Chapter 369: Before Finals

"Try to focus a little, Ishigami."

"Rinji, I'm doing the thing I hate and suck at the most right now."

"Look, with your grades, you won't even make it into an internal senior year placement. If you keep failing, you'll be forced to take outside college entrance exams. You really want to just pick some random university?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"The problem is you probably won't even pass those," Rinji said.

"Then I'll just be a shut-in at home."

Ishigami's family ran a toy company. His father was the CEO. Besides his parents, Ishigami also had an older brother, who was the exact opposite of him—excellent in everything, and likely to inherit the company.

Lying on the desk, Ishigami turned to look at Rinji.

"Do you have plans for the future?"

"Yeah. After graduating college, I'll go back to the countryside and farm. Grow some crops, raise some animals."

"What a simple and honest dream. You're young and already planning for retirement."

"If I don't retire, the world might not remain peaceful for long," Rinji said as he patted Ishigami's shoulder. "Now get back to studying."

"…I can't focus."

"Even if you can't, just sit down and do it. You know I was supposed to go on a date with Karura this weekend, right? I canceled it just to help you study. So don't waste my sacrifice."

"Then go on the damn date! Who doesn't go out when they have a girlfriend!?"

"Who do you think I'm doing this for!? Now get studying," Rinji said coldly. "If you don't rank within the top 150 this time, I'll lace the entire school with laxatives during the next finals."

"..."

"So don't waste my effort. Hit the books."

"...Alright…"

Under Rinji's oppressive pressure, Ishigami could only sit up and resume studying.

Last semester, after getting Rinji's tutoring, Ishigami had barely made it to rank 147. But since Rinji hadn't helped him at all this semester, he had dropped back to the bottom ranks.

Today, when Rinji said he was going to tutor him, Ishigami knew he couldn't escape. His family—especially his dad—was thrilled to have Rinji help. Every time he came over, they even helped hold Ishigami down to make him study.

No escape meant submission.

Still, has anyone else ever experienced this? When you haven't touched a textbook all semester, reviewing for finals feels like reading an alien language.

"For this question, you just need to apply the formula—hey, Ishigami, don't lie down. This is a freebie problem."

"No… Please consider my condition. I feel nauseous just looking at the book."

"…Hold on."

Seeing Ishigami looking half-dead, Rinji got up and walked out of the room.

Ishigami watched in confusion as Rinji left.

Moments later, Rinji returned with two plates of freshly cooked food.

"If reading gives you headaches and nausea, it might be blood circulation or neck-related. Some PG might help. I borrowed your kitchen and ingredients from your dad."

He set the plates down in front of Ishigami.

One was onion salad with wood ear mushrooms. The other was scrambled eggs with onions.

"Here. Eat some onions and get back to studying," Rinji said with a smile.

"...Rinji."

"Hm?"

"Don't show off such high-level housewife skills… I'm afraid I'll awaken something weird in myself."

Rinji: ???

---

"I'm serious… Can you even study like this?"

"Of course. I've been studying seriously."

"Is that so…"

By the time Rinji got back from Ishigami's place, it was already nearly evening. Although Ishigami's family warmly insisted he stay for dinner, Rinji politely declined.

After all, someone at home was still waiting for him to come back and make dinner.

It was Sunday, meaning Hayasaka was staying over again.

Rinji had to make it home in time to cook before dinner. Hayasaka also needed time to review for her exams tomorrow.

"I always thought you were the type who didn't need to study."

"Not quite," Hayasaka replied calmly.

"Consistently scoring exactly 114th in the grade every time… That kind of precision isn't normal."

"I only did that to avoid standing out too much at school. But aiming for a good score while hiding your ability is surprisingly difficult," Hayasaka said with a smile. "Though now I don't have to worry about that anymore. I plan to do my best this time."

"I see…"

"Or maybe you could tutor me, Rinji."

"Do you think I'm in any state to tutor someone?"

The current scene: Hayasaka sat on the couch with a book in one hand, while the other gently stroked Kai's hair as he lay across her lap.

She claimed this helped her feel at peace.

Well… the lap pillow was comfortable, but Rinji still felt it was kind of strange.

"After finals… it's the Hoshin Festival, right?"

"Yeah. Everyone's looking forward to it," Rinji said with a smile. "But the idiots in our class are going to be disappointed."

Back during the class meeting, a bunch of them had tried to get Rinji to cross-dress again. He had flatly refused.

"During the Hoshin Festival… can we go around together?" Hayasaka asked softly.

She'd calculated everything. Knowing Rinji would likely invite Karura, and that he already had yesterday, Hayasaka timed it right.

But as it turned out, the Hoshin Festival overlapped with Karura's school finals—so she wouldn't be able to come.

Which meant this was Hayasaka's only chance to be alone with Rinji.

"Let me think."

Kai started pondering.

His only official plan for the festival was a piano duet with Fujiwara. Once that was done, he had nothing else on the schedule.

"No problem. Of course we can."

"That's great." Hayasaka smiled. "On the morning of the first day, I'll be busy with my class event. We're doing a maid café, and I'll be working as a server."

"A maid café? Your classmates probably have no idea you're a real maid."

"Exactly. If you're free, drop by our booth. I'll treat you real nice~"