Chapter 122: Are You Gonna Study or Not?

Knock knock knock!

"Who is it?"

The door of a high-rise apartment opened, revealing a slightly overweight middle-aged man.

He looked confused for a second when he saw Takamine, then noticed the school uniform and asked tentatively, "You're… Yu's classmate?"

"Yes. I'm here to see Ishigami."

"Oh! You're here to help him study?"

The moment he heard that, the man beamed and opened the door wide.

"Come on in."

"Sorry for the intrusion."

Changing into indoor slippers, the middle-aged man—none other than Ishigami Yuu's father—smiled and said, "Ever since he entered high school, that kid's grades have gone downhill. Lately, he's even gotten addicted to games. It really can't go on like this. It's great you came over… By the way, what's your name?"

"My name is Takamine Rinji."

"Then Takamine-kun, I'll be counting on you with my son... By the way, you must be doing pretty well in school, right?"

He had to ask—although there were probably only two or three students in the entire grade doing worse than Ishigami, he was still concerned whether Takamine was part of the bottom tier too.

"I'm not that good… I was fifth in the last exam."

"Oh! That's excellent!"

The look in Ishigami's father's eyes was filled with approval.

What parent doesn't want their kid to befriend top students?

He walked over to a door and banged on it.

"Yuu! Stop playing games! Your classmate's here!"

"Huh?"

The door opened, and Ishigami peeked his head out with his long bangs hanging over his face—only to see Takamine Rinji waving at him with a smile.

"Takamine? What are you doing here?"

"What is he doing here? He's here to help you study, of course!"

Ishigami's father smacked the back of his son's head and smiled at Takamine.

"Alright, you two go ahead and study. I won't disturb you."

"Thanks."

Once Ishigami's dad left, Takamine stepped into his room.

The walls were plastered with posters of triple-A video games, the floor covered in various limited-edition consoles, and opened game boxes piled up like a mountain.

Clearly, Ishigami had poured a lot of money into console gaming.

"You came without even giving me a heads-up?"

"Slipped my mind."

"Well, you picked the perfect time," Ishigami said, grabbing a newly arrived multiplayer RPG game with a grin. "It just got delivered today. Let's fire it up—"

"Ishigami."

Takamine placed his hands firmly on his shoulders and said with deep sincerity:

"I didn't come here to play."

"Huh? Then why—"

"Didn't your dad already explain?"

"…"

Ishigami's face shifted from joy to terror.

"N-no way..."

"I'm here to make you..."

"No! Don't say that word!!"

"Study."

"Nooooo!!!"

"Hey, is studying really that painful for you?"

"It's extremely painful! I hate studying the most! Wouldn't it be way better to just enjoy a good game together?" Ishigami screamed.

"Games can wait until summer break. What matters now are your grades," Takamine replied. "You've already failed twice. One more and you might not be able to move up."

"Takamine, you have to understand—some things just can't be forced."

"Believe me, even with limited time, I can help you raise your grades."

"No, no, what I meant is… I hate studying."

"Funny coincidence. So do I."

"Then can you not force me? We're friends, aren't we?"

"…Yeah."

Takamine sighed.

"As your bro, I really don't want to force you to do something you hate, even if it's for your own good."

"Exactly!"

Hearing that, Ishigami smiled again.

"Let's just enjoy some gaming today. If Dad asks, we'll say we were reviewing."

"Ishigami," Takamine suddenly said.

"Yeah?"

Through the dim lighting of his room, Ishigami looked up at Takamine—his expression shadowed by his blond bangs.

"Before coming here, I promised the student council president I wouldn't let you fail again."

Takamine's eerily resentful tone sent a shiver down Ishigami's spine.

"Uh… so?"

"If you don't study, your grades won't improve. That means the only way to stop you from failing would be… to drag down the average score for the entire grade."

Gulp.

Ishigami swallowed hard.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I have a bottle of ultra-strength laxatives at home. If you won't study, I'll have no choice but to add some to the meals of the top 100 students in the grade."

"Hey!!"

"And it's vet-grade—meant for animals. If a human takes it…"

Takamine looked up at the thoroughly frightened Ishigami.

"I can't guarantee they'll survive."

"Takamine… you're joking, right?" Ishigami laughed nervously. "That's not funny at all..."

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"…"

"So, will you study?"

"…I will."

"Excellent! This is your decision—I didn't force you, okay~"

Takamine's usual smile returned.

He pulled a few textbooks from his bag and placed them on Ishigami's game-cluttered desk.

"Alright then, time waits for no one. Let's start reviewing~"

Ishigami Yuu: "…"

——————————————————————————————————

After one round of review, Ishigami lay slumped over the desk.

It wasn't that he was physically exhausted, but mentally, the experience was pure torture.

Still, the review had been somewhat effective. Judging by the practice questions, Takamine could see clear improvement. Ishigami wasn't dumb—in fact, he was quite smart.

"Takamine…" Ishigami murmured, face buried in his arms.

"What is it?"

"I'm hungry."

"Perfect. I brought some tofu fish soup with me. It's rich in high-quality protein and calcium for brain function, and it supports cerebral blood circulation."

Takamine handed over the still-warm soup from a sealed container.

"…"

Ishigami took a bite with a spoon and his eyes lit up. In an instant, he finished it all.

He had to admit—Takamine's cooking skills were top-tier.

"How was it?"

"Delicious," Ishigami said with a smile, then slumped back onto the desk. "But my shoulders are a little sore."

"I'll give you a massage," Takamine offered with a smile.

Ishigami Yuu: "…"

'This guy… his feminine skills are terrifyingly high…'

As if struck by a sudden thought, Ishigami blurted, "Takamine."

"Hm?"

"Can you wear a wig and a nurse outfit?"

"No."