The air in the classroom had a thick weight to it as if every student’s anxiety had pooled together, filling the space with palpable tension. Haruto sat at his desk, staring down at the first page of his math exam. His heart was pounding like it had on that first day of finals, and he could almost feel the pressure of the clock ticking down. This was the second hurdle of their grueling week. Math, one of Haruto’s weakest subjects.
You’ve prepared for this. You can do this, he reminded himself, gripping his pencil a little too tightly.
"Begin," the teacher announced, and the sound of pens hitting paper echoed in unison.
Haruto glanced at the first problem. Simple enough, just an equation. He scribbled through it, but by the second question, his confidence faltered. An algebraic expression stared back at him, more complex than the practice ones he had worked on. His brain felt like it was stuck in the mud as he attempted to recall the formula.
Haruto's POV
Did we even review these? I asked myself.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ren flipping through the questions, calm as ever. I envied him. I envied how numbers seemed to make sense to Ren, while they only danced tauntingly in front of me, blurring together into a puzzle I couldn’t quite solve.
I fought the panic rising in my chest. Focus. One question at a time. But with every minute that passed, the problems seemed to grow harder, and my self-doubt crept in, threatening to derail me completely.
Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the math exam. I put down my pen and released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My head buzzed with lingering frustration as I handed in my paper. I had done what I could, but the fear of failure gnawed.
Out in the hallway, Hinata was waiting, her eyes full of the silent question, how did it go?
“Not great,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “I left some of the harder questions blank. I just... I don’t know.”
Hinata gave me a reassuring smile, though her own nerves showed in the tightness of her expression. “You did your best, and that’s all that matters,” she said gently. “Come on, let’s grab a snack. You’ll do better in that one.”
***
The Social Studies Exam
The next test, Social Studies, began almost too soon. My brain still felt sluggish from the math exam, but at least here, I was on more familiar ground. The material was easier to grasp. Historical dates, economic systems, and government structures. I recalled late-night study sessions with my friends, the way Hinata had drilled me on important events, and how Rei had made dry facts more entertaining with her goofy mnemonic devices.
The exam wasn’t easy, but it felt manageable. My hand moved more confidently as I wrote down the answers, my mind less clouded by self-doubt. I didn’t breeze through it like Ren or even Hinata, but when I handed in the paper this time, there was a small sense of relief.
“Much better,” I whispered to Hinata as we exited the classroom. She nodded, giving me a soft pat on the back.
“You’re getting there, Haruto,” she said, her voice filled with quiet pride. “One more to go.”
***
The English Exam
The final exam of the week was English, and I felt a strange mix of dread and hope. I wasn’t awful at English, but I wasn’t great either. Vocabulary, synonyms, sentence structure, it all jumbled together in my mind sometimes.
As I sat down, my palms slightly clammy, I thought about Hinata. She had been the one to help me with English the most. We’d gone over countless vocabulary lists together, studied synonyms and antonyms, and practiced essay structures.
When the exam began, I tackled the vocabulary section first. The synonym for argument? I smiled to myself. Debate. I learned that from Hinata just a few days ago.
But as the test went on, the passages grew more challenging. The reading comprehension section had long paragraphs that seemed to go on forever, and the essay question at the end loomed like a giant mountain to climb. I stared at the blank lines, feeling the pressure to write something coherent, something that would get me through.
Time moved quickly, and before I knew it, the teacher’s voice echoed through the room. “Five minutes left.”
My heart raced again, just like during the math exam. I scribbled down the last of my answers, hoping that what I had written made some semblance of sense. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam, I felt drained, every ounce of energy spent.
***
In the hallway, my friends were already gathered, waiting for me. Hinata caught my eye and smiled, though there was weariness behind it. They were all tired.
“You survived,” Ren said with a grin, though it was weaker than usual.
“Barely,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. “That was brutal.”
Haruna sighed, leaning against the wall. “Finals always are. But it’s over, at least for today.”
Hinata stepped closer to me, her expression soft. “You did well. I know it.”
I shrugged, uncertainty still clouding my mind. “I don’t know, Hinata. I tried, but...”
She placed a hand gently on my arm, her eyes full of quiet encouragement. “You worked hard, Haruto. That’s what matters. You’re not alone in this.”
***
The hallway buzzed with anxious whispers, a current of anticipation filling the air as students crowded around the bulletin board. I stood at the back of the group, my heart thudding in my chest. This was it. The moment of truth.
Ren nudged me, his usual playful grin replaced with something more serious. "You ready, man?"
I wasn’t sure. I swallowed hard, then nodded. With a deep breath, I stepped forward, squeezing between the other students to get a clear view of the board. My eyes scanned the list, my fingers trembling as I found my name.
Science: 74
Math: 71
Social Studies: 77
English: 69
I blinked, staring at the numbers as if they might change if I looked hard enough. My stomach dropped when I saw the English score, 69. Barely passing, I thought, my heart sinking. But then my eyes drifted to the bottom of the board, where the average class score was posted: 68.
I passed. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, relief flooding through me like a cool breeze on a scorching day.
Ren, standing beside me, gave me a triumphant slap on the back. “Told you you’d make it!”
I managed a weak smile, the weight of the past weeks slowly lifting from my shoulders. “Yeah,” I muttered, still a little stunned. “I guess I did.”
***
Later that afternoon, Hinata and I sat together in the quiet of the library, tucked away in our usual corner. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the worn wooden tables. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling, the reality of my passing grades finally settling in.
“I can’t believe I made it,” I said, my voice filled with disbelief and relief. “I was so sure I’d fail English.”
Hinata, seated across from me, smiled softly, her eyes warm. “You worked really hard, Haruto. You deserve it.”
I looked at her, her calm presence a steadying force in the storm of my nerves over the past few weeks. She had been there through it all, patiently guiding me through late-night study sessions and calming my fears when the weight of expectations felt too heavy to bear.
“Honestly,” I said, sitting up a little straighter, “I don’t think I would’ve made it without you, Hinata. You were... you were a lifesaver.”
Hinata’s cheeks flushed at my words, but she ducked her head slightly, fiddling with the corner of a notebook. “It wasn’t just me. You pushed yourself too, Haruto.”
I reached out and touched her hand gently, my touch light but sincere. “Still, thank you. For everything.”
Hinata met my gaze, her face softening into a smile. “You don’t have to thank me. We’re friends. That’s what we do.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, the quiet hum of the library surrounding us, the stress of exams finally a thing of the past. For the first time in weeks, I felt a sense of peace.
After a few moments, I shifted in my seat, my heart racing for an entirely different reason now. I scratched the back of my neck, glancing at Hinata from the corner of my eye. “Hey, Hinata?”
“Yeah?”
“So... summer break is coming up,” I began, my voice more tentative than usual. “And, well, there’s this fireworks festival next week. I was wondering if maybe... you’d want to go? With me?”
I paused. The library went super silent as I saw Hinata's face looked as if she was waiting for me to finish my words.
“Well, with Ren, Rei, and Haruna! It's uhm… a celebration for our success in the finals,” I continued.
Hinata blinked, her eyes widening in surprise. For a moment, she seemed to forget how to breathe. Then, a soft blush crept across her cheeks, her lips curving into a shy smile. “You mean, like... together?”
“Yeah,” I said, my own face warming under her gaze. “Together.”
Hinata’s smile brightened, and she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. “I’d like that.”
I grinned, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness swirling in my chest. The weight of exams was gone, and in its place was the promise of something new, something bright.
As we gathered our things to leave, the afternoon sun casting golden light across the room, I felt lighter than I had in a long time. Summer was on the horizon, and with it, the fireworks that promised to light up the night, just like the unexpected spark between me and Hinata.
The future suddenly didn’t seem so daunting. In fact, it felt full of possibilities.
And as we walked out of the library side by side, I couldn’t help but feel that this was only the beginning.
To be continued…