Quick hands-up:
( ) = Kaze's inner monologue
<" "> = Whispers
The arrival of the examination period altered the atmosphere of the classroom so thoroughly that it felt like an entirely different place. The careless laughter and idle conversations that once filled the air vanished without a trace, replaced by an almost oppressive silence. Each morning, students entered the room with rigid expressions, took their seats without exchanging words, and immediately opened their textbooks. The only sounds that survived were the faint rustling of pages and the subtle friction of pens gliding across paper. Even Takuya Kaze, who usually treated school days with practiced indifference, found himself swept into this rare collective discipline, his posture straighter than usual, his gaze lingering on the pages longer than he cared to admit.
The week unfolded with mechanical repetition, as if time itself had been compressed into a single, unbroken stretch of tension. Some students sacrificed sleep, staying awake until late hours to revise, while others arrived at school before sunrise, clinging to their notes as if they were lifelines. The teachers, too, were consumed by their duties, already burdened with the task of grading countless papers so results could be announced without delay. For everyone involved, the exam week was less an event than a trial — one that demanded endurance rather than enthusiasm.
When the final examination ended, the release came not with celebration but with exhaustion. After handing in his paper, Kaze leaned back in his chair and stretched, joints protesting softly as though they, too, had been holding their breath all week. He yawned without restraint, slung his bag over his shoulder, and prepared to leave the classroom immediately, eager to escape before anyone attempted conversation.
(Finally… it's over. Took long enough.)
Just as he reached the doorway, a light tap landed on his shoulder. He turned to see Sato Itsuki standing behind him, her expression careful, as if choosing her words required as much thought as the exam questions themselves.
"What's the matter?" Kaze asked, eyes half-lidded. "My head's still buzzing after all that."
"Yeah… Kaze-kun," Itsuki said softly. "Did you find the questions difficult?"
"I guess so. They weren't easy."
(In reality, I've been drilled on most of that since primary school… courtesy of my mother.)
"You look surprisingly calm," she continued, worry flickering across her face. "Why's that?"
"Probably because I'm used to failing," Kaze replied without hesitation. "I'll end up near the bottom again, like always."
"Ah… phew…"
(What exactly are you relieved about?)
"If that's all," he said, turning away, "I'll head home first."
Itsuki nodded. "Yeah… goodbye, Kaze-kun." She waved gently, the gesture identical to the one she had made on their first day of meeting.
"Yeah. Bye," he replied, already walking away.
After a few steps, an unfamiliar discomfort settled in his chest. He stopped, exhaled quietly, then turned back.
"…Goodbye, Itsuki-san."
Her reaction was immediate — her cheeks tinted red, but her smile was bright and unrestrained, as though a small but meaningful line had finally been crossed.
A day before the exam week:
At home, Kaze lay sprawled across the couch, a horror movie playing in the background while his attention drifted in and out of consciousness. The familiar tension of the film should have kept him alert, but fatigue weighed heavily on his eyelids. Just as sleep threatened to claim him, his phone rang sharply, pulling him back to awareness.
(It's almost nine… who even calls at this hour?)
He answered with a sigh.
"Hello?"
"Open the door, Kaze~"
The voice made him stiffen. He glanced at the screen.
Aneki.
Suppressing his irritation, he stood and opened the door to find his older sister, Takuya Yua, standing there with a cheerful grin.
"What's your problem, aneki?"
"I finished my work!" she announced proudly.
"Then why aren't you at your own place?"
She crossed her arms. "That's no way to talk to your favorite, loving onee-san~"
(Get rid of me…)
Ignoring her, Kaze returned to the couch and resumed the movie. Yua followed and sat beside him, uninvited.
"I heard your grades haven't been great lately," she said casually.
"That's none of your business."
Without warning, she climbed onto his lap.
"Hey — get off! You're blocking the screen!"
"Then pay attention to me instead!"
"Yeah, yeah… whatever."
Eventually, she rested her head on his lap. Without thinking, Kaze reached down and patted her head absently as the movie continued. Before long, her breathing slowed — she had fallen asleep. Noticing how late it had grown, Kaze carefully moved her onto the sofa before retreating to his room.
The next morning, as expected, Yua had somehow migrated into his bed during the night, clinging to him in her sleep.
"…Unbelievable. Well, I will prove myself, aneki." he muttered, rising quietly and leaving for school exam.
After exam:
In the morning, Kaze headed straight for the announcement board in the school.
1st Place: Masakami Kento2nd Place: Sato Itsuki3rd Place: Takuya Kaze
The hallway erupted into disbelief.
"How is that even possible?"
"Did Takuya-kun cheat?"
"No way!"
(I put in just enough effort for my aneki. Guess that was enough. Still… they're weaker than I thought.)
Without lingering, Kaze turned and walked back to his seat.
Yagami Kazumi appeared soon after, arms crossed. "So you finally decided to wake up, genius?"
"Just luck," he replied. "The questions lined up with what I'd studied."
"Well then," she smirked, "looks like you're going on a date with Sato-san."
"I don't mind. Why?"
"Hmph." She turned away. "So you're really abandoning your childhood friend?"
"Tch…" He reached out and patted her head. "That's what you wanted, isn't it?"
"Hehe… you know me too well."
"Hey."
A sharp voice interrupted them.
"You can't touch her."
They turned together.
It was Itsuki.
"You're my boyfriend today," she declared. "You're not allowed to cheat."
"What — ?!"
"That's what we agreed on," she continued calmly. "The winner gets a date. Logically, that means we're dating for one day."
"…That logic is questionable," Kazumi muttered, "but not wrong."
"Then pat me."
Kaze immediately covered Itsuki's mouth.
<"We're in public. You want more rumors?">
<"It's not a rumor if it's true.">
<"This is only one day. Rumors last months.">
<"Then don't talk to her.">
<"Fine. Just don't make a scene.">
(There's no winning with her today.)
End of Chapter (Stay tuned for Part 2)