscape from the rooftop and muttered that.
***
"Hello, we meet again?"
"Huh?"
"Wow! Isn't this amazing! To think the top and second-top students of our first-year entrance exam would join our group~!"
The next day, after school.
I went to the separate classroom provided for the first study group.
The academy had provided a classroom specifically because the group included the top student from the entrance exam.
But then.
The moment I entered, I was faced with an unexpected person.
"Why are you…."
"What do you mean? Of course, I came to study in the study group."
"No, I mean, why this group?"
At my question, Sierra tilted her head, answering as if to ask why I was even asking.
"Well, because you're here?"
"Huh?"
"I'm serious about the mid-term exams too. I want to take the top spot this time, so naturally, I have to join the group you're in."
"I see…."
Being the top student in the entrance exam created many variables in various ways.